June 8, 2015 Podcast

Show open and episode preview

The episode opens with the produced opening-music voiceover, then a host gives the live show start from the Pathway Studios in Johnston and runs through the night's lineup: returning guest King MC, a 'double barrel' edition of the Pope-style advice bit (live out your testimony; you are not strong enough to do it on your own), and articles on what not to say to the church-hurt and on modesty.

King MC returns; '#ChangeTheWorld' album concept

A host welcomes back guest King MC, who describes his new album '#ChangeTheWorld': a message to the church about love, arguing the church is known for bumper stickers and reposts rather than love, and that only the love of Christ will change the world.

Why the church isn't hearing Jesus' message of love

• Why isn't the church hearing Jesus' message about love?

The hosts and King MC discuss why the church keeps missing Jesus' core message of love: the culture once smelled like biblical righteousness, and now that society pushes back, the church fights for power the way the world fights instead of fighting the way Jesus fought — with noncompliance and love.

The American church vs. the global church

• Is the American church a completely different beast than the global church?

An unnamed voice argues the American church approaches Jesus like a buffet, pushing unwanted parts onto others and up to the national level, while parts of the world newly exposed to Christ (e.g., Southeast Asia) are seeing grassroots transformation; the call for both is the same: embrace Christ fully and reflect him.

Play third base: anger, politics, and the discipleship deficit

A host frames the church's anger as a discipleship deficit — generations taught to elect the right officials and play the church-growth numbers game instead of making disciples — and argues the fix is 'playing third base': personal, one-to-one faithfulness while God handles the outcome. He then turns to King MC's traveling van ministry as a picture of it.

King MC's van-life testimony

King MC testifies about giving up a normal life to travel city to city in a van with his wife Michelle and their dog, sharing the gospel through music; packing for storage convicted him about storing riches on earth (a Matthew 6 paraphrase), a donated dining table blessed a stranger, and he has found the stripped-down life freeing.

The right barometer: people over numbers

A host argues ministry success should be measured by person-to-person conversation about Jesus, not crowds, albums, or page views: 'play third base' — do the faithful part you can control and let Jesus handle the outcome — then asks King MC to perform a verse so listeners can hear what he is about.

King MC performs 'Eric Steven'

Introduced on-air as King MC, the guest performs a verse from 'Eric Steven,' the closing track of his new album (named for his own name, Eric Steven Hand), restarting once after a stumble; the verse weaves testimony, a Guardians of the Galaxy nod, and the album's change-the-world charge.

'I don't charge for the gospel'

• Why do you give your album away for free?

Asked where to get the album, King MC explains it is free on DatPiff and at his shows: after a fan who couldn't afford his $10 CD walked away years ago, he decided he'd rather be out $10 than she be out the music; he distinguishes paid art from ministry, believes the church should support ministry, and notes supporters donate to keep them going.

Pope-style advice, barrel one: live out your testimony

• If the store refuses to take the money, must you still insist on paying for their pricing mistake?

The host addressed on-air as Boova delivers the first of two 'Pope-style' advice bits: living out Christ's work is a stronger testimony than quoting Scripture, illustrated by his story of discovering a grocery cashier charged him $1.50 for two steaks and insisting his brother return to pay the full price — 'if I can't be honest in something as stupid as $9, how can I be trusted with anything else?' The room then spars over an earlier incident where he crushed an alarm clock at Walmart and whether he must insist on paying when the store refuses.

Pope-style advice, barrel two: you are not strong enough

Boova's second advice bit: after losing 200+ pounds and then a week of binge eating while telling himself 'I'm strong enough,' he argues nobody is strong enough to beat sin on their own — surrender must be active and militant, cried out to God ten times a day, not a once-a-morning prayer; he closes by ordering the crowd off his lawn.

'God can handle his own PR': failure, grace, and asking for help

Reacting to the advice, a host confesses he never prayed about quitting smoking because he didn't want God to 'look a fool' when he failed anyway — then reframes it: God can handle his own PR, and a failed person doesn't mean God failed ('I need people to know that I can redeem idiots').

King MC: afraid of making God look bad

King MC relates: as their finances shrink on a seven-month tour, he fears falling on his face will make God look bad — but the God who called them will provide what they need to finish.

Sponsor break: Eisenlauer Team, Westfield Vet, and studio-dog comedy

The hosts read sponsor spots for the Truth Network, Bob Eisenlauer of the Eisenlauer Team, and Westfield Veterinary Hospital, spiraling into comedy about a host's pig's vet visit, Boova eating his animals (a goat 'accident'), and King MC's dog hating Boova after he lunged at it.

Radio sign-off and podcast pitch

With the Truth Network radio hour ending, a host thanks the network and sponsors, pitches the podcast edition (an extra 15–20 minutes weekly at lifefromthepath.org), and signs the radio audience off with the show's benediction: 'Be faithful in the means. Play third base. God will handle the game.'

Dear LFTP: a mother's letter about her college daughter

• My college daughter is hooking up with a man she just met; her father would disown her — should I tell him, and should I keep my younger daughter from going away to college?

A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from 'Stressed out in New York': her college daughter is hooking up with a man she met two weeks ago, the father would disown her, and the mother wonders whether to tell him and whether to let her younger daughter go away to college. The hosts advise separating the issues, restoring the mother-daughter conversation (speaking truth in love rather than as a rule book, in the spirit of the prodigal son's father), and teaching the younger daughter to handle freedom rather than controlling her environment; the 'Secular' answer — check for STDs, keep grades up, don't tell dad — is read and mocked.

Dear LFTP: the complaining daughter-in-law

• My soon-to-be daughter-in-law complains to me about my son — should I talk to my son about it?

A host reads a second Dear LFTP letter: a soon-to-be mother-in-law's future daughter-in-law complains to her about her son (who runs the company and is happy); the hosts' verdict is unanimous — the fiancee must talk to the son directly, and the mother should refuse to be the backboard, though they note the letter is one-sided ('mom has colored this in gray') and the fiancee may simply miss her husband-to-be; the Secular answer agrees she is complaining to the wrong person.

Show close

A host closes the show — dubbing the letter-writer 'sham mom,' thanking King MC, plugging his album on DatPiff and his Twitter, joking 'stay out of college,' and giving the benediction: 'Be faithful in the means. God will take care of the ends.'