August 29 2011

Show open and bathroom-humor bit

The episode opens with the standard intro from the Pathway Studios in Johnston. A host jokes that a regular churchgoer, Shelly Carson, turns the show off as soon as bathroom humor starts — which she has already missed by seconds. The hosts also note that musical guest Double J is in the studio and preview the night's topics.

Saul in the cave and the '2nd John' jokes

A host reads a children's Bible account of Saul chasing David into a cave and jokes about how it sanitizes the biblical detail that Saul went in 'to do his business' (1 Samuel 24). This launches a running gag about 'going 2nd John' as a bathroom euphemism, with homeschool-potty-training humor. The bit sets the evening's tone of scripture-informed silliness.

Tonight's agenda preview

The hosts preview the night's topics: how Christians should love people they find irritating, the Point of Grace Church daycare story in the news, a four-year-old preacher video they plan to watch, and a discussion of Christian 'vices' like drinking, smoking, and foul language — including whether listing them is pharisaical.

Double J introduced, planking bit

Double J, a Christian rap artist, is introduced as the in-studio guest. The hosts recount first meeting him at the Spirit Midwest Music Festival, where he was planking on the band Saved on Sunday. One host planks on the studio table while Double J explains the rules of planking.

How Double J got into Christian rap

Double J says he wrote music as a kid and that at about age 13 he heard the group Cross Movement and felt God was calling him to rap. He describes years of treating it as a hobby before deciding around 2009, after graduating, to pursue it as a career. His first-ever performance was an impromptu freestyle at a talent competition in Merle Hay Mall, where he reached the finals.

Double J's online presence and gig circuit

Double J lists his pages (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, ReverbNation) and says he tours opening for bands like Pierce in the Darkness and Saved on Sunday, having recently opened for Remedy Drive in Grinnell. He plays youth groups, camps, and youth rallies, and jokes about his surprisingly warm reception from elderly audiences. The hosts riff on marketing his rap to seniors as an exercise-video niche.

'Let the Beat Rock' performance

Double J performs his upbeat song 'Let the Beat Rock,' which he describes as the song meant to show that Christians can have fun. It is the first of two songs he plays live in the studio this episode.

Album release, merch, and upcoming shows

After the song, Double J says he gets his beats from shadowville.com while learning to produce his own music. He says his album Generation at War will soon be on iTunes and Amazon, that he sells hard-copy CDs and shirts at shows, and lists upcoming dates including Brand Assembly of God on September 21, a fifth-quarter party in Grinnell on September 23, and a show in Indianola. The hosts debate physical CDs versus digital and tease him about being stingy with free merch.

Tent revivals, crowd work, and beatboxing

Double J talks about doing a tent revival with Saved on Sunday at Eagle Vision, names his favorite recent show (opening for Remedy Drive in Grinnell), and says he prays before performing and works to get the crowd involved, modeling himself on Toby Mac and Lecrae. The conversation turns into a long beatboxing comedy bit ('boots and cats,' 'pancakes and syrup') and a suggestion that he record ringtones.

Sponsor: Iowa Computer Repair

The show's sponsor segment for Iowa Computer Repair (iowacomputerrepair.com) and Ed Snuffin, who built the show's broadcast computer that handled two days of festival broadcasting plus HD rendering without trouble. The hosts joke about needing a jingle and work in a beatboxing bit.

Hard question: loving people you don't like

• As a Christian, how do you love people you just don't like or can't get along with?

The hosts take up the announced question: what is a Christian's responsibility toward people they find irritating or can't get along with? They conclude love doesn't require best-friendship — it means looking out for someone's best interest, striving for peace with everyone (Hebrews 12), and not being a jerk. One host admits he avoids some churchgoers he is 'cut out of a different sheet' from, and they discuss being cordial without faking closeness, boundaries for protecting one's family, and a past Facebook debate on forgiving without being obligated to forget.

Fear of man and cowardice in witnessing

Prompted by the chat, the hosts discuss the 'fear of man' — the refusal to engage the world for Christ, whether with non-Christians or with Christians who need confrontation or repentance. They recall concluding on a prior show that cowardice in passing on the faith, including dumbing it down, is one of the biggest dangers to the perpetuation of true faith. They agree you can tell the truth without being obnoxious.

What is a watered-down gospel?

• What is a watered-down gospel?

Answering a chat question, the hosts define a watered-down gospel as one that pulls back from God's sovereignty and the depth of grace — preaching Jesus as savior while leaving out lordship, repentance, and change. One summarizes it as 'Jesus is your savior, but he doesn't have to be your lord; you just squeeze a hand and go on with your life.' They add that diminishing the depth of our sin also waters down the gospel, since grace means nothing without it.

Mid-show announcements

The hosts plug the weekly Monday 10pm–midnight show, the website, podcast, Blip TV, Facebook, and YouTube, and mention Will It's song 'Machine' from the Spirit Midwest festival. They announce that Jess and Jordan Anderson will hopefully return to the studio in September with a new album.

'Generation at War' introduction

Double J introduces the title track of his album, Generation at War, saying it represents what he lives for. He says the first two verses are based on the real stories of two youth he has met — one tempted by drinking, drugs, and peer pressure, another dealing with family trauma — and that the song is about finding God's love instead of being at war with the world.

'Generation at War' performance

Double J performs 'Generation at War' in full, including the repeated chorus 'Dear God, if you're out there, show me that you do care... Is your grace enough?'

Post-song banter

After a break, the hosts recap the night, praise the SuperDaw band and its lead singer Brandon, and admire Double J's Generation at War t-shirt design. Running jokes continue about the Jonathan-and-David friendship and about Titus wanting to be Paul's sidekick — including the reminder that Paul wrote a letter to Titus. They note Double J's performances will be on YouTube within 24–48 hours.

'By the grace of God I am what I am'

A host reads 1 Corinthians 15:10 ('By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain') and the group reflects on how Christians wait to become someone impressive before serving God, when God wants to use them as they are. They discuss Hebrews 11's flawed heroes, Noah, King Saul's wasted potential, and Moses holding out his staff without knowing what would happen — God gives the next step, not the whole plan. The takeaway: stop praying to become someone else and let God use the person you are.

Atheist convention comment and prayer room

A host reads a profane YouTube comment from 'Midnight Rhino' on their year-old atheist-convention discussion, and the group critiques its spelling, grammar, and name-calling while defending their even-handed treatment of atheists. They recount holding a quiet 24-7 prayer room during the national atheist convention in Des Moines rather than debating attendees. The segment closes with a story about a misleadingly captioned video of Michelle Bachman at a music festival — people hear what they want to hear.

Point of Grace daycare story and covenant

Reading from a KCCI story, a host explains that Point of Grace Church in Waukee took over management of Happy Time Daycare to create the Point of Grace Children's Academy, fired the existing staff, and asked them to reapply and sign an eight-point Christian lifestyle covenant. He reads the full covenant aloud: fidelity in marriage or abstinence if single, no homosexual conduct, no pornography, no alcohol abuse, no foul language, regular church attendance, no behavior raising questions about one's testimony, and a commitment to a life pleasing to God and directed by the Holy Spirit.

Daycare covenant debate: legalism or reasonable standard?

• Can a Christian employer require staff to sign a Christian-lifestyle covenant, and is failing it grounds for termination?

The hosts debate the covenant at length. One side says the standards are biblical and any Christian employer has the right to set them — parents paying for a Christian daycare expect Christian staff, and teachers are held to a higher standard (James 3). The other side says the detailed list 'smacks' of pharisaism: it reads as a checklist God doesn't use, invites employees to live up to a manager's interpretation rather than God's, and could have been replaced by a simple commitment to follow the Holy Spirit. They agree the church did nothing nefarious but handled the rollout poorly enough to land in the news, closing with 'we will not be opening a daycare.'

Promos and the donkey-shirt story

The hosts read show promos (Monday nights, website, podcast, newsletter, merch). One recounts wearing the show's donkey shirt at a Knoxville McDonald's, where a stranger asked about the 'donkey festival' and ended up discussing his Cowboys for Christ rodeo ministry — a possible future guest for September or early October.

Cowboy Church and the patriotic skit

Continuing the cowboy theme, the hosts describe a Cowboy Church service seen at a fair — a rider on horseback preaching with a headset mic — and a 15-to-20-minute patriotic arena skit with a talking American flag that 'creeped out' one host. The advice: keep patriotic skits under 25 minutes.

The four-year-old preacher video

The hosts finally play the viral video of Cannon, a four-year-old who 'preaches' when the spirit moves him, along with a Today Show interview in which his parents say the hand of God is on him. The group finds the kid cute but argues he is just mimicking his dad with no exegesis, that putting him on a pedestal makes God look illegitimate, and that Scripture's standards for church leaders (1 Timothy, Titus) don't fit a toddler. They add that Israel's children entered the promised land precisely because they weren't accountable — which also means they're not in a position to lead.

Outro

The hosts thank Double J, plug his Facebook, Twitter, and ReverbNation pages, and urge listeners to catch his live shows, buy the CD, and get the shirt. The show closes with the recurring bus joke.