Podcasts about World of Warcraft

Wwwhat's up swingaz? From the tbhq in the grizzly lands of wisconsin, welcome to Thrall's Balls episode #199!Mixed Drink of the Week (Johnnie - The Eco Dome)2 oz tequila0.5 oz lime juice1 egg white or 0.5 oz garbanzo bean water1 honey dipped sugar or salt rimmed glass3-4 oz grapefruit italian soda1 stick/sprig of rosemaryPre honey sugar or salt glassAdd tequila, lime juice, eggwhite/garbanzo bean water and into a shaker and “dry shake” for 6-8 seconds.Add ice to shaker, and shake until frosted on the outside.Double stain pour into glass and fill up with grapefruit italian soda.Next week: Gershom (The Devouring [of K'aresh])WoW NewsMidnight Beta Sign-Uphttps://www.wowhead.com/news/sign-up-for-world-of-warcraft-midnight-beta-access-378322SIGN UP HERE: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/midnightSeptember Trading Posthttps://www.wowhead.com/news/dwarven-charm-in-the-september-2025-trading-post-many-new-mounts-378353Comp Stomphttps://www.wowhead.com/news/stomp-your-competition-in-midnight-comp-stomp-to-become-permanent-game-mode-378248More Interview Tidbitshttps://www.wowhead.com/news/story-mode-dragonflight-raids-silvermoon-city-and-sylvanas-pewpewmika-developer-378326https://www.wowhead.com/news/midnight-interview-with-destructoid-uniting-the-elven-tribes-378344https://www.wowhead.com/news/art-design-and-technical-direction-of-midnight-interviews-with-altertime-378327Go ahead and follow us in the social places. You can find the various proper spellings in the episode description!@Woolly08 twt insta bsky @Woolly_08 tktk@HunterGershom twt @HunterGerrshom insta@BoomyNation Twt YouTubeJohnnie.Tips Discord, @Johnnie.Tips InstaCRAIIIIG! @CraigAddict Twt@ThrallsBallsPod Twt InstaSearch ThrallsBallsPod on YoutubeEmail us with any feedback or questions: ThrallsBallsPodcast@gmail.comYou can also leave us feedback on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or even in a specialized reviews channel on our Discord. Go to ThrallsBalls.com to find our Linktree. All our relevant links (including Discord) can be found there.Bye we love you be good!https://discord.gg/HuFkhagM3Z

שורפים משחקים, הפודקאסט לגיימר העצלן, על כל המשחקים כולם. השבוע בחוקרים משחק התגנבות איזומטרי עם מכניקות שיתוף פעולה בין דמויות, מתנסים במשחקי דק-בילדר חדשים עם קונספטים של קומבו וקרבות חלל, ומתאכזבים ממשחק סולס-לייק סיני שלא הצליח להציע כלום מעניין למרות הפוטנציאל שלו.שורפים משחקים – תוכנית מספר 406 – הוקלטה בתאריך 27/08/2025משתתפים: ארבל בן דור, יהודה חלפון ואביב מנוח.0:00:00 – פתיח וקשקושים0:06:26 – Wuchang: Fallen Feathers0:17:37 – Inkborn 0:23:32 – Ascension: Deckbuilding Game0:27:59 – StarVaders0:34:13 – Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream0:45:01 – Gamescom0:57:04 – ציפיות לעתידהערות הפרק באתרתמיכה בתוכניתהפודקאסט באפליקציותכל הפרקים--Ascension: Deckbuilding Game, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, Gamescom, Inkborn, StarVaders, World of WarCraft, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

This week: Jeff joins the Couch for the eleventh time to herald the end of a specific franchise. Plus, our favorite Gamescom announcements.SubscribeApple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.couchcompany.games

This week, Alex & Dan delve into the archives to review the films which were made for the silver screen from the TV screen - but should they have done? This genre takes a beating from critics and cinema go-ers, but are they all that bad?Uncharacteristically, Alex provides a couple of positive reviews straight out of the starting block - but as we suspect, it doesn't last for long! Featuring reviews from World of Warcraft, Need for Speed - to Jolie's Tomb Raider and Wreck-It Ralph! Thanks to the power of social media, we also have some of yours (shout out to the Accidental Pod guys and local talent Strong Island)! Sit back, relax and enjoy some time down memory lane with the south coast duo.We also learn that Dan's penchant for red wine has an adverse effect on his ability to read and write! Who would have thought? We also have a rare insight into the antics of a young adolescent Dan in the cinema...#GITS

Praises or critics can be send here! Also if there's anything you wish to hear about please send your requests here!Azeroth's next chapter beckons as the veils of mystery surrounding World of Warcraft's Midnight expansion finally lift. Nestled in our beloved Pig and Whistle Inn, we're diving deep into what promises to be a transformative evolution of the Warcraft universe.Player housing stands as the crown jewel of Midnight's offerings – neighborhoods with fifty plots each, creating living communities where your neighbors remain consistent unless someone moves. These spaces feature unique layouts, from bustling village centers to secluded outskirts, all designed to foster genuine community through neighborhood endeavors that take you back into Azeroth's open world. This isn't just decoration; it's the foundation of a reputation system that rewards collaborative effort with housing upgrades and rewards.Four diverse zones await exploration: Harandar (homeland of the Haranir), a completely revamped Quel'thalas (combining Eversong Woods, Ghostlands, and Isle of Quel'Danas after 17 years), an expanded Zul'Aman beyond its previous dungeon incarnations, and the mysterious Voidstorm. With eight dungeons, nine delves, and three raids in the first season alone, Midnight appears poised to deliver substantive content from day one.What excites you most about WoW's Midnight expansion? Share your thoughts and join us next week as we continue our detailed breakdown of everything coming in this ambitious new chapter of World of Warcraft. Hope you all enjoy and hope you relate to any of these stories. And I will speak to you all in the next episode!Want some 3D printed Merch, find it here!https://pigandwhistletales.etsy.comSupport the show here:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1196870/supportpatreon.com/Pigandwhistlehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/PigandWhistleSocials :Twitch : https://www.twitch.tv/pigandwhistletalesYoutube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOi6rHO3x90lOmmb82Jv1wWebsite : https://www.pigandwhistletales.com/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/pigandwhistletales/Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PigAndWhistleTalesTry out Buzzsprout yourself! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1154066Listen to the podcast on other platforms:https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/pig-whistle-tales-from-azeroth-gabriel-nsa902LrQVw/https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/pig-whistle-tales-from-azeroth-1315927https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZTkLtQvRSm4PStUfZquWkhttps://podcastaddict.com/podcast/3032607The Music at the start is from Tony Catch theyThe Gaming BlenderWe mash genres. We pitch games. You question our sanity.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport the show here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1196870/support patreon.com/Pigandwhistle https://www.buymeacoffee.com/PigandWhistle

With the rigidity of the structure of the Kirin Tor and the Jedi Order, and their propensity for keeping secrets about power -- and sometimes that power for themselves -- there are a ton of parallels between these two organizations. Our hosts Matt and Joe dive deep into both the World of Warcraft universe and the Star Wars universe in order to compare and contrast the master light side wielders of the force and the best mages in Azeroth.While this doesn't imply that, for instance, Rhonin is a Jedi, it doesn't not imply it, either.If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes for Ctrl Alt WoW Episode 832 - YouTube and No Man's Sky AprilPvd discusses No Man's Sky, Virtual Reality and other video games including World of Warcraft. Send an email to ctrlaltwow@gmail.com telling us how you play Virtual Reality and video games as an altoholic or dealing with it in your family life. Join us on our discourd: Ctrl Alt WoW Discord  

For en utrolig fin, sterk, morsom og til tider veldig rørende episode! ❤️ Asbjørn "Polyfjord" Lote er en nydelig gamer med 610.000 følgere på Instagram og 781.000 abonnenter på YouTube. Videoene hans på YouTube har over 116 millioner visninger, og en av hans mest populære videoer på Instagram har 2,7 MILLIONER LIKES! LIKES! IKKE VIEWS! Sammen med oss snakker Asbjørn om skammen man kan føle på knyttet til å spille, den gangen moren hans tok et oppgjør med egne holdninger og det å lære seg fransk av World of Warcraft og Age of Empires. Men ikke nok med det! Vi har TO anmeldelser av Sword of The Sea og JETRUNNER liggende, spalten CHRONO TRIGGERED i Norske Spaltenter, en Final Fantasy-aktig Ha Med-dag til dere og en Steffen Lund som både har vært i Kina og flytta siden sist - så denne bør du få med deg! ✨ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the WoW Nightcap, your favorite fortnightly-ish podcast! Pull up a chair with our hosts - Flattus, Talan, and Foob - and chat mostly about World of Warcraft, just like you would at your favorite cozy tavern! Talan is still traversing in the void, searching for Xal'atath's lost shoes. Flattus is doing his best to hold down the fort, but has been busy with work and life stuffs. We present you with something that isn't quite a podcast episode, but instead is the audio from a recent Twitch stream of Flattus and SusanSprinkle checking out a bunch of WoW announcements and news from Gamescom 2025. Not sure if this works super great in audio form? We'll be back soon. We promise

On this week's episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk about World of Warcraft's Midnight reveal, Guild Wars 2's new specs, Elder Scrolls Online's leadership switchup, DDO's creepy expansion, and Star Citizen's possible -- possible -- launch window. It's the Massively OP Podcast, an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you'd like to send in your question to the show, use this link. Show notes: Intro Adventures in MMOs: WoW Classic, WoW, LOTRO, GW2 News: Guild Wars 2 tests Visions of Eternity's new elite specs News: World of Warcraft fully reveals Midnight News: Elder Scrolls Online changes up more key leadership News: Dungeons and Dragons Online releases Chill of Ravenloft News: Could Star Citizen actually launch by 2027? Mailbag: Outro Other info: Podcast theme: "Lost in a Spider Web's Beauty" from DDO Your show hosts: Justin and Bree Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Amazon, and Spotify Follow Massively Overpowered: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch If you're having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

Hey everyone welcome to the Lion's Pride Tavern podcast PSA  Lion's Pride Tavern Store:   https://lions-pride-tavern.myspreadshop.com/   Donations: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2PVQ8WJUXQ6S2&source=url   Securtiy Camera System https://share.eufylife.com/v1/shopping/s/g/m_7p09Ok_   Live Streaming Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/captain_adonis https://www.twitch.tv/cassatanks   Other Podcast Friends: https://thethirdfaction.com/ https://mashthosebuttons.com/show/the-tauren-the-goblin/ www.frazlcast.com https://scrubsvstheworld.podbean.com/ http://wtbgold.blogspot.com/#axzz2kMfXwf2a   Advertisers: nordvpn.com/lionspride www.betterhelp.com/lionspride www.posterburner.com/lions https://www.advertisecast.com/1810   Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/lionspridetavern Lionspridetavern@yahoo.com https://discord.gg/GXJY6nU https://www.facebook.com/lionspridetavern   Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrideTavern https://twitter.com/captain_adonis https://twitter.com/luvsweetcharity https://twitter.com/Goblingoldcast   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CaptainAdonis   Websites https://www.lovesweetcharity.com https://warcraftradio.com/directory/   Music Credits: Music by Sharm @https://soundcloud.com/sharmsong  -  https://www.youtube.com/user/taintedlore   Vincent Moretto https://youtu.be/uGahF5N3VmI Metal remix & mashup of Tavern themes from World of Warcraft! Original Composers: Russell Brower, Neal Acree, Jason Hayes, David Arkenstone, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Jeremy Soule, Matt Uelmen, Edo Guidotti   Kevin Mcloud with hotrock

Wwwhat's up swingaz? from the tbhq in the grizzly lands of Wisconsin, welcome to Thrall's Balls episode #198!Mixed Drink of the Week (Woolly: Devourer Demon Hunter)-hard cherry limeade base-1 shot strawberry soju-1/2 shot krakenNext week: Johnnie (The Eco-Dome)RWFhttps://www.wowhead.com/news/world-first-mythic-dimensius-the-all-devouring-by-team-liquid-world-champions-of-378274Midnight Cinematichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiIjThwKLaEMidnight Major Featureshttps://www.wowhead.com/news/experience-wows-new-housing-system-first-hand-with-virtual-tour-early-access-in-378253https://www.wowhead.com/news/new-allied-race-for-midnight-announced-haranir-can-be-druids-378237https://www.wowhead.com/news/blizzard-releases-teaser-video-showcasing-the-new-demon-hunter-spec-abilities-378285https://www.wowhead.com/news/new-demon-hunter-specialization-revealed-embrace-the-void-with-devourer-378233https://www.wowhead.com/news/apex-talents-and-new-hero-talent-lanes-for-every-spec-in-midnight-378293https://www.wowhead.com/news/players-will-return-to-blood-elf-lands-in-midnight-four-new-zones-with-player-378231https://www.wowhead.com/news/parts-of-silvermoon-remain-horde-only-as-the-new-player-hub-in-midnight-378219Haranir Allied Racehttps://www.wowhead.com/news/new-allied-race-for-midnight-announced-haranir-can-be-druids-378237https://www.wowhead.com/news/haranir-racials-revealed-mrgm-developer-interview-378298#haranir-racialsPrey Systemhttps://www.wowhead.com/news/earn-cosmetic-rewards-with-the-new-prey-system-in-midnight-optional-content-with-378246Arator Campaignhttps://www.wowhead.com/news/bonus-paladin-themed-story-chapter-with-arator-in-midnight-leveling-campaign-378266Midnight Pre-Ordershttps://www.wowhead.com/news/world-of-warcraft-midnight-preorders-live-now-with-in-game-rewards-378249Go ahead and follow us in the social places. You can find the various proper spellings in the episode description!@Woolly08 twt insta bsky @Woolly_08 tktk@HunterGershom twt @HunterGerrshom insta@BoomyNation Twt YouTubeJohnnie.Tips Discord, @Johnnie.Tips InstaCRAIIIIG! @CraigAddict Twt@ThrallsBallsPod Twt InstaSearch ThrallsBallsPod on YoutubeEmail us with any feedback or questions: ThrallsBallsPodcast@gmail.comYou can also leave us feedback on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or even in a specialized reviews channel on our Discord. Go to ThrallsBalls.com to find our Linktree. All our relevant links (including Discord) can be found there.Bye we love you be good!https://discord.gg/HuFkhagM3Z

Video games! More are coming and the ones that are here are under debate. Thats Gamescom 2025 for ya. A few winners grabbed our attention. Kyle is playing Hollow Knight. Crossovers be damned, MTG Airbender is looking real good. World of WarCraft showed off its newest expansion Midnight. Pick your side, because FFXIV mods lovers and haters are at each other this week. We got the full rundown to help you pick your side. Garrett's watching Evangelion as an adult. All this and more. 

Join Tim, Joey and Alex, as they look at one of the most famous video games of all time. World of Warcraft. The Hit MMO from the early 2000s is still alive and well, but what did the boys think of their time in Azeroth?Proud member of the podpack collective!

The boys discuss The Materialists, fascist hair styles, "adults only" Star Wars parodies and Sam helps Matt not relapse into his World of Warcraft addiction. Music provided by the Youtube Studio Audio LibraryFind Us At:Sam: @reeltexasweirdo Matt's Insta/Threads: @holyhandgrenadeofantiochMatt's BluSky: @matthewjimenezEmail: lostlegaciespodcast@gmail.comYouTube: @TheHiddenCityBookCoFind us at #LostLegaciesComments? Questions?? Concerns!?! Click here to text us!

Welcome to The Starting Zone Podcast, The World of Warcraft Podcast for New and Experienced Players! This week Spencer Downey and Jason Lucas discuss the M+ Leaver System, Midnight Gamescom Reveals, 11.2.5 Development notes, Hotfixes, and everything going on around Azeroth! Episode #698: Gamescom Part One! What's New this Week in World of Warcraft! Weekly Event - Battleground Bonus Event Weekly Quest - Titan Disc Fragments PvP Brawl - Temple of Hotmogu Mythic+ Affixes - Xal'atath's Bargain: Voidbound Winds of Mysterious Fortune - July 15th to August 12th Eastern Kingdoms Cup - August 26th to September 9th Don't miss it Weekly Checklist World Boss - Reshanor, in Karesh Special Assignment World Quests Theater Troupe Awakening the Machine Spreading the Light Severed Threads Pacts Worldsoul Memories Nightfall Scenario Important Posts M+ Dungeon Leaver Penalty System Online The War Within Patch 11.2.5 Development Notes World of Warcraft: Midnight Revealed! Demon Hunter Spec The World of Midnight Developer Panel VoD Ion Hazzikostas and Paul Kubit Xbox Interview Hotfixes and much more! You can find us on Discord at The Starting Zone or email us at TheStartingZone@Gmail.com Have you heard about our Patreon? It's a great way to support the show and goes towards making more content for you! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/thestartingzone Looking for to grab some great TSZ merch? Look no further than here! We've got the shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows even stickers you want!

The Samophlange ep.789  The Samophlange was a quest in early World of Warcraft located in Bilgewater Harbor. I took that quest, including all the dialogue, and turned it into an embellished short story. As far as I know the quest no longer exists, so this is my way of keeping it alive! I originally published this years ago, but had to take it down when YouTube changed some guidelines. Those guidelines are now clearer, so I recorded this again and decided to publish it anew.   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Ursprünglich hatte es Blizzard schon nach dem Release versprochen - doch dann hat es über 20 Jahre gedauert, bis es World of Warcraft: Midnight nun endlich einführt: das Housing! Mit den WoW-Granden Ion Hazzikostas und Paul Kubit diskutiert Jules über das Eigenheim und andere Veränderungen.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb dive deep into the intersection of pop culture, entertainment, and the Christian life. They explore how Christians can engage with leisure and media in a way that glorifies God, applying biblical principles like those found in 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Ecclesiastes 3. The hosts emphasize the importance of balancing Christian liberty and holiness, while also recognizing the practical role of rest and recreation in human flourishing. Through personal anecdotes and theological insights, they provide listeners with a framework for discerning entertainment choices, encouraging believers to enjoy God's good gifts without compromising their faith. Key Takeaways: Entertainment is a Gift from God: Leisure and entertainment, when approached rightly, are part of God's common grace meant to refresh and restore us. Biblical Principles for Consumption: 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds Christians that all activities, including entertainment, should glorify God. If an activity cannot do so, it may be unlawful. Christian Liberty and Prudence: Decisions about pop culture often fall under the domain of Christian liberty, constrained by wisdom and prudence rather than legalistic rules. The Importance of Rest: Rest is not just about recharging for productivity; it is a God-given means of worship and human flourishing in its own right. Guarding Against Sinful Influences: Christians should be cautious of consuming media that promotes sin, as it can subtly shape their worldview and lead them astray. Personal Convictions and Context Matter: What is permissible for one believer may not be wise or beneficial for another, depending on individual struggles and contexts. Recreation Should Point Back to God: Whether through beauty, creativity, or storytelling, entertainment can lead Christians to worship God when consumed with discernment. Entertainment as a Gift from God Tony and Jesse emphasize that entertainment, when properly enjoyed, is a part of God's common grace. This means that activities like watching a movie, playing a video game, or reading a novel are not inherently sinful but can serve as vehicles for rest and refreshment. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 3, they highlight that God has ordained seasons for both work and rest. True rest, they argue, is not about escaping responsibilities but about enjoying God's gifts in ways that glorify Him and restore our energy to serve others. When approached with discernment, even "secular" forms of entertainment can reflect God's creativity and goodness. Applying Biblical Principles to Entertainment The hosts discuss how 1 Corinthians 10:31 provides a litmus test for media consumption: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This principle challenges believers to ask whether their entertainment choices align with God's glory. For example, content that promotes or glamorizes sin—whether through violence, sexual immorality, or blasphemy—should give Christians pause. However, they also note that some depictions of sin in fiction can serve a redemptive purpose, such as illustrating the consequences of sin or the beauty of redemption. The key is to thoughtfully evaluate whether the media being consumed inclines the heart toward holiness or pulls it away from God. Christian Liberty and Prudence Tony and Jesse stress the importance of Christian liberty in deciding on entertainment choices, while cautioning against legalism. They explain that Christian liberty does not mean a license to sin but rather the freedom to make God-honoring decisions in areas where Scripture does not provide explicit commands. Prudence and wisdom must guide these decisions. For instance, a particular TV show or game may be permissible for one believer but harmful for another, depending on their personal struggles or circumstances. This underscores the need for self-awareness and reliance on the Holy Spirit to discern what is spiritually beneficial. Quotes: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. If we cannot glorify God in an activity, it's likely unlawful for us as Christians." – Jesse Schwamb "Recreation is not just about recharging for productivity; it has its own value in glorifying God and enjoying His good gifts." – Tony Arsenal "Every story worth telling reflects, in some way, the greatest story ever told: redemption through Christ." – Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript: [00:00:30] Introduction and Episode Overview [00:00:30] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 457 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:37] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast where sound doctrine meets brotherly love. Hey brother. [00:00:44] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. So we're in a whole series of little one-off conversations, all kinds of things that just pop into our head, or we've had on a list somewhere that we thought, you know what? [00:00:55] Jesse Schwamb: Someday we should talk about that. And I think we've got another great. Conversation coming up on this episode, we're gonna get into a little bit about how Christians should interact with and consume pop culture maybe, and especially things like entertainment. And I know that there are gonna be people out there thinking, wow, these guys are gonna do what reform people always do. [00:01:15] Jesse Schwamb: They're just gonna come out into their lawn, they're gonna shake their fists angrily at the sky, they're gonna yell at the birds. It might not be that way, loved ones, but you're gonna have to wait. We're gonna talk about it. It's gonna be good. We're gonna get after it. We all do it. Everybody loves a bit of a to consume pop culture. [00:01:31] Jesse Schwamb: Is it possible it might be somewhat of a gift that God has given us? Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it's not, but we'll get to that. But first, let's affirm with or denying against something in the world. So what have you got for us on this episode, Tony? [00:01:45] Tony's Frustrating Customer Service Experience [00:01:45] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna keep mine super short. It was a frustrating customer service experience, uh, that I had today. [00:01:52] Tony Arsenal: In general, I, I have, uh, Comcast or Xfinity Internet in general. I'm actually very pleased. Their service. Um, I, I actually find them to be responsive. Um, I've managed to get a decent price. I don't have Comcast television, so that's probably part of it. Um, but I, my cable modem. Slash router, which I've had, I don't know, probably for like eight years. [00:02:13] Tony Arsenal: Um, it finally died, so I bit the bullet and bought a brand new one. And those man, those things have gotten expensive and um, you know, it's supposed to be a super easy installation. You plug it in, you do the little thing on the app and it didn't work. So I had to connect with customer service through the app, and. [00:02:30] Tony Arsenal: It seemed like everything was going fine. And then all of a sudden I get a link in my text message and the lady who's chatting with me on the thing says, well just, just scroll down and click on where it says accept and then hit okay. And I was like, that seems sketchy. So I read it and she was, she had sent me a link to change my internet service. [00:02:51] Tony Arsenal: Uh, she was giving me a 90, an $80 promotional price for the first year. Uh, but then it went up to $140 after the first year. Wow. So I went back to the chat app and I said, I'm sorry, I, I must have miscommunicated something. I don't need to change my service. I just need to activate my modem. She said, oh, no, no, you're not changing your service. [00:03:11] Tony Arsenal: And I said, no, I, I definitely am. She goes, let me explain this to you. And she went through and tried, like, she went through and she's like, your speed is this and you're paying this. And I said, and I said, with all due respect, I'm not stupid. I can see that you're trying to change my service and I'm just not interested. [00:03:27] Tony Arsenal: And I had to fight with her for like 10 minutes before I finally said, just activate my modem, please. I'm not interested. Full stop. So I, I guess I'm just denying. I get, I get it. Like, you gotta try to upsell. I used to be in sales. I don't have any problem with you trying to upsell. I, I don't even necessarily have a problem with you trying to be clever and like, you know, intentional about how you upsell. [00:03:48] Tony Arsenal: Like there are ways that you can do that without being deceptive. This was just deceptive. So I'm not denying Comcast. I'm pleased with my service. I'm denying this particular person and this really just underhanded tactic. It was really, really upsetting. I mean, [00:04:02] Jesse Schwamb: there is nothing like good customer service, right? [00:04:04] Jesse Schwamb: I mean, the converse of that is what a blessing it is, and it's kind of a lesson to all of us and how we treat one another. That is whether we're providing the service or we ourselves are consuming it. It is just such a blessing. It's like so easy and so light when you get somebody who really wants to help you. [00:04:21] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And. You know, I would not have changed my service, but I can imagine that somebody who was looking and was interested, if she had just said straightforwardly, like your internet that you have is far slower than the modem that you're, you're installing, right? Um, we can get you a faster internet speed and give you a, a large discount for the first year. [00:04:42] Tony Arsenal: Are you interested in that? I think a good portion of people would just say yes. Even if they didn't think it through, they would just say, oh yeah, sure. Faster speed, less money. They, they wouldn't think it through. That's not deceptive. If you present an option, honestly, to a consumer and they take it and they didn't understand the terms, that's not deception. [00:04:58] Tony Arsenal: That's on them as the consumer for not thinking through what they're purchasing. This was just straight out, like, don't read it, just click on it, it's fine. Totally underhanded, deceptive. Um, and, and you know, I work in. Sort of a kind of customer service and I just can't imagine ever doing something that shady and calling it customer service. [00:05:15] Tony Arsenal: I was, I was very disappointed. [00:05:17] Jesse Schwamb: But I mean, everybody has customers, right? Yeah. Everybody has somebody they're responsible to, and everybody has people to whom they should be responsible in the kind of care. Whatever you provide to somebody, whether it's your family, it's in your church, it's in your job, so, right. [00:05:30] Jesse Schwamb: I like that. It's a good reminder because again, there's nothing like walking away from experience and being like, wow, that was so easy, or that person was so good to help me. Yeah. Or like they really got me to the end that I was looking for and they did it and I felt better afterwards than I did before I called. [00:05:43] Jesse Schwamb: That should be like our goal, like what does great look like in every interaction that we can have with somebody. [00:05:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight? [00:05:52] Jesse's Affirmation: The Plana App for Plant Care [00:05:52] Jesse Schwamb: I'm going back to the app. Well, and by that was a really weird saying of just, I'm gonna affirm with another app. So I really love a good house plant, but I'm no good at the house plants. [00:06:02] Jesse Schwamb: I really like the way they look. It's a lot of pressure with house plans. Maybe people feel this way. Maybe you've not purchased a house plant or been like, I can't be that person. So here's something that I can confirm with for you. Loved one, it's a app called Plana. It's a Swedish plant care app, and it's designed to help both like novice people like me and I guess really experienced plant owners keep their house and garden plants healthy, which I know sounds super boring, but hear me out on this. [00:06:27] Jesse Schwamb: This is what's cool about this. It offers smart, personalized care reminders for things like watering, fertilizing, misting, repotting, and it has all these things where if you, there's paid subscription for this as well, which I do not have, but I looked at all the options. There's some super cool things like you can use your phone to sense where your plan is sitting, how much light it's getting to really tell you, is this the right spot for my plant? [00:06:49] Jesse Schwamb: Because you know, like some plants are like, we need partial sunlight and partial shade and afternoon sun and direct sun, and you need to water me, but not too much and not so often, but just the right amount. It's a lot of pressure. So it's got all these fun features in it, including like an AI doctor. So you can take a look or a picture of your plant rather, and not only will it describe what plants you have, of course, but it will help you say like, Hey, this thing is not healthy. [00:07:08] Jesse Schwamb: Here's what you should do. So the plant app is, might be your foray into feeling more confident about having some greenery in your house. [00:07:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, um, I could kill a plastic plant. I could kill like a fake plant, uh, without trying, uh, but I might check this out. You, you've seen my, my home. You've been here? [00:07:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Um, my, my house is, it's a, a mobile home and so it's, it's just one long line and it's situated like almost directly east, west. So I get direct sunlight over the top of the house pretty much the entire day. And we have really beautiful, um. Violet cone plants and some other like lilies on one end of the house, um, that the previous owner planted. [00:07:46] Tony Arsenal: They're very beautiful, but um, they just get baked in the sun and there's gotta be something that can be done to sort of help them through this. Maybe it's more water or something like that. So maybe I'll check this out and see if that can help. 'cause they're not, they're not doing great. Um, they, they didn't bloom very well this year. [00:08:00] Tony Arsenal: Mm-hmm. And I'm, I'm wondering if it might be, I dunno, it's been kind of dry, um, this part of the year, more than usual, so I'll check that out. That sounds like a good recommendation. There's a couple of different apps. This one sounds good. [00:08:10] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's, there's certainly a lot of stuff that you can get free in it. [00:08:14] Jesse Schwamb: Of course, they want to upsell you like you just talked about. They're, no, no, they're no Comcast, but they definitely would like you to purchase all their other features, and I bet for the right person, it's totally worth it. But I feel so much more confident now. Mainly just the watering. If you surprised how like much pressure. [00:08:30] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, like aloe plants and also I'm learning the names of my plants finally, which makes me feel more connected. This, this is, listen, this is like the app to help you take dominion in your house over house plants, which sounds like the lowest form of taking dominion, but honestly still shows how complex and complicated life can be and how God has made everything in this really wonderful way. [00:08:52] Jesse Schwamb: So I'm feeling more empowered to love my plants and to hopefully keep them growing. I was gonna say for generations, but I doubt that I'll be passing on links, plants for generations, but hopefully getting just lots more greenery into our living spaces, which is always super fun. [00:09:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, I, um, I would like to have more plants, but I just, with between toddlers and dogs and my ability to kill anything green that is in my home, uh, I don't think it would be good. [00:09:19] Tony Arsenal: That's your, your sister who is My wife does a good job with plants, but even the, yeah, she does, even, even that the plants die just because they're around me. I'm not sure what it is. I have like a, I hear it, listen, an aura of some sort that just kills plants. [00:09:32] Discussing Christians and Pop Culture [00:09:32] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's difficult sometimes to grow in soil, which is, I, one of the things I presume Christians often feel like when they're in the culture and when, mm-hmm. [00:09:41] Jesse Schwamb: Do. Do you like that segue? We're so good with this. I do. And when you are consuming, let me say pop culture, or you find yourself in a place where you want entertainment and you want to rest, and I think if you're a Christian for any length of time, you start to ask yourself, okay, so what's my place in all of this? [00:09:59] Jesse Schwamb: And what's interesting when I thought about this topic, which you graciously put forward for us, was that I think several times we've mentioned kind of cultural things often in the affirmation and denial section. Yeah. Where we've. Maybe come hard alongside something and said, this seems good. And other times we've definitely said, this seems very, very bad. [00:10:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. But we've never really had just a pretty honest conversation about, okay, so how does the Christian discern, what is the Christian's role in making that discernment? And how can we, like our house plants grow and flourish in that kind of environment to such a degree that we are actually bearing fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit. [00:10:36] Jesse Schwamb: And yet, of course, separate. From that culture in which we still find ourselves. [00:10:41] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, I think it bears saying, um, much of popular culture, media, whatever it might be, a lot of it is going to be a matter of Christian prudence and liberty. And I think it's important to say that because I think, you know, we'll talk about, we'll probably talk about like principles we use to try to determine whether we, you know, individually or, or whatever. [00:11:04] Tony Arsenal: We're going to watch something or listen to something, but. The, the Bible doesn't say like thou shalt, and I'm gonna say this example, and it's a little bit ironic because this is actually a show that I think is pretty black and white. But it, it's not like the Bible says, thou shalt not watch Game of Thrones. [00:11:20] Tony Arsenal: Right. Um. Right. Like thou shalt not. Listen to, I don't know who the kids are listening to. Britney Spears like tells you when The last time I listened to popular music was, is Britney Spears is the name on my mind. But like thou shalt not listen to, I dunno, Paramore, I don't know name. Name your pop culture band. [00:11:37] Tony Arsenal: The Bible doesn't give us explicit instructions about specific bands. Movies, shows, insert, pop, you know, novels, whatever it might be. It does give us some wisdom principles. And then of course, there's God's moral law, uh, but even God's moral law does not. Necessarily apply directly to every pop culture choice we might make. [00:12:04] Tony Arsenal: So I'm sure Jesse and I don't have identical opinions. I'm gonna guess that our thoughts are probably pretty close just because, you know, we're influenced by the same people and we, we are running in the same broader theological circles, but they're probably not identical. There are probably things that Jesse would watch that I'd go, oh, I don't know if that's such a great thing for me. [00:12:22] Tony Arsenal: And there's probably things I would feel comfortable with that Jesse might say, eh, I'm not so sure about that. This is usually a matter of Christian liberty constrained by Christian prudence and wisdom. So before we get into any of the nitty gritty or any specific talk of anything particular, I wanna get that out there because yes, we have to be wise, we have to. [00:12:44] Tony Arsenal: Apply God's law, but we are not able to bind other people's conscience and you are not able to bind other people's conscience based on your own particular opinion about something or your own interpretation of how the Bible is to be applied to a particular decision. Um. You know, again, you can speak into a situation. [00:13:03] Tony Arsenal: You, especially if you have a relationship with someone, you can say, Hey, I don't think this is healthy. I don't think this is in conformity with God's law, but at the end of the day, that is between that Christian and God as to whether or not they are applying God's law appropriately and, and in to an extent, and to a great extent between them and their elders. [00:13:21] Tony Arsenal: Right? The elders have a, a different role of authority in a, in a Christian's life than other Christians do. And [00:13:27] Jesse Schwamb: it might be worth saying as we begin that we're kind of talking about this, I think in part because we all feel that pull to consume pop culture, and what I kind of teased at the beginning is this idea, is it possible that, I think we're really speaking about consuming that in a kind of a way of entertainment of like rest and relaxation. [00:13:45] Jesse Schwamb: Principally there. There are other reasons I think as well, and that might be to edify, to educate, but I think principally when we feel this compulsion to say, well, I like you, just give great examples. Listen to music, watch a sporting event, watch tv, read something fiction or nonfiction. I think what we're after there is this idea that we want to rest and that understanding that entertainment is a part of the rest that God intends for us to enjoy from our labors is by itself, full stop, a legitimate thing. [00:14:13] Jesse Schwamb: So the question is. A little bit more nuanced. Where is that line? You already gave, I think a pretty good example of something that you and I would agree on would say that that's a bridge to fight across. Don't watch that thing, right? Yeah, do something else. But the question is how did we get to that place in making that judgment? [00:14:28] Jesse Schwamb: And is there a place in there where we would say, well, the Bible is an explicit about, let's say certain medium or even like specific things within that medium that it is outspoken enough that we ought to say. No, we will not do that. So I think this is what we're after in part, is this proper use of entertainment involving, of course, analyzing worldviews, appreciating elements of beauty and creativity, acknowledging reflections of truth. [00:14:53] Jesse Schwamb: But that also that in some way, all of this is God's gift to us. That while the Bible does not give us a great deal of explicit statements about how believers are to view entertainment, there is much we can draw out to scripture by way of good and necessary consequence to borrow language from somewhere else. [00:15:10] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:15:11] Applying Biblical Principles to Entertainment Choices [00:15:11] Tony Arsenal: And I also think too, like this is a question that often is presented as very simple and very like cut and dry, but it can be a lot more complicated than you think. And here's an example, and we don't have to get into this particular example, but let's do it. You know, I think a lot of times people, um, will take the example of blasphemy. [00:15:32] Tony Arsenal: Right, and a show that is, or a, a video game, whatever it is, content that is intentionally blaspheming, God is something that at a bare minimum, Christians should be very wary of participating in and consuming just because it, it's something that openly dishonors God is probably not something Christians should be eager to participate in or to consume, but. [00:15:56] Tony Arsenal: Um, there, there are instances where a, a show or a, a video game or a book contains a fictionalized blast swimming of God that actually may serve the greater purpose of glorifying God. So if you think of like, um. Think of a, a book or a a movie where there is a character who is a non-Christian, and over the course of the book, they are shown to be blaspheming God, and then they experience a conversion. [00:16:24] Tony Arsenal: And the purpose of the, the purpose of the book is to glorify God through this conversion redemption story. That it character in that fictionalized universe is blasphemy God within that universe, right? Or within that fictionalized story. But the purpose of that blasphemy is actually to serve the greater purpose of glorifying God. [00:16:46] Tony Arsenal: So that's not to say that automatically anything like that gets a pass, right? That can be done well, that can be done poorly. That can be done in a way that actually glorifies God. It can be done in a way that doesn't actually hit the mark. But it's not as simple as to say, this character in this show. [00:17:00] Tony Arsenal: Engaged in blasphemy. Therefore, we should never consume that show. We have to do some actual thinking and some actual analysis of what's going on in order to. Understand whether or not it actually is violating God's law. Now there are probably some things, um, you know, like graphic sex scenes. There's really no reason, um, for Christians to feel drawn to shows that contain that. [00:17:25] Tony Arsenal: Again, this is, this is, um, I, I, at this point in my life and I, in earlier periods in my life, I might have been more black and white on this. I am not here to tell you what you can and can't watch. That's not my role. I'm not the Holy Spirit. I'm not your pastor. I'm not any of the persons or people who have an obligation to tell you what is or isn't, right? [00:17:46] Tony Arsenal: Like I'm not that person. But I cannot think of personally a reason why a Christian would, would need to, or should ever participate in like enjoying a show that contains graphic sex scenes. Um. The people making those have to sin in order to make those scenes right. So there are, there are things we should consider. [00:18:12] Tony Arsenal: Are kind of always off board, right? It's always off board to do physical harm to somebody in the service of making a movie, right? So if you have a movie where people are, are actively trying to hurt each other in order to produce the film, I'm not sure that we should participate in that. I wouldn't feel comfortable if I knew that was going on in a film. [00:18:28] Tony Arsenal: I don't, I don't, you know, again, other Christians might, and we can have a conversation about that, but we have to think about those things. Do the actors. Do the people who are creating the content, do they have to sin in order to create it? If that, if the answer is yes, we as Christians, I think should be extremely, extremely wary of, of even watching or consuming those things. [00:18:49] Tony Arsenal: So those are the kinds of questions and situations that I think need to be list like thought about as we approach pop culture. But I also think, Jesse, you know, you made the point to that. Popular culture, entertainment broadly is a gift from God for us to enjoy. Right? And it's okay to enjoy it. It's okay for us to participate in that. [00:19:09] Tony Arsenal: You know, we're not, we're not the people who are gonna say to you like, well, you know, every minute you spend, uh, reading, I don't know, uh, reading will of the many, every minute you spend reading Will of the many you could spend witnessing to people, right? So therefore, you should never read Will of the many or The Hobbit or whatever it might be. [00:19:27] Tony Arsenal: Um, but we should think carefully about what we consume, how much of it we consume, when we consume it, all those are questions that the Christian needs to ask themselves. [00:19:35] Jesse Schwamb: I agree. I think the broad test here is actually not that difficult to comprehend. It's probably more that we sometimes hesitate to apply it because we're afraid of what it might mean for the stuff that we're consuming. [00:19:46] Jesse Schwamb: So again, like ceasing from our work in order to rest holds us together like that, that is something that God gives us as a pattern relaxation that we should take joy in. It must be the right amounts of lawful entertainment or consumption of all of this stuff in pop culture, but it is there. I think like even God gives it our own cultures as a means for us to find that kind of rest and to find some comradery and solidarity even with those in whom we interact and live with. [00:20:13] Jesse Schwamb: I think all of that's fine. Like you've said, it gets a little tricky when we start thinking about, well, where is that appropriate line? What is our conviction? But I think part of the problem with that is that we might not be seeking out conviction for ourselves. We not be asking because we hate to find that there is conviction in things that we're watching because there's gonna be a lot of things'. [00:20:31] Jesse Schwamb: That society's gonna be preoccupied with for entertainment for its own sake. And again, it's an indicator that everybody, men and women, even children, are seeking rest from the burden of their work and that rest is okay. Even that itself, like you're saying, Tony, it's interesting. I think so much we're gonna come back to is this idea of it. [00:20:47] Jesse Schwamb: Is, are we redeeming what we're doing in this process? Are we being not just thoughtful about discerning, adjudicating, or interrogating what we're watching and listening and reading, but as we do it, are we thoughtful people? Are we seeing the themes even in those joyous things that we find as entertainment that draw us back to the goodness of God that explains something about the world he's created or his own character finding? [00:21:10] Jesse Schwamb: Of course, that in every story is just a reflection of the greatest story ever told. Like, yeah, all of those themes, all the things we are drawn to that we gravitate towards. That move us. All of those things still come from God. And so therefore, even our entertainment can serve this purpose of not just alleviating our minds and bodies from the burden of ongoing labor in a fallen world, but can also draw, draw us back to God's common grace and his particular grace for his people who are always sinners. [00:21:34] Jesse Schwamb: So here's the the first test. I think it's the most simple one. And everybody's gonna throw their listening devices at the wall because it's the one that's the most straightforward. It's the one you might've been thinking you're gonna get to eventually, and let's just get it out of the way. I don't say that because it's not worthwhile. [00:21:49] Jesse Schwamb: I say it because it's exactly the kind of worthwhile test that we should apply, and it applies perfectly in every situation. And that's the Apostle Paul setting out in one Corinthians 10 31. Here it is. This is like. You know, top 20 reform verses whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [00:22:07] Jesse Schwamb: So the beauty of this is I think just first pass, first blush, top of the house. If we cannot engage in an entertaining activity in such a way as to glorify God, then it's just unlawful. And by way of contrast, if you can, then we're justified in viewing it as a gift of God's common grace. I, I just throw it out there to start with. [00:22:26] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think that it's not that we found that this particular test has been tried and left wanting, but rather we haven't tried it very well. Oftentimes. Yeah. At least for my own sake. And instead we say, well, the Bible just isn't clear. But if you're, watch your point, Tony. If you're watching something that is gratuitous in any way, and you stop and say. [00:22:44] Jesse Schwamb: Am I glorifying God in the consumption of this? I think it's really difficult to make a strong argument that in some way you are actively, not just passively and saying like, well, it's okay and there's gonna be a redeeming story plot in here somewhere, I hope. But are we actively, whenever, whenever we're doing or we're consuming these things, are we actually glorifying God? [00:23:02] Jesse Schwamb: Is God glorified in. What's happening with my mind, my thoughts, my body, my eyes, my conversations, how this shapes me, how this changes my worldview. If we have to answer that God is not glorified there, then to my view, it's unlawful. And I think also in the eyes of the Apostle Paul. [00:23:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:23:20] Personal Convictions and Christian Liberty [00:23:20] Tony Arsenal: And you know, I think something that is important to, um. [00:23:24] Tony Arsenal: Comment on and think about when we sort of apply that test, that test really has more to do with what's going on in our heart. Yes. When we are consuming any particular part, you know, any particular media than it necessarily has to do with the media itself. I think there are some things, um, that. Just cannot be consumed to the glory of God. [00:23:46] Tony Arsenal: Right? You can't watch pornography to the glory of God, like you just can't do it. Um, you can't, you can't watch people murder each other for, you know, to the glory of God. But the vast majority of things that are out there, um, the, the, the question you're asking is not primarily grounded in the content itself. [00:24:07] Tony Arsenal: It's, it's grounded in. What the content does to us and in us and how we process it. And I think that's why I, you know, I always wanna say for most things, this goes back to Christian Liberty and. Christian Liberty is not a license to sin. It's, it's a freedom to, um, to obey, right? It's a freedom and it's a range of possibilities to obey God in different ways, in different situations, rather than some tightly constrained, tightly restricted behavioral code, right? [00:24:39] Tony Arsenal: There is a law. God gives us a law. We talked about this at length when we did the 10 commandment series. He gives us a law, but this law is a set of 10 principles for godly living. Not a, an exhaustive list of do this, don't do that. Right? So the seventh commandment, you know, for media. Is this inclining my mind towards chastity and purity of thought, right? [00:25:02] Tony Arsenal: For those of us who are married, is this likely to, um, create a barrier in my relationship with my wife, or is this likely to enhance the relationship I have with my wife? Is this. Particular thing I'm doing, this video game that I play, is this likely to draw my attention away from my children when they need me? [00:25:19] Tony Arsenal: Or is it something that I have that is likely to increase my ability to pay attention to my children? Or am I able to properly balance the demands that my children have and the needs my children have while I still play this video game, just as an example. So we can still use those 10 principles to help guide us, but the way that those. [00:25:38] Tony Arsenal: The way that the law is applied to these questions and how it is, is gonna be unique, I think almost, almost across the board for things. It's gonna be unique to each individual, right? One person may be able to, yeah, like my big thing and I like, okay, I'm just gonna put this out there. I'm just gonna lay myself bare here. [00:25:55] Tony Arsenal: If I could say that I have one actual real addiction in life, it's probably World of Warcraft, and I know that sounds probably really silly, but even me saying and saying the phrase World of Warcraft, in my mind I'm like, could I figure out a way that I could go back in and play that game? Like they call it World of Warcraft for a reason. [00:26:14] Tony Arsenal: It is super addictive and it's very easy to fall back into it. I'm sure there are people out there who can perfectly just fine, could manage their life of having children and a wife and a job and, you know, service to the church and still play World of Warcraft for a couple hours a week or, or an hour every night and still be just fine. [00:26:33] Tony Arsenal: I cannot do that. If I subscribe to World of Warcraft, it will imbalance my life such that something that God is calling me to, that I know God is calling me to, is going to be pushed out of the way for that. So for me. I cannot fulfill my obligations and participate in that particular element of pop culture. [00:26:52] Tony Arsenal: And I think there's probably something like that for most of us. Again, someone else may be able to do that just fine. There are probably many people who can do that just fine. That's a problem in my own heart. And the way I address that is by saying, this is just not healthy for me, so I'm not gonna do it. [00:27:05] Tony Arsenal: And whether that's a TV show or a a book series. I know people who won't read certain books because they get so immersed in it and it sort of like shapes their worldview in really unhealthy ways. They just won't pick up a particular set of novels or a particular book series. Um, you know, I've told this story that I, I don't remember where I was flying. [00:27:24] Tony Arsenal: Um, it wasn't. I must have been flying to Minnesota. That's the only place I've traveled by air for quite a long time. Um, I stopped in the, the bookstore, the, you know, the, the souvenir store, whatever. And I forgot a, I forgot a book at home of all the people to forget a book. And I was like, you know, there's this big hub lu about Game of Thrones and you know, maybe the book is better than the show. [00:27:43] Tony Arsenal: And like, you know, I can control what I'm imagining and it's easier for me to skip over parts and nobody is having to make graphic sex scenes. Even if they're sort of portrayed in the book. I can maybe do this. I got like. A chapter and a half into the book and was like, I can't, this is not healthy for me. [00:27:57] Tony Arsenal: It's not helpful. It doesn't glorify God. It's not true. It's not noble, it's not honorable, it's not worthy of praise. Right. I'm just gonna, and I just threw the book away. I spent like $15 on a book and then I just threw it in the garbage. Um, and I don't say that to like prop myself up as some bastion of self control. [00:28:10] Tony Arsenal: That's just in that moment I made the right decision. But there are things like that, that you are gonna have to look at your own self to say, I cannot participate in this, even if someone else might be able to. I personally cannot. And I think that's really the more the question we need to ask then. Are there universal principles that say, I can't do A, B, or C? [00:28:30] Tony Arsenal: It's really about my heart in the moment and how my heart is affected by a given thing. [00:28:36] Jesse Schwamb: Much like the 10 Commandments. This whole conversation in the scriptural, I think admonishment here is very much about freeing us up to enjoy freedom, to have joy in these things. It's not about just saying, well, here's a list of things that you can't do. [00:28:51] Jesse Schwamb: Isn't that unfortunate? Everybody else can do them, but you can't enjoy them. Instead, Scott saying like you're talking about Tony, no put to death all these evil, selfish things that are in your life that actually destruct. And instead, enjoy entertainment and pop culture in such a way that not only glorifies him, but does truly refresh you so that you're not drawn back into patterns of selfish behavior or sinful thinking, or all kinds of, you know, sexual frivolity that's going to lead your mind and your body and your heart astray or into places that you'll end up getting hurt. [00:29:25] Jesse Schwamb: I think. The beauty of this is it just provides us with a way to think and discern about the stuff that we're consuming so that we're ensured. Then it's fulfilling the right purpose that God has for in our lives, and that's freeing. When you get to a place where the scripture says like, here's the way walking it, then you know that you can walk confidently and you can enjoy that very thing. [00:29:46] Jesse Schwamb: One great example, I think that sit on both sides, we can talk about in some ways how there's like a, a lack of, or like kinda a, a moral perspective with certain types of medium of expression. One of those I think famously is, is music. Luther famously said, musical performance is principle among the entertainment that God has graciously given us to enjoy in life. [00:30:06] Jesse Schwamb: And yet who hasn't been part of either music that has been absolutely refreshing, absolutely life-giving, absolutely calming and beautiful in the same way that like David played before King Saul when he was distressed. And maybe you've had this experience where there's some kind of soothing melody that was just a bomb to your soul and your condition in that state. [00:30:25] Jesse Schwamb: And then also. On the other side, who hasn't listened even to some really catchy music that's been filled with like sexual perversion, misogyny, violence themes that at the end of it, you may have enjoyed the beat, but it's, it's just left you kind of feeling gross. And disgusted. Yeah. Even with yourself for enjoying it. [00:30:45] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think that's what we're after here is like to be freed up to enjoy this kind of entertainment in a way that it is truly the gift that God has given rather than something that enslaves us. And I'm gonna argue that it often does. Not because it's just addictive, though. [00:30:59] The Influence of Entertainment on Our Lives [00:30:59] Jesse Schwamb: It can be, but because it does actually influence us deeply and, and I think one thing is clear is that all the things we're talking about here that's present in entertainment, and I'm talking all the way back to things like athletic performance, all of this beauty and creativity, art expressed both in film literature and in music, that all of those things God has given us for our good and for his glory. [00:31:22] Jesse Schwamb: So he wants us to enjoy them. But sin is of course gonna take all those things and pervert them and twist them in such a way that they no longer become life-giving or become life taking. The problem is they take life incrementally and on the margin. Yeah. And so that you rarely feel that that's going on. [00:31:37] Jesse Schwamb: You rarely sense the divide of the chasm that's creating in your thought patterns, in the way that you interact with people, even the way that you interact with God until, not that it's too late, but that's, you wake up and you think, my goodness, how far have I gone from what I think this is really intended to be in my life? [00:31:52] Jesse Schwamb: Then maybe addiction does crop up in such a place that you're like this. This has gone too far. But I think, again, like many things in life, when God says no, what he's saying is, do not hurt yourself. I know better. I want you to enjoy these things. So I see this as like our opportunity to like empower to come with the scriptures, bearing full weights on what we consume, not because we need more laundry lists of things to avoid, but because we need direction on what is best to sink our entertainment time and resources into. [00:32:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I, I think that's a good, um, that's a good, maybe a next test right? [00:32:25] Balancing Time and Entertainment Choices [00:32:25] Tony Arsenal: Is we only have a finite amount of time. We, we, and, and I'm not even just talking about like in general, we have a, I'm, I'm talking about like we have a finite amount of discretionary time. We all have commitments, we have jobs, we have families, we have church commitments, we have friends that we wanna maintain relationships with. [00:32:43] Tony Arsenal: The amount of time we have to just like sit down and consume pop culture is limited no matter, no matter who you are. Some people have more, some people have less. Um, we can consume. Ev, every time we say yes to one thing, we're saying no to another thing, right? There is, um, there is popular culture or content out there that absolutely is encouraging, right? [00:33:05] Tony Arsenal: And absolutely is going to enhance your life, and it's going to enhance your piety and your devotion to God, right? And I'm not just talking about like Christian content. There's decent Christian content out there. There's decent Christian films, there's decent Christian music, there's decent Christian fiction writing. [00:33:22] Tony Arsenal: Um, there's probably even decent Christian video games, although I haven't run into them, I'm sure they're out there. Um. But that's not even what I'm talking about. [00:33:30] Finding Value in Non-Christian Content [00:33:30] Tony Arsenal: There there are, there are non quote, non-Christian, um, right there. There's General grace. Common grace works out there that will, they'll, they'll make you smarter. [00:33:41] Tony Arsenal: It will make you healthier. It'll help you enhance your life. It'll help you enjoy your world more. It'll help you enjoy and see the beauty in God's creation. More I've, I've commented, um. At length, and this isn't necessarily pop culture, although it kind of bridges the gap a little bit. I've commented at length on how beneficial in my life, Ryan holiday's, writings have been. [00:33:58] Tony Arsenal: Right? Right. That's what he doesn't get everything right. There are some things he gets very wrong, um, but. I, I read, um, Ryan Holiday's, stoic. Stoic Works, and I wouldn't say he's a scholar of stoicism. He's more like a modern day stoic philosopher. I read his works and I benefit from him. It makes my life better. [00:34:17] Tony Arsenal: It makes my devotion to God better. It makes my piety better. It makes me a better husband and a better father, and a better employee just in general. It makes me a better person. Not because Ryan Holiday is some special thing, but because he seems to have tapped into common grace principles that other writers haven't, I have a choice. [00:34:33] Tony Arsenal: You know? Do I wanna read that or do I wanna read some? Um, and don't get me wrong, I enjoy manga, but like, do I wanna read some. Meaningless, pointless manga that is just the same story over and over again with different animation. You know, some people might find that the reading the manga is the right thing for them and that enhances their life. [00:34:51] Tony Arsenal: Right? But for me, I've had to make that calculation. I only have so much time. I only have so much time to read. Um, and, and this is might be a shock to people. There are times where I'll have the decision between reading a theology book and. Being caught up on my reading in Daily Stoic, I most often will take time to read the Daily Stoic instead of reading something. [00:35:10] Tony Arsenal: For example, I'm way behind on Daily Devotion or Daily Doctrine by Kevin De Young Way Behind, but I'm not behind on, on Daily Dad or daily Stoic from Ryan Holiday. That's not because one, one thing is better than the other necessarily, but what I need in my life and what God is calling me to. The writings by di by Ryan Holiday right now are more effective in a, in accomplishing those tasks and into shaping me into who I believe God wants me to be. [00:35:37] Tony Arsenal: So that's the other question we have to ask is what? [00:35:40] The Importance of Rest and Leisure [00:35:40] Tony Arsenal: What is the most beneficial thing for us at the moment? It could be some sort of mindless cotton, candy entertainment. There's nothing wrong with that. This isn't, this isn't me saying like find, this isn't like hustle culture for pop culture. Like sometimes you just need to veg out and do something that doesn't require any brain power, and that's what God is, is giving you as a gift for your rest and your re recuperation. [00:36:04] Tony Arsenal: Sometimes it's a hard hitting. Heavy theology. Sometimes you need to sit down and read some Bob Ink again, not that that's pop culture, but I think the broader principle applies. Maybe you need to sit down and read some Turin, or maybe you need to like scroll Instagram for a little while and watch funny cat videos, right? [00:36:19] Tony Arsenal: All of those things are good things. They're all gifts from God in the proper proportions and at the proper time, and that's why this can be such a complicated question is because we have to have a good, robust. Honest reflection of who we are and what we need in order to make these, these decisions. Um, and it really is about what do we need in the moment? [00:36:37] Tony Arsenal: What is God calling us to? What is the wise thing to do right now, the wise thing to consume right now? Um, and, and I think that's a good test. Is this the most effective thing and accomplishing in my life what needs to be accomplished, right? That could be all sorts of goals, but is this the most effective thing to accomplish that at my life right now? [00:36:57] Tony Arsenal: If so, and it's not sinful, and then have at it enjoy. You know, I think those are the kinds of questions we need to ask, and I don't think we often ask that. I think we are often passive. And neutral in decisions about what we're gonna watch for pop culture. We're driven by what is the most popular thing on Netflix? [00:37:15] Tony Arsenal: What does the algorithm recommend for us? Or what is being talked about at work? Or what do I have on hand? What do I have easy access to? Um, I think we need to be more active and intentional in our decisions on this towards those ends. [00:37:29] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. And there's no accounting for taste, right? I mean, part, part of time we get caught up in that, so we'll just say, well, maybe what I'm experiencing, because I'm a Christian, I'm trying to process this, has to do more about like particular medium or the taste or the type of genre or something. [00:37:44] Jesse Schwamb: I'd encourage us to not get too caught up in that. I think what you're saying is really, really helpful. The idea here I think is more about embracing the fact that we don't have to be productive all the time. And that we don't have to be, and I use this with great love like puritanical in the sense that, you know, well, if Jonathan Edwards didn't laugh and the Lord sakes that was inappropriate, then I shouldn't either. [00:38:05] Jesse Schwamb: And by virtue of that fact, then I should really have this incredible puritanical work ethic where even when I'm at home or every second that I have, I should be reading something. And if I'm gonna read something, it should be productive. Or if I'm watch tv, it should be something kinda documentary. I need to learn and fill my mind and make use and redeem every second of that time. [00:38:18] Jesse Schwamb: What if part of that redemption. Is enjoying entertainment for the way that God intended it to be, and that when he makes beauty and creativity and artistic expression, and again, we're presuming that this is the right amount of a lawful entertainment, that all of those things are for their own enjoyment because they point back to the creator. [00:38:40] Jesse Schwamb: Just by themselves. Like there doesn't have to be an ulterior motive. You don't have to justify it. You don't even have to feel guilty about it. That in fact, because we're contingent beings and therefore we have limited energy supply and unlimited amount of time and space, that all those things com continue to propel us towards some kind of desire for a lawful entertainment that leads us into rest. [00:39:02] Jesse Schwamb: Even as you're saying Tony, if that's rest for 10 or 15 minutes before, it's the next thing to feel this compulsion instead. To have to again quote unquote redeem. That time by being super productive is I think a fool's errand because we are as much made to work as we are made to rest. And in that rest, I think sometimes we actually find for some of us an easier time identifying and worshiping God in that risk. [00:39:26] Jesse Schwamb: Because in our work, we are busy in our work and we often get caught up in our work thinking all of our work is all of us. And so we rest and we find enjoyment in something. We take a walk, we listen to a beautiful piece of music. We spend some times just conversing about nothing with friends. We sit outside and enjoy beverages together that something happens sometimes in that space. [00:39:46] Jesse Schwamb: We're in the pause of that in the fact that there is beauty that seemingly is without productive purpose, even though I'd argue there is one. It's just hidden behind it and we fail to see it. We are drawn to the fact drawn to say, God, are you not good? For all of your gifts. And of course he's good in our gifts of work. [00:40:02] Jesse Schwamb: He's also good in our, our gifts of rest. But he's given us this gift as a form of entertainment in our own pop culture for us really to enjoy. But you're right, if we get it twisted such that we consume too much of it, or if we misapply that, I think we're just gonna live a less abundant life. So again, like the task here is not, don't do any entertainment. [00:40:23] Jesse Schwamb: Get all, get away from all the entertainments. Like what? Like your point, Tony, I, and I've heard Christian say this, I think there can be a brow beating here where it's like, well, couldn't you have used that time more productive? Like they had a couple more minutes, like maybe you really should have prayed harder or. [00:40:38] Jesse Schwamb: Maybe you should have read that other chapter in the Bible. Maybe you should gone back through your genealogies again and read those because you know that you don't read those particularly well. Or maybe you should have studied this thing or that thing. And instead is there a kind of worship that truly gives itself over to resting in God in the form of appreciating entertainment as he's created it for us to give us that kind of rest? [00:40:59] Jesse Schwamb: I would say yes. It's just that we often don't talk about it and sometimes we do talk about it. It's hard to bring it up 'cause you're gonna. You're gonna feel guilty. Like, can you imagine somebody saying to you, you know what? I'm just finding so much rest these days in this, uh, little game on my phone that I get to play. [00:41:15] Jesse Schwamb: You would be like, you, you might, if you're, if you're like, you know that person, well, you might be like, that's weird. I guarantee though, if that happened to me, I'd walk away and then when I was with my wife later, I'd be like, let me tell you what this weird thing this person said. You know what I mean? [00:41:27] Jesse Schwamb: But what, what, yeah. We need to think more like that. Not as a liberty to forsake or abdicate responsibility, but instead to actually be well rested for the responsibility in the task, the good works that God has created for us. [00:41:42] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. [00:41:42] Personal Experiences with Entertainment [00:41:42] Tony Arsenal: And maybe here's like a concrete example is, um. You know, I, um, I work at a local hospital and my job is relatively intense. [00:41:53] Tony Arsenal: Um, in terms of emotional investment, I'm a patient relations supervisor, so I, I'm in charge of the department that hears all of the complaints from patients, which means we often hear some really frustrating stories about people's healthcare, and it can be very emotionally draining. And so I also, um, I also ride the bus home now. [00:42:15] Tony Arsenal: My, my vehicle is broken right now. Hopefully we're gonna get fixed soon, but I ride the bus home and for the first couple, I don't know, for the first week that I was riding the bus, I was like, I gotta use this time. I gotta read something. I gotta make sure I'm doing that right. And what I've learned actually is if I just take the 45 minutes that I'm on the bus and waiting for the bus and I just sort of zone out and play Pokemon Go. [00:42:39] Tony Arsenal: By the time I get home, I'm ready to engage with my kids better. I'm ready to engage with my wife better. I'm less likely to feel, uh, just drained and tired because I'm actually letting my brain sort of reset and I'm building that buffer. So something as simple as like. Playing a relatively mindless game on my phone for a half hour, 45 minutes while I ride the bus and wait for the bus, um, helps me to fulfill my obligations as a father and a husband in a more present way. [00:43:09] Tony Arsenal: Again, like if you wanna ride the bus and you wanna read a fiction, or you wanna do theology, like that's on you, that's your decision to make. But. I know people who would say to me, um, you really should be using that time for something more productive than playing Pokemon Go. And, and yeah, maybe like, maybe there are times that I should be more productive and maybe there are times that other people should be less productive. [00:43:32] Tony Arsenal: Like I think that's kind of what we're getting at here is. Productivity or spiritual growth or pi, like those categories are, each of those are good categories. Like productivity is not a bad thing. Um, personal devotion is certainly not a bad thing. [00:43:47] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:43:47] Tony Arsenal: But it's not the only thing. And we also, I think we act as though our lives can be this sort of like perfect integrated balance when really like we have to be able to sort of recognize that. [00:44:02] Tony Arsenal: Sometimes doing nothing has its own utility. Like that feels like a weird thing to say, but I I, I'm with you here and, and maybe this is kind of how we bring the episode down to an end is I do think. There is this, obviously the Sabbath principle, the rest principle. Um, but God also gives us rest in these other small ways. [00:44:25] Tony Arsenal: Sometimes not so small, but small ways in the rest of our life. And I don't think that we should bear any shame or guilt or feel like we're less Christian because we take advantage of or make use of those. Those sort of like smaller opportunities to rest and you know, recreation is recreation. Like that's, that's that etymology is not a false etymology. [00:44:49] Tony Arsenal: That's where the word comes from. And it's because we often need to do these sort of leisurely things in order to be able to then go back and put forward the effort that we need. And the other thing just, I feel like we're tying. Leisure to the ability to produce in a way that may actually also be unhealthy. [00:45:09] Tony Arsenal: Leisure is not necessarily the ends, the means to being able to be productive. Right? Leisure serves its own purpose. It has its own use, its own way to glorify God. Yes, it does enable us often to be able to come back and put our nose to the grindstone, but we shouldn't just think about it as like, well, this is just, this is just my recharge period. [00:45:30] Tony Arsenal: We don't think about sleep that way. I don't think we think about sleep in, in a fashion of saying like, well, I've gotta sleep so that I can just get up and go to work the next day. And productive. I think we recognize that our bodies need to rest and there's a blessing and a joy in being able to close our eyes and sort of drift off and have dreams and rest, and that our body recuperates itself, I think we should think of leisure in a similar sense, and recreation and pop culture all kind of play into that. [00:45:53] Jesse Schwamb: I think that's right on. I mean, it's one of those things where we're certainly not saying that there isn't rest in prayer and in daily worship and consuming and studying the scriptures, there's certainly a rest in all those activities too. In some ways, I think we're presuming that we are trying to incorporate a balance into our lives, and that part of that balance is just rest for its own sake. [00:46:12] Jesse Schwamb: The enjoyment of that and when you're truly, I think, enjoying that rest, whatever it is, one we do not long feel guilty because we have processed. And pass everything to the sve of the scriptures and say, this is glorifying to God is for my goodness, for his glory. So therefore there's no, as it were like condemnation for me in this because I have a clear conscience about it. [00:46:31] Jesse Schwamb: And then in addition to that, it does provide us with perhaps, again, that lovely contrast between working hard and then having. Some period of which we are abstaining from that work and from that labor. And in so doing we find different ways to please and to worship God. We find that we see his character reflected in different ways. [00:46:49] Jesse Schwamb: And so in that way too, it reminds us that we are, like I said before, like completely contingent, we get tired, we get exhausted. Like there's only so much the mind can do and so much it can handle. And so by. Willingly accepting and leaning into that, not again, in a way that takes us away. We use as liberty to say, well, I, you know, I really should spend some time before the Lord in prayer. [00:47:10] Jesse Schwamb: I really should spend some time in, in daily particular worship, but you know what? I really need to rest instead. Like of, of course, that itself, we should be convicted about, uh, because then we're using entertainment such a way to distract us. Suppose this. Way from God rather than toward him. But the Bible is so clear, like you're saying, Tony, that there's all these seasons in life and the more I think about those seasons, the more I wonder if we tend to treat them too discreetly. [00:47:34] Jesse Schwamb: And in these two, like, kind of like prolonged periods, what if a season is for an hour? What if a season is for a day? What if a season is for five minutes? So famously, of course, when we have the teacher writing. Ecclesiastes chapter three, some of these famous words, I think we just fail to take them to heart. [00:47:51] Jesse Schwamb: Listen to this beautiful contrast, and I think it really fits in with what we're saying here about the, the ability to rightly consume entertainment and pop culture in such a way that it is glorifying to God and our understanding of it in our application of how it gives us true rest. So it writes things like this. [00:48:09] Jesse Schwamb: There's a time to kill and the time to heal. A time to break down, a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing a time to seek and a time to lose. [00:48:26] Jesse Schwamb: A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to tear. A time to sow, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, a time to love, and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. So it's very clear that God has given us, I think all of these wonderful things to enjoy as part of his character, as demonstrations of the fact that he is a God who is loving and love always leads to giving. [00:48:51] Jesse Schwamb: And so he gives us beauty in arts. In music, in literature, in screen, and of course then we should recognize because those are things from God and we ought to that. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Heavenly Father who is above that. It is the prerogative of the devil to twist and bend those things in such a way that we feel to see them as God's gifts and said, see them as our rightful consumption. [00:49:12] Jesse Schwamb: Such a way that enslaves. Changes our mindset, pulls us farther away from God. So I think part of it's just going into everything with the pun intended, with eyes wide open. So hopefully some of these tests have been helpful. I think people probably have, because like you said, Tony, there's a lot of Christian liberty here and maybe some point. [00:49:29] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I was gonna ask you like what's I, I'm not gonna ask you this because I know you're gonna ask it back to me, but like what would be maybe something you consume that others might be able. Ooh. Um, but I don't want you to ask that back to me. We could do that. We could do that if you want to. [00:49:42] Tony Arsenal: Um, yeah, let's, let's do that in a future episode. [00:49:43] Tony Arsenal: I think that'd be fun. Well, we'll [00:49:44] Jesse Schwamb: save that for another time. So everybody keeps listening. [00:49:46] Encouraging Community Engagement [00:49:46] Jesse Schwamb: But I think one of the things that we should be encouraging our listeners to do, the people who are part of the reform brotherhoodhood, is come hang out online. In this place called Telegram, which is just a chat messaging app and we have a little corner, a protected corner of the world. [00:50:00] Jesse Schwamb: There is a group of people who are like-minded listening to our conversations and participating in their own. And the way they participate with us is you can message in the app, they've got a bunch of channels of different topics, so you can get there by going to t.me/reform brotherhood. I bring this up now, not just to advertise as usual. [00:50:17] Jesse Schwamb: Because we want you to come be a part of this, but I would love to hear from others because we have a channel in there that's just about the conversations we're having on the podcast. Come share some of the practical things that you use, the tests that you have, the conversations that you bring forward to help you discern what kind of pop culture you're consuming. [00:50:37] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Don't just take our word for it. Let's hear what the Holy Spirit. How he is leadi

Make sure to check the rest of the description for all of our social media links, including our Patreon (patreon.com/DoNotRelent)!  Slidewhistle, Immunization, and Aaron, your favorite Venthyr boys (apparently,) tuned into the opening events of Gamescom 2025 to check out the World of Warcraft's latest announcement: Midnight is coming and it's bringing a cavalcade of new features and things to ogle! Green trolls, handsome trolls, and more brand spankin' new red and yellow buildings than you can shake a mana crystal at! Xal'atath is on her way to stomp out those prissy Blood Elves; will YOU be there to help stop her?! Please send all your love mail, hate mail, and gently used cat food to @DoNotRelentPod (Twitter) or on gmail at DoNotRelentPod@gmail.com! We will respond to literally anything and read it on the pod. Find us at: Patreon: patreon.com/DoNotRelent Linktree: donotrelent.com YouTube: @donotrelent on YouTube (the link is long and ugly) Instagram: www.instagram.com/donotrelent Twitter: twitter.com/DoNotRelentPod Livejournal: donotrelentpod.livejournal.com E-Mail: DoNotRelentPod@gmail.com Finally, if you feel so inclined, please rate us on iTunes and bonusroll.gg. We will take a shot on air in your honor! Every rating helps! :D

Gamescom 2025's Biggest Reveals: WoW Clones, Magic RimWorld & Star Fox! | Midnight, Fellowship, Herands  

Let's star with Steam's new language-based review system, which pushed Palworld to an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating in English, for example. We looked at the debut of the World of Warcraft launch cinematic in October 2004, before the game's release. A detailed rundown of Gamescom's Future Games Show including major stuff like Resident Evil Requiem, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, and loads others, along with release dates for some. Including Silksong. We also broke down mechanics for Kill the Brick Man and The Rogue Prince of Persia, and compared the critical and fan reception of Final Fantasy XII within the series and over time. Among a lot of other stuff!GAMES WE PLAYED!Scott•The Rogue Prince of Persia•Kill The Brick Man•Shapez 2Jon•Final Fantasy XII•Promise Mascot Agency•Dyson Sphere Program•He is ComingBeau•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's star with Steam's new language-based review system, which pushed Palworld to an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating in English, for example. We looked at the debut of the World of Warcraft launch cinematic in October 2004, before the game's release. A detailed rundown of Gamescom's Future Games Show including major stuff like Resident Evil Requiem, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, and loads others, along with release dates for some. Including Silksong. We also broke down mechanics for Kill the Brick Man and The Rogue Prince of Persia, and compared the critical and fan reception of Final Fantasy XII within the series and over time. Among a lot of other stuff!GAMES WE PLAYED!Scott•The Rogue Prince of Persia•Kill The Brick Man•Shapez 2Jon•Final Fantasy XII•Promise Mascot Agency•Dyson Sphere Program•He is ComingBeau•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E3 might be dead but Gamescom isn't and we're reporting on all the exciting announcements. From newest trailers for Call of Duty Black Ops 7 to Resident Evil Requiem, Outer Worlds 2 to Onimusha, and World of Warcraft to Final Fantasy XIV, we talk about it all. So take a seat, get a drink, and listen to all the gaming goodness coming in the next year. #Gamescom #cod #residentevil #outerworlds #wow #ffxiv #monsterhunter #videogames #allyoucangeek #aycg #podcast

Send us a textGaming has lost its spark. Remember when a new game announcement would send chills down your spine? When trailers at Gamescom or E3 would have you counting down days until release? That magic seems increasingly rare in today's gaming landscape.We kick off with our usual life updates – a new remote cybersecurity position after seven grueling interviews, a catastrophic house flood that created an indoor waterfall, and the vehicle troubles that seem to follow us everywhere. But these personal challenges led us to a deeper conversation about the state of gaming in 2024.Watching the recent Gamescom presentations revealed a troubling pattern: both presenters and audiences seemed to go through the motions without genuine enthusiasm. Even announcements for major franchises like Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy, and Fallout failed to generate the excitement they once would have. The chat was filled with bored viewers, and the audience reactions were noticeably muted.The culprit? Triple-A studios playing it safe. Bethesda exemplifies this problem perfectly – fans have been begging for Elder Scrolls 6 for years, yet they've prioritized projects like Indiana Jones games and watched Starfield fall flat despite massive marketing. Meanwhile, EA and other major publishers continue churning out annual iterations of sports games with minimal innovation.Perhaps most concerning is the industry's addiction to the DLC model. Games like Destiny 2, World of Warcraft, and The Sims 4 have extended their lifecycles through endless expansions rather than creating true sequels. While financially lucrative, this approach leads to creative stagnation and player fatigue.Ironically, the games generating genuine excitement often come from indie developers or represent simplified experiences that respect players' time. Last year's Game of the Year winners weren't massive open-world epics but focused, polished experiences that offered something genuinely different.Have gaming showcases permanently lost their flair, or can the industry rediscover how to surprise and delight players? We'd love to hear what upcoming games actually have you excited – or if you've found yourself retreating to the comfort of older titles instead. https://www.carolinaotakus.com/

Welcome to The Starting Zone Podcast, The World of Warcraft Podcast for New and Experienced Players! This week Spencer Downey and Jason Lucas discuss the New Season first impressions, Class Balancing, Gamescom Schedule, 11.2.5 Development notes, Hotfixes, and everything going on around Azeroth! Episode #697: Season 3 First Impressions! What's New this Week in World of Warcraft! Weekly Event - World Quest Bonus Event Weekly Quest - Choose One PvP Brawl - Cooking Impossible Mythic+ Affixes - Xal'atath's Bargain: Pulsar Winds of Mysterious Fortune - July 15th to August 12th Eastern Kingdoms Cup - August 26th to September 9th Don't miss it Weekly Checklist World Boss - The Gobfather, in Undermine Special Assignment World Quests Theater Troupe Awakening the Machine Spreading the Light Severed Threads Pacts Worldsoul Memories Nightfall Scenario Important Posts Kick off gamescom 2025 with Opening Night Live! The War Within Patch 11.2.5 Development Notes Class Tuning Incoming – August 19 Hotfixes and much more! You can find us on Discord at The Starting Zone or email us at TheStartingZone@Gmail.com Have you heard about our Patreon? It's a great way to support the show and goes towards making more content for you! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/thestartingzone Looking for to grab some great TSZ merch? Look no further than here! We've got the shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows even stickers you want!

Show Notes for Ctrl Alt WoW Episode 831 - Super Charged Slots, What Art Though For AprilPvd and Grand Nagus discuss Final Fantasy XIV, Virtual Reality and other video games includin World of Warcraft. Send an email to ctrlaltwow@gmail.com telling us how you play Virtual Reality and video games as an altoholic or dealing with it in your family life. Join us on our discourd: Ctrl Alt WoW Discord

Hey everyone welcome to the Lion's Pride Tavern podcast. Tonight we talk about the raid Manaforge  Lion's Pride Tavern Store:   https://lions-pride-tavern.myspreadshop.com/   Donations: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2PVQ8WJUXQ6S2&source=url   Securtiy Camera System https://share.eufylife.com/v1/shopping/s/g/m_7p09Ok_   Live Streaming Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/captain_adonis https://www.twitch.tv/cassatanks   Other Podcast Friends: https://thethirdfaction.com/ https://mashthosebuttons.com/show/the-tauren-the-goblin/ www.frazlcast.com https://scrubsvstheworld.podbean.com/ http://wtbgold.blogspot.com/#axzz2kMfXwf2a   Advertisers: nordvpn.com/lionspride www.betterhelp.com/lionspride www.posterburner.com/lions https://www.advertisecast.com/1810   Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/lionspridetavern Lionspridetavern@yahoo.com https://discord.gg/GXJY6nU https://www.facebook.com/lionspridetavern   Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrideTavern https://twitter.com/captain_adonis https://twitter.com/luvsweetcharity https://twitter.com/Goblingoldcast   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CaptainAdonis   Websites https://www.lovesweetcharity.com https://warcraftradio.com/directory/   Music Credits: Music by Sharm @https://soundcloud.com/sharmsong  -  https://www.youtube.com/user/taintedlore   Vincent Moretto https://youtu.be/uGahF5N3VmI Metal remix & mashup of Tavern themes from World of Warcraft! Original Composers: Russell Brower, Neal Acree, Jason Hayes, David Arkenstone, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Jeremy Soule, Matt Uelmen, Edo Guidotti   Kevin Mcloud with hotrock

11.Who Cares, It's Almost Midnight! - Episode 28 Show Notes  Welcome to Episode 28! – 1:45          There is so much to discuss as we are on the cusp of the eleventh expansion of World of Warcraft.  Naturally, I suggestions for Blizzard for improving the game as the main topic   “What have you done lately?” – 6:09 Holy crap, there is so much I have done.  Buckle up.  It all seems to revolve around stories this episode.  Some piled up unlearned recipes leads three of my characters onto huge tangents in Northrend, I discover a flight school in Hallowfall with a weak, indecisive headmaster, and I reach an account-wide leveling milestone (only to learn later this episode that I am actually still 2 levels shy)   11.2 Reactions – 55:21             The final major content patch for The War Within is live; Tazavesh is a cool city; comparing K'aresh to Argus, the (one) new Delve is solid; Bliz nailed it with optional depth of storytelling in the campaign questing.   Drink of the Month – 1:27:18 Sneaking some Badlands Bourbon north into Farstrider Retreat.   News – 1:32:08             Legion Remix announced in a post and video here: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24224370 My thoughts on it 2 is in full swing, including RTWF LFR Wing 2 and “Story” Mode raids launch today, August 19 LFR Wing 3 comes August 26 One more thing in the news…?   Main Topic:  Midnight Expansion Announcement – 1:45:02 Tuesday, August 19 (the day I FINALLY get this episode out), Blizzard will officially announce and introduce to us the Midnight expansion at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.  2:00 PM at SQ HQ, 11:00 AM on the West Coast at Blizzard HQ, and I believe 3:00 on August 20 for my friend the Snek of Vol'dun!   My Midnight Wish List – 1:49:47        My list of 10 requests, the 10 great ideas I have for improving WoW for everyone, but certainly solo players.  Free of charge, Bliz, free of charge.   SQ Mailbag – 2:08:11 One negative rating has me upset, but maybe not in the way you would expect.  But that is balanced by a new Patreon supporter who also likes my Solo Crew Refuge proposal for a player housing neighborhood.  And, if you have the time and interest in entering your own ratings or reviews of the show in your podcast app, that would make me feel good and further balance out that negative.   Outro – 2:38:30 Thanks to Blizzard for the amazing music and sound, to OGRE for intro/outro music, my lovely and supportive wife, and you for listening. Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/soloqueuewow Thank you to patrons, Andrew, Righteous Bandy, ThatSkyGuy, Cyn, Snek of Vol'dun, Jon, Scott and newest patron Jeru!  And thanks to all the free supporters as well! Subscribe to the podcast at your podcast feed of choice, Apple, Spotify, and all the rest.  Leave a 5-star rating and a written review to help grow Solo Queue. You can contact me at soloqueuewow at gmail.com, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. “I will see you out there."

We break down World of Warcraft Midnight from the Gamescom reveal, including the cinematic setup in Silvermoon and the Sunwell, the four zone launch plan, three raids on day one, dungeons and delves, the Prey hunt system, skyriding changes, Demon Hunter's new specialization, the Haranir allied race, and the long awaited player housing feature.00:00 Introduction and why Midnight has WoW veterans buzzing00:14 Silvermoon and the Sunwell in the opening cinematic plus Lor'themar on the front lines00:30 Zones overview Eversong and parts of Ghostlands refreshed plus Zul'Aman promoted to a full outdoor zone and the new areas Harandar and Voidstorm with the suggested leveling path Eversong to Voidstorm00:46 Raids at launch The Voidspire six bosses The Dreamrift one boss March on Quel'Danas two bosses and why three raids at launch matters01:01 Alliance note no Azuremyst Bloodmyst or Exodar updates at launch01:18 Group content eight dungeons including a refreshed Magister's Terrace plus seven delves and a new battleground01:30 Systems Prey open world target hunts and skyriding without a vigor bar01:47 Classes and races Demon Hunter's mid range Devourer spec Void Elves eligible for DH and the Haranir allied race02:04 Player housing private and public neighborhoods customization tools and why the feature already looks robust02:22 Closing thoughts more Gamescom coverage on the wayMidnight returns the spotlight to Silvermoon and the Sunwell with Xal'atath as the early threatFour launch zones mix nostalgia and new spaces with a clear path from Eversong to VoidstormThree raids at launch signal a broader endgame on day oneEight dungeons seven delves and a fresh battleground add variety for group and solo playersPrey creates opt in open world hunts with selectable difficultySkyriding simplifies movement by removing the vigor barDemon Hunter gains a new specialization and more race options and Haranir join the rosterPlayer housing arrives with flexible tools and neighborhood optionsThe cinematic is all about Silvermoon and the SunwellWe are getting eight new dungeons including a reworked Magister's TerracePrey is a whole new system where you hunt down open world targetsPlayer housing looks insanely good in all its beautiful gloryI could talk about World of Warcraft every single dayEnjoyed the episodeSubscribe and leave a review to help more geeks find the showShare this episode with a friend and tag us with the hashtag GeekFreaksHeadlinesAll news we discuss is sourced from GeekFreaksPodcast.comhttps://geekfreakspodcast.comFacebook https://www.facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@geekfreakspodcastPatreon https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcastInstagram https://www.instagram.com/geekfreakspodcastTwitter https://twitter.com/geekfreakspodHave a question or a tip for a future episodeSend it to info@gfpods.com or DM us on any of our socialsWorld of Warcraft, Midnight, Silvermoon City, Sunwell, Xal'atath, Raids, Dungeons, Delves, Player Housing, Demon Hunter, Haranir, Gamescom, Geek Freaks HeadlinesTimestamps and TopicsKey TakeawaysMemorable QuotesCall to ActionLinks and ResourcesFollow UsListener QuestionsApple Podcast Tags

The merch cluster is under attack. Pokemon Worlds took place in Anaheim this week and it was invaded by SCALPERS. While Garrett and Kyle attempt to fathom this, Japanese McDonald's was also forced to end their Pokemon Happy Meal tie-in early. Gamescom is tomorrow, and World of Warcraft is set to show its newest cinematic for Midnight. Dandadan, Alien: Earth, and so much more.

In this episode of the AI Chat podcast, hosts Jaeden, Twain Martin, and Rogerio Andrade delve into the transformative power of AI in gaming and beyond. They explore Twain's extensive background in game development, including his work on iconic titles like World of Warcraft, and Rogerio's journey to Nvidia's Inception program. The conversation highlights the innovative vision behind Upheaval AI, focusing on personalized AI and its potential applications across various industries. The discussion also addresses the challenges of AI development, the importance of human collaboration, and the future of work in an AI-driven world.Try AI Box: ⁠⁠https://aibox.aiAI Chat YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JaedenSchaferJoin my AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustle/aboutYou can find both of todays amazing guests here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/twainm/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerio-andrade/Chapters00:00 Introduction to AI and Gaming Innovations02:42 Twain Martin's Journey in Game Development05:38 Rogério Andrade's Path to Nvidia and AI08:12 The Vision Behind Upheaval AI11:02 Personalized AI and Its Applications14:03 The Future of AI in Gaming and Beyond17:08 Exploring AI's Role in Various Industries21:16 The Future of AI in Culinary Arts23:07 Challenges in AI Development24:53 AI's Impact on Gaming and Creativity31:34 Embracing AI in Corporate Environments37:17 The Cutting Edge of AI Technology

Sean, Lex, and Manny discuss the official reveal of Legion Remix, the slow start to Manaforge: Omega's Race to World First, and the wealth of content coming in the World of Warcraft.

Jason has returned to World of Warcraft. Chris has been playing a new game that he's had his eye on for a few weeks now. Neither one has finished DK Bananza.

Much of Angela Washko's work begins with a simple question: What if we took the media we consume every day — the video games, the reality shows, the online chatrooms — as seriously as we take traditional art spaces? What if we examined them not just as distractions or products but as public arenas where identity, power and belonging are actively negotiated?With a practice that spans performance, social engagement, video games and film, Angela has spent more than a decade doing just that. Her work doesn't just critique digital culture from the outside; it embeds itself within it, creating space for dialogue in places not usually known for nuance. Whether she's convening feminist councils in the fantasy worlds of online gaming or crafting interactive experiences from the textures of real life, her projects ask how we behave when no one — or everyone — is watching. In 2012 she launched The Council on Gender Sensitivity and Behavioral Awareness in World of Warcraft, an in-game social practice project that sparked multi-hour dialogues between initially hostile players. Later she created The Game: The Game, an RPG in which a player could try to negotiate a bar packed full of male pickup artists following the same seduction playbook. And just last year, fascinated by the allure and promises of reality television, she directed her first documentary, “Workhorse Queen,” about a few members of the tightknit drag community in Rochester, NY and their complicated relationship with “RuPaul's Drag Race” and the commerce of 21st century drag celebrity.In this interview, Angela, now a full professor and the MFA Program Director at the Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan, reflects on how she found her voice as an artist inside a male-dominated gaming culture, why she continues to work in and not against the media she critiques and how becoming a mother during a global crisis reshaped her ideas of creativity, care and time.https://angelawashko.com/home.html

Welcome to The Starting Zone Podcast, The World of Warcraft Podcast for New and Experienced Players! This week Spencer Downey and Jason Lucas discuss the New Content first impressions, WotLK Timewalking, Class Balancing, Hotfixes, and everything going on around Azeroth! Episode #696: TWW Season 3 Begins! What's New this Week in World of Warcraft! Weekly Event - Wrath of the Lich King Timewalking Weekly Quest - Delves Weekly from Brann PvP Brawl - Warsong Scramble Mythic+ Affixes - Xal'atath's Bargain: Ascendant Winds of Mysterious Fortune - July 15th to August 12th Micro-Holiday - Free T-Shirt Day - August 16th Don't miss it Weekly Checklist World Boss - The Gobfather, in Undermine Special Assignment World Quests Theater Troupe Awakening the Machine Spreading the Light Severed Threads Pacts Worldsoul Memories Nightfall Scenario Important Posts The Cooldown Manager and Future Updates Class Tuning Incoming – August 12 Hotfixes and much more! You can find us on Discord at The Starting Zone or email us at TheStartingZone@Gmail.com Have you heard about our Patreon? It's a great way to support the show and goes towards making more content for you! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/thestartingzone Looking for to grab some great TSZ merch? Look no further than here! We've got the shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows even stickers you want!

On this week's extremely mini solo episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree recaps Guild Wars 2's final three elite specs, World of Warcraft's and Final Fantasy XIV's dueling patch launches, TERA 2's tiny reveal, delays for ArcheAge Chronicles and Chrono Odyssey, and the ongoing EverQuest emulator legal saga.

Show Notes for Ctrl Alt WoW Episode 830 - You Get a Squid Ship, Everybody Gets a Squid Ship AprilPvd and Grand Nagus discuss Final Fantasy XIV, Virtual Reality and other video games includin World of Warcraft. Send an email to ctrlaltwow@gmail.com telling us how you play Virtual Reality and video games as an altoholic or dealing with it in your family life.

Hey everyone welcome to the Lion's Pride Tavern podcast. Public Service Announcement  Lion's Pride Tavern Store:   https://lions-pride-tavern.myspreadshop.com/   Donations: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2PVQ8WJUXQ6S2&source=url   Securtiy Camera System https://share.eufylife.com/v1/shopping/s/g/m_7p09Ok_   Live Streaming Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/captain_adonis https://www.twitch.tv/cassatanks   Other Podcast Friends: https://thethirdfaction.com/ https://mashthosebuttons.com/show/the-tauren-the-goblin/ www.frazlcast.com https://scrubsvstheworld.podbean.com/ http://wtbgold.blogspot.com/#axzz2kMfXwf2a   Advertisers: nordvpn.com/lionspride www.betterhelp.com/lionspride www.posterburner.com/lions https://www.advertisecast.com/1810   Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/lionspridetavern Lionspridetavern@yahoo.com https://discord.gg/GXJY6nU https://www.facebook.com/lionspridetavern   Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrideTavern https://twitter.com/captain_adonis https://twitter.com/luvsweetcharity https://twitter.com/Goblingoldcast   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CaptainAdonis   Websites https://www.lovesweetcharity.com https://warcraftradio.com/directory/   Music Credits: Music by Sharm @https://soundcloud.com/sharmsong  -  https://www.youtube.com/user/taintedlore   Vincent Moretto https://youtu.be/uGahF5N3VmI Metal remix & mashup of Tavern themes from World of Warcraft! Original Composers: Russell Brower, Neal Acree, Jason Hayes, David Arkenstone, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Jeremy Soule, Matt Uelmen, Edo Guidotti   Kevin Mcloud with hotrock

The World of Warcraft news cycle has begun with the approach of their Midnight expansion Cinematic. WoW plans to get rid of Addons, going the FFXIV route and freeing themselves of their ever escalating arms race. WoW has also claimed massive success with their recent One Button rotation option. Final Fantasy XIV has sales down by 23%, but what does that even mean? We watched Kpop Demon Hunters, Dandadan and more.

Welcome to The Starting Zone Podcast, The World of Warcraft Podcast for New and Experienced Players! This week Spencer Downey and Jason Lucas discuss the Season 3 update, Massive Class Balancing, Bank Rework, Reshii Wraps, Hotfixes, and everything going on around Azeroth! Episode #695: Ghosts of K'aresh! What's New this Week in World of Warcraft! Weekly Event - Arena Skirmish Bonus Event Weekly Quest - Titan Disc Fragments PvP Brawl - Shado-Pan Showdown Mythic+ Affixes - Xal'atath's Bargain: Devour Winds of Mysterious Fortune - July 15th to August 12th Micro-Holiday - Trial of Style August 1st to 8th Darkmoon Faire - August 3rd to 9th Don't miss it Weekly Checklist World Boss - The Gobfather, in Undermine Special Assignment World Quests Theater Troupe Awakening the Machine Spreading the Light Severed Threads Pacts Worldsoul Memories Nightfall Scenario Important Posts Ghosts of K'aresh Content Update Notes Get Your Reshii Wraps, Go Phase Diving…And More! Not all Choices are Black and White at the August Trading Post Hotfixes and much more! You can find us on Discord at The Starting Zone or email us at TheStartingZone@Gmail.com Have you heard about our Patreon? It's a great way to support the show and goes towards making more content for you! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/thestartingzone Looking for to grab some great TSZ merch? Look no further than here! We've got the shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows even stickers you want!