2021 Episode 04

Show open from the Pathway Studios

The hosts open the show from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper with the standard live-show intro.

GameStop on the docket

• Can a Christian in good conscience invest in the GameStop squeeze given its spite-driven motivations?

Ben tells the hosts he bought GameStop shares and tees up the day's hard question, which Mike (addressed by name) asked him: whether he can be involved given the movement's motivations. Banter includes a callback to an earlier conversation about buying call options on medicinal marijuana stock.

Penny-stock investing method

A host describes his penny-stock method (a free $5 Robinhood stock grown to $16; Googling "best penny stocks" each month) and jokes about calling himself Warren Buffett.

Todd Bentley announces return to ministry

• Is there a biblical example of someone being called back into ministry after disqualification?

A host reads aloud a news article: roughly a year after evangelical leaders including Michael Brown declared Todd Bentley unfit for ministry over credible reports of ungodly and immoral behavior including predatory sexual activity, Bentley announced his return after angelic encounters and a "25 mandate," launching a podcast, TV/media platform, and crusades.

Should disqualified pastors return to ministry?

The hosts debate whether a disqualified pastor can return to ministry: forgiveness versus restoration to leadership; David and Bathsheba as a contested biblical parallel; the Bereans testing claims against Scripture; humility as the mark of genuine restoration; the remedy of submitting any return to prayer with other believers, including critics ("someone who loves Jesus and hates you"). Skepticism centers on Bentley's self-glorifying platform versus a quiet country-church life.

Complaint line and celebrity impressions

The hosts plug the Bob Eisenlauer complaint line ((515) 517-0085), inviting callers to leave impressions of an undisclosed person saying the show's sign-off, 'Be faithful in the means; God will handle the ends.' They reference a prior guest Jay's Treebeard impression and Dan's Ronald Reagan impression, then have in-studio guest Nathaniel do a Winston Churchill impression ('There will be war') and riff on Louis Armstrong and Christopher Walken impressions.

How the GameStop short squeeze works

Prompted by Nathaniel's on-air question 'What prompted that, Ben?', Ben (speaker-1) explains short selling and the squeeze: borrowing and selling stock expected to fall, the risk when the price rises instead, how Reddit's WallStreetBets targeted heavily shorted GameStop to force hedge funds to buy back at huge losses, and why that buying pushed the price higher still.

Is joining the squeeze right for a follower of Jesus?

The hosts weigh the moral question: the activity is legal, but is joining it right when a core motivation is spite toward hedge funds? They note the "Bandidos" overplay their hand on struggling companies (GameStop, Blockbuster, AMC), and that latecomers ("Uncle Stan") risk ruin when the price inevitably falls back to reality.

Stock market as gambling, the talents, and intent

A host compares the stock market to a tidied-up casino; another counters with the parable of the talents. They land on intent as the deciding factor: Paul's tentmaking harmed idol makers only as a byproduct, never as the goal. Banter covers not being on Reddit, and a joke about taking the show public with Nathaniel as board president.

Critiquing 'Way of the Violent'

The hosts skewer a book synopsis claiming churches preach a "nice and convenient Jesus" that fails men: they argue that anyone reading the New Testament at home would recognize that picture as false, and roast the author's photo ("white khakis"). One host jokes he will publish his own 184-page book whose every page says "go read the gospels."

Hobby Lobby parking-lot observations

A host recounts sitting in a Hobby Lobby parking lot before Christmas and noticing how many women were driving, musing about whether his reaction is a lingering "1958" gender expectation, and tells a story about mysterious diapers left on a light pole that he imagined were a drug deal. The segment pivots into the Dear LFTP letters.

Dear LFTP: the dying friend who cut us off

• Should we attend the funeral of the friend who cut us off after a terminal cancer diagnosis?

A listener writes that a dear friend diagnosed with untreatable cancer cut them off completely after they had shared years of friendship, firewood, and travel. The hosts counsel grace over grievance: terminal illness shrinks a person's circle, the Facebook post probably isn't about the listener, and yes, attend the funeral and offer condolences to the widow. The Secular answer: funerals are for the living.

Dear LFTP: dating a grieving widower

• How can she help her grieving partner feel better about himself without replacing his late girlfriend?

A woman dating a man in his late fifties, still grieving his late girlfriend Vera after a tragic accident less than a year ago, asks how she can help him feel better about himself without replacing Vera. The hosts advise patience over checklists: let him heal, don't go digging, ask him to tell Vera's story and listen for what he loved. Dan's grief advice is singled out as the best counsel. The Secular answer agrees his low self-esteem likely predates Vera.

Dear LFTP: helping a struggling friend from across the country

• How can she help a friend with a seriously ill newborn from across the country?

A listener wants to help a friend whose new baby has serious health problems but lives across the country. The hosts suggest meal-delivery services (Blue Apron, Schwan's), Amazon pantry, and asking local friends to deliver casseroles. One host shares a story about his wife's grandpa quietly paying the vet bills on a gifted dog so the gift was never a burden. The Secular answer: ask the overwhelmed friend what would actually help before acting.

Outro and takeaways

The hosts recap takeaways (don't buy GameStop; let critics pray over any ministry comeback; use food delivery to help friends; give grieving people slack) and close with the benediction "be faithful in the means; God will handle the ends."