Memory Jogger 55 is a behind the scenes look at how Jason and Wyatt have recorded their podcasts.  Wyatt shares the "studios" in which any Rediscover the 80s‚ Agents of MASK‚ and the various other podcasts have originated from with simple tips requested by a few fans of how to begin their own podcast endeavor.  Join us‚ especially on our Rediscover the 80s youtube channel to learn more about how our podcasts are produced at https://youtu.be/cqJUOsh3mvw.

We know that Rahab placed faith in God‚ which is all that matters at the end of the day. As Christians today‚ we need to reflect on and hold this in our hearts.

Then I look at my life. I followed Christ. When they were out doing all their stuff‚ I was going to Bible studies‚ praying‚ and growing in the Lord. And what I gave up is so small in comparison to what I received in return. Life goes by so quickly.

Positive thinking is important‚ but without proper roots‚ we may force our view of what is good in front of what God proclaims “good.” Gratefulness intersects with positivity in a realistic way which allows us to see what we currently have and entrust God with what is to come.

In Greek mythology‚ Narcissus was a hunter known for his beauty. He fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and was so enamored that he wasted away there. Can we escape the captivating pond of our own admiration‚ or are we destined to become modern echoes of that timeless myth? From Nero to Nietzsche‚ Rousseau to Foucault‚ history is littered with sad lives and tragic endings of those prophets and purveyors of self-worship. Thaddeus Williams wrote Don’t Follow Your Heart: Boldly Breaking the Ten Commandments of Self-Worship as a redemptive revolt against the spirit of our age. This is a manifesto that shows the Christian how to be countercultural in the current zeitgeist. It’s a solid companion volume to secular treatments of our postmodern times like Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death and Neal Gabler’s Life the Movie. This book reminds us that when we try to live as if we’re the center of the universe and can create our reality‚ reality tends to bite back hard. Self-Worship as Religion Most Christians affirm the power of the Bible’s Ten Commandments for pursuing holiness. But what if there were “Ten Commandments” of self-worship? They’d probably be things like #liveyourbestlife‚ #youdoyou‚ #yolo‚ and #loveislove. These are some of the chapter headings Biola professor Thaddeus Williams uses as he dismantles the hollow promises of a philosophy of self-deification. When we try to live as if we can create our reality‚ reality tends to bite back hard. Self-worship is a form of religion‚ according to Williams‚ complete with “prophets‚ millions of devotees‚ a thick hymnal‚ commandments‚ and underlying dogmas” (xvii). This isn’t merely a passing trend but a deeply ingrained ideology. It’s grounded in the Serpent’s promise (the oldest lie)‚ and following yourself is to be on the wrong side of the future. This form of self-worship offers promises of liberation‚ originality‚ adventure‚ and fulfilled dreams. However‚ these promises are nothing more than mirages‚ leading to emptiness and disillusionment. If man is the measure of all things (as Protagoras has said)‚ then all is relative. And relativism comes to kill beauty‚ truth‚ love‚ and justice. Those who exalt man above all else are all failed assassins. What J. P. Moreland calls the hunger for drama in a thin world is summarized by Williams as self-worship leading to a desiccated life. He talks of self-worship as “a giant steamroller that flattens all of life to one never-ending plateau—no peaks to climb‚ no valleys to brave‚ no jagged terrain to heave our tired selves over in pursuit of some high and noble goal” (93). Reading Don’t Follow Your Heart brought to mind the self-worship mindset that has infiltrated churches in the modern West. Many Christians have embraced a watered-down gospel that caters to the self more than it challenges people to die to self and live for Christ. There’s a warning that when believers adopt values like expressive individualism‚ they lose their power to be salt and light. Williams illustrates this in a homely anecdote about teaching his daughter to draw Mickey Mouse. When his tutorial went awry‚ resulting in “a razor-toothed demon spawn in unerasable thick black graphite‚” his instructions met with a young child schooling him “in the dogmas of expressive individualism.” The 8-year-old quipped‚ “You have your way to draw Mickey‚ and I have mine. Neither is right or wrong‚ they’re just different” (144). This teaching moment is humorous in a child‚ but too often our response to God’s truth reflects this sort of deviation from the Creator’s design. This should provoke serious self-reflection: Are we embracing cultural idols (a theology of glory) or clinging to Christ (a theology of the cross)? Looking within ourselves doesn’t account for the cognitive distortions and sin patterns that warp our views and desires. Williams says our hearts are “divided‚ depraved‚ dithering‚ dull‚ and delusional” (52). In the 16th century‚ Martin Luther wrote‚ “Scripture describes man as so curved in upon himself that he uses not only physical but even spiritual goods for his own purposes and in all things seeks only himself.” He paints a picture of sin warping our beings until we’re the center. The only answer for that is the gospel. Recovering from Self-Worship If we abandon the self‚ what do we replace it with? Not surprisingly‚ Williams’s remedy is to replace self with something outside of and larger than yourself‚ something wondrous and awesome—the God of Abraham‚ Isaac‚ and Jacob. He writes‚ “You become most truly yourself‚ not merely in a state of awe‚ but in a state of awe for the ultimate Source of all that is awesome” (8). That true authenticity is recognizing and walking in who we were made to be instead of the authenticity that’s often arrogance in disguise. It’s taking our Creator’s heart—as revealed in his Word—more seriously than our own. Meditating on what he says about us‚ and how Christ embodies our truest self‚ is a call to the kind of counterculture that Christians have always been known for. Williams offers hope‚ reminding readers that change is possible through God’s grace. Prayer‚ Scripture meditation‚ and service are practical remedies for self-worship. Each chapter includes the testimonial of a “heretic” who has rebelled against self-worship‚ along with a suggested prayer and devotional exercises that encourage resistance to expressive individualism. Prayer‚ Scripture meditation‚ and service are practical remedies for self-worship. Don’t Follow Your Heart ends with an invitation to join an online community of individuals committed to subverting “the religious narcissism of our day” by living lives reflecting “awe for the God of the Bible‚” “courage to champion the objectively beautiful‚ good‚ and true‚” and “looking to God’s Word rather than within [themselves] for answers” (176). Readers could also cultivate these practices in their local church community. Williams concludes with a nod to Westminster Catechism Q&;A 1: There is a theocentric (God-centered) shape to the universe. Within that structure‚ we are born teleological beings made by him and for him. Glorifying and enjoying him is how we become fulfilled human beings. (146) There’s a chief purpose to our lives‚ and self-worship will never get us there. With scholarly rigor and pastoral warmth‚ Williams has rendered the church a vital service. The hollow promise of self-deification only enslaves us to our fickle desires. But Williams charts a better path‚ one of freedom found in centering our lives on the loving God who created us and crafted our purpose. May this book deliver many from the burden of self-worship into the joyful adventure of a God-centered life.

If I told you I grew up in a Christian household‚ was a pastor’s kid‚ had four sisters‚ and professed faith in Christ at 15‚ you’d assume I had a typical Christian life. But my life was anything but typical. At 15‚ I began experiencing depression and having hallucinations of dark figures in my room. The hallucinations and voices continued for about a year. The depression seemed paralyzing as I got older. I wasn’t sure how to deal with my struggles‚ and at 19‚ I told my family I wasn’t a Christian after all and that I wanted to live the way I saw fit. But my life didn’t get better. I had a series of hypomanic and depressive episodes until I attempted suicide at 20. Realizing I needed help‚ I asked my parents for assistance. After a week in a psychiatric hospital‚ I returned home to live with them. Part of our arrangement was that I had to go to church. My parents suggested I pursue biblical counseling‚ but I shot it down immediately as I believed prayer and Scripture would be of no help in the mental turmoil I was experiencing. I wanted to live the way I saw fit. But my life didn’t get better. By God’s grace‚ in October of 2021‚ when I was 21‚ I experienced genuine conviction over my sin for the first time. I asked God to forgive me‚ and I turned my life over to Christ. It was a messy life: I’d been diagnosed with bipolar II‚ generalized anxiety disorder‚ and ADHD‚ which felt like a lot. I also experienced sexual assault and rape‚ which led to PTSD. I was a wreck. But God was working in my life. As time went on‚ my family and friends convinced me to see a biblical counselor. Kevin‚ my counselor‚ started meeting with me in February of this year‚ and this has completely transformed my view of suffering as well as my relationship with the Lord. During our time together‚ I learned to apply Scripture to what I was going through‚ and that gave me a right view of God and of myself. The main themes we studied over those weeks were my position as a child of God‚ doing all for the glory of God‚ and faithfulness. Child of God One of my main concerns was that people were going to find out what had happened to me and what I was going through‚ and look at me differently or pity me. When Kevin first said we’d look at how this issue relates to my position as a child of God‚ I was confused. I thought‚ Yeah‚ I’m a child of God‚ but what does that have to do with others’ opinions of me? It turns out it has to do with the way I was thinking. Instead of identifying my position as a child of God‚ I was focused on my position as a peer. Kevin explained that I didn’t need to be concerned with what others were saying about me‚ because of what God says about me as his child. The truth is that my faith is secure in Jesus and no one can take it away from me. If people think I’m lesser because of my mental health problems or feel pity for me because I’ve been assaulted‚ I shouldn’t worry—who are they to say anything about me when the Most High King sees me as his daughter? I admit I’m sometimes still afraid people will find out my secret struggles. But I keep remembering the truth of who God is and of who I am because of Christ. Nothing can separate me from the love God has for me in Jesus (Rom. 8:30–39). Glory of God Later‚ Kevin and I began to consider how I could do everything for the glory of God. This seemed simple to me‚ but the more we unpacked it‚ the more I realized I didn’t fully understand it. This hit home as I was‚ and still am‚ struggling through an eating disorder. I thought doing all to the glory of God meant giving him the credit for all I’m able to do. That’s not wrong‚ but I never viewed starving myself as something that didn’t bring glory to God—in my mind‚ it had nothing to do with our relationship. My mind was reoriented as Kevin and I worked through ideas as simple as how fueling my body brings glory to God. Faithfulness I tend to get discouraged when I’m experiencing eating disorder urges‚ self-harm impulses‚ and thoughts of suicide. But Kevin reminded me again and again that faithfulness doesn’t mean faultlessness. Faithfulness doesn’t mean faultlessness. When I experience urges and don’t give in‚ that’s faithfulness. When I want to starve myself but choose to nourish my body‚ that’s faithfulness. And when I do everything for the glory of God as my relationship with him grows every day‚ that’s faithfulness. So now‚ as I struggle with all the same things‚ I meet with Kevin weekly. I’m reminded not only of God’s love for me as his child but that my small steps of faithfulness are helping to strengthen my relationship with him. After all‚ the Christian life is about the thousands of daily steps of faithfulness.

'The message is clear: if you are seen as an enemy of the state‚ you will be persecuted'

One passenger reported to KPTV that a kid had to be held in his seat by his mother