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- [00:00]
Dr. William Lyle
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Ryan Helenbein
Guaranteed Human.
- [00:05]
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Did you know? Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag. Reader's Choice. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [00:35]
Ryan Helenbein
It's Sunday, January 4, 2026. Welcome to Real America's Voice News. This is Sunday the Road Forward. Every January, millions of Americans make New Year's resolutions. We promise ourselves that this year will be different. We'll lose weight, read more, pray more, be better parents, better spouses, even better Christians. And for about two weeks, we mean it. But by the end of January, most of those resolutions have already failed. The GEM membership goes unused. The Bible reading plan falls behind. The promises we made to ourselves fade into some patterns we swore we would leave behind. But here's the problem with New Year's resolutions. They're built on our strength, not God's. They depend on our willpower, not his grace. They assume we can fix ourselves if we just try hard enough. And the truth is, we can't. What we need isn't a better plan. It's a better foundation. We need mercies that don't run out when our willpower does. We need faithfulness that doesn't depend on how well we're doing. We need the unchanging God to anchor us in a new year of uncertainty. Yes, make resolutions, but also give yourself the grace to try, to fail and to start again. Trust in the Lord as you number each day. Our scripture reading comes from Lamentations, chapter 3, verses 22 and 23. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. As always, we want to be an encouragement to our viewers to hold fast to the unchanging Word of God in this brand new year. I'm Ryan Helenbein. I'm filling in for Dr. Tim Clinton. I'll be your host today.
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Rod Martin
Doesn't stand a chance when I stand in your love. My fear doesn't stand a chance when I stand in your love.
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- [03:09]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
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- [03:22]
Ryan Helenbein
Joining us now is Dr. William Lyle, best known as the pro life doc. He is a board certified OB GYN and former department chair at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. He is a strong advocate for the unborn and has dedicated much of his career to educating people on the brutality of abortion. Dr. Lyle, thank you for joining Sunday the Road Forward. It is great to see you, Ryan.
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Dr. William Lyle
It's great to see you and it's great to have this discussion.
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Ryan Helenbein
Hey, I'm, I'm looking at 2026 and I'm about to take a thousand Liberty University students actually up to the march for life here later in January. And you know, it's hard to believe I'm 42 years old, but here we are celebrating multiple years now of a post Roe world in the United States. We have been delivered, delivered some, some victories but also some key setbacks. You are going state by state educating people, young people and even old people about the horror of abortion. What's really happening from a medical perspective. I think no one can, many people can have disagreements, but no one can dismiss this medical science behind abortion. You are keying in on some key topics there. Tell us a little bit about what you're doing state by state and particularly in the state of Ohio.
- [04:52]
Dr. William Lyle
Well, we have a tour in 2026 called Abortion is Not Healthcare. We're going to colleges, universities, medical schools, residency programs and we're even going to legislature showing all patients have rights because all 50 states have laws that protect the rights of patients. There's federal law that protects the rights of all patients, but the patients are the moms, but the patients are also the babies inside of the womb. Even at my hospital, we have done life saving blood transfusions, the babies in the womb as early as 18 weeks gestation. Cleveland Clinic has done transfusions as early as 17 weeks gestation. The Cleveland Clinic actually performed an open heart surgery where they removed a tumor from a baby's heart. The baby is 27 weeks along. They gave the mom an epidural so she was comfortable. They made an incision in the mom's belly, an incision in her womb. They brought out the right hand and the left hand of the baby and then they started an IV in the hand of the baby where the baby was getting not just fluids but was getting fentanyl to prevent pain and a paralytic called Norcuron so the baby wouldn't move around. During the surgery, they made an incision in the baby's chest, open the baby's chest, removed the tumor from that beating heart. It went very smoothly. They closed the Baby's chest, disconnected the iv, they closed the uterus, closed the mother's skin. They didn't deliver the baby for 10 weeks later. At 37 weeks gestation, clearly the baby is a patient. But we're now doing brain surgery, spina bifida, corrective surgery, laser vascular surgery. All patients have rights, and a patient's a person, no matter how small. So we're going to go to the colleges, the medical schools, the universities, and we're going to educate because the science will protect the preborn. We stand up for science. Science is on our side. Science was created by God, so we need to use that tool. But so many of our opposition do not look at Scripture as an authoritative source. So we can't, you know, start with Genesis 1:26, where we're created in the image of God. But what we're seeing is that when we show them the science and we actually show them how we treat and cure the babies in the womb, and we'll ask them simple questions. Are you a supporter of patients rights? They all say, yes. Are you a supporter of patients rights that weren't born in the United States? Now they get indignant and defiant. They go, you better believe I do. Then you need to support the rights of patients that weren't born in the United States yet. And it's a powerful tool to change hearts and minds.
- [07:31]
Ryan Helenbein
How much of this. You know, so, so often we, I hear from seculars who are very dogmatic in these positions. And you hear about scientism, you know, scientism during COVID and that's just this kind of un, this, this idealic belief in, in some kind of science, but it's not actually medical science, you know, so scientism versus actual science, it's, it's a warring ideology, is it not?
- [07:58]
Dr. William Lyle
Oh, it's a warring ideology for sure. I mean, even when it comes to transgenderism, we now know scientifically that when we do perform a surgery for a child who is confused on their identity for whatever reason, the risk of suicide and death actually goes up on these children. If I had a six foot tall woman come into my office and she weighs 80 pounds, but she wants to get on a weight loss injection. I'm not going to put her on a weight loss injection. Even if she looks in the mirror and she identifies as being obese? No, she's delusional. She has anorexia nervosa, and she's not seeing things. Right. So when these people have something not from the waist down, but they have an issue that we need to deal with from the neck up. This is a mental health crisis and we need to address this and help these kids because they are being pressured with pressures that we don't even understand. But this is also an attack against God's planning. Genesis 1:26 says, and male and female created he them. And we're not just born as a boy or a girl. We are created and we are conceived at that moment. And we are either xx chromosome or XY chromosome. Those are the options. And I've delivered 5,000 babies and guess what? Every one of them was either a boy or a girl. And it was at that moment when we put it on the birth certificate. Their gender was not determined by something that they thought had changed when they turned 17 or 18.
- [09:27]
Ryan Helenbein
Dr. Lyle, what are some common objections that you're getting from young people? I'm thinking, particularly Gen Z on college campuses, typically the makeup is almost 60% female. And we know that, you know, in many cases, I think under the age of 30, over 80% of females vote left, vote for Democrats, vote for pro choice policies, pro abortionist policies. What are some common objections that you're getting?
- [09:56]
Dr. William Lyle
Well, first we have to start with education. A lot of times they say, well, it's just a blob of tissue. It doesn't have any value. It doesn't have a heart that's beating. That's when we have to revert to and understand and know the true science and be able to say, look, 22 days after conception, we can see the heart that's beating and the baby is beating and pulsating blood. That can be a different blood type from the mother. And we show them how we can diagnose, treat and even cure babies in the womb. They are patients. But we also have to educate on the brutality of what an abortion actually is. And we have developed 3D animations, but we've also developed a series of videos which will demonstrate without any blood or baby parts, first trimester, second trimester and third trimester abortion and actually how the abortion pill works when it comes to abortion. Yes, the numbers of abortions since Dobbs When Roe vs. Wade Roe was reversed, number of abortions have actually gone up. And that's mostly because of the abortion pill. And about 70% of all the abortions in the United States are performed with the abortion pill. And yes, it is used up to 12 weeks gestation. And there are at least 28 articles online and how the abortion pill can be used to kill a baby in the womb up to 24 weeks. Gestation. But we have to show what that life looks like on the inside. And we can use the technology. Ultrasound, MRI, 3D ultrasound, 4D ultrasound, all sorts of technology which reveal that truth that is there within the womb. And it's the truth that will set these kids free. We just need to educate them and bring them to that reality. My wife and I love scuba diving. We're going to be in Fiji. Scuba diving. Nobody had been scuba diving in Fiji until the 1960s when Jacques Cousteau created the aqualung. So you could see the water, but you couldn't see all this beauty. The coral, the life, the color under the, under the sea. But then all of a sudden we had scuba dive and we had cameras, we had video cameras. The technology went down below the sea and all of a sudden we realized the harm we were doing when we were dumping chemicals and dumping trash into the sea. It was the, it was the technology. So yes, we need to let these ladies who are very, very bright and let these men who are very, very bright, let them know the truth, let them see the truth, and the truth will set them free. And then they'll realize the value of what is beneath the skin, beneath the womb, beneath the sea, and protect what is truly valuable.
- [12:33]
Ryan Helenbein
Absolutely. You know, I'm just thinking too, you know, in terms of winning this next generation in the final minutes, what are, I guess some key arguments that you could give, some key wins? I was just reminded just a few moments ago when you were talking about chemical abortion that that's being trafficked across the States. The Comstock act has been around for a really long time, I think over a hundred years, going back to the late 1800s. Some have argued it could be enforced in, in, in these matters, that, that it could reduce the number of chemical abortions that are happening. But what are some, what are some ways that, that we might be able to win the hearts and minds? I know it. It certainly comes down to being able to demonstrate through science and through information, the truth will set you free. But even when it comes from a legal standpoint, what are some things that we could do?
- [13:32]
Dr. William Lyle
Back to the basics. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator, capital C, with certain inalienable rights. Among these, and the first one is life. We need to use the science and say we are here to protect life. The role of good government is to protect the rights that were given to us by God. And so we need to use the science to protect, because this is how we all started. And the most vulnerable are the very, very young, and then there is the very, very old. And we can see how when we go on this path of not respecting and protecting life, all of a sudden you become like Canada, where doctor assisted suicide is now the number or cause of death in Canada. So we need to stand up for the, the least able and we need to defend those who are unable to defend themselves and educate on what the value is of these babies in the womb. And they truly are patients. They have value. All patients do. A patient's a person, no matter how small. But for the churches, they need to engage. This is primarily a spiritual battle. And we need to equip our pastors, our priests and our rabbis to engage in the, in this battle, which is a spiritual battle. And they should be leading a spiritual battle. Not a bunch of politicians and not a bunch of obstetricians from podiums, but our spiritual leaders from their pulpits.
- [15:01]
Ryan Helenbein
In just a, in just a few weeks, many churches across the country will be celebrating what is called Sanctity of Life Sunday. And that is to raise awareness, obviously on the issue of abortion, but certainly championing life for mothers, for fathers. When it comes to churches, I think many pastors have, have done a fantastic job of preaching on life from the pulpit, but it's also, and in your position, you go around, you raise awareness to, to pastors, in particular, counseling them. One in four women in our churches have had an abortion. Talk just a little bit about that in our final moments together.
- [15:42]
Dr. William Lyle
Sure, they've had an abortion, and that is 18 to 24% of all men and women in our churches. They are hurting. They need healing. Healing comes from forgiveness and true forgiveness only comes through the blood of Christ. We need to have our pastors engaging on what is sin, but also sharing about the gospel and bringing healing to these men and women. For sanctity of human life Sunday, people can go to our website. We have a lot of free videos, 4 minute video, 7 minute video, 11 minute video, which goes through a lot of things that we've been discussing today. And you can download them for free @prolifedoc.org and we realize a lot of our pastors have not been trained. I spoke at a pastor's conference, 120 Southern Baptist pastors on this topic. Only three of them could remember even having one lecture on how to discuss why abortion is a sin and why it is covered through the blood of Jesus Christ. So we are here to equip, we are here to educate, to make them capable of defending life in the womb.
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Ryan Helenbein
Dr. Bill Ly, thank you so much for joining Sunday the Road Forward and and certainly we pray God speed in 2026 as you contend for life in the womb.
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Dr. William Lyle
It's an honor to serve. Thank you very much Ryan.
- [16:59]
Ryan Helenbein
Thank you.
- [17:06]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas this December, Patriot Mobile and Sunday the Road Forward have a very special offer for you. Two free months of mobile service for new Patriot Mobile customers. Just use Holiday 25 Promotion when you switch to Patriot and you're going to receive two months of service for new Patriot Mobile customers. Great coverage, strong values. And remember just mentioned Sunday the Road Forward to receive the discount when you sign up, just go to patriotmobile.com holiday25 thanks for being a part of the movement to Patriot Mobile. I did it. I hope you will too.
- [17:52]
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Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [18:23]
Ryan Helenbein
Joining us now is Gary Bauer. Bauer served in President Ronald Reagan's administration for eight years as under Secretary of and Chief Domestic Policy Advisor. Today, Bauer serves as president of American Values, an educational nonprofit organization, and Senior Vice President of Public policy for the Dr. James Dobson family Institute. Gary, thanks for joining us. It's great to see you.
- [18:51]
Gary Bauer
My, my pleasure to be with you.
- [18:53]
Ryan Helenbein
Hey, I, I understand it that just recently you had a Merry Christmas at the White House and I, I want to talk about that even, even as we head in to this new year in 2026. How encouraging was it to see Christmas live and well, the traditions, the heritage, everything that is American about Christmas and even in the tradition of the west, to see that celebrated in, in the Oval Office.
- [19:23]
Gary Bauer
Well, thanks for asking me about that. You know, it's, it may seem like not such a big deal, but we've had for a number of years now, particularly under the previous president. He would barely mention God, let alone Jesus in his Christmas proclamations and Thanksgiving and Easter and so forth. This administration is not ashamed to proclaim the Christian faith. And so my wife and I did go over to one of the multiple White House Christmas parties there were, it was absolutely clear what we were celebrating. We weren't celebrating President Trump we weren't celebrating some secular, watered down celebration. We were celebrating the birth of the little baby that split history in two. And so the president was very clear about that. And the other thing I noticed in the, the days during Christmas week itself was not only was the White House statement a clear statement of Christian theology, but multiple members of the Cabinet, Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of War Hexith, many others in their own Christmas statements mentioned the birth of Jesus Christ. It drove the Washington Post and a bunch of the lefties crazy. The Washington Post said this is a total breach of what the trend has been, which is to stay focused on Santa Claus and Christmas trees. Well, that really is what Christmas is all about. So I'm very pleased that President Trump did that. And I think it's culturally a very important moment for Christians around America to realize you don't have to hide your faith under a bushel. We're living in a different time now. And we can in love tell our neighbors and friends and our fellow Americans why and what the meaning is of the birth of the baby Jesus.
- [21:35]
Ryan Helenbein
Amen. I, you know, I'm so thankful for one of the, one of the graces that we have in the west in particular. And it doesn't matter if it's the United States or if the United Kingdom, even, even Paris, France, it's the reminder that our calendar is inherently Christian. Our days are numbered, our years are numbered. This is the year of our Lord, 2026. We cannot deny the birth of Christ, the Incarnation and our calendar. When it comes to Easter or Pentecost, you know, all of the various holidays, Thanksgiving, which is quintessentially American but unmistakably Christian. All of these things are a reminder. And I know, you know, the ACLU hates this, the Freedom from Religion foundation and others they chagrin. But you cannot escape the Christian realities when it comes to America. And I think it's one of the things that keeps us centered and keeps us grounded. When secularists want us to float away on some kind of cloud of belief that America was not a Christian nation, that it's a secular nation, I just want to say this, going back to the losses in 2025, obviously, Dr. James Dobson, certainly Charlie Kirk, Voddie Bacham, Dr. John MacArthur and many others. At Charlie's memorial service, you had many cabinet members making remarks that were unmistakably Christian, gospel oriented, pointing to Jesus Christ. And I will say this, Gary, I don't think everyone on that stage was a Christian, but everyone was certainly praising and honoring the Lamb of God, yes.
- [23:14]
Gary Bauer
No question about it. You know, I'd like to go back for a second when you address the fact that America has always been built on these Judeo Christian ideas. I've argued that the most important founding document is the Declaration of Independence. And in that document, and it's not long, it's only a few pages long, God is referred to four different times. So take that, you people that keep claiming that there's. That the separation of church and state means that America's not supposed to have anything to do with religion. The founders talked in the Declaration about God and his role as an executive making decisions that affect the world. They talk about him as a legislator, they talk about him as the supreme Judge. In other words, they talk about him performing all three branches of what our current government is. But in God, they're all united. When it comes to God giving those liberties to us, then they have to be divided into three branches so they can check each other. Because we're not God, we're fallen men, and without being checked, we end up doing bad things. But there's a long history here and we need to reteach it to our children. On your point, about 2025, you know, there were many great things this year, but there were also some real losses. And just to mention too, we. We had the loss of my old friend, good friend, Dr. James Dobson, who lived a great life, a full life, I believe, had an incredible impact on American society, on the American family. I think he was one of the forerunners in getting Christians to realize they need to be good citizens. But he was blessed with a full life, a life that went many years. And then he was taken home to be with the Lord. And I have absolutely no doubt has heard the words, well done, good and faithful servant. Your viewers will be happy to know, I think, that there's a great team at the James Dobson Family Institute, which is the group he's run the last 15 years, and that board and the staff there, under the leadership of a man named Bart Brock, who I've come to really know well, is committed to continuing the legacy of Dr. Dobson. And I think you'll see some great things in 2026 as they do that now. Around the same time as Dr. Dobson's passing, we had the completely untimely and evil murder of Charlie Kirk, which was heartbreaking. And the fact that these two events happened within weeks of each other was almost too much to bear. I don't think anybody can predict the future, but I think there was a consensus to some degree that Charlie Kirk had incredible things ahead of him. Even at this young age, people were already talking about him as being a future President of the United States. Those shoes are going to be very difficult to fill. And I would ask your viewers and Christians everywhere to pray for Erica Kirk as she does her best to both recover from this loss of her husband and the father of her children, but also to try to preserve and grow the incredible organization that he built by having the boldness of going into the heart of the American left on America's university campuses and taking on anybody and everybody that wanted to challenge him on virtually any issue.
- [27:07]
Ryan Helenbein
You know, it's fascinating. Obviously, you served as Under Secretary of Education. It's fascinating to think, would we have ever thought then in 2025, the American University would be a place of such hostility that it would be kind of a place where, you know, you could be an American martyr, you know, actually dying for your faith, dying for your Christian witness, not in a place like, say, Ecuador, where, you know, missionary Jim Elliott went many years ago and died for the gospel. But the public university becomes a place of such hostility, you know, in 2025. Could you have ever thought of that?
- [27:49]
Gary Bauer
No. Although even all the way back in the Reagan administration, when I was Under Secretary of Education under Bill Bennett, we were deeply concerned then, as was President Reagan, about what was happening on these campuses. Already you could see the signs of universities teaching not American history, but. But anti American history. And it was particularly ironic and infuriating that some of the finest universities in America, when they first started, all the way back in the late 1700s and early 1800s, their charters almost to a university, said that one of their prime goals was to raise up young men and women to be followers of Jesus Christ. So once they abandoned that, we saw just how far off the rails they've gone. And right now, you know, I still hear people saying, you know, when it comes to anti Semitism, when it comes to this issue or that issue, we just need more education. Well, we're not getting any education. And in fact, as we see on the universities, there's no guarantee that when you teach young Americans, if the teachers themselves are filled with these hateful philosophies, more education is not going to do the job.
- [29:07]
Ryan Helenbein
Gary, just in the. In the final moments that we have together, what do you see as the. As the great. I mean, there have been some victories in 2025. There are some challenges ahead of us as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026. What do you see those challenges as being in this coming year?
- [29:28]
Gary Bauer
Well, there's so many of them. I mean, we, we see all these statistics, the breakdown of the family. Young people aren't getting married. When they do get married, they're not having children. So all of those things need to be addressed. But let me mention one that I'm deeply concerned about, and that is that Judeo Christian civilization, or if you prefer, Western civilization, is in deep trouble. It's got enemies within that reject the teachings of Western civilization, and it certainly has enemies without communism, radical Islam and so forth. The two pillars of that civilization are Israel and the United States. We've seen the hostility to Israel and the growing anti Semitism on the left. Sadly, we're now beginning to see some of that on the right. And I believe those of us that know that there is a covenant relationship between the God of the Bible and the Israeli people, the Jewish people, and that Israel and the United States stand together in this great defense of Western civilization know that anti Semitism must always be denounced. You cannot be a Christian and hate Jews. Our Savior and the first family of Christendom were all Jews. The Bible was written by Jews. The patriarchs were all Jews. So I for one will do everything I can to fight against growing antisemitism on the right as well as on the left.
- [31:05]
Ryan Helenbein
Just in a final closing minute here, you've served in various capacities on domestic policy. And obviously, when we think about the U.S. commission of International Religious Liberty, religious freedom, how important is the long standing tie the United States has with Israel? Just for our viewers this morning, how important is that relationship?
- [31:27]
Gary Bauer
The relationship is essential. You know, there's a, there's a misperception out there that if something happened to the United States, Israel would be gone. Well, I would argue that it goes the other way too. If something happened to Israel, the United States would be gone. As I mentioned a little earlier, we are the two pillars of Judeo Christian civilization. Most of our founders, what were what was called at the time restorationists, they believed that the Jewish people had to be restored to their homeland in the Holy Land. And they wrote about it and talked about that. And they even in the founding documents and some of our founding symbols, took symbols that relate back to the ancient nation of Israel and wrapped those into the American founding. So we share the same values. We're joined at the heart and soul. And I believe these two great nations are the only thing standing between us and another dark age.
- [32:33]
Ryan Helenbein
Gary, I could not agree with you more. Going into 2026 as we celebrate the 250 years of our nation, we need to strengthen those foundations that remain. And that absolutely includes our partnership with Israel. We'll leave it right there. I don't think anyone could have said it better this morning. Gary Bauer, thank you so much for joining Sunday the Road Forward.
- [32:55]
Gary Bauer
My pleasure. Great to be with you.
- [32:57]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
Do people ever come to you asking for help? Maybe hope?
- [33:00]
Dr. William Lyle
How about prayer?
- [33:02]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
Do you ever wish you understood the issues better that people are wrestling with? Or how about how to use the Bible more effectively in caring for people? If so, I'd love to get a copy of our Caring Counsel Bible in Your Hands, featuring 116 topics written by some of the world's best mental health and ministry experts. I think you'll love it. Topics like discouragement, abuse, depression, divorce, anxiety, abortion, and more. So you can learn more about these issues and how to use the Bible more effectively, how to share passages of Scripture with others, maybe even yourself as you're sitting down over a cup of coffee. You know what I love most about this Bible is that it's so easy to use. You can find right up front an index with subjects, key passages of scripture, personality profiles, and so much more to go to so you can use the Bible more effectively and caring for other people. The Caring Council Bible right now is retailing for $85. We're going to make it available to you for just 49.99 plus shipping. I think you're going to love it. Hey, for more information about how you can get this Bible right now, go to careandcouncil.com that's careandcouncil.com did you know.
- [34:20]
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Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PCMag Reader's Choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [34:50]
Ryan Helenbein
Joining us now is Rod Martin. Rod is the CEO and founder of Martin Capital. He is also an investor, futurist and tech entrepreneur, helping to launch a number of ventures including PayPal. Rod is also a regular commentator on politics and business. Rod, thank you for joining Sunday the Road Forward. It is great to see you sir.
- [35:09]
Rod Martin
Great to be here.
- [35:10]
Ryan Helenbein
Well, I. I want to talk about just very briefly in 2026, obviously beginning a new year. People are looking forward to celebrating the birth of our nation. But just recently, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was down at Mar a Lago with President Trump. This is a key relationship the United States has had since going all the way back to 1948. But talk, particularly in this moment, it seems as though some parts of the conservative world, pro maga, have turned upside down when it comes to rising anti Semitism. When it comes to Israel, we're seeing some key leaders that are trying to divide the movement. I say leaders, I mainly mean podcasters and influencers. I don't mean influence. I don't mean any kind of leaders of, of any major organizations.
- [36:08]
Rod Martin
Yeah, it would be hard to think of anybody other than Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie who have taken an alarmingly anti Israel position. Serious people aren't doing that, but some serious podcasters are getting a lot of clicks and a lot of revenue share off of doing that. So. So that is certainly a thing. It's certainly having an impact. One of the dumbest arguments I have heard repeatedly is that Israel couldn't exist without U.S. foreign aid. Well, Israel has a $600 billion economy. It's on its way to a trillion pretty fast. It has been on this incredible Singapore or Hong Kong like upswing for 20 years, thanks to the massive free market reforms away from socialism that we got under Benjamin Netanyahu and continue to get. It is absolutely one of the most dynamic technological and financial hubs in the world, and now it even has energy exports. They just signed a $30 billion natural gas export deal with Egypt. This is interconnecting the region in a way that's very positive for peace because it's really kind of hard to shoot at your supplier. So lots of good things are happening here. Israel is a crucial ally. They do a lot of our dirty work. And you know that that takes many forms. Certainly we saw it in the 12 Day War. Again, the podcasters who seem to think that the tail is wagging the dog here are just out to lunch. Donald Trump has been saying since 2011, 58, 70 separate times before the 12 day war that he would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. It was Netanyahu doing Trump's bidding, not the other way around. And we're grateful for that. They also field test our anti ballistic missile weapons, whether you're talking about lower level stuff like Iron Dome or very high level stuff like the arrow 3 system, which we're going to be deploying here as part of the Golden Dome program and Iron Beam, which is an operational anti missile laser system now courtesy of the Israelis and of course jointly developed with US Military contractors. So when they say Israel has to have US military aid, well, kind of, but almost 100% of it stays in the United States and goes to Boeing, Lockheed, etc. So the whole thing is a huge misunderstanding of the nature of this partnership. Forty years ago, some of those criticisms were true. It's not 40 years ago.
- [39:04]
Ryan Helenbein
And I think, I think it's a critical point to make is, is how advanced Israel has become in science and industry, technology, a lot of the munitions, again, that they're paying fair market value for. So it's not like these are freebies given away Israel, we're selling, you know, planes, military planes, missiles, all of that to Israel. They are paying for the value of those things. They make major upgrades to that technology as well. Talk a little bit though, and I think this is something for our viewers just to understand what's happening, this rift. There are bad actors. There certainly are other nations that do not share the same interests as the United States and certainly Western civilization. They're trying to bring it all down. I've heard rumors that Qatar is involved and other nations when it comes to disinformation campaigns, when it comes to renting conservatives, so to speak, to promote some kind of propaganda. Can you talk a little bit to that?
- [40:10]
Rod Martin
Well, there's an enormous influence operation from other parts of the Middle east against Israel and against our relationship with them. And, you know, again, we hear about all of this Israeli money in American politics. Well, when you do a pretty cursory examination, you realize that Israel is just barely in the top 10 of foreign nations spending money to lobby the United States. And why wouldn't they lobby the United States? They need our help on lots of things. But countries that spend lots more than Israel include China and Qatar and Saudi Arabia. And for that matter, and this is kind of funny, the Bahamas spend more than Israel to lobby the United States. So a lot of this is just foolish talk. It's completely devoid of context. And meanwhile, yes, Israel has very real enemies. Qatar spent the last several decades harboring Hamas leadership. They are one of the worst actors in the area. They were actually shut down, blockaded by the Saudis and the UAE and Bahrain for a while in the previous decade because of their ties to the Islamic leadership in Iran. So, yes, we have kind of put Qatar in a bit of a box. They're investing a lot of money into the United States now, and we've kind of made them a Protectorate and I think that will be helpful. But I was on Frank Gaffney's show earlier today and we were talking about the fact that these are ideologically jihadists and you're not going to be able to consistently be friends with them. That's just not a thing. All we can do is kind of hem them in. And fortunately, you know, Qatar, you've got less than a million people, so there's a limit to the power they can project. They do have a heck of a lot of money.
- [42:14]
Ryan Helenbein
Yeah, absolutely. Turn our attention now to, you know, 2026. You know, tax season will come in April. What relief can Americans expect? And I know that one of the biggest talking points right now on domestic policy is the issue of affordability. Many people are concerned about rising prices, a lot of it due to Biden inflation. You know, the, the lockdown policies of COVID We printed trillions of dollars making things out of reach. Now for many of the poor in our country and of course Gen Z, we can't forget about them. There's all kinds of grievances. How do we hold all this together and turn people towards free market capitalism and away from socialism?
- [43:07]
Rod Martin
Well, with regard to affordability, I'm not going to tell anybody they shouldn't feel what they're feeling. I'm just going to say look at the source. This isn't how it was until Biden's team screwed everything up. And we were talking about 9% in inflation at one point. Now for the first time in six years, we actually have wage growth outpacing the rate of inflation, which is much lower and much lower than economists consensus expectations. We're also seeing tremendous economic growth. We clocked in at 4.3% GDP growth for Q4. That's just amazing. That's just incredible. And it could go a lot higher than that and I expect that it will. So I expect that what we're going to see in 2026 is going to look a lot like 1984. You come out of this harsh recession, which fortunately we haven't endured, but a Harsh recession in 82 and 83 in which all the chickens came home to roost from Carter years, decades of needless inflation and the Federal Reserve steps in to slay that and you lay the groundwork. And Reagan's tax cuts are slow starting to take effect. And what happened in 84 was an enormous supply side boom. Well, that's exactly what we're looking at right now. The tax cuts kick in day after tomorrow actually. And so you're going to see a tremendous amount more money in the average paycheck that isn't going to Washington to be wasted on fake Somali daycares. And really go, of course, to support Al Qaeda affiliates in Somalia, you know, that's getting reduced and your amount of payment for it is going to be dramatically lower. And we're going to see some tremendous things happen over the course of the year for affordability. But the bigger story is wage growth and the number of jobs available. And that, as much as anything else, is a story about the $18 trillion in new investment that Donald Trump has attracted in the United States since the first of this year. It's just amazing. There's nothing like it in history. And for reference, the entire American economy is just 30 trillion. So he's bringing in new investment. That's almost two thirds of the entire American economy. And yes, once you actually put a shovel in the dirt, once you actually build a plant, there's going to be a tremendous amount of new jobs that pay well that go to Americans. That's the other big story that's worth noting. Since Donald Trump took office, we have seen a tremendous diminishment in the number of illegal aliens in the country. Two and a half billion million illegal aliens are gone, most of them self deported. And that brings down housing prices. In due order, if you have 10 million people illegally across the border in a very short amount of time, they all have to have someplace to live. And so Biden artificially inflated housing prices that way. That's about to unwind. And not only that, but you start seeing a tremendous number of jobs that were going to illegals now going to American citizens. And those are only going to improve in quality. So I'm very bullish on, on 2026. And I think we're going to have a tremendous midterm performance to show for that.
- [46:56]
Ryan Helenbein
Final, final question. As we go, I just want you to touch a little bit on China. I know that's always a policy concern. When it comes to foreign policy, China is always menacing. What do you see in 2026 when it comes to tariffs? When it comes to trade and economic activity with China, I think we're moving.
- [47:18]
Rod Martin
Very much in the right direction. The President has them in a box. They understand that they're in a box. They have to save face. So they saber rattle. So, you know, the Japanese say an attack on Taiwan would directly affect Japanese national security. And we would respond and the Chinese go haywire. But look what they just did. They actually reduced tariffs going into the new year on the United States. They're not doing the things they threatened with regard to Japan. And this new arms deal with Taiwan is tremendously significant. It's the biggest arms deal we've ever done with Taiwan, but it's what's in it. It's the himars, it's the self propelled howitzers, it's all this electronic surveillance stuff that makes it possible for Taiwan to effectively thwart an amphibious invasion. The more you take away the possibility of that invasion succeeding, the lower the risk of war. And the Trump administration is doing a fantastic job of containing China in a way that forces them to recenter on the export driven nature of their economy and work toward a good trade relationship with the United States.
- [48:39]
Ryan Helenbein
Very well said this morning. Rod Martin, thank you so much for joining us. By the way, where can we find more content from you?
- [48:47]
Rod Martin
Come to rodmartin.org that's rodmartin.org We've got tens of thousands of subscribers there for daily geopolitical analysis. Fox Business Calls absolutely phenomenal. And We've got nearly 300,000 more followers over on X. So come check us out@rodmartin.org thank you, Rod.
- [49:08]
Ryan Helenbein
We will go into a short commercial break, folks. Stick around for final thoughts.
- [49:20]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas this December. Patriot Mobile and Sunday the Road Forward have a very special offer for you. Two free months of mobile service for new Patriot Mobile customers. Just use Holiday 25 Promotion when you switch to Patriot and you're going to receive two months of service for new Patriot Mobile customers. Great coverage, strong values and remember just mentioned, Sunday the Road Fold to receive the discount when you sign up, just go to patriotmobile.com holiday25 thanks for being a part of the movement to Patriot Mobile. I did it. I hope you will too.
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Ryan Helenbein
For more encouragement and to stay connected.
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Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
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Dr. William Lyle
How about prayer?
- [50:28]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
Do you ever wish you understood the issues better that people are wrestling with? Or how about how to use the Bible more effectively in caring for people? If so, I'd love to get a copy of our Care and Counsel Bible in your hands featuring 116 topics written by some of the world's best mental health and ministry experts. I think you'll love it. Topics like discouragement, abuse, depression, divorce, anxiety, abortion and more. So you can learn more about these issues and how to use the Bible more effectively, how to share passages of scripture with others, maybe even yourself as you're sitting down over a cup of coffee. You know what I love most about this Bible is that it's so easy to use. You can find right up front an index with subjects, key passages of scripture, personality profiles, and so much more to go to so you can use the Bible more effectively in caring for other people. The Caring Council Bible right now is retailing for $85. We're going to make it available to you for just 49.99 plus shipping. I think you're gonna love it. Hey, for more information about how you can get this Bible right now, go to careandcouncil.com that's careandcouncil.com did you know.
- [51:46]
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- [52:16]
Ryan Helenbein
Thank you for watching. Sunday the Road Forward as we close today, I want to leave you with these two resolutions from Pastor Jonathan Edwards, one of America's greatest theologians and early founders. Resolution 1 I will live for God, and Resolution 2 if no one else does, I still will. The battles we face today aren't going away. The cultural pressures will only intensify. The political landscape is always shifting. But our call remains the same. To live for Christ. To stand firm. To remain faithful. God's mercies are new every morning, and he will sustain us through it all. So as you head into this new year, don't let the magnitude of what's ahead paralyze you. Just be faithful for today. Rely on God's strength. Trust in his mercy and grace, and until next time, God bless you.
- [53:17]
Dr. Tim Clinton / Care and Counsel Bible Promoter
Made by God and coffee.
- [53:26]
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Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight. The LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag. Reader's Choice Used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [53:56]
Dr. William Lyle
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [53:58]
Ryan Helenbein
Guaranteed Human.