Grace to You: Video Podcast

Why Does Evil Dominate the World? Pt. 2 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

So what do we know up to now? Evil exists. God exists. God wills evil to exist. He did not create it. He could not create it. But He did not prevent it. He ordained it. He willed it. Here it comes, listen carefully...because He had a purpose for it....He had a purpose for it...a purpose. This is critical. He had a purpose for evil. visit http://www.gty.org

Why Does Evil Dominate the World? Pt. 1 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Why did God allow evil in the world? You could frame the question a number of ways. If the Creator God is so good, why is there so much evil in the world? In fact, the reality of evil in the world is one of the favorite justifications of those who reject the God of the Bible. They're eager to ask those questions in a myriad of different ways...how can God be holy and allow His creation to be dominated by unholiness? How can God be perfectly righteous and ordain the presence of unrighteousness? There are a number of ways that this particular idea is effectively communicated. One is a syllogism, a series of logical steps such as the biblical God is loving...the biblical God is all-knowing, the biblical God is all powerful, yet massive evil exists in the world therefore the biblical God does not exist. That is to say that whoever allows this evil cannot be loving, or cannot be holy, or cannot be all powerful or all knowing and still allow evil. visit http://www.gty.org

Slaves for Christ, Pt. 2 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

By the bibles definition, you and I are slaves. We always will be. But what does that really mean? Does the biblical definition of slavery mean the same thing as it does today? Well, for obvious reasons many will say no. But it may surprise you to learn that the answer to that question is actually, yes. The distinction, and there is a distinction, stems from something much more profound. Join us as we follow John MacArthur into God’s word in a stunning explanation of what it means to be a slave; specifically a slave of Christ. So grab your bible, some potentially life-altering truth is headed your way. visit http://www.gty.org

Slaves for Christ, Pt. 1 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Being a Christian means having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said it? But what does it really mean? Just what kind of relationship are we talking about? The answer, as scripture defines it, may not be what you think. And it certainly doesnt sound like anything the world would be interested in pursuing. In fact, many bible editors have been doing their best to edit out. So what is it? Open your bibles and make yourselves comfortable youre about to find out. visit http://www.gty.org

God's Purpose in Our Pain (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 31 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

How privileged we are to hear from the living God through His living Word. Take your Bible, if you will, and turn to the twelfth chapter of 2 Corinthians and I want to read for you verses 7 through 10 which will provide the text for our study in the Word of God...2 Corinthians chapter 12 beginning at verse 7. visit http://www.gty.org

The Only Road to Heaven, Pt. 2 (Matthew 7:13-14)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

In reality, life concentrates on every person standing at a crossroad. This should not surprise us because this is not only true of the most important decision, that eternal decision, but it’s just a way of life lived out every day. We are confronted through all of our lives with decisions from the trivial ones about what we might wear today or what me might eat, to the more important ones about who we might marry or where we might live, or significant purchases we might make to the greatest of all decisions, the spiritual decisions that effect our eternity far beyond this life. It has always been the function of the servants of God, the ministers of God, the messengers of God to confront people with that most critical of all decisions. visit http://www.gty.org

The Only Road to Heaven, Pt. 1 (Matthew 7:13-14)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

The biggest question that will ever be answered is the question...Which way to heaven? The most important decision that anybody will ever make is the decision that they make regarding their eternal destiny. Life here, says the Bible, is a vapor that appears for a little time and vanishes away. It is like steam off a cup of coffee, nothing more, compared to eternity. Everyone will live somewhere forever without end. Where you live forever is absolutely critical. There are two options: hell and eternal punishment, or heaven and eternal joy. The question then is...which way to heaven? visit http://www.gty.org

Taking the Mystery Out of Knowing God's Will (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

One of the subjects that is at the very center of Christian experience is the matter of the will of God, the will of God. Throughout all of my life, I have heard people tell me they were looking for the will of God, searching for the will of God, trying to find the will of God. In fact, many, many years ago, I wrote a little book called, The Will of God is not Lost. Because it seemed to me that so many people were acting as if it was lost, as if God had placed his will in some obscure place, as if God were some sort of a divine Easter Bunny who had stashed the golden egg in some bush and all he did was sit in heaven saying, "You're getting warmer," or, "You're getting colder," as we meandered through the shrubbery of life trying to find the egg. visit http://www.gty.org

God’s Own Defense of Scripture, Part 2 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

In any period of time, Scripture will be under attack. In any period of time, in any place it will be blown at by those who want to extinguish its light. We find that going on throughout all the history of the church. We find it going on even today. We have to rise up to understand those who would assault the Scripture and we have to rise to its defense. visit http://www.gty.org

God’s Own Defense of Scripture, Part 1b (Psalm 19)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Is Scripture powerful enough? Is it the power of God unto salvation? Is it powerful enough? Is it enough to come here week after week after week and hear the Word of God? Does that Word have the saving power of God in it? According to the Scripture it does. According to the testimony of God, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Does the Word of God have to be helped along because its somehow inept, inadequate, irrelevant, antiquated? Do we need somehow to package it in some culturally sensitive way to make it feel like everything else in this culture feels to gain an entrance? Do we have to beef it up by making it seem to promise health, wealth, prosperity, riches, healing, as if God was some divine Mary Kay passing out pink Cadilacs? Do we need to make syrupy, schmaltzy appeals to the emotions of people based on their feelings, bruised egos, need for self-esteem, desire for trinkets and goodies and somehow alter the hard gospel so people will buy it? Does it have to be polluted with promises of material prosperity, material success? Is it insufficient on its own? visit http://www.gty.org

God’s Own Defense of Scripture, Part 1a (Psalm 19)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PDT

The Bible, the Word of the one true and living God, is the truth and the only source of truth that convicts of sin, warns of judgment, saves the sinner, purifies, cleanses, matures the believer and gives the hope of eternal glory... visit http://www.gty.org

A Tale of Two Sons (DVD Curriculum)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Ever thought about leading a Bible study about the “greatest short story ever told”? With A Tale of Two Sons DVD Curriculum, you’ll have all the materials you need for a rich, in-depth study of this beloved story. visit http://www.gty.org

Empty Tomb with an Angelic Explanation (Luke 24:1-12)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Well we come to a wonderful milestone today in our study of the gospel of Luke, we come to chapter 24 and the account of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus...the resurrection, long awaited. And I just want to give you a little bit of a sort of an introduction to the message this morning by telling you that preaching is a unique and wonderful adventure and because of the nature of the text itself, it changes, it ebbs and flows, it takes on different forms and different styles. And that’s part of the adventure of it. - visit http://www.gty.org

The Final Verdict from the Fickle Judge, Pt 1 (Luke 23:13-25)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PDT

We now come to the Word of God and our lesson for today from the twenty-third chapter of the gospel of Luke. If you will open the precious Word of God to Luke chapter 23, I’ll read the portion of Scripture from verse 13 through verse 25...Luke 23:13 through 25. - visit http://www.gty.org

Jesus’ Silence Before Herod (Luke 23:7-12)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PDT

In preparation for the Lord’s table, let’s open the Word of God to Luke chapter 23...Luke chapter 23. We are in the middle of the trials of our Lord Jesus Christ. Friday of Passion Week, Friday the day our Lord Jesus was placed upon the cross, He endured a series of trials. Two phases, one was the trial before the Jews which was a model of injustice. It had three parts, first He was taken to Annas, the former high priest and power behind the priests. Then He was taken to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. - visit http://www.gty.org

Sound Doctrine; Sound Words (Titus 2:7-8)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PDT

When I was considering what subjects might be important for a group of pastors and church leaders as large and diverse as this, I couldn't get away from this issue. The New York Times Magazine recently did a feature article on Mark Driscoll in which this was a major theme. "Who Would Jesus Smack Down?" was the title of the article. Here's the lead sentence: "Mark Driscoll's sermons are mostly too racy to post on [an] evangelical Christian 'family friendly' . . . Web site." - visit http://www.gty.org

Jesus Accused before Pilate, Part 1 (Luke 23:1-3)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PDT

We now meet another of the corrupt characters in the unfolding drama of the death of Christ. We add Pilate and we will soon add Herod to the list of Judas, Annas, Caiaphas and the entire Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Israel. They are a Mosaic of tragic figures. All of them thought that they had the power or the influence to determine the destiny of Jesus, to render judgment on Jesus. They were wrong and that is the strange irony of this Mosaic. In reality, the destiny of Jesus had been determined by God. Jesus was never the victim of human decisions. He wasn’t the victim of a corrupt disciple that betrayed Him. He wasn’t the victim of a couple of corrupt High Priests who arraigned Him. He wasn’t the victim of the Jewish Supreme Court who condemned Him. Nor was He the victim of Pilate and Herod who ultimately executed Him. He was God’s chosen Lamb, and God had predetermined that He would die. But nonetheless, this litany of corrupt and tragic characters play very particular roles in the murder of the Son of God. I guess the best way to understand it is, none of them really determined the destiny of Jesus but what they did with Jesus determined their own destiny. None of them really condemned Jesus, but each of them condemned himself. - visit http://www.gty.org

The Sinless Savior before the Sinister Sanhedrin, Part 1 (Luke 22:63-71)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PDT

When we are dealing in the section that we’re dealing in now, with the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ, there are things that no matter how long we were to take digging into them, they would be beyond our comprehension. They are unfathomable because they are happening to an infinite person. And I find myself struggling to find the language, to find the thoughts, to find the transitions and the connections to pull it all together. I will trust the Spirit of God to convey these things to our minds through the ministry of the Spirit, enlightening our hearts beyond what words can express. - visit http://www.gty.org

The End of the Universe, Part 2 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PDT

There is reigning among us like some kind of sovereign ideology these days, the notion that we as human beings are in charge of the future of this planet. That whether or not there is an earth thousands of years from now depends on us. That somehow if we are to preserve this planet, we have to change our behavior in a significant way. We are all very much aware of the fact that we are living in a world that is trying to go green. That’s kind of the idea. There is even now a standard green color that you’re going to find showing up on all kinds of products unrelated really, or perhaps sometimes related to environmental issues, just to relentlessly put before you the necessary realization that we need to do everything we can to keep the planet green and not destroy it. - visit http://www.gty.org

The End of the Universe, Part 1 (2 Peter 3)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

In order for us to understand origins, beginnings, and for us to understand endings, for us to understand creation or consummation, we have to turn to the revelation that God has given to us. All we know about creation is what God has told us. And all we know about consummation is all that God has told us. - visit http://www.gty.org

The Theology of Creation, Pt 2 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

When the Bible speaks with regard to creation, or when it speaks with regard to origins, it speaks truly, it speaks factually. And Scripture begins in Genesis 1 and 2 with a very straightforward account of the origin of the universe and the earth and everything on the earth. Scripture opens with one very clear unmistakable statement, it is this, Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That is not an ambiguous statement. That is not an unclear statement. That is frankly not a statement that needs any explanation. Pre-Darwin, no one was confused by it. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” From there the first chapter of Genesis proceeds to tell us that in six twenty-four hour days God created everything that exists. It is so simple and so clear and so unmistakable that even a small child can understand Genesis 1. - visit http://www.gty.org

The Theology of Creation, Pt 1 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

If we want to understand creation, if we want to understand origins, if we want to understand how the universe came into existence and everything that is in it, we have to look at theology, not science. And the source of theology is the Word of God in which God speaks. The Bible is not theory, the Bible is fact. The Bible is reality. The Bible is truth no matter what subject it addresses, but particularly with regard to origins since no one was here when God created, we have only His eyewitness account. - visit http://www.gty.org

A Sinner Meets a Seeking Savior, Pt. 2 (Luke 19:1-10)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

Is there anything in this life more exciting than when God rescues the soul? In an instant a sinners eyes are opened and his love for sin falls away, his priorities shift and his perspective changes for good. It’s a divine transformation. The new creation is born and the old has passed away. And that’s how the biblical account of Zacchaes says, but in reality, its just the beginning. It was for Zacchaes as it was for you. In todays concluding message from his three part series of Luke chapter 19, Pastor John MacArthur will show you first hand the characteristics of genuine transformation. It is one of the most stunning reversals in all of scripture And you will see what occurs up close, when God’s love grips the soul. You’ll see the fruit of a new life brought to bare a mere moments after conversion. Its an invigorating glimpse into the miracle of salvation, as well as a strong reminder of where we once were in our sin, and where we need to be as partakers of divine grace. So open your bible as we take one final look at what happens when a sinner meets a seeking savior. - visit http://www.gty.org

A Retrospective on 40 Years: John MacArthur with Rick Holland

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

Before I came to Grace Church when I was a seminary student, I came to know a man named John Perkins. John Perkins came to Christ after a very, very troubled childhood. He was raised in Mississippi. He saw his brother killed by Ku Klux Klan men before his very eyes in the street. And John, as a result of that, had a lot of bitterness in his heart, but when he came to Christ all of that was swept away and he started attending my Dad’s church and I got to know him and grew to love him and his wife Vera Mae. - visit http://www.gty.org

A Sinner Meets a Seeking Savior, Pt. 1b (Luke 19:1-10)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:02:00 PST

I would invite you to open your Bible now to the nineteenth chapter of the gospel of Luke. Luke chapter 19 and the opening ten verses which provide for us one of the most familiar New Testament stories in all the Bible. If you were raised in the church and if you attended Sunday School, you were taught the story of Zacchaeus, a little man who climbed up a tree to see Jesus. Here is that wonderful story. It is only recorded by Luke, does not appear in the other three gospels, but Luke's account is rich and instructive. Luke chapter 19 and I'll read, starting at verse 1 down through verse 10. - visit http://www.gty.org

A Sinner Meets a Seeking Savior, Pt. 1a (Luke 19:1-10)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 07:02:00 PST

Why did Jesus come into the world? Well despite what many believe he didn’t come to be a moral leader, he didn’t come to show us how to live a good life, he didn’t even come to be a great religious teacher, Jesus came for one reason only: To seek and to save the lost. Perhaps nowhere in scripture is that glorious truth more evident than it is in Luke chapter 19 where we find the lone biblical account of a man named Zacchaeus. Now if you’ve been a believer long you have probably heard of Zaccheus; a vile tax collector who climbed a tree and found himself in the midst of a divine appointment no one could have ever imagined. This is a story of a lost sheep found, and a tragic life transformed. And more than that, it tells us of a Sheppard who was a savior who pursues. And that too is a story I pray you know well. Open your bibles now as we join Pastor John MacArthur for a front row seat to one of scriptures most exhilarating encounters. The story of our saviors love for Zacchaeus, his love for the lost and his love for us. - visit http://www.gty.org

The Kind of Worship God Desires, Pt. 3 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 07:02:00 PST

Let’s go back to a basic definition just so we don’t assume anything. When you say you worship, you simply are saying you give honor to God. It comes from an old English word “worthship” and it was to ascribe to someone value, to ascribe to someone worship. And so when you say you worship God, you are simply saying God is worthy of honor...God is worthy of praise...God is worthy of glory. Worship is giving honor to God. And it is a life-dominating attitude. It is based on truth because how can you give honor to God unless you know God? And the more you know about God, the more you are able to honor Him for who He is. Because God is infinite perfection, you can continue to be exposed to the increasing understanding of His infinite perfection and thus your ability to give Him honor for who He is increases as well. - visit http://www.gty.org

The Kind of Worship God Desires, Pt. 2 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:02:00 PST

I remember when I first came to Grace Church and did something that was a little bit rare in those days, that is I preached for an hour, Sunday morning and Sunday night, sometimes even longer than that. There are some sermons on record that went an hour and thirty minutes and maybe a couple an hour and 45 minutes. And I remember a person saying to me, and the question came up a number of times, but I remember a particular conversation where someone said to me, “With such long sermons with so much time taking up and preaching, how much can your church really worship?” - visit http://www.gty.org

The Kind of Worship God Desires, Pt. 1 (Selected Scriptures)

webnews@gty.org (John MacArthur) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:02:00 PST

There are two things that kill worship. One is man-centeredness and the other is pragmatism. Both of those have come to dominate what is called evangelicalism. Our church has not fallen victim to those, to either of them. We have no interest into buying into pragmatism, that is the idea that we will do whatever works, whatever produces the effect that we want, nor have we bought into the idea that the church needs to restructure itself to please men. But we are an island, I think, in a fast moving sea around us that is boiling over with pragmatism and man-centeredness. - visit http://www.gty.org