Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear

This summer we are looking at some of the most popular Ask the Pastor episodes over the years. This week, Pastor J.D. discusses Can a Christian Be Possessed by a Demon?. Show Notes: It depends on what you mean by “demon possessed.” It’s never used in the Greek language that I know of, and it’s not in the Bible. The word in the Bible is “demonized,” which actually broadens it a little bit. So, if you mean, “Can a demon so overtake a Christian so that they have no will left and no ability to choose right from wrong,” the answer is definitely no. But if you mean, can a demon influence us or afflict us, Scripture I think indicates yes. But their entry into our lives comes from listening to the lies Satan tells us. We’ve got to “talk back” to Satan’s lies with the truths of Scripture and 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 summer we are looking at some of the most popular Ask the Pastor episodes over the years. This week, Pastor J.D. discusses how to honor a toxic parent. A glimpse inside this episode: This brings us to one of the “big 10” — the 10 Commandments. There are a couple of things to understand starting with the 10 commandments are divided into two sections. The first four deal primarily with our relationship with God. The last five deal with our relationship to each other. Honoring your parents is the “hinge” in the middle, so which group does it belong to? Well, both. It’s the bridge between the two categories. When we’re young, our parents stand in for God. By submitting to our parents, we’re learning to submit to God. To “honor” your parents means to recognize parenthood as the temporary stand-in for God that it is, and you respect your parents accordingly. When you’re young, that means obeying them, and for your whole life it means respecting them. If your situation is abusive, you need to get yourself out. Call 800-799-SAFE, the domestic violence hotline. If your situation is not abusive, understand that you can respect the institution your parents represent even when you don’t represent them as individuals. When honoring your parents, you are honoring the God behind your parents whose authority is represented by them. Honoring your parents is really a means to honoring God. Lean not on your ability as a parent; lean on God’s grace as the hope for your child. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask The Pastor 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 summer we are looking at some of the most popular Ask the Pastor episodes over the years. To start, Pastor J.D. discusses what’s important to keep in mind when it comes to leaving a church and choosing one. A glimpse inside this episode: The no-commitment consumer culture is not appropriate for the church. Consumer culture works for some things. But not for church. Church is a family: The best parts of church come from that; it’s not a show. It is better to be really connected at a mediocre church than partially committed at the best one. I only have one life to live, and I want to invest it where I get the most return. Hearing the Word. Community that makes you flourish Maximizing gifts: Don’t be a “Lone Ranger Christian,” the one faithful voice in a dead church. You’ll be much more effective working side-by-side with like-minded believers than you will trying to effect change on your own. This matters even more to me now as a father. I want my kids to grow up in a place where they will see and experience firsthand the best community of believers I can offer to them. Gospel-centered ministry is an absolute priority; the spiritual health of my family is too important to have them in a place without it. What are mistakes you’ve seen people make as they approach this decision? Always thinking about your needs is a sign of immaturity. Paul tells the Ephesian believers to “grow up” (Eph 4:1-16), which he defines as learning to use your spiritual gift in the church, not being fed and having your needs met each week. It is infants and toddlers, not adults, whose primary concern in being fed and having their bottoms wiped by others. Ironically, some of the “seasoned” Christians who complain the most about “not getting anything out of their church” act more like toddlers than mature believers! The church is not about you. This is important for any church, because your church, no matter what it starts like, cannot remain perpetually “the hottest show in town.” Someone younger, cooler, and flashier is right now preparing the next best thing. So, we’ll have ups and downs, cold seasons and hot ones. Thinking you can turn it around. If you are not part of the lead pastoral team, you very likely will not be able to turn the ship around. Pray and wait. Waiting too long. You get the greatest return on relationships when you invest yourself in one place for many years. I’m not sure how to give you a “litmus test” for when to stay and when to leave. I have known people who felt called by God to stay in a dying place and believe God for its resurrection and actually saw that happen. I’ve known others who tried that and, because they were not in a place where they could really effect the change they desire, “wasted” some great years in a dying organization. I’ve known others who left a dying church and went on to serve God somewhere else, and were greatly blessed in the process. And I’ve known still others who abandoned ship when they should have stayed. If you think there’s a possibility of change, I’d say stay and make it happen. When you see that there is not, invest your life elsewhere. Be committed: There’s a difference in how the chicken and the pig contribute to your eggs and sausage breakfast. The chicken makes a contribution; the pig is committed. Be a pig.

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., as we’re recording gambling was just legalized in North Carolina this month, like it has been in 37 other states. That has us wondering – is gambling a sin? — J.D.: Some of our long-time listeners might remember us talking about this 2 years ago, but we thought given its popularity, we’d revisit it. So, look, the reality is that gambling is a HUGE deal right now, especially for young people. If you don’t understand, here are a few numbers: At least 20% of the American population has or does participate in sports betting. More than 30 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds nationwide do. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) conducted a study on college campuses just last year: • 58% of the respondents (college students) have participated in at least one sports betting activity, though the NCAA includes fantasy sports in its definition of sports betting. The NCAA examined what it determined risky behaviors, including betting a few times a week or daily; betting $50 or more on a typical bet, or losing more than $500 betting sports in a single day. The survey found that 16% of 18-22-year-olds had engaged in at least one of the risky behaviors. The National Council estimates 3 to 4 percent of the population, about 9 million Americans, experience “problem gambling.” And those that do have a 20 percent higher risk of suicide. So is it morally wrong to gamble? Gambling can seem harmless. You throw a little bit of money on a sporting event, on a slot machine, or on a lottery ticket… what’s the harm in that? I am going to draw distinction… Vegas type stuff and a $20 office pool The issue of gambling is not small in our society. Gambling is at least a $44 billion dollar industry in the US – and that’s just the legal gambling, to say nothing of off-the-books gambling.In fact, as more and more states legalize gambling, it’s getting worse. Some studies say up to 10% (6-9%) of young adults experience problems related to gambling. But gambling has some big moral ramifications. 3 primary problems with it: First, it goes against the work ethic in Scripture. The Bible has a lot to say about honorable work. There’s always chance, but work creates value: win/win. Gambling by definition is win/lose. What about the stock market? It’s “risky,” you can win big or lose big. Parable of talents, win big and Jesus commended it. Yes, but even there you are adding value. There’s another kind of playing the stock market that is more speculative and more like gambling. Al Mohler says: “Gambling severs the dignity of work from the hope of financial gain, offering the hope of riches without labor, and reward without dignity.” Second, the gambling industry intentionally takes advantage of the poor. Grudem: Every single study shows that the largest group of gamblers are those in the lowest financial brackets.It’s no accident that there are so many lottery ticket outlets in low-income areas. One study I read shows that “problem gambling” – which we mentioned earlier – is twice as likely to be an issue for those in the lowest-income areas than it is anywhere else. There’s a certain desperation to turn around their financial situation, and the gambling industry knows that and plays into it. Any honest politician will tell you that lotteries draw most of their money from the poor, seducing them out of their money on the chance of getting rich Third, gambling is addictive. That little hit of dopamine from a gambling “win” leads your brain to want more… and more… and more. Just like with any other addiction. Studies show that “where gambling businesses are established, crime rates increase.” So… should you gamble at all? Honestly, you need to use your own personal judgment on this. I realize it may sound ultra-spiritual, but this is exactly the kind of issue where the Holy Spirit will guide us… what may feel totally right to one believer may feel morally wrong to another. So walk in freedom, but also in wisdom and with love for others and their weaknesses, too. — Matt: Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to check out YouTube and subscribe @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., some people feel like, because we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, we should never have some of these big, mental health struggles like depression or anxiety. The question is, can Christians be depressed? Or if someone is depressed, is that an indication that they’re not saved? — J.D.: Matt, that’s a heavy question. Let me start here: Lamentations 3:1-8, written by the prophet Jeremiah, one of the most well-known prophets in the Bible: I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long. He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones; he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago … though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. No light. No hope. That’s how Jeremiah felt, and maybe you can relate. The “he” that Jeremiah is talking about is God. Maybe you’ve also felt like God is not listening—or, even more, you wonder, “God, are you behind this terrible circumstance? At the very least, you’re not doing anything to stop it.” Jeremiah goes on to say, “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, ‘My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord’ … My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me” (vs. 17–20). As you read those verses, you may think, “Is this the Bible? Shouldn’t an editor have weeded this out? This is Jeremiah, after all—the prophet of God! Jeremiah, this is not you at your best. Why don’t you take a nap and a shower and take another swing at this tomorrow?” See, it’s easy to think that what we need is more positive and encouraging psalms like David’s about the Lord being our Shepherd and still waters and cups running over and stuff like that. That’s what the people like. That’s what sells. But God put the book of Lamentations in the Bible, even though it’s depressing and most people will never memorize it, because he wants those of you who suffer in the darkness to know that he knows how you feel. And, like Jeremiah, it’s OK for you to express those emotions to God. One of our Summit church planters tells the story of when he first felt called to ministry, how he resigned from his job in Tennessee and moved his family to North Carolina to attend seminary, only to have everything fall apart. His marriage came within inches of destruction; he went into bankruptcy. Keep in mind, this is one of the smartest people I know, and yet it still got that bad. But the worst part, he said, was holding his newborn son as he died in their arms. He said, “I had no words. All I could ask God during that season was, ‘Why?’ I didn’t want to talk about God or preach the words of God. I only wanted to rage against God. All I’ve done is try to follow him, and this is how he treats me?” Many believers have gone through dark chapters and thought the same things as Jeremiah, but they’ve suppressed those emotions, telling themselves, “Real Christians don’t ever feel like this.” Matt, I’d say we agree on people like Jeremiah and Charles Spurgeon being Christians. And yet the prophet Jeremiah said his soul was depressed within him. Spurgeon told his congregation, “I have spent more days shut up in depression than probably anybody else here.” He was said by many to be the greatest preacher to ever live, and he frequently considered quitting the ministry because he was so depressed. Alright Matt, you’re doing well so far. Last one: Martin Luther, one of the most famous church leaders and theologians of all time. Real Christian? Well he went through times so dark that his wife would remove all the knives from their home. “For more than a week I was close to the gates of death and hell,” he wrote. “I trembled constantly. I could find no thoughts of Christ, only of desperation and blasphemy of God.” So to anyone asking this question, to anyone struggling with depression – and especially the thought that your depression is somehow an indicator that you’re not really saved – can’t you see you are not alone in your thoughts? The greatest Christians in history were not those that God delivered from all pain and misery but those he delivered through their pain and misery. He is ready to walk with you through the darkness and do the same for you. I also think it’s important to point out that depression operates along a continuum. On one end of the continuum is discouragement, which we all feel from time to time, and on other end is depression. Between the two sides of that continuum are a lot of different factors that come together—spiritual factors, physical/biological factors, psychological factors or even social/emotional factors. Today we’ve been primarily talking about spiritual factors, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s the only contributor, or even always the primary contributor in depression. God m

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., is cremation (as opposed to burial in a casket) wrong? — J.D.: Well, this one’s actually a little more interesting than you might think. If you’ve never thought much about it, you probably (like most people) just think about the fact that when someone dies, they basically have two options—burial in a casket or by cremation, where your ashes are put into an urn. Some people bury those urns, some keep them around… In fact, a 2020 study showed that 56 percent of people who died in America were cremated, which is more than double what that figure was 20 years prior. That’s a far cry from how things used to be, when in old England, burial by grave/casket was known as a “Christian burial” and cremation was something only the Vikings did. You might be surprised to learn that some Christians have strong views against cremation. I’ll lay out that view in just a second. But as we have this conversation, I want to make a few things clear up front because I realize many of you have very dear, important people in your lives that you’ve lost that you know have been cremated. So, am I saying that what they chose to do is morally wrong and against some biblical command? No, I am not. I see nowhere in Scripture that gives a clear edict that you must be buried in such a manner that your body is preserved. Am I saying—like some people claim—that cremation somehow interferes with the resurrection of the Saints when Jesus returns, ruining a Christians chances of eternal life because their earthly bodies weren’t handled properly after death? Of course not—that’s nonsense! Our bodies are important, but not nearly as important as our souls. And besides—do you really think resurrection after cremation would be “too hard” for God? Finally, I of course don’t believe that families who perhaps have to make a decision on how to bury someone and opt for cremation over burial love that deceased person any less than a family that chooses burial. So, if you have loved ones who have passed away and been cremated, you can rest easy and of course we mean no disrespect. But I do want to point out the other side of this conversation. John Piper is one of the most prominent voices on this. He points out that the Bible teaches us the importance of our earthly bodies—that they’re not prisons for the soul like the ancient Greeks taught. “Christianity has always viewed the body as essential to full humanity so that the life to come has primarily been seen as the resurrection of the body in glorious eternal life.” John Piper He argues that ​​Paul’s understanding of burial is that this was a picture of being “sown” in the ground like a seed that will sprout with wildly superior beauty at the resurrection, when the graves are opened at the coming of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:37, 42-44 He also points out how fire always has a negative connotation to us as humans in Scripture – especially when talking about life-after-death, and so, to end your time on earth consumed by fire is a symbol that doesn’t align with Scripture’s portrayal of the believer’s afterlife. Now, while arguing all of this, John Piper also calls for churches and pastors to create a culture where expensive, extravagant funerals (and weddings!) are NOT the norm. There’s a recognition that burial by casket is more expensive than cremation. He even says he feels like churches should help families with these extra costs—not necessarily through a line-item in the church budget but by perhaps establishing an external fund fueled by generous donors. You say, “Ok, well, what he’s talking about is all symbolic and has no impact on where a person’s soul goes after they die.” Of course, like we’ve said, that’s all true. But wherever you fall on this, I do think it deserves some consideration. Death is a big deal, just like other momentous occasions throughout our lives. We take symbolism seriously at weddings, even though they don’t really have an impact on how good or bad the marriage will play out. Again, as a pastor, I don’t teach one as right and the other as sin… I think we’re dealing with issues of wisdom, and I’d just say that I do think it deserves careful consideration rather than flippantly choosing whatever is cheaper. — Matt: Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to check out YouTube and subscribe @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: Matt: Welcome. J.D., here’s a softball… What are your thoughts on the 2024 election? It’s now officially decided through primary votes that we’ll have a re-match of Trump v. Biden in November. J.D.: We as the church didn’t respond well last time… we are getting a gracious mulligan I have a handful of pieces of counsel to that end, Let me give a CAVEAT before I share them: Some of you will try to interpret these thoughts as me urging you to vote one way or the other—oh, he means that we should definitely not for this person or that we definitely should vote for this one. That is precisely what I’m not doing. Some of this counsel will pull in different directions. Politics is an imperfect process—we are trying to hold different things in tension and weigh out what is overall the wisest or most moral course for our country. So, my counsel to Republicans: Don’t equivocate about character. Righteousness exults a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Don’t equate your secondary strategies with biblical imperatives. Don’t draw straight lines where they should be dotted lines. What is your proactive solution to help the poor (if you feel like the great society was a failure, where the greatest argument against progressive politics is the state of progressive cities, what is your solution? My counsel to Democrats: There are several things in your platform that are expressly evil. Speak out about them. Be careful not to equivocate about things that are not equal. What I mean by that is you hear some say, “Oh yeah, well we get abortion wrong but Republicans get poverty relief wrong, as if those things we equal. Many Republicans, whether they are right or wrong, believe that the economic policies they embrace are what’s ultimately best for the poor—they might be wrong, but abortion is the state-sanctioned murder of the unborn. It is wrong to equivocate and act like those things are morally the same. They are not. There may indeed be reasons in certain elections that you think make voting left or abstaining from voting is the wisest choice, but be careful of moral equivocation. Realize that someone can share your compassion for the poor, but disagree with your methodology. John 17 matters. It was one of the last things Jesus prayed before he gave his life, as he prayed for the unity of the church. I realized that there are things that are deeply emotional. There are things that are clear issues of justice, and we need to talk about them thoroughly and passionately, and we need to never compromise where the Bible teaches clearly. But I also realized that the same Savior that gave us these commandments and the Savior that gave us these moral imperatives, He also He also prayed for the unity of the church and said that this is what he wanted. This is how the world would know him. The apostle Paul, taking a cue from him, was willing to say about a lot of things that, you know what, I know Paul felt like my convictions are correct in this area, talking about eating meat, you know, Romans 14, but he would not hold that position or push that position in ways that disrupted the unity of the church unnecessarily. Matt: Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to check out YouTube and subscribe @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: Matt: Welcome. — Today we have a question today from someone who sent this in named Ronnie. She asked, “Is modesty a biblical virtue or is it a relic of the patriarchy?” J.D.: So for our listeners that are like, what’s really the question here behind the question? I grew up in the, the purity culture. Josh Harris was, wrote the famous book I Kissed Dating Goodbye and the emphasis was on, girl you have to take care of your brother’s headspace. And basically it was almost presented as if the guy can’t help but think of you as nothing but a sex object. And so dress in a way that keeps him from thinking about that all the time. And it’s not that the modesty piece wasn’t important, it just left out what is even a bigger issue—the guy needs to not see women in that category. He needs to see them as fellow human beings made in the image of God. The extreme version of modesty culture was it kind of heaped all kinds of shame and responsibility onto the girls’ side for what really was the guy’s problem. That is unhelpful and untrue. It’s even dangerous as abuse can get blamed on what she was just asking for because of what she was wearing. There was some correction that took place to that purity culture that so strongly emphasized modesty that I think was a helpful correction. But, you know, as with a lot of things we have to be careful not to throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater when it comes to modesty. And so what I’m talking with my kids, my family, when I’m talking with people in my life about modesty. Two tension points: 1.) Style’s change from generation to generation. Every generation sees what the next one wears as immodest. What is considered a modest bathing suit today would be considered scandalous 60 or 70 years ago. 2.) The second thing is that modesty is a genuine biblical principle. We are taking into account what other people are thinking about us. And so I tell my kids, there’s two anchor points when it comes to how you dress. First of all, what does your dress say about you? What does what you wear say about you? What does it draw attention to? Does it emphasize and flaunt the sexual parts of you that really ought to be reserved for a marriage partner? Now again, it’s not your fault if somebody’s looking at you and lusting after you. We’re not saying that, but on the other side of that truth is you can dress in a way that certainly draws attention to that. And if it’s drawing attention to that and emphasizing that, you should ask yourself why you’re doing that. And is that really what God wants you, is that the most important part of you to present to the world? The second anchor point I always say is what effect does what you wear have on other people? And again, I’ll just say it once more. I’m not saying it’s your fault that if they think of you in those objectifying ways, but we do recognize that how we dress can have an effect on somebody else and it can make them think about certain things. And I do want to make it easy for people. And I think a believer should be thinking about that. How can I make it easier for my brothers and sisters in Christ to not have one more thing that they’re trying to avoid looking at or thinking about because it just makes it too easy for them to get into not a good headspace. Matt: I’m just kind of curious, because when we talk about modesty, it is typically our women dressing modestly, but it’s interesting. I remember back when I did college ministry, eight or nine years ago, on summer project, we had all these rules about what people were allowed to wear. And I remember somebody in the end of summer feedback form asked something like,”I don’t understand why you have all these rules for what women can wear, but you let this guy wear a tank top up on stage while he’s teaching every week.” J.D.: Yeah, great twist on the question. You know, the other part of that is when I was in high school, pornography was only ever talked about as a problem for guys. Now we’re very aware that pornography is a temptation and a problem for females too. And I think you can and should acknowledge that. Now you can say generalizations are generally true without realizing that there are a lot of challenges for females just like there are males and God created them as sexual beings too. And there’s nobody for whom visual stimulation is not part of the of the sexual desires. And so I think a guy should ask a question if he’s on stage. Like, what is my dress saying about me? What is it drawing attention to? Am I trying to draw attention to my form or what makes me sexually attractive to females? Matt: Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to check out YouTube and subscribe @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: Matt: Welcome J.D., you’ve heard from a member at The Summit Church’s own Chapel Hill Campus who asked you how to share the gospel with a staunch atheist, which we felt like would be a great topic for this week’s episode. — J.D.: Yeah Matt, I’m sure many of us have been in a situation like this where God lays someone on your heart to share the gospel with, but you know they’re firm in their belief—or unbelief—as an atheist. And it can feel like, “Where do I even begin to share the love of God with them when they don’t believe that any sort of god exists?” A lot of prayer: pray 1st, 2nd and 3rd Don’t overwhelm them. Don’t talk about it all the time Pray for opportunities to show extraordinary grace (Acts 16) Invite them to read the Bible. Heb 4:12: Charles Spurgeon talked about the Bible like a caged lion: all we have to do is let it out because who’s ever heard of defending a lion? Read the Bible… After you’ve had a couple of intentional conversations, shift more to answering questions 1 Peter 3:15. Trust the Spirit of God to do the work and think of it more like fishing. Now, that said… Of course, I do think it’s wise to be prepared for conversations like these, and I’ll try to be as practical as I can in that. Theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer talked about “taking the roof off” of various worldviews that people might hold. Everyone has some kind of worldview – even an atheist – and Schaeffer meant that a person’s worldview is kind of like a house that they construct. But there’s only one “blueprint” that can effectively explain all aspects of life, support all the evidence in the world, and be lived out consistently with all of that, and that’s a Christian worldview. All other worldviews are defective in one way or another. So to “take the roof off” of an atheist’s worldview, I’d ask questions. On that topic, Randy Newman has a great book called Questioning Evangelism, where he talks about evangelizing through questions like these. He even points out how often Jesus asked questions of skeptics and people curious about his ministry. One of the very best questions we can ask people in these conversations, Newman writes, is very simple: “Really?” Questions like, “Do you really believe we came from nothing, and yet life is so meticulously and miraculously held together?” Or, “Do you really believe that nothing happens when we die?” Gavin Ortlund, Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn’t Christianity versus naturalism in relation to the basic elements that all stories have: origins, meaning, conflict, and hope. The constant question will be: Which is telling us a better story—a story that better accounts for the strangeness, the incompleteness, the brokenness, and the beauty of our world? A Christian apologist once remarked to me that on university campuses thirty years ago he was asked more questions about Christianity’s truth (Does God exist? Did Jesus rise from the dead? etc.); today he is asked more questions about Christianity’s goodness (Is the church intolerant? Are Christians homophobic? etc.). — Matt: Next up we’re answering the question, “Does Modesty Matter?” Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to check out YouTube and subscribe @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., this week we’re pivoting from our series on spiritual disciplines and we’ll be tackling some one-off questions our listeners have been sending us for the next few weeks. One of the topics we’ve had several people ask about is how to process what’s going on in Israel and their conflict with Gaza… — J.D.: Yeah, Matt, wow. Well, there are a lot of very intense views on this subject. And that makes sense, because it’s a topic that combines worldview with theology—particularly eschatology, or the part of theology that concerns the end times and modern politics. And we won’t get into a full blown “end times” episode here, but we do need a little help understanding some of the terms that get thrown around. “Premillennialism” is the belief that part of God’s plan for the end times involves a 1000 year reign of Jesus that is still to come, and a physical Israel is a part of that. The relevance to this discussion is this: Many premillennialists viewed the fact that Israel has their own nation – which happened in 1948, in case you failed your history class—as at least a partial fulfillment of biblical prophecy. God was reinstituting the nation. And that’s led to the embrace of the Zionist movement, which, practically speaking, means that anything that advances Israel’s interests is correct and functionally, means you give them an automatic pass on most questions. Their destiny is to rule the world, at least that part of it, so anything they do toward that end we’re in support of. Let me say this clearly: that’s not true. Whatever your view of eschatology, it’s never appropriate to wink at injustice. Whatever God does, we never need to “do evil evil may that good may come.” Where Israel, as a nation, commits crimes or acts unjustly, we should unhesitatingly call it out. We should always be on the side of justice. Now, as a pastor, I typically don’t wade into the finer points of politics or world events—neither called nor competent—and I’m not going to do that here. What I do is talk about the principles that undergird our approach, and that’s what I want to do here: to talk about is a dangerous narrative that has entered the convo that I think it’s important for Christians to identify and reject, and that is: That modern-day Israel has no right to the land they’re currently occupying; Israel is basically an occupying power–like Britain was in India, or even like European colonists were in parts of N America or Australia—and because they are an occupying power, whatever Palestinians do to get them out is ok. This is a decolonization project. The myth is that Palestinians were living happily in the land until GB came in and forced the colonization in 1948. And then some even like to say that the Jews there are white and it’s another example of white colonization of POC. But that’s a completely fallacious comparison. First, the Jewish presence in the land stretches back for centuries. Modern Israel is home to 9 million Jews MOST are descended from people who migrated back to the Holy Land from 1881 to 1949, before Israel became a state.So Britain didn’t bring them in. In fact, Britain had turned against the Zionist movement in the 1930s, and from 1937 to 1939 moved toward an Arab state with no Jewish state at all But in 1947, a compromise was made: the United Nations devised the partition of that area into two states, one Arab and Jewish. It was the “two-state solution” we hear a lot about today, BUT the reason it never happened was in 1948, Arab forces refused the two-state solution the UN sought to enact by attacking Israel. That led to the aborting the quest for a Palestinian state, because the claim was that Israel should have no part of the land, and there would be no rest until Israel as a state cEased to exist. Which brings us to today. On Oct 7, without warning, more than 3,000 Hamas militants invaded Israel from Gaza, killing at least 1,139, including 766 civilians, a large portion of which were women and children intentionally targeted—even mutilating infants. They also took a minimum of over 250 more as captives. Hamas is not a good faith group. It’s an Islamist militant group formed in 1987 whose charter calls for the genocide of Jews and the establishment of sharia law, and a call for unrestrained and unceasing holy war (jihad) to attain that objective, They categorically reject any negotiated resolution or political settlement of Jewish and Muslim claims to the Holy Land As such, what happened on Oct. 7 is no accident; rather, it’s completely in keeping with Hamas’s own explicit aims and stated objectives. The attack was unprovoked, it was unspeakably brutal, and plainly genocidal. So, whatever you think the solution is over there, this was a horrendously unjust act, and Israel has, as most of us would think about ourselves, a right to defend themselves. This is not to say that all of how Israel has responded has been right or just or appropriately proportional. I’m not saying t

Show Notes: MATT: J.D., we just wrapped up the last of the spiritual disciplines we wanted to cover, and it’s been a great 8-part series. But before we move on, we wanted to answer a few more questions from our listeners and kind of recap what we talked about. A lot of these are more general questions about the disciplines as a whole, and some focus in on certain ones. We’ll keep this a little more “rapid fire.” First up, from Ashley: How to help my teens practice the spiritual disciplines? J.D.: I feel that, and as a parent of teenagers, we obviously want to see them grow in all the areas and habits God wants them to. And at the same time, once they’re that age, it’s hard can’t make them do anything. I’ve said this before, but a friend of mine told me… (mechanic vs farmer) Prayer is a big key here. It never hurts to have conversations with them, to check in about these things. To share what the SD’s look like in your life. To model them for the whole family and explain why you’re modeling them. Practically: a book list (My Essential Christianity; A Praying Life; for boys: JC Ryle’s Thought for Young Men and Kent Hughes’ Disciplines of a Godly Young Man; for girls, 7 Lies and the Truth that Sets them Free; Rebecca McLaughlin’s 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask; Tactics by Greg Koukl). MATT: From Tiffany: How do we avoid guilt as we fail and succeed in practicing the disciplines? This is such an easy trap to fall into. The enemy wants us to feel guilty. It’s a relationship: (my dad’s story) It’s an invitation: he doesn’t love you more when you do or less when you don’t Long obedience in the same direction MATT: From April: Are all spiritual disciplines equal? Yes and no. Yes, they’re all important. They’re all talked about and taught to us in Scripture. But at the same time, there are certain ones more essential. Scripture is life and the anchor to the others. Jesus suspended fasting for a while with the disciples–doesn’t mean we shouldn’t practice diligently, but there are seasons where it is more appropriate or even not appropriate. But never suspends Scripture. It’s what you live by. Pray always, like breath. — Matt: To finish out the spring semester, we’re going to answer questions you’ve sent in throughout the year so far and then we’ll tackle another big series in the fall. Next up: we want to know Pastor J.D.’s thoughts on the Israel/Gaza conflict. We’re now on YouTube; subscribe to @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: MATT: J.D., our next spiritual discipline is worship. What do we mean by the “discipline of worship?” — J.D.: Matt, good question. I’m excited to talk about this one because I think it’s perhaps the least-understood spiritual discipline. When I say “worship,” what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Probably the 3 or 4 “worship songs” we sing when we gather at church—or even just the genre of the music itself. But Jesus said the Greatest Commandment was to love God with all our hearts and souls and minds, and this is the heart of everything else we do. This is worship, and it’s the center of the Christian life. The center of the Christian’s life, plain and simple, is worship. The center of our discipleship is not community or mission or evangelism or justice work; it’s worship. And that’s because we were created for God. One of my favorite devotional writers, Chris Tiegreen, said: “Worship is not part of the Christian life; IT IS the Christian life.” You could be really busy with all the other stuff, but if it doesn’t come out of a heart of passionate love for God, it’s all just dry, dead, religious formality At TSC, we attach two important disciplines to the identity of ‘worshiper’: 1. weekly, corporate worship (as in, coming to church each weekend, just like Jesus commanded–he says in Hebrews, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together”); the second is daily personal worship (a daily time where you meet with God, like we see exemplified in the life of Jesus). I hope you practice both. MATT: From Dalton: “What is the importance of worshiping together instead of online?” Listen, I get it. Sometimes health considerations keep you at home. And if you’re sick, please, skip a week. But I think of it like this; sometimes when I’m sick, I will quarantine in my room so I don’t get the rest of my family sick. And I’ve even FaceTimed into family dinner so I could be a part! That’s like “Super Dad.” But if every night, even when I’m healthy, I go up to my room and FaceTime into dinner for a few minutes, then you would be right to suspect my commitment to our family. Be in person. You can’t follow Jesus and not be connected with his family. — Matt: Next week, we’ll continue our series on the spiritual disciplines by recapping everything we’ve talked about and answering a few new questions, too! Don’t miss it next week. We’re now on YouTube; subscribe to @J.D.Greear.  

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., today we’ll cover our next spiritual discipline, and this week, we’re talking about giving. Everyone loves talking about money, right? — J.D.: Let’s start with the assumption that God doesn’t need our money. In Psalm 50, God says, “I don’t have needs… and if I did have one, I wouldn’t come to you.” God owns the cattle on a thousand hills… The question of money is what it shows about where your heart is. First of all, money reveals, more than anything, what we treasure and trust most. Our mouth can talk a big spiritual game all day long, but it’s what we do with our money that shows where our heart actually is Which is why Jesus talked about money all the time. It was his most frequently addressed subject. 16 of his 38 parables were about money. He talked about handling money more than he did about relationships; talked about money than he did about heaven and hell. 500 verses in the Bible are about prayer; less than 500 are about faith. More than 2000 are about money. An astounding 1 out of 10 verses in the Gospels talk about money! Jesus didn’t talk about money because he needed it–I mean, he could multiply bread loaves and fish or pull gold coins out of fishes’ mouths whenever he wanted–no, he talked about money because he knew money was the most reliable indicator of where our heart actually was. In Matthew 6, Jesus warned that money ends up serving as the PRIMARY substitute in our hearts for God. He said, in no uncertain terms, that we couldn’t serve God and money. (That’s the only thing he ever spoke like that about! He never said that about power or sex or anything.) Money is the one thing, he said, that if you love it, you won’t care about God; and if you love God, you won’t care that much about it. MATT: That brings up a comment from a listener named Rita, who said one of the things she’s been learning regarding the spiritual discipline of giving is how “James urges us to consider why God gave us our money in the first place.” JD: Yeah, that’s right. And also in Matthew 6, Jesus talked about two different personality types and different ways they have problems with money. For some, money is their security. It’s their safeguard against tragedy or a rainy day. And so, when they get an extra $1000 in their paycheck, they want to save it. For others, money is their significance, their means of a happy and pleasurable life. So, when they get an extra $1000 in their paycheck, they want to spend it. New TV. New drapes. Go on vacation. Btw, in God’s providence, these two different personality types always marry each other! And here’s the irony—each think the other has a problem with money. But Jesus said they actually have the same problem—in that both look to money to provide something only God can provide. To those who think of money as security, Jesus says, “Consider the ravens…” To those who think of money as significance, he says, “Consider the lilies…” To both of them he says, “Seek first the KoG…” “All these things” means all the security or the significance we crave. So one of the reasons Jesus talked about money all the time is that it reveals the truth about what we treasure and trust most. Where your money is, Jesus said, that’s where your heart will be, also. The second reason Jesus talked about money so much is that what we do with our money shows whether or not we see ourselves as owners of our lives or stewards. At our church, we often talk about the “Five Identities of a Disciple.” One of them is steward. And that’s very different than owner. An owner believes his resources belong to him. A steward sees all his resources as belonging to God—he’s merely the caretaker. When you become a disciple, you cease to see yourself as an owner of anything in your life, only a steward. How you approach your money shows whether you’ve made that shift.) So when we talk about money, we talk about something that centers on the most basic questions of discipleship—What does your money show about what your idols are? What does it reveal about your understanding of who owns what in your life? I will often tell our congregation, in fact, “If you feel this is manipulative—like my preaching on this is all an attempt to get money out of your pocket and into mine, and that’s all you can think about when I’m up here saying this and you can’t get over this, maybe you’ve seen this really abused somewhere—I’d ask you to apply this teaching by giving somewhere else. It’s more important to me that you become an actual disciple than that you let a bad experience keep you from fully following Jesus. God doesn’t need your money and we don’t either. We’ll be fine. God will provide for us. But the only way you can become an actual disciple of Jesus is by giving sacrificially, and it’s more important to me that you learn to give to him than it is that you give here. So, if suspicion that this is about us getting wealthy off of you is an issue for you, I urge you to obey this teaching by givin

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., our next spiritual discipline is fasting. J.D., tell us about it… J.D.: I mentioned this in our prayer episode, but as we’re recording this, our church is in a season we do every year called 21DOP and fasting. Fasting is basically eliminating something from your life – traditionally, food is what gets eliminated – in order to focus the time and energy you would’ve put into that thing on God. Fasting is sometimes relegated to the “varsity level” of Christianity, as if it’s only for super-Christians. But that’s not true. Fasting isn’t given to us as an option. Jesus in Matt. 6 says, “WHEN you fast…” – not “If you fast.” So how do we do it? Years ago, I wrote a blog post called “I Hate Fasting.” The title is a little tongue-in-cheek, but many Christians, in honest moments, agree with me. Fasting days put you in a bad mood. You rarely come out feeling more spiritual, you come out feeling like you could eat a raw goat. The reason for that is that though many Christians know they ought to fast, they don’t know why they fast. They know it is connected to prayer, but they don’t know what the connection is and they end up fasting in a way that is completely out of step with the gospel. Often, we fast because we assume that “punishing” ourselves somehow makes us and our prayers more acceptable to God. Fasting shows God how badly we want and deserve whatever we are asking for. God is moved, we believe, by our culinary flagellation and he grudgingly grants us what we ask for, since we’ve suffered so much in our fast. That, of course, is a not-even-very-well-veiled version of works-righteousness, and a flagrant denial of what the Gospel teaches us about God. Rather than making God more willing to answer our prayers, it offends God by acting like Christ’s work is not sufficient So the question is, why do we do it? Bottom line: it’s not to put God in a better mood to hear us; but to put us in a better position to God. It gives God a chance to purify our hearts from idols–to remind us that we need God’s voice more than we need anything else in the world, including food. It demonstrates to God that we understand that, that we crave it, and trains our own souls to think that way. It also gives us a greater sensitivity to the “voice” of the Spirit. In short: Fasting doesn’t change God; fasting changes us. Matt: We had a listener question from Shannon who asked, ” Should fasting be food like it was in the Bible? Can you explain food fast vs abstaining?” So, Shannon, great question. Like I mentioned, many people at our church are fasting right now—and we encourage them to start with food, but we don’t limit it to that. I know many, many people who have benefited greatly from fasting from all kinds of things. Social media TV This is not unbiblical, btw–Paul talked about a married couple abstaining from sexual activity as a kind of fast. There’s a principle at work–I am depriving myself of something I desire to train my soul how much more I desire, and am desperate for, God and his power But like I said, I personally think fasting from food is the “best” option. There are a lot of things our minds and our bodies enjoy, but food is one thing the body needs. To deprive your body of its usual “fuel” very quickly creates a noticeable void, and if we’re fasting correctly, we’ll fill that void with both dependence and communion with the Holy Spirit. (Obviously, you have to do this safely. You should only do it if you are physically or psychologicaly able) I’ve heard fasting from food described as “Praying with your stomach,” and “temporarily starving your body so you can better feast with your soul.” Matt: Alex asks: “In Isaiah 58, (God) speaks of fasting (one of my fav passages). What’s the right way to fast? You’re awesome!” (Make a joke about “You’re awesome!”) Alex, hopefully I’ve answered some of what you’re asking by talking about the right way to fast earlier in this episode – but I think the passage you’re talking about, Is. 58, is a great example of how not to fast. In Isaiah 58, God addresses hypocrites. They sin, and go on sinning, like the fast pays off their sin. That is an abomination to God. It’s like God said to Saul, “i’d rather have simple obedience than lavish sacrifice.” Better to just do what he says than to disobey him and try to pay him off with the most extravagant offerings. Matthew Henry said about this passage, “A fast is a day to afflict the soul; if it does not express true sorrow for sin, and does not promote the putting away of sin, it is not a fast.” So there’s an incorrect heart posture being shown here – and then there’s the correct heart posture, which is to fast in order to draw yourself closer to God who has already fully received you, in order to know and enjoy him more. — Matt: Next week, we’ll continue our series on the spiritual disciplines by discussing the discipline of giving. Don’t miss it next week! We’re now on Y

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., our next spiritual discipline is practicing the Sabbath. That’s something that I think a lot of people have varying views on – talk to us about how to “keep the Sabbath.” J.D.: So look, Matt… I’m not very good at this. This may shock you, but I’m a very type-A “Achiever” kind of guy. My wife says I’m an Enneagram 8 to the max, the 8iest 8 who ever 8ted. I do NOT like carving time out of my schedule where I’m not getting something done It just doesn’t come naturally to me at all. But like we’ve talked about, these are spiritual disciplines – they don’t come naturally to us. And in the case of “keeping the Sabbath,” they’re sometimes counter-cultural. We live in a fast-paced world. Every bit of media tells you to utilize every minute of every day to accomplish as much as you can, so that you can obtain as much as you can. And practicing a Sabbath is completely contrary to that – Sabbath is stopping the work that you’d usually do, trusting that God is in control, and focusing on what he wants you to focus on. So, let’s dig in here. First, we believe that God has instituted into creation a 7-day rhythm or work and rest/worship. Second, we believe regular corporate gathering on the Lord’s Day is an essential, non-negotiable element in the life of a disciple. Verses such as Hebrews 10:24-25 tell us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Matt: J.D., let me stop you and ask Mackenzie’s question: “The Sabbath is commanded to the Israelites as part of the Old Testament law. So because we’re no longer bound by the OT law, do we still have to Sabbath?” This is where the Sabbath gets confusing for people. It’s true that we’re no longer bound by the OT law… but the design reflected in those laws advises us to set aside a day every week for rest and worship. It’s built on a principle, the same principle as tithing: one day a week we stop and declare our dependence on God BTW, no other society did this… they all felt they had to work to the max., especially in ancient Israel. Survival was often a day-to-day, season-to-season affair. Crops had to be harvested daily. Water had to be drawn daily. To cut your productivity by 1/7 could make the difference in life and death! By taking a Sabbath, they said, God, I’m doing less than I’m able to do because you commanded me to, and so I’m depending on you to make up for what I’m missing here.” (Same principle as tithing) The OT laws are fulfilled in Jesus, so we no longer are bound to the particulars, but the principle behind is the same. We see this principle of flexibility reflected in the early church, who seem to use Sunday as their primary day of gathering. Matt: Speaking of, here’s a question from John: “What’s up with the sabbath being Saturday or Sunday? Your thoughts?” Early church took the principle of But Paul says in Romans 14:5: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” When the early church changed it from Sat to Sunday they were showing that it wasn’t a particular day that was essential. When non-Sunday might be helpful: Some people work on weekends, including pastors and many people in ministry, so observing the Sabbath on Saturday makes sense in those cases. Dubai example Churches with other service times… I think for most of you it should be Sunday–that is the “standard” set by early church, and practicing that is consistent with 2K years of church history, but what’s important is to set aside one day a week where you cease from your labors and enjoy God and the gifts he has given. Matt: So, after all that, how to apply? One day a week for rest, renewal and relationships One day to be rather than to do. To focus on God, relationships, and enjoy his creation. It doesn’t have to be on a Sunday. For most of you it should be, but it’s at least one day a week where you cease from your labors and enjoy God and the gifts he has given. Public worship should always be a part of it, because your relationship with God is central in your life. But it’s also a day to be with family, and be outdoors, and to do things you enjoy that are life-giving. Daily rhythms If you know it all doesn’t depend on you, you don’t have to work at such a frenetic place and can slow down and adopt creaturely rhythms. Another form of confident rest is building in daily rhythms. One Christian counselor I was reading said that you should build 3 types of rest each day: Mental (disengage—Churchill); Social (those who have a daily rhythm of gathering friends, 3x a week had lower rates of heart disease; Time with your spouse: BTW: According to this study, SEX counts as social rest—“this is the best AGM sermon ever!” Teens, don’t get any ideas. This doesn’t apply to you yet. Physical (a recent study found that a 30-minute nap three times a week cuts your heart attack risk by 40%. A recent CNN study showed that those who work 11-hour days are (get this) 250%

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., today we’ll cover our next spiritual discipline, and this week, we’re talking about the “discipline” of surrounding yourself with Christian community. J.D.: Yeah, this is a good one. The first two spiritual disciplines we covered – Bible study and prayer – are kind of intuitive. While it’s sometimes easier said than done, most people understand that part of the Christian life involves prayer and Bible study and spending time with God. But a lot of us don’t think of being in community as a “spiritual discipline.” We think “If I show up to church most of the time, I’m all set.” Or, “I got friends. I’m not lonely.” Or, “I go to my small group most times, so I’ve checked the box here.” And I hear a lot of people say, “Well, I love Jesus, and I have a strong relationship with God, I’m just not that committed to the church.” Hmm. How do I say this? That’s not true. I know that you think it’s true, but it’s just not. You might have great respect for Jesus, but Jesus very clearly said that if you loved him you would be committed to his church. He says it in John 15. You’re to love each other so much that you lay down your lives for each other. You can’t do that for somebody you’re not connected to or in relationship with. Jesus told Peter in John 21, “If you love me, show that by how well you take care of my sheep.” You can’t say you’re obedient to Jesus if you neglect those he commanded you to love. The church is the bride of Christ. You can’t love someone and hate their bride. How do you think I’d react if you said to me, “PJD, we love you. Can you come over to our house for dinner? And here’s the keys to our mountain house, please enjoy it. But… these invitations are not for Veronica. We like you, but we don’t care for her.” That conversation is not going to go well. I’m not coming for dinner! If you love me and want to be friends with me, you have to love and be friends with my life. Thankfully, btw, with my wife, that’s easy. People always like her better than me. People always notice me first because I’m up here, but if we get invited back to someone’s house a second time, it’s always because of her. Let’s stop for a second and talk about how Jesus demonstrated loving people well. He lived among them He served them. He spoke personally into their lives Now let’s walk through those quickly and apply them to our lives… Jesus lived among people. He walked with them. Gave real time instruction. He commented on conversations he heard them muttering to each other. He confronted them in their mistakes and comforted them in their failures We see this demonstrated in Paul’s life. In Acts 20, when Paul speaks to the Ephesians elders– He says, “You know how I lived with and ministered to you night and day, available to you at all hours” (vs. 31). His speech to them included very specific counsel Secondly, he personally served them. John 13. He didn’t do that for everybody, but those 12 He spoke personally into their lives… Me with Paul Tripp on why megachurch pastors fall Living in community has added richness to my life even though it’s messy. Prov. 27:10 says “Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away,” and we have an opportunity to be that for people through the church. There’s also a limit to what God can do in your life if you’re not connected to the body. In 1 Cor. 12:25, Paul compares us in the church to members of the body. And at some point he asks, “How does the body care for it’s members?” answer: through other members! Say my left elbow itches, so it sends a message up to my brain, “I’m dying over here. Please help.” And what does my brain do? It doesn’t send down a magic “brain power zap” to fix it. No, it sends a message to the fingers on my right hand, “Go take care of your brother left elbow.” Matt: Brad asks “What should I do if I want to find community, but I’d consider myself a big-time introvert?” Great question. And listen, I get it. While I wouldn’t consider myself extremely introverted, there are times when I just don’t want to be with people… and I’m a pastor! But there are two things I would say: First, this is exactly why we’re talking about the “discipline” of community. Discipline sometimes requires us to do things we don’t want to do or wouldn’t normally do. You don’t discipline yourself to do what comes naturally. Second, though, I think it’s important to be kind to yourself: Some people legitimately have a higher “people capacity,” and that’s OK, as long as you are still disciplined enough to maintain consistent community. Matt: Alright J.D., one more question: This is one we’ve gotten a lot through the years and I know you’ve heard asked. What about the person who says, “It’s hard to find community at my church because there are a lot of hypocrites and a lot of judgmental people?” Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said that there are three stages of growth when it comes to Christians engaging with the church: The first is disgust at the sins of o

Show Notes: Matt: Today we want to talk about our second spiritual discipline. This time, prayer.J.D., there’s a lot to be said about prayer, and you’ve written books on it, you have several Ask Me Anything episodes on it, but I want to start with a listener question from Stephanie, who asks, “How does prayer ‘move the hand of God?’”—J.D.: Wow, strong start. Yeah, Matt, I have spoken a lot about prayer Can’t do it enough 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. We always want to be a praying church, but we set aside times throughout the year to really emphasize it in our church and our own lives. So, to Stephanie’s question, why do we do that? Why emphasize prayer? Does it really change things? Let me give you three quick points about why we believe prayer “moves the hand of God.” First, the Bible makes it clear that God’s purposes are unchanging. Verses like Numbers 23:19 are clear: God is not a man. He never learns anything new. He doesn’t wise up with experience or change his mind. He knows the end from the beginning So, it seems clear that God’s purposes are unchanging, but, like I said, we have to hold this in tension with another truth, which is that God’s plans are unfolding. There’s a story in Exodus 32 says that God changed his course of action based on Moses’ prayer. But here’s the irony of the story: God is the one who tells Moses to go down and see the situation (v. 7). Moses didn’t know the people had corrupted themselves. God showed this to him. Furthermore, the very thing that Moses uses to “change God’s mind” was God’s own promise. (And God, of course, hadn’t forgotten his promises.) God had put Moses into a situation so that he would see the problem God already knew about, remember God’s promises, and petition God to change his course of action. Moses’ prayer itself is a result of God’s plan. God wants Moses to ask this, so he sovereignly puts him in a situation where he will ask for it. But here’s the key: Our prayers are instrumental. The text is clear: Without this prayer, God would have destroyed Israel. The prayer was instrumental in getting God to change his course of action. And that’s consistent with the pattern of prayer throughout Scripture. As I’ve heard it said, “Prayer moves the arm that moves the world.” Now, many people might ask at this point, “Well, what if Moses had refused to pray? Would that mean that they would not have been saved, and would that mean that it was not God’s will to save them after all? And what does that mean if I fail to pray for something God wants me to pray for? Does that mean that the thing that I didn’t pray about wasn’t God’s will after all? Or would God have just gotten someone else to pray it?” You may begin to feel your head aching. It’s understandable. Those kinds of questions are the wrong ones to ask about these situations. Scripture never teaches us to think about the will of God that way. The 19th century Princeton theologian A.A. Hodge put it this way (my paraphrase): “Does God know the day you’ll die? Yes. Has he appointed that day? Yes. Can you do anything to change that day? No. Then why do you eat? To live. What happens if you don’t eat? You die. Then if you don’t eat, and die, then would that be the day that God had appointed for you to die? “Quit asking stupid questions and just eat. Eating is the pre-ordained way God has appointed for living.” So, when I wrestle with this, I tell myself to quit asking stupid questions and just pray. You see, however impossible it is for our puny minds to understand, God has sovereignly placed us in certain situations for the express purpose of praying his promises and “changing his plans,” so to speak. He wants us to employ divine power to create a different destiny than the one everyone is heading to. That’s why we say God’s Word is not just a textbook to be learned but a book of promises to be claimed. Like Moses, we are supposed to say, “God, remember you said …” Don’t just read your way through Scripture. Pray your way through it. And trust in the Spirit of God to guide you as you pray, to show you where and how to extend God’s kingdom. He is willing and waiting and wanting to answer! Fed by word/led by Spirit Matt: You mentioned praying through Scripture, which leads me to another question, this time from Sivad: “You mentioned praying through the Bible. This may sound silly but what does that look like?” Not silly at all! There’s no other book that we “pray through.” At first, it seems foreign: How do I take these written words on a page and pray through them? But the key is to take what you’re reading and keep the “line of communication open” with God through prayer. If you’re reading through the 10 commandments, for example, you could confess wherever you’ve broken them to him, and ask for strength to keep his commandments. If you’re reading through the Psalms, they’re almost written as if they’re prayers (some of them are prayers), which makes the connection a little easier. If you’re reading a

Show Notes: Matt: J.D., we’re going to do something we’ve never done, and we’re going to take that question and camp out here on Ask the Pastor for the next several episodes, because you feel like this one is worth unpacking. Like we mentioned at the end of last week’s episode, we’re going to spend the next 8 weeks unpacking something I think a lot of Christians have heard about, but they may not know a ton about: the “spiritual disciplines.” What are some important spiritual disciplines to focus on as we attempt to grow in our faith in 2024? J.D.: Yeah Matt, the “spiritual disciplines” – or the practices that every disciple of Jesus should follow and work into their lives – are definitely worth talking about, and rather than giving a short answer with a “checklist” of spiritual disciplines, I wanted to go in depth on a few different spiritual disciplines for the next few weeks here on Ask the Pastor, and we’re going to incorporate some of the many great questions we’ve received from our listeners on this topic. So, starting today, we’re going to dive into an eight-episode series on the spiritual disciplines. Along the way, we’ll be sprinkling in a few different listener questions we’ve collected from you, our listeners. By the way, you can always email your questions in to [email protected]. Or you can even message them to me on Facebook or Instagram. So to start, I want to talk about one of the most foundational spiritual disciplines: Reading and studying your Bible. This may seem elementary to some of you, but I’m a pastor… and I have a real sense that the practice of opening up your Bible, reading and studying it, and truly understanding what it says – and even why we read it at all – is unfortunately RARE. We know from the example of Jesus and the Apostles this was a big deal. And Jesus himself would go off by himself, early in the morning, to spend time with God. He used Scripture against Satan Acts 2, devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching Acts 17:11 commends the Borreans for not taking Paul’s word for something, but “examining the Scriptures daily” Matt: Let me stop you right there to ask a question sent in by a listener named Dalton who asks, “What time of day is best for Bible reading? Is there a time of day that bible reading ‘sticks better?’” J.D.: That’s a good question, and I personally have found that the morning is the best time to read your Bible. First, when i don’t, i find the day gets away from me and i just run out of time or feel too tired. I also feel SO much more prepared for my day when I’ve spent time with God in the morning. Orders my day. I can pray through my cal, and also hear from the HS about anything Orders my mind, sets my mind right. A way of giving God my first and my best But one of godliest men I know liked do it better t night, maybe right before bed. So there’s no “right answer,” but Dalton, I’m partial to studying the Bible in the mornings. Matt: Here’s another from Josh: “Does not sticking to a consistent daily quiet time mean I am being disobedient? Great question. My answer would be: MAYBE. It’s clear that we’re commanded to spend time with God. To neglect that is to sin. But don’t go and beat yourself up if you missed a day. Look, this question leads me to something pretty important, which is that I want to make sure that we all understand the WHY behind reading you Bible every day. Yes, reading it will help you understand more about God, about biblical history, and it’ll make you more biblically literate. Yes, we’re commanded to hide God’s Word in our hearts. Yes, it’s a practice we take from Jesus himself. But WHY do we do it? What is the #1 GOAL of Bible reading? To KNOW God by spending time with him. If you ask me about Veronica… and I say, “She was born in… her siblings are named; her favorite music is… height/weight…” Love this quote by AW Tozer: “The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.” Matt: That’s good. Let me ask a question that’s a little bit more about the “nuts and bolts,” from Paul: “How do you pick which book of the Bible or section of the Bible to study in your time with God?” Another great question. I just open it up and read whatever page it falls on… No, but seriously, there are a LOT of great resources these days to help you plan out your reading. Of course, you don’t have to use one – I oftentimes don’t – but we live in an age where a fantastic Bible reading plan is only a Google search away. If you’re a new believer/searching, start with the Gospels. Summit App Lectio 365 ESV Study Bible app — Matt: Starting next week, we’ll dive into a series of eight episodes focused on the spiritual disciplines—the basic practices of the Christian life. Don’t miss the first episode in that series next week as

Show Notes: Matt: Welcome to Ask the Pastor with Pastor J.D. Greear. I’m your host, Matt Love. You might be thinking… “What happened to Ask Me Anything?” Well, I’m glad you asked. We’ve decided to really reinvest in this podcast, keep it growing, and we’ve decided to add a new format, a new structure, and a new name! Ask Me Anything is now Ask the Pastor, and the pastor we’re asking is none other than J.D. Greear. J.D.: Yes, we’re very excited about the new name, new format. But there is one drawback: Matt has a face for radio and podcasts, so that’s the only downside to this and I know all of you watching on video will have to just overlook that. Matt: J.D., let’s get right into it. Here’s a listener question from Madeline. She writes: “A friend of mine is a Swiftie. She has a Swiftie necklace she wears all the time, her lock screen is of Taylor, she wears Eras shirts, she brings up Taylor Swift any time she can. And she recently went to a concert…it is turning into an obsession. How can I help her see that as Christians, Taylor Swift is not someone we want to emulate?” — J.D.: Here’s what I want to say first and foremost: I am not anti-Taylor Swift. So, Swifties, don’t hate on me, OK? My family—my daughters, especially—listens to her music from time to time. I took them to see the ERAS movie. I DO NOT think there’s anything inherently immoral about being a fan of hers. We’ve talked before on the Ask Me Anything podcast about whether or not Christians should listen to any secular music at all. You can go back and listen, but the bottom line is that that’s an area where every disciple of Jesus needs to use their own conscience. I know people who do not listen to ANY secular music at all. That’s a conviction they have for themselves, and I can’t blame them for that. Some of them even make pretty compelling arguments about why they choose not to do so. There are many others (and I’d put myself in this camp) who do listen to secular music–the Apostle Paul seems to have, too, FWIW, based on how he quotes some of the poets of the day—and to you I’d say (and this applies to movies and TV shows as well), you HAVE TO keep your guard up for what gets past your “filter.” There’s a difference between music that is not inherently Christian and music that is inherently “Anti-Christ”/”Anti-God.” That celebrates the things that God hates and centers the theme. I always compare it with going to a secular party. You can go to a secular event with secular people and sometimes while you are there, they sin. That’s different from going with someone when the expressed purpose is to sin. To get drunk or do drugs or watch pornography or visit a prostitute, obviously. In the same way, If the express purpose of the song, the theme, is sin, I wouldn’t touch it. And then there’s also an awareness of which temptations you’re just particular susceptible to; ones you can’t get out of your head It could a certain kind of sexual temptation that you know you are just particularly susceptible to. It could be materialism or even violence or focus on body image. Luther, if your head is made of butter Then there’s just the saturation question. Proverbs 4: “As a man thinks in his heart…” Colossians 3 tells us to “Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Again, I don’t personally take that to mean we should never consume any secular content. But the question is, what are we setting our minds on? What is consuming the majority of our thoughts? Is Taylor Swift someone you should listen to? I can’t answer that for you—you need to make that decision on your own – but I can tell you for me and my family, we find MOST of her songs decently acceptable. Now, let me address the real question here: “Is Taylor Swift someone we want to emulate?” That’s another question entirely. Madeline here seems to be writing about a friend who’s made Taylor Swift into a hero of hers. I don’t know the girl she’s talking about, and I don’t know how far this emulation or obsession goes. But I have seen this emulation of celebrities rise to an unhealthy level in other people’s lives that I do know personally, and I can speak to that. First, let’s address Taylor Swift herself. Does she write super-catchy, relatable songs? Yes. Are the majority of her songs inherently anti-God? No. But I wouldn’t say she’s some kind of hero that Christians need to be emulating. Taylor has been outspoken about her support of abortion, particularly after Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. She’s been very, very vocal about her support of the LGBTQ+ movement, both in comments and in her music itself – including her song “You Need to Calm Down.” She openly teaches karma, a very anti-biblical worldview. I will say that in the “Eras Tour” movie, I was unsettled at how much focus was put on her and her amazing gifts, and how when those accolades were directed at her, she didn’t give glory to God, even in the shallow ways that some celebrities or pro athl

We have a VERY special surprise for you today. Next Monday, Feb. 5, we’ll be back with a whole new name and format…

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: Can you remember the last time you went through a period of intense doubt? In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. talks about the most famous doubter of all time-Thomas-and shows us how we can deal with our doubts. Many of us think that our doubts disqualify us spiritually. But doubt is like a raised foot: It can step backwards in unbelief, but it can also walk forward in faith. You’ll learn what to do with your doubts, as well as what God says to you in the midst of your doubt. Like Thomas, you may not get all of your questions answered. But you may get something even better-a love too wonderful for words. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: Do you ever feel stuck in your sin? Do you ever wish you were more able to kick old habits and overcome old temptations? In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. walks us through the temptation of Jesus, showing us how Satan brings his battle against Jesus-and against us. He doesn’t begin where we might expect, enticing Jesus to do sinful things. He begins, instead, with identity. You’ll learn to spot the three traps Satan always uses, and you’ll hear about the one truth that enables you to withstand any attack. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: Do you remember the first time someone had “the talk” with you? Chances are, they didn’t pick up their Bible to walk you through God’s view of sex. In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. walks through 1 Corinthians 6, showing us that sex is more than just biology, but a deeply spiritual reality. In our day, with so much confusion about sex, we need this teaching more than ever. You’ll learn how God designed sex, where our society gets sex wrong, and what we can do with our own sexual guilt and shame. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: When was the last time you had a political discussion with another believer? (Did it go well?) In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. teaches about the four myths Americans believe about politics-myths that are just as active inside the church as outside it. These four myths tend to turn political discussions into raging arguments, so it’s important that we recognize them and learn to avoid them. You’ll learn how to navigate political differences without compromising your convictions, setting your hope not on the stars and stripes of our flag, but in the scars and stripes of our Savior. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: If you had 10 minutes and a divine eraser, what do you think you’d remove from the Bible? If you’re like most people, you might erase the idea of hell. In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. shows us why it would be disastrous to remove hell from our Bibles. Hell may be a difficult doctrine to wrestle with, but when seen from God’s vantage point, it is essential to knowing, loving, and worshiping God. You’ll be challenged to see God’s wrath for what it is-an expression of his goodness, justice, patience, and love. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: What would you say makes you more anxious than anything else? Money, work, being alone, losing someone you love? In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. addresses an emotion that we’ve all felt (and that all of us would like to feel less often)-anxiety. We know Jesus says we should not be anxious. But Jesus doesn’t just leave us there: He provides a way of healing for the anxious soul. You’ll learn more about what fuels your anxiety, as well as what you can do to overcome it. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: When you’re looking for God’s guidance in a situation, don’t you wish he would just write the answer out in the sky? Or, maybe, send you a personalized text message? In this episode of “12 Truths & a Lie,” Pastor J.D. answers the question he gets more than any other: How can I know God’s will for my life? When faced with a tough life choice-about school, about work, about your relationships-many people are terrified they’ll somehow miss God’s will. But God’s will isn’t some mysterious target we’re aiming at in the dark. As you’ll learn in this episode, the more important question is not how God guides, but whom God guides. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: Have you ever wondered why God answers some prayers, but not others? Some of the most painful moments in the Christian life revolve around unanswered prayer. In this episode of 12 Truths & A Lie, Pastor J.D. talks about this universal, but disorienting, experience. He shows us, through the life of the patriarch Jacob, what God is up to when he seems so silent and distant. You’ll learn five of the most common reasons God says “no” to our prayers, as well as helpful tips you can use in your prayers today. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: In this episode of 12 Truths & A Lie, Pastor J.D. answers the question, “How could God have ordained the Old Testament conquest?” You’ll see why the morals of the Bible, while offensive to many, are actually the most liberating, just, and transformative rules ever written. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: In this episode of 12 Truths & A Lie, Pastor J.D. answers one of the most ancient questions throughout Christianity: Is God really in control? And if so, why is there so much evil and suffering? To start answering this question, we have to understand the bigness of God. A lot of people struggle with this question because they like to think of God as a slightly bigger, and slightly smarter version of themselves. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: Have you ever been in the midst of some task-something lifegiving, challenging, and exciting all at once-and thought, “Man, it seems like I was made for this!”? What if that feeling wasn’t just a fleeting thought, but a picture of reality? What if God actually has given you a specific task, some way to reflect his kingdom? In this episode of “12 Truths & A Lie,” Pastor J.D. teaches us what God thinks about our work. Many of us haven’t given that a lot of thought. What does God have to do with my job? Actually, quite a bit! Through your work, God can fulfill promises, display his redemption, and advance his mission. Whether you’re a builder or a banker, a student, or a stay-at-home mom, you’ll learn the five ways you can approach your work from a uniquely Christian perspective. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: With everything that goes on in church, do you ever wonder, “What exactly is the most important thing we’re doing here?” Most churches keep themselves-and their members-really busy. They judge their success by how many people attend or how many baptisms they’ve done. But heaven doesn’t celebrate any of those numbers. It only celebrates disciples. In this episode of “12 Truths and a Lie,” Pastor J.D. shows us the heart of Jesus’ mission. It’s found right in the Great Commission. But it’s not “going,” “teaching,” or “baptizing.” At the center of it all is one command: “Make disciples.” Disciple-making wasn’t a special assignment for a select few, but the central calling for every follower of Jesus. You’ll learn all about Jesus’ call to become a disciple, along with the five identities of every follower of Jesus-worshiper, family member, servant, steward, and witness. Most importantly, you’ll learn how you can discover your role in the disciple-making process. Because God’s method for reaching the world isn’t big ministries with uber-talented preachers, but everyday Christians, filled with the Spirit, making disciples everywhere they go. In other words, God’s method … is you. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit AccessMore at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear Show Notes: Have you ever asked yourself, “How can I know, for sure, that I’m going to heaven when I die?” So many Christians have wrestled with this question for their entire lives, which can lead to anxiety and insecurity about their eternal destination. How can you know, for sure, that you’re going to heaven when you die? Most people feel like knowing for sure they’ll go to heaven has something to do with their behavior-If you are good enough; if you believe enough; go to church enough; give enough. In this episode of 12 Truths and a Lie, Pastor JD talks about how to experience true assurance of our salvation. Listen as the truths of scripture are explained in regards to knowing for sure that we have been counted as righteous. We get Christ’s perfect record credited to our account. When God looks at J.D. Greear, he sees not how many times I’ve prayed, how sincere I was in my faith, how pure I was… but he sees Jesus’ record credited to mine. Our prayer is that you can find peace in the fact that when God sees you, he sees the perfect life of Jesus. And so he says to you, “YOU ARE MY beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.” In the next episode, Pastor J.D. will take a deep dive into discipleship—you don’t want to miss it! Scripture references found in this episode: Romans 4:1-5; 1 John 5:13; John 14:18; Genesis 15:6; 1 Cor 13:1; John 1:16-18; John 2:20-27; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 4:15; Prov 24:11 Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. As always, don’t forget to rate and review this podcast! Find Pastor J.D. on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Each week, we’ll be posting a special short version of each 12 Truths and a Lie podcast on Ask Me Anything. To listen to the full version and subscribe, just visit Access more at www. accessmore.com/pd/12-Truths–A-Lie-Podcast-by-JD-Greear About 12 Truths and a Lie Podcast: Whether you’re a new Christian or have walked with God for decades, life is filled with difficult questions that can feel impossible to answer. In the 12 Truths & A Lie Podcast, Pastor J.D. Greear confidently tackles some of the most perplexing issues, including our purpose, the afterlife, how to handle political differences, and more with profound insight, empathy, and scriptural application. J.D. Greear serves as the Lead Pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. He is the author of several books, including “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart,” “Essential Christianity,” and his most recent work, “12 Truths and a Lie.” Additionally, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A since January 2022 and previously held the position of the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Our prayer for you is that this podcast will help draw you closer to God and be bold in asking hard questions. Here’s the promise: with each question, we will pursue the answers according to what God’s Word says…the ultimate truth. Want to ask J.D. a question? Head to our Ask Me Anything hub to submit your question. We’ll pick Ask Me Anything back at the end of the year. 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 listener question from Cameron who asked, “Why does James say we’re justified by works?” Show Notes: That’s a great question and one that I hear a lot and it’s one that I used to ask a lot as a young college student. Just so we’re all clear and you seen where the tension is, Paul says in Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” And yet, James 2:24 says: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” So a lot of people read that and they think it’s a contradiction. What James is teaching is actually not a contradiction to what Paul had said. It actually harmonizes the discussion. It shows us what faith that saves really is. The key point in this whole discussion is that works are the evidence of a decision to follow Jesus and make him Lord of your life. I always compare it to sitting down in a chair… how do you know that you made a decision to sit down in that chair? It’s probably not because you remember the mental process it took to sit down. The best evidence that you made a decision to sit down in the chair is that you’re seated there now—that’s proof that at some point you made a decision to or not. In the same way, the best evidence that you put your faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior is that you are living a life of works that demonstrate that he is Lord. What Jame is saying is that if what my mouth says about what I decided and my posture says differ, my posture is a more reliable indicator. Your posture is the evidence of your decision to sit. In the same way, your obedience is your evidence of faith in Christ and recognition of his Lordship. You are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone As we’re recording this, our church is in a series on the book of James, and coincidentally, one of our teaching pastors–Curtis Andursko–just addressed this question in his sermon on James 2. I thought he did a great job explaining this, and he even addressed the “Paul in Romans versus James” confusion directly. For Paul, justified: made right with God, For James, it means the the reality of your faith is proven before others Paige Benton Brown talked about how Paul was writing more like an OBGYN—he was talking about how we are born into true faith. James is writing like a pediatrician—his goal is to talk about how we are living out that faith. Both Paul and James both point to a couple places in Abraham’s life where we see this kind of obedience. In Genesis 15, God covenants with Abraham And in Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac (and of course, God takes him right up to the point of obedience and then he provides a ram) Paul points out that Genesis 15:6 occurred before that dramatic act of obedience. All there was a promise and Abraham believed it. James points to Genesis 22 as the proof that Abraham had really decided to really trust God and follow him because now he is willing to sacrifice his son in obedience. Bottom line: James and Paul do not contradict—they harmonize. And that’s actually a really good principle to take whenever the Bible seems to contradict itself. Usually the greatest spiritual truth is found beneath something that looks like a contradiction. 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 listener question from Kelly who asked, “What Is the Occult? Is It Real?” Show Notes: The occult IS real. It can refer to different things… witchcraft, worshiping pagan gods, and attempts to communicate with demons and demonic forces… It’s difficult to figure out the exact statistics, but a 2018 article in Newsweek cited studies that estimated there are about 1.5 million practicing witches in the U.S. alone… Last fall, NBC News cited a 2014 Pew Research Center study increased that projection several times over in assessing that 0.4% of Americans identified as pagan, Wiccan or New Age. Which may not seem like a lot, but even that number from 2014 means there’s been a significant increase in people who believe these things, and again, that’s just in America alone. Other parts of the world and other cultures have deep ties to witchcraft and the occult — witch doctors are still very prevalent (and very powerful) in many parts of Africa, for example. Flirting with the occult is wicked. For many, they say worshiping Satan is a way of resisting unjust tyrannical authority—even in that, I can start with a point of agreement that many people have usurped religion to gain unjust authority, Jesus himself was crucified by those doing that. So even there, for the convinced Satanist, I can find a point of agreement to start from. Ironically, they are giving Satan credit for resisting that authority when he’s the one creating it. Satan filled Judas and the Pharisees. Jesus resisted. More often, Satan shows up in false religion… Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:20: “I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.” In other words, the sacrifices made to pagan gods were really sacrifices made to demons who were behind those gods. In America, he’s in materialism and power (angel of light) Matt 6:24 talks about not being able to serve two masters. Our modern Bibles translate that word as “money,” but in older translations, like the KJV, they use the word “Mammon.” “You cannot serve God and Mammon.” Why did they do that? Follow this: Jesus spoke in Aramaic, and “Mammon” is the Aramaic word for money. The New Testament is written in Greek, so, when the Gospel writers wrote down Jesus’ words, they translated him from Aramaic to Greek. But for this one word, Mammon, they left it in Aramaic. Why? ​​Well, when you are translating something, what kind of words do you not translate? Names. You don’t translate names, you transliterate them. The early church said the disciples wrote down this as a proper name because they understood that Jesus was not just talking about a THING here; he was talking about personal power. A demonic power. Something that comes into your heart with a will. Satan has a unique power over money. It’s part of his domain. It’s not that you can’t have any of it—no, the world works on it and it has great power for good—it’s just you should realize that it will always be fighting to have you, to possess your heart. God and money will ALWAYS be pulling you in opposite directions. You will love the one and hate the other; or hate the one and love the other. With demonic energy it beckons you, Christian, to transfer your trust from God to it. You may never verbalize it, but in your heart you’ll think: “I don’t need to trust God for the future; I have Mammon.” On the personal level, we find him questioning identity Satan begins his temptation of Jesus with an attack on his identity because Satan knows if he defeats him there, he’ll be powerless against all other temptations. In the great temptation, Satan is not out in the wilderness showing Jesus pictures of naked women or offering him drugs.That comes later. He starts by making Jesus question who he is and how God feels about him. Satan is in the desire cultivation business Your enemy’s main tactic is not always to directly attack you. Sometimes he is just quietly and subtly cultivating sinful desires in you, reinforcing them until they become second-nature to you and you can’t escape them. Here’s what ethicist and author Russell Moore says, “Sometimes the Bible uses the language of predator and prey to describe the relationship between tempter and tempted, but often the Scripture also speaks of temptation in the language of rancher and livestock. You are not just being tracked down—you are also being cultivated.” Kelly, yes the occult is real and yes, we should resist it—even “mild” forms of it. We also have to recognize that our enemy is more often than not going to approach us in those forms. He’s going to come to us in distortions of biblical truth, tempting us to reshape our views of God rather than what the Bible says, he’s going to repeat the same lie in the garden of Genesis 3. He’s going to try and get you to change what you think about God. He’s going to be there to make you question your identity. Satan is

This week, Pastor J.D. finishes a two-part series about Jesus’ return. The second question is: “What does it look like to live ready for Jesus’ return?” Show Notes: Let me give you four things that will change in you if you are in a state of readiness for Jesus’ return: Spiritual alertness How would you live differently today if you knew Jesus were coming back tonight? I talked about my church growing up, and it’s a little bit funny to poke fun at now… but one thing my church had that I think we’re missing: the earnest expectation of his return… What if you knew Jesus was coming back today? Wouldn’t it make you ask the question: Am I ready? Am I living today in a way that I’d be happy to see him tonight? It genuinely could be today… this may be your last chance to repent; last chance to share the gospel. Mission urgency If you know the world has an end, and it could be soon, doesn’t that rearrange your priorities Life is consumed by vacation, hobbies, possessions and bucket lists Listen, I’m not a guy who believes God never wants us to have things we enjoy, or that he’s not glorified by our secular work. But I also know life is painfully short, and when the master returns I want to have invested my talents to the fullest for his kingdom… and not be found sitting on them. There’s nothing wrong with a little R&R, hobbies or nice things. But many of us work just so you can go on vacation. That’s the end game. A disciple of Jesus takes occasional vacations so he can work more for Jesus kingdom. Are you investing the resources of your life with the expectation of his return? Hope in suffering Jesus’ return promises us that pain and suffering won’t last forever; all pain is temporary. There’s a Christian philosopher named Cornelius Plantinga who said, “The second coming of Jesus Christ is good news for people whose lives are filled with bad news. If you a slave in Pharaoh’s Egypt or in the United States in the early 19th century; if you are an Israelite exiled in Babylon, or a Kosovar exiled in Albania; if you are a woman living in a culture where when your husband gets mad at you he can lock you up in a closet or threaten to have his buddies come and rape you… then you don’t yawn when somebody mentions the return of Jesus Christ.” I might add, if your son just died of cancer; if your marriage just dissolved; if you’re lonely; if your body is wracked with chronic pain—lift your eyes! It doesn’t last forever. It could be tonight. If your life just hasn’t turned out… “the promise of the second coming shows us the ‘good ole days’ are always ahead of us.” Power to forgive In Tim Keller’s book, Forgive, he points out that Jesus gives you the power to forgive. I’ve seen people who really struggle with bitterness helped by grasping Jesus’ imminent return. When someone wrongs us, we want justice. So we run to the judgment seat of the world and we hop on it. We know what they deserve and we want to help them get it. “Go, God. Give it to him.” We want to be God’s adviser. But listen, we weren’t meant for that throne. It’s too big for us. And it distorts us. Have you ever seen how bitterness destroys someone? Someone is mad at someone else and it colors their whole disposition toward that person, where everything that person does becomes tarnished. Or maybe even they begin to be prejudiced toward whole groups of people. A woman who is angry at her husband thinks all men are bad; someone who suffers injustice at the hands one person in a people group thinks everyone in that people group is bad… We weren’t meant for that throne. The doctrine of the second coming helps us stay off of it because we know, he’s coming back; he will bring justice! And so I can endure injustice for the time being because he’ll set all things right. One thing we have to agree on: We ought to be expecting the return of Jesus anytime and we ought to live like it is today. 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 Brandon. He asked, “What’s going to happen in the ‘end times?'” Show Notes: I grew up in a church a little obsessed with the Second Coming. On our Sunday School walls we had posters with dates and pictures of dragons and names of politicians. We had our annual prophecy conferences (which were the best attended events of the year); For special Sunday night services we watched the Billy Graham movies about the Tribulation. We had our rapture board games and rapture bumper stickers, “In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned.” And we made rapture jokes like there was no tomorrow. As a kid, I lived in perpetual fear of being left behind. If for any reason I couldn’t find my parents or they didn’t respond in the house when I called them, I’d run through the house yelling “Mom, mom” just sure I’d see her clothes had fallen neatly into a pile on the floor… I had this recurring dream where the rapture happened—this is not a joke—and I got lifted up to the top of the house and then as everyone else went on up to meet Jesus I would drop back down to the earth, revealing that my worst fear had come true: My faith in Christ wasn’t strong enough to get me all the way to heaven. And when the roll was called up yonder I’d be here. And then, when I was in high school, a little book came out that got instant popularity: 88 Reasons why Jesus is Coming Back in 1988. The guy who wrote it said, “Jesus said we can’t know the day or the hour, but he never said we couldn’t know within a 3-day window.” It was a big deal at my Christian school… “We’re going to sit here and wait.” Of course that day came and went. And then next year the author released 89 reasons Jesus would come back in 1989—he said he had explained he had miscounted the Gregorian calendar, which, of course, happens to the best of us. I have since learned that some of how we approached this topic lacked some balance, but, if you’ll let me be charitable for a minute, there is one thing we lived with that I believe our generation is missing and that is the earnest expectation of his return My pastor would often end our services by saying, “Maranatha.” (The Lord is coming). And then he would say, “And it could be today.” And I really felt like that could be true. I know we have disagreements about the timing of Jesus’ return, and what phrases like “thief in the night” really mean—friendly disagreement, I hope. And I have my own convictions, as I’m sure you do. Instead I want to talk about something we all should have in common: And that is the need to conduct our ministries with the awareness that eternity is real and the Lord is at hand. Eschatology is a fancy word for the theology of the end times—might be the one of the most, if not the most, neglected doctrines in the contemporary church. Many theologians seem to find it embarrassing: the crass, uneducated uncle of Christian theology. But get this: the second coming of Christ is the most talked about doctrine in the Bible. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to it. (1 out of every 13 verses mentions it.) And for every 1 prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ’s first advent, there are eight that talk about his second. (We have a whole holiday celebrating his first coming but we barely mention the second.) Furthermore: Almost every moral command given in the New Testament is tied to the second coming at some point. My pastor used to say: “How can we call this doctrine non-essential? It’s in every chapter. Every command is tied to it. To miss it is to miss the whole hope and thrust of the New Testament: ‘Surely I come quickly. Even so come, Lord Jesus.’” I just want a emphasize real quick that there is a commonality all Christians should have and that is the imminence of Jesus’s return. There are basically four positions: Some Christians think he is coming back before… Pre-trib: Tribulation is a 7 year period in which the antichrist and Kirk Cameron do battle… Raptured out before. Post-trib, or “historic premillennialism”: that is the idea that there is a tribulation coming, God will continue to work in the nation of Israel, but the church won’t be raptured up before. The church will be raptured out afterward. The major problem with this one is that it creates problems for the imminence of Jesus’ return. Post-millennial and amillennial. Both of these takes a more metaphorical approach. These positions believes the church has replaced Israel, and all the promises toward Israel have been fulfilled and are being fulfilled in the church. For spiritual purposes, there are no longer Jews and no history for the nation of Israel. That’s a real problem for me as a Bible interpreter, but let me note the positives:. Preserves the imminence: Jesus could return whenever. Help you see the spiritual meanings behind the imagery of Revelation. (my experience vs. reading Beale) There’s one more beyond t

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 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 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 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 tha

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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, “How should we think about disfellowshipping churches in the SBC that have women as pastors?” 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.

Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. Here are some quick links to help you learn more about Pastor J.D. Summit Life Podcast Receive daily devotionals from Pastor J.D. Additional blog posts This week, Pastor J.D. answers the question “What does it mean that the sins of the fathers are visited on the 3rd and 4th generation?” Show Notes: There’s a phrase from Exodus 34:7 where God says that he will punish the children and their children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation. Let’s start with what it clearly doesn’t mean. The Bible says elsewhere that it would be unjust for God to hold the children guilty for the sins of the parents. What it is doing is stating that sins of the fathers affect the children. One of my mentors when I was in seminary said every single major Bible theme is introduced in Genesis and the rest of the Bible kind of just explains those themes. So take the Genesis story of Joseph: Joseph’s brothers are jealous of him and sold him into slavery. But that sin of jealousy didn’t come out of nowhere. Joseph was the son of Rachel who was Jacob’s favorite wife. Jacob had showed extensive favoritism to Rachel and Joseph, so the sons of Leah took it out on him. I’m not saying they’re innocent. I’m just saying that they were actually responding to anger and bitterness over the sin’s of their father. Our sin affects shapes our children. They learn to repeat our mistakes often to even greater degrees. I don’t know about you, but it breaks my heart when I see my idols replicated in my children. And I see it all the time. Things that have become a little too important to me manifest in them. If we worship the idol of success, then your kids will always have that pressure of feeling like they got to be first or best or top of their class. If there’s one big takeaway from this Ask Me Anything podcast it’s that sin is serious. It is deadly serious. It’s like John Owen, the Puritan always said, “You got to be killing sin, or it’s going to be killing you at any given moment.” One of those two things is happening and not just in you, and you and your children and those you influence for generations to come. I don’t want to end this on a really negative note. So let me say this: Exodus 34 also says that God keeps faithfulness with 1000s of generations. And what that means is that God is much more merciful and healing that our sin is damaging. So when you sow faith, you can actually break the cycle. God loves to help you break the cycle of sin. I can think of several examples throughout the Bible and in my own life. There’s a movie out right now called Jesus Revolution about the life of Greg Laurie. Greg Laurie was raised by a single mother who struggled with addiction and had multiple failed marriages. As a result, Greg Laurie himself experimented with drugs and lived a rebellious lifestyle as a teenager. In some ways, that’s her sin being replicated in him. But then Greg Laurie becomes a Christian and helps lead this Jesus movement. He becomes a pastor and founds Harvest Christian Fellowship out in California. So yes, it’s true that God sometimes lets the effects of our sin go into the third and fourth generation. But it’s also true that one courageous act of faith can change not just your life and your destiny, but the destiny of your children, your children’s children, and the lives of those you influence for generations to come. So for those that are known by God and loved by God, Romans 8:28 says that he can use all things for good, including the sins and the struggles that at one point in our life negatively affected us. God can reweave those for good in our life and produce the gold of his presence and and the brokenness of our sorrow. 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.