The River Morning Show Weekly Podcast | EP 141 | OCT 4 2025

In today's episode, we talk unused purchases, kid bribery, irony on the freeway, and small wins that all lead to a bigger story about courage, prayer, and Jesus at the center. 

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Transcript

Share The River, Share The Joy

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Here's what to expect on this week's episode of the River Morning Show Weekly Podcast.

SPEAKER_06 0:04

I say as that in order to secure a calm and orderly diaper change, I will put one of those suction cup spinny beanies on my forehead, spin it, and sing happy birthday to my daughter.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

That is a different form of a bribe for sure.

SPEAKER_06 0:17

Dad'll look like an idiot.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Yeah.

The Purchase You Never Use

SPEAKER_06 0:19

If you'll just sit here and be calm. Thank you for pressing play on this podcast. Of course, you can find more on the on-demand page at riveradio.com. And can I just say this is a great opportunity, maybe you've never thought of it this way, to share the river with somebody who doesn't currently listen by sharing this podcast with them. They might just connect with Hannah and myself, and through that, connect with the music and connect more to Jesus. So give it a whirl and give it a share. Thanks again for listening. Producer Mike here with me this morning, and it happens to the best of us. There's something you're really excited about. You're like, this is the purchase to end all purchases. I need this thing. In my life, you're it, you're just pumped. You get it, and then you never use the thing. Never ever. Mike, that has happened to you. I know it for sure. What's the thing you got that you were pumped and you never touch it? You never use it at all.

SPEAKER_05 1:24

So my senior year of college, just a couple years ago, um, my roommate was so excited because he bought this Instapot. Before we even moved in, he was like, I bought this Instapot. Look at this. We're gonna have so many nights that we're not gonna eat in the calf.

SPEAKER_06 1:40

Is that like is that like a uh a new version of the pressure cooker? Something like that. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:45

Yeah. And so he was so excited. And you know how many times we used that senior year? Zero. Not even one? Not even one. It sat there in the box under the sink for the entirety of the year.

SPEAKER_06 2:00

So you could see it on occasion. You open the sink up and it's just there mocking you. Yeah. Waiting to be used. And we just didn't do it. No idea why. I'd love to hear from you. What's what's the thing? You bought it, it was the purchase to end them all, and you never ever use it. Call or text 800-609-1049. It happens to the best of us. We get something we're super excited about, and then it never comes out of the box. Or maybe we use it once and that's it. Producer Mike, you were talking about an Instapot that just mocked you from the corner. Yep. Never used it. College senior year, your roommate got this thing and it just stayed there.

SPEAKER_05 2:42

Yep. Stayed there under the sink in the box. Never used it.

Celebrations Big And Small

SPEAKER_06 2:45

It's the worst. Mayor, what's something you got? You were pumped for it, and you you now have regards.

SPEAKER_03 2:53

A walking pad for my desk. I was so excited to buy it. I was gonna get in my steps every day. It's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_06 3:01

Oh, it's so interesting. Is it almost like a very small under-the-desk treadmill? Is that what you're talking about?

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Yeah, that's exactly what it is. I think I've used it once because I found that I can't write while I'm walking. So it really wasn't working for me. So now I just stand on it all the time. It's like my little stool for my desk. It gives me a little extra height, and that's all. I never turn it on.

SPEAKER_06 3:25

What a great idea, and what an impractical thing to actually own.

SPEAKER_03 3:31

It's in the way. My husband trips over it all the time. He gets so mad at me.

SPEAKER_06 3:36

And today, right now, it's like one of those awards acceptance speeches. I would like to thank the little people who got me here. You know, that sort of thing. So I want I want to know what you are celebrating today, whether you had to step on people to get there or not. I am kidding. I am absolutely kidding. Listen, I know we don't we don't do that. Everybody is worthy and valuable. So I'm gonna start by saying this. I am celebrating it simple this morning. This does not have to be something massively profound. I am celebrating the fact that my work email inbox is down to just five. Hey, just congratulations. Five! I don't even have to scroll to see what emails have come in. I do a good job. I think I'm taking care of them right away, especially the spam ones. Those are easy to delete. And then the other ones, I'll turn those into a task with my task keeper app, like Asana, is what we use. And then I can clear them out of my inbox, and I'm on top of things, producer Mike.

SPEAKER_05 4:38

You are reaping the rewards right now for your hard work.

SPEAKER_06 4:40

Just I am basking in the glory of an unscrollable email inbox. Because there's only five left in there.

SPEAKER_05 4:51

Enjoy it until you get 10 more emails. You stop it right now.

SPEAKER_06 4:56

And if you start emailing me a bunch of those, dude, we are gonna have words. And stop it. Get your hands away from the keyboard. Dear Josh. So you can share. What are you celebrating today? It could be something as simple and silly as that or something much more profound. Call or text 800-609-1049. Producer Mike is sitting in here with a big smile on his face. I hope you have a smile too. You can share what you're celebrating today. Anything at all. Call or text 800-609-1049. Producer Mike, what?

SPEAKER_05 5:28

So I'm celebrating. I just yesterday got a new car.

SPEAKER_06 5:33

Look at this guy!

SPEAKER_05 5:35

So I'm so excited because my old car having a lot of issues and it's almost as old as me. And it was time to move on.

SPEAKER_06 5:43

It's a 2006 Toyota Camry. Yes. This Toyota's run forever, man. You sure you want to let her go? Bye-bye!

SPEAKER_05 5:51

Uh, the repair that I'd need to put into it is worth more than the car. So, yikes. Probably a no from me. Alright, I'm down with it.

SPEAKER_06 5:59

What are you celebrating today? You can share. Lori, go ahead.

Irony Strikes Again

SPEAKER_02 6:02

I am celebrating. I am a cancer and a congestive heart failure patient. I've been in a life vest for three and a half months. And yesterday I was in the hospital. They checked it all, and the life vest came up. My heart is recovering. Amazing! Oh my god, it's so good. Definitely we have still have a long way to go, but we're going in the right direction. That's right.

SPEAKER_06 6:25

Every step along the way gets you there. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Thank you. I just had to praise the Lord for that.

SPEAKER_04 6:31

Oh, we're so glad. We're praising him alongside you and praying for continued healing. Thank you so much for sharing. That is so exciting.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 6:41

And this is like the universe's favorite dad joke. It's like a punchline you didn't expect and nobody wanted. Yeah, I do think so. When irony hits, you roll your eyes and you're like, really? Really, universe? Thanks for nothing. That's what I call a bruh moment. Yes! Yeah, you can look at the sky and you're like, bruh. Or like my youngest son, he doesn't even pronounce it right anymore. He's just like br.br. So when has irony hit you in such a way? You can call or text 800-609-1049. Producer Mike.

SPEAKER_05 7:19

This just struck me last week. So I was having a lot of issues with my car. It was doing some shaking when I was driving. Not good. No, not fun. So I was like, okay, I need to make an appointment with a dealership, with a garage. So I made an appointment. The very next day, started driving the car again. Uh-huh. The shake was gone. I'm just like, bruh, what is this?

SPEAKER_06 7:45

It's like anytime that you have a computer problem and you call IT and they walk into the room and the problem fixes itself. Exactly. Because they know dad's here. Yeah. And they are going to be in trouble. Your car was the same way. It's like, oh, dude, he called about this. I haven't a doctor's appointment now. And all of a sudden your car feels better. Um, have you gotten like, did it still need fixed?

SPEAKER_05 8:05

It did actually still need fixed. And is it fixed? Something like that. Yikes. Uh yeah. My wallet's a little lighter in my car, still not 100%. So yeah. In the new car search now.

SPEAKER_06 8:18

Okay. How has irony hit you? Call or text 800-609-1049. You've heard of a stroke of genius. A stroke of irony is something else entirely. Oh yeah. You could share your moments when it's happened. Call or text 800-609-1049.

SPEAKER_05 9:13

Eddie from Hilliard texted the morning show and said, tow trucks, towing tow trucks always get a chuckle out of me.

SPEAKER_06 9:20

No, you can see a lot of irony on the freeway. I remember a comedian once once I'm talking about seeing two logging trucks passing each other, going opposite directions. It's like, if you need logs over there, and you need logs over there, simple phone call, guys. Wait a second.

SPEAKER_05 9:36

What have fixed this whole thing? Parker from Chillicothe said, I saw someone poke their eye pretty bad while putting on safety glasses.

SPEAKER_06 9:45

Ah, that's the worst!

A 13-Year-Old Hero At The Lake

SPEAKER_05 9:46

We're trying to protect I can like feel that pain, and I don't even wear glasses.

SPEAKER_06 9:52

Yeah, it's I do wear glasses, and it is a dicey circumstance sometimes.

SPEAKER_05 9:58

Amy from Newark said people on Facebook posting about cutting the drama out of their life over and over again. That is very ironic. Yikes!

SPEAKER_04 10:21

I know, pretty scary. Right after that, a mom came running, saying that her 11-year-old son had gone missing in the lake and that he couldn't swim. So Gage didn't even stop to think. He dove in, swam under the dock again and again, and finally spotted the kiddo underneath, caught in some seaweed. Wow. Gage pulled him up and started doing chest compressions. Remember, he's 13 years old until some nurses nearby, praise God, rushed in to help. And this kiddo survived. He's out of the ICU now and recovering thanks to Gage's bravery.

SPEAKER_06 10:56

My heart is happy now. Up to this point, it wasn't a happy heart story, Hannah.

The Art Of Kid Bribery

SPEAKER_04 11:01

I know, but I love this. Gage said that while it was all happening, he just kept praying the same thing over and over again in his head. Please, God, save this kid's life. I want him to live to grow up, grow up, and have a wife and kids someday. All right. He just kept repeating that as a prayer the whole time. Gage even said he wasn't supposed to be at the lake yet. They got there early because God knew exactly where he needed to be. And that's a happy heart story for you. There's something no parenting book, mom or dad wants to admit. Bribery is a key parenting hack. Now, maybe, maybe you're one of those superstar parents with angelic children who just joyfully obey and never need a little motivation. I'm not saying nothing. Uh-huh. But that is not my experience as an auntie with my nieces and nephews. Bribery is key.

SPEAKER_06 11:59

I will say this, especially for aunts and uncles, bribery is the way.

SPEAKER_04 12:03

So you're saying you've never bribed your kids, Josh?

SPEAKER_06 12:05

Uh, do not put words in my mouth. I absolutely have bribed my children. I do it to this day. Yes. If I need to.

SPEAKER_04 12:12

It took a full family effort just to get my four-year-old nephew Mason to try tubing behind the boat for the first time. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:21

His glammy, grandma, had to offer him$2. Jeez. And then his mom sealed the deal by promising he could pick out a present at the store later. This kid made bank just by doing something fun.

SPEAKER_06 12:33

Sure, that's the thing. I know. We want you to have the time of your life. Pay me.

SPEAKER_04 12:37

He was so unwell. He thought it was the scariest thing he'd ever seen. But you know what? Once he got on that tube, the smile across the water on his face, he thrived. But there there was no way we could have got him on that, besides, here you get presents and money. You wouldn't like that in my day. This feels like a new thing. So, what's your go-to kiddo bribe? Is it stickers, ice cream, cold hard cash? What do you gotta do? Call or text with your best kiddo bribery story, 800-609-1049. No parenting book wants to admit it, but sometimes a good old bribe gets the job done. Those are in the footnotes. Yeah. You gotta read the little uh asterisk at the bottom. Yeah. Or just read between the lines. Right. Whether you're a parent, a grandparent, maybe a cool auntie, you've probably had to offer a little motivation to get a kiddo to do something like chores, homework, you name it. It took two dollars in the promise of a brand new toy to get my four-year-old nephew to try tubing something really fun. Come on, he wouldn't do it. He was so scared. But once we bribed him, he got out there and had the time of his life. So worth it.

SPEAKER_06 13:48

Was he excited about the tubing or the two bucks in the present? Really?

SPEAKER_04 13:52

Do you think I mean the smile on his face in the water? I think he really liked it. He was really excited about getting on a boat, but not, you know, being on a rubber floaty in the back. Well, that'll launch him into the stratosphere. Yeah. Probably seen that.

SPEAKER_06 14:06

I think it worked. And it probably needed to happen that way.

SPEAKER_04 14:10

Because now he keeps talking about tubing. Like he wants to keep going back and without payments.

SPEAKER_06 14:15

Annoying, but it's a you just gotta get him in there. It's worthwhile since. I know.

SPEAKER_04 14:18

So what have you had to bribe your kiddos to do? Call or text 800-609-1049.

SPEAKER_06 14:26

Isaiah said in order to secure a calm and orderly diaper change, I will put one of those suction cup spinny beanies on my forehead, spin it, and sing happy birthday to my daughter.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

That is a different form of a bribe for sure.

SPEAKER_06 14:40

He's like, dad will look dad'll look like an idiot. Yeah. If you'll just sit here and be calm, please.

SPEAKER_04 14:46

I've seen the images and videos though of that suction cup leaving such a mark on your head. It's you get a you get a hickey.

SPEAKER_06 14:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:55

You don't want that.

SPEAKER_06 14:56

My wife and I, we have four kids, um, and they are teens and above, and they are not beyond bribing even now. In their in their upbringing, we would use things like candy. Pop tarts specifically would really, really work.

SPEAKER_04 15:11

Strawberry, cinnamon, sugar. Uh, anything.

SPEAKER_06 15:13

Blueberry is my favorite one. Uh, you could choose a show. You could play a game on the iPad when we had one of those. Now it's cash.

SPEAKER_04 15:22

Of course they've upped the ante.

SPEAKER_06 15:23

This is my favorite, though. Sometimes, hey, dad or mom will take you on a coffee date if you will da da da da shit.

SPEAKER_04 15:30

And they get excited about it?

SPEAKER_06 15:32

They like that because they like coffee, and I hope they also like us.

SPEAKER_04 15:35

You know, debatable, but that coffee though.

SPEAKER_06 15:39

News that'll make you go.

SPEAKER_04 15:40

Wait, wee wee. What?

Dating Dealbreaker: Bad Driving

You’re A One-Time Word Of God

SPEAKER_06 15:41

Josh, what in this crazy world did you find today? Well, producer Mike, when you're in the dating game, it can feel like your every move is being analyzed. Yeah. Because it is being analyzed. Potential partners are looking at how you dress, how you talk, how you interact with the world to see if they think you are compatible with them. Generally, they're looking for your habits to coexist in harmony with theirs. But it turns out, and here's what I found, there's one factor that tends to be a significant point of contention with couples. I'm writing this down. Okay, all right. Driving. Oh. In a survey, nearly 56% of people said they would not date a bad driver.

SPEAKER_05 16:25

Honestly, that's fair. Yeah, you think so? I think that's honestly pretty fair. Because you don't want to fear for your life when you're riding in the car with your significant other.

SPEAKER_06 16:34

I mean, there's that, and I get it too. Like, those insurance prices are nothing to be trifled with. No.

SPEAKER_04 16:42

You know, sometimes it can feel like life is just about checking off the boxes.

SPEAKER_06 16:47

Oh, I have been there so many times. All right, so a check mark for Tuesday.

SPEAKER_04 16:51

Right, yeah, go to work, try to be a good person, don't mess up too much. But then I heard this quote from a pastor recently that helped reframe the way I think about why we're here. Okay. She said, Each of us is a word of God spoken only once. And then she added, You are not just here to not sin. You are here to partner with Jesus in making all things new.

SPEAKER_06 17:21

There's a lot of doing absolutely to be done.

Pastor Appreciation Shoutouts

SPEAKER_04 17:23

There are some contributions of the kingdom of God that are only meant to come through you and your life as you give what you've got. So, what is that word of God that is meant to be spoken through your life? What are those contributions that are uniquely yours? Is what she said. And I think that's so beautiful because you're not here as an accident.

SPEAKER_06 17:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:46

You're here on purpose. You're not here just to float through life, you're not here just to not sin. God has something specific, something only you can bring to the table. So today, instead of just focusing on what not to do, ask him to show you what he's calling you to do, and then go live it out, knowing that you are a one-of-a-kind expression of his love.

SPEAKER_06 18:13

There's a person in your life, I really do hope there's a person in your life you could say these things about, that he's service and community-minded, he's willing to share the tough truth to help anyone willing to hear it. He's funny and kind and has one of the most difficult jobs on earth. He is your pastor. And since this is Pastor Appreciation Month, let's do that this morning. Let's appreciate him. Let's shout him out. Let's be sure we are sharing about him and or her and are thankful for the leadership of somebody who believes the Bible and is teaching the Bible in our churches today. You can call or text 800-609-1049, and I'll take liberties and start. Oh, I'm excited for this. Yeah, my pastor's name is Wayne. He is an overcomer, he is a storyteller, he is a Jesus follower, of course. He's kind of man, he can sing. Like our uh our special music is is exceptional at the church, especially when he's got it going. I mean, he even cut like his own album several years ago. Like legit real singer. So you got Pastor Plus worship. Yes, it's well, you could just stop there. It's Pastor Plus. Yeah, exactly. That's it. He's talked with me through some really trying times. He's convided his difficulties in me. I'm thankful for the friendship. I'm thankful for him. And so now it's your turn. Shout him out for Pastor Appreciation Month, your pastor. Call or text 800-609-1049. This is Pastor Appreciation Month. So we wanted to do it right by simply opening, opening up the floor and being like, hey, share about your pastor and what God's doing in them and through them, and let's appreciate in front of everybody so you can call or text 800-609-1049.

SPEAKER_05 20:14

Michael wanted to shout out Pastor Jess Allen with Fairview Community Christian Church. He's our new preacher and is doing a great job preaching God's word. Amazing! That's the most important part.

SPEAKER_06 20:24

Find you a Bible-believing Bible preaching church. Absolutely. If you're not doing a church thing yet, find one where Jesus is first and everything else falls in line after that. Fantastic. I love it.

SPEAKER_05 20:35

Amen. And then Sandy said that she wanted to shout out Thomas Tucker at Oak Creek Church. She said she's been in the hospital multiple times, and every time that she wakes up, Pastor Thomas is there praying over her. Amazing. What a way to lead by example.

SPEAKER_06 20:49

Yeah. Yeah, that really, really is. I know that pastors so often they do that in the trenches kind of work that is spiritually draining and emotionally draining, but they're there day after day, and I'm so grateful. Uh how about your pastor, Mike?

SPEAKER_05 21:07

Yeah, my pastor, he's a younger guy. He's still in his 20s. Um, but he was my life group leader when I was uh here at school at Mount Vernon Nazarene. And he is an awesome guy. He's a great guy who leads by example, preaches from the word, and also he's just a ton of fun to have as a pastor. Like he took me and my roommate out golfing a couple weeks ago. There you go. And he's really good at golf, too. So shout out Sam.

A Conversation With God That Never Ends

The Question That Matters: What About Jesus?

Listen Live And Leave A Review

SPEAKER_06 21:31

What is it with pastors who are good at my pastor, when I was growing up, was good at every sport. I'm like, dude, you're not making me feel very good about myself. God's trying to teach a lesson through the fact that you are better than me. He's doing the opposite of building you up in this case. Well, I had to build some calluses, apparently. Uh, you can share today or any day, of course, but especially today and this month for Pastor Appreciation Month, all about who God is using to work in your life. 800-609-1049. The conversation is designed to never ever end. You might feel that way about your teenager who decided to unload every thought they have ever had at midnight after your longest day, and they're just getting started, and they just keep going. So, kudos to each parent who keeps listening through times like that. That's my wife's role. Since I get up early, I'm long asleep. When our kids decide it's the middle of the night, here are all my toughest questions. Sometimes they get me up, it's okay. But the conversation I'm talking about is your daily talk with God. I uh I'm on the UVersion Bible app. There's a million Bible apps. Use whatever one you like, but this one has devos and different things, and they have a daily prayer journey, and they open it and close it with different messages for each day. Last night I was so encouraged and comforted and mentioned at the beginning that God's ready and waiting to talk with me. And I know that, but to read it out loud was such a powerful reminder that, like, I had had a busy day, all the different things, but that's cool. God knows all that stuff, and He's He's set aside a time for He and I to connect. And I was so grateful for that. And then the prayer journey thing ended with this it said it's not just the start of your conversation with God. Talk with him often today. And that is so real. When you say amen at the end of a prayer, it's not closing the door, it's a period on a sentence. I don't often say amen if I'm praying in my head during the day or whatever, because I'm coming back for more. Like, you might have heard the passage somewhere that says pray without ceasing. It doesn't mean hands folded, eyes closed, head bowed all day, every day. That just means moment by moment you have an awareness that God is with you and you can pray profoundly with the simple words, God help, God give me wisdom. But you can jump back into that conversation at any time because God never leaves. We were designed for relationship with our Creator and designed for a conversation that never ends. This right now is maybe the most important thing you can hear. And I normally don't say something like that about what's about to come out of my mouth, but I think you'll agree with me. Because it all comes down to one question What about Jesus? How do you answer that? What about Jesus? Maybe you'll answer, like, well, what about him? My kids have been asking all the questions that we all ask at some point in our lives. My kids are teens, we've gone to church their whole lives, and so now that their brains are developing into grown-ups and getting closer to that, they have questions. And there's not a single thing wrong with questions. But it's conversations like this. If every religion thinks they're right, how do we know Christianity is right? That's a really good question. So I talked about history and archaeology, about how each archaeological discovery from the promised land from the Middle East, none of them have ever contradicted what is in the Bible. Instead, they reinforce it. I talked about my personal experience, and you can't recreate that in a lab to say, like, what I experienced, you will experience, and therefore you know Jesus is real. But I have talked about how God has led me through my life and the different times I haven't let him lead me, and how poorly that turns out. I've talked about the consistency of scripture written by I don't know what, forty different individuals over thousands of years, and how it fits so nicely and neatly together. I've talked about the undeniable connections from the Old Testament to Jesus in the New Testament. Because Jesus is the focus of the entire scripture, the entire Bible. I've told my kids this is the most important delineation between any religion that you are looking at or wondering about what about Jesus. Some say he was a prophet or just a good man or a wise teacher, but Jesus said otherwise. He said he was God in the flesh. In a world that tries to insist all paths lead to God. Don't hesitate to speak the truth in love. The truth that Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life. Hey, you're invited to listen to the recording of this podcast live. How? Where? It's simple. You can share every weekday morning with Josh and Hannah on 1049 The River in Columbus, Ohio, or online at riverradio.com. It was a journey, but we've made it together. Thanks for listening to this episode of the River Morning Show weekly podcast.

SPEAKER_04 27:16

And hey, since you made it this far, would you be willing to like and rate this podcast? There's a few stars you can click. Five stars would be wonderful. A few at least, five at most.

SPEAKER_06 27:26

We'd love the big one.

SPEAKER_04 27:27

And even more than that, if you want to subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode, please do. We love hanging out with you.