This Buddhist Student Had Never Heard the Gospel

Summary

Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Witness Wednesday @ Georgia Tech

Episode Date: June 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Wretched Radio features a staple of the program—Witness Wednesday—with host Todd Friel conducting live evangelistic conversations on the campus of Georgia Tech. The purpose is to model gospel-sharing encounters, highlighting the importance of talking about sin, salvation, and the gospel with clarity and gentleness. Listeners experience a variety of spiritual perspectives from students: a professing Christian, a Catholic, a Buddhist, and a spiritual seeker with Southern Baptist roots. Todd navigates each conversation by holding up a mirror to the students' beliefs, gently presenting the Christian gospel, and drawing out the fundamental differences between Christianity and other worldviews.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction and Purpose of Witness Wednesday

[00:35-01:45]

• Jimmy Hicks explains the rationale for Witness Wednesday: Todd visits college campuses to evangelize and listeners get to reflect on the approaches, successes, and challenges of real-world gospel encounters.
  • "Doing so helps us to evaluate and judge Todd. That's number one. But also it allows us to evaluate our own evangelism tactics and techniques because we learn through someone else's conversations." ([00:54], Jimmy Hicks)

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2. Encounter 1: Rex, the Engineering Student

[01:45-10:50]

Humorous Banter & Defining Sinusoids

• Todd lightheartedly demonstrates his lack of technical knowledge, asking Rex to explain digital signal processing and what a sinusoid is ([02:22-03:17]).
  • "I'm guessing right now you, along with everybody who's listening, thinks I'm just a complete idiot, right?" ([03:17], Todd Friel)
  • "Probably." ([03:22], Rex)

Probing Faith: Certainty about Jesus

• Todd asks Rex to defend his assertion that "Jesus Christ is the Lord." ([03:43-03:57])
  • Rex admits much of his belief is based on personal experience ([03:57-04:24]).
  • Todd challenges the adequacy of anecdotal evidence and compares it to faith claims in other religions ([04:24-04:40]).

Jesus: Savior or Liar?

• Rex appeals to Jesus’ exclusive claims: "Jesus Christ is either the savior of the world or the greatest liar on earth. Because he says I'm the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." ([04:40-04:56])

Confronting Pluralism

• Todd drives home the exclusivity of Christianity; Rex concedes that, yes, he believes most of the world is wrong about the nature of God ([05:04-05:17]).

The Real Need: The Law and Human Sinfulness

• Todd encourages Rex to use the Ten Commandments as a "mirror" to reveal people’s sin before discussing Jesus ([08:27-10:21]):
  • "Our need isn't a fulfilled life. Our need is forgiveness. That's what everybody's lacking. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So use that law." ([08:34], Todd Friel)
  • Todd emphasizes the gospel is not self-improvement but forgiveness and rescue for lawbreakers ([10:21-10:50]).

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3. Encounter 2: Sean, the Catholic MMA Student

[15:08-23:46]

Life, Pain, and the Afterlife

• After some friendly conversation about MMA fighting ([15:23-16:57]), Todd pivots to spiritual topics: "What do you believe about the afterlife?" ([17:06])
  • Sean responds with a classic Christian position: heaven or hell, determined by one’s relationship with Jesus ([17:09-17:22]).

Salvation according to Catholicism

• Sean expresses some uncertainty about the timing of forgiveness and salvation, referencing Catholic practices of confession ([18:08-18:27]).
• Todd distinguishes between Catholic and Protestant doctrines regarding salvation, works-righteousness, and the role of purgatory ([18:44-19:57]).
  • "Here's what Roman Catholicism teaches. That you somehow become a Christian... and then you spend the rest of your days trying to do good works..." ([18:44], Todd Friel)
  • Sean acknowledges indulgences but questions their biblical basis ([19:57-20:34]).

The Reformation and Justification by Faith

• Todd recounts Martin Luther's journey, his struggle with guilt, and discovery of justification by faith alone ([20:41-23:10]).
  • "The just shall live by faith. And he started to understand the doctrine of faith. Alone, by grace, alone, in Jesus Christ, alone..." ([21:34], Todd Friel)
  • "That's the good news of the gospel. One is work righteous. The other one is a grace based system. Complete forgiveness or sort of forgiveness and works." ([23:21], Todd Friel)
• Todd urges Sean to read the Bible—especially Romans—to discern if what he claims lines up with Scripture ([23:43-25:40]).

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4. Encounter 3: The Student from Thailand (a Buddhist)

[31:29-39:54]

Buddhism Basics

• Student shares he is Buddhist by family tradition, practices meditation, but views it as mostly practical, not spiritual ([32:18-32:43]).
• No concept of a personal God or the divine in Buddhism ([32:44-32:55]).

The Purpose of Buddhism

• "The best reason for any person actually to be a Buddhist is... it gives you happiness and kind of like self sufficient..." ([33:29-33:44])
• Discussion about desires—too much desire is problematic; peacefulness is possible for even the ‘normal person,’ not just monks ([33:54-34:37]).

Presentation of the Gospel

• Todd carefully explains not just the principle of good news (“gospel”) but also the concept of sin, justice, and Christ's substitutionary atonement—ideas the student had clearly never heard ([35:28-39:54]).
  • "The bad news is we're bad people. The bad news is that there's a creature who's perfect and we're not... The good news of the Gospel is Jesus Christ." ([35:28-36:40], Todd Friel)
  • "Buddhism and Christianity aren't just two different paths. They're two completely different systems." ([37:24], Todd Friel)

Challenge and Clarity

• Todd urges the student to assess which belief system is actually true, emphasizing the stakes if Christianity is true ([38:59-39:54]).

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5. Encounter 4: Casey, the Southern Baptist Seeker

[43:52-54:38]

Morality and Relativity

• Student Casey, in flip-flops and a ski hat, describes himself as moral and spiritual, not tied to any one religion ([43:52-45:32]).
• Believes in a “cosmic karma” or "power" rather than a personal God; upbringing was Southern Baptist, but he has unresolved questions ([45:49-47:38]).

Struggles with Faith and Science

• Cites evolution and creation as significant roadblocks to embracing his childhood faith fully ([48:12-48:35]).
  • Finds concepts like karma appealing from other religions ([48:04-48:41]).

The Law—A Mirror for the Conscience

• Todd asks Casey to define the gospel—Casey admits he doesn’t know ([49:47-49:48]).
• Todd presents a “good person test” with the Ten Commandments—lying, stealing, lust ([50:02-50:35]).
  • "How many lies have you told... what does that make you?... If I told a few lies, you might call me a liar." ([50:02-50:10], Todd Friel)

Truth and Judgment

• Todd insists that ultimate moral truth is determined by the Judge (God), not the individual ([51:14-51:47]).
  • "It doesn't matter what the criminal thinks. The question is, what does the judge think?" ([51:14], Todd Friel)
• Casey admits, if judged by the biblical standard, he'd be guilty, but believes he'd deserve hell if that's the case—choosing authenticity over self-delusion ([51:59-52:50]).

The Gospel Explained

• Todd finally explains the gospel clearly to Casey ([52:50-54:14]):
  • "Jesus Christ. You've heard his name. He's God. He came to this earth to die on a cross, to take the punishment he deserves. You deserve the wrath of the Father. Jesus took it on your behalf so that your sins can be forgiven..." ([53:14-54:13], Todd Friel)
  • Emphasizes the Christian gospel requires renouncing other gods and trusting in Jesus alone.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Todd Friel to Rex (using the law in evangelism):

  • "When you hit on that law business, that 10 commandment thing, dude, you found the sweet spot. Because our need isn't a fulfilled life. Our need is forgiveness." ([08:34])

• Rex on the exclusivity of Jesus:

  • "Jesus Christ is either the savior of the world or the greatest liar on earth." ([04:40])

• Sean, the Catholic student, on universal sinfulness:

  • "Well, I'm Catholic. Everyone's a sinner." ([17:52])

• Todd contrasting Catholic and biblical Christianity:

  • "That's the good news of the gospel. One is work righteous. The other one is a grace based system. Complete forgiveness or sort of forgiveness and works." ([23:21])

• Student from Thailand on Buddhism:

  • "Well, I think the best reason for any person actually to be a Buddhist is, is it gives you happiness and kind of like self sufficient." ([33:29])

• Casey, on personal authenticity:

  • "If I stand in front of him, if I have done wrong in choosing who I wish to believe, and I stand in front of your God and he deems me guilty and sends me to hell, then I have at least... I can at least say I've done my best." ([51:59])

• Todd Friel, summing up the Christian gospel:

  • "We're lawbreakers. Jesus died for us and demonstrated his love. ...For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. Whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life." ([54:13])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:35] – Introduction to Witness Wednesday (Jimmy Hicks)
• [01:45-10:50] – Encounter with Rex (Christian engineering student)
• [15:08-23:46] – Encounter with Sean (Catholic/MMA student)
• [31:29-39:54] – Encounter with Thai Student (Buddhist)
• [43:52-54:38] – Encounter with Casey (spiritual seeker/Southern Baptist background)
• [50:02-50:35] – Todd’s "good person test" (Casey)
• [53:14-54:13] – Clear statement of the gospel

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Episode Tone and Teaching Style

The episode is marked by Todd Friel’s signature blend of humor, self-deprecation, and directness. He models gospel-driven conversations that are both compassionate and unflinching in calling people to face hard truths. Todd regularly uses questions—both theological and personal—to guide people to see their spiritual need. He highlights the importance of distinguishing the effects of the gospel (peace, fulfillment) from the core message (forgiveness and reconciliation with God).

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Conclusion

This episode showcases effective practical evangelism, demonstrating not only the need for courage but also for precision in communicating core gospel truths. The encounters reflect a broad spectrum of spiritual beliefs, and Todd models how to lovingly and respectfully challenge, clarify, and encourage—that people realize their need for forgiveness, not just an improved life. As always, the underlying aim is to hold up Christ and the gospel as uniquely sufficient and necessary for salvation.

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For more Witness Wednesdays and resources, visit fortisplus.org.

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Transcript

[Todd Friel]

Wretched radio begins in 3, 2, 1.

Seriously, if you want to relieve stress, go to the word of God. Oh, my goodness. It's just so weird, isn't it?

[Casey]

To lose.

[Todd Friel]

People say stuff like that. I apologize for. Are you kidding me? Let's all do baptism and I have a little pool here, and we'll all feel nice and relaxed. That's baptism. No, baptism is a sacred Christian right. All the various yogas are sacred.

[Casey]

Hindu rights.

[Todd Friel]

Wake up, America.

It's time. Welcome to Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Welcome in to Witness Wednesday here on Wretched Radio. I'm Jimmy Hicks in the studio. Todd is out roaming around the campus of Georgia Tech this week, and we're going to send it out to him in just a moment. But first, I wanted to speak to those of you who might be listening to Witness Wednesday for the first time. Maybe this is your first experience with Wretched Radio or Witness Wednesday. And I want to explain a little bit about what you're going to hear today. Every Wednesday, Todd gets out of the studio and he' on a college campus somewhere, and he's talking with students with the ultimate goal, obviously, of sharing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we get to eavesdrop on those conversations. And doing so helps us to evaluate and judge Todd. That's number one. But also it allows us to evaluate our own evangelism tactics and techniques because we learn through someone else's conversations. What did he do right? What did he do wrong? What should he have pressed on a little more or not as much? That's the purpose of Witness Wednesday here on Wretched Radio. And with that, let's get out to the campus. Now Todd is on the campus again of Georgia Tech.

[Todd Friel]

There's a kid. Okay, I don't want to stereotype, but this guy looks like a Georgia Tech. If you wanted to find a poster boy for Georgia Tech, this would be the kid right here. He's got himself kind of a. Kind of a brainiac haircut, Maybe a pocket protector. Hey, young man, while you're walking, can I talk to you on the radio?

[Casey]

No.

[Todd Friel]

No? You're not up for that, huh? All right, dude. Carry on. All right. This guy. Hey, dude, while you're walking, could I ask you some questions on the radio? Sure. You up for that? Are you done with classes?

[Rex]

Nope.

[Todd Friel]

No, honest.

[Rex]

I got one more test left.

[Todd Friel]

Which one?

[Rex]

Dsp. Digital Signal Processing.

[Todd Friel]

I. You didn't have to tell. What do you. I look stupid? What's. Dig.

[Thai Student]

What's.

[Todd Friel]

What is it? Digital Signal Process.

[Rex]

Help me Out.

[Todd Friel]

What does it mean?

[Rex]

It' analyzing sinusoids and stuff like that. Like in voice and different things. It can be applied to many different fields.

[Todd Friel]

All right, I'm just gonna bang my head against a wall. What's a sinusoid sine wave like from

[Rex]

zero to PI and it repeats itself.

[Todd Friel]

You wanna know how dumb I am? As if I haven't already demonstrated it. I don't think I can remember 22. PI is 22.14. Something. 3.3.14. That's it. Wow. This isn't humiliating. That's right. 3.14. And then it goes on forever, right?

[Rex]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Into infinity.

[Rex]

Yeah. Well, I mean. Yeah, it's an unreal.

[Todd Friel]

All right. It's an unreasonable, irrational number.

[Rex]

There we go.

[Todd Friel]

I'm guessing right now you, along with everybody who's listening, thinks I'm just a complete idiot, right?

[Rex]

Probably.

[Todd Friel]

All right, fair enough. But you know what? I think that's. That's good, though. There's guys like you who think the way you think, I think in a different way. And then the whole world gets along.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Thank the Lord for that. Thank the Lord. Thank the Lord. Who's that?

[Casey]

Jesus Christ, man.

[Todd Friel]

Jesus Christ. Oh, man. I'm the man.

[Rex]

Jesus Christ is the Lord.

[Todd Friel]

I see. And you're sure of that? You're talking now with your sinusoids. What are they called?

[Rex]

Sinusoids?

[Todd Friel]

Yeah. They went to the other end of the spectrum. You said that with certainty. Prove to me that Jesus is Lord.

[Rex]

Well, I mean, it's something that I experienced personally. Okay, so I mean, it's not necessarily something. It's. It's not hard. Easy to explain. But I've experienced the Lord working in my life in very real ways. I mean, he's brought me through many hard times in my life. Many dark. Brought me out of a dark place.

[Todd Friel]

So that would be an anecdote. But if I could, I could go find a Hindu who said the same thing about their little idol that's sitting up on mantle. So I've got a Christian who says that they're idol worked and a Hindu who says they're idol worked. Why should I go for your idol?

[Rex]

Well, I mean, the one thing I would say is that Jesus Christ is either the savior of the world or the greatest liar on earth. Because he says I'm the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.

[Todd Friel]

Are you saying then that the Hindu's idol is wrong? Yes, I am. Just like that?

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

So the majority of people in the World you believe are wrong?

[Rex]

For the most part.

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Rex]

I mean, they can come. They can probably find some truth within there, but all truth comes from God.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, so. All right, I want to give you 30 seconds. Give me your best shot. Convert me. Go.

[Casey]

Well,

[Rex]

man, putting me on the spot there.

[Todd Friel]

But, dude, I'm kind of enjoying this because ever since. What? There's got to be something in math that's a 22 something. What am I confusing? PI. What's a 20? Isn't there some number that is meaningful at 22?

[Rex]

I know the gold ratio is pretty close to there.

[Todd Friel]

That's what I was thinking of. Okay, go ahead, convert me.

[Rex]

Well, what. This is really kind of sad, but.

[Todd Friel]

I mean, I said PI was 22. You have nothing to be ashamed of.

[Thai Student]

But

[Rex]

because the. I mean, the one thing I. It's like I just experience it so personally myself, and I would want you to experience it so.

[Todd Friel]

Experience what?

[Rex]

Just the fullness of life within God.

[Todd Friel]

My life's folded.

[Rex]

I mean, but there has to be some. Like, everybody, like, struggles with something in their life.

[Todd Friel]

I mean, no doing good. Kids are healthy. Yeah, yeah. Wife's terrific. Paying the taxes. Life is. Life is good.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Rex]

So you don't see any need for any kind of God?

[Todd Friel]

No, no.

[Rex]

So, all right. I mean, how do you. What are your moral scale. What is your moral sc. How do you scale your.

[Todd Friel]

I'm not in jail.

[Rex]

Yeah. So it's basically based on deeds or, like, is it based on the law?

[Sean]

Sure.

[Todd Friel]

Or just general societal norms of morality? I don't. I haven't murdered anybody. Haven't stolen anything. You know, good person.

[Rex]

Okay. But for me, like, a good person, they still can't get into heaven or. Do you believe in heaven and hell? That's a good question to start off with.

[Todd Friel]

Wait a second. Why wouldn't a good person go to heaven?

[Rex]

Because the only way to get to the Father is through Jesus Christ.

[Todd Friel]

But why? I'm a good person.

[Rex]

Even though you're a good person. You have slipped up before.

[Todd Friel]

I've slipped up before.

[Rex]

What do you mean with sin? I mean, have you ever gone through the. The different. The Ten Commandments?

[Todd Friel]

Go ahead and use them on me.

[Rex]

I mean, thou shalt not lie, Thou shalt not steal. I mean, have you ever done that ever before?

[Todd Friel]

Good question.

[Sean]

Yes.

[Rex]

So with that. With that sin, they become. You become separated from God.

[Todd Friel]

Okay.

[Rex]

And the only way to get back together to God is through Jesus Christ.

[Todd Friel]

What if I give some money to charity?

[Rex]

There's some people that believe that and that's more of Jehovah Witness and stuff like that. I mean, there's different people that do believe that, but I don't believe that because that's not the. What the Bible. That's not biblically what's true. And I believe in the Bible and I believe what the Bible says is true.

[Todd Friel]

All right, let me share something with you. What's your first name?

[Rex]

I'm Rex.

[Todd Friel]

Rex, it's nice to meet you. King Rex, right?

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, Rex, when you got to that law part, rock on. See, a lot of people are going to go to school here and they're going to graduate and they're going to get great jobs and they're going to get huge homes and fancy cars and they're going to have absolutely no need for God. But when you hit on that law business, that 10 commandment thing, dude, you found the sweet spot. Because our need isn't a fulfilled life. Our need is forgiveness. That's what everybody's lacking. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So use that law. Dude, that was excellent. So the next time somebody says, well, why do I name Jesus? Or you're trying to witness to somebody, you don't need to be accusatory. You can actually just open up the law and use it like a mirror to hold it up to somebody's faith. Because we all think we're good, right? Self righteous and arrogant. I'm not as bad as, well, that slug across the street there. But when you compare people to God's standard, then they can go, okay, I get it. Hell becomes reasonable. And then the sacrifice of Jesus is suddenly esteemed and appreciated because God died for sinners. So ask people questions like you did. Have you lied? Have you stolen? Have you looked with lust? That's a tough one. It gets every guy just in big trouble. Okay, now if God judged you, what would he give you? Heaven or hell? And suddenly it becomes kind of reasonable. And then you can explain good news. God will send you to hell because he's just. But he wants to save you. And he sent his son Jesus to keep all the laws that you broke. And he kept them all. Rose from the dead, defeated death. And now you must repent and put your trust in him and he'll adopt you as his child and he'll grant you everlasting based on what Jesus did, not you. So dude, you got there. Use that law. When somebody asks you for the hope that lies within you, what the reason is, because you got a savior from sins, not a life enhancer. It's sweet with Jesus. I'm a Christian.

Obviously

it is the abundant life. But people don't need a high. They need forgiveness. And they need to be reconciled to God and restored in their relationship to him. So focus not on the effects of the gospel, but the gospel itself. We get love, joy, peace, patience, etc. But that's not the gospel. That's the result of the gospel. The heart of it is sinners saved by Jesus. Dude. Nice to meet you, Rex.

[Rex]

Good to meet you, too.

[Todd Friel]

All right, man, see you. Goodbye. Thanks for making me look like a dope. I appreciate it very much.

[Jimmy Hicks]

A lot of evangelism begins with a simple question, and the conversation will take a natural progression. We've got more witness Wednesday from the campus of Georgia Tech, next on Wretched Radio. You know those really big questions you get when your kid comes home from college? You know the ones about whether God exists, if the Bible can be trusted, why there's evil in the world, or what's wrong with everyone else's view on sexuality? Yeah, those. Road trip to truth doesn't dodge them. This resource is hosted by John Ferbarez, and it goes straight to college campuses and talks to students who are asking these very same questions. But it doesn't just stop there. No, no. Then there are the experts that give the real answers with topics like science and faith, pornography, social media and mental health, critical race theory, marriage, eternity. And that's not even the half of it. If you have teenagers, this is the stuff they need to hear before the world gives them its version. And if you don't have teenagers, you'll still learn something. Road Trip to Truth, all four seasons available right now on Fortis for free. Download it now. Where you download apps on your smartphone, your smart TV, or just simply go

[Todd Friel]

to fortisplus.org Is it possible a Christian university can actually be ranked high when it comes to preparing students for the real world? The hat tip to Master's University. You want to send your kids someplace where they actually still teach the Bible, not just based on a document that they may be having a file cabinet someplace, but they actually use the Bible there. The education at the Master's university, not only biblical, but oh so practical courses, diplomas, degrees, they can be achieved online or of course, on their beautiful campus in Southern California. Would you like to learn more about the Master's university to prepare you or your child for the future, I encourage you to visit Masters Edu Wretched Masters Edu Wretched.

[Jimmy Hicks]

We've raised a generation of kids who can sing every word about Jesus, but they still can't say why the Bible is true and the world earned that because they've spent years teaching our children that truth bends and that science outgrew God. And the reasons are there. Logic, morality, the very laws that make science work. And every single one of them points back to a creator. And when you give kids that, faith stops being something they hope is true and becomes something they know is true. And it also spreads because they share it clearer with everyone around them. That's exactly what the series Irrefutable Proof of creation with Dr. Jason Lyle was built for. It's a biblical formation for a generation that needs answers. They need real ground to stand on, not just a good feeling. And that's what Dr. Lyle is doing. New episodes of Irrefutable Proof of Creation streaming right now and dropping weekly on Fortis. You can download the app on your smartphone, your smart TV, or simply go to fortisplus.org.

[Todd Friel]

Important dates in Christian history. 1675. German Lutheran minister Philipp Jacobs Spener publishes Pia Desideria, which becomes a manifesto for pietism. While both Catholicism and Protestantism define the faith in largely communal and societal terms, pietism emphasized the personal experience of being born again. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Welcome back to Witness Wednesday here on Wretched Radio. I'm Jimmy Hicks in the studio. And the tall guy, he's out on the campus of Georgia Tech today. You know, I know we tend to assume that some people don't want to discuss spiritual things, and sometimes that's true. But a lot of times, especially on a college campus, people are willing to talk if somebody's willing to list.

[Todd Friel]

Young man, could I. Could I ask you where you're going right now?

[Sean]

Going to work.

[Todd Friel]

You're going to work? How far do you have to walk?

[Sean]

I guess about a mile down to my.

[Todd Friel]

Perfect. That's great. Could I talk to you on the radio while we're walking together on your way to work?

[Sean]

Sure.

[Todd Friel]

Now, you gotta promise me something, though. What do you bench these days?

[Sean]

Not that much.

[Todd Friel]

Come on, don't be all humble. What do you bench? Okay. It's your max. What were you putting up the max of every dinosaur?

[Sean]

315.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, so you could basically put me into a pretzel shape right now, right? Did you study any, like, jiu jitsu or karate?

[Sean]

I've done a couple months of jiu jitsu and a little Muay Thai.

[Todd Friel]

All right. Now, they teach you not to use it on people unnecessarily right?

[Sean]

Well, no, mine was MMA fighting.

[Todd Friel]

What is that?

[Sean]

It's a mixed martial arts.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, that's that nasty stuff in the cage.

[Sean]

Exactly.

[Todd Friel]

Dude, you're one of those.

[Sean]

I wasn't good at it. That's why I stopped.

[Todd Friel]

Did you get beat up a lot? Yes, I did. Okay. Okay, you got to tell me how much does it hurt in the. No. How much does it hurt in the ring while you're doing it? Does it hurt?

[Sean]

Yes.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. Just.

[Sean]

You don't notice it as much just because you have so much adrenaline going

[Todd Friel]

right the next day when you wake

[Sean]

up the following morning.

[Casey]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

You know what? Can you tell me what is the nastiest punch? What hurts the most?

[Sean]

The worst punch that I've ever gotten was just one of the side jaw. I didn't see it coming. Is when I first began. It was right underneath my ear.

[Todd Friel]

Takes you out every time.

[Sean]

And it was terrible the way it twists your jaw and all that.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah, but see, when you get. I've learned that when you get hit underneath the ear like that, it's a certain. There's something going on in your brain. It just drops you every single time. Now here's the punch that really hurts a lot. While you're in the ring, you ever been hitting the kidney?

[Thai Student]

Yes.

[Todd Friel]

That hurts?

[Sean]

Yes.

[Todd Friel]

All right, now promise me you're not gonna hit me in the kidneys. Okay. All right. Tell me, young man, what do you believe about the afterlife?

[Sean]

The afterlife?

[Todd Friel]

Yeah. What happens to somebody when they die?

[Sean]

Well, I believe that you're either heaven or hell, going to heaven or hell, and it's only through Jesus, through his forgiveness, that you can get. That's. That's what I believe.

[Todd Friel]

So you're telling me that anybody who's not a Christian is going to hell?

[Thai Student]

Yes. No.

[Todd Friel]

I want to hurt you. That seems very intolerant.

[Sean]

Not. Not necessarily Christian, but those who don't believe in Jesus. I mean, it is. It is highly intolerable. But then again, it's not my decision, I guess.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, so why do people go to hell, in your Christian opinion?

[Sean]

Well, everyone is born with sin.

[Todd Friel]

You're calling me a sinner?

[Sean]

Absolutely.

[Todd Friel]

Wow. How do you know?

[Sean]

Well, I'm Catholic. Everyone's a sinner.

[Todd Friel]

I see. Okay, so what if I'm not Catholic? Am I still a sinner?

[Sean]

You're a sinner.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, so then tell me, my Catholic friend, if I'm a sinner, what do I need to do to go to heaven?

[Sean]

Ask Jesus for forgiveness through him that you. You can be forgiven. Of your sins. Now, this is actually where I am, sort of. I'm working on this. It's hard, just my beliefs in general, because. Does that mean you have to ask for forgiveness right before you die? That way you're completely clear of sin and then you go to heaven.

[Todd Friel]

Or did you go to Catholic Church all your life?

[Sean]

I have. I went to Catholic school, elementary school, moved to Saudi Arabia for a bit, and then came back and went to a Christian school.

[Todd Friel]

All right, here's. Let me ask you, what's your first name?

[Sean]

Sean.

[Todd Friel]

Sean, could we stop under the tree for just a second? I don't want to make you late for work. All right. Okay, we'll go quick. There's a big difference between Catholicism and You're kind of getting there. And hinting. And Protestantism and you're onto the issue. Here's what Roman Catholicism teaches. That you somehow become a Christian. That can happen through your baptism, or you can believe in Jesus and then get baptized, and then you spend the rest of your days trying to do good works. And if you die without having committed a mortal sin by getting last rites, and if you will being perfect, then you'll go directly to heaven. If not, you go to purgatory, where you work off your sins so that you can ultimately go to heaven.

[Sean]

That's not necessarily directly mentioned in the Bible. I mean, it's hinted, I guess.

[Todd Friel]

I agree it's not mentioned in the Bible, but that's the difference between what would be considered biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism, which combines the Bible and tradition and councils. Okay, now what I just described for you, this maybe sounds a little severe, but it's called a work righteous system that you can do works and God will take you to heaven because of it.

[Sean]

As the things where the Catholics used to make you pay money to let someone be released from purgatory.

[Todd Friel]

An indulgence.

[Rex]

Yes.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah. And these days, you can take a trip to France or you can take communion for 30 days, and then you'll get all of your sins forgiven and have a place assured in heaven. It depends on which type of Catholic you talk to, but. Well, yeah, I'm afraid so. If you travel to Lourdes. It was last year. The time expired. But if you travel to Lourdes, then you could have what they call a plenary indulgence, which means all of your sins can be forgiven.

[Thai Student]

Wow.

[Sean]

All right.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah. Indulgences aren't gone. That was one of the big things that they fought about at the Reformation, which happened in the 1500s.

[Sean]

Is this with Martin Luther Yeah, he

[Todd Friel]

was one of many fellows that basically said, no, no, no. There's a different system here because Martin. Martin Luther sensed something. He felt his guilt. He kept trying to be good. He kept trying to be good and he kept feeling like, I'm not being good enough. And I've got this burden of guilt. And I'm starting to really resent God because this is a lot of work and I feel guilty all the time. And so he actually ended up hating God. And then he started reading the book of Romans. And the book said, the just shall live by faith. And he started to understand the doctrine of faith. Alone, by grace, alone, in Jesus Christ, alone, which teaches that if a man or a woman will agree with God that they're a very vile, wretched sinner who is worthy of God's condemnation in hell, if he will come to that agreement with God and say he's sorry to God, in other words, repent, turn from his sins, apologize, say I'm sorry with no defense, and put his trust in Jesus Christ. It's what Jesus preached in Mark 1:5, 15. He came declaring, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. So repent and believe in Jesus. And the Bible teaches that if you do that, you surrender to God, he will save you, forgive you of all of your sins, past, present and future, because of the work that he did to rescue you. See, if Jesus had just come to this earth and died, you could have your sin. You could be considered not guilty. But Jesus came and lived as a man for 30 some years, keeping all the laws you've broken, fulfilling all the laws, keeping all righteousness, so that if you'll repent and trust him, you'll not just be seen as not guilty. God will see you as righteous. He will actually look at you because of what Jesus did and go, he is my beloved child because of what Jesus did. All sins forgiven. For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life. No works, no purgatory. In fact, our works have earned us death. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is everlasting life. Ephesians 2:8 9. By grace you can be saved through faith. It is a gift of God, not of works. So that nobody can boast. Here's the difference. If you say that you work your way to heaven and you do somehow, in any way, shape or form, you can get there and tell everybody what a good person you were and how you deserved heaven. The Bible says you've deserved hell. But Jesus has earned heaven for you. And that way he gets all of the credit for rescuing a wretched sinner like you and me so that he can get all the praise. We don't get it. He gets all the praise for saving us. That's the good news of the gospel. One is work righteous. The other one is a grace based system. Complete forgiveness or sort of forgiveness and works. That's the difference between Catholicism and what I think is biblical Christianity. Makes sense.

[Sean]

It does.

[Todd Friel]

Here's what I would beg you to wrestle with.

[Rex]

All right?

[Todd Friel]

Read the Bible. Don't trust me. I'm a complete stranger. I could be in a complete cult for all you know. I might be here to beat you up, tase you and take your money. Alright? I'm trying to convince you this is what the Bible teaches. So read your Bible and see if what I'm saying is true. Read the book of Romans. Have you ever looked at that book? It's a New Testament book. Yeah, Paul wrote it. It's the most important letter ever written. Okay. This is Paul writing to Christians in Rome. And he lays it out this way in Romans, chapter one. We've broken God's laws. We've lived for ourselves. We hate God. We're at war with God. We want to live for ourselves and do what we want. We want to live by the flesh. And for that he condemns us because we're lawbreakers. But he's rich in mercy. This is a big court case. We're guilty before God. Jesus steps into the courtroom and says, judge, set him free. And the judge says, wait a second, he's got a fine to pay. And Jesus says, I paid the fine for him because of what I did. And then you can be set free not because of what you've done, but because of what Jesus did for you. That's what Romans 3 and 4 explains. And that if you will have faith in Jesus Christ and in him alone, his goodness gets credited to your account. It's a court case so that your court case can be dismissed. Jesus kept the laws for you and took the punishment for you. And now you can be forgiven and granted everlasting life. Read the book of Romans. It's very clear. And that's what Martin Luther. I'm not trying to make you a Lutheran. I'm not a Lutheran. I'm not trying to make you a Lutheran. But this is what he said when he discovered the just shall live by faith. You are justified by faith alone. You are made right by faith alone. Faith doesn't save you, by the way. Jesus does. So figure out what's true. Read your Bible, take a look, look through Romans and see if what I'm saying is true. Because you can trust the Bible. Don't trust me, but you can trust the Bible.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Well, it usually doesn't take very long for the real issue to come out. Some people trust their goodness. That's a vast majority of these conversations. But the gospel presses on. All of that. We've got much more witness Wednesdays still to come. This is Wretched Radio, And it's now time for your daily Fortis news break in production of Fortis Institute. We begin in Britain, where a new inquiry has documented one of the worst child abuse scandals in modern western history. The 2026 rape gang inquiry, led by survivor Sammy Woodhouse, estimates at least 250,000 British girls were raped, trafficked and abused over decades. And some fear the true number nears a million. 95% of the perpetrators, the report says, were Muslim men, mostly of Pakistani heritage. And the kicker in all of this, the police knew and stayed silent for the fear of being called racist. If that's the case, that's not tolerance, that's cowardice. Here at home, the Trump administration and four states are suing the nation's most powerful gender transition lobby, the Federal Trade Commission, with Texas, Iowa, Nebraska and Alaska. Says World Professional association for Transgender Health. The group doctors cite to justify transitioning children misled parents about the risk risks by bearing serious side effects and selling the procedures as suicide prevention to frighten parents into consenting and labeling nearly everything as medically necessary so insurers would pay. It's junk science, and it's finally on trial. Speaking of protecting the vulnerable, Texas prosecutors have filed what's believed to be the first case under the state's law against performing an abortion. A Montgomery county man is accused of secretly slipping abortion drugs, drugs to a pregnant woman who told him she wanted her baby. She'd already even named her daughter. And as the district attorney put it, a person's a person, no matter how small. Choice was never even the point for the man who took hers away. That points to a deeper problem. A new analysis finds American fatherhood is quietly vanishing. Today's dads are more involved than ever, but the trouble is there are fewer of them. Fatherhood has become a luxury good, concentrated among men with money and stability and the conviction that family is worth building. The childless ranks keep climbing, especially among the secular and the men who most likely skipped fatherhood were the ones that were told it didn't even matter. Now to a group that built a fortune branding others as bigots, a federal indictment alleges the Southern Poverty Law center, the self styled anti hate watchdog, funneled more than a million dollars to a man man embedded in a neo Nazi organization. A newer indictment adds a detail you couldn't even invent. The center's own intelligence director was reportedly romantically involved with that very informant. So the outfit that made millions warning about Nazis was allegedly funding one and dating him. That's a tough reputation to try to rebuild. And that wraps up today's Fortis News break. I'm Jimmy Hicks. If you want more, you can download Fortis or sign up Sign up to become a Fortis Insider for exclusive daily content, both of which you can [e-mail] and don't forget, you can subscribe to Fortis News on your favorite podcast app in order to get these updates daily. And until tomorrow, go serve your king.

[Todd Friel]

Names of God we learn a lot about God from the names given to him in Scripture. The first name given to God is Elohim. In Genesis chapter one, verse one, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Elohim is a plural noun, but the verb created is singular. God is plural in personhood, but singular in being. The Creator God is the Triune Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel,

[Jimmy Hicks]

and we are back here to witness Wednesday on Wretched Radio. I'm Jimmy Hicks. Todd, this week is out on the campus of Georgia Tech and I want you to list him. And as you do, I want you to notice that as he is evangelizing these students, he's just asking questions and he's letting them answer. See, when you let them steer the conversation, you're going to learn where they are in life, you're going to learn what they believe, and then you can actually speak to the person with specificity.

[Todd Friel]

One of the reasons why we tend to get into tussles over creation and evolution when we get into that topic, when we're witnessing to somebody, is because it's not just a debate over the evidence of supposed science or archaeological digs, but it is presenting to them a very big God. A lot of people these days, they can live with an evolving God, the God who evolved things. But people get scared at the idea of the Creator God. So I think sometimes when we proclaim God is the Creator, the maker and Sustainer who created everything by the word of his power, and he Holds it all together because of his great power. I think that can be a way of exalting God and helping people understand their sinfulness. The higher we get God, the lower man becomes. That's the goal. The Ten Commandments does that very efficiently. There are other ways. But we use the law to bring about the knowledge of sin so that they see themselves in truth.

[Rex]

Okey doke.

[Todd Friel]

I'm gonna try to get away from this bobcat. Wow. This construction. Let me just get away from the never ending construction, which is again just a perfect reminder that God is the creator. None of these buildings got here all by themselves. They had to be done by somebody. Hey, young man, while you're walking that way, could I talk to you on the radio? You okay with that?

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Come on, keep walking. I won't slow you down. Where are you from?

[Thai Student]

Thailand.

[Todd Friel]

Thailand, wow.

[Thai Student]

Yeah, you know that.

[Todd Friel]

How are they? It's right off of China, isn't it?

[Thai Student]

No, no, not even close. Near, you know. Vietnam. Yes, Vietnam and Cambodia.

[Todd Friel]

I'm. You know what, I have to confess, I'm very bad with my geography there.

[Thai Student]

Oh yeah, it's in Southeast Asia.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah. How was life then?

[Casey]

These days?

[Thai Student]

Not so good.

[Todd Friel]

What's causing the strife?

[Thai Student]

We have political problem right now.

[Todd Friel]

What about religious problems?

[Thai Student]

No, not really.

[Todd Friel]

No. Really? Has there been any fighting between the major religious worldviews?

[Thai Student]

Not really.

[Todd Friel]

What is the predominant religion in Thailand?

[Thai Student]

Buddhism.

[Todd Friel]

Buddhism. Are you a Buddhist?

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Cool. Tell me why you're a Buddhist.

[Thai Student]

My parents. Okay, yeah, that's easy.

[Todd Friel]

But are you a practicing Buddhist?

[Thai Student]

Kind of, yeah, sort of.

[Todd Friel]

What do you do to practice it?

[Thai Student]

Well, we do meditation.

[Todd Friel]

Do you do that?

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Why?

[Thai Student]

Well, it helps me a lot about studying.

[Todd Friel]

Clears your brain a little bit.

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Okay.

It's. Is there anything beyond any spiritual dimension? Does it connect you to the divine?

[Thai Student]

No, no, no.

[Todd Friel]

Is there a divine in Buddhism? Is there a God in Buddhism?

[Thai Student]

No.

[Todd Friel]

Who is the major teacher in Buddhism?

[Thai Student]

Buddha.

[Todd Friel]

And you trust him?

[Thai Student]

Yeah. Right. But one of the things that he teaches is that you don't need to believe everything that he said unless you try it first. Okay. Yeah. So that's, that's one thing that he

[Todd Friel]

teaches as best you can. I'm not a Buddhist. So give me your best reason why I should consider becoming a Buddhist.

[Thai Student]

Oh, okay. Let me think first.

[Todd Friel]

All right.

[Thai Student]

Well, I think the best reason for any person actually to be a Buddhist is, is it gives you happiness and kind of like self sufficient. Something like that. Okay.

[Casey]

So

[Thai Student]

you're not trying to live with something you don't have something like that.

[Todd Friel]

So getting rid of desires.

[Thai Student]

Yeah, yeah, right, right. Kind of like that. If you are a monk, you try to get rid of all those desires.

[Todd Friel]

What's wrong with things? What's wrong? Like when you bought those sandals, did you want those sandals?

[Thai Student]

Yeah, I want one.

[Todd Friel]

What's wrong with that?

[Thai Student]

Well, there's nothing wrong with it, but let me think of this.

[Todd Friel]

Do you think that physical things, that earthly things are innately bad?

[Thai Student]

No.

[Todd Friel]

So why is it, why would it be bad to desire food, clothing, a wife, children?

[Thai Student]

Well, I think you, when you have too much desire, that's. That's when the problem occurs.

[Todd Friel]

So you can have desires. Just not too many.

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

For.

[Thai Student]

I mean, for normal person. Unless you're a monk. Unless you're a monk.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. So if I told you I don't have too many desires, I'm pretty peaceful, I don't see a reason to switch, what would you say to me?

[Thai Student]

Yeah, I think that that's okay. Okay.

[Todd Friel]

Do you know what the number one, if you will, selling point of Christianity is? Why would a Christian try to convert you to that worldview? Do you know?

[Thai Student]

Well, honestly, I don't.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, that's interesting. That's honest. That's okay. Have you ever heard the term the gospel?

[Thai Student]

No.

[Todd Friel]

You've never heard that?

[Thai Student]

No.

[Todd Friel]

Really? How long have you been in the States?

[Thai Student]

Two years, around that.

[Todd Friel]

And a Christian has never tried to tell you the gospel?

[Thai Student]

No.

[Todd Friel]

Really?

[Thai Student]

Never met one, actually.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, is that right? Okay. Well, it means good news. There's good news. It's a good news religion, which kind of indicates that there's some bad news. The bad news is we're bad people. The bad news is that there's a creature who's perfect and we're not. And we demonstrate that every day. When we lie and steal and lust desire things that aren't ours, coveting or we dishonored our parents. In other words, we break God's laws. That's the bad news. And because we do bad things, we lust. We maybe look at pornography or use our bodies for sex outside of marriage or get drunk or call people bad names. And we are guilty people. And God, because he's perfect and just, must punish guilty people because justice is important. You and I like justice. We don't like criminals to get off of their court case. We want to see them punished. Because that's right, they've earned punishment. And you and I have earned punishment. You and I have deserved the wrath of God. That's the bad news. You and I are Lawbreakers. The good news of the Gospel is Jesus Christ. You've heard his name, right?

[Thai Student]

Yeah, sure.

[Todd Friel]

Jesus Christ is gone. He came to this earth knowing that you are a sinner who needs rescuing, who needs forgiveness. And he was beaten by men, hung on a cross. You've heard that story. Perhaps he did that so that your fine, the debt that you've amassed against God can be paid. He can be the fine payer for. For you as a guilty criminal who can't pay his own fine. So your sins can be forgiven and you can inherit eternal life with God. Jesus Christ, God himself took the wrath of the Father on your behalf so that you can be forgiven and set free. If you will abandon any other religion, repent of your sins, which means to turn from them and put your trust in his son, Jesus. He will forgive all of your sins and grant you everlasting life. You won't go to nothingness. And your desires, you won't lose your desires, but your desires will change. Instead of desiring sinful things, you'll desire holy things, you'll desire good things. Instead of desiring things that are against God, you'll desire God himself. That's the good news of the gospel. So here's my question for you, my friend. Which system, which worldview is correct? That's the question. Because clearly Buddhism and Christianity aren't just two different paths. They're two completely different systems. So we can't comfort ourselves by saying it really doesn't matter. All roads lead there anyway. Because they don't, they go in different directions. Christianity claims to offer forgiveness and everlasting life. Buddhism offers perhaps surrender, but it doesn't do anything to solve your sin problem and the guilty feelings that you have when you do wrong things. Christianity does. It offers forgiveness because of what Jesus did for you. If you will repent and trust, that's the good news of the gospel. Now you know. So as you go wandering on your way here today at Georgia Tech, would you. Could I challenge you to consider if what I'm telling you is true? Because if it's true, you're in big trouble right now. You're a lawbreaker like the rest of us. And God will give you what you deserve. And it's a very bad thing. It's called hell. But he offers forgiveness based on what Jesus did for you. If you will repent and trust him, your slate will not only be wiped clean, but you'll be credited with the righteousness, the goodness of Jesus because he kept all the laws that you and I couldn't keep. It's just a different system. You should figure out which one is true. Because if I'm right, what I'm telling you, you're in big trouble right now. But God offers you terms of peace. So please, would you consider what I've I'm a complete stranger. You don't know me at all. I'm just trying to share with you what the Bible teaches. Please think about it. Listen to your conscience. And if your conscience troubles you and you realize, you know what, I'm in big trouble, think about what Jesus did for you. Apologize, turn from your sins and put your trust in him and he will forgive you and your conscience will be cleansed and he'll change your heart. And then read a Bible. Okay? All right. Something to ponder, my friend. Thanks for the geography lesson.

[Thai Student]

Okay. All right.

[Todd Friel]

Goodbye, young man.

[Jimmy Hicks]

All right, don't go anywhere. We aren't done yet. Much more from Georgia Tech next on Wretched Radio. Be honest. When's the last time you shared the gospel with a stranger? Not posted something online, not liked a Christian meme, but actually opened your mouth and told someone about Jesus? If your stomach tightened just a little bit, you're not alone. Most Christians would rather do almost anything than evangelize. It's terrifying. What if they get mad? What if I say something wrong? What if they ask me a question I can't answer? Our resource, Terrified, too. It exists because Jesus gave us the Great Commission, not the great suggestion, and he actually gave us the tools to obey it. And this resource will walk you through how to share the gospel with strangers, even family members, without needing Pepto Bismol to get through it. You'll still be nervous. That's normal. But you'll also be equipped. And equipped beats terrified Every single time. Terrified2 it is streaming right now for free on Fortis. Download the app right now on your smartphone, on your your smart TV, or head to fortisplus.org thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. If you're a man, you're trying to figure out what it actually means to be one. And you've probably noticed the world doesn't make it easy. They say be strong, but not too strong. Lead, but you don't want to be toxic. It's a lot of mixed signals, and after a while, you just stop listening to any of it. And the thing about it is scripture is not confused. God has a lot to say about what it means to be a man, and Dr. Adam Tyson unpacks that every week on way of manhood. Dr. Tysit is a pastor. He's also a professor at the Masters University, and he's one of our Fortis Institute fellows. And he's not interested in cultural trends. He's interested in what the Bible actually says. And if you're an ongoing monthly gospel partner of Fortis Institute, it is your support that helps make content just like this possible. If you've ever been impacted by this ministry, would you prayerfully consider becoming an ongoing monthly gospel partner today? All you have to do is go to portisinstitute.org right now to find out what it would look like in your life to do just that. Wretched Amazing Grace Amazing Gospel Trust the science. You've heard it a million times, usually right before someone uses it to shut a conversation down instead of opening one up. But science is a tool. It's not a judge. Like any tool, it depends on who's holding it and what they already believe. Two scientists can look at the exact same data and walk away with opposite conclusions because each one brought a different, different worldview to the table. Science also leans on a few things it can't prove that the universe stays orderly and that our minds can actually grasp truth. Both make the most sense of a rational God made it all. You take him out of the picture and you're left trusting that chaos somehow adds up. That's where in the beginning with Dr. Jason Lyle comes in. He's a PhD astrophysicist. He'll teach you to read the science headlines without getting played. New episodes of in the Beginning are dropped every single Wednesday on every single podcast platform in existence [e-mail].

[Todd Friel]

Attributes of God the Bible tells us of God's faithfulness. Since God is truth, he has no desire to break his promises. Since he is omnipotent, nothing can cause him to break promises. Since his promises are based on his eternal plan, God will always keep them. Scripture called God a rock, a fortress, and a bulwark, never failing because he is faithful. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel,

[Jimmy Hicks]

and we are back to Witness Wednesday here on Wretched Radio. I'm Jimmy Hicks in the studio. Todd is out on the campus of Georgia Tech this week and we're going to get back out right now as he continues to hold the mirror of the law up to the students.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, I'm going to try to scoot over and talk to this guy. On university campuses, dudes wearing flip flops and a ski hat. He's hot. He's cold. I'm not exactly sure, but I wanted I want to talk to him. You're listening to Wretched radio on Witness Wednesday. Hey dude, while you're walking, could I talk to you for a moment on the radio?

[Casey]

Sure.

[Rex]

Cool.

[Todd Friel]

I just. Just walk and I'll follow along. All right. What are you listening to on your headset right now?

[Casey]

Newfound Glory.

[Todd Friel]

What's that?

[Casey]

It's a band, punk band, I'd say.

[Todd Friel]

Newfound Glory. What does that, what does that mean?

[Casey]

It's a band name.

[Todd Friel]

What does it mean?

[Casey]

Newfoundland.

[Todd Friel]

It's got the name Glory. Is it religious?

[Casey]

No, no, not religious. I'd say it's just. I really don't know.

[Todd Friel]

All right, here's what I wanted to talk to you. You're flip flopping and you got a ski hat on. How calm.

[Casey]

The hat's comfortable and I like to have the air on my feet.

[Todd Friel]

But not on your head?

[Sean]

No.

[Todd Friel]

Okay.

[Casey]

Okay.

[Todd Friel]

I mean that's fair. We all. Personal preferences.

[Casey]

It's also fashionable.

[Todd Friel]

Ah, for the chicks, of course. There you go. Because that's a big part of going to school, isn't it? Yeah, sure. Overall, do you think this is a pretty moral campus?

[Casey]

I'd say so.

[Todd Friel]

You think so? How do you know compared to.

[Casey]

There's a lot of places you can go religious wise if you'd like to. They keep everything pretty decent. You don't see like, you know, inappropriate, appropriate posters.

[Todd Friel]

I've been surprised at that.

[Casey]

I think it's a pretty moral.

[Todd Friel]

Pretty good campus. Yeah. What about you? How do you. How are you morally?

[Casey]

I mean I'm not too religious, I don't go to church, but I believe I have a moral standing. I just not tied to one religion at the moment.

[Thai Student]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Do you think you're a good person?

[Casey]

I believe so, yes. Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

How do you know?

[Casey]

Because I always ask myself what I feel is morally right and I do that.

[Todd Friel]

Is it possible that there's a moral standard outside of yourself?

[Casey]

You mean like pre written morals that we should follow, like a religion?

[Todd Friel]

Well, that or wherever. You get it. I'm just thinking about the criminal who would stand in front of the judge maybe and say what you just said. And that is judge. Every day I ask myself, am I living right? Ultimately it's not going to matter if the judge thinks you're guilty. You're guilty no matter what you think, right?

[Casey]

Well, I mean there are laws that

[Todd Friel]

you have to obey. And what about moral laws though? Nobody's looking. Stuff you can get away with stuff where there aren't written laws about it. Do you think that there's a Different set of morals in the universe.

[Casey]

I believe that you're gonna have to. I believe in consciousness, karma. So I believe if you do something wrong, morally wrong, even if no one catches you, eventually you're gonna have to pay for it.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. Who's. I'm always curious, going this way, when it comes to karma, who is the cosmic accountant that's making sure that people get punished?

[Casey]

It's not necessarily that there's some higher being in my belief this way. Like I said, I'm not really with a religion. And it's mostly that almost probability. It's just a power. It's not really a being. It's just the forces of nature kind of.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah, that sounds like God to me.

[Casey]

In a sense. It is. It's just I'm not exactly atheist. I just don't know which God I'd

[Todd Friel]

like to call it yet. Okay.

[Casey]

You know what I mean?

[Todd Friel]

Is it perhaps a more specific question, not what do I want to call God, but who is God?

[Casey]

Think that's fair?

[Todd Friel]

Yeah. And you don't know? I'd say so. Did you grow up in a religious home?

[Rex]

Yes.

[Casey]

Yes. Southern Baptist.

[Todd Friel]

Southern Baptist. And who did they say God is?

[Casey]

A divine being that created the earth and all the things in it and controls all the things in it.

[Todd Friel]

He. And you don't think that's right?

[Casey]

I think it's right. I just didn't stick with that religion because there were some things that I was unsure about and there were some things in other religions that I thought were interesting.

[Rex]

Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

What were you unsure about when it comes to being a Southern Baptist?

[Casey]

The creation. Me, obviously, I go to tech. I like science. I kind of feel more towards the scientific creation and evolution.

[Rex]

Yeah.

[Casey]

But can't really think of too many examples off the top of my head. Mostly it was just I saw other

[Todd Friel]

things in other religions that I appreciated, like reincarnation, karma.

[Casey]

Not necessarily reincarnation, but karma. And.

[Todd Friel]

Well, Christianity has karma in a sense that God will make sure that anything that's done that's wrong will get punished. So that aspect is in Christianity, isn't it?

[Casey]

Yes. I just. I didn't feel it. Like when I talk to Christians and I go to church and things like that. I didn't feel that they believed in karma as I did. I didn't feel like they're points of view of the topic with agreed entirely with mine. So I'm at a point where I'm just looking around. Probably I will end up going back to Southern Baptist just because that's my roots. And if anything, it's probably what I feel strongest with.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, tell me this is. Believe it or not, you and I have a lot in common. You don't know this, but we do. I was a lot like him.

[Thai Student]

You.

[Todd Friel]

Many years ago. Because I didn't understand something. So I'd like to ask you. Tell me, what is the gospel?

[Casey]

The Gospels, the books written by.

[Todd Friel]

No. What is the gospel? The good news? The Christian gospel.

[Casey]

Don't believe. I know.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, that might be a big. What's your first name?

[Casey]

Casey.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, Casey. It's all right. Okay, Casey, this might be helpful. I'm going to ask you a tough question. Would you consider yourself to be a good person?

[Rex]

Yes.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. I'm going to test that. How many lies have you told in your life?

[Casey]

A few.

[Todd Friel]

A few. Okay, so if you tell a few lies, what does that make you? If I told a few lies, you might call me a liar. Okay. How many things have you stolen in your life?

[Casey]

Never.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. How many times have you taken God's name in vain?

[Casey]

Might have. A few.

[Todd Friel]

Blasphemy.

[Thai Student]

Okay.

[Todd Friel]

How many times we talked about girls before? How many times have you lifted a woman on campus with lust? With sexual desire?

[Casey]

Sometimes. Yeah.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. And we'll leave it there. We won't get into fornication, we won't get into pornography. We'll just leave it with looking. With lust. Okay. The Bible says you're gonna die and you're gonna give an account. The books will be open. So there you stand, naked before God. No attorney, no parents, nothing. You and God. He knows every thought, every deed done in darkness. Everything you should have done but didn't. All the times you had a meal and you didn't thank him. Would he find you innocent or guilty, Casey?

[Casey]

Well, again, that comes back to. That's the Christian God that you're speaking of. I don't. Like. I don't. The things that you've named off that you feel are wrong does not agree with what I feel. It is wrong.

[Todd Friel]

But again, this comes back to. It doesn't matter what the criminal thinks. The question is, what does the judge think? So if the Bible is true. Grant me that premise. If the Bible is true. If the God of the Bible is the only God. No other options. He's it. He's the creator. He's your maker. Those are his laws. Would he be innocent or guilty?

[Casey]

I would consider myself innocent because my beliefs are different than yours. I don't believe.

[Todd Friel]

I believe there could be more.

[Casey]

More than one God. I believe there could be A Christian God. There could be, you know, there could be multiple gods. We each may see our own God when we come.

[Todd Friel]

Setting that aside for a moment, my premise is this. If there is only one God and you stand before him and he knows everything you've done, innocent or guilty.

[Casey]

I may be guilty of a few things. That's for him to decide, right? But I do things as I feel best. Day to day. I do it. All I feel is right, and I don't regret a single thing I've done. If I stand in front of him, if I have done wrong in choosing who I wish to believe, and I stand in front of your God and he deems me guilty and sends me to hell, then I have at least. I can at least say I've done my best. I've done what I feel is right. Day to day, moment to moment. I've done what I feel is right and I deserve what I get. And I will burn in hell. And that's what I paid. At least I can say that I made the best decision I could, moment to moment.

[Todd Friel]

You want to go to hell?

[Casey]

I don't want to. But if I'm doing the best I feel I can and your God sends me to hell, what does that say about your God?

[Todd Friel]

That he's just okay?

[Casey]

Then I deserve to go to hell. That's what it boils down to.

[Todd Friel]

Casey, what's the gospel? Tell me, what's the gospel? Now this is where the good news comes in. What is it?

[Casey]

You mean it? If I do all things right, I go to heaven.

[Todd Friel]

You haven't. So you're in big trouble already.

[Casey]

But you're saying that's what the good news would be if I did do everything else?

[Todd Friel]

Could you go to church? Casey?

[Casey]

I went to church. Went to summer Bible camp of years when I was younger. Didn't go to church on Sundays.

[Todd Friel]

Okay, dude, the good news is Jesus Christ. You've heard his name. He's God. He came to this earth to die on a cross, to take the punishment he deserves. You deserve the wrath of the Father. Jesus took it on your behalf so that your sins can be forgiven. You've broken the law. Jesus paid your fine. And if you'll repent, apologize, put your trust in Jesus Christ, then the Bible says you'll be forgiven of your sins and God will grant you everlasting life. That's the good news. You don't have to go to hell. God will save you and he'll take you to heaven based on what his son did. That's the good news of the gospel. Now, I know you're thinking about stuff here. You're going through campus and college and trying to figure these things out. I can't club you over the head and make you a Christian. But at least now, if nothing else, there's some clarity about what the Christian gospel is. We're lawbreakers. Jesus died for us and demonstrated his love. You've heard the verse. For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. Whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Life.

The Christian gospel is that of good news. It does demand that you confess that all other gods are idols. They aren't true. They don't exist. There's only one true God and his son, Jesus Christ. And if you'll repent and put your trust in him, you'll go to heaven. That's the Christian gospel. So as you ponder things and try to figure it out, as you're on campus here now, at least you're dealing with what the Bible teaches. And now you know what the options are. Fair enough.

[Casey]

Fair enough.

[Todd Friel]

All right, there.

[Jimmy Hicks]

And this has been another week of Witness Wednesday here on wretched radio. If this was your first experience with Witness Wednesday, there are literally hundreds of hours of witnessing encounters available for you right now on Fortis Plus. Just go to fortis plus.org and until tomorrow, go serve your king.