Podcast Summary: Nephilim Death Squad

Episode: The Raven 008 – “Ernesto, Nooo!”
Hosts: David “Raven”, Matt (TopLobsta Productions)
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Theme

Community, Change, and Catholicism (with a Side of Pig Chaos):
Recorded from the Standard Coffee Shop, this episode of The Raven centers on shifts within the hosts’ personal and podcast community, the fate and philosophy of the Bro Grove event, organizing a faith-based conspiracy festival, and deeper reflections on community, faith, and church experiences. Listeners are treated to fun stories—including a riotous encounter with “Ernesto the blind pig”—as well as open, sometimes spirited, call-ins about spiritual matters (including Catholic doctrine and Protestant skepticism). Throughout, the hosts emphasize authenticity, growth, and the ongoing pursuit of truth.

Major Discussion Points

1. Nephilim Death Squad Community & Bro Grove (03:00–27:00)

• Venue Drama: The hosts reveal the previous Bro Grove venue ("Joke Joint") is gone, and searching for a new site is underway.
• Festival Identity Crisis: Reflection on what Bro Grove has become—should NDS headline instead of relying on outside names like Owen Benjamin and Sam Tripoli?
• Who Is This For?
  • “What is Bro Grove? … We don’t want to do a soft race war; last year got a little wild… I want it to be about community.” (13:50, David)
  • Desire for a more meaningful, community-focused gathering, not just an edgy comedy event.
• Drawing the Line on Collaborators:
  • Discussion of former guests and would-be performers.
  • Clear-out on working only with people the hosts align with (“I personally don’t think [Mark Random] is a good dude after what he did to Toad…” (18:25, David))

2. Building a Faith-Centered Conspiracy Space (27:00–43:00)

• Hybrid Content Festival:
  • Idea to combine comedy, interviews, biblical studies, and paranormal testimony at the next Bro Grove.
  • “Maybe it’s time to stop leaning on other people … and start steering our own event.” (23:45, David)
• Merch & Standard Coffee Shop:
  • Shoutout to TopLobsta’s merchandise and locally sourced shop items.
  • Support for small businesses in the community.

3. Advertising, Monetization, and Supporting Listeners’ Small Businesses (43:00–55:00)

• Podcast Monetization Models:
  • Current ad system (via Spreaker/iHeartRadio) is inconvenient for listeners.
  • Plans to move to sponsor relationships with ethical, health-focused brands (“If we’re gonna offer you food products, I want healthy, no seed oils, no Red Dye 40…” 54:10)
• Listener Shoutout Model:
  • “Let’s highlight the people who support us. …Shout out small businesses that you guys run.” (49:40, David)

4. Reflections on Family, Faith & Raising Kids in the Spotlight (55:00–71:00)

• Behind-the-Scenes with Raven’s Son:
  • David discusses putting his 10-year-old son on the Patreon-only podcast (due to safety concerns), proud dad moments, and the complications of sharing controversial views at home.
  • “Getting a kid to lock in for an hour is no simple task. But he was into it…” (60:17, David)
  • Sharing about being doxxed and dealing with CPS (“…I had to have CPS walk through my house and show them, like, no, my kid’s not in danger…” 62:05)
• On Building Something Real:
  • The hosts reflect on passing legacies to their children (“He hasn’t realized yet that his old man is building something that people just don’t do…” 70:31)

5. Church Experiences, Community, and “Mary Did You Know?” (71:00–89:00)

• A Moving Sermon:
  • After a powerful sermon about community, David opens up about his wife’s struggle with loneliness post-move, and the church as a lifeline for her.
• Music & Unexpected Emotions:
  • First encounter with the song “Mary, Did You Know?” sung by a child at church.
  • “She sings like a ghost…her little voice, beautiful, but so airy. I started getting…my eyes started getting wet.” (78:19, David)
• Reflection on Faith and Bible Literacy:
  • Observations on approaching church as a ‘newcomer.’

6. Hilarious Story: Ernesto the Blind Pig (89:00–1:06:00)

• At the Farm:
  • Family visit to a petting zoo/farm.
  • Discovery of Ernesto, a beloved, blind pig with his own Instagram and painted house.
• “Ernesto, Nooo!”
  • Ernesto, upon being greeted by children and hosts, proceeds to…“get after it” on his blanket, exposing everyone (children included) to pig sexuality in graphic detail.
  • “It felt malicious. It felt like, I don’t know, it’s a pig, but it felt like he was saying, ‘Come closer, I want to show you something…’” (1:04:20, David)
  • Riot of laughter and embarrassment in aftermath.

7. Call-in Segment: Faith, Purgatory, Catholicism, and More (1:27:00–2:58:00)

a. Voicemails & Gratitude (1:27:00–1:58:00)

• Listeners call in to thank Raven for the show and describe their own faith journeys and new children (“…named him Jasher after the Book of Jasher.” 1:12:36)
• Announcements about giving Patreon access to a new mother in the community.

b. Emily’s Catholic Defense & Protestant/Catholic Debate (1:31:00–1:45:00)

• Catholic Viewpoint:
  • Emily explains Purgatory: “Purgatory is where you go for purification. Because nothing unholy enters heaven, and I don’t care who you are when you die, you’re not holy.” (1:34:41, Emily)
  • Discussion of the Maccabees and confession as a practice of contrition/remorse.
• Protestant Skepticism:
  • Matt’s rebuttal: “But there can’t be a ‘well enough’…We’re saved by grace through faith. …Salvation isn’t based on works.” (1:35:06)
  • “If you mangle these word definitions—love, faith, grace—you butcher Christianity…” (2:57:00, Matt)

c. Saints, Mary, and Omnipresence (1:47:06–2:08:00)

• Can the Saints Hear Everyone?
  • “When you pray to Mother Mary or the saints, how can they pick up all those phone calls at once? They’re not omnipotent…they’re not God.” (1:51:11, Andrew from Texas)
  • Reflection on biblical basis for intercession of saints versus direct prayer to Christ.
  • “Anything that takes away from the power of Christ is… the spirit of antichrist.” (2:00:00, Andrew)

d. Vatican, Rituals, and the Simplicity of Christ (2:08:00–2:18:00)

• Ritual vs. Relationship:
  • Andrew and Matt argue for direct relationship with Christ over ritual, referencing the rending of the temple veil when Jesus died.
  • “God created us simple, and we made things complicated.” (2:56:33, Andrew)
• Catholic Critique with Respect:
  • Recognition of the sincerity of many Catholics, despite theological disputes.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Bro Grove and Community

• “Last year was a lot of fun, and it was legendary. But I don’t want to do a soft race war again.” – David (14:05)
• “Maybe it’s time to stop leaning on other people…and start steering our own event.” – David (23:45)
• “We don’t need all these big comedians…This is about the NDS community, the dangerous retards.” (1:27:51)

On Raising Children Amid Conspiracies

• “Getting a kid to lock in for an hour is no simple task. But he was into it.” – David (60:17)
• “He wants to tell his friends he was on YouTube…I’m hesitant, because if he does, who knows?” (61:28)

On Church, Faith & Vulnerability

• “The sermon felt like it was talking to you. But in this instance, [my wife] felt like it was talking directly to her.” (73:18)
• “My eyes started getting wet…She [the child] sang like a ghost. The lyric: ‘Did you know when you kissed your baby boy, you kissed the face of God?’ – chills.” – David on “Mary, Did You Know?” (78:19)

On Ernesto the Pig

• “He knew that we were there. It was like he was saying, ‘Come closer, that I might hear you…’ And then he just starts getting after it.” (1:04:20)

On Catholicism & Protestant Difference

• “Purgatory is the in-between where you go for purification, because nothing unholy enters heaven…” – Emily (1:34:41)
• “You have one chance in this life…there can’t be a well enough. We’re saved by grace through faith.” – Matt (1:35:11)
• “Can the saints even pick up the phone? When you pray, how can they answer all those calls? …be careful not to deify anyone other than God.” – Andrew (1:51:06)
• “It’s a personal relationship. Anybody trying to throw shade on that is just noise.” – Andrew (2:08:00)

On Simplicity of Christianity

• “God created man simple, but we’ve made ourselves complicated.” – Andrew (2:56:52)

Key Timestamps

• 00:53–13:45: Show kick-off, venue talk, Bro Grove event recap.
• 13:45–32:00: Community focus, merch discussion, shifting away from “edgy” events.
• 43:00–55:00: Listener business shout-out plans, ad model introspection.
• 55:00–71:00: Family, faith, and “proud dad” moments with Raven’s son.
• 71:00–89:00: Church experiences, “Mary Did You Know?,” and emotional reflections.
• 89:00–1:06:00: Ernesto the Blind Pig story—comic highlight.
• 1:27:00–1:58:00: Call-in gratitude, new baby, community gifting.
• 1:31:00–1:45:00: Catholic doctrine, Purgatory, penance and confession debate.
• 1:47:00–2:08:00: Omnipresence, saints/intercession, Mary’s biblical role.
• 2:08:00–2:18:00: Rituals vs. relationship, critique of Vatican, call for authenticity.
• 2:27:00–2:58:00: Ecclesiastes, simplicity, defining grace and Christian words.

Overall Tone and Character

• Candid, irreverent, but earnest: David and Matt keep things light and conversational, veering from jokes and wild animal stories to sincere musings on faith, community, and Christian doctrine.
• Engaging listener interactions: The call-in segment reveals a diverse, articulate, and tightly-knit audience, including mothers, Catholics, and conspiracy-minded Christians.
• Big-hearted honesty: The hosts regularly admit uncertainty, encourage correction, and highlight the process of “sanctification in real time.”

Recommended Moments

• (1:04:20): The hilariously awkward “Ernesto” story—perfect example of the show’s blend of irreverence and observational humor.
• (78:19): David’s moving reaction to “Mary, Did You Know?”—shows the genuine spiritual seeking that underpins the comedy.
• (1:34:41): Brief but fiery Catholic/Protestant debate, with listeners on both sides.
• (2:56:52): “God created us simple, we made ourselves complicated”—the episode’s thesis in a nutshell.

For New Listeners

If you want a show as likely to feature a theological debate as an exploding pig anecdote, punctuated by authentic talk about fatherhood, faith, and the search for truth—The Raven delivers. The humor is wild, the community is real, and the journey toward biblical authenticity is ongoing and alive.