14 conversations
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Hoarding vs. generosity: the Sermon on the Mount on control
- What should the kingdom of Christ be doing in this trying time?
A host contrasts the political philosophy of wanting to help the needy with the first reaction to fear: hoarding for ourselves.
From No. 398 · Thus It Begins…COVID
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What does Jesus mean by a follower? The parable of the sower
- How does Jesus define the people who follow him, and is 'Christian' the right word for it?
A host poses the night's hard question: Jesus never says 'Christians are...' and even the Sermon on the Mount and the parable of the soils describe reactions to the kingdom rather…
From No. 331 · Beg Your Pardon, Joel
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New believer question: which Old Testament laws still apply?
- How can Christians discern which Old Testament laws still apply versus what was covered by Jesus' sacrifice?
Boova (addressed by name) relays a question from a brand-new believer: with all the Old Testament laws (food, sacrifices, priests and blemishes), how do we discern what still needs doing versus what was covered by Jesus' sacrifice?
From No. 225 · Seven Lies, Part Two
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When beggars are choosers: charity stewardship and discernment
- How should people doing charity handle recipients who are ungrateful or keep taking advantage?
Mike describes people close to him who collect donations and deliver them directly to the needy, and asks what to do when recipients keep re-requesting the same items or reject what is given as not good enough.
From No. 164 · When Beggars Are Choosers
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Matthew 5:33-37: must Christians refuse all oaths?
- Are you really violating anything by taking an oath, or just upholding cultural norms?
Mike, addressed by name, reads Matthew 5:33-37 aloud ('do not take an oath at all... let what you say be simply yes or no') and argues America's courtroom oath ritual (hand on the Bible) is exactly what Jesus forbade.
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Hosts respond: holiness requires effort alongside grace
The hosts argue that grace does not remove the believer's responsibility to change: conviction of sin points at sin so people die to it, James calls Christians to be doers of the…
From No. 165 · Kissing Halloween Goodbye
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Virtues 3 and 4: church attendance and following the rules
- Does following Jesus include obeying his commandments, or is that trying to righteous your way into heaven?
The hosts cover 'perfect church attendance' (Powell's line: God cares more about the condition of your heart than the location of your butt) and 'following the rules.'
From No. 310 · Niceness vs. Kindness
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Sermon on the Mount test and Thanksgiving peacemaking
The hosts press the humility theme further: test your speech against the values of the Sermon on the Mount; Christians risk worshiping truth as an idol while burning relationships over disputed data points.
From No. 410 · Robert E. Lee Stained Glass & Freeloaders
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Avoid point 4: skipping epistles, poetry, and prophecy
The article's fourth point: epistolary, poetic, and prophetic genres get reduced to narrative. Hosts admit poetry is hard with young kids but argue not to ignore genres — expose children and teach them how to read each form.
From No. 272 · How Not to Teach Your Kids the Bible
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How do we know and trust God at all?
The hosts wrestle with the advice's implications: if we drop expectations of method, how do we know we are encountering God at all rather than just hoping we trust him; one host says he simply wants to know it is God 'pushing the button.'
From No. 235 · Is Dinner with Friends My Church?
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Bumper-sticker theology and the Sermon on the Mount
Wrapping the cliches, the hosts agree most of the sayings are fine in context but useless — even 'dumb' — as bumper stickers or T-shirts, then riff comedically on whether Jesus's Sermon on the Mount sound bites count as the same thing.
From No. 232 · Christian Cliches
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Pope-style advice: rules versus relationship in parenting
A host delivers his Pope-style advice, drawn from parenting teacher Dave Herrick: move away from rule-based parenting toward connecting with the child and letting them grow into who God designed.
From No. 221 · Rules vs. Relationship
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Hosts riff: box-checking faith versus following Jesus
The hosts build on the advice. One host reflects that raising his youngest (just turned 18) worked the same way: hardly any rules, big-picture modeling of following Jesus, with boundaries kept in the back of the head.
From No. 221 · Rules vs. Relationship
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Retraction: the "smack him in the head" bullying advice
Dan Hudson, addressed by name in the prior segment, retracts his 'smack him in the head' answer to last week's bullied kid: reading Matthew the next day convicted him — Jesus taught turning the other cheek and going the second mile, even with a Roman-soldier 'bully.'
From No. 160 · The Pope Francis Interview