Hill Country Institute Live: Exploring Christ and Culture

Send us Fan Mail Judd Messer, an advocate for wind and solar energy, as well as battery storage systems, on the Texas Electricity Grid, discusses how these assets contribute to reliability and affordability of electricity in Texas.

Send us Fan Mail Sarah is the CEO of Texas Water Foundation. She and Jeremy Mazur were on Hill Country Institute Live in 2023. In this interview, Sarah and Larry discuss water policy for Texas, including water supply, aging infrastructure, and flood control.

Send us Fan Mail Senator Perry is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs. He was also Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding during the recent special session of the Legislature. He is a visionary and a leader in addressing the severe water issues facing Texas. Larry and Senator Perry discuss how his faith informs his work as a CPA and a legislator, the flooding in Texas during July 2025, particularly the tragic d...

Send us Fan Mail John Davis, Wildlife Biologist, worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife for 30 years and currently serves as the new Conservation Program Manager with the Kyle Parks and Rec Department, working to improve the native wildlife and plant conservation efforts in Kyle. Larry and John discuss environmental stewardship, creation care, and the spectrum of things individual residents can do to improve the health and sustainability of their local environment.

Send us Fan Mail The Hill Country Institute is non-partisan; however, we like to talk to Christians who are in the political arena about how their faith impacts their approach to governance, how we develop and live as good citizens, and how we initiate and sustain gracious, respectful dialogue in our pluralistic culture. Josh Graham is an independent candidate for U.S. Congress in the 37th District. He has a fascinating background including working for the CIA, assisting companies in develop...

Send us Fan Mail In this interview with Dr. Vlasta Zekulic, Head of Strategic Issues and Engagements of the Supreme Allied Command Transformation of NATO, we discuss Dr. Zekulic's calling to military service and the challenging and rewarding career it can be for women, the role of her faith in her career, Just War Theory applied, the complexity of warfare today, and the need for alliances to share expenses and technology to meet the increased risks the United States faces. Dr. Zekulic earned...

Send us Fan Mail In this interview, Larry talks with Bob O’Dell, tech entrepreneur, author, screenwriter, and movie producer, about the little-known history of the impact that the Tonkawa Tribe had on the city of Austin, Texas. Bob and others are working on bringing friendship and recognition to the Tonkawa Tribe, and Bob is in the process of producing a documentary on the Tribe’s history. They also discuss how the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making life decisions and how listening to the...

Send us Fan Mail Water is an issue for Texans. We face droughts, floods, aging infrastructure, and increasing population. What is a Christian response to the problems we're experiencing, and how do we plan for the future? Larry discusses these and other issues with Chairman Tracy King, Representative for Texas House District 80, Chairman of the powerful House Natural Resources Committee, and member of the Energy Resources Committee.

Send us Fan Mail Third in a series of conversations related to the Dream Together2023 initiative which begins on August 28, 2023. Kim Patton, Executive Director of Life Anew Restorative Justice, talks about how their team works to rebuild lives and communities in a Biblical, restorative way. Bianca Neal, wife of hiphop artist SaulPaul and Executive Director of the SaulPaul Foundation, discusses the challenges and opportunities for ministry through SaulPaul Productions as well as her interest ...

Send us Fan Mail Joe Bland, a contractor in Austin who was led by God to begin Dream Together 2030, and Dr. Archbishop Sterling Lands, a key leader of the initiative, are interviewed by Larry on this episode of Hill Country Institute Live. They discuss the upcoming kickoff of the Dream Together 2030 initiative on August 28 at the Texas State Capital. The mission of Dream Together 2030 is to create a new season of flourishing, justice, and equity for greater Austin and the surrounding communi...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Daniel Cohan, an atmospheric scientist and environmental engineer, is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Rice University, as well as a Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Clean air, water, and energy are important to the life and health of Texans and people around the world. Larry and Dr. Cohan discuss the health impacts of pollution, how Texas should address the issues we face with increasing numbers of ozone alert days in o...

Send us Fan Mail Barry Smitherman is an attorney, consultant, private investor, author, and board member for not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. He is the only person to have served as Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Texas Railroad Commission. He probably has as much knowledge of the oil and gas and the electricity business as anyone in the U.S. He is now Chairman of the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance. Barry authored the book, If Jesus Were...