Cultural remembrance, Ebenezers, and the heart of the misuse
- Can a Christian take something pagans misused, like the Christmas tree, and use it as a remembrance of Jesus?
The hosts frame the core problem as misusing Scripture to force a narrative: Jeremiah 10 condemns crafting idols, not owning a tree. They offer cultural parallels — Ethiopian coffee ceremonies at Christmas, the Feast of Booths, raising Ebenezer stones as memorials, Asherah poles torn down by good kings while ordinary cedars stood, and the Tower of Babel (God's issue was people doing it without Him, not the tower itself). The segment concludes: do not police neighbors' trees; if the tree distracts you personally, cut it, but don't manufacture others' spiritual problems.
More on Culture
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Dear LFTP: the mother-in-law moved in
- My mother-in-law moved in seven months ago and it’s been difficult — how can we sort this out?
The last letter comes from a wife whose mother-in-law moved in seven months ago with no boundaries, rising bills, unpaid prescriptions, and open disrespect.
From No. 604 · Rearview Mirror
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Church, emotions, and the self-focus of affluence
- How do you help people in an affluent, self-focused culture see that they need Jesus?
Ben revives a question from two or three shows back: are church services and worship tunes postured toward certain personality types — predominantly emotions and dealing with emotions?
From No. 603 · Found Out
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Dear LFTP: a son's Taiwanese wife
- My son married a woman from Taiwan whom I dislike and have nothing in common with; what should I do?
Mike (speaker-2) reads a Dear LFTP letter from a parent whose son married a woman from Taiwan: she is sweet but the writer calls her 'uncultured,' dislikes her housekeeping, cooking, English, and dress, and says they are never invited over.
From No. 537 · The Bible Confuseth
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Article: why people reject Christianity, and record unhappiness
- Can you be holy and happy at the same time?
- Are people actually unhappier than past generations, or just more willing to say so?
A host reads an article arguing that beneath surface objections, two reasons top the list for rejecting Christianity: bad experiences with professing Christians who look nothing…
From No. 519 · Folk Ain’t Happy