EP260: Why are we all so worried all the time? / A Deeper Story About That Olympian Who Turned Her Back on the Flag / Do we have a Sermon Plagiarism problem?

On this Episode: WORRY AND FEAR AS A CULTURAL FIXTURE (0:00-14:53) Putting aside actual anxiety disorders for a moment, I noticed recently that we are a culture almost dominated by fear. In conservative media, I recently saw BODY ARMOR being advertised. The home security systems have become ubiquitous, and we have companies selling us apps to constantly monitor our kids and even our pets. In a terrified world, the Jesus follower can live with a distinct faith and confidence. I have some thoughts on that. THE IMPORTANT STORY BEHIND THE OLYMPIAN HER TURNED HER BACK ON THE FLAG (14:53-32:52) I'm generally not offended and don't particularly care about this young lady's behavior at the playing of the national anthem at a recent Olympic trial event. However, I'm deeply interested in what we can learn from attitude. In interviews after the demonstration, it becomes clear that this girl is just a miserable person. If you listen closely, you can hear her misery emanates from a posture of entitlement. She's blown away that the world isn't exactly as she wants it to be, and until it's perfect, she's just going to be angry about it. We can do that too. Some folks create a world (or a family, spouse, career, home, etcetera) that has never existed and will not exist. Then, they get disaffected that their fantasy world isn't real. We have a choice to make. We can be grateful for the world we have, leading to happiness. Conversely, we can feel entitled to a world we didn't earn and doesn't exist, leading to misery. PLAGIARISM IN SERMONS (32:52-47ish) I'll provide details on a sort-of controversy in the evangelical world right now regarding pastors plagiarizing each other's sermons. The topic also allows some exploration on sermon generation and the nature of preaching. SOME CLEANUP (47ish) I re-visit some recent show content, respond to comments, and make clarifications.