Wretched Radio with Todd Friel - Fortis Institute

Latest Episodes:

The Church Growth Trap + Bethel Drama + God’s Priorities Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

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!

Victim Blamed, Racism Claimed, Miracles Denied Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

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!

Mailbag Friday: Messianic Dating + Submission & Debt + Missing Joy Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

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!

SBC Showdown, Why Genesis Matters, The Manosphere Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

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!

The Most Dangerous Lie Religious People Believe Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

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!

SBC Crossroads, Trauma Culture, and Dangerous Gospel Fog Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

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!

Oprah’s Gospel, Aborted Babies, and America’s Misery Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

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!

Mailbag Friday: Patriotic Worship + Canceling Parents + Counting Kids Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

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. ___ 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!

Obama’s Legacy, Al Mohler’s Update, and Jimmy’s Upcoming Surgery Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

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? ___ 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!

Can History Prove Jesus? + The Real Reason People Reject God Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

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? ___ 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!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Wretched Radio with Todd Friel – Fortis Institute

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected