Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

It’s mailbag Friday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Segment 1 • How should I respond when my unsaved wife takes our daughter to a Halloween party against my wishes? – Tim • Is the “Serenity Prayer” actually good theology? – Anonymous Segment 2 • How can I lead my wife spiritually when she’s more mature, educated, and experienced than I am? – KJ • How do I keep fighting sin when I feel like a hypocrite who keeps failing? – Anonymous Segment 3 • How do I lovingly correct a Christian friend who’s being harsh or legalistic online? – Naomi • Is it wrong for pastors to read written prayers during church services? – Anonymous Segment 4 • How do I respond to someone angry at God for a strange reason? – Anonymous • How should a husband biblically handle difficult or disruptive in-laws? – Joe ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle joins to unpack today’s biggest scientific obsessions—from UFOs and aliens to climate change and human “upgrades.” He explains why these pursuits reveal less about discovery and progress—and far more about our refusal to trust the Creator who already rules it all. Segment 1: The Truth Behind UFOs • What NASA and the military call “unidentified” is usually just misidentified. • The shocking connection between cruise ships, party balloons, and UFO sightings. • Why we love the idea of aliens—and what that craving reveals about our hearts. Segment 2: Why the World Wants Aliens • Secular culture’s obsession with ETs is really a longing to replace the Creator. • How evolution drives the search for life in space—and fuels disbelief in Genesis. • The deeper question: are we looking for life out there because we’ve rejected the Life-Giver here? Segment 3: The Climate Panic vs. God’s Providence • Global warming” became “climate change” when the data stopped cooperating. • Scripture and science both show the Earth’s climate has always fluctuated. • God promised the seasons will endure—so why the panic? Segment 4: When Science Tries to Replace God • The danger of trying to “improve” humanity instead of restore what sin broke. • Why curing disease honors the Creator—but trying to become Him doesn’t. • From Babel to biotech, every age repeats the same lie: “You can be like God.” ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

It’s Witness Wednesday! Two students claim to know God — until one question reveals the truth about what it really means to be born again. Segment 1 • Connor agrees that design points to a Creator—but doubts anyone can truly know Him. • The Law exposes his heart as Todd walks him through the Ten Commandments. • Connor admits Jesus paid for sin—but isn’t sure he’s personally been saved. Segment 2 • Todd explains that salvation is more than forgiveness—it’s receiving Christ’s righteousness. • Connor wrestles with whether his belief is genuine or just learned behavior. Segment 3 • Tim believes Christianity gives direction and values—but leaves out the gospel. • Todd presses: what’s the true core of Christianity? Segment 4 • Todd helps Tim trace how all of Scripture points to Jesus. • Tim finally connects the truth of the gospel with real assurance of salvation. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Segment 1 • Todd heads to Oklahoma campuses to confront the biggest lies about God. • Students think God kills joy — he shows why His commands are actually good news. • What happens when a generation is taught to cancel their parents instead of honor them. Segment 2 • What modern culture’s art reveals about our collapsing morals. • How the sexual revolution promised freedom but enslaved women instead. • Why God’s design for sex leads to protection, dignity, and lasting joy. Segment 3 • Can a robot really heal your mind? NPR thinks so—Dr. Gifford says you’re missing the real problem. • What if “mental health” is the world’s counterfeit for mind renewal? • The cure for misery isn’t found in medicine—it’s found in this. Segment 4 • Forget self-care—the Holy Spirit offers something far greater: mind resurrection. • How God rebuilds what therapy can only manage. • The goal isn’t feeling better—it’s becoming new. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Segment 1 • A major ecumenical event happened in the Sistine Chapel. • Meanwhile, thousands of churches are breaking from the UMC and the Anglican church. • This push toward unification looks spiritual but could blur gospel clarity. Segment 2 • The Great Commission isn’t about church branding — it’s about disciple-making. • Cultural trends like “ghosting your parents” reveal deep spiritual drift, especially in the home. • We must stay focused: carrying the gospel is the church’s primary job. Segment 3 • New surveys show many Americans prefer to watch church online. • Spiritual formation is happening more through screens than through shepherds. • Your children are watching and learning from how you treat church. Segment 4 • Rogan is increasingly open about religion, but still misses key biblical categories. • There must be serious care brought to discussions about oral tradition. • Baptism and the Lord’s Supper belong in the local church. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

It’s Mailbag Friday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Segment 1 • Is “adiaphora” a helpful biblical category or a theological shortcut? – Steve Segment 2: • How do you respond to a family member who uninvites family over political differences? – Connor • Is studying theology “adding to Scripture”? – Tyler Segment 3: • Are demons helping people read the Bible… on purpose? – Mike • Does boxing degrade human dignity—or is it just a sport? – Anonymous Segment 4: • Do our prayers really change anything? – Ben • Praying with, for, or over others: what’s the difference? – John • What do you say when someone asks for your pronouns? – Sarah ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Segment 1 • Sanctification isn’t “just stop it” — it’s put off and put on (Eph 4:22-24). • True change means replacing sin with Spirit-driven habits. • If you’re dry, bitter, or hurting — don’t wait to feel it; start doing what grows desire. Segment 2 – The Math of Holiness • Dr. Greg Gifford explains the biblical equation: Put off + Put on = Growth. • Sanctification isn’t just subtraction alone; holiness must also be put on. • Lasting change happens when obedience fills the space sin used to occupy. Segment 3 – The Trojan Horse in Your Church • “Contextualization” can smuggle worldliness into worship. • The church loses it’s unique purpose as salt and light when it trades truth for relatability. • Baby-talk preaching creates baby-faith Christians. Segment 4 • Paul’s “all things” meant removing cultural barriers, not rewriting the gospel. • Contextualization becomes compromise when it reshapes truth to fit culture. • Faithful preaching feeds sheep, not the world. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Segment 1 • Nick says evolution explains the appearance of design, but Todd pushes back. • Though raised Catholic and Hindu, Nick says he believes in “something above us” but isn’t sure one religion has the full truth. • Todd walks Nick through why Jesus’ payment for sin is necessary. Segment 2 • Todd presses Nick on objective truth: if Jesus rose, it’s true for everyone. • Todd argues truth doesn’t depend on culture or birthplace, but Nick says otherwise. • Todd says that if Jesus beat death, then His claims demand a verdict. Segment 3 • Jordan and Todd discuss rising suicide and mental illness rates. • Todd connects it to worldview: if life is meaningless and subjective, despair makes sense. • Jordan agrees that postmodernism leaves people empty. Segment 4 • Jordan calls herself a Christian but admits she can’t articulate why Jesus’ death matters. • Todd explains the purpose of life through the gospel. • By the end, Jordan quietly confesses: “I might not actually be saved.” ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Segment 1 • Dr. Jason Lisle distinguishes astrology’s superstition from astronomy’s worship-worthy science. • The James Webb Telescope’s discoveries confirm creationist predictions. • The universe shouts intelligent design and divine order—not cosmic accident. Segment 2 • “Intelligent Design” without Christ stops short of truth; science points to the Savior. • Every Big Bang “fix” (inflation, antimatter, etc.) exposes faith in speculation over observation. • Scripture alone makes sense of the cosmos—science confirms it; sin corrupts it. Segment 3 • Denying a literal Adam dismantles the gospel: no actual fall means no need for a Redeemer. • Genesis reads as history, not myth; Jesus and the apostles affirmed it as fact. • The cross makes no sense if sin didn’t enter through one real man. Segment 4 • Old-earth models (Day-Age, Gap Theory) break Hebrew grammar and biblical chronology. • Death before sin contradicts God’s “very good” creation and the atonement itself. • The timeline debate isn’t about science—it’s about trusting God’s Word over man’s ideas. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!

Segment 1 • Dr. Andrew Walker calls the breakdown of the family the defining moral crisis of our time. • Marriage decline fuels social chaos—poverty, instability, and moral confusion. • God’s design for marriage and family is not arbitrary—it’s the foundation of ordered liberty and human flourishing. Segment 2 • Natural law exposes that everyone already knows right from wrong—it’s written on our hearts. • Even secular thinkers are waking up: moral order only works if it’s built on God’s image of man. • From gender ideology to justice systems, every moral crisis goes back to rejecting Genesis 1. Segment 3 • A “Christian nation” without conversion is just moral window dressing. • True change comes through evangelism, not state-enforced religion. • Romans 13 defines government’s limits—protect order, not dictate theology. Segment 4 • The Bible gives the state a sword, not a soul: maintain justice, don’t play savior. • Big government creates dependency; strong churches create stability. • Christians should champion a small-state, big-church vision—pray for rulers, evangelize freely, live humbly. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn’t be more thankful for you if we tried!