Cecil Taylor Ministries teaches Christians to live a seven-day practical faith. One way is through the Practical Faith Academy podcast. Please see individual episode descriptions. For more information on Cecil Taylor Ministries, please visit CecilTaylorMinistries.com.
Episodes
5 days ago
5 days ago
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Ana Megrelishvili lives in Atlanta and is the founder of Christian Professionals Network Worldwide. She has an incredible life story and faith journey to share. Ana began life in a nearly homeless situation with her atheist family in the streets of Russia. She later relocated to the United States for a college education and a successful professional career, with wealth acquisition on her mind. But finding that goal empty once achieved, Ana became a Christian with a passion for serving those who are homeless, as she nearly was.
A theme you’ll hear on this podcast is “relational poverty.” Ana believes that a lack of relationship and community is the #1 factor in homelessness. It’s a situation that we Christians can do something about.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:41 What does seven-day practical faith mean to Ana?
3:46 Ana shares her origin story, growing up atheist (“Every single one of the Ten Commandments was broken in my family”) and nearly homeless in Russia, and how she came to the United States, where she has prospered and become a Christian.
11:01 Ana explains how relational poverty almost made her family homeless, and how relational support rescued them.
14:54 How the lack of church community contributes to relational poverty, which also has an economic impact on the country.
20:06 About the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide organization and how its mentoring program helps the homeless.
24:56 How her own faith has changed while serving others.
27:57 The hardest part about putting faith into practice.
32:03 Her best tip to develop and maintain a seven-day practical faith.
36:41 How people can get involved in the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide by starting a local chapter
Ana Megrelishvili is the founder of Christian Professionals Network Worldwide and the author of the book, “Finding Courage to Change.” She holds a Bachelors degree from Berea College and a MBA from the University of Kentucky. She seeks to expand the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide with new chapters dedicated to fostering meaningful relationships through a common faith, values, and service. You can learn more at https://CPNworldwide.com.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Cecil wants to give you a sample of his writing with a free mini-book gift, “Collections, Volume 1,” containing 31 of his most popular devotions and essays from years of social media posting. Register on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page at CecilTaylorMinistries.com through the pop-up window or the orange box, and he’ll send you a soft copy of the mini-book to your email inbox. You’ll also receive his two free monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connections.
For more free content like this podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
Cecil’s award-winning books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes the following:
- “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” is about Christian parenting. Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family and the 2025 Living Water Award for Best Nonfiction.
- “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” is about deepening faith. Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today.
- “The Next Thing” is about crisis responses. Cecil shares a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” is about vibrant living. Cecil affirms the scriptural truths that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. Then he shows how your life is transformed when you embed these truths into your daily faith and your soul.
Friday Apr 04, 2025
Friday Apr 04, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
What do teachers teach us about faith? Gretchen Huesmann is a veteran teacher and pastor’s wife who is supporting fellow teachers with her new devotional book, “It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher.” Huesmann gives us insights into the modern classroom, the role of parents, and how we can support our valuable teachers in this episode of the Practical Faith Academy. And she also shares her own story, how she has discerned God’s will and built a seven-day practical faith herself.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:56 What does seven-day practical faith mean to Huesmann.
4:39 What Huesmann wants to convey to teachers through It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher.
6:46 Why this title, It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher?
11:44 How parents can support teachers.
17:41 What should teachers’ attitudes be toward holding the sacred trust of teaching the next generation?
19:58 What teachers teach the rest of us about living our faith
23:26 How can a teacher (or any of us outside the church) show their faith to others?
28:12 The hardest part of putting faith into practice
29:42 Huesmann’s best tip for living a seven-day practical faith
31:28 How to follow Huesmann and find her book
Gretchen Huesmann is a longtime teacher who recently released her book “It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher: 52 Devotions to Equip and Encourage Educators,” published by Ironstream Media and found on major bookseller sites. Her website is GretchenHuesmann.com. You can find her author page on Facebook as “Gretchen Huesmann Speaker – Writer – Teacher.” She also is on Instagram and X.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Cecil wants to give you a sample of his writing with a free mini-book gift, “Collections, Volume 1,” containing 31 of his most popular devotions and essays from years of social media posting. Register on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page at CecilTaylorMinistries.com through the pop-up window or the orange box, and he’ll send you a soft copy of the mini-book to your email inbox. You’ll also receive his two free monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connections.
For more free content like this podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
Cecil’s award-winning books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes the following:
- “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” is about Christian parenting. Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family and the 2025 Living Water Award for Best Nonfiction.
- “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” is about deepening faith. Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today.
- “The Next Thing” is about crisis responses. Cecil shares a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” is about vibrant living. Cecil affirms the scriptural truths that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. Then he shows how your life is transformed when you embed these truths into your daily faith and your soul.
Friday Mar 21, 2025
Friday Mar 21, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Enduring family difficulties and tragedies, Karen Dittman relied on scripture and prayer to learn the secret of finding wellbeing in all circumstances. The result is a book she co-authored with her husband, Michael, entitled “Thriving Grace,” to achieve lasting change in the shadow of God’s grace. Dittman shares her learnings on this episode of the Practical Faith Academy podcast.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:32 What does seven-day practical faith mean to Dittman
4:03 Dittman shares her family’s back story and the incredible trauma they have been through, which informed her book.
7:37 How did she find peace and rest in the middle of trauma and trials?
11:24 How living her book’s principles helped Dittman transmit the ideas to readers
13:51 Dittman explains one of her key concepts, The Grace Cycle, and how changing from the inside out leads to true transformation.
19:27 Dittman shows how different kinds of wellness interact within us
21:07 Tips to weave wellness concepts into our lives
24:01 The hardest part of putting faith into practice
25:18 Dittman’s best tip for living a seven-day practical faith
26:41 How to follow Dittman and find her book
Karen Dittman is a mother, grandmother, and author who co-wrote with her husband, “Thriving Grace: Unleashing Wellness from a Biblical Perspective.” The book and its Bible study companion are available through her website, KarenADittman.com, and major booksellers. See her website for this quiz, “How Fast Is Your Hamster Wheel Spinning?” At its end, Dittman shares practical ideas to incorporate into your life and options for how she can support you.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil’s two free monthly newsletters on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. When you do, you’ll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and two monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connection. Currently the free gift is “Collections, Volume 1,” containing 31 of his most popular devotions and essays from years of online posting.
For more free content like this podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
Cecil’s award-winning books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes the following:
- “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” is about Christian parenting. Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family and the 2025 Living Water Award for Best Nonfiction.
- “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” is about deepening faith. Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today.
- “The Next Thing” is about crisis responses. Cecil shares a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” is about vibrant living. Cecil affirms the scriptural truths that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. Then he shows how your life is transformed when you embed these truths into your daily faith and your soul.
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Constance Hastings is a church deacon and mental health counselor who was raised outside of a church environment, so she understands both the outsider and the insider perspectives on faith. Hastings’ book, “The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations before You Walk Away” shows how Jesus encountered trouble but also caused trouble throughout his life, and how his life, death, and resurrection still cause trouble today.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:18 What does seven-day practical faith mean to Hastings
3:27 Her origin story as a Christian outsider in a non-religious family and how Christian school gave her a start on faith
6:33 On her current role as a church deacon who works in mental health
7:46 Her understanding of the prodigal experience
9:53 Since her book is entitled, “The Trouble with Jesus,” what does Hastings want people to know about Jesus?
11:45 Hastings explains the book’s subtitle regarding considerations before we walk away from Jesus, mapping it to the story of the Rich Young Ruler
15:33 How she addresses both non-believers and believers in her book
17:46 How Hastings sees Jesus challenging believers, such as in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and how Jesus challenged her views on race
23:26 How Jesus challenges us in this day and time
27:58 How faith exists in tension with fear, and how we can gain strength in hard times
31:17 What is the hardest part about putting faith into practice?
32:29 How to follow Hastings and find her book
Constance Hastings is an author, church deacon, and mental health counselor who wrote “The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations before You Walk Away.” Her weekly blog is a companion to the book and can be accessed at ConstanceHastings.com. Constance recommends purchasing the book from a local bookstore in order to introduce the book to other people while it sits on the shelf.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil’s free monthly newsletters on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. You’ll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and two monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connection.
For more free content like this from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
Cecil’s award-winning books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes:
- In “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” (book and eWorkbook available now; book study Leader Guide and first video study available later in 2025), Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family.
- In “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” (book, six-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide), Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today. You’ll uncover your own comfort zones and learn how to deepen your faith by getting uncomfortable for Jesus.
- “The Next Thing” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) supplies a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Courtney Dailey is an east Tennessee author who, along with her husband and many others, answered the call to serve when Hurricane Helene blew through her region last year. In addition to getting her own hands dirty, Dailey has been posting Facebook videos of the progress, sharing “God Stories” of how prayer and faith have brought people together to serve those whose lives were upended by the hurricane. Her first video has received five million views.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:54 What does seven-day practical faith mean to Courtney? She also shares how she and her husband launched the reconstruction project for their friend Jerry.
11:20 What strikes Courtney about sacrifice being part of the faith experience of the relief effort.
14:43 How service unites us across the Great Cultural Divide we’re experiencing right now.
16:49 What is the scope of the relief effort she and her church and helpers have undertaken?
19:50 One of Courtney’s favorite God Stories of how a Kentucky church miraculously came through with exactly what the relief effort needed, when they needed it.
24:06 Courtney shares project progress online, but what people really want are the God Stories and the awareness of God’s presence.
28:35 How Courtney has been equipped by God for the organizational tasks she has taken on.
32:19 What lesson she has taken away that we can all apply to our faith journeys
36:31 Her best tip to develop and maintain a seven-day practical faith
38:17 What can people do to help this effort and help the people of eastern Tennessee. NOTE: Courtney asks specifically for sheds. These may or may not still be needed at the time you listen.
Courtney Dailey is a novelist who is also writing a book based on the hurricane relief experiences in eastern Tennessee. You can learn more about the East Tennessee Flood Recovery effort by visiting the Author Courtney Dailey Facebook page or her church’s page at https://www.jesusiscentral.com/. Click on the box reading “East Tennessee Flood Recovery” to donate to the Flood Relief Fund via Central Community Christian Church in Johnson City, TN. The link to help the Kentucky church mentioned in the podcast is https://www.givelify.com/donate/meades-branch-freewill-baptist-church-louisa-ky-2j7wy5MTQ5OTI5Nw==
Learn more about Courtney’s award-winning writing at AuthorCourtneyDailey.com.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil’s free monthly newsletters on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. You’ll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and two monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connection.
For more free content like this from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
Cecil’s award-winning books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes:
- In “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” (book and eWorkbook available now; book study Leader Guide and first video study available later in 2025), Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family.
- In “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” (book, six-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide), Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today. You’ll uncover your own comfort zones and learn how to deepen your faith by getting uncomfortable for Jesus.
- “The Next Thing” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) supplies a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) affirms that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. You’ll learn how to embed each of these scriptural truths into your daily life.
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Jan White is a small-town newspaper columnist who struck it big when she compiled a selection of her religion columns into a book during Covid. The book was a smashing success at a time when people were looking for hope. White still writes for the Andalusia, Alabama Star-News. She has also won an award for her column on forgiveness as opposed to hatred. In this podcast, White shares her views on following Jesus and how her work as a columnist intertwines with her faith.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:45 What inspired Jan to publish a compilation of her newspaper columns
5:22 Jesus made the complex simple. Do we do the same in our faith, or are we too complex?
6:40 To her, seven-day practical faith means a faith that addresses all circumstances.
8:06 Examples of columns she has written, such as about the cross at Ground Zero.
10:55 Favorite stories from the book
11:45 Jan wrote an award-winning column on how forgiveness unlocks hatred. She explains her reasoning.
14:28 How she sees her job as being an essential part of putting faith into practice.
16:43 The hardest part about putting faith into practice
21:01 Her best tip to develop and maintain a seven-day practical faith
21:54 How to find Jan’s books and her future authoring plans
Jan White is the author of “Everyday Faith for Daily Life,” a collection of her newspaper religion columns over 25 years. She has won a newspaper writing award for “Forgiveness: The Key to Unlocking Hatred.” White writes for the Andalusia, Alabama Star-News and the Enterprise, Alabama Southeast Sun. Her website is janwhitewriter.com.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil’s free monthly newsletters on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. You’ll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and two monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connection.
For more free content like this from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
Cecil’s award-winning books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes:
- In “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” (book and eWorkbook available now; book study Leader Guide and first video study available later in 2025), Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family.
- In “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” (book, six-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide), Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today. You’ll uncover your own comfort zones and learn how to deepen your faith by getting uncomfortable for Jesus.
- “The Next Thing” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) supplies a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) affirms that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. You’ll learn how to embed each of these scriptural truths into your daily life.
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Kathy White is a Niceville, Florida licensed mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist. She is a Christian and brings her faith background into her therapy sessions. As a result, she sees and expresses the ways that both faith and good mental health can work together to help people.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:08 How “seven-day practical faith” can be interpreted as loving actions
4:23 People should be open to counseling and the healing and change it can provide.
5:58 How Kathy came to faith
7:56 How being a Christian changes her approach to counseling
10:33 Impacts of narcissism on others
13:16 How God inspired her to write a novel centered on therapy experiences
14:38 The supreme importance of a therapist diagnosing people who aren’t in the room but are affecting the patient
16:37 Suggested approach for Christians seeking therapy
19:03 The hardest part about putting faith into practice is confronting fear.
21:45 Her best tip for putting faith into practice: Structure.
23:47 Information about her first book, “The Therapist,” and the marriage advice book she’s writing now.
Kathy White is a Christian therapist whose practice in Niceville, Florida is called Carpenter House and can be found at CarpenterHouse.net. She has written a novel-like book based on her experiences, “The Therapist: Short Stories about Parenting, Narcissists, Combat, Abuse and Marriage,” written under the name Kathlyn C. White. You can find more information about the book at TheTherapist.biz.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil’s free monthly newsletter on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. You’ll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and the newsletter itself will enrich you with practical faith tips, tips for your church, updates on Cecil Taylor Ministries, a devotional, and more. It’s the best way to stay in touch with Cecil!
Cecil writes for Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guideposts, and Inspiration Ministry at https;//inspiration.org.
You can learn more about Cecil and what he offers at https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com, at https://www.facebook.com/ceciltaylorministries , and the Cecil Taylor Ministries YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHP_khu3r77ubl5jvHsf5-w .
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
For more free content like this from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes:
- NEW: In “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” (book and eWorkbook available now; book study Leader Guide and first video study available in early 2025), Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. The goal is to help the child become a mature adult who makes good decisions.
- In “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” (book, six-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide), Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today. You’ll uncover your own comfort zones and learn how to deepen your faith by getting uncomfortable for Jesus.
- “The Next Thing” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) supplies a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) affirms that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. You’ll learn how to embed each of these scriptural truths into your daily life.
Friday Jan 03, 2025
Friday Jan 03, 2025
The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.
Lori Hatcher is a noted author, speaker, and writing coach, all while working her day job as a dental hygienist. In all her roles, she is an encourager, which she terms as bringing life to those who need a boost. Hatcher has a number of great ideas for putting faith into practice, which she shares during this podcast. Take a listen to get a fresh start in your faith journey during 2025.
Highlights of the podcast:
2:44 To Lori, practical faith is based on Romans 12:1-2.
4:27 How Lori and her husband David approach each day through prayer.
6:23 Why it’s important to Lori to be an encourager.
8:01 How the lives of she and her husband were transformed when they committed to daily Bible reading.
9:29 The significance of realizing that prayer is supposed to be a two-way conversation.
12:31 On what she learns newly from the Bible in repeated readings.
16:50 How to live as Christians in our jobs and daily endeavors.
20:32 The hardest part about putting faith into practice.
23:05 Her best tip for putting faith into practice.
24:55 About her latest devotional book based on Philippians 4:8.
Lori Hatcher is the author of several devotional books and others to which she has contributed. Her brand-new devotional book is called “Think on These Things: 60 Thoughtful Devotions for Renewed Peace,” based on Philippians 4:8. Her previous book, “A Word for Your Day: 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind,” visited every book of the Bible to find a meaningful word to pace a related devotion. To learn more about her books, blogs, weekly devotion subscription, speaking availability, and more, please visit LoriHatcher.com.
Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Please register for Cecil’s free monthly newsletter on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page. You’ll receive a free gift, which changes from time to time, and the newsletter itself will enrich you with practical faith tips, tips for your church, updates on Cecil Taylor Ministries, a devotional, and more. It’s the best way to stay in touch with Cecil!
Cecil is now a Chicken Soup for the Soul author! He is a contributor to “Tales of Christmas,” a Chicken Soup for the Soul book that was released on Oct. 15, 2024.
You can learn more about Cecil and what he offers at https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com, at https://www.facebook.com/ceciltaylorministries , and the Cecil Taylor Ministries YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHP_khu3r77ubl5jvHsf5-w .
Cecil’s parenting advice can be found at his new website, https://www.UnisonParenting.com, at https://www.instagram.com/unison_parenting/ and at https://www.pinterest.com/CecilTaylorMinistries.
For more free content like this from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.
Cecil’s books and video studies can be found and purchased through https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com. Every video study’s first lesson can be seen for free via the Free Content link above by clicking on “Sample Lessons.”
Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes:
- NEW: In “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” (book and eWorkbook available now; book study Leader Guide and first video study available in early 2025), Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. The goal is to help the child become a mature adult who makes good decisions.
- In “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” (book, six-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide), Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today. You’ll uncover your own comfort zones and learn how to deepen your faith by getting uncomfortable for Jesus.
- “The Next Thing” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) supplies a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.
- “Live Like You’re Loved” (book, five-week video study, Leader Guide, and Participant’s Guide) affirms that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. You’ll learn how to embed each of these scriptural truths into your daily life.
Teaching Christians to Live a 7-Day Practical Faith
As the son of a preacher, Cecil Taylor understands the complexity of the word "call".
A lifetime's worth of "calls" has led Cecil to successful careers in software development, broadcast radio, and product management at the forefront of the telecom industry. And yet, despite the unique journey God has led him on, the struggle he has faced his entire life is one that is shared by most Christians:
How do you reconcile your call to ministry and call to Christ with the other directions God is leading you? How do you continue to grow closer to God in love and service when you're dedicated to so many other pursuits, whether it's a career or family or just the constant grind necessary in life?
Forty years of teaching adults and youth in church has allowed God to give some answers to Cecil and move his call to sharing it further. That's what Cecil Taylor Ministries is all about: humbly passing on wisdom that God has used already to change one life, in the hopes that it changes the lives of many.
The foundation of Cecil's experience is that every day of the week can be Sunday.
The feeling of intimacy, connection, growth, and love that we find in church and in communion with Christ isn't limited to one day a week. In fact, the start of understanding your call to ministry as a Christian is learning that God is present in every direction he has called you. Your career, your family, the constant highs and lows of life, all of them hold meaning to God.
Cecil's call and the main point of Cecil Taylor Ministries is to help you and others learn about a 7-day practical faith by applying scripture to life situations. Cecil Taylor Ministries offers video lessons, books, study materials, podcasts, devotionals and more to help churches, small groups and individual learners understand how to live a 7-day practical faith.