Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

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!

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

Segment 1

• James asks for advice on repairing his relationships with his children.

• Anonymous wonders if casual swearing reveals a deeper heart issue — or even a lack of desire to honor Christ.

Segment 2

• Jeff asks: “When is it finally appropriate to draw hard boundaries with unbelievers?”

• Anonymous wrestles with a difficult medical question: Is refusing chemotherapy an act of faith… or presumption?

• Glen asks how Christians can tell whether a Bible verse applies directly to believers today without ripping it out of context.

Segment 3

• Laramie admits that the thought of living forever sometimes feels overwhelming — is that fear normal for Christians?

• Jonathan asks how pastors should faithfully preach through massive Old Testament books without losing their congregation.

• Would spending an entire year preaching through Psalms or Isaiah actually be wise?

Segment 4

• Megan asks whether Christians really have guardian angels — or if that idea comes more from tradition than Scripture.

• Jess wonders if dreams that seem prophetic are truly from God or something else entirely.

• Jeff questions whether believers calling each other “queen,” “king,” and “prince” reflects Christian identity… or worldly thinking.

• Anonymous asks why marriage is often emphasized more than full-time ministry when both are high callings.

• Alan wrestles with a sobering question during Pride Month: Is pride the root beneath every other sin?

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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

• Why do churches split over doctrine when everyone claims to follow the same Bible?

• Todd traces modern church confusion back to a little-known Jewish revolt that changed Christian history forever.

• Could the loss of a “plain sense” reading of Scripture be why Christians can’t agree on basic truths anymore?

Segment 2

• The Bar Kokhba revolt didn’t just crush Jerusalem — Todd argues it reshaped the entire trajectory of biblical interpretation.

• Jewish Christians were squeezed out from both sides, leaving Gentile leadership to redefine how Scripture was read.

• What happens when “hidden meanings” become more important than what the Bible actually says?

Segment 3

• Todd explains how allegorical interpretation opened the door to wildly different doctrines and endless theological confusion.

• Did replacement theology grow out of bad hermeneutics instead of sound biblical interpretation?

• Early church leaders began treating the “literal” meaning of Scripture as inferior — and the consequences still linger today.

Segment 4

• The Reformers fought to recover a grammatical-historical reading of Scripture after centuries of allegorical dominance.

• Todd compares ancient allegorical methods to modern deconstruction: “It’s not what the text says — it’s what it doesn’t say.”

• If your church doesn’t share the same hermeneutic, are division and doctrinal chaos inevitable?

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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

• A Georgia Tech student from Marietta says he drifted into being “kind of atheist” simply because of friends, culture, and not thinking much about religion.

• Todd challenges the student’s “I’m a good person” defense with the courtroom analogy and a sobering question: does everyone being guilty somehow make you innocent?

• The biggest shock of the segment: the student grew up around Christianity, heard about hell and morality, but still cannot explain the gospel or what Easter actually means.

Segment 2

• A Baptist student says he hopes he’d go to heaven—but admits he’s basically “slowly getting there.” Is Christianity really a gradual process of becoming religious enough?

• Todd exposes the danger of Bible Belt Christianity: church language, family tradition, and moral effort without repentance or the new birth.

• The conversation turns serious when the student realizes forgiveness is not earned through repeated prayers, but through Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to guilty sinners.

Segment 3

• A student rejects organized religion and says nature helps him connect with “a greater being”—but can vague spirituality actually deal with guilt and justice?

• Todd’s “thought chip” illustration gets painfully personal: what if your private thoughts were publicly displayed for one week?

• The student wants a loving God without judgment, but Todd presses the unavoidable question: can a judge still be good if he never punishes evil?

Segment 4

• Kevin says Catholicism gives him purpose—but admits Buddhism or other religions could probably do the same thing. So does truth even matter anymore?

• Another student claims Christianity is “blind faith” and thinks all religions contain versions of the same story until Todd confronts him with Jesus’ exclusive claims.

• Todd dismantles postmodern spirituality by showing the difference between obeying Christ out of gratitude… and trying to earn salvation through religious effort.

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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

• Todd Friel and astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle tackle UFOs, aliens, and why our culture seems obsessed with finding life in space.

• Are UFO sightings really evidence of extraterrestrials… or are we being fooled by balloons, drones, and atmospheric phenomena?

• Why do secularists desperately want intelligent life somewhere else in the universe?

Segment 2

• Could “alien sightings” actually be caused by satellites, meteors, rocket launches, and bizarre optical illusions?

• Dr. Jason Lisle explains why the Bible points to Earth being uniquely designed for life — and what that means for extraterrestrials.

• If aliens existed, would they need salvation too… and could Jesus die for Klingons?

Segment 3

• Is “climate change” settled science, or are people confusing weather patterns with long-term climate trends?

• Dr. Jason Lisle argues warmer temperatures may actually increase crops, food production, and human flourishing.

• What does the worldwide flood, the Ice Age, and ancient vineyards have to do with today’s climate debates?

Segment 4

• Are politicians and media using fear to push climate narratives and social control?

• Todd and Dr. Jason Lisle dive into transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and the ethics of merging humans with technology.

• When does medical technology honor God by restoring the body… and when does it cross the line into trying to become superhuman?

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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!