Citizen of Heaven
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.
Episodes
444 episodes
ARIZONA: The Grand Canyon. "Tombstone." Dry heat. Trailblazers: the Arizona Trail.
My final featured state this month is one that sparks extreme reactions -- fitting for a state that can be icy cold and boiling hot on the same day. We’ll discuss the most famous feature of Arizona and what it tells us about how the world came ...
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Season 7
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Episode 326
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18:34
LOUISIANA: Sportsman's Paradise. "Why New Orleans Matters." Zydeco. Riverboat.
Louisiana has given me some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, and with it ten pounds I don’t need. And the potholes on I-10 owe me a TV set and a dining room table. I’m calling it even. This week we’ll talk about how one man’s paradise is just ...
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Season 7
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Episode 325
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17:55
NEVADA: Casinos. "The Ox-Bow Incident." "Whatever happens in Vegas ..." Nevada City.
Our tour of America brings us to the Silver State this week, where all that glitters may be gold or may be just a mirage. We’ll discuss the way casinos work to keep you trapped in a situation that will destroy you, and how best to avoid the tra...
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Season 7
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Episode 324
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16:48
ALASKA: The gold rush. "God's Hand on America." The Golden Beaches of Nome. Yukon Airways.
We’re touring the United States this month, starting with the biggest state of all. This week we’ll discuss the pros and cons of chasing gold (turns out there may be more of the latter than the former); the crazy scheme that saved America, and ...
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Season 7
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Episode 323
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19:34
HALFTIME REPORT: My Best Books of 2025 (so far)
In years past I’ve tried to supply four lists of books around this time of year — my best books, the books that made me think the most, the most surprising books I’ve read, and the most disappointing books I’ve read. Unless I hear a barrage of ...
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27:57
AMERICA, part 3: with Steve Wolfgang and BJ Sipe
I hope you’ve enjoyed my discussion with Steve and BJ as much as I have. As we celebrate another birthday in the United States this week, we often find ourselves in a position to brag on ourselves a bit. Or maybe more than that. What’s good for...
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Season 7
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19:32
AMERICA, part 2: with Steve Wolfgang and BJ Sipe
There’s a lot of talk in recent years about how great America is, or was, or might be in the future if we vote for the right people. But instead of America’s greatness, I’d like to talk about its goodness. Steve Wolfgang and BJ Sipe are here to...
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Season 7
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30:08
AMERICA, with Steve Wolfgang and BJ Sipe
Steve Wolfgang is a historian of the first order, as well as being the preacher for the Downers Grove church in the Chicagoland area. BJ Sipe preaches for the church in Danville, KY, and hosts the Set Your Mind Above podcast. They join me this ...
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Season 7
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Episode 322
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31:10
HALFTIME REPORT: My Thinkiest Books of 2025 (so far)
The last few years I've been detailing the books that have impacted me the most while putting the podcast together. Here's the "thinkiest" books I've read of late.Here's the list:10. The Land Between, by Jeff Manion9. Saving M...
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Season 7
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33:40
CHAOS: The un-God. "A Man of Iron." Rioting. Twister.
As an admitted control freak, I must say – I hate chaos. And I think you should hate it too. Bad things happen in the absence of order. This week we’ll discuss chaos as the antithesis to God – the un-God, if you will; a president who defined hi...
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Season 7
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Episode 321
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18:58
GUARANTEES: Down payment. "The Blessed Life." Faithfulness and Mondays. Payday.
They say there are no guarantees in life. That’s not quite true. God offers us guarantees, both in this life and in the next. This week we’ll discuss the assurances God has given His people and whether they come with strings attached; the guara...
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Season 7
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Episode 320
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18:25
FEMINISM: A helper. "What Would Cleopatra Do?" The clock and the wall. Lumberjills.
OK, I haven’t had any death threats lately, so what do you say I push the envelope a bit? This week we’ll discuss Biblical teaching on what a woman is, what a woman’s role should be, what happens when women push back against that, and who you s...
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Season 7
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Episode 319
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19:27
BUSY, part 3: with Scott Beyer
Scott Beyer preaches for the Eastland church in Louisville, KY. Check out his great work at biblegrad.com and the Love Better podcast. Links are in the show notes. In the last part of our talk, we discuss the role rest and relaxation play...
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16:38
BUSY, part 2: with Scott Beyer
Scott Beyer is a frequent contributor to the podcast; links to the good work he does are included in the show notes. When I thought of busy people in the Lord’s vineyard, I immediately thought of Scott. In the second part of our conversation, w...
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22:03
BUSY, with Scott Beyer
In 1 Kings 20, an unnamed prophet tells King Ahab that he, the prophet, had been required to guard a captive from the battle, but that he was busy here and there and the prisoner wound up escaping. Ahab saw that as a dereliction of duty, which ...
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Season 7
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Episode 318
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31:13
OFFENSE: Causing offense. "Robert E. Lee and Me." Being easily offended. Baseball Highlights: 2045.
As promised last week on the “Defense” episode, we’re back to discuss the other side of the argument – or the line of scrimmage. We’ll discuss four different ways of looking at offense: Jesus’s alleged offensiveness and how He responded; the of...
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Season 7
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Episode 317
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17:49
DEFENSE: Apologies. "James Monroe." The 46 Zone. Sid Meier's Civilization.
The most basic instinct we have is self-defense. It’s a pity we leave ourselves so open to attacks on spiritual fronts. This week we’ll discuss how my least favorite kind of apology is sometimes the best kind; how a president secured the nation...
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Season 7
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Episode 316
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18:15
CONFIRMATION: Making your election sure. "The 'If' in Life." Spirit testimony. Cockroach Poker.
It’s not that I’m cynical; really I’m not. But sometimes I just need a little extra testimony to convince me that things are as they present themselves. And that’s not a bad thing. Today we’ll discuss how to get confirmation of our eternal dest...
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Season 7
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Episode 315
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17:56
CONSTRUCTION: The tower-builder. "Airframe." Potholes. Ezra and Nehemiah.
I can’t believe I haven’t done a “Construction” episode already. The Bible is full of metaphors about builders and building, and lessons for us abound. Today we’ll discuss the biggest construction project of your life and whether you should eve...
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Season 7
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Episode 314
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17:56
OUR NEW HOUSE: I feel settled. I feel challenged. I feel achy. I feel joyful.
After five years of waiting, working and praying, the Hammons family is actually living in a place worthy of the name Casa Hammons. Since I’ve been unable to think of anything else for the last two weeks, I thought I’d give in to the urge and j...
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Season 7
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Episode 313
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19:01
DESIRES: Satan's desire. "You Can Make It Happen." The list of five. Pies.
Last week was “needs”; this week it’s all about “needs’s” sexy cousin. If “needs” are critical, “desires” are not; in fact, they’re often destructive. We’ll cover what the devil desires and how we can keep him from getting it; a vision of heave...
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Season 7
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Episode 312
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18:21
NEEDS: Our house. "The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write." Calories. Mancala.
“Need” is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. It’s a fine word; but in the words of Inigo Montoya, “I do not think it means what you think it means.” We’ll discuss how the Hammons family told God what we needed and He gave us what ...
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Season 7
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Episode 311
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18:21
DRIVING: Jehu. "The Cow in the Parking Lot." 85 mph. Bumper cars.
It’s been a minute since I recorded an episode, but Season 7 is off and running – and we’re starting at full speed. This week we’ll discuss the craziest driver in the Bible and how he compares to the people on your daily commute; the attitude y...
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Season 7
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Episode 310
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19:14
COUPLES, part 3: with Wilson and Julie Adams
Today’s episode wraps up my conversation with Wilson and Julie Adams — a strong start indeed to Season 7. you’ll find links in the show notes to Julie’s podcast, entitled “Just Julie”, as well as the counseling she provides through StillWatersL...
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32:44
COUPLES, part 2: with Wilson and Julie Adams
We’re back with more from Wilson and Julie Adams on the topic of Couples — what goes right and why, what goes wrong and why, all those questions we’ve been tossing around ever since the garden of Eden. The second part of our discussion begins w...
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24:58
