John Branyan's Comedy Sojourn Podcast

Welcome to the kitchen table of the Comedian Next Door, Neighbor Pkarlgh! We've taken away the video games and other screens, so the kids are playing ball in the house.  John recently realized there aren't many people in the Church today who are willing to be as bold and confident as Paul. Why is that?  Are people afraid to speak the truth?... or do they even know what the truth is in the first place? Peaches thinks most people struggle with uncertainties/doubts.  Some things aren't worth fighting about...  But those aren't really "convictions."  We have been advising people to SHUT UP when they don't know what they're talking about.  So, maybe that's why there are so few Pauls.  Is it possible to will ourselves to know things?  Can we CHOOSE to be more certain?

Hi, Neighbor! The Peaches used to believe that every, single bad thing on the planet could be attributed to "selfishness." (And she still leans that direction.) But NOW she thinks absolutely every conflict boils down to a clash between the Truth and a lie.Lots and lots of people are really struggling to express themselves.  We give two examples of comments from John's "critics." But, they're just collections of generic, angry-sounding words. To be a criticism, a thing needs to be clear and direct.   There are way too many empty words being thrown around. Do you want some practice thinking and speaking more clearly? Try getting directions from a small child and then translating for him/her.  Speaking of small children talking in childish ways, here's Silas to say a thing we don't totally understand at first!Three types of Liars: 1. Immature/Ignorant people with limited ability to express themselves. 2. Manipulators who INTENTIONALLY mislead with "word games."3. Smooth-talkers who want

Please join us in praying a hedge of protection around the Comedian's recording equipment.  Welcome to our table--where Tabby is just getting back from an appointment with her newborn, Warren. We're pretty sure this lip-tie surgery is going to cure ALL of his future ailments. Tabby hasn't had Facebook for over a year, so she hasn't seen our dad's recent posts.  So, pull up a chair what while we fill her in on all the things we've been discussing on social media this week...Every time you laugh at a man dressed as a woman, a Trans Girl gets more afraid to come out!John agrees wholeheartedly. Laughter is a good way to determine whether you need to examine your beliefs for hidden stupidity.  Humans don't decide what is funny; GOD decides what is funny. You can't punch down at people who refuse to view themselves as LESS THAN you are. (High five for cheeseburgers, everybody!) Later:  the Peaches shares a dirty joke that was posted by a troll. But there's a point to giving t

The boys/men of the family just got back from eating "Man Food." Quick--let's talk about what made John laugh this week, before we dive into the INTERESTING stuff the Peaches wants to discuss.First of all, why are a bunch of irrelevant, old musicians picking a fight with Joe Rogan?  Well--we want to announce (formally) that we're joining the boycott! Hopefully this earns us some attention, as it has done for Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Next, what about Apple's new emoji of the "pregnant man?"    And what about Minnie Mouse getting a wardrobe change?And isn't this podcast supposed to be FUNNY?Whenever we give examples of women doing unwise, sinful, or embarassing things, we use the pseudonym "Carlina" to keep their real names anonymous.   Today's Carlina story involves Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion, plus some weird voodoo nonsense.  We give several examples of comments that are barely coherent... just strange, spiritual-sounding blather. Spoilers:  Carlina has a f

Welcome to our table, Neighbor Pkarlgh.   The Peaches is particularly thankful for spreadable butter today.  Also--please enjoy this story about a misbehaving toddler and the lengths a mom/aunt must go to discipline those little humans. Are we being "petty" and "making a big deal out of nothing" when we forcibly remove the stolen deer jerky out of a child's mouth? Yes--the Bible says blessed are the peacemakers. But, how do we keep peace with rebellious sinners?That leads John to an example involving the man named Caitlyn Jenner. Conservatives are now quoting Jenner and believing he's on THEIR SIDE, simply because he sometimes says vaguely Right-Wing sounding things.    They no longer care that Jenner is using FEMALE PRONOUNS to describe men.  (* Brief Interuption while John breaks the recorder ) Bottom line: Don't be afraid to fight with a person who's wrong. Later: Is the Peaches the only one who thought the Babylon Bee's interview with Elon Musk was super awkward and

Welcome back to our much-less-jolly house, Neighbor Pkarlgh.  We're undecorating, and we're talking about how to deal with disappointment or discontent.  (PLEASE teach your kids to recognize and manage their feelings of disappointment.  PLEASE!!!)Later:  John has been upsetting the pro-Abortion crowd.  But the Peaches believes Christians/Pro-Lifers are making headway in the culture war.  Finally:  Why are some people soooooo dumb?  It's almost as if God doesn't like them very much. Email nextdoor@johnbranyan.com with your questions or comments.  Follow John on Facebook, Gab, and YouTube. (Tune in every Sunday at 7:00pm to be part of his LIVE comedy show--the Starving Comics Quarantine Show.)

Welcome to the Comedian's house, where we spent the afternoon recording new intros/outros for your listening pleasure!  The four McBabies complicated the process juuuuuust a bit.  Write us at nextdoor@johnbranyan.com to let us know what you think. Next, we've been discussing the problem with creating brand new content every, single day and never stopping to promote or share the content with a wider audience.  Most people are intimidated by a blank page and a blinking cursor. But John PREFERS to start from scratch every time he sits down at his computer.   He hates having to say the same thing more than once. Has he written/spoken millions of words?  Yes.  Has he written BILLIONS?  Well, apparently that would be almost impossible...  We spend a long time debating this.But--the point it: we believe God gives us the ability to communicate, and we want to be good stewards of our resource.  The observations, devotionals, jokes, and blog posts that John wr

The Comedian is at the table with Mitch and Michelle Wainwright, who opted to have an apologetics presentation at their wedding ceremony.   Who's idea was that?  How exactly did they insert apologetics into the festivities?  And how was it received by their guests?Pull up a chair and join the discussion! If you'd like to get in touch with Mitch and Michelle, you can email: eaglescoutmjw@yahoo.comFollow John Branyan on Gab and Facebook.  Also--tune in for the Starving Comics Quarantine Show on John's YouTube channel, every Sunday night at 7:00pm Eastern.   

Welcome to the kitchen table of the Comedian Next Door. When you're here, we affectionately call you "Neighbor Pkarlgh."  The Comedian's family is gearing up for a Christmas-and-New-Year's hybrid celebration, and we have a lot of preparations to make. But first, let's talk about the sin of speaking without thinking carefully first...  Have you noticed that many, many people take their ability to communicate for granted?  Too often, they say things they don't actually mean because they don't THINK about the words they're using.  When the Bible warns against unwholesome talk or filthy language, we don't think it's only talking about 4-letter words. What about carelessly saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes?  Or carelessly saying "Amen" in response to a worldly opinion?   If you make a habit of speaking without thinking, you might end up praising the name of Lauren Daigle! (You'll just have to listen to the episode to understand that reference, Neighbor Pkarlgh.)By the w

We're trying to cut down on the microphone clunking, Neighbor. Let us know how that's going. Also, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Comedian's house! Unfortunately, we can't think of very many good words to describe it… So let's get down to business talking about whether Christians should be jerks! Nobody actually thinks being a jerk is a good thing. But, sometimes, comedians say things they don't mean, to help make a point. The Peaches isn't convinced that John made his point very well this time. But, luckily, she was there to help prompt a better dialog in the comment section! (You can follow John Branyan on Facebook, and read the post in question for yourself.) Next, someone on Telegram thanked us for talking about women's sins and pointing out examples of Feminism taking over the church. He said there aren't any other people (to his knowledge) that are covering this topic as solidly as we do. SO, we've got another example for your consideration today. Do Christians tend to take

Hey, Neighbor! The Podcast Ninja (Luke) shot a deer. Silas wants a quesadilla. And we've been decorating for Christmas... After all of that, we get busy talking about WHATEVER WE WANT, because we can draw connections with any two ideas if we think about it long enough! (Send us your suggestions for two seemingly-unrelated topics. We will tell you how to make them connect. It'll be fun.) There’s a meme that sometimes makes the rounds saying, “People will provoke you until they bring out your ugly side—and then play the victim because you went there!”   John says it’s never appropriate to display your “ugly side”—especially if you’re going to blame others for your behavior. That’s what prisoners with criminal mindsets do. Before we share a quote like this one, we should ask ourselves if we still agree with the sentiment when it gets spoken by someone we don't like... Sidenote: if you can't see things from another person's perspective, you won't be able to make comedy. You need to know what people think th

Welcome to the kitchen table, Neighbor Pkarlgh! The ladies in our family get together once a week for "Just Because I Love You Day," and this time John is crashing the hen party. So, we're recording two podcasts at the same time. On the mics: John, Peaches (Amanda), Megan, and Tabby. (You can find the Four Sisters' podcast, Just Because I Love You, by clicking this link: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JRPgFcJV1xmZKO7MXhd1C ) There are twice the number of children usually in the background, so please bear with their happy chatter. On the mics: John, Peaches (Amanda), Megan, and Tabby. First of all, John's feet smell terrible and Megan had to intervene. Next, we read an email from a Pkarlgh who wants to know if we've ever caused bridges to be burned in our own family by being too blunt. JUST KIDDING! First John interrupts with a different email about how awesome our podcast is. Okay, THEN we read the letter asking how we navigate those tricky/sticky subjects when we're interacting with close

We have a HOUSEGUEST at the table today! We're chatting with Joel Berry, managing editor of the Babylon Bee, and John is proud to be one of Joel's very first friends. Joel knows a thing or two about being funny in a culture that finds everything offensive. Join us as we discuss what it takes to run a successful satire website, while still maintaining a clear conscience before God. In this episode: --Huckabee's GORGEOUS greenroom --How Joel landed his dream job --Comedians and childhood trauma --Saturday Night Live's Abortion Clown --Self-Deprecation --Mocking Bad Ideas rather than People --Crossing the line "If we reach the point where Christians take back this culture for Jesus and the Church is back on top, we'll be back to writing all our jokes about the Church again." --Joel Berry Please check out the Babylon Bee's Guide to Wokeness on Amazon.

Hey, Neighbor! Sorry for the technical glitch in the intro. No idea what's going on there. John just came back from St. Louis, where he was hanging out with Tim Hawkins' family. They recorded a podcast which will get published next week and involves important conversation about grapes. NO SPOILERS! You'll just have to listen when it's available. Also: tune in Wednesday, because we've got a HOUSEGUEST in the form of the Babylon Bee's managing editor, Joel Berry. And now the moment you've all been waiting for... Introducing PKARGHLINA! (Pronounced: Carlina) Anytime we want to share a true story of a woman doing something foolish, we call that woman "Pkarghlina." Sometimes she has babies with five different men. Sometimes she calls herself Mama Bear and wastes the time of the police. It doesn't matter what Pkarghlina's real name is. What matters is the behavior that should be avoided. We're writing modern day morality tales over here, Neighbor! Don't be a fox...or a Pkarghlina. Finally, we

Hi, neighbor! If you're listening, we call you "Pkarlgh." It's another challenging day in Homeschool Land. Shockingly, when you set out to educate your children, it's not all smiling faces and photo ops. Lots of people think they can solve this problem by throwing another trillion dollars at the public school system--to reward the "good teachers" who are trying to get 8-year-olds to stop writing more wrong answers before you've finished erasing the first one… John thinks there are actually people in the world who WANT to educate their own kids, but the Peaches thinks the word "want" isn't quite accurate. Nobody WANTS to kill their flesh daily. Only self-sacrificial love will motivate someone to keep marching down the Parenting Path, on really hard days like today. Cami is making banana pancakes in the background, so please allow for a few important recipe-related interruptions. Next, apparently some people think we need to water the deserts until they become forests… Also, someone asks John

We're here at the kitchen table with a neighborhood celebrity--our FLF brother--Adam "AD" Robles. To kick off, we joke about not knowing what we're supposed to be talking about. Except, it's not really a joke, and we literally don't know what we're talking about… Eventually, we find our rhythm and dissect the way "Evangelical" leadership has failed to defend itself against Cancel Culture. (Hello, Josh McDowell!) But maybe the falling away of cowardly pastors is a blessing in disguise?… In this episode, we cover: -AD's massive network of executive staff -Why John's podcast is boring -How Josh McDowell cancelled HIMSELF -Should Christians be FEARED in the culture? -Should parents be FEARED by their children? -Feminism permeates the culture, including churches -How Evangelicals regularly misjudge the cultural moment -Plus, Pkarlgh (our listener) gets a suave new Spanish nickname! "If Josh McDowell could not stand up to the woke Everything-Is-Racist mob, then maybe it's time for him to step aside. The la

Welcome to the Comedian's house, Neighbor Pkarlgh! If you don't want to spend a long time shooting the breeze about Japanese food, we apologize in advance. .... John published a post about "Peacemaking" this week, and the Peaches wasn't impressed with his delivery. It was a bit rambly and unorganized. Buuuuut, there were some strong points. Here's the private message John received: "I do have to ask, have you become a Facebook troll? Hahaha! It's funny. But you seem to donate your opinions, many of which I also agree. But they are unsolicited. As I am tempted to throw my two-cents into a Facebook thread, I am also reminded that 'blessed are the peacemakers.' Are you helping to keep the peace?" This is a perfectly reasonable question! But, sometimes comedians aren't very nuanced when they have a point to make. There are two issues with this private message. #1. Private messages are like dragging someone out of the townsquare into a dark alley, where there are no witnesses, so you can confront them. #2. The def

Welcome to our house, Neighbor! We're not over-exaggerating when we say John and the Peaches aren't seeing completely eye-to-eye on this episode. Be prepared for a little bickering... A listener weighs in on a recent episode. Do teachers WANT their students to be as offended as possible? The Peaches disagrees with both John and the Neighbor who sent us this email. Many, many, many Tik-Tok, Instagram influencers claim they were raised by parents who didn't LOVE them enough, and it caused them to have low self-esteem. (Their parents were selfish.) So, they think the solution is to LOVE THEMSELVES in ways their parents never did. In other words: they want to become as self-focused and self-absorbed as their parents were. Eventually, the Peaches brings up the Golden Rule, and that's where things start to go off the rails. What happens when people start reading the Bible for OTHERS instead of applying it to themselves?... Well, it doesn't work. (We agree about that.) But John thinks it's possibl

This episode is dedicated to reading comments, emails, and reviews from people who aren't very impressed with John Branyan (to say the least). Welcome to the kitchen table, Neighbor Pkarlgh! If you have always wanted to tell John that he's an incompetant loser who wouldn't understand humor if it fell from a tree and knocked him over, then you're going to love this! If you'd like to send us some hate mail, you can contact us here: nextdoor@johnbranyan.com Thanks for laughing with our family, Pkarlgh!

We've got a HOUSEGUEST at the Kitchen Table today: our friend and educator, Chris "Shoof" Scheufele. Chris travels the country giving talks to students about how to be emotionally resilient. Recently, he delivered a speech at a new school that went GREAT! Everyone laughed, they clapped, and they wanted to have him come back again soon… Well, ALMOST everyone… We talk about the way a small minority of offended teachers can control the entire school. Why does the principal allow this to happen? How can Christians stand up to Cancel Culture? And is Chris interested in joining a group of Christian allies who will stand up for him whenever he's attacked by humorless nincompoops? All this and more in today's HOUSEGUEST episode! You can find Chris at chrisintheclassroom.com and on Facebook on the "Chris in the Classroom" page.