Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear

Pastor J.D. shares how he makes time for reading (or working out or any number of other things) and other advice he’s found helpful to remain an avid reader. A glimpse inside this episode: Time is most valuable resource we have, and we all have the same amount of it. Every day you get an installment of 86,400 seconds and whatever you don’t use you lose. First I start with the importance of reading...

Pastor J.D. reviews the major approaches people take regarding miracles and explains why caution, not cynicism, is necessary. A glimpse inside this episode: Brief review of major approaches: Continuits: miracles never stopped Cessasionists: Stopped after disciples died. Third Wave: Miracles happen in movement-based waves. Open but cautious: Nothing in the Bible that indicates that miracles have st...

Pastor J.D. shares some encouragement and wisdom for the worship leaders, reminding them of the vital role they play in the church. A glimpse inside this episode: One of our leaders asked me to come speak to a group of worship interns, telling them “everything I thought pastors wanted worship leaders to know.” When I agreed to do it, I thought it would be a stretch to come up with three or four th...

Pastor J.D. talks about those who have influenced him and his preaching the most over the years and what he’s learned from them. A glimpse inside this episode: Two foundational texts for a lot of young preachers are Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching and Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching . I’ve read both, and appreciate their concern to make preaching both expositional and engaging. To u...

Pastor J.D. discusses the difference between having a consumer and a committed relationship with the church and where the Bible discusses the concept of church membership. A glimpse inside this episode: Spoiler alert: Yes! The word is not there, but the concept is. (“Trinity” isn’t either, but of course the concept is.) Concept: covenant community where you belong. We see that evidence...

Pastor J.D. talks about how social media shapes us—whether we like it or not—and how we can participate in it in healthy ways. A glimpse inside this episode: Myth: the medium of communication is neutral, only content matters Truth: Medium shapes the message and also you E.g. Brand Luther : the printing press forced writers to write on more common levels and shorter Blogs have made it even shorter;...

Pastor J.D. addresses some common misconceptions about male leadership and explains the Bible’s plan for it in relationships, the home, and life. A glimpse inside this episode: There are a number of reasons someone might find the idea of male leadership difficult: Perhaps there is a history of abuse, which changes how male leadership looks and feels. Feel like it is archaic: strong dominated the w...

Pastor J.D. would obviously have lunch with Nicolas Cage, but who are the others? They just might surprise you. A glimpse inside this episode: Adoniram Judson: A broken heart for the lost and wicked smart. HIs biography To The Golden Shore was one of the most formative in my life. I even named my son, Adon, after him. I hope to follow him back overseas one day. Martin Luther: How could I not menti...

Pastor J.D. shares that the Christian Sabbath is much more than a day off to do what we want to do. Rather, the Sabbath is a principle for all of life as we put God first. A glimpse inside this episode: We believe regular corporate gathering on the Lord’s Day is an essential, non-negotiable element in the life of a disciple. Verses such as Hebrews 10:24-25 tell us not to forsake the assembli...

Pastor J.D. explains that while hell is a difficult reality, it is something that the Bible teaches, and we can’t fully understand God and his world unless we grapple with it. A glimpse inside this episode: When we ask these questions, we have to evaluate if it’s because we want to get away from the seriousness and heaviness of what the Bible says about Hell. I do believe that the vast majority of...

Pastor J.D. continues the discussion from Episode 19 and specifically talks about how Christians should respond to a police shooting. A glimpse inside this episode: When we see the broad strokes of racism in our past, we cannot avoid seeing how racism has deeply impacted social realities like families, governments, and schools. Social realities are slow to change, and while laws are good, they can...

Pastor J.D. discusses the origins of privilege, its influence in society, and the responsibility Christians have in the issue. A glimpse inside this episode: This term “privilege” was first developed by a white woman in the 1980’s to talk not about race but male privilege in academics. (Learned from Dr. George Yancey) Definition: “ An invisible package of unearned assets that whites can count on c...

Pastor J.D. shares why Christianity that is not built on “it is written” is insufficient for both personal faith and sparking a worldwide resurgence of the Christian movement. A glimpse inside this episode: Todd: Pastor J.D., some are saying today (Andy Stanley, for example) that because our culture no longer accepts the authority of the Bible, we should refrain from saying, “the Bible says” in ou...

Pastor J.D. talks about creating a sending culture in the church by sending as many people as possible on short-term mission trips to open eyes to missional culture and principles. A glimpse inside this episode: First, let’s answer why we would want to create a sending culture in our churches. All of the promises Jesus gave about the church had to do with the church being raised up and sent...

Pastor J.D. gives parents some helpful guidelines for navigating conversations about sexual identity with their kids. A glimpse inside this episode: This is an excellent question, and one that more and more pastors, specifically, need to be equipped to answer. I am still learning how to navigate questions like this, and I’ve been incredibly thankful for Brad Hambrick , the counseling pastor at the...

Pastor J.D. discusses his hopes and goals for the new year. A glimpse inside this episode: Each new year gives us an opportunity to refocus and recalibrate about the year ahead. A practice I’ve learned from John Piper is taking some dedicated time to pray about my calling and specifically if we’re called overseas each year. On our staff team, each December we prepare for the next year....

Pastor J.D. speaks to the recent claim that Christians should unhitch their faith from the Old Testament and explains why doing so is unwise and untrue to the nature of Scripture. A glimpse inside this episode: True: Wrong use of the Old Testament has been a major obstacle to faith. Paul in Galatians: Obligating yourself to one part obligates you to all of the law. “Some would like to subjugate us...

Pastor J.D. explains why it’s important to not only read but also remember what you read with some helpful tips he’s found throughout the years. A glimpse into this episode: A guy once told me that in 5 years you’ll be the same person except for the books you read and the people you meet. First of all, you should be reading. John Wesley, “Read or get out of the ministry.” “Readers are leaders.” Bu...

Pastor J.D. discusses the difference between playing along with the idea of Santa Claus and helping kids distinguish truth from fiction. A glimpse into this episode: Every year my wife and I take a Santa doll and cut it into shreds and burn the remnants in front of our children’s eyes to remind them how badly that God hates lies. Then we read all the passages in the Bible about lying, and th...

Pastor J.D. shares his process for developing his weekly sermons, from research to manuscript and everything in between. A glimpse inside this episode:  Research Big picture—picking the content of the entire sermon series. This happens anywhere from 3 to 6 months prior to the start of a particular series. I consult with several key church leaders to determine what to preach. (I let a lot of people...

Pastor J.D. explains the three concentric circles of friendship—care, influence, and intimacy—and gives wisdom for how to approach relationships in each one, especially those affected by negativity. A glimpse inside this episode: Part of this depends on what kind of “friend” we’re talking about: Three concentric circles— care, influence, intimacy In the innermost circle, intimacy , you have a smal...

Pastor J.D. discusses three problems with the belief that all religions lead to God and also explains that if God is real, it’s only natural that he sets the terms for where and how we seek him. A glimpse inside this episode: The contemporary wisdom of our day says that the more sophisticated we become, the more we’ll realize that God is “bigger than we can describe.” He’s like a mountain, and dif...

Pastor J.D. shares the importance of building relationships with the grace and truth of the gospel and why these relationships need to be stronger than our words as we befriend our neighbors. A glimpse inside this episode: The narrative our culture puts forward regarding homosexuality is that we have only two options— affirmation or alienation . Sadly, the church has far too often simply condemned...

Pastor J.D. shares his thoughts on dating and courtship, as well as some helpful guidelines for appropriate displays of affection before marriage. A glimpse inside this episode: Courting vs. Dating Why I don’t agree with courting: Courting goes beyond the Bible teaches; it is inconsistent (e.g. giving flowers can be sexual); and it puts unhealthy pressure on dating when you court. But we can learn...

Pastor J.D. explains the reality that all Christians are called to do whatever they’re gifted in for the glory of God, wherever God places them. A glimpse inside this episode: I was looking for a mystical call from God like looking for God’s will in my Cheerios. You don’t need a voice when you have a verse. Every believer has spiritual gifts and a spiritual calling. Spiritual gift tests (why I&#82...