June 2, 2014 Podcast w/ Jon Acuff

Show open from the Pathway Studios

A host opens the live show from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper, previewing the night's lineup: an interview with author and blogger Jon Acuff, Boova's 'pope-style advice' segment, and 'what's trending with Dan.' Dan previews his news stories, including a $3 million Nike shoe seizure in Kentucky and Bruce Willis' daughter's topless protest.

Interview: Jon Acuff's library-card business card

• What do you do for a living?

Jon Acuff joins via Skype and the hosts ask how he answers 'what do you do?' Acuff shows his letterpress business card, designed like a library card listing his books, and explains he says 'I write books and I speak.' He talks about writing in the public library to stay humble, surrounded by books that ended up on shelves.

Interview: self-publishing, Stuff Christians Like, and influence

Acuff says his first two books were self-published ('horrible') compilations of his blog posts, compares a 'best of' collection to a Rolling Stone list with too many entries, and jokes that only his mother bought them. A host asks whether he feels the weight of his social-media influence; Acuff says he tries to walk across it lightly, keep it fun, not take himself too seriously, and keep a low jerk threshold.

Interview: the blogging grind and live-tweeting

Acuff describes how blogging is fun on day one and hard every day after, how he schedules posts but prefers in-the-moment writing like live-tweeting the Grammys, and how satire dies when explained. He recalls the mullet-joke renaissance of a decade ago as proof that internet humor has a shelf life.

Interview: comment sections, Rob Bell, and chumming the waters

The conversation turns to the culture of Christian comment sections: a host calls them a cesspool, and Acuff quotes Kurt Vonnegut's line that Mark Twain would have killed himself if he had Amazon reviews. He notes it's easy to hate someone you've never met, like Rob Bell, and coins 'jerk for Jesus' — Christianity as 'a bully learning karate.' He recounts a satire post about Katy Perry moving from gospel to country to pop and deciding instead to 'seed the clouds for conversations' rather than 'chum the waters for sharks.'

Interview: balance, the six club, and Quitter's free audiobook

• How do you find and protect balance with everything going on in your life?

A host asks how Acuff protects balance; Acuff answers 'poorly,' noting that for the first time in sixteen years he has no boss and no office. He describes the Nashville 'six club' — about 75 people meeting at 6 a.m. to work on their dreams (it started as the 'five club' until 4:30 a.m. church-open requests cost them friends). A host tells the story of Mike downloading Acuff's free Quitter audiobook and being interrupted by chapter seven ('you can't quit your job') mid-lawn-mow, prompting a live on-air apology from Acuff.

Interview: the Acuff store and the Zondervan cardboard cutout

• What is going to be in the John Acuff store on his website?

The hosts ask what's coming to Acuff's online store — he guesses T-shirts and digital curriculum, reporting his wife's view that T-shirts are 'just an ego play.' He shows his kids' decorated cardboard cutout of himself, made by Zondervan: 'kick me' written on the face, a Quitter shirt, and a bachelor look with no wedding ring. They thank him and close the interview.

Post-interview debrief: grace in conversation

After Acuff leaves, the hosts review the interview and credit his interview skill, then turn to the deeper point he made: approaching disagreement with entertainment plus grace, representing the grace of Christ even in honest conversations.

What's Trending: the $3 million stolen Nikes

• Is it ethical to buy or sell something that may have been stolen?

Dan (addressed by name) leads the news segment: authorities confiscated $3,000,000 worth of Nike shoes at a Radcliffe, Kentucky home — thousands of pairs meant to ship from a Tennessee Nike distribution center to Texas, bound for a flea market. The hosts debate whether buying goods that may be stolen is ethical; the options include 'not ethical' (a host cites giving up illegal music downloads on the same premise), and a host jokes about 'Jesus whipped the money changers, and he'll whip us too.'

What's Trending: Scout Willis and gendered public exposure

• Is there a difference between publicly exposing a man's chest and publicly exposing a woman's chest?

Dan reports that Bruce Willis' daughter Scout Willis walked topless in New York City to protest social media's treatment of women's bodies. The discussion question: is there a difference between publicly exposing a man's chest and a woman's? The hosts largely choose option B — men are 'pigs' who can't be trusted, including one host calling himself a pig — with a caveat supporting modest public breastfeeding.

What's Trending: persecuted church in Sudan — prayer vs. involvement

• What is the best way for Christ followers in America to respond to the persecution of Christians overseas?

Dan reports that a 27-year-old Sudanese woman sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith would be set free, then officials reversed course. A host asks Ben directly for his take; the answer is straight-up prayer. Dave Herrick (addressed by name) shares a personal conviction not to pray for things he isn't willing to get involved in, and the hosts debate earnest prayer versus cheap 'praying' comments, American complacency about persecution, and whether the church should move from prayer to action.

Dear LFTP: nonbelieving newlyweds and relatives' kids

• Is there a tactful way for nonbelieving newlyweds to answer relatives' children who ask why they don't go to church, without lying or overstepping the parents?

The hosts read a Dear LFTP letter from nonbelieving newlyweds from deeply religious families: nieces and nephews ages four to nine keep asking why they don't go to church, and they don't want to lie to the kids or overstep with the parents. The hosts advise telling the truth briefly without going in-depth, and Dave Herrick is called on to answer. The 'Secular' answer is snarky ('your uncle and I have other plans'). The segment also includes sponsor thanks — buy a house from Bob, have your dog fixed by Westfield — and thanks to Jon Acuff.

Dear LFTP: Liz wants cool, non-drinking friends

• How can a 20-year-old find social, outgoing friends her own age who don't drink?

After noting broadcast problems (the YouTube stream had to be cut short), the hosts read a letter from Liz, 20, who doesn't want to spend time with her family's drinking crowd and asks how to find people her age who think the way she does. The hosts tell her friends are found through daily-life activities, not custom-ordered — a host advises going where she already spends time. A host addresses Mike by name ('Mike looks befuddled'). The Secular answer: join a gym or other physical-activity group.

Boova's pope-style advice: a prayer-life testimony

Boova (addressed on-air as 'Buba') delivers his 'pope-style advice': the premise is that people mistaking him for the Pope on his front lawn are waiting for a nugget of wisdom. He testifies that his prayer life once consisted of asking people for prayer, then flipped to asking others what they need prayer for — which became its own self-serving checklist. His advice: don't let your prayer life be about you getting things; prayer is speaking to God first, and for others second. A host shares how he resists correcting his kids' simple prayers ('I hope we have a good time').

Sign-off: big news teaser and pray for Dan

The hosts close: clips of past shows are on livefromthepath.org, there's unspecified big news on the horizon, and a request to 'pray for Dan' in the coming weeks.