POP GOD POPcast: Episode 14 – Zak Todd

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Welcome to Episode 14 of the POP GOD POPcast – an exploration into the lives of people seeking God in the present tense.

This week’s guest is Zak Todd. Zak is a friend and musician who’s about to reunite with his band Mazes And Monsters for a special concert February 21st at Sky City in Augusta. He’s also part of the worship band team at Redemption Church. Zak has a lot of great thoughts on the intersection of music and faith and we discuss the role of music in the church. Plus we share a little U2 and WWE love, break down the positives and negatives of living downtown, and share some weird fan interactions. A really fun conversation with a really fun guy. Enjoy this deeper look inside the life of a musician truly seeking God in the present tense.

Listen to the podcast here:

Or Subscribe and Download on iTunes Or Listen on Podbean

Download your free copy of The Spaces In Between from Mazes And Monsters on Bandcamp

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, rate it, leave a comment, listen to all the other episodes, share it on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else. I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

I love sharing stories of people seeking God in the present tense. Let me hear your feedback. Leave me a comment and let me know how to improve things, what you’d like to hear discussed, and give me your ideas as to who you’d like to see on the next episode of the POPcast.mazesmonsters 2014

How To Handle A Power Outage

/ Alex Doriot / 1 Comment

remove-ads-flappy-bird-both-android-ios-devices.w654The first thing I did when the power went out was go to my phone.

It’s amazing. Even just a few years ago I would not have had the luxury of another electronic plaything to occupy my brain while the power was out.

But during The Great Ice Storm of 2014, less power at home just meant more power for our mobile devices.

For many the power outages and school closings were an excuse to spend hours playing the latest game craze Flappy Bird.

Of course, if you hadn’t already downloaded Flappy Bird, you were out of luck. And not because the wifi was down. Continue reading →

What You Need To Learn From RadioShack

/ Alex Doriot / 3 Comments

RadioShack is a brave company.

They’ve heard all the jokes we’ve been making at their expense. They’ve seen the tweets and business articles wondering how they’re still in business. They’ve seen their profits dwindle over the past decade.

So, with a chance to make a splash during the big game this year, RadioShack did this:

(Click Here if you can’t see the video above)

After years of irrelevance, RadioShack embraced the criticism about being outdated and vowed to make a change. And they did it in front of the largest television audience of all time.

That, my friends, is bravery. Continue reading →

The Shortcut To Popularity

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tumblr_li2ojiqJD51qgj47lI cannot stress to you enough the impact Zack Morris had on my life.

Every day before and after elementary school I watched reruns of “Saved By The Bell”. Sure, the show was funny. But really I was studying Zack Morris.

Zack Morris was the epitome of cool. The slicked back bleached blonde hair. The giant cell phone. The swagger.

(Also he could stop time. That was kind of weird. But totally awesome.) Continue reading →

Do We Take God For Granted?

/ Alex Doriot / 2 Comments
The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter

The Oscars will be missing something this year – the greatest actor of our generation.

Despite two highly-regarded performances – as the title character in the harrowing “Captain Phillips” and as the legendary Walt Disney in “Saving Mr. Banks” – somehow Tom Hanks missed out on an Oscar nomination this year.

What’s the deal here? I must admit I have not seen many of the Oscar nominated films this year, including “Saving Mr. Banks”. And I know there’s only so many spots that can go out there for nominations.

But have you seen “Captain Phillips”? Tom Hanks is incredible as a reserved ship captain trying to maintain order as Somali pirates hijack his boat. The last scene where Hanks finally releases all the pent-up emotion he’s been carrying through the movie is an acting masterclass.

Even as someone who expects Tom Hanks to deliver an excellent performance in every movie, I was still blown away by his work in “Captain Phillips”.

I think maybe that’s why Tom Hanks didn’t get nominated for an Oscar this year. I think everyone who’s seen “Forrest Gump” and “Saving Private Ryan” and even “You’ve Got Mail” recognizes how awesome Tom Hanks is.

So when Tom Hanks does his usual excellent work, the audience is not surprised. There’s no overwhelming movement to honor what this amazing actor is doing because the world has been recognizing his outstanding work for decades.

I think we take Tom Hanks for granted. I know I take God for granted too. Continue reading →

POP GOD POPcast: Episode 13 – Mitch Schultz

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Welcome to Episode 13 of the POP GOD POPcast – an exploration into the lives of people seeking God in the present tense.

This week’s guest is Mitch Schultz. Mitch is a pastor who’s served for nearly 30 years with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He’s also the author of the new novel The Whisper. The Whisper tells the story of a pastor caught up in a vicious church scandal who tries to run from God. Mitch talks about the creative journey behind the book and shares his incredible testimony as well. From being born to missionaries in Papua New Guinea to pastoring in England to facing down personal tragedy, Mitch has a truly unique story and he opens up about the way God uses our personal pain to bring us back to Him. Enjoy this deeper look inside the life of a pastor and author truly seeking God in the present tense.

Listen to the podcast here:

[audio http://adoriot.podbean.com/mf/web/zhch8s/Popcast13.m4a]

Or Subscribe and Download on iTunes Or Listen on Podbean

Pick up your copy of The Whisper on Amazon

Find out more about The Whisper and get updates from Mitch on Facebook

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, rate it, leave a comment, listen to all the other episodes, share it on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else. I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

I’m so excited to open up POP GOD and share more stories of people seeking God in the present tense. I’d love to hear your feedback. Leave me a comment and let me know how to improve things, what you’d like to hear discussed, and give me your ideas as to who you’d like to see on the next episode of the POPcast.

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How To Escape Your Groundhog Day

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Groundhog_Day_(movie_poster)Have you ever watched “Groundhog Day”?

I think people underrate the Bill Murray comedy from 1993 because of the goofy title. But if you see it on cable this weekend, stop and watch. I bet you’ll get sucked in.

Bill Murray’s character finds himself stuck reliving the most inane day possible, over and over and over again. He can’t escape the day until he the universe deems he made all the right choices with his life.

It’s easy to get stuck in your own version of “Groundhog Day” – reliving the same mistakes over and over and over again. Continue reading →

Peyton Manning’s Advice On Faith

/ Alex Doriot / 1 Comment

0827101521aLet me tell you about the time I had dinner with Peyton Manning.

Ok. Well, the time I had dinner at the same table as Peyton Manning.

All right. The time I had dinner in the same restaurant as Peyton Manning.

My parents, graduates of The University of Tennessee, raised me as a big Volunteer fan. Growing up we would travel back to Knoxville about once a year for a home football game, especially in the years when Peyton Manning quarterbacked the team.

After the game we would sometimes go out to eat to one of our favorite restaurants: the legendary Ye Olde Steak House.

It was at Ye Olde Steak House, after a great Tennessee game, that my family noticed Peyton enjoying a post-game meal with his father Archie. Continue reading →