Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the path.

And you're listening to Live From The Past. We're coming from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston and Proper. Okay. Have a question. Jesus. Okay. Okay. I think we're ready. Tired of this funny dunning around. So I was talking to a guy on a on a drive home or whatever, and and he was he was explaining to me like this sermon illustration that a guy had done that he just thought it was the most fantastic thing he'd ever heard and then thought it was very impactful. And so my question for you guys is, have you have you done a sermon illustration that you thought this is the this is the bee's knees, that it really went over well, it brought home the thing you wanted to bring home, it wasn't cheesy, and it and it did it did really what you wanted it to do.

Dan, you've been in the ministry a long time. I I hope you have something. No. Most everything I do is cheesy. You knocked a lot out when you said that. Okay. I'm why don't I tell you what his sermon illustration that he thought was very very helpful. Right? Is is I I can't remember. The sermon was about the foundation, right, like on on sandy soil or or whatever, firm foundation. And so the guy had brought up, like, a trophy to symbolize your accomplishments or, like, a roll of 0.25 to symbolize money or something. And he had people come up and try to stack things on top of it. And as it all fell over, you know, the the the sermon illustration was, basically, if you try to base your life on just your accomplishments or just the money that you've made or even, like, he had a picture of his family, then obviously everything you tried to stack on there just kinda fell off. And so that and and the guy thought, man, this it really makes sense. Now, obviously, the guy picked a a real sturdy bible, and you can stack all kinds of crap on there. And so that one worked real well. And so at the end of the day, the kid was telling me that he had he had gone to,

a church, and and that's the sermon illustration the guy did. He goes, it just made all kinds of sense and really hit home. And and if I feel like if I would have tried to done the same thing, I thought people would see right through this. Obviously, you can't stack things on a trophy. This is not gonna work at all. You know? Like, how would this metaphor play? There's gonna be some grumpy, you know, analyst in the third row going, well, of course, you can't stack things on a trophy. That's ridiculous. So and so so maybe sermon illustrations are kinda lost on me, and I'm not I'm realizing the value that maybe they bring to other people. So now I once again, I I I repost the question. Have you done a sermon illustration that you thought has stuck with people and continues to work as you had planned? I I did one that stuck but but stuck for the wrong the wrong part stuck. Oh, no. I mean,

it it was like a memorable thing. I I I made French toast and I and I mixed it together. I was at school and I used imitation vanilla and and the whole point was imitation's like bad,

go for the real thing. And all people can remember is, hey, I should get real vanilla from here on rather than like, you know, authentic faith and real real genuine faith. And so it kinda like overdid itself. And I still get pictures from people sometimes saying, see, I'm getting the real stuff. Like You've made a real impact on my life, pastor Hudson. Yeah. Great. Now I thought you did one where you were talking about marriage and two people becoming one where you, like, glued two boards together. Yeah. And then you tried to separate them, and then there's, the the the wood splintered and whatever, it just it didn't happen cleanly. Yeah. That's pretty positive. And I I I was not even there for that sermon illustration. It was before I even attended

Pathway. And so it had to have done some ground because I've heard of it multiple times of people talking about it. Yeah. Yeah. Too bad some of those people got divorced. Yeah. I mean, True. I mean

That's great. Yeah. That's right. That's really painful. Boy, dad, maybe you should get a sermon illustration business. It is not that's not helping anybody. Just call me Jeremiah. Yeah. They're all they're doing is paying more for waffles and still getting divorces.

Well, these pancakes taste about the same, but I sure paid more for them. Thanks, Dan. I'm a loser. Ben? Nothing. No. I don't, I do this very poorly.

Like, it is not my skill set doing illustrations and telling stories. I'm I'm really quite bad. Like, there's certain like, I can think of, like, certain phrases that seem to have stuck and that people will use or tell me about and say, like, I remember that you said this thing.

The only I'll tell you the only story that ever stuck with, like, that I can remember, like, I remember telling a story in a sermon had to do with it it was it was a part where Jesus is talking about if your

if your arm sins, cut it off. Right? It was it had to do with sexual sin. And, like, it was and it was tied to the story of that guy that mountain the guy who was climbing in the in the somewhere who got a boulder that, like, where he got his arms stuck and eventually had to cut it off because it was gonna kill him. And, like, I've never found a more appropriate story in my life, like, ever. It's the only, like, in let's call it a ground rule double. I'm not sure it was a home run but, like or maybe an inside the park home run. So but it was super close and, like, I felt like I'd actually gotten one right with that story and so that one sticks with me. Everything else, I'm just because the thing is is I find stories, Mike, to to your point, and I look at everyone from like, that's that's not really right. Like, it's not right. It has to be perfect. Otherwise, I won't use it. I feel like it's, ah, it's out of context. Ah, it's just I mean, there's no reason it's a story for a reason. There's no reason to be so hypercritical about it, but I am. If I, like if I can't if it doesn't tie off or, like, there's a loose end to it or, like, it it might imply the wrong thing, I'm like, I can't use it.

You know, I suppose that's true because if you look at the parables that Jesus tells, he ain't worried about sewing the whole thing up in a bow. He's worried about proving the point he wants to prove right now. Because if you some of the parables you can compare and go, hey. Wait a minute. That's not how they how they acted at all. Why is a dishonest manager getting a good job? You know what I'm saying? Like a guy you know? And so, like, he's just trying to prove a certain point with that one, not for you to be constantly dishonest or, you know, try to, you know, cut the debt in half for your employer on your way out the door to make yourself look good. You know? That's right. Not not every parable is intended to be your pocket guide to complete theology. Correct. Like, it's not what it's designed to do. It's it's it's that's why you have to tell the the parables in context. One of the one of the the problems with tell people referring to parables is if you don't keep it in the context that it showed up and, like, drug something else in there, like, you can easily prove the wrong point. Yeah. I mean, in context, it's like that anyway, but parables especially. And so, like, but but they're not that that's the thing. It's not even the the the prodigal the story of the prodigal son doesn't answer all your questions. Like, there's there's there's parts of it missing and you're like, well, what what the heck? This it it doesn't mean that because they're missing from that story, doesn't mean that god doesn't have a a position on it or that Jesus doesn't teach on it. He just doesn't teach all of it in that one parable. Right. Yeah. But but yeah. I've I've especially with non scriptural stories, I just have a real hard time with it. That's why I surely don't use them. I I remember that there was we're

talking to, the youth group about the role of the holy spirit. Right? And, like, I I always struggled to find the best way to explain it. And and and then finally, I I listened to this guy talk about it, and it just turned out to be the best illustration, for them to use it. And it's it's one that's actually stuck to my life,

really, really well, is that we're talking about the holy spirit. Basically, the holy spirit does the growing, you know. And so he started talking about, like, your life being this garden and and, like, you can control, you know, what seeds you put in and that you can keep the predators out and and, you you know, how often you water it or whatever. And all those things are are are fine, and that's your job. That's your role in this relationship with the holy spirit. But at the end of the day, you don't control how much radiation comes out of the sun. You don't control photosynthesis at all. It's a process that that that that God has set in place. And and and you you don't control that the fact that that the way that a plant grows or the the the heritage that it came from or the heirloom, whatever, none of that is within your purvey. Right? And so it's the relationship between the holy spirit being able to grow things in your life. You still have to maintain the garden. You still have to have a place for him to be able to to to grow things. God provides the growth. The holy spirit provides the growth, but you still have to maintain a garden. Right? You can't just let, you know, rabid wolves come in there and tear the place up or a pack of rabbits nail the place. The Holy Spirit's not keep the rabbits out. That's your job. You know? But the Holy Spirit will provide the growth if you provide the garden. And and and the the kids tend to they they understood that really well, and it's actually simplified a very complicated topic as far as I was concerned, on the role of the holy spirit. It's it's

widely amongst different groups of people, me included, to a certain extent. It's that's kind of for a reason, but, it I don't know. It worked out really well that they they it stuck with them. Like, we get to we get to reference back to that quite a bit, about the garden and the holy spirit doing the growth and that kind of thing. So I don't know if that's really a sermon illustration, but I always tried to tie the youth group games in with whatever we were talking about and it's just a complete utter failure. It's way too cheese ball for me. I can't so I couldn't I couldn't pull it off. Alright, Tim.

Let's talk let's talk more about me, Ben. Hey. You're listening live from The Path. Hey. There was a rumor this week, going around that that that Buva all week wore only a pair of like like a union suit. Oh, like with the butt flap and all? Yeah. Yeah. But as a legitimate outfit all week. That was the rumor. Buva, do you have anything to say in your defense? No. No. I didn't think so. No. That's alright. Okay. Anyway, I just that one I didn't I didn't wanna pass an unsubstantiated rumor but Boo had okay. I'm really taken aback. Yeah. I know.

Because of the butt flap. See what you did there. That's a two stage joke. Seasoned with real vanilla. Alright. Alright. Let's see. On the show today, I found a couple articles. There's a worthless survey about evangelicals in 2018 that I like spend time on. Yeah. I'm a 100%. We're gonna go through that. That sounds like something to get Ben's haunches all up in the air. Yep. Yep. Yep. There's an article about Francis Chan saying why he's alright sharing the stage with Benny Hinn. Hey, man. Rumor has it, Benny Hinn's turned around. So we talked about that, what, like, six months ago on the show, and then I've not seen anything else. And the only thing I thought was is perhaps he doesn't garner any

any attention anymore if he's not wheeling his coat around like a maniac. Boo. So, anyway, I thought we'd I'd be interested that someone obviously is arguing about that. To be fair, in Benny Hinn's defense, if they would have called it Joseph and the Plain Old Coat, the musical would not have been as successful. Only do the flash and the bang with the technicolor dream coat do people wanna go see the sweet musical. I mean, I it doesn't the scripture does not say it was Technicolor.

I mean, it's implied. It's in the message. Actually, I that's the first thing I thought of when I saw the article that said Francis Chan explains why he'll share a stage with Benny Hinn. I thought that was the same thing as someone agreeing to use the message and Dan being a gasp at it. And then Joseph put the flashlights in his coat so all could see. I'm sorry. You're using what version?

Alright. Anyway and there was there was an interesting article now hold on. When you say interesting article, that usually means there's some kind of philosophical discussion going on that's at least six degrees above my head and being able to take it in. Yes. Hey. Speaking of that, I saw I saw there was an article from, like, a

what was it? A theoretical physicist or something this week, and he was talking about about belief systems and he he basically said it's not it it lacks it lacks any reason to to be an atheist. But he but the the one of the interesting responses was is is he was talking about our our realm of knowledge, like, we're capable of knowing. And he says that the problem with like, if you look at what what the science is flexible. Right? Because, like, as you learn things, the types of questions you ask starts to change. Right? Because as you know more, you know what to ask. So, like, in today, we're asking questions

that fifteen hundred years ago, they couldn't ask. Like, they didn't have the knowledge concept to ask those types of questions. And so, like, that's one of the that's one of the the great things about science is, like, it's allowed to change as it goes because as they learn things, they they throw away things that don't make any sense and they can bring on new things. But it but but the reason I the the article was was interesting, related to that is I thought that, like,

seen a pretty pretty consistent spread of just a lack of humility. Like the concept of of recognizing that, like, a, you don't know everything and and as you start to know more, you start to ask new and different things which otherwise continues to open new and different things. Like, where we lack

not not recognizing that, there's a lack of humility. And I think you see this from a scientific perspective of people who've like, hey. We've we've figured out a theory of everything. Like, well, I feel like that lacks humility. Right? The thought that, like, of everyone who doesn't know everything, you finally figured something out. Like, you've got this thing all nailed down. Like, it it lacks it lacks humility even to claim that, to say, hey. We think we've got the thing that describes everything when, like, even literally twenty years ago, people couldn't ask the same questions that they're asking today. And so I to be honest, I saw the same I I recognize that stuff. Like, I work in a corporate corporate environment. I see the same thing there. Like, people just just toddling around and they've got the world figured out. I'm like, it's okay to have a prerogative. It's okay to, like, work with the best of what you know but, like, there's there's a lot of that just really lacks humility and it and it stops progress

because people aren't willing to say, look, maybe maybe we don't have this all figured out. We do have to make an imperfect decision based upon what we think we know. But, like, let's not be so stubborn and put our foot in the ground. And to be honest, I a lot of the the core of arguments that people have, over theology, it fits into the same bucket. Like, I there just there has to be a a notion of humility

that that you you're not the you're not the sharpest guy to crack the bread open. And, like, can I am I willing to say, look, we're we're gonna work on the best that we got, we're gonna assume that it's good, and we're gonna work within within the reason that the lord has given us?

But, like, at at at the end of the day, we're you just where we lack humility, even our study of scripture and our expression of the gospel, I think we we run the same risk that I think makes a lot of a lot of scientists scientific proclamation look foolish ten years after they're done. And the same thing that happens when in political circles and business circles. And it just like, the consistent part was, be confident but let's have some humility to to at least your understanding of the what's going on around you. It is it is weird to say that, like, we base a lot of some of the major decisions we make in this world off of off of science. Right? But if you'll notice a politician, say, twenty years ago, in one interview, in one magazine said,

I hate Kentucky. I just hate it. And then twenty years later, we'll bring it up. We're like, well, so and so Bob hates Kentucky. Obviously, the honk honk honk. And then there'd be scary music behind it, and it'll show a picture of him, like, peeing on the fence or something to show he's just an all around bad dude. You know? He hates Kentucky, and he said so. You know? But a scientist will make a wild claim within the last five years in, of widely published journal and then make a completely opposite claim five years later, and it never comes up. They're like, well, he's a scientist. There's experimentation, a swing and a miss, you know, whatever it happens. And, like, some of the some of the things that the the major scientific issues that we're arguing about with their effects on our world and our environment, people get to just kinda move back and forth on where they wanna be and the science they wanna use and the things they wanna cite with not near the scrutiny of Bob who hates Kentucky from twenty years ago. Yeah. Right. You know, when it turns out, he's like, look, you know, I found Jesus. I I was kind of a jerk twenty years ago. It was part of my college paper editorial, and it was about people who hate Kentucky. You know? It wasn't even rightly attributed to me. But but we'll still slam the guy and allow it for slander on the primetime airwaves, and then a scientist won't have come up with the same the same type of at least

verification, you know, of some of the stuff that are coming out of the mouth. And it seems backwards to me. Right? Like a guy that gets to just glad stand all the time and sit on top of a soapbox and claim he's gonna fix the world based on the science of a guy that we don't hold to the same account. And that seems slightly unfair. Yeah. That that's actually part of what's interesting is I was what was there? There was a there was a thing on NPR and they were I don't remember what the nature of the show was about. But they were talking about

shoot. I'm gonna forget the name. I think it's Harry Harlow. Hold on. Yeah. Just because I It probably is. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's Harry Harlow. And so, like, he was the guy so so so the common knowledge the common common wisdom between medical doctors and psychologists, psychologists, psychiatrists in, like, the first half of the century of the of the twentieth century was that children

didn't didn't need or wasn't to their benefit to receive affection from their parents. It created weakness in them. And so, like, some of the recommendations were look look, if you hug your kid more than twice a year, it's too much. Like, it shouldn't be that often. As a matter of fact, close contact, they through observation, they said at the hospitals, the more that parents and and and family and stuff hold babies,

the more the more instances of being sick that that the children get. And so they said, you shouldn't hold your babies. Like, you shouldn't you shouldn't pick them up because, like, obviously, you're you're introducing them to to weakness by introducing disease to them. And so, like, between this the the the psychiatric community and the medical community and then ultimately supported by, instructions

and recommendations by the US government, it was basically, don't show affection to your kids. It's not it's not important to them. It's not necessary for their development. They need, suss they need food. Like, food is the thing. This this nature of affection is nourishing them was, like, was wasn't heard of. Like, that wasn't the consensus of the scientific community. So Harry Harlow does a series of experiments,

and they're relatively famous. So they have to do with, like, monkeys and they they basically created situations where there was, a evil monkey mom and, like, an affectionate monkey mom. And the evil monkey mom had, like, had This is great. Had the T shirt. It had the food. The evil monkey mom had the food and the nice and the the the affectionate monkey mom which was like so like it was like a white hold on. I should find you I should find here, let me show you a picture of this a picture of this monkey

of this evil mom. You call them Monkey mom. Show me What are they? Puppets? Oh, man.

It's I want it to go bigger. Show me bigger. Oh, boy. This is not this isn't helping. Here, I'll show just a little bit, Mike. So wait. Here can you guys see okay. See that on the left? So that's that's one of the that's the it's it's it's like a monkey made out of a cage. Uh-huh. See this over here? It's like a wire monkey. And then there's a soft one. It's got like a like a towel or a terry cloth on it. Got it. So they put the food on the evil monkey mom and sometimes it had spikes and stuff on it too. Jeez.

Sometimes it had electricity. And and and so what they found was though was that, like, the monkey would spend so they felt like the kid the the the common knowledge was the connection was between what they were they're being provided, what they needed to survive, food. K? So what would happen though is that the monkey would hang around the evil mom or the harsh mom for just enough time as it took to eat and then would spend the vast majority of its day cuddled up to the affectionate mom. Right? So, like and that wasn't the expected behavior. Like, we look at that and go, okay. I kinda get that. But, like, the expected behavior was they stay where the food is provided. They did additional experiments where, like, every once in a while, they were they the

soft monkey mom would, like, shove the monkey away, and it would still kinda come back and try to correct the problem or try to reconnect with it where it never did any of that with, like, the the the evil one. The the one that The evil one. The one that just had the food. And they also found that, like, in the presence of, like, the soft monkey mom, it it was the the young monkeys were more willing to, like, explore

and more willing to play and have fun and things, where they did that that behavior was not demonstrated when the only monkey mom that was there was, like, the one that was cold cold and harsh. Anyway, the so the the I was listening to this this thing and I thought, boy, that's super interesting. And then I thought, like, what a lack of humility we have. Think about think about people who are saying, hey. The the science is settled. Hey. The government says this is the government recommendation, so we're gonna stick to this thing. Hey. Your doctor knows. And, like, I I get it. I'm wading into territory where, like, crazy folk live. I hear what you're saying.

But, like, within reason, what I'm telling you is is that that sixty, seventy years ago, the common wisdom across all three parts of that were your kids don't need affection. It's it's best not to hug them. It's best not to pick them up. Now it's not clear how much of the how much of the nation actually followed those instructions. But, like, the point was is is is is as we look at this and, like, are certain things going on in the world and they're like, look, this this is done. This the science is settled on this thing. And I'm like, here's the deal. It it may be right. I'm not saying some of these things aren't right. I'm just saying, like, carry a modicum of humility with you. Like, when we look at some of the some of the mistakes that we've made being so certain

because of what? Like, because we looked at something so narrowly. And it's possible that we didn't have the we didn't know the right questions to ask until we were certain until we knew the right questions to ask, and then we started asking those, then we became less certain. That's actually a pretty normal pattern. But to, like, to put your foot down and say every reasonable question has been asked and this thing is settled, it it it totally lacks humility. And so it it it prescribes one from a theological perspective just to just retain some grace here. Retain some grace on when you say, look, this thing is, like, totally settled and done. It doesn't mean that there's not facts. It doesn't mean that there's not firm things about what we believe. I'm just some peeps people are fighting over things

where certainly some grace is is necessary. And then I think the same thing on the level of certainty that we have in certain areas of our lives and coming from certain levels of authority, be

cautious with the per with with groups of people who are saying, hey. We're we still have questions. We still have the right questions. We can't continue to work to answer these things because it lacks humility to call these things as, like, settled and done when, obviously, we've been majorly wrong and made in significant areas. As about people. About things like this. As a wide swath of people, we've been wrong. Yeah. Hey. It's okay to own people. This is done. We know this for a fact. Like, it's like, it's preposterous. Right? Like, things that things answers that we have come to in some form or another that we people convince themselves of something or they felt like they justified it in some way or another. I'm just saying, like, the there are legit, like, folks on the peripheral who who are who are wacko. But sometimes they look just like the same people who are saying, hey. I have other questions, though. Like, I don't think we're finished asking the right types of questions. Can we answer them? And and here's the deal. Science should always be for that. That's the that's one of the best things about the framework of science. It's it's like it's always open to questions and saying, hey. That's wacky. Let's test it. Let's see if it's right. And if it's right, then we change how we think. If it's not right, then we stop talking about it because it's not right. Anyway, sorry. Long time. Right? It just like, that the humility thing has been sticking with me, and I and I just I've noticed it more and more in a bunch of different circles.

It creates all kinds of funky questions because it said, well, look, where we have humility, does that mean we can't call an apple an apple? No. It it doesn't mean that. I'm just the the the I believe our theology can stand up to to basically any question. Science should as a is a framework that is capable of handing questions within the sphere that it's capable of answering, within that science is capable of answering. And

and sometimes the peripheral of society are the people who are still asking questions, which frankly was early Christianity. Like, relative to Judaism, like, people were like, you know, maybe we got this thing wrong about about taking over Rome. We just we we didn't quite get this thing right. Listen to this thing that's can we can we check the scripture and see if this is right? That's true. That was the pharisees on the other end going you know, where people are like, maybe this is the Christ. Maybe he is a prophet. No. No. He's definitely not that, and you worship the devil for thinking that. You know what saying? Like, that's basically what we're talking about here. Yeah. Anyway, it it it opens a very big pot of gray and I understand that. I just it hit me that it's pretty cons I it's pretty consistent in major areas of things that I dabble in where we lack humility, we run risk. Yeah. I don't wanna be hanging around with an evil monkey mom. No. What's the other one called? Soft mama?

I I don't remember. Don't remember. Some of these some of these stories about these monkeys were just he was harsh. Like, they were they're, like, blind testing. Like I said, they, like every once in while, the monkey it's the nice one would have a spike on it or, like, would have a mechanical means to, like, smack it smack it across a room or something. I tell you, I got we got sheep. Like, we got sheep last weekend. And one of them is a boy named Carl. And I thought, I don't want these stupid sheep. I mean, I didn't think that. We kind of always wanted sheep. Right? But like, don't wanna be I don't I don't wanna love these sheep because then when they die, I got problems. Right? So it turns out this Carl sheep, he just loves me. I mean, he's like my son. This man follows me around everywhere.

And if you say, Carl, like you like to say you're mad at him, like, on The Walking Dead when the guy's mad at his son. Carl. You give him to Carl and then he gets his head all wobbling around and then he just follows you everywhere jumping and hauling around. And I'm like, you bring joy to me, Carl. And I just wanna be mad at you, and I can't do it. You're my favorite. And I am Carl's nice monkey mama. That's what that story reminded me of. The girls are the mean monkey who feeds them more, and I'm the one that cuddles Carl. Okay.

Great. That's fantastic, Mike. Thank you. I'm low on actual helpful input, so I'll just regale you stories of my life. Hey, speaking of stories, there was a rumor going around

that that Boova insisted for the last two weeks that people refer to him under the nickname pudding pop. Wow. Oh. But he had to emphasize pop and and and eventually, he just switched it to Pudding Papa because he liked that better. Pudding Papa is cool. Anyway, Booba, do you have anything to say for yourself? Okay. I didn't think so. No defense.

Man, Booba, you're an enigma. You're just you're you're un you're unscrutable through sex. No no one can affront the putty Putty pop. Yeah.

That's cool. Man. Alright. You're wild, Buba. You wild times. Here's the deal. I'd buy a pudding pop and a uni suit. I I buy it. It's it's a 100% true. Man, if that pudding came out to flap, that would be the best. No.

I'd pay double. Why did that have to happen that way? It's just what I thought of. Yo. We don't have to air this one either. That's a that's a complaint line. (515)

517-0085. Hey. That's also the that's the line or text message to to to shoot us. If you see pudding papa roaming around town. If he's on if he's on the lamb, if he's on the coral, you just tell us what's going on. Dying a coral. (515) 517-0085.

Why would a respected evangelical leader like Frank Chan agree to speak at major events that also feature controversial prosperity gospel preachers? The short answer, full colon, to share the truth. The popular author and former pastor recently came under would you call him a former pastor? Who? Chan? Yeah. No. He's current pastor, isn't he? Just because he doesn't run some mega giant church. He run houses churches in in California or something? Yeah. Yeah. He he does. He runs a network of house churches. I just wonder, is that a title that goes away? Reverend doesn't. People call people reverend until they die. Woah. What do you call a pastor that when he retires? Did you say you still Like a like post Frank. Poster. Yeah.

I mean, I would still call you pastor Dan even after you retire. I don't know. I I don't know. It's not your job, it's your life given by the lord. Exactly. I can't take that away. The lord bestowed it. Yeah. I like how it's a calling until you cash in at 66. Until the government says you're done. Then it's just a job. Now I'm at Walmart. Yeah.

Anyway, yeah, Boof agrees. It's not a it's a poster. The popular author and former, poster recently came under scrutiny for appearing on the same stage as televangelist Benny Hinn and Canadian evangelist Todd White when he was top billed speaker at The Send, a 60,000 person rally held in Orlando Stadium last month. The event, not to be confused with Send International or the North American Mission Board's Send Conference Okay. Okay. Is that a is that a problem?

Was a collaboration involving several major leaders in the charismatic and new apostolic reformation movement. What's that, Ben? I don't know. It's got a hyperlink, which I don't wanna follow. Right. Probably gonna be a survey. Including the calls Lou Engel, Bethel Church's Bill Johnson, and and International House of Prayer's Mike Bickel. K. Okay. Primarily, the charismatic population. Charismatic. Yeah. Yeah. Some Christians question Chance play hey. I feel like my humility thing's gonna come in here. Some Christians question Chance place on the roster, particularly when White, who told the young crowd that God would instantly remove the mark and stain of sin from their bodies,

including STDs and cutting stars. Okay. I'm out on that one. Shared a picture of the pair praying together. I mean, that I'm more What's what's wrong with Christian people? Yeah. Whatever. Like, I might not believe the he's gonna cure all your STDs, right, and cutting scars, but like sharing a picture of the two praying together, right the heck on. I mean, they're like, we don't agree with what these people teach. How dare someone I agree with what teaches teaches with them. Yeah. Right. Well, isn't that a good thing? I mean Yeah. Right. I mean, yeah. Where truth is told, I feel like we're in. Another

photo turned up of what this is about photos? Another photo turned up of Chan between him, who had not been listed on the public lineup for the event, and fellow faith healer Jean Luc Trassel. Chan recently acknowledged these concerns and explained why he prefers to speak among crowds who believe fall outside of his own even though he considers the prosperity gospel to be dangerous teaching. Because oftentimes, I decline speaking requests because other speakers will be at the event who believe almost exactly what I believe. My reasoning is that I may be a waste of kingdom resources for all of us to be there, speaking largely to people who already agree with us. I like Francis Chan. Chan wrote on the site for his church planting network, we are church. It seems more effective to speak where there's less bible teaching.

Yeah. Okay. Chan stated that he believes he can be most effective in places where he is not in alignment theologically so as long as he is permitted to preach freely from scripture. Over the past few years, I've seen many people come to truly follow Jesus, have a deeper love for the scriptures, and a deeper commitment to the great commission. There are millions of souls that sit under weak or unorthodox teachings. It thrills me to think about what the spirit might do through his word in those situations.

Yeah. This sounds alright. Yeah. When they said some Christians, who are talking about, Bill? Know You what I'm saying? Is there just, like, some crotchety Bill who's like, Chan or the hen? You know, actually, I think this is the gets to the the the point of it here. Says, still Chan acknowledged that he sees how his participation in certain events or willingness to take a selfie can sometimes imply endorsement of fellow speakers and that he does not always research each and every one. As a result of the recent pushback, he said he would consider adding a research team and working with elders to prevent confusion over his future appearances. So I get it. I get it. Right? Like, the the this is actually a pretty common concern is that, like, if I associate with x situation in any way, it implies that I've endorsed it. And here's the thing. I I think we gotta be bigger than that. I I mean, does he have nothing from which we know what he teaches? Yeah. Right. 49 books, 700 Exactly. Thousand hours of teaching. I mean I mean,

all of a sudden, it's like, oh, he's lost it. Yeah. He takes one picture with Benny Hinn and all of a sudden, they're like, well, that forgotten holy spirit book I read by him is obviously crap. Look at him standing next to the hen. I you know, I I can think of a guy who was accused of this many times. Jesus. Yeah. Right. Who hung out with people, and just because he hanging out with and loving them don't mean he endorses with what they're doing. All And of a sudden, we were ready to hit Chan on the head with a flower pot because he he hung out with other people who claimed to follow Jesus. And Chan goes, yeah. I was there.

That's fine. I was there. Maybe they needed to hear about Jesus. Yeah. Was like that it's that remember that Lauren Daigle conversation we were having a number of months ago where people were hosed? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I gotta be honest. As an organization, we gotta get rid of these people. I mean, I'll be honest. We've just we've tolerated this for way too long. You know, where we're like, yeah, there's some crazy wings of organization who pipe up every time the toilet gets flushed and a bobbity bobbity. Hey. There's big trouble. We just need to sack them. We need to get them out of there. We need to we'll bring two brothers. I we'll just follow the program. We bring two guys, and we say, look. You're bobbity bobbity. It's gotta end with this constant accusation of other Christians with you and your giant telescope you keep at your house and that you look at everybody all the time with the with the questions. And if you don't quit it, we're gonna kick you out of here. I think we need to take away their Internet privileges.

Yeah. And we, as the the as fellow brothers in the church, get to do that. Right? Didn't Paul call these people busybodies? Yes. Yeah. I mean, they have been called out directly. Francis Chan hanging out with Benny Hinn, not a direct Jesus or Paul quote. Right? But the guy who sticks his nose where it don't belong, a b conversation, here's old c Phil in there doofus around. He's gotta go. We have to I'm I'm serious now. We we have less toleration for this. We've tolerated this for way too long. It'll it allows the whole process to get dragged into mud, and you're literally ignoring with what Jesus and and Paul said how to deal with people when they act like this. Hey. Could you do you feel like it's wrong to be can we open a cup again a company called Ormore gathered? We're like, it's our job to show up and be the be the muscle around these types of things. Someone's like, look. Look. Ted's being a real jerk hole, and,

let me call in the guys from Ormore gathered. And he's already has the uniform. I mean, here's the deal. Where's the where's the article that says some Christians have given, whatever, talk back with the some Christians that are worried about Francis Chan. Right? They should come interview the rest of the Christian population who goes, we don't back what this man is saying. Like, there's a couple grumpy people on the Internet mad about Francis Chan. This is dumb.

We'll kick them out. We just called our friends. Hey. Why you let your friend act like this? Is there no accountability? Iron sharpens iron. You got a guy walking around a copper pot making all kinds of noise over here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. We could go online and we could say, hey. The Christian Post talked to Frank Thomas, and Frank says that I think Francis Chan should not do this and he's making it very difficult to understand what is truth and what is not. And then we could is it wrong to go on to Facebook and say, does anybody know Frank Thomas? Because we'd be willing to come with you as you castigate your friends Yes. For acting like a fool. I here's the problem. It's like it it Chance maybe I'm disappointed in what Chance said here. He's like, I'm gonna get a research team and we're gonna see what's what. I'm gonna be more careful. You're just playing into the to the broken fiddle from earlier. Right? The guy gets up to runs his stupid fiddle, and then you're like, yeah, we gotta support the fiddle man. And I realized that there's trying to love people and not trying to lead other people astray. But the to to the kingdom resources point, where you don't double bill with a bunch of people who already think like you, now we're putting money into research assistants and other dudes to make sure that we don't offend people on the Internet. Yeah. Let me ask this question, Dan. So, like, let's say there's a ball all convention and three priests of ball all go, you know what, Dan? We'd like you to speak at this convention.

If you're allowed to teach the the word of the lord, you show up? Yeah. Of course, do. Yeah. Of course you do. And so, like like and it was other Christians are like, oh, man. He went to that ball convention. Yeah. I'd go and I would say, hey. Is your god, like, having trouble maybe having a bowel movement? Mean, he doesn't seem to be listening to you right now. Was like, I'd have all kinds of fun with him. Yeah. And so and, like, you wouldn't even think of that. And so we we seem yeah. We gotta get we gotta get rid of this thought process of, like, hey, I I'm concerned about who I'm going to be seen with. Christianity gets to do that. We just we get to do that. We were like, I don't care. I I'm telling you right now, you're the point of this article and the point that that that that the lord is bringing to your ears and hearts right now is we have to stop tolerating it. Stop letting this happen.

Just find the guy. If I if he's your buddy, you gotta tell him to quit it. Tell him to stop acting that way. We just laugh and like, there's a crazy dude in his Christianity. We we somebody's to go talk to him. It's important. It matters. Right? It matters that that that that people think like this. It matters that they're they're castigating an entire a man that's done, I'd say, a considerable amount of good towards spreading the gospel around. Right? And and and likes to throw just a little chink in his armor just so people go, yeah, maybe that guy's right. Maybe he is best friends with him, and they're just swimming in their Scrooge McDuck money pile somewhere. Yeah. That's no good. We we should allow it. Okay. So tangible steps, Mike. You see this going on. You just say, hey. Knock it off. Hey. Listen. We're not gonna tolerate this.

Yeah. And he'll say, you can't stop me. I said, I'm gonna go get another fella, and we're gonna come back. Make don't make me get another fella. And then I'm gonna bring him. And then if you don't show up, we're gonna bring everybody, and then we're gonna pull you out. And you're gonna be like a tax collector to me, which means I love you. And you need to stop your ways, and you come back in. Yeah. I'm gonna send Francis Chan and Benny Hinn to your place Yeah. That's right. To talk to you. It says, though the problem isn't new, Billy Graham was criticized by fundamentalist Bob Jones for associating with liberal ministers at his crusades in the fifties and by fellow believers for his willingness to speak in communist nations in the cold war era. What is we've been we've had this problem forever. Yep. Christians have been paying closer attention to theological clashes in speaker lineups in recent years. Yeah. Hold on. Just to just to bring that into perspective is because the ability to meet in a mass auditorium with a lineup of, like, five guys over a whole day with plenty of places to stay for hotels and electricity,

that's fairly new in the last fifty years. Kitten Ham, the founder of the Creation Museum, lost his spot at several homeschooling conferences in 2011 when he criticized another speaker, BioLogos Peter Enns, for not sharing his strictly literal reading of Genesis. James James McDonald's controversial decision to invite TD Jakes, who had espoused a oneness view of the trinity, the elephant room event eventually led to McDonald's resignation from the Gospel Coalition in 2012.

What's a oneness view of the trinity? I don't know. That they're one? They're not maybe not separate, not three persons? I don't know how that's possible. I mean, wouldn't doesn't it stop being called the Trinity? Anyway, last year, there was enough scrutiny around Louisville pastor CJ Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Church that he withdrew from the Together of the Gospel Conference rather than bring fellow speakers into the fray. Now, that's a little bit different. His his ministry was criticized of of abusive practices.

Oh. That's not the same thing as, hey, we have some theological disagreements. Right on. Anyway, there's a grow there's a growing awareness around whether conferences feature women and people of color. Christine Cain defended her decision to participate in the Nines conference in 2003 as one of just three women on a lineup of over 100. Leadership network and other groups have heated concerns over speaker diversity. I mean,

it's it's making good the enemy imperfect here. Like, let's if we're making progress, right, one you know, if we're making some progress here, can we just can't we be happy and then desire more as opposed to just saying, look, I I must be given exactly what I expect and people with my exact theological leanings. Otherwise, I refuse to take the stage. It's just a wrong thought. Dan warned the follower followers that he plans to continue to accept invitation to conferences whose speakers fall outside his own beliefs. I recognize now more than ever that sometimes my participation can give the impression that I align with every other speaker at the event. I'm not sure what to do about that other than to tell you that I don't. Yeah. So

My personal belief is that there are two to 3,000,000 orthodox American Christians who consume all the same books, blogs, and podcasts. Meanwhile, there are millions who will never hear strong biblical teaching unless teachers are willing to go. I might be fooling myself, but I feel like the spirit enables me to lovingly confront difficult issues, and I have seen repentance result from it. Yeah. I agree. I support Chan

in the things he said. I can't align with him completely, lest people peep people stop following me on Twitter. Trying to think of like, if anything jumps out as any caveats to this. I mean, it's to his here's the thing. If he was doing anything for his own glory, it makes way more sense for him to stay in his own wheelhouse, accept his accolades with people who won't not to ruffle any feathers. You know what I'm saying? And just just coast on.

But, like, obviously, the the only reason he would risk any of this is to do just exactly what he said. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, here here's the here's the core thing. Right? Is that, like,

people are lazy, and they're as they're trying to evaluate things from the cheap seats. And I meaning that, like, you're not even close so, like, if you wanna evaluate let's take anybody. Take Francis Chan. Right? Like, I wanna evaluate what he said at that conference with three other people because you you know what he said and you can go read it or whatever and you have a thought on it as to whether it's theologically right. Okay. That's a worthwhile discussion. But the thought to say, well, I saw you with a picture with this dude, and I think you shouldn't. Like, that's cheap sheet cheap seat laziness.

Mhmm. You have no idea what he said. And so, like, I don't, it's, like, in light in in absence of evidence, I'm just gonna take the closest association, assume that there's trouble, and then tell everybody about it. Social media has done this. Right? Well, mean, it doesn't sound like it sounds like Billy Graham was facing the same problem in the fifties. Yeah. But he didn't even get railed for it like he is right now. Last year, he's probably getting more play on it today. Yeah. Right. In the fifties, there might have been one article on it buried on page 15, you know, right be right behind the box scores and, like, Billy Graham did something iffy and people like, you know. But now here it comes, you know, fifty years later, we're like a Billigram, he turned up the communist China. He's over here preaching away.

Yeah. Okay. Anyway, that's good. Mike, wait. Woah. Oh, you already asked your question. Yeah. That was it. Yeah. Okay. Here's a terrible survey. Evangelicals in The United States are holding steady at just under a quarter of the population.

What what? 25%? Hey, man. What? What? Didn't we when the last time we looked at this, you had, like, 80% of people said we believe in in the lord? And I and but Christians represent 25%?

Well, they're evangelicals. That's that's that's different. Oh, I don't care about that. You know, big chunk of them might have been Lutherans or I don't care about just that, I guess. Let's see here. Let's let's just look look at what's rising here to two from 2010. Let's see. Jewish people are about the same. Other faiths are about the same. Black Protestants are down. Well, not since 2010, about the same. Mainline denominations had a bit of a bump in the last year. The people under no religion have gone from roughly 18%

to 24%. Everybody else is on the decline, especially Catholic and evangelical. To to be honest, with the way that those two terms are are used either rightly or wrongly in the media, I assume that's

mostly associated with it. Okay. Anyway, none of the stuff is inter I thought there was I thought there was an interesting part of it. It was just about evangelicals. Don't know. Yeah. Okay.

I think that's all I what what do you you got some advice on Dear Life from the Path? Dear, Thyme from the Path. I am a single mother of two young children. I decided to have gastric bypass surgery several years ago. Nine months after the procedure, I began drinking alcohol. The drinking became progressively heavier, and within a few months, I was a full blown alcoholic.

It is as if I gave up binge eating for binge drinking. It took a year of struggle to stop with the help of my friends and family who pushed me to seek inpatient treatment. I'm now almost three months sober. Both with sobriety, I have lost a lot of the kindness oh, but with sobriety, I've lost a lot of the kindness from my support system. Despite my many apologies, some have told me of their disgust for me, and others have cut ties to me completely. I believe their efforts to encourage me to seek help were driven by the fact that I was a drunk mom. They wanted help for me so I could be a fit parent.

However, now that I am in recovery, they no longer want to be a part of my life. The shame is real and so is the loneliness. I'm now at a point where I need to ask, am I justified to feel insulted by their lack of support and happiness for me to down to that I'm healthy and being the best mom I can? Or should I accept that I really messed up and be grateful that I had help at all? I don't I don't clear I'm not clear. So the people encouraged her to to get help and she got help, now they don't like her. Did she get help? Did I hear that right? Is that

So I guess may I'm I'm guessing on on what I think is going on here, right? But like I could see this path pretty clear, to the point where like you absolutely

want what what the person needs is help. Person with addiction needs help. Right? And you're just begging them, get help, get help, get help. And as soon as they get it, then the the danger in the in the bystander's mind is over. They're not gonna they're not gonna accidentally kill themselves, they're gonna kill somebody else, their health is turning around. And then it sets in that like, man, actually, now that I look back at the last three years, you've brought me nothing but pain. And if you're not if you're not in any physical danger of hurting yourself, I to be honest, I don't want anything to do with you. You're just you're just a pain. You're a pain to me. You bring me sadness. You tore up my life the last two, three years, and you seem like you're getting better at my job's done. I've I lifted this because you couldn't lift it. Now it's your turn to lift it, and I want out.

If someone's a jerk, you're willing to bypass that out of concern for their physical, well-being. Yes, Once that part is tucked up, now you come back to the fact that they're still a jerk. Yes. And you don't wanna do Or or I mean, maybe their behavior changed, after their, after they got help for their addiction. But, I mean, the past five years, all you got is remembrance of them being a jerk. And so you have a hard time believing

the first three months of sobriety. This is the new me. You're like, yeah. I don't know. I watched five years of a jerk. I'll wait this out. I'll wait it out and see. Right? Or or they're even in a place to be where they feel like they're competent enough to be held accountable for the things you were pissed at. Yeah. Now that you now that you're functioning as a full human being without dull dull faculties, let me tell you what you did. You know? And and, I mean, the outsider may wanna let them have it and say, look. Here's the things you missed out on because you were passed out drunk. You left me to watch your kids at three in the morning without even telling me. You know? And I showed I had to go pick you up from the you remember that when I had to get you out of jail? Oh, you forgot that one because you were drunk again. Right? Like, all these repressed stuff that that people are willing to jove away in a corner because they're more worried about your physical well-being that you're not they you know, they're gonna so you're gonna hurt yourself. And then I think once that gets done, people are like, yeah.

I mean, here's the thing. We're we haven't got quite to the advice part, but I'm a tell you right now, I'm a tell you the same thing that I told somebody else, here in the recent past. Most people don't know how to do this. Right? Just as much as you don't know, this is your first experience being a recovering, insert whatever, alcoholic,

binge eater, whatever. Right? People aren't a 100% how to walk through this with you either and you have to try to have as much grace for them in your recovery as they had for you at your worst part when they still showed up and still tried to get you into treatment, still tried to help you, and still took your phone call after you did all these things to them.

They're not real sure how and how to interact with you most of the time. They're very mad at you. You put them in some terrible situations. You know, you you really screwed up and they paid the price for it. They carried the weight of most of your bad decisions. And I don't think they necessarily wanna throw it back on you. I think they just want the weight off of them and wanna watch you carry it for a while. And you're gonna have to give them a little grace to to have that happen. I think that's that's harder. It's it's why they recommend people who are,

close family friends or family, or friends with people who have addictions to go to AA too. Right? It's to understand the thing and deal with like, as you're the person that took on all the weight from whatever that addiction didn't just wreck the guy or the gal, it wrecked the people around them. And, you know, the addict can turn around and get help and then everyone else is sitting there harboring anger and and just nasty inside of them for years. And they need the same amount of help to get through it and see what happened

without so obviously, without knowing your personal situation or the lengths of the problem that you caused, I would say you'd probably be best to try to give the most grace you could muster. And I would pray for more than you got because you ain't gonna have enough. You're gonna feel like everyone probably abandoned you and everybody's probably mad at you. Truth is, they probably are mad at you. You probably tore their life up for a while and and infringed on them on living the life that they wanted to live and that what they saw was good and they felt that they had to abandon their own plans to come sweep up after whatever mess you created. And so three months,

I I think you're gonna have to have a lot more grace than that. I'd put it in the years category and I wouldn't expect any instant turnarounds. If she's if she's in a 12 step program, I don't you know, who knows what her treatment was? Part part of one of the steps is to make amends and being honest with with and taking the inventory of what you have done to other people. Part of that is really owning up to the

difficulty the other people are having right now. And the things you just mentioned, Mike. I mean, you know, how you mistreated them and how you blew up their lives and everything. So you wouldn't you know, I I would encourage her not to take it personally, but to to be happy they got her as far as they have. But but she needs to be working on her end of of that and making amends and and being honest with what they you know, with what she did to them and and as well as to herself and how how she drug them with down with her. So And I don't know what I've not been to a 12 step program or had a ton of experience with it. But

do they do they make mention of, like, people's reaction might I mean, it's not a movie. Right? Like, people aren't just gonna instantly throw their hands up and go, finally, an apology is the best I've ever heard. Oh, right. We're buds. Right? They don't trust you at all. Even people could even people can even before. Forgive you. Yeah. Right? They can legit and mean it. They can forgive you and they're not mad anymore, but they just don't wanna hang around you. You're freaking bad news. Right. You brought nothing but bad news and I'm not mad at you and I'm not holding against you, but to be honest, every time you come over here, something gets torn up. Right? Either my life, my heart, my house, whatever, the kids, I don't know, whatever. But you just bring bad news with you. And so you're gonna have to give people a little bit of space to realize five years sober and then we'll talk about it. That's right. That'll maybe believe it. And it seems really mean, from from the addicts, recovering addicts, I could see that's just heartbreaking. Mhmm. Right? The things that you wanted most are now nobody wants anything to do with you. But I mean, I I think if you own that correctly, you can love them enough to see what you did and realize that why they are the way they are. They're not jerks. They don't hate you. They still love you. They just don't want anything to do with you right now because you bring a tornado of mess.

That's just true. And and addicts tend to live in the moment. That that's that's their problem. So so they're not thinking long term. They're not they're not thinking future or past. They're they're right now, I'm not participating in my addiction. And and so they're like, well, can't you celebrate with me? I I mean, you know, that's that's where she's at. Well, you shouldn't you should be happy for me. You you we should be in this together.

And everybody else knows, well, tomorrow, you're going back. Yeah. It's up in the air. You know, maybe. I mean, hope we hope you don't. Yeah. It depends on how many times you've done this dance with them or whatever. And and, like, I mean, addiction's a real deal. It's not mean, we're not making light of of the addiction part of it. Right. I think what we're more more saying is that, from the addict's perspective, you have to realize that, like, you're you're moving on to bigger and better things. You have to give people a chance to come with you. Yeah. You can't force them there and you gotta give them a little bit of time. And when I say little, like, I'm I'm I'm serious. Like, I don't think years are out of the question. Because if you took up the last ten years with your shenanigans, the the three months or the six months that you've put in for to not shenanigans, they're just trying to catch a breath right now. They're getting a six month breath in where they're not waiting for every phone call to be another shenanigan.

Right. You know? And so, like, give them a year and then they start to go, I haven't had any shenanigan phone calls in a year. I wonder how so and so is doing. Man, I'm I'm so and then when they talk to you and find out that there's still no shenanigans and that, like, you might be working somewhere and things might be going okay and you're doing what you said you'd do, then they're they go, man, I I really love this person. You know, like, that relationship will rebuild itself, but I think you gotta have a ton of grace for people like that. It's just it's a tough position to be in. What's the what's secular advice? Secular's advice says. It would be healthier to keep your eye on the positive and be grateful for the help you were given, but also be healthier for you to associate with people who make you feel good about yourself, which may not be your family and current friends.

In the past, I advised that sometimes it's necessary to build a support network or a family of choice, and this is what I'm recommending you do. Yeah. That's that's legit. Yeah. I here's the thing is I I don't like that answer for a couple of reasons but it's for the same reason that I'm wrong about some of the parables. Right? You don't have to answer the whole thing in one suggestion. Right? Like,

if that's not, there's part of that that doesn't go. I need you to really realize that you tore some stuff up. You know? That's more the that's more on the, the the support system side that says, I need you to feel what you did. Right? Instead of, we just need to focus on you getting better and getting out of this thing and letting these relationships repair themselves. And that is the truth. That is where the focus probably needs to be. So that's pretty solid advice. Anybody disagree? No. But but speaking of bad advice

Right. It sounded like over Saint Patrick's Day, Buva had mistaken the the phrase leprechaun for leprechaun and he he was downtown yelling unclean unclean for the whole holiday. Wow, Buva. As a leprechaun. Don't you feel like the pudding papa deserves to do better in the world? The problem is you say it so fast. It sounds right, but who who knows these things?

Supporting papa knows. Anyway, it's a regret. But, Boo, would you have any any defend no. No defenses. Okay. Dear, life from the path. I turned 17 last month. I have a boyfriend who's 20, but my parents don't know about him yet. That's that's best. Wants to get an apartment and have me move in with him on my eighteenth birthday. Solid.

However, I promised my mom and and papa that I would take care of them. I want him to find an apartment nearby with the promise that I'll move in with him when I'm ready. How can I do that without disappointing him or hurting my parents' feelings? What the flying heck? Hold on. We'll start over a bit. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not kidding. I mean, I turned 17 last month, on the board. I have a boyfriend who is 20, but my parents don't know about him yet. That's not good. He wants to get an apartment and have me move in with him on my eighteenth birthday. No. You've already plotted living together and your parents don't even know that you're dating? Bold move. Nice. However, she says, I'm guessing, I promised my mother and father that I would take care of them. Pause. No explanation on why or is she just overly generous with the rest of her life?

I've plotted out nothing except for I plan to be here and serve dinner. After I get out of the mandatory government issued school, I will be here for life. Solid. Continues. I want him to find an apartment nearby with the promise that I'll move in with him when I'm ready. I don't even think you need to make that promise. How can I do that without disappointing him or hurting my parents' feelings?

Wow. We're gonna address a couple side issues before we get to the main event here. One, I want him to find an apartment nearby with the promise that I'll move in with him when I'm ready. Okay. None of those words even needs to be said. He don't live with you. He ain't married to you. You ain't married to him. Tell him to get an apartment wherever wherever he wants to. It's none of your business. It would say, hey, if you could live close to me, then I could walk over and visit you or I could borrow my dad's car and whatever. That's fine. But, like, I don't think you gotta promise him nothing. As soon as he makes a promise to you, then we'll talk. But unnecessary

to try to get the man to live by you or try to orchestrate where he lives. Second of all, if he was 20, I have I have no idea why you're hiding it from me, mom and dad. I mean, do they just notoriously take any news poorly? Doesn't matter what's being said, hey, dad, son's out. Dang it. I had enough. I mean, I don't I mean, is there something wrong with a man that they're not gonna like? You're right. You shouldn't be dating, and I they should have canceled Game of Thrones two seasons ago. Yeah. That's right. Can't believe Jeopardy's on again. Overall,

I don't understand why you're hiding it. Third of all, I don't understand why you've pledged to take care of your mother and dad for life. Like, is one or more of them disabled in some way? You've you've left you've included no details in the story that would Yeah. Explain any of your behavior. Yeah. I mean, there's it's it's kind of an odd question because, like, if you're saying, hey. I said I'd take care of them and they're gonna be upset. Is that the same thing as I said I'd take care of them and I'm gonna not do it and they're gonna be in the real straights because they can't take care of themselves? Like, those are two entirely different situations. Yeah. Yeah.

And, like, the first one well, so let's go with the second one first, is the easiest one. Hey, like, legitimately, you said you take care of them or that's they're relying on it and you're just gonna move out and hope they're not mad. I mean, that's outrageous. Yeah. But but the first one was is that, like, if you said you were gonna take care of them and they agreed to it without any concept that you actually need to live a life outside of their home and they don't actually require it, they were a bit ridiculous. Yeah. Maybe you should move out. I mean, not with that guy. Yeah.

If my I mean, literally, my daughter came up to me at 17 and said, dad, I will take care of you in this house forever. Starting next year. I'd say, you gotta get out. No. No. You're not staying here for the rest of your days. Go do something. This holds things weird. Yeah. I I there's just not enough information. Right. Right. Okay. Let's hear what Secular says. He's got the gun all loaded. Secular says, stop hiding this man from your parents because what you're doing is immature and dishonest. Yeah. That's true. His feelings for you are sincere. He would want to meet them, and he wouldn't ask you to do anything you weren't ready to do. While the idea of moving in with him may seem romantic, there are more important things you need to accomplish before you do. First among them is to become self supporting so you can live independently on your own. That way, if things don't work out with him as you would like, you won't be on the street with nowhere to go. You can go as though with your mom and dad. Yeah. That doesn't seem to Take care of Children weren't put on this earth to spend their adult lives taking care of their parents. Unless yours are the exception, both of them should be young and vigorous enough to take care of each other.

Vigorous? I see that as that's a little inflated. I mean, just as a let's say just as a newspaper columnist, I would say, look, the flat out there's just not enough listen. If you guys are gonna write me, you're gonna have to tell me more of the situation. You're giving me, like, half of a playbill here and want me to decide if I like to play or not. I I I can't tell you.

Right. Hey. There's it's like, hey. There's giraffe poop in the middle of the living room. What should I do? Yeah. I have a lot of questions. Yeah. Is the giraffe still there? Yeah. Do you own a giraffe? Did a neighbor bring it in? Yeah. There's a difference between, like, call the zoo and you should probably take the giraffe to lessons so it doesn't do that. Yeah. Like, depends whether you own the giraffe or not. Did the dog do it? Because that's double freaky. Alright. You want you want one more? Maybe her parents are leprechauns. Okay. Go ahead. Here we go. Last one. You're alive from the path, leprechauns.

I take care of two girls. I've never asked for money from their dad. Because they are poor, I go to great lengths to make sure they get the same advantages as everyone else. Not necessary, incidentally. I took the girls to the hair salon because I wanted them to feel pretty. When it when it was the youngest girl's turn, the stylist found lice in her hair. She was at what they call an infestation period. After that,

it's an infection and then baldness. I went to their father and asked about the lice. He knew the entire time that she had lice and did not warn me or my family. Lie from the path he knowingly put my loved ones at risk, exclamation point. He isn't a good parent and doesn't make the younger shower or take lice treatments. I know he doesn't care about the lice, though he's probably making her go to school despite the lice policy. What should I do? Wow. I mean, I feel like you kinda knew that.

Where's the out I mean, the the outrage seems misplaced. Like, the exclamation point seems misplaced. Like, it seems like you knew that he was kinda this way, that's why you've been helping to take care of these things. I mean Yeah. I mean, as a course of fact, I I I get that you've, you know, you've been treated poorly, but but the outrage seems, you know He's a single dad. Up for it. Yeah. Yeah. Does say he's a single dad?

I I never asked money from their dad because they're poor, go to great lengths, took the hair salon. I feel like it's a single dad. Yeah. Yeah. Right? I here's what I'm gonna tell you about single dads. He may or may not know. I mean, lice is a deal, but like, whether he's like, I don't care if your family gets infected, he's probably like, well, they got the lice. I mean, we'll wash a couple times, maybe the lice goes away. I don't know. Like, they I I I don't think he intentionally dumped him over there assuming that your place was gonna get infected and he had this big forethought of malice, he probably just didn't put any thought into it. He might just be a little bit on the slow side on the way things are supposed to go. I didn't know lice was red. I thought you just got it and then it died and it went away. I didn't think he had to treat it. I didn't know it bounced from one person to another. What the heck do I know about lice? Why do I care? You know? I'm gonna give the guy the benefit of doubt. I think that you dumped the kids in the in the hair salon to make them feel pretty. I would feel like you should just say, look, you're pretty. I think you could build things up organically and maybe not have to spend money on them, especially setting that up to make their dad look like a rube. Right? If you go out and buy them a bunch of crap and then they gotta go back to their dad's crap hole and then he can't ever take them anywhere, I you know, I don't know. You might be overplaying your hand here. I mean, it it is true that people who are in

embarrassed of themselves tend to react. Right? Like, I mean, I I agree. He could be he could be just a jerk, but he also just could be ashamed of himself

and people react poorly. I don't know. What's lice treatment cost? Maybe it's super expensive. I I don't know. Yeah. I mean, they tend to treat it for free at school, don't they? No. They tend to kick you out. Yeah. If they find you got lice, they send you packing. I think you probably that that she this person probably does need to inform the school though because that's gonna affect a lot of families. Mhmm. I mean Oh oh, or hold on. Slight idea. What if you recommend to the poor dad that he become a distributor of lice treatment?

And then you let the kids go to school with the lice, and then he makes a lot of money selling lice treatment. I'm not against this. I feel like this has legs. Mean, short term. I think that's bad idea. It's a short term win. It's the it's it's to teach a man to fish. Yeah? Yeah. Teach a man to fish. Speaking of the economy, it's the old gypsy wagon. You know what I'm saying? You bring the problem with you and the solution. Send your daughter to all the daycares. We don't have enough of that in America anymore. It's it's the old gypsy wagon. We're gonna play the hat game. Everybody trade hats.

You know, Ben, it's the sharpest tech of an idea I've ever heard. If this man ain't business matter tomorrow, I'll be disappointed in him. I mean, it's I mean, who needs more money than people who are, like, cutting hair and selling lice products? Okay. I mean, I I I'm giving the man a benefit of the doubt. You wanna hear what Secular says? Yeah. Yeah. Secular says, among the quotes joys of parenting is ensuring that one's children practice proper hygiene and their medical problems are treated. I'm a tell you right now, I'm a legit father and I love my kids.

My oldest kid stinks. Yeah. You can't keep on top of this most of the time. I mean, I literally my kids I I still have a nine year old where it comes out and I say, did you wipe your butt? Like, what are you laughing at? You seriously did not wipe at all? You're nine years old. We've been doing this for nine years. What is this comedy hour? Get back in there. You know? I shouldn't even have to ask. Yeah. That my oldest kid's 12, and I say, you stink. You put on deodorant. I don't smell anything. That's because you stink all the time.

You don't notice the difference. You stink. Go put some children on. You know? I'm I'm just saying, like, I don't know how old these these girls are. Right? Like, but if it's a single dad and the girls are, say, approaching middle school or whatever, the single dad's gonna be like, you know, did you shower? Yeah. Sounds good. Good job. You know, glad you did it. Who knows how good of a job they're doing in there? Okay. I'm done giving this guy the benefit of doubt. I'm just saying I would hate to be in his position.

Of course, he should have warned you so you could caution your children. He could also be watching his children more closely to be sure they shower regularly. Keep an eye on him because he may be neglecting his girls in other ways. Oh, yeah. Okay. Here we go. Could he be unaware that a head lice infestation can be treated? Yeah. Because you are concerned about the girls' welfare, perhaps the school should be alerted. According oh, boy. According to the Centers for Disease Control, as many as twelve million lice infestations occur in The United States each year, and they are not caused by poor hygiene. While they may be inconvenient and cause severe itching, the condition is treatable and they do not generally cause baldness. Hey, man. The government said also not to hug your kids. Lice is a fraud. Yeah. It's how they're spreading the Internet.

According to kidshealth.org, head lice are spread mainly through head to head contact, but sharing clothing, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats also can pass them along. Kids are most prone to catching lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and share personal items. See, it's still against close close contact infection. You know, this she could have just completely ignored the lady's letter and said, I'm gonna talk about lice for a little while. I've done some research online. I mean, she didn't really

I I don't know. I'm done. I'm out for today. I disagree. You've been listening to Live From The Path. Thanks for hanging out with us. Hey. You got lice. Go ahead and get treated. Hey. And let us know so that we don't hang around you. (515) 517-0085. That's the, Live From The Path complaint line. You can shoot us a call, or a text. That number can accept both. And, given your recent participation on the complaint line, I expect that nobody listens to the program. But it's there for you just in case you get lonely. And in the meantime, let's see let's see. Are we gonna be here next week? I no. I don't think we're out for another week. It's terrible. I made promises, and I failed on them. So I I I'm gonna rectify that by not promising anymore. In the meantime, we will be back when we're back. You take care of yourself in the meantime.

That's not what say. What do I say, Mike? Take care of yourself, buddy. That's not it. No. Be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. That's right. That's right. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So we'll be back when we're back. Meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.