2016 Episode 10

Show open and the Pope-style premise

A host opens Live From The Path from the Pathway studios in Johnston. He explains technical problems wiped out their preparation. Another host introduces the 'Pope style' premise: rambling, incoherent idea-man advice with no concrete plan behind it, and a third host (addressed as 'Boob' in the audio) admits he might have it too.

Article: How Not to Teach Your Kids the Bible — moralistic fables

• How should parents teach their kids the Bible?

speaker-1 (addressed as Mike in the audio) reads from a Gospel Coalition article, 'How Not to Teach Your Kids the Bible.' The hosts discuss the first of four things to avoid: teaching Bible narratives as moralistic fables, using Jonah as the example. They agree stories chiefly reveal God's character but push back that moral lessons are not entirely absent — the risk is extrapolating circumstances directly onto ourselves.

Avoid point 2: excessive extrapolation and subtext

The article's second point: children are invited to read between the lines, assign feelings to characters, and cast themselves as the hero. The hosts agree God is the hero of the biblical story, not us, while cautioning that motives and circumstances in the text still matter — the line is grayer than the article implies.

Avoid point 3: implying prosperity theology

The article's third point: moral lessons can cross into prosperity theology — promising God will always protect bodies, heal sickness, provide material needs. A host relates this to youth group, admitting he sometimes catches himself 'God's salesman'-style, painting promises that are not true for kids living amid sin's effects.

Avoid point 4: skipping epistles, poetry, and prophecy

The article's fourth point: epistolary, poetic, and prophetic genres get reduced to narrative. Hosts admit poetry is hard with young kids but argue not to ignore genres — expose children and teach them how to read each form. A host describes a family member who kept childhood moral-lesson reading into adulthood and now treats verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 4:13 as personal promises.

Letting Scripture reveal God: righteousness, context, and teaching

The hosts land their theology: narratives reveal God's character and nature rather than personal love letters; Jesus' parables and the New Testament's teaching passages give direct application. One host cautions scripture still calls believers to righteousness and conformity to Christ's image, and defends the biblical office of preacher/teacher — reading scripture aloud to kids with explanation is a pastoral role, aided by the Holy Spirit, not a risk.

Five things to embrace: Deuteronomy 6, children's Bibles, paragraphs, narratives

speaker-1 (addressed as Mike in the audio) reads the article's five positive tips. The hosts endorse: read and talk about the Bible constantly (while noting Deuteronomy 6:4-9 was written to Israel in the wilderness); don't rely on children's Bibles alone (recommending The Jesus Storybook Bible); teach epistle paragraphs as thoughts while noting paragraphs are translators' interpretation; read whole narratives then ask story-faithful questions rather than quiz-style ones.

Pastoral role in the home and the simplicity of the gospel

The hosts push back on over-caution: faithful believers who love Jesus and are helped by the Holy Spirit can retell stories in kid-accessible language without verbatim scripture. Keep the message a simple redemptive story between God and his people; don't major on memorizing book order at age five; teach kids to source faith from Scripture themselves rather than from the parent's interpretation alone.

Article wrap: admit limits, use cross-references, reject folk history

The final tip: don't assume you need all the answers — model searching together, but learn cross-referencing first (the middle column, not just commentary or Google). A host rails against the folk-history claim that the 'eye of the needle' was a literal gate camels could duck through: it has no historical foundation and neuters Jesus' point that it is impossible.

Faithful study, lived example, and not forcing it

A host reduces teaching kids well to two things: study the Bible faithfully yourself, and let what you teach be reflected in your life — including honest apologies when you fall short. Forcing kids to read the Bible risks turning even scripture into a moral standard; Minecraft-competition and forced generosity ('now be gracious to your sister') illustrate the same tension.

Listener question: when can kids stop coming to church?

• Is there an acceptable age to let kids stop coming to church or youth group?

speaker-2 poses a question (introduced as 'Bubba has a question'): is there an acceptable age for kids to stop coming to church or youth group if they don't want to? His father let him choose at 16. The hosts land differently: church is a community you belong to, not an event you attend; youth group is an optional on-purpose community, but sitting under teaching is less negotiable — though forcing it can breed resentment. A studio visitor ('Guestman') weighs in briefly.

Pancake generosity anecdote

A host tells how he made eight pancakes for his young daughters, left them to serve themselves, and returned to find four pancakes each and one for him — his instant judgment was that he had raised selfish children, until he realized a six-year-old's world is small and they likely thought Dad was being generous. The point: measure the gospel's progress in kids by their age, and stretch their world-picture patiently without frustration.

Comedy bit: gluten-free pancakes, fake sugar, and gross-out food riffs

A long comedic riff: terrible gluten-free and banana pancakes, sugar-free Smucker's syrup that 'tasted like sadness' and got thrown away (the taster tweeted Smucker's 'you've done me wrong'), box Kraft mac and cheese as the only legitimate mac and cheese, a flour grinder that sounded like 'a herd of elephants inside a nail factory,' almond milk skepticism, a 15-page apple cider vinegar Facebook tag that ended a friendship, and a soda-drinker's theology of death at 65.

Pope-style: money stewardship testimony

• When money troubles hit, do you ask God to solve them only within what you are willing to give?

speaker-2 (addressed as Boova/Booba in the audio) delivers his 'Pope light': hours earlier he learned he owed a large sum of money and his first reflex was to ask God to cover it — then realized he had the cash and was really asking for maximum comfort with minimum sacrifice. His exhortation: when financial hardship hits, don't run straight to God saying 'this is your fault'; ask what you've done to serve money instead of God lately. Another host agrees, sharing how a Daniel-style fast exposed his worship of convenience.

Gourmet McDonald's in Canada

A host relays a friend's Facebook post about a Canadian McDonald's with table ordering, brioche and onion buns, premium patties, and cheddar or pepper jack — 'McDonald's classic cheese' is deemed terrifying. A host recalls a fancy McDonald's near the Biltmore Estate. Fast food and the diabetic host cannot coexist, so he asks listeners to report back.

Dear LFTP: fourteen-year marriage in crisis

• What should a husband do when his wife chronically lies, they are estranged, and he is drinking?

A host reads a Dear LFTP letter: married 14 years, his wife lies about small things (noticed 10 years ago), their daughter copies the habit, they haven't spoken or shared a room in 8 months, he wants a divorce but stays quiet 'for the kids,' is depressed, and drinks heavily at night. The hosts push back hard: the letter reeks of self-justification — he plays hero and victim, admits drinking without any plan to stop, may be provoking the lies by overreacting, and should work on his own conduct rather than only finger-pointing.

The secular answer to the marriage letter

A host reads the show's 'Secular' answer — the world-wisdom persona's take: review the marriage in the sober light of day, don't drown sorrows in alcohol, try a licensed marriage counselor, and if the marriage can't be revived, consult an attorney for an amicable split. The hosts mock it as terrible advice that skips straight to lawyers.

Communication: honesty, yes-yes/no-no, and not loading words

The hosts diagnose the root of most Dear LFTP letters: people can't communicate. A host is flabbergasted at couples who won't talk; another says people are cowardly, dancing around hard truths instead of letting yes be yes. They explore why conversations get loaded with guilt and judgment — people want the other person to feel their hurt — and argue you can express disappointment without hatred.

Close: read the Bible to your kids and put everything on the table

Closing exhortation: read the Bible to your kids faithfully, follow Jesus, cultivate excitement for God's word (get around good preachers and teachers), and work on communicating with everyone. For the Pope-style money question: ask whether everything is on the table for God — lifestyle, convenience, spending — or whether you're asking him to solve problems only within what you're willing to give.