LTN Pulse

Love Thy Nerd goes international! Michael welcomes Bubba Stallcup and Luke Filipiak to LTN Pulse to hear all about their recent trip to SPIEL Essen, the massive board gaming convention in Germany. From working alongside Dice Throne and partnering with Germany's Nurch community to discovering exciting new games like PUBG: The Final Circle, the trip was packed with unforgettable experiences. But the biggest highlights weren't just the games. 

Bubba and Luke share how serving publishers, building genuine friendships, and having meaningful conversations about faith opened doors for nerd culture ministry across the globe. Plus, they discuss upcoming Dice Throne releases, the return of Slam Throne, unexpected gaming discoveries, and some truly incredible German food. Join us for a conversation about board games, international missions, and the relationships that make Love Thy Nerd's work possible.

Michael welcomes back Joe Bragg, Love Thy Nerd's Director of Missions, for his fourth appearance on LTN Pulse!

What starts as a conversation about Wendy's new pop-punk album quickly becomes a heated debate about the one true Frosty. But once the dust settles, Michael and Joe get into what they've been watching, playing, and experiencing in nerd culture.

Joe talks about revisiting Harry Potter, catching up on Marvel's Agatha All Along and Vision Quest, and watching his kids fall in love with Star Wars. Then it's time for board games, including Rolling in Wonderland, Trio, Flamecraft Duels, and plenty more!

Along the way, Joe shares why board games are about so much more than entertainment. From spending quality time with his family to teaching critical thinking and building relationships through Love Thy Nerd's convention outreach, the gaming table can be an incredible place to connect.

Plus, hear about upcoming LTN mission opportunities, including PAX Unplugged!

What happens when a love of board games becomes an opportunity to build meaningful relationships? This week on LTN Pulse, Luke and Michael welcome Isaac Villa from Gaming with Sidekicks to talk about his journey through the board gaming hobby, his experience joining Love Thy Nerd on mission at Gen Con, and how gathering around a table can create opportunities for genuine connection.

Michael welcomes Bill Ivie, Love Thy Nerd’s new Director of IRL Events, to talk about the communities that brought him to LTN and what he hopes to build next. They get into Dungeon Crawler Carl, the shows Bill keeps up with, and the board games he’s playing, including The Game Makers. Bill also shares how Meepleathon, local game nights, and a Christian board game retreat shaped his approach to hospitality and serving people through nerd culture.

Luke and Michael welcome Daniel Cobin back to LTN Pulse—this time as Love Thy Nerd’s new Associate Director of Missions! Daniel shares what his new role looks like, from recruiting volunteers and preparing convention teams to teaching games and building relationships with publishers. The crew also recaps an unforgettable board game cabin weekend, including Slay the Spire, Sidereal Confluence, Ascending Empires, Last Light, Wolf Street, and plenty of late-night gaming chaos. Plus, Daniel and Luke look ahead to Essen Spiel, Daniel previews Game Conjunction in Louisville, and the conversation explores how Love Thy Nerd uses conventions, games, and genuine relationships to love and serve nerds. 

LTN founding member Kate Kadowaki joins Luke and Michael for a wildly unfiltered catch up covering coffee straws, Sims drama with a clingy Father Winter, a zoo’s worth of reptiles and chickens, Thrawn lore, and the eternal question of where to start with Star Trek. Somewhere in there they actually talk about LTN’s history, the brand new merch store, and what Kate would bring back if she ever returned. Mostly though, this one is just three nerds being nerds. Buckle up.

Luke flies solo this episode with two first-time LTN missionaries fresh off the Gen Con show floor: Ethan and Phillip. They talk nerves, belly laughs, sore feet, and the games that stole the whole convention (hint: something involving mice and a whole lot of trash talk). Between cosplay run-ins, celebrity sightings, and a few genuinely awesome God-moments, this one's got all the chaos and heart you'd expect from a mission trip disguised as a board game convention. Grab your dice bag and settle in.

Luke and Michael return for LTN Pulse Season 5 to discuss Dungeon Crawler Carl, Project Hail Mary, the World Cup, The Pitt, Overwatch, board games, Gen Con, and everything they experienced over the summer. 

Season 4 of The Pulse goes out exactly how you’d expect: with board game hype, convention chaos, emotional support trains, theme park rankings, Kickstarter confessions, and a deeply passionate debate about secondhand embarrassment in television.

Luke, Michael, and returning guest Kyle wander through basically every nerdy rabbit trail imaginable, from Gen Con anticipation and PAX Unplugged memories to Universal Studios butterbeer theology and why board game companies continue to own everyone’s wallets. Along the way, they discuss giant board game hauls, upcoming releases, travel nightmares, church busy seasons, anime channels hidden in the Discord, and whether Luke can emotionally survive watching The Pitt.

This week on LTN Pulse, Luke and Michael sit down with longtime Love Thy Nerd community member and volunteer Michael “MDB” Brown for a deep dive into all things nerdy.

From a massive Gundam collection and Star Wars Legends novels to anime recommendations and replaying Starfield multiple times, MDB shares what he’s been reading, watching, and playing lately. The crew also talks about why fandom matters, how nerd culture creates connection, and the surprising community impact of something as simple as a bracket challenge in Discord.

Whether you love giant robots, sci-fi epics, RPGs, or just hearing nerds passionately nerd out together, this episode has something for you.