Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

It’s Mailbag Friday! You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

Segment 1

• Trevor asks: “What are practical ways I can serve my pastor?”

Segment 2

• Bob asks a foundational question: What must be present for a baptism to be biblically valid?

• Anonymous wrestles with a painful issue: When, if ever, is "going no contact" with abusive parents a biblical option?

Segment 3

• Gordon asks whether our death date is predetermined — and how Christians should think about illness without fear or fatalism.

• Jon wonders if patriotic displays and songs belong in a worship service, or if they can distract from Christ.

• Anonymous asks how to lovingly evangelize a devoted cultural Christian who talks like a believer but may not understand the gospel at all.

Segment 4

• Anonymous asks whether getting a vasectomy is a wise stewardship decision or a sinful attempt to limit God's blessing.

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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!

Segment 1

• Is AI actually helping you find the truth—or quietly deciding what truth you're allowed to see?

• Todd connects the architecture of the Obama Presidential Center to a much bigger worldview battle.

• Why do buildings, algorithms, and modern culture seem to be telling the same story about America?

Segment 2

• Has the church become so concerned about saving America that it's losing sight of its primary mission?

• What's more dangerous: a compromised nation or a compromised church?

• Todd examines whether Christians are confusing political influence with biblical priorities.

Segment 3

• Dr. Albert Mohler shares a surprisingly transparent update about ongoing health struggles.

• What does it look like to suffer publicly while trusting God's sovereignty?

• Why is a theology of suffering essential before life gets really hard?

Segment 4

• Todd and Jimmy discuss sanctification, humility, and why God's priorities are often different from ours—before ending with a few classic dad jokes.

• Jimmy opens up about living with MS, chronic weakness, and upcoming surgery.

• Can suffering actually make you more dependent on God and more compassionate toward others?

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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 Witness Wednesday! At Kennesaw State University, Todd Friel meets an agnostic history student who finds Christianity surprisingly credible, but still isn't ready to commit. The conversation moves from postmodernism and historical evidence to guilt, judgment, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Todd also talks with Carlos, who explains why he prefers the name "Yeshua" and wrestles with questions about faith, tradition, and salvation.

Segment 1

• Can history actually prove Christianity?

• Is agnosticism a safe middle ground?

• What kind of evidence would convince you God exists?

Segment 2

• Is the Bible just a 2,000-year-old game of telephone?

• Why would men die for a resurrection they knew was false?

• What if the evidence for Christianity is stronger than you think?

Segment 3

• Will God judge you by your good deeds—or your crimes?

• Why don't time, regret, or sincerity remove guilt?

• What if your biggest problem isn't a lack of evidence?

Segment 4

• Why does Carlos refuse to call Jesus "Jesus"?

• Does calling Him "Yeshua" make you more biblical?

• Is there really a back door into heaven?

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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!

Segment 1

• Dr. Jason Lisle argues that the strongest case for creation isn't fossils or geology—it's something far more fundamental.

• If information always comes from a mind, where did the instructions inside DNA originate?

• Carbon-14 findings in diamonds and dinosaur remains continue raising uncomfortable questions for deep-time assumptions.

Segment 2

• A secular psychotherapist asks a startling question: What if therapy is actually tearing people apart?

• Why does every difficult relationship now seem to involve someone who is "toxic," "narcissistic," or "traumatized"?

• Todd examines whether modern therapy culture is helping people heal—or teaching them how to stay offended.

Segment 3

• Young evangelicals aren't abandoning religion—they're searching for something they believe is missing.

• Incense, liturgy, church history, and ancient traditions are attracting a generation raised on seeker-sensitive Christianity.

• Were churches so focused on relevance that they accidentally stripped away transcendence?

Segment 4

• The answer isn't copying Rome or importing Eastern Orthodoxy into Protestant churches.

• What did the Reformers understand about worship, discipleship, and church life that many churches have forgotten?

• From catechesis to church history to reverent worship, Todd outlines what may be needed to rebuild depth before more young people leave.

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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!

Segment 1

• Megan Basham’s cancer diagnosis sent her searching for answers in survival statistics—but what finally brought her peace?

• What if the key to enduring suffering isn't finding better odds, but embracing a forgotten doctrine?

• Todd unpacks a centuries-old hymn that confronts fear, uncertainty, and life's biggest disruptions.

Segment 2

• A car accident, financial loss, cancer diagnosis—could all of it somehow fit into God's good purposes?

• Todd explores the difference between evil acts and painful providences that believers often struggle to understand.

• What does it actually mean to say, "What God ordains is always good" when life feels anything but good?

Segment 3

• Before joining a church, how much should you really know about the elders, finances, leadership, and doctrine?

• Todd shares a prospective member's surprisingly thorough list of questions—and why every pastor should welcome them.

• Is your church's statement of faith something they actually believe, or just something sitting in a file cabinet?

Segment 4

• Are you more excited to talk about Washington than you are to talk about Jesus?

• Todd examines three warning signs that politics may be competing for your heart's highest allegiance.

• What if your strongest enemies aren't political opponents at all?

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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!