About This Podcast

How did John MacArthur’s ministry become synonymous with expository preaching? And what does an expository preaching ministry look like? To answer that question, The MacArthur Center Podcast went back to John’s childhood in a pastor’s home and to the year 1969 when he became the teaching pastor at Grace Community Church. It told the remarkable, providential story of how Grace Church grew, how suffering has shaped John’s ministry, how he’s responded to threats to his church, and how he’s entrusted the gospel to the next generation of preachers. In these personal, profound stories, there are lessons for all pastors, and believers, who believe in the transforming power of an expositional ministry.

Latest Episodes

Dec, 21 2022

Season 2, Episode 8: MacArthur and His Successor

Who will succeed John MacArthur? Who will carry on the God-centered, biblical-grounded, expository ministry that he’s built over the past half-century? John MacArthur has always had a succession plan. For decades, he’s known exactly how he wants the ministry to carry on at Grace Community Church when he’s gone. This episode looks at his succession plan. It also, with the help of John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Tony Reinke, David Gibson, and Geoffrey Chang, explores how any of us who love the church can think wisely about passing truth to the next generation.
Dec, 21 2022

Season 2, Episode 7: MacArthur and the Government

On July 26th, 2020, California’s government leaders said the worship service at Grace Community Church was an illegal gathering. John MacArthur called it “a peaceful protest.” Why did the church defy the state and county’s health mandates? This episode, the penultimate of season two, goes behind-the-scenes of MacArthur and Grace Church’s lawsuit against Los Angeles County. Beyond that, we go to Washington D.C., then north of the border, and back to a 1975 MacArthur sermon to show that Christians should submit to government, resist at times, while always preaching the gospel to their political leaders. Tune in for a crash-course in political theology: truth Christians will likely need in the coming years.
Oct, 19 2022

Season 2, Episode 6: MacArthur and His Critics

For pastors, criticism comes with the job. It's a reality for nearly everyone in ministry, especially those preaching the whole counsel of God. So how should pastors, or any Christian for that matter, handle the criticism that's sure to come? What do you say when someone accuses you of unbiblical teaching, or unfairly maligns your character? John MacArthur has learned more than a few lessons on how to respond to the critics throughout his 53 years of pastoral ministry. There have been lots of public critiques of his theology. And plenty have found something negative to say about his personality, tone, and leadership. This episode draws out lessons on handling criticism from his life, particularly a time in the late 80s when MacArthur travelled to Limerick Pennsylvania to defend himself against charges of heresy.

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