Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

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!

Segment 1 • Megan Basham returns to unpack the conservative moment’s fracturing over Israel. • Why are online influencers discipling young men more than churches are? • How do we win back men who are being shaped by secular, aggressive pseudo-masculinity? Segment 2 • Is saying “Jesus is King” the same as “Christ is King”? • Breakdown of the Candace Owens situation and why her recent rhetoric is splitting Christians. • Todd and Megan explore the fractures internal to the Christian Nationalism movement. Segment 3 • A pastor’s silly sermon illustration involving pelting the congregation with corn. • Todd challenges listeners: How good does obedience feel when you choose holiness over porn? • You don’t get to choose the blessings you want—obedience produces joy whether you feel it immediately or not. Segment 4 • Year-end match update + Fortis Plus reminder: every resource is free. • Megan Basham conversation review: Fathers must lead—spiritually, emotionally, intentionally. • How can we confront unbelievers with gospel truth in a way that is NOT obnoxious? ___ 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 is joined by Megan Basham for a conversation about today’s theological and political hot topics. • Todd asks: what’s the draw behind Nick Fuentes for so many young men? • Beneath the controversy lies a deeper question: why does the church no longer satisfy these men? Segment 2 • By and large, the church isn’t effectively addressing the roles of men and women. • Young men are craving clarity on strength, purpose, and leadership. • The vacuum of biblical masculinity gets filled by loud, angry substitutes. Segment 3 • “Muscular Christianity” is rising — in part as a reaction to soft preaching. • Feminism, porn, and passivity have deformed both genders — and the pulpit rarely names it. • The church must reclaim a vision of holiness, courage, and self-sacrifice in male leadership. Segment 4 • Feminism blurred gender roles — and now both men and women are disoriented. • The fix isn’t anger; it’s discipleship — training men to lead, protect, and love like Christ. • Recovering biblical manhood begins not online, but 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!

Segment 1 • Is there spiritual danger in letting my child be entertained by Star Wars? – Anonymous • What should I say to a man who is struggling to be a godly husband and father? – Ethan Segment 2 • Is Christian rap a net positive? – Anonymous • Should I leave my job because it celebrates transgender ideology? – Anonymous • Am I too old to start seminary at 58? – Ric Segment 3 • My pastor tore up a copy of the Bible as a sermon illustration. Is this helpful or disrespectful? – Anonymous • Should a woman attend a watered-down church in the interest of submitting to her husband? – Gary Segment 4 • What exactly is “fellowship” in the Bible? – Anonymous • Is it possible for us to overthink and therefore misunderstand a Bible passage? – Tristan ___ 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 • Gallup reports a growing exodus from church with a surprising population. • Churches pour energy into kids and young families but neglect the elderly. • Scripture calls the older generation essential — for wisdom, discipleship, and stability. Segment 2 • Topical preaching isn’t always wrong, but it’s risky when it replaces text-driven sermons. • The culture is catechizing your kids faster than the pulpit can. • Polls reveal Gen Z’s distorted view of marriage, kids, and purpose. Segment 3 • 690+ LGBT books in a single school district – this is cultural catechism in action. • Drag queens, “gender play,” and normalization of sin are targeting children. • The battle for your child’s worldview is being waged at story time. Segment 4 • Churches split over silliness: beards and whether the worship leader’s eyes were open. • Healthy churches handle conflict biblically—talk, forgive, reconcile. • How your church argues says more about its health than its attendance numbers. ___ 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 • Matthew bases salvation on “being good” and repentance through Roman Catholic sacraments. • Todd uses courtroom logic to show that God’s standard is perfect love of God and neighbor. • The tension becomes clear: Can a just God overlook sin, or do we need a savior who satisfies justice? Segment 2 • Todd presses Matthew on Ephesians 2:8–9, challenging his belief that works and sacraments contribute to salvation. • Matthew struggles to reconcile Catholic teaching with Scripture’s claim that salvation “is a gift… not of works.” • Todd introduces imputed righteousness, Christ’s perfect record credited to the sinner. Segment 3 • Matthew insists new birth happens after death, contradicting Jesus’ words that one must be born again now to enter God’s kingdom. • Todd urges him to “get downwind” of himself and see his true guilt before a holy God. • The call becomes personal: abandon self‑reliance, repent, and trust entirely in Christ for salvation. Segment 4 • Todd meets another student who is a professing Christian. This student struggles to articulate why someone should believe in God, relying mostly on logic and science. • Todd role‑plays an evangelistic conversation, demonstrating how to move past intellectual debate. • Ultimately, the student affirms repentance and belief in Christ as the way to be saved but reveals areas needing deeper gospel clarity. ___ 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 • Modern culture has made “safety” its idol; every discomfort is treated like trauma. • Scripture flips the script: danger isn’t just outside – it’s inside you. • If your biggest threat is the outside world, you’ll live in fear. If it’s your own heart, you’ll run to Christ. Segment 2 • “Safety-based” psychology is invading schools; students are learning to pathologize conviction. • Polyvagal Theory (born 1994) ignores man’s spiritual nature—an anthropological train wreck. • The Bible says transformation comes by renewing the mind, not regulating vagus nerves. Segment 3 • The real concern is kids weaponizing therapy language against parents. • Britain officially affirms cousin marriage—a symbol of moral decay in the West. • Even theologians like N.T. Wright drift from biblical authority, showing the slope is real. Segment 4 • Cousin marriage bans once built Western civilization—now they’re being reversed. • Germany’s “polyandrous priestess” and IVF jewelry reveal what happens when sacredness dies. • The decline isn’t just weird—it’s spiritual rot disguised as progress. ___ 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 • Polyvagal Theory is quietly infiltrating schools just like mindfulness and meditation did. • It seeks to explains the “fight or flight” response, but only addresses our physical body. • The deeper issue? Our slavery to sin and death. Segment 2 • Polyvagal Theory blames issues on perceived “lack of safety”, but the Bible says it’s sin. • It’s this type of thinking that has brought about the “safe space” trend. • Real, transformative healing begins at the heart, not the nervous system. Segment 3 • A bold woman asks Megyn Kelly: “Would you go to heaven tonight?” • Megyn’s unsure, yet searching and says she has been attending (a Roman Catholic) Church. • God wants you to be 100% sure — not just “hopeful.” Segment 4 • Mormon theology misunderstands baptism, family, and the afterlife. • Mormons tie heaven to family lineage — but God wants YOUR heart. • You can’t afford to miss the true gospel, and the Mormons get it wrong. ___ 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!