John MacArthur and Robert Schuller both lived in Southern California. Both were pastors. And both were on a bizarre flight from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1979. Even as their lives often intersected, they had opposite priorities and contrasting visions of why the church exists and who it is for. This episode traces those two approaches, from that infamous flight of 1979 through the summer of 2011. Today, one is a cautionary tale for expositors. The other is a model worth following.

Episode 2: "The Bait They Would Like"

As The MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching at The Master’s Seminary opens its doors, season one of its flagship podcast will tell the surprising, providential, compelling story of how John MacArthur became synonymous with expository preaching. From his first sermon at Grace Community Church on February 9, 1969, through his 52 years of relentless, verse-by-verse exposition from the New Testament, John has modeled a simple idea: that the Bible is clear and the preacher’s task is to patiently explain that meaning to his audience. This documentary-style season will look at Grace Community Church, which during John’s 52-year ministry has grown from a small, nondescript church in the middle of the San Fernando Valley into one of the largest, most influential churches in the United States. These eight episodes will tell the story of John’s calling into pastoral ministry and explain why, and how, he preaches the way he does. It will also trace his involvement in controversies and look at how he preaches during cultural upheaval and personal suffering. Don’t miss season one of The MacArthur Center podcast.

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Of all the theological categories in the Bible, eschatology—the study of things pertaining to the end—may be the most neglected. Otherwise sound and biblical teachers often avoid the topic either because they don’t think the Bible is clear about how the world will end or they don’t think it matters. Through his decades of ministry, John MacArthur has never shied away from teaching the entire Bible, including the prophetic parts. This episode explores what MacArthur actually believes about things to come. We’ll join host Austin Duncan at the porch of the Gloria hotel in Jerusalem where he asks several Bible scholars about Israel's role in the end times. We’ll also see what an Irish theologian named Darby, Kirk Cameron, and the word leaky have to do with the end of the world and your final days. See why Christians can, and must, live with hope.

Episode 6: Eschatology

Over his 55 years as a pastor—and counting—John MacArthur has ministered to thousands of young people. Today, his ministry continues to provide profound value for teenagers and twenty-somethings. Why is that? What does he understand about reaching the next generation? We'll answer that question in this episode. We'll also take a look at the rampant anxiety and depression among teenagers, and how the church can help teens in crisis. We'll try to understand why churches seem desperate to make everything so juvenile. Finally, we're going to talk about a "weed in the church." At least that's what critics call youth groups. All that and much more in this episode "John MacArthur is my Youth Pastor."

Episode 5: John MacArthur is My Youth Pastor

After the study of God’s Word, nothing gives John MacArthur more joy in life and ministry than relationships. For him, being with those of like precious faith infuses his days with meaning, encouragement, and the grace of God. All pastors need to prioritize friendships.  
 
This episode looks at the biblical, cosmic scope of friendship, explores the reasons why it has fallen on hard times, and shows why no minister can endure without friends. Along the way, John recounts his unique, life-giving friendship with R.C. Sproul and gives all of us principles for cultivating relationships like that, maintaining them, and responding when friends disappoint.

Episode 4: Friendship and the Finish Line

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you probably know someone who used to follow Jesus Christ, but now wants nothing to do with him. Why does that happen? What marks the path from faith to apostasy? John MacArthur started exploring those questions in college, when long-time Christian friends stunned him by walking away from God and into atheism and false religion. What he found is that the path to apostasy is well-trod, dating back to Judas, who rejected Jesus after following him for three years. This episode traces what John learned, then taught for decades, about apostasy, what happens when believers stop believing, and how all of us can be sure that once we are truly saved, God will never let us go.

Episode 3: When Believers Stop Believing

In 1988, John MacArthur’s book The Gospel According to Jesus stirred no small amount of controversy. By simply looking at what Jesus meant when he said follow me, the book exposed more than one false version of the gospel prominent among evangelicals. This episode takes you back to that pivotal time, a turning point both in John’s ministry and the evangelical church, to show you what it really means to follow Jesus, and why a right understanding of the gospel is essential to an enduring ministry.

Episode 2: "The Bait They Would Like"

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