Sin 5: Flattery and the praise of men
The hosts discuss flattery as replacing God with the crowd's approval, naming Instagram and Snapchat as platforms that perpetuate it. A host notes that living entirely to avoid disapproval keeps you from ever really knowing anyone. Banter includes the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags in Atlanta, a 'Great job, Larry' church anecdote, and a joke about looking just like his brother and collecting his praise or disdain after sermons.
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Dear LFTP: the birthday-gift pressure
- My friends insist on giving me birthday presents I can't reciprocate. Shouldn't my wishes have been respected since it's my birthday?
Mike reads the first Dear LFTP letter: a part-time worker paying her own health insurance asked friends to skip presents at a triple birthday dinner; they refused, saying she needn't reciprocate.
From No. 601 · Humble Faithful Idiot
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Disciples of the brand and situational humility
- How do you practically keep the main thing the main thing and reintroduce humility?
Mike warns against churches making disciples of their brand first, so that when the church fails the fall is even bigger, and notes how easily community can posture as God in the relationship.
From No. 588 · hypokritēs
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Has anyone been demonically misled? Framing the discernment question
- Have you ever been demonically misled or spoken to by Satan?
- How can you distinguish God's voice from Satan's voice?
Before reading the list, the hosts ask whether anyone has felt demonically misled: one argues Satan is subtle, taking things God would use and putting a small twist on them;…
From No. 492 · Show Me The Toes
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Dear LFTP: the affair, the revenge, and the younger man
- How do I purge my thoughts of my wife with another man after our mutual infidelity?
A letter writer confesses he cheated on his wife of 21 years, separated for a month 'evaluating his options,' reconciled — then his wife revealed a revenge affair with a much younger man, and now he can't purge the mental image or the fear he can't compete.
From No. 451 · Mississippi Don’t Push