November 4, 2013 Podcast

Show open: the battle show lineup

The hosts open from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper, greeting listeners on livefromthepath.org and 99.3 KTIA. A host lays out the night's 'battle show' lineup: guilt versus conviction, the Secular versus Solomon game, a 'Birds of the Bible' article on pigeons versus doves, Dear LFTP pope-style advice, and five ways young men could matter. John Wagner is introduced as a guest in the studio.

Birds of the Bible: pigeon versus dove

The hosts walk through a Belief blog article on the birds of the Bible, focusing on the dove at Jesus' baptism. The article's point: all four gospels describe the Spirit descending 'like a dove,' but the bird was more likely a rock dove -- a pigeon -- common in Palestine. A host argues the local ornithology hardly matters since God can send whatever he wants, and notes the irony that the Holy Spirit's symbol sits a hair's breadth from 'the symbol of urban trashiness.'

Guilt versus conviction: the core teaching

• How can you tell guilt apart from conviction?

Mike (addressed on-air) introduces the night's main teaching: how to tell guilt apart from conviction. The hosts argue conviction comes from the Holy Spirit pointing at something separating you from the Father, while guilt is often a cheap, fleeting emotion -- sometimes manufactured by other people through emotional sermons, swelling music, and imagery. They contrast condemnation (arguing with God about the gap) with restoration (aligning with God's heart), and note Western churches grow comfortable with certain sins like wealth idolatry while condemning others.

Fear, addiction, and total reliance

John (the guest) raises the fear behind letting go of sin -- people don't know how to live without their money, habits, or outlets. The hosts discuss addiction as the clearest picture of that fear, and frame Jesus' call to take up the cross as asking for complete reliance on him, illustrated through the lilies of the field and the fishes and loaves. They stress the need for an honest faith community of people who have walked through the same fear.

Past guilt and the finished work

John notes that many men are shackled by past guilt from things done ten or twelve years ago, long after apology and forgiveness. The hosts answer that once sin is confessed, God says it is finished -- and continuing to drag it around only separates you from God and silences your witness for Jesus. They point to Paul as an example of someone whose past became a showcase for grace rather than a chain.

Sponsor break: Bob Eisenlauer and Westfield Vet

The hosts thank the night's sponsors: Bob Eisenlauer of the Eisenlauer real-estate team (transcript ASR: 'Eisenhower') for buying or selling a house, and Westfield Veterinary Hospital in Johnston for pet care. Bob is described as a former show guest who has done real estate work for both Mike and the host.

Secular versus Solomon: ten rounds

The studio plays ten rounds of Secular versus Solomon, guessing whether each proverb is world wisdom (naming a country of origin) or Biblical wisdom (Solomon). Five prove to be Scripture -- Proverbs 25:25 and Ecclesiastes 4:6, 5:12, 9:17, and 10:1 -- and five are secular sayings from France, Hungary, Russia, Denmark, and India. Dan Hudson, Mike, and John Wagner play along, with running jokes about John's nickname 'Two Shoes' and his answer 'Earl May.'

Five ways young men could matter

Mike (addressed on-air) lists practical ways for young men who already love Jesus to matter: get involved helping people and build real relationships; find one or two men who are genuinely following Jesus and let them speak into your life; let your yes be your yes and your no be your no; don't overpromise -- count the cost before committing; and spend real time with Jesus and know your Bible. The hosts add that adulthood starts now, not at marriage or age thirty.

Station break and the Tim Timmons costume

During a station break the hosts note Tim Timmons' Facebook post of a Halloween costume cutout of himself, complete with his glasses and big beard. Returning, Mike admits he only had about three of the five ways fully ready before the break and riffed the rest.

Yes be yes: the church's commitment problem

The conversation extends the 'yes be yes' point into church culture: people make promises they never keep, from ministry commitments to a pamphlet review returned three days late. The hosts contrast the 85% who reflexively say no with the overloaded 15% who do everything, warning against both people-pleasing and noncommitment. They circle back to guilt versus conviction with the orphan statistic -- roughly 153 million orphans, and if a quarter of professing Christians adopted one the crisis would end -- arguing conviction calls you to act one person at a time rather than attack the whole culture.

Dear LFTP: pope-style advice on confession

Asked for 'pope style advice,' John gives the night's one word: confession. He argues confession is strength, not weakness -- men compartmentalize their guilt in suburban life, and the way out is to stop, pray, and confess immediately rather than hide it. The hosts add that the first confession is to God ('against you only have I sinned'), then to the person sinned against, and share practices like apologizing to their own children as a model of faith.

Dear LFTP: beer, marriage, and a sober husband

• Am I doomed not to be able to drink anymore to support my husband's sobriety, or can I have an occasional beer?

A listener writes that her husband got a DUI, stopped drinking, and attends AA -- but she still enjoys an occasional beer and feels guilty, wondering if she is doomed to abstain or is being selfish. A host advises keeping it away from him out of respect, since his AA attendance signals a serious struggle. The consensus: she has freedom in Christ to drink, but should ask her husband honestly whether it bothers him and be willing to give it up -- if she can't, she may share his problem. A 'Secular' answer is read: if she calls abstaining 'doom,' she may be alcohol-dependent herself.

Show close: Christmas events

The hosts thank John Wagner and announce upcoming events: the Christmas for the Path Extravaganza broadcast from Zeke's on November 30 with Jeff Arendal and company, two shows at the Simpson Barn in Johnston on December 6, and the release of 'Christmas from the Path, Volume One' -- last year's live album -- after Thanksgiving. They note the podcast-exclusive segment ran long because Christian radio doesn't air the booze discussion.