July 21, 2014 Podcast

Show open from the Pathway Studios

A host opens the show live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper, introducing 'Live From The Path.' A produced intro sting plays before the hosts come on mic.

The dead mouse in the cookie tub

A host tells the story of the studio mouse from the previous week: Boova was supposed to catch it and failed, the mouse got into a Tupperware of no-bake cookies, ate the crumbs, could not get back out, and died in the container. The host found it while setting up the show this week.

Tonight's theme: your big faith questions, plus sponsors

• What are your big faith questions?

A host frames the night's theme: what are your big faith questions - the ones people are embarrassed to ask, or afraid signal weak faith - and invites listeners in the chat to share theirs. He teases the Secular vs. Solomon game, mentions a possible 'Pope style' advice bit and a teased (but never delivered) gas-station anecdote from Boova, then reads sponsor spots for Bob Eisenlauer of the Eisenhower Team and Westfield Veterinary Hospital.

Secular vs. Solomon game round

The hosts play America's fastest-growing internet game show, Secular vs. Solomon: a proverb is read and players must call it biblical (Solomon: from Proverbs or Ecclesiastes) or secular, naming the country of origin for secular ones. Guest Ben Michaels, Dave Herrick, and John Boova play against host Mike, who wins with six points on a firm 'Ireland' answer. Proverbs discussed include 13:7, 19:27, 25:27, 24:13, and 26:6.

Zeke's live show recap and live-music encouragement

The hosts thank listeners who came to the previous Tuesday's show at Zeke's and urge listeners to go see live Christian bands, arguing people miss talented, Christ-hearted musicians by staying home. They say a list of upcoming shows at Zeke's and elsewhere will go up on the website within a couple of weeks.

Big questions: do I really believe? do I really love God?

• Do I really believe in God?
• Do I really love God?

Boova shares his two recurring big questions: 'do I really believe in God?' and 'do I really love God?' - admitting he has faked faith before and fears an elaborate self-deception. The hosts respond that such doubts are not evaluated conclusions but momentary feelings, compare faith to a marriage that no longer has butterflies but still stands on its foundation, and note that questioning God in prayer already assumes he is there to hear it. Dave Herrick adds that engaging critics' perspectives helped his own faith grow.

'What if we're wrong?' and whether doubting is a sin

• What if we're wrong about all of this - what are the stakes we're playing for?
• Is doubting a sin?

Guest Ben Michaels raises the stakes question - 'what if we're wrong?' - and retells C. S. Lewis's trilemma (liar, lunatic, or Lord) to argue that if Jesus' claims are true, nothing else matters. A chat listener asks whether doubting is a sin; the hosts say no, distinguishing momentary doubt from the decision process afterward, and walk through Romans 14 and James 1:5-8 to show those passages address trusting God's character, not honest wrestling over whether God exists.

The candy bar: small choices, quiet seasons, and a big God

• How big is your God?

A host describes losing confidence in the quiet - wondering whether small choices like eating a candy bar matter to God - and the group wrestles with whether there is a secular/sacred distinction at all. Guest Ben Michaels reframes it as 'how big is your God?': doubts threaten only a God we made up, not the God who made our minds and cares about the candy bar. Herrick adds his own struggle to see situations - and himself - from God's perspective.

'God, how do you see me?'

• God, how do you see me?

Herrick poses his two-part question: he wants God's perspective on big and small decisions, and deeper still, he wants to know how God sees him. A host agrees there is a hesitance to bring ourselves into prayer for fear of vanity, but argues a real relationship with God includes feedback - like knowing from a spouse how they view you - rather than just mailing verbal postcards.

Dear LFTP: the independent woman from Louisiana

• Why do men like strong women until they're with one - is it possible for me to find someone independent?

A Dear LFTP letter from a young Louisiana woman who does not fit the 'normal female' mold: men like her independence until things get serious, then call her too independent, too outspoken, not girly enough. The hosts push back that she may be choosing non-threatening men and enjoying the power dynamic, advise mutual dependence over dominance, and read the 'Secular' answer comparing dating to sifting for a gold nugget. A radio-station break and a Piston Honda eyebrows interlude sit inside the segment.

Dear LFTP: the 80/50 supper date and the distracted-driving husband

• Would it be okay for an 80-year-old man to take a 50-year-old woman to supper?
• How can I get through to my husband about his distracted driving?

Two more Dear LFTP letters. First: may an 80-year-old man take a 50-year-old woman from church to supper? The hosts say yes, absolutely, with the Secular answer adding 'only if she says yes.' Second: a wife whose husband drives with his knees while shaving, drinking coffee, brushing his teeth, and talking on the cell phone - 'those that can do.' The hosts riff on the man's multitasking legend status, then admit the distracted-driving danger and echo the Secular answer: take the keys, or arrange other transportation.

Dear LFTP: parents who do nothing for fun

• Are my parents unusual for having no hobbies or fun?

A Dear LFTP letter from a high-schooler whose parents never do anything for fun - dad reads the newspaper or naps, mom watches the news or goes to bed early - and who wonders whether they are unusual. The hosts say different people are recharged differently (quiet time vs. action), that introverted parents are not particularly unusual, and that having both parents home in a decent relationship is winning the lottery. The Secular answer agrees: unwind habits are normal; ask whether the relationship works.

Closing wrap and sign-off

The hosts recap the night: big questions for God, the Secular-vs-Solomon game Mike won with his firm Irish answer, and the Dear LFTP advice. Plugs for lifepath.org and past clips, including a remastered 'I Surrender All / Never Once' performance by Jordan Taylor with a chain of producers. Thanks to guest Ben Michael for coming in; sign-off for next week.