Fable of the Used Donkey Dealer
In this episode
-
Opening song, welcome, and show preview
The episode opens with a produced song about being a working man for the Holy Ghost. A host welcomes listeners to Live from the Path on Des Moines Amplified, introduces himself as Ben Foost, and jokes about wearing a hat to cover his bald head glistening under the studio lights. He previews the first hour's theme - following Christ in your job, including the perspective of a professional musician - and announces two new features: live audience Q&A in the second hour and a weekly YouTube question inviting video responses from other churches.
-
Eye-doctor prescriptions and the 'deep cut' story
A host asks Mike, addressed by name in the studio, about his run-in with the eye doctor. Mike recounts two eye clinics sending bills with blank prescription details, suspecting they withhold prescriptions to force in-house glasses purchases. Another host tells of a tree limb gouging his eye and mishearing the optometrist's diagnosis as a 'deep cut,' plus jokes about tiny legal print in an eye doctor's office.
-
Chase Jacobs introduction and homemade Fig Newtons
A host introduces studio guest Chase Jacobs, who says he is originally from Portland, Oregon and now lives in Kansas City. After joking about Girl Scout cookies, the conversation turns to a host's attempt at homemade Fig Newtons - dubbed 'Ben Newtons' to dodge licensing trouble - and whether a fig is a nut or a prune, ending with agreement that the homemade batch was terrible.
-
Johnston pancake-breakfast fundraiser debate
A host recounts taking his family to a Johnston fire-station pancake breakfast fundraiser before a parade and walking out over the $8-per-person price ($16 for two, kids free). The hosts debate whether the price is outrageous for a fundraiser, compare it to their own expensive show merchandise, and joke about Johnston wealth, Casey's donuts, and scoping the fire station for plasma TVs.
-
Buddy Holly impersonator and pancake stories
After a callback to the 'not a fan' running joke, a host recalls a wedding-day pancake breakfast at the fairgrounds featuring a Buddy Holly impersonator he considers not very good. The hosts riff on impersonators generally - the economics of picking a B-list artist nobody else impersonates - and joke about staging a rival $7 pancake feed across from the fire station.
-
Christian musicians on objectionable secular programs and public judgment
Prompted by something Mike came across, a host poses a hypothetical: the Christian band Need to Breathe appears on the Howard Stern Show, behaves decently, but lends credibility to a host known for poor morals - did they overstep? A real-world anchor: blues guitarist Jonny Lang, a born-again Christian, drew online scorn from a fan who skipped his church concert because he had appeared on Stern. The hosts argue for being 'light in darkness,' citing Jesus eating with Matthew the tax collector, and debate how Christians should question other believers publicly versus privately, warning against Pharisee-like self-righteous judgment.
-
Moral boundaries for a Christian DJ and other work
A host describes sticky situations in his DJ business when the job he is hired to do conflicts with his convictions - what music he will play, what gigs he will take. The hosts generalize to other work: whether to take jobs from companies whose business you do not condone, and how explicit to be about faith, with one host noting he does not promote himself as a 'Christian DJ' who plays only Christian music.
-
Show promos: YouTube, archives, and comments
Mid-show promos: the hosts plug the show's YouTube channel, archive shows and podcast signup at livefromthepath.org, and the comment feature under the shows tab.
-
DJ and remix comedy, Stomp, and Vocal Trash
The hosts riff on DJ craft - beat-matching songs of different tempos and keys versus just letting songs play - with a wedding-DJ remix comedy bit and a joke remix of 'Hammer Don't Hurt Em.' They discuss the performance groups Stomp and Vocal Trash, debate whether their performances are live or recorded, and marvel at oddball human tricks on YouTube.
-
'Not a fan' shirt explanation and accents game
Prompted by chat comments about his shirt, a host explains the 'not a fan' slogan: 'I'm not a fan of Jesus' - a fan is fickle, in-and-out with the season - 'I'm a follower, not a fan,' and mentions the notafan.com website. The segment also includes a callback to last week's geography embarrassment with guest Karen Thompson, an 'African name' guessing game, and complaints about people being outraged at the hosts' international accents.
-
Living as a Christian at work and conversational witness
Returning to the Jonny Lang example, a host raises the broader question of how Christians conduct themselves at work: how direct to be about faith without being obnoxious. The hosts discuss conversational witness - intentionally slipping in natural mentions of Bible study or saying 'I'll pray about you' - and cite Paul's 'let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,' noting that going straight to the gospel message can feel abrasive in a work setting.
-
Audience Q&A opens and Pathway Church announcement
A host opens the second-hour audience Q&A, inviting questions for the 'Live from the Path panel' via chat. While listeners think of questions, he gives the church announcement: the hosts attend the Pathway Church in Johnston, currently meeting at Wallace Elementary at 10 a.m. - with a running joke about his verbal tic when introducing the church - then the conversation drifts to Men in Black and Law and Order.
-
Dan's hair, the VBS fundraiser, and Samson
The first chat question asks what is going on with Dan's hair. A host explains: for one Vacation Bible School he promised kids he would shave his head if they raised $1,000 for missions (they usually raised $150-200); they did it, he liked short hair, and now grows it out between cuts. The hosts connect it to Samson, discussing the actual Judges narrative - his woman problems, killing, demanding water from the Lord - as darker than the kids' version.
-
What workplace demand would justify quitting
A chat question asks what would cause the hosts to quit a job - what would cross the line for their faith. A host recounts turning down a contract to clean a porn shop: not a public crusade, just a polite 'I'm not interested.' The hosts land on the principle that when a job forces a choice between what Jesus said and what the boss said, you choose Jesus and quit or refuse.
-
Personal temptation and the nude-art boundary
Continuing the porn-shop example, the hosts discuss personal temptation: professional access does not make anyone immune, so you keep yourself out of temptation's way where you can. They debate where nude art ends and pornography begins, landing on intent and personal response as the key factors rather than a fixed line.
-
Faith-based investing and corporate-revenue screens
A host raises faith-based investing: as a stockholder you own the company, so do you want to own one profiting from pornography, tobacco, drugs, or alcohol? The hosts discuss faith-based mutual funds and the difficulty of tracking holdings inside broad mutual funds.
-
Tobacco, alcohol, addiction, and church judgment
A chat question asks whether smoking tobacco and drinking are sins. The hosts answer no, not inherently - in moderation - but drunkenness crosses a spiritual line, and addiction changes the calculus. They discuss the 'body as a temple' argument versus french fries, health, and how churches judge smokers and drinkers.
-
Birth control and vasectomy discussion
A chat question asks whether birth control or vasectomies are appropriate for a Christ follower. The hosts discuss different methods - distinguishing contraceptives that block fertilization from those that flush a fertilized egg - and note the moral weight shifts if life begins at conception.
-
Conception, abortion, and an ectopic-pregnancy testimony
The conception discussion continues into abortion and a personal testimony: a host recounts his wife Cheryl's ectopic pregnancy, the crisis of being asked to choose, and learning the pregnancy could never develop - with weeks of recovery - while people watched the couple in crisis and came to faith.
-
Threats forcing denial of Jesus, lying, and biblical examples
A host lays out outrageous hypotheticals debated on a drive to Webster City: a crazed man threatens to shoot you, your wife, or your kids unless you deny Jesus - what do you do? The hosts cite Matthew 10:32 on acknowledging Christ, debate whether lying to a lunatic differs from denying Christ, and discuss biblical mistruths: Rahab hiding the spies, Abraham on his wife, Moses, and Ananias and Sapphira. A detour covers felt-board Sunday school, a Trinity Broadcasting Network movie about Joseph's death, and the symbolism of Jesus walking on water.
-
YouTube question setup pause and dumpster comedy
The hosts announce this week's YouTube question, aimed at churches, then fill time while making 'minor adjustments': impressions of the area, a joke about a drive-by shooting, a host's upcoming move, and an extended story about ordering a 15-yard dumpster that neighbors filled overnight - with jokes about swearing, post-it notes, and preaching the gospel to the neighbors.
-
YouTube question of the week: how churches use art
Re-recording the YouTube question of the week, a host asks churches: what are you doing artistically to further the gospel - is it important, do you have a worship-and-arts person? He cites a church in Ames that opened a live-music venue and argues the church has squashed artistic expression, leaving cheesy Christian films and fiction. The hosts recall Pathway's own creative history: a subtle grim-reaper/Satan drama by Rick Gray that spooked a visiting family away, a 'Trading Spaces'-style video series, and airbrushed murals.
-
Closing announcements and closing song
Sign-off: the hosts thank listeners, note the Monday 10-to-midnight slot on Des Moines Amplified, point to livefromthepath.org for archives and merchandise, invite questions for next week's open Q&A, and joke about a 'live vasectomy' before a closing song about the rapture.