November 7 2011

Opening banter and show intro

A host opens the show from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper on a cold, rainy November evening, with the studio TV broadcasting out the window to passersby. A host introduces himself as Ben while the crew jokes through technical hiccups.

Episode rundown

• Doesn't God know that I don't like people?

The hosts preview the night: a spanking discussion framed as 'for it or really for it', a round of Secular vs. Solomon, practical ways to 'get Jesus out of your dreams and into your car', praying for Hollywood (Matt Damon), news of a Saturday live broadcast from a John Waller concert, Harold Camping's 'repentance', Dear LFTP advice letters, and whether God knows 'I don't like people'.

Guest introduction: Rick Charlton

The hosts welcome a special guest in the studio tonight: Rick Charlton, who says he came to hang out because it was raining and the studio looked warm.

Anti-spanking blog post read aloud

A host reads an excerpt from a blog post by a writer they call a 'Nancy' arguing spanking is hitting, hence wrong: an adult striking a smaller, weaker person cannot be justified, the 'rod' of Proverbs only guided sheep rather than striking them, and Christians should not spank because 'Christ would never spank a child'.

Spanking debate: discipline versus abuse

The hosts push back hard, distinguishing controlled corrective spanking from abuse: spanking is reserved for deliberate rebellion, delivered calmly with warning, and framed as a lesson. They argue timeouts fail most kids, children weigh discipline rationally, and parents who hit out of lost temper are the ones failing. One host describes using a wooden spoon, three whacks, very calmly.

God's rod: hardship as divine discipline

The discussion extends to adults: hardship is often God's discipline, citing Hebrews, and one host notes that being corrected is good news because it means God still considers you worth redeeming, versus being 'turned over' to your own lusts as in Romans. A host jokes he prays 'Guide me, Jesus. Just hit me with something.'

Harold Camping's 'repentance' article

A host reads a technorati.com article, 'False teacher Harold Camping repents', and then reads the text of Camping's own audio message after his predicted October 21 return of Christ failed. The article defends Camping as a 90-year-old man who desperately wanted to see his preaching come true.

Dissecting Camping's apology

The hosts are unconvinced by Camping's statement: he never says 'I was wrong', only that God 'allowed everything to happen' and may still reveal more, which they read as justification dressed as humility. They argue taking God's name for false predictions is grave, that once false a prophet is done, and riff on 'gentle Jesus meek and mild' imagery, noting Jesus cleansed the temple with a whip and would not have been weak.

End-times readiness aside

Responding to a chat comment quoting Matthew ('when you see these things know that it is near at the doors'), the hosts say they avoid end-times date-setting: the New Testament warning is simply 'be ready', since Christ could return at any moment and every generation has believed it could be in their lifetime.

John Waller concert remote broadcast announcement

The hosts announce they will broadcast live this Saturday from the John Waller concert at Indianola Community Church: show at 7, tickets $15 at the door or $11 in advance at overflowmusic.org, with interviews hoped for before the show. They recap the spanking and Camping segments for late joiners and note the Newsboys will be in town in March.

Praying for Hollywood: Matt Damon

A host summarizes a Christian-culture blog post: view the entertainment industry as a mission field rather than ceding it. A woman in the post dreams Matt Damon finds God and begins praying for him. The hosts agree not to give up on articulate, set-in-their-ways people, riff on who they'd pray for (Denzel Washington, Johnny Depp, Steven Spielberg), and joke that Matt Damon might be praying for Mike Foost.

Getting Jesus into everyday life

• How do I move Jesus from my dreams into my everyday life?

Mike frames the question: how do you get Jesus out of your dreams and into your car, i.e. move a lofty faith into unceasing, everyday practice? Rick Charlton describes praying and reading during his bus commute; others counsel structured spiritual disciplines (set Bible and prayer times) while warning against going through the motions, learning what Scripture reveals about God, and learning how God personally communicates. Tangents include a 'Jesus on the bus' sitcom pitch and an analogy about musicians who play with feeling versus technically (Beatles, Nirvana).

Secular vs. Solomon, part 1

America's 'fastest growing internet game show' begins: the quizmaster reads proverbs and Mike, Dan, guest Rick Charlton, and the chat guess Secular (naming a country of origin) or Solomon. Rounds cover 'no medicine against old age' (secular Ghana), Proverbs 12:6, and Proverbs 16:30. Proverbs 21:14 ('a gift in secret averts anger...') sparks a long tangent on whether bribery is endorsed and whether proverbs describe how life works versus prescribe how to live.

Secular vs. Solomon, part 2

The game continues: 'the orphan does not rejoice after a heavy breakfast' (secular, guessed Ghana), 'the end of passion is the beginning of repentance' (secular French), 'a little sleep, a little slumber' (Solomon, Proverbs 24) prompting a tangent questioning the folded-hands prayer custom, 'the higher the monkey climbs' (secular England), 'whoever is slothful will not roast his game' (Solomon, Proverbs 12:27), and 'it is sin and not poverty that makes men miserable' (secular Irish). Rick Charlton wins and is told the winner buys Golden Corral.

Curbside for Kids plug and station IDs

The hosts promote curbsideforkids.com, a charity where two women collect donated goods for kids and women on the 15th of each month. They plug livefromthepath.org, LFTP gear including the Solomon and donkey shirts, note a listener compared them to Glenn Beck, and give the regular broadcast schedule (Monday nights 10 to midnight) plus the Saturday John Waller remote.

Dear LFTP: should she wear a fake wedding ring?

• Should a single woman entering the legal profession wear a ring to imply she is married?

A 43-year-old single mom of 16-month-old twins entering the legal profession asks whether wearing a ring on her left hand without comment would be considered deceptive. The hosts split: one calls it 'lies and sand' and intentional deception, another argues she is navigating social mores and it is irrelevant to her competence. The secular answer: 'I see no reason to put a ring on it if it's a lie.'

Dear LFTP: the duck boat girlfriend

• Should I back out of hunting with my boyfriend to save his friendship with his buddy?

A woman who prepped her boyfriend's duck boat for hunting season (sanding, painting, sewing a camo blind) asks whether to back out so her boyfriend's buddy will rejoin the trips. The hosts say don't back out: the buddy is being selfish and childish and it is the boyfriend's friendship to manage. The secular answer agrees. Mid-segment the crew sings happy birthday to chat regular JC.

Dear LFTP: cutting out drama people

• How do I tactfully remove drama-and-backstabbing people from my life?

A listener asks how to tactfully remove drama-and-backstabbing people from his life in a small town where he keeps running into them. The hosts' advice: don't voluntarily associate, but humble yourself and stop giving them power; a running hemorrhoid-cream hypothetical debates whether to drive 30 miles to avoid the town gossip. The secular answer: be friendly, speak in generalities, give little information.

Toxic talk at work

Extending the last letter, the hosts compare dodging foul breakroom talk in an office versus a garage: slink down in the cubicle ('pulling cubicle'), keep a dashboard Jesus to push back at people, or deflect with 'my wife wouldn't like that'. Bits include a Jesus version of the Obama 'Hope' poster and Dan's 99-cent LOL Obama T-shirt.

Dear LFTP: the seven-day pill container

• Is it tacky to place my seven-day pill container on the restaurant table?

A listener asks whether placing her seven-day pill container on the restaurant table is tacky; her daughter and husband say yes. Most hosts side with the daughter: just bring the day's dose in a pocket or Altoids case, since the question is about show versus function, and land on 'yes, it's tacky'. The secular answer sides with the woman. A tangent debates tacky Jesus bumper stickers.

Sign-off and next week

The hosts close out: repeat the Saturday John Waller broadcast details (7 o'clock, overflowmusic.org), announce Shane Van Hart in studio next Monday and a bribery exegesis topic for next week, wish JC a happy birthday, and sign off.