January 24 2011

Show open: host intro and band welcome

A host introduces himself on-air as "Ben Foust" and greets Mike; the band Syndrome of Fire is announced as back in the studio after a real wingding of setup noise.

Pre-show banter and lineup preview

The hosts riff on a local circus at Adventureland and a movie about Facebook, then preview the night: Syndrome of Fire in studio, a round of Secular or Solomon, and talk about the book of Romans.

Bible shopping and the Romans open-faced sandwich

• What does the book of Romans teach about God's law and human sin?

A host tells how he has been borrowing his wife's Bible, balked at an $85 replacement, and found a circa-1977 Bible dumped at a ministry center. He previews Romans with a corporate compliment-sandwich analogy: Paul's letter is an open-faced sandwich - one piece of bologna under thirty pieces of bread of rebuke.

Sandwich preferences comedy bit

A host needles Casey, who does not like sandwiches at all - bread or innards - and the table debates chocolate, cheese, and what a proper sandwich requires.

Studio hang: bunny dream and David Bush

A band member recounts a dream about her thirty-plus pet rabbits peeing in the tour van; the table moves to yard-rabbit colonies, mic crackle, and a listener's request to get David Bush on the show, which a host rates highly unlikely.

Van thanks and site promos

The band thanks the show for lending their van for tours, and a host plugs the show's Facebook, YouTube performances page, and lifefromthepath.org.

Band interview: first record-label contract

Syndrome of Fire describe signing their first record deal with a label in Columbus, Ohio, getting their songs torn down and rebuilt in the studio, and joke that Chuck Norris listened to one song and loves it - and plays tuba.

Recorded track playback: Fast Train

The studio plays Syndrome of Fire's recorded track Fast Train; afterward a host reacts and asks whether the singer doubled her own background vocals.

House of Bricks story and Hacksaw Jim Duggan

A host tells the story of sneaking into a House of Bricks show with about four dollars, then launches into a Hacksaw Jim Duggan bit - the wrestler will body-slam anyone who asks, which is how, he says, he and Dan became friends - ending with a plea to find Hacksaw on Facebook.

Announcement: leaving Des Moines Amplified

A host announces that effective the first Monday of February the show leaves the Des Moines Amplified platform and moves to lifefromthepath.org, keeping the 10pm-midnight slot, with possible flexible broadcast times for bands and ministry work including digital small groups.

Fundraiser concert offer from the band

A band member offers to put on a fundraiser concert with full production for the show's new-studio costs; the table riffs on Village Inn and Life in the Path t-shirts.

Live acoustic performance: song for loved ones

Syndrome of Fire perform a live acoustic song introduced as being about leaving loved ones behind when God sends you somewhere, anchored on hope and love that never lets go.

Post-song: band redesign, contest, Pella show

The band discuss a coming redesign as Syndrome of Fire 2.0, a contest about a member's first concert location (hint: the United States), and a March show in Pella tied to human-trafficking awareness.

Game: Secular or Solomon

The hosts play their recurring game of attributing proverbs to Secular (world wisdom) or Solomon (Biblical wisdom), with rounds covering Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 16:18, and Proverbs 15:17 - the last sparking a King James vs Good News vs New Living Translation comparison - plus secular entries like the Lord helps those who help themselves, God moves in mysterious ways, and better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Dan is quizzed and the chat plays along.

Gross-foods comedy round

The table spirals from tripe at a 7th-grade cultural fair into rabbit stew, seasoning a raccoon, a co-host threatening to eat a yappy dog, chicken brains on crackers, head cheese, Malt-O-Meal, and a story about a Dan Hudson stalker and his Prince-style initials symbol.

Illustrated Living Bible bit and church plugs

The table mocks Dan's illustrated Living Bible as theft-proof, then a host plugs lifefromthepath.org, church services at 9 and 10:30, and a coming worship appearance by Jessa Anderson.

Live acoustic song Blind and the secular realm

Syndrome of Fire perform a second live song, introduced as Blind; afterward a band member testifies that their audiences have shifted from church crowds into the secular realm, and a host riffs on praising God in ordinary life choices - job, marriage, actions - under grace rather than fear of surrender.

Romans: the law reveals sin

The hosts dig into Romans - Paul leveling everyone under sin - and a host reads a Living Bible paraphrase of Romans 3:20, arguing the law exists to show people they are sinners and warning that culture is losing the sense of absolute right and wrong, which he calls the compass of humanity.

Guilt, grace, Romans 7 vs 8, and the prodigal son

• How should Christians handle self-imposed guilt over forgiven sin?
• How can someone witness for Christ when they feel inadequate in their own life?

The table turns to self-imposed guilt in Christian life: dwelling on forgiven sin is framed as distrust of God's grace and the devil's tool for keeping believers ineffectual witnesses. They contrast Romans 7 striving with Romans 8 freedom, and land on the prodigal son - the father running to the returning son - as the picture of God's heart toward failures.

Sign-off

The hosts close out: a co-host fumbles the transition a host usually does, they thank Syndrome of Fire, and repeat the plugs for syndromeoffire.com and the search for Hacksaw Jim Duggan.