WBLive2025-07-01.mp3

Rick Green [00:00:07] Welcome to the intersection of faith and culture. It's the WallBuilders Show and what a great week to be listening to the WallBuilders Show independence day coming up in just a few days and then a whole year of celebrating the 250th, 250 years under the declaration of independence. Thanks for joining us today. Rick Green here with David Barton and Tim Barton later in the program, Robert Morgan, we're going to be talking about the book, 100 Bible verses that made America defining moments that shaped our enduring foundation of faith. David and Tim, there seems to be more of an appetite for this conversation. So I feel like more than at any time since I've been doing this, I don't know if you guys would say the same thing, but man, it's just exciting to see so many people talking about the faith of the founding fathers. 

David Barton [00:00:47] Yeah, the faith of the founding fathers is really, really strong. It's, it's kind of amazing. I was at church this weekend and it being the Sunday before the 4th of July, I just did only the signers of the declaration. So all I did, I just covered it and said, hey, what we have in here. And it went through so many signers that people, they just don't know anything about whether it's Samuel Huntington or whether it was Thomas McKean or Francis Hopkinson or have any of the others, they can name Jefferson and Adams maybe and Franklin. And it kind of stops there. Tim's got a gift card he carries with him asking high school and college kids, can you name five signers a deck? What have you had nine years you've had the same gift card you can't get anybody to get five names? 

Tim Bartony [00:01:27] Yeah, I mean the basic question, and actually I do think there was one kid at Patriot Academy one year that got it right. That doesn't count. However, however, he heard me the year before ask the question. He's cheating. It's a piece of paper. He simply memorized five signs of the declaration to come back and do it, and I was like, okay. 

Rick Green [00:01:42] Where's the gift card to? 

Tim Bartony [00:01:43] It's a $20 Chick-fil-A gift card. $20 chick-fil, I want to play. Well, and so what I, that's why he memorized it. He said next time I'm going to make sure I get this gift card, but I told him, that's an asterisk, right? Like that's Barry Bond's home run record on steroids. Like it's you, you, I mean, you hit that many home runs. You just had a little help hitting those home runs, so asterik, buy that. But yeah, ultimately, when, when we talk with any American, I was going to say younger generation, But really, it's anybody. Most Americans learn our history in generalities. We don't learn specific details. And so much of generalities we learn are antithetical to much of the truth of American history that whether it's the founding fathers weren't religious, that, you know, the separation of church and state narrative, or if it's things like all the founding fathers were these really racist, bigoted slaveholders. I mean, you can kind of go down the list of what these accusations are. But Rick, as you mentioned, one of the incredible things we are seeing, and I have thought this several, weeks in a row, just on social media. As an example, I have seen very noted individuals, whether they be pastors, conservative leaders, different kind of media personalities, where they have talked about clearly understood history of the faith of the founding fathers. And each time I've just gone, this is amazing that we are coming to a place in a culture where people are openly acknowledging what used to be mistaught for decades, and now they're saying it's a clearly understood history of our nation, the faith foundation of our nation, and it really is something that's encouraging and refreshing to see. And guys, just a couple weeks ago, I was at World Outreach Church up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and as Pastor Allen Jackson's church, he's an amazing, amazing, Godly man. One of those guys that you just instantly respect and love and the love of Jesus just emanates off of him. Well, one of their pastors I met up there was Robert Morgan and Uh, he was somebody I hadn't known long at all. He gave me a gift. It was a book that he'd written 100 Bible verses that made America. And I started just perusing it before the service. And I went, this thing is incredible. I said, Robert, can we please get you on the radio program? We, we want to highlight this because he just took moments from American history that those moments, and sometimes it was, it was the men in those moments, but it was one of those own unquestionable things that these moments, these men were so shaped by the Bible, and so he puts that verse and then tells part of the story and shows the clear and obvious connection with that verse in that moment, in that event for that person. And he walks you through historically how the Bible made America. He footnotes everything in this. And it really is an incredible looking perspective. So in the midst of a week where we would encourage people to celebrate, go back, remember, study, learn some of the stories of the founding fathers. One of the really great ways that people can do that is with books like this, 100 Bible verses that made America, because not only is there a huge section pertaining to the foundation of America, but it is almost like you did with the Founder's Bible. We're taking the Founders quotes, it's putting it by the verses in the Bible that they were quoting and referencing, and it's showing the clear and obvious connection, the impact that faith made, but I had the opportunity to sit down and interview Robert Morgan, and we wanted to share that today. 

Rick Green [00:04:59] Yeah, so cool. There's so many, so many people are talking about this. I got to ask you, David, though, before we go to break and go to the interview with, with Tim, do you feel a little bit like the attitude is different than when you started WallBuilders and started saying these things about the faith of the founders? I mean, like you had a lot of pushback 35 years ago when you, when you started WallBuilders. 

David Barton [00:05:16] Well, I would say when it started the pushback wasn't that that big it as it grew then the push back started and now the push-back has kind of simmered down some so it's really kind of interesting last five years pushbacks not been the same. There's more more people discovering it more more People saying what we've been saying for now 35 years But I would the first eight to ten years was was pretty people going, wow, hadn't known that that's interesting and then all the the progressive academics got involved who thought they knew what they were talking about. And that's where the pushback started. But I would say in the last five years or so, it's kind of simmered down to some degree and, you know, with Trump out there front now, why would they pick on me when they can pick on Trump? So we've got Trump and others saying that the stuff that we've been saying for a while, so it's, it, it kind of a different, different change right now. 

Rick Green [00:06:04] Well, very cool. Glad to see any of these books come out. And thankful that Robert Morgan can join us today. Stay with us, folks. We'll be right back. You're listening to The WallBuilder Show. 

Tim Barton [00:07:08]  Welcome back to The WallBuilder Show. I am with someone who is becoming a friend, the doctor, the reverend, the associate pastor of World Outreach Church, Robert Morgan. Robert, thank you for being with us today. 

Robert Morgan [00:07:28] Well, I am so happy to be with you. I admire you and what you're doing. 

Tim Barton [00:07:33] Well, I'm so grateful and I gotta say, anytime I get to be up at World Outreach Church, around your team, with the people of your church, just incredible stuff, what you guys are doing. But when I was there just a couple of weekends ago, you very graciously gave me a signed copy of a book that I felt like I had maybe seen somewhere before. I wasn't totally sure, but I'd never read it. And I started perusing it and I quickly said, hey, I would- I would love you to come join us on our radio program on our podcast to talk about this book the title is A Hundred Verses that made America and I recognize that you have written many books and this might not even be your best-selling book, but it might be my favorite Uh, it's the only one i've read so far, but at least my favorite right now And as you as I peruse this book even earlier today. I was reading through the book Uh, the the chapters are very short to sync. It's super easy not to give away the ending But what you did is you took a moment from American history, you connected a biblical thought that actually is very applicable in that situation, and you point out how the Bible was literally part of shaping the nation. Will you tell us a little bit about the book and maybe kind of what led you to do this book? 

Robert Morgan [00:08:46] Yeah, I grew up in a family that really believed in America and believed in the Bible and believed in American heritage, biblical heritage for America. I'm old enough to still remember when I was taught Bible memory verses in the government school that I went to. And so some years ago, I was meeting with my publisher, I had about three ideas to give to them, but I wasn't very pleased with any of the three. And as I was driving to the meeting, the title just flashed into my mind, 100 Bible verses that made America, and I'd been doing enough reading to know something about the impact the Bible had had on specific people and events from earliest days, colonial days, pre-colonial days, all the way up to the current time, and these are specific stories. I mean, there is a general theme of our Judeo-Christian heritage woven into American history, but those are punctuated by specific stories. So I proposed that to my publisher, they loved it. I went to WallBuilders and a few other places to do research and came up with this book that tells 100 moments in American history where the Bible really made a difference. 

Tim Barton [00:10:01] Well, as I'm reading through this, just so everybody who's listening knows, this goes from the early 1500s, and you come all the way literally into the present era where you are able to track how the Bible and specific verses very much impacted the people and those moments. And I don't wanna put you on the spot because as I was going through here, my eye was drawn to several different stories. And as I mentioned, one of the things that I so appreciate about this book is, there are a hundred examples and because you didn't want the book to be maybe, maybe you did I don't know but it's not an entire series It's only one book and so you can't give all that much detail to any story or this becomes a multi-volume set, so every story is only two or three pages It's a super easy read and you do a really good job of balancing telling the story the history with also making the very clear biblical connection and so in looking at this are there any stories that maybe stand out to you, and I know this is a loaded question because you found a hundred moments, but what maybe are examples that you can give for our listeners today of when they get this book, what they will find? 

Robert Morgan [00:11:13] Well, a good example is when the Puritans, the Pilgrims, were coming over on the Mayflower and last year I took my grandchildren to see the replica of the Mayflower at Plymouth Harbor and it's a tiny little boat and all of these people were crowded down on that middle deck and it was miserable and on one particular day when they just didn't think they could stand it any longer, you know, crowded conditions, stifling, suffocating conditions, There's no sanitation and the storm. Was so terrible, and it was sloshing the boat this way and that way, and water was seeping in and they were getting wet, the Bible reading for that day was Psalm 107. And this is what they read, those who go down in the ship to the sea and ships, the waves of the sea mount up to the heavens, they go down to the depths, the soul mounts because of trouble, They reel to and fro, they stagger like a drunken man, they're at their wits end then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress, he calms the storms, they are glad, and He guides them to their desired haven. And that was the Bible reading that came in their regimen of Scripture readings for that day during the storm. And the pilgrims later remembered that moment when God gave them Psalm 107, they calmed their fears and gave them confidence God would lead them into the desired haven. You know, when you think of these Puritans coming over, they all came over with Bibles. And the Puritan migration that followed the Pilgrims, just hundreds and thousands of Bibles came over, and every one of those Bibles had 31,000 verses in it. And so these verses were the verses that whether it was the Pilgrams and the Mayflower on a stormy day, or whether it was Winthrop or one of the others. They found the inspiration they needed in certain verses and later wrote about it. And so there were, I could have told a thousand stories instead of 100 stories, but I always can picture visually in my mind those pilgrims just absolutely miserable in that hot little stuffy place and all of the turmoil and the tempestuous seas around them and drenched to the skin. And here they were reading Psalm 107 about how the Lord gets us through the storms. 

Tim Barton [00:13:41] And it's absolutely incredible. It's one of the things that I'm looking in the book, and that's example number five. So it's early on in the books. I appreciate in the content, you actually list these in numeric order at the date of when they happened. So we can track their history, which is why I was able to find this example really quickly, kind of in this context index. But also what I so appreciate, at Wall Builders, we spend a lot of time. Trying to go back and document to original sources. So it's not just what some professor thinks about some moment from history, it's, no, this is, this is literally from the writings of the people who were there. This is actually what they said. And you have hundreds of footnotes in your book documenting these stories. And so as you're identifying, when the pilgrims are reading it that day, well, how do we know they read it? Well, you go back to an original source and you're able to document it and not to take away because this might be One of the other examples that you might want to highlight today, but I do want to point out this reminds me so much of another example that you highlight its example 21 again in the order of the 100 verses in 21 is very similar to when the first prayer in Congress happened and that prayer opens up and they spend a couple hours in prayer and Bible and this is the founding fathers when they first come together. The very first motion John Adams says the first motion was made by Thomas Cushing. It was a open with prayer. And they called the local pastor, Reverend Jacob Duche, he comes, but in the midst of that prayer, they read four chapters of the Bible that were part of the Anglican Prayer book, which was written nearly a hundred years before that moment. But John Adams identified that morning they read Psalm 35, and it was identified that this was a verse that was accidentally extremely applicable to our situation. And so just like you're talking about with the Pilgrims, where they're the middle of a storm and that morning they read a verse from the psalmist. Literally describing what they're going through that this is a kind of stuff that is as we study American history and as you point out Recognize these are people influenced by the Bible It's remarkable that there are so many of these moments again like the first prayer in Congress where they read Psalm 35 which was about David crying out to God when Saul was chasing and persecuting him and the founding fathers felt like well this is us in Great Britain, we are David and you know, the King is like, Saul trying to kill us. There are so many of these moments, and I love the fact you highlight it. I don't want to take away, because I know there's more examples you want to highlight. I'm just so grateful. 

Robert Morgan [00:16:06] Well, let me say about that one, Dr. Barton. It was complicated here by the fact that there had been a rumor that had swept through the Continental Congress the day before and that morning that the British had already attacked American forces, colonial forces, and Boston. And they had a sense of panic as they met together. And so when Jacob Duce read those verses from Psalm 35. Plead my cause oh Lord against those who strive with me. It had a very dynamic effect on them on that morning 

Tim Barton [00:16:44] Well, and I don't want to take all of your time today because I know right now as we're talking, you have grandkids that are over and I, but I would love to know, can you give us another example or two? Because those are two examples I love. Is there anything else that maybe would be something irrelevant, applicable for people listening to go further identifying and giving again another example of how the Bible shaped a moment or a person? 

Robert Morgan [00:17:10] Oh, well, yes. I mean, let's go back to the Revolutionary War. I took my grandchildren, a couple of them, to see at Lexington where the shot that was fired around the world. A lot of people don't know that the shot, that was fire that started the Revolution War was fired at a congregation, that the pastor was Jonas Clarke. And so when the all came. That the British were coming near and that they needed to be prepared. Jonas Clarke rang the church bell, the village, most of them members, whom he had prepared through his sermons for that moment, gathered together. And so it was a church, a congregation that stood up to the British, started the Revolutionary Several of his church members were killed, and a year later, on the first anniversary of that battle, Jonas Clarke preached, and his text was Joel 3 19, they have shed innocent blood. And you know, these Puritan preachers, they weren't afraid to get into politics. And they were, you know they were bold in standing up for freedom of religion and for the freedom of the colonies. 

Tim Barton [00:18:28] Well, they recognized what many Americans unfortunately have forgotten is that the Bible applies to every situation every moment of our life We can take guidance and and really get direction from the word of god And I think it's worth noting at this point that not only are you an author Which of course which we're talking about the hundred verses that shaped america more specifically 100 bible verses that made america title of the book You also are a active Bible teacher. You have a podcast where you teach through the Bible. When I was at your church just a couple of weekends ago, your name was on the screen that you're doing a series through the bible on Wednesday night. And so if there are people that maybe, first of all, wanna learn more about the word of God, maybe Robert, joining your podcast, seeing some sermons online, where's the best place they can go to maybe hear more of your teaching? 

Robert Morgan [00:19:18] Well, I would love that. My podcast is the Robert J. Morgan podcast. It's a Bible study podcast. You can get it anywhere. And my website is robertjamorgan.com and all of our resources are there robertjmorgan. Com. 

Tim Barton [00:19:32] And so your books are available on your website, which we would encourage people, go to the website. I'm sure you can find them other places, but go to their website. That way Amazon's not making the money. He is making the the money, but I would highly encourage everybody listening. 100 Bible verses that made America, just like at Wall Brothers, we try to walk people through the American history. We document it. This is exactly what Robert has done in this book. Robert, I am so encouraged that as I look around the nation, and I see God raising up more and more people. That God is giving more amplification in certain voices at a time that is so critical in the nation. And we are so grateful for your work in leadership, helping people know biblical truth, but also even understanding the connection of the biblical foundation of the nation as you've outlined in this book, 100 Bible Verses That Made America. And I don't wanna go yet until you acknowledge or tell us, when we were talking before we got to this segment, when we were off air. You said that one of the places, and I thought maybe that's where I saw it, there are actually places that people can find these out in public. And during the summer, there's a place that our family loves to go eat that actually sells the books. So where else might people find these books? 

Robert Morgan [00:20:46] Well, for the last couple of summers Cracker Barrel has had them in their stores as part of a 4th of July or Memorial Day to 4th July display and I can't go without saying one other word, Tim. Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 8 had a tremendous influence on Harry Truman recognizing the modern state of Israel when all of his cabinet and advisors except for Hart Clifford were against him. His friend gave him Deuteronomy Chapter 1 Verse 8 that God had given that land to Israel. And the reason that Israel is in the headlines today goes back to the impact of one Bible verse on one very bold and courageous president. 

Tim Barton [00:21:32] It's so good. Okay. Everybody needs to get the book. Go to RobertJMorgan.com or just go to Cracker Barrel in the summer, right? Go have a good family meal and get this book, 100 Bible Verses That Made America. Robert, thank you so much for being with us today. You're welcome, Tim. Thank you so much. My pleasure. We'll be right back in a moment with David Barton and Rick Green. 

Rick Green [00:23:00] Welcome back to The WallBuilder Show. Thanks for staying with us. Tim, great conversation with Robert Morgan and you were talking about Alan Jackson's church. My pastor, Jimmy Pritt loves Alan Jackson. He goes out there to his conferences all the time. So he's, he's and I've met him one time on a hunt and that was the only time I met Pastor Jackson, but really cool that you went out there. Really cool to team up with Pastor Morgan as well. This is good stuff, man. It's happening in Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, all over the country. People are waking up to the faith of the Founding Fathers and bringing back that. 

David Barton [00:23:28] Foundation. But you know what it does, it also brings back the scriptures because you know we say and we know the scripture applies to every aspect of life yeah yeah yeah and then people don't study the scriptures enough to know that. But then you get a book like that and now you're on the Mayflower and here's the verse that changed the direction of what they did in the middle of a crisis or here's a verse that change the founding fathers or and you start seeing man whatever the situation is there's Bible verses that apply to that and when you use those verses and put them into practice, they make a huge difference. I think that's one of the really cool things about history is it shows really how truly relevant the scripture is. And we hear that and pastors say that and we get that from the pulpit and we say it here on radio. But then when you see these specific verses being used in specific situations that change the direction, that's where it really, I think, comes to life. So I think this also helps Bible knowledge and Bible application. And really will encourage people to even get in scriptures, maybe with a new inspiration and a new dedication and new fervor that maybe they haven't had before. 

Tim Barton [00:24:33] One of the things too, as I was already thinking, when we started the program, I thought about introducing some trivia. And I thought, you know, one of the thing we had to do is when we come up, I think Friday is 4th of July, we ought to have some trivia questions for each other. But as I thinking even about this interview and Robert's book, when you go through history, there are some very, very clear verses associated with significant moments, places, and events. And it might be fun one day, not just to have a founding father's trivia, But even like So what what Bible verse would you find in this moment or event or uh, you know quote the verse and what event is this linked to because just like robert pointed out in his book there are so many places and moments Where it was very clear bible verses that shaped those men that shaped Those events and the reason for so much of the activity in action in some of those situations was because of specific Bible verses, um, and just so grateful to to robert morgan for what he's doing. And of course, he's a pastor on staff at World Outreach Church. He does a podcast going through the Bible. Would encourage people, if you want to know and study the Bible, man, find some of these podcasts where there are people that love God, that love His Word and want to teach the Word of God. And certainly Robert Morgan is one of those guys doing that. 

David Barton [00:25:46] And I'll just throw out one trivia question. What aspect of science was changed by Psalm 8? There's a trivia question for you. It changed science, it changed the way we teach it. See if you can figure out who did it and what it was. The name Matthew. 

Tim Barton [00:25:59] Matthew Mauryight help if somebody needs help and I might have given away too much but if somebody wants to look it up Matthew Maury Psalm 8 see if it helps 

Rick Green [00:26:06] But is there a Chick-fil-A $20 gift card involved? That's the most important data to find out. 

David Barton [00:26:13] Tim gave the answers. You can't get the gift card now he's given you gave me the answer. 

Rick Green [00:26:17] I think people are going to start following now that all of our wallbbuilders listeners are now going to follow Tim around all of his events and be like, he's going to ask a question. They're going to be like like horse shacks from welcome back car. Oh, I know the answer. I want the $20. So it's going be a, for all of those questions you got to, it's gonna be fun. All right. Out of time for today, folks, we got more for you throughout the week. Don't forget Thursday is our foundation freedom Thursday. You can send your questions into radio wallbuilders.com and they don't miss Friday if you want to catch up on some good news, you've been listening to the wallbuilders.show.