April 29, 2013 Podcast

Show open and tonight's rundown

The show opens with the produced intro from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. A host previews the night: a report on a man who claimed a 23-minute vision of hell and how to react to Jesus-related claims that sound 'wacky'; proof #45 of the ongoing '50 proofs' series, the Noah's Ark argument from godisimaginary.com; Dear LFTP advice; and whether Christians can defend the biblical worldview in mainstream or social media.

Building 429 concert and the lost band interviews

The hosts recap a weekend trip to the Building 429 concert, where a planned live broadcast fell through 'for legal reasons' and technical problems (a persistent beeping on the recording) ruined interviews with Jason of Building 429, the Rhett Walker Band, and worship pastor Tim Timmons. They praise the artists' humility — Jason complimented a host's steel-toe boots — and share that Timmons has carried an 'incurable' cancer diagnosis for about twelve years while touring. The segment closes with a running joke: one host admits he once thought it would be 'cool' to get an incurable disease so he could rent auditoriums and preach Jesus, earning the verdict that he is the only guy at career day who says he wants to be a martyr.

Tease: can the biblical worldview be defended in media?

• Should Christians try to defend the biblical worldview in mainstream or social media on hot-button cultural topics?

A host tees up the night's cultural question: attempts to defend the biblical worldview on social or mainstream media seem to fail — either the defender is a 'doofus' or the format never lands. He frames the question to be taken up later: should Christians stay out of that arena, especially on hot-button topics like homosexual marriage and abortion? A co-host answers with a flat 'yes, bail.'

Sponsor reads

Sponsor reads for Capanna's Coffee and Gelato in Ames, the Eisenlauer real-estate team, On Purpose Promotions, and Valley Services. A participant the hosts call Troy is ribbed for forgetting to bring gelato down from Ames as promised.

Proof #45: Noah's Ark — God's justice vs. the 'mass murder' charge

• Did God 'senselessly murder millions' in the flood, and why didn't He just speed up Jesus' arrival or program Adam and Eve differently?

A host (speaker-2) reads proof #45 from godisimaginary.com — 'consider Noah's Ark' — which argues the flood was 'senseless' mass murder and that the God of the Old Testament (citing Exodus 12-13, Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 49, Hosea 13, Numbers 31, Deuteronomy 3) is worse than Hitler. The hosts respond: the judgments were deserved and warned about; God is perfectly just and his ways are not ours; Job's ten children are the harder case, but life is a gift God can take back and souls are eternal. They express hope and prayer for the website's author, recommend Paul Copan's 'Is God a Moral Monster?' and 'When God Goes to Starbucks,' and preview proof #46, Pascal's wager — which a host answers on the spot with a graham-cracker analogy.

A 23-minute vision of hell: how to handle 'wacky' Jesus-related claims

• How should Christians react to Jesus-related claims that sound wacky, like a vision of 23 minutes in hell?

A host (speaker-2) recounts playing bass at a gathering where a man described a 23-minute vision of hell (not a near-death experience): he woke at 3:00 a.m., his wife found him on the floor at 3:23, and he said God showed him hell because even God's own people don't treat it as real. The host's first reaction was 'wacky,' but he found the man credible — a successful realtor who never solicited invitations and didn't charge for the first seven years — and the teaching scripturally sound. His takeaway: keep an open mind, be a Berean and run it through scripture; what seems wacky to us (Pentecost tongues) isn't wacky to God; but bogus, manipulative 'ghost magic show' versions of the Holy Spirit exist too.

Debate: should Christians engage hostile media on hot-button issues?

• Should Christians try to defend the biblical worldview in mainstream or social media on hot-button cultural topics?
• Can preaching on hostile platforms actually push people farther from God?

The hosts debate whether Christians should engage mainstream media on hot-button issues like gay marriage and abortion. One side says bail: you cannot explain the character of God in a tweet, point-counterpoint formats are rigged and edited, and 'half the gospel in anybody's hands is really dangerous' — it may actively drive people away. The other side wants the voice of God in the public square, citing Paul preaching in hostile crowds. They converge on: don't go unless God tells you to; and if you go, it must be live, never recorded and edited.

Dear LFTP: a father asks about couples living together

• Do relationships that start with living together fail at higher rates, and what can a father do to help his daughters decide wisely?
• What if a couple lives together but does not have sex?

Mike (speaker-1) reads a Dear LFTP letter from a father of two teenage daughters: do relationships that start with cohabitation fail more often, and how should a father advise his daughters? The hosts answer bluntly — if a man wants the benefits of marriage without the commitment, 'he is not worth you... turn around and run.' The 'Secular' answer cites education levels and female independence; the hosts add statistics (about 1.5x higher divorce rates) and discuss a listener's chat question about living together without sex, landing on the 'appearance of evil' and 'not even a hint of sexual immorality' standard while wrestling with how Jesus associated with sinners.

Dear LFTP: the exotic car the wife can't drive

• Should I keep the exotic car my wife isn't allowed to drive, or sell it and live simply?

Mike reads a second Dear LFTP letter: a man bought an exotic used car for himself and his wife to enjoy, but won't let her drive it unless he's in the car — should he keep it and hold his ground, or sell it and live simply? The hosts' verdict is unanimous: he's a fool; let her drive it. The show closes with the sponsor roll and sign-off from KTIA.