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Citizen of Heaven
Citizen of Heaven
Author: Hal Hammons
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© 2025 Citizen of Heaven
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I am Hal Hammons, a citizen of heaven. I broadcast regular reports of what it is for a child of God to live in Satan's world. My reports typically break down into four segments:"What I've been preaching" -- a point I have made in a recent sermon."What I've been reading" -- A brief breakdown of a book of the Bible or other reading material that has helped me in my understanding or application of the Bible."What I've been hearing" -- news from the internet or other sources about what is going on, either among brothers and sisters in Christ or out in the world at large."What I've been playing" -- how I've been entertaining myself in my spare time, and some spiritual points I have been able to extract.
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Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! So, it's the week of Christmas. And it's episode #350. I didn't plan to save the "Smiles" episode for a week like this, but now I'm glad I did. We'll discuss why smiles are so rare in the Bible and why you shouldn't worry about it; how the cutest little girl and the saddest "Little Tramp" in the history of Hollywood combined forces to drag us out of a national malaise; and how games in general, and one small game in particular, has br...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Steve Wolfgang, preacher for the Downers Grove church in the Chicagoland area, has been schooling us regarding math, church style, this week. As you likely have figured out, we’re wrapping the discussion up with division. What has “split the church” in times past? What “splits” are on the horizon. Or is it even possible to “split the church? in the first place? Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Our favorite category of math in local churches is multiplication, no doubt about it. And in this part of my conversation with Steve Wolfgang, we discuss the pros and cons of growth — and yes, there are cons. We all want the church to grow. But is a quick response a good response? What if any warning signs should be anticipated when the gospel spreads more than we hoped for? Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Steve Wolfgang is back, helping us with math lessons of sorts from God’s word. This part of our discussion relates to subtraction — the unfortunate but often necessary process of taking souls out of fellowship. When is it necessary? And how do we carry it out when it is? By the way, perhaps I should have mentioned it before, but Steve was struggling mightily with a sinus infection at the time of this recording; he would appreciate it ...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Steve Wolfgang preaches for the Downers Grove church in the Chicagoland area. He is well-known throughout the brotherhood for his grasp on historical trends throughout the centuries. This week I’m harnessing his abilities in a somewhat unconventional way, using a math theme. We start here by discussing the way we add people to our fellowship and the role local leadership must play in doing it right — including choosing to not do it at...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Bad things happen in life. That's just the way it is. The question is whether we will be able to recover and build better afterward. This week we'll discuss how flirting with disaster can come back to haunt you and your family; how a man froze to death trying to get you a better deal on silk and gunpowder; how my own carpentry work led to holes in my wall and nearly a hole in my foot; and how planning your disaster properly could resu...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Trust is a rare commodity these days -- earned slowly, lost quickly. Christians should thank God we have One worthy of trust, and a host of others trying their best. This week we'll discuss the trustworthy One and the untrustworthy alternatives; the danger in picking the wrong partner when committing a felony; a staple of trust-building in the corporate world that people don't actually trust; and the difference between a team with a g...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Every year it seems I have more and more to be thankful for, and it's high time I said so on the podcast. this week I'll tell you which Hebrew word brings joy to my heart and why; the particular genre of book that piquest my interest the most and where I find them; the reason Roy Orbison and Brian Wilson are better musicians than your favorite current chart-topper ever will be alive; and why two players at the table are better than on...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! If I could choose any superpower, I might pick being able to fly. I doubt I'm alone in that. No wonder flight is used so often in the Bible as a spiritual metaphor. This week we'll learn how to escape the problems of this life by looking at the world the way God does; how to embrace the desire to fly God put in us and use it properly; how to accept adversity on the way to spiritual achievement; and how to reject dreams of world ...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Scott Taylor and Tyler Hall preach for the West Mason church of Christ in the suburban Cincinnati area. We start our conversation with a simple question: What is your favorite story in the Bible about judgment? Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705 Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. Yo...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Turns out, there's not quite enough weeks in the year for me to say everything I have to say about San Francisco. So this week we'll put all the leftovers into a pot and see what comes out -- what if anything was really wrong with hippies; what businesses on the waterfront are closed and whether I care; whether the sound of sea lions is charming, annoying, or both; and whether going to Chinatown is worth yet another mile of walking. C...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! The Golden Gate is a bridge, a park, and a geological feature. All three made a tremendous impression on me on my recent trip to San Francisco, and I'm here to tell you about it. We'll talk about crossing the barrier between opportunity and accomplished reality; the hazards of walking where others are careening; the most famous meteorological phenomenon in the Bay Area; and the reason why it's worth walking an extra couple of miles to...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! If you don't have the time or the vehicle to travel 5 1/2 hours to Redwood National Park on your next San Francisco trip, you can instead cross the Golden Gate Bridge, take a scenic drive through Marin County, and spend some quality time in Muir Woods National Monument. We did, and it's awesome in every sense of the word. This week we'll talk about some experiences from our recent vacation that cannot be put into words -- but of cours...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705 Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We're going to do something a bit different this month. I am going to spend October telling you about my recent vacation with Tracie to San Francisco. Spoiler alert: It was amazing. Life-altering, even. We'll have plenty to say in the weeks to come about Alcatraz, the redwood trees of Muir Woods, and the Golden Gate; we'll begin this week by discussing what motivated us to go to San Francisco in the first place. Check out Hal on YouTu...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We finish Animal Month with my third and (probably) final venture into ursine territory. If my buddy Kenny Embry is out there, this one's for you. We'll discuss Sarah Palin's favorite mammal and the situations in which you might encounter it; the most famous bear-hunter in history and my surprising issues with him; the most obnoxious meme on the internet (and that's saying something); and the race you absolutely must win, even if it m...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Again we turn to the insect world for help with living among the humans. I hope it's not bugging you. This week we'll discuss how smart humans have figured out a way to destroy themselves (which stupid ants don't do); the incredible work ants do by being what they are and doing what they are meant to do; a personal trip down memory lane with ants and my father; and a game that can serve as the remedy for the affliction after which it ...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I hate cats. But I enjoy Chinese food. See, there’s a blessing in every part of God’s creation – especially the lessons they teach us. This week we’ll deal with whether cats think they’re better than you or just don’t know you exist; some amazing poetry that somehow gave rise to some horrible acting; whether curiosity is actually deadly or if it will just give you hives; and whether it’s appropriate to actually detonate a feline, even...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Maybe when I announced “Animal Month,” you just thought “lions and tigers and bears, oh my.” But God teaches us big lessons with little things. This week we’ll discuss how ugly things grow beautiful through forces beyond their understanding; the man with a butterfly tattoo who went to crazy extremes to avoid being caged; a wonderful lie and a lesson it teaches about rearing children; and the triumphant story of tiny creatures migratin...
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Edwin Crozier and Andrew Roberts of the Text Talk podcast are back to finish up our discussion of everyone’s favorite reptile. Here we discuss a children’s game that, deliberately or accidentally, teaches us that life isn’t fair, some people catch more breaks than we do, and there’s not much we can do about it. Can that make us bitter? Absolutely. How can we avoid that? Let’s find out. Check out the Text Talk podcast at https://...























