The Spiritual Condition of America, Politics, Culture, and Current Events Analyzed Through the Lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. Welcome to the show, everybody. You know, you've heard us all over the country in interviewing a lot of different people.
Well, we're excited because we're backstage at the Alabama Theater. You've been hearing us get ready for this for months and months. About 2,000 people are moments away from hearing the guest that you're about to meet, and he is one of the top 10 social media influencers in the world. Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA. I don't say this lightly, a man raised up by and sent by God.
Charlie, thanks for the time. God bless you. Thank you for generously hosting us. Oh, well, listen, longtime fan. Thank you.
I actually had the privilege of speaking for TPUSA at East Tennessee State back in 21. But with the time we've got, I want you to be able to share. For the one person on planet Earth who doesn't know, who is Charlie Kirk? How did God raise you up? And tell us what your heart is for America, present and future.
Thank you. An honor to be here, and you're doing great work. Super important. And we do this as we remember Dr. Dobson, by the way, who just passed away.
My boss for eight years. Yeah, and we just did a whole dedication to him, and we all kind of are in his shadow. I mean, that is a guy who finished well. That is a guy who Ran the race and left an unbelievable legacy.
So I pray we can continue it. Indeed.
So, yeah, look, first and foremost, I'm a Christian. I gave my life to the Lord when I was in fifth grade in the suburbs of Chicago. And I'm also a conservative. I'm an American patriot. I love this nation.
I want to see it saved. And I want to see it run correctly. I want to see us return back to the roots of how we were founded. I want to see us governed by virtuous and righteous people that are fighting for what is best for this republic. And I do this primarily, but not only through reaching out to young people.
And so we have a very successful youth movement called Turning Point USA that is on thousands of high school and college campuses across the country. We also have the Charlie Kirk Show podcast, radio program, and television show, which does quite well. And people seem to really like what we have to say. Indeed, yes. And so we're extremely blessed.
We are kind of at the intersection of the gospel of Jesus Christ and also the U.S. Constitution and the America and that whole fight that's happening in our nation. And we're on the front page of the culture wars as well. For real.
So it's a great blessing to be here. And for people that haven't heard about me, you're probably quite happy because you're not watching politics. But no, I am also a husband, a father of two. I live in Arizona, doing my best to turn that state into the Florida of the West. Not quite as conservative as South Carolina, but we're going to get there.
And it's an honor to be here. You probably did more than anybody else.
Well, I know you did more than anybody else in the 24 election to get young voters, first-time voters, and they voted overwhelmingly conservative. First of all, thank you. For all of my adult life, I've heard behind closed doors, think tanks, everybody says, how do we get young people to vote and vote? Constitutionally. How hopeful are you, Charlie, that the movement toward conservatism, constitutionalism.
Patriotism. How hopeful are you that that will continue and even grow among people say 35 and under. Yeah, I'm quite hopeful, and even more so than the Republican conservative tact is. There's a revival happening in this country. I mean, young people are going back to the church in record numbers.
We're seeing church attendance go up. We're seeing younger people give their life to the Lord in record numbers.
So that's incredibly promising. And that will lead towards more conservative values and, you know, a worldview that is one that is rooted in biblical values and one that you and I would both recognize. I'd go a step further and kind of explain it. Younger people, they lived through a social experiment during COVID. They lived through a massive social experiment of lockdowns, mass mandates, land acknowledgements, BLM, race politics, white privilege.
You're a terrible person, toxic masculinity, and they're resisting it. Gen Z voters in particular want something ancient. They want something lasting. They want something transcendent. And they want, increasingly, they want something that is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the most important thing, which is what we're here really to talk about.
And so, this is a generation that is spiritually curious. They're far more open-minded to the teachings of God and the teachings of Jesus than generations before them. And that will also have very positive political implications for years to come. And so, my message to all your listeners out there on radio is just to remind them that there is this Gen Z revival happening right now. Younger people are going back to the church.
We're seeing church attendance rates in the entire country go up because young people are leading that resurgence back to church. And so, it is one of the most hopeful and important things happening right now in America. And I want to make sure people know about it and that we're pouring everything we can into it. You know, Charlie, I did a developmental psych degree at Liberty years ago, and we one of my professors was from UCLA Med School. When young people have same-sex attraction or gender confusion, it's always, always the result of pain or abuse.
I do not believe people are genetically born gay or born trans. But yet at the POP level, it's kind of just a given that people have the right to be whatever they want to be.
Now, Our nation was based on morals.
Sometimes we call it the Judeo-Christian worldview, natural law. Here's my question: Can the LGBTQ Narrative be reined in.
Now, people are free, people are worthy of respect, but our nation only works. If there is an agreed-upon moral foundation, gender is not fluid. There are males and females. I was on January 20th, 25, when Donald Trump was being inaugurated, and he said there are only two genders. I was like, praise God.
So, are you seeing, as you talk with young people, a willingness to at least be open to the idea? That We've got to get back to morals and a binary view of gender. Yes, I would even say gender doesn't exist. Only sex exists. I think we have to stop using that word gender.
It's actually a phrase, I'm not criticizing you, that's just my opinion. It's actually a word that was coined by John Money back in the 1960s. We never used the term gender before it. And as soon as we talk about gender, we're actually yielding and conceding ground. But yes, anyway, I'm just nitpicking at semantics.
Sure. Yes, I know we only have a minute remaining here in this segment. But look, the core of it is this, is that young people have been told to live their authentic selves, to go pursue your own meaning and to find your own meaning.
Well, as soon as I go to church, you have to acknowledge there's something that governs above you. And the idea of the natural law is that norma normativity is woven into nature. And that it represents itself in the moral, in the aesthetic, and also the discursive, which really is how we dialogue and we have reason. What does that mean for a younger person? They have to die to their own fleshly impulses and their lower appetites and realize that there's a way they ought to live, which really is at the core.
It is against everything the LGBTQ mafia believes in. I'm glad you said that. Yeah, the LGBTQ mafia is all about you are in control of your own life. You get to determine your own values. You get to determine your own future.
You get to chart your own path, your own place of destiny. And I think that's very troubling. It's societally suicidal. And it's one that is, as you say, inherently against the natural law. Yeah.
Hey, well, we got to go out there and talk to about 2,000 people. Yes, we do. You'll be leaving here in a few hours. How can we be praying for you, my friend?
Well, first, thank you so much for having me. Pray for wisdom and perseverance. Pray for prudence that we can make good decisions and good practical judgment. And just pray for our nation.
Well, we're very honored to have you here tonight. Stay tuned, folks. We'll be back after this brief break. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
100 Bible Questions and Answers for Families. That's the newest book that Bert Harper and I, Alex McFarlane, have put together from hundreds of questions from actual radio listeners to our nationally syndicated radio show, Exploring the Word. Published by Broad Street Publishing. 100 Bible Questions and Answers for Families. Ask questions like: How are children a gift from God?
How can I build my family around the teachings of God's Word and Jesus Christ?
So many dozens of questions that we think will encourage and equip you in your walk and witness. It's available everywhere. Books are sold, online, your favorite local Christian bookstore, Barnes Noble, on Amazon. I encourage you to please check it out and tell your friends about 100 Bible questions and answers for families. Enjoy reading.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. Man, what an exciting night.
We're in the middle of a big event, part of our speaker series, Conversations That Matter. We've got Charlie Kirk here. And let me remind you, folks, September 14th, we've got Lauren Green of Fox News. We'll be doing a roundtable on the state and future of the local church. And then October 3 and 4, I'll be teaching apologetics, the very same content that I teach at Liberty University and all around the country.
You can hear we're doing a biblical worldview apologetics weekend. Please go to my website, alexmacfarland.com/slash conversations. And I want to say a big thanks to all that prayed for our seven summer youth camps, 1,200 kids, a little over 300 decisions for Christ. And folks, your prayers and support, we're deeply grateful for you underwriting and interceding for what we're doing. But right here in the studio, backstage at the Alabama Theater, Charlie Kirk.
Hey, I just want to say thank you. Thank you. We've booked a lot of people, and I've never had a better experience. Your staff, and then you personally. You've had to deal with all my fun questions backstage, which we will not say publicly.
I mean, but first of all, I know you're one of the probably top 10 busiest people in the world these days, and you're very accessible. I just see the grace of God flow out of you, and I thank you. Thank you. It means a lot. And we're in this fight together, and thank you for the great work you're doing for our nation's young people.
It's critically important. I heard you speak last summer, 24, and I was all primed for you to give a politically oriented talk. And I was so impressed, brother. You talked about the importance of keeping a Sabbath. Oh, that's one of my favorite topics.
How much time do we have? Yeah, and so let's talk about that. And frankly, I.
Now you got my attention. Politics is boring. I was under heavy conviction because you said for your spouse and family, you turn off the phone. Yes, I do. Anyway, I want to thank you for stepping on my toes.
Because seriously, I was listening to you speak, and I was like. He's right. He's Lord, forgive me. And I told my wife, I said, I'm going to give you Saturday and Sunday unplugged.
So thanks for challenging me, my friend. Thank you for saying that. Yeah, I mean, I wasn't always that way.
So I have an upcoming book. It's not, no one can buy it yet, but it's coming out in December called Stop in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. It's the most exciting thing I've ever written. I've written a ton of books. New York Times bestsellers is the one that is really kind of my, I don't know, yeah, it's really a core message because I've lived it and I want to bring, I want the church to wake up and start honoring the Sabbath again.
And there's all this, I don't in the book, I touch on a little bit just from a both sides argument, but we get so caught up in whether or not we're bound to the Sabbath and the legalism of it. We're missing the complete of it. You're missing out if you're not. You're not living a spiritually deep life if you are not dedicating a day to God. The only argument you could make is that we changed the day to honor the resurrection.
There really is no argument that God designed us to work for seven days and not to dedicate a day to Christ Jesus.
So basically, my story is: I was getting super burned out. You know, Donald Trump got displaced from power in January 21. Summer of 21 rolled around, and I was just stressed, and I was just overwhelmed. And a friend of mine said, Well, Charlie, are you honoring the Sabbath? And one of my other very good mentors, Dennis Prager, a very serious Jew would talk about the Sabbath.
Sorry, go ahead. Yeah, we've interviewed him. He's phenomenal. I love that guy. He's a great man, and he's not doing great right now.
He's actually in the hospital. We should pray for him. He would always give me Sabbath envy. He would talk about the Sabbath. I said, I wish I had that in my life.
Where he would travel the country to go back home and turn off his devices and just be there with his family. And I would always be, boy, I wish I could have that. And so the pastor friend of mine, David Engelhardt is actually on our board, was like, why aren't you honoring the Sabbath? Like, that's what you need. It just kind of overcame me.
And I was like, I'm too busy for that.
So the first thing that came was a statement of pride. I was like, that's, and I reflected on that. Like, boy, if your first excuse is one of. Pride, then that means they're really touching something on the soul level. It wasn't like, hey, you know, I have to go work an emergency room shift on, you know, or I have to go, you know, rescue orphans.
No, I'm too busy. Yeah. It's like, so you're too busy to worship the creator of the heavens and the earth. Bad, bad reason. And so I told my wife at the time, I'm turning off my phone.
We're just going to test that. It was hard the first couple of weeks. I've now been doing it for. This will be the fourth year straight. The only time I ever break the Sabbath is if we have a big turning point, you say, event, which is like twice a year.
But turning off the phone, no work. Andrew can attest to it. I'm completely unreachable. Friday night to Sunday morning. And it says it very clear in the scriptures.
For six days you shall work and the seventh day you shall rest. God built in, so one of the arguments I make in the book is no different. We talk about the natural law. I think the Sabbath is the natural rhythm of how we're supposed to live. And I make the argument in the book that, so the French, for example, they tried a 10-day work week.
Oh, my God. Right? The Russians tried to reorganize their work week. But isn't it interesting that even the world, even though they're atheist, secular, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, they all keep the seven-day work week that God created in the beginning of Genesis? Because what the Hebrews were revealed to, the seven-day week, is kind of works with how we are wired, right?
For six days you shall work, and then on the seventh, you just need a day of rest, then a day of celebration. And shame on us Christians in the American church. We are so. self-interested, self-indulged, materialistic. That is the least honored, least followed, least taught about, least taken seriously commandment of the Ten Commandments to our own detriment, to our own detriment here in the West.
It has made us sicker, it's made us less family-oriented, it's made us less happy, it's made us less healthy.
So, anyway, I could talk about the Sabbath all day long. My challenge to everyone here in the audience is very simple: honor the Sabbath. They say, I do. Here's how you know if you're honoring the Sabbath. It's called the Sabbath test.
Okay. If I walk into your house on the Sabbath, can I tell? And if the answer is no, if it's just like any other day, if it's just like a Saturday, just like a Sunday, just like a Monday, you're not honoring the Sabbath. It must feel different. It must be a day of worship.
There must be something removed. It says to keep it holy. Holy means separate, to elevate it, to make it above all the other days. You must walk into the day of a Sabbath for a believer, and you must be, okay. I get it.
I know it. Meaning, there's a reverence, there's a weight to it.
So, my challenge to all your amazing listeners is to honor the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. For those that are interested in Turning Point USA or maybe being a part of a local TPUSA chapter. Tell us about that. What are the age groups? Yeah, I mean, we have everything from grade school kids can get involved with Turning Point Education to 60, 70, 80-year-olds that want to go knock on doors for Turning Point Action.
So we got stuff for everybody. We have an entire life cycle covered at Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action. They can go to tpusa.com, that is tpusa.com, or tpaction.com for our political arm. They can listen to the Charlie Kirk show. They can follow us on social media.
Maybe they've seen me debate some college kids out there, which I love doing. But most important thing is: listen, I Get involved with Turning Point, fight for your nation, all that's great, but know Jesus and make Him known. Love God, love people, and make sure you're always sharing the truth of Jesus Christ. You know, I think about Augustine, who in City of God, he said, until we're in the city of God, we have an obligation to the city of man. And I have Christian friends, they'll go, Oh, Alex, you know, why are you talking about politics?
My home is heaven.
Well, yeah, our home is heaven, but till we get there, don't we have a vested interest in preserving an America where we can be free, make money, do missions? That's right, and also. God said, Thy kingdom come to this earth. God gives us specific ways to live on this earth through the civil law, through the moral law. God cares what we do here, and we should start caring more as well as Christians.
Hey man, thanks for this time. God bless you, man. God bless you, sir. Thank you. Folks, you can listen again.
This is going to be archived online on our web channel, YouTube channel, alexmcfarlin.com. Keep us in prayer and stay tuned. We've got another segment after this. God bless you. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert.
Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Christian author and speaker Alex McFarland is an advocate for Christian apologetics. Teaching in more than 2,200 churches around the world, schools, and college campuses. Alex is driven by a desire to help people grow in relationship with God. He arms his audiences with the tools they need to defend their faith, while also empowering the unchurched to find out the truth for themselves.
In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex is a sound voice who speaks timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. With 18 published books to his name, it's no surprise that CNN, Fox, The Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets have described Alex as a religion and culture expert. To learn more about Alex and to book him as a speaker at your next event. Visit alexmacfarlane.com. Or you can contact us directly by emailing.
Booking at alexmcfarland.com. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program, folks. Alex McFarland here.
You've been listening to a couple of segments with Charlie Kirk. And this third segment is just me because moments after we did those two segments you've just heard, Charlie Kirk and I had to walk out in front of 2,000 people, and they were from 17 states. We had a fantastic night of teaching there in Myrtle Beach. It was part of our summer speaker series, Conversations That Matter. And we've got a couple of more, and then I'm going to wrap up here in just a moment.
But let me remind you: September 14, Sunday night, September 14, at the Greg Rolls Theater in Myrtle Beach. We've got Lauren Green of Fox News, Caleb Collier of the Church and State broadcast seen globally on NRB TV. And then we've got from the Trump White House, he offices in the West Wing, Mark Walker. He's Donald Trump's international ambassador at large for religious freedom. And we're doing a night about the state and the future of the church.
You need to be there. Be ample time for questions. Best-selling author, long-time friend, and colleague Lauren Green will be there. And she has interviewed more religious figures. You've seen her on Fox News for years.
But we're talking about the state of the church because your church, where you attend and worship, can make a difference. And you, as an individual Christian, can make a difference. And then, October 3 and 4, the final speaker series of the season. And really, folks, this is for all ages, but especially young people. I'll be teaching October 3 and 4, that's a Friday night, half a day Saturday, on apologetics, biblical worldview.
the very same type of content that I've taught at places like Liberty University, North Greenville, Karis Bible College, Biola University on the West Coast. This is a free seminar. We're going to close out the season Friday, October 3rd, and you won't want to miss it. I want you to be there. Bring your whole church, because more than ever, we need to do what Charlie Kirk is doing, what I've been doing, and that's to persuade the lost and equip the saved.
And Folks, people need to know that this Christian gospel is truth. You can go to my website, which is alexmcfarland.com. AlexmacFarlane.com/slash conversations, conversations that matter. You can Google the website of the Greg Rolls Legacy Theater. And as you know, we are raising funds, working.
We would like to get our own facility, and perhaps you might feel led to help in that regard. But to train multitudes to stand for truth and to defend the faith, we've got to rise to the challenge of 1 Peter 3:15 and be ready to give an answer. And, you know, I give a quote here, and I want to share a few Bible verses that I think will be motivational. But Oz Guinness, he's spoken for us in our conferences, he wrote a book called A Free People's Suicide. About how we're a free country with freedom of religious expression, and yet our country has in many ways we've lost our soul, we've lost the power of our convictions, and in some quarters lost the convictions themselves.
And speaking about the church's call and, frankly, obligation. To speak truth. Osgen has said this: quote: Christianity is not true because it works. It's not true because it, quote, feels right. It's not true because it is quote my truth.
Christianity is true, says Osginis, because it is rooted, anchored in the person of Christ.
Now in that great quote, What He Does he refutes three isms of our time, and there are quite a number of isms that the Church needs to speak against, one of which is pragmatism.
something that's pragmatic, And some people have said, well, Christianity, it works for you. No, it's not pragmatism. just something that works. It's not subjectivism. that it feels right to me.
No, it's not a preference, although we certainly believe it. I believe it. Hope you do. Christianity is not relativism, it's not my truth. I've had people say to me, Well, that's true for you.
No, Osgenis is right. Christianity is true because it is anchored in the person of Christ, the identity, message, work, And mission of Jesus. Who is he? God incarnate, What was his message? salvation through His payment on the cross of our sin debt.
What is his credential? A virgin born, sinless life rose from the dead. And then, what did he do? He atoned for our sin on the cross. Do you know the Gettys that wrote that great song, In Christ Alone?
It's very interesting. There was a liberal denomination that wanted to use that hymn, In Christ alone I place my faith.
Well, there's a line, and it says in the Geddes hymn, On the cross where Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied And there was a liberal denomination. They wanted to license and put that song in their hymn book, but they didn't like the idea of the wrath of God and some sin having to be atoned for. And they reached out to the songwriters. They said, Can we use it? And we'll say, On the cross, as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified.
And the Gettys and the others said no. No amount of money will cause us to change the lyric because the truth is, it was on the cross. Where Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. And folks, think about this: that real sin. needed a real Saviour, and on the cross was a real actual atonement and payment.
Because Without Jesus' death and resurrection, there would be no remission of sin. As Hebrews says, without the shedding of blood, this is Hebrews 9.22, without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin. That's true. And so We must have Jesus and we must have the courage to proclaim this truth to the world. You know, 1 Timothy.
2.5 says there is one God and and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, the incarnate Lord. There is no Plan B, there is no God number two, there is no contingency savior. There's one Savior. That's why 1 John 5, 12 Could say, whoever has the sun, s-o-n, whoever has the sun has life. Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have the Son of God.
does not have life. Isn't that amazing? And we've been called, those of us that know Jesus, we've been called to proclaim this and defend it. You know, what Charlie Kirk and I were doing tonight in the program, what I've done in speaking in 2,000 churches over three decades, and what we're doing in this broadcast, and what we encourage you to do. 2 Corinthians 10.5 says, We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought, captive to obey Christ.
So we are, yes, we are to love people. Yes, we are to be patient and. Show grace, but we are to dialogue and make people think, and as 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, dismantle. destroy, nullify, negate the arguments. And every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and help people.
Take every thought captive to Christ, and they themselves will, through faith, belong to Jesus Christ. Aquinas said it well 800 years ago. Every possible argument against the Christian faith. Can be answered, and we've been called to give an answer. Let's go forth, and folks, stay strong.
Be bold, speak out, and remember your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Thanks for praying for us. Thanks for standing with us. May God bless you. And together, for God's glory, let's go change the world.
Alex McFarlane Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you. For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmacfarland.com. You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YESGOD and the number 1. That's 1-877-Y-E-S-G-O-D-1.
Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarlane Show. It's been said that prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. Hi, Alex McFarland here, and I want to personally invite you to be a part of something very powerful called United in Prayer. You know, it's been said that more is accomplished by prayer than this world will ever know.
And we need prayer. And every week, we send you things to think about, intercessions and prayers to bring before God. Prayers for our families, our churches, our nation.
So you don't want to miss United in Prayer. And together, with a unified heart and voice, we'll bring things before God. And you know, I know personally, that prayer changes things in wonderful ways.
So please go to my website, alexmacfarland.com. It's right there on the front page and sign up for United in Prayer. And together, let's be United in Prayer.
