I attended both college and graduate school at a secular university — a time that could have been disastrous. But God faithfully protected me in those years, and He used Pastor John’s sermons and New Testament commentary to cause that environment to be a great time of sanctification. That was also the period of my life when I fell in love with God’s handiwork in creation and, inspired by Pastor John’s book, “The Battle for the Beginning,” I decided to pursue a career in mathematics.
Through Dr. MacArthur’s faithful preaching and the resources from Grace to You, God has sparked within me a deep love for biblical truth. Dr. MacArthur’s commitment to expository preaching has had a lasting impact on how I approach Scripture. His emphasis on sound doctrine has been crucial in solidifying my commitment to biblical orthodoxy. And most of all, his passion for the Scriptures has stirred in me a deeper love for God’s Word.
I have been blessed to grow up under Dr. MacArthur’s verse-by-verse teaching. He is a gifted teacher and leader whom I deeply respect, but more importantly, he taught me that God’s Word has power. Toward the end of high school, when I began to seriously doubt my claim to be a Christian, I knew I needed to turn to Scripture, and God used that to save me. I’m so thankful for Pastor John’s faithfulness to let the “living and active” Word do its work (Heb. 4:12).
I began going to Grace Community Church in 1971, and I can attribute much of my spiritual growth over the years to being under Dr. MacArthur’s ministry. He has had such a tremendous influence on me for the past six decades.
Dr. MacArthur totally supported my standard of teaching and performing the music of the church at a high level, one that would be a worthy sacrifice to the King of Kings. I have been so blessed by his legacy of faithfulness to God’s Word. He lived it out daily and was a loving, supportive example to each of us on the faculty and staff.
I have seen John always display godly living. His faithfulness to the Lord, his family, and his ministry was an example to me that became the theme of my life and eventually the School of Music: God, family, craft. God must be first in all things. That certainly has had an impact on our family and our ministry.
Being the dean of women for 14 years was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life, and John was so supportive of us in Student Life. There were times when things were really hard, and we had to deal with challenging, complicated situations, and he always had our backs.
John MacArthur is a man who unapologetically is committed to the authority of God’s Word and the honor of Christ, and he is one of the most gracious men I know. John is a wonderful testimony that those who are really committed to the truth should be loving and gracious at the same time, just as the Lord is.
The thing I’m most thankful for is Dr. MacArthur’s faithfulness to the truth, united with a heart to both live that truth and love people in the advancement of the truth. He is one of the best Bible teachers in the last century, but it’s coupled with his love for people, his love for the Lord, and his generous way of living and giving.
