The Story of How John MacArthur Became the World's Premier Expository Preacher. Listen at:
About This Podcast
How did John MacArthur’s name become synonymous with expository preaching? What were the key conflicts, theological battles, and challenges of his ministry? And how has his preaching shaped a generation of preachers? Through three remarkable seasons, this podcast explores the life and ministry of John MacArthur. See how this preacher from Southern California became one of the most significant and influential pastors of the past century.
Latest Episodes
June 18, 2025
Season 4, Episode 1: Influence
The first episode of season four of The MacArthur Center podcast—titled Influence—answers a crucial question: What is leadership? Countless books have been written on the topic, but few really understand how someone becomes an effective leader. For more than 55 years, John MacArthur has led a church, a media ministry, a university and seminary through extraordinary change. What qualities have made him an effective leader? How did he grow into his role as a leader? Get answers in this episode as we look at the nature of leadership, what Scripture says about the topic, and how pastors can have profound influence for the sake of the gospel.
March 4, 2025
Season 3, Episode 8: The Grace of Technology
Since June of 2024, the last time we released an episode, John MacArthur's been in and out of the hospital, dealing with one medical crisis after another. By God's grace, and thanks to the subject of this episode, technology, his health is improving and he is still faithfully pastoring Grace Community Church. As Pastor John recovered at home the weeks before this episode, he spoke to us about the gift of medical technology that preserved his life, and he described how technology has always been part of his ministry. He also offers a series of profound lessons on how every pastor, and every Christian, can extract the most blessing from the technology imbedded in God's creation.
June 11, 2024
Season 3, Episode 7: Aimee and Joni
Over the past century, the charismatic movement swept the globe, promising a deeper connection with God, spiritual blessing at every turn, and lots of cash for anyone with enough faith. How did this movement begin? And how has it changed over the decades? This episode answers those questions as it tells the story of one of the movement’s founders and most famous leaders. Then, we’ll tell another story about a woman who rejected the movement and found salvation outside it. Finally, we’ll look at why John MacArthur’s been such a critic of the all the charismatic chaos—even though friends he will one day see in heaven are part of it. John will show us the fatal flaw at the center of the movement and what the true gospel teaches us about faith, revelation from God, and true satisfaction.
March 5, 2024
Season 3, Episode 6: Eschatology
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.
February 26, 2024
Season 3, Episode 5: John MacArthur is My Youth Pastor
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 aweed 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."
November 24, 2023
Season 3, Episode 4: Friendship and the Finish Line
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.
All Episodes
Episode 1: February 9, 1969
June 9, 2021
When John MacArthur became the pastor of Grace Community Church in 1969, only one thing motivated him.
Episode 2: The Kind of Bait They Would Like
June 23, 2021
While American evangelicals embraced Robert Schuller's marketing approach to church ministry, John MacArthur tried something different, and his ministry exploded.
Episode 3: The Origin Story
July 6, 2021
Why did John MacArthur become a preacher? You'll find the answer on a two-lane Alabama highway, in the pastor's home where he grew up, in the stern, loving counsel of a mentor named Charles Feinberg, and on the sports fields of John's youth. If you've ever wondered if God is preparing you for a lifetime of ministry, this episode tells a story that can clarify that calling.
Episode 4: The Quest for Cool
July 21, 2021
What is the MacArthur style? When John stands in the pulpit, what is he trying to do? Is he projecting an image or making himself relevant? Is he trying to be personable, funny, or cool? This episode looks at what preoccupies MacArthur—and what should preoccupy all expositors—in the pulpit. And in the process, it explains what David and Goliath has to do with $800 sneakers, the meaning of the word glib, and the quest for cool that defines many of America’s most prominent pastors.
Episode 5: When Terrorists Attack
August 25, 2021
Most Sundays, a faithful expositor preaches the next verse. He doesn’t respond to the headlines or the latest scandal in the Christian world. But every so often, a tragedy in the world—or the church— occupies all the space inside his people’s heads. How does a pastor respond in those crises? This episode looks at sermons John preached after two of the worst calamities of his lifetime. The first was the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. The second was the downfall of an evangelical celebrity that rocked the church in 1988. In these stories, John shows pastors everywhere how to help their people navigate through crisis.
