August 12, 2013 Podcast

Show opening and Tessa Johnson introduced

Ben opens the show live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper and introduces musical guest Tessa Johnson, who is in the studio. He names himself and previews the night: getting to know Tessa, hearing her songs, Dear LFTP letters, and a pope-style advice game.

Facebook creeping comedy bit

The hosts riff on Facebook creeping — secretly browsing people's pages, accidentally liking old photos — before laying out the night's lineup: the Tessa Johnson interview, Dear LFTP letters, and pope-style advice.

Pope-style advice game premise and station promos

The hosts explain the pope-style advice game: a crowd on your lawn mistakes you for the pope, and you get them to leave by delivering earnest, life-relevant advice. They also plug the live chat and the 99.3 KTIA Saturday broadcast.

Tessa Johnson interview part 1: how she started music

• How did Tessa Johnson get into music?

Tessa Johnson tells how she started singing: a shy kid taking piano lessons, her mom overheard her, cried, and made her perform for the family — which led to her first show. She shares her two Facebook pages and her SoundCloud (soundcloud.com/tessajohnson-one).

Tessa Johnson performs 'Parachute'

Tessa introduces and performs her original song 'Parachute', about not letting yourself be fully there for someone out of fear and breaking through it. She dedicates it jokingly to Dan. The song is available as a free download on her SoundCloud.

Reaction to 'Parachute', Gaslamp show, and EP plans

The hosts react warmly to 'Parachute'. Tessa previews her August 28 show at the Gaslamp in Des Moines, opening for a folk band from Kansas City, and talks about writing songs for an upcoming EP based on her life and her family.

Ben's pope-style advice: guilt vs. God's truth

• What is the difference between guilt and God's convicting truth, and what should I do about it?

Ben's pope-style advice: what we call guilt is usually truth we refuse to act on. God does not deal in guilt to make us feel bad; He gives truth for restoration — repent, apologize, straighten it out, and choose restoration over sitting in guilt.

Mike's pope-style advice: real discipleship vs. lazy-boy faith

• What does real discipleship look like, as opposed to passive faith?

Mike's pope-style advice is on discipleship: Christians keep talking about it but never act — 'lazy boy discipleship' — waiting for people to come to them. Citing the book of Acts, Paul's letters, the parable of the sower, and the great commission, he argues you must open your mouth, die to yourself daily, and make sure what you say is true. Dan adds that 'God bless you' to a stranger is not discipleship.

Mid-show promos and 'All the Best' intro

Ben plugs livefromthepath.org, the podcast, and the YouTube channel, then re-introduces Tessa and her next song.

Tessa introduces 'All the Best'

Tessa sets up her second song, 'All the Best', as an anthem for anyone who has been upset by the opposite gender — a breakup song about being mad at a guy without saying it outright.

Tessa Johnson performs 'All the Best'

Tessa performs her original breakup anthem 'All the Best' — cheerful-sounding wishes of bad luck ('I hope a girl takes your heart and tears it apart... attacked by a rabbit cat') over a sweet melody. The hosts love it.

Post-song banter: dude anthem and Tessa links recap

Banter after 'All the Best': the hosts joke about needing a 'dude anthem' and Mike's fake radio show 'It's Probably the Dude's Fault'. Ben recaps Tessa's Facebook and SoundCloud links and notes performances go up on the show's YouTube channel.

Dear LFTP: the $20 Christmas gift left at the salon

• Was I wrong to object when my sister left a $20 bill as a month-late Christmas gift at my hairdresser salon?

A listener asks if she was wrong to object when her sister left a $20 bill as a month-late Christmas gift at the front desk of her hairdresser salon, and they haven't spoken since. The hosts agree the gift was impersonal but say the relationship is worth more than $20 — talk to her. The 'secular' answer sides partly with the listener.

Dear LFTP: father's hoarding, plus radio sign-off

• What do I do when my father will not admit his hoarding is a problem?

A listener is fed up with her father's hoarding — junk everywhere, the cat hurt twice — while he and her mother refuse to change. The hosts' advice: if it's just clutter that annoys you, move out; if it's a real health hazard, quietly notify the fire or health department. Ben signs off the 99.3 KTIA radio audience, keeping the rest as podcast bonus content.

Dear LFTP: husband married her only to have a baby

• Am I harming my baby by staying in a marriage where my husband is not in love with me?

The 'heavy one': a new mother writes that her husband admits he married her only to have a child — he cares for her but isn't in love with her. The hosts say the marriage covenant is the place to work, not the child: she should focus on being a godly, loving wife and building the marriage on Christ rather than settling for coexistence. A moth in the studio provides comic relief. The 'secular' answer sees no harm to the child.

Dear LFTP: father-in-law's tattoo, Dan Hudson tattoo joke, outro

• Do we have a right to ask my father-in-law not to tattoo our daughters' names on his arm?

A listener asks whether she and her husband have a right to ask her father-in-law not to tattoo their daughters' names on his arm. The verdict: 'his body, his choice' — let him get the tattoo. That sparks a running joke about slanderous tattoos, including one reading 'Dan Hudson is a heretic'. Ben reads sponsor thanks (Bob Eisenlauer's team, Westfield Veterinary Hospital), thanks Tessa, and closes the show.