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A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing and I'll tell you what. Where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together. Seek your mind. And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host.
is John three sixteen the greatest verse in the Bible. Why is John three sixteen, listeners? Why is John 3.16 the greatest verse in the Bible? That's our topic today. I'm Dwayne Carson.
Our ministry is Date the Word. And if there's any date that I love of all the 365, leap year 366, it's March the 16th, 3.16, because on this date, we look at John 3.16. And I'm hoping right now your mind is already thinking of those great words. For God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Some people have called this the gospel. in a nutshell. Everything you need to know. about Salvation is available to you from this one verse. Why is John 3, 16 the greatest verse?
In the Bible, the greatest verse to know, the greatest verse to share. I want to hear from you 866-348-7884. As we today, Truth Talk Live, put the truth before you. And as we consider the truth today, This great verse, John 3:16, you know, it was the cornerstone of the ministry of John Whitfield, the first great awakening, as he preached all over the 13 colonies. He preached, you must be born again, preaching John 3:16 as the method, the understanding of how to be born again.
You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Billy Graham, you go to the Billy Graham Library, and right off the bat, you're seeing. John 3:16. It's there right off the bat. When you hear Franklin Graham speak about the library, he speaks about John 3:16.
Again, I want to just quote it for you. I want you to let it sink in for God.
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Why What we say This is the greatest verse in the Bible. I'd love to hear from you what makes it so great. When you think about the words I just gave you, What are the words that just really stand out? I think of the greatest verse, this is the greatest part of the verse. 866.
348-7884 is the number to give us a call today. I had the privilege to sit under Dr. Elmer Towns at Liberty University. He taught the book of John. and he called it the greatest book in the Bible.
And then from there He said, John 3, 16, Is the greatest verse in the world? in the Bible. And uh let me begin to give you some of the reasons why he thought that. And I'm waiting for your call because I want to hear what you think. How has John 3.16 impacted your life?
Uh Doctor Towns This is in his notes, and it's on my Facebook page, Dwayne Carson or Pastor Dwayne Carson or Date the Word. We have a Facebook page called Date the Word. You can go there to see this. I've already had people sharing it today. We love to get John 3.16 out to people on March the 16th.
My prayer is that March the 16th becomes an International Day of Evangelism, where we share John 3.16 on all of our social media.
Well, here's what Dr. Town said. Here's what makes John 3.16 so great. For God, that's the greatest being of all time.
So That's the greatest degree. Loved. That's the greatest affection. The world. the greatest Object of love.
that he gave. The greatest Act. And we're going to come back and talk more because, of all the things that make this great, a great verses that God gave. Um his only the greatest Treasure. Begotten.
the greatest relationship Son the greatest gift. That whosoever The greatest company Anyone everyone, everywhere. Can Connect with John 3, 16. believeth the greatest trust In him the The greatest object of faith. should not perish the greatest deliverance.
But have the greatest assurance everlasting the greatest promise Life. The greatest blessing. Oh, friends, John 3, 16, the greatest verse, the g it's God's greatest message. To all of mankind. That's kind of how I summed up John 3:16.
It's God's greatest message. If there was one verse That you could share only one with any person. You only had a minute. You'd want to share John 3:16. It's the greatest of the greatest, as Dr.
Towns laid out in his book, in the book of John, in his class there. I'm reading it right now. I've just read it to you. I'm looking at it again. And again, I'm just overwhelmed as I think about just how great God was.
In doing what he did for us, for God so loved. Uh we we think about How the Apostle Paul prayed that we would comprehend his love. Dr. W.A. Criswell took Ephesians 3:18.
And uh Paul said I want you to comprehend the love of God, the width. The length The depth The Height.
Well, when you think of those four dimensions, Well, you can't help but think of John three sixteen. I mean, when you think of how God Loved the world. That's the width of his love. It goes to anyone. that everyone anywhere, at any time, The whole world.
We're supposed to take the gospel to the whole world.
Well, here's John 3:16 that says, For God so loved the world. World. It doesn't say that he loved a particular race. It didn't say he loved a particular nation. It didn't say he loved a particular group.
He loves everyone in the world. And then. Uh he he gave. That he gave. This is the length that he would go to.
And I. As you ponder, we're coming up on Easter, right? As you start pondering how Christ suffered, And God gave his son What length would you go to make sure that someone would be saved?
Well, God gave His Son to die on an old rugged cross. We've got a break coming, and we're going to be back. We're talking about John 3:16. It's March the 16th, 3.16. And I want to hear from you why John 3:16 is the greatest verse in the Bible.
Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. I'm Dwayne Carson and it's my joy to host Truth Talk Live with you today talking about John 3:16. John 3:16. It's March the sixteenth and uh There are other verses, no doubt, On this date, that we can look at. Second Timothy 3:16 comes to mind.
But John 3:16 is The verse that just stands out above all verses. And today we're talking about why it is the greatest verse. Why is the verse you want to know? Do you know John 3:16? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as your Savior?
This verse calls for you to trust Him. And as we were going to the break, I was looking at Ephesians chapter 3, where we're supposed to know. understand, comprehend the love of God, which is so hard to do because it is an amazing love. And we were talking about how for God so loved the world, that's the width, the length is that He gave, the depth. Listen, the depth is that While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Listen, that we should not perish. He died for sinners so that we would not perish. And then the height is that he's going to give us everlasting life. The gospel is Jesus Christ takes someone that is hellbound. And gives them eternal life when they put their trust in the one who gave his life for us.
We've got Fred. Good afternoon, Fred. How are you, sir? I'm good, Dr. Carson.
How about you, sir? Oh, I tell you, when I start thinking about how much God loved me, I am just overwhelmed. And that's a capital O right there. The more I meditate on it, Paul did. He prayed that we would comprehend.
How much God loves us. And I don't know about you, but have you been able to grasp how much God loves you? No, sir, I have not. Uh I Dr. Carson, I was kind of a Leo de Seeing Christian for about 40 years.
I read the Word of God. I prayed. I went to church every Sunday. But when it came to sharing my faith and living my faith, I was just kind of indifferent, lukewarm, and God speaks very despairingly disparaging about those kind of people. And in about 2002, I was living with a burden of guilt that I just couldn't get out from under.
I couldn't live with that burden of guilt any longer. And I enrolled in Old Piedmont Bible College to study personal witnessing and evangelism. And that changed my life, brother. Wow. A layer deceiving Christian.
That's one that Our listeners, I don't know if you recognize that, but that's lukewarm. And it's something that, as Fred was saying, God can't stand. Literally, he speaks of he vomits us out of his mouth. It's a taste you just don't want in your mouth. He wants us on fire for him.
Fred, John 3, 16, through the years, what has it meant to you?
Well, it's one of the most evangelic verses in the Word of God, in my opinion. It's so straightforward. It's so simple. There's no room there for misunderstanding. And if you had to single out one evangelism verse above all others, I believe that would have to be it, brother.
Um For our listeners, I know Fred. He is a soul winner, has a book, Give Him Jesus. He's always looking for opportunities to witness. And uh Sharing John 3.16 with people. is uh one of I'm going to say it this way, Fred, easiest ways.
To share the gospel because it is so uplifting. I don't I still remember it when my dad taught me this verse. It does have the the worst news in it. We're going to perish, but That part is being taken care of. For God loved us.
And he gave his only begotten son so that we would not have to perish. I don't, this is one of the most positive verses. And as I was getting ready for the show and thinking about that, you might give a call, Lynn. Uh Fred, I came across a story not long ago about a man named Ronald Reagan. You remember that name?
Absolutely. One of our presidents, well, as president. Ronald Reagan had a burden For his father-in-law His father-in-law wasn't saved. And I just came across this. Ronald Reagan wrote his father-in-law a letter.
Would they Tremendous burden because he knew his father-in-law didn't have much longer to live. And and and he he said I want you to grasp now what verse do you think Ronald Reagan shared with his father-in-law? John 3, 16. He wrote in that letter. I want you to understand.
John 3:16, the gospel, the Apostle John wrote this down for us, where Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus and he says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And then he gets so personal to his father-in-law. We love you. God loves you. And if you'll put your trust in Jesus, that's what it takes.
Trust, believe. You don't have to work. You don't have to pay. He got so real with him. And I thought of that, when I was reading that letter, I thought about you, how you want people to know the gospel.
The simple plan, how God can take the worst sinner and turn him into a saint that's going to spend all eternity with him. Hey, you like that story?
Well, I like it real good, doctor Carson. If we're not sharing our faith as God's people, we're not experiencing the joy that God has intended for us. Yeah, there's nothing More exciting. I was just thinking about this week. The reason I was gone all last week, we were in Phoenix, Arizona.
My oldest son, my third child, got married. And we were talking about the greatest moments in my life. And I'm telling you, the day they were born. And the day they were born again. And now to see him married I've had three phenomenal experiences with my son.
And now I look forward to in a year or two, I hope I'll have a grandchild from that marriage. But right now, I thought about those great moments. You're so right, Fred. When we get to. Be a part of someone getting saved.
When they they go from death to life. And one of the easiest ways to share the gospel is to share John 3:16. People today could put John 3:16 like I've done on the Facebook, on. on X, on Instagram. Uh do you carry a track with John 316 on it, Freyette?
Every day. Oh, uh not not sometime. Every day. And it's one of the easiest. I'm not dressed appropriately if I don't have that in my pocket.
Well, Fred, I am so glad you've called. I want to get other callers in. 866-348-7884. Let's hear your story about John 3.16. What makes it so great?
Again, 866-348-7884. Dial that number. Tell us your story on John 3.16. If you picked one word out of 316 Freya, what would the word be that you love the most? That I will never perish.
Amen. Amen. Fred, thank you for your call today. We're going to a break. We're going to come back here on March the 16th and talk more about John 3:16, the greatest verse.
in the Bible. Truth, talk, lie. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. It's March the 16th.
Some people might want to think uh Saint Patty's Day Eve, but I'm more focused today on 316, John 316. The greatest verse in the Bible, the greatest message from God to all mankind. for God so loved Winston Salem. Not more than that, for God so loved Washington, More than that, for God so loved. the whole world.
every person everywhere This is a message for them. And uh I I I just I love this verse. It's the life-changing, eternal life-changing verse. As God wants us to know, He has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. He gave his son, and he would die.
He would give his life, pay the ransom. And would give us the opportunity when we believed, not paid. Uh, not worked, but when we believed we could have everlasting life, we're promised that we'll have everlasting life. I want you to know, listeners, right now, I know if I were to die in the next 30 seconds, I am as sure for heaven as if I'd already been there five minutes because John 3:16 gives that promise, you will have everlasting life. We have a caller.
We have David from Durham. Good afternoon, David. Hey, Dwayne. Good to hear your voice. Good to hear your voice.
David Nems, he has a ministry. I'm going to let you listeners know, he has an incredible ministry. uh called the Timothy Initiative. And I reached out to David today because last year he and I were working on a project together on March the 16th. To have John 3:16 preached all over the world because it was a Sunday.
And David, I appreciate you calling in. We've been talking about. John 3.16 being the greatest verse of all. And I'm just curious, why would you think, as someone who hits up a massive mission agency, a mission movement, I should call, why do you think John 3.16 is so valuable?
Well You know, Duane, you're right. It's, I'm sure, the most famous verse in the Bible. Probably more people. No John 3.16 by memory then I would imagine any other verse. I remember as a little kid growing up in Georgia, The good church.
Our pastor said something that stuck with me. He said, Since you're part of the world, you can take the word world out and insert your own name. Because God loves you too. And so there was a long time there where I read the verses: For God so loved David. that he gave his only begotten son, and etc.
And that is certainly true. I'm part of the world, and God loves me, and Jesus died for me. And I'm one of those that believes if Jesus carries a wallet and if he has pictures in his wallet, like we used to have back in the day, you know, he'd have my picture in his wallet. I believe that. But the truth of the matter is, the verse didn't say, For God so loved David, except for God so loved the world.
And There are so many people in this world that have yet to hear that message. And I want to thank you for challenging us. to last year on Sunday, march sixteenth, To preach John 3:16. I did in the church I was speaking in, and I know tens of thousands. Of our Timothy's dead, also, because Jesus died for the sins of the world.
He did die for me. I thank God that He did. But not just me. He died for the sins of the world. Yeah.
You know, I'm just as I'm listening to you talk about it. Um Did you put your name there personally? Listener, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ right now, Insert your name into John 3:16. For God so loved. Your name He loved you.
Um And today you can be born again. You can call on Jesus and ask him to save you. Everything's been done. But David, you also bring this point out. While he did die for the individual, he died for the world.
And if you've got a quick moment, just tell us about the Timothy Initiative, this idea of achieve, how you want to get the gospel to the entire world. Yeah, Juan, we're a church planting, disciple making, church planting ministry. We are are Our goal for each country that we work in, we're in fifty countries currently, is to have a church in every village everywhere.
So we use the acronym of a church of Achieve. which stands for A Church in Every Village Everywhere. We're trying to achieve, achieve. In each country that we're in. And most countries where we work primarily among unreached people groups, think you're Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, animus world.
And so, you know, in an unreached people group, if there's 100 villages, there might be a church in five of them or 10 of them. and nobody has a car and everyone's very poor. And so for them to have a For them to hear the gospel and to see fruit that remains. We believe the front lines is the local church. You need a church within walking distance of everybody.
And I I think it's estimated Dwayne, nobody knows for sure, but there's approximately maybe six million churches in the world today, but there's the guesstimate that we need another five to six million churches In places where there are no churches.
So we're only about halfway there, and the low-hanging fruit is taken. The places that are left are harder to reach, more difficult areas. But you know what? I can't imagine that Jesus died for the world and does not want the world to hear that message. And we're supposed to be telling them.
Uh I love your ministry. There's no question. Just listening to your voice, there's a passion in it. The greatest message. Should not be kept ourselves.
Yeah. I heard a guy one time say he wanted to get the gospel to somewhere where Coca-Cola had not gotten. And you've got a few of those stories now of the gospel has gotten to places where Coca-Cola has not gotten because you have gone to the front line and making disciples who make disciples is part of this Timothy initiative based off of 2 Timothy 2:2. Um how can a person get to know more about the Timothy Initiative?
Well, go to the website. It's ttiglobal.org. uh TTI Global And uh we'd love to I'd love to uh be introduced to everybody possible. It's a big world out there. There's a A lot of churches that still need to be planted.
When I think about what you just said, there are five to six million more churches are needed. But uh every day your ministry is working to get a church started in a village. Started by taking the gospel to a village. Um I was at one of your um Conferences, we'll call it that, where we got to watch a group of believers from one village go to another village and show the Jesus film. And all of a sudden, a village that had never heard the gospel, no one was saved.
had believers and that's the first step. Um there's believers in that new vi in that village, and then from there will be a church, and from there uh they will start reaching out. That that's the way to do it, isn't it? Yeah, and and God is blessing. We're seeing.
125 churches started every day, Dwayne, five an hour. And you've been a major part of that. And and if I can just uh Commend you. I don't know if I've ever met anybody that has a higher regard or respect for God's word than you do. And A guy that mentored me many, many, many years ago used to say.
What you do with God's word will determine to a large degree what God does with you. And I've never forgotten that, and I just appreciate so much your. your uh just again your your elevation of God's word the way you you You approach the Bible. I don't know of anyone that has a greater respect for the scripture than you do.
So I want to thank you for that, Dwayne. I appreciate that. When I do Chapels for high schools, I tell them about how when I got saved, I didn't start memorizing scripture to win any awards, I started memorizing scripture for survival. Um, yeah, God's Word transforms our lives, and it's got the greatest message in it, John 3:16, how to be saved, but then it also has the greatest message of how to live a life that has significance to it. And um I I just I I want people to know how l how free a person can become To live the most abundant life possible, and it's found in His Word.
Um Dave, thank you for that. uh compliment and thank you for your ministry uh We got to look at another initiative sometime and do another John 3.16 on 316. Maybe next year, Witness While Working. We'll pitch that idea out there. There you go.
I like it now.
Well, Dave, thank you for your time today. I know you're still very busy today making things happen. We're looking for callers, 866-348-7884, and the ttiglobal.com. Is that right? Dot org.
Or you just type in the words the Timothy Initiative, and you will be flooded with some great information about how a ministry is truly seeking to impact the world, getting the gospel. Listen, achieve. Think of that. Be praying for them to achieve, achieve a church in every village, everywhere. Um and those who know me know I love acronyms like that.
So the Lord bless you, my friend. Thank you. Thank you, Duane. God bless you, sir. Bye-bye.
We're looking for your call. John 3:16 being preached all over the world because it's a message for the world. I'd love to hear your story. What do you think makes John 3:16 so great? And then, as we head to our last section, segment of today's show, maybe there's another 3:16 verse that you want to talk about.
You know, 2 Timothy 3:16 is there. 1 John 3:16 is another one of those great verses. It's March the 16th.
We're talking about 3:16 verses, specifically John 3:16, the greatest verse. But give us a call, 866-348-7884. Truth. Uh quiet. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live.
I'm Dwayne Carson. My joy to Host today's show on 316. Love 316 because It reminds us of John 3:16. And it's a verse that all of us can be sharing with someone. It's a verse that I don't know when you first heard it, but I can still remember my father, when I was probably four years of age, said, You need to learn a verse.
And he began to teach me, and I had to memorize John 3:16. And I can't tell you how many times. After getting saved, I have shared John 3:16 with people because it's the gospel in a nutshell. It's one of the most simplest verses there is, but yet at the same time, the richness of the verse, as Dr. W.A.
Crispo brought out from Ephesians chapter 3, verse 18, to comprehend, to know the width. Of God's love, the length of God's love, the depth of God's love, and then the height of God's love. It's all found right there in John 3:16. We've got Mike on the phone from Dayton. Hello, Mike.
How are you today? I'm doing great, sir. Thank you for taking the call. Yes, sir. I was pondering.
Yeah, I was pondering about why John 3:16. you know The greatest verse of the Bible, and I totally believe that, you know. I also believe that the world has a different message, you know, about love. And love, you know, you want the world tells you to love yourself. Love what you do.
You don't need God's love. That's what the world says. You can handle this world and you don't need God's love. That's so false based on John 3:16. You know, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
And then, guess what? We don't die, we don't perish. We have everlasting life with him, and you know, that's that's the lie of the devil. you know, this life is is just a one and done. No, it's not.
His life can be eternal. But if you don't accept him and you don't accept that gift, you're done. It is a one and done. But God made a way that we can get to heaven and have eternal life. And this verse just sums it all up.
And that's our great hope. You know, that's our hope. That's why we hope to see people, our loved ones, when we die. That's the hope that we have, that we have that eternal life. You know, this is our great hope.
You know, this is what we stand on. That's why this verse is such a great, great verse. When you think of the simplicity. You can share this with a fr Four-year-old, a five-year-old vacation Bible school. You're sharing John 3:16.
Yet you can be in a doctoral class. And discussing the depth of theology from this verse that would take you for a whole semester. Um It does bring forth this is not the only life we have. There is going to be a life after death. And those who know the Lord Jesus Christ, well, there's going to be heaven.
For those who don't, it's going to be hell. And that's why he said, shall not perish. Um Incredible depth here on the theological component. A man is a point that wants to die. Mike, and then comes the judgment.
What have they done with John 3:16 message? It's not believe John 3:16 is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the message of John 3:16. What have they done with him? That's that's the judgment. Uh what have you done with him?
Yeah, that that's a judgment.
Sorry, this was pondering some other things. You know, um That's uh when when you're a believer, you you You trust in the Bible with all your heart, and you believe that that is a total truth. And when you believe that total truth, there's no other way. To uh There's no other way that God can, um You know, there's no other way that we can stand on anything else. We can't stand on our own goodness.
We can't stand on our own love. We can't stand on any of that. We have to stand on some principle, and that principle is the word of God. Yes. Yes.
Jesus, it says that he came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him to them, he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name. Talk about changing your identity. From an alien against God to being adopted and now accepted into the family of God. That's what Jesus Christ does for us.
Uh Yeah. Yeah, that's what, if you're a listener, that's what born again means. You know, you were a slave to sin, you were a slave to a problem. which was not having eternal life because that's what the bible says And you were a slave to that.
So now you are being born again. You shed that sin off of you because God took it for you. And now we can have eternal life. Um because that great gift of Jesus.
So So on this 316 day, Mike, do you have another 316 verse that you like? I like the Timothy one you had today. I'm sorry, this um Yeah, it's just yeah, that I like that a lot. Yeah. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
and is profitable for doctrine. Reproof correction, and instruction in righteousness. Right. And that's what I was saying. And that's what that's what we have to stand on.
We have to stand on the Word of God. That's, you know, and that's what makes this verse so strong in our Christian belief. You know, that's what's so great about Christianity. I really believe. We don't have to work for our salvation.
We don't have to do anything. We just have to say, yeah, I believe and I accept. It's as simple as that. And I take it to another level. Not only do we not have to work.
We cannot work. Works don't work, and when you start working, when someone starts telling you you've got to work for your salvation, they're putting you in a place where you will never get it done. Jesus said, Come unto me, all you that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He's not calling you to do work that's going to wear you out. Um I think one of our commercials a little bit ago talked about a person who was getting weary of religion.
Well, yeah, you go to Jesus for a relationship with him. Trying to work your way into heaven. And Mike, I was there. I was being told that if I could just do enough good works to outweigh my bad works, I'd be okay. I kept realizing in my own spirit.
I am never going to get the scales even. I just keep doing what's wrong. I keep doing the bad things, and they just keep piling up. And then to hear the pure, simple, beautiful gospel that you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He washes away all of your sins, you're forgiven, you're justified, you're reconciled. Oh my, the great words that come when we get saved.
Um Redeemed. You know, it's just an awesome thing that God does for us. Until you dig into it a little bit as a non-believer or even a Christian, when you really dig into what God Jesus did for us on the cross. Uh you just you just have no idea. He became, he was a God that came a man.
And died for us and took upon all our sins. It's just amazing, amazing grace that we have with him. Yeah. Well, that's my hope that as we do the show today, that John 3:16 Really brings us to that place where we have a greater love. For our great God and our great Savior.
Revelation chapter one, as John starts writing that great book. Uh he he talks about it coming from the Father, coming from the Spirit, coming from Jesus Christ. He mentions the the Trinity. But when he writes about Jesus, it's it is as if he he has to stop for a moment. And he just breaks into a doxology.
And I don't know if you've seen this, Mike, but there's seven doxologies in the book of Revelation.
Well, the first one is in the first. few verses there where he says to him who loved us. To him who loved us. That's the first thing John says: to him who loved us, and then washed us from our sins with his own blood, and then he makes us priests and kings. That's the outworking of our salvation, the new position we have.
But the first thing John said, I just want to give glory to him because he loved us. And we are now getting very close to Easter, April the 5th. And because we have that March to April, it kind of has a little bit of a break. But we're only a few weeks away now. And I hope our listeners will start to really take the prayer of Paul and start, Lord, help me to comprehend how much you love me.
Uh No one's ever loved us like Jesus. He loved us when we were sinners. Amen. He loved us when we were not even we wasn't even born, not even conceived. He knew us before the start of time.
And he had this plan for you to listen to this program. He had this plan for me. He has a plan for Dr. Carson. He has a plan for you if you're not saved.
He loves you. He loves you from the beginning.
Well, let me give that verse one more time to him, Mike. John 3, 16, for God so loved the world your name. That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever your name believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be.
