Back to Basics

Show open

The show opens live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. A host gives the live station identification to open the episode.

The recovery-house dare: tell that man you love him

• Would my friends dare me to tell someone I love and appreciate him?

A host tells a New Year story from a Jesus-based recovery program: after a rough day, a friend dared a resident, 'I bet you don't have the balls to tell that man you love him' — meaning drop your pride and tell a staff member you appreciate him as a Christian brother. The hosts marvel at the dare and contrast it with soft encouragement culture.

The Acts blueprint and monks who know something

A host reacts to the recovery program: it looks less like preparation for the 'real world' and more like the book of Acts blueprint — sharing everything, eating together, praying together, accountability — and argues the real world should look more like the institution. He extends the point to monks: instead of assuming the monk is crazy, wonder if he knows something you don't.

Congressman ends a prayer with 'amen and a woman'

A host reports the Christian Post story of Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, a pastor and former Kansas City mayor, closing a House prayer with 'amen and a woman' after the House moved toward gender-neutral operating terms. The hosts note 'amen' has no gender root (like 'manatee'), that other gods are not in the petitioning business, and that invoking Brahma half-heartedly is an insult all around — it treats the people being placated as small.

Gender-neutral Bible language and 'male and female'

Continuing the language discussion, a host critiques the NIV's gender-neutral renderings and argues the accusation of male-dominated language misrepresents the text: Genesis establishes 'God made them male and female' as the foundation of equality between the sexes. Blurring such distinctions, he warns, costs us the ability to describe people and understand who they are.

Election entrenchment and the shallowness of information

A host describes faithful people willing to 'go down in a flaming sword' over the Georgia vote recount, tracing a pattern of believing without investigating: people latch onto cultural-level information and never go one step deeper. He walks through the Trump-Georgia phone call reporting — 'find 11,000 votes' — arguing the headlines misrepresented the actual conversation, and that even while believing Trump lost, listeners deserve a fair accounting of the facts.

What would it take for you to stop believing Christianity?

• What would it take for you to think that Christianity wasn't true?

A host poses the question directly: 'Dan, what would it take for you to think that Christianity wasn't true?' The answer given is the verified body of Jesus — a tangible, testable event that would blow up the whole faith, as even Paul agrees (1 Corinthians 15). The hosts note the contrast: political positions flip on rumor, but faith rests on a foundation of historical evidence, answered prayer, and the Holy Spirit's work.

Tribalism in sports and politics; brokenness meets Jesus

A host notes the tribalism pattern — excusing the guy on your own team while demanding the gallows for the other team's — runs the same in sports and politics. A host adds that many people met Jesus only after something broke: whatever they trusted stopped working, and they found Jesus standing there with open arms.

Stop mud-slinging: rebuke and forgiveness in the church

The hosts press Christians who change character on social media — slinging mud and gossip about the Georgia situation while claiming the kingdom's flag. The prescription: if a brother agreed to follow Jesus, you owe him a private conversation; Scripture's pattern is rebuke, then two witnesses, then distance — paired with an equally heavy responsibility to forgive when sin is repented of.

Be okay being wrong; actually fight for truth

A host begs listeners — and himself — to be okay being wrong without the world blowing up, especially on non-essentials. The bar: don't claim to fight for truth if you only read two articles that agreed with you and posted them; the people actually verifying things are too busy doing the work to toot their own horn. Hold character-of-Jesus things with high certainty and vote counts in Georgia with low certainty.

Blow it up in 2021: back to basics and rolling things up to God

A host proposes a 2021 reset: blow up the inputs and start over from a kingdom foundation — let things back in only when God brings them. If you run everything by Jesus except your political opinion, cut the opinion until you learn to submit it to him. Nobody suffers from a back-to-basics year. A companion bit follows: your phone does not own you — you may stay on the floor playing Candyland with your kids instead of answering.

You can't carry the world; stop overweighting your impact

A host argues people were not created to bear the burden of knowing everything: the 24/7 news cycle and social media sell the false idea that your voice matters on a giant stage, when your real influence is your family and community. Case studies: outrage over a photo of Lori Loughlin's daughter partying on a yacht during the pandemic, and a would-be game streamer demanding a producer work for $50 in exchange for 'exposure' — asserting importance he doesn't have.

Marketplace pickup fears and a clean Christian joke

The hosts riff on wives meeting strangers for marketplace pickups — one story ends at an abandoned hotel where a stranger brought out a small pot — then a host tells a 'clean Christian joke' from christiansunited.com about a busload of politicians, an old farmer, and a sheriff. A host objects that burying live politicians sounds more like murder than a clean joke.

Dear LFTP: the grandson who took everything

• What should I do about my entitled grandson?

A host reads a Dear LFTP letter: after the writer's father died, her adult son — the only grandchild — loaded his car with household goods without asking and now wants all the furniture, feeling entitled. The hosts side mostly with the son: he's young and broke, used furniture is worth little, the grandmother doesn't need it — she should say what holds sentimental value and stop expecting gratitude for things she doesn't want. The Secular answer: unless the father specified in writing, taking was stealing.

Dear LFTP: the friend who never takes advice

• How do we get through to a friend who never takes advice?

A host reads a short Dear LFTP letter: a friend keeps asking for advice, never takes it, and keeps repeating the same mistake — how do you get through to her? The hosts' answer: you can't live her life; pray, counsel when asked, mourn the sadness without carrying anxiety, fear, or guilt that isn't yours — and if you can't roll the friendship up to God, it may be time to step back. The Secular answer: she's venting, not seeking advice, so stop offering wisdom that will be disregarded.

Complaint line, ratings, and sign-off

A host welcomes listeners to episode one of 2021, gives the complaint line — (515) 517-0085, call or text — asks for podcast-app ratings and for listeners to share standout quips from the show, and closes with the sign-off benediction: 'be faithful in the means, God will handle the ends.'