The Darrell Johnson Podcast

As we head into Christmas week, we thought it would be appropriate to share a message that Darrell preached this year at the beginning of the Advent season at The Way Church in Vancouver. In this message, Darrell takes us on a profound journey through the biblical accounts of Jesus' conception. With his typical warmth and scholarly insight, Darrell unpacks the profound theological significance...

Week 12 | The Will to Reconcile (1995) This week, we’re in Week 12 of a series Darrell taught on the Sermon on the Mount in 1995. In this message, Darrell first reminds us of the importance of understanding the original context in which Jesus preached this sermon, emphasizing that Jesus had just announced the arrival of God's kingdom and that this transformative reality was breaking into the p...

Week 11 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week, we’re in Week 11 of a series Darrell taught on the Sermon on the Mount in 1995. In this sermon, In this message, Darrell moves past the Beatitudes into what he calls the “Do-Attitudes,” the behaviours that characterize people who have been gripped by the gospel. Darrell explores what it means when Jesus says he has come not to abolish the law but...

Week 10 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week, we’re in Week 10 of a series Darrell taught on the Sermon on the Mount in 1995. In this sermon, Darrell discusses the extraordinary claims that Christians make about Jesus, as well as the extraordinary claims Jesus makes about ordinary people. Darrell explains that Jesus uses the metaphors of salt and light to reveal his perspective on the condit...

Week 8 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week, we’re in Week 9 of a series Darrell taught on the Sermon on the Mount in 1995. Darrell is spending time unpacking the seventh beautitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.“ Darrell explains that when the gospel takes hold, Jesus bestows an incredible dignity on ordinary people, calling them to be active &q...

Week 8 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week on the podcast, we’re in Week 8 of a 6-month series on the Sermon on the Mount. In today's episode, Darrell examines the eighth beatitude, where Jesus declares, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Darrell begins by noting that this is the only "double beatitude&...

Week 7 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week on the podcast, we’re in Week 7 of a 6-month series on the Sermon on the Mount. The text discusses the sixth Beatitude, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." This beatitude points to a profound mystery. Purity of heart is not about perfection, says Darrell, but integrity and a sincere desire for truth - qualities that c...

Week 6 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week on the podcast, we’re in Week 6 of a 6-month series on the Sermon on the Mount that Darrell preached in 1995. The text discusses the fourth Beatitude, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Darrell’s key insight is that righteousness is not about rule-following, but about restoring right...

Week 5 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) This week on the podcast, we’re in Week 5 of a 6-month series on the Sermon on the Mount that Darrell preached in 1995. The text discusses the third Beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Darrell explains that meekness is not very well understood and that it is  a rich quality of trusting in God. The meek know that the old order...

Week 4 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) In this sermon, Darrell’s focus is on this Beatitude: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” This beatitude suggests that mourning is a mark of the gospelized. Meeting Jesus forces us to face our sin, reveals the brokenness of the world, and connects us to the heart of God, who also grieves over the pain and suffering. Darrell emphasizes...

Week 3 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) In this sermon, Darrell examines the importance of the first sentence of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." He claims that these words set the tone for the entire sermon and suggests that they actually ought to be read before and after every single section of the Sermon on the Mount. He explains th...

Week 2 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) In this sermon on Matthew 5:3–12, Darrell unpacks the Beatitudes, the words with which Jesus opens his famous Sermon on the Mount. Darrell provides some important contextual notes that help us understand the Book of Matthew as a whole and the significance of what Jesus is doing in talking about the kind of people who are “blessed.” Darrell also gives a great...

Week 1 | The Sermon on the Mount (1995) Today's episode launches us into a 6-month series that Darrell preached back in 1995 but that still has tremendous relevance for us today. Over the next few months, Darrell will take us through Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. In this first teaching, Darrell reminds us that the Sermon on the Mount isn’t just about principles but about what he ter...

Advent is a carved out season that helps us do two primary things. Firstly, we are invited to once again reflect on the incarnation of Christ. We take time to remember when Jesus was born over 2000 years ago. As John writes, we remember when God became flesh and dwelt among us. And then secondly, this season is about anticipating the fact that this same Jesus who was born, who lived, died and rose...

In this profound final message in the "Jesus the Healer" series, Darrell Johnson invites us to step back and grapple with one of life’s deepest questions: Why, if Jesus the Healer has come, do we and so many others still suffer? Drawing on the Apostle Paul’s life and teaching, Darrell offers a biblical framework for understanding suffering that avoids simplistic answers. He explores four...

In the sixth message of our “Jesus the Healer” series, Darrell Johnson takes us to the shores of the Sea of Galilee where the risen Jesus meets Peter, not to condemn him, but to heal him. Preaching from John 21:1-19, Darrell shows us how Jesus comes to heal the whole person: physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. In this tender encounter, Jesus frees Peter from the guilt and shame...

In this fifth message of Jesus the Healer , Darrell Johnson explores one of the more peculiar instructions Jesus gives: “See that no one knows about this,” immediately after healing two blind men. What kind of evangelism strategy is that? With pastoral clarity and biblical depth, Darrell reveals the mystery of the kingdom: already and not yet. He walks through Jesus’ actions, Matthew’s intentional...

In this fourth message from the series Jesus the Healer , Darrell Johnson guides us through one of the most tender and powerful moments in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 9:18-26). In the midst of the valley of the shadow of death, two very different people—a grieving father and a chronically ill woman—reach out to Jesus. What happens next reveals the heart of Jesus Christ: his compassion and his a...

In this powerful episode, Darrell Johnson takes us into one of the most dramatic stories of Jesus' ministry: the stilling of the storm and the freeing of two demonized men in the region of the Gadarenes. Drawing from Matthew 8, Darrell emphasizes one unshakable truth: Jesus Christ has authority over every force that seeks to undo us. Through Scripture, theological reflection, and a gripping pe...

The second message in the series Jesus the Healer , Darrell walks us through a moment in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. But the healing is not just about her fever — it’s about Jesus fulfilling the ancient words of Isaiah: “He himself took our infirmities and carried our diseases.” Darrell explores what it means that Jesus not only takes sickness seriously but actua...

In this series, Jesus the Healer , Darrell Johnson explores moments when Jesus steps into human brokenness and brings the healing power of the Kingdom of God. Whether touching a leper, restoring sight, or responding to desperate cries, Jesus reveals both His authority and compassion. These messages invite us to bring our own wounds to Him—the One who is still willing and able to heal. Teaching fro...

In this Easter Sunday message, Darrell Johnson leads us into the heart of the Gospel: resurrection. Preaching from 1 Corinthians 15, Darrell declares the staggering truth that Jesus Christ has been raised—never to die again. Through personal reflection and pastoral depth, Darrell explores what it means for Jesus to be the “first fruits” of the new creation, and why death no longer has the final wo...

Darrell reflects the transformative power of Jesus Christ, as experienced by the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. He begins with a personal reflection on his summer, including the passing of his mother and the privilege of preaching at her memorial service. This serves as a backdrop to the main theme: the life-changing encounter with Jesus, leading to eternal life. The sermon highlights five...

In this powerful sermon, Darrell Johnson unpacks the heart of God as revealed in Exodus 3:7-8: a God who sees, hears, and feels the suffering of His people—and who comes down to deliver them. Darrell weaves this ancient truth into the fabric of our world today, addressing pain, injustice, and reconciliation, particularly in light of Canada’s history with Indigenous peoples. He calls listeners to s...

In this episode, Darrell Johnson continues his deep dive into Genesis 1-11 , focusing on the poetic and theological richness of Genesis 1:1-2:3. He explores the structured, intentional design of the creation narrative, highlighting the centrality of God as Creator. Through a careful literary and theological analysis, Darrell unpacks the significance of God's creative work, the implications of bein...