Transcription
Doesn't she look so beautiful, everybody? I love you, I love you! This is special. I was not anticipating this. I thought we would just kind of walk out, but they did the whole entrance thing. So, you guys that have waited this long, you're in for a real treat.
I asked him last night, I said, "Honey, what are we talking about tomorrow?" And he goes, "I don't know, like family life, maybe about the election." I was like, "You're lucky I don't need notecards!" He said, "I know that's why I married you."
Well, what a year it's been! Wild in so many different ways. First of all, I have to say this without getting emotional, but I'm very proud of my husband, and I know many of you are too. I cry, but you have worked so hard. I know a lot of you have seen, obviously, videos on TikTok and all the stuff he does on campus, but no one gets to see him from my angle except for myself and our children. The sacrifices that he made this year—he's amazing. I'm very blessed, and I would not have been able to do any of it without Erica, and that's the real truth.
I'll tell you what, I was going into battle, going into campuses, traveling the country, with people that want us and smear you and slander you. Erica is holding down the fort at home. Can you believe how good she looks? She had a baby six months ago! Can you believe that? I mean, it's unbelievable. This year has been so trying and difficult in more ways than one.
You guys might remember a year ago, I gave the whole speech of "Here I Am, Lord, send me." Does anyone remember that whole thing that we did? Yeah, and it was kind of this joke that we had. As soon as I gave that message, we got so sick. We didn't even have Christmas last year; we had Domino's Pizza for Christmas! Oh yes, we did. I remember him getting off stage, and I said, "Honey, do you realize what you just did?" He said, "Yeah, I just spoke." I was like, "No, no, no, no! You said, 'Here I am.' That is a very powerful statement." And God's like, "I see you."
It's been a wild year, but Charlie is so obedient to God, to the word of God. It's been so humbling to witness the way that God has used him this year because he made that declaration a year ago, saying, "Here I am. I'm ready. Wherever you need me to be, Lord, I'll be your servant. Just put me out there in the thick of it." And he did it.
But again, now I say, if you're going to stand on stage and say, "Here I am," make sure you tell me beforehand so I know what we're going up against, so that we're prepared. We look back at this last year, and we really left it all in the field. You guys saw that, maybe on the video on Election night, where we did not even have words when they announced Donald Trump to become president of the United States. For us, it was very real; it was very personal. Who knows what our life would have looked like if Kamala Harris would have become president? Who knows? They would have come after Turning Point; they would have come after us personally.
So we just say glory to God for the lessons that we learned throughout this last year. You know, we welcomed our son into the world back in May, and balancing that with two kids under two—Erica deserves every prize. She's the Patriot of the Year award, I'll tell you that! That's the award she deserves. Just juggling it all, keeping the marriage strong, keeping that bedrock strong, and still doing our best.
We did a really good job. I think I only missed three Sabbaths this year—only three times when we did not do the full Shabbat, which I'm a big believer in. All of you guys should honor a day for the Lord, turn off your phone. It says it very clearly in the scriptures: "For six days you shall work, and on the seventh day you shall rest." We do a really bad job of that as American Christians. We do a horrible job of honoring the Sabbath. In fact, the word in Hebrew literally means "Shabbat," which means to stop, to cease all activity.
We should speak about how our family—we could be traveling for six days, but as long as we get one Sabbath, it makes up for all those six days. No phones, no technology—just family and quality time. It's quality over quantity. When Gigi sees you walk into the room, she just beams for Daddy.
People have asked, "How do you do it when Charlie's traveling and all over the place?" It's because we understand our biblical roles in our marriage. He is the head of the household, and I am not a servant; I am not a slave to the master. I am his helpmate. I am the guardian of the home; that is my domain. The enemy would love nothing more than to take that territory because those four walls are not just a home. Those four walls are for when he comes home after battling and building.
We're creating our child's childhood, which is so special. We understand our roles, and we ask each other every single day, "How can I be praying for you? Is there anything I can do for you to help make your day better?" I always want to know, "What do you need in order to, when you get home, take your shoes off?" It's like an easy, soft landing pad for each other.
It's just being a team, loving one another, and knowing that you guys aren't against one another, but we're in the thick of it together.
I know what every guy is thinking in the audience: "How do I get a wife like Erica?" I know that's what you're all thinking, and the answer is, you don't deserve it, and I don't deserve it. It's by God's grace—that's the answer.
But in all seriousness, we get a lot of questions about dating, and I'm sure a lot of people are wondering. I have a lot of thoughts on this, but there's this question of how does the church, how does the conservative movement win back young women and bring women back into this idea of traditional practices and roles? How should people think about that?
I feel like it should be a duty of the church to help teach Titus 2 to women, to understand how to be a biblical woman in society. I think it was Elizabeth Elliott who said, "Being a woman does not make me a better Christian or a certain Christian, but being a Christian makes me a very different woman."
I think understanding your biblical role is important, but also be the woman that your future husband deserves. Be the woman that you know God wants you to be. You don't have to be out partying, thinking, "I'm running out of time." God is the author of time, so just chill! You're going to find your human. God knows your timing.
Right now, you see young men and women asking, "Where am I going to find my future spouse? How do I find my future spouse?" Maybe at America Fest, but you never know. It's really important that you have an environment that is conducive to swimming in a stream of significance, where you're around people that are pouring into you, that are loving on you, that create a conducive environment for you to be the person you need to be.
My advice to young men, in particular, is you need to stop acting like grown boys and infants and actually become men. That starts with understanding that it is not attractive—Erica can support this. It's not attractive to women how much liquor you can drink, or how many drugs you can do, or how many women you've slept with. I think it's actually not interesting at all.
It's the opposite: Are you able to support the family, do difficult things, and bear an obligation to do this very challenging thing called life? What we've done is create a condition where it's okay for men to kind of continue to stay in that infant stage.
That goes for both men and women. Women, you need to demand more out of men as well, and men, you need to demand more out of yourself. I ask the question: "Why are you drinking alcohol?" "It makes me feel good." Okay, that's a really stupid reason, actually. I'm not saying if you want to drink, it's fine. I'm not trying to be a legalist about it, but actually give me a good reason. Is it going to help you succeed? Is it going to help you flourish, help you thrive?
The answer is, the highest-performing people that you guys like at this conference are people that actually don't drink alcohol. Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump—they don't drink alcohol. If you want to do it, fine, do it in moderation, be responsible, and all that. I don't drink.
Your mornings are way easier, by the way, to keep off weight. You immediately become more focused and a much clearer thinker about the problems in front of you. You never have to worry about your mind and your being being put in jeopardy by some substance you put into your body. By the way, you'll save a ton of money as well—just so we're clear, like a ton of money. People say, "I'm broke." Really? How much do you spend on liquor a week? The answer is probably a lot.
Going even deeper, I think it's really important that we understand the battle is between your flesh and your inclination to try to do what you want to do whenever you want to do it. But that is why God gave us the law, and the law is a schoolteacher towards Christ. Because look, if it was easy, then we wouldn't actually need the law. You just kind of follow your flesh, follow your heart, do whatever you want to do. No, you actually must restrain your impulses and desires, and that is what marks a successful person in pursuit of what is good, true, and beautiful.
On top of that, think about it: If you, or someone else, was drinking and totally inebriated and you got an emergency phone call at 3:00 a.m. because someone really needs you, that's not good. If you get super drunk, you're telling the world, "I actually don't have that much important stuff going on." That's basically what you're saying.
When you don't drink, you're saying, "I am willing to serve my neighbor, my friend, my spouse, my sister at any time."
I get this question all the time, and I want you to share with it. You're a father now, obviously, but what advice can you give to young dads that are either about to have their first child or just had their first child? What would you say to help encourage them?
I would say you need to understand the biblical role of the father. Again, I'm still learning this; I've only been at it for two and a half years, so I'm young. When it comes to your child, you are tasked to protect them both physically, spiritually, and emotionally—really outside the house and obviously in other ways as well. Quality time is everything.
You're not above any of the duties or tasks of the roles, but as a father and as the provider, you need to get your act together so much that your wife never has a financial pressure ever on the family. If you have not done that, then you need to get your act together.
Let me tell the men out there: You do not spend a dime on video games, sports games, or things for yourself until your wife does not have to worry about finances. You come last in the family when it comes to finances, period. That is your job. Your wife gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants. The kids get whatever they want.
I hear all the time, "Well, it's really hard to meet." I'm like, "Give me no reason to actually do that." You are tasked with being the provider. Oh, you want all the benefits of being called the head of the household, but now the responsibilities come with a lot of obligations.
I speak very directly to young men. Erica is the young woman outreach part of this, but young men need to be talked to this way. They say, "Oh, I want to be a dad." Like really? Are you earning enough money? Have you done the right work? Have you asked for a raise, asked for a promotion, got up earlier, stayed up later to make sure your family does not have any financial pressures or issues?
People say, "Oh, you know, it's not that easy." I understand that, but then you need to come last in everything. I'm not going to spend money on myself until my family is able to not have that kind of financial pressure. Guess what? You as men are a lot tougher and a lot more productive than you think you can be.
You could push yourself even harder. You could do a double shift; you could do an all-nighter; you could do the red-eye flight across the country. You could push yourself to provide for the family. Because here's the one thing I have found: Once you have kids, there is this primal thing that comes into you. If you think you have worked hard before, when you have to feed a child and provide for a family, you are willing to go to the ends of the Earth and push yourself in ways that you never thought possible. That is your initial and most important task as a father.
So last year it was "Here I am." What is the word for this year? You haven't told me yet, so I'm bracing myself. What's a good word for 2025? Right now, my word is just "thank you," honestly. Thank you to God, thank you to our Creator for sparing us from this terror. I don't have anything more profound than that, honestly. I'm just still kind of in this constant state of gratitude.
Our posture before the election was the same as it is now. In one sense, God, what is your will? If your will is to see this country go into the judgment that we deserve, then we will praise you.
I don't know if you guys heard that or not, but as soon as I said "judgment," some sort of oxygen tank exploded or something. It's very cosmic.
So yeah, I just say thank you. I'm actually excited for off-election years because I love reading; I love studying. I can finally get back to my own books. I kind of got off that this last year because I was just too busy reading the news and looking at polling and turnout data and precinct-by-precinct modeling.
And you're still listening to Prager, by the way. Can we all just say a prayer for Dennis Prager right now? An American hero! I don't know if you guys know this or not, but Dennis is hospitalized in a very serious condition. I can't say more than that, but Dennis is in a very serious circumstance right now and deserves our prayers that God might heal him and bring him back to this stage right here at America Fest at some point. We need Dennis Prager in this country. Dennis Prager is an American hero.
But you're right, I continued listening to Dennis and Larry Elder, that is for sure.
Also, I want to brag on Erica. In addition to being an incredible mother and phenomenal wife, she also runs a ministry in her spare time that helps you read the entire Bible in one year. You know what I'm talking about; it is called Biblein365.com. Write it down, go to the website right now! Honestly, take out your phone. It is Biblein365.com.
What she does is make it so easy for you to read the entire Bible in one year. She will text you the verses; she will email the verses. Honestly, if you've never read the Bible, you should go read every single word of the Word of God. It will change your life; it will heal you; it will challenge you; it'll deepen you.
She will do it in micro bits. How do you do it? Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs, right? It's only about seven minutes. It's Biblein365.com; it's free of charge.
How many people have gone through it? We have over 180,000 that have gone through the program since it started. 180,000 people! Wasn't that amazing? Lives have changed; people have given their lives to Christ; marriages have been formed through it.
Yes, but also too, I tell Charlie all the time, "Look at this," because we get prayer reports and praise requests. We get some that are like, "Thank you so much for having this." I look at him and I'm like, "This is what it's all about! We get to be a part of people's faith journeys." That's so special; I love it.
But no, it's fun; it's a fun ministry, and the ministry is growing. She also runs Proclaimed Street Wear, which is the best Christian clothing line in the country. They have a booth out there that you can support. So she's an entrepreneur as much as anything else.
I highly encourage you guys to check out Biblein365.com.
Tell them the story of how that kind of came to be.
In a very brief Spark Notes version, I started for the first time in 2016. I was like, "You know what? I need to read the Bible cover to cover; I never have before." I created a program, and I was like, "I don't know who's going to do it with me." So I asked one of my friends, Jess, to join me, and she was very sweet; she was my accountability partner.
Every day we would check in: "What did you learn today? What commentary did you use for this?" We just kept diving deeper.
Anyways, at the end of that, almost towards the end of that, unfortunately, my grandfather had passed away, and that was a very rough moment for me because I loved him so much. Once I read the full Bible in a year, I just prayed on, "God, what direction do you want to take this?"
Long story short, I'm not going to get into the deep details of it, but that's when Proclaim was born. Jess and I decided we should invite a few more people, so we just invited a handful of people that are in our community and our friends, and then it just grew from such a small little group.
What's so beautiful is when you have those small little home groups or those little communities, accountability communities, and then watch it grow from there. It's really, really special. I mean, it's not me or anything; it's all God's hand, so I can take no credit.
As we close here, any final messages for the attendees here, the pastors here on Faith Night?
That's tough because I feel like, just like you, we have been given such a beautiful blessing on a platter, like on a silver platter. It's up to us to really just continue to build and be leaders and know that we obviously were made for such a time as this.
But truly, just own it and be out there. Be the hands and the feet. Don't be afraid to talk about your faith. Be bold! Don't be afraid to say, "Yes, okay, you voted for Donald Trump," but more importantly, you're a Christian, and you're here for a purpose.
Like I say, your role is to make Heaven crowded. That's why you're here. We're just here recruiting; I say that all the time. Your role is to make Heaven crowded.
So just for some encouragement, thank you! Honestly, you guys being here is a huge testament. Thank you for supporting my husband and being there for him and all the members for Charlie's podcast. Thank you for supporting that because behind the scenes, I get to see the team get so excited when new members sign up.
Just to be able to see your support for his podcast and for his radio show, as a wife, I can't even put that into words. So truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being the reason why America Fest and Turning Point USA and my husband have been able to build things.
Thank you for being a part of that.
Biblein365.com! How great is Erica Kirk, everybody? Thank you, guys!