Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear

In the first of two parts on the topic, Pastor J.D. addresses whether or not a Christian can be a socialist. Show Notes: This is a great question, and while we don’t usually get into partisan politics on this podcast or in my preaching, this is a little different. If we’re honest, socialism is a worldview that’s also becoming increasingly prevalent in our culture, both explicitly and implicitly. A 2020 poll showed that 40% of Americans had a favorable view of socialism, up from 36% in 2019. I saw a survey that said 47% of millenials and 49% of Generation Z viewed socialism as favorable. So, what is socialism? The World Socialist Party (WSP) of the United States says: “The establishment of a system of society based on the common ownership and democratic control of the means and instruments for producing and distributing wealth by and in the interest of society as a whole.” The government becomes the sole authority and controller of the means of production. So, in reality, it’s under control of an oligarchy, not individuals. What is the difference between communism and socialism? Interestingly, the WSP/U.S. says that these terms are synonymous. But, technically socialism usually refers to an economic system in which the state controls most businesses and factories (the “means of production”) while communism usually refers to a system where the state controls not just those things but also owns most of the property. We should at least recognize that socialism definitely arises out of an underlying ideology. Specifically, Marxism, put forth originally, of course, by Karl Marx. Marx was not a good man: He was a misogynistic, racist tyrant. His own son called him a devil. He hated Christianity, which he labeled as a source of oppression. Religion, he wrote, is the “opium of the people,” and for communism to prosper, the church needed to be replaced by the state in the hearts and minds of the people. Marx’s successors – Stalin, Castro, Pol Pot, etc.–have all shared that same view. Dr. David Jeremiah has a great little book on this called Socialism: What It Is. What It Means for You. Dr. Jeremiah writes that… Marxism is totalitarian One of the key ideas of Marxism is a total, undying devotion to the state. There is no individual ownership of property, there is no free thinking, there is no free speech–in fact, totalitarianism essentially removes the meaning of truth, and the state attempts to define truth as whatever the state says truth is. Marxism seeks the destruction of the nuclear family. Marxism is divisive It splits people into two categories: the oppressed and the oppressors, pitting them against each other. Marxism is deadly Socialist countries have a staggering death toll resulting from political carnage and state-ordered deaths to political opponents: Latin America: 150,000 Eastern Europe: 1 million deaths Vietnam: 1 million deaths Africa: 1.7 million deaths Cambodia: 2 million deaths N. Korea: 2 million deaths USSR: 20 million deaths China: 65 million deaths Next week, we’ll talk about two ways socialism fails as a worldview from a biblical perspective. 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.

In a special episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. has recorded a message addressing the recently published report from the Sexual Abuse Task Force of the SBC. Show Notes: One of the questions I’ve gotten a lot since the publication of the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Force Report on May 22 has been, what does it mean to be a part of a group of churches that has this deep sin in its past? Are you going to stay in that convention? First, I want to affirm that this is not the time to justify staying in the SBC or defending it. This is a time to lament and repent. But, since I have been asked that question, I do want to take the time to answer it: The actions of those noted in the report do not reflect the will of the body. I’ve always thought of my presidency and work in the convention as trying to keep the messenger’s convention out of the hands of a few who do not reflect the attitude of the SBC and seek to impose their will on the SBC. I believe my role was to stand in that gap and say, “You cannot have the power of the SBC. The people don’t want that.” If there is one note of encouragement in all of this, it’s the fact the messengers themselves called for this report. This report was not imposed from outside or even called for by a leader—it was called for and voted on by the messengers. To note, the SBC has a rather unique structure that allows this. This would not be possible in most denominations. It is a biblical and wise safeguard. I want to be in a convention where the people have the power, because as we see, the leaders go corrupt quicker than the people! We are already seeing the effect of change as new people come onto the Executive Committee. The current Executive Committee staff did not know anything about some of the most egregious systemic failures, and that the current Executive Committee board and staff have already acted swiftly to refute and reverse what they can. The headlines aren’t clear about that, so our people aren’t either. So, what has to change? People: This is a time to repent. Pastors: We need a commitment to raise awareness. Policies: Commitment to transparency Shift of priority from protection of reputation of an institution to protection of victim Shift of benefit of doubt from leaders to victims Not allowing bureaucratic mumbo jumbo and legalese to keep us from doing the right thing 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, we listen in as Pastor J.D. talks about communion during a recent sermon. Show Notes: Three words arise out of Paul’s theology of communion that you should remember in every communion service Proclamation Participation Examination Proclamation (verse 26) Normally you think of me, standing here, as the proclaimer, and I am. But Paul says the Lord’s Supper is itself a proclamation—the bread and cup are like visual aids; a sermon prop Jesus gave us to help us better reflect on the gospel. The first thing communion proclaims is that we need to be saved! Second, the bread and cup proclaim that you can be saved! Third, we proclaim that suffering and death are not the end. This table proclaims, “Death is not the end! Poverty is not the end. Jesus rose, and he will return again.” This table proclaims that our hardship, like Jesus’ cross, is part of bringing God’s good plan into the world. Fourth, this table proclaims that this church is first and foremost a community of the forgiven. The Lord’s Supper is a sermon, a proclamation, that destroys all these divisions. 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers a question from one of our listeners, Linda, about whether or not people of other faiths go to Heaven. Show Notes: For a while, the Hebrew “religion” was the only religion God had given—they were God’s chosen people in the Old Testament. The Apostles taught Jesus as the only way to salvation. Jesus’ interaction with Gentiles was very infrequent, and his statement about being “the way, the truth, and the life” was spoken to Jews, in a Jewish context. But that wasn’t a departure from the Jewish religion; instead, Jesus taught that it was a fulfillment of the Jewish religion. The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 4 that Jews in the Old Testament were saved in the same way we’re saved now—they just were saved by looking forward to the Messiah, and we’re saved by looking back at the Messiah. The bigger question asked is about sincere people in every religion. There are five general views on this: Universalism: Believing that God reveals himself to everyone, and so just by merely being human, all of us are saved. Pluralism: Everyone essentially believes in the same God, but has a different name. Inclusivism: Jesus is the only way, but faithful believers of any faith are saved Anonymous Christian Thesis: A person may not claim to be a Christian, but they might see the stars and the moon and all of creation and believe in a creator, and then God counts them as saved because they accept general revelation. Post-Mortem Evangelism: There is a chance to be saved after death… Jesus will witness to a person upon death to those who have not been evangelized. Exclusivism: You must have explicit faith in Christ and the gospel during your life to be saved. That last one is what I believe the Bible teaches. All of this is about bringing God glory (Romans 3: just and the justifier; Romans 9: wonder at his mercy; Isaiah: God would send salvation that his name would be great on the earth and all would know that salvation belongs only to God.) 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. defines what it means to be a multiplying leader. Show Notes: While a good leader can lead an organization for a time, the world is realizing the value of multiplying leadership that outlasts just one leader. This idea has been making the rounds even in the secular world recently, as businesses and other organizations have started to realize the value of multiplying leadership. Liz Wiseman’s book, Multipliers, is popular in the business world—her principles don’t claim to be rooted in Christianity, but they do show how much the secular world is “leaning in” to these principles. Some of you may think, “I wouldn’t count myself as a church leader, so do these principles really apply to me?” I promise you, they do! The gospel teaches us to be disciple-making disciples. No matter your stage of life, you and I are responsible to be disciple-making disciples. That’s how the Great Commission goes forward! I want to give you five words that help define what it means to be a multiplying leader: Clarity Familiarity Proximity Equity Humility 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers a question from a listener named Caroline who asks what the command to “be fruitful and multiply” means, especially for the single and infertile. Show Notes: Every few years at our church, we try to do a series on dating and relationships. When we do, I am always aware that well over half of the people listening to me are single, whether for a season or for a lifetime. A lot of times we talk about marriage as the “ultimate state” of Christianity, and if you don’t get there, something went wrong. But that’s just not the case at all. Here is the biblical truth, and it’s a little counter-cultural: earthly families are just temporary stand-ins for heavenly realities. Paul said that marriage is really just a picture of Christ and the church. It doesn’t mean it’s not important or that we don’t devote ourselves to it, but it is temporary. There are several examples throughout the Bible and Jesus’ life and teachings in particular that teach this. John Piper says: “Jesus was (in Matt. 19) calling out a new family where single people in Christ, or people not in traditional families, are still full-fledged family members on par with all others, bearing fruit for God and becoming mothers and fathers of the eternal kind. Marriage is temporary, and it will finally give way to the relationship to which it was pointing all along: Christ and the church…” So, marriage is not permanent, nor is singleness, nor is physical childlessness. Because of that, I would say that spiritual offspring is even more important — more eternal — than biological offsprings because that is the ultimate fulfillment of being fruitful and multiplying. If you’re single, you can intentionally devote yourself to raising up spiritual sons and daughters in the faith. That is the fulfillment of that command. Now, to be clear: it’s ok to mourn the lack of an earthly marriage, or the lack of the ability to have biological children. That’s a real loss, and I completely understand that. But by God’s grace, even that very real grief can be overshadowed by a joy of having spiritual children and being a part of their lives. 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, we listen in to a recent sermon where Pastor J.D. answers a question about how we know where the Holy Spirit is leading us. Show Notes: In Romans 15, Paul gives us a great example of what it looks like to be led by the Holy Spirit. As we look at that text, we discover that all of us have a part to play in the kingdom of God. All of us are called to ministry. The call to leverage your life for the Great Commission was included in the call to follow Jesus. Jesus’ last words to his disciples were, “GO and make disciples.” A lot of Christians are waiting on a still, small voice when they already have a very clear verse. Not everything that comes from Heaven has your name on it. The Spirit of God does reveal to us in dynamic and sometimes mystical ways exactly what your part to play in the kingdom of God is. Three ways to find out what your calling is: Through prayer Through engagement in ministry Through involvement in the local church 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers a question from a listener about how important it is that someone’s doctrine be correct, and whether it’s worth confronting friends or family about. Show Notes: We’ve talked before about separating out doctrinal issues by order of importance, but I want to hone in on that to answer this question. An Australian theologian named Michael Bird identified three levels of beliefs in the church—I’ve found this really helpful: Category (1) Matters essential for salvation. (think: the doctrine of Christ, the way of salvation) Category (2) Matters that are important to the faith and the integrity of the church. Though not necessarily essential for salvation like category 1 issues (think: inerrancy of the Bible; our understanding of sexual morality and gender and marriage, which are very serious issues.) Categories 1 and 2 are things Paul would tell us to divide over. (By the way, what to believe about items in these 2 categories are almost always spelled out clearly in Scripture) Category (3) Matters of indifference. These are debatable things, preferences, convictions about the best application of Christian principles, and political philosophies. We’re not saying there is no right and wrong in this category, just the importance of agreement in these things does not rise to a category 1 or 2 level. Paul refers to this as “disputed matters.” So to your question about when to approach someone on these issues, I think it’s always fair to have discussion about theological differences. This can help you catch onto the other person’s point of view while explaining yours. But I definitely think it’s important to talk about first-order issues with friends and family who claim to be believers. In fact, that’s the most loving thing you could do. Because while it feels good to claim to be a Christian and to not have to believe any of the hard teachings, that’s a false sense of security and it is out of a place of love. And that gets to the how question: you should always do this out of a place of love for the other person, you should always do it respectfully, you should always let them present their point of view… but you should also be clear about what Scripture says. Pastor J.D. referenced an article by Justin Taylor, linked HERE. 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers the question, “Should I get married or not?” Show Notes: The first consideration for “Should I get married?” is… Do I have the gift? First, realize that most people have a wrong conception of spiritual gifts–they assume that a spiritual gift is some kind of lifelong assignment that God stamps you with when you leave heaven, like a personality trait. Spiritual gifts don’t work like that, and definitely not the gifts of marriage and singleness. I’m going to show you this more when we study 1 Cor 12, but a spiritual gift, a charisma, is a special empowerment that comes on you for a time for some spiritual assignment. ALL of us are single for time, which means all of us, for a time, have the gift of singleness and God will give us the spiritual empowerment to do it well. You don’t look within and mystically see if you’ve got the gift of singleness. Don’t make it complicated. If you are single, you have the gift of singleness. At least for the moment. How do I know? Because you are single. And God will empower you to do it well. And if you are married, you have the gift of marriage. And you can know that because… you are married. Even if you felt like it was a mistake, you have the gift now, and God will give you the spiritual power to do it well. The second consideration for “Should I get married?” is… “Is it the right time?” There’s a really interesting verse in this chapter that really confuses people, but when you understand it in context it really makes sense: 26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. He goes on to say, “If you are married, stay married. If you are single, remain single.” And at first, it sounds like Paul is telling single people, “Don’t ever seek to get married.” But that’s not what Paul is saying. Paul says “in view of the present distress” remain as you are. Paul was writing in a particular era of history where persecution against Christians was at a fever pitch. Here’s what it means for you: There can be situations, eras, in your life that make it more advantageous for you to wait. For example: In a season where you’re trying to finish your education or get established in your career. Or maybe God has called you to focus on a mission assignment. Or maybe you need time to heal from something. During those seasons where it is wise to wait, you can trust God that he’ll give you the spiritual gifting to wait. One of the reasons to be closely involved in the church is that other people can help you see when those times are. When it’s time, don’t wait! I love what Paul says in vs. 36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whatever you do, vs. 37, Paul says, “…be firmly established.” Let me follow Paul’s lead here and talk to the guys, since guys are typically the ones to take initiative in relationships. Guys: Be firmly established. Are you going to marry her or not? Make up your mind. And, guys, if you know it’s not time for you to get married, be firmly established and don’t lead her on. Get on with what God is doing in your singleness. Girls, you too—don’t lead the guy on. Dating is a road that leads to marriage, and if you’re not ready for the destination, stay off the road!   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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. talks about whether or not gambling is morally wrong. Show Notes: 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 between Las Vegas-type gambling and a $20 office pool. 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. And gambling has some big moral ramifications. Three primary problems with it: First, it goes against the work ethic in Scripture. Second, the gambling industry intentionally takes advantage of the poor. Third, gambling is addictive. Honestly, you need to use your own personal judgment on these. I realize it may sound ultra-spiritual, but this is exactly the kind of issue where the Holy Spirit guides us. What may feel totally right to one believer may feel morally wrong to another. Al Mohler: https://albertmohler.com/2012/02/20/when-the-accounts-are-called-a-christian-understanding-of-gambling Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible, pp. 550-551 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.

In this week’s episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers a question from a listener named Barbara. She asks what passages and method he uses when he shares the gospel with people. Show Notes: There’s not a set way to share the gospel, and there’s certainly no “magic bullet” formula that’ll work every time. I wish there was! However, there are several helpful tools you can use to help you share the gospel. You don’t have to know how to answer every single question to be able to share with someone. But it does help to have somewhat of a “plan” if you’re not used to doing it. Here are some tools that I find helpful: Romans Road Taste & See (a resource from The Summit Church) The FISH method: (Build) Friendships Initiate spiritual conversations Share the gospel: Romans 6:23 Help them believe Again, none of this offers some kind of secret formula that’ll automatically make someone get saved. But all of these help you package the gospel clearly, and it can be helpful to know what you’re going to say before you say it. And the golden rule of evangelism: Don’t be weird. Just be yourself. Talk about what God has done in your life. Here is a link to The Summit Church’s Taste & See document, a resource he mentioned in the podcast. 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 about why biblical church discipline is a necessary—and even a loving—thing to do. Show Notes: Four reasons for church discipline from 1 Corinthians 5:1-13: For the sake of the sinning brother (5:5) The hope, the goal, is always that they wake up from their sin; that the pain of being removed from the blessings of the church wakes them up and brings them back to their senses. For the sake of other believers (5:6) The Bible uses the analogy of yeast. Just like a little yeast quickly spreads through the whole lump of dough, a little sin in the community quickly infects everybody. For the sake of Christ (5:7-8) Christ died, Paul says, to get rid of sin. So why would his church tolerate in their midst those things that put him on the cross? For the sake of the outside world (5:9-10) Paul says that these steps are important because we need to give the outside world an accurate picture of Jesus. Most of the world will never read the Bible—they read the lives of Christians. Therefore, we have to present Christ accurately. And here’s a special promise: Jesus promises to be with us, in a special way, if we do this. Look at Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” The context of Jesus’ statement is when you choose to go through the messy process of lovingly trying to restore someone caught up in sin. He wants you to know that he’s with you. When you’re doing the hard work of being family, he says, “I’m there for that. In an unusually powerful way.” 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.

In this episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. talks about whether or not the Bible teaches that men should have long hair. Show Notes: With passages like 1 Cor. 11:14, you can go wrong in one of two ways: You can over-apply it, or you can under-apply it. Here’s another example from 1 Cor. 16:20: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” In those days, it was a common way to show friendship. But should we still be doing this today? No, in our culture that would be quite odd. And yet we should not let go of the principle of the verse and we should still greet one another warmly, like family. The same is true for long hair. In that day, long hair for men communicated femininity in a way it does not now. The same concept applies to women wearing head coverings (mentioned in this same chapter). While the cultural practice may not apply to us today, the principle Paul is making in these verses still 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.

In this episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. talks about the Bible verses that seem to imply you can lose your salvation. Show Notes: There are all kinds of warnings in the Bible about how you must continue on in your faith to be saved. And yet, like we talked about last week, the Bible also clearly teaches that once you’re saved, you’re always saved. So how do these sort of verses square with each other? Do they contradict? Well, no, they don’t. But they do teach you something important about the nature of saving faith: Saving faith endures to the end. So why are “eternally secure” believers given warnings about enduring in the faith? I believe it’s because these warnings are not only to awaken those with false assurance about salvation but also to spur true believers onward in their faith. The Bible clearly teaches that believers cannot lose their salvation. Yet these warnings ought also to be taken at face value: If we fall away, we will not be saved in the end. The only way those two statements can both be true is if a failure to heed them demonstrates that we never possessed that saving faith to begin with. 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.

In this episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers the question of whether or not you can lose your salvation. Show Notes: At first glance, Hebrews 6 seems to say that not only can you lose your salvation, but once you do, you can never get it back! So what does it mean? This is important: I believe the writer of Hebrews is giving a general, pastoral warning to his congregation rather than attempting to delineate how the processes of regeneration, justification and eternal security work together. So, the warning here is a statement to believers and unbelievers alike about the importance of the gospel. Hopefully, it will rouse unbelievers out of their slumber. To the believer, we know that God will use it to keep his believers tethered closely to the gospel. Warnings like this one are one of God’s means of keeping believers awake to the gospel. If you persevere to the end, that proves you had the salvation you could never lose. If you don’t, it proves you never had that faith to begin with. 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.

In this episode of the Ask Me Anything Podcast, Pastor J.D. answers the question of how to respond to hypocritical Christians. Show Notes: This question is valid. Jesus said he died to create a new breed of people. But so many aren’t any different than the world. So how do you handle that? First, realize hypocrisy is more about being human than it is a particularly Christian thing. Second, hypocrisy doesn’t invalidate the message. Lastly, look at Jesus! The church is supposed to adorn Jesus, and it’s tragic when it fails happens; but when they fail you, look at him. 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.

In this week’s episode, Pastor J.D. is joined by special guest Trillia Newbell to talk about whether or not Christians should be colorblind. Trillia just released her new children’s’ book, The Big Wide Welcome, and is also the author of God’s Very Good Idea. These books teach so many important lessons about how God has created us and the unity he desires us to have. Show Notes: J.D.: Trillia, one question related to your book that we hear all the time at our church: should Christians be “colorblind?” What I mean is, should we as Christians not be “seeing” the color of peoples’ skin? Should it be irrelevant? Trillia: Often, this is very well-intentioned. It’s a way of saying, “I love all people.” But the Bible paints the picture of heaven in such a way that shows that even there, God will not erase our different races, cultures, etc. Over and over, we see the nations reflected in the Scriptures — different from one another but all united around 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.

Show Notes: Divorce is not the unforgivable sin. Look at Jeremiah 3:8 where God says, “For all her adulteries, I gave faithless Israel a certificate of divorce.” God has the audacity to call himself a divorced person. Now, of course, there was no sin on his side of the divorce, and maybe there was on yours. But in the cross and resurrection, Jesus puts away the sin done by you and he overturns the sin done to you. I feel a special word for some people out there going through real marital trouble—God is going to do something amazing if you trust in him and give him time. He wants to do something amazing in your marriage that makes it far stronger and more beautiful than anything you’ve ever imagined—even better than when you were newlyweds. God can bring beauty and redemption even out of our biggest mistakes if we trust it to him. In the cross, we find forgiveness for the sins done by us and healing for the ones done to us. The empty tomb is the answer for the empty soul ravaged by divorce. 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.

Show Notes: The answer to this question comes from the lips of Jesus, the most compassionate person ever to live. Marriage is a covenant you make with your spouse before God. God created it in Genesis 2 as a union where two literally become one, and death is the only thing that can dissolve that covenant (with a couple of death-related exceptions which we’ll talk about). So, is it ever OK to divorce? Jesus says in Matthew 19 that you can do it in the case of adultery. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7, is going to expand that to say desertion by an unbeliever. Why are those exceptions? The logic is very important. In the case of both desertion/abandonment and adultery, they both kill the covenant. That’s why I called them “death-related” exceptions earlier. So, you say, what about the case of abuse? Or what if the spouse is involved in some illegal activity that they refuse to stop and it’s putting our family at risk? First, if you are in an abusive situation, you need to get yourself to a place of safety immediately. Talk to your church, let them help, or if you’re not feeling safe reach out to the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE. Second, I would argue that the logic of Paul and Jesus’ exceptions applies also to divorce in the case of a spouse who is doing something that makes them unable to be lived with and puts the family in danger. Creating in abusive environment also kills the marriage covenant, and you are no longer bound to it. 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 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.

Show Notes: 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 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.

Show Notes: We should be as intentional with our families as we are with our jobs. There is a sense that, on one level, I as a parent affect the faith journey of my kids. But on another level, there is a limit to the responsibility parents have for the choices our kids make. God has made them as individuals. A lot of godly parents will have a child who wanders. And it’s not because they did something wrong. Think about it: God was a perfect Father. And the only two humans he “fathered” directly (Adam and Eve) both rebelled. It wasn’t because of deficiencies in God’s parenting. There are decisions only our kids can make. Even under the best of circumstances, they can decide to pursue things that are contrary to what God would have for them. Pray for your kids. Speak truth to them. But ultimately, know that God wants us to lean into his grace. God cares more for our kids than we do and he can pursue our kids in ways that we can’t. 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 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.

If you’ve heard Pastor J.D. preach, you’ve probably heard him talk about Nicolas Cage. So, what’s the deal? Does he really think Nicolas Cage is the greatest actor of all time? Find out in this light-hearted episode!

Show Notes: Who do you feel the closest kinship with? Who do you spend most of your time with? The lesson from Lot’s life is that you have to make up your mind from the beginning: Who do you really want to be? If it’s with the world, go there 100%. If it’s with God, go with him 100%. What do you love? What does that say about what your heart really desires? Are you trying to get as close to the world as you can without becoming it? So how can I be around “Sodom” but not make the mistake Lot did? It has to do with who you choose to make your close friends and your community. Those are the ones you become like—just like Proverbs 13:20 tells us. The most miserable person in the world is the half-committed Christian. 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.

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.

Show Notes: A theologian named Michael Byrd breaks down theological truths into three primary categories. First, there are matters essential for salvation. On these matters, we have to have agreement. These include the person of Christ, the way of salvation, etc. These are things absolutely worth dividing over, and I would not partner with someone in ministry in an area like this where we disagree. Second, there are matters that are important to the faith and the church but not matters of salvation. These things are also things where you need a relative amount of unity. They’re almost always spelled out in Scripture. Third, there are matters of indifference. Those are non-essentials, debatable things, preferences, opinions, etc. You’ve got to know what category different truths go into. Romans 14 says we are not to divide over inconsequential, disputed matters. Wisdom is knowing what to unite around and what things are worth dividing over. 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.

Show Notes: When we think “idol,” we oftentimes think of a statue that you bow down to. But there’s more to it than that, and idolatry actually occupies the first two of the ten commandments, so you know it’s important. We often have a “root idol” that controls a lot of the way we live our lives, whether that’s power, control, comfort, or approval. In order to stop looking to these idols to meet our needs, we have to give God the ultimate weight in our lives. Idols are not usually bad things, they’re often good things that we’ve given God-sized weight in our lives. 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.

Show Notes: Rebecca, today we’ll answer another question from your book, Is Christmas Unbelievable? In the book, you answer the common question, “How can you believe in a virgin birth?” A lot of people would say the virgin birth is a supernatural bridge too far. And I guess I can see why people say that, but in reality, if there’s a God who made the entire universe and everything in it, it’s actually sort of illogical to think that the same God couldn’t perform miracles, including having Jesus be born differently than everyone else. The virgin birth has always been a miraculous claim—not just because of what modern science has told us. But I happen to personally know some of the top scientists in the world who are believers and do, in fact, believe in the virgin birth. So, I don’t think we need to be concerned that the belief in the virgin birth is only for the scientifically uneducated. Some question whether it really makes a difference if Jesus was born of a virgin or not. In fact, it is completely fundamental to our faith that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. It’s not an optional extra or a “nice to have.” The frame of reference we need to have for Jesus should so blow our minds that the reality of him being born of a virgin and conceived by the Holy Spirit is just one of many angles of the extraordinary reality of who he is as God made flesh. The claims about Jesus that the gospels make are completely miraculous from his conception onwards. I don’t think we should be abashed about believing it all. Check out Rebecca McLaughlin’s new book, Is Christmas Unbelievable?, 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.

Show Notes: Rebecca, in your book Is Christmas Unbelievable, you answer some questions about the supernatural parts of Christmas. So much of what we know about Christmas, of course, comes from the gospels. But can we really trust them? A lot of people say the gospels are unbelievable because they’re written decades after the events happened. But first of all, the gospels are not like you or I being asked what we had for breakfast last week. It was the disciples’ job to learn Jesus’ teachings. They rehearsed these stories for decades after his death, every day—that’s what they did all the time! Then, there were hundreds of other people who traveled around with him and saw the miracles he did who could attest to what he taught and did. We actually have a rich source of witnesses to the events of the gospels, not just the recollections of one or two guys 30 years later. The gospels have proven to be impressive historical documents time after time—so much so that we should feel comfortable giving them the benefit of the doubt for historical facts that can’t be proven with other sources. The gospels all testify about Jesus’ divinity in their own unique way. Check out Rebecca McLaughlin’s new book, Is Christmas Unbelievable, 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.

Show Notes: First of all, we have to acknowledge that Satan is, indeed real. We have to take him seriously. But some people are guilty of not taking him seriously at all, and some are guilty of blaming every bad thing in life on him. A lot of people don’t know that the phrase “demon possessed” is actually not in the Bible. The phrase “demonized” is, instead. I don’t believe that a demon can actually come in and possess someone who is a believer, but I do think demons can afflict a person who is a believer, especially when they’re not walking in obedience or saturated in the Word. We need to be alert and sober-minded, like Peter says. When you look at the totality of human history, you would be naive to attribute some of history’s greatest tragedies to anything other than the influence of Satan, the prince of this world. Fortunately for believers, the blood of Jesus covers us and anything covered by Jesus blood is safe from Satan and his attacks. Second, we have God’s Word itself. When Jesus was tempted, he quoted Scripture back to Satan and if it worked for Jesus, we can know it’ll work for us. That’s why I work to memorize Scripture. I think Satan LOVES social media, it’s designed to magnify our self-obsession, which is Satan’s calling card! 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.

Show Notes: I think the first thing that stands out is that character really does matter. In 1 Tim. 3, when Paul talks about qualifications for ministry, he doesn’t just list talents—he talks about character, as well. Second, we really do need accountability. Dr. Paul Tripp told me about two things he’s seen that lead to a ministry leader falling. The first one is a lack of peer community. The second is a lack of seriousness about the power of indwelling sin in all of our live’s. Third, we never graduate beyond the local church. My wife and I have found that our own personal happiness is best reflected by the quality of our close, local relationships within the local church. Sometimes we get so enamored with someone’s talents that we promote them beyond their character. Paul warns us directly against that. 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.

Pastor J.D. answers a question about what it really means to be a Christian. Show Notes: Everyone has a different assumption of what it means to be a Christian. In the Western world, a lot of people have the assumption that if you’re not a Jew, not a Muslim, and not an atheist, you must be a Christian. Some people think it means a certain amount of “religiosity”—a certain amount of church attendance, a desire to live by the Golden Rule, to do good to others, etc. The problem there is, “how much is enough?” At what point do you become good enough to be a Christian? There are two defining marks of a Christian to point out: First, a Christian is born again. To be born again means that you’ve come to a point where you recognize that your sin has separated you from God and there’s nothing you can do that would ever make you good enough to be accepted by God. Then Jesus, in your place, lived a life you were supposed to live, died a death you were condemned to die, and was then resurrected from the dead. He wants to take away the penalty of your sin by applying his death on the cross to your account and put the new life of his Spirit into you. Second, a Christian is a disciple of Jesus—which means you follow him, do what he did, live like he did, and obey his commandments. You devote your life to him. That’s what it means to make him Lord of your life. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, which means we should live our lives as disciple-making disciples. 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.

Pastor J.D. discusses whether a certain level of “Christian celebrity” can be helpful, or if it is always hurtful. Show Notes: I don’t think the idea of a Christian celebrity is categorically, across the board, a bad thing. It’s always been a part of Christianity in some way, even going back to the apostles. I think of men and women like Billy and Ruth Graham, Elisabeth Elliot, John Piper, and so many more who have taken their “Christian celebrity” and made tremendous impact on the kingdom. I think it’s wrong to seek celebrity, but sometimes God does raise up a man or woman for a particular task at a particular time, and they may become well known. In fact, some level of “Christian celebrity” is inescapable and inevitable. I do think it can be dangerous—both for the people that are lifting this person up and for the man or woman that is being lifted up. For Paul, in 1 Cor. 3, he recognizes that he and Apollos as two “celebrity Christians.” He says there is danger in relying on a particular person more than you do on God, and viewing them as the primary source of your spiritual growth can be devastating. It’s also dangerous for those of us in ministry. If in my quest to serve the body of Christ, my name becomes known, I should treat that as a necessary evil. But if I begin to thrive on that and feed off of it, that will always let me down.   God didn’t make us for the stage. He made us to be servants. 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.

Pastor J.D. talks about the pain of unanswered prayer and the realities of prayer for the Christian. A glimpse inside this episode: This is a tricky question. I’ve often heard that behind every question is a questioner. When we’re dealing with unanswered prayer, the Bible has a lot to say. But the heart of the questioner matters a lot here. More often than not, when someone asks me about unanswered prayer, it’s not an academic question for them. It’s a question coming from a place of deep hurt. They asked God for healing in their life—and it didn’t happen. They asked God to reconcile a relationship—but the other person still left. They asked God to work in their kid’s life—but it’s been years and there’s no sign of that child returning. So first off, I want to say, when it seems like God isn’t answering prayer, that’s legitimately painful. It makes us question God’s goodness. It makes us wonder if he’s real. Those are the kinds of doubts that all of us, at one point or another in our walk of faith, deal with. I’ve wrestled with them. Every great saint has wrestled with them. So if you’re in that spot, don’t despair. Walk through that difficult question with God. And here, I think, is the best road forward: If we’re walking in fellowship with the Spirit, there isn’t technically any such thing as unanswered prayer. (Now, this is different than the way God responds to those outside of Christ: He may hear them, but he hasn’t promised to.) With believers, though, the Apostle John reminds us, “This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15). If we are walking with God, we can be sure we have his ear. Whatever your situation, whatever your request, if you are God’s child, he’s listening. Now, does that mean he says “Yes” to everything you ask? Of course not. At times, since God’s wisdom is so much greater than our own, he re-directs our answer. Or he sometimes tells us to wait. Or sometimes he simply says, “No.” But saying “No” doesn’t mean he’s being cruel. As Jesus taught, a good father gives his children food like eggs and fish, not dangerous animals like scorpions and snakes (cf. Luke 11:12–13). The point is that even earthly parents withhold things from their children—but that withholding is a result of their love, not a lack of it. Sometimes the exercise of God’s love means he gives us what we would have asked for if we knew what he knew. (I think I first heard that from Tim Keller.) What feels like unanswered prayer is actually God answering according to the wisdom and love of the Father. Learn more about Just Ask. Episode Sponsor: Our friends at BELAY – the organization revolutionizing productivity with their virtual assistant, bookkeeping and social media strategist services for growing churches – know the demands on church leaders all too well. In fact, their first client was a pastor, and they’ve continued to serve them every day for the last 10 years. BELAY is offering a free download to all our podcast listeners of their Delegation Worksheet & Guide to help you determine what only you can do – and what should be delegated – so you can get back to what really matters: Fulfilling your purpose. Just text LIFEWAY to 55123 or visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway to download it for free today!

Pastor J.D. shares some practical ways to cultivate a habit of prayer. A glimpse inside this episode: I have a 15-15-15 pattern. (15 minutes Bible reading, 15 minutes prayer, and 15 minutes in a devotional of some kind.) When it comes to prayer itself, I’m a big believer in helpful mnemonics. The one I always use is: HEAR (hear, examine, apply, respond). Also, ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). It’s roughly based on the Lord’s Prayer, but it identifies the key elements in a way I find helpful. (There’s a kid version of this that’s also great, and much simpler—WITH, “wow, I’m sorry, thanks, help.) What else? Ooh, here’s a big one: Set aside time for it. I don’t know anyone who really excels in prayer who doesn’t have a devoted daily time for it. That’s not the only time they pray. But it is the anchor. For me, I have a designated time every morning and every evening in which I meet with God. And while I pray at many other times throughout the day, I find the rhythm of my morning/evening prayer times incredibly helpful in cultivating a heart of prayer. Here’s another one: I read Scripture with an eye toward prayer. So as I read a chapter of the Bible, I take special note of promises or instructions. These help provide direction for me as I pray, becoming the promises on which I ground my requests and the instructions that become my requests. Another way to think of this is that we shouldn’t just read through our Bibles. We should pray through our Bibles. 3000 promises! Here’s one last tip I picked up from Tim Keller (though it goes back to Martin Luther, and probably beyond him): “Riff on” the Lord’s Prayer. While it is good to recite the Lord’s Prayer, “riffing on” it means we take each phrase, personalize it, and apply it to our circumstances. Just start! Set a time. Learn more about Just Ask. Episode Sponsor: Our friends at BELAY – the organization revolutionizing productivity with their virtual assistant, bookkeeping and social media strategist services for growing churches – know the demands on church leaders all too well. In fact, their first client was a pastor, and they’ve continued to serve them every day for the last 10 years. BELAY is offering a free download to all our podcast listeners of their Delegation Worksheet & Guide to help you determine what only you can do – and what should be delegated – so you can get back to what really matters: Fulfilling your purpose. Just text LIFEWAY to 55123 or visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway to download it for free today!  

Pastor J.D. discusses the title of his newest book, “Just Ask: The Joy of Confident, Bold, Patient, Relentless, Shameless, Dependent, Grateful, Powerful, Expectant Prayer.” A glimpse inside this episode: Why is your new book called Just Ask? I wanted to communicate the simplicity of prayer. We are supposed to come to God like children. Children don’t think about how they approach, whether they are using the right words, or whether their parents are pleased with them. They just ask. And that’s the beginning of learning to pray. We are a people of great need and he is a God of great willingness, who is ready to hear us whenever we come to him. In Scripture, Jesus promises, “You have not because you ask not,” and “Whatever you ask in my name, I will give it.” Or consider God’s word to Jeremiah, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). It’s an invitation. It seems like the entire thrust of the Bible is, “God is here. Just ask.” This idea isn’t new to me, of course. I think the book that first opened my eyes to this was A Praying Life by Paul Miller. His influence is all over this book, but the biggest thing I learned from him was this idea of relating to God as a dad. We get so paralyzed trying to figure out if we’re doing prayer right. But the moment we shift our thinking and realize, “We’re basically just toddlers and God is a good father,” it changes everything. I mean, when I think of the way my kids approach me, it’s almost silly. They don’t seem to have a category for “interruption.” They walk in and just begin, mid-stream, regardless of what I’m doing. And they come with the same level of seriousness whether they’re talking about a scrape they got on the playground, a kid who is bothering them at school, or a new idea they have for building a time machine out of Amazon boxes. I’m their dad, so of course they would come tell me what’s going on. There are a lot of ways approaching God is different than my kids approaching me. But we need to recover that sense of relationship and ease and simplicity. If you feel stuck on where to start, be like my kids: Just start. Just ask. Here’s what we need to know about sovereignty: Sovereignty helps us understand why events have happened the way they have. Sovereignty gives us confidence that God’s purposes will win out in the end. He’s in charge. He’s got this. But never in Scripture do we see God’s sovereignty moving people away from prayer. If anything, God’s sovereignty is a motivation for prayer—because you know what God wants to do and you know that prayer is the way God acts. It’s like John Wesley said, “God does nothing on earth except in response to believing prayer.” Learn more about Just Ask. Episode Sponsor: Our friends at BELAY – the organization revolutionizing productivity with their virtual assistant, bookkeeping and social media strategist services for growing churches – know the demands on church leaders all too well. In fact, their first client was a pastor, and they’ve continued to serve them every day for the last 10 years. BELAY is offering a free download to all our podcast listeners of their Delegation Worksheet & Guide to help you determine what only you can do – and what should be delegated – so you can get back to what really matters: Fulfilling your purpose. Just text LIFEWAY to 55123 or visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway to download it for free today!

Pastor J.D. explains the differences in the creation of Bible translations. Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. talks about the celebration of post-Christian culture within the church and whether or not that’s a good thing. A glimpse inside this episode: Distinction is good–but only those who have lived in a privileged Western lifestyle would ever say something like that. The loss of human dignity that comes from a crumbling Christian worldview is devastating. Sin corrupts. Rebecca McLaughlin who we just spent a few weeks hearing from: Many of the reasons secularists claim to oppose Christianity are actually rooted in Christian soil. The idea that human beings are equally, morally valuable, the idea that the oppressed should be cared for, the idea that men and women are equal, the idea that unborn babies should matter, the idea of racial justice an unity… all of these things come to us out of the Bible. There’s an Israeli atheist historian named Yuval Noah Harari who wrote Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. One of the things he’s clear about in that book is that Christianity is the idea that we think that human beings are equally morally valuable. When you think of something like human rights, apart from Christianity, that’s a figment of our imagination. Just as chimpanzees and hyenas and spiders have no human rights, why would humans have rights apart from a biblical worldview where humans are made in the image of God? So, what is our attitude toward culture? Two extremes: Assimilation or separation? You have a third choice—transformation. Hard to think about this without pulling in a classic book by Richard Niebuhr: Christ and Culture. H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic book, Christ and Culture, has influenced or at least informed the discussion, notably among Western evangelicals, since it was published in 1951. Niebuhr proposed five models, which he labelled as: 1) Christ against culture; 2) Christ of culture; 3) Christ above culture; 4) Christ and culture in paradox; and 5) Christ the transformer of culture. Carson: Culture and Christ Revisited. First two aren’t even biblical. When it comes to engaging culture, Carson rightly argues that one size doesn’t fit all: Christians have different cultural concerns in 21st-century North America than in 19th-century Northern Europe or the killing fields of Cambodia or present-day South Sudan. How can we impact our culture? One of the things I told our church was that you can’t make a difference unless you are different. One of the ironies of Christian history in our country — around the mid 20th century, as our culture began to change its opinion on orthodox Christian teaching and Christian morality, changed right along with them. They said things like, “If we don’t change our old-fashioned, outdated views on these things, we’ll be so offensive to our culture we’ll lose all influence.” And yet, those churches and denominations that did that–they’ve been the ones that shrunk the fastest. Today, their numbers are incredibly small and they’ve become altogether irrelevant.   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss Rebecca’s new book, The Secular Creed, as she helps to disentangle the beliefs Christians gladly affirm from those they cannot embrace. A glimpse inside this episode: Today we come to the end of our special series with Rebecca McLaughlin. Rebecca is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. If you haven’t read this book or have it on your shelf as a reference, you’re really missing out. She also recently released 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity. So get it for your middle or high schoolers. And lastly, her newest book that was released last week: The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. This was originally recorded as a long-form conversation, but we’ve split it up into four question and answer segments. Today, Pastor J.D. and Rebecca spend a few minutes talking about the topics of her newest book: This so-called “Secular Creed”. We’ve all seen the yard signs our neighbors have that make broad sweeping statements that leave us with only all-or-nothing belief options. Things like: Love is Love and Gay Rights are Civil Rights… when the real truth is a bit more complicated. Rebecca helps us disentangle the beliefs Christians gladly affirm from those they cannot embrace. But that’s not all, they will also turn the table completely to end their conversation by talking about personal suffering because when we’re talking about defending and understanding our faith, suffering is still the primary objection people have to Christianity.   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss several complex questions on topics like same-sex attraction, race, and politics. A glimpse inside this episode: We are in the middle of a very special series of episodes for you. For the past few weeks here on Ask Me Anything, we have guest Rebecca McLaughlin joining Pastor J.D. Rebecca is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. If you haven’t read this book or have it on your shelf as a reference, you’re really missing out. She also recently released 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity. So get it for your middle or high schoolers. And lastly, her newest book that was released last week: The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. This was originally recorded as a long-form conversation, but we’ve split it up into four question and answer segments. Today, Pastor J.D. hits Rebecca with several tough questions. Rebecca will spend a few minutes answering: How can evangelical churches be safe places for people who find themselves attracted to the same sex? And also, how do we use this racially polarized moment as an opportunity for the gospel? And lastly, what does a faithful christian witness look like in a politically polarized time?   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss some areas of life where Christians have been more shaped by culture than Scripture. A glimpse inside this episode: We are in the middle of a really special series of episodes for you. Starting last week (so go back and listen to last week’s episode if you haven’t already), and for three more weeks, we have guest Rebecca McLaughlin joining Pastor J.D. Rebecca is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. If you haven’t read this book or have it on your shelf as a reference, you’re really missing out. She also recently released 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity. So get it for your middle or high schoolers. And lastly, her newest book that was released last week: The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. This was originally recorded as a long-form conversation, but we’ve split it up into four questions and answers. Today, Pastor J.D. and Rebecca will spend a few minutes talking about some of the areas where we may have been more shaped by our culture than by Scripture — specifically diving into racism and homosexuality. Rebecca has a lot of wisdom to share with us today as well as pieces of her own story that you don’t want to miss towards the end.   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

We have a really special series of episodes for you. For the next four weeks, we have guest Rebecca McLaughlin joining Pastor J.D. Rebecca is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. If you haven’t read this book or have it on your shelf as a reference, you’re really missing out. She also recently released 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity. So get it for your middle or high schoolers. And lastly, her newest book that was released last week: The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. This was originally recorded as a long-form conversation, but we’ve split it up into four questions and answers. Today, Pastor J.D. and Rebecca will spend a few minutes talking about the traditional approach to defending our faith versus current questions people are asking. What’s the solution to thinking differently? I will warn you, though, that there are significant Harry Potter spoilers here. So if you haven’t read the books or watched the movies over the past 20 or so years, it’s about time you know how it all ends.   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. shares the valuable wisdom he’s learned from three of the women who have influenced him most. Spoiler alert: Elisabeth Elliot Elyse Fitzpatrick Jen Wilkin   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. discusses the role of women within the church, especially as it relates to positions of leadership. Resource: One in Christ Jesus: The Role of Women at The Summit Church   Episode Sponsor: No matter how many people you have on staff at your church, there’s only so much you can accomplish in a day, right? Your church exists to serve your community, so the mission of your church and its staff is to reach as many people as you can. So BELAY, the innovative staffing solution with over 10 years of experience serving churches with virtual assistants, bookkeepers and social media strategists, is offering a free download of their resource, ‘Church Leaders: Essential Strategies to Unleash Productivity.’ Let BELAY help your church live its mission in your community by helping you juggle less and accomplish more. Visit belaysolutions.com/lifeway for your free download.

Pastor J.D. and Matt Love sit down with Will Mancini to talk about his new book and answer an important question about the future of the church. Resources from this episode: https://www.willmancini.com/ https://www.willmancini.com/books/future-church

Pastor J.D. discusses God’s design for men according to Genesis 2 and 3. A glimpse inside this episode: It goes back to Genesis 2–3. Spiritual Leadership: Woman brought into a situation where he already has a walk with God. He is supposed to explain the commands of God to her. He names the animals, even names her! He’s given the responsibility to lead the family. Not only spiritually: She’s brought into a home where he is providing. He takes initiative in romance: Adam’s first words were a love poem. He takes responsibility to love and protect: “This is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” When you look at Genesis 3 you can see that humanity’s fall happened, in part, through a failure of the man to lead. He was “with” the woman when she ate. He was standing there, wondering if Genesis 2:17 was true. How I know: Genesis 3:9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” “Where were you?” The first sin was not one of commission, but omission. Just sitting back. It’s no secret: Women are more faithful to volunteer in the church than men. More initiative with the kids. More initiative with the relationship. They show more initiative in mission. (IMB: 4 to 1) They show more initiative to grow: my publisher advised me that women are reading more and you can’t write just to men. Genesis 3:9 is still his question. Where are you, men? We’ve got a generation of males that never grow up to be men who take up their role as leaders. Dr. Anthony Bradley, sociologist: 85% of youths in prison come from fatherless homes 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes 90% of all homeless & runaway children are from fatherless homes 60% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes Just as the fall of humanity came through the failure of a man to lead, so salvation comes when a man takes up his leadership role. Jesus is the Second Adam And so with us… (no disrespect to the ladies) Tony Evans: “As goes the man, so goes the family. As goes the family; so goes the church. As goes the church; so goes the community. As goes the community; so goes the nation. So if you want to change the nation; change the community; if you want to change the community change the church; if you want to change the church; change the family; if you want to change the family, change the man.” Tony Evans: If the child is first to come to Christ, there is a 3.5% chance everyone else in the household will follow; if the mother, a 17% chance; if the father, a 93%. What to do: Commit to growing as a disciple (which you can hear about in last week’s episode) Commit to re-order your relationships: Anthony Bradley, like we said before: Wife before children Children before work Friendships before solitude God before all of it.

Pastor J.D. shares five identities of a disciple—worshiper, family member, servant, steward, witness. A glimpse inside this episode: At our church, we’ve really made this a big emphasis this year. Jesus called us to make disciples, and that means teaching people how to follow Jesus and live the life of a Jesus follower. We’ve been walking through 5 identities of a disciple: Worshiper Daily time with God. Quiet time. Regular church attendance. Servant How do you approach your life, job, relationships, etc? What’s your attitude? Volunteer/serve in church and/or community. Family Member Belonging in membership and community, specifically. Steward How do you treat your money? Is generosity part of your life? Witness Who’s your one? Go on a mission trip.

Pastor J.D. defines what it means to be pro-life and explains what it requires and the responsibility for Christians. A glimpse inside this episode: Last week, we covered some answers to pro-choice arguments, and if you missed that one, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to it. So, now, what does it mean to be “pro-life?” From womb to tomb, but that includes when the womb is a tomb. We must be pro-abundant life. And BTW, just so you know, Christians have always been like this. Sometimes I hear people say, “All you Christians care about is the pre-born!” But that’s not true. Since 1973, for every 1 abortion clinic in America Christians have built 3 pregnancy centers to assist women in crisis. They are buying groceries and helping young mothers get housing and whatever else they need. Go into foster services and adoption agencies and there you will find the group represented most are pro-life Christians and their friends. Christians have built more hospitals around the world than any other single group–for a long time in sub-Saharan African there was not a single hospital that hadn’t been built by a Christian mission. So don’t believe the tired trope that followers of Jesus only care about the pre-born. It’s just not true, and a lot of people use that to excuse the fact that they are virtually silent about the tragedy of abortion. It’s hard to say that you’re pro-life from the womb to the tomb if you’re apathetic when the womb is a tomb. Right now, children are most vulnerable, statistically speaking, when they’re in the womb. Listen to this: In 2018 abortion was the leading cause of death worldwide, with 42 million victims. That is roughly seven holocausts in a single year. I agree with Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile who says, “It’s staggeringly clear that the largest scale injustice, the most morally outrageous thing happening in our society today is the killing of children in the womb..” To be consistently pro-life, you have to want to change the law People say, “It doesn’t matter if we change the law… abortions happen just as much with pro-life justices and pro-life presidents, let’s work on the system.” The counting is skewed by things like the morning after pill. Also, really shortsighted. This is only a 47 year question. How many lives would be saved if we truly as a society acknowledged the value of the pre-born and made it illegal to take their lives? Most importantly, we oppose Roe because it is an inherently unjust law. In 1973, we codified into law a Constitutional right to kill an innocent human child. As long as that law is on the books, we live in an inherently unjust country, no less than when we had a stipulation in our Constitution that blacks counted as only 3/5 of a human. To arrive at this “more perfect union,” that 3/5 compromise needed to be eradicated, and Roe, in my view, does as well. The worst position: I’m pro-life but think people should be free to choose for themselves. So, what does being pro-life require of us? What’s MY responsibility? The African American pastor Thabiti Anyabwhile says that this passage is crucial in instructing us how to respond to the abortion crisis because it tells us what God’s requirement is and the scope of that requirement First, WHAT is our responsibility? Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who have no voice…” What better description of the preborn could there be than “those who have no voice”? No one hears their screams as they’re slain in the womb–We know they feel pain. Through microscopic cameras we see them flinch as they are injected with poison; we see their heartbeats SPIKE as they’re killed. But we don’t hear their voices. Some of them are old enough that if they were just 6 inches further out of the womb we could hear their screams. But because they’re left in the womb when their life is taken we don’t hear them. So, we are obligated to speak for them. “Speak up” is repeated twice. Once in vs. 8; once in vs. 9. Speak up, the King says. Speak up. Say something. As with the story of the Good Samaritan, not speaking up in the face of injustice makes you guilty of injustice. It’s like Martin Luther King, Jr, said in regards to racial injustice: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Silence IS support. Speak up. ((Everywhere in the world our flag flies right now it represents this. And that is tragic.)) And hey, I want to stop here and say something: I want to ask you to seriously consider whether or not God might be leading some of you to take on the mantle of government leadership for causes like these. We need godly people (in both political parties) advocating for this. As I said, this should not be a partisan issue–much like care for the refugee or respect for the immigrant should not be partisan issues. I don’t care what your political party is–all Christians should be united in seeing the removal of this scourge from our land. Second, Proverbs 31 shows us the SCOPE of

Pastor J.D. explains a few of the most common pro-choice arguments and responds to each one with scientific and scriptural insight. A glimpse inside this episode: What greater tragedy is there than taking the life of another human? First, “The baby is a part of a woman’s body, and we need to respect her right to privacy and sovereignty over her body.” I agree that the right to privacy over our bodies is precious. But here’s the thing: The baby is not part of her body. That baby is intimately attached to her body for a period of time, yes, but it’s not part of her body. Listen, Thaddeus Williams, from whom I glean a lot of this today, says: “From the moment of conception, that baby has its own DNA–it’s own unique genetic code, a unique heart, (unique) circulatory system, brain, and more. If you’re saying it is a part of her body, does that mean SHE herself has 2 brains, 2 hearts, and 4 arms and legs?” No, it’s a separate person, even intimately attached to her body. Scripture certainly presents the preborn child as its own person: The Psalmist of Psalm 139 says that in the womb God knew me by name, as a person; there I was fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together according to the plan of God with his purpose for me already in mind. Scripture tells us that John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb because his spirit–in the womb–was filled with the Spirit when he came into the presence of Jesus. Someone might say, “But it’s still IN my body.” Yes, that’s true, but we all know our rights over our bodies are not absolute as far as the law is concerned. Prostitution is illegal in most states, and I don’t know of anywhere in the US can you legally pour drugs into your body just because it’s your body. Your rights to your body stop precisely at that place where they begin to affect someone else’s. And that’s exactly what is happening to the pre-born. Alright, here’s the next one. Someone might say, “Pastor JD, saying life begins at conception is a matter of opinion, and you shouldn’t force your opinion on others.” Well, we’re not in the realm of opinion, here; we’re in the realm of biology and Scripture. Hear me out–let me get in the weeds for about 5 minutes. Hang with me. If you say “life begins at birth”: Well, the only difference in a baby 5 seconds prior to birth and 5 seconds after birth is location, and “location” seems like an arbitrary foundation for personhood. Scientifically, what is the difference in the nature of the baby 5 seconds before birth and 5 seconds after? If you say, “Life begins with brain function, when the baby can experience pain, when they are in (what scientists call) a sentient (or self-conscious) state.” Well, first, note that that contradicts the position that abortion is a fundamental woman’s right through all nine months of pregnancy simply because it is in her womb. But second, does that mean when we are not in a ‘sentient’ state we have lost our right to life? If I go into a temporary coma from which you know I am going to wake up in 9 mos., my strong preference would be that you not kill me. If you say, “Life begins at viability,” (when the baby can live on its own). This also seems like a strange criteria for when personhood begins, because isn’t viability contingent on the advancement of technology? Every year, doesn’t newer, better technology push the length of “viability” back? If “viability” determines personhood, that means whether or not someone is a person is dependent on how advanced our technology is. And that seems arbitrary–it means that those born in more technologically advanced societies somehow possess greater personhood and more rights than those who are born in poor countries–and that doesn’t make sense. Plus, I would argue that the more helpless a person is, the more vulnerable–the less viable–the more we as a society should do to protect them. In the words of Cardinal Roger Mahony says, “We judge societies on how they treat their weakest members—the last, the least, and the littlest.” Even if you are unclear on this, and are not convinced that personhood begins at conception–shouldn’t you err on the side of life? “If you’re hunting in the woods and hear a rustling in the bushes and you’re uncertain as to whether it’s your friend or a deer, morality and common sense dictate that you don’t pull the trigger, given the potential risk of murder.” Here’s the next one: “If abortion were made illegal, people would just go back to coat hangers and back alley butchers.” Two things I’d say here: First, just to be clear, stories of that are WAY exaggerated. A total of 39 women died the year before Roe vs. Wade through illegal abortions. And that’s tragic, of course, but compare that to 900,000 babies who died in state-sanctioned abortions this year. Second, again quoting Thaddeus Williams: the “coat hanger” argument misses the point that the preborn are people, and pointing out some negative side effects of a re

Pastor J.D. discusses how this view might be a reflection of our time and place as well as the Bible’s role throughout history. A glimpse inside this episode: Feeling the morals are regressive may be a reflection of our particular time and place. I mean, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Bible offends our culture. We should be concerned if they don’t. The Bible has offended every culture, just not always in the same way. E.g. Muslim cultures and the teaching on forgiveness An “Equal Opportunity Offender” Wouldn’t you expect, if the Bible is the Word of God, that it wouldn’t offend us? Wouldn’t you be more suspect if it just affirmed everything we already believed? Do we really think we’re so advanced that we’ve gotten everything right? Think about how you look at people 100 years ago. We say, ‘I can’t believe grandma and grandpa actually believed that?” 100 years from now they are going to look back on us and say, “Wow, they were advanced!”? The standard: “If I feel a sincere impulse inside of me, it has to be right,” cannot be correct. Change the setting—now you have a guy in his early 20’s walking down the street of a Viking town in the 11th century who feels like his honor has been insulted and thinks, “I can’t be happy until I have avenged myself and my family name and that can only happen by killing the one who offended me.” We would say, “That is bad.” On what basis? It’s because it violates a higher law. Just because it’s in your heart doesn’t mean it is right. We need an external standard. The Bible has been behind the greatest moral revolutions in the world End of slavery—The best work on slavery is by an African-American scholar named Thomas Sowell. He points out slavery was universal. The terrible European slave trade trafficked 11 million Africans; but twice that many were bought and sold on the Arabian Peninsula during that same time period. Furthermore, he says, almost every slave he says sold in the European slave trade were enslaved and sold to them by other Africans. So, in other words, slavery was a nearly universal problem. Yet you have an enormous amount of guilt literature coming out of the West, but none out of Arabia. And the efforts to stop slavery came from the West. Why, he asks? Slavery is universal, but what stopped slavery it in the West? His answer? Undeniably, the Great Awakening: The preaching of men like John Wesley and the reforms of Christian statesman William Wilberforce. The Civil Rights Movement in the United States was pioneered by pastors like MLK, Jr. The end of apartheid in South Africa had Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the outspokenly Christian Nelson Mandela—both of whom opposed the racist practice based on the Bible’s principles. Prison reform and the rights of women were led not only by Christians, but by Christians who cited Christian teaching as the inspiration for their reforms The church is still the #1 provider of healthcare around the world. Christian Atheists: I saw one atheist author mention that if you go anywhere in the world where the need is greatest, the people you are most likely to find there are Christians. Hitchens conceded the same thing. He said, “I don’t believe Christianity, but something in it compels people to get involved in the worst situations on the planet.” I was listening to a lecture by Dr. Charles Mathewes up at UVA and he said that most atheists today who have moral objections to Christianity don’t realize they are “Christian atheists,” which means that the basis for their objections usually come from teachings that have been shaped by a Christian worldview. Friedrich Nietzsche, my favorite atheist, acknowledged that. He said: My moral objections to Christianity ultimately came from the principles I learned from Christianity. One historian notes: Atheists today aren’t like they were 1000 years ago. They are Christian atheists. Understand Progressive Revelation Bigger conversation, but God planted seeds instead of issuing a political manifesto

Pastor J.D. shares why humility and repentance are key in any discussion about Critical Race Theory.