Which False Teaching Is Most Dangerous?

Summary

Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Episode: “Which False Teaching Is Most Dangerous?”

Date: July 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Todd Friel and co-host Jimmy Hicks engage in a provocative discussion on the most dangerous false teachings present within various branches of Christianity and other faiths. Using audio clips from Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, and Islamic speakers, they evaluate which contemporary theological distortions pose the greatest danger to the Christian faith—particularly focusing on universalism and religious inclusivism. Throughout, Todd and Jimmy provide pointed, often satirical commentary emphasizing the exclusivity of salvation in Jesus, as well as reflections on the ramifications of these teachings for evangelism, missions, and the church.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction: The Central Question (00:41)

• Theme Setup:
  Todd and Jimmy present their game-show like framework—listeners are invited to judge which sermon clip is “most dangerous.” Clips are drawn from various religious perspectives, with the challenge of determining which teaching is most concerning from a biblical perspective.
• Notable Quote (Todd, 00:41):
  "Which sermon clip is most dangerous, or how long can you stomach this?"
• Key Insight:
  The exercise is framed with seriousness but retains the host’s signature humor, highlighting the deep concern for doctrinal clarity in the church.

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Clip Analysis: Progressive Lutheran Sermon (05:20–09:09)

• Context:
  A liberal Lutheran pastor reinterprets John 14:6 (“I am the way, the truth, and the life...”) to assert inclusivity and deny Christian exclusivity.
• Notable Moments & Quotes:
  • Liberal Lutheran Woman (05:20): “I am the way and the truth and the life. And here's the kicker... No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  • Jimmy Hicks (05:29): “The most truth that this church has heard in a long time. Because now she's going to re-explain what that verse means.”
  • Liberal Lutheran Woman (07:38): “Jesus did not come into this world to preach and to teach a my way or the highway kind of religion.”
  • Todd’s Reaction (08:00): Satirically notes the disconnect between the beautiful liturgy of the church and its current liberal teachings.
• Key Insight:
  The hosts strongly criticize the reinterpretation, arguing that such revisionism distorts the clear biblical teaching about the exclusivity of Christ.
• Memorable Commentary:
  Todd frames the Lutheran sermon as an example of “tickling ears” theology that undermines both Christ’s demands and the need for transformation.

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Clip Analysis: Methodist Liberation Theology (09:16–11:07)

• Context:
  A Palm Sunday message focuses on protest against injustice, CRT (Critical Race Theory), and posits that “black women are the source of the divine.”
• Key Quotes:
  • “We believe in a God of the oppressed. We believe that black women are the source of the divine and midwives of liberation.” (09:33)
  • “We believe in a brown Palestinian Jew, the Black Messiah, Jesus.” (10:13)
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Jimmy: “This is nothing but liberation theology... a different worldview literally placed on top of the Christian worldview.” (10:13)
• Key Insight:
  The hosts critique the fusing of secular social justice theories with Christian doctrine, calling it a distortion and warning against syncretism.

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Clip Analysis: William Lane Craig on Salvation for the Unevangelized (15:52–25:25)

• Context:
  William Lane Craig discusses how God judges those who have never heard the gospel, suggesting that they are judged based on their response to general revelation (nature, conscience).
• Key Quotes & Reactions:
  • Craig (19:45): “The Bible indicates that God judges people on the basis of the information that they have.”
  • Jimmy Hicks (21:44): “There’s the motivation right there... Manifestly unfair. This is what motivates liberalism. Our standards are better than God’s standards...”
  • Craig (22:36): “Paul says in Romans 1 and 2 that they will be judged on the basis of how they've responded to God's general revelation.”
  • Todd Friel (22:46): “That is simply not what those texts say. Why did Paul say, I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named...?”
• Key Insights:
  The hosts argue that universalist or inclusivist interpretations (suggesting people can be saved without explicit faith in Jesus) directly contradict the urgency of the Great Commission and the historical sacrifices of missionaries.
  • “If people can get to heaven without believing in Jesus, why did the disciples risk and lose their lives?” (16:30)
  • Todd: “This will thwart missionary endeavors and deceive people into believing you don’t have to really believe in the name of Jesus.” (25:32)

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Finalists & Dangerous Teaching “Showdown” (29:34–40:12)

• Contenders:
  • William Lane Craig (Christian inclusivism/universalism)
  • Raphael Warnock (Universalism/multi-faith syncretism)
  • Muslim Imam (Defending Prophet Muhammad’s controversial behavior)
• Warnock Quotes:
  • Warnock (30:15/31:22): “We Christian folk have been blind to our bigotry... inhospitable to those who have another way to the center...”
  • Todd and Jimmy point out this is another form of universalism, denying the uniqueness of salvation in Christ.
• Imam Segment:
  • Imam (37:45): “The good overwhelmed this. Even if it was bad—though it’s not bad.” (referring to Muhammad’s marriage to a child)
  • Jimmy and Todd (38:59): Strongly rebut the attempt to normalize child marriage, critiquing the “just a cultural thing” argument as profoundly immoral.
• Showdown Decision:
  • Most Dangerous: William Lane Craig’s inclusivism wins the “most dangerous” title, with hosts arguing that it undermines the missionary and evangelistic imperative of Christianity more deeply than even overtly heretical non-Christian doctrines.
  • Sickest-Quickest: The Imam wins for making the hosts “sickest quickest” due to the shocking moral defense of indefensible behavior.

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Notable Quotes & Segments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Paraphrase | |-----------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:41 | Todd Friel | “You be the judge... which one is most dangerous... or how long can you stomach this?” | | 05:38 | Liberal Lutheran Woman | “For centuries... Christians have used those words as a proof text to do all kinds of awful things in the world.”| | 07:38 | Liberal Lutheran Woman | “Jesus did not come into this world to preach and to teach a my way or the highway kind of religion.” | | 10:13 | Methodist Speaker | “We believe in a brown Palestinian Jew, the Black Messiah, Jesus.” | | 19:45 | William Lane Craig | “The Bible indicates that God judges people on the basis of the information that they have.”| | 21:44 | Jimmy Hicks | “There’s the motivation right there... Manifestly unfair. This is what motivates liberalism...”| | 25:32 | Todd Friel | “This will thwart missionary endeavors and it will deceive people into believing you don't have to really believe in the name of Jesus.”| | 31:22 | Raphael Warnock | “We have been inhospitable to those who have another way to the center... Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs...”| | 38:16 | Imam | “Was there an age for marriage? Nope. Was it normal? Yep.” | | 39:52 | Jimmy Hicks | “The Imam. And now, between the Imam and William Lane Craig, our winner is...” | | 40:12 | Todd Friel/Jimmy Hicks | “William Lane Craig... wins most dangerous.” |

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:41] — Introduction: “Which Sermon Clip Is Most Dangerous?”
• [05:20–09:09] — Lutheran Woman on John 14:6 & Exclusivity
• [09:16–11:07] — Methodist Liberation Theology Clip
• [15:52–25:25] — William Lane Craig on Salvation & the Unevangelized
• [29:34–40:12] — Finals: William Lane Craig vs. Raphael Warnock vs. Muslim Imam
• [43:21–54:06] — Bonus Segment: Pastor Encouragement, MacArthur Clip

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Tone and Language

• Satirical and Sarcastic: Todd and Jimmy use sharp wit and sarcasm to underscore the severity of the doctrinal errors, while also lightening the heavy topic for listeners.
• Biblical Literalism: Repeated emphasis on taking scripture at face value, especially with John 14:6 and the exclusive claims of Christ.
• Pastoral Concern: Despite the humor, Todd continually points to the pastoral cost of these teachings and the need for encouragement and endurance.

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Takeaway & Closing Thoughts

The episode offers a critical examination of a range of modern theological trends—universalism, inclusivism, syncretism, and the fusing of secular ideologies with biblical teaching. While several clips shock or disturb (notably the defense of Muhammad’s child marriage), the hosts ultimately judge William Lane Craig’s inclusivist stance as the most dangerous, due to its powerful potential to undermine Christian mission, evangelism, and core gospel truth from within the church itself. The passionate plea throughout is for believers to cling to the unique and saving name of Christ—a message delivered with both earnest conviction and lively humor.

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For Reflection

Todd and Jimmy encourage listeners (especially those in ministry) to remain steadfast, nourish their faith in Christ alone, and always measure teachings—no matter how appealing—against the unchanging word of God.

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Memorable Closing (54:06):
“But there’s one person who will never disappoint you and that’s the Lord. And there’s one source of truth that’ll never change, and that’s the word. And as long as your ministry is built about that, you can just keep doing what you’ve always done.” — John MacArthur (quoted by Todd Friel)

Transcript

[Todd Friel]

Wretched radio begins in 3, 2, 1.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

It's time for the church to acknowledge that we have brothers and sisters who are gay.

[Jimmy Hicks]

LGBTs have to find a household of worship that reflects what your views are

and what you believe.

[William Lane Craig]

A gay person who still wants to

[Jimmy Hicks]

attend church after the way the church has treated the gay community, I'm telling

[Pastor or Church Leader]

you, they have more faith than I do. They have more faith than a lot of you.

[Jimmy Hicks]

What's not. Not loving is to look someone in the eye when God says they are in jeopardy of an eternity in hell and merely wink and nod at their sin because you're afraid of being called names.

[Todd Friel]

It's time for wretched radio with Todd Friel.

[Jimmy Hicks]

You be the judge. You want answers? I think I'm entitled. You want answers? I want the truth. You can't handle the truth. Order in the court. This is Wretched radio. Prepare to play. Oh, it's a dilemma. Prepare to play one of America's fastest growing game sens either titled which sermon clip is most dangerous or how long can you stomach this? I'm not sure. Jimmy, which. Do you have a preference? I'm going to play you various and sundry, and I do put the emphasis on sundry sermon clips of different religions and you need to determine which one is most dangerous. Although, quite honestly, I'm not sure how far we're going to get through each one of these because, oh, boy, do you have a preference. Stop it before we all get sick.

I think that's probably.

We can do both.

I think that's what we should go with.

Look at how efficient this program is. So you will be determining and you will be the representative of the tens and tens of people listening to determine which one of these sermon clips is most dangerous. But if at any point you are sick to your stomach, you say the word and we're done.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

Okay.

[Jimmy Hicks]

All righty. Here we go. Let's go to. Oh, look at the this.

[William Lane Craig]

This is.

[Jimmy Hicks]

We were in Highlands, North Carolina. Now, please note, we didn't stay in Highlands, North Carolina. We ain't got that kind of cash. Wow. Is that ever. It's a. Like a mountain town. It's where you make movies and it's just a great place to visit. Now if you can afford to stay there. Bless your heart. We were. We were doing the Priceline deal to check out to see if we could. If we could go up there to spend a night. Jimmy, would you like to know how much a hotel room costs in Highlands, North Carolina?

I'm probably afraid to ask.

Go ahead. No, you're not asking, you're answering. How much?

Five hundred.

Yeah. Chump change, really. It's like 800 bucks a night.

Good gracious.

It's like, oh, does that mean we own it when we're done staying there? That seems like maybe reasonable, at least that rate. So we. We stayed further away in Little Oak, Clayton, which is also a great town. You walk through the streets of. Of Highlands, and it's lovely. And you're going to notice some really beautiful churches there. There's a Baptist church, and it's kind of plain. Honestly, it's just. It. It's a church, but it ain't nothing fancy. The churches that are really nice. Oh, those Episcopalians, do they know how to build a pretty church? And the Presbyterians, the Methodists can do those three denominations. I'm telling you, they are in a church race. I. I would have to give it to the Episcopalians, though, as a rule. They just know how to build gorgeous churches. And we're reading the signs on the. I think it was the Episcopalian and the Presbyterian Church. The Episcopalian church. One was the Rev. Dr. Jim Johnson, co. Rev. Dr. Eleanor somebody. And then we went to the. It was the Presbyterian church kind of sitting up on the hill, right by that really fancy Edwards Inn, I believe it's called. And it was Reverend Emily and Reverend Katie. And you go, how did they get so liberal? Walk into those churches, take out their hymnals and start reading the liturgy, and you are going to have such dissonance. They've got two women as the pastors. This liturgy is gorgeous. Did they believe this stuff? No, they don't. But there it is. Historically, and it is such a conundrum. This is a woman. Now, what you're about to hear. She's got her robe on. She's got the stole. It's probably elca, if I had to guess, because luturns have a tendency for the stoles. It's the big thing. I don't want to get technical here with church clothing, the vestments. It's the thing. Jimmy, I'm playing charades in here.

Yeah. Yeah, you are.

You know, that goes around your neck and then it hangs down almost to the floor. Stole. I think it's a stole.

Okay.

And they do it by color, so depending on what season. So it's purple is going to be Easter, et cetera. Green, maybe. I don't know. Red is Christmas, whatever it is, is. But they do it very liturgically. This is one of them, their woman preachers.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

I am the way and the truth and the life. And here's the kicker. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[Jimmy Hicks]

The most truth that this church has heard in a long time. Because now she's going to re explain what that verse means.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

Now, for centuries, for millennia, Christians have used those words and used those words.

[Jimmy Hicks]

You mean understood those words as a

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

proof text to be. Do kind. All kinds of awful things in the world.

[Jimmy Hicks]

A proof text to do awful things. She doesn't want to articulate those awful things. But the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, it couldn't be any more clear, could it? I am the way, the truth, the life. Definite article.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

To punish people for not being Christian or not being their version of Christian to Jimmy.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Do you know anybody who's been doing that? Punish people? No. You evangelize people.

That's right.

We're not. We're not like Charlemagne or anything.

I think I'm sick already.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

Damn people for all kinds of beautiful diversity that we see in the world. Not to love, not to bless the world, but to condemn it. All kinds of awful things have come from those little words.

[Jimmy Hicks]

They are condemned, madam. That's the whole point. That's why Jesus came to the planet. Because we are condemned and we need to be redeemed. She's actually, believe it or not, explaining away the clearest text imaginable about the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. Yes, this is a clobber verse because it clobbers John 14:6. I am the way. Nobody comes to the Father, but through me she's able to use what she perceives to be some atrocities. Whether if it's. I'm struggling to think of anybody who was converting by the sword. I guess you could go back to the Middle Ages and there was some of that, but that was the Roman Catholic Church, so I don't need to apologize for that. And even if. Even if people use that verse that way, that does not override the clarity of the text.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

Now here's the thing. Before we even dive in, we have to get one thing straight.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Can't wait.

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

Jesus did not come into this world to preach and to teach a my way or the highway kind of religion.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Yeah, I'm definitely sick.

Don't be like me. Okay? I'm. I'm looking at the little thumbnail of this video clip. Let me explain to you the truth of the church. It does not have a pipe organ because there's a huge pipe organ right there. There aren't a bunch of people in black robes looking at this woman with her. I Don't know. Epiphany stole on that. Isn't. There isn't a pulpit in that church. And it's right there, all of it. The people are there. The pipe organ is there. The pulpit is there. That's what she's doing here. This is absolutely bonkers. How can anybody sit in that congregation and say amen to that? I'll tell you what people sit there. The people that want to hear that, they want their ears tickled. They don't want an exclusive Jesus. Why? Because he's, oh, so demanding. He's the one who says, you must be conformed into my image. And did he ever preach my way or the highway? Well, let's just cite all of the exchanges with the Pharisees. How's about stating to Nicodemus, unless a man is born again, he will not enter the kingdom of God? Of course he preached exclusively. Jimmy, we are 53 seconds into this atrocity.

Yeah, I think I've heard all I need to.

Okay, so you got that mark?

[Pastor or Church Leader]

Yep.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Jesus isn't who he said to be. Now, you sure you want to move on? Because we're going to go to a Methodist church.

I don't know.

Here we go. Palm Sunday is a call to the church to protest genocide, state violence, mass

[Liberal Lutheran Woman]

punishment, and inequities that undermine the human

[Jimmy Hicks]

and civil rights of the most vulnerable. At Palm Sunday, we come. Yes, go ahead. That's fine. Sunday.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

Clap on that, too.

[Jimmy Hicks]

On this day, we come together as a body of believers to profess that our trust is not in a God of white Christian nationalism, but a God of liberation. We believe in a God of the oppressed. We believe that black women are the source of the divine and midwives of liberation, as demonstrated by Mary Hagar, Harriet Sojourner Fanny and countless others who make a way out of. No way. Jimmy. It's like I ate a Taco Bell, extra lettuce.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Did they.

[Jimmy Hicks]

From Mexico. Did they. Did they say black women were a source of the divine?

Yes, sir.

Oh, my goodness.

We believe in a brown Palestinian Jew. The Black Messiah. Jesus. I've had enough. I've had enough. I'm sorry. That's just too. You want to talk about taking a different worldview and literally putting it on top of your Christian worldview? This is not. What. What are they doing? Nothing but crt. This is nothing but liberation theology. This is. This is nothing but the current mantra of so many secularists, and they impose it onto the Bible. They smash it in there because that is what they want to believe. Now, Jimmy, we're not too far into this. You gotta. You got the Lutheran woman.

Yeah.

And then you've got this. I don't know what you would call it, this thing that they're speaking inside of the Methodist Church. You have your work cut out for you.

I think I do, sir. I think I do.

Martin Luther and. Okay, John Wesley. I always. Martin Luther would just box their ears in. I really. If Martin Luther were ever going to, like, get violent, it would be on the current liberal Lutheran churches today. I always think John Wesley, kind of a peaceful, nice kind of guy. I think he'd lose his perfectionism. Wanna bop somebody for this nonsense. We'll continue playing whatever this is next on wretched radio.

Look, I'm gonna 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 evening 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 to yourself, they're just band aids on a wound 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. Series only@fortis+.org.

Perhaps you've 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've got 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. Eduardo.

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. 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 and you're left trusting that chaos somehow adds up. That's where in the beginning with Dr. Jason Lyle comes in. He's a PhD astrophysicist. He'll teach you to read the Science Science headlines without getting played. New episodes of in the Beginning are dropped every single Wednesday on every single podcast platform in existence [e-mail].

[Todd Friel]

Important dates in Christian history. 1738. John Wesley's conversion eventually leads to the founding of the Methodist. Although he had no intention of forming a separate denomination, Wesley's followers left the Anglican Communion and founded churches throughout England and America. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Welcome back to How Many Negative Emails Can We Receive? This is Wretched Radio.

It's not what we were calling it,

it's what we're gonna call it, trust me. Because we're gonna play a clip by William Lane Craig and the emails that we're going to get, we are playing. We got kind of two, two, two game shows in one. Which clip makes you sickest, quickest? That's catchy. And which clip is most dangerous? Now, there could be two different winners. It could be two winners in one. You be the judge. Jimmy Hicks, you are the federal head representing the tens and tens of people listening. Are you ready to hear William Lane Craig go against liberal Lutheran woman? That's kind of redundant. And a Methodist montage message. Which are you ready for, William Lane Craig?

No, never. I'm ready for him.

[William Lane Craig]

Okay. The question here is, how does God judge people who have never heard the Gospel of Christ?

[Jimmy Hicks]

That's easy. All he should be doing at this moment is rattling off Bible verses. The entire flow of the Bible, starting with. Let's just start with in the garden, obeying God. Which God? How's about the Commandments, which begin with the exclusivity of Jehovah? How's about the promise of a particular seed coming out of a particular people in a particular zip code for the salvation of all People, it's all pointing towards salvation in Jesus Christ alone. And that is exactly what the Bible teaches over and over again. Salvation is found in no other name, no one else. For there is no other name under heaven whereby man must be saved. It's Acts, chapter four. You must hear and respond to the Gospel and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the disciples went. This is why the disciples were commanded to go and make disciples. Why would Jesus send the disciples to go if people could get saved without hearing his name?

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Hmm?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Doesn't Romans 10 answer that for us? How can they believe if they don't hear? How can they hear if nobody preaches to them? How will anybody preach to them unless somebody is sent? Somebody must go for people to be saved. Why did they risk their lives? No, why did they lose their lives if somebody could get saved? Furthermore, it is a cruelty to go preach to pagans, because if they're going to go based on what we're going to hear William Lane Craig explain as their inner light, don't mess it up by preaching the exclusivity of Jesus. You go to Boingo, Boingo, some of those people, they're bound to heaven even though they've never heard the name of Jesus. Now you proclaim Jesus Christ that he is the way, the truth, the life. Nobody comes under the Father but through him. And I don't think it means in some sort of nebulous, understandable way, the people on Boingo, Boingo that might have been going to heaven reject Him. Now they're going to go to hell. That's not very kind. You've got the way, the truth, the life. You've got believe in the name of the son, Jesus Christ. First John 3, very explicit. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. They must call on the name of the Lord. If they do not call on the Name, the name not an abstract concept, because they've responded to creation and conscience, but because they call on the name. And that is the context in which Paul says, that is why they've got to go. How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of God, not just creation and conscience. Now, is God preaching to people every day with creation, conscience and an inner light? He most certainly is. Psalm 19. The heavens declare the glory of God. Day after day they speak without saying a word. It is the single most intuitive thing there is in the universe that God exists. You got A creation, you got a creator. Furthermore, Romans 1 tells us they've got a conscience. But what else does Romans tell us? That they're without excuse. Why? Because even though they have a conscience, they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So the conscience is not enough to save. People don't respond to their conscience. People live the way that they want to without Jesus Christ. This is all important. When you hear the response of William

[William Lane Craig]

Lane Craig and I think that the the Bible indicates that God judges people on the basis of the information that they have.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Says what verse explicitly? I believe we're going to hear a fair amount of eisegesis here.

[William Lane Craig]

He judges them on the basis of the light that they have.

[Jimmy Hicks]

What verse is that? Now he's going to try to use some texts, but the texts actually do not make his case. They disprove his case because they say just the opposite.

[William Lane Craig]

So that those who have never heard of Christ will not be judged on the basis of whether they've placed their faith in Christ.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Now wait, wait, wait, wait a second before we hear his gripe about this. They will not go to hell because they didn't place their faith in Jesus Christ. Only inasmuch as not placing your faith in Jesus Christ is a sin. You don't go to hell because you didn't believe in Jesus. You go to hell for your sins. You go to hell because you're a law breaker, including the law of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. That is a distinction well worth making because it seems so unreasonable. All they did is just not believe in Jesus. No, what they did is break God's laws repeatedly with their conscience bearing witness. If people that are just basically good can get to heaven without believing in Jesus Christ, would somebody please explain to me Cornelius in Acts chapter 10? He was a devout and God fearing fellow, but he still needed to hear the gospel, didn't he? An angel appeared, told him to go to Peter who has a message for him. Peter immediately spoke of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who is Lord of all. I don't know how William Lane Craig gets around these verses in Christ.

[William Lane Craig]

That would be manifestly unfair.

[Jimmy Hicks]

There's the motivation right there. Did you hear it? You could hear the passion in his voice. Manifestly unfor God to have a broad road that would be manifestly unfair. This is what motivates liberalism. Virtually every time that our standards are better than God's standards, our way of dealing with judgment is better than God's way. Hell, it's so long. That just seems so Manifestly unfair. So what do we do? We concoct annihilationism or conditionalism, and we shorten the duration of hell because it seems unfair to us, but it is not unfair to God.

[William Lane Craig]

They've never heard of Jesus, so how could they place their faith in Him?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Okay, they can't place their faith in Him. That is why we have the Great Commission. That is why we should be motivated to go.

[William Lane Craig]

Rather, Paul says in Romans 1 and 2 that they will be judged on the basis of how they've responded to God's general revelation.

[Jimmy Hicks]

He does not say that. Yes, he talks about general revelation. Yes, he talks about the conscience, but he doesn't say. And based on whatever it is that you just. Whatever you have that you work with, that's gonna be good enough for God. That is the opposite of what Romans is teaching. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And then Paul, of course, proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is why Paul was so passionate about proclaiming the Gospel, because he knew that people would perish without hearing the name of Jesus Christ. William Lane Craig owes an apology to every missionary who has given his life, every single one who has sacrificed everybody who has given to the missionary cause

[William Lane Craig]

in nature and in conscience. Paul says, in nature, all men at any time in history, any place in the world can know that there is an eternal and powerful deity who has created the world.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Not sure what verse he's drawing from. It sounds like Psalm 19. Yes, they can understand in general that God exists, but a general understanding of God is not enough. Why didn't God just tell? Why didn't he just tell the nations? Just do your best. Just do your best. I'm okay with virtually anything.

[William Lane Craig]

And in chapter two, he says that God's moral law is. Is written on the hearts of all people, even those who do not have the Old Testament law. So that we do by nature what the law requires. We have an instinctual grasp of right and wrong. And so those who have never heard the gospel will be judged on the basis of their response to God's general revelation in nature and conscience.

[Jimmy Hicks]

That is simply not what those texts say. Why did Paul say, I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. He went to those who never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

[William Lane Craig]

Now, that does not mean that someone can be saved apart from the work of Christ.

[Jimmy Hicks]

They go, they just don't know Him. And that is exactly what we are commanded to do to know God. And the only way we can know him is if his name is proclaimed. Jimmy, you're the judge. Which one of these clips Methodist montage, Liberal, Lutheran, or William Lane Craig's version of this is universalism?

Yeah, that's exactly what it is. And I think, you know, if we're, if we're using dangerous and which one is most dangerous as our guideline, it's him.

Yep. This will thwart missionary endeavors and it will deceive people into believing you don't have to really believe in the name of Jesus. It'll deceive them into thinking maybe their friends are going, even though they never profess the name of Jesus Christ. The most dangerous. William Lane Craig, this is Wretched Radio,

And it's now time for your daily Fortis News break, a production of Fortis Institute. We're going to start in Union County, North Carolina. A high school senior wanted to paint his parking spot with an American flag and his name, but the school told him no. This was Marvin Ridge High's first year letting seniors decorate their own spaces, and it may well be the last because when the boy's mother asked why the design was rejected, the answer she got was that the American flag might actually offend someone. Now the young man is enlisting in the military. He's about to spend his adult life defending the flag his school decided is too dangerous for a parking space. After the story went viral, the principal circled back with a tidier explanation that driving over the flag could be seen as disrespectful. But the family says the original email sent said nothing about disrespect. It just said offending. And now to the airlines, where Trump derangement syndrome has apparently reached cruising altitude. West Palm beach recently renamed its airport after President Trump and United Airlines quietly told its agents that passengers upset about landing at a facility bearing that name could switch to a different flight. When Fox Business asked about it, United insisted the memo was poorly worded and not accurate and that you can't change a ticket over an airport's name. And yet the same memo instructs agents to offer these travelers an acceptable alternative. So the policy doesn't exist, except for the part where they wrote it down and told everyone to follow it. Our neighbors south of the border are having their own trouble with reality. Mexico issued a travel advisory warning its citizens that visiting the United States could expose them to lettuce contaminated with fecal matter, the same lettuce that turned up in Taco Bells and Walmarts nationwide. Just one Wrinkle though the company at the center of it is a California distributor, and the lettuce it distributes is grown in Mexico. The FDA never even named the distributor. It simply traced the contamination back to Mexican farms. So Mexico is warning its own people to avoid America over food that Mexico grew and Mexico contaminated. Take a special kind of confidence, doesn't it? Maybe confidence is not the word. Anyway, back home, Paul Pelosi is in the news again, this time facing misdemeanor charges after Prosecutors say the 86 year old struck a legally parked car in California, stopped briefly and then simply drove off. No one was hurt, and for once he wasn't accused of drinking, which leaves the less flattering explanation that he's just genuinely an alarming driver. He's also charged with an illegal turn and he he's due in court next month. You may remember his 2022 drunken driving conviction, for which he served all of two days. And that wraps up today's Fortis News break. I'm Jimmy Hicks. If you want more, you can download Fortis or sign up to bookmark Fortis Insider for exclusive daily content. Both of those things can be [e-mail] and don't forget, you can subscribe to Fortis News on your paper podcast app in order to get these updates daily. And until tomorrow, go serve your king.

[Todd Friel]

Books of the Bible John was a disciple and close friend of Jesus. John's Gospel presents Jesus as the word become flesh, God in human form. He also emphasizes belief in Christ as the only way, truth and life. God writes so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ. And by believing we may have life in his name, believe in Jesus today and have life everlasting. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Welcome to the semifinals. This is Wretched Radio. Jimmy, you thought your gig was up. No siree, Bob. You're still the judge of which one makes you sickest. Quickest slash. Which one is most dangerous. I've been playing various clips from different preachers and you determined in the first draw of the semifinals that William Lane Craig beats liberal Lutheran woman and the United Methodist montage. That's saying something. That's saying something. But now he's in the finals. We now have to get to the other finalist. We just have two for your consideration, starting with Raphael Warnock.

[Raphael Warnock]

We Christian folk have been blind to our bigotry, to the ways in which we are inhospitable, to those who have another way to the center, and then Jews and Muslims.

[Jimmy Hicks]

I've heard him interviewed Before. Is he doing an impression of Barack Obama preaching in a black church?

I think that's exactly.

I don't understand this. I just don't. This would, I guess maybe this is analogous if I went to England and I was invited to preach at Oxford and I spoke as if I were British, with a really snooty attitude. Good day, Oxford. I'm here to proclaim to you the gospel of Jesus Christ. The one that William Lane Craig says isn't necessary for your salvation. They would be sitting there going, what are you doing, Yankees? What? Why are you trying to. You're aping us. What? You're. You're mimicking us. You're impersonating. Are you making fun of us here? What are you doing with the accent?

[Raphael Warnock]

We Christian folk have been blind to our bigotry, to the ways in which we are inhospitable, to those who have another way to the center. And then Jews and Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs and others.

[Jimmy Hicks]

That's universalism too.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

Yep.

[Jimmy Hicks]

He's supposed to be a Baptist preacher. This is. Wow, we've got ourselves a theme today, don't we? That at least with maybe not the Methodist montage mess, but the liberal Lutheran woman who said the way the truth and the life means the exact opposite. William Lane Craig. You don't have to know the name of Jesus to be saved. That's universalism. And. And Raphael Warnock that seeks that just their way to the center. Unbelievable. Stanley. Stanley. Stan Lee.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Stan.

[Jimmy Hicks]

I'm looking right at you, Stanley. Why aren't you answering me?

I don't know.

Well, you're. I'm naming you Stanley. You should be answering me.

[William Lane Craig]

Okay.

[Jimmy Hicks]

I can call you whatever name I want to call you. It doesn't matter what your actual name is. I call the name Stanley. You need to answer me.

Yes.

Yeah, that's pretty ridiculous. Or how's about this? Hey, did I ever tell you about Jimmy? Let me tell you about Jimmy. He's a 6 foot 4 inch blonde woman from Scandinavia.

No, I'm not.

Well, I'm talking about the same person. It's just a different way of describing you. Now. You think that's ridiculous? That's not as ridiculous as the claim these are different paths to the same God. Are you kidding me? Different paths to the same God is like saying all roads lead to Graceland. They don't. They're different roads. They take you in different directions, different speeds, different rules of the. Of the road. It doesn't take you to the same place. Especially when the descriptors are so different. No other religion besides true biblical Christianity. I'm not talking about aberrant versions. I'm talking about biblical Christianity. It's the only one that says grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That's it. It's the only one. And so every other religion that says works, and they all say works. How do they get to the same God? How is it that God is so schizophrenic that he would say, put your faith in my son and you will be saved by grace alone, faith alone, and then turn around and go. But the Eightfold path, that's fine, too. You can work your way there. I know it says that you'll ultimately be kind of snuffed out into the great big divine. And then the other time, I said, actually, you will be with me in paradise. I. I know they sound like totally different, but they're really not. You'd go, you're. That doesn't make sense. Indeed. This claim that all religions take you to the same God is dumb. It's really dumb. And I don't think it gets tagged enough in how ridiculous it is. So we're going to continue listening to Senator Paul Wellstone as he talks on the. Hey, hey. We're still listening to the same guy. Even though I identified Paul Wellstone, same

[Raphael Warnock]

guy had to stand up and say, we, too, know something about the glory of God. We talked about equal protection under the law while marginalizing members of the LGBTQ community.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Well, he just jumped categories.

[Raphael Warnock]

But then they found their voice and said, we, too, know something about the glory of God.

[Jimmy Hicks]

It takes all of us. No, it doesn't take all of us. It takes one Jesus Christ. He's not qualified to be a Baptist preacher

[Raphael Warnock]

to see the glory of God, so we have to push hard against bigotry.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Why does that have to do with the exclusivity of Jesus?

[Raphael Warnock]

Racism, antisemitism, transphobia.

[Jimmy Hicks]

By the way, did you see any people, liberals, complaining about the fact that Raphael Warnock was in a church preaching? Anybody? Anybody see that lamentation?

[Raphael Warnock]

Xenophobia in all of its forms? Because it is violence, not only against humanity, but against divinity. It is an offense to the glory of God.

[Jimmy Hicks]

The glory of God. Wait a second. Buddhists don't believe in God. Oh, wait a second. That doesn't matter. They really mean the same thing. Silly rabbit. Jimmy, that's your semifinalist. Now this. I grant you, this last semifinalist is a little bit tricky because, well, he's not a Christian. I was giving you time to make a joke about the other one? Yeah, this is, this is funny. This is actually a prophet responding to the accusation. Hey, didn't the prophet Muhammad marry a six year old sister? She's asking Asalamu Alikum Sheikh as a Muslim student, my non Muslim friends ask why the prophet married a minor, yet it is wrong.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Why?

[Jimmy Hicks]

I thought it was nine. The clip actually says six. I thought it was nine. Yeah, okay. The prophet married a minor. Good. Married or minor?

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Why the prophet married a minor? Yes. Why not

[Jimmy Hicks]

Let me fill in the blank. Because she's a child.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

If you had the chance.

[Jimmy Hicks]

That's disgusting.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Turn the tables on them. Now this answer, I've answered so many times, I'm fed up. But again, let's assume that the sister or the brother or the non Muslim who's asking this question, trying to poke. Ah, we found something against Islam.

[Jimmy Hicks]

We did?

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Yeah. In all the entire beautiful religion of Islam, this is the only thing you found?

[Jimmy Hicks]

That's plenty.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

That's good.

[Jimmy Hicks]

So doesn't this would be like saying if you discovered. I don't even want to say it. No, I can't, I can't say it. Something about Jesus that was like that. That, that would, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? Muhammad married a child.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

The good overwhelmed this. Even if it was bad though, it's not bad. What? What do you mean?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Explain.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

You're judging things by today's standards. Go back in time 1500 years ago, where there was the Byzantine Empire, the Persian Empire, the Jews and the Christians and the idol worshipers, all these huge great nations. Was there an age for marriage?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Yes, it was generally accepted throughout Western civilization, give or take 12. Now that is young to us today. But that ain't six or nine or whatever it was with Muhammad. Furthermore, even though that was the legal limit, most didn't get married until later. This fellow's recollection of history, it's just, well, fallacious.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Meaning minor or not minors. Nope.

[Jimmy Hicks]

There were children and there were adults. Always in every civilization. That's why there were rites of passage.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

Was it normal? Yep.

[Jimmy Hicks]

No, it was not. It was not normal at all.

[Imam or Muslim Speaker]

When was the first flag raised about the Prophet marrying mother Aisha of 9 years of age, when was the first flag raised? Only 100 years ago.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Doubt it. I doubt it. Because Western civilization, it was long established we don't marry children. Now let's just play with this man's thesis. It's just a cultural thing. Okay, so forget nine years old prophet, sir Imam, why not nine months? It's just a cultural thing. Sir, it's just a. Just a cultural thing. It's disgusting. Does it discredit Islam? Among about 100,000 other things? Yes. Yes, it does. Jimmy, who goes into the finals? Raphael Warnock or the Imam? Hurry up.

The Imam.

And now, between the Imam and William Lane Craig, our winner is which one makes you sickest, quickest, and which one is most dangerous? The winner is.

I think they both win equally. One wins most dangerous.

You've only got one cup.

No, you said that.

Cutie little plate. Who gets the big cup? I agree. William Lane Craig, this is Wretched Radio.

Hey, thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. You know, a lot of ministries talk to individuals, and that's fine, but somewhere along the way, the local church gets forgotten. And we believe that to be a big problem because the local church is the institution that Jesus promised to build. It's not an afterthought. It's the plan. And that's why we exist at Fortis Institute. We exist to strengthen local churches, not replace them. Everything we create, our podcasts, our videos, all of our resources and teaching, it's all designed to be useful to pastors and small group leaders and church members who want to grow. We're not trying to be your church. As a matter of fact, we're always pointing to your local church. And if that mission is something that resonates with you, would you consider joining us as an ongoing monthly gospel partner? Your support helps us create content that equips the the saints and strengthens the body of Christ. And we know you have questions about what that would look like in your life. And we've got [e-mail] Help us be a part of something that serves the local church. Wretched Amazing Grace. Amazing Gospel. You ever been sitting in a sermon and your pastor drops a Greek word like he actually expects you to know what it means? Well, in the original Greek, the word metanoia, and you're just nodding along like you totally followed that. What if you actually could follow it? Our resource, It's Not Greek to Me is a basic Greek primer that teaches you to read your New Testament in the original language. It's not seminary level memorization. It's just enough to understand what your pastor is talking about, to get more out of commentaries and footnotes, and do your own word studies so you know exactly what God intended to communicate. There's 10 lessons. It's perfect for individuals and families in Sunday school classes and homeschoolers or just anyone preparing for a more serious study down the road. This is the language that God himself chose to write your New Testament. And learning it, even the basics, will change the way you study scripture. It's not Greek to me. It's streaming for free right now on Fortis Plus. Download the app where you download apps on your smartphone, your smart TV, or just simply go to fortisplus.org 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 around them. That's exactly what the series Irrefutable Proof of creation with Dr. Jason Lyle was built for. It's a biblical formation for a generation that needs answers. They need real ground to stand on, not just a good feeling. And that's what Dr. Lyle is doing. New episodes of Irrefutable Proof of Creation streaming right now and dropping weekly on Fortis. You can download the app on your smartphone, your smart TV, or simply go to fortisplus.org.

[Todd Friel]

Hermeneutics. A vital part of biblical hermeneutics is an understanding of genre. One genre we find in scripture is an epistle. Epistles are letters written to the church at large or to a specific church which contain doctrine, theological arguments and practical application. God used to uses first century correspondence to deliver his timeless truth. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Prepare for flashback. This is Wretched Radio. I don't know where that. Why am I speaking with the nation Act? I know. Oh wow. Who is this? Ever dated what isn't? Friel. That comes out of your mouth. Gabe Cotter. Yeah. Welcome Gabe Kaplan. Gabe Kaplan, he was a comedian before he got that TV show. Welcome Back Hotter, you know, with Vinnie Barbarino, John Travolta. He was a stand up comedian and I actually worked with him for a week once and some of his stuff, I have to confess, it was, it was funny. His bid on Kung Fu was really, really funny. It wasn't dirty at all. And in the. He would be talking, he was, he was telling the story of the Kung Fu guy and then must have flashback. Now that's where I get the accent. So this is my impersonation of Gabe Kaplan impersonating Kung Fu. Having a flashback. John MacArthur. He's in New Zealand the year, at least, if I'm guessing based on the sweater he's wearing. Could be the early 90s, is what I'm thinking. That sweater aren't clothes funny. We wear them today and then we look back in 10 years and go, what were we thinking? And it happens with every single decade, doesn't it? I was thinking about that, believe it or not. Jimmy, I used a sermon illustration on Sunday.

Oh, you did?

It was impromptu, but I was reading through Brian Chappell's book, Christ Exalting Preaching, and he was talking about application or he was talking about illustrations. And the reason I read the chapter is because the first time I read the book, I. I didn't read the chapter. But he persuaded me that illustrations can indeed be powerful and helpful. They can illustrate it in a way that I think helps the brain go. I get it. Jesus used illustrations and parables regularly, so it's okay. So preaching Sunday about how things are just the stuff that you owe. Psalm 49, you're gonna amass a bunch of stuff. My name is gonna live on forever. You die, nobody remembers you, and somebody gets all your stuff. So why are we striving so desperately for it now? It doesn't mean that you can't work to get stuff, but when that stuff becomes your idol, look out. You're in really big trouble. I gotta have these things. More square footage, more money, more power. I've got to have better looks. When it becomes consuming, it is an idol. And I wanted to use an illustration of the foolishness of pursuing things, because before I got saved, I had a passion for ties. Neckties. There's something about them. Some people, a lot of people like watches. Some people are into socks. It's like they're Jones. They just like that. Well, before I got saved, it was ties. And they were expensive ties. Even back then, they were expensive ties because I thought those things were so important, I'd spend stupid money on a necktie. Well, guess what happened? The 90s came, and then the 2000s came, and all of a sudden, every single tie that I had purchased before I got saved made me look like I was in a David Bowie video. Just not cool. It's like, dated, it looks stupid. It like, clearly, dude, you're not very current with your ties. But because I got saved, I couldn't throw them away because they were so expensive. And it just killed me to throw away a tie that Cost that much money, even if I bought it when I was a pagan. And so I didn't throw them away. And I amassed these. They were just sitting in my closet. And I thought, what am I going to do with them? I can't throw them away, but perhaps I could leave them to my children. And so I folded them up, put them in a shoebox with a note that basically said, kids, no doubt you are reading this note because your dear old dad is dead and you're now rooting through my stuff to determine what you're going to keep and what you're going to throw away. I put these ties in here even though I know you're going to throw them away or you're going to use them as rags to clean up oil in the garage. To demonstrate and to illustrate, these things used to be precious to me. I used to value these so much that I would spend dumb money to procure them. And now they're sitting in a box on the top shelf in a closet gathering dust. You're going to throw them away because they mean nothing to you. And that is the lesson. These things should mean nothing to us in light of the treasure we have in Jesus Christ. It's all garbage. It's all just. It's nothing. It's scuba less compared to knowing Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean that you have to dress like a bum. It doesn't mean that you can never have anything nice. But it does mean as those things are fleeting and they're pointers. They're nothing but reflectors toward Jesus Christ. And it reveals we have a desire in our heart. And that desire isn't a necktie. It's not a bigger house. It's Jesus that we've been longing for all along. That's our perspective, and that helps us to find the balance so that we don't become monks. We give everything up. No, that doesn't mean that. In fact, I think the application that I gave in the sermon on Sunday was don't stop looking at stuff. It's silly. Drive down the street, there's big houses and it could cause you to envy. And some people would say, well, don't look at them. That might be good advice. But I say look at them with the right perspective. That house is a d dump compared to the mansion that Jesus is preparing for me. That place is. It's a single wide compared to what Jesus is preparing for me right now. These things are nothing compared to what is in store for us. Now, I know that this verse isn't specifically about heaven, but I do believe that it fits in the application. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor entered into the heart of man. The wonderful things that God has prepared for those who love him. I know it's talking about salvation, but doesn't heaven include salvation? Isn't that included in salvation? Heaven is mind blowing and we should live in light of that reality. And just like Asaph did, it straightened him out. I was all goofed up. I was all envious. Thought about eternity, thought about death. Got him righted. Now there's. Now I realize there's no one that I have under heaven. But you. You are the treasure. Lessons from neckties from the 80s. John MacArthur. He's wearing a sweater. Maybe from the 80s, maybe from the 90s. Look. Looks great, John. Oh, really? Looks. Looks great. He's speaking to a bunch of pastors. Hear John's heart in this, because this is, this is what your. What your pastor has had to deal with over the years. Hurt, disappointment, being betrayed. You need to know that about your Pastor. Courtesy of Dr. John MacArthur Kircha, 1992.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

In response, let me encourage you a little bit, okay? 20 years at Grace Church. We've seen the church grow. There are still people at Grace Church who haven't got any idea what I'm talking about. They come with a thimble on Sunday, fill it up and spill it on the way to the parking lot before they get to the car.

[Jimmy Hicks]

What is he expressing? Teach them. You know, they, they just, they. It doesn't stick with people, and that hurts.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

I'll come back and you tell me what to do, and I'll try to do it.

[Jimmy Hicks]

So we're gonna have to pause right there. I gotta find the clip because it's. It's too long, Jimmy. Sorry.

That's okay. That's okay.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

Elders meeting at our church. And the elders laid out for about. I recently satisfy them for a lifetime.

[Jimmy Hicks]

All right, here we go. Three, two.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

But I recently was asked to go to an elders meeting at our church. And the elders laid out for about a three hour period all the complaints against me. Of course, they were not major issues, but this and that and a little of this and a little of that and a little of this. And finally after about an hour, I said, gentlemen, I want you to be free to say whatever is in your heart. And you might be more free if I left. And I might be more comfortable if I left. So I'll leave and you talk about whatever you want to talk about, and then you get it all Straightened out together and decide what the Lord wants you to say. And I'll come back and you tell me what to do and I'll try to do it. What I'm trying to say to you, man, whatever your church you're in doesn't get any better. That's just how it is out there. I've poured my life into people who've been tremendous disappointment to me. I remember meeting with a guy every Tuesday morning, six o' clock for an hour of prayer at the end of a year. Left his wife, went to live with another woman. I chased him till I found him in bed in a house he shouldn't have been in.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Wow.

[Pastor or Church Leader]

In the middle of the night myself. And another guy said, get out of there. What are you doing here? I was absolutely irate. It's going to happen. I discipled a guy for a period of about six months. A Jewish guy, was a teacher at ucla. At the end of the time he said, well, he said, I've appreciated this. He came to Christ in our church and then I took him on personally and discipled him every single week for about an hour. At the end of the six month period of time, he said, well, that's fine. He said, I'm going to leave. And he went into an Episcopalian church. In fact, he went into training to be a rector in Episcopalian church. Got into a very liberal setting. And I mean, that happens. There's a lot of discouragement in the ministry, a lot. But there's one person who will never disappoint you and that's the Lord. And there's one source of truth that'll never change, and that's the word. And as long as your ministry is built about that, you can just keep doing what you've always done.

[Jimmy Hicks]

But it comes with knocks and dings. I remember Alistair Beg in a Q and A at a conference was asked about the wounds and the hurt. And he said that he has been severely, like deeply, profoundly wounded no less than 20 times in ministry. You never see it. You don't know that it's going on. And all too often it gets turned and used against the pastor as if he was the potential bad guy in a scenario. Your pastor's taken knocks and dings, you should know that for two reasons. One, so that we'd be. We don't knock and ding him too, so that we can actually practice a one another with our local pastors and encourage him to endure through the knocks and dings that come with pastoral ministry. And until tomorrow, go serve your king.