Well-Driven Nails

Jeremy, Andrew, and Matt Shifflett (new regular!) discuss humor. What is its purpose? How does humor help us or harm us? God laughs but why? What kind of humor is forbidden by Scripture? That's what we discussed...with a few laughs along the way.

Jeremy & Andrew share their stories about pain in their lives: RA and Crohn's disease. What is God's purpose in giving us physical pain? What effect does pain have in our lives, for better or worse?

What's the deal with all these English Bible translations? Which ones should you avoid? Which one should you use?

We continue our discussion of the transhumanist's quest to usher in immortality through technology. The Christian Transhumanist Association thinks the quest is generally well-intentioned. We think not. 
Mentioned in the show and recommended reading:
Tony Reinke's God, Technology, and the Christian Life

What is a transhumanist? What is the agenda of the transhumanist movement? How are Christians to view the transhumanist attempt to overcome aging and death through technology?
As to what happened to Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams's cryogenically head, read this crazy account. For only $80,000 you can get your head frozen too. Maybe you'd like to get your pet frozen with you so you can be back together after you are revived and reintegrated into society.

We start with one movie recommendation (*with reservations!) and then recommend some books that have impacted our walk with the Lord. After Scripture, some writings—old and new—should get your attention.

Jeremy and Andrew continue their conversations about religions and the religious. New Age spirituality is hard to pin down; it steals from Hinduism and occultism and generally anything else that gives off a spiritual vibe. We discuss some of the modern movements that led to New Age, some of the very old elements, and some warnings for us when we get dangerously New Agey.

Have you heard of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement? They want you to curse God and die, leaving the earth to flourish in her innocence without man. But God says, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:28). No need to be afraid of Malthusian tipping points. God, our Father, will provide.

The podcastosphere is in awe of Paul Harvey's "If I Were the Devil." We give our take (it's generally good, but not prophetic) and wander into another of Paul Harvey's most famous recordings: "An Open Letter From God" (It's terrible).
If I Were the Devil
An Open Letter From God

Our tour of religions continues. Judaism is the false religion that emerged from a complete misunderstanding of the Old Testament Scriptures.

The bleakness of Buddhism. Nirvana is not all it is cracked up to be.

Jeremy and Andrew turn to consider Hinduism. What is Hinduism? What is Brahman? Dharma? Karma (it’s not what you think it is)? What about the Caste system that dominates the areas where Hinduism originated? What’s the goal of Hinduism? How does Yoga fit in? And, of course, how does it differ from Christianity?

Jeremy and Andrew continue their discussion of Islam. This is part 2 of two episodes. 

This episode is the first in several podcasts that will look at false religions: Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Jeremy and I give a brief introduction to Islam.

2Kings 2:23  Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. 25 He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.