Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

It’s Mailbag Tuesday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Welcome to a special edition of “Mailbag”! Segment 1: • How do I point my divorcing parents toward Christ when one is a believer and the other isn’t? • Are independent or non-denominational churches biblically sound? • How do I overcome a paralyzing fear of God? Segment 2: • Does online dating show a lack of trust in God’s plan? • How do I warn my family about dangerous NAR teachings without pushing them away? Segment 3: • Should churches openly share details about pastoral candidates and the hiring process? Segment 4: • What’s the shortest, clearest way to explain the gospel to someone? ___ 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 do I honor my parents when constant conflict leads to yelling? Segment 2: • Is it okay for pastors to use AI as a “wordsmith” without crossing into sermon plagiarism? Segment 3: • If a sermon doesn’t include the gospel, does that make it unorthodox? Segment 4: • Should pastors confront chronic lateness even if it risks losing people? ___ 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: • Todd is corrected on what church pastor Tom Pennington serves at. • Did MacArthur’s memorial change your opinion on bagpipes? • How can I approach a Catholic funeral without compromising my faith? • Should Christians avoid alcohol completely—or just avoid drunkenness? Segment 2: • Do altar calls distort the gospel—or can they be helpful? Segment 3: • How should I counsel two young Amish men considering leaving their community? • I’m 13 and want to share the gospel—where do I start? Segment 4: • Has my fitness routine become an idol—or am I overthinking it? • Should I sing at my old church’s Christmas event—or would that hurt our new ministry? ___ 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: • Conservative Christianity saw a resurgence decades ago—but pride and inflated opinions fractured it. • The MacArthur Memorial revealed surprising unity with leaders like Piper, raising big questions. • Are we elevating secondary issues to essentials and repeating secular cancel culture? Segment 2: • Scott Aniol’s “Conviction and Charity” points toward a healthier future for conservative Christianity. • Tone and tenor matter—we’ve all felt and likely contributed to the online heat. • G3’s pivot could help the local pastor and church recalibrate. Segment 3: • Key question: when do you call out error, and when do you show charity? • Biblical conviction must never fade, but secondary issues shouldn’t destroy fellowship. • The church must grow in discernment without weaponizing it. Segment 4: • Theological sharpness is good—but not our identity. • Have we been distracted from our Father’s business by endless squabbles? • Unity in Christ must outweigh division over non-essentials. ___ 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! On today’s episode of Wretched Radio, Todd Friel is back on campus for a special ‘Witness Wednesday.’ As Todd engages students, he highlights the importance of understanding and embracing the gospel, repentance, and the grace of God. Segment 1: • Ein admits to believing in God but doesn’t fully understand why Jesus died. • Thinks he’s “a good person,” but Todd walks him through God’s standard and sin’s seriousness. • Hears the gospel clearly: Jesus took his punishment, offering forgiveness and eternal life. Segment 2: • Drew dresses whimsically but reveals deep spiritual confusion, calling himself “saved” for “fire insurance.” • Admits living for himself, distant from God, and fearing death and judgment. • Todd explains the true gospel — salvation isn’t about effort or labels but trusting Jesus fully. Segment 3: • Todd’s conversation with Drew continues: Drew confesses struggles with lying, stealing, and lust but thought Christianity was about “being good.” • Todd shares a powerful analogy about bad restaurants to explain why Jesus rescues sinners, not the “good.” • Learns salvation is a gift of grace, not earned by works, and forgiveness is complete. Segment 4: • Anna wants to grow in evangelism but struggles with clearly presenting the gospel. • Todd teaches her to focus on forgiveness of sins in Christ, using God’s law to reveal our need for a Savior. • Anna learns the difference between guilt-driven religion and grace-fueled obedience — a life transformed by Jesus. ___ 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 MacArthur’s memorial service featured a booklet he wrote on finishing well. • Reflecting on legacy forces us to ask: Am I prepared to end faithfully? • Warm fellowship at the memorial reminds us the Christian life is a community journey. Segment 2: • Dr. MacArthur urged believers: don’t just grow old—finish strong. • Intellectual pursuit is good, but love for Christ, and others, must not grow cold. • Purity in thought and conduct matters, especially when nobody’s watching. Segment 3: • Celine Dion’s documentary reveals how idols fail when life gets tough. • Six diagnostic questions to help uncover hidden idols of the heart. • If Christ isn’t enough without your idol, He won’t be enough with it. Segment 4: • Church isn’t just a hospital—it’s also a training ground. • Practical biblical principles help households navigate sin and struggle. • Gratitude and gospel-centered living prevent families from falling into cycles of dysfunction. ___ 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 MacArthur’s memorial included surprising voices like Alistair Begg—raising questions about unity and division. • Ecumenism: should secondary disagreements divide us, or is cancel-culture thinking creeping into the church? • Challenge: Have we cut off brothers and sisters unnecessarily? Segment 2: • John Piper unexpectedly delivered a 16-minute eulogy at MacArthur’s memorial. • Longstanding disagreements didn’t prevent friendship, fellowship, and mutual respect. • Are we too quick to divide where MacArthur himself did not? Segment 3: • Piper praised MacArthur as “an extraordinary preacher,” showing a deep bond of friendship. • Encouragement: disagreements don’t have to equal disdain. • Can Christians model unity around the essentials while holding firm convictions on secondary issues? Segment 4: • Piper’s presence shocked many—but highlighted love and brotherhood over acrimony. • Theological debates are a means, not the end—Christ is the center. • The church must choose: division over secondary issues, or unity in Christ? ___ 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 possible to hear God’s voice audibly today—or is that a spiritual red flag? • Do Christians need to dress up for church—or is that just tradition? • Should I bother debating Christians who believe the Earth is flat? Segment 2: • Should elders rotate or stay in leadership long-term? • Is artificial intelligence being influenced by demons—or are we overreacting? Segment 3: • How do I recognize when I’m crossing the line into anxiety? Segment 4: • How do Todd and Jimmy plan sermons and Bible lessons effectively? • What’s the real difference between being “evangelical” and just Christian? ___ 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!

Wait a minute — that’s not Todd! Today on Wretched Radio, Fortis Institute Fellow and Thrive host, Pastor Brad Bigney, steps in as guest host to discuss the key components to a marriage that thrives! Segment 1: • Brad Bigney guest hosts, and explains how God can move your marriage from surviving to thriving. • Real love requires risk: giving for another’s good with no strings attached. • God’s Word—not feelings or experts—guides thriving marriages. Segment 2: • Fear blocks intimacy and fuels self-protection, pretending, and shutdowns. • Love and fear are opposites—God’s love frees us to risk loving others. • Knowing God as “Abba” gives security to love boldly in relationships. Segment 3: • Focusing on a spouse’s faults poisons relationships—gratitude restores joy. • Thoughts shape emotions and actions; wrong thinking fuels conflict. • Gratitude shifts perspective, even through trials, planting marriages in healthier soil. Segment 4: • Small, daily gratitude habits re-root marriages in joy and stability. • Expressed gratitude snowballs into marriage, parenting, and friendships. • Guarding thoughts and focusing on grace transforms homes—but gratitude is not for abuse cases. ___ 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! In this episode of Wretched Radio, host Todd Friel travels to Georgia Tech. He engages with several students, challenging their views on evolution, morality, and Christianity. Through thought-provoking conversations, Todd explains the gospel, sin, and redemption, aiming to awaken these student’s consciences and encourage them to consider the God that created them. Segment 1: • Eduardo grew up Catholic, but unsure of afterlife: says he’s a “good person.” • Admits to breaking God’s commandments but hopes for mercy. • Todd explains the gospel as Jesus paying Eduardo’s moral debt — the only way to avoid hell. Segment 2: • Joey believes in evolution and rejects intelligent design despite his programming background. • Confesses to lying, stealing, lusting — yet insists morality can exist without God. • Todd appeals to Joey’s conscience and shares how Jesus satisfies both God’s justice and mercy. Segment 3: • Dallas, raised Catholic, is now more loosely “Christian”, and admits to sinning and doubts personal goodness. • He learns why God gave the commandments — not to “win” but to show we’re sinners in need of a Savior. • Todd presents Dallas with a clear, full explanation of the gospel. Segment 4: • Riley doesn’t consider himself religious but has “heard it all before.” • He acknowledges sin and God’s standard — but questions grace, responsibility, and eternal consequences. • Todd likens salvation to a costly rescue and urges Riley to respond to Jesus’ kindness, not just fear judgment. ___ 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!