Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Segment 1 • Jury trials scrapped in Britain for offenses under 3 years—what’s next? • Canadian pastor jailed for protesting drag story hour; euthanasia stats in Canada shock the world. • Nigeria: over 200 school kids kidnapped as Christian persecution runs rampant. Segment 2 • 61% of pastors now using AI weekly—how should congregants think about this? • Ridiculous complaints raised by cheater website Ashley Madison about AI chatbots. • 90% of college students think “words = violence.” Segment 3 • Christians face two dangerous extremes: being consumed by bad news vs. living in ignorance. • “Wise as serpents, infuriated at evil” — we’re called to be informed, not indifferent. • A United Methodist preacher announces he’s “transitioning” — and claims it’s part of his ministry. Segment 4 • UMC pastor tells kids they don’t need to obey their parents if feelings are hurt. • Claims he’s not “becoming a woman,” just stopping the charade of acting like a man. • This isn’t deep thinking — it’s moral sophistry being fed to children. ___ 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 • How can Christians balance all aspects of truth about God? • We can’t reduce God to JUST wrath or love. • What does it mean to have an “eternal inheritance”? Segment 2 • Culture is crushing young men. Does the church have an answer? • Nick Freitas shares hard truths about the struggles of young men. • Does your church, counterculturally, point towards marriage and family? Segment 3 • 43% of evangelicals believe good deeds get you into heaven. • If Christians don’t even understand the gospel, how can they share it? • The law must be presented before the gospel can be received in faith. Segment 4 • Shocking percentages of both Catholics and Christians believe there are many ways to heaven. • There is a correct way, biblically, that we are to respond to the gospel. • There may be movement in the Trump family towards accepting the gospel by faith. ___ 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 it wrong for me to take back a gaming console I got my son as a gift? – David • How should we feel about non-Christians singing Christian songs? – Anonymous SEGMENT 2 • Is it sinful to pray for the chance to adopt instead of having children of my own? – Mercy SEGMENT 3 • Is wearing makeup a sin? – Anna • How do I submit to my church when I disagree on secondary issues? – Anonymous • How can I tell the difference between God’s discipline and ordinary hardship? – Gabe SEGMENT 4 • Can I truly trust someone who claims Christ but has a track record of lying? – Josiah • How can I rightly think about marriage when I didn’t see a healthy examples of it growing up? – Anonymous ___ 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 • You can sit under “expository preaching” and still starve spiritually if it never aims for your heart. • Teaching the text without any application turns sermons into lectures. • Some preachers have settled for mere information over true transformation. Segment 2 • Paul Washer calls out sermons that inform the mind but leave eternity untouched. • If your pastor doesn’t plead with you about heaven and hell, souls are in danger—including yours. • True preaching doesn’t just explain verses—it confronts sin and stirs obedience. Segment 3 • “Cleverneutics” makes Scripture say theological novelties. • If a teacher always sounds innovative, you should be on your guard. • Word games and cleverness oftentimes obscure straightforward, biblical truth. Segment 4 • Some pastors distort Scripture with “creative” theology instead of submitting to it. • Answers in Genesis reminds us: Christianity isn’t about novelty—it’s about time-worn truths that save. • The danger isn’t just bad sermons, but loss of confidence in the truth of Scripture. ___ 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! Todd engages two Georgia Tech students on issues like sin, morality, and the afterlife. Listen along as real, street-level evangelism is done to God’s glory. Segment 1 • Philip admits the Christian God makes the most sense but refuses to submit because he doesn’t want his lifestyle to change. • He confesses he knows God’s rules, knows they’re real, and still chooses to live how he wants and “take his chances with death.” • Todd uses God’s law (lying, lust, blasphemy) to show Philip he’s not “basically good,” but a willful rebel against a God he knows exists. Segment 2 • Philip clearly says he understands hell, believes he’d go there, and is still content to keep enjoying sin “for a season.” • He admits he’s weighing Jesus versus his current pleasures and, for now, deliberately chooses sin, thinking he can always reconsider later. • Todd warns that greater knowledge brings greater judgment, prays that Philip’s conscience will torment him in his sin, and pleads with him to see Jesus as better than “fun” and temporary pleasure. Segment 3 • Scott, sporting royal blue hair and loving the attention, says he’ll only conform to laws he personally deems just—rejecting God’s laws as unfair. • He argues that if God created people with their flaws, God is responsible for their sins and has no right to punish them. • Scott calls the God of the Bible evil, citing genocides and hell as proof, and leans on Dawkins-style thinking while insisting humans aren’t basically bad. Segment 4 • Todd shares the tribal-king story where the ruler takes the lashes his guilty son deserves, using it as a picture of Jesus taking God’s wrath in our place. • He explains that sin against an infinitely holy God deserves infinite punishment, and that the cross is how God remains both just and merciful. • Scott still rejects eternal punishment and substitution as unjust, while Todd urges listeners to see the cross as the greatest act of kindness ever offered to a guilty sinner. ___ 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!

AI has entered the worship scene with chart-topping songs, raising questions about the authenticity of machine-generated praise. The lack of soul in AI music highlights a troubling trend in modern worship, where true connection with God is at risk. As AI becomes a tool for sermon writing, it risks diluting the spiritual effort that comes from personal devotion. The discussion also touches on the thin line between government-required generosity and genuine giving, emphasizing that true charity must flow from the heart, not from legislation.

Segment 1 • America gives thanks… but to whom? • Christmas without Christ becomes consumer therapy, not worship. • When God is removed, holidays keep the name but lose the meaning. Segment 2 • Forcing companies to say “Merry Christmas” won’t save anyone. • Secular businesses aren’t the mission field — people are. • Shaming culture won’t convert souls; the gospel will. Segment 3 • Marijuana has become America’s coping mechanism for family holidays. • If you need to be high to survive Thanksgiving, something’s broken. • God offers peace that doesn’t fade, fog, or numb. Segment 4 • Anger, bitterness, fear—truth defeats what therapy slogans can’t. • Memorized Scripture is emergency ammunition for the soul. • Assurance doesn’t come from feeling strong — it comes from knowing Christ saves and keeps. ___ 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 • Do people have to hear the name “Jesus” to be saved—and how were Old Testament believers saved? – Anonymous • Does the Bible actually teach anything on an “age of accountability”? – Skylar Segment 2 • If baptism makes you a Christian, did Jesus become a Christian when He was baptized? – Anonymous • What does it really mean to be made in the image of God? – John Segment 3 • Can a disqualified pastor ever serve in the church again—and if so, how? – Jacob Segment 4 • Is the church embracing AI tools too quickly? – Paul • My adult son is exploring Catholicism. How should I respond? – Sandy ___ 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 • John Crotts is our guest host today! • Political insanity? Scripture anchors you when politics and chaos can’t. • Underfed Christians are easy targets for deception. Segment 2 • God’s Word informs — and it gives joy, strengthens resolve, and imparts wisdom you can’t buy. • The secret is consistency: one Bible, one place, one plan, every day. • Our spiritual growth compounds from daily Scripture exposure. Segment 3 • Knowing the Bible is about transformation, not just information. • Reading scripture in context is what gives us true understanding. • Your faith grows faster when you see the comprehensive story of the entire Bible. Segment 4 • Scripture comes alive when you learn historical and cultural context. • Study tools aren’t cheating; they’re strength training for your faith. • The more Bible you know, the more useful you become to Christ and others. ___ 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! Todd talks with Michael and Thomas on campus at Kennesaw State University. Simple questions turn into deep conversations about Christianity and true, saving faith. This engaging episode is packed with reflective dialogues that challenge and inspire listeners to think about their spiritual journeys. SEGMENT 1 • Michael claims he’s a Christian but struggles to explain what salvation really is. • Todd exposes the gap between simply saying you believe and understanding sin, judgment, and grace. • The courtroom analogy surfaces a shocking question: Innocent… or guilty? SEGMENT 2 • Michael insists God would still call him innocent because He is forgiving. • Todd explains why mercy without justice would make God unjust. • The gospel is clearly presented: sin debt paid, record cleared, righteousness given. SEGMENT 3 • Michael defines salvation as things that we can do. • Todd corrects the confusion: new birth comes from grace, not effort. • Todd asks: What’s stopping you from surrendering today? SEGMENT 4 • Thomas trusts baptism and moral effort to secure heaven. • Todd dismantles “saved by works” with the law and courtroom example. • Thomas hears the gospel: Jesus pays, we receive by faith. ___ 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!