Faith and Feeling
In this episode
-
Show open from the Pathway studios
A host opens the episode with the standard show intro, naming the program and the studio in Johnston.
-
Pope-style advice: find what stirs you toward God
- Should faith rest on emotion, or on something steadier than feeling?
A host offers tongue-in-cheek 'pope-style' advice: rather than forcing one-size-fits-all discipleship, each person should spend time on the practices that actually stir their heart and mind toward Christ — sermons while driving, one-on-one conversation, Bible reading — while keeping friends around for accountability so freedom does not become license.
-
Debate: should faith rest on emotion?
The hosts push back on the pope-style advice in a spirited exchange. One argues Christians should not base their faith on feelings, which shift with mood and circumstance; others counter that emotion is a God-given indicator — God created it, David and the prophets expressed it — and that ignoring the emotional connection leads to a callous, duty-only faith. They land near a shared line: emotion is an indicator, not the foundation or a barometer of truth.
-
Pope Sal signs off; Guestman comedy bit
A comedy wrap of the advice segment: the mock 'Pope Sal' / 'Pope Marcus' persona is dismissed ('The pope walks off the stage head in hand. I've been depoped'), and a participating voice nicknamed 'Guestman' is asked what practice works for him — answering that reading and sermon-listening spark him to keep digging.
-
Hatmaker post: 'There's nothing wrong with you'
- What responsibility does a Christian with influence carry for how their words are received on social media?
A host reads aloud a social media post by author Jen Hatmaker affirming gay teens, gay adults, and their parents, and describes the comments it drew — supportive responses from gay and transgender readers, and a fierce pile-on against a woman who said Jesus rescued her out of a lesbian past. His initial reaction is sadness and a warning about pastoral responsibility in the social media age.
-
Pastoral responsibility and scriptural honesty
- Is it honest to emphasize God's love without also saying what scripture says about sin?
The hosts debate what a person with influence owes an audience: one argues that influence carries a duty to clarify when followers twist a message, and to be honest about what scripture says rather than never saying anything clearly; another notes that 90-plus percent of the comments already affirm what the poster did not quite say. The conversation widens to scriptural honesty — whether churches repackage the Bible to sound spiritual while permitting what they want.
-
Grace first or full counsel now?
- How much of changing someone is our job versus the Holy Spirit's timing?
The hosts wrestle with the order of grace and truth in evangelism: one says you introduce people to Jesus and let him handle the rest rather than leading with confrontation over sin; the other counters with a hypothetical about a wife-beater joining the chorus of amens — if you only ever serve the sugary donut and hope no one finds the bitter middle, you misrepresent Christ. They agree the Holy Spirit's timing matters, but that his call to righteousness is as good as his grace.
-
Dear LFTP: the store drop-off
- Should my husband drop me off at the store door instead of parking first?
A listener's husband parks first and makes her walk to the store entrance instead of dropping her off. The hosts are unanimous: he is dead wrong — take the cheap chivalry wins when they are available.
-
Dear LFTP: Ed and the mandatory in-law Sundays
- How do we get out from under mandatory weekly in-law gatherings and chore demands?
A listener in her forties says her retired, well-off in-laws expect weekly gatherings plus weekly chores from her overworked husband Ed, leaving no time for their teens or each other. The hosts side with her: Ed must set boundaries — cleave to his wife, not his parents — since no one can force a grown man to agree. The 'secular answer' advises telling the in-laws plainly and hiring a handyman.
-
Dear LFTP: single six years, no callbacks
- Why do none of my first dates ever call back?
A listener single for almost six years asks why dates never call back, citing trust issues from past relationships. The hosts suggest she may be too open too fast on date one, is picking the wrong people, and should ask trusted friends what she is doing wrong — punctuated by the running joke that she might have the general appearance of a woolly mammoth. The 'secular answer' agrees: do not give up, but get honest feedback.
-
Dear LFTP: the dethroned godmother
- What should I do now that my friend is furious at me for greeting the man who abandoned her?
A listener who agreed to be a godmother ran into the baby's absent father at a bar and said hello; her friend is now furious. The hosts judge her friend's reaction over the top, but split on counsel: one says love her through it since hurting people hurt people, another says move on and count blessings. The 'secular answer' takes the hard line — take the vindictive friend at her word until she apologizes.
-
Outro: musical guests coming
The episode closes with the weekly sign-off — Monday-night broadcast, archive at the show site — and a note that musical guests are coming in the next month, naming Mending Hope and Silversyde (ASR-rendered 'Silverside').