Good News Pickleball

Good News Pickleball combines the fastest-growing sport in America with The Gospel of Christ. In each episode John Wilkerson shares how Christians can demonstrate the love of Christ while playing pickleball.

Last refreshed: August 20th, 2025 at 11:45 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Love is Patient and Kind

Today I'm starting a new series on 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) and it starts with patience. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:4, "Love is patient and kind…" Paul pairs these two attributes of love together because the complement one another. Patience isn't "just sticking it out" or begrudgingly tolerating someone or a situation. That's stubbornness. It's an intentional action paired with kindness. It's not enough to grit your teeth and get through a bad situation. That's not love. Being ki...

Apr 28, 2025•5 min•Ep. 9

Blessed are the Persecuted

Today I'm covering the eighth and final Beatitude which reads, “Blessed are the those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10 (NRSVUE) I'm going to be honest here and say that I was not looking forward to doing this particular Beatitude. Persecution is a touchy subject. I honestly think that most western Christians have not suffered persecution. When we look at persecution in the Bible, we think of the Apostles who were stoned; people ...

Mar 10, 2025•6 min•Ep. 8

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Today I'm covering the seventh Beatitude which reads, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9 (NRSVUE) Jesus is the Prince of Peace. His life, death, resurrection, and return will usher in a new age of peace between God and man. While there may not be peace now (because people like you and me are flawed and don't always choose the path of peace) we will inherit a kingdom of peace that will last forever. Our goal now is to be peacemakers and confront co...

Mar 03, 2025•4 min•Ep. 7

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Today I'm covering the sixth Beatitude which reads, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8 (NRSVUE) I asked Grok (X's AI) what it means to be "pure in heart" and this is the response I received: "To be 'pure in heart' is a phrase that often comes up in religious, philosophical, or moral contexts, most famously in the Bible's Beatitudes: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). At its core, it refers to having a sincere, untainted, and ho...

Feb 24, 2025•5 min•Ep. 6

Blessed Are the Merciful

Today I'm covering the fifth Beatitude which reads, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." Matthew 5:7 (NRSVUE) Mercy is intertwined with sin, judgment, and forgiveness. Without sin, there would be no need for mercy. Being merciful is showing forgiveness and compassion towards someone who has wronged us. We're all recipients of God's mercy and that means we should show mercy to those who rightfully deserve punishment. Mercy doesn't mean we deny that a wrong or sin has been comm...

Jan 29, 2024•5 min•Ep. 5

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Today I'm covering the fourth Beatitude which reads, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6 (NRSVUE) As Christians, we've been made righteous in the eyes of God because of Jesus' death and resurrection. If we're already righteous, why should we hunger and thirst for it? We all get hungry and thirsty. God designed our bodies so that we need to seek food and water to live. This biological process is a reminder that we cannot sustain our sp...

Jan 22, 2024•6 min•Ep. 4

Blessed Are the Meek

Today I'm covering the third Beatitude which reads, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." -Matthew 5:5 (NRSVUE) Meekness is often misunderstood. Modern definitions don't convey what the Biblical authors were trying to convey. I once heard someone describe it as "power under control" but that's not quite right. Mark E. Caner describes meekness as "an attitude or quality of heart whereby a person is willing to accept and submit without resistance to the will and desire of someon...

Jan 15, 2024•5 min•Ep. 3

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Today I'm covering the second Beatitude in Matthew 5:4 which reads, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (NRSVUE) Mourning is something many of us don't do well. There's a misconception among Christians that we should always be happy. Think about this, though: If you don't mourn you'll miss out on the blessing of being comforted. You also rob others of being a blessing when they comfort you. How Can We Apply This to Pickleball? You're going to lose some games. If you're lik...

Jan 08, 2024•5 min•Ep. 2

Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

This week I’m talking about Matthew 5:3 which reads, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NRSV) Poor in spirit can refer to humility or knowing that you’re in need of God’s grace. It can also refer to physical poverty but most people see this phrase as more of an attitude rather than a state of poverty. The “kingdom of Heaven” isn’t a physical kingdom but a spiritual one. Yes, one day Jesus will physically establish His kingdom on earth but that’s not what He w...

Dec 26, 2023•5 min•Ep. 1

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