Mailbag Friday: Deaconesses, Signs From The Dead, & Pastor Dance-Off

Summary

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Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Episode Title: Mailbag Friday: Deaconesses, Signs From The Dead, & Pastor Dance-Off
Date: April 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively Mailbag Friday episode, Todd Friel, host of Wretched Radio, tackles a full slate of listener questions covering practical, doctrinal, and contemporary issues within the Christian church. Questions range from lengthy expository preaching, American flags in sanctuaries, and the role of women as deaconesses, to the appropriateness of worship music by Mormon artists, and even whether pastors should participate in dance-offs. With his signature wit and direct style, Todd discusses each topic through a biblical and pastoral lens, emphasizing discernment, wisdom, and maintaining the dignity of Christian witness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Long Sermon Series and Book-by-Book Preaching

[02:35–11:35]

• Listener Question: Is it okay for a pastor to spend five years preaching through just 11 chapters of a book like the Gospel of John?
• Todd’s Response:
  • There are no laws, only principles regarding preaching length/pacing.
  • Considerations include pastor’s style, church maturity, and the congregation's needs.
  • The central theme of a book should always remain clear, even in slow preaching.
  • Potential dangers: Losing the main thrust of a book and causing listener fatigue by constant recaps.
  • Todd’s practice: Avoid wringing every single word, but don’t just skim. Take larger blocks when the text’s argument requires it.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Every author of every book of the Bible has a point. If you don’t know why the author wrote that letter, you’re not going to understand those teachings rightly.” — Todd [03:47]

• Jimmy’s Addendum:
  • If the pastor is faithful, it may be best to “leave it alone.”
  • Gaps (holidays, thematic detours) often stretch a series’ length.

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2. American Flags in Church Sanctuaries

[16:55–21:18]

• Listener Question: Thoughts on displaying American flags in church sanctuaries?
• Todd’s Response:
  • Not intrinsically sinful—but philosophically unwise.
  • The church is a space for worship and the kingdom of Christ, not patriotism.
  • Flags can confuse visitors or communicate Christian nationalism inadvertently, especially to non-Americans.
  • Outside the building, flag-flying is different, but order (which flag is on top) matters—Christ’s kingdom is preeminent.
  • Notable Quote:

    “The church is not subservient to a nation. Christ is the King of all nations, and his flag does not go underneath... a national flag.” — Todd [20:43]

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3. Biblical Role of Deaconesses

[21:21–23:01]

• Listener Question: Is it biblical for women to serve as deaconesses (e.g., over children’s or women’s ministry)?
• Todd’s Response:
  • Serving is for everyone; functionally, women can serve as deacons.
  • Todd’s view: The office of deacon is reserved for men—avoid the title “deaconess.”
  • Important clarification:

    “If we make women feel like we don’t want them participating... then we have biffed it. We need you involved.” — Todd [22:20]

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4. Handling Mormon Scriptures in Hotels

[23:01–24:59]

• Listener Question: Is it wrong to take and throw away hotel copies of the Book of Mormon?
• Todd’s Response:
  • Not theft if hotels mean for them to be taken—same as with Gideon Bibles.
  • Motivation isn’t sinful, but wisdom and conscience should be considered.
  • Lighthearted admission: He himself has done it.

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5. Seeking Signs from the Dead

[24:59–26:01]

• Listener Question: Can the dead interact with the living?
• Todd’s Response:
  • Occult practices (necromancy, divination) exist and are forbidden by Scripture.
  • The Bible, not supernatural signs, is the source of comfort:

    “Even if her husband reappeared to say something, that is still not as good as the Bible.” — Todd [25:22]

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6. Christian Artists from Mormon Backgrounds

[29:45–32:44, 34:08–39:17]

• Listener Question: Should Christians listen to music by artists with a Mormon background?
• Todd’s Response:
  • If someone has left Mormonism, great.
  • If they are still Mormon, Todd would not join in worship led by them, regardless of how orthodox the lyrics seem.
  • Concerns:
    • Not wanting to support Mormon teaching inadvertently.
    • Not wanting to endorse Mormonism to others.
  • Todd emphasizes the seriousness of theological distinctions between Christianity and Mormonism.
  • Notable Quote:

    “I do not want to be fellowshipping—even through electronics—with someone outside the faith.” — Todd [31:08]

• Additional Segment:
  • Fun exchange about AI “research” on Mormon artists and the dominance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir online.

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7. Baptism, Backsliding & Assurance

[32:02–34:08]

• Listener Question: Is a re-baptism necessary after a period of backsliding?
• Todd’s Counsel:
  • Seek local pastoral guidance for careful, personalized advice.
  • Sin does not inherently mean you weren’t truly saved; only deeper conversation and discernment will clarify.

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8. How to 'Stare at Jesus with Unveiled Face' (2 Corinthians 3:18)

[35:37–38:58]

• Practical Advice:
  • Focus on Christ by reading Scripture, interrogating the text to learn about Jesus’ character and works.
  • Meditating on His attributes, participating in worship, sacraments, and Christian fellowship.
  • Not about mental imagery, but an ongoing pursuit through the Word and obedience.

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9. Seeking Advice from Non-Believing Parents

[45:03–45:46]

• Listener Question: Is it biblical to accept advice from non-believing parents?
• Todd’s Response:
  • You can accept advice if it does not contradict Scripture.
  • Unsaved parents know and love you deeply and can offer wise, protective counsel.
  • Always affirm advice with biblical principles.

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10. Youth Pastors and Dance-Offs: Dignity in Ministry

[49:05–52:42]

• Listener Question: Is it appropriate for youth pastors to participate in dance-offs and similar “cutting a rug” activities?
• Todd’s Response:
  • Prefers dignity and maturity for ministers of any age, especially in leadership.
  • Posits that youth need leaders who model wisdom, not those who “act cool.”
  • Playful but pointed:

    “You're not supposed to be going down to their level and acting like a dipstick... You're supposed to be dignified and mature and godly and wise.” — Todd [50:04]

  • Leaders should "pull youth up" rather than act juvenile for relatability.
  • Aging in ministry: embrace biblical, not worldly standards of worth and dignity.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On preaching:

  “If it takes ten years to get through Titus, pretty hard to have that point just always front and center.” — Todd [05:30]

• On national flags in church:

  “What I love is the kingdom of our Christ. Way more—like, spectacularly, infinitely more.” — Todd [18:13]

• On doctrinal precision:

  “We shouldn't be confusing the office of elder… We're all called to serve.” — Todd [22:07]

• On music and worship:

  “I just couldn’t participate in worship with them… I don't want to be telling the world that I'm okay with Mormonism.” — Todd [31:12]

• On youth leadership:

  “We want our youth to be coming up... It's the youth leader’s job to bring them up to your level, which should be a level of dignity.” — Todd [52:13]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:35 — Lengthy sermon series discussion
• 16:55 — American flags in church
• 21:21 — Deaconesses: role and terminology
• 23:01 — Removing Book of Mormon from hotel rooms
• 24:59 — Dead contacting the living
• 29:45 — Christian music and Mormonism
• 32:02 — Baptism and spiritual assurance
• 35:37 — Staring at Jesus with unveiled face
• 45:03 — Receiving advice from unsaved parents
• 49:05 — Pastor dance-offs and dignity in ministry

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Conclusion

This episode blends thoughtful theological exploration with real-world application and Todd Friel’s characteristic humor and directness. Listeners are reminded of the importance of biblical discernment—whether evaluating church practices, leadership behavior, or personal engagement with music and advice. The through-line: Hold tightly to core biblical principles, lead with maturity, and set Christ and His kingdom above all worldly concerns.

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Transcript

[A]

Wretched radio begins in 3, 2, 1.

[B]

You are gods, little G. You are

[C]

gods because you came from God. When I read in the Bible where he says, I am, I just smile

[A]

and say, yes, I am, too.

[C]

God came from heaven, became a man, made man into little gods. We have the potential and the capacity through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, to move, but that does not mean we are God. The Bible is very clear. There is only one God, and he will not share his glory with another.

[A]

It's time for Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[C]

And we're off.

[A]

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

[C]

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

[B]

That is a bit above average.

[A]

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

[C]

It's a loverly day in the neighborhood. For what? For sending wretched things. To whom? This is Wretched Radio. I'm not aware of anybody else who wants wretched things. So when you find one, would you send it to us, please? It can be a sermon, a story, an article, anything wretched. Ideaetched.org and if you want to use that new fandango technology called the text machine, I believe they call that thing the texter box. You may do so at 877-282-2337. Okay. So, Jimmy.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

You're just not even gonna be shocked at this. So I was trying to listen to Greg Gifford at the gym on whatever day it was this week. So I hit my little Spotify button.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And nothing. It just doesn't happen. And then I keep hitting it, because that's what you do when it doesn't work. You just keep. You hit it harder.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

And. And it said that I had to sign in with something, and it's like, I don't know how to sign in. So my brilliant solution was I'm gonna delete the app, and then I'll go download the app. And then I couldn't figure out how to download the app, so I had to send a text to my kids to say, can you help me download an app? Don't laugh at my melody. I'm telling you, I know that I'm gonna be in the DSM 6. This technology deficit that I possess, I'm telling you, it's deep and it's very real. 8, 7, 7, 2, 8, 2, 2, 3, 3, 7.

[B]

All right. This is a text from Luke Todd. Is it normal or okay for a pastor to spend five years in a book? The Gospel of John is the one I'm talking about. And only get to chapter 11, or is that taking it too far and neglecting the rest of the Bible?

[C]

Well, can't answer that. At least without a disclaimer. Why? Because there are no preaching laws. There are preaching principles, but you can't make a law and impose it on every single pastor as would like to. Every pastor has a different philosophy of preaching. Something cover more ground. Others say, no, cover less ground. Who's right? Yep. Depends on the pastor. Depends on their skill set. It depends on the congregation's attention span and their level of maturity. It depends on the need of the moment. It depends on what they've been preaching through prior and after. So all of those circumstances really can dictate the philosophy of preaching? I can tell you mine, for whatever that's worth. I don't say this text. We are always going to wring every single word out of it. Don't do that. But do we sometimes do that? Yes. On the other hand, I want to be careful that we aren't just skating over the top of too much material. But have we sometimes done that? Yes. Why? Because the text. And so it really depends on the circumstances. Now, this person who wrote in brings up a pretty valid point. I believe the term was, are we neglecting the rest of the Bible? I think that would be on the scale to consider. I think one of the bigger issues, though, that I ponder when it comes to preaching a book of the Bible is are we losing our way? Are we offset? Why? Because every author of every book of the Bible has a point, a point that they're trying to make. And they usually tell you either upfront or after the fact. So, okay, first John, chapter five. I think it's verse 20. I've written these things so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and in believing, you might have life. So he tells you at the end of the book. Okay, so now what I need to know is now that I understand that's the point of the book, so that I can know that I believe rightly in Jesus Christ. Now, when I read the book that's going to inform every single verse. Here's one that is often overlooked. First Corinthians. It is about so many things. It's about worldly philosophy. It's about marriage. It's about really naughty, professing Christians first. It's about the Lord's table, so it's got all of those different things in it. But what's the main point of the book? Because if you don't know why the author wrote that letter, you're not going to understand those teachings. Rightly so. First Corinthians, I believe it's sectarianism. Don't be divided. And that theme needs to be kept in view when you're reading the entire book and preaching from every single chapter. Now, if you're doing say one sentence at a time, you're probably going to miss the point of the paragraph. And. Okay, I shouldn't say probably. It's very easy to lose the point of the paragraph. It's very easier to lose the point of the chapter. And it's even easier still to miss the point of the book. So a pastor has to weigh all of these things. I think that there's another consideration that needs to be remembered. When the first century church was understanding when they received these letters. Everybody gather round. Paul's written to me. I'm Titus. Sit down, everybody. It's pretty short this time. Three chapters. They got the whole thing bang. Here's the whole thing. So you understood all of it and you understood the main point. If it takes 10 years to get through Titus, pretty hard to have that point just always front and center being making that point. Now, I know that there are people who could counter that, and there are very valid arguments. There are books. In fact, I've got a preaching book sitting on my table right now. We never got to this, Jimmy. Remember I threatened we were going to talk about Mike Fabaros's book, Preaching that Changes Lives. I still think it's just kind of too geeky. Well, you know, if you don't have to preach a sermon, you're like, what's the point of that, Todd? Well, the point is he has a philosophy of preaching. Brian Chappell's book, Preaching that Christ Centered Preaching is the name of his book. He has a different philosophy. So it really depends on the philosophy of preaching. All of those issues that need to be weighed. We currently at Alpharetta Bible Church. We're in First Peter. We've been there now for five months. And we're in chapter two. Now. Here's a good example. So we've been pretty detailed, been typically tackling about three verses per week, because that's the way I see Peter having it blocked sometimes. There were maybe five verses where it's like, there's the big, big thought. And there was an inclusio. So there was something that identified a bookend at the beginning and the end. But now we're getting into the submission section. And this is just a little bit different because his point, when he talks about. He talks about four points of submission. He's talking about everybody submitting to government, he's talking about slaves submitting to masters, wives submitting to husbands, and then husbands submitting likewise, and then how we're all supposed to behave. We're going to take those in bigger chunks. So the government section, I think, was like six verses. I don't want to break that up and do three weeks on government. Now, some pastors will bless their hearts, but I, I think that kind of misses the point of. It's about submission. It's that we're a submissive people. Yeah, there's exceptions, but we're, We're. We're. We're a submissive people. And so when we get. When we do slaves, we're going to be taking all of those verses. And it's a big. It's just a slightly bigger block. Why? Because to break it up would be to lose the point. And I don't want to miss the mark in that regard. So all that to say, if you got a good pastor and maybe you think that he's spending too long, can you lovingly talk to him about it? You could, you could, but I'd be reticent to do that. If he's faithful to the word and he's bringing it every week, he's pouring himself into it, and he's a godly guy. Honestly, I would just thank the Lord for a shepherd like that. And I would adjust my expectations rather than seeking to adjust his. Jimmy, you got anything to add to that? There's so much there that could be opened up.

[B]

Absolutely, it could be. But I agree with that last statement that you just said. If he's a faithful pastor, I would leave it alone. I mean, if it's. And I would venture to say, and I don't know this pastor, but looking at the question, two years in 11 chapters. How many times?

[C]

No, five years.

[B]

Five years. I'm sorry, how many times has he actually stepped away? Because a lot of times there's that,

[C]

too, in summertime and all that stuff.

[B]

Yeah, a lot of pastors will do that. Christmas, all that. They'll move away from that and come back to it.

[C]

But the pastor does need to be aware. I can try my people, and they might. You know, it's like we'd kind of just like to, you know, we don't feel like we're making any progress here. Now, if you happen to be a pastor who labors that long in a particular book, there are some. And a pastor who does that is most likely aware of these dangers, but there are some ditches that you can fall into. And this will try the hearers. And that is each Sunday, if you're going so deep in order to reset the table. Every week, it's 10 or 15 minutes of resetting the table. In other words, you're rehearsing last week's sermon again this week. I personally find that to be a little bit fatiguing and. And try to avoid that because it just, it just. It's like, we know we were here. Here's another. This is a small one, but this is for pastors who will say something like this. All right, so for those of you who weren't here the last three weeks, to those people who weren't here the last three weeks, I would say go listen to the series online, but don't spend 10, 15, 20 minutes reteaching what those people who actually were there to experience. Get to it. And make sure if you're going to spend that much time in a particular book of the Bible, don't miss the point that the original author is trying to make to the original audience. Because if you do well, your folks will learn a lot of details, tales, but they'll miss the point. This is Wretched Radio.

[B]

Thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. Look, here's something that I've noticed, and maybe you have, too, but it's really easy for us to treat our faith sometimes like a category, as 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 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 Perhaps you've

[C]

been wondering, is there a Christian university that isn't woke or that hasn't compromised on 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 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

[B]

no Retreat that's the name of Fortis Institute's Spring Match campaign, and we chose that name for a reason. It means something. See, the church has been quietly backing up for years. A doctrine gets uncomfortable, a truth sounds a little bit too exclusive. So we set them aside and before long you realize the gospel your church is preaching sounds more like an apology than an announcement. Fortas Institute exists to advance the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the actual gospel. And right now, through the end of May, every you give to the no Retreat Spring Matching Campaign will be matched dollar for dollar. Our goal is $250,000, and your gift will help launch two new podcasts, publish Todd Frill's book Go Serve youe King through Harper Collins, build biblical resources the church desperately needs, and fund gospel proclamation on college campuses. The gospel doesn't move backwards, and neither should we. You can find out more right now at 4.

[A]

Know your reformers John Wycliffe, called the morning star of the Reformation, was a professor at Oxford in the 1300s who preached against papal authority in matters of doctrine, politics and church practice. After his death, his bones were dug up, burned, and spread over the river. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

[C]

tempted, Very, very tempted. This is Wretched Radio. But I'm not going to give into that temptation to press the button so you can hear the dulcet tones of Dr. Erwin Lutzer explain how he prepares a sermon. It's really fascinating. If you're a preacher, I really encourage you. Go find Erwin Lutzer, the first one of these series of lectures. They're pretty short. Sermon prep made simpler. I think there's maybe five or six of these and he spends time on introduction, he spends time on the clothes, etc. They're super valuable. And you will hear another Man's way of tackling texts and how much text you tackle. I'm pretty sure. I'm sorry if I'm wrong, Erwin. I think he's a guy who's more of it's better to cover more ground than less. Typically. Not always typically, but if you're a pastor and you do some preaching, that series might be extremely helpful for you. I am not going to give into the temptation and talk about that. Instead, I'm going to give in to the command to talk about our spring matching gift campaign. Happy now, Jimmy.

[B]

Thank you.

[C]

No retreat. We have a matching gift campaign. We would love, love, love it if you are able at this time, do support us financially. It's a matching gift campaign. Pretty self explanatory. We have so much we want to do and I, I can't tell you much but this particular subject that we're talking about, preaching and pastors, that's going to be something we do big time in 2027. But I'm not going to give into that temptation and talk about it because I will get my wrist slapped hard. Would you please visit fortisinstitute.org donate fortisinstitute.org donate and if you can join us right now for our matching gift campaign will be very, very grateful. And then you can call 877-282-2337.

[B]

All right, this is from Peter. He texted Anton. What are your thoughts on American flags in the church sanctuary?

[C]

You try to get me into trouble today. Okay. This is how I sort the issue because I know there's so much emotion behind this and I know there's a bunch of churches that do that. Do I think that they're horrible sinners? No, I do not. Here's why I would not do it. Because the church is a dedicated sanctuary. It's a dedicated place for the proclamation of the word, the administration of the ordinances for worship, for praying. That's what this space is set apart for. This is like if you want a condensed version of God's kingdom on earth, it's the assembly of the saints in a local church. Therefore, philosophically, I would not put an American flag in there. It's to confuse what this space is for and what this service is all about. I think that there's some other. They're down the list for me. But there are some people, if they're foreigners and they're visiting or they're considering joining and they don't know where they stand on what country they're going to be living in, they could Be people who are maybe going to get a message that we're not trying to send to them about, say, Christian nationalism. So for those reasons and more, I just wouldn't do it, I think. Could you fly a flag outside of your church? Look, I love America. I really, really do. I said the Pledge of Allegiance in school, growing up, even every day. We even had to sing a patriotic song, God Bless America. America the Beautiful, the national anthem, every day before school started. So don't hear that. I don't love this country, but what I love is the kingdom of our Christ. Way more, like, spectacularly, infinitely more. That doesn't diminish my love for this country. It just means that his kingdom is so much more important. And I want to make sure that a church communicates that his kingdom is preeminent. And we're about his business here, not political stuff, potentially. So, Jimmy?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Thanks for choosing that question. How much pain am I going to experience from that?

[B]

Look, I don't think you are. I mean, I. You know, so you mentioned outside, I wouldn't have a problem putting the American flag, the state flag, in the. The Christian flag outside, on a flagpole.

[C]

In which order?

[B]

I don't know.

[C]

I don't.

[B]

But I don't think I would do it in the sanctuary. But outside. Yeah, that's where flags go.

[C]

All right. What flag goes on top?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I'm not answering that.

[C]

You know. You know, there's American flag laws. I mean, they're really meticulous. Nobody follows them because most people aren't aware of them. But how you put the flag up. For instance, to put the flag at half mass, you don't just put the flag on the, you know, hook it up and then put it up halfway. No, you put it up all the way, then you bring it back down.

[B]

Really?

[C]

Yeah. There's rules about this and order of flags, like which flag is on top, because it does send a message. And so, again, I love the country, but to put the Christian flag, if you are a fan of such things, underneath the American flag. Now, if the law says you can't put a Christian flag on top of an American flag, then I guess I wouldn't be flying one of those flags. But the church is not subservient to a nation. Christ is the King of all nations, and his flag does not go underneath and submit himself to a national flag. Now am I going to get in trouble, Jimmy?

[B]

I don't think so.

[C]

I bet I will. I bet I will date. So you can disagree. By all means, please do you have any disagreements in your pile? It was a good week [e-mail] or you can text 877-282-2337.

[B]

So I don't have a disagreement. It's. It's someone wanting a clarification.

[C]

Fair enough.

[B]

This is from Karen Todd. Our church has two deaconesses. We talked about that last week. One is over the children's ministry, which includes the nursery, and the other is over the women's ministry. Were you saying that's not biblical? Just for the record, our church does not have women elders, and that's definitely not biblical. But would you clarify your comments from last week?

[C]

Can a woman serve and act like a deacon? Of course. We're all called to serve in the church. Can a. Can a woman be. The first one I heard was the Sunday school, the kids.

[B]

Sunday school over the children's ministry. Children's ministry, and one over the women's ministry.

[C]

Women's ministry. Okay.

[B]

And they call them deaconesses.

[C]

Yeah. Look, I would serve in that capacity as a servant doing that particular function. But because my opinion that the office of deacon is reserved for men, I just wouldn't use that title. Call it something else. Anything else that you want to. But we shouldn't be confusing the office of elder, Pastor shepherd, and the office of deacon. We're all called to serve. And I think that's the point that I would like to make the loudest here. If we, in our desire to be good complementarians, make women feel like we don't want them participating or that their service is not as valued as a man's, then we have biffed it. As complementarians, we need to make sure that every time we talk about the office of elder and deacon, it is limited to men. We got to be screaming, but, lady, we want you involved. We need you involved. That point needs to be made, I think, just as loudly. 8, 7, 7, 2 8, 2, 233 7.

[B]

This is from Josh. He texted in, Todd, when I'm staying in a hotel and I find the Book of Mormon in the bedside drawer, would it be wrong for me to take it and throw it away?

[C]

See, here's the problem with that question. If I. If I tell you it would be wrong. That would mean I've been wrong in the past. Yeah, well, see, here's how I. This is how I rat. I'll just tell you how I rationalized it in my mind. The Mormon Church. It's probably the Marriott hotels. If I'm most. It's the Marriotts that are the Mormons right? Or is it. Yeah, Marriotts. Not the Hiltons. The Marriott chain is Mormon, right?

[B]

I think so, yeah.

[C]

So what do they want to do? They want you to take that Bible. Just like the Gideons who put Bibles in. They're thrilled when people take them. They provide more Bibles to the hotel so that more people can use the Bible and potentially take them. So in an act of goodwill, I take one, then. Then when I get home, I ditch it, but I still took it. And so that's. How. Would I say it's a sin? No. Would I say that it's. What, Wise? Over to you, Jimmy.

[B]

I don't. I mean, I don't think it's. I don't think it's a gray area at all. Because if. If the intention of the. Of the hotel owner is for you to take the Bible, they're not out money. They want you to take the Bible. That's a part of what they're doing. I don't think it's a problem.

[C]

So how many of you swiped me personally? Yeah. I can't.

[B]

I lost count.

[C]

If it were stealing, then of course you shouldn't do it. Like, if I were in a Mormon's house, would I swipe their Book of Mormon? No, I wouldn't do that because it's their property. You're right. The intention behind these is to distribute them. So I'm honoring their intention when I'm taking it home to throw it in the garbage. 877-28-22337 from Carrie.

[B]

Are dead people able to interact with the living? My mother is waiting for a sign from my father, who was just recently deceased.

[C]

I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. The answer to the question about the dead interacting with the living. Can things like that happen through necromancy? Through divination and sorcery? Yeah, I think so. But it is clearly forbidden, and she shouldn't have that expectation. And because she's grieving. One can only imagine. Then I guess I would be focusing on how to provide comfort that is biblical and accurate. And even better, because even if her husband reappeared to say something that is still not as good as the Bible. That's what Peter said. The Word is better than viewing a transfiguration of the living Christ. The word is what will be her greatest comfort. This is Wretched Radio,

[B]

And it's now time for your daily Fortis news break. The production of Fortas Institute United Church of Christ. Bishop Yvette Flunder says the Bible has become problematic and we need a Third Testament. When something in the Bible bothers her, she told a recent audience, we need to pull that page out. Meanwhile, a new Finnish study asked why young men in one of the most secular countries on Earth are turning to to Christianity. 80% said they came to faith during a personal crisis, while 70% pointed to tradition and stability. Over half said they wanted something countercultural. So while Bishop Flunder rips pages out of her Bible, the next generation in Finland seems to be picking theirs up. A transgender identifying election official in Wisconsin Township, Pennsylvania posted a video complaining that so called bottom surgery costs too much in America. This guy, I don't even know his actual name. I know his transgender preferred female name, which I'm not going to say, but this guy says it would be cheaper to fly to Thailand and is actually attempting to crowdfund that trip. The man in charge of local elections is passing the hat for a plane ticket to Bangkok. Across the pond, 34 year old Arian Bailey of Yorkshire tells a very different story. At 16, struggling with anxiety, she filled out two questionnaires, was prescribed male hormones within six months, and had a double mastectomy by the age of 22, all on the British National Health Service. Fifteen years later, she was finally diagnosed with autism, the condition nobody had bothered to look for. She wasn't transgender. She was an autistic young woman struggling to fit. Fit in two forms and a lifetime of damage. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant tangled with Senator Chris Coons this week over shutting down the IRS direct file program. Coons called it free. Besant corrected him. Free to the user, but $72 million per year for about 300,000 returns. And 60% of users didn't even finish filing. Senator Elizabeth Warren is vowing to bring it back, because of course she is. And in the United Kingdom, the high court just cleared the way for a nationwide rollout of live facial recognition cameras. A group called Big Brother Watch. It's arguing that scanning every citizen's face in public might violate a civil liberty or two. The judges, as you might expect, disagreed. Britain's policing minister assures everyone that only wanted crime criminals will be located. Which is exactly what every government that ever installed mass surveillance has said right before it wasn't true. And that wraps up today's Fortis news break. I'm Jimmy Hicks. If you want more, you can download Fortis plus or 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.

[A]

Important Dates In Christian history 385 A.D. in Milan, Bishop Ambrose defies the Empress. This event helped to establish the precedent of the Church confronting the state when necessary to protect Christian teaching and oppose injustice and corruption in government. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[C]

Well, let's see how much hotter the water can get that I'm being dipped into by Jimmy. This is Wretched Radio. Please send wretched stuff to ideaetched.org you can also feel free to text whatever you would like to 877-282-2337 this is from Joyce Todd.

[B]

Recently I went through the Christian music that I listened to and in digging in deeper to the artists and their bios, I found that a shocking number of them were actually from a Mormon background. Really? I've heard you say that Mormons worship a different Jesus. These songs sound like normal Christian lyrics to me. So is there anything I should be looking out for?

[C]

Well, yeah, I think the first question that I would have if I could ask it is they have a Mormon background now. They come out of Mormonism then cool, you're good to go. If they're still in Mormonism. And I didn't know a lot of contemporary Christian artists that are. No, there was one that I remember like back in the 90s, it was a girl and I think that she was a Mormon. And once again, Big Eva just gave it a pass because she was a. She was a hit maker. But I think once, you know, personally, I could not be led in worship by a Mormon even if the lyrics were sound. Because it's not about. You want the lyrics to be sound. Everything that you follow sing along with worship to it needs to pass a theological sniff test. But even if a song that is being led by a Mormon, even if the song is sound, I just couldn't participate in worship with them. I'm trying to think of anybody who holds a different. I suppose there are some people where. Yeah, no, I take that back. There's a lot of people who would say, hey, as long as the music is good, what difference does it make? Well, here's the difference that it makes. Number one, I do not want to be fellowshipping, even if it is through electronics with somebody who is outside of the faith. Second of all, I don't want to be led in worship by them. Third, I don't want to be participating in generating revenue for them. Fourth, I don't want to be telling the world that might be watching should they discover that I'm singing along with a Mormon. It would appear then that I'm okay with Mormonism and I'm absolutely adamantly opposed to Mormonism because it is so outside of Christianity on so many levels. So for all of those reasons, I'm out now. Wait a second. That Shark Tank. So for all of those reasons, I would not listen to that music myself. Let's hope they came out of Mormonism. 877-282-2337 alright.

[B]

This is a text from Anonymous. Todd, I am 38. I was baptized in a solid Baptist church at the age of 19 after growing up in a Christian home and making the conscious choice of obedience. A year later I made the emotional decision to get back with my non Christian boyfriend who is now my husband. I later rededicated, and that's an air quote, rededicated my life to Jesus at the age of 30 and have it look back. At best I backslid terribly into sexual sin, but at worst I worry my baptism was invalid. I've been wondering if I need to get re baptized or if my current surrendered life is just the evidence of how God has been faithful to me even though. Of my. Even though. Even through my willful wretchedness.

[C]

You don't want me answering that question because I do not know enough details. But you know who can know those details? Your local pastor. I encourage you give him a ring. He's handled this probably multiple times before because it's a common malady. Because people are confused. Okay, I kind of did this and then I had a season of that. Was I really saved? When was I saved? I got baptized. You really need meticulous care and that can only be provided through the counsel of your local pastor. Sit down with godly elders and just share your story. Because you married somebody who's not a believer, that's a sin. But would I say, oh, that automatically demonstrates you weren't a Christian? No, I would say you sinned, but you were saved because saved people still sin. I need to know more. It sounded like there was like a 10 year gap there. What did that look like? What were. Okay, Were you practicing? Were you demonstrating fruits of repentance even while married to a non believer? So all of those things need to be explored. And I would not be serving you well if I gave you an opinion. Because I couldn't give you an opinion. I just. I just. I don't know. Oh, that hurts. Oh that. I just threw something out of my lower back. A talk show host should Never say that, but it's true. 877-282-2337.

[B]

So I did an AI search for present contemporary Christian artists who are Mormon.

[C]

I'm so glad, dude, you and I are sinking, man.

[B]

But I don't understand their. Don't say understand. I have never heard of these people. Maybe one of them, but Hillary Weeks, Alex Boy, Michael McLean, I think that's the one that I may have heard of. And Kenneth Cope. Not Land, just Kenneth Cope.

[C]

Yeah, I'm not familiar with those names. Now, they're definitely confirmed Mormons.

[B]

Yes, they presently.

[C]

Now, are you sure the AI is telling you the truth?

[B]

I am not sure of that, no.

[C]

Yeah, so we got to be careful with that because remember Gabe Poirot, the fellow who thought he took a trip to heaven for 19 days, you did the AI machine and said he went to some church and he sent us an email saying, no, I haven't been to that church for like over a year. But that's what the Internet said. So it's not always up to date. So let's say this, there's a very good possibility. The aforementioned lists, they're Mormons. Let's hope, though, that they've actually gotten saved and they are out of that. Would you be kind enough, would you ask it? However, back in the 90s in contemporary Christian worship, I think I remember who it is, but I'm not going to say it because I don't want to besmirch somebody without knowing for sure. But just see if you got something from the 90s on the AI machine, as reliable as that might be. 877-282-2337.

[B]

All right, this is from Anonymous. Todd, you always say to stare at Jesus with unveiled face. How do we do this?

[C]

Well, that'd be your second Corinthians, 3:18, Rexella. So you scoot over to Acts, chapter two, verses 40, 42, and it tells you how you stare at Jesus face. Okay, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to give that list. I would simply ask the question, well, where is Jesus face found? Where can you see Jesus face? Well, I will say this. You can see it in a not clear way through nature. That's right, through nature. Not in some sort of deistic or some sort of weird eastern way where God is in everything. No, it reflects the Creator. So the creation tells me something about the creator, but it's fuzzy details. It's big important stuff, but it's still fuzzy. If I really want the contour of my Savior's face. Where is the place that that is most thoroughly disclosed? And the answer is the Bible. You just read the Word. But as you do, I would encourage you, if you really want to read the Word, so that you can love Jesus more, ask the text questions. Don't just read a section and just go, okay, well, that was pretty interesting. Oh, I just read about Jesus calming the storm. Stop. Interrogate the text. What does that tell me about Jesus? What does that tell me about his power and his ability? What does that tell me about his compassion? You could also ask other questions if you want to be a little bit more introspective about yourself. How closely do I relate to the disciples who were afraid during the storm? Hmm. Can I learn anything from them about myself? What can I learn about myself? What can I learn about my Savior in the text? Ask it questions. And as you stare at Jesus and think about really is what I just described, it depends on, of course, on how you define it. But what I was describing basically is at least a type of meditation. No, not Jesus on the wall. Calming the storm. Calming the storm. Calming the storm. Not talking about that, but I'm talking about thinking about the text. That asking it questions helps you to do meditation without it feeling like, oh, meditation that seems hard and boring, and I'm not very interested. You will meditate on the text. When you ask the questions about the text that reveal the face of the Savior, you can do that also by listening to sermons. You can also do it by even listening to worship music not sung by Mormons. You can do it in conversations that are about Jesus Christ. You can do it while taking the Lord's table. You can stare at his face when you are hearing a baptismal testimony and watching somebody get dunked underneath the water. All of those are means for you to stare at the face of the Savior. But it's not just enough to look and go, oh, interesting. No, stare in that you look long and hard, and you can do that by asking it questions. Jimmy, you find anything about a 90s artist who was a Mormon?

[B]

I found with the exceptions of the ones that were already on the list that I had, there's someone by the name of Julie D. Azvido.

[C]

Nope.

[B]

And Gladys Knight.

[C]

What? Yeah.

[B]

She wasn't a contemporary Christian artist, but she was a Mormon. Baptized in the LDS Church in 97.

[C]

No. Yep. You want me to hear the weirdest? Have you seen one of these? When we first moved to Atlanta from Minnesota, it was a little bit of a culture shock. It was a lot of a culture shock. And one of the most mystifying things to us, it was in a strip mall. And we would drive by because, first of all, I did not understand chicken and waffles. But it was just, what does Gladys Knight have to do with this? And why are they using a French word? It was Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles Bistro. What is that like chicken and waffles? Apparently those go together. Have you ever had the chicken and waffles?

[B]

I have not. My kids have, but I just couldn't do it.

[C]

You're a Southerner.

[B]

I'm not a syrup guy, though.

[C]

Ah. But I think that's what. How can you not like syrup? You put syrup on anything, it tastes good. You could actually. You could. You know what you could do? You could actually put syrup on chitlins. No, that wouldn't help either one of them. No, that wouldn't help at all. Please send stuff to whatever. Whatever you find that's wretched to [e-mail] or 877-282-2337. This is wretched Radio.

[B]

Remember when the craziest cultural ideas stayed in dystopian novels? Yeah. Those days are over. We're living in the brave new world now. And it showed up faster than anyone expected it to. Social media didn't just change how we communicate, it changed how everyone thinks. And if you're not ready, as a Christian, to defend what you believe about gender and sexuality and race and entertainment and a dozen other hot button issues, you're gonna get steamrolled. Wretched Worldview 2 picks up where the first one left off. Todd Friel and Dr. Nathan Buznitz tackled 22 more issues through a biblical lens. Critical race theory, modesty, persecution, environmentalism, secular entertainment and more. The stuff you're actually seeing in the headlines and hearing at your dinner table. Because the Christian worldview is under assault and, I don't know, isn't going to cut it anymore. Wretched Worldview 2 is available in streaming right now for free on Fortis Plus. You can download the app on your smartphone, on your smart TV, or simply visit fortisplus.org Most men don't make one big decision that takes them off course. No, it happens gradually. And eventually you look up and you realize, I've been coasting for years. Well, Dr. Adam Tyson has created Walk Like a Man. It's available now on Fortis Plus. Dr. Tyson knows that's the story for way too many guys right now. And so he gets into God's word and he lays out what it actually looks like to walk with wisdom and live with real conviction. And the way he teaches it, you'll walk away from every episode knowing exactly what to do and why it matters. This is biblical teaching that puts solid ground under your feet and gives you a clear path forward. It's streaming right now, with new episodes dropping every Monday on Fortis for Download the Fortis plus app right now, wherever you download apps on your smartphone, your smart TV, or just go to fortis plus.org and walk like a man. Well, you can't judge me. Yeah, you've heard that a thousand times. It's the verse people quote when they don't want to be corrected. Even people who've never opened a Bible. But here's the Is that actually what Scripture teaches? Or have we been misreading one of the most misunderstood commands in the entire Bible? Thou Shalt Judge is a 13 lesson series with Todd Friel and Justin Peters that sets the record straight. They demonstrate why failing to discern truth from error doesn't make you loving, it makes you dangerous. Righteous judgment isn't hateful. It's one of the most loving things you can do because it protects people from the damage of false teaching. This series even includes a free study guide. It's perfect for your family, your youth group, or just working through yourself. If you've ever been told that calling something wrong makes you the problem, this is one you'll want to watch. It's streaming free on Fortis right now. Download the app where you download apps on your smartphone, your smart TV, or just simply go to fortisplus.org.

[A]

Revelation how can anyone know God unless he reveals himself? If God did not speak, religion would be nothing more than man's best guess. But God has revealed himself in creation, in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ. We can know God and we can be brought into right standing with Him. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[C]

And another thing about the Mormon Church, this is Wretched Radio. So every week when I'm putting together the liturgy, I go. Sometimes I I'm not familiar with a song that makes sense with the contents of the entire service, so I have to go listen to it on the YouTube machine and whenever I type it and guess who pops up first? It's the Mormon Choir all the time. Why don't we Evangelicals have a kick in choir? Okay, California Baptist University, they got a kick in choir. I got to tell you something, those kids rock the orchestra. Who's ever running that program, man? Aces but we don't have one, do we? In, in pre. Even in just Presbyterianism, who compares to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? Nobody has a reputation like that. And I'm telling you they are masters at SEO. You ask your Googler machine a question about God theology, look out, top of the list, Mormon Church. They have spent gazillions on making sure that they are the first to pop up and that bugs me. 877-282-2337 all right, this is from Anonymous.

[B]

Todd, is it okay for a young adult to ask for advice from a non believing parent if their advice doesn't clearly contradict scripture? Is it wise to follow their advice even if they don't necessarily have the Holy Spirit?

[C]

Yes, you can do that, but you do want to align it with the Bible. If it doesn't contradict the Bible, then inadvertently they gave you biblical wisdom. It just they weren't citing scripture, they weren't informed biblically. But if it aligns with the Bible or if it's just not sinful, of course you can receive that. Your unsaved parents, they still know you so well. They know you better than anybody. And your unsaved parents, they are going to be the ones who care about you the most if you take nothing else from your unsaved parents when it comes to seeking their advice, which would honor them a lot. Oh, I'm telling you, they're going to guard you from any danger. They will be better at it than anybody else because they're going to be thinking how might my child get hurt? What's the downside? How could this go belly up? I want to make sure they're safe. So if you want to make sure you're making a safe decision, ask your parents, saved or otherwise. Jimmy, in my brain, okay, just a synapse, but nevertheless, I was reading a commentary on First Peter Chapter 2 about wives submitting to their husbands even if they're unsaved, because they can be one without a word. Now most commentators agree one without a word would, would. It doesn't mean that you never share the gospel. That would be contra Bible. But it, what it means is you're not heaping words on them. You're not just constantly, hey, let me share this Bible verse with you 10 minutes later. Hey, here's a quote from Just don't, don't bombard them with words. And one of the commentators, I want to think of who it is because I don't want to get it wrong. Was really adamant about that. You really guard how much you talk to your unsaved husband about Jesus Christ and it almost made it feel like you never have to worry about it. I don't think that's exactly right either. I do think that you got to watch it and you've got to understand your husband and you've got to really understand how he's reacting to you. Do I think that the admonition is there, that you don't want to just be constantly bombarding them with got to witness to him every single day, twice a day? I think that that's what Peter was after. But I don't think that means you never have to think about it or worry about it again because they'll be won by your behavior. They can't be one without the Word, so they've got to hear the Word. At some point, you're going to need to be wise about it. And if you find yourself in that really challenging position, would encourage you. Find a woman in your church, likely older, who has lived under that same dynamic. Let them help you with that. And then I would also encourage you if you're trying to win your husband and you still want to share Word Bible, invite them to church. Make sure you're asking him how he feels about it. Because if he's like, honey, if he asked me one more time, I'm going to snap. Well, then you know that you're violating Peter's prohibition to heap on too many words. Communicate to your husband. Let him know that you're aware. Honey, I know you disagree with this, but I just want to make sure that when I do say something about it, will you let me know if it's bothering you? Because I don't ever want to be overbearing. And if you do that, I know that there are some women who would feel like, but I think I'm sinning if I'm not regularly telling them. Well, I think Peter is telling you you're not, but I don't think that that dismisses you from ever. How do you find that balance? Finding a godly woman in your church who has lived through that very same dynamic? 8 7, 7, 282233 7.

[B]

All right. This is from Brad. Paul or Todd? I just saw a V. Paul. Yeah, I. Paul. Just reading the next question and they got them mixed up. My bad. I'm sorry.

[C]

Nobody. That's a new one, though.

[B]

No one's ever called you Paul.

[C]

No, they typically will call me Scott. Scott, which doesn't sound at all like Todd, but it's regular. It's been Remarkable in my life that if people ever totally goof up my name, it's Scott.

[B]

You look like a Scott.

[C]

Thanks. I don't know what that means.

[B]

This is from Brad Todd. I just saw a video of youth pastors having a dance off and they were cut kinds of rugs, wondering what your reaction would be.

[C]

Got to know what cutting a rug looks like. Exactly. Because that used to be a term that was like they just danced a lot. But a pastor, to be silly, dancing, being, you know, showing off on the floor. Look, I know that I lean toward fuddy duddy. I, I, I, I get it. That's, that's my bent. But I'm sorry, I just think that an a man, especially a man who's in a position of youth pastor. Dignified. Dignified. You're not going, you're not supposed to be going down to their level and acting like a dipstick. You're not supposed to be looking silly so that they think that you're cool and relatable and accessible. That's not your role. You're in an office. And I promise you, if their perception of you is, well, he just, you know, he gets, he's really funny and he just, you should see him dance and he does the worm and it's like really funny. Okay, when that kid is in trouble, that kid ain't coming to you. That kid's going to go to somebody who's earnest and who's serious and who's dignified and who takes their office seriously. So I don't know what was going on in those videos, what was happening in those videos. But as a principal, I just opposed to that because of the nature of the office. And even if it's not the nature of the office because you're not in that office. Look, I get it. The Bible doesn't say at the age of 20, you need to stop doing this. Paul did talk about putting childish things behind him. So at some point you got to be jettisoning those things. They should just be schlepping away. But the trend is that older men think that they're still being vibrant or, hey, we can still be cool too, you know. No, no, actually, you're not supposed to be cool. You're supposed to be dignified and mature and godly and wise. That's not your season in life. And I understand it doesn't say a 20 or 30 or 40. So those things, I get it. There's some gray there. But can we be striving toward dignified and that a man and A woman. Titus, Chapter two. It addresses all of it. Young men too. You gotta be pulling up, advancing, not going backwards. And we want our youth to be coming up. And I think it's the youth leaders job to pull them up, bring them up. Don't go down to their level. They don't need that. Pull them up to your level, which should be a level of dignity. And if you're not a youth pastor, be asking yourself the question. I don't think this is like the most urgent issue in the world, but if there are things in your life that make you look inappropriate, let's use that word. It's like, well, that's weird. That guy's 70. Why is he doing that? Because it just doesn't look right. Then you probably shouldn't be doing it because you want to be advancing in dignity. Eight, seven. Jimmy, you got anything to add to that?

[B]

No, you said it all.

[C]

I mean, I'm tempted to say something about something, but I'm not going to say something about that because I think that's enough. And I don't think that there's hard rules on this thing. And by the way, how do you know if you're maybe doing something or presenting yourself in such a way? Clothing is a big deal, you know, in these hipster pastors, it's like, come on, really? You're still shopping at the gap, you're 50, put on some adult clothes. I didn't even say suit and tie, although it's my preference. I didn't say. But it's like, come on, dress like an adult male. You're not a kid anymore. And one of the, the book that I've just written that's coming out in, let's see, September, I think. September. September and October is the pre sale and then its actual copies I think are November 1st, something like that. There's a couple of chapters about aging with dignity. And I think the key to it is recognizing you need to shut out what the world says about what cool is and about what young is and what the priorities of life are. And you need to be defined by what God says are the priorities. The priorities that he has. That we aren't fuddy duddies. We don't have to be stodgy. It doesn't mean that we never laughed. But the older you get, the more dignified you should be. And you don't have to get up, you don't have to keep dyeing your hair if you want to, go ahead. I'm just saying you don't have to. You don't have to get a facelift. You don't have to get a tummy tuck. You don't have to wear young clothes. You don't have to. And you don't have to feel stupid about it, because the world doesn't define what dignified is. God does. And you can be liberated and free from all of that so that you don't have to succumb to the whims of the world and do exactly what they tell you to do, because they've said this is what is important. What God says is important is it's a 180 from worldly standards in virtually every regard. The world says young, cool, silly, cut a rug, have some fun. The Bible says, earth dignified, wise, mature, godly, and until tomorrow, go serve your king.