Sermons from Desert Hills Church in Phoenix, Arizona. Listen as Dr. Robb Brunansky exposits and preaches the word of God, with this weekly sermon feed.
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Homilies from Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
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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 ...
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1
No Other Gods: The Sinister Nature of Idolatry
54:17
54:17
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THE ALAMO: A hill to die on. "The Blood of Heroes." The Riverwalk. My game.
19:31
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If it’s Texas Month, we’ve got to talk about the most sacred site in Texas – the place that defines what it means to be a Texan more than any other. We’ll discuss the ultimate sacrifice and when it’s appropriate to make it; the long-disputed story of exactly how Davy Crockett died; the current state of the Alamo and how we have to make the best of …
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INDEPENDENCE, part 3: with Reagan McClenny and Terry Starling
20:29
20:29
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We are wrapping up our conversation Reagan McClenny of the Timberland Drive church of Christ in Lufkin, and Terry Starling of the Grissom Road church of Christ in San Antonio. Links are in the show notes. We’ve discussed the pros and cons of the concept of independence. We conclude by discussing how we are not as independent from the world around u…
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INDEPENDENCE, part 2: with Reagan McClenny and Terry Starling
18:06
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I’m talking with a couple of Texas boys this week — Reagan McClenny of the Timberland Drive church of Christ in Lufkin, and Terry Starling of the Grissom Road church of Christ in San Antonio. In the first part of our conversation, we gave the idea of independence a pretty good flogging. But being independent isn’t all bad. How can we take an indepe…
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INDEPENDENCE: with Reagan McClenny and Terry Starling
22:58
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I know July might be a more typical month to discuss this topic, but Reagan McClenny, Terry Starling and I are native Texans, and Texans do things our own way. You’ll get a lot of that this month. Reagan preachers for the Timberland Drive church of Christ in Lufkin, Texas; Terry for the Grissom Road church of Christ in San Antonio. How important Ch…
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All Things Belong to You, - 1 Cor. 3:18-23 (Robb Brunansky)
49:22
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CAMELS: Without water. "Setting the Desert on Fire." Spitting. Camel Up!
19:04
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I had more ideas for Animal Month, but we’re out of weeks. Maybe we’ll do it again sometime. And thanks to everyone in the Heaven Citizens Facebook group who participated in the poll – we’ll do it again soon. We’ll cover how camels and their drinking habits saved the family of Abraham; how an Englishman failed to get the Arabs to leave their camel-…
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You Are God's Temple, Part 2 - 1 Cor. 3:16-17 (Robb Brunansky)
51:22
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MONTHLY REPORT, July 2024: My Board Game Starter Set.
19:54
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In all my obsessing over books the last year or two, I’ve gotten away from board gaming a bit. I’m still playing, mind you, and occasionally I’m still purchasing. But the closet’s pretty full already. True, the same could be said of my bookshelves, but board games are a lot bigger and more expensive than books. Today I’m going to use this space to …
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DONKEYS: Balaam. "The Jackass Whisperer." Loopholes. La Granja: No Siesta
19:59
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Donkeys won the poll last week for the animal to feature this week. That was done through the Heaven Citizens Facebook group – check it out if you have not already. This week we’ll discuss the lesson a donkey taught Balaam and is trying to teach us today; the donkeys we meet every day and how to avoid becoming one of them; the rationalizations we m…
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You Are God's Temple, Part 1 - 1 Cor. 3:16-17 (Robb Brunansky)
54:30
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WOLVES: False prophets. "White Fang." Habitats. Wolves.
19:31
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We did dogs last week; this week it’s about their wild and perhaps evil predecessors. Exactly how wild and how evil, well, that’s why you’re here, right? We’ll discuss Jesus’s ideas about wolves – if anything they’re worse than dogs; the wolf that became a dog, and the baggage he brought with him; the living space wolves need and why it doesn’t ove…
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Who Does God Bless? Matthew 5:5-6 (Will Sanderson)
53:39
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DOGS: Filth and mercy. "The Call of the Wild." Barking. Action Pups.
19:13
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It’s all animals this month, and we’re starting with my favorite – the one that’s most likely to defend me if I’m attacked, and least likely to eat me when I’m dead. This week we’ll discuss how the Bible does not love dogs nearly as much as I do; how the wolf inside every dog is there looking for a chance to get out; how my dog communicates with me…
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Jesus, Our All-Sufficient Savior - Mark 5:1-43 (Pastor Robb Brunansky)
54:24
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BEASTS, part 3: with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary
24:51
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This wraps up a terrific conversation with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary; if you haven’t checked out the first two sections, please do yourself a favor and give those a listen. Here we conclude by discussing the beast that hides from the mirror, and how he looks a lot like us on our bad days. How should we respond when God tries to lift us out of…
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BEASTS, part 2: with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary
24:14
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We are back with part 2 of my talk with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary — two “beasts” in the absolute best sense of the word. Josh preaches for the church of Christ in Joliet, Illinois; Steven for the Golden Springs church in Aniston, Alabama. The talking beasts in the Narnia books start the conversation going on the topic of rising above our base…
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BEASTS: with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary
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We kick off Animal Month on the podcast by talking about beasts and beastliness. Here to help are Josh Collier, who preaches for the church of Christ in Joliet, Illinois; and Steven McCrary, who preaches for the Golden Springs church in Aniston, Alabama. In the first of three segments of our conversation, we talk about the beasts in Revelation 13 a…
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Be Careful How You Build, Part 3 - 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (Pastor Robb Brunansky)
54:00
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HALFTIME REPORT: My Best Books of 2024 (So Far)
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I’ve completed more than 100 books thus far in 2024 — a bit behind my pace from 2023, but still, not too bad. And yes, some of those books were on the short side. But not all — I’ve read six books this year that were 500 pages or longer. I try to balance my reading between fiction, non-fiction and inspirational books. Fiction is lagging behind in 2…
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PASSION: The passionate life. "Backyard Brawl." Passion fruit and Passion Week. FLGs (minus the F).
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We’ve accidentally stumbled on a bit of a theme this week. Knives are deadly. Poison is deadly. Passion is deadly, too, and I could not be more serious. This week we’ll cover what the Bible says about living a passionate life and why it’s different from the world’s idea; the rivalry that largely defines the state of Texas; what tropical fruit and t…
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Be Careful How You Build, Part 2 - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (Pastor Robb Brunansky)
52:16
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HALFTIME REPORT: My Thinkiest Books of 2024 (so far)
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Thinking is the whole reason the “What I’ve Been Reading” segment exists on the podcast. In fact, it’s why I read at all. It’s gratifying to read things that confirm what you already were thinking, and that can be a worthwhile exercise. But usually the “thinking” to which I refer in this list is the tougher kind — getting outside my comfort zone an…
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POISON: Snake-handlers. "The Poisoner's Handbook." Napoleon and arsenic. Council of Verona: Poison expansion.
19:32
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Poison is bad. You should avoid it, generally. That’s my policy, anyway. And as obvious as I may think that approach is, clearly some people disagree. Today we will deal with people who think the poison of the world can’t possibly hurt them; people so distraught they would rather take poison than deal with their day-to-day lives; the possible benef…
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Be Careful How You Build, Part 1 - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (Pastor Robb Brunansky)
49:48
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HALFTIME REPORT: My Most Surprising Books of 2024 (so far)
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When I buy a book, I weigh three considerations: my level of interest, the cost, and the. book’s length (more or less in that order). I will never read a book I don’t want to read. I will rarely pay anywhere remotely close to retail (Hal Hammons, famous tightwad; you know my schtick by now) And I would rather read a short book than a long book; if …
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KNIVES: Moses and Zipporah. "Passover." Sharpness. Spoons.
18:48
18:48
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A knife is like most tools – helpful when used properly, dangerous when used by the wrong person or with the wrong training. This week we’ll discuss the strangest knife story in the Bible and what it says about our connection to God; the strangest and most beautiful knife story on my bookshelf; the debate over whether sharp knives are worth the pri…
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Understanding Church Growth, Part 5 - 1 Corinthians 3: 8-9 (Pastor Robb Brunansky)
46:57
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GROWTH, part 3: with Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams
34:43
34:43
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Today we wrap up my conversation with Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams, from Lutz, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas, respectively; I hope you’ve gotten as much out of it as I did. Links to the great work they do are included in the show notes. Here we discuss the centrality of Jesus in the life and work of a Christian, how we can forget about that from …
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GROWTH, part 2: with Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams
25:37
25:37
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We’re back with more of my conversation with Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams. Links to the great work they do are included in the show notes. In our second session, we discuss the problems that may come when growth is the actual goal, and when we accomplish our goal in even more remarkable fashion than we had hoped. If you’re just wishing the church w…
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GROWTH: with Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams
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This week I’m blessed to be joined by Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams. Edwin works with the Christians that meet on Livingston Avenue in Lutz, Florida, and cohosts Text Talk, one of my favorite podcasts. Tyler preaches for the University Oaks church in San Antonio, Texas. In the first segment, we discuss the smallest seed in a Jewish garden and what i…
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Understanding Church Growth, Part 4 - 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (Pastor Robb Brunansky)
45:04
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MONTHLY REPORT, May 2024: Zero, faith, and Hal's Law.
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My plan this month was to start my halftime report on the books I’m reading this year, but that’s going to have to wait. The plan now is for a show on my most thought-provoking books, another for surprising books, and then one for my best books. I’ll be sharing those with you in June, Lord willing, instead of the regular monthly report. But I just …
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FOUR: Corners and winds. "Indivisible by Four." Toto IV. Council of 4.
19:18
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I hope you’ve enjoyed the numbers this month. I have a confession. I did the previous three episodes as an excuse to do this one. This week we’ll discuss the four winds of the earth and how they carry God’s judgment to the four corners of the earth; an example of four-part harmony that works because it doesn’t work; an album that I’ve been wrong ab…
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Finding Strength In The Lord, 1 Samuel 30
55:46
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THREE: The third day. "The Three Musketeers." The Police. The Bottle Imp.
17:30
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If 1 and 2 are the most important spiritual numbers in the Bible, and I think they are, then 3 may be the most interesting. Everywhere it pops up in the Bible, fascinating things are happening. This week we will discuss the “third day” – and the other third day, and the other third day; a friendship that transformed an entire genre of literature; a…
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Understanding Church Growth, Part 3 - 1 Cor 3:3-4
50:10
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TWO: Your options. "A Tale of Two Cities." Why duos don't last. Two By Two.
18:41
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It’s all numbers this month. If “One” is the right place to start, “Two” seems like an obvious follow-up. Feel free to guess what the next two weeks may bring. Here we’ll discuss the “in or out” attitude of Jesus and what we should do if we disagree with Him; a classic novel about how “the best of times” can possibly also be “the worst of times”; t…
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(Mother's Day) Understanding Church Growth, Part 2 - 1 Cor 3:2-3
52:12
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ONE, part 3: with Keith Stonehart and Paul Hammons
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All month long you listen to me and me alone on this podcast. But early on I determined to let you listen in once a month as I sit at the feet of others. The results are some of my favorite episodes of all. That certainly includes my conversation with Keith Stonehart and Paul Hammons, which wraps up today. We wrap up by talking about the game of so…
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ONE, part 2: with Keith Stonehart and Paul Hammons
20:59
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We’re back with Keith Stonehart and Paul Hammons, talking about the number one. Keith works with the Fultondale church of Christ in the Birmingham, Alabama, area. Paul works with the Graham church of Christ in north Texas. In this segment, we’re discussing the benefits, and especially the dangers, of obsessing over a single thing. Is it possible to…
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ONE, with Paul Hammons and Keith Stonehart
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We’re talking about numbers this month on the podcast, and we’re starting with the number 1, which seems appropriate. Keith Stonehart joins from the Birmingham, Alabama, area. He preaches for the Fultondale church of Christ. I’ve never met Keith in the flesh, but he’s good friends with my other guest whom I’ve known for all his life and almost all …
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Understanding Church Growth, Part 1 - 1 Cor 3:1-4
50:59
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HONEY: Samson and the lion. "Winnie-the-Pooh." "Tupelo Honey." Honey Buzz.
19:04
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As I mentioned regarding salt a couple of weeks ago, the Bible says honey is good. Proverbs 24:13-14 compares it to God’s wisdom. Count your calories if you want, but don’t argue with God. This week we’ll discuss the best honey coming from the worst places; the most adorable honey-eater in literary history; the best honey in the world and what it h…
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The Mind of Christ, Part 4 - 1 Cor 2:14-16
48:02
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MONTHLY REPORT, April 2024: "American Wolf" and local fellowship.
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I'm switching to a monthly report. Here you will find updates on what's going on behind the scenes with the podcast, particularly my reading schedule. Today I want to talk about American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee. https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31825422035&searchurl=ds%3D20%26kn%3Damerican%2Bwolf%2Bnate%2Bblakeslee%26sortby%3D17&cm_…
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EGGS: Not scorpions. "Dragon Hunter." Inflation. Praga Caput Regni.
18:55
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I said last week fish is one of my favorite proteins. Eggs may be my very favorite. If your chicken will lay it, I will eat it. This week we’ll discuss the goodness of eggs, and of everything else God gives us; the discovery of dinosaur eggs and the hypocrisy it revealed; a new word I invented to connect the price of eggs and the gradual (or not so…
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The Mind of Christ, Part 3 - 1 Cor 2:12-13
49:43
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FISH: Fish sandwiches. "Cod." A poem about fish eggs. Hey, That's My Fish!
19:51
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Food month continues with one of my favorite sources of protein. I don’t think it stinks – but you be the judge. This week we’ll discuss the best fish dinner ever, and why it wasn’t good enough; two different looks at fish eggs – one relating to evangelism, one relating to egotism, neither relating to that weird goo that foodies eat on toast points…
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The Mind of Christ, Part 2 - 1 Cor 2:6-16
52:50
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