Talk with the Wise

Scott Taylor is the Director of Postal Operations at Anderson University and everyone’s favorite hype man. He is a big supporter of Trojan sports on campus, but he is the biggest supporter of the students. Mr. Taylor is known for his encouraging emails to students during the stressful times of the semester reminding them to “get a NAP, drink some COFFEE, and remember that JESUS LOVES YOU!”   

In this episode, Mr. Taylor talks about the importance of patience in every stage of life. He shares a little bit of his testimony and reminds us of the necessity of trusting the Lord. We also discuss the value of starting each day with praise and gratitude to the Lord for who He is and what He’s giving you.

John Branyan has been a stand-up comedian over thirty years and is most well known for his bit on The Three Little Pigs in Shakespearean English. He also has his own podcast that he co hosts with his daughter Amanda McKinney called The Comedian Next Door where they discuss comedy, culture, church, and everything in between. You can keep up with everything John Branyan at JohnBranyan.com. 

In this episode, John and I discuss how to balance being likable and staying true to the Truth. We talk about the importance of picking a handful of people who can truly speak into your life and how they must be dedicated to the Truth. We discuss reactions to success as the litmus test for friendship and the dangers of jealousy. We also talk about the benefits of podcasting and writing your thoughts and how taking time to actually think helps circumvent existential crises. Lastly, we discuss John's favorite books and the mysterious look of pumpkin pie.

You can join John and his comedy buddies on Vacay with the Comics in July of 2023, tickets are available at JohnBranyan.com 

John Branyan has been a stand-up comedian over thirty years and is most well known for his bit on The Three Little Pigs in Shakespearean English. He also has his own podcast that he co hosts with his daughter Amanda McKinney called The Comedian Next Door where they discuss comedy, culture, church, and everything in between. You can keep up with everything John Branyan at JohnBranyan.com. 

In this episode, John discusses how comedy has shaped his outlook on life and how he has his grandma to thank for that outlook. The outlook being, that whenever something bad happens you can either laugh or cry, so you might as well laugh. Because tragedy is at the root of all good comedy John theorizes that God created comedy as a way for us to deal with suffering. John even gives an example from his own life that though tragic at the time has since provided many laughs. John also shares with us the five most important things you can be as a person that will put you in high demand. And lastly, we discuss Truth with a capital T and why it’s not popular and causes people to struggle. We discuss the lack of neutrality in Truth and how that impacts entertainment.  

You can join John and his comedy buddies on Vacay with the Comics in July of 2023, tickets are available at JohnBranyan.com  

Amanda McKinney is a homeschool mom to her four children and the co-host of two podcasts. She co-hosts with her father, comedian John Branyan, on The Comedian Next Door podcast and she co-hosts with her sisters and fellow homeschool moms on the Just Because I Love You podcast. Amanda is also a blogger and culture critic who’s not afraid to speak her mind on today's important issues. 

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Amanda via video chat and we consider changing the name of the podcast to “Good Stuff” podcast. We talk about the limits of public school and how if you cannot include religion in education, especially in teaching history, things do not make sense. Religion is at the core of why and how humans operate and live their lives. We discuss how making religion taboo in schools is having a negative impact on children’s mental health. As Amanda shares some of her favorite writers and speakers, she expounds on the importance of knowing who you are listening to and the philosophy (or why) behind their message. 

Amanda McKinney is a homeschool mom to her four children and the co-host of two podcasts. She co-hosts with her father, comedian John Branyan, on The Comedian Next Door podcast and she co-hosts with her sisters and fellow homeschool moms on the Just Because I Love You podcast. Amanda is also a blogger and culture critic who’s not afraid to speak her mind on today's important issues. 

In this episode, Amanda joins us via video chat to talk about why she homeschools her children and her philosophy behind education. She holds that there is no such thing as a neutral education, that teaching any subject comes with a worldview and a set of truths. Amanda believes that education needs to be rooted in the gospel to teach children how to see the truth of God in every subject. On the subject of worldviews, we discuss the importance of a worldview that lets you examine other worldviews and that can withstand the hard and deep questions of life. Christianity is the worldview that is strong enough to let us ask those questions without being anxious.  

Tiffany Brent has been teaching kids for over 20 years. When their daughter was young, Tiffany and her husband Bill started a homeschool co-op for their close friends to have a community in which to raise and school their children together. Tiffany loves teaching so much that she continues to teach various levels of history, literature, public speaking, apologetics and Bible studies to young people.  

In this episode I continue my phone conversation with Tiffany as she gives some practical advice for all stages of life. She encourages young people to stay in the word of God, stay in community, and watch their heart for springs of envy. Tiffany reminds us that the Lord has not given our good gifts to someone else. 

Tiffany Brent has been teaching kids for over 20 years. When their daughter was young, Tiffany and her husband Bill started a homeschool co-op for their close friends to have a community in which to raise and school their children together. Tiffany loves teaching so much that she continues to teach various levels of history, literature, public speaking, apologetics and Bible studies to young people.  

In this episode Tiffany joins us by phone to talk about the importance of teaching the truths of the Bible and Christian theology to children, no matter their age. These truths can be seen played out in history and applied to today’s big questions. We discuss how the truths of theology lead us to doxology, even in the hard times. We reflect on God’s faithfulness and how recording specific instances of His faithfulness in our lives fills us with peace and praise to join in the chorus of Great is His faithfulness! 

Dr. James Duncan is a Professor of Communication at Anderson University in South Carolina and has been teaching there for over 20 years. He teaches everything from media law to rhetoric to interpersonal communication. 

In this episode I continue my conversation with Dr. Duncan and this time we cover relationships, parenting, and the concept of age and vocation. We learn that it's ok and sometimes even healthy to be boring, that no one is qualified to be a parent, and that the invitation to change the world is often an invitation to leave your post.  

Dr. James Duncan is a Professor of Communication at Anderson University in South Carolina and has been teaching there for over 20 years. He teaches everything from media law to rhetoric to interpersonal communication. 

In this episode I talk with Dr. Duncan about what being a teacher has taught him. He encourages people to never stop learning and he believes the best way to do that is to read. We discuss the many benefits and surprising perks of being a regular reader. Dr. Duncan compares the reading we do on social media to the nutritional value of a handful of Cheerios. He encourages everyone to intake a more balanced informational diet, including some long form reading… or steak, if you will.