﻿This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question submitted from Linda. She asked, “If God Draws People to Faith, Why Has God Not Drawn My Lost Family Member?” Show Notes:  Linda’s question came in response to a message I preached at the Summit Church. I talked about John 6:44, Philippians 2:14, and John 1:12. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:3 that you can’t say that Jesus is Lord unless the Holy Spirit gives you the power to say that. So that leads you to the question, “Why hasn’t God done that for this person that I love or the 950 million people in India?” This conversation has rules. Think of it like CrossFit. You have to obey the rules—otherwise when you start lifting heavy weights you’re going to get hurt. I want you to walk with me through them because I think they will help. A lot of this was systematized by John Calvin. I’ve always thought it was helpful that John Calvin identified his favorite verse as Deuteronomy 29:29. It says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that have been revealed belong to us and our children forever.” What this shows you is that there are secret things when it comes to theology and there are revealed things. The revealed things are where you and I live—they belong to us. So we have to ask, what is revealed about God’s desire for us to be saved? The first thing that is revealed is what we said right at the beginning: If you came to Jesus, it’s because he drew you. There’s simply no way to read the verses of the New Testament and not see that if you came to Jesus it’s because he put that desire in you and he drew you to himself. That is what is revealed. There’s another thing that’s revealed in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  So when I think about my family member that needs Jesus, I’m thinking about 1 Timothy 2:4. I’m saying “Lord, you’ve told me your desire for them to be saved. YOu’ve told me that my prayers make a difference. You’ve told me that you will bless me and generations after me and Lord I’m bringing those promises to you to be revealed.”       In my mind, I don’t see how that and the truth that for someone to come to Jesus, God has to draw them to himself, I don’t how those two things can coexist in the same universe honestly. It seems like one cancels out the other, but Scripture presents both of them. We have to accept that people only come to Jesus because God draws them and God desires all people to be saved.   I know some of you want a resolution on this. Well what if this was a secret thing that John Calvin was talking about?   What I want to emphasize to you is that you have to play by the rules. When it comes to think about your own future, your own salvation, that’s where you’re supposed to bring those calvinistic verses in. Those verses are supposed to bring assurance.  And when it comes to thinking about the lost, I apply the second one of those: that he desires all to be saved and prayer actually matters.   One more thing to ask yourself, what if God’s sovereignty was to put me in this situation and to raise the concern in my heart about this person so that I will pray? What if that is his sovereignty expressed? I say that because of a story in Exodus 34 where Moses prays and as a result, God changed his mind. But then Exodus 34 goes on to say God won’t change his mind. When you put it all together you realize that God was the one who put Moses in the situation where he could see what was happening with the children of Israel, so that he would come to God to bring the request that would “change his mind.” In other words, God put Moses in a place to ask the question that would give God the opportunity to do what he wanted to do all along. So what if these people that are in my life who need God, what if the impulse to pray and share is God sovereignly moving in me so that they can hear and be saved? So here’s my final answer to Linda’s question: Applying the rules and the revealed things of Scriptures means this—you can trust that God is drawing them. You can trust that if they’re not coming, Jesus is lamenting it. You can trust that your prayers are changing things and God desires for them to be saved. He is going to work on your behalf. Don’t get stuck in the secret things.  Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

﻿This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question submitted from Linda. She asked, “If God Draws People to Faith, Why Has God Not Drawn My Lost Family Member?” Show Notes: <ul> <li>Linda’s question came in response to a message I preached at the Summit Church. I talked about John 6:44, Philippians 2:14, and John 1:12.</li> <li>Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:3 that you can’t say that Jesus is Lord unless the Holy Spirit gives you the power to say that. So that leads you to the question, “Why hasn’t God done that for this person that I love or the 950 million people in India?”</li> <li>This conversation has rules. Think of it like CrossFit. You have to obey the rules—otherwise when you start lifting heavy weights you’re going to get hurt. I want you to walk with me through them because I think they will help. <ul> <li>A lot of this was systematized by John Calvin. I’ve always thought it was helpful that John Calvin identified his favorite verse as Deuteronomy 29:29. It says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that have been revealed belong to us and our children forever.”</li> <li>What this shows you is that there are secret things when it comes to theology and there are revealed things. The revealed things are where you and I live—they belong to us.</li> <li>So we have to ask, what is revealed about God’s desire for us to be saved? The first thing that is revealed is what we said right at the beginning: If you came to Jesus, it’s because he drew you. <ul> <li>There’s simply no way to read the verses of the New Testament and not see that if you came to Jesus it’s because he put that desire in you and he drew you to himself. That is what is revealed.</li> <li>There’s another thing that’s revealed in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” <ul> <li>So when I think about my family member that needs Jesus, I’m thinking about 1 Timothy 2:4. I’m saying “Lord, you’ve told me your desire for them to be saved. YOu’ve told me that my prayers make a difference. You’ve told me that you will bless me and generations after me and Lord I’m bringing those promises to you to be revealed.”</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>In my mind, I don’t see how that and the truth that for someone to come to Jesus, God has to draw them to himself, I don’t how those two things can coexist in the same universe honestly. It seems like one cancels out the other, but Scripture presents both of them. <ul> <li>We have to accept that people only come to Jesus because God draws them and God desires all people to be saved.</li> </ul> </li> <li>I know some of you want a resolution on this. <ul> <li>Well what if this was a secret thing that John Calvin was talking about?</li> </ul> </li> <li>What I want to emphasize to you is that you have to play by the rules. When it comes to think about your own future, your own salvation, that’s where you’re supposed to bring those calvinistic verses in. Those verses are supposed to bring assurance. <ul> <li>And when it comes to thinking about the lost, I apply the second one of those: that he desires all to be saved and prayer actually matters.</li> </ul> </li> <li>One more thing to ask yourself, what if God’s sovereignty was to put me in this situation and to raise the concern in my heart about this person so that I will pray? What if that is his sovereignty expressed? I say that because of a story in Exodus 34 where Moses prays and as a result, God changed his mind. But then Exodus 34 goes on to say God won’t change his mind. When you put it all together you realize that God was the one who put Moses in the situation where he could see what was happening with the children of Israel, so that he would come to God to bring the request that would “change his mind.” In other words, God put Moses in a place to ask the question that would give God the opportunity to do what he wanted to do all along.</li> <li>So what if these people that are in my life who need God, what if the impulse to pray and share is God sovereignly moving in me so that they can hear and be saved?</li> <li>So here’s my final answer to Linda’s question: Applying the rules and the revealed things of Scriptures means this—you can trust that God is drawing them. You can trust that if they’re not coming, Jesus is lamenting it. You can trust that your prayers are changing things and God desires for them to be saved. He is going to work on your behalf. Don’t get stuck in the secret things.</li> </ul> Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

If God Draws People to Faith, Why Has God Not Drawn My Lost Family Member?

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question submitted from Ruperto. He asked, “Is it ever OK to lie?” Show Notes:  That’s a tough one. The easy answer is to say “no” as we point back to the ten commandments. Thou shall not lie—it doesn’t get more simple than that  Matthew 5:37: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” So Jesus seems to saying that there’s not a lot of grey here. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. But then it becomes a little bit trickier when we consider certain scenarios, even biblical scenarios, where lying doesn’t seem like it’s wrong. It almost seems like it’s the right thing to do.   For example, in Exodus 2, Pharaoh had commanded all of the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn baby boy. When Pharaoh called the Hebrew midwives in to ask them why there were Hebrew baby boys still being born, they told him that Hebrew women were different than Egyptian women—that they were more “vigorous” and they’d all have their babies before the midwives got there, which meant they could not murder the baby boys, which was a lie.  Think about Rahab. She lied to the Jericho authorities when they came looking for the two Israelite spies that she had hidden in her roof.  She was called righteous. “By faith Rahab… did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews says that the proof that her faith was genuine was that she hid the spies. (Hebrews 11:31) But of course the problem with that is you start using that reasoning to justify all kinds of lies. You think “I don’t want to hurt someone” so you tell them a lie. You want to be “kind” to them.  If I tell them the truth, they’ll get hurt. If I tell them the truth, I’ll get fired and my family will go hungry. And that is sin.   So, how do we interpret this? Well, there is a very important principle that we need to understand and that we also need to be very careful with, and I like how Paul Carter at The Gospel Coalition said this: There is a difference between a general principle and a recognized exception to that principle.  This is very similar to the call we have to obey our governments. Romans 13:1 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities… The authorities that exist have been established by God.” There is no caveat given here, and yet, the Bible also tells us that the very man who wrote those words (Paul) would “break the law” by continuing to preach the gospel when the governmental authorities told him not to.  So was he a hypocrite? No! He was stating a general principle in Romans 13:1, with the understanding that there are exceptions.   Those legitimate exceptions come—and only when—you are lying or disobeying government to prevent yourself from sinning/breaking God’s laws. Protecting Jews, or something like that. When someone else will use the truth to sin in a way that basically makes you complicit in it.  Short of those very few, very narrow and limited exceptions, you should tell the truth and trust God with the results, good or bad, because our God is a God of truth and we glorify him most when we radiate truth like he does.  Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question submitted from Ruperto. He asked, “Is it ever OK to lie?” Show Notes: <ul> <li>That’s a tough one. The easy answer is to say “no” as we point back to the ten commandments. <ul> <li>Thou shall not lie—it doesn’t get more simple than that </li> <li>Matthew 5:37: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”</li> <li>So Jesus seems to saying that there’s not a lot of grey here. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.</li> <li>But then it becomes a little bit trickier when we consider certain scenarios, even biblical scenarios, where lying doesn’t seem like it’s wrong. It almost seems like it’s the right thing to do.</li> </ul> </li> <li>For example, in Exodus 2, Pharaoh had commanded all of the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn baby boy. When Pharaoh called the Hebrew midwives in to ask them why there were Hebrew baby boys still being born, they told him that Hebrew women were different than Egyptian women—that they were more “vigorous” and they’d all have their babies before the midwives got there, which meant they could not murder the baby boys, which was a lie. </li> <li>Think about Rahab. She lied to the Jericho authorities when they came looking for the two Israelite spies that she had hidden in her roof.  She was called righteous. “By faith Rahab… did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews says that the proof that her faith was genuine was that she hid the spies. (Hebrews 11:31)</li> <li>But of course the problem with that is you start using that reasoning to justify all kinds of lies. You think “I don’t want to hurt someone” so you tell them a lie. You want to be “kind” to them.  <ul> <li>If I tell them the truth, they’ll get hurt.</li> <li>If I tell them the truth, I’ll get fired and my family will go hungry.</li> <li>And that is sin.</li> </ul> </li> <li>So, how do we interpret this? Well, there is a very important principle that we need to understand and that we also need to be very careful with, and I like how <a href="https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/is-it-ever-okay-for-a-christian-to-lie/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Carter at The Gospel Coalition</a> said this: There is a difference between a general principle and a recognized exception to that principle. </li> <li>This is very similar to the call we have to obey our governments. Romans 13:1 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities… The authorities that exist have been established by God.” There is no caveat given here, and yet, the Bible also tells us that the very man who wrote those words (Paul) would “break the law” by continuing to preach the gospel when the governmental authorities told him not to. <ul> <li>So was he a hypocrite? No! He was stating a general principle in Romans 13:1, with the understanding that there are exceptions.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Those legitimate exceptions come—and only when—you are lying or disobeying government to prevent yourself from sinning/breaking God’s laws. Protecting Jews, or something like that. When someone else will use the truth to sin in a way that basically makes you complicit in it. </li> <li>Short of those very few, very narrow and limited exceptions, you should tell the truth and trust God with the results, good or bad, because our God is a God of truth and we glorify him most when we radiate truth like he does.</li> </ul> Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

Is It Ever OK to Lie?

This week, Pastor J.D. answers the question, “How do I tell someone of another religion they’re wrong?” Show Notes:  Great question. This can be one of the hardest parts of evangelism. If someone doesn’t have a religion, it can seem easier to tell them about Christianity and why it’s the only way to heaven. …But if someone is a devout follower of another religion, that can be more difficult. Well, first of all, there was a season in my life when every conversation I had was with a believer of another religion — that’s when I spent two years as a missionary in South East Asia which is a very heavily Muslim country. The role of relationship: You earn the right to be heard. Being a missionary is like paying down a mortgage.  The longer you do it, you’re watching that balance shift from mainly interest to when you’re starting to pay down principle. You have to be willing to put in the time.   You have to tell them the truth:  Paul reasoned with people often proving to them that Jesus had to be the Christ so there is a role for truth telling even without the context of relationship. In Acts 20, Paul told Ephesians elders he was free from their blood because he had fully represented the word of God.   The third thought is something I learned as a missionary: Look for the places in their religion that points to Jesus and show that. There was a very popular book that came out in the 70s called Peace Child. It’s about a missionary family, the Richardsons, who were going to minister to an unreached tribe that was pretty brutal… They idealized treachery, they were murderers, even cannibals. The Richardsons were living there and having real trouble communicating the gospel, until one day, right before a war, reps from the other tribe came and offered a “peace child” (one from each grows up in the other) And the Richardsons realized that this “peace child” concept was a redemptive analogy that they could use to communicate the gospel to the Sawi people.   Finally, this goes without saying, but prayer. Never talk to people about God more than you talk to God about them.    Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. answers the question, “How do I tell someone of another religion they’re wrong?” Show Notes: <ul> <li>Great question. This can be one of the hardest parts of evangelism. If someone doesn’t have a religion, it can seem easier to tell them about Christianity and why it’s the only way to heaven. …But if someone is a devout follower of another religion, that can be more difficult.</li> <li>Well, first of all, there was a season in my life when every conversation I had was with a believer of another religion — that’s when I spent two years as a missionary in South East Asia which is a very heavily Muslim country.</li> <li>The role of relationship: You earn the right to be heard.</li> <li>Being a missionary is like paying down a mortgage. <ul> <li>The longer you do it, you’re watching that balance shift from mainly interest to when you’re starting to pay down principle.</li> <li>You have to be willing to put in the time.</li> </ul> </li> <li>You have to tell them the truth: <ul> <li>Paul reasoned with people often proving to them that Jesus had to be the Christ so there is a role for truth telling even without the context of relationship.</li> <li>In Acts 20, Paul told Ephesians elders he was free from their blood because he had fully represented the word of God.</li> </ul> </li> <li>The third thought is something I learned as a missionary: Look for the places in their religion that points to Jesus and show that.</li> <li>There was a very popular book that came out in the 70s called Peace Child. It’s about a missionary family, the Richardsons, who were going to minister to an unreached tribe that was pretty brutal… <ul> <li>They idealized treachery, they were murderers, even cannibals.</li> <li>The Richardsons were living there and having real trouble communicating the gospel, until one day, right before a war, reps from the other tribe came and offered a “peace child” (one from each grows up in the other)</li> <li>And the Richardsons realized that this “peace child” concept was a redemptive analogy that they could use to communicate the gospel to the Sawi people.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Finally, this goes without saying, but prayer. <ul> <li>Never talk to people about God more than you talk to God about them.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

How Do I Tell Someone of Another Religion They’re Wrong?

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question in his recent sermon: “What stands in the way of ethnic unity?” Show Notes:   First of all, Satan.  The next several chapters of Ephesians are all about how the demonic powers aligned against the church. Satan hates this kind of unity, especially in the church. So, you can be sure he’s going to oppose it. Let me tell you how he might do this to you:  He’s going to suggest stuff to you this week about it being too hard. He’s going to whisper into some of your ears this week that this is all about politics even though I have said literally nothing about that. So, be aware who your enemy is in this and resist that Satanic voice     Second, pride.  Whenever we talk about this, what makes it difficult is it cuts all of us down at the core of our pride Beware where your own personal pride kicks into gear. Church unity, Paul says, is built only on humility.   Third, preference.  Our cultural preferences are not wrong. We all have them. It’s just sometimes for the sake of unity, we set them aside to help someone else feel more comfortable.  Vance Pitman: “The way to know you are part of a truly multiethnic church is that you often feel uncomfortable.” Many of us, he says, say we want a multi-cultural church but we really only want a multi-colored one, with a bunch of people with different colored faces all doing things our way. People sometimes say to me, “Well, I don’t like it when we do that in worship.” And I want to say, “Well, maybe this whole thing is not about what you like. If you want to be somewhere where it’s all about you, go pay $800 for a night at the RitzCarlton where it will be all, entirely, exclusively about you. But this church is about the glory of Jesus and the urgency of the Great Commission, and so when you come here, that’s what you should expect it to be about.”     Fourth, naivete.  One of the things that my friends of color tell me is that many of us in the majority culture don’t think we have a culture. Other people have cultures; ours is the standard against which all others are measured. Or sometimes we refer to other people as having ethnicities. I hate to burst your bubble, but white, Caucasian is an ethnicity and has its own cultural perspective. We have our own, particular views of conflict resolution, romance, parenting and child-rearing; money; dress; music; time; respectfulness; family and so many other things. Some cultural perspectives are different; some are wrong; and some are right. The least we can do is work hard to understand the cultural perspectives we all bring into this place.   Fifth, poor listening skills. For a lot of us, when it comes to discussions like these, our poor listening skills really begin to display themselves. James in the Bible tells us that we should be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,” and If there were ever a place for us to apply this verse, it is in this area.  Yes, there’s a place for you to speak. “Be slow to speak” doesn’t mean “never speak,” it just means that you listen far more than you talk. So, that raises these questions. When it comes to talking about this stuff:  Do you seek to understand more than you seek to be understood? Here’s the question: What if we had a church where people listened to each other like that–where we gave each other the benefit of the doubt in these situations? And before you come back at them with a solution, or a reason why their pain is illegitimate, to at least validate it and sit with them in it. That’s what love is. We don’t want to be a church that focuses so much on this relationship (vertical) that we neglect the pain of each other here (horizontal). Paul tells us the gospel compels us to bear each other’s burdens, and that starts with listening to each other.     Sixth, ignorance of our history.  Many of us in the majority culture have proven woefully ignorant of how the racial situation in our country came to be. We barely understand what things like the Jim Crow laws were or what kind of societal disparities they created. I DON’T mean we embrace revisionist history like the 1619 project or adopt CRT approaches to politics or education—those approaches are often as worldly and problematic as what they are trying to correct. That’s not what I’m suggesting here. But don’t let the existence of other revisionist histories keep you from reading things that challenge your own revisionist view of history, which is what a lot of us learned growing up. Of all people, Christians should be willing to embrace the truth, and it shouldn’t surprise us to learn that many of our ancestors were depraved sinners. That’s what our gospel teaches us! We should acknowledge the truth when it comes to things like the history of the church. All cultures, all of them, have wrong assumptions and moral blindspots, and one of the values of being in relationship is you can point out those blindspots. Some of my cultural assumptions may make me blind to injustices happening around me that I’ve grown comfortable with because they don’t affect me directly. Others should point those out to me. We need to be willing to listen to each other and stand against unrighteousness wherever we see it, whether or not those concerns are usually associated with “our tribe.”   As we’ve said, in here, we don’t primarily identify with the elephant or the donkey, but with the Lamb—and he’s on the side of ‘all things justice’. Y’all, is there any wonder our society can’t accomplish this? Our society wants this, but they can’t achieve it. But, as Paul explains in Ephesians, what the law is unable to accomplish, the power of new life accomplishes in the gospel.  Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question in his recent sermon: “What stands in the way of ethnic unity?” Show Notes: <ul> <li>First of all, Satan. <ul> <li>The next several chapters of Ephesians are all about how the demonic powers aligned against the church. Satan hates this kind of unity, especially in the church. So, you can be sure he’s going to oppose it.</li> <li>Let me tell you how he might do this to you: <ul> <li>He’s going to suggest stuff to you this week about it being too hard.</li> <li>He’s going to whisper into some of your ears this week that this is all about politics even though I have said literally nothing about that.</li> <li>So, be aware who your enemy is in this and resist that Satanic voice</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Second, pride. <ul> <li>Whenever we talk about this, what makes it difficult is it cuts all of us down at the core of our pride</li> <li>Beware where your own personal pride kicks into gear.</li> <li>Church unity, Paul says, is built only on humility.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Third, preference. <ul> <li>Our cultural preferences are not wrong. We all have them. It’s just sometimes for the sake of unity, we set them aside to help someone else feel more comfortable. <ul> <li>Vance Pitman: “The way to know you are part of a truly multiethnic church is that you often feel uncomfortable.” Many of us, he says, say we want a multi-cultural church but we really only want a multi-colored one, with a bunch of people with different colored faces all doing things our way.</li> <li>People sometimes say to me, “Well, I don’t like it when we do that in worship.” And I want to say, “Well, maybe this whole thing is not about what you like. If you want to be somewhere where it’s all about you, go pay $800 for a night at the RitzCarlton where it will be all, entirely, exclusively about you. But this church is about the glory of Jesus and the urgency of the Great Commission, and so when you come here, that’s what you should expect it to be about.”</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Fourth, naivete. <ul> <li>One of the things that my friends of color tell me is that many of us in the majority culture don’t think we have a culture. Other people have cultures; ours is the standard against which all others are measured. Or sometimes we refer to other people as having ethnicities.</li> <li>I hate to burst your bubble, but white, Caucasian is an ethnicity and has its own cultural perspective. We have our own, particular views of conflict resolution, romance, parenting and child-rearing; money; dress; music; time; respectfulness; family and so many other things.</li> <li>Some cultural perspectives are different; some are wrong; and some are right. The least we can do is work hard to understand the cultural perspectives we all bring into this place.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Fifth, poor listening skills. For a lot of us, when it comes to discussions like these, our poor listening skills really begin to display themselves. James in the Bible tells us that we should be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,” and If there were ever a place for us to apply this verse, it is in this area. <ul> <li>Yes, there’s a place for you to speak. “Be slow to speak” doesn’t mean “never speak,” it just means that you listen far more than you talk.</li> <li>So, that raises these questions. When it comes to talking about this stuff: <ul> <li>Do you seek to understand more than you seek to be understood?</li> <li>Here’s the question: What if we had a church where people listened to each other like that–where we gave each other the benefit of the doubt in these situations?</li> <li>And before you come back at them with a solution, or a reason why their pain is illegitimate, to at least validate it and sit with them in it. That’s what love is.</li> <li>We don’t want to be a church that focuses so much on this relationship (vertical) that we neglect the pain of each other here (horizontal). Paul tells us the gospel compels us to bear each other’s burdens, and that starts with listening to each other.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Sixth, ignorance of our history. <ul> <li>Many of us in the majority culture have proven woefully ignorant of how the racial situation in our country came to be. We barely understand what things like the Jim Crow laws were or what kind of societal disparities they created.</li> <li>I DON’T mean we embrace revisionist history like the 1619 project or adopt CRT approaches to politics or education—those approaches are often as worldly and problematic as what they are trying to correct. That’s not what I’m suggesting here.</li> <li>But don’t let the existence of other revisionist histories keep you from reading things that challenge your own revisionist view of history, which is what a lot of us learned growing up. Of all people, Christians should be willing to embrace the truth, and it shouldn’t surprise us to learn that many of our ancestors were depraved sinners. That’s what our gospel teaches us! We should acknowledge the truth when it comes to things like the history of the church.</li> <li>All cultures, all of them, have wrong assumptions and moral blindspots, and one of the values of being in relationship is you can point out those blindspots.</li> <li>Some of my cultural assumptions may make me blind to injustices happening around me that I’ve grown comfortable with because they don’t affect me directly. Others should point those out to me.</li> <li>We need to be willing to listen to each other and stand against unrighteousness wherever we see it, whether or not those concerns are usually associated with “our tribe.”</li> </ul> </li> <li>As we’ve said, in here, we don’t primarily identify with the elephant or the donkey, but with the Lamb—and he’s on the side of ‘all things justice’.</li> <li>Y’all, is there any wonder our society can’t accomplish this? Our society wants this, but they can’t achieve it. But, as Paul explains in Ephesians, what the law is unable to accomplish, the power of new life accomplishes in the gospel.</li> </ul> Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

What Stands in the Way of Ethnic Unity?

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question that was submitted by Jesse. She asked, “What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Show Notes: We all love the verse: Matthew 5:3. If you’ve grown up in church, you know it: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It sounds so poetic and idealistic… but I’m going to be honest with you. When I try to really get my mind around that verse, I don’t naturally like it. I’ve never wanted to be poor in spirit — I’ve spent my entire life trying to become anything but poor in spirit. I guarantee you also don’t really want to be poor in spirit. Maybe some of you listening really grew up poor, or went through a “poor season” (like college). When you’re poor, you feel helpless. It takes away your agency, your power, your freedom… it’s no fun! I’ve always wanted to be “capable in spirit” or “competent in spirit…” if anything, at least “middle class in spirit!” That’s just how we’re wired as people. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit and why do people say it’s so important? First, it means that you have no worthiness at all by which you can claim God’s blessing.  When you come to God, there’s literally nothing about you that you can bring to God as a way of compelling him to bless you.  Second, you realize that you have no ability to obtain God’s blessing.  God only fills empty hands.  God seems to have a way of bringing his people into a situation of helplessness before using them greatly.  I think of the situation of Gideon and the Israelite army in Judges 7. God cut the Israelite army down from 32,000 to just 300… and even at 32,000, they would’ve been outnumbered 5:1 by the other army. And yet, God was making them totally dependent on him, and the Israelites won the battle miraculously without suffering any losses.  At times, God creates in us a “poverty of spirit” so that we are reliant on him, and so that he is set up to perform a miracle. Every miracle in the Bible started with a problem that no person could fix… no problems, no miracles. Here’s a controversial sentence: in one sense, Jesus was the neediest person who ever lived. I don’t mean that he was sinful or didn’t have capability in himself, but that he demonstrated dependence on the Father. It’s why he was so often in prayer. He retreated to prayer to be able to obtain the resources of the Father. We have to understand how needy we are, but also how willing our Father is to help us in our need. God doesn’t delight in hurting us, but he delights when we trust him. So often, he’ll put us in the presence of a problem we can’t fix, and we’ve got no choice but to lean on him. When you’re flat on your back, you’re looking in the right direction. If dependence is the objection, weakness becomes your advantage. Scripture warns us to beware our strengths; not our weaknesses. A.W. Tozer said, “It is doubtful whether God can use a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply. It’s like Hudson Taylor said: “[God] wants you to have something far better than riches and gold—or personal charisma or talent—and that is helpless dependence upon him.” Dependence is the objective, so weaknesses become our advantage. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question that was submitted by Jesse. She asked, “What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Show Notes: We all love the verse: Matthew 5:3. If you’ve grown up in church, you know it: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It sounds so poetic and idealistic… but I’m going to be honest with you. When I try to really get my mind around that verse, I don’t naturally like it. I’ve never wanted to be poor in spirit — I’ve spent my entire life trying to become anything but poor in spirit. I guarantee you also don’t really want to be poor in spirit. Maybe some of you listening really grew up poor, or went through a “poor season” (like college). When you’re poor, you feel helpless. It takes away your agency, your power, your freedom… it’s no fun! I’ve always wanted to be “capable in spirit” or “competent in spirit…” if anything, at least “middle class in spirit!” That’s just how we’re wired as people. So what does it mean to be poor in spirit and why do people say it’s so important? First, it means that you have no worthiness at all by which you can claim God’s blessing. <ul> <li>When you come to God, there’s literally nothing about you that you can bring to God as a way of compelling him to bless you.</li> </ul> Second, you realize that you have no ability to obtain God’s blessing. <ul> <li>God only fills empty hands.</li> </ul> God seems to have a way of bringing his people into a situation of helplessness before using them greatly. <ul> <li>I think of the situation of Gideon and the Israelite army in Judges 7. God cut the Israelite army down from 32,000 to just 300… and even at 32,000, they would’ve been outnumbered 5:1 by the other army. And yet, God was making them totally dependent on him, and the Israelites won the battle miraculously without suffering any losses.</li> </ul> At times, God creates in us a “poverty of spirit” so that we are reliant on him, and so that he is set up to perform a miracle. Every miracle in the Bible started with a problem that no person could fix… no problems, no miracles. Here’s a controversial sentence: in one sense, Jesus was the neediest person who ever lived. I don’t mean that he was sinful or didn’t have capability in himself, but that he demonstrated dependence on the Father. It’s why he was so often in prayer. He retreated to prayer to be able to obtain the resources of the Father. We have to understand how needy we are, but also how willing our Father is to help us in our need. God doesn’t delight in hurting us, but he delights when we trust him. So often, he’ll put us in the presence of a problem we can’t fix, and we’ve got no choice but to lean on him. When you’re flat on your back, you’re looking in the right direction. If dependence is the objection, weakness becomes your advantage. Scripture warns us to beware our strengths; not our weaknesses. A.W. Tozer said, “It is doubtful whether God can use a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply. It’s like Hudson Taylor said: “[God] wants you to have something far better than riches and gold—or personal charisma or talent—and that is helpless dependence upon him.” Dependence is the objective, so weaknesses become our advantage. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

What Does It Mean to be “Poor in Spirit?”

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question that was submitted by Annie. She asked, “How should a believer handle guilt from sinning?” Show Notes: That’s a great question. To be very upfront, there are sins in my life that I would love to leave behind in the rearview mirror, and it’s not from a lack of sincerity or fasting and praying or accountability, but there are sometimes that we fall back into patterns that run deep. And they grieve me. It was very encouraging for me to learn that John Newton, and this was published in the book Letters of John Newton, talked about how as an 86 year old, he thought by at this point in his life (and this was the guy who wrote “Amazing Grace”) he thought he’d be past some of the struggles of sin, but he said some of them feel harder and more difficult than ever. It was encouraging to me to know that there’s not anything fundamentally wrong with me — or that I’m not saved. I wrote a book several years ago called “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart,” all about the assurance of salvation, which is something I struggled with for a long time. And for a lot of people, one of the biggest reasons for that struggle is because of this – the fact that we still keep sinning after we’re saved. And then comes the guilt… And the enemy (after tempting us to sin) whispers, “If you were a REAL Christian, you wouldn’t have done that. No way God still loves you. No way you have this whole ‘salvation’ thing right.” So how do we handle that? And how do we differentiate conviction over sin post-salvation from not really being saved? There are two big things I’d say here:   First, ask yourself, have you truly repented?   Repentance of sin always leads to some kind of change in behavior.  It’s like sitting down in a chair… You can tell the chair how awesome it is and how beautiful it is, but until you’ve transferred the weight of your body to that chair, you haven’t actually sat down and trusted the chair. Belief in the Bible always implies action. So belief in the lordship of Christ doesn’t just mean with your lips saying he’s Lord; it means you are transferring surrender and your authority from yourself to him. Sometimes that doesn’t look like victory. Sometimes, it looks like bitter struggle. The struggle against sin is proof of the repentance, and the very fact that you want to escape it is an indication that your heart is turned away from sin, and that you want Christ to be Lord of your life, and that is a kind of repentance. I don’t meant to imply that this change means a complete change of behavior where you never struggle with sin again — sometimes it’s a kind of sin where you’re entering into that struggle… but there is some kind of change.    Here’s the second thing: Once you know you’ve truly repented, you have to embrace that God’s acceptance is the power that liberates you. It’s not the reward for having liberated yourself.    It’s only the assurance of his love enables you to overcome. I often try to break the spell (materialism, lust, etc) of sin as a way of proving I’m saved and earning God’s love. But the gospel truth is that God’s love is given to me before I overcome, and stays with me whether I overcome or not. And here’s the irony, only by believing that will I develop a love for God that enables me to overcome.  The irony of the Christian life is that the only ones who get better/escape sin are those that realize that God’s acceptance of them has nothing to do with whether they escape sin/ get better.  So again: God’s acceptance is the power that liberates you from sin, and not the reward from you having liberated yourself.  So in the end, once you understand that truth – that there’s nothing you can do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do to make him love you any less – that’s when you begin to understand the depth and the beauty of the gospel. Of course, you SHOULD feel conviction over your sin – but not the kind that crushes you; instead, the Spirit in us uses that conviction to bring about change in us while reassuring us of his everlasting love for us. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question that was submitted by Annie. She asked, “How should a believer handle guilt from sinning?” Show Notes: That’s a great question. To be very upfront, there are sins in my life that I would love to leave behind in the rearview mirror, and it’s not from a lack of sincerity or fasting and praying or accountability, but there are sometimes that we fall back into patterns that run deep. And they grieve me. It was very encouraging for me to learn that John Newton, and this was published in the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Letters-John-Newton/dp/0851519512/ref=asc_df_0851519512/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312029822325&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=14417567244553181662&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9009739&amp;hvtargid=pla-568369008206&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=&amp;ref=&amp;adgrpid=61316180319&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvadid=312029822325&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=14417567244553181662&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9009739&amp;hvtargid=pla-568369008206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Letters of John Newton</a>, talked about how as an 86 year old, he thought by at this point in his life (and this was the guy who wrote “Amazing Grace”) he thought he’d be past some of the struggles of sin, but he said some of them feel harder and more difficult than ever. It was encouraging to me to know that there’s not anything fundamentally wrong with me — or that I’m not saved. I wrote a book several years ago called “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart,” all about the assurance of salvation, which is something I struggled with for a long time. And for a lot of people, one of the biggest reasons for that struggle is because of this – the fact that we still keep sinning after we’re saved. And then comes the guilt… And the enemy (after tempting us to sin) whispers, “If you were a REAL Christian, you wouldn’t have done that. No way God still loves you. No way you have this whole ‘salvation’ thing right.” So how do we handle that? And how do we differentiate conviction over sin post-salvation from not really being saved? There are two big things I’d say here: <ol> <li> First, ask yourself, have you truly repented?</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Repentance of sin always leads to some kind of change in behavior. </li> <li>It’s like sitting down in a chair… You can tell the chair how awesome it is and how beautiful it is, but until you’ve transferred the weight of your body to that chair, you haven’t actually sat down and trusted the chair.</li> <li>Belief in the Bible always implies action. So belief in the lordship of Christ doesn’t just mean with your lips saying he’s Lord; it means you are transferring surrender and your authority from yourself to him.</li> <li>Sometimes that doesn’t look like victory. Sometimes, it looks like bitter struggle.</li> <li>The struggle against sin is proof of the repentance, and the very fact that you want to escape it is an indication that your heart is turned away from sin, and that you want Christ to be Lord of your life, and that is a kind of repentance.</li> <li>I don’t meant to imply that this change means a complete change of behavior where you never struggle with sin again — sometimes it’s a kind of sin where you’re entering into that struggle… but there is some kind of change.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> Here’s the second thing: Once you know you’ve truly repented, you have to embrace that God’s acceptance is the power that liberates you. It’s not the reward for having liberated yourself. </li> </ol> <ul> <li>It’s only the assurance of his love enables you to overcome. I often try to break the spell (materialism, lust, etc) of sin as a way of proving I’m saved and earning God’s love.</li> <li>But the gospel truth is that God’s love is given to me before I overcome, and stays with me whether I overcome or not. And here’s the irony, only by believing that will I develop a love for God that enables me to overcome. </li> <li>The irony of the Christian life is that the only ones who get better/escape sin are those that realize that God’s acceptance of them has nothing to do with whether they escape sin/ get better. </li> <li>So again: God’s acceptance is the power that liberates you from sin, and not the reward from you having liberated yourself.</li> </ul> So in the end, once you understand that truth – that there’s nothing you can do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do to make him love you any less – that’s when you begin to understand the depth and the beauty of the gospel. Of course, you SHOULD feel conviction over your sin – but not the kind that crushes you; instead, the Spirit in us uses that conviction to bring about change in us while reassuring us of his everlasting love for us. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

How Should a Believer Handle Guilt from Sinning?

This week, Pastor J.D. welcomes back Pastor Tony Merida, author of Gather, to answer, “How do you find a good church?” Show Notes: J.D.: Every now and then on Ask Me Anything, I get the chance to sit down with someone who I think can answer a question a whole lot better than me, and that’s the case today. I’m sitting here with Dr. Tony Merida, the author of several books including his newest book, called Gather. Tony, the question today is, how should someone go about finding a good, solid local church? What qualities are underrated and which are overrated in looking for a new church? Tony Merida: The Reformers used to say there are two marks of a church: the right preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments. Tied to the sacraments was church discipline. That’s not all there is, but those are two starting points by which, if you don’t have those, you don’t really have a church. If you don’t have the gospel, you don’t have a church. So the first question I’d ask is, what does this church believe that the gospel message is, and do they not just assume it, but preach it all the time? Is it the “main thing?” Beyond that, you might start with Acts 2:42-47. You have what seems like the “perfect” church. I think you can categorize what Luke describes in that church with four vital signs, so to speak.  Biblical nourishment Loving fellowship Radical generosity Constant interaction (with each other)  There’s also vibrant worship evident, and then there’s “word and deed” outreach — or mission. Evangelism seemed to be a daily thing. Those are some good starting points to look for in a healthy church. J.D.: So, you start with the right teaching of the gospel. How important is expository preaching? Tony: I don’t know that I would say it is necessarily expository preaching that is the absolute requirement; instead, I would ask, is the preaching substantive and is Christ exalted from his Word week by week? Or to say it another way, is there Word-driven preaching present? I don’t think you have to go through a book of the Bible at all times, necessarily, for it to be considered a Bible church (though I think a Bible-teaching pastor will eventually do a lot of that). I like to say expository preaching is the “meat and potatoes” of our preaching, but occasionally, we go out to eat. As far as community is concerned, it’s good to consider if the church is just a place where people simply come and go rather than thinking of the church as a people that we can serve. If I were looking for a church, I’d be in prayer. I’d do my research. I’d want to try to meet with pastors and leaders… It’s not easy. There’s a whole lot more to church than the website. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. welcomes back Pastor Tony Merida, author of <a href="https://www.thegoodbook.com/gather" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gather</a>, to answer, “How do you find a good church?” Show Notes: J.D.: Every now and then on Ask Me Anything, I get the chance to sit down with someone who I think can answer a question a whole lot better than me, and that’s the case today. I’m sitting here with Dr. Tony Merida, the author of several books including his newest book, called <a href="https://www.thegoodbook.com/gather?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K1hSwFabaUkDbeHNPiibL6RV8n_zddEgXWX-_9IB5vCoCC0gfQC30AaAgBCEALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gather</a>. Tony, the question today is, how should someone go about finding a good, solid local church? What qualities are underrated and which are overrated in looking for a new church? Tony Merida: The Reformers used to say there are two marks of a church: the right preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments. Tied to the sacraments was church discipline. That’s not all there is, but those are two starting points by which, if you don’t have those, you don’t really have a church. If you don’t have the gospel, you don’t have a church. So the first question I’d ask is, what does this church believe that the gospel message is, and do they not just assume it, but preach it all the time? Is it the “main thing?” Beyond that, you might start with Acts 2:42-47. You have what seems like the “perfect” church. I think you can categorize what Luke describes in that church with four vital signs, so to speak. <ul> <li>Biblical nourishment</li> <li>Loving fellowship</li> <li>Radical generosity</li> <li>Constant interaction (with each other)</li> </ul> There’s also vibrant worship evident, and then there’s “word and deed” outreach — or mission. Evangelism seemed to be a daily thing. Those are some good starting points to look for in a healthy church. J.D.: So, you start with the right teaching of the gospel. How important is expository preaching? Tony: I don’t know that I would say it is necessarily expository preaching that is the absolute requirement; instead, I would ask, is the preaching substantive and is Christ exalted from his Word week by week? Or to say it another way, is there Word-driven preaching present? I don’t think you have to go through a book of the Bible at all times, necessarily, for it to be considered a Bible church (though I think a Bible-teaching pastor will eventually do a lot of that). I like to say expository preaching is the “meat and potatoes” of our preaching, but occasionally, we go out to eat. As far as community is concerned, it’s good to consider if the church is just a place where people simply come and go rather than thinking of the church as a people that we can serve. If I were looking for a church, I’d be in prayer. I’d do my research. I’d want to try to meet with pastors and leaders… It’s not easy. There’s a whole lot more to church than the website. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

How Do You Find a Good Church?

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question in his recent sermon: “How does the church achieve diversity?” Show Notes: We must seek to reach all people in the Triangle, not just one kind.   It’s clear from what Paul says here in 1 Corinthians 9 that he was focused on reaching different kinds of people in Corinth, not just one kind.  You had Jews and people under the law; you had Gentiles and those outside the law. He was trying to reach them all. And that was HARD.    Do you know how much easier it would have been for Paul to just focus on one kind of person? To go to one side of the city and plant a church focused only on reaching Jews, and then go to the other side and plant one that reached Gentiles?  To the Jews, he said, I became like a Jew: Which means, I did Jewish things. I ate Jewish food. I listened to Jewish music. I entered into Jewish struggles. I wore Jewish clothes.  He made all of these cultural adaptations to reach people.  Jesus died for all peoples at all stages of life. And to reach them, we all have to be willing to turn down certain things and lean hard into other ones, and, I’m going to tell you, that’s hard.    It also means all of us are muted on some of our perspectives to keep from causing unnecessary division in the body. In 1 Corinthians 8-9, Paul was willing to be quiet, or muted, on secondary convictions he was fully convinced were right, because he thought the unity of the church and it’s evangelistic mission were more important than maintaining a uniformity of perspective in all things.   We have people leave this church all the time because we don’t say exactly what they want on some political or social issue. We say too much about some issue. We don’t say enough. I’m not saying all perspectives are equally valid, and I’m certainly not saying we are ever muted or unclear about injustice or wrong—the sanctity of life; the evils of racism, equality under the law   We see a great example of this philosophy at work in the early church. It’s such an important example, but so overlooked by so many when they read Acts.  In Acts 15, Jewish and Gentile believers were so divided over a cultural issue that they could no longer worship together.  Churches led by Gentiles were experiencing a “Jewish flight” and vice versa.  So the church leaders came together to try to work something out. Their solution, however, at first, seems rather confusing. They basically said that Gentiles should (a) avoid sexual immorality and (b) avoid eating things that had died by strangulation (both of which were regularly practiced by Gentiles) (Acts 15:29).  The reason for the prohibition on sexual immorality seems clear—stop going to prostitutes! But the prohibition on eating something strangled? Of the entire Hebrew law, that is the regulation they thought was essential to enforce?  James explains the reasoning for these two regulations: “‘For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him …’” (Acts 15:21).  In other words, in every city there were a lot of Jews; lost Jews—who needed to be reached for Jesus. And when Gentiles were in the parking lot barbecuing things that had been strangled, that would produce a major stumbling block for the Jews. The Apostles knew that if these unsaved Jews came into the church and Gentiles were in the back choking the gophers and throwing them on the grill, the Jews would not be able to stomach it. And then they wouldn’t get a chance to hear the gospel and be saved. The Apostles said, “Yes, you Gentiles have a right to eat choked gophers if you want, gross as it is, but we are asking you to forgo that right so that more unsaved Jews in your community can hear the gospel.”  And then James, leader of the Jerusalem church, wraps it up by uttering one of the most important phrases in the whole New Testament for a church’s mission philosophy: “… we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles [or Jews] who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19 NIV).       Some of you are passionate about politics and which solutions are best for society—and I want to be clear: that’s a good thing. But in the church let’s not let a secondary, culturally-shaped perspective on the best strategies or candidates or particular interpretation of an event become synonymous with the identity of the gospel, because what’s when the gospel suffers and people stay lost.  We do all this for the sake of the gospel, “that we might save some!”  Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. answers a question in his recent sermon: “How does the church achieve diversity?” Show Notes: We must seek to reach all people in the Triangle, not just one kind.  <ul> <li>It’s clear from what Paul says here in 1 Corinthians 9 that he was focused on reaching different kinds of people in Corinth, not just one kind. <ul> <li>You had Jews and people under the law; you had Gentiles and those outside the law. He was trying to reach them all. And that was HARD. </li> </ul> </li> <li>Do you know how much easier it would have been for Paul to just focus on one kind of person? To go to one side of the city and plant a church focused only on reaching Jews, and then go to the other side and plant one that reached Gentiles? <ul> <li>To the Jews, he said, I became like a Jew: Which means, I did Jewish things. I ate Jewish food. I listened to Jewish music. I entered into Jewish struggles. I wore Jewish clothes. </li> <li>He made all of these cultural adaptations to reach people. </li> <li>Jesus died for all peoples at all stages of life. And to reach them, we all have to be willing to turn down certain things and lean hard into other ones, and, I’m going to tell you, that’s hard. </li> </ul> </li> <li>It also means all of us are muted on some of our perspectives to keep from causing unnecessary division in the body. In 1 Corinthians 8-9, Paul was willing to be quiet, or muted, on secondary convictions he was fully convinced were right, because he thought the unity of the church and it’s evangelistic mission were more important than maintaining a uniformity of perspective in all things. <ul> <li>We have people leave this church all the time because we don’t say exactly what they want on some political or social issue. We say too much about some issue. We don’t say enough. I’m not saying all perspectives are equally valid, and I’m certainly not saying we are ever muted or unclear about injustice or wrong—the sanctity of life; the evils of racism, equality under the law</li> </ul> </li> <li>We see a great example of this philosophy at work in the early church. It’s such an important example, but so overlooked by so many when they read Acts. </li> <li>In Acts 15, Jewish and Gentile believers were so divided over a cultural issue that they could no longer worship together. <ul> <li>Churches led by Gentiles were experiencing a “Jewish flight” and vice versa. </li> <li>So the church leaders came together to try to work something out. Their solution, however, at first, seems rather confusing. They basically said that Gentiles should (a) avoid sexual immorality and (b) avoid eating things that had died by strangulation (both of which were regularly practiced by Gentiles) (Acts 15:29). </li> <li>The reason for the prohibition on sexual immorality seems clear—stop going to prostitutes! But the prohibition on eating something strangled? Of the entire Hebrew law, that is the regulation they thought was essential to enforce? </li> <li>James explains the reasoning for these two regulations: “‘For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him …’” (Acts 15:21). <ul> <li>In other words, in every city there were a lot of Jews; lost Jews—who needed to be reached for Jesus. And when Gentiles were in the parking lot barbecuing things that had been strangled, that would produce a major stumbling block for the Jews. The Apostles knew that if these unsaved Jews came into the church and Gentiles were in the back choking the gophers and throwing them on the grill, the Jews would not be able to stomach it. And then they wouldn’t get a chance to hear the gospel and be saved.</li> <li>The Apostles said, “Yes, you Gentiles have a right to eat choked gophers if you want, gross as it is, but we are asking you to forgo that right so that more unsaved Jews in your community can hear the gospel.” </li> <li>And then James, leader of the Jerusalem church, wraps it up by uttering one of the most important phrases in the whole New Testament for a church’s mission philosophy: “… we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles [or Jews] who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19 NIV).  </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Some of you are passionate about politics and which solutions are best for society—and I want to be clear: that’s a good thing. But in the church let’s not let a secondary, culturally-shaped perspective on the best strategies or candidates or particular interpretation of an event become synonymous with the identity of the gospel, because what’s when the gospel suffers and people stay lost. </li> <li>We do all this for the sake of the gospel, “that we might save some!”</li> </ul> Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

How Does the Church Achieve Diversity?

This week, Pastor J.D. is joined by Pastor Tony Merida, author of Gather, to answer, “Why is it important to go to church in person?” Show Notes: J.D.: Today on Ask Me Anything, we’re “flipping the mic.” I’m sitting here with Dr. Tony Merida holding in my hand two books. One is called Love Your Church: Eight Things About Being a Church Member. And then your newest book, called Gather. Tony, we know you’re passionate about the local church. So, what would you say to the person who, after COVID, feels like it just works better for them to watch church on their laptop or their TV. Do you think that’s a good idea? And if not, why not? Tony Merida: Technology can be a great gift. Our church benefited from it during COVID, and it gave us the ability to stay connected. I think you can do a lot of good information transfer and a lot of teaching online. I like to say it’s a good supplement, but it’s not a substitute for in person gathering. So I’m not negative towards it, I just don’t think it can do what embodied worship offers us. I think it’s different if we’re talking about shut-ins or people who can’t physically make it to the gathering, or people who are sick, and so on. Here are a few thoughts: Our habits form us. That’s true in any part of life. Missing worship in-person is going to have an effect. The sacrifice that it takes to be there in person really does have an impact on our lives. We’re made for embodied relationships. Jesus didn’t just Zoom us from Heaven… He dwelt among us. He walked among us. We were with him. The resurrection was a bodily resurrection, and there’s something theologically significant about being with each other in-person. I’ve always loved the ending of 2 and 3 John, where he says that he has much more to write to them, but he’d rather be with them so that “our joy may be complete.” “Don’t neglect to meet together.” That comes from Hebrews chapter 10. The author doesn’t say, “Meet together so you can hear the sermon,” or “to sing together;” he actually puts the emphasis on meeting together so that we can stir up one another. So, worship is not just about receiving or about listening and hearing — because yeah, you can do that at home. But, what are you giving in corporate worship? How are you contributing to the family of faith if you’re not there in person? You can’t do those things — at least not at the same level — if you’re tuning in from home. J.D.: Tony, what would you say to someone who’s saying, “That all sounds great if I had a really good church like yours (Imago Dei) near me, but I just get more spiritual edification listening to another church than I do from any of the churches near me.” What would you say to that person? Tony: Well, I think I would go back to how you can contribute to your gathering. Sure, your preacher may not be at the same level as someone else’s preacher. But, we’re called to live out all of the “one another’s” of Scripture… and there are a ton of them! And so many of them, we can do on a Sunday morning or whenever we meet for worship. Think about how you might honor and encourage one another at your gathering… which you can’t do on Zoom, at least not in the same way. So, you may not have the “dream church” you want near you, but there are probably still plenty of ways you could live out Scripture’s “one another” commandments… and that’s satisfying and fulfilling. J.D.: If you are talking about a church that is not a gospel-preaching church, then you should not go. But, a lot of times that is not the case… a lot of times, the church just isn’t what you want it to be. Tony: I’ve asked people at our church what the most important part of the church is to them… They never say preaching. It’s always about relationships. Community is what we’re built for. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. is joined by Pastor Tony Merida, author of <a href="https://www.thegoodbook.com/gather?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K1hSwFabaUkDbeHNPiibL6RV8n_zddEgXWX-_9IB5vCoCC0gfQC30AaAgBCEALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gather</a>, to answer, “Why is it important to go to church in person?” Show Notes: J.D.: Today on Ask Me Anything, we’re “flipping the mic.” I’m sitting here with Dr. Tony Merida holding in my hand two books. One is called <a href="https://www.thegoodbook.com/love-your-church?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K3nQ4w3UPQTN-0tlamUJic9Cmy0us6JzgwQoP9uCzyVOrHl5u2LT1UaAoCcEALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love Your Church: Eight Things About Being a Church Member</a>. And then your newest book, called <a href="https://www.thegoodbook.com/gather?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1rqkBhCTARIsAAHz7K1hSwFabaUkDbeHNPiibL6RV8n_zddEgXWX-_9IB5vCoCC0gfQC30AaAgBCEALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gather</a>. Tony, we know you’re passionate about the local church. So, what would you say to the person who, after COVID, feels like it just works better for them to watch church on their laptop or their TV. Do you think that’s a good idea? And if not, why not? Tony Merida: Technology can be a great gift. Our church benefited from it during COVID, and it gave us the ability to stay connected. I think you can do a lot of good information transfer and a lot of teaching online. I like to say it’s a good supplement, but it’s not a substitute for in person gathering. So I’m not negative towards it, I just don’t think it can do what embodied worship offers us. I think it’s different if we’re talking about shut-ins or people who can’t physically make it to the gathering, or people who are sick, and so on. Here are a few thoughts: Our habits form us. That’s true in any part of life. Missing worship in-person is going to have an effect. The sacrifice that it takes to be there in person really does have an impact on our lives. We’re made for embodied relationships. Jesus didn’t just Zoom us from Heaven… He dwelt among us. He walked among us. We were with him. The resurrection was a bodily resurrection, and there’s something theologically significant about being with each other in-person. I’ve always loved the ending of 2 and 3 John, where he says that he has much more to write to them, but he’d rather be with them so that “our joy may be complete.” “Don’t neglect to meet together.” That comes from Hebrews chapter 10. The author doesn’t say, “Meet together so you can hear the sermon,” or “to sing together;” he actually puts the emphasis on meeting together so that we can stir up one another. So, worship is not just about receiving or about listening and hearing — because yeah, you can do that at home. But, what are you giving in corporate worship? How are you contributing to the family of faith if you’re not there in person? You can’t do those things — at least not at the same level — if you’re tuning in from home. J.D.: Tony, what would you say to someone who’s saying, “That all sounds great if I had a really good church like yours (Imago Dei) near me, but I just get more spiritual edification listening to another church than I do from any of the churches near me.” What would you say to that person? Tony: Well, I think I would go back to how you can contribute to your gathering. Sure, your preacher may not be at the same level as someone else’s preacher. But, we’re called to live out all of the “one another’s” of Scripture… and there are a ton of them! And so many of them, we can do on a Sunday morning or whenever we meet for worship. Think about how you might honor and encourage one another at your gathering… which you can’t do on Zoom, at least not in the same way. So, you may not have the “dream church” you want near you, but there are probably still plenty of ways you could live out Scripture’s “one another” commandments… and that’s satisfying and fulfilling. J.D.: If you are talking about a church that is not a gospel-preaching church, then you should not go. But, a lot of times that is not the case… a lot of times, the church just isn’t what you want it to be. Tony: I’ve asked people at our church what the most important part of the church is to them… They never say preaching. It’s always about relationships. Community is what we’re built for. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

Why Is It Important to Go to Church In Person?

This week, Pastor J.D. begins a two-part series leading up to Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. The first question he answers is, “What gives you hope about the direction of the SBC?” Show Notes:  The latest ACP report has some negatives, but also some big positives.   In some areas, attendance is up – across the board attendance at SBC’s are up, which demonstrates a rebound after Covid. People are returning.  Church attendance is up. Many are saying that Gen Z as a culture are the most spiritually open generation that what we have seen in last several generations. In North Carolina, all of our three major gatherings in the past year were as high as they have been in 10 years. People want to be a part of something that is moving. Baptisms are up. This is huge and something we should celebrate. Small group/Sunday school attendance up. Remember for like 20 years this was something pastors were lamenting? It’s a big deal when this starts occurring.   SEND Network and SEND Relief  Renewed emphasis on leadership development within our convention. We are seeing churches starting residencies/internships to make future leaders. This was missing in past (which, downstream, led to our current crisis of pulpit-less churches).   A new culture toward abuse.  We have to stay the course on this. I know that there has been a lot of public conflict about this lately. I trust Marshall Blalock and the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, and in the most recent issue with Guidepost I think they demonstrated their willingness to listen to people in the interest of developing a tool that churches will use. They still have a long way to go.  But at the grassroots level everything I am hearing indicates an increase in churches who are proactively seeking to do this right. The state task forces are seeing tremendous movement on this where they are, and I am incredibly encouraged by that. That was the ultimate goal of everything we have been doing—that the churches would stop assuming “that will never happen here” and would do everything in their power to keep people safe. Yes, reform is hard, but we cannot let this unravel, we cannot go backwards.    There is a desire in so many to truly be Great Commission Baptists.  Again, sometimes it feels like there are two SBC’s: the kind committed to making us bigger and the kind focused on making us smaller.    The shrinking ACP numbers… everybody wants to use them as if they’re a club to insist on what they want. They are in large part because of the death of cultural Christianity. I’m not trying to put a happy face on a drop in numbers; I lament them. But, I do think we need to rejoice where we need to rejoice (like the increase in engagement), while asking God to turn around the overall numbers trending downwards, with people that really are following Jesus.  Preparing for New Orleans: I hope we see continued resolve to have a culture that is committed to protecting our children and members from abuse, and to caring well for those who come forward.  I hope we can stand together and refuse to give in to the temptation to fight instead of being about the Great Commission. What can we do in this room do to help move the mission of the convention forward? Don’t be part of escalating the division. Remember the mission. Remember we are about cooperation.  We do not have a doctrinal problem. We do not have a missional problem. We have a cultural problem. We are too shaped by the godless ideology of division rather than our unity in Christ. We should be celebrating what’s working well and not allowing the loud vocal few set the direction. We need folks stepping up and leading. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This week, Pastor J.D. begins a two-part series leading up to Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. The first question he answers is, “What gives you hope about the direction of the SBC?” Show Notes: <ul> <li>The latest <a href="https://www.baptistpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2022_ACP_Summary.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ACP report</a> has some negatives, but also some big positives. <ul> <li>In some areas, attendance is up – across the board attendance at SBC’s are up, which demonstrates a rebound after Covid. People are returning. </li> <li>Church attendance is up. Many are saying that Gen Z as a culture are the most spiritually open generation that what we have seen in last several generations.</li> <li>In North Carolina, all of our three major gatherings in the past year were as high as they have been in 10 years. People want to be a part of something that is moving.</li> <li>Baptisms are up. This is huge and something we should celebrate.</li> <li>Small group/Sunday school attendance up. Remember for like 20 years this was something pastors were lamenting? It’s a big deal when this starts occurring.</li> </ul> </li> <li>SEND Network and SEND Relief <ul> <li>Renewed emphasis on leadership development within our convention. We are seeing churches starting residencies/internships to make future leaders. This was missing in past (which, downstream, led to our current crisis of pulpit-less churches).</li> </ul> </li> <li>A new culture toward abuse. <ul> <li>We have to stay the course on this. I know that there has been a lot of public conflict about this lately. I trust Marshall Blalock and the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, and in the most recent issue with Guidepost I think they demonstrated their willingness to listen to people in the interest of developing a tool that churches will use. They still have a long way to go. </li> <li>But at the grassroots level everything I am hearing indicates an increase in churches who are proactively seeking to do this right. The state task forces are seeing tremendous movement on this where they are, and I am incredibly encouraged by that. That was the ultimate goal of everything we have been doing—that the churches would stop assuming “that will never happen here” and would do everything in their power to keep people safe. Yes, reform is hard, but we cannot let this unravel, we cannot go backwards. </li> </ul> </li> <li>There is a desire in so many to truly be Great Commission Baptists.  <ul> <li>Again, sometimes it feels like there are two SBC’s: the kind committed to making us bigger and the kind focused on making us smaller.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> The shrinking ACP numbers… everybody wants to use them as if they’re a club to insist on what they want. They are in large part because of the death of cultural Christianity. I’m not trying to put a happy face on a drop in numbers; I lament them. But, I do think we need to rejoice where we need to rejoice (like the increase in engagement), while asking God to turn around the overall numbers trending downwards, with people that really are following Jesus.  Preparing for New Orleans: I hope we see continued resolve to have a culture that is committed to protecting our children and members from abuse, and to caring well for those who come forward.  I hope we can stand together and refuse to give in to the temptation to fight instead of being about the Great Commission. What can we do in this room do to help move the mission of the convention forward? Don’t be part of escalating the division. Remember the mission. Remember we are about cooperation.  We do not have a doctrinal problem. We do not have a missional problem. We have a cultural problem. We are too shaped by the godless ideology of division rather than our unity in Christ. We should be celebrating what’s working well and not allowing the loud vocal few set the direction. We need folks stepping up and leading. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our <a href="https://jdgreear.com/resources/ask-me-anything-podcast/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ask Me Anything hub</a> to submit your question. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on <a href="https://twitter.com/jdgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pastorjdgreear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pastorgreear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

What Gives You Hope About the Direction of the SBC?

Ask Me Anything is a weekly podcast with J.D. Greear that answers tough questions and tackles relevant issues in a way that is filled with grace, understanding, and wisdom from God’s Word.

JD is fantastic and the quick episodes that hit big topics is an awesome format!

Great Resource

It’s also well produced and the music is fly! Continue to be awesome in all things.

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Pastor J.D. discusses some misconceptions and implications regarding the issue of masturbation. A glimpse inside this episode:  A friend of mine named Todd Wagner offered some helpful clarification for what it’s not: The unforgivable sin An unavoidable sin (1 Corinthians 10:13) A single man’s struggle (70% of married people—men and women—struggle with this question) A male problem (89% of women struggle with masturbation)   FYI: “Onan’s” sin in Genesis 38 was not the sin of masturbation. What we do know: Lust is sinful. The classic Protestant answer follows a relatively simple syllogism:     Lusting after women is a sin. It is difficult to masturbate without looking at or imagining a woman who is not your wife. Ergo, masturbation should be discouraged.   But what if I think of something else while I’m masturbating? Not entirely possible–how God wired it. John Piper: “I know there are nocturnal emissions, which I regard as innocent and helpful, but I doubt that they are ever orgasmic apart from a sexual dream that supplies the necessary image in the mind. Evidently God has constituted the connection between sexual orgasm and sexual thought in such a way that the force and pleasure of orgasm is dependent on the thought or images in our minds.”   Something else: It can be dangerous because it can be addictive. The physical act of orgasm releases certain chemicals (oxytocin, epinephrine, etc.). It has become a legitimate addiction for many people. We shouldn’t play with it. Hooked—it’s not a Christian book, but a scientific study written by a couple of neurologists showing how sexual stimulation rewires the brain   Also, it objectifies the opposite sex and reduces sex to an erotic pleasure   What about thinking of my spouse during masturbation? If a woman gives her husband permission to do this—maybe during a long military deployment—this is different, but I would still discourage it.   Romans 8:12 says we are not under obligation to our flesh. Don’t be captive. Good news of God’s grace: We shouldn’t beat people up because of their sin. But we shouldn’t indulge their sin either.  

Pastor J.D. discusses some misconceptions and implications regarding the issue of masturbation. A glimpse inside this episode: <ul> <li>A friend of mine named <a href="http://realtruthrealquick.com/is-masturbation-a-sin/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Todd Wagner</a> offered some helpful clarification for what it’s not: <ul> <li>The unforgivable sin</li> <li>An unavoidable sin (1 Corinthians 10:13)</li> <li>A single man’s struggle (70% of married people—men and women—struggle with this question)</li> <li>A male problem (89% of women struggle with masturbation)</li> </ul> </li> <li>FYI: “Onan’s” sin in Genesis 38 was not the sin of masturbation.</li> <li>What we do know: Lust is sinful. <ul> <li>The classic Protestant answer follows a relatively simple syllogism:</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ol> <li>Lusting after women is a sin.</li> <li>It is difficult to masturbate without looking at or imagining a woman who is not your wife.</li> <li>Ergo, masturbation should be discouraged.</li> </ol> <ul> <li>But what if I think of something else while I’m masturbating? Not entirely possible–how God wired it. <ul> <li>John Piper: “I know there are nocturnal emissions, which I regard as innocent and helpful, but I doubt that they are ever orgasmic apart from a sexual dream that supplies the necessary image in the mind. Evidently God has constituted the connection between sexual orgasm and sexual thought in such a way that the force and pleasure of orgasm is dependent on the thought or images in our minds.”</li> </ul> </li> <li>Something else: It can be dangerous because it can be addictive. <ul> <li>The physical act of orgasm releases certain chemicals (oxytocin, epinephrine, etc.). It has become a legitimate addiction for many people. We shouldn’t play with it. <ul> <li>Hooked—it’s not a Christian book, but a scientific study written by a couple of neurologists showing how sexual stimulation rewires the brain</li> </ul> </li> <li>Also, it objectifies the opposite sex and reduces sex to an erotic pleasure</li> </ul> </li> <li>What about thinking of my spouse during masturbation? <ul> <li>If a woman gives her husband permission to do this—maybe during a long military deployment—this is different, but I would still discourage it.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Romans 8:12 says we are not under obligation to our flesh. Don’t be captive.</li> <li>Good news of God’s grace: <ul> <li>We shouldn’t beat people up because of their sin. But we shouldn’t indulge their sin either.</li> </ul> </li></ul>

Is Masturbation a Sin?

Pastor J.D. discusses the origins of privilege, its influence in society, and the responsibility Christians have in the issue. A glimpse inside this episode: This term “privilege” was first developed by a white woman in the 1980’s to talk not about race but male privilege in academics. (Learned from Dr. George Yancey) Definition: “An invisible package of unearned assets that whites can count on cashing in each day.”  Privilege is multi-dimensional. There is never one exclusive privileged class and one underprivileged class. Rather, there are various ways in which a person may be privileged or not. For example, a white woman growing up in poverty, with an abusive father, may experience far fewer benefits of “privilege” than a black man growing up in an affluent, healthy family. Dr. Yancey says there is tall privilege and good-looking privilege. He says that Asians are often given a “they must be smart at math privilege.” The phrase “white privilege” indicates that—all other factors being equal—there is more social advantage in being white in the United States than in being non-white. Or, in other words, because “whiteness” is the social norm, those who are in that group have more benefits than those outside that group. Examples:  As a white guy, if a traffic cop pulls me over, I never have to wonder if it was because of my race (Almost all POC have stories about this) As a white guy, the same is true when I see a clerk looking at me in the store. As a white guy, I don’t have to worry about my name causing me to be overlooked on a job or housing application. (Chris Green tells a story about assumptions being made by a lender about his income because he was black.)    We want to see all people in our society have access to the same rights and privileges. When Dr. George Yancey, an African-American sociologist from North Texas University, came to speak to our church recently, he made a really interesting comment about privilege: He said “privileges” are like “rights.” It’s not that we want to take rights from one group and give them to others, but we want to see the rights that one group enjoys extended to all. He said often, in discussing privilege (white privilege or male privilege), there’s an unspoken assumption: “Things are not equal between these two groups, and we need to make them equal by pulling the top group down.” But if we think about privilege more like rights, it changes the conversation. When I think of the privileges that I have as a white person, or as a man, what I want is to see those privileges extended to as many people as possible. I don’t want people to lose all of their rights. I want more people to have those rights! These are just a handful of examples that show us that at least at some level, privilege exists. Another way to say it (that I’ve found helpful) is that the judicial and empowerment structures in our society, while better than in generations past, are still tilted. There is a sort of center-of-gravity toward the majority culture. What to do about it?   There is responsibility to use that privilege to help others Politicians are divided: some will say that because our history of exploitation and discrimination has undoubtedly contributed to creating some of these realities, that demands certain benefits and privileges be extended to the black community Others will say that that won’t help: now that the doors of opportunity have been opened, only black people can go through them. DESK: Diploma, employment, spouse, kids. These are things everyone can do and are proven to fight poverty.

Pastor J.D. discusses the origins of privilege, its influence in society, and the responsibility Christians have in the issue. A glimpse inside this episode: This term “privilege” was first developed by a white woman in the 1980’s to talk not about race but male privilege in academics. (Learned from Dr. George Yancey) Definition: “An invisible package of unearned assets that whites can count on cashing in each day.” <ul> <li>Privilege is multi-dimensional. There is never one exclusive privileged class and one underprivileged class. Rather, there are various ways in which a person may be privileged or not.</li> <li>For example, a white woman growing up in poverty, with an abusive father, may experience far fewer benefits of “privilege” than a black man growing up in an affluent, healthy family.</li> <li>Dr. Yancey says there is tall privilege and good-looking privilege. He says that Asians are often given a “they must be smart at math privilege.”</li> <li>The phrase “white privilege” indicates that—all other factors being equal—there is more social advantage in being white in the United States than in being non-white. Or, in other words, because “whiteness” is the social norm, those who are in that group have more benefits than those outside that group.</li> <li>Examples: <ul> <li>As a white guy, if a traffic cop pulls me over, I never have to wonder if it was because of my race (Almost all POC have stories about this)</li> <li>As a white guy, the same is true when I see a clerk looking at me in the store.</li> <li>As a white guy, I don’t have to worry about my name causing me to be overlooked on a job or housing application. (Chris Green tells a story about assumptions being made by a lender about his income because he was black.)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> We want to see all people in our society have access to the same rights and privileges. When Dr. George Yancey, an African-American sociologist from North Texas University, came to speak to our church recently, he made a really interesting comment about privilege: He said “privileges” are like “rights.” It’s not that we want to take rights from one group and give them to others, but we want to see the rights that one group enjoys extended to all. He said often, in discussing privilege (white privilege or male privilege), there’s an unspoken assumption: “Things are not equal between these two groups, and we need to make them equal by pulling the top group down.” But if we think about privilege more like rights, it changes the conversation. When I think of the privileges that I have as a white person, or as a man, what I want is to see those privileges extended to as many people as possible. I don’t want people to lose all of their rights. I want more people to have those rights! These are just a handful of examples that show us that at least at some level, privilege exists. Another way to say it (that I’ve found helpful) is that the judicial and empowerment structures in our society, while better than in generations past, are still tilted. There is a sort of center-of-gravity toward the majority culture. What to do about it? <ul> <li>There is responsibility to use that privilege to help others</li> <li>Politicians are divided: some will say that because our history of exploitation and discrimination has undoubtedly contributed to creating some of these realities, that demands certain benefits and privileges be extended to the black community</li> <li>Others will say that that won’t help: now that the doors of opportunity have been opened, only black people can go through them.</li> <li>DESK: Diploma, employment, spouse, kids. These are things everyone can do and are proven to fight poverty.</li></ul>

Is white privilege real?

Pastor J.D. talks about whether the legal use of marijuana is wise or helpful for Christians. A glimpse inside this episode: In the past, this was an easy enough question, because marijuana was illegal. It wasn’t a “gray area” for Christians. The drug was illegal, so it was off-limits to those who are “subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1). But as recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states, some Christians are having conversations about whether there could be an acceptable use.  While the Bible never mentions marijuana, it does prohibit intoxication. If one hit of marijuana makes you high, there’s no way to smoke it and obey the Bible’s commands against drunkenness. No drug should not move us to the point of losing control. But that’s much of the intrigue and mystique of marijuana. Furthermore, marijuana has been demonstrated to have a lot of addictive qualities, more so than alcohol and nicotine, and Paul says: “Though all things are lawful, but I will not be ruled by them.”  So, on the whole, it’s just hard to see how this could ever be wise. And that’s the wisest question: Is it helpful?  I will add: marijuana use makes you demonstrably dumber. I mean, so does watching the Bachelor or 5–6 hours of golf. But it’s not a helpful variable in this equation.  One deeper issue: the effects of marijuana work against the kind of community we should seek in the body of Christ. In Ephesians, Paul contrasts being drunk with wine vs. filled with the Spirit. That’s not an accidental comparison. Both are ways you deal with stress and problems. Wine (and we could add marijuana) dull your awareness of reality. The Spirit heightens your awareness of an alternate reality–the promises of the gospel and the sovereignty of God. And you speak those to one another in the church, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  Some who speak from experience say that getting high “pulls you within yourself, causes you to become more disengaged, not only from people, but also from life in general.” One says: “Before I was a Christian, I smoked marijuana to . . . disengage from both people and issues.” One guy said: “By causing users to disengage from life, marijuana works against the love of neighbor Jesus commands. Christians seeking to honor God with their lives would do well to avoid it.

Pastor J.D. talks about whether the legal use of marijuana is wise or helpful for Christians. A glimpse inside this episode: In the past, this was an easy enough question, because marijuana was illegal. It wasn’t a “gray area” for Christians. The drug was illegal, so it was off-limits to those who are “subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1). But as recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states, some Christians are having conversations about whether there could be an acceptable use. <ul> <li>While the Bible never mentions marijuana, it does prohibit intoxication. If one hit of marijuana makes you high, there’s no way to smoke it and obey the Bible’s commands against drunkenness. No drug should not move us to the point of losing control. But that’s much of the intrigue and mystique of marijuana.</li> <li>Furthermore, marijuana has been demonstrated to have a lot of addictive qualities, more so than alcohol and nicotine, and Paul says: “Though all things are lawful, but I will not be ruled by them.”</li> </ul> So, on the whole, it’s just hard to see how this could ever be wise. And that’s the wisest question: Is it helpful? <ul> <li>I will add: marijuana use makes you demonstrably dumber. I mean, so does watching the Bachelor or 5–6 hours of golf. But it’s not a helpful variable in this equation.</li> </ul> One deeper issue: the effects of marijuana work against the kind of community we should seek in the body of Christ. In Ephesians, Paul contrasts being drunk with wine vs. filled with the Spirit. That’s not an accidental comparison. Both are ways you deal with stress and problems. Wine (and we could add marijuana) dull your awareness of reality. The Spirit heightens your awareness of an alternate reality–the promises of the gospel and the sovereignty of God. And you speak those to one another in the church, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. <ul> <li>Some who speak from experience say that getting high “pulls you within yourself, causes you to become more disengaged, not only from people, but also from life in general.”</li> <li>One says: “Before I was a Christian, I smoked marijuana to . . . disengage from both people and issues.”</li> <li>One guy said: “By causing users to disengage from life, marijuana works against the love of neighbor Jesus commands. Christians seeking to honor God with their lives would do well to avoid it.</li></ul>

Is Marijuana Ever OK for Christians to Use?

Pastor J.D. shares four questions that are helpful to start a conversation with our atheist friends, neighbors, and coworkers. A glimpse inside this episode: Atheists have many questions for Christians. But they have to answer a lot of questions, too. For instance: Blow the roof off approach (Francis Schaeffer) What about origins?  Dawkins says, “Darwin’s theory works for biology, but not for cosmology (or, ultimate origins).” In God Delusion, Dawkins admits this is a problem.  He says, “Cosmology is waiting on its Darwin.” In other words, he thinks that while they have explained how life took shape on the earth, he admits they still have no idea where life itself, or the materials that produced life, came from. We need a theory, he says, as to why anything exists. Because it is self-evident that nothing times nobody can’t equal everything.   Then he says, but don’t worry. We’ll figure it out eventually. That’s what we call a blind faith leap!  What about design?  Goldilocks principle (Our world is ideally designed to sustain life, “not too hot, not too cold, just right”.) CO2 Tilt of the earth Water molecule  What about evil?  If we are only biology and chemistry, there’s no such thing as true justice, only useful strategies for preserving our kind. For atheists, a statement like, “You really ought to” or “ought not to” doesn’t really have any meaning. (This doesn’t mean they can’t be moral, just that their morality lacks a consistent intellectual foundation.) The only way we can say that something is unjust is if we appeal to a higher vision of how it ought to be.   Big deal when it comes to justice?  What about personhood and personality?  Christopher Hitchens example Steve Jobs example  What about Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pastor J.D. shares four questions that are helpful to start a conversation with our atheist friends, neighbors, and coworkers. A glimpse inside this episode: Atheists have many questions for Christians. But they have to answer a lot of questions, too. For instance: Blow the roof off approach (Francis Schaeffer) What about origins? <ul> <li>Dawkins says, “Darwin’s theory works for biology, but not for cosmology (or, ultimate origins).”</li> <li>In God Delusion, Dawkins admits this is a problem.  He says, “Cosmology is waiting on its Darwin.” <ul> <li>In other words, he thinks that while they have explained how life took shape on the earth, he admits they still have no idea where life itself, or the materials that produced life, came from.</li> <li>We need a theory, he says, as to why anything exists.</li> <li>Because it is self-evident that nothing times nobody can’t equal everything.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Then he says, but don’t worry. We’ll figure it out eventually. That’s what we call a blind faith leap!</li> </ul> What about design? <ul> <li>Goldilocks principle (Our world is ideally designed to sustain life, “not too hot, not too cold, just right”.)</li> <li>CO2</li> <li>Tilt of the earth</li> <li>Water molecule</li> </ul> What about evil? <ul> <li>If we are only biology and chemistry, there’s no such thing as true justice, only useful strategies for preserving our kind.</li> <li>For atheists, a statement like, “You really ought to” or “ought not to” doesn’t really have any meaning. <ul> <li>(This doesn’t mean they can’t be moral, just that their morality lacks a consistent intellectual foundation.)</li> <li>The only way we can say that something is unjust is if we appeal to a higher vision of how it ought to be.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Big deal when it comes to justice?</li> </ul> What about personhood and personality? <ul> <li>Christopher Hitchens example</li> <li>Steve Jobs example</li> </ul> What about Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Would You Say to an Atheist?

Pastor J.D. shares how he makes time for reading (or working out or any number of other things) and other advice he’s found helpful to remain an avid reader. A glimpse inside this episode: Time is most valuable resource we have, and we all have the same amount of it. Every day you get an installment of 86,400 seconds and whatever you don’t use you lose. First I start with the importance of reading. “Read or get out of the ministry.” -Wesley Importance of daily rhythms. (Even in small installments, like starting with five minutes.) Even when you’re busy.   For example, Winston Churchill even during the most hectic days of WW2, always took time to paint and read.  Big rocks:  We make time for what we think is important. If you’re too busy to read, you’re not too busy. You’re saying (with your life) that you think something else matters more. Honestly, how much time are you spending on social media or watching TV? My guess is that you probably have the time; you just aren’t convinced that spending it reading is worth the investment.  Do the hard stuff first.  Me at night. Ready then watch TV.  TODD: OK, but any advice about reading in particular?  I like to read different genres. Take notes: Capture what you took in hunting. Taking notes and transferring them. Feel free to ditch a bad book. No thief like a bad book.   Use shortcuts like audiobooks or Blinkist.     This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.

Pastor J.D. shares how he makes time for reading (or working out or any number of other things) and other advice he’s found helpful to remain an avid reader. A glimpse inside this episode: Time is most valuable resource we have, and we all have the same amount of it. Every day you get an installment of 86,400 seconds and whatever you don’t use you lose. First I start with the importance of reading. “Read or get out of the ministry.” -Wesley Importance of daily rhythms. (Even in small installments, like starting with five minutes.) Even when you’re busy.  <ul> <li>For example, Winston Churchill even during the most hectic days of WW2, always took time to paint and read.</li> </ul> Big rocks: <ul> <li>We make time for what we think is important. If you’re too busy to read, you’re not too busy. You’re saying (with your life) that you think something else matters more.</li> <li>Honestly, how much time are you spending on social media or watching TV? My guess is that you probably have the time; you just aren’t convinced that spending it reading is worth the investment.</li> </ul> Do the hard stuff first. <ul> <li>Me at night. Ready then watch TV.</li> </ul> TODD: OK, but any advice about reading in particular? <ul> <li>I like to read different genres.</li> <li>Take notes: Capture what you took in hunting. Taking notes and transferring them.</li> <li>Feel free to ditch a bad book. <ul> <li>No thief like a bad book.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Use shortcuts like audiobooks or <a href="https://www.blinkist.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blinkist</a>.</li> </ul> <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> This Episode’s Sponsor: With <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ministry Grid’s</a> library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ministry Grid</a> video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">MinistryGrid.com.</a>

How do you read when you’re so busy?

Pastor J.D. discusses the common struggle of anxiety and what Scripture has to say about it. A glimpse inside this episode: When it comes to anxiety and depression, many people create a false dichotomy. Either this is a biological and chemical issue, or it’s 100% a spiritual one. But that’s simply not the case.  God made us a “psychosomatic unity,” which simply means it is impossible to separate, at least on earth, our souls and our bodies, and what happens in one inevitably affects the other. For example—very simple example: You ever realize how unspiritual you get when you haven’t gotten enough sleep, or when you are hungry? I told you a couple of weeks ago, I can get really impatient and rude with people when I’m hangry. Now, in one sense, you could call that a spiritual problem, right? Nothing should justify my being rude. But the truth is, my rudeness—which is a soul problem—is being triggered and exacerbated by my physical condition. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pray for more patience, just that I should probably also take a nap and eat a Snickers bar. It’s like one of my professors used to say, “Sometimes the best thing that you can do for your spiritual life is get a good night sleep.”  (Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that what I experience when I’m hungry is the same as what you experience if you’re walking through depression or anxiety. Nor am I saying these problems can be fixed as simply. I’m just making the point that there is a lot going on in any emotion, factors that are not only spiritual and physical, but also psychological and social!  To reduce the experience of anxiety down to only one of these factors is simply irresponsible. That’s why, at our church, we not only preach on the spiritual aspects of anxiety and depression, but we also offer ministries that focus more holistically on these struggles. And we encourage people to incorporate medical care into their mental health plan.  How to deal with spiritual depression: Think on the promises of God. One of my favorites is Lamentations 3. I see four major pieces of instruction in it: 1.  Call to mind the goodness of God (vs. 21–23) 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Don’t you love this image of the new morning? God’s mercies and faithfulness are like the sun coming up new every morning, washing away the shadows and the darkness of the night! Today may feel like a terribly dark, never-ending night of mistakes and despair. But God’s mercies rise new and fresh every morning.  If you’re not dead, God’s not done! His mercies are brand new this morning—and they will be again tomorrow morning. Your emotions may be telling you that there is nothing ahead but darkness and despair, but you must call to mind that Jesus got out of the grave which means he has good plans for you and your family, and ultimately your story will end in victory and not defeat. (Preach this glorious gospel to yourself. The most influential person in your life is you because you talk to yourself the most.)  2.  Learn any lessons God is trying to teach you (vs. 26–28) 3.  Realize that God’s plans are ultimately for good and for blessing (vs. 24, 32)  4.  Get up tomorrow and look for the goodness of God (vs. 22) How about anxiety? Matthew 6  Anxiety thinks too little of God (Matthew 6:24–29).   It elevates the obtaining of other things besides him as essential for the good life. Jesus says: The good life is more than making a lot of money; it is more than good career choices and successful parenting techniques and finding the right person… (Or, as Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”) The good life is walking with God and letting him provide all those things.   It also thinks too little of God’s control. Not one hair…   Anxiety minimizes how much God thinks of me (Matthew 6:26, 30)   Isaiah 49:16, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? (Has that ever happened?) Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” What more would God have to do to prove his commitment to you? This reminds me of my kids sometimes on vacation—after spending the day at Disney World we are 30 minutes behind when we would normally eat dinner, and my kids say, “Dad, are we not going to eat?” And I’m like, “You think I brought you this whole way to starve you? Isn’t just being here proof of my commitment to you? Do you know how much it cost to get you here? Do you think I’m standing in a 2-hour line to ride Dumbo for 90 seconds for me? Surely if I care enough to bring you on vacation, I care enough to keep you fed. Not that this has happened recently… Surely if God cares enough for us to send his Son to the cross to die in humiliation for us we can trust him with our bills, our spouses and the future of our families.   Anxiety usually is a false prophet (Matthew 6:27, 34).   It offers false solutions, makes false promises and offers false predictions. Anxiety is a false prophet because the vast majority of the things we worry about never take place! You worry about 1000 things that never take place. I’ve heard it described as paying interest on a debt you may not even owe. Or like hearing the threatening music in the soundtrack of your life when there is actually no danger. I remember watching a scary movie with my wife and they are in some peaceful scene by the lake and all of the sudden the ominous music starts and you know it’s about it to go down. And I told Veronica that it would be great if I could have ominous music play when something bad was about to happen me. Like when some relationship was really going to go bad, when I first met (her) this sinister music would play in my ears… and I’d know, “This is not going to turn out well.”)  That would have been great in college. And then I realized the bigger problem was that ominous music plays in my heart when there is nothing for me to be scared of! Think about how many things you worry about that never happened!   Psalm 27:13: it’s not wrong to be an optimist.  ______________________________________________________ Sponsor: Blackbaud Church Management connects your staff and congregation, ensuring deeper relationships and effective ministry. To see how to connect your church community with one holistic system, visit hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement.

Pastor J.D. discusses the common struggle of anxiety and what Scripture has to say about it. A glimpse inside this episode: When it comes to anxiety and depression, many people create a false dichotomy. Either this is a biological and chemical issue, or it’s 100% a spiritual one. But that’s simply not the case. <ul> <li>God made us a “psychosomatic unity,” which simply means it is impossible to separate, at least on earth, our souls and our bodies, and what happens in one inevitably affects the other.</li> <li>For example—very simple example: You ever realize how unspiritual you get when you haven’t gotten enough sleep, or when you are hungry? I told you a couple of weeks ago, I can get really impatient and rude with people when I’m hangry. Now, in one sense, you could call that a spiritual problem, right? Nothing should justify my being rude. But the truth is, my rudeness—which is a soul problem—is being triggered and exacerbated by my physical condition. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pray for more patience, just that I should probably also take a nap and eat a Snickers bar. It’s like one of my professors used to say, “Sometimes the best thing that you can do for your spiritual life is get a good night sleep.”</li> </ul> (Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that what I experience when I’m hungry is the same as what you experience if you’re walking through depression or anxiety. Nor am I saying these problems can be fixed as simply. I’m just making the point that there is a lot going on in any emotion, factors that are not only spiritual and physical, but also psychological and social! <ul> <li>To reduce the experience of anxiety down to only one of these factors is simply irresponsible. That’s why, at our church, we not only preach on the spiritual aspects of anxiety and depression, but we also offer ministries that focus more holistically on these struggles. And we encourage people to incorporate medical care into their mental health plan.</li> </ul> How to deal with spiritual depression: Think on the promises of God. One of my favorites is Lamentations 3. I see four major pieces of instruction in it: 1.  Call to mind the goodness of God (vs. 21–23) <blockquote>22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.</blockquote> Don’t you love this image of the new morning? God’s mercies and faithfulness are like the sun coming up new every morning, washing away the shadows and the darkness of the night! Today may feel like a terribly dark, never-ending night of mistakes and despair. But God’s mercies rise new and fresh every morning. <ul> <li>If you’re not dead, God’s not done! His mercies are brand new this morning—and they will be again tomorrow morning.</li> <li>Your emotions may be telling you that there is nothing ahead but darkness and despair, but you must call to mind that Jesus got out of the grave which means he has good plans for you and your family, and ultimately your story will end in victory and not defeat.</li> <li>(Preach this glorious gospel to yourself. The most influential person in your life is you because you talk to yourself the most.)</li> </ul> 2.  Learn any lessons God is trying to teach you (vs. 26–28) 3.  Realize that God’s plans are ultimately for good and for blessing (vs. 24, 32)  4.  Get up tomorrow and look for the goodness of God (vs. 22) How about anxiety? Matthew 6 <ol> <li>Anxiety thinks too little of God (Matthew 6:24–29).</li> </ol> <ul> <li>It elevates the obtaining of other things besides him as essential for the good life. <ul> <li>Jesus says: The good life is more than making a lot of money; it is more than good career choices and successful parenting techniques and finding the right person… (Or, as Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”) The good life is walking with God and letting him provide all those things.</li> </ul> </li> <li>It also thinks too little of God’s control. Not one hair…</li> </ul> <ol> <li>Anxiety minimizes how much God thinks of me (Matthew 6:26, 30)</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Isaiah 49:16, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? (Has that ever happened?) Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”</li> <li>Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” What more would God have to do to prove his commitment to you? This reminds me of my kids sometimes on vacation—after spending the day at Disney World we are 30 minutes behind when we would normally eat dinner, and my kids say, “Dad, are we not going to eat?” And I’m like, “You think I brought you this whole way to starve you? Isn’t just being here proof of my commitment to you? Do you know how much it cost to get you here? Do you think I’m standing in a 2-hour line to ride Dumbo for 90 seconds for me? Surely if I care enough to bring you on vacation, I care enough to keep you fed. Not that this has happened recently…</li> <li>Surely if God cares enough for us to send his Son to the cross to die in humiliation for us we can trust him with our bills, our spouses and the future of our families.</li> </ul> <ol> <li>Anxiety usually is a false prophet (Matthew 6:27, 34).</li> </ol> <ul> <li>It offers false solutions, makes false promises and offers false predictions.</li> <li>Anxiety is a false prophet because the vast majority of the things we worry about never take place! You worry about 1000 things that never take place. I’ve heard it described as paying interest on a debt you may not even owe. Or like hearing the threatening music in the soundtrack of your life when there is actually no danger. <ul> <li>I remember watching a scary movie with my wife and they are in some peaceful scene by the lake and all of the sudden the ominous music starts and you know it’s about it to go down. And I told Veronica that it would be great if I could have ominous music play when something bad was about to happen me.</li> <li>Like when some relationship was really going to go bad, when I first met (her) this sinister music would play in my ears… and I’d know, “This is not going to turn out well.”)  That would have been great in college.</li> <li>And then I realized the bigger problem was that ominous music plays in my heart when there is nothing for me to be scared of! Think about how many things you worry about that never happened!</li> </ul> </li> <li>Psalm 27:13: it’s not wrong to be an optimist.</li> </ul> ______________________________________________________ Sponsor: Blackbaud Church Management connects your staff and congregation, ensuring deeper relationships and effective ministry. To see how to connect your church community with one holistic system, visit <a href="http://hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement</a>.

Is anxiety/depression a spiritual issue?

Pastor J.D. addresses some common misconceptions about male leadership and explains the Bible’s plan for it in relationships, the home, and life. A glimpse inside this episode: There are a number of reasons someone might find the idea of male leadership difficult:  Perhaps there is a history of abuse, which changes how male leadership looks and feels. Feel like it is archaic: strong dominated the weak. More practical, perhaps a mother is raising children without the father around.  So why, with all of the potential problems, do we say that God’s design in the home is for men to lead? Ephesians 5:23, the Bible calls the husband to be the head of the wife and the wife to submit to the husband like Christ submitted to the church.  Headship is not a designation of the husband’s greater value (egalitarians Galatians 3:28 vs. complementarians 1 Timothy 2–both are important, but of his specific role and responsibility). Starts with mutual submission: In fact, greater submission in that sense is mine. I should lose 95% of all arguments in my home. Look not on my own interests To serve rather than be served   Crown is one of thorns. I am a tie-breaker. Tim Keller: Moving to NYC example. He felt yes; she no. They had to make a decision; to not make one would be, functionally, to make one. He conceded: “OK, if you don’t want to go, we won’t go.” Kathy: No, you are letting me make the decision. You have to make it. Submission means man has to make the decision in the best interest of the family. The number of times this has actually happened in my marriage, I could count on one hand. People who say, “Well, just work it out.” That doesn’t work practically. Somebody ends up submitting. Like a dance: somebody leads. If two people are dancing face to face, they cannot do exactly the same thing without running into each other and ending the dance. The movements cannot be identical and equivalent; they have to be complementary and harmonious.        The creation account in Genesis 1–2 (particularly 2:5–23) provides more detail about the nature of the husband’s headship. In that text, we see God giving Adam a share of his authority by commissioning him to cultivate the Garden of Eden and name the animals (Genesis 2:15, 19–20). This provides a template by which we can understand the leadership that men should demonstrate in the home.  Husbands should lead in provision, as Adam was given a job prior to his marriage to Eve (Genesis 2:15). Husbands should lead in spiritual growth, as Adam both had a relationship with God and had heard God’s words before Eve was brought to him (Genesis 2:16, 18). Husbands should lead in romance, since, as the text notes, it is the man who is to leave his family in order to cleave to his wife (Genesis 2:24). It is also the man that writes the first romantic poem for his wife, not vice versa (Genesis 2:23). Husbands should lead in protection, as Adam and Eve are referred to as “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Paul picks up this imagery to remind husbands that they are responsible to love their wives “as their own bodies,” protecting them as they would their very selves (Ephesians 5:28). God did not make us exactly the same. Not good Edzer kenegdo: a different one of the same kind    A great deal of resistance arises from core misconceptions about the concept itself. We reject the following misconceptions of submission as false and unbiblical:  The misconception that women, as a group, are to submit to men. The virtue of submission, biblically speaking, is one that all believers are called to practice. Christians are called to submit to the leadership of the church, to governing authorities, to other believers, and most importantly, to God. The circumstances may differ, but we all must exhibit the humility required to submit to God’s order. Submission is not a “female” virtue, but a Christian one. The misconception that women are inferior to men. The creation narrative of Genesis 1–2 depicts men and women with equal worth. Both are created in the image of God, blessed, and given a commission to rule the earth (Genesis 1:27–28). The wife’s role of submission no more implies an inferior worth than does Jesus’ role of submission to the Father. The misconception that wives submit to their husbands through unconditional obedience. The command to “submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22) does not mean, “Submit to him without question, as if he is your God.” Rather, Paul’s command is for wives to submit as a way of serving God. If a conflict arises between the commands of God and the headship of the husband, wives are to submit to the higher authority—God. The misconception that husbands must make all family decisions unilaterally. The complementarian position on gender attests that men and women have creational, fundamental differences. This means that life is incomplete if viewed only through the lens of one gender. Husbands, therefore, should include their wives in family decisions, since they bring unique wisdom to each situation. In healthy marriages, most decisions result from consensus between husband and wife, not unilateral dictate from one or the other.

Pastor J.D. addresses some common misconceptions about male leadership and explains the Bible’s plan for it in relationships, the home, and life. A glimpse inside this episode: There are a number of reasons someone might find the idea of male leadership difficult: <ul> <li>Perhaps there is a history of abuse, which changes how male leadership looks and feels.</li> <li>Feel like it is archaic: strong dominated the weak.</li> <li>More practical, perhaps a mother is raising children without the father around.</li> </ul> So why, with all of the potential problems, do we say that God’s design in the home is for men to lead? Ephesians 5:23, the Bible calls the husband to be the head of the wife and the wife to submit to the husband like Christ submitted to the church. <ul> <li>Headship is not a designation of the husband’s greater value (egalitarians Galatians 3:28 vs. complementarians 1 Timothy 2–both are important, but of his specific role and responsibility). <ul> <li>Starts with mutual submission:</li> <li>In fact, greater submission in that sense is mine. I should lose 95% of all arguments in my home. <ul> <li>Look not on my own interests</li> <li>To serve rather than be served</li> </ul> </li> <li>Crown is one of thorns.</li> <li>I am a tie-breaker. <ul> <li>Tim Keller: Moving to NYC example. He felt yes; she no. They had to make a decision; to not make one would be, functionally, to make one. He conceded: “OK, if you don’t want to go, we won’t go.” Kathy: No, you are letting me make the decision. You have to make it. Submission means man has to make the decision in the best interest of the family. <ul> <li>The number of times this has actually happened in my marriage, I could count on one hand.</li> <li>People who say, “Well, just work it out.” That doesn’t work practically. Somebody ends up submitting.</li> <li>Like a dance: somebody leads.</li> <li>If two people are dancing face to face, they cannot do exactly the same thing without running into each other and ending the dance. The movements cannot be identical and equivalent; they have to be complementary and harmonious.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> The creation account in Genesis 1–2 (particularly 2:5–23) provides more detail about the nature of the husband’s headship. In that text, we see God giving Adam a share of his authority by commissioning him to cultivate the Garden of Eden and name the animals (Genesis 2:15, 19–20). This provides a template by which we can understand the leadership that men should demonstrate in the home. <ul> <li>Husbands should lead in provision, as Adam was given a job prior to his marriage to Eve (Genesis 2:15).</li> <li>Husbands should lead in spiritual growth, as Adam both had a relationship with God and had heard God’s words before Eve was brought to him (Genesis 2:16, 18).</li> <li>Husbands should lead in romance, since, as the text notes, it is the man who is to leave his family in order to cleave to his wife (Genesis 2:24). It is also the man that writes the first romantic poem for his wife, not vice versa (Genesis 2:23).</li> <li>Husbands should lead in protection, as Adam and Eve are referred to as “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Paul picks up this imagery to remind husbands that they are responsible to love their wives “as their own bodies,” protecting them as they would their very selves (Ephesians 5:28).</li> <li>God did not make us exactly the same. <ul> <li>Not good</li> <li>Edzer kenegdo: a different one of the same kind</li> </ul> </li> </ul> A great deal of resistance arises from core misconceptions about the concept itself. We reject the following misconceptions of submission as false and unbiblical: <ul> <li>The misconception that women, as a group, are to submit to men. The virtue of submission, biblically speaking, is one that all believers are called to practice. Christians are called to submit to the leadership of the church, to governing authorities, to other believers, and most importantly, to God. The circumstances may differ, but we all must exhibit the humility required to submit to God’s order. Submission is not a “female” virtue, but a Christian one.</li> <li>The misconception that women are inferior to men. The creation narrative of Genesis 1–2 depicts men and women with equal worth. Both are created in the image of God, blessed, and given a commission to rule the earth (Genesis 1:27–28). The wife’s role of submission no more implies an inferior worth than does Jesus’ role of submission to the Father.</li> <li>The misconception that wives submit to their husbands through unconditional obedience. The command to “submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22) does not mean, “Submit to him without question, as if he is your God.” Rather, Paul’s command is for wives to submit as a way of serving God. If a conflict arises between the commands of God and the headship of the husband, wives are to submit to the higher authority—God.</li> <li>The misconception that husbands must make all family decisions unilaterally. The complementarian position on gender attests that men and women have creational, fundamental differences. This means that life is incomplete if viewed only through the lens of one gender. Husbands, therefore, should include their wives in family decisions, since they bring unique wisdom to each situation. In healthy marriages, most decisions result from consensus between husband and wife, not unilateral dictate from one or the other.</li></ul>

What Should Male Leadership Look Like?

Pastor J.D. explains that the gospel must be of first importance, both empowering and informing the church. A glimpse inside this episode: I actually wrote a book about this, called Above All.  The greatest need now is the same as the greatest need 100 years ago. It’s the same as the greatest need 2,000 years ago. It’s to keep the gospel above all.  Above all preferences, preferences, priorities, politics, etc.    In fact, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that the gospel is of “first importance.” First importance means other things are important, too. But this is of first importance. This means the gospel is what should characterize us  1 Corinthians 2:2: some scholars say an exaggeration?  Is that really new, though? Aren’t churches already doing this? Churches haven’t stopped saying they believe the gospel. But many churches are looking elsewhere for the source of their renewal.  The gospel, you see, should both empower and inform everything we do. Empowers     Spurgeon’s trough back to the gospel. The gospel is the power in all that we do: It’s not just the diving board, it’s the pool     Informs   The gospel shapes our mission. Jesus described his mission as: To seek and save the lost.   It should be our identity: We are a gospel people. When people think about and talk about us, they should think about and talk about the gospel   Why we don’t talk about politics: We don’t want to get distracted by secondary agendas that get in the way of gospel proclamation and disciple-making.    ________________________________________________  Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

Pastor J.D. explains that the gospel must be of first importance, both empowering and informing the church. A glimpse inside this episode: I actually wrote a book about this, called <a href="https://gospelaboveallbook.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Above All.</a> <ul> <li>The greatest need now is the same as the greatest need 100 years ago. It’s the same as the greatest need 2,000 years ago. It’s to keep the gospel above all. <ul> <li>Above all preferences, preferences, priorities, politics, etc.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> In fact, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that the gospel is of “first importance.” First importance means other things are important, too. But this is of first importance. This means the gospel is what should characterize us <ul> <li>1 Corinthians 2:2: some scholars say an exaggeration?</li> </ul> Is that really new, though? Aren’t churches already doing this? Churches haven’t stopped saying they believe the gospel. But many churches are looking elsewhere for the source of their renewal. <ul> <li>The gospel, you see, should both empower and inform everything we do.</li> <li>Empowers</li> <li> <ul> <li> <ul> <li>Spurgeon’s trough back to the gospel.</li> <li>The gospel is the power in all that we do: It’s not just the diving board, it’s the pool</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Informs</li> <li> <ul> <li>The gospel shapes our mission.</li> <li>Jesus described his mission as: To seek and save the lost.</li> </ul> </li> <li>It should be our identity: We are a gospel people. When people think about and talk about us, they should think about and talk about the gospel</li> <li> <ul> <li>Why we don’t talk about politics: We don’t want to get distracted by secondary agendas that get in the way of gospel proclamation and disciple-making.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> ________________________________________________ Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? <a href="https://woomarriage.com/freetrial" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Woo Marriage</a> is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, <a href="https://woomarriage.com/freetrial" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Woo Marriage</a> provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at <a href="https://woomarriage.com/freetrial" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial</a>.

What Is the Greatest Need in the American Church?

Pastor J.D. shares his advice for newlyweds and we share an important podcast update you won’t want to miss. A glimpse inside this episode: Be as committed to counseling after your marriage as you were before.  And note, there’s nothing wrong with counseling! Like going to the doctor. You don’t just do that before you die  Enjoy the other as a gift from God but don’t let them replace God:  C.S. Lewis: like a ray of sunshine But don’t let them take the place of God! (What I’d write on their forehead with a Sharpie) Lonely, insecure single people become lonely, insecure married people.  But realize that one of God’s primary purposes is not to make you happy but to make you holy Regarding honeymoon night and sex, be prepared and lower your expectations. Be patient with sex. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________  This Episode’s Sponsor: One of the greatest predictors of a disciple’s spiritual growth is regular Bible reading. That’s why LifeWay created the Daily Discipleship Guide. To download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/DDG.

Pastor J.D. shares his advice for newlyweds and we share an important podcast update you won’t want to miss. A glimpse inside this episode: Be as committed to counseling after your marriage as you were before. <ul> <li>And note, there’s nothing wrong with counseling! Like going to the doctor. You don’t just do that before you die</li> </ul> Enjoy the other as a gift from God but don’t let them replace God: <ul> <li>C.S. Lewis: like a ray of sunshine</li> <li>But don’t let them take the place of God! (What I’d write on their forehead with a Sharpie)</li> <li>Lonely, insecure single people become lonely, insecure married people.</li> </ul> But realize that one of God’s primary purposes is not to make you happy but to make you holy Regarding honeymoon night and sex, be prepared and lower your expectations. Be patient with sex. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: One of the greatest predictors of a disciple’s spiritual growth is regular Bible reading. That’s why LifeWay created the <a href="https://biblestudiesforlife.com/DDG" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Daily Discipleship Guide</a>. To download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide, visit <a href="http://biblestudiesforlife.com/DDG" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BibleStudiesforLife.com/DDG</a>.

What’s your best advice for newlyweds?

To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This has been a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. Oftentimes, Pastor J.D. will ask the staff of The Summit Church to read a book before our monthly large team meeting. In our episode today, J.D. is teaching the staff from the book A Praying Life by Paul Miller.

To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This has been a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. Oftentimes, Pastor J.D. will ask the staff of The Summit Church to read a book before our monthly large team meeting. In our episode today, J.D. is teaching the staff from the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Life-Connecting-Distracting-World/dp/1631466836/ref=asc_df_1631466836/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312543040920&amp;hvpos=1o1&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=16103113349990863390&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=1028320&amp;hvtargid=pla-495440923345&amp;psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Praying Life</a> by Paul Miller.

Leadership Series: A Praying Life

Pastor J.D. explains why we both should and shouldn’t feel satisfied by our jobs because God created us to work, but our work here on earth is toil. A glimpse inside this episode: Yes and no. YES, God created us to work.  God placed Adam in the garden “to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Remember that God said this before the fall, indicating that work wasn’t a punishment inflicted on Adam for his sin, but was a part of God’s original design. The Hebrew word translated ‘abad,’ and it has the connotation of preparing and developing. Adam was placed in the garden to develop its raw materials, to cultivate a garden. Christians can fulfill the created purpose of God in the same way, by taking the raw materials of the world and developing them. In principle, this happens all the time: Architects take sand and cement and use them to create buildings; artists take color or music and arrange them into art; lawyers take principles of justice and codify them into laws that benefit society.This isn’t just an accident; this is God’s plan. Martin Luther, the famous German reformer, put it this way: “When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to ‘give us this day our daily bread.’ And He does give us our daily bread. He does it by means of the farmer who planted and harvested the grain, the baker who made the flour into bread, the person who prepared our meal.”   Another great example of this comes from the classic movie, Chariots of Fire. The movie follows a Christian track athlete, Eric Liddell, in his preparation for the 1924 Olympics. At one point in the film Liddell is confronted with an objection to his career, since there are more pressing matters in life for a Christian than merely running. Liddell responds, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” At some point or another, while working at something we love or are good at, many of us have had a similar feeling. It is as if we feel inside of us, quite literally: this is what I was made for.  NO, because it is toil. I recently read an awesome article in The Atlantic, “Workism Is Making Americans Miserable.” This was a great line: “The modern labor force evolved to serve the needs of consumers and capitalists, not to satisfy tens of millions of people seeking transcendence at the office.” This article is one of those where someone has a brilliant insight the Bible teaches as a core principle: the futility of making work an idol.  However, the Bible’s presentation is more complete—man shall not live by work alone, but man was made for work. An idol is a good thing that only becomes a bad thing when it becomes a God thing. Realizing it is insufficient as a God doesn’t mean it is no longer good, however. The ideal society is not, as some people tend to think, that we spend our time trying to figure out what to do with our leisure and where the poor get welfare with no work required. God created us for work. God put man in the Garden to work it, not just lounge in it, which is why life without meaningful employment will in most cases be unsatisfying as well. Work, as the author indicates, makes a terrible idol. But so does leisure.  Our idolization of work (seen in comments like “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” has produced a generation of dissatisfied idealists who can’t understand why they don’t spring out of bed each morning excited to get to the office. The Bible explains that this is the result of the curse—our work would become toil. Thus, I should expect that even in fulfilling, life-giving work, there will be days I not only feel unfulfilled, but downright weary. Neither idle nor idol. Resource: Good to Great by Jim Collins ________________________________________________________________________________________________________  This Episode’s Sponsor: One of the greatest predictors of a disciple’s spiritual growth is regular Bible reading. That’s why LifeWay created the Daily Discipleship Guide. To download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/DDG.

Pastor J.D. explains why we both should and shouldn’t feel satisfied by our jobs because God created us to work, but our work here on earth is toil. A glimpse inside this episode: Yes and no. YES, God created us to work. <ul> <li>God placed Adam in the garden “to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Remember that God said this before the fall, indicating that work wasn’t a punishment inflicted on Adam for his sin, but was a part of God’s original design. <ul> <li>The Hebrew word translated ‘abad,’ and it has the connotation of preparing and developing. Adam was placed in the garden to develop its raw materials, to cultivate a garden. Christians can fulfill the created purpose of God in the same way, by taking the raw materials of the world and developing them.</li> <li>In principle, this happens all the time: Architects take sand and cement and use them to create buildings; artists take color or music and arrange them into art; lawyers take principles of justice and codify them into laws that benefit society.This isn’t just an accident; this is God’s plan.</li> <li>Martin Luther, the famous German reformer, put it this way: “When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to ‘give us this day our daily bread.’ And He does give us our daily bread. He does it by means of the farmer who planted and harvested the grain, the baker who made the flour into bread, the person who prepared our meal.”</li> </ul> </li> <li>Another great example of this comes from the classic movie, Chariots of Fire. The movie follows a Christian track athlete, Eric Liddell, in his preparation for the 1924 Olympics. At one point in the film Liddell is confronted with an objection to his career, since there are more pressing matters in life for a Christian than merely running. Liddell responds, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” At some point or another, while working at something we love or are good at, many of us have had a similar feeling. It is as if we feel inside of us, quite literally: this is what I was made for.</li> </ul> NO, because it is toil. I recently read an awesome article in The Atlantic, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Workism Is Making Americans Miserable.” </a>This was a great line: “The modern labor force evolved to serve the needs of consumers and capitalists, not to satisfy tens of millions of people seeking transcendence at the office.” This article is one of those where someone has a brilliant insight the Bible teaches as a core principle: the futility of making work an idol. <ul> <li>However, the Bible’s presentation is more complete—man shall not live by work alone, but man was made for work.</li> <li>An idol is a good thing that only becomes a bad thing when it becomes a God thing. Realizing it is insufficient as a God doesn’t mean it is no longer good, however. The ideal society is not, as some people tend to think, that we spend our time trying to figure out what to do with our leisure and where the poor get welfare with no work required. God created us for work. God put man in the Garden to work it, not just lounge in it, which is why life without meaningful employment will in most cases be unsatisfying as well. Work, as the author indicates, makes a terrible idol. But so does leisure.</li> </ul> Our idolization of work (seen in comments like “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” has produced a generation of dissatisfied idealists who can’t understand why they don’t spring out of bed each morning excited to get to the office. The Bible explains that this is the result of the curse—our work would become toil. Thus, I should expect that even in fulfilling, life-giving work, there will be days I not only feel unfulfilled, but downright weary. Neither idle nor idol. Resource: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Good to Great</a> by Jim Collins ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: One of the greatest predictors of a disciple’s spiritual growth is regular Bible reading. That’s why LifeWay created the <a href="https://biblestudiesforlife.com/DDG" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Daily Discipleship Guide</a>. To download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide, visit <a href="http://biblestudiesforlife.com/DDG" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">BibleStudiesforLife.com/DDG</a>.

Should I expect to feel satisfied by my job?

Pastor J.D. looks at the creation narrative and explains that an open Bible and an open mind are key when contemplating the concept of evolution. A glimpse inside this episode: The short answer is, “Yes.” This is one of those areas where Christians should be free to disagree. There are many conservative Bible scholars who believe in something like evolution.  Notable theistic evolutionists: Alistair McGrath, Francis Collins, and maybe Tim Keller(?)  Others do not. But they are able to remain in close fellowship with one another, because this is not a “first order” issue. I have serious problems with theistic evolution, but I don’t consider it a first order issue. Now, just because we can charitably disagree doesn’t mean this discussion is irrelevant. It has a lot of implications for how we read Scripture, which makes it crucial. If you are a Christian who believes in evolution, you’ll have to believe in what’s called “theistic evolution”—that even though the earth is billions of years old and it took millions of years for animals to come to their present form, God was orchestrating it. Hence theistic evolution—God + evolution. Now, many conservative scholars have issues with this. For instance, Wayne Grudem has an article called “12 Ideas You Must Embrace to Affirm Theistic Evolution.” His whole point is that if you affirm theistic evolution, you deny basic principles that are plain in Scripture, such as:  Adam and Eve were not the first human beings, were born from human parents. God didn’t act directly or specially to create Adam out of dust from the ground; God didn’t act directly to create Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side. Adam and Eve did not commit the first human sins because human beings were doing morally evil things long before Adam and Eve existed. (and weren’t sinless) Human death did not begin as a result of Adam’s sin because human beings existed long before Adam and Eve and they were always subject to death. Not all human beings have descended from Adam and Eve for there were thousands of other human beings on the earth at the time that God chose two of them and called them Adam and Eve. God did not directly act in the natural world to create different kinds of fish, birds, and land animals. God never created an originally very good natural world—a safe environment, free of thorns, thistles, and other harmful things. After Adam and Eve sinned, God did not place any curse on the world that changed the workings of the natural world, making it more hostile to mankind.  According to Grudem, this position is just too fraught with problems for a serious Bible reader. Doesn’t Genesis 1 teach that God created the world in six literal days? Many people look to Genesis 1 and they want to know timelines. Are we talking about 24-hour periods here? Or does each day represent a period of time—millions of years, perhaps? Maybe there were gaps somewhere along the way? This is one of those questions that some Christians take very seriously. It often acts as a litmus test for whether you’re a “real” Christian at all.  With all due respect to those who consider this a Priority One issue, I don’t believe that Genesis 1 itself gives us enough to come to rock solid answers about the creation timetable. Remember: whenever you’re interpreting a passage of Scripture, you have to ask why it was written before you pepper that passage with questions. If you start with the wrong questions, you’re not going to get to the right answers. And it appears rather obvious that the author of Genesis 1 was not intending to weigh in on the scientific nuances of our contemporary creation v. evolution debate. The focus of Genesis 1 is not specifically how God created, but that he created. It’s an artistic celebration, not a scientific documentation.    When it comes to the age of the earth, that’s a question that scientists and theologians should explore together.  I know godly, biblically faithful theologians who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible and who think that the timetable of Genesis 1 was not a literal week (which, by the way, isn’t a new interpretation, but is a position that has been around since the first few centuries of Christianity). I know some who think that God used evolution as a part of that process. And I know highly intelligent, scientifically sophisticated, erudite scholars who believe that each of the days in Genesis 1 are literal days.  My encouragement to everyone in this discussion is to study it out with an open Bible and an open mind—and not to look at other believers wrestling, in sincerity and faith, with disdain.  If you believe in a literal 24-day in Genesis 1, don’t view your brothers and sisters who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible but approach interpreting Genesis 1 differently than you do as “enemies of the faith” or “compromisers of the truth.” That’s not always true. And if you don’t believe in a literal 24-hour day, don’t look down your nose on others as “primitive, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals.” That’s not always true, either. Be charitable and assume that others are trying to be faithful to God’s Word and God’s world, just like you are.  God’s Scripture is never wrong. But we theologians and scientists often are. So we’ve got to resist the temptation to turn into a dogma a question that Scripture did not intend to settle. As Christians, we can agree: the universe is not the result of blind, random forces (NOT nothing x nobody = everything); God is the miraculous author and creator of all we see. That’s actually a significant common ground. Great book: 40 Questions on Evolution and Creation by Ken Keathley and Mark Rooker, two of my professors at SEBTS

Pastor J.D. looks at the creation narrative and explains that an open Bible and an open mind are key when contemplating the concept of evolution. A glimpse inside this episode: The short answer is, “Yes.” This is one of those areas where Christians should be free to disagree. There are many conservative Bible scholars who believe in something like evolution. <ul> <li>Notable theistic evolutionists: Alistair McGrath, Francis Collins, and maybe Tim Keller(?)</li> </ul> Others do not. But they are able to remain in close fellowship with one another, because this is not a “first order” issue. I have serious problems with theistic evolution, but I don’t consider it a first order issue. Now, just because we can charitably disagree doesn’t mean this discussion is irrelevant. It has a lot of implications for how we read Scripture, which makes it crucial. If you are a Christian who believes in evolution, you’ll have to believe in what’s called “theistic evolution”—that even though the earth is billions of years old and it took millions of years for animals to come to their present form, God was orchestrating it. Hence theistic evolution—God + evolution. Now, many conservative scholars have issues with this. For instance, Wayne Grudem has an article called <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/12-ideas-you-must-embrace-to-affirm-theistic-evolution/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“12 Ideas You Must Embrace to Affirm Theistic Evolution.”</a> His whole point is that if you affirm theistic evolution, you deny basic principles that are plain in Scripture, such as: <ul> <li>Adam and Eve were not the first human beings, were born from human parents.</li> <li>God didn’t act directly or specially to create Adam out of dust from the ground; God didn’t act directly to create Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side.</li> <li>Adam and Eve did not commit the first human sins because human beings were doing morally evil things long before Adam and Eve existed. (and weren’t sinless)</li> <li>Human death did not begin as a result of Adam’s sin because human beings existed long before Adam and Eve and they were always subject to death.</li> <li>Not all human beings have descended from Adam and Eve for there were thousands of other human beings on the earth at the time that God chose two of them and called them Adam and Eve.</li> <li>God did not directly act in the natural world to create different kinds of fish, birds, and land animals.</li> <li>God never created an originally very good natural world—a safe environment, free of thorns, thistles, and other harmful things.</li> <li>After Adam and Eve sinned, God did not place any curse on the world that changed the workings of the natural world, making it more hostile to mankind.</li> </ul> According to Grudem, this position is just too fraught with problems for a serious Bible reader. <h4>Doesn’t Genesis 1 teach that God created the world in six literal days?</h4> Many people look to Genesis 1 and they want to know timelines. Are we talking about 24-hour periods here? Or does each day represent a period of time—millions of years, perhaps? Maybe there were gaps somewhere along the way? This is one of those questions that some Christians take very seriously. It often acts as a litmus test for whether you’re a “real” Christian at all. <ul> <li>With all due respect to those who consider this a Priority One issue, I don’t believe that Genesis 1 itself gives us enough to come to rock solid answers about the creation timetable.</li> <li>Remember: whenever you’re interpreting a passage of Scripture, you have to ask why it was written before you pepper that passage with questions. <ul> <li>If you start with the wrong questions, you’re not going to get to the right answers.</li> <li>And it appears rather obvious that the author of Genesis 1 was not intending to weigh in on the scientific nuances of our contemporary creation v. evolution debate. The focus of Genesis 1 is not specifically how God created, but that he created. It’s an artistic celebration, not a scientific documentation.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> When it comes to the age of the earth, that’s a question that scientists and theologians should explore together. <ul> <li>I know godly, biblically faithful theologians who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible and who think that the timetable of Genesis 1 was not a literal week (which, by the way, isn’t a new interpretation, but is a position that has been around since the first few centuries of Christianity).</li> <li>I know some who think that God used evolution as a part of that process. And I know highly intelligent, scientifically sophisticated, erudite scholars who believe that each of the days in Genesis 1 are literal days.</li> </ul> My encouragement to everyone in this discussion is to study it out with an open Bible and an open mind—and not to look at other believers wrestling, in sincerity and faith, with disdain. <ul> <li>If you believe in a literal 24-day in Genesis 1, don’t view your brothers and sisters who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible but approach interpreting Genesis 1 differently than you do as “enemies of the faith” or “compromisers of the truth.” That’s not always true.</li> <li>And if you don’t believe in a literal 24-hour day, don’t look down your nose on others as “primitive, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals.” That’s not always true, either. Be charitable and assume that others are trying to be faithful to God’s Word and God’s world, just like you are.</li> </ul> God’s Scripture is never wrong. But we theologians and scientists often are. So we’ve got to resist the temptation to turn into a dogma a question that Scripture did not intend to settle. As Christians, we can agree: the universe is not the result of blind, random forces (NOT nothing x nobody = everything); God is the miraculous author and creator of all we see. That’s actually a significant common ground. Great book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Questions-About-Creation-Evolution-Answers/dp/0825429412" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">40 Questions on Evolution and Creation </a>by Ken Keathley and Mark Rooker, two of my professors at SEBTS

Can Christians believe in evolution?

Pastor J.D. explains that while hell is a difficult reality, it is something that the Bible teaches, and we can’t fully understand God and his world unless we grapple with it. A glimpse inside this episode:  When we ask these questions, we have to evaluate if it’s because we want to get away from the seriousness and heaviness of what the Bible says about Hell. I do believe that the vast majority of images used in the Bible about Hell are literal. There obviously is a metaphorical co-import into them. For example, darkness represents the complete absence of God and fire represents an insatiable desire, etc. So, it’s possible that there are both metaphorical and literal images that are part of what the Bible says about Hell. However, one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard of this is if a particular image is a metaphor in the Bible, it’s almost always because the full reality behind it can’t really be described. In those situations, the reality is always much more intense than the actual physical image that is used. So, it’s not that you’d say, “Oh, it’s a metaphor, so it’s really not that bad.” Instead, it is something in which the reality is so intense that the best way to describe it is by using these awful and horrendous images. In the end, we must conclude, like the writer of Hebrews concludes, that, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) C.S. Lewis put it this way: “In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ . . . To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does. . . . In the end, there are only two kinds of people– those who say to God “thy will be done” and those to whom God says in the end ‘thy will be done.’” (The Problem of Pain, “Hell,” 116 and The Great Divorce, 69.)   God’s word tells us about hell for a reason. God tells us about hell to demonstrate to us the magnitude of His holiness. Hell is what hell is because the holiness of God is what it is. Hell is not one degree hotter than our sin demands that it be. Hell should make our mouths stand agape at the righteous and just holiness of God. It should make us tremble before His majesty and grandeur. In fact, if you count up the verses, Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven. One of the most famous skeptics in history, Bertrand Russell, said in his book, What I’m not a Christian, that Jesus’ teaching on hell was “the one profound defect in Christ’s character.” If we want to avoid the idea of hell, we can’t ignore the problem by just focusing on “meek and mild Jesus.” In one sense, God doesn’t send anyone to hell; we send ourselves. In another sense, God does send people to hell; and all his ways are true and righteous altogether.

Pastor J.D. explains that while hell is a difficult reality, it is something that the Bible teaches, and we can’t fully understand God and his world unless we grapple with it. A glimpse inside this episode: <ul> <li>When we ask these questions, we have to evaluate if it’s because we want to get away from the seriousness and heaviness of what the Bible says about Hell.</li> <li>I do believe that the vast majority of images used in the Bible about Hell are literal.</li> <li>There obviously is a metaphorical co-import into them. For example, darkness represents the complete absence of God and fire represents an insatiable desire, etc.</li> <li>So, it’s possible that there are both metaphorical and literal images that are part of what the Bible says about Hell.</li> <li>However, one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard of this is if a particular image is a metaphor in the Bible, it’s almost always because the full reality behind it can’t really be described. In those situations, the reality is always much more intense than the actual physical image that is used.</li> <li>So, it’s not that you’d say, “Oh, it’s a metaphor, so it’s really not that bad.” Instead, it is something in which the reality is so intense that the best way to describe it is by using these awful and horrendous images.</li> <li>In the end, we must conclude, like the writer of Hebrews concludes, that, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) <ul> <li>C.S. Lewis put it this way: “In the long run the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is itself a question: ‘What are you asking God to do?’ . . . To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does. . . . In the end, there are only two kinds of people– those who say to God “thy will be done” and those to whom God says in the end ‘thy will be done.’” (The Problem of Pain, “Hell,” 116 and The Great Divorce, 69.)</li> </ul> </li> <li>God’s word tells us about hell for a reason. God tells us about hell to demonstrate to us the magnitude of His holiness. Hell is what hell is because the holiness of God is what it is. Hell is not one degree hotter than our sin demands that it be. Hell should make our mouths stand agape at the righteous and just holiness of God. It should make us tremble before His majesty and grandeur.</li> <li>In fact, if you count up the verses, Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about heaven. One of the most famous skeptics in history, Bertrand Russell, said in his book, What I’m not a Christian, that Jesus’ teaching on hell was “the one profound defect in Christ’s character.” If we want to avoid the idea of hell, we can’t ignore the problem by just focusing on “meek and mild Jesus.”</li> <li>In one sense, God doesn’t send anyone to hell; we send ourselves.</li> <li>In another sense, God does send people to hell; and all his ways are true and righteous altogether.</li></ul>

Is the Bible’s Language About Hell Literal or Figurative?

Pastor J.D. talks about the three kinds of faith we see in the Bible and how that faith is a gift in various ways. A glimpse inside this episode: Yes, but in different ways:  There are three different kinds of faith in the Bible. Saving faith General trust in God (I think of this as a spiritual fruit) Spiritual gift of faith: A spiritual gift is an empowerment given to all Christians. He gives to certain people the specific gift of faith, and different gifts to each Christian. “There is also what we might call charismatic faith, which I believe is what Paul had in mind when he spoke of the spiritual gift of faith in 1 Corinthians 12:9. How is it different? While all faith is an expression of trust and humble dependence upon a person or promise, this is the experience of faith that arises somewhat spontaneously and unexpectedly in our hearts.” Sam Storms, Practicing the Power      How do I grow and develop my faith?  Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” There is a direct correlation between faith and knowing the promises of God. The more time in the Word, the more trust and faith in God. Reading great biographies of faith warriors.

Pastor J.D. talks about the three kinds of faith we see in the Bible and how that faith is a gift in various ways. A glimpse inside this episode: Yes, but in different ways: <ul> <li>There are three different kinds of faith in the Bible. <ul> <li>Saving faith</li> <li>General trust in God (I think of this as a spiritual fruit)</li> <li>Spiritual gift of faith: <ul> <li>A spiritual gift is an empowerment given to all Christians. He gives to certain people the specific gift of faith, and different gifts to each Christian.</li> <li>“There is also what we might call charismatic faith, which I believe is what Paul had in mind when he spoke of the spiritual gift of faith in 1 Corinthians 12:9. How is it different? While all faith is an expression of trust and humble dependence upon a person or promise, this is the experience of faith that arises somewhat spontaneously and unexpectedly in our hearts.” <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Power-Welcoming-Gifts-Spirit/dp/0310533848" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sam Storms, Practicing the Power</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> How do I grow and develop my faith? <ul> <li>Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”</li> <li>There is a direct correlation between faith and knowing the promises of God.</li> <li>The more time in the Word, the more trust and faith in God.</li> <li>Reading great biographies of faith warriors.</li></ul>

Is Faith a Gift of God?

Pastor J.D. talks about how social media shapes us—whether we like it or not—and how we can participate in it in healthy ways. A glimpse inside this episode: Myth: the medium of communication is neutral, only content matters Truth: Medium shapes the message and also you  E.g. Brand Luther: the printing press forced writers to write on more common levels and shorter   Blogs have made it even shorter; Twitter shorter still!    Our social media shapes our days in dangerous ways:  Tony Reinke in Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You: the average person checks their phone 81,500 times each year, or once every 4.3 minutes of our waking lives, twice in this podcast) Email every 5 minutes in the midst of whatever else they are doing. The problem is that it takes an average of 64 seconds to resume the previous task after you finish (which means that because of email alone, we typically waste 1 out of every 6 minutes in ‘transition’ back to the previous task!) Dis-traction: French word meaning “pulled apart” (drawn and quartered) I know of one Christian counselor who says that distraction destroys more relationships than just about anything else today. Distraction, he says, makes intimacy impossible, because, you see, in order for someone to feel intimate with you—be that a spouse, a child, or a good friend—they have to believe (1) that you consider them a priority in your life; (2) you have plenty of unrushed time available for them; (3) you are giving them your undivided attention. Busyness and distraction make those three things impossible.  Nothing ruins my day faster (in good mood with kids, open up Twitter, and they can tell I’m on edge even if I don’t say anything). Accomplishes little: Everyone running the same direction getting the earth spinning again Those are the negatives. On the positive: To disengage is to intentionally mute our witness.  I saw Al Mohler say something about this years ago. He, as much as anyone, bemoans the ways that Twitter is not a format for nuanced and deep thought. But he also admitted, “There are people who won’t hear what we’re saying unless we say it in these formats. And I want people to hear this message.”  Some practical steps:  Set a limit for the time you spend on social media. Our phones, thankfully, now have the capacity to track and limit the amount of time we spend on various apps. I found this out after I turned on my “screen time” app on my iPhone. I thought, “I have pretty good habits here. This will confirm that.” And after a couple days, when I looked at the numbers, I realized I wasn’t doing as well as I had thought. Honestly, do you want to be spending 45 minutes a day on Facebook? Is that an investment of time you feel good about when you lay your head on your pillow at night? Probably not. So have your phone set a limit. You don’t have the discipline to do this by yourself. That’s fine. Neither do I. Use technology to save you from technology.     Don’t use it as a crutch. John Piper wrote a great little article that asks why we are so drawn to turn to technology first thing in the morning and at the first sign of a lull. He gives 6 reasons.   Novelty Candy. We have (FOMO). We’re afraid that our friends are going to know something we don’t know. (Sociologists have classified a condition where you experience a legitimate anxiety of being too separated from your phone—it is called “nomophobia.” Not kidding. Without Jesus your FOMO will lead to nomophobia. But with Jesus you’ll have NoMoFoMo.) Ego Candy (We want to know what people are saying about us, so we get on social media looking for likes and positive comments!) Entertainment Candy (We want to feed on what is fascinating, weird, strange, wonderful, or shocking.) – Oh look, this woman in Oregon has an Alpaca that can do Calculus. Boredom Avoidance (We want to put off the day ahead, especially when it looks routine to us.) Responsibility Avoidance (We want to put off the responsibilities God has given us as fathers, mothers, bosses, employees, students.) Hardship Avoidance (We want to put off dealing with relationship conflicts or the pain, disease, and disabilities in our bodies.)  Diversify: don’t get in an echo chamber.  Unfollow people who consistently make you envious. Yes, you should diversify your social media feed. But if you’re consistently taking in things that are toxic for your soul, that’s a problem. The deeper problem is your heart. But there’s also a lot of wisdom in just keeping yourself out of tempting situations. Like Martin Luther said, “If your head is made of butter, stay away from the fireplace.”     Personal for me: Try to remember that people on social media are people, too. People get nasty on social media—nastier than in real life, because the person they’re attacking seems just like an idea on a screen. I used to criticize people in public eye until I got to know a few: I may still be critical, but I do so remembering I am talking about (and to) a real person. Christians have a responsibility and an opportunity to show the world a better way.   If there were ever a place to apply James 1: be “quick to listen and slow to speak,” this is it. I’ve gotten in trouble through fast responses and virtue signaling.  

Pastor J.D. talks about how social media shapes us—whether we like it or not—and how we can participate in it in healthy ways. A glimpse inside this episode: Myth: the medium of communication is neutral, only content matters Truth: Medium shapes the message and also you <ul> <li>E.g. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Luther-Unheralded-Europe-Reformation/dp/0399563237" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Brand Luther</a>: the printing press forced writers to write on more common levels and shorter</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Blogs have made it even shorter; Twitter shorter still!</li> </ul> Our social media shapes our days in dangerous ways: <ul> <li>Tony Reinke in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Phone-Changing-You/dp/1433552434/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QHA5FYA2BP1&amp;keywords=twelve+ways+your+phone+is+changing+you&amp;qid=1552281397&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=twelve+ways+y%2Cstripbooks%2C153&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You</a>: the average person checks their phone 81,500 times each year, or once every 4.3 minutes of our waking lives, twice in this podcast)</li> <li>Email every 5 minutes in the midst of whatever else they are doing. The problem is that it takes an average of 64 seconds to resume the previous task after you finish (which means that because of email alone, we typically waste 1 out of every 6 minutes in ‘transition’ back to the previous task!)</li> <li>Dis-traction: French word meaning “pulled apart” (drawn and quartered)</li> <li>I know of one Christian counselor who says that distraction destroys more relationships than just about anything else today. Distraction, he says, makes intimacy impossible, because, you see, in order for someone to feel intimate with you—be that a spouse, a child, or a good friend—they have to believe (1) that you consider them a priority in your life; (2) you have plenty of unrushed time available for them; (3) you are giving them your undivided attention. Busyness and distraction make those three things impossible.</li> </ul> Nothing ruins my day faster (in good mood with kids, open up Twitter, and they can tell I’m on edge even if I don’t say anything). Accomplishes little: Everyone running the same direction getting the earth spinning again Those are the negatives. On the positive: To disengage is to intentionally mute our witness. <ul> <li>I saw Al Mohler say something about this years ago. He, as much as anyone, bemoans the ways that Twitter is not a format for nuanced and deep thought. But he also admitted, “There are people who won’t hear what we’re saying unless we say it in these formats. And I want people to hear this message.”</li> </ul> Some practical steps: <ul> <li>Set a limit for the time you spend on social media. <ul> <li>Our phones, thankfully, now have the capacity to track and limit the amount of time we spend on various apps. <ul> <li>I found this out after I turned on my “screen time” app on my iPhone. I thought, “I have pretty good habits here. This will confirm that.” And after a couple days, when I looked at the numbers, I realized I wasn’t doing as well as I had thought.</li> <li>Honestly, do you want to be spending 45 minutes a day on Facebook? Is that an investment of time you feel good about when you lay your head on your pillow at night? Probably not. So have your phone set a limit. You don’t have the discipline to do this by yourself. That’s fine. Neither do I. Use technology to save you from technology.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Don’t use it as a crutch. John Piper wrote a great little article that asks why we are so drawn to turn to technology first thing in the morning and at the first sign of a lull. He gives 6 reasons.</li> </ul> <ol> <li>Novelty Candy. We have (FOMO). We’re afraid that our friends are going to know something we don’t know. (Sociologists have classified a condition where you experience a legitimate anxiety of being too separated from your phone—it is called “nomophobia.” Not kidding. Without Jesus your FOMO will lead to nomophobia. But with Jesus you’ll have NoMoFoMo.)</li> <li>Ego Candy (We want to know what people are saying about us, so we get on social media looking for likes and positive comments!)</li> <li>Entertainment Candy (We want to feed on what is fascinating, weird, strange, wonderful, or shocking.) – Oh look, this woman in Oregon has an Alpaca that can do Calculus.</li> <li>Boredom Avoidance (We want to put off the day ahead, especially when it looks routine to us.)</li> <li>Responsibility Avoidance (We want to put off the responsibilities God has given us as fathers, mothers, bosses, employees, students.)</li> <li>Hardship Avoidance (We want to put off dealing with relationship conflicts or the pain, disease, and disabilities in our bodies.)</li> </ol> Diversify: don’t get in an echo chamber. <ul> <li>Unfollow people who consistently make you envious. <ul> <li>Yes, you should diversify your social media feed. But if you’re consistently taking in things that are toxic for your soul, that’s a problem. <ul> <li>The deeper problem is your heart. But there’s also a lot of wisdom in just keeping yourself out of tempting situations.</li> <li>Like Martin Luther said, “If your head is made of butter, stay away from the fireplace.”</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Personal for me: Try to remember that people on social media are people, too. <ul> <li>People get nasty on social media—nastier than in real life, because the person they’re attacking seems just like an idea on a screen.</li> <li>I used to criticize people in public eye until I got to know a few: I may still be critical, but I do so remembering I am talking about (and to) a real person.</li> <li>Christians have a responsibility and an opportunity to show the world a better way.</li> </ul> </li> <li>If there were ever a place to apply James 1: be “quick to listen and slow to speak,” this is it. <ul> <li>I’ve gotten in trouble through fast responses and virtue signaling.</li> </ul> </li></ul>

How Should Christians Engage with Social Media?

Pastor J.D. discusses transgenderism, gender ambiguity, and the concept of pronoun hospitality. A glimpse inside this episode: Old maxim: Behind every question is a questioner.  When I hear a question like this, I immediately imagine the sort of person asking it. Sometimes it may be someone trying to pick a fight. But behind those who identify as transgender, that experience is invariably a person filled with confusion, pain, and rejection. Sadly, the church has often failed to be the sanctuary of the hurting for people in the LGBTQ community. We need to acknowledge that and repent of it. Behind every case of ssa or gender dysphoria is a question about unanswered prayer.  Before we talk about trans pronouns, I think it may be helpful to talk a little bit about transgenderism more broadly.    Two excellent books (that far excel my own knowledge here):   Ryan Anderson, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment       He deals with these questions (about sex vs. gender, pronoun usage, etc) in a very straightforward while (usually) grace-filled way.   Andrew Walker, God and the Transgender Debate.     1. What determines your gender? Anatomy? Identity?      The real answer is genetics: However things look on the outside, sex (male/female) is hardwired into our DNA. But since the external manifestations of sex do not always cohere with the genetics, scientists use the helpful phrase, “genetic sex.” This refers to whether a person has XY or XX chromosomes. Genetic sex is established at conception, and is a binary. Despite advances in medical technology, there is still no way of altering this, as it is a part of our DNA. No matter what sexual reassignment surgeries people undergo, or what hormonal supplements they take, they will always have the genetic sex they did at conception. There are periodic mutations in which individuals get other unconventional combinations (besides XX or XY), the most common of which is XXY. (This is called Klinefelter syndrome.) But even though this is the most common genetic sex disorder, it only occurs in about 1 in 1,000 men—and most of them never manifest symptoms. If they do manifest symptoms, it is usually via infertility. All told, when it comes to genetic sex, at the DNA level, there really is just male and female.       QUESTION 2. What about ambiguous Genitalia and the “Intersexual”   Now, when it comes to external anatomy, the situation is slightly different. Sometimes a genetically female child will have an enlarged clitoris (resembling a penis), or a genetically male child will lack one (or both) testicles. In most of these cases, the abnormality is minor and can be corrected surgically. This is sometimes referred to as “ambiguous genitalia,” though some people with this condition prefer the title “intersexual.” Again, the numbers here are very small. Only 1 in 1,000 babies undergoes corrective surgery for genitalia abnormalities. Not all cases of ambiguous genitalia require corrective surgery, of course, so the number of instances may be higher—though only slightly so. But here’s the important thing to note here: those who identify as transgender are nearly always not those with abnormalities in genetic and anatomical sex. Even the “Intersex Society of North America” admits that transgendered people “have an internal experience of gender identity that is different from most people,” not an identity based on their ambiguous anatomical makeup. It’s not found by looking within. Our hearts are inclined to be deceitful, not trustworthy (cf. Jeremiah 17:9). And as Tim Keller has shown in his recent book, Making Sense of God, the more we look within for our identity, the more we get confused, toggling between elation and despair. Our identity is formed by our Creator. We are who he has declared us to be.    QUESTION 3: OK, the pronoun question… Andrew Walker, God and the Transgender Debate  “Christians disagree—hopefully charitably—about pronoun usage. Some think that as a personal courtesy, you should refer to a transgender person by their preferred pronoun. … Others think that it is wrong to inject further confusion into a person’s situation by referring to them with a pronoun that is not aligned with their biological sex.” In other words, there is a spectrum of generosity of spirit vs. telling truth   I tend toward generosity of spirit. Andrew Walker: “My own position is that if a transgender person comes to your church, it is fine to refer to them by their preferred pronoun. .. If and when this person desires greater involvement or membership in the church, a church leader will need to meet with them and talk about how they identify. … The best solution is to avoid pronouns altogether if possible. Calling a person by their legal name or preferred name is more acceptable because names are not objectively gendered, but change from culture to culture.” Best if you use the proper name over and over, even if it means it sounds weird    Preston Sprinkle, who heads up The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, has a similar approach:  He calls it “pronoun hospitality.”  The Bible appears to use accommodating language. ACTS 17. We know there is only one God. You might find a correlation in “wives” in polygamous society / to a divorced man: “your adulteress” I wouldn’t invest too much into language–”oh, I am lying” You can be clear in other ways. “I’ll argue in this paper that the most biblical response to transgender people’s pronouns is a posture of unequivocal pronoun hospitality.” That is, I believe that all Christians can and should use pronouns that reflect the expressed gender identities of transgender people, regardless of our views about gender identity ethics. If a person identifies herself to you as ‘she,’ I hope you will consider it an act of Christ-like love to call her ‘she’ out of respect, whether or not you believe that the way she expresses her gender identity is honoring to God” (11.1). “What does it look like for people who think differently about gender identity ethics to speak truthfully and effectively about one another? This paper considers the common reasons given by Christian conservatives for rejecting the idea of pronoun hospitality, then challenges two assumptions about the nature of language that such arguments make and lays out an affirmative case for pronoun hospitality based in a robust understanding of how language works” (11.1). “Christian arguments against pronoun accommodation—that is, using the pronouns with which trans people identify—are generally rooted in the importance of truth-telling. According to this view of language, the purpose of a pronoun is to make a statement about a person’s appointed sex” (11.4). “Whereas [the truth-telling position] emphasizes the importance of truthfulness for the sake of personal integrity before God, Andrew Walker’s position focuses primarily on how his truthfulness will impact others who are listening to his words” (11.5).   “The arguments against pronoun accommodation summarized above all rely on two important assumptions about the nature of language. These assumptions are all the more powerful because they remain unstated: Assumption #1: Pronoun gender always and only refers to an individual’s appointed sex. Assumption #2: When our definitions of words differ from other people’s definitions, ‘telling the truth’ means using our own definitions” (11.6).   “When we apply Paul’s linguistic approach to the pronouns we use about transgender people, I believe we arrive at a posture of pronoun hospitality: a willingness to accommodate the pronouns of our transgender neighbors regardless of our own views about the Christian ethics of gender identity” (11.10). Based off of Acts 17

Pastor J.D. discusses transgenderism, gender ambiguity, and the concept of pronoun hospitality. A glimpse inside this episode: Old maxim: Behind every question is a questioner. <ul> <li>When I hear a question like this, I immediately imagine the sort of person asking it. Sometimes it may be someone trying to pick a fight.</li> <li>But behind those who identify as transgender, that experience is invariably a person filled with confusion, pain, and rejection.</li> <li>Sadly, the church has often failed to be the sanctuary of the hurting for people in the LGBTQ community. We need to acknowledge that and repent of it.</li> <li>Behind every case of ssa or gender dysphoria is a question about unanswered prayer.</li> </ul> Before we talk about trans pronouns, I think it may be helpful to talk a little bit about transgenderism more broadly. <ul> <li> <ul> <li>Two excellent books (that far excel my own knowledge here):</li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Harry-Became-Sally-Transgender/dp/1594039615" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ryan Anderson</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Harry-Became-Sally-Transgender/dp/1594039615" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment</a></li> <li> <ul> <li> <ul> <li> <ul> <li>He deals with these questions (about sex vs. gender, pronoun usage, etc) in a very straightforward while (usually) grace-filled way.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Andrew Walker, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/God-Transgender-Debate-Andrew-Walker/dp/1784981788/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SSH3MBRD1CNE&amp;keywords=andrew+walker+god+and+the+transgender+debate&amp;qid=1573487656&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=andrew+walker+God%2Cstripbooks%2C159&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">God and the Transgender Debate.</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ambiguous-genitalia/symptoms-causes/syc-20369273" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1. What determines your gender?</a> Anatomy? Identity? </li> <li> <ul> <li> <ul> <li>The real answer is genetics: However things look on the outside, sex (male/female) is hardwired into our DNA. But since the external manifestations of sex do not always cohere with the genetics, scientists use the helpful phrase, “genetic sex.” This refers to whether a person has XY or XX chromosomes. Genetic sex is established at conception, and is a binary. Despite advances in medical technology, there is still no way of altering this, as it is a part of our DNA. No matter what sexual reassignment surgeries people undergo, or what hormonal supplements they take, they will always have the genetic sex they did at conception.</li> <li>There are periodic mutations in which individuals get other unconventional combinations (besides XX or XY), the most common of which is XXY. (This is called Klinefelter syndrome.) But even though this is the most common genetic sex disorder, it only occurs in about 1 in 1,000 men—and most of them never manifest symptoms. If they do manifest symptoms, it is usually via infertility.</li> <li>All told, when it comes to genetic sex, at the DNA level, there really is just male and female.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul> <li>QUESTION 2. What about ambiguous Genitalia and the “Intersexual”</li> <li> <ul> <li>Now, when it comes to external anatomy, the situation is slightly different. Sometimes a genetically female child will have an enlarged clitoris (resembling a penis), or a genetically male child will lack one (or both) testicles. In most of these cases, the abnormality is minor and can be corrected surgically. This is sometimes referred to as “ambiguous genitalia,” though some people with this condition prefer the title “intersexual.”</li> <li>Again, the numbers here are very small. Only 1 in 1,000 babies undergoes corrective surgery for genitalia abnormalities. Not all cases of ambiguous genitalia require corrective surgery, of course, so the number of instances may be higher—though only slightly so.</li> <li>But here’s the important thing to note here: those who identify as transgender are nearly always not those with abnormalities in genetic and anatomical sex. Even the “<a href="https://isna.org/faq/frequency/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Intersex Society of North America</a>” admits that transgendered people “have an internal experience of gender identity that is different from most people,” not an identity based on their ambiguous anatomical makeup.</li> <li>It’s not found by looking within. Our hearts are inclined to be deceitful, not trustworthy (cf. Jeremiah 17:9). And as Tim Keller has shown in his recent book, Making Sense of God, the more we look within for our identity, the more we get confused, toggling between elation and despair.</li> <li>Our identity is formed by our Creator. We are who he has declared us to be.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> QUESTION 3: OK, the pronoun question… Andrew Walker, God and the Transgender Debate <ul> <li>“Christians disagree—hopefully charitably—about pronoun usage. Some think that as a personal courtesy, you should refer to a transgender person by their preferred pronoun. … Others think that it is wrong to inject further confusion into a person’s situation by referring to them with a pronoun that is not aligned with their biological sex.” <ul> <li>In other words, there is a spectrum of generosity of spirit vs. telling truth</li> </ul> </li> <li>I tend toward generosity of spirit. <ul> <li>Andrew Walker: “My own position is that if a transgender person comes to your church, it is fine to refer to them by their preferred pronoun. .. If and when this person desires greater involvement or membership in the church, a church leader will need to meet with them and talk about how they identify. … The best solution is to avoid pronouns altogether if possible. Calling a person by their legal name or preferred name is more acceptable because names are not objectively gendered, but change from culture to culture.”</li> <li>Best if you use the proper name over and over, even if it means it sounds weird</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Preston Sprinkle, who heads up The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, has a similar approach: <ul> <li>He calls it “pronoun hospitality.” </li> <li>The Bible appears to use accommodating language. ACTS 17. We know there is only one God.</li> <li>You might find a correlation in “wives” in polygamous society / to a divorced man: “your adulteress”</li> <li>I wouldn’t invest too much into language–”oh, I am lying” You can be clear in other ways.</li> <li>“I’ll argue in this paper that the most biblical response to transgender people’s pronouns is a posture of unequivocal pronoun hospitality.”</li> <li>That is, I believe that all Christians can and should use pronouns that reflect the expressed gender identities of transgender people, regardless of our views about gender identity ethics. If a person identifies herself to you as ‘she,’ I hope you will consider it an act of Christ-like love to call her ‘she’ out of respect, whether or not you believe that the way she expresses her gender identity is honoring to God” (11.1).</li> <li>“What does it look like for people who think differently about gender identity ethics to speak truthfully and effectively about one another? This paper considers the common reasons given by Christian conservatives for rejecting the idea of pronoun hospitality, then challenges two assumptions about the nature of language that such arguments make and lays out an affirmative case for pronoun hospitality based in a robust understanding of how language works” (11.1). <ul> <li>“Christian arguments against pronoun accommodation—that is, using the pronouns with which trans people identify—are generally rooted in the importance of truth-telling. According to this view of language, the purpose of a pronoun is to make a statement about a person’s appointed sex” (11.4).</li> <li>“Whereas [the truth-telling position] emphasizes the importance of truthfulness for the sake of personal integrity before God, Andrew Walker’s position focuses primarily on how his truthfulness will impact others who are listening to his words” (11.5).</li> </ul> </li> <li>“The arguments against pronoun accommodation summarized above all rely on two important assumptions about the nature of language. These assumptions are all the more powerful because they remain unstated: <ul> <li>Assumption #1: Pronoun gender always and only refers to an individual’s appointed sex.</li> <li>Assumption #2: When our definitions of words differ from other people’s definitions, ‘telling the truth’ means using our own definitions” (11.6).</li> </ul> </li> <li>“When we apply Paul’s linguistic approach to the pronouns we use about transgender people, I believe we arrive at a posture of pronoun hospitality: a willingness to accommodate the pronouns of our transgender neighbors regardless of our own views about the Christian ethics of gender identity” (11.10).</li> <li>Based off of Acts 17</li></ul>

When talking with a transgender person, which pronoun should you use?

Pastor J.D. shares some encouragement and wisdom for the worship leaders, reminding them of the vital role they play in the church. A glimpse inside this episode: One of our leaders asked me to come speak to a group of worship interns, telling them “everything I thought pastors wanted worship leaders to know.” When I agreed to do it, I thought it would be a stretch to come up with three or four things. That was a bit naïve. By the time I was done, it grew to a list of 14!   Teach the people how to respond in worship.  Our impulse is to blame the congregation for being too cold. But as leaders, we need to assume that the fault lies with us. If people aren’t responding to God in worship, the easy way out is to gripe about the people. The leader’s way out is to ask how we can disciple people to grow. Responding appropriately in worship is something that has to be taught. On the practical side, it helps if you start by teaching those who are already bought in to the mission. Teach the staff and leaders, then lead in concentric circles.   The posture guides the heart.  Interesting: The Bible commands postures of worship. We were created as holistic beings—with intellects, emotions, and bodies all working in concert with one another. This is why the Bible commands us to kneel, stand, sing, shout, and lift our hands. It doesn’t say, “Shout to the Lord if you have that kind of personality and the mood strikes you.” It simply says, “Shout.” Our hearts often guide our posture in worship, but it is equally true that our posture guides our heart.   Your people need a pastor, not a performer.  Not that they are at odds… But you aren’t there to simply sing in front of folks. Don’t hide backstage before and after the service. Get out there and mingle with people. Be available. As a worship leader, you should be leading people to worship with you, not merely in the same room as you.   Don’t lead for the artists. Lead for the congregation.  They want to impress other artists. The congregation doesn’t get tired of a song nearly as quickly as you. I always say that when I get sick of saying something around the Summit, I find that our people have just heard it. That’s how leadership and vision works. It works the same for music, too. For songs to stick in people’s hearts and minds, they’re going to have to hear them a lot. You’ll get sick of those songs right around the time people start to really ingest them and love them. Stick it out for their sake, and don’t shift too rapidly. The key–is it good for the congregation or for you?   No one is as enamored with your music as you are.  We write a lot of our own songs at the Summit. I think they’re incredible, and I want more of that. I think more worship leaders should be trying their hand at their own stuff, offering it to their congregations as a way of contextualizing and applying the gospel to their context. But it’s easy to buy into your own hype a little too much. Balance your songs with music from the broader church—both contemporary songs and hymns. And don’t take yourself too seriously. The mission is serious, and we should care deeply about it. But we are servants, and we should think of ourselves rather lightly.   Talk with your pastor about what you’re trying to do.  The more you talk with your pastor about why you want to do a certain song (or avoid one), the further you’ll get in actually achieving your goals together. Worship should be a rhythm of revelation and response. Once you and your pastor agree on that, the specifics of songs and sets becomes easier to manage.   Take audience mood into consideration.  You’re dealing with music and singing, which brings certain sociological elements into the picture. So don’t be surprised if you do three slow, soft songs in a row and find your people checking out. They aren’t necessarily being unholy. They’re following the mood you set. There’s a reason we generally start off with a more upbeat song in our services, rather than a contemplative and mournful one—just like I usually start my sermons with an illustration. You can easily go overboard on this, but don’t ignore it altogether. Setting the mood and using artistic style is one way of honoring God with your talents and leading your people well.   Think about what you are going to say  I know that not every worship leader prides himself on public speaking. But you will be doing some speaking up there, so be smart about it and write it out. We carelessly say things that end up being more befitting of a rock show.   Don’t just execute the plan. Read the moment.  This is as true of a sermon as it is a worship set. In the planning stage, it all makes sense. But then you get into the service, and a spark of intuition tells you, “The last song we planned doesn’t fit. We should be slowing down and giving people space, not amping up and trying to be triumphant.” It can be maddening for everyone around you if you do this too much, but you need to have some flexibility to change the plans. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, to read the moment you need to be there for the moment. Often worship leaders will do their songs at the beginning, leave, and then return for a song or two at the end. Nothing is worse (or more obvious) than when the worship leader wasn’t there for most of the service. What you say and sing at the end should dovetail with what came before. So, you now, be there for that.   Never re-preach the sermon.  It’s a common temptation for worship leaders to step up after the sermon and feel the need to say a few things before launching into their songs. Resist. If the preacher knows what he’s doing (even if he doesn’t), his sermon will end by leaving people worshiping. Your job is to take that handoff and to worship. One brief line does the trick, and then you should get into the music. This doesn’t mean you should refrain from speaking or preaching at all. There are several other moments when a short “sermon” from the worship leader works well. But to jump from one sermon immediately into another shorter one doesn’t help people digest what they’ve just heard. 11. Guard the time for preaching. I’m aware of the irony here. I’m a preacher, so this may sound self-serving. (Like I mentioned above, I’m ready to receive words of wisdom from worship leaders to us preachers.) But as Protestants, the preaching of the Word has been and should be the centerpiece of the service. It’s the reason most of us choose to come to church: We want to hear from the Word of God. Keep that element of the worship service in mind as you struggle to balance singing with teaching.   Affirm your pastor.  Your pastor. This is probably good advice for a lot of roles. Assume the weaknesses, and notice the strengths. I tend to do the opposite, pointing out other people’s weaknesses and assuming their strengths. Flipping that pattern is a discipline but one that bears a lot of fruit. My wife is my biggest preaching fan. She knows I don’t always do well, but she also knows that I have other people intentionally critiquing my preaching. So she lets them do it and just “notices the positive.” You should probably assume a similar posture toward your pastor. If he feels like you are his biggest fan, it will be a great long-term relationship. If he senses that you have a long list of ways he could improve things, you aren’t setting anyone up to succeed.   Don’t sweat the themes too much.  We strive for alignment in our services, but that goal can easily become too all-encompassing. Let the theme of your service or your series serve you, rather than serving it.   In choosing the response song, think more about the gospel than the pastor’s sermon.  “What are you preaching on?” Charles Spurgeon encouraged preachers to always plow a trough back to the gospel at the end of every sermon. I try to do the same. The gospel is the power to do whatever the Word commanded, so every sermon should end there. The thing is, not every sermon does end there. This is one way that worship leaders can help their pastors. If he has limited time or doesn’t make the gospel connection abundantly clear, the songs following the sermon can point back to the gospel as the source of power.    This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.

Pastor J.D. shares some encouragement and wisdom for the worship leaders, reminding them of the vital role they play in the church. A glimpse inside this episode: One of our leaders asked me to come speak to a group of worship interns, telling them “everything I thought pastors wanted worship leaders to know.” When I agreed to do it, I thought it would be a stretch to come up with three or four things. That was a bit naïve. By the time I was done, it grew to a list of 14! <ol> <li> Teach the people how to respond in worship.</li> </ol> Our impulse is to blame the congregation for being too cold. But as leaders, we need to assume that the fault lies with us. If people aren’t responding to God in worship, the easy way out is to gripe about the people. The leader’s way out is to ask how we can disciple people to grow. Responding appropriately in worship is something that has to be taught. On the practical side, it helps if you start by teaching those who are already bought in to the mission. Teach the staff and leaders, then lead in concentric circles. <ol> <li> The posture guides the heart.</li> </ol> Interesting: The Bible commands postures of worship. We were created as holistic beings—with intellects, emotions, and bodies all working in concert with one another. This is why the Bible commands us to kneel, stand, sing, shout, and lift our hands. It doesn’t say, “Shout to the Lord if you have that kind of personality and the mood strikes you.” It simply says, “Shout.” Our hearts often guide our posture in worship, but it is equally true that our posture guides our heart. <ol> <li> Your people need a pastor, not a performer.</li> </ol> Not that they are at odds… But you aren’t there to simply sing in front of folks. Don’t hide backstage before and after the service. Get out there and mingle with people. Be available. As a worship leader, you should be leading people to worship with you, not merely in the same room as you. <ol> <li> Don’t lead for the artists. Lead for the congregation.</li> </ol> They want to impress other artists. The congregation doesn’t get tired of a song nearly as quickly as you. I always say that when I get sick of saying something around the Summit, I find that our people have just heard it. That’s how leadership and vision works. It works the same for music, too. For songs to stick in people’s hearts and minds, they’re going to have to hear them a lot. You’ll get sick of those songs right around the time people start to really ingest them and love them. Stick it out for their sake, and don’t shift too rapidly. The key–is it good for the congregation or for you? <ol> <li> No one is as enamored with your music as you are.</li> </ol> We write a lot of our own songs at the Summit. I think they’re incredible, and I want more of that. I think more worship leaders should be trying their hand at their own stuff, offering it to their congregations as a way of contextualizing and applying the gospel to their context. But it’s easy to buy into your own hype a little too much. Balance your songs with music from the broader church—both contemporary songs and hymns. And don’t take yourself too seriously. The mission is serious, and we should care deeply about it. But we are servants, and we should think of ourselves rather lightly. <ol> <li> Talk with your pastor about what you’re trying to do.</li> </ol> The more you talk with your pastor about why you want to do a certain song (or avoid one), the further you’ll get in actually achieving your goals together. Worship should be a rhythm of revelation and response. Once you and your pastor agree on that, the specifics of songs and sets becomes easier to manage. <ol> <li> Take audience mood into consideration.</li> </ol> You’re dealing with music and singing, which brings certain sociological elements into the picture. So don’t be surprised if you do three slow, soft songs in a row and find your people checking out. They aren’t necessarily being unholy. They’re following the mood you set. There’s a reason we generally start off with a more upbeat song in our services, rather than a contemplative and mournful one—just like I usually start my sermons with an illustration. You can easily go overboard on this, but don’t ignore it altogether. Setting the mood and using artistic style is one way of honoring God with your talents and leading your people well. <ol> <li> Think about what you are going to say</li> </ol> I know that not every worship leader prides himself on public speaking. But you will be doing some speaking up there, so be smart about it and write it out. We carelessly say things that end up being more befitting of a rock show. <ol> <li> Don’t just execute the plan. Read the moment.</li> </ol> This is as true of a sermon as it is a worship set. In the planning stage, it all makes sense. But then you get into the service, and a spark of intuition tells you, “The last song we planned doesn’t fit. We should be slowing down and giving people space, not amping up and trying to be triumphant.” It can be maddening for everyone around you if you do this too much, but you need to have some flexibility to change the plans. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, to read the moment you need to be there for the moment. Often worship leaders will do their songs at the beginning, leave, and then return for a song or two at the end. Nothing is worse (or more obvious) than when the worship leader wasn’t there for most of the service. What you say and sing at the end should dovetail with what came before. So, you now, be there for that. <ol> <li> Never re-preach the sermon.</li> </ol> It’s a common temptation for worship leaders to step up after the sermon and feel the need to say a few things before launching into their songs. Resist. If the preacher knows what he’s doing (even if he doesn’t), his sermon will end by leaving people worshiping. Your job is to take that handoff and to worship. One brief line does the trick, and then you should get into the music. This doesn’t mean you should refrain from speaking or preaching at all. There are several other moments when a short “sermon” from the worship leader works well. But to jump from one sermon immediately into another shorter one doesn’t help people digest what they’ve just heard. 11. Guard the time for preaching. I’m aware of the irony here. I’m a preacher, so this may sound self-serving. (Like I mentioned above, I’m ready to receive words of wisdom from worship leaders to us preachers.) But as Protestants, the preaching of the Word has been and should be the centerpiece of the service. It’s the reason most of us choose to come to church: We want to hear from the Word of God. Keep that element of the worship service in mind as you struggle to balance singing with teaching. <ol> <li> Affirm your pastor.</li> </ol> Your pastor. This is probably good advice for a lot of roles. Assume the weaknesses, and notice the strengths. I tend to do the opposite, pointing out other people’s weaknesses and assuming their strengths. Flipping that pattern is a discipline but one that bears a lot of fruit. My wife is my biggest preaching fan. She knows I don’t always do well, but she also knows that I have other people intentionally critiquing my preaching. So she lets them do it and just “notices the positive.” You should probably assume a similar posture toward your pastor. If he feels like you are his biggest fan, it will be a great long-term relationship. If he senses that you have a long list of ways he could improve things, you aren’t setting anyone up to succeed. <ol> <li> Don’t sweat the themes too much.</li> </ol> We strive for alignment in our services, but that goal can easily become too all-encompassing. Let the theme of your service or your series serve you, rather than serving it. <ol> <li> In choosing the response song, think more about the gospel than the pastor’s sermon.</li> </ol> “What are you preaching on?” Charles Spurgeon encouraged preachers to always plow a trough back to the gospel at the end of every sermon. I try to do the same. The gospel is the power to do whatever the Word commanded, so every sermon should end there. The thing is, not every sermon does end there. This is one way that worship leaders can help their pastors. If he has limited time or doesn’t make the gospel connection abundantly clear, the songs following the sermon can point back to the gospel as the source of power. <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> This Episode’s Sponsor: With <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ministry Grid’s</a> library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ministry Grid</a> video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at <a href="https://ministrygrid.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">MinistryGrid.com.</a>

What Do You Wish Every Worship Leader Knew About Their Ministry?

Pastor J.D. shares about the generosity matrix and how that can help us view finances biblically. A glimpse inside this episode: Short answer: Yes  People like Abraham; Job at the beginning and end of his life; David; not to mention Solomon! Randy Alcorn points out in his book Money, Possessions, and Eternity that it is clear that some of Jesus’ early disciples were people of substantial means. Luke goes out of his way to point out three wealthy women who funded him: Mary, Joanna (who was Herod’s household manager), and Susanna. Some of Jesus’ followers in Acts evidently had large houses, as we know they hosted early church gatherings. Paul often addressed rich people in his letters. He didn’t tell them to get rid of everything immediately; he told them to be generous and to their hope in heaven and not on their wealth.  Two extremes:  The first one is that God wants 10 percent (that’s called the tithe–based on OT principle that the first 10% goes back to God); so, you give that, and after that, you’ve mostly fulfilled your duty and you can do whatever you want with the rest. It’s like a God-tax. After you pay it, you’re free. At the other end are those who assume that whatever we are giving, we could and should be giving more. They assume that God’s only real purpose with our money is spreading the gospel and relieving world poverty, and in light of so much poverty and the lostness of the world, if there’s something we could give away and still survive, we probably should.  Illus. John Wesley famously took down all the pictures on his wall because he felt like they were the “blood of the poor.” Each picture on the wall was another orphan he might have brought in from the cold. Or, do you remember that really stirring scene in the movie Schindler’s List where Liam Neeson, who is playing Schindler, looks at his watch and remorsefully says, “This watch … this watch could have freed two Jews.” Basically that. You see everything you have through the lens of what it could have done and feel guilty for not having given it.  I think Scripture teaches us to view our possessions through a matrix—a set of principles we must hold in tension. We like rules, formulas, and black and white prescriptions. Instead, the Bible gives complementary values we should prize in our hearts. Individual decisions arise out of processing them through that matrix.  Jesus’ generosity to us is a model for our own (2 Corinthians 8) God gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6) God gives excess to some to share with others (2 Corinthians 8) It can be wise to build wealth. “The crown of the wise is their wealth.” (Proverbs 14:24) “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” (21:5) “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine” (3:9–10) “Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways … she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” (and saves it) (6:6–8) “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” (13:22)   Treasures in heaven are better than treasures on earth Look to God, not money, as your source of security and significance Two personality types: Money and birds Put God first   Follow the Holy Spirit  Any one of these principles, taken alone, will lead you out of balance. But holding all of these principles in reverent tension can provide you with a balanced and biblical approach to your money.  God gives excess to some so that they can share with those who have less.       Those of us who have been given more have the responsibility to share with those given less. The Bible teaches this all over the place, but one key place is Paul’s instruction in 2 Corinthians 8:13–15, where Paul uses the story of the manna to tell the Corinthians that those with excess should give to those with want. We should not hoard our materials or gorge ourselves with God’s provisions today, for, at the end of each day, it will all go bad, just as it did with the manna.       Jesus’ generosity is the model and motivation for our generosity.       Jesus did not merely tithe his blood, he gave all of it. Our responsibility is not to give up our 10 percent and go on our self-serving ways but to pour out our entire lives, recklessly, for him and for others, just as he did for us. God doesn’t give us more to increase our standard of living, but our standard of giving.       The Holy Spirit must guide us as to which sacrifices we are to make.       Not everything in heaven has your name on it … but something does. This is why the Pentecostals mobilize so well for missions. (And what is true for missions motivation is true for giving motivation, too.) In giving, I depend on the guidance of the Spirit. Otherwise, every time I hear someone speaking about some mission, I feel like, “Why shouldn’t I be a part of that?”         God delights in our enjoyment of his material gifts and gives us richly all things to enjoy.       Proverbs says he gives food and wine (fruit juices for us Baptists) to gladden our hearts, not just to nourish our bodies. Food is a gift of God that is about more than just life; it is about enjoyment. Psalm 35:27 says, “The Lord… delights in the well-being of his servant”(NIV). Like a good father, God loves to watch us enjoy the gifts He has given to us. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 says that God gives us richly all things to enjoy. In other words, God loves it when I bite into the succulent richness of a horseradish-crusted prime rib and every taste bud screams out in thanksgiving to God, etc.   This can be taken out of balance, but it is a biblical principle.       We are not to trust in riches and not to define our lives by the abundance of our possessions.       Money is the top competitor with God for two things in our lives: security and meaning. Savers v. Spenders (and a third category … stewards)         Wealth building is wise.     Consider these clear instructions in Proverbs. “The crown of the wise is their wealth.” (14:24 ESV) “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” (21:5) “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” (13:22) Proverbs 13:22 goes so far as to say that a wise man can leave an inheritance that blesses even his grandchildren! That’s a pretty significant wad of cash.   Now again, if you held this principle alone and not in tension with the others, you’ll hoard money and not be generous—which is opposed to the other principles here. But we should also note that saving money and building wealth can actually increase your ability to be generous later.    If you take all of those 6 principles into account, I believe the life that most glorifies God is one in which you live sufficiently and give extravagantly. ______________________________________________________ Sponsor: Blackbaud Church Management connects your staff and congregation, ensuring deeper relationships and effective ministry. To see how to connect your church community with one holistic system, visit hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement.

Pastor J.D. shares about the generosity matrix and how that can help us view finances biblically. A glimpse inside this episode: Short answer: Yes <ul> <li>People like Abraham; Job at the beginning and end of his life; David; not to mention Solomon!</li> <li>Randy Alcorn points out in his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Money-Possessions-Eternity-Randy-Alcorn/dp/0842353607/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1D5VQP8CNDKI5&amp;keywords=randy+alcorn+money+possessions+and+eternity&amp;qid=1575259250&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=randy+alcorn+mon%2Cstripbooks%2C159&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Money, Possessions, and Eternity</a> that it is clear that some of Jesus’ early disciples were people of substantial means.</li> <li>Luke goes out of his way to point out three wealthy women who funded him: Mary, Joanna (who was Herod’s household manager), and Susanna.</li> <li>Some of Jesus’ followers in Acts evidently had large houses, as we know they hosted early church gatherings.</li> <li>Paul often addressed rich people in his letters. He didn’t tell them to get rid of everything immediately; he told them to be generous and to their hope in heaven and not on their wealth.</li> </ul> Two extremes: <ul> <li>The first one is that God wants 10 percent (that’s called the tithe–based on OT principle that the first 10% goes back to God); so, you give that, and after that, you’ve mostly fulfilled your duty and you can do whatever you want with the rest. It’s like a God-tax. After you pay it, you’re free.</li> <li>At the other end are those who assume that whatever we are giving, we could and should be giving more. They assume that God’s only real purpose with our money is spreading the gospel and relieving world poverty, and in light of so much poverty and the lostness of the world, if there’s something we could give away and still survive, we probably should. </li> <li>Illus. John Wesley famously took down all the pictures on his wall because he felt like they were the “blood of the poor.” Each picture on the wall was another orphan he might have brought in from the cold.</li> <li>Or, do you remember that really stirring scene in the movie Schindler’s List where Liam Neeson, who is playing Schindler, looks at his watch and remorsefully says, “This watch … this watch could have freed two Jews.” Basically that. You see everything you have through the lens of what it could have done and feel guilty for not having given it.</li> </ul> I think Scripture teaches us to view our possessions through a matrix—a set of principles we must hold in tension. We like rules, formulas, and black and white prescriptions. Instead, the Bible gives complementary values we should prize in our hearts. Individual decisions arise out of processing them through that matrix. <ol> <li>Jesus’ generosity to us is a model for our own (2 Corinthians 8)</li> <li>God gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6)</li> <li>God gives excess to some to share with others (2 Corinthians 8)</li> <li>It can be wise to build wealth. <ul> <li>“The crown of the wise is their wealth.” (Proverbs 14:24)</li> <li>“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” (21:5)</li> <li>“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine” (3:9–10)</li> <li>“Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways … she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” (and saves it) (6:6–8)</li> <li>“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” (13:22)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Treasures in heaven are better than treasures on earth</li> <li>Look to God, not money, as your source of security and significance <ul> <li>Two personality types: Money and birds</li> <li>Put God first</li> </ul> </li> <li>Follow the Holy Spirit</li> </ol> Any one of these principles, taken alone, will lead you out of balance. But holding all of these principles in reverent tension can provide you with a balanced and biblical approach to your money. <ul> <li>God gives excess to some so that they can share with those who have less.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Those of us who have been given more have the responsibility to share with those given less.</li> <li>The Bible teaches this all over the place, but one key place is Paul’s instruction in 2 Corinthians 8:13–15, where Paul uses the story of the manna to tell the Corinthians that those with excess should give to those with want. We should not hoard our materials or gorge ourselves with God’s provisions today, for, at the end of each day, it will all go bad, just as it did with the manna.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ul> <li>Jesus’ generosity is the model and motivation for our generosity.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Jesus did not merely tithe his blood, he gave all of it. Our responsibility is not to give up our 10 percent and go on our self-serving ways but to pour out our entire lives, recklessly, for him and for others, just as he did for us.</li> <li>God doesn’t give us more to increase our standard of living, but our standard of giving.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ul> <li>The Holy Spirit must guide us as to which sacrifices we are to make.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Not everything in heaven has your name on it … but something does.</li> <li>This is why the Pentecostals mobilize so well for missions. (And what is true for missions motivation is true for giving motivation, too.)</li> <li>In giving, I depend on the guidance of the Spirit. <ul> <li>Otherwise, every time I hear someone speaking about some mission, I feel like, “Why shouldn’t I be a part of that?”</li> </ul> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ul> <li>God delights in our enjoyment of his material gifts and gives us richly all things to enjoy.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Proverbs says he gives food and wine (fruit juices for us Baptists) to gladden our hearts, not just to nourish our bodies. Food is a gift of God that is about more than just life; it is about enjoyment.</li> <li>Psalm 35:27 says, “The Lord… delights in the well-being of his servant”(NIV). Like a good father, God loves to watch us enjoy the gifts He has given to us.</li> <li>1 Timothy 6:17-19 says that God gives us richly all things to enjoy. <ul> <li>In other words, God loves it when I bite into the succulent richness of a horseradish-crusted prime rib and every taste bud screams out in thanksgiving to God, etc.</li> </ul> </li> <li>This can be taken out of balance, but it is a biblical principle.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ul> <li>We are not to trust in riches and not to define our lives by the abundance of our possessions.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Money is the top competitor with God for two things in our lives: security and meaning. <ul> <li>Savers v. Spenders (and a third category … stewards)</li> </ul> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ul> <li>Wealth building is wise.</li> </ul> <ol> <li> <ol> <li>Consider these clear instructions in Proverbs. <ul> <li>“The crown of the wise is their wealth.” (14:24 ESV)</li> <li>“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” (21:5)</li> <li>“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” (13:22)</li> <li>Proverbs 13:22 goes so far as to say that a wise man can leave an inheritance that blesses even his grandchildren! That’s a pretty significant wad of cash.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Now again, if you held this principle alone and not in tension with the others, you’ll hoard money and not be generous—which is opposed to the other principles here.</li> <li>But we should also note that saving money and building wealth can actually increase your ability to be generous later.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> If you take all of those 6 principles into account, I believe the life that most glorifies God is one in which you live sufficiently and give extravagantly. ______________________________________________________ Sponsor: Blackbaud Church Management connects your staff and congregation, ensuring deeper relationships and effective ministry. To see how to connect your church community with one holistic system, visit <a href="http://hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">hello.blackbaud.com/blackbaudchurchmanagement</a>.

Can Christians be rich and live wealthy lifestyles?

Pastor J.D. discusses whether our attitude toward the United States should be one of pride or of shame. A glimpse inside this episode: Another way to frame this question is, What is the right attitude to have toward the United States—pride or shame?  I would say: the answer is yes, but not because of our genetics, race, or national character. We are sinful, weak people like everyone else and have been driven by the same greed. Are we chosen by God, like a new Israel? No. But, we were gifted with a Constitution that was rooted in many Christian principles that made us thrive. Ordered liberty, Judeo-Christian morality, Protestant work ethic, dignity and self-reliance, limited government with checks and balances (recognizing universal human depravity and that all leaders need checks and balances). Those are not just a blessing to us, they are a blessing to anyone and they always lead to flourishing wherever they are fully embraced. Islam doesn’t lead to that (or other theocracies) Communism/socialism doesn’t lead to that   Let me reverse the question for the cynic: How else do you explain America’s prosperity? Either our founding ideas were superior or our genetics were. I go with the former. And yes, we benefited from lucky coincidences (America’s vast resources, two ocean buffers) and from sin (slavery), but neither of those alone accounts for America’s stunning successes. Our view of humanity and government is exceptional, and it is freely available to all. Look at what happened to S Korea and Japan when they adopted it.  So the United States isn’t better than other countries because of our race, or because God has chosen us. But are you saying that our Constitution makes it better than other countries?  The question to focus on is, “Is there anything exceptional about the ideas that America are founded on? And do those ideas uniquely contribute to human flourishing? Or are all government charters equally alike?  I say, “Yes, American ideas are exceptional which has contributed to some unique moments of flourishing.” The true pluralist says “no.” Saying American ideas are exceptional is like saying the colors of our flag are exceptional. It’s just preference. The only reason America has prospered is slavery and exploitation.” But you can’t explain it away like that. Other civilizations have had just as much slavery/exploitation, and it hasn’t led to flourishing. Caribbean. And Thomas Sowell: no other civilization has reversed itself on slavery. Ultimately, it was biblical ideas that led to the overthrow of slavery; the same ideas that caused us to flourish  I get we can be patriots and nationalists in an unhealthy way. But I think it is biblical in many ways to love the idea–or many of the ideas embodied in–America.  Eric Metaxas: “If we do not love America and teach our children to love America—as God loves her—we can never love the world beyond our shores and can never teach our children to do the same. And that, precisely, is our promise. That is the promise of America. It is why we came into existence and it is why we have flourished and why we must continue to do so.”

Pastor J.D. discusses whether our attitude toward the United States should be one of pride or of shame. A glimpse inside this episode: Another way to frame this question is, What is the right attitude to have toward the United States—pride or shame? <ul> <li>I would say: the answer is yes, but not because of our genetics, race, or national character. We are sinful, weak people like everyone else and have been driven by the same greed.</li> <li>Are we chosen by God, like a new Israel? No.</li> <li>But, we were gifted with a Constitution that was rooted in many Christian principles that made us thrive. Ordered liberty, Judeo-Christian morality, Protestant work ethic, dignity and self-reliance, limited government with checks and balances (recognizing universal human depravity and that all leaders need checks and balances).</li> <li>Those are not just a blessing to us, they are a blessing to anyone and they always lead to flourishing wherever they are fully embraced. <ul> <li>Islam doesn’t lead to that (or other theocracies)</li> <li>Communism/socialism doesn’t lead to that</li> </ul> </li> <li>Let me reverse the question for the cynic: How else do you explain America’s prosperity? Either our founding ideas were superior or our genetics were. I go with the former. And yes, we benefited from lucky coincidences (America’s vast resources, two ocean buffers) and from sin (slavery), but neither of those alone accounts for America’s stunning successes. Our view of humanity and government is exceptional, and it is freely available to all. Look at what happened to S Korea and Japan when they adopted it.</li> </ul> So the United States isn’t better than other countries because of our race, or because God has chosen us. But are you saying that our Constitution makes it better than other countries? <ul> <li>The question to focus on is, “Is there anything exceptional about the ideas that America are founded on? And do those ideas uniquely contribute to human flourishing? Or are all government charters equally alike? </li> <li>I say, “Yes, American ideas are exceptional which has contributed to some unique moments of flourishing.”</li> <li>The true pluralist says “no.” Saying American ideas are exceptional is like saying the colors of our flag are exceptional. It’s just preference. The only reason America has prospered is slavery and exploitation.”</li> <li>But you can’t explain it away like that. Other civilizations have had just as much slavery/exploitation, and it hasn’t led to flourishing. Caribbean. And Thomas Sowell: no other civilization has reversed itself on slavery.</li> <li>Ultimately, it was biblical ideas that led to the overthrow of slavery; the same ideas that caused us to flourish</li> </ul> I get we can be patriots and nationalists in an unhealthy way. But I think it is biblical in many ways to love the idea–or many of the ideas embodied in–America. <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Can-Keep-Forgotten/dp/1101979992" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Metaxas:</a> “If we do not love America and teach our children to love America—as God loves her—we can never love the world beyond our shores and can never teach our children to do the same. And that, precisely, is our promise. That is the promise of America. It is why we came into existence and it is why we have flourished and why we must continue to do so.”</li></ul>

Is the United States “exceptional”?

Pastor J.D. talks about those who have influenced him and his preaching the most over the years and what he’s learned from them. A glimpse inside this episode: Two foundational texts for a lot of young preachers are Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching and Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching.  I’ve read both, and appreciate their concern to make preaching both expositional and engaging. To use as a standard, cookie-cutter approach, though, I find their models a little too constraining. While the principles of exegesis, interpretation, and hermeneutics are the same (and can never be abridged), different texts and subjects call for different approaches.  In addition to Robinson and Chapell, I’ve been greatly influenced by (and sometimes imitate the style of): Tim Keller. Keller has probably influenced my basic thought on how to structure an outline more than anyone else. (And he’s avowedly indebted to Chapell, so it’s complementary, not contradictory). His basic structure goes something like this: “1. This is what God’s Word says should be—and we all wish would be. 2. But we can’t do it. 3. This text points to Jesus, who did it perfectly for us; accepting his finished work on our behalf changes our hearts, so we can begin to do it, too.” John MacArthur and Tommy Nelson–careful attention to the text. They simply move through a text, explaining what it means as you go. This is a way of helping people to “read the Word of God better,” to borrow from Nehemiah’s famous explanation of preaching. In sermons like this, there isn’t a real “outline,” or often even a main point. The goal is simply to help people read a passage better. Even more, David Jeremiah and Tony Evans–who preach like leaders, discipling along the way. I love the communication abilities of Andy Stanley.  Love his intro and application. Obviously, there’s a number of things we approach differently. Andy has a very simple outline for just about every message, and I think about that for every introduction and conclusion that I write. Sometimes, based on the topic or the text, I’ll use his outline outright. I’ll let him explain it in his own words:  “The outline revolves around five words, each of which represents a section of the message. They are: Me, We, God, You, and We. With this approach, the communicator introduces a dilemma he or she has faced or is currently facing (Me). From there, you find common ground with your audience around the same or a similar dilemma (We). Then you transition to the text to discover what God says about the tension or question you’ve introduced (God). Then you challenge your audience to act on what they’ve just heard (You). And finally, you close with several statements about what could happen in your community, your church, or the world if everybody embraced that particular truth (We).” Rick Warren. Warren also is great for how to structure the application points. He preaches like a disciple-maker, leading you to something rather than simply explaining the text. In my view, a preacher is a leader who exegetes, not an exegete who inadvertently leads. Remember: our goal is disciple-making, not information transfer. Warren says that, in general, sermon points shouldn’t be about the Bible character, but about the audience. So instead of saying, “David was caught in temptation because he was disengaged from the battle,” you should say, “You will be most prone to temptation when you’re disconnected from ministry.”

Pastor J.D. talks about those who have influenced him and his preaching the most over the years and what he’s learned from them. A glimpse inside this episode: Two foundational texts for a lot of young preachers are Haddon Robinson’s <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/preaching-development-expository-messages-third-edition/haddon-robinson/9780801049125/pd/049125" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Biblical Preaching</a> and Bryan Chapell’s <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/centered-preaching-3rd-edition-redeeming-expository/bryan-chapell/9780801099748/pd/099740?en=google&amp;event=SHOP&amp;kw=church-supplies-0-20%7C099740&amp;p=1179710&amp;dv=c&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0drF8rOc4QIVXLnACh1pbADeEAQYASABEgLXOfD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Christ-Centered Preaching</a>. <ul> <li>I’ve read both, and appreciate their concern to make preaching both expositional and engaging.</li> <li>To use as a standard, cookie-cutter approach, though, I find their models a little too constraining.</li> <li>While the principles of exegesis, interpretation, and hermeneutics are the same (and can never be abridged), different texts and subjects call for different approaches.</li> </ul> In addition to Robinson and Chapell, I’ve been greatly influenced by (and sometimes imitate the style of): Tim Keller. Keller has probably influenced my basic thought on how to structure an outline more than anyone else. (And he’s avowedly indebted to Chapell, so it’s complementary, not contradictory). His basic structure goes something like this: “1. This is what God’s Word says should be—and we all wish would be. 2. But we can’t do it. 3. This text points to Jesus, who did it perfectly for us; accepting his finished work on our behalf changes our hearts, so we can begin to do it, too.” John MacArthur and Tommy Nelson–careful attention to the text. They simply move through a text, explaining what it means as you go. This is a way of helping people to “read the Word of God better,” to borrow from Nehemiah’s famous explanation of preaching. In sermons like this, there isn’t a real “outline,” or often even a main point. The goal is simply to help people read a passage better. Even more, David Jeremiah and Tony Evans–who preach like leaders, discipling along the way. I love the communication abilities of Andy Stanley. <ul> <li>Love his intro and application. Obviously, there’s a number of things we approach differently.</li> <li>Andy has a very simple outline for just about every message, and I think about that for every introduction and conclusion that I write. Sometimes, based on the topic or the text, I’ll use his outline outright. I’ll let him explain it in his own words:</li> </ul> “The outline revolves around five words, each of which represents a section of the message. They are: Me, We, God, You, and We. With this approach, the communicator introduces a dilemma he or she has faced or is currently facing (Me). From there, you find common ground with your audience around the same or a similar dilemma (We). Then you transition to the text to discover what God says about the tension or question you’ve introduced (God). Then you challenge your audience to act on what they’ve just heard (You). And finally, you close with several statements about what could happen in your community, your church, or the world if everybody embraced that particular truth (We).” Rick Warren. Warren also is great for how to structure the application points. He preaches like a disciple-maker, leading you to something rather than simply explaining the text. In my view, a preacher is a leader who exegetes, not an exegete who inadvertently leads. Remember: our goal is disciple-making, not information transfer. Warren says that, in general, sermon points shouldn’t be about the Bible character, but about the audience. So instead of saying, “David was caught in temptation because he was disengaged from the battle,” you should say, “You will be most prone to temptation when you’re disconnected from ministry.”

Who Are Your Biggest Preaching Influences?

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