Living here in the 21st century we are more awash in lies and half-truths than ever. How does one sift and sort what is emphasized, or reported? In this conversational episode Mark and I work through the kinds of lies that are perpetuated by politicians and media, but also the kind of subtle lies that infect and ruin a Christian worldview. Mark talks about what it was like to be on a couple of juries, one as a foreman, and how the attorneys would frame things so that the jurors would give their hearts to that specific argument. Ed talks about how to listen for what is not said and how what was constantly not said was important for his assessment of his own professorial position. We also note the kinds of things the major media do to shape and mold public opinion and public consciousness: under-report, selective-report, state half-truths, reframe instead of report. We don't want believers to be held captive by philosophies woven through with darkness. Come think and laugh with us!

Today a massive chunk (is it 50%?) of the Church has been infiltrated by Neo-Marxist tenets. How, chiefly, has Neo-Marxism done that? Mark and I variously work through the tenets of Neo-Marxism, how it has evolved from Marxism, how it manipulates Christians, and the various ways it manifests in western culture. One of those ways is to take a Neo-Marxist value and paste a bible verse over it, to sort-of Christianize it, baptize it. But when pastors and others do that—assume Neo-Marxist terminology as true—they do not realize that they have already ceded foundational ground to a value system that at its root opposes God, Christ, the Gospel, and truth. In this conversational episode Mark and I also talk about the Neo-Marxist use of compassion, coercion, bitterness, resentment, and pacifism. The show caps off with the two of us processing a list of 10 Social Justice values. Come think and laugh with us!

More Americans than ever are going to therapists. Studies reveal that as many as 40 million adults see a therapist. Not surprising then is that prescription pharmaceutical drug use is also soaring. Mental-rest vacation days are becoming job-place normal. But is it all working? Suicide rates are soaring. Depression is everywhere. Emergency room visits for mental trauma are way up. Kids, and women in particular, are more miserable than ever. What to do?! Mark and I chew through the issue of therapy culture. We note how it can be beneficial, why it is beneficial. We also talk about possibilities for local churches to get involved, where and when they can. Should sermons be encouraging therapy sessions? Why, why not? And then, significant to the whole culture, is that the presuppositions of most Psychology programs are indifferent to or opposed to biblical teachings. Come and think and laugh with me and Mark about this intractable issue.

Christians and "o"rthodox churches would easily spot a rank heresy, but too commonly ignore a factor that sucks people into the godless Matrix: the Self. The Self is played to and pandered to at every level of western culture. So when the Church seeks to be relevant by pandering to the Self the mission is already thrown off. Relevancy is not the first (or eighth) critical element for Christian mission. My good friend Mark and I explore this element of the Matrix that overwhelms most every element of daily life. Our focus is not selfishness, which the Bible condemns. Our focus is the Self. In different ways we note how the Self dominates our lives. Jesus was relevant precisely by being irrelevant. Mark talks about how 1 Corinthians' model of one body many giftings can be healing balm to the dominance of the self. Ed talks about how the Matrix made he and his dad feel weird when driving a car without a face mask on during COVID, in Idaho! Come and think with us, and avoid being sucked down into the rocks of the river of the Matrix.

For the last 40 years or so Miles Galla-Rini has been a believer. But he wasn't always committed to a walk in Christ. In this one-on-one conversation he recounts his various struggles with drugs and despair and purposelessness, and then how Jesus Christ turned his life around. But it wasn't a one-time deliverance, a once-and-done crisis event. Following Jesus, for Miles, was and is a daily commitment. Today he runs his roofing company in So Cal and uses it as an avenue for missional engagement. Oh, and we also talk about spiritual gifts and their operations. Come and think with us about a personal pursuit of Jesus.

Augustine wisely argued that pride is the root of all sin. That's a solid interpretation of biblical teaching but is that all there is to be said on the matter? Obviously not. We know that there are good people in our daily lives. We tell our daughters, when they are looking for a husband, to find a good man. We know people in our daily lives—jobs, workplaces, churches—who are pleasant, who have an excellent demeanor. Acts 11 describes Barnabas as good man. Were the apostles wrong to so describe him? Mark and I work through different elements of what it means to be good and include angles like salvation and goodness, the different directions in life toward balance, whether Jesus in saying "take up your cross and follow me" meant we should kill the self, and the different thresholds for determining unhealthy pride. Mark recounts pride of homeownership. Ed recounts having spoken about self-esteem at a college women's dorm floor meeting. Come, think and laugh with us about pride and the Christian worldview.