Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear

We have an extra special episode of Ask Me Anything for you. Pastor J.D. wrote a short evangelistic book this year called, Searching for Christmas: What if There’s More to the Story than You Thought?, to put a gift in the hands of Christians for those they’re reaching out to. A lot of the normal Christmas Eve services, you might not be able to invite someone to, but this book creates a way to still have fruitful conversations this holiday season. We’re happy to be able to present to you the full audio book in its entirety to enjoy and pass along to others. You can purchase copies of this short evangelistic book at thegoodbook.com. If you’d like a copy of this free audio book (in non-podcast form), you can access it as a free gift now. About Searching for Christmas: Discover the awesome God at the heart of the familiar Christmas story. Most of us are familiar with the events of the first Christmas—the manger scene, shepherds watching sheep, angels singing their songs, and wise men arriving—but what if there’s more to the story? What if the birth of Jesus is actually the most significant event in all of history and can transform our lives? In a compelling, insightful, winsome, and personal way, J.D. Greear shows that if we get to know the God who lies behind the Christmas story and at the heart of the Christmas story, we’ll discover the joy, hope, purpose, and belonging we’re all searching for.

Pastor J.D. discusses how the Summit approaches multisite and what the Bible has to say about it. A glimpse inside this episode and some bonus material: I continue to get questions about the “multi-site” strategy on a regular basis. It’s not nearly as bizarre as it was when we began, but is still controversial for a lot of people. In light of that, I’ve revisited and expanded a post from a few years ago about our decision to go multi-site. In 2005 we at The Summit Church moved to a multi-site strategy for spatial necessity. God was graciously bringing to our doors more people than we could handle. We were doing as many morning services as we could in our rented school facility, and were having to turn people away. So we opened another campus 3 miles down the road, where I preached between our other services at the main campus. Since that time, we’ve stuck with the multi-site model for the church because we believe it’s both biblically sound and practically helpful, and we have embraced multi-site as a strategy for growing our church and reaching our city, not merely as a temporary way to deal with a space problem. We currently are a church of about 12,000 attenders, meeting on 10 campuses and 12 venues throughout Raleigh-Durham, NC. First, let’s cover whether or not multi-site is biblical. The essence of a local church is a covenant, not a manner of assembly. Some argue that since a local church is by definition an assembly, a multi-site strategy fundamentally skews the nature of a local church. The essence of a New Testament local church, however, is not “assembly” but “covenant body” and one of the functions is assembly. The New Testament nowhere demands that a local church meet all together each week. Nor is a single-service assembly the only model given in Acts. While it is certainly true that we see evidences of local churches assembling all together (1 Corinthians 11), we also see evidence of single local churches which met in multiple locations. The new congregation in Jerusalem is frequently referred to in the singular, one “church” (Acts 8:1; 11:22; 15:4). However, they obviously had to meet in different times and locations. Historians tell us there was no space in Jerusalem available to the disciples in which three thousand or more people could have met on a weekly basis. Quite simply, the New Testament neither demands nor uniformly models that all members of one local church are to assemble weekly in the same place. General rule: The New Testament gives guidelines, but not specific details, on how to best organize a congregation for pastoral care and effective ministry. John Piper has written, “Neither here [in Acts 2] nor elsewhere in the New Testament do we get detailed instructions on how to organize the church for pastoral care and worship and teaching and mobilization for ministry. There were elders in the churches (they show up very soon in the Jerusalem church) and there were deacons, and there were goals of teaching and caring and maturing and praying and evangelizing and missions. But as far as details of how to structure the church in a city or in an area or even one local church with several thousand saints – there are very few particulars.” Why is The Summit Multi-Site? 1. We believe it’s the most effective way to reach people, especially in our city The multi-site strategy has allowed us to have a greater reach in the Triangle and surrounding communities by enabling members to worship and serve in communities closer to their homes. We have always and only launched campuses where members of the Summit already live. These are people God has called to be a part of this church to reach their community. We believe that the multi-site strategy platforms them to fulfill this call. 2. The Best Way to Keep Pace with Growth Statistically, we can’t plant churches fast enough to deal with the growth God is giving to our church. We are very committed to church planting, having sent out over 660 of our members in the last ten years to plant 54 churches in the United States, including several right here in the Triangle. When we plant a new church, we are typically able to send a core group of about 25 to 30 people. By God’s grace, we replace those 25-30 people in just a week or two. When we plant campuses, however, the core group we send out averages several hundred, sometimes as large as 1,000. Church planting is one of our most important missional assignments, but it will not by itself deal with the growth God has brought to our church. Multi-site is not an alternative to church planting; it’s an alternative to building one big, gargantuan building. 3. A Better Pastoral Alternative to Building “Six Flags over Jesus” At one point, we considered building one central building for all of the people of the Summit to attend for worship. Fortunately, logistical reasons kept us from making this decision, because we now see that no central building could possibly be expanded fast enough to account for the

Pastor J.D. reflects on his two-sermon series on Ecclesiastes—his underrated favorite. A glimpse inside this episode: Well, like a typical pastor, I just can’t narrow it down to one–I say whatever I am preaching at moment– and so many have spoken and challenged me directly in real, tangible ways before they ever made their way onto the stage. A few years ago, I did preach a short, two-sermon series on the book of Ecclesiastes which has always sort of been an “underrated favorite” of mine. The first sermon was called “It’s all gone to hevel,” because that word “hevel,” is a Hebrew word the author uses in the second and third verses, which set the theme for the book. He says, in our English translations, something like “Vanity, vanity, everything is vanity. What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?” Probably the best way to sum that up is to think about a cloud or a vapor. When you look at a cloud, it looks like a giant, fluffy pillow you could lay down on. But if you’ve ever been in an airplane (or jumped out of one), you know that there’s really no substance to a cloud… you just pass right through it. They’re full of nothing. The goal of any sermon should be worship. Others that are life messages that typically turn into books later: Gospel, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? Listen to Pastor J.D.’s sermons on Summit Life.

Pastor J.D. talks about the importance of time with God, even in dry seasons, and some tools that can help along the way. A glimpse inside this episode: It may surprise you, but sometimes this is still a struggle for me. And I’m a pastor and have a Ph.D. in theology. But that doesn’t mean I automatically have a rich, rewarding time with God each morning. Sometimes my “quiet times” (which, by the way, what a stupid name) are awesome, like God really meets me. Other times it feels like I am just going through a dry ritual. But it’s important to maintain this “discipline” even when I’m not “feeling it,” because real growth happens by a “long obedience in the same direction,” not short spurts of inspiration and goose bumps. Søren Kierkegaard: Life is lived forward but understood in reverse. Christian growth: Long pull, not violent jerks. Sometimes, growing up, I’d go to summer camp and start to really feel that “camp high.” You know… you feel like you could basically walk on water, and your quiet times have never been better… and that lasts about two days. But long obedience in the same direction, which Eugene Peterson wrote about, requires a slow, steady commitment. There will be “peaks” and there will also be “valleys,” with quiet times. What matters is that you do it. I’m always looking for good tools to take me through the Bible. –One Year Bibles. –Gospel: 90 Day Devotional –YouVersion app –Joshua Project –15/15/15: 15 minutes in the Bible, 15 minutes in prayer, 15 minutes in a non-Bible devotional. –New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

Pastor J.D. discusses three common objectives people have surrounding the death penalty. A glimpse inside this episode: Three objections people have: 1. It is immoral (this is contradicted by ample biblical support both Old and New Testament) Some will say, “One of the 10 commandments is, ‘Thou shalt not murder.’ So, we shouldn’t administer the death penalty, either.” But Dr. Wayne Grudem, who I find helpful on this topic, writes that this is not meant to forbid all forms of taking life. He drills down to the Hebrew word for murder, ratsach, which literally means to slay. The 6th commandment is talking about premeditated, intentional murder, which God obviously forbids OR causing human death through carelessness or negligence. In the Old Testament, the idea of justly executing a human who murdered another human predates even the law given to Moses and the Israelites. Dr. Grudem talks about how in Genesis 9, after the flood, God told Noah, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Gen. 9:5). This was foundational to human life on earth after the flood. So, you can’t say, “Well, that’s part of the Old Testament Mosaic covenant, and we don’t have to follow that anymore.” That word for “shed” meant to pour out, or to intentionally cause someone to die. The reason this is so important is because, when you murder a human being made in God’s image, you’re destroying something that is most like God. Dr. Grudem says it’s the closest thing we can do to attacking God himself. In the New Testament, I look at Romans 13:4: “But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he (the one in authority) does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (What does the sword mean?) Now, remember that this comes right after the end of chapter 12, when Paul was talking about never avenging yourself, and allowing vengeance to be the Lord’s. Paul’s logic: you are not the avenger; the government is. So, the answer to the question, “What right do you have to take another life?” is “I don’t, but God does. The government is God’s avenger who carries out God’s wrath on evildoers. In other words, we can see the civil government executing someone who has executed another human as God’s wrath carried out on an evildoer. 1 Peter 2:13-14 carries the same theme — it talks about “governors sent by God to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good.” (NO human has the right to take the life of another human.) Correct. But God can commission them to. Same is true, of course, of other punishments. Punishment is not primarily restorative, but also retributive. Paul in Acts: “If I have done something worthy of death, I do not object to die.” 2. It is not effective as a deterrent Many times, people object to the whole concept of deterrence, which I have more of a problem with. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” This also gets back into our previous point: is civil punishment meant to deter crime, or to carry out retribution for acts of evil that have been done? The punishment is a statement about life. I would argue if the loss of your own life is not a deterrent against doing an evil act, there is no deterrent that can stop you from doing it. Is punishment a deterrent? Data: That’s not my area, but arguments are fairly persuasive to me: Each execution deters an average of 18 murders, according to a 2003 nationwide study by professors at Emory University. (Other studies have estimated the deterred murders per execution at three, five, and 14). Also, the time factor: Speeding up executions would strengthen the deterrent effect. For every 2.75 years cut from time spent on death row, one murder would be prevented, according to a 2004 study by an Emory University professor. Grudem, Politics: For each murderer executed, as many as fourteen to eighteen additional murders are deterred (David Bl. Muhlausen, Ph.D., “The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives,” Heritage Foundation, Aug., 2007). Notes that because executions take so long, we have not in recent years been able to see a reliable evaluation of the deterrent effect if the death penalty were carried out more quickly when someone is clearly deteremined as a murderer (and cites Eccl. 8:11 as reason for doing so). 3. It is unjustly administered in our country due to past racial sins, so we should call a moratorium on it until we get stuff sorted out). This one I’m less of an expert to speak on–I was deeply bothered by Just Mercy. But the answer is not to throw out the concept of retributive justice altogether. (1) Each case should be decided on its own merits. (2)Supreme Court- the right to require fairness in each situation.

Pastor J.D. shares three words that should guide our post-election posture—empathy, charity, and unity. A glimpse inside this episode: Politics matter, but they are not an issue of first importance. I want to give you three words that should guide our posture after this election (that I learned a few years ago from 1 Peter). Three words that should characterize the church and every follower of Jesus. Empathy: Seeking to see a situation through someone else’s eyes. Understanding why they think like they do, what motivates them; what creates such passion in them. What were they most concerned about with this election? What justice questions concerned them? What fears motivated them? What fears motivated them? I’m not saying you have to agree with their political calculus, but you can at least try to see it through their eyes as much as possible. Charity: Charity means assuming the best about them; giving them the benefit of the doubt about their motives. The political discourse in this country trains us to assume the worst of everyone else’s motives even as we demand they assume the best about our own. Based on what you hear, you’d think there are only two options in our society: Marxist or racist; Communist or Fascist. In the church we should be different. As much as we can, we give each other the benefit of the doubt. Unity: We can and should insist on alignment around biblical values–the sanctity of life and the evil of abortion; the wickedness of racism and all forms of discrimination, the preciousness of religious liberty, the importance of caring for the poor–while allowing disagreement on the political calculus used to pursue those things. And by “political calculus” I mean which candidate will best get the job done and even which issues to prioritize in this election. These are questions we can disagree on and still stand united–not because these political questions are not that important, but because our identity in Christ and our mission to preach the gospel is that much more important. Church, let’s be united, because the gospel we preach is of the greatest importance and the Great Commission is of highest urgency, Amen? Let’s be bold–let’s be outspoken on things like the sanctity of life and evils of injustice. Because those evils are real, and they really harm people. We shouldn’t parrot only the virtues associated with one candidate or party, but all biblical virtues. If we’re really followers of Jesus, we should be a little confusing, like we don’t quite fit with one side. Like they can never quite figure us out. If you find yourself only talking about abortion, probably out of balance as a disciple maker. If only about lingering racism, also out of balance. If we are the people who undermine all parties and stand above them, we will speak God’s truth in a way that confronts both. At The Summit Church, we dedicated a lot of time in the last month to the difficult questions of politics. It’s not my intent to cover all of that ground again.

I’ll answer your question with a question—the same question I ask every college graduate at The Summit Church: You’ve got to get a job somewhere. Why not get a job in a place where God is doing something strategic? Whatever you do, do it well for the glory of God, and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God. We challenge our college graduates to let the mission of God be the most significant factor in determining where and how they pursue their careers. We challenge them to dedicate the first two years after they graduate to join a church planting team working somewhere in North America or around the globe. We call it the “Go2 Challenge.” Whether you are in college considering what God has for you next, at a transitional point in your career, or nearing retirement, why not consider investing two years directly into the mission of God? Here’s a few questions you might have: “Won’t Going for Two Years Mess Up My Career?” College students sometimes ask me, “If I pause my career for two years, won’t I be behind?” Well, first, who says you have to pause it? The idea is that perhaps you can pursue your career in a location where you can be a part of a church plant. But even if you do pause it, like I did, it likely won’t set you back. If anything, it likely will help it. Look through the biographies of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and you’ll find that many of them had a post-college stint in the military or the Peace Corps. Living intentionally on mission, particularly in a challenging context, builds character in ways that no internship or apprenticeship can. These settings yield lifelong benefits. A friend of mine, who oversees one of the largest college scholarship and young leadership development programs in America, recently told me, “There’s a reason Mormons are so disproportionately represented in the upper echelons of business leadership. A lot of it goes back to the character development that takes place in their two-year mission.” After being on a team like this for a couple of years, God may lead you to plant your life there permanently. That’s what happens to many of those we send from our church. Others return knowing they gave the first and best of their careers to God, something God surely will bless. Jesus said, after all, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). That verse applies to your career, too. “How Can I Find Out About Opportunities?” Great question. In the denomination our church participates in (the Southern Baptist Convention), it North American Mission Board has established 50 “Send Cities” which are under-churched and in which they can help partner you with a new church plant. Additionally, our International Mission Board has a number of two-year programs that can place you on a team serving somewhere overseas in the least reached places on earth. Your denomination or local church probably has its own connections. Groups like Cru, Frontiers, Campus Outreach, and Radical have cross-denominational opportunities you can access as well. If all that sounds too tough, just move to Raleigh and join the The Summit Church. We’ll send you out from here! Kidding. Sort of. I mean, we won’t turn you away. Just come on over and we’ll figure it out. You can find out more about these (and other) options at go2years.net. “Do I Need to Leave Behind My Job?” Maybe. For many, you will be able to find a job in your career field in one of these places. If so, you’ll be able to go without having to raise money. Financially, you’ll be a net-positive for the mission! God calls some to leverage their careers, for others to leave them, and for others to lead a church. At our church, we call this for the leverage or leave? question. Is God calling you to leverage your career for the Great Commission, like the Moravians, or to leave it behind, like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Lottie Moon? He leads his followers both directions. Additionally, if God has called you to lead a church, why not consider serving a church in a much-less-reached country? The Summit Church leadership development at The Summit Institute. Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order.

Pastor J.D. talks about why it’s time we kick our bucket lists and do the one thing now that we can’t do in eternity—share the gospel. A glimpse inside this episode: I often hear people today talk about “bucket lists.” You know, all those things you want to do before you kick the bucket because you assume you’ll never have a chance to do them again. The handful of experiences that have lived up to expectations: Becoming a Christian Marrying Veronica and having children Visiting Kauai, Hawaii Skydiving Others I’d like to do: Hike the Inca trail Climb Mt. Everest Hang-gliding Fly to the moon But does that make sense for the Christian? The book of Revelation tells us that at the resurrection, Jesus ushers us into the “new heavens and new earth.” Scholars say new means “renewed.” That means that heaven is not some ethereal existence in the clouds where we sit around in diapers with Nerf bow and arrows playing the harp. Heaven is a new, renewed version of this earth, without the curse of sin. That means that up there I’ll get to experience a perfected version of all the things I missed out on down here. All the mountains, stars, rivers, oceans, planets, animals, culture, arts, music, architecture, and extreme sports that I never got to experience here are waiting for me there. Revelation 21:26 even says that God will bring into heaven “the glory and honor of the nations” (CSB), which means he brings in the best of culture. The best Italian food. The best of Arabian architecture. The best art. Mardi Gras without the debauchery. Disney World without the lines. The Jersey Shore without the Jersey. The point? It’s time to kick the bucket list. You don’t have to worry about anything you miss out on here. Instead, you can focus on leveraging your few remaining moments for eternity. You see, there is one thing we can’t do there that we can do here: tell people about Jesus. If you want to put something on a bucket list, make it sharing the gospel with as many people as possible. The people alive in the world during this generation have one shot to hear the gospel, and it’s us. So before you kick the bucket, kick your bucket list. For eternity, you’ll be glad you did. Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order.

Pastor J.D. shares how God called him to the mission field before calling him to be a pastor of a church that sends and supplies the mission field in extravagant ways. A glimpse inside this episode: When God called me to be a pastor, he did so by first calling me to the mission field. I spent the first two years of my ministry as a church planter among Muslims overseas. God never relinquished that call to missions; he showed me that my role in it is to be a part of a church that sends and supplies the mission field. Even though my primary role in the Great Commission is now as an equipper, it is always such a joy to get back on the front lines. Sure, it can be frustrating not being able to speak the language. But I share Christ more, person to person, in a two-week span than I probably do the entire rest of the year here in the States. It is my identity there, the entire reason I had go short term now. So when an opportunity comes up, I simply share the gospel. I wasn’t “Pastor J.D.” there. I was just “J.D. the guy talking about Jesus.” I want that to last: I want to just be the “Jesus guy” even here. Follow-Up Question: How do you know if you’re called to overseas missions? References: Nehemiah 2:12, Acts 13:2, Isaiah 6. Picture a Venn Diagram with these three circles: Affinity, Ability, Affirmation. Where do these things overlap? Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order.

Pastor J.D. is joined by Pastor Bryan Loritts for a special edition of Ask Me Anything where they look at the events of the past week. A glimpse inside this episode: Immediately: Bear one another’s burdens, grieve with those who grieve. Love your neighbors as yourself. Pursue empathy. Relieve yourself of the burden of having to come up with answers, and take a posture of humility. Even in the face of Martha saying something untrue, Jesus listened and wept with Mary and Martha (John 11). He didn’t immediately correct her theology. Longterm: We need a full-court press from the three institutions created by God, the family, the government, and the church, in dealing with the issues of systemic racism. Considering a healthy spiritual upbringing of our children, considering how we vote, and considering the heart change that happens with the gospel. God’s strategy for dealing with the problem of sin as part of the new covenant was not dealing with it from the outside in but from the inside out (Jeremiah and Ezekiel). Imagine the power of Ahmaud Arbery in a small group relationship with the McMichaels–where they’re all redeemed and getting to know each other. Proximity breeds empathy; distance breeds suspicion. When something happens to one part of the body of Christ, it happens to all of us. That’s where we start. Don’t rush past lamenting into problem solving. “White evangelicals have a PhD in statistics and a third grade education in empathy” – Bryan Loritts, Insider Outsider On social media, do the same: don’t rush to problem solving but spend time lamenting and empathizing. Simply, “We are with you.” Instead of being paralyzed by not having the answers, make yourself available.

Pastor J.D. discusses the three most important things for new believers to do as they begin their relationship with Christ. A glimpse inside this episode: #1: Learn how to spend time with God. There’s absolutely nothing that will benefit you more than spending time with God every single day. Find a time that works for you, and set aside time. Start with 10-15 minutes if you need to, but make sure you have time to read Scripture and spend time praying. A lot of people who start well in the Christian life don’t always end well — like in the parable of the seed. The problem with the seed, though, is that it didn’t go deep enough. I recommend reading a book of the Bible all the way through, rather than trying to read the whole thing front-to-back. The book of Mark is a great place to start. We advocate the “HEAR” method here at our church. Highlight, Examine, Apply, Respond. #2: Plug into a gospel-centered local church and get involved. You’ve gotta be known, you’ve gotta be serving… there’s just something essential about the local church. Yes, you can get podcasts like this one and sermons online and that’s great, but good content can’t replace being a part of the church. Even though it doesn’t technically have to be your nearest Summit Collaborative church, I am of the opinion that they’re the best… even though I may be a little biased. Seriously though, it’s vital to get plugged into a local church that preaches the Word of God right away. If you’re not sure where to start, ask some friends that are believers where they go. Or, look around online, and make sure you read the “What we believe” section of the church’s website. One of the best analogies for the body of Christ is… well, the actual body. When I have an itch on my left arm, my body sends a message to my mind which sends a message to my hand telling me to itch. It doesn’t just magically happen. In the same way, if you’ve cut yourself off from the church, you’ve cut yourself off from one of the ways God has to meet your needs. But do you really need the church? #3: Get into a small group. You need to be able to ask questions and get honest answers. You need to be able to be honest with people about struggles and sin. You need accountability. And, you need people to have fun with and live life with that have the same beliefs as you. A small group is a great connection point of connection. Your friends are the future you. You will be the average of your 5 closest friends in 5 years. So when you’re in a small group where people are calling out things to you and about you and preaching doctrine constantly, that’s a big step in the right direction. You need someone to help you know God. A lot of people never take that initiative.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. talks about the importance of doctrine, values, and mission when aligning with a denomination and shares some of his convictions. A glimpse inside this episode: I am Southern Baptist, not by birth but by choice. There is no group whose doctrine, values, and mission I line up with more than Southern Baptists. A lot of people wonder what the usefulness of denominations is, especially when they can unfortunately create a lot of divisiveness inside and outside of their membership. However, I really believe that we can do more for the kingdom of God when we work together than we could ever do alone. First, cooperation amongst similarly-minded churches is a good thing, without question. Second, I also believe institutions are good. Tim Keller has a chapter in the book “Center Church” on movements, and how movements and institutions need each other. Movements are fun and exciting, and institutions can seem boring, but the two need each other. Movements without institutions lack staying power. Several years ago, Southern Baptists had fallen off the map in the domestic church planting game. There were a couple other groups in the U.S. had really taken off, and they had really charismatic speakers. But one of these other groups, at the height of their popularity (hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers!), talked about their pipeline. They had fewer than 100 people in it! Meanwhile, Southern Baptist seminaries graduate 3,500 people a year. Even if you cut that in half, or in half again, or in half AGAIN, you’d still end up with more than the pipeline of that other, “cooler” movement. The SBC is a tool. If you have a tool and it gets dull and you can’t use it anymore, what do you do? Throw it away. But that’s not where we are with the SBC. Sure, there are some headaches, but I believe that the ability it gives us to work together is worth it. Unity in essential, uniformity in non-essentials. Truth trumps a faux unity. One of the core reasons I’m a Southern Baptist is because of the doctrine. The SBC’s official statement of faith: the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. This document clearly and concisely lays out a biblical belief system that lines up very, very closely with my own. So much so, in fact, that our church has adopted it as our official statement of faith. Narrow enough to keep us united on the essentials and broad enough for us to disagree on non-essentials. J.D., I do have another question: why don’t you have “Baptist” in your church’s name? Good question. We used to be, officially, Homestead Heights Baptist Church and The Summit Church was more like our “nickname.” We even used to say that! We’re in North Carolina, but I call it the “hole” in the Bible belt… you know, the leather goes around it. We found that some people had preconceived notions about us (some good, some bad) because of the name of our church before they even walked through the door. For us, the name was an obstacle. I don’t advocate every church do this, and we didn’t want to lose our Baptist identity. Our church makes it pretty clear to even the casual observer that that’s who we are, and I frequently mention it in my sermons. We make it crystal clear in our membership course.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. discusses the different types of promises we see in Scripture and how God’s promises are still true for us today. A glimpse into this episode: I’m for taking promises more seriously–the Bible has 3000! In short: Yes. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all of the promises of God are “yes” in Christ Jesus. But not always in the same way as to Israel, so it’s important to understand what we’re reading when we read the Old Testament. In the Bible, there are different types of promises: First, there are unconditional promises, true about God all the time. Nahum 1:7 says that he’s a refuge in times of trouble. Isaiah 41:10 says he will strengthen and help and uphold us — those are pretty incredible promises coming from the God of the universe. There are national covenantal promises: promises for prosperity, to give Israel the Promised Land, to defeat their enemies, and establish a rich, prosperous kingdom, etc. to have a Jewish king on the throne. These can still apply to us by principle: One I use: “Children mighty in the land.” In a lot of these promises to Israel are conditional promises (like the promises with “if” statements attached to them). First command with promise from Ten Commandments / Paul picks it up in Ephesians 6:1 “Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” That’s given to Israel specially: but it still shows you something about God. God repeatedly says that keeping his own commands equating to long life in Proverbs 3:1-2 and Deuteronomy 4:40. It’s a principle that applies. 2 Chronicles 7:14 14 “and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” That verse was given to Israel (not America) at a specific time and place. How is 2 Corinthians 1:20 true? In Christ: Even the promises that are addressed to Israel apply to us, in a way, because we’re the new Israel. Some are spiritualized in Christ: all they hoped for: a righteous, peace-ensuring Jewish king, forgiveness of sins, eternal inheritance, strength no enemy could touch–are given to us in Christ! John Piper said about this verse: “Every sinner who comes to God in Christ, with all his needs, finds God coming to him in Christ, with all his promises. When a sinful person meets the holy God IN CHRIST, what he hears is YES.” Everything about God’s protection, presence, working for our good, eternal rest and fulfillment–yes. But we can still expect the break-in of God’s goodness: Psalm 27:13 13 “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.” My friend Jen Wilkin gave some helpful tips on interpreting the promises of God. She said: Don’t confuse a promise with a principle. Don’t ignore the context of the promise. Don’t overlook an “if” in the promise. Don’t choose a promise selectively. Don’t try to manipulate a promise to mean what you want it to mean. Don’t limit a promise to your own understanding.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. explains why the seemingly obvious lives vs. livelihood answer is more complicated than we think. A glimpse inside this episode: When you phrase it, “Lives vs. livelihood” the answer seems obvious. But it’s more complicated than that. To be honest, it’s really easy to say, “Let’s keep the economy closed for however long this takes,” while you’re sitting at home collecting a paycheck while there are so many people who are suddenly without an income. But it’s not just rhetoric to point out that poverty also leads to death: poverty surges lead to increases in medical problems, other diseases, even suicide (hotlines are maxed). According to a report in the New York Times, the World Food Program is warning that 130 million people may face starvation because the “national lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up work and incomes” and may lead to a devastating disruption of “agricultural production and supply routes.” 22 million people here in the US are jobless because of the shutdown (and counting). And history tells us that even with slight increases in the unemployment rate, drug overdoses rise… Just imagine what a ~15% spike will do in just a few weeks! Furthermore, we accept that there is certain amount of collateral damage with life: Christian ethicists throughout history have recognized that some situations require nuanced ethical reflection. For example, collateral damage has always been accepted as an unfortunate byproduct of just war—to be avoided wherever possible but sometimes necessary in pursuit of higher ends. It’s easy to make a speech about how no objective in war is worth the sacrifice of a single innocent life in war, but we know that argument hasn’t held up in history. Or, from another angle, automobiles take untold amounts of lives each year. We can say that no amount of efficiency that the automobile brings is worth the toll in human lives cars take, but we generally accept some collateral damage as the price of freedom and progress. We also recognize how much value speed in transportation adds to life, even saving lives, etc. Of course, I’m not saying we should throw caution to the wind, and certainly not that we should sacrifice the old or vulnerable… We’re on lockdown and plan to remain so until our officials tell us is it ok. Wisdom is found in balancing principles. I’m not an expert who can say what the right application is–but I can advocate for the principles. Many leaders neglect one.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. talks about how times of suffering, like the current coronavirus pandemic, should be viewed in connection to God’s judgment. A glimpse inside this episode: We’ve been asking some questions that are pretty specific to our current situation with the coronavirus. Is it ever right to see coronavirus as evidence of specific judgment from God on a person or a people? In one sense, all misery and devastation can be. You have to be very careful with this one, not all suffering, or even most suffering, is connected to a specific sin. But Scripture clearly says that sometimes God uses disease or death as a specific punishment for sin–whether of individuals or societies as a whole. Here are three quick examples: In Acts 12, the Jewish King Herod allows himself to be called “God.” “And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23) The autopsy revealed he had a parasite problem. Luke says it was a direct judgment by God for a specific sin. As in, “it was because he did this.” In John 5, Jesus warned the invalid he’d healed: “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). Meaning it’s possible to commit acts of rebellion that God responds to with physical suffering. Paul warns believers in Corinth to take their walk with God seriously because certain kinds of spiritual neglect have caused sickness: “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 11:30) Paul even identifies homosexual desires as a tangible, physical punishment for sin. He may not do it by individual, but he definitely says it was a tangible judgment for exalting the Creator over the creation. And then you have the whole book of Revelation, where various judgments are not merely the general outworkings of the curse, but specific judgments for large societies and their sins. So, it’s clear that there are times where God uses specific sickness as judgement for sin. But that is a level of interpretation of what God is doing and how he’s working that we should not make. So while acknowledging that that happens, it’s not wise for us to jump in and say, “Well, this is happening because of ____.” The best example of this, of course, is Job–Job suffered and all his friends were like, “What did you do?” And Job was like, “I haven’t done anything that would single me out for judgment!” And God agreed and said that Job’s friends were wicked for saying his suffering was judgment. He calls them stupid for doing this. I think this is especially problematic to do right now with the coronavirus. Perhaps there are some situations out there where God is judging certain people, but it’s not our place to guess. We see now that there are some communities in our nation that are suffering more, and perhaps that’s because of unjust situations they’ve been put in. So to turn around and say, “You’re suffering because of your sins,” when in fact it’s in part because of the sins of others, is wrong. I will say that means that when I am sick or suffering, the first question I ask should be, “Is God trying to get my attention about something?” Is he in mercy trying to wake me up? I do believe that if there is some sin that God is trying to get my attention about, he will reveal it to me quickly. So, while it is true that it does happen, and we should be aware of it, it is never on us to declare that definitively about someone else. What I’ve found is that if God is doing this, he always makes very clear to you what it’s for. He won’t hide that from you. And again, I don’t think it’s wrong to ask the question. But to say, declaratively and come to a conclusion that this is what God is doing, that’s where it becomes wrong. In Luke 13, there’s a tower that has fallen and killed 18 people. Somebody asks Jesus, “Was this because these 18 people were more wicked than the rest?” Jesus says no, but, “…unless you repent, you will all perish.” My assumption is not supposed to be, “What was God making that person suffer for?” Instead, we should ask what God is doing in our lives and trying to get our attention about, and recognize the reality of sin. Sin is serious. Be afraid of it, but don’t dwell on this unless the Holy Spirit makes something plain and clear.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. shares some of his thoughts about doing church online, especially in light of the current coronavirus pandemic. A glimpse inside this episode: J.D., most churches are now recording or live-streaming their church services so their people can watch from their homes in light of the coronavirus pandemic. What do you think about that? Is church online really church? In some ways, you’d like to say yes, in these times, God is recognizing this as us gathering together. But it is not ideal. And this is not church in “many locations.” I’m not onboard with those who say this is another variation of the multi-site movement. I’m also not onboard with saying this is just the future and we need to get on board. But don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. The New Testament is not giving exact, prescriptive tasks very often. Instead, most of the orders it gives are ones of idealistic purity. There are even examples of irregularities in the New Testament itself: Church without elders. It’s clear elsewhere in Scripture that churches do need elders. Women starting missionary churches. If gauze is the best bandage, don’t be shy about using a bandaid. What about the ordinances? What about baptism and the Lord’s Supper? Instinctively, my first response was “no.” Right now, The Summit Church has not gotten to a point where we’re baptizing or taking the Lord’s Supper. We don’t feel like the length of time has justified going to some of those extreme circumstances. But the longer it goes on, it makes me think there may be a point where we have to figure out non-ideal ways to participate and observe the ordinances. Philip baptizes the Ethiopian eunuch. There wasn’t a church there. It was better for him to be baptized there than not at all. So there may be a case where there’s something temporary that we do. The essential elements of coming to the Lord’s table: Togetherness Introspection Celebration What about an invalid in their home? The Didache talks about that. What about missionaries who take the Lord’s supper together, without any other believers? Obviously that’s not ideal but it is better than nothing as a temporary solution. If someone’s going to say, “Well, it’s Tuesday and I don’t want to wait until the weekend to baptize my friend, I’m going to do it now,” that’s not a good example of utilizing a temporary solution. But in a circumstance like the one we have now, it may make sense to utilize a temporary solution. Does it have to be bread and wine? There are elements of bread and wine (juice) that are helpful. But if you simply don’t have it, I would say no. And you could take that further — you could say it would be best to crush the grapes yourself to see the symbolism. If you have to get a Ritz cracker and a glass of water, that’s better than nothing. The introspection is most important. In some ways, doing the Lord’s table this way virtually can be more connective than in a room at church with 1500 people. That’s the ideal version, but there may also be a connection online that’s helpful. When it comes to these ordinances, it ought to be done as an entire local church, not certain groups or people or families.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

With the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Pastor J.D. Greear briefly answers what that means for him over the next year. Resources: Why canceling the 2020 SBC Annual Meeting is putting ‘Gospel Above All’ 2020 SBC Annual Meeting canceled Baptist Press COVID-19 coverage

Pastor J.D. talks about some key advantages and disadvantages to each type of schooling and how Scripture guides our decision-making. A glimpse inside this episode: My friend Joby Martin says if you want some entertainment, get a home-school mama and a public school mama together and ask what the best educational approach is and then just get some popcorn and sit back and prepare for a UFC bout. Home-school mom be like: Sure, you can send your kid to the place where they outlaw prayer like in the times of Nebuchadnezzar and teach your kid that he came from monkeys and where he might get stabbed in the face by a gang member… that’s fine … but we love our son and want him to develop a biblical worldview so we homeschool. Statistically they are more likely to walk with Jesus if you do that, so clearly homeschooling is the godly choice.” Public-school mom: Yeah, that’s cool. We just want our kids to have things like… social skills. We think it’s cool that Timmy can churn his own butter and make his own clothes but we want our son to know things like … math. And we think our kids need to learn how to deal with the temptation of the world and not just run from it. After all, Jesus promised he would protect us in the world, not to vacate from it—and if all the Christians flee the public school, where is that going to leave society? How can we be salt and light to the world if we vacate it? Keeping our kids in public school is an act of love for our neighbor. First, Romans 14. Chapter 14 and the first half of 15 are one extended discussion about how to get along with people in the church who disagree with you on something you feel passionate about. Second: We’ve done all three: private school, home school, and public school and saw advantages in each. 3 in private now, 1 in public (Veronica says she couldn’t homeschool all 4 at once because the Bible clearly says Thou shalt not murder. And my wife would’ve killed my kids if they were home-schooled.) Third, I’ll say: It really is ‘by kid.’ There haven’t been a lot of studies on this, but those that are out there indicate that there’s not a significant difference in homeschool and public regarding whether the child adopts the faith if the parent is involved. “The data also suggest that family climate, especially faithful religious devotion by both parents, delivered in a context of loving nurture, is far more important than where a child goes to school.” Parental involvement is more key than school choice. That’s similar to the studies on how much doing devotions impacts a kid. It is the quality of the relationship more than the amount of the teaching that makes the difference. Here it is: Sociologist Vern Bengston says in his book Families and Faith that studies conclusively show that the quality of the child’s relationship to the father is the single-most important factor in whether the child adopts the faith of the parents. What are advantages to private/home schooling? Studies show that both homeschooled kids and private school kids usually do slightly better on standardized testing than public school students. Private school students may get more intentionally-tailored Bible teaching and Christian curriculum (takes some pressure off), and homeschool parents have all the freedom they want to disciple their kids and teach them the Bible as a part of everyday school. Homeschooling (and private schooling to some extent) allows you the opportunity to tailor your child’s education to that child. If in a public school, it can be difficult to control what they’re exposed to at an early age. Public school curriculum can be notoriously harsh to Christianity–you’ve got to do due diligence. We had our older kids read apologetics books for that purpose. What are disadvantages to private/home schooling? Social interaction (not just a joke) if you’re not careful when homeschooling. Church is a great place to build the kind of community that can compensate for this, by the way, along with things like sports, extracurricular clubs, etc. Exposing them to world. We wanted to have them come home every night and process with us the hard discussions, the temptations, before college. Missional element: be careful with this one. That’s your calling not theirs yet. Private school is really expensive. It’s a privileged person who even gets to ask a question like this. I understand that. Private schools are really expensive, and not only does that make it impossible for some people … it’s also something that Christians might want to consider even if they can afford it. Do you want your child to only interact with other kids who can afford that kind of school? Or do you want them to have friends from other walks of life, other socio-economic statuses? Homeschooling can be really tough. Sometimes it’s nice to have some help shouldering the load of teaching your kids — especially when it comes to subjects that might be out of your comfort zone (which, for me, would come emb

During this uncertain time, Pastor J.D. addresses a common question Christians have about prayer. He makes it clear that God not only hears our prayers but moves as a result. A glimpse inside this episode: Here are some false answers: Maybe prayer is about changing me? Not true. Lewis. Not, ask and you’ll be changed, knock and the experience makes you different. The parables (Luke 13, Luke 18) about how God answers those who persist in prayer. Or, people wonder, maybe it’s all predestined? AA Hodge: “Eating is the pre-ordained way God has set for living.” What should you do? First, Many have felt this way in history (Job; Psalms; Jeremiah in Lamentations) God rewards persistence: in this way, it does change you. It is good to wait on God. You don’t know all that God is doing: John Piper: at any given point, God is doing 10,000 things, you are aware of only three of them Example: Tapestries at Biltmore House None of your prayers are wasted—God uses them all. Sometimes overruling your answer for a better one! The Spirit intercedes for us. Revelation: God collecting these prayers at his altar.

Pastor J.D. shares four main ways Christians should respond in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. A glimpse inside this episode: The coronavirus is now, according to the World Health Organization, a “world pandemic.” We’ve seen some unprecedented public responses to stop the spread of the virus here in the United States—things most of us have never personally experienced. States (like our own North Carolina) are issuing official states of emergency. In some places, the national guard has been deployed. Colleges have sent students home. Local public schools are closing, too. Every sporting event I’m aware of has been suspended indefinitely or outright canceled. And most churches, now, are not meeting. First, a few weeks ago you quoted Matthew 24 about in the last days there being plagues, etc. Jesus told his disciples that it was not for them to know the times or the seasons, nor the day and hour of his return. What Jesus indicates here is that God uses things like this to wake us up to the fragility of the world and to the reality of divine judgment. They are like birth pains–they can’t tell you the exact moment of new birth, but they indicate that the time is getting shorter and a new reality that is coming. As the time of judgment draws near, we can expect these things only to increase. So, we are wise to hear in these things a divine warning God is trying to give to people on earth: The world we live in is temporary. The things we trust in won’t sustain us. This has been humbling, hasn’t it? When I first heard about this, I thought this would go in the category of “near misses” I’ve grown accustomed to. You hear about an asteroid that comes close to earth, but it always seems to miss and life goes on. Or you hear about epidemics in other places and think, “Our medical system can keep us safe.” But think about how something that none of us can even see; something that a month ago none of us were worried about, or scarcely even aware of, has brought our nation to a screeching halt. Even if the reality of this is not as bad as some of the worser case scenarios, the total shutdown of our country is going to have massive implications. Some are saying unemployment could get as high as 20%. How quickly and easily our whole nation has shut down shows us just how fragile we are. So: How should we, as Christians, respond to this current crisis? 1- Heed wise counsel This is not a time for carelessness or bravado. Nor is it a time for panic. We all have a natural bias–some of us gravitate toward worst case scenarios and doomsday prophecies and overreact. Others tend to brush aside reports as hysteria or some kind of mainstream media political agenda. It’s probably wisest to know our bias, avoid extremes, and listen to counsel. My encouragement to you is to avoid online extremists, particularly those that pander to your bias. We know social media isn’t helping that much. It’s ironic that in an age of unprecedented access to information that during a crisis social media does more to spread disinformation and hysteria. Our disposition as a church, at this point, is to defer to the CDC and our government, neither getting way far ahead of them nor lagging behind. We believe this is why God gave us governing officials, and we’re going to follow them. And let me say something to those of you who feel young and invulnerable, since I know that many of the reports we have heard have indicated that young people are not as much at risk as others. First, don’t take anything for granted. There are plenty of stories of young healthy people developing serious complications, even dying, as a result of contracting this virus. Second, even if you are low-risk, you should take precautions for the sake of your neighbors. It’s like a friend of mine said, “I’m taking CDC instructions seriously, not because I’m afraid of getting it. I’m young, healthy, in Christ and have no fear about the future. I’m taking Covid-19 seriously because I’m afraid of distributing it.” Or, as another Christian leader (Andy Crouch) put it, “Love, not fear, is the reason we should change our behavior. 2- In this season, move forward in faith, not backwards in fear The early church wasn’t known for stockpiling ample food and ammunition for themselves or spreading fear on social media. Or, as I’ve heard said, Mother Teresa’s legacy built on hoarding months of supplies for herself and then berating the poor of Calcutta on why they weren’t as wise as she was. Christian witnesses throughout history have been known for hope, faith, and self-sacrifice, imitating a Savior who ran toward tragedy, not away from it. This is a time of great opportunity for us. Rodney Stark tells the story of how the gospel saw unprecedented expansion in a time of plagues in the 1st Century: In AD 165, while Marcus Aurelius was emperor, a plague struck the Roman Empire, and over a 15-year period, it killed nearly 33% of the population. At this time there were 45,000 Christian

Pastor J.D. and Matt are joined by special guest, Brian Fikkert, author of the new Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream and When Helping Hurts. A glimpse inside this episode: The answer is clearly no. The gospel is not just for western culture. But the evangelical church’s truncated understanding of the gospel has often resulted in the mixture of the gospel and western culture. Listen to learn more about he means by that. Other questions answered: You talk about the fact that we need a new story. You say “The American Dream is the wrong story, for both poor people and ourselves.” What story are we telling now? And what is the new story we need? You say that this process requires we engage with whole people. How have we, specifically the church, missed engaging the whole person? One big question I feel like many churches and people are wrestling with is how to make their initiatives and ministries geared towards poverty alleviation sustainable. So what are some of the big sustainability obstacles you see? And how can we work towards overcoming them?   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams.

Pastor J.D. talks about the need to care for the earth but also remember the purpose of God creating it, especially when it comes to matters like climate change. A glimpse inside this episode: Two Poles: We are responsible to care for creation and … The earth was created for the benefit of humans. We’re not a virus or a cancer. These come from two mandates in Genesis 1: Dominion mandate: earth was made for human Stewardship mandate: we are to care for the heart like a garden Any solution, therefore, must toggle between those poles. Some strategies for ‘creation care’ fail to take into account God created the earth for our benefit and we should use it accordingly, for example–they would harm the economy too much. There is room for disagreement. Undeniable: There has been some warming. Disagreement: For example, is it cyclical? Yes. Christians disagree. We can handle the disagreement, but insist upon the poles. Russell Moore: Scripture does not lay out for us a legislative blueprint for every possible environmental problem. And he points to two extremes: Some Christians shrug their shoulders, cite the dominion clause of the Genesis mandate, and then endorse the bumper-sticker slogan: “Earth First: We’ll Pave the Other Planets Later.” Other Christians, just as casually, wrinkle their brows, cite the stewardship clause of the Genesis mandate, and propose “What Would Jesus Drive?” anti-SUV campaigns. Both extremes are wrong: To use Jesus as a mascot for a specific a political program dilutes his witness. Dr. Moore says another concern he has is an evangelical utopianism that believes, in the words of one evangelical leader, that we can “restore Eden” through legislative means. I am also deeply suspicious of the kind of doomsday scenarios laid out for us by Al Gore and others in a kind of secular Left Behind series. We live in a cursed universe, and the universe groans under the burden of this curse (Romans 8:19-22). That doesn’t mean that we simply give the earth over to the ravages of its birth-pangs, anymore than we can cite the curse of literal human birth-pangs as reason not to comfort a mother in delivery. It does mean, though, that we understand the limits of “saving the world” in this time between the times. Dr. Moore says: The earth is longing for something, the apostle Paul tells us. But it’s not freedom from man, but the coming of the God-Man, the Lord Jesus…. The earth is groaning for us, “for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). That’s why gospel proclamation is the most farsighted form of environmental activism. The earth is delivered when her rulers are raised from the death curse, when all things once again are under their feet, in Christ. The earth is created for humans. That’s where “Live Aid” was closer to the biblical truth than “Live Earth.” The Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, tell us something secular environmentalism and ideological Darwinism can never accept: “We are the world.” What’s the Conclusion? We ought to support reasonable laws that protect the earth and its resources. We should always make sure they are done under the idea that the world is created for humans, will support it, and any policies should not inhibit human flourishing. We should not attach the church’s name to specific policies. We’ll disagree often on how best to do that. But, in the meantime, we ought not to turn away from what we know to be true in order to support what we think seems to be true. Even if doing so wins us the applause of the rock stars. Dr. Moore: Let’s take care of the earth, protect the natural order. But let’s remember that the world is not ultimately rescued by politicians or musicians or filmmakers or scientists. It’s saved by the Man, the Lord Jesus. Jesus’ blood, not Al Gore. Let’s preach him.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams.  

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: There are two tensions to manage here: 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.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams.

Pastor J.D. talks about the nuances of cold-call evangelism and why evangelism is vital to the church today. A glimpse inside today’s episode: This is something very familiar to me. In the church where I grew up, Wednesday-afternoon soul-winning was your first act of sanctification! Not kidding. I got saved on a Friday and went on my first soul-winning cold-call that next Wednesday. For various reasons, most churches have gone away from that. Not as effective at making long-term disciples People don’t respond any more to strangers. Now, bad versions of cold-call evangelism can go terribly wrong, and can potentially even harm someone’s view of the church. But here’s the thing: it provided some great experience, and nothing has replaced it. Door-to-door evangelism was where I learned to share the gospel. Losing that with nothing to replace it has been a pretty significant loss. Are “ordinary” church members equipped to share the gospel? Are they actually doing it? Do they even see it as their responsibility anymore? What can we do? Find the Right Tools; If You’re a Pastor, Teach the Right Tools A lot of people have plenty of drive to share their faith, but are lacking in practical guidance. On one level, it does not take much skill to describe your experience of salvation: “I was separated from God; Jesus saved me.” But there does come a point when instruction and training are a huge help. Having the right tools can greatly improve our confidence when we share Christ with others. Conversation starters Verses to use (I always start with Romans 6:23.) Illustrations Format: 3 Circles, Bridge Asking the question at the end Telling your story Get good at it. You need an elevator speech: Entrepreneurs have what they call an “elevator speech” for their product: even though they could talk for hours and hours about it, they force themselves to condense things down to a 45-second summary (roughly the length of a long elevator ride). We should have an “elevator speech” for our story too: 100 words or less that explain how Christ met our “felt” needs, which sets us up for a sharing of the gospel. It’s important, of course, that we remember that our story isn’t the same as the gospel. It’s just a response to the gospel and, in evangelism, provides an introduction for us to share the gospel. Most importantly, stay in tune with the Spirit. We don’t hear this nearly as much as we should. We don’t build the kingdom for God; we let God build it through us. That’s why the first command given to the apostles in Acts is to wait. Until the Spirit arrived, they could do nothing. This is the only way to keep from being overwhelmed by the massive task of evangelism. God does not expect us to convert people; he invites us to walk with him and be his instrument as he builds the church. Pray it every day. Who’s life are you going to put me in the midst of? Sometimes he’ll provide a wide open door, other times not. Sometimes we open that door. Sometimes it doesn’t turn out well–that doesn’t mean it’s not of God. Honestly, only about 1 in every 5 of my attempts to have a spiritual conversation turns out well. But just because it turns out poorly does not mean that God is not in it. Stephen witnessed to Paul and was stoned, but that was definitely Spirit-filled evangelism! I have heard that the average person has to hear the gospel 12 times before they believe. Sometimes I like to ask what number I am. We may get the joy of being that 12th person, or we may be one link in the chain. But the Spirit has a role for us. How do you not get discouraged, though? Imagine: Running a magnet over the sand. See what metal comes up. A friend says: A true evangelist believes two things: Salvation belongs to God and faith comes only by hearing. The former takes the pressure off of you in all the right ways. The latter puts it on in all the right ways–it shows you your responsibility! How can they hear unless we preach?   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams.

Pastor J.D. walks through various views of spiritual gifts today and discusses some general guardrails to keep in mind when approaching gifts like speaking in tongues. A glimpse inside this episode: Now, a little lay-of-the-land: There’s generally 4 positions when it comes to spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy: Cessationist: gifts (like prophecy, tongues and healings) have ceased. On the other end is the Pentecostal position: i.e. the gifts are in full operation, and normative for every Christian, and if you are not using them there is something wrong with you, and you need to fix it, or start faking it. The charismatic: which is that these gifts are in existence, and part of the normal ministry operations of the church, but not everyone has them. Then there’s a 4th position that doesn’t really have a name, but believes that the gifts have not ceased, but that most of the ways the gifts are being used today is not really biblical/or helpful. I say at The Summit Church we are charismatics with seatbelt. I’ll say right up front, and this may not be popular, but there is a lack of hard and fast clarity when it comes to this issue, but I think that is intentional. God wants us to be open to anything God chooses to do in this area; but he leaves us clear parameters so that we can know when it’s him doing it. Here’s my general guardrails: We should not forbid speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39). To be clear, I do not have a private prayer language, nor do I think Paul encourages us toward one in this, or any, passage. While not encouraging anybody to speak in tongues, however, Paul stopped short of forbidding it. I think we should stop where he did. In fact, “banning” tongues goes against the entire spirit of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14, not to mention being in nearly direct defiance of verse 39. If Paul had wanted to outlaw a prayer language, he would have done so. God is not in heaven, wringing his hands and wishing that he had been clearer in his word. He said what he wanted to say, exactly the way he intended to say it, with the ambiguities and limitations he desired. And if you believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, you should be ok with that. The primary purpose of tongues is to signify the spread of the gospel among non-Jewish people (14:21–22). The primary purpose of tongues is not private prayer. They were not given to make you feel closer to God—for that you have the blood of Jesus! As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:22 tongues are a sign for unbelievers, particularly unbelieving Jews. With other tongues I will speak to this people. This is why I approach a lot of cases of tongues with suspicion. When someone tells me that their private prayer time is filled with speaking in tongues, I always want to ask, “How many unbelieving Jews are present in your private prayer time?” The same is true for worship services where speaking in tongues is common. How many unbelieving Jews attend those services? The spiritual gift of tongues was meant as a signal to the Jews that God is interested not only in them, but that he desires to save people from all tribes and all peoples and all languages. Tongues are a dramatic sign of the new non-Jewish frontier of the gospel. Seeking tongues is not a sign of spiritual maturity (14:19–20). Many talk about it as if it is the “deeper things” of the Spirit. That’s not true. Even if you accept that it is a gift in operation today, a couple of things to realize here. Paul never tells us to seek that gift. In fact, he seems to set up so many restrictions around the practice of tongues that only a truly supernatural work of God could pass the test! Like a sieve. On the other hand, Paul repeatedly tells us to seek gifts that build others up (12:31, 14:1, 12, 39). This is true spiritual maturity—not when we are swept away by ecstatic and unintelligible utterances, but when we interact with the Spirit and offer ourselves to be used by Him for the good of the church. Not all Christians speak in tongues (12:30). Many say they should. I’m not sure how Paul could have been clearer on this one. Not all Christians speak in tongues. Those who claim that speaking in tongues is a necessary sign of the Spirit of God are in direct contradiction with the Word of God. Our worship services should be characterized by much more interaction with the Spirit (14:25–26). True worship occurs when the people of God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God converge. Too often we settle for two out of three—the people of God sitting and passively listening to the Word of God. We are so afraid of disorder that we essentially reduce church to a Bible podcast. The power of God’s Word is unleashed to communicate His love to real people who are in real pain in real time. We should each come to church with something to give (14:26). What makes for a Spirit-filled service? A great sermon? The “right” kind of music? No, a Spirit-filled service happens when the Spirit comes in with you. A truly Spi

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

Pastor J.D. talks about this rising issue, learning how to find Sabbath rest, and four ways of rest we need every day. A glimpse inside this episode: 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or strife in their churches. 80% of pastors’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked. 80% wish their spouse would choose another profession. The majority of pastor’s wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry. Idolatry Rest in Christ: In Christ, you can rest even while you’re working. Without him, you’ll work even while you’re resting. A big key to not being burned out is learning to find Sabbath rest, and a big part of Sabbath rest is learning to find yourself in Christ. Beyond that, we have a failure to take an actual Sabbath: It is inconvenient! Psalm 127 Four kinds of rest you need every day: Physical A recent study found that a 30-minute nap three times a week cuts your heart attack risk by 40%. Other studies have shown that people who nap are actually more productive. A recent CNN study showed that those who work 11-hour days are 250% more likely to become depressed than those who limit their work 8-hour days. The reason is that when you are under work stress your body releases a certain amount of chemicals and hormones to deal with it—which is fine in normal rhythms but when you work too much it literally poisons your body, throwing off your levels and leading you more anxiety and depression. Especially for those in ministry: Archibald Hart: 30 minutes up front releases same amount of chemicals as 8 hours of labor   Those who study these things say that the vast majority of us need to be getting more sleep, not less. They say, “Only 1–3 % of the population is sleeping too much.” Historical context: Up until 1879, the average American used to sleep 11 hours a night. What changed in 1879? Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb. Which is great, but it was then we started to sleep less. PHONE and LIGHT Our lack of sleep contributes to all kinds of health problems—and even makes us less efficient. I was watching this TED talk that explained that your brain doesn’t have blood vessels in it, which is how most of your cells remove waste. There is an enzyme the brain produces that carries away waste, and that enzyme is only produced in sleep. Which is why when you haven’t slept your minds feels cluttered and clunky. Mental Winston Churchill painted. Best way to rest is get really tired doing something you don’t typically do. “We need more ‘active’ rest – the kind that can make us more alert and effective, reduce our stress levels, and give us a better chance of a healthier and longer life.” Social One night a week you spend with people you like Our decision to move into community Spiritual Prayer time Working on vs. Working in the Church We do both. The temptation is to only do the former, but the real rewards of the body of Christ come from the latter. I once knew a prominent megachurch pastor who often spoke of how he only worked “on” the church not “in” any longer—i.e. little personal evangelism, no personal discipleship, small groups, etc. His greatest contribution was working on the structures and big picture. Being in full-time ministry means that the balance of our lives shifts to “working on,” but we should maintain a level of “working in.”

Pastor J.D. looks at the creation narrative and explains that an open Bible and an open mind are key when contemplating the concept of evolution. A glimpse inside this episode: The short answer is, “Yes.” This is one of those areas where Christians should be free to disagree. There are many conservative Bible scholars who believe in something like evolution. Notable theistic evolutionists: Alistair McGrath, Francis Collins, and maybe Tim Keller(?) Others do not. But they are able to remain in close fellowship with one another, because this is not a “first order” issue. I have serious problems with theistic evolution, but I don’t consider it a first order issue. Now, just because we can charitably disagree doesn’t mean this discussion is irrelevant. It has a lot of implications for how we read Scripture, which makes it crucial. If you are a Christian who believes in evolution, you’ll have to believe in what’s called “theistic evolution”—that even though the earth is billions of years old and it took millions of years for animals to come to their present form, God was orchestrating it. Hence theistic evolution—God + evolution. Now, many conservative scholars have issues with this. For instance, Wayne Grudem has an article called “12 Ideas You Must Embrace to Affirm Theistic Evolution.” His whole point is that if you affirm theistic evolution, you deny basic principles that are plain in Scripture, such as: Adam and Eve were not the first human beings, were born from human parents. God didn’t act directly or specially to create Adam out of dust from the ground; God didn’t act directly to create Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side. Adam and Eve did not commit the first human sins because human beings were doing morally evil things long before Adam and Eve existed. (and weren’t sinless) Human death did not begin as a result of Adam’s sin because human beings existed long before Adam and Eve and they were always subject to death. Not all human beings have descended from Adam and Eve for there were thousands of other human beings on the earth at the time that God chose two of them and called them Adam and Eve. God did not directly act in the natural world to create different kinds of fish, birds, and land animals. God never created an originally very good natural world—a safe environment, free of thorns, thistles, and other harmful things. After Adam and Eve sinned, God did not place any curse on the world that changed the workings of the natural world, making it more hostile to mankind. According to Grudem, this position is just too fraught with problems for a serious Bible reader. Doesn’t Genesis 1 teach that God created the world in six literal days? Many people look to Genesis 1 and they want to know timelines. Are we talking about 24-hour periods here? Or does each day represent a period of time—millions of years, perhaps? Maybe there were gaps somewhere along the way? This is one of those questions that some Christians take very seriously. It often acts as a litmus test for whether you’re a “real” Christian at all. With all due respect to those who consider this a Priority One issue, I don’t believe that Genesis 1 itself gives us enough to come to rock solid answers about the creation timetable. Remember: whenever you’re interpreting a passage of Scripture, you have to ask why it was written before you pepper that passage with questions. If you start with the wrong questions, you’re not going to get to the right answers. And it appears rather obvious that the author of Genesis 1 was not intending to weigh in on the scientific nuances of our contemporary creation v. evolution debate. The focus of Genesis 1 is not specifically how God created, but that he created. It’s an artistic celebration, not a scientific documentation. When it comes to the age of the earth, that’s a question that scientists and theologians should explore together. I know godly, biblically faithful theologians who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible and who think that the timetable of Genesis 1 was not a literal week (which, by the way, isn’t a new interpretation, but is a position that has been around since the first few centuries of Christianity). I know some who think that God used evolution as a part of that process. And I know highly intelligent, scientifically sophisticated, erudite scholars who believe that each of the days in Genesis 1 are literal days. My encouragement to everyone in this discussion is to study it out with an open Bible and an open mind—and not to look at other believers wrestling, in sincerity and faith, with disdain. If you believe in a literal 24-day in Genesis 1, don’t view your brothers and sisters who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible but approach interpreting Genesis 1 differently than you do as “enemies of the faith” or “compromisers of the truth.” That’s not always true. And if you don’t believe in a literal 24-hour day, don’t look down your nose on others as “primitive, kn

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

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

Pastor J.D. talks about whether aliens are a possibility or a mere figment of the imagination. A glimpse inside this episode: Our faith doesn’t rise and fall with this question, so we have some liberty here. It’s not in our church’s statement of beliefs. C.S. Lewis seemed to keep the option open, and he’s smart … so there’s that. Evolutionists say yes: the likelihood of that much space. Stephen Jay Gould thought we should stop trying to send out signals because they in all likelihood would be hostile Astronomers estimate the number of stars at more than 3,000 billion trillion. Mathematicians says Septillion. 24 0’s. Now, if you’re like me, numbers like million, billion, trillion, or a septillion tend to sound all the same after a while. One million seconds ago. Do you know what you were doing a million seconds ago? 11 days ago. What about a billion seconds ago? Do you remember what you were doing then? That’s 31 years and 8 months ago. Some of you, of course, can’t remember what you were doing then because there was no “you” to speak of. Sometime in the 1980s. The compact disc player had just been released. Rambo was saving our world from certain destruction. The Jedi were returning for the first time. How about a trillion seconds ago? How long ago do you think that would be? A couple centuries back? A trillion seconds ago was 29,672 BC. The 1st Rocky movie had just come out. And there are as many as 40,000,000,000 (40 billion) potentially habitable planets. So the likelihood is high. But: Anthropomorphic/Goldilocks Principals (chances are low) Creation thought: Did God really waste that much space? But: (Lewis: God creates for himself). Plus, according to Genesis 1, man is the center of creation: God created the Sun, Moon, and stars to give light (brightening the utter darkness of the night sky) and to assist mankind (see Genesis 1:14-15). Throughout Scripture: This centrality of man continues. “Thou dost make him [man] to rule over the works of thy hands, you have put all things under his feet” (Psalms 8:3,6). Why so many stars for these purposes? Is it any big thing to God? Plus, God says that all of Creation exists to declare the glory of God! Psalm 19:1. The very vastness of space declares to us the awesome power and majesty of God! The more we know the more we say with David in Psalm 8: “O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth, Who hast displayed your splendor above the heavens! …When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, The moon and the stars (I say)…O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!” Also: The Bible tells us that one day we will rule even angels, and the 2nd member of the Trinity became a man and now sits on the throne of the universe. It’s hard to read Scripture in a way that allows for other races. The Bible also pretty clearly indicates that God’s plan for mankind and the universe itself are intertwined. When Christ returns, he’ll destroy this universe and the Bible talks about a “…new Heaven and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:7, 10). So, what does that mean for aliens? Well, because the Bible talks about the destruction of the earth and the universe and the re-creation of a “new Heaven and the new earth”, it seems unlikely and unfair that there would be other life on other planets whose reality still revolves around us. Distant planets would be destroyed by God because of his plan for Earth. The implication of Scripture is that there are no other intelligent beings besides man, animals, and the angels.” I’m not sure we could TOTALLY close the door on other intelligent life, but another rebellious race that God gave himself for? That’s hard to integrate with Scripture. Practical question: If there were, could we ever be visited? Based on the physics of the universe, hard to imagine. The closest star to the Earth, Proxima Centauri (a-Centauri C) is 40.7 million million kilometers (approximately 25 million million miles) away. The Apollo flights took three days to get to the moon. At the same speed, one would need 870,000 years to get to the nearest star. Of course, one could accelerate (particularly unmanned) probes to a greater speed. At the incredible speed of one-tenth the speed of light, the trip, one way would still take 43 years. However, one would need enormous amounts of energy for such an acceleration, roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of the entire world’s population for one month. Furthermore, in every cubic kilometer of space, there are an estimated 100,000 dust particles (made up of silicates and ice) weighing only a tenth of a gram. At such a velocity, colliding with even one of these tiny objects could destroy a spaceship. What is behind all the sightings? I don’t know. People’s imaginations. But something to consider, Sociologist Gerald Eberlain said: Research has shown that people who are not affiliated with any church, but who claim they are religious, are particularly susceptible

Pastor J.D. discusses transgenderism, gender ambiguity, and the concept of pronoun hospitality. A glimpse inside this episode: Old maxim: Behind every question is a questioner. When I hear a question like this, I immediately imagine the sort of person asking it. Sometimes it may be someone trying to pick a fight. But behind those who identify as transgender, that experience is invariably a person filled with confusion, pain, and rejection. Sadly, the church has often failed to be the sanctuary of the hurting for people in the LGBTQ community. We need to acknowledge that and repent of it. Behind every case of ssa or gender dysphoria is a question about unanswered prayer. Before we talk about trans pronouns, I think it may be helpful to talk a little bit about transgenderism more broadly. Two excellent books (that far excel my own knowledge here): Ryan Anderson, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment He deals with these questions (about sex vs. gender, pronoun usage, etc) in a very straightforward while (usually) grace-filled way. Andrew Walker, God and the Transgender Debate. 1. What determines your gender? Anatomy? Identity? The real answer is genetics: However things look on the outside, sex (male/female) is hardwired into our DNA. But since the external manifestations of sex do not always cohere with the genetics, scientists use the helpful phrase, “genetic sex.” This refers to whether a person has XY or XX chromosomes. Genetic sex is established at conception, and is a binary. Despite advances in medical technology, there is still no way of altering this, as it is a part of our DNA. No matter what sexual reassignment surgeries people undergo, or what hormonal supplements they take, they will always have the genetic sex they did at conception. There are periodic mutations in which individuals get other unconventional combinations (besides XX or XY), the most common of which is XXY. (This is called Klinefelter syndrome.) But even though this is the most common genetic sex disorder, it only occurs in about 1 in 1,000 men—and most of them never manifest symptoms. If they do manifest symptoms, it is usually via infertility. All told, when it comes to genetic sex, at the DNA level, there really is just male and female. QUESTION 2. What about ambiguous Genitalia and the “Intersexual” Now, when it comes to external anatomy, the situation is slightly different. Sometimes a genetically female child will have an enlarged clitoris (resembling a penis), or a genetically male child will lack one (or both) testicles. In most of these cases, the abnormality is minor and can be corrected surgically. This is sometimes referred to as “ambiguous genitalia,” though some people with this condition prefer the title “intersexual.” Again, the numbers here are very small. Only 1 in 1,000 babies undergoes corrective surgery for genitalia abnormalities. Not all cases of ambiguous genitalia require corrective surgery, of course, so the number of instances may be higher—though only slightly so. But here’s the important thing to note here: those who identify as transgender are nearly always not those with abnormalities in genetic and anatomical sex. Even the “Intersex Society of North America” admits that transgendered people “have an internal experience of gender identity that is different from most people,” not an identity based on their ambiguous anatomical makeup. It’s not found by looking within. Our hearts are inclined to be deceitful, not trustworthy (cf. Jeremiah 17:9). And as Tim Keller has shown in his recent book, Making Sense of God, the more we look within for our identity, the more we get confused, toggling between elation and despair. Our identity is formed by our Creator. We are who he has declared us to be. QUESTION 3: OK, the pronoun question… Andrew Walker, God and the Transgender Debate “Christians disagree—hopefully charitably—about pronoun usage. Some think that as a personal courtesy, you should refer to a transgender person by their preferred pronoun. … Others think that it is wrong to inject further confusion into a person’s situation by referring to them with a pronoun that is not aligned with their biological sex.” In other words, there is a spectrum of generosity of spirit vs. telling truth I tend toward generosity of spirit. Andrew Walker: “My own position is that if a transgender person comes to your church, it is fine to refer to them by their preferred pronoun. .. If and when this person desires greater involvement or membership in the church, a church leader will need to meet with them and talk about how they identify. … The best solution is to avoid pronouns altogether if possible. Calling a person by their legal name or preferred name is more acceptable because names are not objectively gendered, but change from culture to culture.” Best if you use the proper name over and over, even if it means it sounds weird Preston Sprinkle, who heads up The Center for Faith, Sexualit

Pastor J.D. explains why slavery isn’t a problem we should brush aside and how we should view it through the lens of Scripture. A glimpse inside this episode: I want to start by pointing out that this isn’t a problem we should just brush aside. It’s a good thing for us to be offended at depictions of slavery, even in the Bible. We ought to be troubled by things and not explain them away… So, for instance, when we hear the basic story of the first slave described in the OT (Hagar), we are rightly troubled. Abraham sleeps with his wife’s slave girl. That’s not just slavery; that’s sex slavery. We ought to be troubled by things and not explain them away… I get it. There’s a sense in which you don’t want to judge people of old by today’s understanding, I get that. But you don’t want to lose the horror of it. That people in the NT like Philemon didn’t immediately recognize the injustice of the practice. A couple of key concepts to keep in mind: There is a big difference between description and prescription. In other words, just because the Bible talks about it, doesn’t mean the Bible approves of it. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. When Abraham took Hagar as a sex slave, the results were disastrous for everyone involved. Preferring the older brother Here’s another: Progressive Revelation It’s the recognition that Scripture sometimes left deficient systems in place, while planting the seeds into the system of its undoing. For example, here’s one we don’t often think about: primogeniture, where the eldest son got all the inheritance and the younger son got the shaft, was clearly practiced in the OT. But in Genesis, God always chose the younger. God subtly overturned the system. Many scholars see something similar happening throughout the Bible with slavery. When we look to slavery in the Bible, there are three things we need to keep in mind: 1. In the NT, the “bondservant” practice of the 1st century is nothing like what we think of when we say, “slave” (i.e. where you take someone captive and force them into labor.) That kind of slavery is explicitly condemned in the Bible: “Anyone who kidnaps another and sells him must be put to death” (Ex. 21:16). Or, in 1 Tim 1:8–10 Paul puts slave traders in the same category as those who kill their parents, adulterers, perjurers, and perverts. So, that can’t be the kind of servant Onesimus was. This was more like what we think of as indentured servanthood; and it was part of the economic system in Rome. If someone became extremely poor, or consumed with debt, the only thing left for them to sell was their labor. So in agreement for paying off debts and the promise of provision they would sell themselves to a wealthy person like Philemon. Now, that’s not to say this was a good system, or that it ever part of God’s plan… 2. The New Testament subverts the entire premise of (any form of) slavery. The entire NT ethic can be summarized as, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” It calls us to treat one another as “brothers and sisters,” and tells us that in Christ there is neither “slave nor free.” That new view of humanity would ultimately undo any form of slavery. The ground is level at the foot of the cross: one RACE: human. One CLASS: sinner. One HOPE: JESUS. One FUTURE: resurrection. One FORTUNE: the eternal riches of Christ. 3. Rather than issuing a political manifesto, God planted seeds which undid the current order. Had God said, “This system is wrong; get rid of it now,” Jesus followers may have focused exclusively on political action. (And there is a time to work politically). But God had a different way of going about his agenda on earth: he was transforming the world from within, and the place he started was in the church. Eventually, this new vision of humanity will transform the whole society, but it starts in the church. Even the slave masters recognized the push of the Bible toward liberation! In the Museum of the Bible, I saw “The Slave Bible” where they had cut out large sections of Old and New Testament they thought would push the slaves toward desires for freedom! D.A. Carson says that the best work on slavery is by an African-American scholar named Thomas Sowell. Massive: 3 vols. 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. Here’s how Sowell put it: Thomas Sowell on slavery: “Although slavery was a worldwide institution for thousands of years, nowhere in the world was slavery a controversial issue prior to the 18th century. People of every race and color were enslaved – and enslaved others. White people were still being bought and sold as slaves in the Ottoman Empire, deca

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

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

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

To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This will be a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. You don’t want to miss any week in September. In our episode today, J.D. works quickly through value statements about disciple making at The Summit Church. ________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.  

To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This will be a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. You don’t want to miss any week in September. In our episode today, J.D. very quickly answers some common questions around working – specifically working in a church. How many hours should we expect our team to work each week? What does rest look like while in ministry? ________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

To kick-off our new season, we are sharing some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This will be a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. You don’t want to miss any week in September. Oftentimes, Pastor J.D. will ask the staff of The Summit Church to read a book before our monthly large team meeting. In our episode today, J.D. is hitting three quick leadership application points from the book Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar and Disney Animation. Join Pastor J.D. as he talks about setting and changing culture. ________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.  

In one of our two most popular episodes from season one, Pastor J.D. shares four important things to keep in mind when responding to instances of sexual abuse. Enjoy this re-broadcast, and watch for season two in September. A glimpse into this episode: This is an extremely important question, so much so that after becoming SBC president, the first thing I did was appoint a Sexual Abuse Advisory Group to lead our denomination. They have been leading in dozens of ways—one of the biggest is they’re developing a curriculum to help churches answer this very question. Churches should be a safe haven for the vulnerable, so we need to do everything we can to make our churches safe for survivors and safe from abuse. A few preliminary thoughts: Don’t be shocked it’s happening. Prioritize the protection of victims, not the guarding of your reputations. Your goal is not to meet the minimal requirements–but as a shepherd to protect your flock. This is just the start of an answer, but here are four important things to keep in mind: Disclosing sexual abuse takes an enormous amount of courage, so we should honor that. This may be the least understood aspect of sexual abuse—it results in a huge loss of voice for the victim. Abuse is usually followed by threats not to say anything, and that’s usually what happens. What you need to know is that the first time you hear about an instance of abuse, chances are the person talking to you has been carrying this for years. They’ve been terrified about what people will think. They’ve assumed they wouldn’t be believed. To speak up takes bravery. Now, there are important responses and action steps after you hear of abuse. But don’t be so quick to rush to the action step that you forget your first response—listening to a person, made in God’s image, reveal one of the most hurtful experiences of their lives. Listen, listen, listen. If you know of a report of sexual abuse against a minor, you are legally obligated to alert the authorities. This is not a “Matthew 18” situation. This is a “Romans 13” situation. Because certain sins are not only immoral; they are also illegal. This is never clearer than in the case of sexual abuse against minors. If you know of sexual abuse against a minor, no matter who you are, no matter who they are, your first response is to alert the authorities. Call CPS or call the police. You may not know all of the best next steps. But they do, and you need to bring them in. The safety of more children than you know may be on the line. If an abuser has access to minors at your church, remove the access immediately—and, again, call the authorities. Statistics here are horrifying. Those who abuse minors don’t just do it once or twice. They do it repeatedly, even after they’ve been caught (if given the opportunity). So if you know about one case, you need to see that as dozens of more potential cases. This isn’t a gray area: Bring in the authorities. We need to reject any understanding of grace that puts the vulnerable in harm’s way by giving abusers a chance to do it again Help connect the survivor to other resources. If someone has disclosed to you, that’s an honor. And you will have a key role in their healing process. But you need to know you shouldn’t be shouldering this alone. Questions are going to come up—pretty early—that are best processed through a counseling relationship. So one of the best things you can do for a victim is to get them connected to a counselor. This isn’t a handoff—you need to remind the victim that you are still there and want to process everything with them—but it allows other people more trained in abuse care to do what they do best. Conclusion: It’s a gospel issue ________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.  

In one of our top two most popular episodes from season one, Pastor J.D. explains that the gospel must be of first importance, both empowering and informing the church. Enjoy this re-broadcast from Ask Me Anything. Season 2 begins this September. A glimpse inside this episode: I actually wrote a book about this, called Above All. The greatest need now is the same as the greatest need 100 years ago. It’s the same as the greatest need 2,000 years ago. It’s to keep the gospel above all. Above all preferences, preferences, priorities, politics, etc. In fact, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that the gospel is of “first importance.” First importance means other things are important, too. But this is of first importance. This means the gospel is what should characterize us 1 Corinthians 2:2: some scholars say an exaggeration? Is that really new, though? Aren’t churches already doing this? Churches haven’t stopped saying they believe the gospel. But many churches are looking elsewhere for the source of their renewal. The gospel, you see, should both empower and inform everything we do. Empowers Spurgeon’s trough back to the gospel. The gospel is the power in all that we do: It’s not just the diving board, it’s the pool Informs The gospel shapes our mission. Jesus described his mission as: To seek and save the lost. It should be our identity: We are a gospel people. When people think about and talk about us, they should think about and talk about the gospel Why we don’t talk about politics: We don’t want to get distracted by secondary agendas that get in the way of gospel proclamation and disciple-making. ________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: The Overcomer movie has inspired the creation of several resources. For small groups, there is the Overcomer Bible study. For individuals, there is a book called Defined. Both are based upon powerful insights from the Book of Ephesians. Learn more about all the resources at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

Pastor J.D. discusses some of the major objections to short-term mission trips and how we can participate in and facilitate them wisely. A glimpse inside this episode: Well, I hope they aren’t a huge waste of time and money, because I’m about to go on one for the next few weeks. Actually, I think what I’ll be doing shows the ways that short-term trips can go well. (John Crist video reference) You see, short-term mission trips get a bad rap because so many of them are done very, very badly. Are they a big waste of money, gobbling up money that could just be given to indigenous church planters directly? Don’t a lot of church people use them to scratch their “foreign travel itch”—i.e., “vacationaries”? Aren’t a lot of short-term trips unhelpful to the work on the field—forcing church planters to take time from real ministry to serve as tour guides and babysitters for curious Christians? And why would we go overseas to help there, when our communities are in such need here—isn’t that arrogant? But just because they’re done badly doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be done. Here’s what I’ll be doing: Ministry to missionaries in Thailand and live with a family from our church for three weeks and join their ministry. Here are some of the biggest objections I get to short-term trips, and why I think we should keep doing these trips—wisely—despite the objections: “Short-term trips are a waste of money.” Dollars spent on short-term trips are not zero-sum—that is, every dollar spent on a mission trip is not one less dollar you can give to people serving permanently on the field. Quite the opposite: people who see mission firsthand typically give more in missions offerings. In other words, money spent on short-term trips multiplies itself by creating greater willingness to give in the future among those who go. Plus, an extraordinary number of mid-term (one year or longer) and career missionaries trace their call, in part, back to a short-term mission trip. God often uses what we see and experience on a trip like that to shape the rest of our lives. “Short-term trips are really just exotic vacations for curious Christians: vacationaries.” Sadly, too often true. But it doesn’t have to be. We also use the lead-up to a mission trip as an intense discipleship experience. In preparing for a short-term trip, members read books, memorize verses of Scripture, keep a prayer journal, and share their faith. Ironically enough, many who enter the process with a motivation of simply seeing the world have their hearts changed along the way. I’ve seen it time and time again: potential “vacationaries” have their hearts touched by the global need for the gospel and return with new eyes and fresh vision. “Short-term trips don’t make sense when there is so much need here.” Error of sequentialism, etc. “Short-term trips are more harmful to the field work than helpful.” Again, this is often the case, even for the well-intentioned. One mission agency leader told me that there is a city in Mexico that is a popular destination for American church mission trips, and the number of conversions reported in one year for that city was three times the population of that city. Not helpful. A helpful resource to counteract this problem is Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert’s book, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. They show that much of the “helping” that we do actually ends up being harmful to those we intended to help. When we do for people what they can (and should) do for themselves, it may make us feel good, but it can hinder those groups from developing the leadership necessary to meet their own needs—leadership capacity that God has put in them as much as he has in us. ________________________________________________ Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

Pastor J.D. shares four important things to keep in mind when responding to instances of sexual abuse. Note: If you heard Pastor J.D. answer this question last week, please go back to make sure you also listen to “What is the greatest need in the American church?” A glimpse into this episode: This is an extremely important question, so much so that after becoming SBC president, the first thing I did was appoint a Sexual Abuse Advisory Group to lead our denomination. They have been leading in dozens of ways—one of the biggest is they’re developing a curriculum to help churches answer this very question. Churches should be a safe haven for the vulnerable, so we need to do everything we can to make our churches safe for survivors and safe from abuse. A few preliminary thoughts: Don’t be shocked it’s happening. Prioritize the protection of victims, not the guarding of your reputations. Your goal is not to meet the minimal requirements–but as a shepherd to protect your flock. This is just the start of an answer, but here are four important things to keep in mind: Disclosing sexual abuse takes an enormous amount of courage, so we should honor that. This may be the least understood aspect of sexual abuse—it results in a huge loss of voice for the victim. Abuse is usually followed by threats not to say anything, and that’s usually what happens. What you need to know is that the first time you hear about an instance of abuse, chances are the person talking to you has been carrying this for years. They’ve been terrified about what people will think. They’ve assumed they wouldn’t be believed. To speak up takes bravery. Now, there are important responses and action steps after you hear of abuse. But don’t be so quick to rush to the action step that you forget your first response—listening to a person, made in God’s image, reveal one of the most hurtful experiences of their lives. Listen, listen, listen. If you know of a report of sexual abuse against a minor, you are legally obligated to alert the authorities. This is not a “Matthew 18” situation. This is a “Romans 13” situation. Because certain sins are not only immoral; they are also illegal. This is never clearer than in the case of sexual abuse against minors. If you know of sexual abuse against a minor, no matter who you are, no matter who they are, your first response is to alert the authorities. Call CPS or call the police. You may not know all of the best next steps. But they do, and you need to bring them in. The safety of more children than you know may be on the line. If an abuser has access to minors at your church, remove the access immediately—and, again, call the authorities. Statistics here are horrifying. Those who abuse minors don’t just do it once or twice. They do it repeatedly, even after they’ve been caught (if given the opportunity). So if you know about one case, you need to see that as dozens of more potential cases. This isn’t a gray area: Bring in the authorities. We need to reject any understanding of grace that puts the vulnerable in harm’s way by giving abusers a chance to do it again Help connect the survivor to other resources. If someone has disclosed to you, that’s an honor. And you will have a key role in their healing process. But you need to know you shouldn’t be shouldering this alone. Questions are going to come up—pretty early—that are best processed through a counseling relationship. So one of the best things you can do for a victim is to get them connected to a counselor. This isn’t a handoff—you need to remind the victim that you are still there and want to process everything with them—but it allows other people more trained in abuse care to do what they do best. Conclusion: It’s a gospel issue ________________________________________________ Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

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

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

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

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

Pastor J.D. discusses the role of the family in the growth and discipleship of children and shares some practical tips. A glimpse inside this episode: God gave the home and family as one of the two “gospel gardens,” the church being the second. The ultimate job of parenting it to let go and to send out. Studies show the quality of the relationship not the depth of instruction is the determiner. Sociologist Vern Bengtson says in his book, Families and Faith, that studies conclusively show that the quality of the child’s relationship to the father is the single-most important factor in whether the child adopts the faith of the parents. But what does this look like practically in the Greear household? When they were young, every day. Now, once a week: Dad, devotion, dessert. Allows me to plan. We study books of the Bible, and I jot down thoughts throughout the week. Try to pray with my kids once a week. I make sure they are equipped for quiet time. The Christian life has to grow from within, so I want to equip them but allow the Spirit to do what only the Spirit can do. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This Episode’s Sponsor: One of the greatest predictors of a disciple’s spiritual growth is regular Bible reading. That’s why LifeWay created the Daily Discipleship Guide. To download four free sessions of the Daily Discipleship Guide, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/DDG.      

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

Pastor J.D. discusses why it’s important to remain rooted in your identity in Christ and look for the helpful truth, even in the most mean-spirited critiques, when you’re in a season of heavy criticism. A glimpse inside this episode: For me: Realize it goes with the territory. Similarly, realize it’s usually more about them than you. (Sometimes their critique should elicit compassion from you, not anger!) Listen well to critics. (David and Shimei in 2 Samuel) Don’t let it touch your identity. Who am I in Christ? Do the right people like me? Allow it to expose your idols (we like to be liked). Fear of Man The fear of man means that you depend on people—their opinions, their approval, their presence—as a source of life and happiness. (Ed Welch) Diagnosing the fear of man: Is the thought of social rejection still one of your greatest fears? Was peer pressure a big influence in your life? Does the thought of failure mortify you? Why? Is it because of what others, your parents, your friends, the people you went to school with, will think about you? Are you always competing with others? Does what people say about you and how they treat you really affect your self-image? Do you have a problem lying, especially telling little white lies? Ed Welch, When People Are Big and God Is Small Maybe you feel really good about yourself because you are the winner. That’s the fear of man. You love thinking about how people think of you. You fantasize about conversations people have where they talk about how great you are. Ed Welch says (summary), “The most dangerous form of the fear of man is the “successful” fear of man. Because you think you’ve made it; you’ve got more than other people, you feel good. But your life is still dominated and defined by what people think rather than what God thinks.” The whole problem is that we fear people more than we fear God—we hold people in awe more than we hold God in awe; we give more weight to their opinions, their approval and their love, than we do to God’s opinions, God’s presence, God’s approval, and God’s love. The fear of man is a type of idolatry; we worship people. Not that we bow down to a statue of them, but that we give glory to them that we should give to God. (Hebrew: glory = kabod, or “weight.”). We give too much weight to what men think– we reverence, we bow down to their opinions every day. Realize there can be helpful truth to glean even in the most mean-spirited critiques Closely related: God may be sending a Shimei to you. Don’t be afraid to shield yourself from some of it (don’t read it, have other people read and filter, etc).   This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.