October 29 2012

Show open: introductions and the week's lineup

A host introduces the show from the Pathway Studios, names co-hosts Mike Fust and Dan Hudson and guests Rick Lee and Nate Eadley, notes producer Jacob Carson, and welcomes KTIA radio listeners. The show's premise and tagline are restated: 'Honest Faith, Fierce Grace, and Donkeys.' The night's lineup is previewed: week 23 of the GodIsImaginary.com proofs, a new 'If You Were Paul' quiz, Dear LFTP letters, and pseudo-Pope style advice.

'If You Were Paul, You Would': game intro and scenarios 1-2

A new live-action quiz is introduced: the hosts get a modern-day scenario and must answer what the apostle Paul would do, justified only by his actions in the Book of Acts. Scenario 1 (a fire at grandma's family reunion) is answered 'insist everyone stay,' mirroring Paul keeping everyone on the ship in the storm. Scenario 2 (a long conference talk kills a listener) is answered 'bring the man back to life and then go get something to eat,' mirroring the Eutychus account.

'If You Were Paul, You Would': scenarios 3-4 and Paul appreciation

Scenario 3 (accused muskmelon thief pleading his case) is answered 'demand to speak to the CEO,' mirroring Paul's appeal to Caesar before Agrippa. Scenario 4 (a feather and a silly hat prophecy) is answered 'go buy the hat anyway and tell everyone to stop whining,' mirroring Paul heading to Jerusalem despite the Agabus belt prophecy. The game closes with an admiring riff on Paul as an unshakeable 'one-man positive factory.'

Proof 23 'Listen to the Doxology': the proof and first rebuttals

• If all blessings flow from God, why are his blessings so unevenly distributed?

Proof 23 from the GodIsImaginary.com author's 50 proofs is read aloud: since 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow' implies all blessings come from God, the uneven distribution of wealth (Bill Gates vs. starving children, a wealthy Raleigh church) proves God is imaginary. The hosts push back: the proof doesn't prove God is imaginary, only that the author disagrees with God; the parable of the talents suggests giftedness and stewardship differ between people.

Blessings as money: stewardship, megachurch spending, and evangelism

The hosts argue blessing does not equal financial blessing: some money is taken rather than received from God, and God will not bless someone with what would become their god. One host critiques the wealthy church's tennis courts and basketball courts as excess, arguing Christians should do activities alongside unbelievers rather than building insulated Jesus campuses, and notes his own church has no building, which forces it into the world.

Doxology anecdotes, free will, and proof wrap-up

Hosts share awkward anecdotes about church doxology traditions: spontaneously standing to sing after the offering, confusing responsive readings, and the chant feeling creepy to an outsider. They land the proof rebuttal: the author assumes God micromanages everything, but God has given real free will; the doxology is a 1600s man's song, not Scripture, so attacking it to disprove God is a straw man. Proof 24 ('ask why religion causes so many problems') is previewed, plus a tangent on naturalism's circular premise and Mike's green car.

Dear LFTP: the grandfather's inappropriate photo

• How should I broach the subject that my father-in-law's inappropriate photo of my daughter needs to come down?

A listener writes that her father-in-law 'Bert' posted a photo of a young scantily-clad woman on his bulletin board with the listener's 16-year-old daughter's name and a future date under it, and asks how to broach the subject that the photo must come down. The hosts are unanimous and blunt: this is a red flag, the spidey sense is God-given, the father must lead his family and have a direct conversation with the grandfather, and the daughter should not be left alone with him. The Secular answer suggests a joint family confrontation.

Dear LFTP: the depressed young mom on medication

• Any advice on how a depressed, bipolar young mom can pick herself up?

A young mom who dropped out of high school, is depressed and diagnosed bipolar on medication, and asks how to pick herself up gets a two-part answer. A host's step one: get right with God, since grace forgives the past, then rebuild one step at a time, including hard choices about cohabitation and education. A longer riff follows on self-worth: self-esteem is a made-up word, because your worth was set by someone willing to die for you, so anything less calls God a liar; change comes by exchanging your life for Christ's, not willpower. The Secular answer focuses on meds and a GED.

Dear LFTP: salt vs. pepper shakers and comedy tangents

• When filling unmarked salt and pepper shakers, does the salt go in the one with fewer holes?

A lighthearted letter asks whether salt goes in the shaker with fewer or more holes; the hosts debate it (pepper is stronger, so it gets the tiny holes), riff on radio-ad health claims ('I heard it on the radio, it has to be true'), and spin into comedy bits about salt, a John the Baptizer Halloween costume with locusts taped to the face, and a junkie voice used for Paul and John the Baptizer. The Secular answer: no set rule, traditionally salt gets more holes.

Podcast promo and Classic Petra concert recap

The hosts promote the audio podcast, the RSS feed, and their YouTube channels (livefromthepath for clips, thepathonline for full episodes), then recap the Classic Petra concert broadcast posted that week: On This Rock opened, the show lent Petra its sound board when the venue's board lacked enough monitor mixes, and a warning is issued to ask about free food before ordering Jimmy John's at a Christian concert.

Pope-style advice and show close

The pseudo-Pope style advice for the episode: the days you don't see God working are the days you've taken God off his throne and taken it over, and on those days you're a fool missing what he's doing, so stop doing that; plus 'pick up your litter on your way out.' The show closes with thanks, the Monday live broadcast and Saturday KTIA replay details, and an outro song.