September 16, 2013 Podcast

Show open and greetings

The episode opens live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper with greetings to the studio crowd and the radio audience at livefromthepath.org. The host jokes about the crowd's over-the-top enthusiasm and thanks Dan for the coffee he does not drink.

Episode agenda and guest introduction

The host previews a 'sling blade of a show': an article titled 'Why You Should Stop Going to Church' from a Christian perspective, Boova's pope-style advice (teased as heavier than usual), and Dear LFTP letters. Special guest Tessa Lugo is introduced in studio; when asked how she is doing, she addresses the host as Mike.

Article reading: 'Why You Should Stop Going to Church'

• Should Christians stop 'going to church' and instead 'be the church'?

A host reads and summarizes an article found via First Love Ministries titled 'Why You Should Stop Going to Church,' which argues that treating church as a place or obligation is hurtful, unfruitful, and unbiblical. The article's three charges: 'going to church' makes attendance the measure of devotion, turns God into a checked-off to-do item, and outsources ministry to leadership. It closes with the thesis: the Greek 'ekklesia' always means a gathered people, never a building - 'I do not want you to go to church. I want you to be the church.'

Discussion: laziness, discipleship, and the building question

The hosts agree with the article and diagnose the root problem as laziness and a failure to make disciples - entertaining converts rather than teaching them to be the body of Christ. They cite the Acts 2 pattern of devotion to teaching, prayer, and the breaking of bread as what has been disconnected. Discussion turns to whether pursuing a church building inherently sets up the very roadblocks they are criticizing.

Church buildings, megachurches, and the launching pad

The hosts argue that church culture equates bigger buildings with better churches, pointing to megachurches with thousands of square feet as the programmed ideal. They counter that Jesus preached on mountains, in boats, and by wells - the synagogue was never the basis of his ministry. Joking about needing tennis courts, basketball courts, pools, and 4,000 parking spaces, they land on the building as a tool and launching pad, never the whole cabinet.

How does the change happen? Discipleship and repentance

• How does the change from church attendance to real discipleship actually happen?

Asked how change actually happens without creating another program, the hosts answer: discipleship - refusing to be okay with hour-on-Sunday Christianity and pushing past traditions of laziness. One host challenges listeners to have a heart truly on fire for God and then try showing up only on Sundays without serving. The chat's contribution - repentance and faith, the message of John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul - is affirmed.

Attractional ministry confession and personal evangelism

A host confesses to 29 years of attractional ministry - advertising Krispy Kremes on mailers and hiring cool bands to draw crowds - and says he has been confronted by the fact that Jesus never did that. He argues he used to invite people to church instead of to a relationship with Jesus, outsourcing discipleship to the preacher or church ladies. A joke thread about 'Ethel,' the casserole-making church lady tired of newcomers being dumped on her, runs through the exchange, and the host compares corporate worship to a Van Halen concert: fun, but no substitute for an intimate personal relationship with God.

Article takeaways: pray, serve, and keep Jesus at the center

The host lists the article's closing takeaways: if you are the church, you will pray for your leaders and participate in the ministries they organize rather than dumping grand schemes on the pastor. He argues Christians should do ministry themselves - 'why don't you just go do it?' - instead of asking the church to act. The segment returns to the building question: Pathway's beat-up warehouse should stay a launching pad with Jesus at the center, not become the center itself.

Sponsor reads: Eisenlauer real estate and Westfield Vet

Sponsor reads for the KTIA broadcast: Bob Eisenlauer of the Eisenlauer real estate team (rendered 'Eisenhower' in the transcript), who is expected on the show with his newly licensed brother in coming weeks, and Westfield Veterinary Hospital in Johnston. The host riffs on his goats, which he says replaced his weed eater all year, including the 'mama goat' that bites his hand when she wants petting.

Pope-style advice: who deserves God's love

• Who gets to decide who deserves to hear about God's love?

In the recurring comedy bit, a host explains that 10,000 people have mistaken the house for the pope's location after a newsletter mix-up, so John Boova - introduced on-air as 'John Buva' - must deliver pope-style advice to move the crowd off his lawn. Boova, speaking as the advice-giver, says his normally upbeat advice will be heavier this week: no one has the authority to decide who deserves God's love, so believers must tell everyone. He argues that since none of us deserve grace, judging who is 'worthy' of hearing about Jesus is arrogant and unloving.

Hosts react: judging versus discernment

The hosts react to Boova's advice, agreeing that silently deciding someone does not deserve to hear about God is wicked - likened to Jesus telling the thief on the cross he had heard about his record. They add nuance about discernment and timing versus outright refusal to witness. The conversation veers into self-deprecating comedy about who is actually equipped for street evangelism - prostitutes, drug dealers, nightclubs - with one host volunteering for VBS instead.

Chat meta and Christmas Extravaganza promo

A host notes that Ben is watching the show remotely and commenting in the chat under the 'live from the path' handle, which makes it look like the host is arguing with himself. He promotes the resurrected Life From The Path Christmas Extravaganza recording, praising Jeff Arendelle's performance and Randy of the band Sanctify's lead singing - especially 'Angels We Have Heard on High' - and says they plan to stage it again this year.

Dear LFTP: the chronically late mother

• How should we handle a mother who always makes the family late to events?

A listener writes that her mid-fifties mother always runs late with 'a few chores,' causing the family to miss events including weddings and funerals, and asks how to deal with it. The hosts advise setting a hard departure deadline and leaving without her, treating her like a child, and joke about having her punctual friends pick her up instead. A sidebar detour covers making mustaches out of hairbrush hair.

Dear LFTP: bullied 8-year-old, part 1

• I am an 8-year-old being bullied at school and nobody helps - what should I do?

An 8-year-old writes that he is bullied at school for being smart and nice, that teachers and his mother have not fixed it, and that it keeps getting worse. One host advises getting parents into the school for a meeting with teachers; another gives a blunt 'outsmart them, be strong' take, calling modern bullying discourse oversensitive. The host then signs off the KTIA radio audience mid-discussion, noting podcast listeners get the rest.

Dear LFTP: bullied 8-year-old, part 2 (podcast-only)

Continuing podcast-only after the KTIA radio signoff, the hosts debate the bullying letter: one host doubles down on a tough 'buck up' stance while another pushes back that retaliation just breeds more bullying, recounting being bullied himself despite his size. A third host argues the real problems are parental flattery feeding the boy's superiority and a culture that cannot handle authority, advising thicker skin for words and a real escalation ladder - principal, superintendent, sheriff - for physical harm. The Secular answer is read: keep telling teachers, escalate to the principal and school board, and consult a lawyer as a last resort.

Dear LFTP: yawning etiquette

• Is it acceptable to yawn in public during dinner or conversation, or is it rude?

The final Dear LFTP letter asks whether yawning in public during dinner or conversation is rude; the husband says it denotes boredom, the wife sees no reason to stifle a natural trait. Guest Tessa Lugo is asked first and says she sees no problem with yawning; a host who works as a corporate trainer says yawns do not offend him but sleeping in class starts a conversation. The Secular answer quotes G. K. Chesterton: 'a yawn is a silent shout.'

Sign-off and outro

The host signs off, pointing listeners to the podcast and past shows including the Christmas Extravaganza, and the episode closes with a short sung outro: 'You take my burdens off of my shoulder. You break the lies that hold me back.'