Speaker 1: 0:07

This is the Intersection of Faith and Culture. It's the Wall Builder Show, with Rick Green, david Barton and Tim Barton all here and Kara Green joining us, because Kara and I are just actually leaving. We're recording the day before and we're leaving the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, david and Tim. We're leaving the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, david and Tim. Watching it from on the road and, guys, just an incredible, incredible moment in our nation's history and just hearing the name of the Lord proclaimed by the entire cabinet, pretty much of our United States government, the president, the vice president, everybody else, but also just the praise and worship. It was just incredible, guys. It was.

Speaker 2: 0:46

I was blown away by several things. We had talked a little bit, but we really could have taken so many of those speeches and made them an entire show just talking about what they said, what they highlighted, obviously starting at the beginning with our friend Rob McCoy as he kicks things off. But we can go down the list and when you get to the cabinet, when you get to Marco Rubio laying out the gospel, you get to Pete Hegseth. I mean it's just, it's incredible JD Vance saying that he had never talked so much about his faith but since Charlie died, he was now going to be more vocal. There are just so many incredible things, but the fact that it starts off with nearly oh.

Speaker 1: 1:29

And as soon as he said it, tim, as soon as he said that, the whole place erupted and stood up and gave a standing ovation because it was confirmation that Christians have been too reserved in sharing their faith. And here you got the vice president of the United States confirming what millions and millions I mean. We've seen the videos on Instagram and TikTok and social media and all these areas. Everybody's saying the same thing. I was afraid to share my faith and now I am. And then the vice president of the United States saying the same thing at the biggest event of the year it was. It was a special moment, for sure.

Speaker 2: 1:57

It was incredible. And what's interesting is, leading up to that moment, my dad and I were on a flight back from Boston. As it all unfolded, all three of us had been up at CMP in Boston this weekend Obviously Rick, you and Kara being there y'all flew out early. My dad and I stayed through Sunday because we were helping with the Sunday morning service there at CMP. But so many of our friends from cmp uh were there. So many of our friends just from kind of life and ministry were there as well. Um, we have a lot of friends at turning point turning point faith so we were sad not to be there. We're watching it all online.

Speaker 2: 2:35

That was texting with some friends as it was happening and such a testimony when every single person that got up, the thing they highlighted the most about Charlie Kirk was his faith. And one of them said you know, I'm a little nervous. You know they're talking about his faith so much. What's going to happen in their faith? And I said I definitely think that he was the guy that maybe, you know, kind of was a spark at the beginning. I think he's probably the guy that was a little bit of the thermostat in the room to some extent I said, but honestly, with what we're seeing with some of these guys, I think there are going to be people like we've already heard. At that point we already heard from Marco Rubio Pete Higgs has just finished, and I said I think guys like Marco and Pete I said even Scott Turner right there's going to be people that will now be even more vocal than ever before. And so then when JD Vance comes on and says I've never talked about Jesus more than since he passed away, and right, I'm not going to slow down, I'm not going to stop. It was that confirmation.

Speaker 2: 3:44

And one of the things that I think is also so interesting is the things that we've been saying literally for decades the importance of the faith foundation, that freedom only works if you have a underpinning moral structure. The founding fathers acknowledged that underpinning moral structure had to come from the Bible. That's where the foundation comes from. Without the Bible, we don't have the morals. Without the morals, freedom doesn't work. And every one of these guys talk about in the midst of how important freedom is in America, faith has to be the foundation and I mean, rick, we were talking kind of big picture about this because those were some of the things you stood out. We could talk so long about all of those and we will for the rest of the program, but even the fact that it started off with three hours of worship and then between every single speaker they're playing hymns. The president comes out and of course, lee Greenwood is there to sing God Bless the USA. But before that, the president, erica Kirk, several people. The hymn that comes out is it is well with my soul, and it's playing while they are coming out.

Speaker 2: 4:52

And so the turning point team did such a good job to highlight the most important aspect of Charlie's legacy Erica JD Vance. Some of these guys talked about it. Where, early on legacy Erica JD Vance, some of these guys talked about it. Where, early on, charlie was a little more politically motivated and later in his life he realized that if you don't have the faith foundation, that the rest of it's not going to matter and how it's kind of those two things are linked together that you have that faith for freedom to really work. The whole thing was just so stinking incredible. A lot of people said it. People thought they were going. The left said this is going to be like a funeral service. They didn't know this was going to be a revival, and that is absolutely what it felt like was. This was a super long, amazing church service where God was honored and glorified.

Speaker 3: 5:42

I was thinking about the Democrats just watching and listening.

Speaker 3: 5:45

And again I'm going back to the same thing you guys did when the vice president said in the last 10 days I've said Jesus Christ more than I have in the last year or however long it was.

Speaker 3: 5:57

I thought you know that's going to be. One of the positive things that comes out of this is the boldness that comes with it, and I appreciate the fact that 94 Democrats in the House joined the resolution honoring Charlie and that was good for them. But I would say that if any Democrats watch this thing today, they haven't heard the name Jesus Christ used so often since they had their last caucus meeting and cussed each other. I mean, that's their cuss word. They don't hear it used reverentially very often and I think the boldness that came out of this thing will now permeate so many of those Tim, as you said, those cabinet level guys you know Marco and all those other guys. I think we're going to hear a whole tone now that's nationally different than what we've heard, not just pro-religious, but their faith is going to come through and I think that's healthy for everybody when you start expressing your personal faith and don't hold back on that.

Speaker 1: 6:51

Well, we talked last week about not making the mistake of the Jesus Revolution, where we had conversions but we didn't have discipleship. And how much discipleship did we hear over that? Three or four hours? I mean it wasn't just have faith in Christ, it was start a family, work hard. There's evil out there. Learn to fight evil. Put on the whole armor of God every day. I mean I didn't even write it all down. There was so much discipleship taking place. So if the memorial service itself is any indication, we're on the right path to not make that mistake of just conversions and not actually discipling people.

Speaker 2: 7:32

Well, and I think also one of the really, really good things from this is I think this is helping set the tone. I mean, dad, you kind of mentioned for the cabinet going forward, but I think even the Republican Party, when you had Donald Trump Jr say, right, what you heard today is faith. Trump Jr say, right, what you heard today is faith, family, country, and if those are things you care about, then this is the place for you. Right, you're welcome in our movement. But what's significant is, I think that what happened today obviously the way Charlie lived, but the way that his life has been celebrated, remembered and honored at this memorial I think it sets the tone going forward, where multiple speakers were so clear.

Speaker 2: 8:08

This is a nonviolent movement. We want to have discussion and dialogue, we want to have exchange of ideas in pursuit of truth, and I think there was a lot of people over the last week and a half that heard a lot of bad things about Charlie Kirk. They went and saw some of the actual, not just clips the full hour and a half, two hour, three hour, uh, kind of tent revivals, as they were called, at the Memorial. But these sessions really had conversations and I've seen several posts on on X formally Twitter, I've seen several posts where there were black men, black women saying I heard all the accusations of him being racist. One guy said I've watched now over 50 hours of Charlie Kirk on college. Said I am going to lead the Democrat Party because of how dishonest they've been.

Speaker 2: 9:09

I think for anybody who is watching honestly, there's no way you could watch what happened today and think this is the hateful group, this is the bigoted, whatever phobic kind of things you want to put on the group. No, if you watched it, I mean it was very clear, faith oriented and you might try to make some faith accusations, but I think this staked out very clear ground and I think it's really beneficial that I. I know you're trying to say something, uh, and so I can come back to this point in in very detail in a minute. But I think this is also such an important foundation as we're moving to 250th Because, as much as we want to celebrate America and make America great again and talk about our next 250 years, if we don't have a restoration of this faith component, there can't be a long-term future for America, because the future of America, that freedom future, is built on a foundation.

Speaker 3: 10:05

There was another momentous moment that I think I've tried to think of how the impact Now I know it had spiritual impact. You know we're told that that we don't war against flesh and blood but heavenly powers and the heavenlies. But the moment when Erica in her speech addressed to Tyler Robinson, the guy that murdered her husband, and told him that I forgive you, I mean that was as much courage as I've ever seen at any point in time. And for her to do that on the national stage oh my goodness. You know the partisanship and the hatred that goes between parties. I mean that just kind of negated the whole, the whole bad atmosphere. And that was such a courageous moment for her to do that, especially what she'd been through just two weeks ago.

Speaker 2: 10:53

And guys too. I mean, first of all, when I was watching that, there were several moments when I had tears in my eyes and that was one of those moments like, oh my gosh, this woman's incredible. But what I also thought was so important is, as you watch so many of the speeches at the memorial there were some speeches from a couple of his team members, there was some from a couple from the political side that it wasn't as seasoned with grace and maybe there's a little bit more of an emotional buildup and the frustration and some of that frustration came out and at times it almost seemed like they were saying we want to fight Democrats more than we want to fight the devil. And I honestly, as I was hearing it, I thought this is where Charlie could really be missed, because Charlie had the spiritual wisdom and insight and part of his spiritual wisdom and insight was surrounding himself with the right people, surrounding himself with a Rob McCoy, a Frank Turk, some of these really grounded people that were speaking into his life. I thought the movement could really use charlie in these moments to remind them guys, right, they're not wrestling his flesh and blood. Right, we want to. We want to fight what's evil, but we want to love people in the midst of it and I thought when erica got up and in her speech dad, as you're saying, of forgiving the, the man who murdered her husband, it instantly gave affirmation in my mind of how confident I felt going forward with Turning Point, that when we lost Charlie big picture conservative movement, that was a huge impact and there's now been a clip from a Charlie Kirk podcast.

Speaker 2: 12:40

It's gone around several times where Charlie Kirk was there with Erica and the question came up who's more conservative? And he's like, oh my God, it's not even close. I'm a moderate compared to Erica and he raises her for how great she is and we've heard her talk a few times and she is a a very solid communicator. But obviously there could be in our mind, like a grain of salt right, a little balance, a baby charge, just praise his wife because he loves his wife, and that's super reasonable and defensible.

Speaker 2: 13:10

But when you saw her, when we saw her get up and get her speech, it really gave me confidence that there is, there is going to be somebody, not just who is helping guide, turning point, with some spiritual wisdom through the midst of this, making sure we're keeping the main thing, the main thing. But also even when president trump uh, I think he's the one that talked about when he called erica and erica talked about how important that relationship had been with Charlie and that she wanted to ask if she could keep that open door where she could keep coming back, I thought that it's such wisdom and so important that not only you have some really great, courageous leaders in TPUSA or in the White House administration, but having that spirit that Charlie embodied so well, that we hate evil but we love people, and he did such a good job of that and we definitely saw that in Eric and her speech.

Speaker 1: 14:10

Yeah, and I'll tell you when that happened it was a collective, quiet, soft, wow. I mean literally everybody who turned and was looking at each other going, wow, it was so powerful, it really was. And one of the things you said earlier, tim, about he obviously lived this. But everybody talking about it today it highlighted the contrast of the way of life or how to live, in other words, kind of the Deuteronomy thing of blessings and curses before you. And what people saw today especially if they're new to Charlie and new to the movement or even new to conservatism or living out a biblical life what they saw was, wow, there really is a better way.

Speaker 1: 14:51

As part of what Benny Johnson's comments were so powerful about is hey, charlie got ahold of me, I was a wretch and he showed me a better way of life and now I'm getting to live that benefit of having a family and kids and all of those things. So I think that testimony it was just literally living out the Christian faith and putting it on display for everybody. And that's why you heard so many people say you know, charlie wanted young men to realize that and to find that structure for their life and to find a wife and kids and devote their lives to Christ. I mean, it was just incredibly powerful to hear that testimony over and, over and over again. Guys, we've got to take a quick break. We'll be right back. We're talking about the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service and just literally the movement that is happening right now across the nation and how Christ-centered it is. Stay with us. You're listening to the Wallber Show.

Speaker 2: 15:41

Hi friends, this is Tim Barton of Wall Builders. This is a time when most Americans don't know much about American history, or even Hebrews of the faith, and I know oftentimes for parents we're trying to find good content for our kids to read and if you remember, back to the Bible, to the book of Hebrews, it has the Faith Hall of Fame where they outline the leaders of faith that had gone before them. Well, this is something that, as Americans, we really want to go back and outline some of these heroes, not just of American history, but heroes of Christianity and our faith as well. I want to let you know about some biographical sketches we have available on our website.

Speaker 2: 16:10

One is called the Courageous Leaders Collection and this collection includes people like Abigail Adams, abraham Lincoln, francis Scott Key, george Washington Carver, susanna Wesley, even the Wright brothers, and there's a second collection called Heroes of History. In this collection you'll read about people like Benjamin Franklin or Christopher Columbus, daniel Boone, george Washington, harriet Tubman, friends. The list goes on and on. This is a great collection for your young person to have and read and it's a providential view of American and Christian history. This is available at wallbuilderscom that's wwwwallbuilderscom.

Speaker 1: 16:45

Welcome back to the Wall Builder Show. Thanks for staying with us. It's a special day. We're actually recording this on Sunday, right after the memorial service for Charlie, and, as you're listening, you're listening on Monday, hopefully. Guys, most of our audience watched at least part of it. It was incredibly long. I mean that was literally about a five-hour. Well, if you count the three hours of worship, like you said, tim, beforehand, a lot of people got there. I mean we had Patriot Academy grads texting us. They were there at 3 and 4 and 5 am. I mean we barely made it because, like you said earlier, we were flying in from other events. But the worship, the speeches, the messages, the entire thing, everybody out there. If you hadn't watched it, go watch the whole thing. It's phenomenal.

Speaker 2: 17:26

Yes, and at this point there's going to be so many clips floating around social media that people for sure will have seen some of the highlights or what people thought were highlights in the clips. But, guys, one of the highlights or what people thought were highlights, taking the clips. But you know, guys, one of the things that probably all of us have had some more serious conversations after Charlie's murder, that assassination, I know my wife had a very real conversation with me and was like look, this is a concern for me. And one of the things that was part of a conversation for several days after the Charlie Kirk murder was believe in something enough that you can die for it? Right? Is this something? Is defending biblical truth? Right? Is defending godliness, is opposing evil, kind of whatever it is, whatever realm you're doing, is it important enough that you're willing to die for it? And so I know that my wife and I had some conversations and she expressed some of her concern. And you know what do we do with security in different places? I mean, guys, we speak all over the place. We are firm believers in the Second Amendment. We are firm believers in the Second Amendment. Sometimes we're in states that don't like us to be able to practice the ability of the Second Amendment that we can absolutely defend ourselves, practically speaking.

Speaker 2: 18:44

There's so many of us in the movement that are in different places, but I know Kara is right now with you.

Speaker 2: 18:49

You guys are on your way to the airport and so, kara, we all have been in such an emotional place and it's been amazing the way that God was honored and glorified, the way Jesus was exalted, the way Charlie's memory was honored, the courage, just incredible tenacity, the toughness from Erica. But, kara, what are your thoughts in the midst of all that you guys are doing? I know y'all deal with some of this and I'm asking this because I know that, as we're three guys usually talking, having this conversation, there's some women and wives and daughters and mothers out there that really could be processing and pondering some of this too. What does it mean for you and your family? Again, obviously, because there's a lot of, there's a lot of ladies out there that are thinking through, obviously for themselves. I mean, you know, Kara, you have tons of courage for all that you guys are doing, but also for your family, and I just Rick, your sons, your daughters, literally, are on the road traveling. What are your thoughts on all this?

Speaker 4: 19:56

Well, that's a good question and definitely conversations we have had more of for the last 10 days. And my kids are grown and my boys are at the age where they can actually travel with Rick and be his extra pair of eyes, you know, watching out for him, and that is something we've started implementing. More eyes, you know, watching out for him, and that is something we've started implementing more. But I mean, I think that honestly, as y'all know, being in politics and then speaking and traveling for the last 25 years, there's always been a little bit of that in the back of our minds, of just you know there's going to be people out there who disagree with you and you just don't know what's going to happen. So in a way, we've always thought about that and even talked about it before.

Speaker 4: 20:39

It definitely hits home with what happened to Charlie, because I feel like the temperature has has gone up with the division and people, you know, just using violence to when they disagree with you. But we've just always, as a family, decided that we're going to be the joyful warriors and we're going to go out there and we're going to do what God's calling us to do and you know we don't know the cost of it, if it might be somebody's life, we don't know, and but we're willing to stay in it because the alternative is that if we don't and we stay home, we know we're not going to be fighting for a better country to leave for our kids and grandkids, and that's really what this is all about.

Speaker 1: 21:16

I know you guys have had threats for a long time because Wild Bullets has been so vocal and so bold and we just started getting that at Patriot Academy about a week before Charlie was assassinated.

Speaker 1: 21:27

But even then, even as we were getting a lot of that stuff and the Nazi and you know, empty grave pictures and safe space for you guys and all that kind of stuff and threats to burn down Patriot Academy, we've kind of figured it's mostly keyboard warriors.

Speaker 1: 21:41

Obviously, the Charlie Kirk thing brought that into focus. But it wasn't until Thursday night when we were doing the vigil for Charlie in our home county and it was like 1,000, 1,200 people out there and when it was my turn to go up and speak, it was the first time in my life I ever actually started scanning the rooftops and literally for a moment thought, you know, if they're really out to get us, this could happen and and it was weird, man Zero like fear, total peace and just resolve of going. You know what? I'm going to be a happy warrior and if it's my time, it's my time and I'm so thankful to get to do this. It was like literally a joy that we get to do this and I don't I think that's a Steven, or you know, that's a, that's a piece of God thing. I don't think that's anything we could all conjure up or or have like this macho courage. It's literally, it's entirely a piece of God, and our spouses all feel the same way when we're out there. It's it's.

Speaker 4: 22:33

You know, we're blessed to get to do this and be be joyful warriors noticed, though, being at the event today was um from as a mom's point of view. I saw so many families there with kids, and there's, you know, the teenagers and the college kids that charlie appealed to, but also families with babies and toddlers running around. It was just so neat and refreshing to see that they were there. And all of those young people there were witnessing a president on down to the cabinet, every one of them talking about put Jesus first in your life, and even many of them were saying you know, your rights don't come from government, they come from God, and they were just like putting the gospel on full display for all these young people, and this was a searing moment in their minds that they will never forget. And when was the last time we saw a whole administration get up at the same event, at the same time, proclaiming the gospel in the strong way that many of them were? I mean, it was, it really was an incredible moment.

Speaker 2: 23:31

Absolutely yeah, and I was thinking historically I don't know there's ever been a time, anytime, when the Christian faith was more highlighted from the White House, the president, vice president, cabinet. I was trying to think back. You know, world War Two. Obviously, fdr gave some great speeches where we were as Americans were getting pulled in the World War Two. It was Christianity versus communism, it was the Bible versus Mein Kampf. There was some really good framing and I think most of the cabinet would have acknowledged Christianity on some level.

Speaker 2: 24:06

But there was never a time that I can think of when all of them literally were on a stage in front of people professing their faith and guys absolutely amazing that it seemed like every couple of speakers the next speaker. Either they hadn't heard what a speaker before them said or they were so compelled in their own speech that there was like the gospel message given every couple of speakers, where of course you had Rob McCoy that's why he was there and then you had a lot of the Turning Point staff and even Mikey McCoy, rob's son, and there were several people that highlighted faith in God and Jesus. But then you had Frank Turek, who goes back through some of that gospel thought again, but then Marco Rubio is laying the gospel out again that Pete Hegseth is talking about right, you need salvation.

Speaker 2: 24:56

I mean, what was so mind boggling in the most positive way, was that you really couldn't listen for more than a couple of speakers without hearing somebody else reiterate the gospel message. And this is on top of the fact that virtually every single one of them is not just saying God, they're saying Jesus and they're literally quoting Bible verses. It also, you know, as all of us have been kind of in the fight for restoring biblical values and principles, for those constitutional ideas getting back to the Bible. We've been doing it for so long.

Speaker 2: 25:31

It's always a fair question to ask how will I be remembered when I go? And it made me think even more highly of Charlie that everybody that knew him they didn't tell just stories that were cool about what he had done, or interactions or comments. Everybody that talked about him talked about his faith being on full display. That's what stood out and that was one of the things that challenged me. So much is right. What would I be remembered for? And I love his line I want to be remembered for courage, for my faith, but the fact that everybody around that's what they actually saw from him. What a testimony.

Speaker 1: 26:08

Well and so cool for all those young people to have that example to look up to and the resolve that they have now to follow Christ, to study hard, to actually get in there and study. One of the cool things that came out of it was how did Charlie become this guy that he was on the campuses? Well, he was studying, he was getting in there and learning the Word, he was sharing Scripture with people every single day. It's just a great testimony, guys. That was literally the gospel, lived out on full display, highlighted, illuminated. And now let's go do the hard work of making sure we do the same thing and making sure we're discipling that harvest that is coming in. Thanks for listening. Today, folks, You've been listening to the Wampo Her Show.