Announcing our FIFTH August Summer Challenge! Mike and Matthew talk everything you need to know for this year's memorization challenge in Ephesians 2. Scriptures Referenced:Ephesians 2 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
Nehemiah had a real passion to do a great work for God - but he couldn't do it on his own. What can we learn from him about how to share our passion with others and encourage them to share the burden with us in the work of the Lord? Scriptures Referenced: Nehemiah 2-4 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
Do you want the children and youth in your life to love reading? Everyone in the church should have a vested interest in raising readers. Mike and Matthew discuss 7 ways to help it happen. (Bonus content: this episode was recorded while a mechanical contractor installed equipment in the background. House pets also feature.) Scriptures Referenced: Eph 3:4; Ps 103:14 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast...
Young believers often wonder whether they can really serve the Lord, and if so, how? Guest host Nathan Pratt is back to give us 8 excellent principles that help us in relation to using our spiritual gifts to serve the Lord. Scriptures Referenced:1Pet 4:10-11 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
What should you read this summer? Matthew & Mike have some ideas for you! There is no book like the Bible but we all learn from the ministry of others, including ministry that comes to us in written form. In our seventh instalment of Cloak, Books, and Parchments (2Tim 4:13), we share brief reviews of ten books for your reading delight:- Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? by Timothy Keller (Viking)- Do Not Be True To Yourself, by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway)- Enjoying Jesus: Experience the Pres...
Do you ever feel like you need your spiritual fire set ablaze again? You want to serve God, or at least you want to want to - but the fire isn't burning very hot? Or maybe you sense some spiritual weakness around you, but nobody seems to be doing anything about it? Nehemiah has something to say to help you. Scriptures Referenced:Neh 1-2 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
Even though the baptism in the Spirit happened a long time ago at Pentecost, it has massive significance for Christian life today. Because the Lord Jesus Christ poured out his Spirit on his people 2,000 years ago, every Christian has the Holy Spirit living inside them as a permanent reality. And one of the things the Spirit does is help all of us—male and female, young and old—to be witnesses of Christ. Whether you're with a friend on a study break, or getting ready to tell your testimony at a c...
What famous Christian wrote, "When I turn my eyes within, all is dark, and vain, and wild; Filled with unbelief and sin, can I deem myself a child?" And could someone who struggled with doubts like that ever produce theologically profound poetic verse that would encourage Christians for centuries? Scriptures Referenced:1Sam 2:12; 1Cor 15:33; Heb 13:5-6; 2Pet 3:9 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast...
Praying can be difficult at any time, especially when we're praying out loud with others. But God has given us his Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit convinces us of who we are in Christ, corrects our prayers before they reach the Father, and initiates the conversation through his inspired Word. The Spirit is the reason Johnny (and Jenni) can pray. Be sure to stick around till the end of the episode as Mike and Matthew close it out with some practical helps for young brothers who want to start p...
In our last episode, we looked ahead to the coming King and how that anticipation can embolden us in a world that rejects Christ. But what will the world look like when Christ IS King? In this episode, we are joined by guest host Nathan Pratt to explain to us six marks of the coming kingdom under the reign of Christ. Scriptures Referenced:Ps 72 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
The times we live in feel particularly challenging for many. We are grieved by a culture that continues its descent down a slippery slope. Tariffs roil the world order. And the threat of armed conflicts in our world seems to be increasing. Is there a government that can step up and fix this? Yes, there is. Scriptures Referenced:Ps 2 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
Hospitality means "love of the stranger." In all likelihood there are people who show up at your church gathering who feel like strangers because of social, ethnic, or cognitive differences. How can we support families who have a child with special needs? Or go beyond perfunctory nods and smiles to the newcomer from another culture? In this practical episode, Vince is back on the show to teach us how to widen our hearts to the marginalized. Scriptures Referenced:2Cor 6:11-13; 1Cor 3:3; Jam 2:1-6...
Vince Kember joins us again, this time to talk about the practice of showing hospitality. What is hospitality? What does it do, and what does it look like in real life? In a grace-based way, Vince encourages us to start now in showing hospitality. Scriptures Referenced:Gal 6:9-10; Eph 4:3, 28; Titus 1; 1Tim 6; Heb 13:16; 1Pet 4:9; 2Cor 6:11-13; Jam 2:1-6 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
There is no book like the Bible. Yet admittedly, sometimes the wonder of hearing the living Word of God proclaimed... doesn't result in anything too wonderful in our hearts. How can I as a listener help the process, so that I profit more from listening to the Bible being taught? Scriptures Referenced:1Thess 2:13 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
In this final episode on C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, we tackle the pervasiveness, problem, and cure, of Inner Ring idolatry. Tune in to hear how the pull of the Inner Ring is illustrated in the second Inside Out movie, and to learn how to turn cliques in the church inside out. Scriptures Referenced:Luke 10:19-21 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
One of the great things about the Christian faith is how even simple, physical activities - like eating - have spiritual significance and can be done to the glory of God. But our habits at the table sometimes reveal sins that we often overlook. Let's take a brief, honest assessment and evaluate whether we are allowing the gospel to meet our dinner plates. Scriptures Referenced:Prov 23:20; Ezek 16:49-50; 1Cor 6; 1Cor 10:31; Php 3:19; 1Thes 5:23; 1Tim 4:4 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more epi...
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." C. S. Lewis may not have said those exact words (Mike misattributes the quote to him in this episode), but they certainly express what Lewis taught. In this third episode going through The Screwtape Letters, we explore what true humility is, how one goes about getting it, and how to receive a compliment. Scriptures Referenced:Php 2:1-11 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on ...
Life is full of ups and downs, and Satan and his emissaries want to seize upon us in our low points to turn us from the pathway of faith. But God is using those same trials to further his good work in us - to make us more like Christ. Scriptures Referenced:Rom 8:17-30 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
It's hard for us to believe in the supernatural because our modern world casts the spell on us of "nothing-buttery." We're convinced that ordinary and familiar things are nothing but molecules in motion. Tune in to hear of a powerful counterspell that can free us from this evil enchantment. Scriptures Referenced: Mk 6:1-6; Ps 19 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPodcast
In this episode we field a question from a child: "What do angels do?" We answer (with a little help from Tim Chester): angels are God's postal service, police force, and praise choir, for the aid of every believer in Jesus Christ. (Note: We also talk about the upcoming February reading challenge. Remember to get your copy of C. S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters"!)Scriptures Referenced: Dan 10:10-14; 1Pet 1:12; Gen 3:24; Exod 14:19-20; 2Ki 19:35; Zech 1:10-11; 1Ki 19:5-6; Heb 1:14, 13:1-2; 2Ki6:...
It's a new year! And it's a good time to get a refreshed perspectve. It is so easy to get bogged down with the responsibilities and pressures of life that we forget the Lord is coming. The Lord is certainly not ignorant of our struggles in life, but one of the ways He encourages our hope is to remind us again and again of his soon return. But will it actually be soon? Could this really be the year of the Lord's return? Scriptures Referenced: John 14:3; Php 3:20-21; 1Thess 1:-9-10; 1Thess 4:17; H...
In this final episode of Necessary Church we get to see inside the church. What meets our eyes when we do so is a captivating vision of the church. The church is nothing less than God's people speaking the truth of Christ to one another in love in order to combat the lies of the Evil One. Satan is waging a propaganda war in each of our hearts. But there's a place where we can win the war—it's inside the church. Scriptures Referenced: Eph 4:11-16, 5:18-20, 6:10-20 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com fo...
Everyone wants their life to be meaningful and impactful. What can I join to be part of something big? How can I really make my life count for God? Scripture teaches us that being a full participant in the life of the local church is key. Consecration to God looks like commitment to one another in the church. Local churches are how God intends to accomplish his mission in the world. And being part of the Church means you ARE part of God's big plan in this age. Scriptures Referenced:Rom 12; Rom 1...
Bread and a cup - it sounds like very simple fare. But the depth and richness of the supper the Lord provides for us has no comparison. Unlike life under the Old Covenant, our New Covenant faith is not full of visible, tangible symbols, but the symbols we do have are precious. We see the gospel visibly portrayed in the Lord's Supper. We get to taste forgiveness. It is a gift from the Lord, full of profound meaning, and a special opportunity to enjoy the Lord's grace to us with the church. Script...
Looking for community? Trying to find your people? We long for community because God made us that way. Unfortunately, sin and our culture's devotion to personal autonomy keep us from enjoying the life-in-community God intended. But there's a solution. Through the gospel, God has created a new community, the church. And, through the gospel, we can break free from our addiction to personal autonomy and start enjoying the greater freedom of living life together. In this episode we dive into the bea...
A cup of tea, a warm fire, a comfy chair, a quiet time, and my Bible. Beautiful. We treasure those times. But let's also be mindful of treasuring the times the church gathers to hear the Word preached. It is also a precious privilege and another vital reason that God's path for the Christian includes the fellowship of the local church. Scriptures Referenced:1Tim 4:13-16; 2Tim 4:1-2; Revelation 1-2 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes.Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https...
What if the biggest obstacle keeping you from church is actually the biggest opportunity? We shy away from the local church because we love our freedom. But if freedom is what you're after, then the church is the place to be. To see why people's number one strike against the church is one of the greatest things going for it, you need to (1) hear a story, (2) run a science experiment, and (3) see a picture. This is the first of a six-episode series on the local church. Scriptures Referenced: Exod...
Our sixth edition of Cloak, Books, and Parchments gives you ample time to purchase wisely this Christmas. In this episode we discuss the following books. Please update your wish list accordingly.- The February 2025 reading challenge book: Screwtape Letters. C. S. Lewis- Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. Cal Newport (Portfolio)- Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling. William Boekestein (Reformed Free Publishing)- Strangely Bright: Can You...
It's easy for us to pick up the wrong messaging about sex. That's why we need Scripture to fix our mistaken thinking about sex and wash our defiled views. Building on episode 177, Helen and Mike bring our sexual detox series to a close, tackling commonplace distortions in the culture ("It doesn't matter who I sleep with") and in the church ("Sexual sin is the worst; there's no hope for you if you've fallen"). Is sex just a base animal instinct, or is it a sacred mystery about the meaning of the ...
The LGBT2Q+ movement has been successful in convincing a lot of people that God may bless same-sex unions, and that Scripture doesn't really speak to modern gay and lesbian relationships. Mike and Matthew address this from a Biblical perspective and also provide some helpful guidance on the issue of Christians who experience same-sex attraction. Scriptures Referenced:Lev 20:13; Mat 19:12; Rom 1:24-27; 1Cor 6:9-11 CORRECTION: Mike mentioned the name of Richard Bauckham on this episode, when he me...
