Alcohol: moderation, not legalism and not license
The room lands unanimously on moderation -- avoid drunkenness -- while warning that 'moderation' gets stretched by people hunting for loopholes. One host reframes the issue as whether you trust Jesus with your joy; another vents frustration at online debates that use Jesus' wine-drinking to make him look 'cooler' as license for behavior already chosen apart from him.
More on Joy
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Discussion: has authenticity trumped holiness?
- Has authenticity trumped holiness in evangelical culture?
- What is hypocrisy - failing to live by what I feel, or failing to live by what I believe?
The hosts read and discuss a Gospel Coalition article asking whether evangelical culture has made 'being screwed up' a badge of honor - 'works righteousness' in reverse - so that authenticity outranks holiness.
From No. 175 · Authenticity vs. Holiness
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Can a Christian be a pessimist?
- Can you have the love of Christ in your heart and still be a pessimist?
A hard-question discussion: can you have the love of Christ in your heart and still be a thoroughgoing pessimist?
From No. 170 · Can a Christian Be a Pessimist?
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When you've been sinned against; can a Christian live a depressed life?
- Is it possible to live a depressed life if you know Jesus is your Savior?
- Can you articulate the reason for your hope? (1 Peter 3:15, raised via chat)
Flipping the question, the hosts ask what to do when someone else's sin lands on you: you can either live joyfully in the garbage or be swallowed by it.
From No. 78 · November 28 2011
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Self-focus vs substantive work: the article's answer
The hosts work through the article's core claim: unhappiness tracks self-focus, while substantive work for others — mission medicine, Dan's every-other-week homeless-camp ministry — leaves people oddly joyful even amid suffering.
From No. 519 · Folk Ain’t Happy