Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

It’s Mailbag Friday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Segment 1 • Why has the Charlie Kirk assassination affected so many, so deeply? Segment 2 • Thoughts on CS Lewis? • Do deacons have to be married? Segment 3 • Is it ever correct to claim that God told you something? Segment 4 • How should we think about the importance of various doctrines? ___ 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 • Outrage over pastors not mentioning Charlie Kirk mirrors COVID-era tensions. • Many left churches not over safety policies—but over refusal to address political topics. • The question: Does ignoring key cultural moments mean pastoral failure? Segment 2 • Five filters to think through before leaving: church view, preaching style, theology, shepherding, and courage. • Faithful pastors may not pause expository preaching for politics—and that may be OK. • Slow down: don’t make a lifelong church decision based on one Sunday. Segment 3 • Resisting the urge to rage-scroll—this issue needs wisdom, not hot takes. • Phil Johnson reminds us: Don’t tear apart the body over one moment. • Instead of bolting, go talk to your pastor face-to-face. Segment 4 • Pastors can address events while keeping Christ central. • Options: comment before/after sermons or hold a separate gathering. • Don’t make fast exits—make slow, prayerful decisions rooted in love. ___ 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 today’s episode, Todd Friel visits Kennesaw State University to engage with students on matters of faith and beliefs. First, Todd talks with Mateo, where they discuss Easter, its significance in Christianity, and personal accountability before God. Todd also has the chance to speak with a student on the meaning of life and the importance of faith. Segment 1: • Mateo is Catholic, but unsure about the true meaning of Easter. • Believes he’s a “pretty good person” and that God will be impressed with his life. • Todd patiently walks him through the Law, showing why sorrow alone can’t erase guilt—and why Jesus’ resurrection is everything. Segment 2: • Mateo leans on good works and God’s mercy rather than justice satisfied. • Todd uses Old Testament imagery (Passover lamb, animal sacrifice) to help Mateo connect the dots: Jesus was the final blood sacrifice. • Mateo starts to grasp the real meaning of Easter—and admits he’s unsure if he’s truly been born again. Segment 3: • Our next student lives by a “do what makes you happy” philosophy—says personal fulfillment is the goal. • Todd challenges his worldview: What happens when happiness runs dry? Is there anything more stable? • Ex-Christian by association, he admits he doesn’t know what Christianity is really about. Segment 4: • Todd continues his talk with the ex-Christian student and dismantles his moral relativism using the 10 Commandments. • Realizes he’d be guilty before a holy God and deserves judgment—but sees the beauty of grace through Jesus. • Learns salvation is not about “trying harder,” but about receiving Christ’s perfect record by faith alone. ___ 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: • Kirk’s assassination sparked memes and laughter—proof of hollowed-out consciences. • “Demons among us” isn’t metaphorical—darkness rules when life is mocked. • Redemption through Christ, not politics, is the only cure for such depravity. Segment 2: • Culture sets standards low—and behavior sinks even lower. • Mandates, laws, and culture shifts can’t fix broken hearts. • Only heart transformation raises behavior and restores dignity. Segment 3: • Attacks on penal substitution are assaults on forgiveness itself. • PSA: Christ bore our punishment as our substitute—without it, no salvation. • Critics dismiss it as “cosmic child abuse,” but Scripture repeatedly affirms it. Segment 4: • Denying PSA guts the meaning of the cross. • Alternative atonement models may explain effects, but not the cause. • With PSA, the cross is God’s greatest act of love AND justice—without it, just sentiment. ___ 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: • Assassination of Charlie Kirk leaves us with hard questions: why and what now? • Exposes national fracture: free speech attacked, norms collapsing. • Beyond politics: a brother in Christ murdered, a soul lost reminds us of eternal stakes. Segment 2: • Response must be more than outrage—it must drive evangelism. • Politics shift when hearts are changed by Christ. • Five ways to engage: pray, organize, support, hold the rope, or go yourself. Segment 3: • Kids on campuses are detached from reality—spiritual soil is ready. • Pastors should address tragedies like this from the pulpit. • Reminder: persecution shouldn’t surprise us—Jesus warned it would come. Segment 4: • Hope in grief: Charlie is with Christ—happier than we can imagine. • Darkness is real, but the Gospel is the only cure. • Students: courageously hold to truth in classrooms and on campuses. ___ 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: • Did Todd really say “Daytona Beach, California”? • How can I actually overcome lust—not just feel guilty about it? • Is there a real benefit to skipping kids’ Bible stories and baby talk? Segment 2: • If I’m volunteering but not tithing, is that a problem? • Can giving time to church substitute for giving money? Segment 3: • When should I stop liking cute Teddy bears and unicorns? I’m 11 and confused. • Is drinking too much coffee actually a sin? Segment 4: • Is “narcissist” a biblical term—or just a secular label? • Can a woman officiate a wedding even if she can’t be a pastor? ___ 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 tragedy: Charlie Kirk’s murder forces us to wrestle with God’s sovereignty. • Why does a good God ordain evil acts? Four rules help us think rightly. • God is working out good, but we must guard against demanding to see it. Segment 2: • What God ordains is always good—even when we do not understand how it could be. • Wrestling with suffering? The problem is never God’s character, but our perspective. • Develop a robust theodicy—God ordains all, yet isn’t the sinner. Segment 3: • The assassination exposes the real crisis: the human heart, not politics. • Political divides weren’t always deadly—what changed? • The only way forward isn’t civility campaigns but the Gospel itself. Segment 4: • Should the murder reignite debate on the death penalty? • Taking a life is dehumanizing—Romans 1 on display. • If this tragedy grieves us, how much more does it grieve 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! Todd Friel is back on campus to engage students in conversations about life’s purpose, evolution versus creation, and the central message of Christianity. Segment 1: • Luke was raised Christian, but unsure if he’s good enough to go to heaven. • Believes Jesus died for his sins, but thinks he still has to “clean up” to be accepted. • Todd walks Luke through the Law and Gospel to clarify salvation is about forgiveness, not performance. Segment 2: • A mechanical engineering student is approached by Todd to discuss ultimate questions. • Rejects rigid religious structures, unsure whether Jesus is God or just a great prophet. • Believes morality is relative, but admits he’d be guilty before God on Judgment Day. Segment 3: • Our mechanical engineering student continues his conversation with Todd. • Realizes salvation isn’t about being “pretty good”—it’s about repentance and trusting Christ fully. • Todd encourages him to flee to Christ to escape the coming judgment. Segment 4: • Todd’s final interaction of the day is with a young lady who grew up with a casual connection to Christianity and the church. • She has some Bible knowledge and answers Todd’s questions about being a good person very honestly. • She is challenged to examine if she truly know Christ as Todd explains the future judgment that awaits. ___ 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 • Forgiveness isn’t optional—even when repentance isn’t perfect. • Broken trust with family means hard, intentional work to rebuild it. • TRANSFORMED SEASON 4 sets the stage with practical application. Segment 2 • OnlyFans is exploding across college campuses—a tragic cultural trend. • Lecrae releases Reconstruction while flirting with deconstruction themes. • AI “truth” is shaky; apostasy and self-made “truths” define deconstruction. Segment 3 • Jimmy preaching on deconstruction at camp—Gen Z’s battlefront. • Even Sproul and MacArthur disagreed—unity is bigger than uniformity. • Don’t treat church like a product—show up to participate, not consume. Segment 4 • Jen Hatmaker admits she left the church, maybe for good. • Simply showing up to church encourages others more than you think. • Marriage isn’t about convenience—it’s a God-designed school of character. ___ 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 reflects on God’s kindness in creation, quoting C.S. Lewis on earthly pleasures pointing to greater ones to come. • Ken Ham is a crook? Todd has thoughts. • Cornerstone Conference was a major success—filled with encouragement and fellowship. Segment 2 • Todd and Jimmy compare their conference weekends—Cornerstone and White Harvest. • Scott Klusendorf praised as the best pro-life apologist; Greg Koukl to guest soon. • Darrell Harrison warns against theology that never gets applied; Phil Johnson’s return was a blessing. Segment 3 • Parents who feel “ghosted” by their kids are not alone—this is a growing societal trend. • The local church is essential—only place to fully practice the “one anothers.” • Parents can’t play Holy Spirit for their kids—must trust God and His means. Segment 4 • The danger of cell phones in shaping kids’ views of life and marriage. • OnlyFans reflects a broken sexual culture; many young men still long for marriage. • Practical counsel: start acting like a husband/father now, and look for a biblically grounded wife. ___ 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!