Jesus as the Janitor

Show open: produced intro, station IDs, tonight's lineup

A produced opener names Lowe Street Studios and the show, then a host self-introduces as "Ben Foost" (Ben Fust) and apologizes to Dan for a computer notification interrupting. Tonight's theme is set: two Christian bands from the Spirit Midwest Festival are coming, and the band Certainty is already in studio and will be formally introduced later.

Mike's car, phone, and trunk disaster

Mike tells a rambling arrival story: he could not find his phone in his messy car, locked his keys on the dashboard with the trunk open, emptied his trunk to climb in, and found half an E.L. Fudge cookie that ended up smeared on his new jeans. The hosts riff on the trunk's contents, the ruined jeans, and jean rotations.

Jean rotations, Dan's church video, and the spider hat

Banter continues: jean rotations (Mike three pairs, Dan two), Dan saw the Sunday church video and realized how much weight he has gained, so he announces his diet starts today (his 19th bottle of water). Mike shows off a hat he found in Mike's garage with spiders in it, and the hosts struggle to pronounce "excavating."

Certainty interview, part 1: festival slot and band intro

Certainty introduces themselves: they play the Spirit Midwest Festival Friday August 6th at 5:45 p.m. on the main stage, their first time at the festival. Ben and Jeff are from Norwalk and Frank is from Des Moines; they met on the worship team at Fellowship Community Church. They describe their full amplified show, the Nashville artist-development offer they turned down, and their website certaintyband.com, while a host struggles to find them on Facebook.

Francis Chan video on middle-of-the-road Christianity

• Is there a legitimate 'middle road' Christianity - profess Christ, do some good things, but nothing radical?

A host plays a Facebook video from Francis Chan, tied to Chan's book Crazy Love. Chan argues there is no biblical "middle road" where people profess Christ and do some good things but avoid radical obedience: there is a narrow road leading to life and a wide road leading to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14), and claiming to know Jesus means walking as he walked (1 John 2:6). The hosts say they will discuss it later in the show.

Certainty performs "I Can Feel You Watching"

Certainty performs their song "I Can Feel You Watching" live in the studio, roughly four and a half minutes, followed by applause from the chat room.

Certainty interview, part 2: CD, Facebook debacle, Dan jokes

Certainty talk about their CD (recorded spring 2009 at Tiller Studios with Steve Hudspeth, five original songs written by Jeff, released May 2009), Frank's pogo-stage-dancing, and the chat confirming Dan is not blocked from their Facebook page. The hosts roast Dan over the Judd Nelson/Breakfast Club exchange, and the handle "Sheetman2010" is proposed for Dan.

Jimmy Swaggart, Dan's funeral video bit, and brownies

A host recounts watching 20 minutes of Jimmy Swaggart this week, including a suited "Worship Man" leading a tune. The hosts then riff on Dan pre-recording his own funeral video, with Dan Hudson joking his funeral tape would be his head pasted on an ostrich. Rachel's brownies in the chat prompt a call for brownie deliveries to the studio.

Certainty's fall trip to a closed country (Laos)

Certainty describe a fall opportunity to perform in a closed, communist country with missionary friends running an indigenous church movement; their business platform is selling a water-purification system. A host accidentally blurts out the country ("In Laos, right?"), spoiling the secrecy. Their trip lands at the end of a Buddhist festival (likened to Buddhist Lent), and Frank's plan is to play their Christian songs but substitute the word "love" for God and Jesus.

Donkey-cooking gag, t-shirt shooter, and Certainty sign-off

A running gag escalates: a Facebook-status joke about cooking donkey becomes a stewed-donkey-with-beans recipe read on air, plans for a festival donkey stand, donkey dogs, and a t-shirt shooter. They mention festival organizers Al Barnes and Julie Barnes, then thank Certainty and send them off to play "His Place."

Certainty performs "His Place"

Certainty performs their song "His Place" live in the studio, roughly six minutes, before the hour-break comedy bit.

Comedy sketch: "First Christian church meeting" parody

A played comedy sketch satirizes legalistic church culture: Jesus brushes off Peter, a fake "first Christian church meeting" sets rules like spending all free time in church and wearing a Jesus-beard, and a judgmental Jesus calls out each disciple's sins. Roman Pharisees and Pharisee thugs riff on temple fashion and bribing their way into heaven.

Second hour open and the marijuana discussion

• Does the Bible (the Thessalonian letters) say anything about marijuana?

The second hour opens with a joke introduction ("Bobby McFerrin and Bobby McFerrin"), then a long bit: Dan admits he does not know what marijuana looks like and could not identify it, and the hosts debate whether Scripture says anything about it ("I don't remember Thessalonica saying no marijuana") and whether Dan would recognize a doobie at church. The band Saved on Sunday is then introduced into the studio.

Saved on Sunday interview, part 1: CD release and testimony

Saved on Sunday (singer/guitarist Daniel, bassist Clint) join the studio fresh off their CD release party last Saturday for their second full-length album, Revolution, held at their home church Eagle Vision Church on the south side; their pastor dad David Brown is name-checked. The hosts digress into a full face-transplant news story (a man who shot himself in the face in Madrid), Dick Cheney shotgun jokes, and Dan's stolen-Dairy-Queen-patches childhood sin. Daniel gives his testimony: a pastor's kid who followed Christ on his own at 18 after drugs and a run-in with God.

Sermon discussion: God's sovereignty, Job, and fierce grace

• What does the Lord want me to have?

The hosts and Saved on Sunday discuss Sunday's sermon on God's sovereignty: modern Christians treat God as a pocket toy for blessings, but Job shows God does what he wants and owes no explanation ("you weren't here when I did this... how dare you question me"). The standout takeaway is the fierceness of grace: the same sovereign "I do what I want" backs God's forgiveness, so when he says a sin is gone, it is gone.

Uncle's Christ-intro video and "Let Your Love Fall"

A host plays a video his uncle sent on Facebook: a comedic hype-man introduction of Christ ("hailed out of a manger in Bethlehem... by way of heaven," the world's greatest fish fry, walking on water "no special effects, no camera tricks"). Saved on Sunday then performs "Let Your Love Fall," the first worship song Daniel ever wrote, about five and a half minutes.

Saved on Sunday interview, part 2: formation, Paxton, Senate campaign

Saved on Sunday tell their origin: together about a year and a half, formed from the Eagle Vision praise-and-worship team, the name came from a bowling-alley strike flashing "SOS" plus a pastor's "two people saved on Sunday." Their lead guitarist Jeremy Taft is leaving for Nashville to play country music, so they are auditioning lead guitarists on air. Their Revolution producer is eight-time Grammy winner Gary S. Paxton, and a Missouri U.S. Senate candidate wants to use the title song as his campaign theme. They preview a busy weekend: Rochester MN and Oskaloosa Youth for Christ fundraisers, a Sunday church concert, and the festival.

Spirit Midwest logistics and the prayer tent pitch

The hosts run down Spirit Midwest Festival logistics: August 6-7 at Jordan Park (corner of Fuller and Grand), free admission, 40-plus bands, three stages, vendors, an inflatable village, and camping, with info at spiritmidwest.com. The hosts strongly encourage volunteering, especially at the prayer tent, framing intercession as just as important as any band on stage, and Saved on Sunday (Saturday 3:30 main stage) agree.

Red Rover aside, "Let It Shine" story, and performance

After a youth-group Red Rover aside (a girl running full-speed into raised arms, compared to Troy Polamalu wiping out a receiver), Saved on Sunday introduce "Let It Shine." They had only 11 songs the night before recording and felt a CD needs 12, so the singer wrote this simple song late that night about letting your light shine as a Christian; the studio band had never heard it before recording. They perform it live, roughly seven minutes.

Closing: plugs, Pathway Church, and next week's guests

The show closes with plugs: the show at livefromthepath.org with archives and podcast signup, Pathway Church in Johnston meeting at Wallace Elementary at 10 a.m. Sundays (two services coming in September), and thepathonline.org. Next week: Tim Cooper and friends / the ne'er-do-wells in the first hour and Vance Lambert in the second, leading into the Spirit Midwest Festival.