Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

It’s Mailbag Friday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Segment 1 • A concerned mom asks: “How could heaven be joyful if my children never repent and come to Christ?” Segment 2 • Justin asks whether Jesus’ physical death alone paid for sin—or whether His suffering under God’s wrath was also necessary. • What happens when children and teens hear a “Jesus loves you” message without sin, wrath, repentance, or the full gospel? Segment 3 • Kristen asks whether tithing can be given wherever the Holy Spirit leads—or whether the local church should come first. • Lucinda asks how to persuade a determinedly uneducated family member that learning matters biblically. Segment 4 • Claire shares how godly male friendships are strengthening husbands, fathers, homes, and the church. • Caleb asks whether emphasizing “Sunday best” can unintentionally make poorly dressed visitors feel unwelcome at 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 • Are you missing a key reason your Christian life feels stuck or incomplete? • Todd argues that spiritual gifts are woven into God’s design for human flourishing—just like marriage, family, work, and education. • What if the fastest way to discover your spiritual gift isn’t a test, but simply getting involved? Segment 2 • Why do so many Christians leave their God-given gifts sitting on the shelf? • Todd breaks down a wide range of spiritual gifts and shows how they can be used in surprisingly practical ways. • Could your church—and your own joy—be suffering because you're neglecting a "priestly duty"? Segment 3 • What does Ken Ham’s family legacy reveal about passing faith to future generations? • Todd challenges modern children’s ministry models that prioritize entertainment over theology. • Are we giving kids a “Jesus is your friend” message when they desperately need a bigger view of God? Segment 4 • Why are so many Christian parents losing ground in the battle for their children’s hearts and minds? • Todd shares ten practical ways to pass biblical wisdom to children and grandchildren. • Could simple habits like family meals, handwritten letters, and visible repentance leave a gospel legacy that lasts for generations? ___ 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! At the University of Georgia, Todd Friel meets Damarié, a Baptist student who believes in Jesus but struggles to explain why Christianity is uniquely true, leading to a conversation about truth, conscience, sin, and what it really means to trust Christ. Later, Todd engages with LDS missionaries about the identity of Jesus, the Great Apostasy, grace versus works, and whether salvation is a gift to be received or a reward to be earned. Segment 1 • Damarié says he’s Baptist—but can he explain why Christianity is actually true? • Are all religions just personal preferences, or do they make competing truth claims? • What happens when the conversation shifts from philosophy to your own guilt before God? Segment 2 • Why would Jesus go to the cross if every religion leads to God? • Can a just Judge forgive sinners without ignoring justice? • Damarié wrestles with a question many churchgoers avoid: Have I truly trusted Christ? Segment 3 • If two groups use the name “Jesus,” can they still be talking about different saviors? • LDS missionaries explain who they believe Jesus is—and how someone is saved. • Does salvation come by grace alone, or is there more required to reach eternity? Segment 4 • Why would young people leave family behind for two years to spread their faith? • Did Christianity disappear for centuries until Joseph Smith restored it? • Do your works affect your eternal destiny more than you realize? ___ 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 revisits a memorable conversation with John MacArthur and reveals the hymn he struggled to choose as his favorite. • Are pastors neglecting a surprisingly important communication skill that can make biblical preaching more effective? • What encouraging signs are emerging at Grace Community Church following MacArthur's passing? Segment 2 • One church's "What to Expect" page raises bigger questions about what churches are really trying to attract people with. • What happens when churches promise great coffee, entertained kids, and a better family life? • Todd contrasts seeker-sensitive strategies with a long-term vision of generational discipleship and spiritual legacy. Segment 3 • Why are some rapidly growing churches still embracing methods and messages that critics say are spiritually dangerous? • Todd examines recent controversies surrounding Bethel Church and asks whether reform efforts go far enough. • Has the prosperity gospel become far more mainstream than many Christians realize? Segment 4 • A surprising statistic suggests most professing Christians believe God wants them to be financially prosperous. • Would you rather have a larger bank account—or peace, joy, and a clear conscience? • Todd challenges popular assumptions about blessing, wealth, and what true prosperity actually looks like. ___ 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 introduces a sobering challenge: when outrageous stories make us angry, should our response be outrage, grief, or evangelism? • Does remembering God's coming judgment change how Christians view their cultural enemies? • A university professor blames a grieving father for his murdered son's death—how did we get here? Segment 2 • A shocking opinion piece turns a murder victim into the villain and the killer into the misunderstood party. • What happens when victimhood completely replaces personal responsibility? • Todd wrestles with how Christians should respond when public commentary seems to invert right and wrong. Segment 3 • An elected official comments on a murder case while admitting she doesn't know key facts. • Can claims of racism stand when they're built on assumptions rather than evidence? • Todd argues that the deepest problem isn't political confusion—it's spiritual blindness. Segment 4 • If miracles are "impossible," what happens to the resurrection? • Why do some professing Christians reinterpret supernatural events in Scripture? • A rapid-fire challenge to modern skepticism and selective Bible belief. ___ 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 • Jonathan asks: “What should I find out before dating a Messianic Jew who believes in Jesus but still practices Jewish traditions?” • Ryan wrestles with a difficult church decision: When does weak preaching become a reason to leave? • Anonymous asks how a wife can biblically submit when her husband’s financial decisions are leading the family deeper into debt. Segment 2 • Todd continues to address the question from the previous segment regarding biblical submission when a husband’s spending habits seem reckless? Segment 3 • Tom asks a heartbreaking question: Does chronic illness make me a sluggard in God’s eyes? Segment 4 • Joe wonders if a Christian can truly be saved while feeling little or no joy because of a medical condition and medication side effects. • Anonymous asks whether Bible quizzing helps children treasure Scripture or risks turning God’s Word into a competition. • Steve discovers his church is pre-tribulational, pre-millennial, and dispensational—and wonders what that really means. • Anonymous asks a sensitive church question: How should congregations care for worshipers with disruptive Tourette’s syndrome without excluding them? ___ 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 • The SBC is debating more than titles—what happens when women perform pastoral functions without the title? • Why do battles over words like pastor, elder, and overseer matter so much? • Liberalism rarely arrives all at once; it starts with a small crack in the door. Segment 2 • Can a pastor who is secretly living a double life truly finish well? • The SBC tackles immigration, political violence, technology, and religious liberty with surprising clarity. • Is national renewal possible through politics alone, or is something deeper required? Segment 3 • Why do so many people reject Christianity before they ever hear the gospel? • Dr. Jason Lisle argues the battle over Genesis is really a battle over authority. • If evolution removes the Creator, what happens to morality, purpose, and human accountability? Segment 4 • Young men are searching for answers—why is the manosphere filling a role the church could occupy? • Friendship, discipline, work ethic, and masculinity reveal massive discipleship opportunities. • What if teaching a boy how to be a man is actually a deeply theological task? ___ 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! At Kennesaw State University, Todd Friel sits down with Matthew, a future lawyer and Roman Catholic student, for a conversation about justice, grace, good works, and whether anyone can actually become worthy of heaven. Later, Todd talks with Fresnel about agnosticism, evangelism, and why the conscience may be a more powerful starting point than arguments about science, evidence, or religion. Segment 1 • Matthew says good works matter—but can they erase guilt? • Can God be loving and still punish sinners? • What happens when a future lawyer is put in God's courtroom? Segment 2 • Is confession enough to make you right with God? • The difference between forgiveness and righteousness. • The "rap sheet for a résumé" illustration every Christian should hear. Segment 3 • Are you trying to earn what Christ already purchased? • Can someone be born again after death? • Why do so many religious people never find rest? Segment 4 • How would you persuade an agnostic to consider Christianity? • Should evangelism start with evidence—or the conscience? • What must a sinner do to 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 • Will the SBC hold the line on biblical leadership, or repeat the path that hollowed out other denominations? • Todd argues one convention vote could reveal far more than a procedural disagreement. • Dr. Jason Lisle explains why evidence alone never settles the creation debate—and what really does. Segment 2 • Jimmy faces major surgery, but his biggest concern might not be what you expect. • Protesters at a major conservative event crossed a line that even Todd thought sounded too outrageous to be true. • Why are millions of young men being drawn to counterfeit masculinity, and is the church responding fast enough? Segment 3 • Has "trauma" become the explanation for virtually every strained family relationship? • A popular wedding philosophy may be pushing parents further out of their children's lives than Scripture ever intended. • From Sesame Street to political rhetoric, Todd examines how cultural messaging keeps moving the goalposts. Segment 4 • Could a few simple questions expose serious problems in a church before you ever join? • If your pastor explains the gospel vaguely, what might your children never hear clearly? • Which answers about sin, salvation, creation, hell, and church discipline should be immediate deal breakers? ___ 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 • Why are depression, anxiety, and loneliness exploding despite endless promises of happiness? • A controversial article asks: what happens when motherhood is treated as the enemy of fulfillment? • The world calls sacrifice a burden—could God’s design reveal a completely different path to joy? Segment 2 • Christians often hear God’s commands as restrictions, but what if they are actually the key to flourishing? • Feminism promised freedom and happiness—so why are many women reporting the opposite? • Marriage, children, work, and family are under attack. What priorities are quietly replacing them? Segment 3 • A viral abortion decision sparked outrage across the internet—but what deeper worldview was exposed? • What happens when personal comfort becomes more valuable than human life? • The Down syndrome debate reveals a painful question: how much sacrifice are we willing to make for others? Segment 4 • Is modern self-help culture healing people—or keeping them trapped in victimhood? • Oprah’s influence reaches far beyond television, reshaping how millions think about suffering and responsibility. • What if the pursuit of feelings, therapy, and self-discovery is actually undermining contentment and purpose? ___ 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!