Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear

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. For example, in 2019, we’re praying for 1,000 baptisms in the coming year through our Who’s Your One? initiative. Another thing we’re focusing on is the number of people in small groups. Those are re-calibration items we’re seeking God for this year. Personally, I have a standard set of goals each year. One is a goal for the number of books I’ll read next year, and I spend time researching what I want to read and if there is a theme. My wife and I set time each week to plan ahead for the next week. And then every three months, we set time to talk about the next six months. And so, going into 2019 we have plan for our shepherding our kids and mission trips we plan to take. What happens when the Bible and humanity collide? Not what you’d expect. Living & Effective, a podcast collaboration between Christianity Today and the Christian Standard Bible, journeys through history, current events, theology, and the human condition to uncover surprising ways the Bible accomplishes God’s plan in the world.”

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 to certain parts of the Mosaic Law. But this is not to be permitted under any circumstances. If we permit Moses to rule over us in one thing, we must obey him in all things.” -Martin Luther Andy Stanley talks about the problem of mismatching which I agree with. Throughout history, Christians have found two uses of Old Testament Law:  Mirror – Reveals where we are sinful 1 Corinthians 7 Galatians 3 Awakenings are always built on preaching of the 10 Commandments Guide – After being saved, shows us how to live pleasing to God. Jen Wilkin, “When you are an unbeliever, the Law points to your need for grace. When you are a believer, grace points to your need for the Law.” But should we unhitch from the Old Testament altogether? The sacrificial death of Jesus makes very little sense without the history of the sacrificial system. Ephesians 6:1 Stanley says Jesus released into the world a new law: love But what does love look like in action? Jesus came to fulfill the law not abolish the law. 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture (referring specifically to the Old Covenant) is breathed out by God and profitable for doctrine (understanding what love really is), for reproof (understanding what it is not), for correction and for training in righteousness (understanding how to live it out), that the man of God may be complete, not lacking in anything.” The real problem that “de-converts” have: Skeptics’ main objection to Christian faith, in my experience, is not why Christians today borrow from the Old Testament, but how we could ever believe God had said in it the things that he said. Plus, they are just as skeptical of the New Testament as the Old (Hello Romans 1!). Old Testament and how it pointed to Jesus saved my faith. Same for disciples in Luke 24 And so much more! What happens when the Bible and humanity collide? Not what you’d expect. Living & Effective, a podcast collaboration between Christianity Today and the Christian Standard Bible, journeys through history, current events, theology, and the human condition to uncover surprising ways the Bible accomplishes God’s plan in the world.”

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.” But assuming you already are a reader… I talk to people all the time who read a lot but are frustrated at how little they seem to retain. They want to know the secret to reading books well. People always see my library, which is pretty large–over a thousand books, and invariably ask me the same question, “Have you read all of these?” I believe it really doesn’t matter how many books you’ve read if you can’t remember what’s in any of them. As Proverbs 12:27 says, “Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.” Here are my two action items for you on how to read a book well: First, take notes. If you look into one of my books, you’ll notice that I underline passages, add stars next to others, and scribble short responses in the margins. Sometimes I’m agreeing with the author; sometimes I’m arguing; sometimes I’m making dumb jokes that only future J.D. will find funny. But I’m engaging the words, not simply looking at them. Second, create a cheat sheet. This is the toughest part, and it’s where most dedicated readers fall off. After the book is done, and you’ve been scribbling throughout it, create a 1-2 page cheat sheet that acts as your guide for the book. I like to use the empty pages at the front of the book for this (which, if I’m remembering correctly, is what Mortimer Adler suggested in his classic book, How to Read a Book). Now, if you’ve ever seen one of my books, you know that my cheat sheet isn’t comprehensive (or even always legible). That’s okay: it’s not for anyone else but me. But that cheat sheet helps me remember what I liked about a book and where to find it. So at a glance, I can remember, for instance, that Tim Keller has a great evangelism analogy about a doughnut on page 46 (or whatever). I also have a filing system by topic and book of the Bible where I catalogue a lot of the helpful things I read. And after 20 years of ministry I’ve created a rich storage of useful things that I can use later for sermons or anything else. I keep track of all of the books that I read, but it ends up being about 65-70 books a year. I also use a service called Blinkist that gives short summaries of leadership books.   What happens when the Bible and humanity collide? Not what you’d expect. Living & Effective, a podcast collaboration between Christianity Today and the Christian Standard Bible, journeys through history, current events, theology, and the human condition to uncover surprising ways the Bible accomplishes God’s plan in the world.”

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 then we show them that by simply switching 2 of the letters, “Santa” becomes “Satan.” Just kidding. I think there is an appropriate place for fantasy in a child’s life, and I don’t mind playing “kids’ games” with my children when they are kids. So, when my kids were 4 or 5, we talked about Santa as if he was real. But all of my kids are older, now, and they realize that what we did when they were little kids was “playing a game.” Now, I will say that things were a little different when my kids asked me directly about Santa. I’m not about lying to my kids about anything, but I didn’t want my kid being the one telling everyone in their class that their parents were liars. So when my kids asked, I tried turning the question around. “What do you think?” And then changing the subject. My oldest, of course, had a lawyer’s mind from the time she was 3. (She’s 15 now.) So she wouldn’t let us get away with dodging the question. When she was 6 she cross-examined my wife like a grizzled court attorney, and my wife cracked. The next month we went to a local mall, and that was the first time she saw someone dressed as Santa, and she grabbed my arm and said, “Dad, Mom told me he wasn’t real, but there he is.” Personally, I don’t think playing along with a fantasy with young kids is damaging. But trust matters, and at a certain age (say, 5 or 6), your kids will ask you directly. They’re learning to separate truth from fiction, and it’s important we reinforce that by being honest with them. I know some families who parse this differently. One couple I know tells their kids that Santa is pretend, but that part of the game is not telling other kids that he’s pretend. Other parents just lay out from Day 1 that Santa is a fairy tale. Having parented four kids through those early years, I’m willing to show a lot of grace, because other people may have it figured out better than me. (Before I had kids, I had 4 great ideas on parenting and 0 kids. Now I have 4 kids and 0 great ideas on parenting.) By the way, if there’s any kids listening in, this is all just a joke. Of course Santa is real. What happens when the Bible and humanity collide? Not what you’d expect. Living & Effective, a podcast collaboration between Christianity Today and the Christian Standard Bible, journeys through history, current events, theology, and the human condition to uncover surprising ways the Bible accomplishes God’s plan in the world.”

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 speak into my process, from the very beginning even through the weekend I’m preaching.) We ask questions like: What parts of Scripture have we not preached recently? What is going on in our church that requires pastoral leadership? What has God been teaching me and our leaders? Alternate between book-by-book (Old Testament and New Testament) and then occasional topical series. Both are faithful methods. John Stott on the preacher’s role as steward’s (cooking for the kids, etc.) Listening to communicators and how they present the material From research to outline If I’m preaching through the book of Judges, I’ll read the book a dozen times. I want to get it into my blood. My weekly pattern Monday (initial research and rough draft) Tuesday (fill out the draft) Wednesday (feedback from campus pastors) Sermon ends up being preached to the 10 people the pastor met with that week, so we want to expand that net Thursday (flesh out the draft, incorporate changes based on feedback) Friday (generally let it sit and not fuss with it too much) Saturday (some last minute additions before my first sermon) Do you preach from the outline or do you use a full manuscript? I wouldn’t necessarily advise this for everyone, but I write out my sermon outline almost word-for-word, so that it is written down just as I would preach it. The reason I say I wouldn’t advise this is that most people don’t write exactly how they speak. So when they try to do a full transcript, their preaching ends up sounding like someone reading a position paper. (Even though I say this to guys all the time, most people end up trying to do what I do. My advice would be: don’t.) Of course, anyone familiar with my outlines will recognize that there are certain illustrations, stories, and points that I don’t write out completely. Many times I’ll just need a word or two (“Karate Kid”) that makes perfect sense to me but would be essentially nonsense for someone who happened to pick up a manuscript later.   What happens when the Bible and humanity collide? Not what you’d expect. Living & Effective, a podcast collaboration between Christianity Today and the Christian Standard Bible, journeys through history, current events, theology, and the human condition to uncover surprising ways the Bible accomplishes God’s plan in the world.”

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 small group of friends—probably just three or four—that profoundly shape you, and vice versa. If you’re married, your spouse goes in this circle. These are people that share the ultimate convictions you have. These are the ones that forecast your future—and it would take a lot for you to “break up” with them, so to speak. In the next circle, influence, you have a larger number of friends. You influence them, and they influence you—not as deeply as your closest friends but still in meaningful ways. In the outermost circle, care, you have the largest number of friends, including more casual acquaintances. These are people that you love and care for. You legitimately want the best for them and are willing to sacrifice for them, sometimes in stunning ways. When it comes to It’s wise to have different ways of assessing our relationships based on which circle we’re talking about. In my relationship with my wife, who is in that innermost circle, there will never be a time when her “negative impact” on me makes me say, “Well, you know what, this is just too draining.” But in the “care” circle, there are going to be times when it’s best to say, “This isn’t healthy for either of us.” God doesn’t want us in toxic relationships, relationships where the net result is leading both people further into sin. Helpful principle—first sinner, second sinned against. Another helpful principle—”turn the other cheek” (and what that actually means) Neither of these mean we always allow others to hurt us. But this should be the baseline for how we approach our friendships. Resources from Brad Hambrick on jdgreear.com.

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 different religions are really just paths up that mountain. We may prefer our path, but the truly wise person sees that they all lead to the top in the end. This attitude is epitomized in the parable I heard in college: Several blind men fall into a pit. An elephant happens to be in that pit, so the blind men begin to argue about what they’ve discovered. Grabbing the tusk, one says, “It’s like a spear.” Grabbing the tail, another says, “No, it’s like a rope.” Feeling the elephant’s side, still another says, “It’s like a wall.” And the last takes hold of an ear, claiming, “It’s like a fan.” The point is pretty clear. We’re the blind men groping in the dark, and God is the elephant. We’ve got to stop being so narrow-minded and dogmatic and open up our minds a little bit. Respectfully, as the saying goes, “It’s good to have an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out.” I worry that many of the well-intentioned “wise” of our day may have loosened the hinges on their mind a little too much. Here are three problems with the idea that all religions lead to God: The Arrogance Problem On the surface, it seems humble to say that “God is like a mountain,” or that “we all only see a part of God’s truth.” That would be well and good, if it weren’t for the total enlightenment that the speaker assumes for herself. Both of the illustrations above reflect this problem. With the mountain illustration, the narrator looks at us feeble religious folk, stumbling up our path, and says, “Well, if you could just see what I see, you’d realize these paths are all the same!” With the elephant parable, this is even clearer. The blind men (again, this is us) don’t know what they’re looking at, but the narrator does. That’s the only way she can confidently conclude that the blind men are interacting with one complex reality: She sees it and can correct their ignorance. The Logical Problem It takes some real mental gymnastics to claim that the major religions of the world are really just saying the same thing in different ways. Most people are only able to make statements like this because they haven’t thought too deeply about the supposed contradictions between the religions. The mountain and elephant metaphors hinge on the notion that religious claims are complementary. Certainly many of them can be. But all? As just one example, take the issue of what happens to people when they die: Some say you go to heaven or hell; some say you are reincarnated into another life here on earth; some say you disappear into nothingness. Even a child can see that you can’t possibly do all of these things at once. The Relational Problem Honestly, where else in our lives do we think like this? If you are having a heart attack, you need a cardiologist. But what if you decided to head to Walmart to find one? You think, “I just love Walmart. Their prices are great. There aren’t any pesky employees around to bother me by asking if I ‘need anything.’ So I think I’ll take my heart problem there.” You can be as sincere as you want, but you won’t find what you’re looking for at Walmart. You can get a lot at Walmart—a Big Mac, an eye exam, a haircut, a tire rotation, a bathing suit you’ll immediately regret. But heart surgery? Not your best bet. If you want to find a cardiologist, it matters where you look, and the consequences of looking in the wrong place can be fatal. “Come to my place,” the cardiologist says, “with my name on the door, and my healing instruments inside. I can give you help, but you have to actually come to me.” The Answer If God were a fiction we’ve made up or some projection of our imaginations, it wouldn’t matter where we sought him. But if God is real, then as unpopular as it sounds, he gets to set the terms of where we seek him and how we seek him. He’s more like a cardiologist than he is an elephant or a mountain. The gospel message is a narrow one, and many sophisticated people balk at it, just as they did in the days of the Apostles. But we make the same claim that they did. There really was a man with miraculous healing power, who made the blind see and the dead come to life. And only through him, through Jesus Christ, can we—blind and dead as we are—receive the sight and life we need.

The podcast explores the importance of building relationships with the grace and truth of the gospel, especially with people in the LGBT community. It discusses the narrative our culture puts forward regarding homosexuality and the need for a gospel response. The speakers share their thoughts on attending and baking for homosexual weddings, emphasizing the importance of love, truth, and maintaining relationships while addressing the sinfulness of the behavior.

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 from the idea of courting. But I think we should keep dating light Dating is a road that is leading toward marriage. Dating is best when it is non-exclusive, non-physical, non-escalating (especially when you’re younger). Appropriate show of affection vs. foreplay Lynn’s Laws (from Pastor J.D.’s father): Nothing in the dark Nothing should last longer than 5 seconds Nothing below the neck Never lie down

The podcast discusses debunking the idea of a mystical calling from God and emphasizes that all Christians are called to use their gifts for God's glory. It explores the process of self-discovery in identifying passion, abilities, and affirmation as a way to understand God's calling and spiritual gifts. Examples from Nehemiah's call and Chronicles of Narnia are used to illustrate these concepts.