Episodes

Finding a friend can be one of the greatest joys in life. Not having a friend can be one of life’s greatest sorrows. How do we go about finding a friend? The good news for shy people is this: the best way to go about finding a friend is to do it indirectly. You don’t need to change your personality; you just need to develop personal interests. If your shortage of good friends is a major source of angst for you, this episode is just for you! Scriptures Referenced: Col 3:4; Php 1:21; Heb 2:14; Joh...

The structural integrity of any building is largely dependent on its foundation. The local church is no different – its foundation is Jesus Christ. And a church that forgets its foundation is sure to make mistakes in its attempts to add to the building, and to beautify the building. And because this building is so special to God, it also comes with a solemn warning to anyone that destroys it. How can someone destroy a local church? Listen to Matthew & Mike in this episode for help in avoiding th...

Re-join Mike and Seth as they continue their conversation on art. In the previous part, they discussed art in relation to creation. In this episode, the conversation turns to art and redemption, to the beauty of the cross. They also talk briefly about how to guard against the dangers of art, and the importance of encouraging artists, in part because of their ability to incline people to be willing to hear the gospel. Scriptures Referenced: 2 Cor 4 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes...

God loves gardens. He knows what he’s talking about when he compares the local church to a field that is cultivated – like a farm, or a garden. So how can we make sure that churches remain places of planting and growth – spiritual gardens instead of flesh factories? Scriptures Referenced: 1Cor 3:1-9 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook.

Let’s talk about art! What does our love of art tell us about God, the world, and us? What place does art have in the life of the Christian? Can art help move people closer to hearing and believing the Christian gospel? These are the sorts of questions Mike explores in this conversation with Seth Griffin. Scriptures Referenced: Gen 1; Ps 19 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook.

When will COVID be over and done with? We’re not sure, but we do know that the road to recovery will not be easy, and we’ll all need some help along the way. In this episode Mike and Matthew talk about six much-needed tools for the task ahead. Scriptures Referenced: Rom 8:28; Ps 4:4; Lev 19:17-18; Eph 4:26-27; Titus 3:1-8; Matt 18:23-35; 1 Cor 13:7; Phil 3:20-21 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook.

Hell is a horrible reality, and yet Christians are not to be embarrassed by it. God’s salvation is amazingly complete; after saving us from hell, he then forces hell to serve the believer’s wellbeing and joy. In this episode we discuss how Christ has pressed hell into his service, causing it to save us from six things: hopelessness, vengefulness, joylessness…Tune in to hear the rest. Scriptures Referenced: Ps 98:5-9; Rev 11:16-18; Rom 9:22-24; 12:17-21; Eph 2:1-10; Col 3:5-8; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 10:1...

God calls us to be holy, but we can’t make ourselves holy. What’s the answer to this conundrum? The gospel! God is justified in commanding us to be holy, because He first calls us saints. Understanding our identity in Christ is key to becoming holy, because sanctification isn’t a self-help program, but a work of God within us. Scriptures Referenced: Neh 8:10; Joh 15:5; Rom 6:19; 2Cor 3:18; 2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:8; 1Thes 4:3,7; Heb 10:10; 1Pet 1:16 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Fol...

What does it mean to repent? And is living by faith something that only full-time missionaries without salaries do? In this episode Mike and Matthew talk about how repentance and faith are closely linked, and how the Christian life is an ongoing turning from self to the Son of God and his saving love. Scriptures Referenced: Acts 20:21; 2Cor 7; Matt. 21:28-32; Luke 18:9-14; Gal. 2:20 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook.

Everyone loves a story of sweet redemption, but there is no redemption story like that of the Christian gospel. The helpless are rescued. The bankrupt have their debt paid. Slaves are set free. Gospel freedom is the best kind of freedom, and not only has the gospel set us free from guilt through the blood of Christ, it also guarantees us a future redemption when our Redeemer returns. Scriptures Referenced: Gen 48:15-16; Ex 6:6-7; 12; Isa 43:1-2; Luk 9:24; Rom 8:23; Gal 5:1, 13; Eph 1:7, 13-14; ...

Don’t let one more day go by without understanding the life-altering truth of justification by faith! It is a doctrine that is culturally relevant and personally relevant because it means we can live life out of a place of acceptance. Its many benefits include (1) peace with God, (2) living in a town called grace, (3) and the certain hope of a glorious future. Scriptures Referenced: Rom. 1-5 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook...

A boy visits Loch Ness. Instead of catching something, something catches him. He gives the rest of his life to the search for a mythical monster. We’re all looking for a cause big enough to devote our lives to. When we encounter God in his holiness we discover a beauty captivating enough to hold our attention forever and a cause large enough to be worthy of all our devotion. God’s holiness is captivating. And in capturing us, it sets us free. Scriptures Referenced: Isa 6; Exo 3; Lev 10:10; 1Jn ...

The Bible doesn’t just give us a theology of giving, it also gives us some how to. The Apostle Paul taught us the law of the harvest that we reap what we sow. In this episode we also learn about our Lord’s principles of giving in his Sermon on the Mount, and touch on matters such as debt, and giving privately instead of publicly. Scriptures Referenced: 2Cor 8-9; Gal. 6 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook.

Our Lord Jesus taught that it is more happy to give than to receive, and he should know. God is the happy God who gives with great generosity and joy. When we worship him we become joyfully generous too. And not only does worship produce giving, but our giving is part of our worship. Learn all this and more from special guest Justin Pratt, and see if it doesn’t spread a smile on your face! Scriptures Referenced: Acts 20:35; Jam 1:17; 1Cor 9:15; 1Tim 1:11; Matt 6:63; Heb 13:16; Phil 4:18; Rom 12...

Prayer can be hard work, and we need all the help we can get. One thing that helps is understanding how prayer relates to two other activities: reading the Bible and meditating. In this episode we go through a little poem that explains how it works: Before I read I pray / Before I pray I read / If in between I meditate / My heart knows what to say. Scriptures Referenced: Jude 20-21; John 15:5; Mat 11:28; Ps 86:11, 90:14, 119:18, 36; Jam 1:19; Mark 2 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episod...

Are you part of a local church, following the example of the early Christians in the Book of the Acts? Churches meet together. Many of the spiritual disciplines are private exercises, but the public activity of gathering together with the church is also a habit of grace. It is how we express our unity in Christ and is also for our own spiritual blessing. We shouldn’t attend the meetings of the church to impress others, but we should look at it as an opportunity to encourage others. Scriptures R...

One of the ways we can grow in enjoying and experiencing God’s love is through learning theology. And one of the ways we learn theology is through reading Scripture and books about Scripture. This is the first in a short series of episodes on the spiritual disciplines, what David Mathis calls habits of grace. If your daily quiet time is lacking some sizzle, discover how replacing your devotional book with a good solid work of theology can make a world of difference. Scriptures Referenced: Jude;...

According to God’s definition of success, the setbacks you’ve experienced over the last two years aren’t steps back but steps forward. Learn how the Christian definition of success helps us reflect on the disappointments of the past and face the uncertainties of the future. At the end, Mike and Matthew outline the next two months at Practicology. Lord willing, January’s episodes will help us practice the spiritual disciplines, and February will feature a reading challenge. Make sure you listen t...

At the first Christmas, Mary was given a painful sword, but it was a sword sheathed with comfort. Are you going through pain this Christmas? Then join Mary in embracing the five comforts God gave her in her trial: the comfort of knowing (1) that suffering is normal for Christians, (2) God is in control, (3) that he is preparing you for the future, (4) and that you are not alone. The greatest comfort of all—a comfort that nothing can take away from you—is (5) the comfort of having Christ as your ...

The real Christmas story – that of Christ coming into the world – is an account of God’s amazing grace. And the wonders and beauties of God’s grace are seen on the opening page of the New Testament, before the Lord Jesus is even born. The family tree of Jesus Christ is not a boring list of hard to pronounce names – it is a genealogy of grace. Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 1:1-23 Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook. Stock media provided by Peter Blomberg / Pond5.

Attention is a rare commodity. When you spend yours on another person, it is a generous gift of love. But there is also an indirect way of loving people with our attentiveness. When we make spending time in the presence of our kind Saviour a priority, we become kinder ourselves to those around us. Learn how the Scriptures call us to make the grace of Christ our focus, not all the debates and controversies. What will you focus on for the sake of the world? Scriptures Referenced: Titus 3:1-11 Fol...

There is no book like the Bible and the Scriptures are our ultimate counselor. But we all learn from the ministry of others, including ministry that comes to us in written form. In this first installment of Cloak, Books, and Parchments (2Tim 4:13), Mike & Matthew share brief reviews of seven book titles for your reading pleasure. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter and Facebook.

John Stott wisely said, “The Bible is a dangerous book to read. For in reading the Bible, we hear the words of Christ.” And as Christ speaks with authority like none other, we need to obey what we hear from Him. The great news is, building our life on obedience to his word is the safest thing to do! And when the storms of life blow against us, Christ’s words prove to be a rock that can support us. Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 7:24-27; John 3:36; Rom 1:5; 1Pet 2:25 Visit PracticologyPodcast.c...

We can all fall into the bad habit of priding ourselves in not having actually committed an outrageous sin… but the Lord is looking for something deeper. Kingdom righteousness is not only seen in avoiding the big, public, obvious offences, but in pursuing Christ’s standard from our hearts. Scriptures Referenced: Mat 5:6, 20-37; Php 3:4-9; Jam 1:20; 1Tim 5:2 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter here.