Mailbag Friday: Church Discontent + False Teachers + Mental Health

Summary

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Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Mailbag Friday: Church Discontent + False Teachers + Mental Health

Date: July 10, 2026
Host: Todd Friel (with Jimmy Hicks)
Podcast: Wretched Radio (Produced by Fortis Institute)

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Episode Overview

This "Mailbag Friday" episode of Wretched Radio features host Todd Friel and co-host Jimmy Hicks addressing listener-submitted questions on hot-button issues within Christian life and theology. The primary themes explored in this episode are:

• The possibility of repentance and forgiveness for false teachers
• Navigating marital and personal discontent with a church or pastor
• Distinguishing which biblical promises Christians today can "claim"
• Approaching mental health and psychosis from a Christian counseling perspective
• Puritan book recommendations and the ongoing relevance of their teachings

The episode balances biblically grounded responses, practical advice, humor, and anecdotes from ministry life. Throughout, Friel calls for humility, self-examination, and charity in handling controversies within the church and individual struggles.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Can False Teachers Repent and Be Forgiven?

(02:51 – 07:36)

• Listener Question: Is it possible for even notorious false teachers to be forgiven if they repent?
• Friel's Emphatic Response:
  • "Nobody's too far gone. There isn't as bad as a Benny Hinn or a Ken Copeland or a Jesse Duplantis is. Believe me, Jesus is mighty enough to save even them. He saved worse." (03:17, Todd Friel)
  • Ultimately, only God knows a person's heart; we are called to continue preaching the Gospel and calling for repentance.
• Distinction Made:
  • While forgiveness is possible for anyone, false teachers do "the worst" spiritual damage and we can't be naïve about their intentions (04:54).
  • "We should be rebuking them...but we should even care about their souls, right?" (05:10, Friel)
• Practical Tone:
  • Rebuke false teachers strongly, as Jesus and the apostles did, distinguishing between the false teachers themselves (who are "wolves") and their misled followers.
• Memorable Moment:
  • Playful scenario: "You're in a room with Benny Hinn...what would you say?"—answer: "Repent, man. Repent." (06:36, Jimmy Hicks)
• Key principle:
  • Be bold in truth, yet don't give up hope for repentance, even in the hardest cases.

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2. Handling Church Discontent—When a Spouse Wants to Leave

(07:45 – 22:52 and 15:13 – 22:52 expanded discussion)

• Listener Scenario: A listener's wife feels she “cannot learn” under their pastor after six years; the listener himself feels satisfied and asks for advice.
• Friel’s Steps for Discernment:
  1. Assess objectively: Evaluate the quality of teaching yourself; is there valid concern, or preference at play? (08:02)
  2. Move slowly: Guard against knee-jerk reactions; don’t leave unless there is a substantive, biblical reason.
  3. Talk to the pastor: “You need to talk to the fellow. At least understand where he's coming from.” (08:42, Friel)
  4. Examine your heart: If you are forever dissatisfied, it may reveal a heart issue.
• Two-Way Relationship:
  • “The pulpit-pew relationship is definitely a two-way street.” (09:36, Friel)
  • Both pastor and congregation have responsibilities: the pastor to grow in preaching, and the congregation to be “good listeners,” not hypercritical.
• Jimmy Hicks’ Addition:
  • Seek specifics from your spouse—what exactly is the concern? Women may intuitively sense problems men miss, but feelings still need to be grounded in facts (15:30–16:33).
• Outcome:
  • Work through the issue calmly, considering the broader welfare of the family and the church.
  • Don’t leave over minor grievances—“the bar has to be higher.” Only a biblical failing justifies a move.
• Key quote:
  • “If your heart is not in the right place when it comes to receiving the word...you're probably going to be forever discontent.” (09:21, Friel)
• Relational Wisdom:
  • Friel advocates for healthy conflict resolution: “You work through those things for years...you’re building something that’s so much deeper.” (22:52)
• Warning against "boundary culture": Modern advice to “cut out” difficult people leaves Christians isolated; working through conflict is essential to true relationship and church health.

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3. How To Know Which Biblical Promises Apply to Us

(36:30 – 40:34)

• Listener Question: How do I know which biblical promises are for me and which were for others?
• Friel’s Hermeneutics Crash Course:
  • “If it’s in the epistles...probably [applies] to us,” since they were written to the early church.
  • In the Gospels, some promises and commands were audience-specific; careful discernment needed.
  • Old Testament: Most promises are for Israel under the old covenant, but the principles underlying those promises often still apply (“principalizing approach”).
  • If an OT promise is affirmed in the NT, “then you can cling to that promise.”
• Key principle:
  • “There are truths about God we can learn from those promises, and there could be...a principle that applies to you without it being a direct promise.” (38:44, Friel)
• Resource:
  • Plug for Fortis Plus resource on hermeneutics (“Determine Who It Is”), with study guide, for deeper study.

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4. Puritan Book Recommendations & Contentment

(34:26 – 49:56)

• Puritan Reading:
  • Friel recommends Joel Beeke/Reformation Heritage Books as a trustworthy source (“vetted”).
  • Free resources: GraceGems.org—huge archive of sermons and Puritan writings.
  • Specific authors: Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, William Gurnall, John Flavel, Jeremiah Burroughs (especially on contentment).
• Personal Impact:
  • Jimmy shares how Burroughs’ The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment changed his approach to Christian life, helping him see “God’s sovereignty and our submission to him” in new light (44:46–45:30).
  • Friel relates the Old Testament teaching on “real property” and stewardship to modern Christian contentment, echoing Puritan themes.
• Quotes/paraphrases:
  • “We come to God’s table freely and then we find fault.” (49:56, paraphrasing Burroughs)
  • “God gives...because he loves and he’s merciful, and he’s kind, and he’s gracious...he loves to bestow gifts on us freely.” (49:56, Friel)

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5. Approaching Psychosis and Mental Health Biblically

(50:52 – 54:33)

• Listener Question: How to help someone with psychosis?
• Friel’s Practical and Biblical Approach:
  1. Don’t panic; first investigate biological or physiological causes; medication may have a role.
  2. Medication can help calm the mind, but it doesn’t solve the underlying issue—it’s not a cure.
  3. Ultimately, the root issue is spiritual; counsel must address the “inner man.”
  4. Greg Gifford’s book Lies My Therapist Told Me recommended (“book of the year” from biblicalcounseling.com).
• Balanced View:
  • “Psychotropics...can be used, but that doesn't get to the problem. They can be used in order to help the person think through how they should be thinking...But those things don't ever fix any sort of problem.”
• Resource:
  • Recommends biblicalcounseling.com for further resources and referrals.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On False Teachers:
  • “Jesus is mighty enough to save even them. He saved worse.” (03:17, Todd Friel)
  • “Call everybody to repentance, including false teachers. But you can have permission to be stronger...” (07:07, Friel)
• On Church Discontent:
  • “If your heart is not in the right place when it comes to receiving the word from your pastor, you're probably going to be forever discontent.” (09:21, Friel)
  • “Work through those things for years...now you’re building something that’s so much deeper. It’s good for your soul.” (22:52, Friel)
• On Promises in Scripture:
  • “If you see that particular promise affirmed in the New Testament, then you can cling to that promise and rest and enjoy that promise.” (39:22, Friel)
• On Contentment (Paraphrasing Burroughs):
  • “We come to God's table freely, and then we find fault.” (49:56, Jimmy Hicks)
• On Medication and the Mind:
  • “Psychotropics...can be used...but those things don’t ever fix any sort of problem. They don’t, because the issue isn’t your brain. The issue is you.” (50:57, Friel)

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Additional Segments

• Puritan Book Resources:
  • ReformationHeritageBooks.com (for trusted, vetted Puritan resources) and GraceGems.org (free daily Puritan quotes, sermons, and books).
• Name Meanings:
  • Humor on nominative determinism and the origins/ironies of the names “Todd” (means “fox”) and “Jimmy” (“supplanter”; not “boyish” according to Friel) (30:04–34:19).
• Practical Hermeneutics Tip:
  • Examine the type of biblical book (epistle, Gospel, Old Testament) to guide which commands and promises are for Christians today.
• Counsel for Marriages & Churches:
  • Healthy conflict resolution makes relationships “deeper than before the conflict” (22:52).
• Biblical Counseling Plug:
  • For both mental health and practical Christian living, Friel directs listeners to biblicalcounseling.com and resources by Greg Gifford.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:51] – Can False Teachers Repent?
• [07:45] & [15:13] – Navigating Church Discontent in Marriage
• [36:30] – Which Biblical Promises Are For Me?
• [34:26] & [44:05] – Puritan Recommendations & Contentment
• [50:52] – Helping Someone With Psychosis
• [54:33] – End notes and closing remarks

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Overall Tone and Takeaways

In his usual affable, slightly self-deprecating style, Friel urges listeners to stay charitable, grounded, and discerning—whether evaluating teaching, handling church conflict, or supporting loved ones in mental distress. The message is consistently Christ-centered: true change (in doctrine, contentment, or mental health) comes through the Gospel and the ongoing work of God’s Spirit.

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For further resources and to submit questions:

• email: [e-mail]
• text: 877-282-2337
• Free courses/study guides: fortisplus.org
• Counseling: biblicalcounseling.com

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Transcript

[A]

Wretched radio begins in 3, 2, 1.

[B]

God gave me a Ferrari because I am a Ferrari. You're a Ferrari, too. When God made you, he had all the options put on. You are fully loaded and totally equipped. So do this with me. Where did we ever come up with the style of preaching we have today? There is some entertaining preaching, but not convicting preaching. And the legacy has been tragic.

[A]

It's time for Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[B]

Here we go.

[A]

It's the Wretched Radio mail call, delivery bag, Q and A infotainment nationwide extravaganza featuring your voicemails, correspondences, communiques, dispatches, memorandums, and misses.

[B]

Any special message for all the kids watching at home? What we need right now is a clear message to the people of this country. You have 1200 messages.

[C]

That is a bit above average.

[A]

Now here's your host, Todd Freakishly Tall Friel.

[B]

Camille is here. This is Wretched Radio. Hopefully nobody bursts through the door to, you know, have a conversation by yelling at us and then calling it a peaceful protest inside of our private property. Hopefully we can carry on reading your questions, comments, conundrum, snarks, or anything. Wretched sent to ideaetched.org you can also use them thumbs and text away. 877-282-2337.

[C]

But I can't respond. I just want to put that out

[B]

there again that you. Oh, I thought you were talking about if there's a peaceful protest that takes place if somebody storms the building.

[C]

No, I'm going to be extra peaceful if they do that.

[B]

Yeah. No, I'm so excited about this new paradigm of protesting and that we get to do it anywhere we want to.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

I'm telling you. You know what? There's so many places that I wish were out of business. I'm just going to go in there and scream at all the patrons and then when they start to put me in handcuffs, I'll say, oh, no, no, no, no. Just protesting. Where were the police? Why didn't. Why didn't these people, did they show up? Did I see him out in the front lawn? I thought I did. And I got to tell you, a chill went up my spine because I saw all that snow and I just went, oh, I remember it so vividly. Speaking of snow, Jimmy batten down the hatches if it doesn't look like you'll be doing church on Sunday.

[C]

Well, they are already preparing.

[B]

Well, North Point, they heard about this two weeks ago.

[C]

I don't go to North Point. Let's make that clear.

[B]

Yeah. And they actually shut down for the entire month because there might be some snow, you know, for the sake.

[C]

Par for the course.

[B]

Yeah, they're just being what they are. 8, 7, 7, 2, 8, 2, 2, 3, 3, 7.

[C]

Speaking of that, it's a good segue into our first question. This is from Eric Todd. I was wondering if a false teacher could repent and be forgiven. I've seen some like Costi Hinn say that we should pray that they are granted repentance, but haven't seen very many others do the same. And I was just wondering if they could be forgiven or if it's just too late for them.

[B]

Oh, no, you know, what if their heart is hardened? We don't know that. And therefore we are told, just keep on preaching, just keep on evangelizing. We cannot make that decision. We don't have that sort of power. God knows that. But he commands us. Just keep disseminating the gospel, please. Keep calling people to repentance. And it's perhaps a little cliche, but I think it's biblical. Nobody's too far gone. There isn't as bad as a Benny Hinn or a Ken Copeland or a Jesse Duplantis is. Believe me, Jesus is mighty enough to save even them. He saved worse. Although I will say this, false teachers, I gotta tell you, if you're a false teacher, I don't know if Dante had them rings arranged. Right. But I got to tell you, they're going to experience the worst. Why? Because they are misrepresenting God. They are saying, thus saith the Lord, and the Lord ain't saying that. And they're bilking people because they use God's word to enrich themselves and keep people just struggling and just offering false hope. That is false teaching. If you're one of those, you better repent for the first time and put your trust in Jesus Christ, because he will save even you. 8, 7, 7, 2, 8, 2, 2, 3, 3, 7.

[C]

Yeah, I think definitely what you said, they can definitely be forgiven. Anybody can be forgiven. But I think when it comes to false teachers, we shouldn't be naive either. Maybe scripture. Scripture's plain, Todd.

[B]

No, we need to rebuke them.

[C]

We do. Well, but it also tells us that they're not just. They're not just confused. They're wolves. And they're. Yeah, so I don't think we could be naive in it.

[B]

Well, I didn't say.

[C]

I didn't say I was adding to what you mean.

[B]

Oh, are we still on the air?

[C]

I think so.

[B]

No, I agree with you. The false teachers, they're like the worst of the worst. Their spiritual damage is even worse than physical harm. This is God's word that they're mangling. They're twisting scripture, and God has always loathed that. Why? Because his word represents him. So I agree with you. And we should be rebuking them. We should be calling them to repentance, though, because they're in danger too, and we should even care about their souls, right?

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

All right, so what exactly then are you suggesting, Jimmy?

[C]

Don't know.

[B]

You're in a room with Benny Hinn.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

And it's locked, so he can't get out because it would need to be locked because he'd run from you. Most of us do. So what would you say to Benny Hinn?

[C]

I would say a lot to Benny Hinn.

[B]

All right.

[C]

But.

[B]

But, you know, we got time. Go.

[C]

That's a hard question, because he's already been there before. You know what I mean? He's got, like, the question mentioned Costihan. He's got people in his life that have told him the truth. So it's really difficult to question. Answer on the spot of how I would approach that, because I know he's heard it, and that's the point that I was trying to make.

[B]

So what would you say?

[C]

What would I say? Repentance.

[B]

But. Exactly. Repent, man. Repent. Now, as to your point, I think knowing that somebody like this is a charlatan is a wolf, you're dealing with a dangerous beast. You do need to know that. Furthermore, I do believe when it comes to false teaching versus the followers of false teachers, that's a different tone. They are intentionally aggressively mutilating Scripture.

[C]

That's the tension there, because.

[B]

Okay, and how's about this? I think we can come to agreement, Jimmy, that we call everybody to repentance, including false teachers. But you can have permission to be stronger.

[C]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[B]

And call them what the Bible calls them, right?

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

Jesus was strong with those who mislead those who are misled. Different tone. But I still think in both cases we call them to repentance. But you have permission to be stronger with the false teacher. Did we just come to agreement?

[C]

We agree on. On. On just about.

[B]

Let the storm come. I have peace in Georgia. 877-282-2337.

[C]

This is from anonymous. A text. Todd, my wife doesn't like the church we've been attending for over eight years anymore. She says she cannot learn under our pastor, who's been in that position for about six years. I love the church, I love our pastor, but I don't know what to do. Yeah.

[B]

Want to be on the same page with that? I think that I might start here, sir. Try as best you can to do a reasonable assessment of the level of teaching that you're receiving at that church. I think before I'd even have a conversation, just observe and see if you can understand where she's coming from. By the way, I didn't say that. If it's not what you think it should be or as robust as you'd like it to be, that that's automatic permission to scoot. No, I think that decision, assuming of course, it is small o orthodox. Yeah. You really need to be sl in making that decision. Having said that, could you make that decision because down the street you could be better fed. The answer is yes, but I don't think that's like a knee jerk sort of thing. I don't think it's a quickie. I think you need to talk to the pastor. You need to express your concerns. Work through it with the guy. If he's faithfully been handling the word, but maybe not to the depth you desire. Don't just bolt on the guy. Talk to the fellow. At least understand where he's coming from. That might be super helpful. And then work. You just simply have to work through it with your wife. And can you ultimately make a decision to go. Let me just put a quick asterisk in front of. Yes, you can. But if your heart has not been examined, there's a really good chance. If your heart motivation is. I just, I'm. You're just. It. It's an inappropriate criticism of the pastor or it's just I'm kind of bored with the guy. Been listening to him for six years. There's guys on the radio who I think are more interesting. You'll bring that to your next church and then you'll bring it to the church after that. Because whether it's eight years, six years, six months, if your heart is not in the right place when it comes to receiving the word from your pastor, you're probably going to be forever discontent. You'll maybe go to a place and it's like, oh, love that guy's preaching. Yeah. And that's. It's pretty good. Nah, I'm really sick of that guy's terrible because it's a heart thing. The pulpit pew relationship is definitely a two way street. In fact, somebody sent an email, I believe just this week saying, hey, the pastor's preaching not so good. When it was pointed out to the pastor, he kind of turned it on us and said, you need to be better listeners. All right, I wasn't there. But I think both things are true. I think the pastor has a responsibility to continually attempt to up his game simultaneously. And this might be helpful for you and for your wife, that you don't go because of the level necessarily of the guy's discourse, but because he's prepared a sermon for you in the context of a local congregation. As your shepherd, look for what God has for you. That'll help you to overlook some of the mannerisms or the way that he handles or the depth to which he goes when it comes to preaching a Bible verse that you could like, Lord, I'm, I, I'm. I'm not there for that. I'm not there for Winston Churchill oratory. I'm there to hear what you have for me that might help Work through this with your spouse with good knowledge of assessing the situation for what it really and proceed slowly. This is wretched radio.

[C]

You know, 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. Well, they've 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 that needs answers. They need real ground to stand on,

[D]

not just a good feeling.

[C]

And that's what Dr. Lyle is doing. New episodes of Irrefutable Proof of Creation streaming right now and dropping weekly on Fortis Plus. You can download the app on your smartphone, your smart TV, or simply go

[B]

to fortisplus.org perhaps you've been wondering, is there a Christian university that isn't woke or that hasn't compromised on important, important biblical doctrines like, you know, the age of the earth? There is. It's the Master's university in Southern California. Beautiful campus, all of the athletics and activities that you've come to expect from universities. But it's more than that. The academic programs are most excellent, preparing students for the future. The Washington Post just said number six for preparing students for the real world. All that plus the Master's university isn't woke and it is thoroughly biblical. Would you like to learn more? I encourage you to visit the Master's university at Masters. Edu Wretched. Masters. Edu Wretched.

[C]

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[A]

Titles of Christ in the Bible, Jesus is given many titles that teaches us about who he is and what he has done. Jesus is called the true vine. The Old Testament describes Israel as a vine planted in the desert. Jesus is the true vine, and those who trust in him are grafted into in to receive life and nourishment from Christ. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[B]

Hey, Jimmy. Do you know what I'm doing?

[C]

What are you.

[B]

Just waiting for you to bust in.

[C]

I wanted to.

[B]

Wretched radio. I know you did. All right. What do you say to the husband whose wife is now not very happy with the preaching at the church where they've been for eight years? Pastor's been there six years. She wants more. Whatever that is, I don't know, but she wants more.

[C]

Okay, so I'm looking at this in a different way. And so I want to know exactly why she thinks that. I want to get really specific answers from my wife as to why she feels that way now. Because if she brings up things that are legitimate, things that she's seeing from the pulpit as the spiritual leader in that home, why am I not Seeing that.

[B]

Well, it could be. It could be. Sometimes it's subjective issues, sometimes it's preference issues. No, no, they need to be something substantive, otherwise they should be overlooked.

[C]

And a lot of times, and I don't want this to come off as sounding sexist or anything.

[B]

There we go.

[C]

But no, wives are smarter than men in a sense that they pick up on things in situations like that, but they don't necessarily want to say what they're picking up on. So.

[B]

Pick up on what things?

[C]

I don't know. They can just pick up on things like, you know, they have. I don't know, women have something. Now you're just letting me wallow in it.

[B]

Well, you know what? It's kind of fun to watch something just flapping in the wind. It's kind of calming in a sense. I think a woman does have intuition where she sends somebody. It's like, boy, that guy kind of makes me uncomfortable. A lot of times they tend to be right because we have a tendency to overlook those things. And that is why, if you're going to be doing an assessment on the pastor, though, all right, it's got to be based on just the facts, ma'. Am. It's got to be. I agree with you. I think the fellow should take a look at the pastor and do, okay, what type of preaching is this? How expositional is it? How thematic is it? How topical is it? How is it completely, where is it? What are you doing? So that you've got some sort of a more thoughtful understanding. And then I agree with you. Sit down with the Mrs. And say, okay, honey, I've been studying the pastor's sermons. Tell me what is it you are seeing exactly. And then you need to work through it, recognizing that there are so many moving parts in this, not the least of which is what opportunities do you have? Are there even any other options? You've been there for so long, you got family, the kids are in the school, and all of those considerations. It needs to be something pretty substantial, not whimsical, not just. Well, you know, I'm just kind of tired. It's like, it seems like I think he's used one illustration like three times. Not enough. Not enough. The bar has to be higher. And so if. If you're going to leave a church because you don't believe that the church, the. The sermons pass muster, you gotta define what muster is. I don't. First of all, you gotta know what a muster is. I'm not exactly sure what a muster is, but you gotta know what is a biblical sermon and what is not. And understanding that there's a range and what would actually disqualify a church from being a place where you want your family. So there's just so many dynamics involved. And that's why I think the bottom line, encouragement is go slowly, be thoughtful, listen to your Mrs. Hear her, try to understand her, and then proceed. And one of the elements of this would be to meet with the pastor and talk to him about it. Get your. You two get yourself on the same page, make sure your mojo is settled, then lovingly meet with the guy, hey, we've been talking about this. We've been praying about this, we've been studying this. We've been listening so carefully, sir, here's what we see. And let him share his side of the story. You never want to say you can never leave a church simultaneously. You don't want to be like, oh, sure, you can go. It just needs to be worked through more thoughtfully than that because there is a dynamic. It is possible. Now, I'm not speaking about this fellow's wife, but it is possible that you don't like the preaching at your church because you are not listening. Well, you are not listening with expectation. It could be that you're listening with a hypercritical ear, that you are Siskel and Ebert at church and you are just going to. You're a rotten tomato thrower and you're listening for problems or deficiencies or that it doesn't compare to Fill in the blank preacher on the radio. You gotta be a good listener. You might be shocked at how much better the sermons are. I can hear you smacking Jimmy.

[C]

I can affirm what happens when you listen with a critical ear.

[B]

Oh, sure, you find stuff.

[C]

It's not good.

[B]

Of course you find stuff. You find stuff with everything. I mean, where I'm standing, I can look around. Believe me, there's plenty of things for that piece of furniture that's lined up crooked that's driving me nuts. Or it's not. Or I'm grateful that we're in a ministry and we've got a piece of furniture. It really just depends on my heart, too. There is a relationship, and I think this is just a human propensity to criticize the sermon. I'm certain of that. Where people, they leave that whether it was the 1500s, the 500s, or the 21st century, it's a propensity to be judgmental like that, and we need to be on guard for it because it can become a factiousness and it can become something that gets really bitter in your heart. So I think that we all need to guard against that because we all have the ability to find problems. Or you can find the gold that God has planted for you. I don't know that you plant gold, but my point is, there's something there for you. His word doesn't return void. And even if it isn't a sermon that is like, whoa, Martyn Lloyd Jones would be knocked out by that homily. What is it for you that God wants to teach you? That's always the question that should be at the forefront of our mind during church. 877-282. Oh, you got something else?

[C]

No, I was just gonna affirm what you said as well.

[B]

See? But don't say no. Okay.

[C]

All right.

[B]

Yes, I do want to add something, Friel.

[C]

Well, I wanted to affirm what you said about talking to the pastor. You've got to sit down and talk to the pastor. I can definitely confirm that for sure. Hard conversations, we tend to avoid those sometimes. But I can promise you, having been a pastor and now someone who needed to talk to a pastor, I've never in my life been in a hard conversation that I regretted.

[B]

In the end, if both parties are doing it lovingly, that's what church is about. It really is. And that's the stuff that knits us together. I think most of us, if not all of us, have experienced this. You've had some sort of conflict with somebody that was a friend, let's say, and you did what we're being told to do these days, and that is build a wall, set a boundary, and kick them out. Let them go, and you're done. Okay. And you're done. How's your relationship with them? It's done. Exactly. You got nothing. You got absolutely nothing. Now, what about the time you had a conflict with that person? You worked on your heart. You met with them. Oh, I. There was repentance. There was forgiveness.

[C]

You.

[B]

You tell me that that friendship isn't deeper than before the conflict. It always is deeper. It's always better. So stick around, work through those things, and you will then have the relationships you're longing for. It's so staggering. We see these days the loneliness epidemic. It is a real deal. And simultaneously, we have these gurus, these online social media influencers saying, you got to build boundaries with everybody. Now, just as an aside, yes, there can be dangerous people. Yes, there can be certain times, even in a marriage, where it's like, I got to do this to protect myself. I'm not talking about that. Talking about with boundaries is, you know, Jimmy, you interrupted when I was right at the. When I was giving out the phone number. You smacked your lips. Because I knew you wanted to say something. I gotta. I gotta be done with you. That's what I'm talking about. Where it's you, you. You want. You want deeper. And yet you're being encouraged break up with anybody who bugs you at any level. Ah, that message gets through. We're being robbed. Did you experience this yet in your marriage? Tell me what happens after you have a fight when there's reconciliation. Sweet, isn't it? And if you work through those conflicts lovingly, not just for the first few months when we're all heady and excited. You work through those things for years. I'm telling you now, you're building something now. Now you're being involved in something that's so much deeper. It's good for your soul. I gotta tell you, it's just amazing to watch in. In our home, Mrs. Friel and I, when we first got married. Wow. Whoa, there. It's different now. It's just different. Lord has worked on both of us. Somebody goofs. The other person doesn't get agitated. Yelling can bring it to the other person's attention who is less willing to defend self, more willing to repent. And you do that over the years. Oh, if your pastor isn't performing the way that you think he should and you just go, you're missing out. You're just missing out. I know, I know. I can just hear it. You don't understand our pastor. You don't know our Dan. I get it. There can be exceptions. And that's why I've said there are times when you can go for the health of your family. There are times, but I fear in our current climate, we exercise that right far too liberally, far too quickly, and sometimes far too bitterly. And sorry for the cliche, but the only one that we're hurting is ourself. Oh, yeah. And the body. This is Wretched Radio,

[C]

and it's now

[D]

time for your daily Fortis news break. The production of Fortis Institute. President Trump says he'll immediately ask the Supreme Court to rehear last month's birthright citizenship ruling, which held that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to any child born on American soil, whatever the parent's legal status. Trump calls it a miscarriage of justice, pointing to billboards along the border advertising birth packages in South Texas, deliveries starting at $4,000, staying with immigration. Mexico's president is threatening legal action against the US after an ICE agent shot and killed a Mexican national in Houston. She says there are Mexicans who whose quote, only crime is working honestly in the United States, which is a curious way to describe 35 years here illegally. Now to the church, the Presbyterian Church usa, that's the mainline body, not the conservative. Pca, voted last week to endorse gender affirming health care, their words for all individuals. The drafting committee deleted the words including minors from the text, worried they'd be weaponized. Then the moderator clarified that all means all. No exception, no qualification, no age limit. And the city of Seattle shows where that leads. The city's LGBTQ commission wants the mayor to declare a civil emergency over an influx of transgender adults from red states. Internally displaced persons, it calls them, and taxpayer money for the groups resettling them. One shelter manager reports turning away at least 10 young adults a night. And the mayor's office is planning a trans specific homeless shelter. The Supreme Court just agreed to hear a challenge to Washington's law letting shelters hide runaway minors seeking gender procedures without telling their parents. And in corporate news, Lego closed out Pride Month with Instagram videos of minifigures sharing coming out stories. One marching in a pride parade, another proposing to his boyfriend. Captioned Pride moments built brick by brick. Parents noted the obvious Lego sells to children. And boycott calls are circulating. That was obviously coming. The company's actually been at this since 2021, so surprised is probably the wrong word for anyone to use. Disappointed. That still fits. Overseas, a cruise charted for a gay travel group keeps getting turned away. Imagine that. Turkey refused its entry, citing moral and family values. So the Scarlet lady and its 2,000 passengers sailed for Alexandria, Egypt, but it was denied again on the morning it was due to port their next stop, Greece. That wraps up today's Fortis News break. I'm Jimmy Hicks.

[C]

If you want more, you can download

[D]

Fortis plus or sign up to become a Fortis insider for exclusive daily content. Both of those things can and don't forget, you can subscribe to Fortis News on your favorite podcast app in order to get these updates daily and until

[C]

tomorrow, go serve your king.

[A]

Hermeneutics Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpreting scripture. When reading the Bible, begin with these three questions. What does it say? What does it mean? What difference does it make? Many common mistakes can be avoided with basic hermeneutics. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[B]

Wretched radio begins in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Hi, I'm Todd Fryer. Close enough. This Is wretched radio. Send emails to Todd Fryer. Todd Friel. Hey, you. Anything that is wretched, we will receive an [e-mail] or feel free to text away at 877-282-2337.

[C]

That's another perfect segue to my question.

[B]

I knew that.

[C]

It's like you can just see, right, I'm here, Jimmy.

[B]

I know you.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So this question. Todd, dear Todd Friel, is Todd your real name?

[B]

Absolutely. And here's why. Nominative determinism, you say, what in the world is that? It is. It's a fictitious concept where your name has a meaning and you become the meaning of your name. Well, I think that is about as reliable as a fortune cookie. But in my instance, it is bang on because the name Todd means fox. So of course my Real name is Todd. 877-28223. I can only hear what's going on in people's heads right now. Or they're actually just spit taking. 872-2337.

[C]

This is from David. Todd, whatever happened to 2 wretched for radio?

[B]

Phil hates me. He quit. It was. You know what it was? It was a list of. I don't want this to sound like, oh, woe is us, because believe me, I am aware on a daily basis when I thank the Lord for his blessings. One of them is, I get to do this. I mean, seriously, how kind of God to allow me to, if you will, air quotes, make a living without lifting heavy things. The most danger that I am in at this ministry is a nasty paper cut. Okay. I'm fully aware that this is spectacular, what the Lord allows us to do. So with that as a backdrop, we do a lot here. I mean, we do a lot. Jimmy, did you know that we did all the things we did?

[C]

I did not before we got.

[B]

Most people don't. And, you know, why would they? But between book publishing, between social media, between preparing for the future, between just operating the. The mechanism of a ministry, plus we do tv, plus we do six podcasts, seven, whatever it is. Yeah. And we got more coming up, coming your way.

[C]

So excited.

[B]

It's. I am too, because I've already heard one. It's really going to be good. Okay. That and a gazillion other things. Oh, campus outreaches. So we do stuff here. A lot of stuff. And so we had to take a look at what are the priority things that have to happen. Too wretched for radio was kind of. We just kind of did that because it was fun. But it wasn't, you know, on the list of you got to do this. This is a part of the operation of the ministry. And so I'm afraid we put it on a temporary pause and we never push play again simply because of time management. That's all. Now, I thank you so much for your sympathy and just your lamenting how hard my life is because of all the things we do. It's appreciated. 8, 7, 7, 2. 8, 2, 2, 3, 3, 7.

[C]

This is a question from Marion.

[B]

You wanted to say something, didn't you, Jimmy?

[C]

No. No. Well, okay.

[B]

Yeah, there it is.

[C]

No. Well, you looked. There it is. You looked up. Or you said, what Todd means. That made me want to look up what Jimmy means.

[B]

Let's see if nominative determinism worked for you. What does Jimmy mean?

[C]

Would you call me approachable?

[B]

Would I call you approachable?

[C]

Approachable?

[B]

No. No.

[C]

Despite its warrior like meaning.

[B]

That's closer.

[C]

Jimmy generally suggests boyish charm, playfulness, and approachability.

[B]

That just does not work. Just doesn't work. Boyish charm. Yeah.

[C]

The official meaning is supplanter or holder of the heel. Comes from James.

[B]

Okay, Jimmy.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

We've never had this conversation before. You're not boyish. Okay. If you were looking like you had a lineup of dudes, we need to pick somebody who is strong and determined, you'd probably get the call.

[C]

I don't pass for a boy. I pass more for Esau. All the hair on my back.

[B]

Just because you haven't seen your knuckles since fourth grade. 8, 7, 7, 2, 8, 2, 2, 3, 3.

[C]

From Marian. Lately, I've been interested in reading books about and written by the Puritans. Any suggestions on good reading?

[B]

Oh, there's so many of them. I was just reading last night. It was at Reformation Heritage Books, Joel Beakey's organization. And Joel was. He wrote a little blurb that said he reads through each one of these books. In other words, they've been vetted. And so he offers those books at Reformation Heritage Books because he has vetted them and gleaned through them, read them, and said, these are safe. So I would cite that as a source. Are there? I think this would be a Phil Johnson question. He knows stuff like this. Are there any Puritans that were like, yeah, I suppose I'm just not aware of any. There are some that you're just drawn to more. There were a lot of Puritans, by the way. We only know of, like, six, because their writings have just kind of made it through the centuries. There were a ton of great pastors. There were a ton of great writers, but some of them, the Watsons, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston have made it through. William Gurnall, John Flavel, I like John Flavel. All of those guys, for some reason their writings have endured. So I think that for the most part, any of them that you pick, unless you find something that's wonky about them, is going to be solid. So Reformation Heritage Books, and then here's another lead for you, especially if you're cheap like me. GraceGems.org Go to GraceGems.org Puritan stuff all over. Just I, I don't know how many thousands of sermons they have printed there. And they've got a search engine that grace Gems. If you're listening, your search engine could be a little bit better and your description. So if you want to get to work on that, nevertheless, I always commend GraceGems.org they'll even if you sign up for their, their newsletter, they'll send you a very brief puritan quote every single day. It's really a joy to receive it. Gracegems.org 877-282-2337 all right, the Bible.

[C]

Oh, this is from Mary Todd. The Bible is filled with God's promises. However, I'm hesitant to claim these promises for myself. He made these promises to a different people or nations for specific circumstances. So how do I know which promises I can lean on?

[B]

Good. Okay, so that's a hermeneutics question. I thought initially it like, I just, I don't want it like, no, they couldn't be for me because that is how some people feel. Not me, God. Okay, okay. Perhaps you let me into your kingdom. But as far as like all of those blessings that you give through the death and resurrection of your son, I'm sure they're nice for others, but you couldn't possibly want to bestow those on me. Well, the answer to that little concern is oh yes, he does. He delights in it. He loves it's the richness of his mercy is the reason that Jesus Christ was sent to a cross to die for you, that you might have a rich inheritance. I mean, I'm talking about the will. Oh man, do you get a lot of stuff. He loves giving it to you, so enjoy that. Now, which, which promises are for you and which ones are not? That's a hermeneutics question. Good news. We've got a resource. It's determine who it is absolutely free. It'[e-mail] encourage you to go watch, I think, 12 lectures, something like that. And if as you make your way through that, you'll have increased clarity. So here's the Cliffs Notes version of it. Typically, if it's in the epistles, most almost everything that was written to the early church, probably written for you. Why? Well, because it was written to the early church and we are in the church era. So for the most part, you can say whatever Paul or Peter or James or John, they were writing to those people applies pretty directly to us. Then I would say you can go read the Gospels. You have to have a little bit more of a discernment filter as far as what promises are for you, because Jesus was dealing with the disciples at that time. And so, for instance, I'm thinking of Matthew, chapter 10, the sending of people. Now he said to the disciples, do this. Do you have to do that? Because it's a command to the disciples, therefore it's a command to us. And the answer is no. So you've got to work through which promises or which commands were given just to that original audience, especially in the Gospels. Then as far as the Old Testament goes, I much prefer a principalizing approach. Even the promises that were given directly to Israel that no longer are in effect could have a principle that applies to you without it being a direct promise. There are truths about God we can learn from those promises, and there could be. If you see that particular promise affirmed in the New Testament, then you can cling to that promise and rest and enjoy that promise. But it's the Old Covenant. And those promises, they were given to Israel. Now, do any of those things still apply to us? Absolutely not everything. I think there's principles in everything, but not everything applies directly to us. And that includes commands and that includes promises. And so there's degrees of filtering that you need to go through based on epistle, Gospel, Old Testament book. And as you do that, you're just going to get better and better. And I do encourage you. Go to fortisplus.org no. Yes, Fortis Plus. Yeah, that's where the stuff is, right? And it's even got the study guide there. It's all free, courtesy of our gospel partners. It will help you enjoy all of the wonderful promises that God has given happen to you. This is wretched radio

[C]

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. And 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 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

[D]

and you're left trusting that chaos somehow adds up.

[C]

That's where in the beginning with Dr. Jason Lyle comes in. He's a Ph.D. astronaut, 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] Look, I'm going to be straight with you. Every man knows what it's like to fight a battle no one else can see. You wake up. You're determined that today is going to be different. This time you're going to be stronger than the temptation. But then even come comes. And there you are again, right back where you started. You're making promises to yourself that you already know deep down that you're not going to keep tomorrow. Here's what no one wants to admit. You can't win this fight with willpower. Trust me. If determination alone could break the chains of lust and sin, you would already be free. You've probably figured that out by now. The filters, the accountability apps, the promises to your wife or yourself, they're just band aids on a woman that needs surgery. Real freedom, the kind that actually lasts. It only comes when Christ changes you from the inside out. Not just your habits, but your actual heart. That's what Todd Friel gets into very deeply with his resource Play the Man. It's available right now as an ebook, an audiobook and video series [e-mail] thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. Look, here's something that I've noticed in the maybe you have too. But it's really easy for us to treat our faith sometimes like a category. Sunday is Sunday. Work is work. Parenting is parenting. And somewhere in there you try to be a Christian. But it doesn't always feel like it's all connected. That's why Dr. Jon Kratz and his podcast Integrated is so incredibly important. Dr. Kratz is a pastor, he's an author, he's a biblical counselor, and he's a Fortis Institute fellow and the host of Integrated. And he is helping helping people see how Scripture speaks to every part of their life. Not just the spiritual stuff, but the practical everyday. How do I actually live this stuff out stuff. And if what we're doing at Fortis Institute has been a source of encouragement for you, I want to ask you to consider joining us as an ongoing monthly gospel partner. Help us continue producing content just like integrated that connects the dots. Go to fortisinstitute.org right now and find out how to join us. Wretched Amazing Grace Amazing gospel.

[A]

Attributes of God. God is omniscient, meaning he knows all things. He knows all things past, present and future. God does not learn new information and nothing takes him by surprise. He knows what will happen and is working all things for his glory, the good of those who love him. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[B]

Let's go talk about the book we all read. Oh Jimmy. This is Wretched Radio. Hoping you will send stuff to idea at Wretched Radio or text 877-282-2337. A question was asked about Puritans. Which ones should you read? And the answer is yes. Jimmy, during the break you mentioned Jeremiah Burrows. There's, there's another one. But you mentioned his book on contentment. I believe your one word review, if you can call it a word, was

[C]

that was so good.

[B]

Yeah. All right, tell me about it.

[C]

Oh man. It gosh. You're asking me for has been so long since I read that book, Todd. But I know that at that time in my life I was going through things that weren't that I wasn't content. I was always wanting more like you know we all go through it. You know we all want, you know, we never go ahead.

[B]

I, I'm happy to hear about your sin struggles. Go ahead.

[C]

No, it would like so we, we, we go through things in our lives where we want more out of our life.

[B]

We work hard.

[C]

I want a bigger house or I want a better car or whatever and then we work for those things. We get it and then we're not satisfied. That was my life. That's what I was going through until I read that book.

[B]

And it helped you?

[C]

Oh man. He just put it all out into to open that God's sovereignty and our submission to him and how everything is just it lays out perfectly and that that really changed my approach to most all things Christian.

[B]

Had a reminder of that last Sunday. Don't know if I mentioned Alpharetta Bible Church before but the sermon we're in one Peter and Peter is talking to the elect. Scattered ones. The elect aliens. It's fascinating how it's presented that you were at home in the world when God saved you. Suddenly you became a stranger. And then Peter starts talking about the Gospel and he started our trinitarian salvation, and he talks about our inheritance. And when I did a little bit of a deep dive on inheritance in the Old Testament, I read something that was like, okay, I need to remember this myself. This is a good example. This is how you can principalize Old Testament writings that were written to those people at that time, underneath that covenant, and yet still have a principle that applies to you. There was a distinction between real property and personal property. Real property, personal property. Real property. Who's the actual owner of all things? The Bible is just constantly banging that drum. God's God's God. Everything, the stars, the planets, the planet, everything. The cattle on a thousand hill. God, he's the real owner, and yet he gives us personal property. So it's his real property. We are just given the privilege. We are given the right to use that land, but not because we actually own it, but because it has been bestowed upon us for stewardship. And that is true for the children of Israel, the 12 tribes. It was true. Also, the view was that none of this stuff is this. This is not really our land. This Israel is God's. It's his real property. We get to use it as personal property, but it doesn't belong to us. And that was a Jeremiah Burroughs moment for me. That's right. All of this stuff, all of it, it's here so that I can do what we Christians have been called to do. All of this stuff, you know, when we put our hands around it, we cling to it just because we work so hard for it. We really, really like it. Oh, it can it. We're. We're thinking it's real property. It's not. God gives this to us because he's gracious and kind, and he allows us to enjoy good things, but they're in service to what we are here to accomplish, and that is to proclaim his excellencies. And so the adjustment when in reading about inheritance in the Old Testament, Jimmy was kind of like your Jeremiah Burroughs. Okay, this stuff, this stuff ain't the end all be. All this stuff just. It does not belong to me. I'm going to take care of it because it belongs to God. And I'm going to use it. Not to bring satisfaction and contentment, because it never can, but I'm going to use it so that I can actually do the things that bring contentment. And that is doing things in Service to my God that brings you contentment, that gives you more union with Jesus Christ. Use the stuff recognizing it's just personal property, but the real owner, God. And get Jeremiah Burroughs book contentment, probably available at Reformation Heritage Books.

[C]

I'm sure it is. It's the rare gem of contentment. I just, I remember that.

[B]

Oh, I've read that book.

[C]

Yeah. And it's man. And I'm paraphrasing here because it's been so long since I read it. But what he really, really helped me clearly see is, you know, everything in our life is a gift from God. And how often do we pray and ask God for blessings or ask God for. And he. He answers our prayers and then we begin to gripe about the very things we prayed for. I mean, what he said in the book, I believe. Again, paraphrasing. But we come to God's table freely. We come to God's table freely and then we find fault.

[B]

Oh, yeah, isn't that lovely? The word free is a really helpful theological term. Come to his table freely. In other words, you don't pay no admission. His grace is free. His love is free. This is something, by the way, the Puritans banged on quite a bit that God's love, his mercy, his grace, it's free. In other words, he gives it even though we don't deserve it. In fact, despite the fact that we shouldn't get it, he gives it to us anyway because it's free, because he just freely gives with no strings attached. You don't do something to get from God, you get from God because He gives, because he gives, because he loves and he's merciful and he's kind and he's gracious and benevolent and open handed and he loves to bestow gifts on us freely. 877-282-2337.

[C]

All right, this is a text from Anonymous. Todd, how do we help someone with psychosis?

[B]

No, it's rough. It's rough. All right, step number one, always when it comes to biblical counseling, when somebody is struggling with something, you've got to just don't go into a panic. If you're anti psychotropic, you've got to go check out medicinal issues. Is there something biological? Is it a physiological issue that could be addressed that might help the person with their thinking? That's always first step and that's psychosis. That could be bipolar, that could be anxiety. Could there be something that is causing that to happen inside of you that could be addressed medicinally? I didn't say get A prescription for a psychotropic. Now what about using psychotropics to help with something like that? I think that we have been consistent here. They can be used, they can be used, but that doesn't get to the problem. They can be used in order to help the person think through how they should be thinking and so use those things as a tool, as a gift. But those things don't ever fix any sort of problem. They don't, because the issue isn't your brain. The issue is you. Now there is an interaction. Encourage you to read Greg Gifford's book Lies. My therapist told me he goes into great detail about the connection between the mind and the brain. So yeah, the, the brain can impact, it does have an effect to some degree on us, who we are, our minds. The inner man, the outer man is your brain. Just like it is your fingers or anything that's out your hair, that's the outer man. The inner man is you. So there is an interplay. And when we recognize that, but we never cease to address the inner man, the inner person, what is going on, everything that you can do in order to overcome psychotic episodes. So that might be my quick response to that. Get it checked out. Can you use psychotropic, some sort of medication to help calm that down? Yes, but in fact that might even be a long term necessity. We're not going to reject the blessings of God, but we still need to then go to work and the individual needs to put in all of the effort available and possible to help them overcome these psychotic episodes. I suspect you could learn more on that subject if you go to biblicalcounseling.com org biblical biblical counseling.com yep, yep, that's what I said. Biblicalcounseling.com 877-282-2337 who by the way, just

[C]

made the book that you referenced, the biblical counseling book of the year.

[B]

Right? He's going to be insufferable. Oh, this is the last thing actually. Okay. Inside scoop on Greg Gifford. In case you couldn't tell. I've just never seen the man fumble or stumble. I just, I've never seen it. I've seen him in a ton of dynamics, you know, some just normal sort of stuff, but other stuff where it's like a lot of guys would be like something, something ugly would come out. Never seen it. Now, not to say the guy doesn't sin. He does, but I'm just telling you, the dude is. What would be the word? Godly. Let's go with that biblical term.

[C]

Steady.

[B]

Oh, he's. He's steady, he's mature, behind beyond his years. I think he turned 40, though, so he's gonna start having the. Jimmy. I don't know if I told you, but I'm thinking, thinking possibly maybe someday writing a book titled so youo're over 50. Maybe I'll just wait till Greg gets there, and then he can be one of the contributors. Until tomorrow, go serve your king.