Host: First Corinthians, chapter 16, verses 13 and 14, says, “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.”
Walker Wildmon: Welcome to At the Core. This is the typical At the Core hour with Rick Green and me, bringing you hard-hitting news and commentary from a biblical perspective.
Walker Wildmon: The word patriot sometimes gets dragged through the mud, and some people are confused about whether being a patriot is a good thing or a bad thing. The true definition of patriot, when we are talking about America, is simply one who loves this country. Loving your neighbor as yourself, caring about your community, caring about your country, and wanting to be a good steward of what God has entrusted to you are all biblical concepts. We are proud to call ourselves patriots.
Rob West: We have been talking about the importance of God's Word being proclaimed throughout our culture, in our cities, and to the ends of the earth. We also understand the importance of the culture-transforming work that AFA is doing day in and day out. We know the elections are coming, and we want to challenge people to think biblically and respond faithfully.
Walker Wildmon: Everyone has a place in the body of Christ, and we offer a wide variety of content through the radio network, our podcasts, and our livestream. We have programs that are financially oriented, theological debates and discussions, apologetics programs, Bible question programs, and politically oriented programs. All of this is aimed at encouraging, inspiring, and uplifting the body of Christ, educating you so that you can live out your faith throughout the day, throughout the week, and throughout the months and years that follow.
Walker Wildmon: We want the body of Christ to stand firm on the Word of God while showing compassion and love. The fact of the matter is that we can do both. We can stand firm in the Word of God and on our convictions, while also showing compassion, courage, and love to others. That is the biblical mandate. It is not one or the other. It is both.
Buddy Smith: As I think about my role here at AFA as a board member, a staff member, and part of the leadership, I have seen a lot of changes. One thing has always remained the same, and that is our mission. The mission here at AFA is vitally important, especially as I think about the turmoil our nation is facing today.
Buddy Smith: I think about this pleading prayer from Psalm 85:6: “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” The problems we are facing today are too large for human understanding. Culturally, we are becoming more and more secular, and we need God's intervention in our nation more than ever before.
Buddy Smith: I do not know about you, but I feel helpless in this battle. I know we all want to be involved politically and do our part to be salt and light, but we know that only God can save our nation. Thankfully, history has recorded periods of obedience when God's people awakened and allowed His Spirit to take control.
Buddy Smith: When we get serious, history has recorded that God gets serious. On several occasions, God has poured out His Spirit, and entire cities have turned to Him. I think about the moral impact of the First Great Awakening in this country in 1734, which is credited with laying the foundation for the formation of our system of government after the American Revolution.
Buddy Smith: I also think about the Second Great Awakening in 1790, when the power of God fell from heaven and believers lay prostrate before the Lord in repentance. Society was transformed, and that transformation spilled out of the church into the world.
Buddy Smith: The stresses and woes of our nation today are comparable to critical times in our nation's past. I believe it could happen again. We have seen God save our country in the past, and I urge us to call on God to do it again. We need a new work of God for a new generation, so the world may know there is indeed a God who lives, who empowers, and who changes the destiny of those who call on Him.
Caller: From White Oak Creek, Alabama, I met Mr. John Wildmon in 1976 at the Methodist Children's Home. He was speaking one night, and that is where the journey started. In 2009, when I moved back to Alabama from Florida, God brought me physically to my knees in my living room after cancer and all kinds of things I had gone through. He showed up in the biggest way anybody could ever imagine.
Caller: Right after that, I found AFR on the radio. I have been a 24-hour listener ever since, and I am just telling you, AFR is everything to me. It has kept me on track and given me joy. I have laughed, and I have heard Walker grow up and start his radio shows. I have seen how far he has come and how wonderful those two young men are.
Caller: I appreciate everybody at AFR. They are all very individual and unique, and they are so full of the good Lord. I thank you with all my heart for everything. God bless you.
Walker Wildmon: Those are very kind words from our listeners, and we do hope to be an encouragement to you every day. We appreciate people calling in and talking about how AFA and AFR have impacted their lives. This is kingdom-impact work. Lives are being impacted, marriages are being restored, and prodigal children are coming home because they are hearing the truth of God's Word through American Family Radio.
Rob West: AFR is a perfect home for Faith and Finance because AFR and FaithFi are all about God's Word. We begin with Scripture and a biblical worldview, and then we approach whatever topic we are dealing with. That is why our program is Faith and Finance, not Finance and Faith.
Rob West: We start with God's Word and with what is happening in our lives from a spiritual standpoint, and then we let that inform whatever we are tackling, which, in the case of my program, is money. How do we manage God's money and see it as a tool to accomplish God's purposes? I think that is a great picture of everything that happens in American Family Radio and AFA.
Walker Wildmon: First Corinthians, chapter 16, verses 13 and 14, has been our theme: “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.” That is the message we want to send over the airwaves each day.
Walker Wildmon: We want the body of Christ to stand firm on the Word of God, and at the same time show compassion and love. We can stand firm in the Word of God and on our convictions, while also showing compassion, courage, and love to others. That is the biblical approach.
Caller: My name is Gordon, and I am from Kansas. AFA saved my life. Thank you, Jesus, for all the AFA staff. I am a truck driver. I had an old homemade stereo in my jump seat, and every night around 11:30, my stereo would pick up 88.3 for about a half hour.
Caller: I was not happy to hear people preaching Jesus. No matter what I did, that was the only sound I could get. Trivia Friday really caught my attention. The laughter and the goodness of the people on the program were so much fun, and they got me to listen every Friday.
Caller: One night, I heard a sermon, and God got hold of my heart. I have been sober for 22 months, and I have been growing in the Word ever since. Now, with AFR, I listen every waking moment. Thank you, Jesus, and AFR, for being warriors for Jesus. I thank Him for His grace. So do not give up. Give your heart to Him, and He will not fail you.
Walker Wildmon: That is powerful. That is a truck driver who could pick up American Family Radio on his little radio. He tuned in to Trivia Friday, got some good laughs, and ultimately heard sermons that led him to give his heart to Jesus. He has been sober ever since and is telling everyone about AFR.
Walker Wildmon: The work that we do is about lives being impacted. There are thousands of testimonies like that every year and every decade that American Family Radio continues going strong. All of this is made possible by the Lord's providence and by faithful listeners.
Rob West: Every name represents someone who is hearing our voice and investing in this ministry at whatever level they can. It means that God is at work here, that this ministry is important to them, and that it is impacting them personally. It also means they understand its importance for our culture and our nation.
Rob West: People count on their favorite programs, use iVoterGuide, read The Stand, and engage with the different resources provided through AFA and AFR. That is what this work makes possible.
Buddy Smith: Don stopped by one day and said, “I have been thinking.” I asked him what he had been thinking about, and he said, “I think we need a Sunday morning praise program.” We did not have anything on the station at that time, so we started with a couple of hours. As a matter of fact, it might have been three hours.
Buddy Smith: After about a month, he stopped by my office again and said, “You know, most of our listeners are in church.” Then he asked, “What about Sunday evening? Would you be willing to give that a try?” I said, “Absolutely.”
Buddy Smith: We moved it to Sunday evening and called it Sunday Evening Praise. It started at 6 p.m. and went until 10 p.m. It was four hours, and this was back in the days when everything was on CDs. Nothing was programmed on a hard drive. We had racks of CDs, and the spots were not fired automatically. They were on carts.
Buddy Smith: I did not do this during the week. It was just Sunday night, so I was in there and everything was geared to the telephone. As the network grew, when there were alarms for a tower light or the temperature in one of the studios, the phones would start ringing. In the midst of pulling songs and carts, I would be trying to clear the alarms. It really got interesting.
Buddy Smith: One night, while all of that was going on, there was a weather event somewhere, as there always seemed to be. Brother Don called and said, “Buddy, you are thinking about this, aren't you?” I said, “Brother Don, I sure hope so.” He said, “Well, let's find out. Let's throw that 800 number out there.”
Buddy Smith: He told me, “You tell them you do not have time to visit. Just tell them you are in the studio by yourself, and ask them for their first name and where they are calling from.” I said, “Don, I do not know if I can do that. I have all this going on.” He said, “Oh, yeah, you can sort it away.”
Buddy Smith: I threw the number out there, and of course all the lines filled up. I was trying to make little notes and keep things going. About the tenth or twelfth caller, I forget which, it was Brother Don.
Buddy Smith: He said, “Are you getting any calls?” I said, “Yes, sir, I am.” He said, “Okay, okay. I will call you back later.” It was just funny.
Caller: Hi, my name is Dwight, and I am from Father, Texas. I have been listening to AFR for probably close to 10 years. For the first three or four years, during the Shareathon, I kept thinking about giving money, but I did not. I kept feeling the push to do it, so I finally made a donation.
Caller: When I made that donation, I received a book from Learning University. I had taken Learning University once before, and there I was at the end of the day. The following year, I became a monthly giver. Things have been going well for me, and I love all of the different shows. Y'all have a blessed day.
Walker Wildmon: We want you to be engaged in your faith and in your life. We want you to be salt and light, loving and caring, and taking care of your family, your community, and your church. As we frequently say, tithe through your local church first and foremost. Invest in your local church, fully support your pastor, and volunteer your time and energy to help the local body of believers.
Rob West: Each day on my program, we talk about managing money God's way. Part of that includes allowing God's provision to flow through us, because it all belongs to Him. We are stewards, or managers, allowing what God has entrusted to us to flow into activities that are on the heart of God.
Rob West: Sharing the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is absolutely part of our mission and mandate. We can do that one to one, on mission trips, and where we live, work, and play. We can also do it by supporting the work of others whom God has given a unique platform to speak truth, share the gospel, and be on mission for His purposes.
Rob West: That is AFR and AFA. Going all the way back to Brother Don, God has given special blessing to this ministry to have influence in our culture and reach people who otherwise might not be reached. We hear those testimonies all the time.
Walker Wildmon: The daily work at American Family Association and American Family Radio involves so many divisions and team members. The Stand magazine reaches tens of thousands of homes each month. American Family News, One Million Moms, American Family Studios, and the film and documentary division are all part of that work.
Walker Wildmon: American Family Studios produces hard-hitting, biblically true films and documentaries aimed at helping people think biblically, live biblically, and be salt and light in this country and around the world. All of that work is aimed at making a kingdom impact and reaching as many lives as possible.
Walker Wildmon: The heart of this ministry is to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible and to help believers stand firm in the faith while doing everything in love.
Host: First Corinthians, chapter 16, verses 13 and 14, says, “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.”
Walker Wildmon: Welcome to At the Core. This is the typical At the Core hour with Rick Green and me, bringing you hard-hitting news and commentary from a biblical perspective.
Walker Wildmon: The word patriot sometimes gets dragged through the mud, and some people are confused about whether being a patriot is a good thing or a bad thing. The true definition of patriot, when we are talking about America, is simply one who loves this country. Loving your neighbor as yourself, caring about your community, caring about your country, and wanting to be a good steward of what God has entrusted to you are all biblical concepts. We are proud to call ourselves patriots.
Rob West: We have been talking about the importance of God's Word being proclaimed throughout our culture, in our cities, and to the ends of the earth. We also understand the importance of the culture-transforming work that AFA is doing day in and day out. We know the elections are coming, and we want to challenge people to think biblically and respond faithfully.
Walker Wildmon: Everyone has a place in the body of Christ, and we offer a wide variety of content through the radio network, our podcasts, and our livestream. We have programs that are financially oriented, theological debates and discussions, apologetics programs, Bible question programs, and politically oriented programs. All of this is aimed at encouraging, inspiring, and uplifting the body of Christ, educating you so that you can live out your faith throughout the day, throughout the week, and throughout the months and years that follow.
Walker Wildmon: We want the body of Christ to stand firm on the Word of God while showing compassion and love. The fact of the matter is that we can do both. We can stand firm in the Word of God and on our convictions, while also showing compassion, courage, and love to others. That is the biblical mandate. It is not one or the other. It is both.
Buddy Smith: As I think about my role here at AFA as a board member, a staff member, and part of the leadership, I have seen a lot of changes. One thing has always remained the same, and that is our mission. The mission here at AFA is vitally important, especially as I think about the turmoil our nation is facing today.
Buddy Smith: I think about this pleading prayer from Psalm 85:6: “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” The problems we are facing today are too large for human understanding. Culturally, we are becoming more and more secular, and we need God's intervention in our nation more than ever before.
Buddy Smith: I do not know about you, but I feel helpless in this battle. I know we all want to be involved politically and do our part to be salt and light, but we know that only God can save our nation. Thankfully, history has recorded periods of obedience when God's people awakened and allowed His Spirit to take control.
Buddy Smith: When we get serious, history has recorded that God gets serious. On several occasions, God has poured out His Spirit, and entire cities have turned to Him. I think about the moral impact of the First Great Awakening in this country in 1734, which is credited with laying the foundation for the formation of our system of government after the American Revolution.
Buddy Smith: I also think about the Second Great Awakening in 1790, when the power of God fell from heaven and believers lay prostrate before the Lord in repentance. Society was transformed, and that transformation spilled out of the church into the world.
Buddy Smith: The stresses and woes of our nation today are comparable to critical times in our nation's past. I believe it could happen again. We have seen God save our country in the past, and I urge us to call on God to do it again. We need a new work of God for a new generation, so the world may know there is indeed a God who lives, who empowers, and who changes the destiny of those who call on Him.
Caller: From White Oak Creek, Alabama, I met Mr. John Wildmon in 1976 at the Methodist Children's Home. He was speaking one night, and that is where the journey started. In 2009, when I moved back to Alabama from Florida, God brought me physically to my knees in my living room after cancer and all kinds of things I had gone through. He showed up in the biggest way anybody could ever imagine.
Caller: Right after that, I found AFR on the radio. I have been a 24-hour listener ever since, and I am just telling you, AFR is everything to me. It has kept me on track and given me joy. I have laughed, and I have heard Walker grow up and start his radio shows. I have seen how far he has come and how wonderful those two young men are.
Caller: I appreciate everybody at AFR. They are all very individual and unique, and they are so full of the good Lord. I thank you with all my heart for everything. God bless you.
Walker Wildmon: Those are very kind words from our listeners, and we do hope to be an encouragement to you every day. We appreciate people calling in and talking about how AFA and AFR have impacted their lives. This is kingdom-impact work. Lives are being impacted, marriages are being restored, and prodigal children are coming home because they are hearing the truth of God's Word through American Family Radio.
Rob West: AFR is a perfect home for Faith and Finance because AFR and FaithFi are all about God's Word. We begin with Scripture and a biblical worldview, and then we approach whatever topic we are dealing with. That is why our program is Faith and Finance, not Finance and Faith.
Rob West: We start with God's Word and with what is happening in our lives from a spiritual standpoint, and then we let that inform whatever we are tackling, which, in the case of my program, is money. How do we manage God's money and see it as a tool to accomplish God's purposes? I think that is a great picture of everything that happens in American Family Radio and AFA.
Walker Wildmon: First Corinthians, chapter 16, verses 13 and 14, has been our theme: “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.” That is the message we want to send over the airwaves each day.
Walker Wildmon: We want the body of Christ to stand firm on the Word of God, and at the same time show compassion and love. We can stand firm in the Word of God and on our convictions, while also showing compassion, courage, and love to others. That is the biblical approach.
Caller: My name is Gordon, and I am from Kansas. AFA saved my life. Thank you, Jesus, for all the AFA staff. I am a truck driver. I had an old homemade stereo in my jump seat, and every night around 11:30, my stereo would pick up 88.3 for about a half hour.
Caller: I was not happy to hear people preaching Jesus. No matter what I did, that was the only sound I could get. Trivia Friday really caught my attention. The laughter and the goodness of the people on the program were so much fun, and they got me to listen every Friday.
Caller: One night, I heard a sermon, and God got hold of my heart. I have been sober for 22 months, and I have been growing in the Word ever since. Now, with AFR, I listen every waking moment. Thank you, Jesus, and AFR, for being warriors for Jesus. I thank Him for His grace. So do not give up. Give your heart to Him, and He will not fail you.
Walker Wildmon: That is powerful. That is a truck driver who could pick up American Family Radio on his little radio. He tuned in to Trivia Friday, got some good laughs, and ultimately heard sermons that led him to give his heart to Jesus. He has been sober ever since and is telling everyone about AFR.
Walker Wildmon: The work that we do is about lives being impacted. There are thousands of testimonies like that every year and every decade that American Family Radio continues going strong. All of this is made possible by the Lord's providence and by faithful listeners.
Rob West: Every name represents someone who is hearing our voice and investing in this ministry at whatever level they can. It means that God is at work here, that this ministry is important to them, and that it is impacting them personally. It also means they understand its importance for our culture and our nation.
Rob West: People count on their favorite programs, use iVoterGuide, read The Stand, and engage with the different resources provided through AFA and AFR. That is what this work makes possible.
Buddy Smith: Don stopped by one day and said, “I have been thinking.” I asked him what he had been thinking about, and he said, “I think we need a Sunday morning praise program.” We did not have anything on the station at that time, so we started with a couple of hours. As a matter of fact, it might have been three hours.
Buddy Smith: After about a month, he stopped by my office again and said, “You know, most of our listeners are in church.” Then he asked, “What about Sunday evening? Would you be willing to give that a try?” I said, “Absolutely.”
Buddy Smith: We moved it to Sunday evening and called it Sunday Evening Praise. It started at 6 p.m. and went until 10 p.m. It was four hours, and this was back in the days when everything was on CDs. Nothing was programmed on a hard drive. We had racks of CDs, and the spots were not fired automatically. They were on carts.
Buddy Smith: I did not do this during the week. It was just Sunday night, so I was in there and everything was geared to the telephone. As the network grew, when there were alarms for a tower light or the temperature in one of the studios, the phones would start ringing. In the midst of pulling songs and carts, I would be trying to clear the alarms. It really got interesting.
Buddy Smith: One night, while all of that was going on, there was a weather event somewhere, as there always seemed to be. Brother Don called and said, “Buddy, you are thinking about this, aren't you?” I said, “Brother Don, I sure hope so.” He said, “Well, let's find out. Let's throw that 800 number out there.”
Buddy Smith: He told me, “You tell them you do not have time to visit. Just tell them you are in the studio by yourself, and ask them for their first name and where they are calling from.” I said, “Don, I do not know if I can do that. I have all this going on.” He said, “Oh, yeah, you can sort it away.”
Buddy Smith: I threw the number out there, and of course all the lines filled up. I was trying to make little notes and keep things going. About the tenth or twelfth caller, I forget which, it was Brother Don.
Buddy Smith: He said, “Are you getting any calls?” I said, “Yes, sir, I am.” He said, “Okay, okay. I will call you back later.” It was just funny.
Caller: Hi, my name is Dwight, and I am from Father, Texas. I have been listening to AFR for probably close to 10 years. For the first three or four years, during the Shareathon, I kept thinking about giving money, but I did not. I kept feeling the push to do it, so I finally made a donation.
Caller: When I made that donation, I received a book from Learning University. I had taken Learning University once before, and there I was at the end of the day. The following year, I became a monthly giver. Things have been going well for me, and I love all of the different shows. Y'all have a blessed day.
Walker Wildmon: We want you to be engaged in your faith and in your life. We want you to be salt and light, loving and caring, and taking care of your family, your community, and your church. As we frequently say, tithe through your local church first and foremost. Invest in your local church, fully support your pastor, and volunteer your time and energy to help the local body of believers.
Rob West: Each day on my program, we talk about managing money God's way. Part of that includes allowing God's provision to flow through us, because it all belongs to Him. We are stewards, or managers, allowing what God has entrusted to us to flow into activities that are on the heart of God.
Rob West: Sharing the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is absolutely part of our mission and mandate. We can do that one to one, on mission trips, and where we live, work, and play. We can also do it by supporting the work of others whom God has given a unique platform to speak truth, share the gospel, and be on mission for His purposes.
Rob West: That is AFR and AFA. Going all the way back to Brother Don, God has given special blessing to this ministry to have influence in our culture and reach people who otherwise might not be reached. We hear those testimonies all the time.
Walker Wildmon: The daily work at American Family Association and American Family Radio involves so many divisions and team members. The Stand magazine reaches tens of thousands of homes each month. American Family News, One Million Moms, American Family Studios, and the film and documentary division are all part of that work.
Walker Wildmon: American Family Studios produces hard-hitting, biblically true films and documentaries aimed at helping people think biblically, live biblically, and be salt and light in this country and around the world. All of that work is aimed at making a kingdom impact and reaching as many lives as possible.
Walker Wildmon: The heart of this ministry is to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible and to help believers stand firm in the faith while doing everything in love.
