Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the path. Studios here in Johnston, Robert. Hold up. Hold

up. Hit me. Hit me. I'm not usually on this side of the curtain. You have to be able to see behind the thing. Yeah. Am I not on the intro? Yeah. You're there. Are you sure? You have been. Yeah. It's a very young you.

No. Your name is not. Oh, the name? Oh, that's awkward. I don't care that much. I was just reading it, and I saw the three of you, and then I was like, wait. I want credit. I know I left for bit. Billing. And so I thought maybe when I moved to Pittsburgh, you reedited and took me out. Oh, no. I know why. This is like an old intro. This this isn't this is like the intro that was like, when we first started the show. I could've sworn I was on that one, but that's funny. I don't know why I have why I don't know. I care. I I literally it's it's legitimately don't change old video at. Weird. It's nothing to about. Laugh. I was like, cool. I that makes that makes me happy. Less things about me is actually better for me. Okay. Very good. Alright. You're listening live from the Path. Here we go. This is the the final show of 2023,

so we appreciate you, joining us here. I I can't promise that it's gonna be worthy of the time that you're gonna dedicate to it, but we're gonna do our our doggondest, to do that for you. So here we go. There's a couple things, on the docket today. We we got some stories. Okay. Let's see what hits you. Alright. One, there's a story about five reasons why nondenominational churches are growing. So are you curious about this? Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Sure. Alright. We'll check that out. 10 heretical views regarding Jesus. Oh. Yeah. Yes. Absolutely. Okay. Here we go. Rico Suave Moova, you're gonna know this already, but this is for the rest of the people. Rico Suave singer turned pastor embarks on new film franchise.

Did you know the guy who sang Rico Suave was a pastor? Rico Suave. No. Really? Yeah. I don't know what Rico Suave is or or do I? But I know it if I heard it. Well, it probably would. Wasn't it a song, like, in the nineties, maybe eighties that was basically just about this dude being a real good looker? Yes. Yes. As a matter of fact smooth talker Rico Suave kind of guy? Yeah. Like, there's a okay. I'm gonna reproduce it. Rico. Rico Suave. Yeah. Yeah. But he doesn't he says Suave after. He does it again. Suave.

Oh, got it. It's separate. Anyway now. And then weird Al did a cover of it called Taco Grande. Oh, yes. Okay. Yep. Yeah. I'll come back to it. Of course. Okay. Of course, he did. I don't think we need the details on that one. It's just it's enough to know On the new film franchise, Celestials, that makes me happier because Celestials is Marvel. No. I don't think that's what this is about. Oh, that makes me sad then. Adaptation of the first story of good versus evil, the genesis of betrayal and the start of the never ending invisible spiritual battle. I was thinking it was the Celestials as in the group of, like, overpowerful beings in the Marvel universe. Did they already do that movie? Well so that was yes. But, like, there's a whole lot more behind it. Yeah. They did Eternals that they talked about Celestials. Yeah. Okay. But, yeah, you're right. So let's see. Marvel guy, I don't even know half these ones they're doing in the movies. I I, like, had the basics. You know? I was, like, Spider Man and Hulk and Yeah. The Fantastic Fours. Those are the important ones. Yeah. And they can't get a Fantastic Four movie right from the life of them. Anyway, sorry, Ben. Sorry. Yeah. Okay. And then also But we digress. There was another there was an article that said Christian artist Lacray responds to Christian backlash over gay rapper Lil Nas X entering his Christian area era. Excuse me. Grammy winning Christian rapper Lacray has shared his thoughts on the backlash gay rapper Lil Nas X, the creator of Satan Shoes, who gave Satan a lap dance in a music video has faced after announcing he's entering a Christian era.

On his podcast last week, the 44 year old rapper urged Christians to be more loving, show grace, and pray for sinners instead of tearing down others with comments on social media. Now here here's the thing. As I said last week, this man is mocking you. Right. Lil Nas X is mocking. He's he in fact, I didn't read this on the air, but, like, he had one of the quotes in the article was, I don't know. Like, I'm not giving up my sexuality. I have to be on my knees anyway. What do you care if I'm praying or oh gosh. You know I'm saying? This man like and so there's a there's a a blindness

there's a blindness in what Lacray is saying. Like, I understand the critique. I get the critique, and there's there's there's I think there are some circumstances of which it's probably legitimate. It it does not belong here. Like, you're so open minded. Your brain is falling out over onto the the sidewalk. Yeah. The man's mocking God. He's mocking you. Like, that that this is a completely that's not the situation that we're in where, like, people are just overreacting at the fact that he's he's he's gay. Right. He that's not really what's happening here. And so Right. The argument being made that, like, well, sinners coming to Jesus is a thing to be celebrated, like, that's the right thing. You're absolutely right. Yes, of course. But, like, if you take any amount of time to take a look at this and actually look into it at all, you realize, no, that's not what this is. Yeah. Yeah. The angels celebrate when one repent, a sinner repent. Right. Yes. You forgot that word. Yeah. We've never seen a party like that before. Yeah. Lord, I've I've had agreed to use the rough structure of your earthly church to idolize myself and make money. Are the angels celebrating you? Are your people celebrating? Yeah. Do you not think that god knows enough to know that that's not the thing happening? Like, he's discerning. Weird. Alright. Let's do the five reasons why nondenominational

churches are growing. I I don't let's see here. Was Did you give up on the article after you started reading it? So long. Let's see. Maybe I'll just skip to the five here. I was gonna say maybe just skip to where it starts in number. Oh, here we go. According to a fella, 13% of total American adults now identify identify as nondenominational. I find that actually wild. I I expected that to be significantly higher than that. Yeah. Right. Agreed. That is more than all mainline denominations combined. No. No. What? Wait. 13% nondenominational

is more more than all of the others? Come behind. That what they're saying? This does not make any sense at all. They got bad math. Something's wrong with the Meaning that 87% are atheist? Weird. Or excuse me. Atheist or not I don't know. Denominational. Excuse me. Okay. Here we go. Here are the anyway, here are the observations. It's gotta be 81. It's gotta be. Or some 51, something like that. I just something's not right about the number. Alright. Number one, nondenominational churches tend to be more evangelistic. For a number of possible reasons, these congregations are more intentional about reaching their communities with the gospel. We often see stark contrast in the priority of evangelism between nondenominational churches and denominational churches. Interesting. Okay. Seems to be true. I mean, from what I know. Your experience? Okay. Haven't been to all of them. Two nondenominational churches typically invest more financially in reaching their communities. That feels like more evangelistic to me.

But they said, oh, here we go. Though I could have combined the first two reasons. He's onto me. It is worth noting that the budget of a nondenominational church will often include a higher percentage of their funds used for local evangelism. Denominational church budgets usually allocate more funds for national denominational causes or international missions. I think that's true too. The amount of money I had direct interaction with three different Baptist churches over the last year, And, like, I mean, they are giving significant amounts of money for international missions, like a lot of money. So I which kind of does make sense. I think, you know, as churches establish themselves,

you do start to sometimes you're just there's more money there, and so you have it to give and you start internationally. You're sponsoring missionaries. You're starting orphanages and things like that. And so, like, I I that kind of makes sense. But it's interesting that on balance, the the shift would be significant enough that you have nondenominational churches where local money is actually bigger than, by budget percentage, than the bigger denominations. Like, would expect it to, like, international and national stuff to come as an outgrowth of there's not that much need around We're already giving significant amounts of money, not that most of it would be international. So I guess that's interesting to me. Three non denominational

churches. I can't say it. Non I can't do it. Nondenominational churches. Okay. Very good. Usually do not engage in issues of conflict to the level that denominational churches do. A church only has a finite amount of resources of time, money, and energy. The more that is expended on divisive issues, the less that can be expended on local outreach. We understand that many of these issues are gospel centric and must be discussed and debated. Sadly, though, the resources spent on these issues often come at the expense of those priorities with a great commission focus. Interesting. So, like, they're saying that nondenominational

churches don't have the kind of funds and or people to be able to put a foot down against some of the divisive things? Yeah. So, like, take again, and I don't know if this limited to, Protestants, but the amount of money that Catholics put towards

life issues- Yeah. Is Right. Giant. Yeah. Probably. It's giant. And also, or even care clinics. Like, you tend to find major denominations or supporting things like that for young women resource centers and that kind of Okay. That makes sense. I think that a lot of the non denominational folks,

are heavily involved in volunteering in those organizations that are run by maybe the Catholic or denominational. I'm just broadly I don't have data on that, but in the circles I run-in, it seems like I don't know any non denominational churches that really run some of those issue oriented

ministries, but I know tons of people that are involved in them, myself included, I get involved in things. Yeah. They're man in the ministries. Yeah. Yeah. That is interesting. I was trying to think of what the other, I don't know, divisive issues must be. I get that, but you also tend to see denominations putting money towards

like, government lobbying Right. And stuff like issues, abortion life. Yeah. Sexuality and stuff like that. Yep. Nondenominational churches do not carry the name baggage that a denominational church might carry. I think this issue can be overstated. A church with Baptist or Methodist or Presbyterian in its name can still be effective and can still grow. Is hard to know how many unchurched people decide not to visit a denominational church because of its name. Admittedly though, if it's a small percentage of the unchurched to make such a decision, that small percentage can have a big negative impact. Yeah.

Yeah. I think that would be obviously be Well, and it's not even that A lot of it gets associated may not even be what, like, the church itself has done, but, like Right. I grew up Methodist. And something about how you've related your childhood and its relationship to God, you're like, I don't wanna go to a Methodist church. I mean,

if you drive around Iowa, any, like, any small town, and there's probably at least one Methodist church in there. Mhmm. And so, like, a lot of peoples, you know, grew up in in, like, a some sort of denomination, and sometimes it's just guilty by association, not even by action or something like that. I think we grew up Lutheran. I think I'm not I'm not certain of that, but that And, sounds like, I don't know. I just I don't think I've ever wanted to go to a Lutheran church then. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. Number five: Nondenominational churches tend to be newer churches that grow faster than older churches. I hope our team can then pursue a statistically valid study of the age of churches in America. I think it will confirm our anecdotal observations. The rapid growth of the nondenominational

movement is a relatively recent phenomenon. That means many of the nondenominational churches are newer. These newer churches tend to focus more on local growth and evangelism. There is that. Okay. I don't know. I when they say recent, though, like twenty five years, is that what they mean? Because that feels right And the thing is, there are all these nondenominational churches,

but most of them aren't really nondenominational. They just don't have the name. They still have the dude that came from the college that has the degree and the theological background of XYZ. They just don't play that game, and some of them still participate in sending money to the denomination.

I couldn't have told you Saddleback, Rick Warren, was Baptist until a few years ago and started making headlines and they separated. I'm like, Woah, I couldn't have told you. I thought they were nondenominational. As a guy of a truly nondenominational church. I've for years had people come here assuming we were Baptists. And they say, nope, we're not Baptists. They're like, what? Interesting. Something about your church is giving off a Baptist vibe, Dan. Because there's so many nondenominational

churches that are actually Baptists. Honey in the waters. Okay. Alright. I don't know if any of those are crazy surprising. Yeah. Yeah. It just seems like five reasons. Yeah. Okay. The well, the the 10 heretical views regarding Jesus. Oh gosh. Okay. I so I'll just I'll just read some of these. I guess the question is, have you heard of them? So one, Arianism. Like the white Jesus?

Well, it's named after Arius, a priest in Alexandria, held that Jesus Christ was created by the father and thus was not coeternal or of the same substance as God. So no is the answer to my question. Yeah. I was very incorrect. Yeah. You you meant Arian with a y. Yes. With an I a. This belief challenged the concept of the holy trinity by asserting that Jesus was subordinate to God the father, which is would have been similar to what the modern day Jehovah's Witnesses believe. Yeah. That it's that they're not it's not a holy trinity of of equal relationship. Right. Okay. How about is it docetism? I don't know. Dan, have you heard of that one? Docetism?

I'd have to hear more. Okay. I can't say no, but I can't say yes. It claims that Jesus only seemed to have a human body and suffer on the cross. It denied the true humanity of Jesus. So in some way, that feels like that's a form of Gnosticism. Yeah. That's what was thinking. But specifically that his physical form and sufferings were just illusions. Alright. Interesting. Illusions to what end? Well,

I think my guess is what they're trying to to protect is they're trying to protect his divinity by saying Oh, he couldn't be guilty. Stories of Jesus on the Earth were simply illusions given to humanity to help them understand what god was doing or what was true about god's interaction with people, but it did not have to physically occur. So was a hologram? Yes. Yes, exactly. Wow. Why? Okay. All right. All right. Number three, Gnosticism. This was a diverse set of beliefs. Some posited that Jesus was a divine being who came to impart secret knowledge or gnosis necessary for salvation.

This belief often denied the humanity of Jesus viewing the material world as inherently evil or imaginary. This was like, most of the most of the Greeks were Gnostics. Like, they believed at the at even at the time of Jesus that, the soul was the higher form of existence, the body was inherently dirty and a lower form of

existence or being. So common thought was, Well, then do what you want because you can't help it. Yeah. Right. Like, you can't you can't help it. It is it is just the nature of such a kinda lower form of living of of existing. Does Paul not talk about that in that kind of light, though? Like, when he talks about, like, for therefore, when I sin, I sin in the flesh, but I live in the spirit. Like, he separates at various I can't remember where it's at. Maybe Colossians, but, like, yeah. Maybe Romans. Yes. Right. The and I had that was that threw me off as I paid attention to that. Like, that was is he is he acknowledging that that thought process that would have been happening at that time and then correctly saying it? Well so I I think I think the distinction you'll see within Paul is that, like, he he has a belief that not that, like, there's a forever separation between the holiness of a soul and the vileness of a humanity,

but but more so that, like, that that it can be bridged. So, like, you are it is possible to live as God created physically because he created it and says this is good. Yep. But there is a there is a earthly, like, corruption to our physical existence. Mhmm.

But but he would call you to reclaim it. Right? Not to say that there's that is because Jesus does the very thing. Yeah. Right. Like, that's Jesus' death on the cross and reconciling all the things for sure, but like reclaims an earthly existence that God said was good. Right. And so I think that's most what Paul is getting at. Gotcha. So where he would part ways with the Gnostics is there's not a permanence to the lower form of living, like Your earthly existence is

part of the highest form of living following Yahweh, but it does need to be redeemed and then reclaimed. Gotcha. Okay. Okay. Number four, Nestorianism. Associated with Nestorius,

archbishop of Constantinople, emphasized the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ. It suggested that there were two separate persons in Jesus, one divine and one human, rather than two natures united in one person. Now I I I get I get some of these. Like, I the the notion of, Jesus being human, divine, and the same being also be having the the notion of the trinity, I I get how these are difficult to reconcile in human mind. And so I I'm actually a little bit cautious to the extent oh, this is gonna sound bad. I know why they're heretical,

but I I just wonder while cautioning that, like, where things part ways with what scripture teaches is totally legitimate, is it maybe helpful to have some grace for people trying to sort out the thing that feels like it's underneath? Right? Because the Bible stated some claims very clearly without otherwise particularly explaining how does it work. Mhmm. Right? Like, we do we've we've not come up with a great picture of what it means to be a whole like, the trinity. Like, we tried some associations. They all break down two steps later. Like, they're close, but, like, it's just something that you can't quite grasp. And, like, what does it mean? How is it possible for Jesus to be limited in his knowledge of the world?

And so, like, as a human, how how can he still be fully divine if he is fully human? Like, that math doesn't work. The boundaries of our humanity don't allow us to understand that. And so, like, do do I reckon I again, I'm willing to be wrong here, but it just feels like I have some grace for someone going, how do I think about this, though, really? Like, maybe are are we certain that we're understanding correctly, or how does it work versus someone who goes, he definitely was not divine? Like, the the illusion guy I actually get. He's like, okay. How do I protect what I believe to be true, which is he he's gotta be divine? But this human thing is hard to reconcile, and so maybe we just imagined it. God could do that, couldn't he? Well, yeah, he probably could. And so I I would maybe inappropriately, but I have some grace for some of these even though I would agree that they're heretical. Mhmm.

Okay. Monophysitism. Monophysitism. From the Greek, monos and physis nature held that Jesus had only one divine nature rather than both divine and human natures. This belief was a reaction against Nestorianism

and was seen as undermining the full humanity of Jesus. In this view, the divinity of Christ totally subsumed the human aspect of Jesus, thus diminishing the incarnation. Buv, are you guilty of this one? I am not guilty of that one Okay. And I have not heard of it before Okay. To your original question. Alright. I don't know. We don't have to spend much time on it. Sixth, Marcionism. Okay. This one comes up quite a bit. This was founded by Marcian. This belief system rejected the Old Testament and viewed the God of the Hebrew Bible as inferior to that of the New Testament.

Marcionism posited that Jesus was the son of the New Testament God, entirely distinct from the Yahweh of the Old Testament and contemporary times. Christians who neglect the Old Testament because they think the New Testament reveals the love of God better than the first Testament have an adopted form of Marcionism. I've not heard of that. I've not heard that explained so clearly. That actually is clearer than I think maybe what I'd heard someone explain that before. Seven, adoptionism. Adoptionism was the belief that Jesus was born as a mere man and was adopted as the son of God at his baptism, resurrection, or ascension. This view contradicted the orthodox belief in the preexistence of Christ and his divine nature from birth. So he just he was born a dude, and and God adopts him as a son.

Born a dude and God adopts I've heard that one either. I haven't either. Where are they where are these heresies coming from? Like, How many people have to believe it to make the list? Five? I don't know. That's interesting. And I'm wondering what's the deeper level of that? What are the implications of that belief? Where does

come out? Where does that the rubber meet the road on that? How does that protect them? Yeah. I think it's an interesting question. Any one of these, what is it? They're trying to protect something because none of these are atheists. They're not saying God did not exist. They're not saying Jesus did not exist, but they're trying to reckon with what does it mean for who Jesus was and not even what he accomplished. Right? Like, the adoptionism folks aren't saying he did not die on the cross for our sins and he didn't resurrect. Like, they agreed to both of those things. If He did, both of those things happened.

They're having a hard time probably with the monotheism of Yahweh as they understand it and reckoning with the nature of Jesus who's described to us in the New Testament as being both fully human and fully divine. Again, I've

got some grace for some of these. Yeah, this is difficult stuff to take in, so it Let's makes see, Apollinarianism proposed by Apollinaris of Laodicea. This doctrine held that Jesus had a human body and a human sensitive soul,

but not a human rational mind, which was replaced by the divine logos or word. This view denied the full humanity of Jesus by asserting that his divine nature took the place of what would be the human mind, thus making him less than fully human. It's like a puppet. This is the puppet option. Right. Yeah. Yeah. God is incarnate or incarnating a human puppet with no human mind. Right. This is the invasion of the body snatchers version of Jesus. Creepy. Interesting. Okay. Same thing though. They're they're trying to protect the same thing. I get it. Okay. Number nine,

Abionism. Abionites? Abionism. They were a Jewish Christian sect that viewed Jesus as a mere human and a prophet but not divine, which would be the same way that the Muslims would see Right? Yep. They rejected the concept of the virgin birth and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish law and writes, they saw Jesus as an inspired human messenger

but not as God incarnate. Now I the always the problem with this one, it's the same thing that would challenge Islam's view of Jesus is, like, the New Testament does not allow that. Right. Like and and generally what people say is, like, Jesus did not claim to be God, and he did not come forth and go, I am God. That's true. However, he just did it in in, like, more indirect language. Like, when you when when John says, in the beginning, the word was God, the word was with God, like, the word was with God, the word was God. Like there's

a claim. There's a claim in there of being God. In fact, there's a few different times in which Jesus says something that has that implication. Before Abraham was, I am. Yeah. Exactly. I mean woah. Yeah. Exactly right. And so I think there is you're not reading scripture with the way that it communicates to reject that, but it

puts Muhammad in a rough spot because of how he's described Jesus. And so you run into this again with with Muslims. Jehovah's Witnesses are running into this part of this issue. So are Mormons. Like, like, everybody's who is who is saying, well, Jesus was a good man. He was a prophet of God has to reckon with the parts of the New Testament where there is a claim about his relationship with the father

they're glossing over. Alright. Oh, boy. But these words are wild. Patripassianism, also known as a modalistic monarchianism. Yeah, of course. Know This all belief held by figures like Sibelius proposed that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct persons within the Godhead but somewhat different modes or aspects of God. Okay. I have heard this, just never not talked about in this way.

Suggest that the Father suffered on the cross as Jesus, thus denying the personal distinctions within the Trinity. The modern day Jesus only expressions of Pentecostalism are a contemporary version of this view. So this one, again, I have some sympathy for because it tries to say, Look, how can they be distinct though? What's the difference if it's not that, if it's just one god who otherwise expresses himself in multiple ways but can be in multiple places at once because why not? Because he's still god. Right.

And so, again, I get it. Now, it doesn't scripture does not allow me to believe that with the way that Jesus refers to both the spirit and to Yahweh. Yes. His interaction, how he speaks of them, it would at least be convoluted if what he really meant was an expression of myself. Yeah. But,

again, I I get it. I understand where they're I get I get where they're coming from. Oh, man. Someone's gonna yell at us. You guys aren't condemning the heretics. I'm like, I yes. I do, but maybe not with the force that you're talking about as humans reckon with understanding Jesus. I don't know. Yeah. I guess it depends. Are they being evangelistic with this and trying to corrupt the church, or are they just trying to understand, and are they willing to learn think a couple more of those were possibly destructive, but a lot of them were just trying to understand,

like understand or comprehend a concept of a godhead that is in three parts. Right? Well, yeah, you throw out and and to a thousand people who are Christians dedicated love Jesus Christian said, want you to draw a diagram of the trinity. Right. And you're gonna have all kinds of Oh, yeah. Those variations. A lot of people are gonna be like, it's like water. So they don't get it. They don't grasp it. They're trying to grasp it, but they don't get it, so they just don't think about it. But they live their faith out. Right. I'm assuming that's what you're saying. It could be ice. It could be Yeah. I've heard so many people just with a slightly skewed view of key theological concepts, but, like, they're the things that from a like, they tend to be trying to explain something about god that we actually don't like, we're not familiar with. We're not god. It's concepts that bend the human brain,

And so, like, we're we're willing like, in this room, I'll read the bible and go, look. I yes. Oh, yes. Agreed. But, like, how does it I don't know how it works. I how would I in some of these things. And I I could speculate and you can talk through it and go, I I it doesn't come together in my human brain. I have limitations, and I think I've got a ton of sympathy for that. Is it but but, Dan, I think to your point, it's it's it's different if you're proselytizing because Yeah. The question is if for me, it would be just the level of certainty. If these were categories of people who are like, I don't quite understand.

Is it possible it could be this? Mhmm. And and are having and even if they're leaders of that conversation, I don't particularly care. But, like, to become so certain of one of these things and start to then proselytize on top of it, like, I don't like, there's an arrogance to that. That that's the part I would start to mistrust. It makes me take a step back and and wonder, am I am I not being oh, I don't even know to say this better than am I not being a good Christian? But am I am I not thinking about this right or giving this enough credence to me to to need

an explanation for, like, for something like this? Like, the way that that I've always I mean, the trinity, it's made sense to me to talk about of matter of water just because, like, the identity of it is water. It can be in three different places and three different types. Right? Like, I believe that has helped me along the way in a couple places. I I know that it's not a great analogy, but it exists. But then, like, I don't need to know the like, I don't need to know that it was a it was a godly mind inhabiting a human body. Like, I can just go, okay. Same as I don't understand how seven or a bunch of a couple loaves of bread and a couple fish fed 5,000 to where they just kept breaking it, and it, did do I need to know that they were holding a piece of bread? And every time they broke it off, the bread just, like, grew back. Like, I don't care. I don't need to know I I know that it is a god thing from an omnipotent and omniscient creature or being that was able to make that happen for as a blessing. Right? Like, I don't need to know the specifics of, well, was God incarnate into a human body and therefore the human body felt pain? And that's what mattered. Do they mean son from the perspective of the way that you would look at a son is one that copies the characteristics of the father, and it's not a paternal relationship to a son, but it is a relationship from one being to another copied being that inherits attributes.

I don't need to know that. Am I being irresponsible or shallow in my faith for not even asking that question The whole point is that we can't comprehend God. I mean, we just can't. So we're ripping on people who are trying to, and it may be rightly so to an extent, but you know, back off a little bit, try trying to figure out what we can't figure out. Right. I mean There's plenty of mysteries that are knowable through, like, God has talked about, what Jesus said, and what what we've gotten through the the New Testament and the end and and the early church. There are mysteries that were known. We don't need to solve these unsolved mysteries of Yahweh. Alright. But what we do know is, you know, feed the hungry. Right. You have naked. You have plenty to work on. Like, you have plenty to be focused on. Yeah. Before needing to figure out, like, the metaphysical perspectives of what actually was happening within a three in one kind of being. Well so I I think, interestingly,

I would say the to again, this is gonna sound weird. To to their credit, heretics are heretics are generally wrestling with the scriptures. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Like, they they they are reading something with intent and going, how how do I understand this? And oftentimes, they're coming to conclusions because they are up against people who are questioning the faith. Yeah. Right? So, like, you're getting into, like, scientific inquiries, logical inquiries against the thing you believe. And as as you're trying to help people connect with this, you realize that you cannot explain something, and so you start reaching for things. Now you shouldn't do that. Like, I the the scriptures are have to they're gonna have to run on what they run on. But but, again,

I I these are people who are saying, I take this as true. How is it true? I that that's the same thing that I would recommend you do when you run into things that are feel like contradictions within the scriptures, places where you're like, I don't know if this fits God's character. You start with, I believe this to be true. The question is in what way this is true. And, like, again, most of these things that are these descriptions I'm reading, I'm reading for people who are going, I believe it. Yeah. But in what way is it true? And, like, the the problem we're running into with a lot of these heresies is that, like, it doesn't tease out the implications of it. To Dan's earlier point and question, like, okay. Let's say I accepted this thing. What does that do to how I understand Jesus is referring to himself and to the spirit? Mhmm. Like, what does it mean if they are expressions of a single God, Yahweh, as opposed to like three persons?

Right? Like, what does that do? Because there's frankly some places in which we've I think we've taken a real firm line, like, this is heretical, and you're like, I mean, what Is it is it possible we're wrong and what is the impact of it? I don't know. Probably not much. Am I embracing Gnosticism so that I can become a trans because who cares? My soul that really is more important. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you're getting a little warped there. Yes. You know? Yes. Fair. Yeah. But, like, like, people struggling with, what does it mean to be for Jesus to be fully human, fully divine, I'm just saying take it easy. I mean, I will say to to to speak to one of the pieces, like, the whole Jesus is is the incarnation of the New Testament god versus the Old Testament Yahweh, I think, is is a dangerous one. Like, I feel like that one's pretty rough believing that it's, like, a completely separate Elohim, if you will, like, a totally new god of the New Testament. That's that's just flat out wrong and is bad, I would say. I don't think it's a great one to run with. Exactly. That's not struggling with the same type of thing. And matter of fact, I thought, isn't that the thing that

Santa Claus punched the guy about? Was about Marcianism? I think so. We just talked about that last week. Yes. Was it? Yes. If I remember correctly, it was it that, like, got so angry at the dude after, like, an hour went back and punched him in the face. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I think, like, that one that one That seems reasonable? Santa Claus is going, don't you speak about my god like that. Like, Yahweh is the right god and the only Elohim of Elohim. Like, no. Right. Which because that particular heresy is is an accusation against god Right. As known through the the first testament stories. Right. And so, like, it's it's a blasphemy. It's a blaspheme. Yeah. And I suppose the goal there is to justify sin

In somewhere now is all love. God just loves everybody. Which is which is interesting. A different god. Right. Because it's a shallow rendering of the even things that Jesus said. Right. Right. Like, you gotta make two two mistakes. I was gonna say it's either that's what I was thinking too. I was like, what is the what's the reasoning for the separation? And that's one I was thinking the other would be just like the the very wrathful, vengeful god of the Old Testament is is sometimes hard to take in and think about. And so I can understand why somebody would wanna cut that one and be like, no. That's that's the nonmerciful god. We have a merciful version of god now. Well, I mean, the the Old Testament It's an incorrect rendering and understanding of mercy and love and all that stuff, I reckon. Sure. But it's also contextual. Right? Because, like, it just again, you you ever just sometime take your finger and put it in on Matthew one and show me how much of the Bible that you're holding is for is Old Testament versus New Testament. Like, the Old Testament dwarfs it easy. And so, like, it is contextually how you understand some of the things that Jesus is acting, speaking, and living, dying into Right. And resurrecting from.

And and so but you get a lot more I think to Dan's point, you get a lot more runway to craft the things that Jesus is getting at if you can destroy most of the context to which it sits. Right. Yeah. Yep. And so, yeah, you're allowed it's allowed to to bring some justification to sin and make it sound like Jesus is even cool with it because you don't have to deal with some of the contextual information that would have helped refine the story correctly. That's sad because, like, the old test the New Testament is beautiful in light of the Old Testament. Like, the the the new covenant that we have with Yahweh is beautiful in light of of the original covenant and, like, how creation started and how we fell and how he's redeemed it all from the beginning. Like, it's it's beautiful together. Yeah. How sad. Yeah. I I would also say that the the the Gnostic stuff, and that that's been persistent. Like, it's throughout time, Gnosticism has been a a key thing that people struggle with. And and, again, I it's it's interesting because to a certain extent,

gnosticism has more to do with it's a barrier that we we're actually having less of a problem now. Most people are leaning towards a very scientific explanation of the the body is all there is. Like, like, modern day atheism is is more so to dismiss the notion of a soul completely. Right. Whereas gnosticism always said, hey. There you there's a higher form of you. You're just not living it currently. Mhmm.

And so but, like, again, what that what that denigrates is an image and likeness and an earthly experience that God created for good. And frankly, there it's it's almost a form wait. I don't think we realize this as we get into here, but it's a form of gnosticism to go, look. I'm not home yet. This is not my place. And, you know, I I I don't wanna get involved in all this stuff. Heaven is where I belong. This is the waiting room. Yeah. Right. Like like, that kind of stuff is a very it's it's almost a gnostic way to look at the world because it prioritizes the experience of what we consider to be the soul

as if, one, your earthly experience is not super important that you weren't created for good works as and to walk at them. And two, that the notion of your forever body and resurrection is a physical existence back into the very thing you have now just without the fallibilities that come in a fallen world. Right. And so not recognizing either of those two things, you're falling into like a Gnostic trap. But it almost it's interesting because it essentially does the same thing that we were just talking about that dropping the Old Testament does, is if you lose the earthly confines,

people have this, like, very elastic idea of what it is to be a soul because they think it has it's completely disassociated with what it is to be a human being. Right. It's not like, I get it. The notion of those two things being distinct, I understand that part, but like you

don't completely lose like most of the identifying elements of a human earthly physical experience are not gone just because you're a soul. You don't become you don't reincarnate into something else. You don't become some sort of, like, wispy thing that's been floating through space Yeah. And Like, I I get I it just opens up to a world of which you feel like there is not near as much definition. Because it's not significantly different. I mean, it is, but it isn't. But I think it gives people a lot of freedom. It's like, Oh, I just belong. I'll return to who I truly am to be as a spirit. I'm like, You are who you are, man. Like, the spirit is just an expression of who you already are.

And so I would I would just that's the caution. It's not some, like, new, like, game over, start a new different pinball machine. It's an extension of of who you currently are. You're expressing it. You're being it. It's just a different expression of it. I have a question that means nothing. Yeah. Let me have it. But it's something that I've never asked, and yeah. In

the new creation Uh-huh. Am I am I gonna be a big fella? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know that sounds ridiculous to ask, but, like, I'm a fur I like, I I will wholeheartedly admit that I believe that me being a bigger guy is a sin, is is from from chasing things that are not holy and are not god and are not treating my body as a temple. That's flat out truth in my mind. If I'm separated from that kind of thing in new creation, does that mean that I go to a not just perfectly fit Troy, but just, like, from the perspective of, like,

if this is manifested sin, what what does that look like? Is there an answer to that that that either you think? I don't think I know Paul doesn't talk about it specifically. I've read a lot of his writings, but, like, it's just something I've thought about before and never thought to actually ask. You have the same question as to whether I might have hair again. Yeah. Do you think do you think well Fair. I have a sister who died at six years old before I was born, and I think when I meet her, is she going to be six? I mean, I don't think she is, but I think I'll know who she is and I don't know why, probably because how did Peter know who Moses was? Right, right, yep, we talked about There's something about the life, there's something about our soul

that has these characteristics that, again, we're trying to comprehend something we can't comprehend, But I'm I'm fascinated. I'm I'm eager to see what that all looks like. Right. Like, am I gonna meet my dad at his skinniest? Like, just being, like, just being real honest about it. Like, when my dad passed away, he was well over four hundred pounds. He's a big guy. And I don't I don't know. Am I gonna see the skinny Sean when I meet him? Like or when I see him? That'd be crazy. Yeah. Again, no consequence at all. Just something I thought about. Yeah. No. Yeah. I think that's I think that is interesting, like, age especially because that's the thing where if you if you say, well, it's a fallen humanity that our bodies start to degrade.

Yeah. Right. But, like, at what point would you actually consider your body degrade? Because, like, to a certain extent, you know, between the ages of six and, you know, 25, it feels like they're improving into a certain ex to a certain extent. Cellularly, pretty much after after 25, it's all downhill. Yeah. Yeah. Like, your body is no longer able to replicate its own DNA correctly. There's mutations and never mind. I don't need to get into that. It doesn't matter. Yeah. Anyway, yeah, you're right. The scriptures do not say but I do think you're approaching it the right way which is like, if I start if the impacts of

human what was human fallibility and temptation and sin are gone, what does it leave behind? Right. Bodies that don't degrade, fruit that imparts knowledge and does not make you big because you're eating it. It's the real irony of the thing because there probably no longer becomes a right proportion. Like, you can say, oh, I don't overeat,

but you probably could eat over you wanted to Right. And it would may not have any impact. You're like, wow. Shoot. Really gorged myself on carrots today. All I know is I do have an appointment with your father in the buffet, the the Lord's buffet for an eternity. Not surprise me at all. I asked him about that McDonald's buffet

many years ago. We will continue that. Alright. You're listening to live from the path. Okay. We had a couple Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna do a a joke and a quios. I can't wait. And then we're do some advice, and then we're gonna we're gonna get out of here. Okay. Okay. Let's see here. Before you before you say it, though, I don't want this joke. This is this is I'm just I just need to I need that to be on record that I don't want this joke. And you want to do

okay. Last time, you wanted the Satan jokes. Oh, did I? I don't think those were very yeah. That was wrong. Yeah. That seems right. Let's do hypocrite jokes. Oh, actor. Oh, the millionaire. Okay. I like this one. Here we go. At

a church meeting, a very wealthy man rose to tell the rest of those present about his Christian faith. I'm a millionaire, he said, and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life. I remember that turning point in my faith. I had just earned my first dollar, and I went to a church meeting that night. The speaker was a missionary who told us about his work. I knew that I only had a dollar bill and had to either give it all to God's work or nothing at all, so at that moment I decided to give my whole dollar to God. I believe that God blessed that decision, and that's why I am a rich man today. He finished, and there was an odd silence at his testimony as he moved toward his seat. As he sat down, a little old lady sitting in the same pew leaned over and said to him, I dare you to do it again. Did you see that one coming, Dan? No. I didn't. Okay. Alright. Moova likes the hypocrite jokes. That was awful. Let's check this again. There was an American basketball player that had a tournament in Belfast. After one of his games, he stepped outside for a breath of fresh air when he felt a gun in his back. What's your religion? He heard the man growl.

Bobby, the player, had no real religion, but he knew if he said he was Catholic and this guy was a Protestant, he would kill him, and if he said he was a Protestant and the guy was Catholic, he would kill him. Thinking quickly, he said, I'm Jewish, and the man replied, oh, Allah, I must be the luckiest Arab in all of Ireland. What? That's terrible. That is really bad. That is bad. What the heck? Do you know how how we could've do do you know how we could've avoided that? Yeah. You should stop asking for these jokes. Just not not listening or reading these jokes would have just completely skipped that over. Oh, wow. Okay. So here's the final one that Boov asked for. He's on it. He wanted to go with one the the this joke category is called mistakes. Again This whole thing is called mistakes. These are from Christians Unite dot com. A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver said, that's the ugliest baby I've ever seen. In a huff, the woman slammed her fair into the fair box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus. The man seated next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong. The bus driver insulted me, she fumed. The man sympathized and said, why? He's a public servant and shouldn't say things to insult passengers.

You're right, she said. I think I'll go back up there and give him a piece of my mind. That's a good idea, the man said. Here. Let me hold your monkey. It's an ugly That's terrible. Oh. It's an ugly baby, Bubba. Yeah. It was. It looked like a looked like an orangutan. Wow. Okay. Okay.

Well, I don't know why you like those jokes. I I I don't. I don't like them. I don't like them at all. So so Friday morning, I I woke up, and at 07:00, I drove six hours south to Branson, Missouri to watch the story of Esther on the Sights and Sound. Oh, yeah. And it's pretty cool. It's actually pretty cool. It was pretty great? And one thing that's fascinating, if you've ever been to the Sights and Sound, they do just fantastic productions, It's the collection of people. These very perfect, pretty people are there. There's people like me who walk around, Hey.

Then there's a dude Sorry. What? Just I'm just, like, just go. Hey. Hey. Okay. Got it. Scratching myself. Pretty. Everything. And then there's, like, these like, like, Hollywood people walking around. Like, they're just, you know, like, watching the show, and there's this dude. I I just decided there's a dude in a white suit with his wife. He's a a preacher at one of these churches doing one of the 10 heresies. And I don't know. I just thought I need to get a white suit. That's all I got. Dude, what brought that story out? I don't know. One of the jokes just made me think I need a white suit.

What? You gotta go. You gotta go to that sometime. I I I apologize. I've never even heard of the sights and sounds. That's okay because you're not old enough to have Branson yet. But when you get to that age because I was just about to ask that question. Like, isn't that like the city of lights in Missouri or something? Yeah. I mean, they they it's like a City of lights in Paris. Midwest Nashville thing. They have all kinds of shows and stuff, just the Dolly Parton thing. There's all kinds of stuff, but there's a big Christian there's thousands of people that come to this thing and they put on these crazy productions. Branson. My children enjoy it. They go to that stuff twice, whatever. And, anyway, it it was cool. But dad needs a white suit. I need a white suit. That that's the whole point. Need a white suit. My parents He's walking around like he owns the thing, and I'm like, dude, you just look ridiculous. But but I I didn't couldn't say that because he he risk we were wearing it. I mean, he he was he owned that thing. Yeah. I feel like my parents took me to different things because, like, my parents took me to Vegas so that I could see the pirates on the character Probably got in a white suit there. On the strip.

Yeah. Like, the only time I've ever gone to Vegas was with my mom. Yeah. Was 11 at the time. It was not nearly the experience that some people have talked about since then. Yeah. Branson's like the Midwest Vegas. Yeah. That's essentially weird. Please send that to their PR department. See if they'll throw it on a sign. Welcome to Branson, the Vegas of the Midwest. Alright. Here we go. Here's the quiz. What's our topic? The category is who and what. The topic

is famous prayers of the New Testament. Oh, famous prayers. Chose this one. Hold on. Let me go back here. Let me double check. It is one of the lowest performing 68%. Oh. So we gotta beat 68%. Here we go. Number one. This man said to god, oh, sovereign lord. Oh, wait. No. That was this is the old testament. Where where's that new testament quiz at? Hold on. Great job, Ben. Well, I had it, and then I went back to check the percentage, and I lost Great. You're doing great. Alright. When the disciples asked, do wanna do a joke to clear the air? I don't think that would clear an air. Okay. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, they mentioned another great Bible character who had taught his disciples to pray. Who was that? John the Baptist, Elijah, Daniel, or Aaron?

John, wasn't it? Teach us to pray like John the Baptist. John the Baptist people? That sounds right. Sure seems right because they wouldn't I mean, they didn't hang out with the others. Daniel and Aaron know for sure, and I I don't think there's a lot of clear record of Elijah's disciples outside of Elisha. Yeah. It's not like he's got a band of dudes.

Okay. Elijah chose Elisha because the name was so close? Yeah. That way We're gonna confuse people. Yeah. He had he had sewn his name on the inside of his cloak, and it was easily easily adapted. Right. The towels that initialed or and keep it All the monogrammed things that Elijah had. Oh, that's awesome. Edgar's running up. He's like, no. Wait. It works for me. We could just take everything with the e. Number two, when Jesus prayed in the Garden Of Gethsemane, he said, father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless,

a, let my will be done, b, thy will and mine be done, c, not my will, but thine be done, d, let the will of the spirit be done. C. C. Again, this, this particular question brings in every heresy we just talked about. Is it yours and my will? Is it just my will? Is it just your will, or is it ours? Anyway. What is will, and who is he anyway? That's right. And the spirit spun the wheel, and that's how he chose the wine. The will wheel. Number three, these words Jesus spoke and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son that, a, the enemy may not triumph over me b, the whole earth may be filled with Thy glory c, hath laid down his life for his sheep d, thy son also may glorify thee. Well, I'm thinking A or B. That's what I'm thinking. Yeah. Sounds So B ish, doesn't it's, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that the enemy may not triumph over me, or the whole earth may be filled with thy glory. I feel like it's wait. Maybe b or c then. C hath laid down his let's see. Glorify thy son, that hath laid down his life for his sheep.

No. B. Yeah. Has to be b. Sounds b ish. Okay. Let's check and see how it goes. Number four. You keep it up, home, until a joke and act like you asked for it. Number four. This this is a thing. The disciples prayed and said, thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show us which of these two thou hast chosen to replace Judas. Who was chosen, Cleopas,

Ananias, Barabbas, or Matthias? Matthias. C. I mean, d, Matthias. Whatever letter that was. Yeah. I said it with a lot of confidence, and then a pastor of forty years went, Barabbas. I'm like, crap. Here's what I'm a tell you. Jacob, thought Barabbas was the murderer. Every time someone could choose Barabbas, they chose him. Oh, no. Maybe you should write that on the joke. Like, He like was number one for kickball. It's what happens when you harass. That's pretty rough, man. Number five, as Stephen was stoned,

he called upon Bob he called upon God and asked Jesus to receive his spirit. Who was the young man at whose feet the witnesses laid down their cloaks? Saul. Saul, Simon Peter, John Mark, or Herod? Saul. Saul. Saul it is. Six, what happened in Joppa in response to Peter's prayer that made many believe? He was raised. A bad man received complete healing, B, a blind man was able to see, c, a man and his wife who lied to Peter, bulls dropped dead, or d, a man who had died was brought back to life or woman who died and brought brought back to life. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. D. Seven. This man was described as a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. Cleopus Claudius Cornelius Caiaphas. It's

Cornelius. It's Cornelius. Oh, is it Cornelius? It is Cornelius. Yeah. Eight, which New Testament book tells us Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth? Second John, third John, James, or Jude. So which New Testament book says Elias was a man subject to passions like as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain? I feel like that's Jude. It feels Jude to me. Yeah. Hey, Jude. Some sort of like hey,

Jude. Dan did it too. Threaten a quiz or threaten a threaten a joke. No way. This is Dan's first offense. No. Also I also had to correct your Rico Suave, but I sang that, so, like, that's my fault. Alright. Fine. Number nine. After Pentecost, the Christians began to be persecuted being warned by the Sanhedrin. The disciples gathered together and prayed. What happened? One, the place where they met was shaken. Two, they were filled with the holy spirit. Three, they spoke the word of god with boldness. Four, all of the above. All of the above.

Everything happened. Number 10. How many men were chosen to wait on tables so that the disciples could give their time to prayer and ministry of the word? Is it four? Seven. Three, seven, 10, or 12? Seven. You sound real confident after that real biff of an answer. Four. Definitely. But, no, I said was it four. I'm willing to be an idiot, but call me the right kind of idiot. Was it a walrus? Giraffe. Giraffe. Giraffe. For sure. Number 11. To whom did Peter say, repent of this wickedness and pray to the lord? Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart for I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.

Alexander of Antioch, Cleopas of Caesarea, Simon of Samaria, Barabbas of Bethlehem. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. Hey.

You think it's Alexander of Antioch? Yes. What what are the others? Cleopas of Caesarea, Simon of Samaria, and Barabbas of Bethlehem. I don't think he talks to Barabbas. I don't think so. I think it's just Caesarea? Yeah. Cleopas of Caesarea.

What's the context of this thing here, Buva? When does he speak with Alex of Antioch? It's exactly the dude that Paul was talking about giving over to Satan in one Well, but this is this is Peter saying this one. I know it. He says same fella. Same fella. Everyone's having a rough No. I'm fine with it being the dude that says for you. No. What do you mean? You just told us that it's the same guy. No. I said that's the reason I thought about it. Oh. Oh, Okay.

What do we think? I think that should eliminate Alexander of Antioch. Cleopus of Caesarea then? That's embarrassing. I cannot think of the clearly of of of what what the story. It's clearly Cleopus. Let's see what happens. We're gonna we're gonna go with it. Last one. Paul prayed for his friends from Ephesus before he departed from them, and they wept. Why? A, they knew they wouldn't see him again. Yep. B yeah. This is this is after the guy ties his hands with the belt.

What's the it's an a. The a prophet. Okay. Anyway, yeah, they knew that he wouldn't see him again. The Roman soldiers were present to take Paul to Caesar. He had told them they were full of iniquity. They were touching his thoughtfulness for having visited. Right. Okay. Yeah. They knew that they would not see him so happy you stopped by. Mhmm. Alright. Here we go. Oh, I see some red. Oh, I see quite a bit of red. Oh, dear. No. Number one, when disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, they mentioned another great bible character who had taught the disciples to pray. Who was that? We said John the Baptist. That is correct. Number two, when Jesus prayed in the garden, he said, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, we said, Not my will, but thine be done, and that is correct. Number three, these words Jesus spoke and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son. That, we said, the whole earth may be filled with thy glory, and that was incorrect. The answer is thy son also may glorify thee. Oh, yeah. Pretty

close. The King James that's throwing me off. I know. I haven't read that since I was 12. I've never read it. See? Okay. Maybe we've got to pick it up. We're going keep doing these quizzes. Number four, the disciples prayed and said, Thou Lord, knowest the hearts of all men, show us which of these two thou hast chosen to replace Judas. And we said it's Matthias, and that is correct.

Question five, as Stephen was stoned, he called upon God and asked Jesus to receive him. Whose feet did they throw the cloaks down on? And we said that was Saul, and that is correct. Question six, what happened in Joppa in response to Peter's prayer? We said a woman had died, was brought back to life, and that is correct. Question seven, this man was described as a devout man and one who feared God with all his house. We said that was Cornelius. That is correct. Oh boy. Question eight,

wow. Which New Testament book says Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are? He prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it not and it rained not on the earth. We said that was Jude. Sounds a little bit like Jude, and that was incorrect. The answer is James. James? James. I knew it. You knew that. Well, says

oh, well, this is not very helpful. It's from James five verses 17 to 18, but it only quotes the thing he exactly said, so I can't give you context. Number eight. Number nine. After Pentecost, Christians began to be persecuted. Let's see. What happened after they prayed? And the answer was all of the above. The spirit showed at Pentecost. Number 10, how many men were chosen to wait on tables so the disciples could give time to prayer and ministry of the word? Buva said four. Four. That was incorrect, but we had actually answered seven despite Buva's prognostication, and that was correct. Seven is right. How did you have trouble saying nondenominational earlier? You just said prognostification?

I don't know. I think it's a heresy. I think nondenominational churches are wrong. The Lord meant for us to be split, but at least very clearly split. Question 11. Probably take that back. To whom did Peter say, repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord? Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart for I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. After much consternation and deliberation, we said Cleopas of Caesarea, and that is incorrect. The answer is Simon of Samaria. And question 12, Paul prayed for his friends from Ephesus for departed and they wept because we said they knew that he would not see them again,

and that was correct. 20 two, 36, 38. We answered a total of nine out of 12 questions correctly for a score of 75, defeating the current average score of 72% for a quiz that had been taken 11700

times since 12/02/2005. I'm astonished that this website has been, like, looked at 11,000 times. I know. I know. This guy I mean, I don't know if he's making money on the ads or what. It totally it looks like it's from 1994 Right. For sure. But, anyway, I'm I should send him something. He does good work.

Alright. One more joke, Bubba? No. No. Okay. Go ahead. Hit us with the advice. Dear, lie from the path. Knock knock. I'm a paramedic. My wife constantly asks me to pick up additional twelve hour shifts so we have more money coming in but says she can't do any more overtime at her job.

She says she does so much work around the house that it makes us even. She takes vacation time to go to theme parks and out with her friends while expecting me to save my time off and use it only when I can go with her. I don't think this is fair. How do I address this without starting a fight? She goes to theme parks by herself as an adult. Or with friends. But not with the husband. But not with the husband. Do they have a different amounts of vacation time? Fellas, I'm a tell you that I only have the information that I read to you Yeah. If it was not in there. Because here's here's the deal. My my daughter has 10 of vacation every year. Mhmm. Her husband has, like, three. So she does things. Time going. I mean, what what's she supposed to do? Stay home and do dishes? Right. On vacation? She's gonna go to theme parks with her dad. Yeah. Oh, or her friends. Yeah. Definitely.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that would make sense. I mean, so I might not be that that's a pretty big That's a wide disparity. That's yeah. But That's that's one half of the thing. What about the other thing where she says she won't take any more overtime because she helps out around the house? Or is it because her company won't let her? I interpret that interpreted that as you don't get more in overtime. How did that how did they work? Yeah. Yeah. It sounded like she can't do anymore, but are you saying that get read read that part again. Yeah.

My wife constantly asked me to pick up twelve hour shifts so we have more money coming in, but she says she can't do any more overtime at her job. She says she does so much work around the house that it makes us even. When it says that, it makes it seem like she's not willing to do any more overtime because she's already doing so much work around the house. I mean, someone's gotta do it. Yeah. It's a dirty job, Micro. I mean, it's right? It's just the stuff around the house? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I know in my marriage, we'll we'll go through seasons if one of them has more time than the other and and and you just take turns carrying the load. And Yeah. I mean, I I would say, like, we would always solve it at my place

with either I if I had to work more or could work more or pick up a second job, like, I would do that. Mhmm. Because my my wife's primary focus is the management and running of our household and the schooling of our children. And I do not consider it an imbalance for the needs of our family that I would have to get a second job. That's the part that I'm covering. The question would be, there's something unhealthy

relationship wise if this feels like it's in constant tension. Mhmm. Yeah. Because, like, at the underlying nature of it, it feels like the question is is how do I someone feels like they're getting the short end of the stick, but I wouldn't. Like, if it like, it wouldn't it wouldn't occur to me, at least in my in my marriage, in my current situation, if we needed to bring in more money, I wouldn't go, oh, I can't believe I'm the one the guy who has to get the second job. I would go, okay. I'll go find something. And I wouldn't think anything else of it. And so but that's because I am in a I am in a healthy,

like, marriage where we are we feel good about, like, the things that people are are doing. I'm not gonna say, like, we've not squabbled over dishes and Right. Sure. Stuff from time to time, of course. But, like, it wouldn't I wouldn't feel cheated or anything. Like, like, this is just the the spot we're in. And so, like, if if that isn't clear and this is frankly, this what comes this what comes from the egalitarian, view of marriage, which is like you have two equal people with equal capabilities

who otherwise are should be fifty fifty on, work and home and all the things. Like this then you start getting in pissing matches over whether that is imbalanced or not. And then and because the only way to enforce it is to keep track of it. And that's it's kind of the last thing I want is my relationship with my significant other to be one of where I'm constantly tracking and checking and looking over my shoulder. Scoring points. Right. Yeah. I just like, I have a realm of which that stuff is my responsibility, and I'm I'm totally cool with it. And, like, I I'm not I'm not worried if your marriage flavor looks boar or less like that. I'm just saying that, like, when you start when you go, look. We're gonna do things fifty fifty. You have to you have to monitor, and you end up in kind of whining fights like this. Yeah. Agreed.

Okay. Secular says, I agree that what your wife is doing isn't fair. As to how to address it without starting a fight, a fight may be what you need to clear the air and work out your budget. A paramedic should not be working when they are exhausted. They need their wits about them, which may present which may present a problem if they are not at one of our sites. I'm pretty sure they run long shifts anyway. Yeah. Yeah. They're doing, you know, twelve hour to sixteen hour shifts. Yeah. Like and that's all that guy said was, like, she asked me to do a twelve hour. I'm like, well, I mean, seems kinda run of the mill. It's not crazy, I guess, for a paramedic to be out there, and it's not like his wife's putting both her husband and everyone else in danger because he took a twelve hour shift. I you know? That that that seems a little thick to me. Okay. I she's wrong, though,

whereas, like, sometimes you like, you you gotta talk it out. Like, you gotta figure out what is the rub. Like, do you feel like, you know, like someone's not bearing the their weight? Someone's not taking the their their share of the load here? Because if if here's the thing. If someone in your marriage is feeling that way, like, you wanna get that out because, one, either they're mistaken and you need to help bring them into the right way of viewing it, or they're correct and you need to change your way. Like, either way, that's like, you need to have that conversation. Like, that's the type of thing you wanna make sure is not sitting around festering that you've not talked about. Yep. Agreed. Okay. One more. Sure. K.

Dear Life of the Path, my mom has this friend who do I who I do not like at all. She's a royal pain in the butt. She calls nonstop even when we were about to have dinner. I tried blocking her number from mom's cell phone Oh. But that didn't last long. Abby or Life of the Path, This woman is bad news. My dad and brother are annoyed by her. Is there any way to tell this person to just go away? Well, this really depends on your mom, doesn't it? Right? We hate mom's friend, and we blocked her from her cell phone. That's aggressive. That's incredibly aggressive. Holy cats. Stay in your lane. Yeah. It's your mom's friend. Shut it. You're ridiculous. You're gonna be gone soon. Right. If you're a teenager, you're a teenager, and you shouldn't be allowed to make decisions for this reason. If you're an adult, get out of your mom's house, you weirdo.

Yeah. I don't I guess I'm really confused as to why That's great. Like, I mean, is your mom answering the phone? This feels like must be. The critique would be against mom's behavior. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Is mom allowing this friend to be obnoxious to the rest of the family by, like, answering her call right before dinner and everybody's gotta stop every night? Yeah. That's a mom conversation, not a block the the friends' neighbor situation. Like, the it would be different if it was, an annoying neighbor where everyone sat down to dinner and, like like, Chad from the next door is, like, pounded on the door where everybody's interrupted. But, like, the mom can silence the phone. Yeah. They could block the number if they wanted to. They could politely but firmly tell their friend to knock it off. Like, all these things are within the mom's pers like, able to do. So I guess I don't this has has nothing to do with the friend. You need to talk to your mom. Yep. Yep. Agreed. Yeah. We're gonna have to do another one because that one was super easy. Well, yeah, that's why I chose it. Okay. Hit me. Anyway, Secular says, there's no way you can tell your mother's friend to go away. There is, however, a way for your mother to tell her friend her not to call between the hours of 05:30 and 07:30 because it interrupts family time. Because your father is also upset about the frequency and timing of the phone calls, this is something he should consider discussing with your mother. Okay. Here's another thing I'm gonna tell you.

As a kids kids, I want you to think about this. I don't care how old you've gotten. If you see something that is a glaring problem and you have a decent father, if he's not saying anything, you should follow his lead.

I would tell you that the man has been married to your mom for longer than you've been alive, generally speaking. If he is discerned that this is not the thing to go all in on And has good discernment. Yeah. Like, if you trust this man that and you see and you're getting ready to fire up and you look over and he's not getting ready to fire up and have this conversation with his wife,

then you just be quiet. It's not your place. Just I mean, just trust him. He's got the he he knows what it's like to be married to your mom. She and I I I would say the same thing going the other direction. Your mom knows what it's like to be married to your dad. And so the older you get, the more you look out and you go, hey, man. I don't know why anybody's not saying anything around here. This is an injustice. These people, mom's going nuts or dad's going crazy, and something that needs to be said. Just I just want you to look at the person who knows how to deal with them and see what they're doing. And if they're taking it easy and they're not bringing it up, you just let it go. Yeah. Because they're being wise in some in ways that you probably don't understand and maybe even for your benefit. And so just just zip it and let it let it fly. And here's I say this because I know you're gonna get to be 25, 28, and you're gonna you're gonna get married, and you're gonna think you just know something about the world, and you'll be like, I can't believe dad tramples over my mom like that or mom tramples over dad like this business. And you're gonna feel like you're in a better spot to interject.

Do not do it. Yeah. Do not do it. Let them handle their own stuff. And I'm just saying again, if you would look and generally speaking, say, yes. They're pretty good, but I don't like this or that about that relationship. I'm just saying let it go. Let them handle it. Yeah. They're just presume they're being wise, and they know better. Okay. Are you ready for one more? I don't know. I don't know if I'm ready. McGirt my loins. Go ahead. Oh, okay. Yeah. This one might be a a a bit of a hit. Uh-oh. Is it normal excuse me. Dear Life at the Bath. Is it normal to be disgusted by your wife's lack of concern about her appearance and her belongings? Oh. My wife drives a $50,000 car that never gets washed and is so filled with stuff that seldom she can take even one passenger. Her side of the bedroom is just as bad. She never makes the bed and can no longer get her to her dresser because there are so many clothes piled in front of it. It's the same down the hall. In addition to plowing things aside or pilling them piling them, excuse me, in a spare room, her messes take over the house. She also doesn't take care of herself. She often doesn't shower for days. Her clothes are frumpy, and I could no longer count how many pounds she keeps adding. It is embarrassing for me, especially when she proclaims she will never be concerned about her weight again. I feel it's disrespectful to me when she says those things, and I can't let this continue. I'm supposed to get used to it. It doesn't seem right. Most of her time is spent listening to and reading about politics.

Some would be okay, but she has dived so far down the self righteous religious rabbit hole, she has no other perspective. She can't work. She believes she's some sort of activist because she forwards memes on Facebook. It amazes oh, sweet Moses. It amazes me that she can see neighbors who are older than she is and have full time careers and take care of themselves and their things, and yet she still believes she's normal and even judge others. Almost done. She does a few things for the church where she can portray an upstanding image, and it's really important for her that they see her that way. I think she has a chemical imbalance of some sort and needs help. But how do you even start? If it wasn't so complicated, I'd move out. By not doing so, is my complacency making things work? Worse? Excuse me. Wow. She she does some Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I would yeah. Go ahead, Dan. I mean, I I I rarely

say things like this, but she may need a separation just to get her attention. Yeah. I mean, she's not healthy. Yeah. Yeah. I I would agree. So, like, I think the first thing I would I would do, and you obviously have this in the back of your mind, about the chemical imbalance, is that, like, something is up. And especially if this is not the woman you married, like, you didn't quite say that, but, like, I presume it's coming up now not, hey. She's been like this for twenty years, and I'm finally getting irritated. Like, you didn't say that. Yeah. Yeah. Sounds changed. And so, yeah, if there's a if there's a change in here somewhere, I I I'd be careful of associating

of pinning it on, like, as if it's willful, neglectful behavior on this person that you love. I would first look for something that would explain why something changed and go from there. And if she's so to Dan's point, like, if if I figure I mean, again, no one most people don't go, hey. I think you should see a counselor. They don't take a super will. But, like,

I I I would actually volunteer for marriage counseling. I would say, hey, babe. We're we're struggling here. Yeah. And I I wanna get to the bottom of it. Like, just don't don't presume that it's her. Say we. We because you here's what you know for a fact. You think there might be something going on with her whether physically or mentally, but you know for a fact that your relationship is not healthy. So start right there. Then maybe that leads down to a place where some revealing happens and you can start working on something that if there's things going on with her because it does feel like if that's a significant enough shift in behavior,

there's something odd about it. You cared about it, now you don't care about it if you weren't always that way. Isolation and micro targeting or focusing on a specific thing like political stuff to the detriment of the other relationships around you. Like, something's going on. And so I I would start with sympathy, Like, a lot of times, especially when it's in close relationships, it feels like it's at you in some way or another. In fact, he'd mentioned this, but it it's not likely. It's I get that there's an impact to you, and and as you're closest to people, it feels like it's personal because, like, well, you're not even thinking about me anymore. They they feel at least self centered, but, like, self centered people are generally not thinking about you. So, like, it's not an annex towards you. They're just being selfish, and so try not to overread

animus places where it could just be some self absorption for, again, either legitimate or illegitimate reasons. But I would start there and just start start from a place of grace and then see if you can't figure out there's something else going on before you attribute to a personality or willful behavior at you. Okay. Yeah. That seems solid. I mean yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like the marriage counseling perspective. Like, it's it's you can go at this in a way that's disarming if you go it in a way that's a team. The goal is to get her healthy, not not to prove who's right or wrong or Yeah. Absolutely. And that's huge. That's huge. Okay. Secular says, was your wife like this when you were dating in the year or two after your marriage? If the answer is no, it is important that she be evaluated by a doctor because what you describe could be symptoms of depression or a mental or emotional problem. The way I would handle this if I were in your place would be to tell you tell her you love her, but you can no longer live the way things have become.

Then offer her a choice. Get help or you are leaving. Yeah. That's way too much. You've like, super adversarial. Right. If you've not taken a step like, again, step number one, babe, I feel like we're not connecting anymore. Yeah. And and and every time we talk, it seems like it leads to an argument. I want help because I want us strong and healthy. Why don't you start with that, not some sort of ultimatum? Like because, again, if if the thing that may be true, like, there's depression or something going on with their body chemicals or whatever, like, you just gave an ultimatum to someone who's not functioning Exactly. And like, well or often under their own intention. And so, like, what what did you just win? It's it's like it's like bartering with an unreasonable child. I know sorry. The the comparison is not meant to be offensive. It's just like if they're not if they're not at their best and competent to the task of the discussion,

you didn't gain anything by by pressing to have that discussion right then. Right. Like, you just forced their hands so you could do what you wanted, and that that makes you you handled that poorly. No. I hate that advice. I directionally, understand it. I just I I hate the way that that was approached. Yeah. Agreed. Yeah. Alright. You're listening to live from the Path. Thanks for hanging out with us this week. We do end this year. We really appreciate it. I, hope you guys are enjoying the program. I was actually just, again, I was listening to some of the back episodes as I'm trying to release the catalog. Goal is to have 2018 completely released by the end of the year, and I think I've only got two or three to go. And I'm gonna make it. I tell you what. There's a there's an episode called Egypt Jane or Jane Egypt, one or the other. And the

nonbiblical signs of the apocalypse are freaking hilarious. Like, one of the ones was like a orangutan smoking in the zoo, and there was another one where there was, like, a a Hulk Hogan mustache that appeared as a g as a as a cloud in the sky. Oh, that's amazing. Like a specific weather event that causes this thing to happen. These are these are great. These are real Hogan wins. Oh, and the third one was

the some Florida ladies went to go withdraw money out of an ATM, and instead of fives, they got hundreds. Oh my gosh. The bank the bank's trying to set it right, the ladies are like, I don't know what you're talking about. Anyway That didn't happen. They are funny. They're really good. And there's a couple, music song performances by, by Jane Block in that episode. So, anyway, it's great. It's great you should, check out the back catalog. Anyway, thanks for hanging out with us, guys. We really do appreciate it. We look forward to, to doing some cool stuff with you in 2024. As a matter of fact, were talking about that, that, telethon. I think we're gonna do it. I think we're gonna set up a a Life From The Path telethon I'm so sorry. '24, raise some money for a good cause.

We just need we got we gotta do a little bit of planning so we don't embarrass ourselves or at least embarrass ourselves of the similar amount and not worse than normal. Embarrassing to us and not the people we're trying to raise money for. That's right. That is the problem. You try to do a good cause, and now you're on the hook for not making them making it look bad. Yeah. Exactly. Obviously, we can do. Anyway, super excited. Of course, hit us up with any feedback you have on the show. (515) 517-0085. Call or text (515) 517-0085. The ever present Bob Eisenhower, live from the path, complaint line. We'd love to hear from you. Anything you got for about the show or just wanna say hi. Hey. We're listening. That'd be great. Especially because, as you heard from me last week, I think it's very suspicious the number of people that are listening to the podcast. And so if you're one of the newer folks that just latched on the podcast, just give us a call or a text and say, hey. I'm listening to live from the path just so we can say hi back. We'd love to do that. And don't worry. We're not gonna answer. You don't actually have to talk to us. Just leave the voice mail or something if you Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's totally fine. Yeah. We won't call you back. Yeah. That's not gonna happen. Anyway, we're

gonna take off. We will see you next year. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to live.