Midnight Depot

FRRRRAAAAAANNNNKKKK is here . . . and you should all be very, very afraid. Today is Frank the Demon's favorite holiday, and we're celebrating by talking about the best costumes we've ever worn, how some of us used to steal the whole bowl of candy, and how Ryan was actually not ever a dinosaur for Halloween. Happy Halloween everyone! Hit Frank up (if you dare) on the Facebook page.

How do you feel about Christian movies? There seems to be a pretty clear divide in the Christian community about movies like God's Not Dead, Fireproof, and Facing the Giants. Some people say they're life-changing in the best way. Others think they're just another laughingstock that distracts the world from Jesus. In this episode, the guys talk about whether terrible Christian movies are just bad art or whether they're only meant to build up the church. They also debate the best way to train up young people to pursue their God-given talents, and they wrestle with the question: Should we use capitalized pronouns when we talk about God and Jesus? What do you think about "Christian" art? Are we being too hard on it? If it's helpful, why? Or if it's better left unmade, why? Let us know on our page.

Nathan believes in Bigfoot. So does Justin. Cody and Ryan do not. And there's your premise for this episode.   Nathan lays out his (foolproof?) argument for why there must be a Bigfoot/Bigfoots/Bigfeet in North America somewhere, based on his millions of hours of Youtube research and his unofficial certification as a world-class cryptozoologist.   Either your eyes will be opened to a creature who has lived in the shadows among us for perhaps thousands of years . . . or you'll feel exactly how you felt before you started this episode.   What do you think? Are there huge creatures out there on planet Earth that we haven't discovered yet? Let us know on the Facebook page. And here's the famous Patterson-Gimlin footage Nathan refers to, as well as a skeptical counterargument.

Part 2 of our discussion on the NFL anthem protests. Have white Americans been on the wrong side of history at every turn? Have we been fighting over the wrong issues during the protest saga? We know you have thoughts about this one. If you'd like to engage or challenge any of our thoughts, please check out this episode's post on Facebook, or message us privately there. This is such a huge current issue, and we'd love to have some dialogue over it.

You know the story. In 2016, Colin Kaepernick sits, then kneels during the pre-game national anthem at NFL games. Others join him, debate ensues. Fast forward to today, and President Trump gets involved. Then an all-out war on social media begins. In this two-parter, we do our best to get to the heart of what the protests are really about, discuss the meaning of the flag, talk about why it's so easy to get distracted from the real issues, and debate the effectiveness of the movement. We know you have thoughts about this one. If you'd like to engage or challenge any of our thoughts, please check out this episode's post on Facebook, or message us privately there. This is such a huge current issue, and we'd love to have some dialogue over it.

This episode is about minimalism.

Last year, on the Fourth of July, Ryan spent time with a family that rocked his world. They were vibrant, encouraging, and unthreatened by each other. They laughed constantly and didn't shame each other. The patriarch and matriarch were revered, but they themselves put the attention on the emerging generations. In this episode, Ryan shares his observations from that day, and the guys discuss what the function and purpose of extended families are supposed to be. Listeners, tell us what you think. What is the greater purpose of family systems? What are they supposed to achieve? Let us know on our Facebook page, or shoot us an email at info@midnightdepot.com.

We fell behind on publishing, what with hurricanes and mission trips getting in the way. So this week, we're publishing two episodes to catch up. In this one, Justin poses that oh-so-romantic question: Is there such a thing as soulmates? Does everyone have a special someone uniquely suited to them? If so, how would we find them out of billions of people? Which side do you fall on? Do you believe in soulmates? Let us know on the Facebook page.

Look, I'm not nearly as good at this as Ryan...you know, because he's like an author and all. But screw it. This episode is pretty self explanatory....just literally read the title. It's NFL mascots....fighting to the death....what more needs to be said?! We decide who would beat who!! PS: I still think the Panthers should have won....   - C  

This episode is pretty terrible, tbh. We talk a lot and say very little. Cody kind of botches his second Cody Knows segment. We try to answer from The Book of Questions but get REALLY distracted. And we tell way, way, way too many stories about frog abuse. Poor frogs… Yeah, you don't have to comment anything about this episode. We give you a free pass. Because it's bad, like really bad.

Get ready for round 3 of Save or Kill—yes, a mere two weeks after our last game.   In this one, Ryan went back to more personal questions, starting with personalized gifts from Alyce.com, a website that (kind of creepily) crawls people's social media profiles to figure out what they like, then come up with list of gifts for that person.   Nathan tests his love for hookah. Justin shows his fanboy side for all things vikings. And Cody has the option of getting rid of one of our listeners . . . and strongly considers it. If any of you end up trying Alyce.com, comment on our Facebook page and let us know what gifts you got!

You've probably never thought of winning the lottery, because you're a reasonable person. Some of us, though, indulge those fantasies and try to imagine what we would do if we had an extra nine figures in our bank account one day. What's the very first thing we would do? How would we protect ourselves from all the "friends and family" expecting some of the cut? How much would we splurge on luxuries? The guys go through and give their own projections in this one before Justin goes on an epic rant about how all of our listeners suck. If you don't in fact suck, feel free to prove him wrong and TALK TO US on our Facebook page. Drop in and tell us who you are!

In the much-anticipated return of the game "Save or Kill," it's about to get de-personal. Nathan coincidentally brought Save or Kill back the same recording session that Ryan did, but their games were very different in flavor. In this one, Nathan draws from a list of predetermined pairs of things (toilet paper or printer paper?), and the guys have to choose to kill one of them from the face of creation. Also, stay tuned to the end, when we sing a glorious barbershop quartet jingle to our favorite jerky company in all the land. If you listen to this show, tell us who you are, because we don't know...

Those of us who have made it all the way through the American school system know that it's far from perfect. Standardized testing locks teachers into a narrow view of successful outcomes for their students. Real-world learning is sparse. And the price of college is often vastly disproportionate to the value of the education. In this episode, after a brief foray into a parrots-as-evidence-in-court debate, we dive into our experiences as students in U.S. schools—and even offer a few ideas for how things could change for the better. What are your thoughts on the American school system? What served you well? What failed you? We'd love to hear your opinions on our page (especially teachers).

Most Christians believe they are sinful at some level. How much so, and whether we really feel that, is a different matter. There are two main questions in today's episode: Do you find it hard to believe you're inherently sinful? Do you believe God has ever withdrawn himself from you in order to teach you who you are apart from him? These questions stem from the last few months of Ryan's life, in which some of the best qualities he's had (e.g., patience, gentleness, etc.) have sometimes disappeared completely—leaving him to wonder what God is up to. Have you ever gone through anything similar? How easy or hard is it to believe you're sinful? Let us know.

For the first time since we started the podcast, we're adding to the Midnight Depot extended family. Time to celebrate—but whose baby is it? Also, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor are meeting on August 26 in what may be the biggest fight ever. Who wins? How long does the fight go? Will it even happen? How far does Irishness carry a man in his life?? In this episode, we make predictions, share conspiracy theories, and get amped for this superfight.  Give us your round and winner for the fight on the Facebook page! And be sure to congratulate ___ for his new family member!

Part 2 of our debate over the gender wage gap in America rages on. In this one, we continue our discussion on appropriate terminology, get into statistics that deal specifically with men and women in the same roles with the same level of education, and try to figure out where the issue really lies. Last week was a little toasty, but this one's where the real fire kicks up. Please let us know your thoughts on this subject, especially if you're a woman who wants to share her experience in the workplace. Comment on our Facebook page or message us there if you have feedback for us that you'd rather not be public.

This one was so long and intense that we had to split it into two episodes. Is there gender inequality in America? Wage gaps between men and women are a statistical reality, but the interpretation of those statistics depends on whom you're asking. Between the four of us, we've got both sides represented in this debate. In part one, we talk about the earnings of movie stars, C-suite executives, and more, with a focus on gender. We also debate whether or not we, as straight, white, male Americans, have the right to weigh in against those who claim inequality. This one got HEATED, y'all. Please let us know your thoughts on this subject, especially if you're a woman who wants to share her experience in the workplace. Comment on our Facebook page or message us there if you have feedback for us that you'd rather not be public.

On a Bad Christian episode in 2016, Chad Gardner from Kings Kaleidoscope opened up about a prayer with F-bombs—a prayer that would eventually make its way into a worship song.   So, is that actually worship? Is it something the band should have released at all? Kings Kaleidoscope got kicked out of a music venue for it; was that the right or wrong move from the venue?   In this one, we try to get to the heart of worship, authenticity, and freedom in Christ—and how we should handle all of that publicly. Check out the Kings Kaleidoscope song, "A Prayer," here. Then let us know what you think about the band's choice to record and release the song.

Pretentious: attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.  Cody has a theory that everyone is at least a little pretentious about something. They know more about something than other people do, and they kind of like to let people know it…  In this one, Cody is forced to guess what the other guys are pretentious about. He (not really) bravely does so.  What are you pretentious about? I'm sure you're really excited about pointing out your own snobbishness, so why not go ahead and let us know?