Impeachment and the Pat Brigade

Show open and the Christianity Today impeachment editorial

A host opens the show from the Pathway Studios and says he hesitates to wade in, but the outgoing Christianity Today editor fired a cannon on the way out with an editorial about the impeachment of Donald Trump, dubbed 'El Trumple, early impeachment.' He frames the episode: the editorial controversy first, then Secular vs. Solomon with the kids in the room.

Debating the editorial: rebuttals, follow-up, and the Seventh Day Slumber response

• Was the Christianity Today editorial calling for Donald Trump's removal the right call?

The hosts walk through the fallout: 200 evangelical leaders condemning the article, rebuttals including one from Franklin Graham, and a follow-up editorial from the new editor that a host found more cohesive than the original parting shot. A host says Mike found a response by the guy from Seventh Day Slumber compelling for stepping back to ask what is really being dealt with, and they read it for room reactions. They argue the House phase is not a trial, so no one is exonerated or convicted yet, and predict insufficient Senate votes to convict.

Christian witness versus political loyalty

The conversation turns from the editorial to how Christians engage politics: a host says their fealty is to the King and to broad truth rather than any party, so they call balls and strikes instead of defending everything 'their man' does. They agree Christians should willingly defend what is defensible but lose credibility giving full support they know they cannot give, and that harming Christian witness is the real danger. A host notes the second CT response at least digested how the editorial sits in that witness context.

Secular vs. Solomon: game intro, rules, and the kids join

The host introduces 'America's fastest growing game show,' Secular vs. Solomon: he reads a proverb or bit of wisdom and players guess whether it is biblical (Solomon) or worldly wisdom (Secular), naming a country of origin for secular ones. The kids in the room — Ella, Leila, Emma, and Grace — join as players for this last show of the year, with side bets already forming over whether secular answers come from Ukraine.

Secular vs. Solomon early rounds

The first rounds play out: Dan is asked about 'the beginning of health is to know the disease' and answers secular, then gets called out for answering with 'Christianity Today' as the country and violating the rules. Ella and Leila take their turns at the microphone, and the room works through rounds including a toothbrush proverb, a robot whose logic cannot be denied, and a twice-a-week Bible study saying, with the kids reasoning through their guesses out loud.

Proverb rounds and the Pat Brigade

'A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich' is ruled Solomon, Proverbs 10:4, and 'righteousness delivers from death' is ruled Solomon, Proverbs 11:4, with Emma trying to call the chapter. After a round everyone gets right, a kid suggests everyone pat the person next to them on the back, which becomes an impromptu 'pat brigade' chain; a host jokes he is not touching Ben, his twin brother, whom he says he has not touched in twenty years, and dubs a future episode 'the Pat Brigade.'

Final game rounds and scoring

The game continues with 'all cassavas have the same skins, but not all taste the same' (secular), an oxen proverb the host rephrases as 'where there are no kids, the house is clean, but abundant chores come by the many of the children,' a 'too clever is stupid' saying ruled secular Germany, and a blunt 1700s quote a player attributes to Alexander Hamilton. A host asks Mike for the final tally: Leila wins with 45 points, Ella takes second with 32, Dan third with 12, and Emma and Grace finish at negative 15, with the room disputing the honest scorekeeping.

Dear LFTP: grandmother, granddaughter, and a tantrum-throwing husband

• How should a wife respond when her husband throws tantrums over her spending her own money on their granddaughter?

A listener writes that she and her retired, financially comfortable husband each have spending money, but he goes nuts when she spends hers on their 10-year-old granddaughter — packing up and going to his camp for days. After 55 years of this behavior she asks for advice. The hosts and kids agree the husband is over the top, suggest compromise and direct conversation about what is really bothering him (possibly resentment toward the child's parents), and reject the 'secular answer' of asking whether she is better off with or without him: one disagreement, they say, is not a reason to divorce.

Dear LFTP: Hank and the boundaries of a kindness

• Does offering a friend rides obligate you to unlimited extra stops, and how do you set limits without ruining the friendship?

A listener writes about Hank, a friend of 35 years whose vehicle was totaled three months ago: they drive him grocery shopping and he keeps adding unasked-for stops, turning quick trips into marathon excursions, and their patience is wearing thin. The advice: helping does not obligate unlimited availability — set a clear time limit, say what the trip covers up front, consider that Hank may be lonely rather than scheming, and explore options like rideshares, a bike, or delivery so the friendship survives the help.

Close: New Year send-off and the complaint line

The hosts close the last show of the year: a host mentions being pen pals with Ella, wishes listeners Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and gives the complaint line number as (515) 517-0085 — joking that anyone fired up about the Christianity Today article should not call it. He says the show will come back stronger next year.