Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Biblical preaching should give you more than a few helpful ideas for the week. Todd contrasts expository preaching with the me-centered “TED Talk” approach, offers a biblical grid for evaluating worship music, and tackles a listener’s question about whether women should serve Communion.

Segment 1

• Todd introduces the heart behind his new book, Go Serve Your King. Pre-Order today at FortisInstitute.org/King

• Why your faith shouldn’t occupy a separate spiritual category from your work, money, recreation, family, and everyday responsibilities.

• Christianity isn’t a checklist. Learn how ordinary faithfulness in the life God has already given you can glorify your King.

Segment 2

• What’s the difference between biblical expository preaching and a Christianized TED Talk?

• Does your pastor begin with what God has said—or with a topic, felt need, story, or cultural trend?

• Todd gives seven questions you can use to evaluate the preaching you hear every Sunday.

Segment 3

• Todd examines Andy Stanley’s sermons and asks whether they’re teaching you the Bible—or simply teaching you Andy Stanley’s ideas.

• Is your worship music primarily about God and His glory, or about you and your experience?

• Five questions to consider when evaluating whether the songs your church sings are biblically faithful, God-centered, and appropriate for congregational worship.

Segment 4

• A missionary planting an underground church challenges Todd’s view on women administering the Lord’s Supper.

• Does Scripture actually require elders or men to distribute Communion—or are we turning a biblical pattern into a rule?

• Should women read Scripture in the gathered church? Todd considers where participation ends and teaching authority begins.

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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!

Australia is making public evangelism increasingly difficult, many churches say they value evangelism but have no real plan to do it, and plenty of Christians simply don’t know how to start a gospel conversation. Evangelist Andrew Walkington joins Todd to explain what’s happening in Australia—and how ordinary Christians can become more confident sharing their faith.

Segment 1

• What is it like trying to evangelize in a country where public preaching and even handing out gospel tracts can be restricted?

• Andrew explains how changing Australian laws and culture have forced his ministry to rethink open-air evangelism.

• Why the freedoms American Christians still have should motivate us to make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel.

Segment 2

• What’s one of the simplest ways to become better at evangelism? Ask questions.

• Why are university students increasingly willing to have long conversations about God, truth, and what they believe?

• Learn how asking someone what they believe—and why they believe it—can naturally open the door to the gospel.

Segment 3

• Most churches say evangelism matters—but how many are actually equipping Christians to do it?

• Can someone know all the right Christian language and still not understand the gospel?

• Why you should keep asking questions even after someone tells you, “I’m a Christian.”

Segment 4

• How do you turn an ordinary conversation with a coworker, neighbor, or stranger into a spiritual conversation?

• Why asking a spiritual question shouldn’t become an excuse to immediately switch into “preacher mode.”

• Learn how to challenge someone’s worldview without humiliating them—and why apologetics should always serve the ultimate goal of sharing the gospel.

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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

• What do you think about churches using a website like Ministry Imprint to identify spiritual gifts and ways people would be good at serving? — Trevor

• Several older men at my church are Freemasons, including deacons who influence the pastor. What should we do? — Audrey

Segment 2

• Our church sign says, “Our church is like fudge...sweet with a few nuts.” Thoughts? — Marion

• My pastor doesn’t like the term “Christian” and prefers “believer” or “follower.” Am I off base for being concerned? — James

• Some people say, “It only has to be in the Bible once to be true.” Is there a name for that biblical hermeneutic? — Troy

Segment 3

• What are your thoughts on Anglo-Catholicism? — JJ

• What do you think about the little rubber Jesus dolls Christians are handing out? — Kelli

• Should Christians be vegans? — Courtney

Segment 4

• Is Allie Beth Stuckey a solid biblical woman for other Bible-believing women to listen to? — JoAnna

• Can you define complementarianism and explain why you aren’t patriarchal in your view of men’s and women’s roles in the church? — Anonymous

• My family went to the zoo and the animal cages had preferred pronouns listed on them. Thoughts? — Anonymous

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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!

What do you do when God gives you news you never wanted? And what can churches learn when a respected ministry collapses? Todd looks at trusting God through suffering, the fallout from G3 Ministries, and how churches can pursue accountability without overreacting.

Segment 1

• Phil Johnson’s cancer has returned—and the prognosis isn’t what anyone hoped to hear.

• How should Christians respond when God gives us circumstances we desperately wish He would change?

• What does it actually look like to trust that God is good even when His plans aren’t ours?

Segment 2

• Phil Johnson once argued that evangelical Christianity may be in even greater need of Reformation than the church was in Luther’s day.

• Could a modern-day Reformation even happen in a culture flooded with Christian influencers and competing voices?

• Todd examines troubling anti-Semitism within some corners of Christian nationalism—and why forgetting history can have dangerous consequences.

Segment 3

• G3 Ministries is gone after another controversy—but Todd believes an innocent pastor’s reputation was unfairly damaged along the way.

• When does legitimate concern cross the line into publicly besmirching a brother?

• What can Christians learn from accusations that Todd says never should have escalated the way they did?

Segment 4

• After another ministry scandal, what can your church actually do to keep its leaders accountable?

• Should pastors have additional safeguards, regular reviews, and greater transparency—or can accountability measures go too far?

• Why no policy or system can completely protect a church when someone is determined to deceive.

___

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! What do you say to an atheist who demands evidence for God, someone searching for the right religion, or even a professing Christian who thinks he can earn his way to heaven? Listen in as Todd demonstrates how to challenge unbelief and move conversations toward the gospel.

Segment 1

• Todd meets Jay, an atheist who questions how God’s omniscience can coexist with human free will.

• What evidence can you give someone who insists there’s no reason to believe in a Creator?

• See how Todd moves from intellectual objections to the conscience and the reality of coming judgment.

Segment 2

• Etienne is searching for answers but isn’t convinced heaven and hell are real.

• What makes Christianity different from Islam and other religions that promise a path to paradise?

• Learn how to explain the difference between trying to earn salvation and receiving forgiveness through Christ.

Segment 3

• A Baptist student says he hopes he can earn his way to heaven.

• How do you help a professing Christian recognize that being good and saying “I’m sorry” isn’t the gospel?

Segment 4

• Todd returns to Jay, the atheist, who is actively trying to convince other students to reject God.

• Can an atheist worldview provide an objective foundation for right and wrong?

• What should you do when someone isn’t interested in listening and only wants to argue?

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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!