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Jenna Ellis: I love talking about the things of God because of truth and the biblical worldview. The U.S. constitution obligates our government to prot preserve and protect the rights that our founders recognize come from God our creator, not our government. I believe that scripture in the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you and God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment in time.
This is Jenna Ellis in the morning.
Jenna Ellis: Good morning. Good morning. Well, as we like to do occasionally on this show, take a 30,000 foot perspective on a few topics and given that this is December, it's the end of the year, we wanted to do a kind of end of year review and you know, where we have been over the course of 2025 and looking ahead to what the Lord is doing in 2026 and wow, when I, when I think back to January of this year and the excitement of President Trump being sworn into office, and you know the, all of the doge, kind of stuff and you know looking forward to his first term and then you know everything that has happened throughout the year and then some things good and some just you know, remarkably evil moments. Of course the, the chief among them in terms of the headlines was the assassination of Charlie Kirk. And seeing what happened in that immediate aftermath with revival across the country, across the world and seeing that the Lord used what was meant for evil, ultimately for good, as, as he does and and then just seeing all of the places that we've been and, and where we're going, I'm so much to talk about.
Alex McFarland gives his year end review of American Family Radio Network
So let's welcome in Alex McFarland who is a board member of the American Family association, also the co host of Exploring the Word right here on American Family Radio Network. And Alex, so much has happened in 2025. So you know, kind of as a broad year end review, how would you frame 2025 and what God has done and where we're going?
Alex McFarland: Oh well, well first of all Jenna, thank you for having me. And I want to say thank you Jenna. And I know I speak for just millions of listeners. Thank you for the commentary and insights that you deliver all year long via the American Family Radio Network. And you inspire and you inform and you perform a great service daily for listeners across America. And so that's a good thing the Lord has done in 2025.
Jenna Ellis: Thank you. I love AFR and that means a lot to me, Alex. And I love getting up every day and talking about God's movements throughout history. it's a wonderful part of being a broadcaster.
Alex McFarland: Well, yeah, you know, as a Christian, and I was in college when I became a believer. But it didn't take long, like about five minutes for me to begin to see the world and current events really through the lens of a biblical worldview. And, and as we look at the news of 2025, and I mean, you know, it just seems like yesterday that we were watching Donald Trump being sworn in. He was there in the rotunda, and you know, the whole wide world was watching that and there was just so much, hope and there is many, many good things, have happened. And you know, I, as a pretty frugal, penny pinching kind of guy, I love to see DOGE and the Department of Government Efficiency. you know they had a federal hiring freeze very early in the year and then they began to, even though many scoffed and said it was minuscule, but DOGE was trying to cut wasteful spending wherever they could identify it. And so the year began, very hopefully. But you know, I look at all the headlines really through the biblical worldview, Genoi, I mean, and we'll talk about all these things, I'm sure. the rise of terrorism, the rise of anti Semitism. And of course it just seemed as the year progressed things just intensified on many fronts. And then, also there were the several passings of very key Christian leaders. We can talk about that.
Alex Martin: Shouldn't we look at the world through God's Word
But, to all the listeners, you do this so well and we all should do it, shouldn't we look at the circumstances in the world around us through the lens of God's Word. And that gives us wisdom and discernment, doesn't it?
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And so well said because, you know, there are a lot of different directions that we could take if we were viewing the news of the day just through either a Republican lens or a Democrat lens or a quote, cultural perspective or even a personal or emotional perspective. but the Bible always calls us to look at the world and view things through the lens of the truth of the Word of God. And that provides clarity. it provides hope even in the Midst of, tragedy or when things aren't going the way that, ah, we had hoped or would prefer. And it also provides an aspect of humility when, when we are seeing, significant wins and things we know as. As I always, have. I've liked to say for a long time, Alex, that, you know, understanding that God is on the throne means that when, things are just going tragically, we can have hope because God is the one who is ordaining all things. And then when things are going really good, we can have humility because we know that it's only through his providence and sovereignty and goodwill that, we have all of the, abundance and blessings that we have. And so when we turn our focus back to the Lord, it really puts all of these things, good and evil, into perspective of the overall, timeline and the story, or his story, as we like to say history is that, the grand narrative. And then we can see our part in it, which of course is to know God, fully, to love him, to serve him, to worship him, and then to ultimately bring others into, that same relationship with him. And so, you know, when we look back just on this year and. And I always love sitting, around my family's Christmas tree at the end of the year and kind of taking stock of, okay, what happened this year? And, maybe, you know, how have I grown as a person who. What things do I want to work on, you know, as, as an individual? We can do that, I think, as a country as well, and say, okay, what are some good things, that we've accomplished and where are some areas of growth? How would you answer that on behalf of America?
Alex McFarland: Oh, God bless you. You know, I tend to do the same thing. You know, we get at this time of year, you know, as we closed the books on one year and, God willing, began a new year, we kind of get reflective and we look back. And now, you know, Jenna, I've got these daytimers, this at a glance thing where I keep my schedule. I'm kind of old school. I write it on paper. And very often I'll look back through the year and I just praise God, you know, for where he's brought me. and I think all of us, because for the Christian, all of life really is stewardship. You know, in First Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, Paul says that we're not our own, we're bought with a price. And, if I can, you know, put on my preacher hat for a minute, it's been Said, this is not original with me, but we have four areas of stewardship, time, talent, treasure, testimony. You know, we all have 168 hours in a week. We all have some talents and competencies and skills God has entrusted to us. And then we have treasure or financial substance. And, you know, the, the decimal point might be in a different place for some of us and others. But whether we think it's, you know, a lot of wealth or, or just a little bit, we're all called to be stewards. And then we have our influence or our testimony. Time, talent, treasure, testimony. And really all of these we are to invest for the Lord. And Jenna, I think about Matthew 6:33. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you when we really put the Lord Jesus first. And by that I mean, you know, we daily walk with the Lord. And, I want to challenge everybody, to have a quiet time every day. And maybe you're a very early riser or maybe at night before you go to sleep, but there needs to be in the life of every believer a day, a few minutes where you get quiet before God and you read His Word and you pray and you communicate with Jesus. I really think that daily walk is the difference between, adequate versus excellent or the nominal versus the anointed, you know, and then, when we try to live out Matthew 6:33 and really seek Jesus first, I think everything else will get sorted out and he will look after us. And when I look back over the year, I want to try to see how I've grown in the Lord and how God has, you know, given me opportunities. And I've done my best to, you know, fully steward those opportunities for the gospel and, you know, serving, exploring the Word. And, you know, AFA for 15 years now has absolutely been the hub of my wheel, shall we say. And then, you know, we've got other things. Jenna. I want to give God the glory. We had 604 teenagers make a decision for Christ this year in seven youth camps and, and one major youth conference a month ago. I give God the glory for that. Took a lot of work, but 604 kids got born again this year. That's one of my praise reports.
Jenna Ellis: And I love that, that focus and emphasis. Alex McFarland, because, you know, really that's the, the best outcome of any of our ministry or mission and the reason that any of us as Christians do the work that we do, of course, you know, work is good and it's It's of God and we It's. It's for the production and provision for our families. And ultimately The work that we should be doing is to Is to further promote the truth of the gospel of Christ and to have that many young people make a decision for Christ and start their walk looking at, you know, how many families in America have the opportunity to raise their children in fear and admonition of the Lord because we still live in a free society, that we can openly praise, and worship the Lord. I mean these are things that I think we tend to take for granted almost every day that we still do live in, I believe the greatest country in the world because of the. The freedoms that we have to pursue, ministry and to promote the truth of the gospel of Christ and everything that our founders did for this nation to to set us on a trajectory that isn't for our own comfort and you know, financial increase and all of these other things that aren't. Aren't bad things, Of course. But the end goal should always be the growth of God's kingdom. And when we see things like this and ministries like the American Family association ministries, you know as well, like yours, Alex McFarland and seeing that type of increase, those are the things that ultimately are the stories of the year and, and I think as well to the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination and just how utterly shocking and horrendous that was and the outpouring of love and testament to the truth of God and to the truth of eternity and the. The focus on that, was so profound over these last couple of months. maybe speak to that as well. I mean I know that you knew Charlie personally as I did and that was just a shocking thing. And. And yet seeing how big the response was to the Lord in the midst of that, I think was one of perhaps the best headlines of the year, seeing that revival.
Alex McFarland: Well you, you know Jenna, I think for those of us that are Christians and conservatives and constitutionalists and. And we. We really agonize and pray for the preservation of America. You know, Charlie Kirk was such a powerful figure. And You know I, probably about five years ago I was hearing about tpusa and then he. He and I talked in November of 2021 and he asked me if I would speak for him at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport, Tennessee, which I did in March of 22. And that was my first TPUSA event. And I was impressed at how organized it was. And, you know, it was funny. and Liz, I give God the glory, but over 25 years, I've. I've spoken at about 200American colleges. In fact, I'll be at two colleges in Mississippi in late January of 26. I forget, I think one of them is Mississippi State to do open Q and A. But, I remember when TPUSA first reached out to me now, you know, five years ago, and they said, hey, would you do this event? Do a. Do your constitution talk? And they said, hey, there might be protesters. And I was like, that's okay. I'm up for that, you know. But, my year, Jenna, Charlie had told me because we were at a. We were at two events in 24, one of which was the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. But Charlie said, call me on the first of the year, because I had asked him.
Alex McFarland: Jenna, we are in a spiritual battle this year
I said, will you speak? We're doing a thing, Conversations that matter, which is our worldview, lecture series. He said, call me on January 1st. I said, really? And I said, okay. So 12:30pm Eastern time, January 1st, 2025. I called up Charlie Kirk because he said, call him on the first. So I did. And we planned the event that would really. Two and a half weeks before he was just, you know, wickedly assassinated. he spoke for us. People came from 17 states, but, you know, and then shortly thereafter, Jenna, you came. You were our closing speaker for the year of our lecture series, and you packed the house and got a standing ovation. I don't know if you could see that because the stage lights were bright and the seating area was dark. But you came out to thunderous applause. And I want to thank you because I'll tell you this. we had, my friend Loren Greene from Fox News. And after Charlie got killed, Fox News called me and they said, we're sorry, but our on air personalities cannot do public appearances until further notice. And I said, I completely understand. And so, we moved the date and we kind of regrouped. And you were our closing speaker for our year of worldview. You know, culture, Christianity, politically, spiritually, the state of the country. And we had, attendees from quite a number of states to come and hear you, Jenna, and you did a fantastic job as always. But, I gotta say this because, folks, we are in a spiritual battle. And the Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. Backstage, Charlie, Kirk said to me. He and I were about to step out in front of an audience from 17 states. And Charlie Kirk said to me, he said, and I'm not going to divulge all the details, but he said he felt like he was going to be killed. And I said, oh, no, no, God forbid. And he looked at me and he said, I don't think I'm going to die of old age. And Jenna, two and a half weeks to the day, I was on Exploring the Word, and I got a text from someone who is in touch with the president, and they said, charlie Kirk is dead. And I'm telling you, it was just. I don't know how I stayed conscious. It was just surreal. But folks like Charlie said, and many times I heard him say this thing, he said, look, we cannot quit. We cannot. We are not to be fearful. We are not to shrink back just confidently in Jesus. Every day we get up and we renew ourself to the cause of truth and the Great Commission. And, there's much more we could say. But, Jenna, I think you and I could agree that 2025, many of the news stories are illustrative of the fact that we are in a spiritual battle.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And, we need to take a break here, Alex McFarland, but, so much to unpack from what you just said. And, we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. And while Charlie's race, was completed this year, and many other, faithful witnesses to the truth of the gospel of Christ, John, MacArthur, Vaddy, Bauckham, and others, James Dobbs went on, James Dobson, who went on to, ah, be with the Lord this year, while their race is finished and they finished well, ours is still ongoing. And so I want to talk about that, when we come right back and what we should be focused on as Christians heading into this new year. We'll be right back.
Jenna Ellis: Alex McFarland talks about what Christians should focus on in 2025
Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. And I'm here with my special guest this morning, Alex McFarland, who is a, host of Exploring the Word here on American Family Radio Network. of course, out of Alex McFarland Ministries, which I've, had the privilege of being a part of this past year, and also is part of our AFA board, and really one of the best truth tellers, I think, in, in, you know, in all of the things that Christians should be focused on, Alex. And, you know, we're kind of doing this this year in review and, kind of looking back over 2025, from a biblical perspective and, as we wrap the last segment, I wanted to go into, you know, kind of this next portion of the program to talk about what Christians should be focused on in 2026 and not just, you know, politically. Like, you know, there are definitely policy things that we can advocate for. There's always more to do on the pro life front, on the, the First Amendment freedoms, you know, all of these things that are incredibly important. but I think as, as individual Christians, often we, we maybe miss the opportunity perhaps to set some of those personal spiritual growth goals that can really shape how we view, the next year and our participation in actively seeking to advance the Kingdomnomics of Christ.
Alex McFarland: Yeah. Oh, this, this is great. And, you know, one of the beautiful things about, you know, knowing the Lord Jesus is that as long as we're in the land of the living, we can, be used by God to make a contribution to the Great Commission. And, you know, maybe some people listening say, well, you know, I'm late in life. What could I possibly do? Well, all of us can pray and we, can intercede and we, I gotta tell you, the battles that our world is in, those battles are won or lost on our knees in prayer, Jenna. They really are. And to everybody listening, you know, back in February, I was, at nrb, which is a big conference of Christian broadcasters that AFA participates in every year. And I was with George Barna, the Barna research group, highly respected trend watcher and pollster. And, you know, Barna says that, probably around 120 million adults Americans are born again Christians now. You know, all Christianity, there's a lot of flavors, you know, all, sorts of denominations. But those that have a personal relationship with Jesus, they've trusted Christ. The son of God paid our sin debt on the cross, rose again, and we put our faith in Jesus. Barna says, you know, probably 100 to 120 million Americans are Christians. Well, Jenna, could you imagine if, you know, basically 30% of America began to pray for revival, pray for a great awakening, pray, against evil. Holy Spirit of God, put up a roadblock against evil wokeness, immorality, you know, the agendas, the, the globalist Marxist agenda, you know, pray that our nation can stay free, that we can live out the Great Commission. So I guess the number one goal that I would, I would hold myself to and I would really hopefully challenge every believer to that. Make 20, 26 a year where prayer is a priority. And besides achieving great spiritual victories, prayer, if, if you're very serious about your Prayer life. It will be transformative in your walk with Jesus. It just, it really will.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And what a great encouragement to have a focus in this new year on prioritizing prayer and prioritizing, focusing on the things of God. Because it, it is truly transformative Alex, when Christians can start our day with a focus not on you know, the news headlines, not just opening our phones and you know, getting into the either the bad headlines or the you know, the nitty gritty of the day, but to start in focus on what's eternal and on beseeching the authority of all things, to work presently in our time, for good. And we know that God, is not distant. He is present, he is active in the affairs of man, he knows what's going on. He has divine will and, and yet you know, we have the free will to either obey his commands and have a good moral and upright society and families and church, or we have the free will to ignore all of the commands, that the Lord sets for our good. And so to have this kind of focus, it truly is transformative when we can have that kind of 30,000 foot perspective every day.
Alex: I think Christians need to understand the power of prayer
And I think one of the, the best weapons as well as the best defenses that, that we have as Christians is the power of prayer. And we honestly probably individually, I know for a lot of us don't even understand how powerful prayer is and utilize that enough and maybe just to you know, kind of go down this track for, for a little bit, I read years ago and it's one of my favorite pieces from C.S. lewis, his essay on the efficacy of prayer Prayer. And if listeners haven't read that, it's, it's very short but very, very deep. I mean you'll want to read it several times over. but C.S. lewis is talking about how prayer actually intervenes, and God intervenes in the daily affairs of man. And talk about that from a biblical perspective, if you would Alex, just really what the Bible teaches about prayer and how it really does have impact. Not because we're, it's not like an incantation like you know, a Harry Potter Potter sort of, you know, wizard spell or something that we're trying to you know, ordain things according to our will or we're trying to manipulate God or you know, any of those things, but truly seeking after his will and then God changes our hearts and our lives because we are in that constant communion with Him.
Alex McFarland: Yeah, you know, I hadn't thought of this in years, but I'm so glad you mentioned C.S. lewis. and by the way, folks, it is God's will that you familiarize yourself with CS Lewis's work. You don't even have to wonder about it. You know, I, love C.S. lewis. I think he is one of the most important Christian thinkers of the post Reformation era, honestly. and that might sound like an overstatement, but of the last 500 years, and I hadn't thought in a long time. One of his books is called Letters to Malcolm, chiefly on prayer. And, there are a lot of great. A very famous quote. C.S. lewis said, not only does prayer change things, prayer changes me. And that's kind of become kind of a little saying on plaques and things like that, a little axiom. But Lewis was the one that made that observation. But, it's been said, Jenna, prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. And so I think all of us, you know, if you love God and you love America, you're concerned. We all are. And so, church, we need to pray. And, Jenna, I will tell you this. I mean, I'm just a simple farm boy from North Carolina, but. But when we need stuff to happen, we call out to Jesus. Jenna, I have seen atheists get saved. I have seen, literally, twice, radical Muslims radically get born again and forsake Islam, turn to Jesus and live for Jesus. I have seen insoluble dilemmas get resolved really quickly. I've just seen things, that the Lord does. And see John 15 and 16. I know we're talking about culture and politics, but this is worth, a rabbit trail. Three times in John 15 and 16. See, Christ is on his way to the cross. He's talking to the disciples. He says, I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit the comforter. it is expedient that I go away. In other words, church, it's to your benefit, because I will ascend to the Father and I'll send the Holy Spirit. And of course, that's what happened. And here we are in the church age, sometimes also called the times of the gentiles. but three times in John 15:16, Jesus said, if you ask according to my word and my will, in my name, I will do it. Now we might say, wait a minute. Really? Are we carte blanc? Is God giving us a blank check? I truly believe, Jenna, if what we're praying for is biblical and if it's according to scripture and God's will, In other words, I'll put it this way. If. If what we're praying for is. Is just truly for the glory of God, the furtherance of his kingdom, and the Great Commission, I truly believe the sky is the limit of what we can ask the Lord for now, there are a lot of things we pray about, you know, Lord, I need a better car. Well, nothing wrong with praying about that, you know. No, we're not to be greedy, materialistic, you know. my dad used to say this. Rest his soul. And my dad was not a preacher. He was a, you know, a farmer, really. But my dad said he would say, son, it's okay to have things, but don't let things have you. And so we're to love the blesser. That's Jesus, not be obsessed with the blessings. But here's my point, Jenna. If what we're praying for, if I read John 15 and 16 accurately, and it is just purely for the glory of Jesus, the Great Commission, and his kingdom, I think the sky's the limit. Now, that being said, folks, why don't we fast and pray for revival in America? Why don't we fast and pray for the conversion of the Islamic world? Hey, if. I'll tell you what would end antisemitism today. If the sons of Ishmael would find Jesus and love the sons of Isaac, the Jews. and let's, in the name of Jesus, pray for an end to global jihadism. Let's pray for an end to the drug trade. one other thing, and I'll throw it back to you, but right now, I was on a story yesterday with, you know, Chad Groening about how right now, even as we speak, there are hundreds of Muslims running for city council, school board, mayor offices. I really do think this incremental, under the radar, cultural jihad is taking place as the Muslims across America build their infrastructure. And there's much, much we could say about that. But, folks, we need to pray about that. We need to pray that every Muslim running for a political office will lose. Not because we have animus against individuals. We love people. But the Islamic worldview would be absolutely toxic to this constitutional republic. Sharia and constitutional America cannot coexist. So, Jenna, there is much to pray about. I started a website called United in Prayer. Started it, right about the time Charlie came to speak for us. And, you know, My website is alexmcfarland.com United in Prayer. And we're just starting, but we're doing our utmost to start a prayer movement. Because really we're not afraid of hard work. But, it's got to be prayer and the power of God that transform this, transforms this country.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And amen to that, Alex. And, you know, it's just. It's a good reminder to me in the midst of all of the, you know, we call it infighting. But I think it's more, frankly the. The gossip and the slander that is often, too much focused on, From those, you know, on. On the right or even people who call themselves Christians.
Alex Calvin: Christians should focus more on what unites us this year
And we tend to focus sometimes more on the salaciousness of headlines, than we do on the joint mission that we all have as Christians. And if we could focus more on what unites us in the truth of the word of God and basically ignore all of the, divisiveness and, you know, even some of the, temporal and frankly, meaningless, you know, disagreements that we have, we could actually achieve so much more in terms of the work that God has called us to. And, That's been, you know, one of the things in the wake of Charlie's death that has, been very proud, prominent is just how easily people are distracted with the divisive salaciousness and the gossip of, you know, all kinds of different things. instead of focusing on the truth of God and the good and the revival and. And focusing on Charlie's message, instead of, you know, going down all of these other rabbit trails, that. That may seem, interesting, but ultimately don't move the needle in terms of advancing the work that God has called us to. And I'm not saying that it's not, you know, important obviously, for justice for, Charlie and his family. that of course is important, you know, but I'm talking about the things that are so divisive that have really just, you know, enraptured everybody over the last few weeks and months of, the trends on social media and all of these things. If Christians could get back to focusing in humility on the Lord and on, And on the things that unite us together as Christians and those things that we have in common, we, could do so much more for advancing the kingdom. And. And I think that is an opportunity, Alex, that we need to pray for and we as Christians need to actively work toward in this coming year. How can we do that more practically? And what would you encourage people who maybe are, distracted by, you know, a lot of the headlines and the people who are out for, you know, the clicks and the views and all that? Who aren't focused on ministry as much as they are on the drama. How can we get away from that in this new year and focus on what matters?
Alex McFarland: Oh, Jenna, that's. That is the greatest question that I think I've been asked all year long. And, you know, Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham, she said that the things foremost on our heart should be the things that were foremost on Jesus's heart. Right? So one of my favorite, favorite verse is, Jenna. John 17:21. the Lord Jesus is on his way to the cross. And very often it's called the high priestly prayer of Jesus. And he prays for the church and he prays for the disciples. And he says, you know, not only for them, but for those who will believe because of their testimony. But here is the key. And I gotta tell you, as an evangelist, you know, apologetics is my thing, Jenna. And, I was a youth pastor for 11 years. We rented the Greensboro Coliseum, brought in coach Tom Landry, Josh McDowell filled it up three times. And 27 years later, we've done 51 major citywide events all over America. And then I've been in a pulpit somewhere 50 weekends a year for 27 years, so I've seen a few things. John 17:21. Christ prayed this about the church. He said, father, that they all may be one, that the world may believe Thou hast sent me. Okay, O any unity. And I'm telling you folks, and I've been to the rodeo and back, the secret sauce, the X factor. The key to a, mighty move of God's holy Spirit. Yes, of course, prayer and the proclamation of the gospel. But the key that really unleashes the tangible presence of God is unity in the body of Christ. Now, Jenna, here's the thing in teaching and preaching apologetics, which is a, defense of the Christian faith, biblical worldview. The content of what, what does God's word say about life, marriage, morals, economics, education, you know? Yes. God cares about government. I mean, God had Moses write an entire book about government. It's called Deuteronomy. Anyway, so God's word speaks to all of the salient issues of life. Right? Well, Jenna, in teaching apologetics, I've been invited to every kind of church you can imagine. Calvinist, non Calvinist, twice. And look, I'll go anywhere twice in Roman Catholic churches, I've done a, ah, Biblical Worldview weekend. They go through the Eucharist, all the things. They give me the floor and I share the gospel and give an altar call. Yes, in a Catholic church and preacher friends said, you went to St. Pius X Catholic Church. Why did you do that? I said, because they invited me and I got to talk about Jesus. Salvation by grace through faith, the authority of God's word. Here's my point. And Jenna, by the way, we did two citywide crusades this year. One in the Birmingham, Alabama area, one in the Jackson, Mississippi area. And, had hundreds of people saved in both of those. But here's the deal. When Christians of every flavor come together and we forget about our denominational distinctives. And look, I'm a Baptist. I have an opinion on everything. But the main thing is this. The son of God died on the cross. Here's a verse, I'll throw it back to you. First John 5:1. And folks, we are family. If you're a believer, First John 5:1 says, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ born of God. Well, that being the case, listen, whether you sleep in the pews or jump over them, church, we are family. And if we get together and we simply say, Lord, we as a body, we exalt your name. We thank you for Calvary, we praise you, Jesus. We ask that souls get saved. Holy Spirit of God, take control of my heart and my life. Holy Spirit of God, transform our nation. Lord Jesus, save the lost, Revive the church, glorify your name. We, as a body, we say, lord, you are welcome here. Please meet with us, Jesus. It happens, Jenna. I've seen it. I've seen it. Listen, I have. When really we have no agenda. Nobody's trying to get their name on the poster. We're just trying to lift up Jesus. I've had people, after a two and a half hour church service and a, 45 minute altar call, I've had people stop us in the parking lot and say, don't leave, don't leave. I need to get saved. I've seen the Holy Spirit of God blanket a region and unity in the body of Christ is, is really the key to it.
Alex McFarland: We need to focus on Christ and unity
Jenna Ellis: Amen. And, and we have to take one more break here. Alex McFarland. And, I just so appreciate your heart and the being so attuned to how we need to focus on Christ and unity. Because unity, unity, mate, comes from that root word of having a common purpose and a common mind. And we need to, as the body of Christ, reclaim that and instead of focusing on the things that divide us politically, focus instead on what unites us in Christ. So we'll be right back to wrap up this year in review. And we'll be right back with Alex.
Preborn Network helps women choose life through a free ultrasound
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Jenna Ellis with Alex McFarland looking ahead to 2026
Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. And I'm here with Alex McFarland, concluding our year in review and looking forward to 2026. And what a great call, Alex, for Christians to focus on what unites us in the truth of Christ, to pray more and to start our day focused on the 20 eternal perspective, the biblical worldview. And so, in just the last few minutes, we have m. What is your encouraging challenge, to Christians? To take hold of the truth of God even more and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord in this new year coming up in 2026.
Alex McFarland: Wow. Well, again, let me say how much I appreciate your ministry. And, I learned so much listening to Jenna Ellis in the morning. And, you know, I love culture, politics, just, you know, trends. And, I want to, again, on behalf of so many listeners across America, thank you for the work you do. I know you put a lot of research into every show, and, your work is making a difference. you know, Jenna, first, Corinthians 15:58 says that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. So I just want to encourage everybody, you matter, listeners for God and country, you matter. And, Hey, can I share a C.S. lewis quote, Jenna?
Jenna Ellis: Yes, absolutely.
Alex Preborn: I stumbled upon a quote 25 years ago about eschatology
Alex McFarland: All right. Probably 25 years ago, I stumbled upon a quote, and it put some fire in my heart. Now listen to this. In 1954, C.S. lewis was interviewed by a magazine about the end of time. You know, it was the Cold War and you know, so C.S. lewis even, even in his lifetime was kind of a legend, right? So they interviewed C.S. lewis, Great Oxford professor and Christian apologist. What about this thing called eschatology? Is it really true? Do you believe Jesus is coming back? So listen to this quote. I've pondered on this for years and it might be a good thing to end on. But here's what C.S. lewis said when asked about the future. He said, quote, indeed, the curtain on the stage of history has already fallen. And we believers know how the story ends. We know that Christ is coming back, and time as we know it will one day come to a conclusion. But that does not absolve us of the responsibility to faithfully carry out our day by day God given tasks, said Lewis. For some of us the task is to feed the animals on a farm. And others are called to plan some great campaign that may benefit history. 100 years from now, we know Christ is coming back. Time will come to an end, the animals may not get fed, and our great plans for tomorrow may never come to fruition. But it didn't matter, said C.S. lewis. The important thing is this. We are at our post when the inspection comes. End of quote. And Jenna, when I hear that when King Jesus comes to inspect the troops, let's be at our post.
Jenna Ellis: I love that and amen to that. Because, you know, that again, just reminds me of Charlie, that when, the Lord ushered him into his kingdom, he was at his post, he was doing exactly what the Lord had called him to do, was teaching the truth of the gospel of Christ. And may we be so dedicated as well to our ministry and our mission that we never waste a moment or an opportunity to teach the truth of the Lord and, advance the cause of Christ. And you know, instead of being discouraged over the headlines or hoping for more, you know, any of these things or the, the divisiveness. I hope that this program for those listening, has encouraged us to focus on the eternal hope that we have in Christ, the truth of the Lord, what unites us as Christians and individually to focus on our calling and our ministry, because that is a daily challenge, Alex. And I love that quote that you, just provided from CS Lewis. That really does put it in perspective. Let's be at our post and we all have, an individual calling of ministry, from the Lord. But there is a common purpose for Christians that we all should be teaching daily, pointing to the Lord and to Christ. And so I really appreciate that. And it's just the last minute we have, you know, it's. I just want to say thank you Alex, for your ministry as well, for constantly practicing what you're preaching in, in in focusing on the Lord and in always constantly pointing us back to the eternal things and the truth of the gospel of Christ. So a Happy NewSong Year 2026. Merry Christmas and thank you so much and I look forward to serving with you in the new year.
Alex McFarland: Godspeed, my friend. Thank you for having me.
Jenna Ellis: Thanks so much. And as always listeners, can reach me and my team jennafr.net and let us purpose in this new year to continue to serve the Lord with all our hearts, soul and mind.
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Jenna Ellis: Because of listeners like you, PreBorn has helped to rescue over 67,000 babies. Your $28 to sponsor one ultrasound doubled a baby's chance at life. Your tax deductible gift saves lives. Please join us in this mission. To donate, go to preborn.com afr Jenna. Ellis in the morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: I love talking about the things of God because of truth and the biblical worldview. The U.S. constitution obligates our government to prot preserve and protect the rights that our founders recognize come from God our creator, not our government. I believe that scripture in the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raised up each of you and God has allowed us to be brought here to this specific moment in time.
This is Jenna Ellis in the morning.
Jenna Ellis: Good morning. Good morning. Well, as we like to do occasionally on this show, take a 30,000 foot perspective on a few topics and given that this is December, it's the end of the year, we wanted to do a kind of end of year review and you know, where we have been over the course of 2025 and looking ahead to what the Lord is doing in 2026 and wow, when I, when I think back to January of this year and the excitement of President Trump being sworn into office, and you know the, all of the doge, kind of stuff and you know looking forward to his first term and then you know everything that has happened throughout the year and then some things good and some just you know, remarkably evil moments. Of course the, the chief among them in terms of the headlines was the assassination of Charlie Kirk. And seeing what happened in that immediate aftermath with revival across the country, across the world and seeing that the Lord used what was meant for evil, ultimately for good, as, as he does and and then just seeing all of the places that we've been and, and where we're going, I'm so much to talk about.
Alex McFarland gives his year end review of American Family Radio Network
So let's welcome in Alex McFarland who is a board member of the American Family association, also the co host of Exploring the Word right here on American Family Radio Network. And Alex, so much has happened in 2025. So you know, kind of as a broad year end review, how would you frame 2025 and what God has done and where we're going?
Alex McFarland: Oh well, well first of all Jenna, thank you for having me. And I want to say thank you Jenna. And I know I speak for just millions of listeners. Thank you for the commentary and insights that you deliver all year long via the American Family Radio Network. And you inspire and you inform and you perform a great service daily for listeners across America. And so that's a good thing the Lord has done in 2025.
Jenna Ellis: Thank you. I love AFR and that means a lot to me, Alex. And I love getting up every day and talking about God's movements throughout history. it's a wonderful part of being a broadcaster.
Alex McFarland: Well, yeah, you know, as a Christian, and I was in college when I became a believer. But it didn't take long, like about five minutes for me to begin to see the world and current events really through the lens of a biblical worldview. And, and as we look at the news of 2025, and I mean, you know, it just seems like yesterday that we were watching Donald Trump being sworn in. He was there in the rotunda, and you know, the whole wide world was watching that and there was just so much, hope and there is many, many good things, have happened. And you know, I, as a pretty frugal, penny pinching kind of guy, I love to see DOGE and the Department of Government Efficiency. you know they had a federal hiring freeze very early in the year and then they began to, even though many scoffed and said it was minuscule, but DOGE was trying to cut wasteful spending wherever they could identify it. And so the year began, very hopefully. But you know, I look at all the headlines really through the biblical worldview, Genoi, I mean, and we'll talk about all these things, I'm sure. the rise of terrorism, the rise of anti Semitism. And of course it just seemed as the year progressed things just intensified on many fronts. And then, also there were the several passings of very key Christian leaders. We can talk about that.
Alex Martin: Shouldn't we look at the world through God's Word
But, to all the listeners, you do this so well and we all should do it, shouldn't we look at the circumstances in the world around us through the lens of God's Word. And that gives us wisdom and discernment, doesn't it?
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And so well said because, you know, there are a lot of different directions that we could take if we were viewing the news of the day just through either a Republican lens or a Democrat lens or a quote, cultural perspective or even a personal or emotional perspective. but the Bible always calls us to look at the world and view things through the lens of the truth of the Word of God. And that provides clarity. it provides hope even in the Midst of, tragedy or when things aren't going the way that, ah, we had hoped or would prefer. And it also provides an aspect of humility when, when we are seeing, significant wins and things we know as. As I always, have. I've liked to say for a long time, Alex, that, you know, understanding that God is on the throne means that when, things are just going tragically, we can have hope because God is the one who is ordaining all things. And then when things are going really good, we can have humility because we know that it's only through his providence and sovereignty and goodwill that, we have all of the, abundance and blessings that we have. And so when we turn our focus back to the Lord, it really puts all of these things, good and evil, into perspective of the overall, timeline and the story, or his story, as we like to say history is that, the grand narrative. And then we can see our part in it, which of course is to know God, fully, to love him, to serve him, to worship him, and then to ultimately bring others into, that same relationship with him. And so, you know, when we look back just on this year and. And I always love sitting, around my family's Christmas tree at the end of the year and kind of taking stock of, okay, what happened this year? And, maybe, you know, how have I grown as a person who. What things do I want to work on, you know, as, as an individual? We can do that, I think, as a country as well, and say, okay, what are some good things, that we've accomplished and where are some areas of growth? How would you answer that on behalf of America?
Alex McFarland: Oh, God bless you. You know, I tend to do the same thing. You know, we get at this time of year, you know, as we closed the books on one year and, God willing, began a new year, we kind of get reflective and we look back. And now, you know, Jenna, I've got these daytimers, this at a glance thing where I keep my schedule. I'm kind of old school. I write it on paper. And very often I'll look back through the year and I just praise God, you know, for where he's brought me. and I think all of us, because for the Christian, all of life really is stewardship. You know, in First Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, Paul says that we're not our own, we're bought with a price. And, if I can, you know, put on my preacher hat for a minute, it's been Said, this is not original with me, but we have four areas of stewardship, time, talent, treasure, testimony. You know, we all have 168 hours in a week. We all have some talents and competencies and skills God has entrusted to us. And then we have treasure or financial substance. And, you know, the, the decimal point might be in a different place for some of us and others. But whether we think it's, you know, a lot of wealth or, or just a little bit, we're all called to be stewards. And then we have our influence or our testimony. Time, talent, treasure, testimony. And really all of these we are to invest for the Lord. And Jenna, I think about Matthew 6:33. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you when we really put the Lord Jesus first. And by that I mean, you know, we daily walk with the Lord. And, I want to challenge everybody, to have a quiet time every day. And maybe you're a very early riser or maybe at night before you go to sleep, but there needs to be in the life of every believer a day, a few minutes where you get quiet before God and you read His Word and you pray and you communicate with Jesus. I really think that daily walk is the difference between, adequate versus excellent or the nominal versus the anointed, you know, and then, when we try to live out Matthew 6:33 and really seek Jesus first, I think everything else will get sorted out and he will look after us. And when I look back over the year, I want to try to see how I've grown in the Lord and how God has, you know, given me opportunities. And I've done my best to, you know, fully steward those opportunities for the gospel and, you know, serving, exploring the Word. And, you know, AFA for 15 years now has absolutely been the hub of my wheel, shall we say. And then, you know, we've got other things. Jenna. I want to give God the glory. We had 604 teenagers make a decision for Christ this year in seven youth camps and, and one major youth conference a month ago. I give God the glory for that. Took a lot of work, but 604 kids got born again this year. That's one of my praise reports.
Jenna Ellis: And I love that, that focus and emphasis. Alex McFarland, because, you know, really that's the, the best outcome of any of our ministry or mission and the reason that any of us as Christians do the work that we do, of course, you know, work is good and it's It's of God and we It's. It's for the production and provision for our families. And ultimately The work that we should be doing is to Is to further promote the truth of the gospel of Christ and to have that many young people make a decision for Christ and start their walk looking at, you know, how many families in America have the opportunity to raise their children in fear and admonition of the Lord because we still live in a free society, that we can openly praise, and worship the Lord. I mean these are things that I think we tend to take for granted almost every day that we still do live in, I believe the greatest country in the world because of the. The freedoms that we have to pursue, ministry and to promote the truth of the gospel of Christ and everything that our founders did for this nation to to set us on a trajectory that isn't for our own comfort and you know, financial increase and all of these other things that aren't. Aren't bad things, Of course. But the end goal should always be the growth of God's kingdom. And when we see things like this and ministries like the American Family association ministries, you know as well, like yours, Alex McFarland and seeing that type of increase, those are the things that ultimately are the stories of the year and, and I think as well to the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination and just how utterly shocking and horrendous that was and the outpouring of love and testament to the truth of God and to the truth of eternity and the. The focus on that, was so profound over these last couple of months. maybe speak to that as well. I mean I know that you knew Charlie personally as I did and that was just a shocking thing. And. And yet seeing how big the response was to the Lord in the midst of that, I think was one of perhaps the best headlines of the year, seeing that revival.
Alex McFarland: Well you, you know Jenna, I think for those of us that are Christians and conservatives and constitutionalists and. And we. We really agonize and pray for the preservation of America. You know, Charlie Kirk was such a powerful figure. And You know I, probably about five years ago I was hearing about tpusa and then he. He and I talked in November of 2021 and he asked me if I would speak for him at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport, Tennessee, which I did in March of 22. And that was my first TPUSA event. And I was impressed at how organized it was. And, you know, it was funny. and Liz, I give God the glory, but over 25 years, I've. I've spoken at about 200American colleges. In fact, I'll be at two colleges in Mississippi in late January of 26. I forget, I think one of them is Mississippi State to do open Q and A. But, I remember when TPUSA first reached out to me now, you know, five years ago, and they said, hey, would you do this event? Do a. Do your constitution talk? And they said, hey, there might be protesters. And I was like, that's okay. I'm up for that, you know. But, my year, Jenna, Charlie had told me because we were at a. We were at two events in 24, one of which was the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. But Charlie said, call me on the first of the year, because I had asked him.
Alex McFarland: Jenna, we are in a spiritual battle this year
I said, will you speak? We're doing a thing, Conversations that matter, which is our worldview, lecture series. He said, call me on January 1st. I said, really? And I said, okay. So 12:30pm Eastern time, January 1st, 2025. I called up Charlie Kirk because he said, call him on the first. So I did. And we planned the event that would really. Two and a half weeks before he was just, you know, wickedly assassinated. he spoke for us. People came from 17 states, but, you know, and then shortly thereafter, Jenna, you came. You were our closing speaker for the year of our lecture series, and you packed the house and got a standing ovation. I don't know if you could see that because the stage lights were bright and the seating area was dark. But you came out to thunderous applause. And I want to thank you because I'll tell you this. we had, my friend Loren Greene from Fox News. And after Charlie got killed, Fox News called me and they said, we're sorry, but our on air personalities cannot do public appearances until further notice. And I said, I completely understand. And so, we moved the date and we kind of regrouped. And you were our closing speaker for our year of worldview. You know, culture, Christianity, politically, spiritually, the state of the country. And we had, attendees from quite a number of states to come and hear you, Jenna, and you did a fantastic job as always. But, I gotta say this because, folks, we are in a spiritual battle. And the Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. Backstage, Charlie, Kirk said to me. He and I were about to step out in front of an audience from 17 states. And Charlie Kirk said to me, he said, and I'm not going to divulge all the details, but he said he felt like he was going to be killed. And I said, oh, no, no, God forbid. And he looked at me and he said, I don't think I'm going to die of old age. And Jenna, two and a half weeks to the day, I was on Exploring the Word, and I got a text from someone who is in touch with the president, and they said, charlie Kirk is dead. And I'm telling you, it was just. I don't know how I stayed conscious. It was just surreal. But folks like Charlie said, and many times I heard him say this thing, he said, look, we cannot quit. We cannot. We are not to be fearful. We are not to shrink back just confidently in Jesus. Every day we get up and we renew ourself to the cause of truth and the Great Commission. And, there's much more we could say. But, Jenna, I think you and I could agree that 2025, many of the news stories are illustrative of the fact that we are in a spiritual battle.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And, we need to take a break here, Alex McFarland, but, so much to unpack from what you just said. And, we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. And while Charlie's race, was completed this year, and many other, faithful witnesses to the truth of the gospel of Christ, John, MacArthur, Vaddy, Bauckham, and others, James Dobbs went on, James Dobson, who went on to, ah, be with the Lord this year, while their race is finished and they finished well, ours is still ongoing. And so I want to talk about that, when we come right back and what we should be focused on as Christians heading into this new year. We'll be right back.
Jenna Ellis: Alex McFarland talks about what Christians should focus on in 2025
Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. And I'm here with my special guest this morning, Alex McFarland, who is a, host of Exploring the Word here on American Family Radio Network. of course, out of Alex McFarland Ministries, which I've, had the privilege of being a part of this past year, and also is part of our AFA board, and really one of the best truth tellers, I think, in, in, you know, in all of the things that Christians should be focused on, Alex. And, you know, we're kind of doing this this year in review and, kind of looking back over 2025, from a biblical perspective and, as we wrap the last segment, I wanted to go into, you know, kind of this next portion of the program to talk about what Christians should be focused on in 2026 and not just, you know, politically. Like, you know, there are definitely policy things that we can advocate for. There's always more to do on the pro life front, on the, the First Amendment freedoms, you know, all of these things that are incredibly important. but I think as, as individual Christians, often we, we maybe miss the opportunity perhaps to set some of those personal spiritual growth goals that can really shape how we view, the next year and our participation in actively seeking to advance the Kingdomnomics of Christ.
Alex McFarland: Yeah. Oh, this, this is great. And, you know, one of the beautiful things about, you know, knowing the Lord Jesus is that as long as we're in the land of the living, we can, be used by God to make a contribution to the Great Commission. And, you know, maybe some people listening say, well, you know, I'm late in life. What could I possibly do? Well, all of us can pray and we, can intercede and we, I gotta tell you, the battles that our world is in, those battles are won or lost on our knees in prayer, Jenna. They really are. And to everybody listening, you know, back in February, I was, at nrb, which is a big conference of Christian broadcasters that AFA participates in every year. And I was with George Barna, the Barna research group, highly respected trend watcher and pollster. And, you know, Barna says that, probably around 120 million adults Americans are born again Christians now. You know, all Christianity, there's a lot of flavors, you know, all, sorts of denominations. But those that have a personal relationship with Jesus, they've trusted Christ. The son of God paid our sin debt on the cross, rose again, and we put our faith in Jesus. Barna says, you know, probably 100 to 120 million Americans are Christians. Well, Jenna, could you imagine if, you know, basically 30% of America began to pray for revival, pray for a great awakening, pray, against evil. Holy Spirit of God, put up a roadblock against evil wokeness, immorality, you know, the agendas, the, the globalist Marxist agenda, you know, pray that our nation can stay free, that we can live out the Great Commission. So I guess the number one goal that I would, I would hold myself to and I would really hopefully challenge every believer to that. Make 20, 26 a year where prayer is a priority. And besides achieving great spiritual victories, prayer, if, if you're very serious about your Prayer life. It will be transformative in your walk with Jesus. It just, it really will.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And what a great encouragement to have a focus in this new year on prioritizing prayer and prioritizing, focusing on the things of God. Because it, it is truly transformative Alex, when Christians can start our day with a focus not on you know, the news headlines, not just opening our phones and you know, getting into the either the bad headlines or the you know, the nitty gritty of the day, but to start in focus on what's eternal and on beseeching the authority of all things, to work presently in our time, for good. And we know that God, is not distant. He is present, he is active in the affairs of man, he knows what's going on. He has divine will and, and yet you know, we have the free will to either obey his commands and have a good moral and upright society and families and church, or we have the free will to ignore all of the commands, that the Lord sets for our good. And so to have this kind of focus, it truly is transformative when we can have that kind of 30,000 foot perspective every day.
Alex: I think Christians need to understand the power of prayer
And I think one of the, the best weapons as well as the best defenses that, that we have as Christians is the power of prayer. And we honestly probably individually, I know for a lot of us don't even understand how powerful prayer is and utilize that enough and maybe just to you know, kind of go down this track for, for a little bit, I read years ago and it's one of my favorite pieces from C.S. lewis, his essay on the efficacy of prayer Prayer. And if listeners haven't read that, it's, it's very short but very, very deep. I mean you'll want to read it several times over. but C.S. lewis is talking about how prayer actually intervenes, and God intervenes in the daily affairs of man. And talk about that from a biblical perspective, if you would Alex, just really what the Bible teaches about prayer and how it really does have impact. Not because we're, it's not like an incantation like you know, a Harry Potter Potter sort of, you know, wizard spell or something that we're trying to you know, ordain things according to our will or we're trying to manipulate God or you know, any of those things, but truly seeking after his will and then God changes our hearts and our lives because we are in that constant communion with Him.
Alex McFarland: Yeah, you know, I hadn't thought of this in years, but I'm so glad you mentioned C.S. lewis. and by the way, folks, it is God's will that you familiarize yourself with CS Lewis's work. You don't even have to wonder about it. You know, I, love C.S. lewis. I think he is one of the most important Christian thinkers of the post Reformation era, honestly. and that might sound like an overstatement, but of the last 500 years, and I hadn't thought in a long time. One of his books is called Letters to Malcolm, chiefly on prayer. And, there are a lot of great. A very famous quote. C.S. lewis said, not only does prayer change things, prayer changes me. And that's kind of become kind of a little saying on plaques and things like that, a little axiom. But Lewis was the one that made that observation. But, it's been said, Jenna, prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. And so I think all of us, you know, if you love God and you love America, you're concerned. We all are. And so, church, we need to pray. And, Jenna, I will tell you this. I mean, I'm just a simple farm boy from North Carolina, but. But when we need stuff to happen, we call out to Jesus. Jenna, I have seen atheists get saved. I have seen, literally, twice, radical Muslims radically get born again and forsake Islam, turn to Jesus and live for Jesus. I have seen insoluble dilemmas get resolved really quickly. I've just seen things, that the Lord does. And see John 15 and 16. I know we're talking about culture and politics, but this is worth, a rabbit trail. Three times in John 15 and 16. See, Christ is on his way to the cross. He's talking to the disciples. He says, I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit the comforter. it is expedient that I go away. In other words, church, it's to your benefit, because I will ascend to the Father and I'll send the Holy Spirit. And of course, that's what happened. And here we are in the church age, sometimes also called the times of the gentiles. but three times in John 15:16, Jesus said, if you ask according to my word and my will, in my name, I will do it. Now we might say, wait a minute. Really? Are we carte blanc? Is God giving us a blank check? I truly believe, Jenna, if what we're praying for is biblical and if it's according to scripture and God's will, In other words, I'll put it this way. If. If what we're praying for is. Is just truly for the glory of God, the furtherance of his kingdom, and the Great Commission, I truly believe the sky is the limit of what we can ask the Lord for now, there are a lot of things we pray about, you know, Lord, I need a better car. Well, nothing wrong with praying about that, you know. No, we're not to be greedy, materialistic, you know. my dad used to say this. Rest his soul. And my dad was not a preacher. He was a, you know, a farmer, really. But my dad said he would say, son, it's okay to have things, but don't let things have you. And so we're to love the blesser. That's Jesus, not be obsessed with the blessings. But here's my point, Jenna. If what we're praying for, if I read John 15 and 16 accurately, and it is just purely for the glory of Jesus, the Great Commission, and his kingdom, I think the sky's the limit. Now, that being said, folks, why don't we fast and pray for revival in America? Why don't we fast and pray for the conversion of the Islamic world? Hey, if. I'll tell you what would end antisemitism today. If the sons of Ishmael would find Jesus and love the sons of Isaac, the Jews. and let's, in the name of Jesus, pray for an end to global jihadism. Let's pray for an end to the drug trade. one other thing, and I'll throw it back to you, but right now, I was on a story yesterday with, you know, Chad Groening about how right now, even as we speak, there are hundreds of Muslims running for city council, school board, mayor offices. I really do think this incremental, under the radar, cultural jihad is taking place as the Muslims across America build their infrastructure. And there's much, much we could say about that. But, folks, we need to pray about that. We need to pray that every Muslim running for a political office will lose. Not because we have animus against individuals. We love people. But the Islamic worldview would be absolutely toxic to this constitutional republic. Sharia and constitutional America cannot coexist. So, Jenna, there is much to pray about. I started a website called United in Prayer. Started it, right about the time Charlie came to speak for us. And, you know, My website is alexmcfarland.com United in Prayer. And we're just starting, but we're doing our utmost to start a prayer movement. Because really we're not afraid of hard work. But, it's got to be prayer and the power of God that transform this, transforms this country.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And amen to that, Alex. And, you know, it's just. It's a good reminder to me in the midst of all of the, you know, we call it infighting. But I think it's more, frankly the. The gossip and the slander that is often, too much focused on, From those, you know, on. On the right or even people who call themselves Christians.
Alex Calvin: Christians should focus more on what unites us this year
And we tend to focus sometimes more on the salaciousness of headlines, than we do on the joint mission that we all have as Christians. And if we could focus more on what unites us in the truth of the word of God and basically ignore all of the, divisiveness and, you know, even some of the, temporal and frankly, meaningless, you know, disagreements that we have, we could actually achieve so much more in terms of the work that God has called us to. And, That's been, you know, one of the things in the wake of Charlie's death that has, been very proud, prominent is just how easily people are distracted with the divisive salaciousness and the gossip of, you know, all kinds of different things. instead of focusing on the truth of God and the good and the revival and. And focusing on Charlie's message, instead of, you know, going down all of these other rabbit trails, that. That may seem, interesting, but ultimately don't move the needle in terms of advancing the work that God has called us to. And I'm not saying that it's not, you know, important obviously, for justice for, Charlie and his family. that of course is important, you know, but I'm talking about the things that are so divisive that have really just, you know, enraptured everybody over the last few weeks and months of, the trends on social media and all of these things. If Christians could get back to focusing in humility on the Lord and on, And on the things that unite us together as Christians and those things that we have in common, we, could do so much more for advancing the kingdom. And. And I think that is an opportunity, Alex, that we need to pray for and we as Christians need to actively work toward in this coming year. How can we do that more practically? And what would you encourage people who maybe are, distracted by, you know, a lot of the headlines and the people who are out for, you know, the clicks and the views and all that? Who aren't focused on ministry as much as they are on the drama. How can we get away from that in this new year and focus on what matters?
Alex McFarland: Oh, Jenna, that's. That is the greatest question that I think I've been asked all year long. And, you know, Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham, she said that the things foremost on our heart should be the things that were foremost on Jesus's heart. Right? So one of my favorite, favorite verse is, Jenna. John 17:21. the Lord Jesus is on his way to the cross. And very often it's called the high priestly prayer of Jesus. And he prays for the church and he prays for the disciples. And he says, you know, not only for them, but for those who will believe because of their testimony. But here is the key. And I gotta tell you, as an evangelist, you know, apologetics is my thing, Jenna. And, I was a youth pastor for 11 years. We rented the Greensboro Coliseum, brought in coach Tom Landry, Josh McDowell filled it up three times. And 27 years later, we've done 51 major citywide events all over America. And then I've been in a pulpit somewhere 50 weekends a year for 27 years, so I've seen a few things. John 17:21. Christ prayed this about the church. He said, father, that they all may be one, that the world may believe Thou hast sent me. Okay, O any unity. And I'm telling you folks, and I've been to the rodeo and back, the secret sauce, the X factor. The key to a, mighty move of God's holy Spirit. Yes, of course, prayer and the proclamation of the gospel. But the key that really unleashes the tangible presence of God is unity in the body of Christ. Now, Jenna, here's the thing in teaching and preaching apologetics, which is a, defense of the Christian faith, biblical worldview. The content of what, what does God's word say about life, marriage, morals, economics, education, you know? Yes. God cares about government. I mean, God had Moses write an entire book about government. It's called Deuteronomy. Anyway, so God's word speaks to all of the salient issues of life. Right? Well, Jenna, in teaching apologetics, I've been invited to every kind of church you can imagine. Calvinist, non Calvinist, twice. And look, I'll go anywhere twice in Roman Catholic churches, I've done a, ah, Biblical Worldview weekend. They go through the Eucharist, all the things. They give me the floor and I share the gospel and give an altar call. Yes, in a Catholic church and preacher friends said, you went to St. Pius X Catholic Church. Why did you do that? I said, because they invited me and I got to talk about Jesus. Salvation by grace through faith, the authority of God's word. Here's my point. And Jenna, by the way, we did two citywide crusades this year. One in the Birmingham, Alabama area, one in the Jackson, Mississippi area. And, had hundreds of people saved in both of those. But here's the deal. When Christians of every flavor come together and we forget about our denominational distinctives. And look, I'm a Baptist. I have an opinion on everything. But the main thing is this. The son of God died on the cross. Here's a verse, I'll throw it back to you. First John 5:1. And folks, we are family. If you're a believer, First John 5:1 says, whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ born of God. Well, that being the case, listen, whether you sleep in the pews or jump over them, church, we are family. And if we get together and we simply say, Lord, we as a body, we exalt your name. We thank you for Calvary, we praise you, Jesus. We ask that souls get saved. Holy Spirit of God, take control of my heart and my life. Holy Spirit of God, transform our nation. Lord Jesus, save the lost, Revive the church, glorify your name. We, as a body, we say, lord, you are welcome here. Please meet with us, Jesus. It happens, Jenna. I've seen it. I've seen it. Listen, I have. When really we have no agenda. Nobody's trying to get their name on the poster. We're just trying to lift up Jesus. I've had people, after a two and a half hour church service and a, 45 minute altar call, I've had people stop us in the parking lot and say, don't leave, don't leave. I need to get saved. I've seen the Holy Spirit of God blanket a region and unity in the body of Christ is, is really the key to it.
Alex McFarland: We need to focus on Christ and unity
Jenna Ellis: Amen. And, and we have to take one more break here. Alex McFarland. And, I just so appreciate your heart and the being so attuned to how we need to focus on Christ and unity. Because unity, unity, mate, comes from that root word of having a common purpose and a common mind. And we need to, as the body of Christ, reclaim that and instead of focusing on the things that divide us politically, focus instead on what unites us in Christ. So we'll be right back to wrap up this year in review. And we'll be right back with Alex.
Preborn Network helps women choose life through a free ultrasound
Jenna Ellis: M. We're living in a time when truth is under attack. Lies are easy to tell, easy to spread, and easy to believe. But truth. Truth is costly. And nowhere is the cost greater than for mothers in crisis. When a woman is told abortion is her only option, silence and lies surround her. But when she walks into a PreBorn Network clinic, she's met with compassion, support, support, and the truth about the growing life inside her. That moment of truth happens through a free ultrasound, and it's a game changer. When a mother sees her baby and hears that heartbeat, it literally doubles the chance she will choose life. PreBorn Network clinics are on the front lines, meeting women in their darkest hour, loving them, helping them choose life, and sharing the truth. Friend, this is not the time to be silent. It is the time for courage, for truth, and for life. Just $28 provides one ultrasound and the opportunity for a mother to see her baby. To help her choose truth and choose life, please donate today. Call £250 and say, baby. That's £250, baby. Or give [email protected] afr that's preborn.com afr.
Jenna Ellis with Alex McFarland looking ahead to 2026
Welcome back to Jenna Ellis in the Morning on American Family Radio.
Jenna Ellis: Welcome back. And I'm here with Alex McFarland, concluding our year in review and looking forward to 2026. And what a great call, Alex, for Christians to focus on what unites us in the truth of Christ, to pray more and to start our day focused on the 20 eternal perspective, the biblical worldview. And so, in just the last few minutes, we have m. What is your encouraging challenge, to Christians? To take hold of the truth of God even more and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord in this new year coming up in 2026.
Alex McFarland: Wow. Well, again, let me say how much I appreciate your ministry. And, I learned so much listening to Jenna Ellis in the morning. And, you know, I love culture, politics, just, you know, trends. And, I want to, again, on behalf of so many listeners across America, thank you for the work you do. I know you put a lot of research into every show, and, your work is making a difference. you know, Jenna, first, Corinthians 15:58 says that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. So I just want to encourage everybody, you matter, listeners for God and country, you matter. And, Hey, can I share a C.S. lewis quote, Jenna?
Jenna Ellis: Yes, absolutely.
Alex Preborn: I stumbled upon a quote 25 years ago about eschatology
Alex McFarland: All right. Probably 25 years ago, I stumbled upon a quote, and it put some fire in my heart. Now listen to this. In 1954, C.S. lewis was interviewed by a magazine about the end of time. You know, it was the Cold War and you know, so C.S. lewis even, even in his lifetime was kind of a legend, right? So they interviewed C.S. lewis, Great Oxford professor and Christian apologist. What about this thing called eschatology? Is it really true? Do you believe Jesus is coming back? So listen to this quote. I've pondered on this for years and it might be a good thing to end on. But here's what C.S. lewis said when asked about the future. He said, quote, indeed, the curtain on the stage of history has already fallen. And we believers know how the story ends. We know that Christ is coming back, and time as we know it will one day come to a conclusion. But that does not absolve us of the responsibility to faithfully carry out our day by day God given tasks, said Lewis. For some of us the task is to feed the animals on a farm. And others are called to plan some great campaign that may benefit history. 100 years from now, we know Christ is coming back. Time will come to an end, the animals may not get fed, and our great plans for tomorrow may never come to fruition. But it didn't matter, said C.S. lewis. The important thing is this. We are at our post when the inspection comes. End of quote. And Jenna, when I hear that when King Jesus comes to inspect the troops, let's be at our post.
Jenna Ellis: I love that and amen to that. Because, you know, that again, just reminds me of Charlie, that when, the Lord ushered him into his kingdom, he was at his post, he was doing exactly what the Lord had called him to do, was teaching the truth of the gospel of Christ. And may we be so dedicated as well to our ministry and our mission that we never waste a moment or an opportunity to teach the truth of the Lord and, advance the cause of Christ. And you know, instead of being discouraged over the headlines or hoping for more, you know, any of these things or the, the divisiveness. I hope that this program for those listening, has encouraged us to focus on the eternal hope that we have in Christ, the truth of the Lord, what unites us as Christians and individually to focus on our calling and our ministry, because that is a daily challenge, Alex. And I love that quote that you, just provided from CS Lewis. That really does put it in perspective. Let's be at our post and we all have, an individual calling of ministry, from the Lord. But there is a common purpose for Christians that we all should be teaching daily, pointing to the Lord and to Christ. And so I really appreciate that. And it's just the last minute we have, you know, it's. I just want to say thank you Alex, for your ministry as well, for constantly practicing what you're preaching in, in in focusing on the Lord and in always constantly pointing us back to the eternal things and the truth of the gospel of Christ. So a Happy NewSong Year 2026. Merry Christmas and thank you so much and I look forward to serving with you in the new year.
Alex McFarland: Godspeed, my friend. Thank you for having me.
Jenna Ellis: Thanks so much. And as always listeners, can reach me and my team jennafr.net and let us purpose in this new year to continue to serve the Lord with all our hearts, soul and mind.
Jenna Ellis: M PreBorn's whole mission is to rescue babies from abortion and lead their families to Christ. Last year PreBorn's network of clinics saw 8,900 mothers come to Christ. Please join us in this life saving mission. To donate go to preborn.com afr.
PreBorn
https://preborn.com
American Family Radio
https://afr.net
Alex McFarland Ministries
https://alexmcfarland.com
C.S. Lewis
https://www.cslewis.com
First Corinthians
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A58&version=NIV
John 15:16
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A16&version=NIV
John 17:21
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A21&version=NIV
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