July 9 2012

Show open and open-door invitation

The hosts open from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper on a balmy Monday evening, banter briefly, joke about the empty camera spot, and invite viewers to attend the show in person on Monday nights with an email heads-up so they can make extra popcorn.

Tonight's lineup and the Hosea riff

A host previews the night's plan: an interview with Nathan Grooms of the Promised Land Festival and week nine of the GodIsImaginary.com proofs series, then riffs on the book of Hosea — God having Hosea marry a prostitute and name a child 'you are not loved' — as the launch point for the recurring theme that God does what he wants.

Interview: Nathan Grooms and the Promised Land Festival

A host interviews Nathan Grooms of the Promised Land Festival via Skype. Grooms describes being laid off with no resources, starting to listen to Christian music about seven to eight months prior, and having the festival placed before him despite no festival background. Details: July 27-29 (Friday-Sunday) at Promise Land Campground, a 34-acre campground on Highway 63 six miles north of Bloomfield, Iowa; 18 bands on two stages (Nine Lashes, Project 86, Manic Drive, Syndrome of Fire); camping $25/night full hookup or $10/night tent; testimony-based speakers; promotion aimed at non-Christian people; food vendors Bailey's Barbecue and Intimidated Barbecue; a firehouse kids ministry with a water-spraying truck. More info at promisedlandfest.com.

God does what he wants: baptisms and hugging awkwardness

After the interview, the hosts riff on water ministries and return to the Hosea theme: God makes examples of people like Ezekiel and Hosea. A host shares that their church brought the portable baptistry to the school on Sunday and two people were baptized — Rachel and Matt, first-time visitors, and Aiden, a longtime youth-group kid — and the group reflects on witnessing new faith. A comedy bit follows about the social awkwardness of whether to hug the newly baptized, including a 'Hug Me t-shirt' joke and a mock introduction ('My name's Mike. Can I hug you?').

Answered prayer: the YouTube outage and the rainy bike ride

A host tells the 'topper': after 40 minutes of failed attempts to set up the show's weekly YouTube broadcast during a YouTube maintenance window, he prayed in the doorway that the Lord would fix the YouTube, and the next click worked. He pairs it with a childhood memory of praying on his bike for rain to stop at age 10 or 11, and it stopped — acknowledging natural explanations while testifying that both were submit-to-God-and-it-happened moments.

Turning away from God over traffic, returning ten years later

In response to the answered-prayer stories, a host confesses the exact day as a teenager he turned away from God for ten years: stuck at an intersection on his bike, he caught himself about to pray about traffic and decided it was stupid to involve God in petty things — drawing a line that became full disengagement. Coming to play piano at Pathway years later brought the memory back. The group discusses whether that small whisper could have been the enemy, and lands on the Lord-of-all-means-all principle, illustrated by God knowing the number of hairs on your head.

That local day recap: mosquito nets, Hidden Acres, and Wellspring

The hosts recap their appearance at 'that local day' at Wellspring Christian Resources, complaining good-naturedly about expensive Christian music and praising the turkey sandwiches. They highlight Nate Beard's mosquito-net fundraiser at happybirthdaynate.com — about $6 sends two nets to combat malaria — and a representative from Hidden Acres Christian Camp who handed out excellent cookies.

Upcoming: Manifest Show and Spirit Midwest

The hosts announce their Friday remote broadcast from the Manifest Show at Indianola Community Church with Saved on Sunday and Daniel Double J Johnson, streaming online, and their August 3-4 plans for the Spirit Midwest festival in the St. Charles area — where streaming may be iffy, so they plan to record in two-to-three-hour blocks and air them later.

GodIsImaginary.com proof #9: the ambiguity argument

Week nine of the hosts' rebuttal series: the site's proof #9, 'understand ambiguity,' argues that answered prayer is indistinguishable from coincidence — citing cancer remission after chemo, and 'unambiguous' prayers like levitating a car, flying like Superman, $100 million in the basement, or regenerating amputated limbs, which never happen. The hosts note it is largely a rehash of proof #1 ('try praying').

Rebuttal: sovereignty, humble service, and the sign of Jonah

The hosts answer proof #9: the site's examples are prideful parlor tricks, whereas God is sovereign and does things for his own glory; the real evidence of God is people who humbly serve others for no gain. They discuss Jesus refusing the Pharisees' demand for a sign in Mark 8 ('no sign will be given to it') and the sign of Jonah — three days in the tomb, like Jonah's three days in the fish.

Healing prayer, God's will, and Daniel's 21 days

Playing the site's side, the hosts acknowledge the hardest case: praying for a sick wife who still dies, and the standard Christian answer that God does what he wants. They cite 'the prayer of a righteous man avails much,' then pivot to Daniel's prayer over Israel — Michael sent because Daniel is dearly loved — and the 21-day spiritual battle in the heavenlies, arguing fasting and prayer move unseen things even when answers are delayed.

Why fight so hard? The Loch Ness Monster argument

Wrapping proof #9 at nine-to-zero, the hosts argue the site's real motive: if God is real, life must change, so people fight hard not to give up their idols. One host's illustration: he never refutes the Loch Ness Monster or writes songs about Oompa Loompas not being real — 'thou doth protest too much' suggests the vehement denial is itself evidence. A joke about asking his wife Cheryl for a Lexus every Christmas without getting one (which does not disprove her as his wife) caps the point.

Next week's proof and where to find clips

The hosts tease proof #10, 'watch the offering plate,' for next week, and plug their YouTube clips and livefromthepath.org, noting they recently posted the Nate Beard interview.

Life Care Pregnancy Center plug

A host plugs their YouTube interview with Ruth from the Life Care Pregnancy Center, describing its prenatal counseling and education plus post-abortion counseling, and encourages donations of money or gently used mom-and-baby items at lifecarepc.org.

Fun-day altercations: the old lady's finger shake

The hosts recount awkward moments at 'that local day': a man accosted one host while he ordered a turkey sandwich, and an older woman, sitting near the speakers but far from the music, finger-shook them for being too loud — they submitted out of reverence for Christ rather than telling her to move closer.

Dear LFTP: the boutique owner and the shiny butt pants

• What can I say to my employee to help her become more aware of her appearance?
• Should I have handled the clothing conversation differently?

The Dear LFTP segment: a listener, a boutique owner, asks what to say to her full-time employee who comes in looking like she crawled out of bed, won't iron her clothes, and keeps wearing too-tight pants with a shiny rear. The hosts do a roleplay with the employee ('Todd,' then corrected as the name shifts) in which directness escalates to firing and a threatened lawsuit, then read the secular answer: be more direct, set attire expectations, offer a store discount on outfits, or consider uniforms. The group jokes about distrusting overdressed salesmen and the futility of hints.

Sign-off and Friday's Manifest broadcast

The hosts sign off, reminding listeners of Friday's Manifest Show broadcast starting around 6:30 and the YouTube channel.