Why do bad things happen to good people—or are we asking the wrong question?

In this episode of The Bullpen, J.D. Greear sits down with Matt Love and Curtis Andrusko to go deeper into Ecclesiastes 3 and what it means to trust God in seasons we don’t understand. They talk about why “God has a plan” can be true and still be difficult to hear when you’re hurting, how Christians can respond to suffering without minimizing someone’s pain, and why J.D. says the Bible actually reframes one of our biggest questions about God and evil. They also talk about learning to enjoy the season you’re in instead of constantly waiting for the next one, whether our pets will be in heaven, and how Christians can hold together grace and truth as questions about gender and sexuality continue to play out in culture.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Watch the full sermon HERE.

Get the sermon transcript.

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Why is it that getting what we want so often leaves us wanting something more?

In the first episode of The Bullpen, J.D. Greear sits down with Matt Love and Curtis Andrusko to go deeper into his first sermon in the book of Ecclesiastes and the search for a meaningful, satisfying life. They talk about why success and pleasure can’t carry the weight we put on them, how Christians can genuinely enjoy God’s gifts without turning them into idols, and what Ecclesiastes has to say to a culture constantly looking for the next thing.

They also discuss social media, our endless appetite for more, and what it looks like to build your life around the things that actually last.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Watch the full sermon HERE

Get the sermon transcript.

Stay Connected! Text BULLPEN to 97000 for updates about the podcast.

Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode of The Bullpen!

For years now, whenever Pastor J.D. Greear preaches, he writes far more than he can actually say in the sermon. The material that doesn’t make the cut—the extra illustrations, the rabbit trails, the good questions he didn’t have time to chase—gets kept in a section of his notes he calls the “bullpen.”

All of that material, all these years, has just sat there and never seen the light of day.

But that changes next week.

Each time J.D. preaches, he’ll sit down with a couple of people and unpack the message. They’ll go deeper into the passage, wrestle with the hard questions just like they always have, and bring out implications they didn’t have time to get into during the message.

And if there’s something big happening in the world, or a controversial question that could use some Christian wisdom applied to it—even if it wasn’t directly addressed by the text—they’ll discuss that too.

No scripts. Just a free-flowing conversation.

And as always, J.D. is praying it will be a resource to help you grow deeper in your love and understanding of the gospel.

In another special episode, Pastor J.D.  addresses the question: “Is the Deliberate Pursuit of Ethnic Unity the Same As DEI?”

Dive more into this conversation with Pastor J.D.’s new book, Everyday Revolutionary, which explores how ordinary believers can live out the gospel in ways that transform their communities.

In another special episode, Pastor J.D.  addresses the question: “Is ‘Voting Blue’ the First Sign of Losing Faith?”

The conversation explores a question Pastor J.D. was asked recently about whether “voting blue” is a harbinger of losing your faith.

Dive more into this conversation with Pastor J.D.’s new book, Everyday Revolutionary, which explores how ordinary believers can live out the gospel in ways that transform their communities.

In this episode, Pastor J.D.  concludes our mini-series about his latest book, Everyday Revolutionary, by asking the question: “WHY Is Gen Z Returning to the Church?”

This conversation features Wes Smith, College Pastor at The Summit Church. Much has been said about how Gen Z is returning to the church… but why is that happening? We explore the reasons behind this trend, including a dissatisfaction with secular ideologies and a desire for community and fulfillment.

Dive more into this conversation with Pastor J.D.’s new book, Everyday Revolutionary, which explores how ordinary believers can live out the gospel in ways that transform their communities.

In this episode, Pastor J.D.  discusses a question many of us are asking ourselves right now, “Are Christians Called to the Culture War?”

As part of a short series surrounding Pastor J.D.’s new book Everyday Revolutionary, the conversation explains that while believers must be bold in truth, faithfulness to Jesus goes beyond cultural confrontation—it involves embodying grace and truth in everyday life. It’s not less than clarity on issues, but it’s much more.

Pastor J.D. identifies five components of the “quiet life” that creates a “loud testimony” (1 Peter 3:15):

Dive more into this conversation with Pastor J.D.’s new book, Everyday Revolutionary, which explores how ordinary believers can live out the gospel in ways that transform their communities.

In this episode, Pastor J.D.  discusses a question many church leaders face: Should pastors be more political from the pulpit?

As part of a short series surrounding Pastor J.D.’s new book Everyday Revolutionary, the conversation explores how faithfulness to the gospel intersects with public issues, when to speak clearly, and when to show restraint.

J.D. argues that pastors must boldly proclaim biblical truth even when it overlaps with politics—but resist aligning the name of Jesus with any political party. Political engagement  is a result of discipleship, not the gateway to it.

Dive more into this conversation with Pastor J.D.’s new book, Everyday Revolutionary, which explores how ordinary believers can live out the gospel in ways that transform their communities.

This week on Ask the Pastor, we have a special bonus episode on the question, “Which of the Bible’s promises apply today?”

We covered a similar question several years ago, and you can find that episode HERE.

A glimpse inside this episode:

This week on Ask the Pastor, Pastor J.D. continues his series called, “Why Does It Matter?” with the question, “Why Does Correct Theology Matter?”

A glimpse inside this episode: