Welcome And How To Listen

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Welcome to the intersection of Faith and Culture. It's the Wall Builder Show taking on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. We appreciate you joining us today. Tim Gagline will be with us a little later in the program from focus on the family frequent guest here on the Wall Builder Show. I'm Rick Green here with David Barton. And Tim Barton, be sure and hit our websites, wallbuilders.com and wallbuilders.show. I don't know what that means, guys, when I say hit the website. Like, does that mean somebody goes there? Does that mean they, you know, punch the computer? I don't know why I say some things I say weird.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

All it shows is that we're now the old guys. Um, so uh, you know, whatever, whatever the hip lingo the kids are using these days, we have no idea what that is. Uh which in fairness, you know, we also could say, hey, uh, for those that are actually probably uh maybe the majority of our listeners now are not on the airwaves. Um we are on lots of radio stations throughout the nation, but also uh we get so many comments from people that listen to the podcast and the download. So uh if you are listening via airwaves, uh there are options where you can take us with us, uh, download that podcast so you can have us wherever you go. There's a lot of people, a lot of our friends that when they comment to us, they listen on their morning walks or uh whatever the scenario is from their phone. So I I I I don't know that the majority are listening via the podcast download, but certainly a lot are, and that is definitely a viable option for all out there.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Well, I don't know about you guys, but y'all travel more than I do, and you're always in an airport, so you're walking, you know, or getting on the plane. And the great thing is you can actually there's so many good podcast apps. Oh, for sure. You can listen while you're getting on the plane. If you download it, you can actually listen while you're on the plane, even in the air. So yeah, lots of lots of easy ways to do things these days. And I guess, you know, we added all kinds of like Spotify, Castbox, I mean, all these different um, you know, podcast apps. We don't talk about it much, but man, they're all out there, easy for people to get.

SPEAKER_02 2:04

Yeah, and we are on again a lot of radio networks, but a lot of those uh programs that we are on, there's different times they air us, and a lot of them are later in the day. And actually, uh, this is available early in the morning. And so now that we're discouraging people from listening via the airwaves, if you are driving and you're listening to drive time, we're so glad you're listening right now. Uh, we just happen to record this way earlier in the day. Uh, not to digress, yes. Uh, however, people are using the lingo of going to our website. We encourage you to go to the website, there's so much there. Uh, and and certainly the podcast and everything else. A ton of stuff going on. And guys, it's been, it was a very, very busy last week. Uh, it was a busy weekend and got to hang out with our friend, uh, at least over the uh internet waves. And we did the interview Josh McPherson yesterday. Uh, and then we have a really great friend joining us today as well. So super excited for hanging out with Tim Gegline for a little bit today.

Bible Idioms Hiding In Plain Sight

SPEAKER_01 3:00

David, I'll tell you why I I thought about why I said hit our websites because I was just I was just talking to a guy today about it the importance of of the Bible and all the things we have in our language that we don't even know where it comes from. And I remember you giving a print, it might have been at the Bible um, oh, I'm blanking on it now, but the though the Bible be, when you spoke it that years ago and and I came over here with San Antonio, but I just remember you having this slide that you showed was something like I was it 250 idioms that were from the Bible that we we have in our language, but we don't even realize that's where it came from. I'm not saying hit the website came from the Bible. It's not I'm not making that connection. I'm just saying it made me think of where do we get things? And you were pointing out, man, there's all these things in our language that we get from the Bible, but people don't know because we don't teach it like we used to.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yeah, we literally um in in that particular presentation up I showed two hundred and thirty-seven day-to-day idioms that we all use in America, including atheists, not having a clue, they're doing exact quotes out of the Bible. Uh Dawkins, who is the famous atheist leader over in England, actually has a book where he says everybody should read and study the Bible, including atheists, because you'll never understand language, Engl English language if you don't. He points out the fact that Shakespeare quotes the Bible more than eleven hundred times in in his literature. And so if you read Shakespeare and don't know the Bible, you you're missing what he's trying to say. And so even a a leading global atheist like Dawkins says everybody ought to know the Bible. And in that presentation you're talking about, Rick, it was two hundred and thirty-seven idioms that I just probably showed two dozen of them that everybody hears on a daily basis that we just never think of anymore. And hit the website wasn't in there? Was that that wasn't that wasn't one of them? I don't I don't think I think Paul talked about that. I thought I don't think Jesus mentioned that. I think that wasn't and what a no, wait a minute. Maybe maybe it wasn't.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Well, before we go to break and bring Tim Gagline in, uh, you guys have had Tim come into the pastor's briefing and speaking for man, as long as I can remember, I've been with y'all 25 years, and it seems like the the whole time I've been with you, so I don't know if y'all been working with him almost that long.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Uh 25 years. I I think actually this year he did tell us he's been with us for 25 years. So I think literally, Dad, as soon as you started this, and I was in college that time, so I I wasn't I wasn't here at the inception, I don't think. Uh, I definitely came to some of the early pastors' briefings, but yeah, even before my time of these pastors' briefings, Tim Gagline has been with us that long.

Tim Goeglein And The Book

SPEAKER_00 5:29

And it goes back to really the George W. Bush White House. He was elected in 2000 or took office in 2001. Tim Gagline went in with him in 2001, and I had known um Governor Bush then, had had been a friend, and so I was at the White House in 2001, and that's where I connected with Tim Gagline. It was right after um Bush took office, and then we're there a numbers and numbers of times throughout the presidency. And Tim was always a a a great uh staffer for for Bush and just had uh a remarkable portfolio. He dealt with all the outside groups, and there are thousands of those that want to see every president. And Tim was the the relations guy for all those outside groups. So I've known him all the way back since George W. Bush was elected.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Well, that makes it even more amazing that Tim has managed to stay so optimistic and joyful if he had to work with those thousands of groups, because we know that can be a little bit trying. Anyway, uh Tim Gaglin, our special guest, author of several books, and we're gonna talk about one of his new books today. Stay with us as you're listening to the Wall Builder Show.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

This is Tim Barton from Wall Builders with another moment from American history. The Reverend James Caldwell was a famous minister during the American War for Independence. His sermons taught liberty and God's opposition to tyranny. The British hated him and tried to kill him. So for his own protection, he would actually take loaded pistols with him into the pulpit and laid them beside his Bible as he preached. In the 1780 Battle of Springfield, the Americans ran out of wadding for their guns, which was like having no ammunition. Pastor Caldwell ran inside a nearby church and returned with an armload of Watt hymnals, the pages of which would provide the much-needed wadding. He took this great Bible-based hymnal, raised it in the air, and shouted to the troops, Now put Watts into them, boys. This pastor's ingenuity saved the day for the Americans. For more information on Pastor James Caldwell and other colonial patriots, go to wallbuilders.com.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Welcome back to the Wall Builder Show. Thanks for staying with us. Tim Gagline back with us. He's served as over at Focus on the Family for years, served under President Bush as a special assistant, written numerous books on faith and politics and restoring America, and a new one out.

SPEAKER_03 7:56

Rick, it is always great to be with you, and thank you so much for having me back.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Well, I heard rumors that you were recently hanging out in Washington, D.C. with some scoundrels named David and Tim Barton. Is this true?

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Should we really be having you? My friend, I have been, as you undoubtedly know, a regular speaker with wall builders in Washington. This is my 25th year. Uh and I absolutely love it. I really do. I speak twice a year to the wall builders' guests, and every time I come back levitating. I mean, it's a remarkable group of people.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Well, it's been it's been probably four or five years since I've been at one of the conferences in DC, just other stuff, but uh, but I always remember you coming and sharing and the pastors and whoever whichever group we end up there, uh always love hearing from you. And it's encouraging. I I love the fact that that you've been literally in the trenches for this many years, that literally decades at this point, and you keep this joy, man. You just always got this optimistic joy, and it's it's infectious. So thank you for that.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

That is really great of you. And I'll tell you, this is a promise, Rick. It's it was the main motivator uh for my writing what really matters, because uh I'm an inveterate optimist, and I believe that the restoration of legacy, faith, freedom, family, that it's possible. I really do believe that.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Well, I I am praying that every person that reads this book, and we're encouraging everybody to read it, that they come away with that that same joy and that optimism and just knowing, man, what as much as uh you we've said for a long time, it's really important what happens at the White House and the state house, but not near as as important as what happens in your house and and and in my house. And that's really the message you're getting across, is that they every every American out there can be a part of restoring the country if they'll look first to their own home and their own families.

First Principles Over Political Noise

SPEAKER_03 9:38

Absolutely right. I was speaking at a major state university a couple of weeks ago. Uh, and a young woman, uh, after I spoke, she's a junior there, came to me and she said, Why is it that the political class seems to talk about everything except for what really matters? Uh and I said, You know what? That's that that's the title of the book. Because uh it's true. The political class speaks about the border, deportation, the war, taxes, by the way, all very important. But what really matters, the title of the book, is about the things that are the first principles faith, family, freedom. But institutionally, this book, Rick, is a robust defense of marriage, family, parenting, human life, religious liberty, conscience rights, parental rights, and if I may say, pronouns with fixed meanings. Uh, you know, a man is a man, a woman is a woman, and the frontal assault on masculinity, on femininity, on what constitutes a family, these are very real things in the culture and the time in which we find ourselves.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

There's so many policies that both state, federal, well, state, federal, local, I mean, every level of government, frankly, even the the you know sphere of of the church and education, all these things, um, that these topics you just mentioned hit. And and even as we do our part at home with our individual families, if the attack from government to destroy that uh continues, it makes it very, very difficult to win there. What would be some good examples of some policy things that would reflect what you just described that we can be encouraging in in our local and state governments and federal?

SPEAKER_03 11:23

I'm very honored you would ask, Rick. Uh, I want to begin with the sobering news uh in my hopeful answer. The sobering news is that in all of American recorded history, we have the lowest marriage rates and we have the lowest fertility rates. Uh that's very sobering. Uh, for the first time in 2025, the majority of American babies were born to women in their 30s, not women in their 20s. So when it comes to marriage, family, fertility, uh, you know, that though that's a sobering reality in which we find ourselves. However, here is a very substantial silver lining. Uh, American men, ages 18 to 25, of a sudden tell reliable demographers they want to be married, they want to have children, they want uh to have a foundation of faith and religion in their lives. Uh, they say that they understand that the good life absolutely uh includes marriage, family, and parenting. Now, women in the same demographic, 18 to 25, 18 to 30, the numbers are not as high. But aspirationally, uh, those women say they want the same thing. What causes the chasm? The chasm, frankly, Rick, is what I would say are uh, you know, unmarriageable men. Uh women are looking for someone who will be a great provider. By the way, whether they are progressive women of the left or conservative women of the right, they tell surveyors they want a reliable economic partner. They want someone who will uh give them continuity, stability, and order. And if that couple wants to have the children, they are looking for someone who will be a great father and a great provider. So women and men often, and I think this is a good thing, they say they want the the same things, but women are particularly looking for marriageable men. And we have large numbers of young men who are not working, they're not looking for a job, they're not in school, they're not applying to school. What are they doing? These are big numbers. And so I think we have silver linings, no doubt about that. But definitively, and that's why I write about this and what really matters, we have a lot to do. And this book is a bit of a toolkit on how we think our way forward, uh, you know, to to restoration in the United States.

Marriage Fertility And Cultural Pressure

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Wow, that's you know, I I have to specifically ask you because I work with with young people so much. What would you say to them, you know, especially 18, 19, 20 year old young men? Um what what are the most important things you would recommend to them to be doing now to prepare for that? To be marriageable. Yeah, may I say I like that word. I hadn't heard that word, marriageable. Is that did I even say that right to him? Is I even got it if I even using enough syllables there.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

You the answer is you get an A plus. Uh may I say, Rick, it's why I devote an entire chapter in this book uh called Storing the American Mail. Uh, why is that? All right, are you ready for this? Men in America account for three out of every four suicides or drug overdoses. And I think I think in a book uh uh of you know of of policy, this one uh is I think what everybody should pay attention to. Are you ready for this? I'm ready. 15% of all American men say they have no friends. I mean, that is really stunning. That that's right. It's more than one of every 10. So I think the loneliness crisis, the lack of fellowship and a community, I think in part after COVID, after you know, kind of digital dislocation, uh, I think after all of that, it's part of the fact that men, especially young American men, the rising generation, they have lived through this brokenness. They've lived through this unevenness and lack of continuity. And so when they come back to church, when they come back to that faith community, they are looking for Jesus Christ. They're looking for God, no doubt about that. But coming with that, they're looking for uh the stability of friendship, they're looking for fellowship. You know, by the way, I know that the plural of anecdote is not data, but I was speaking very recently, uh just in the last uh couple of months, uh, at a very large gathering of young people of evangelical Christians. And afterward, uh I asked them, uh, you know, what is it about you from a practical standpoint that attracts you most to going back to church or going to church for the first time? And Rick, overwhelmingly, it was what you and I are talking about. They are looking for companionship, they're looking for friendship, they're looking for connection, they're not getting that virtually. Or if they are, yeah, uh it it's extremely uh, you know, uh discontinuous and unreliable. We we're made for human relationships. So I think I think there's very good news when it comes to restoring the American male. The church, the church has a major role to play.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Yes. Oh man, Tim, you're spot on. That that we're built for it. We we desire that fellowship and as guys, we desire that brotherhood, that that friendship, and so few guys, even like that stat of 15%. Uh I would I I I would wonder what the bigger stat is of those who don't have, oh, what's the right way to say this? Relationships where they can be real, where they can be vulnerable, where they can sharpen each other, you know, I true iron sharpening iron. That's one of the things I love, you know, we do this institute thing here at the Patriot Academy campus with young leaders that live here for a year. And one of the best things I hear from them at the end of the year is just the relationships they built, the iron sharpening. They learn as much from each other as they do from us that are actually doing the lecturing. And most people don't have that. And so seeking that and getting the church to wake up to to create opportunities for that, right? I and that's part of the solution, right? Like you said, for the church to play that role.

Restoring Young Men Through Community

SPEAKER_03 17:39

Yes. In fact, I want to uh share some more good news, Rick. I mean, that this is particularly good news, and I think this really speaks to the Judaic Christian foundation of our nation and the way that practical culture matters to people who are who are seeking. Um, in my book, what really matters, what I do uh is I look uh at the reports, the present reports, very current reports, uh on what I call Gen Z, Gen X, you know, how they how they mesh or don't mesh with drinking alcohol or smoking pot or cigarettes, et cetera. Uh, I'll tell you it's it's quite remarkable that only about 30% of Gen Z members report drinking alcohol or smoking pot or cigarettes while teenagers. Uh, you know, that that is a very substantial shift. And that's compared, by the way, to 43% of millennials and like 52% of Gen X. And it's even higher for those of us who are in the baby boom. So I think we're seeing a downward trend on the kind of behaviors that are, yes, they're bad, they're bad uh, you know, physically. But I think also to your second point, my friend, uh it go it gets in the way. These things often get in the way of the authenticity of long-term friendship and relationship. It's one thing where they go out and they're spending, you know, a night over drinks or smoking, whatever. But but those kind of things, I think the rising generation believes that they that they're bad for health, but they're also bad for social health. And I think that that's a very uh granitic and a very concrete way of saying better days are ahead in many ways in this generation where where it's often very concerning.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, because they want real relationship, not superficial, you know, just hanging out at the bar kind of a thing. They want to have a real, you know, yeah, real relationships, real concrete, as you said, as you said. Uh man, we are just scratching the surface and out of time. What really matters? Restoring a legacy of faith, freedom, and family. So, folks, you got to get the book to dive a lot deeper into this. Uh, Tim, you're a treasure man. I appreciate so much uh the wisdom that you share and uh just the authenticity of it. Uh, this is needed right now. And the book's out now. I think it just came out what two weeks ago. So we've got where where would you like to send people? Amazon, bookstores, what's your what's your preference?

SPEAKER_03 20:00

Wherever people like to buy books, and I'm happy to say it's available.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

All right.

SPEAKER_03 20:05

You know, Amazon, you you name it, wherever people go. Uh, what really matters is the title, and I hope they will uh get it, enjoy it, read it, and share it.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Love it. Love it. God bless you, brother. Thanks so much for coming on today. Be of good cheer. Thank you, Rick. Stay with us, folks. We'll be right back with David and Tim Barton.

Gen Z Trends And Reasons For Hope

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Hey, this is Tim Barton with Wall Builders. And as you've had the opportunity to listen to Wall Builders Live, you've probably heard the wealth of information about our nation, about our spiritual heritage, about the religious liberties, about all the things that makes America exceptional. And you might be thinking, as incredible as this information is, I wish there was a way that I could get one of the wall builders' guys to come to my area and share with my group, whether it be a church, whether it be a Christian school or public school or some political event or activity. If you're interested in having a wall builder speaker come to your area, you can get on our website at www.wallbuilders.com and there's a tab for scheduling. And if you'll click on that tab, you'll notice there's a list of information from speakers' bios to events that are already going on, and there's a section where you can request an event to bring this information about who we are, where we came from, our religious liberties and freedoms. Go to the wall builders website and bring a speaker to your area.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Welcome back to the wall builder show. Thanks for staying with us back with David and Tim now. And and uh well, guys, he was his his normal, joyful, optimistic self. And uh I I didn't say this to him, but I was thinking, and maybe you, Tim, the other Tim, will get this. I don't expect you to get this one, David, but maybe Tim will. But Skillet has a song, what matters most, and it's my faith, my family, my freedom. So as Tim Gagline was talking, I kept hearing Skillet's song playing in my head. I just had this feeling he wouldn't know that song. But I could be totally wrong. Anyway, uh it is very much about what matters most, guys. I I'm going off on a lot of tangents today, aren't I?

Bring A WallBuilders Speaker

Scripture On Friendship And Final Charge

SPEAKER_02 22:05

Well, uh it's funny because I was trying to imagine you in a skillet perspective, and I was imagining your your bleach blonde hair, a kind of you know, whatever kind of hair product use over the side, maybe a little black goth makeup for a little bit. I mean, skillet, you know, they were kind of a thing. Weather jacket. Yeah, so so guaranteed my dad does not know that one. Uh, he's probably thinking of like the skillet uh that's part of the wagon going west that you're cooking food off of, um, you know, for the Oregon Trail or something. Um, but yes, not to digress at all, because we have derailed from talking about um Tim Gegwine and what matters most, faith, family, freedom. It was really great having him there, the pastor's briefing, uh, encouraging the pastors, remembering foundationally what we are fighting for. And what and this is not like politically what we're fighting for, it's Christians. What we should be promoting overall and in God family country, faith, family, freedom. Those are the things as believers we should be advocating for. And hearing him break it down for the pastors was really encouraging. And of course, now that he's got this book, and as you mentioned, been out for a couple weeks now, uh, something that is is a really helpful tool because he does give a lot of details for some of those areas. And I know uh Rick and probably Dad, you'll go there too, jumping in on some of this thing, even for young men and what that looks like, or for young women and where uh we can help maybe navigate and encourage all the listeners for the parents, the grandparents, or even the young people listening, um, there's some major gaps in culture of biblical understanding, biblical literacy, et cetera, where we want to help people understand what God's call is, and especially this rising generation, we want to help them get it right. And really grateful that Tim Gegline has a book laying out some of these details from a biblical perspective, uh, of course, backing it up, documenting it, having the data points to show this is where culture is, and then giving the suggested path forward is always so helpful. So really encourage this book.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

You know, one of the things that really stood out to me the most now was when Tim was talking about the the high lethality rate that exists in young men with loneliness. And while that lethality rate, suicide rate may be about 15% because of male loneliness, uh, it also exists in other generations as well. We've seen this in in polling and studies. It's just that with the younger generation, they seem to have less experience on how to how to get out of that kind of loneliness. And it's like the only way out is ending my life. And so that lethality is really, really high. But I was just reminded as Tim was going through that on on and he called I love the term he used digital displacement because that digital displacement, digital has replaced human relationships in many areas, and we don't build human relationships now, and I don't care what the age is, a lot of people spend hours a day with digital type of things, which is not human relationship. And I was reminded of four scriptures, I'm just gonna hit them real quick, but Genesis 2.18, where that God says it's not good for man to be alone. Uh and that's not necessarily with wife or anything else. He said, Look, this is not good that Adam's by himself. That he needs some companionship. Um then Eve was created, but that's that need for companionship is still there. Proverbs 18.1 says, He who isolates himself is not wise. And that's a tendency, human tendency to get in our own little bubble and not talk to others. Proverbs 27, 17 says, as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. We need contact with others. We need to be able to rub against others and those with whom we can interact. And then the last verse is Proverbs 1824. A man that has friends must show himself friendly, but they're friends who stick closer than brothers. And we need to build those relationships. So I don't care what the age is, I know the lethality is high among young men, but this is a growing problem with all humans, is that we're losing human contact with other humans because we have so much digital contact now. And I thought that was a really brilliant point that he brought out in the book.

SPEAKER_01 26:06

David, after all of those uh biblical examples there, I'm gonna see if I can tie the whole program together with an idiom. No, maybe it's not an idiom. No man is an island. See what I did there, guys? Come on. Come on, that was pretty good compared to our clerics. That's right. Yeah, well, anyway, I tried. Uh come back tomorrow, folks, and I'll try harder. David and Tim Barton, thank you guys for all that you do to keep us optimistic, like uh Tim Gagline was. We that we don't have enough people like that in our movement. Uh so folks out there, you need to share it with your friends and family. Go to our website, wobbleers.show, share it with your friends and family, and be sure and check out the podcast apps as well. You've been listening to the Wabboulder Show.