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John Piper

John Piper is founder and teacher of Desiring God and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Foundations for Lifelong Learning: Education in Serious Joy.

The Pleasures of God

Session 3

God’s will and affections are often complex and multi-faceted, but one thing is supremely certain: he delights in all that he does.

The Pleasures of God

Session 2

The foundation of our salvation isn’t as flimsy as our commitment to God, but is instead based on God’s own passion for the fame and glory of his own name.

Why Was God So Harsh In the Old Testament but More Forgiving In the New?

John Piper says that ever since the coming of Christ the world is in a window of mercy. But it won't last forever.

The Pleasures of God

Session 1

Christians care about what delights God because he has designed us to discover joy in what delights him, and to bring him glory by finding our ultimate happiness in him.

Atheists Miss the Joy

If you look at sunsets and sunrises without knowing that God is painting them then and there, you will miss the point. Sunsets and sunrises do not just happen. God does them You make the going out of the morning…

Velvet Steel

The Joy of Being Married to You

Beyond the tough love of covenant-keeping is a warmth and tenderness that can't be denied. So while John Piper's This Momentary Marriage focuses on the theological meaning of marriage, its companion volume, Velvet Steel, reveals the rich, emotional dimension.…

What Is Your Book Finally Alive About, and What Insights Did You Gain While Writing It?

John Piper shares how our understanding of the new birth affects evangelism.

Racial Diversity in Hell

The difference between heaven and hell is not that heaven will be ethnically diverse and hell won’t be. Both will be diverse. All races and all ethnicities and all cultures will be present in hell The difference between heaven and…

Should Pastors Have to Go Through a Certain Amount of Schooling?

John Piper says pastors need a certain level of education, which isn't the same as schooling.

Does God “Lead Us into Temptation”?

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13) James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts…

Should Our Love for God Be More Like the Love Between a Child and a Father or the Love Between Two Lovers?

John Piper says we should seek biblical proportions in how we relate to God.

The Global Twin Cities and the “Ethnoburb”

This is our new world in the Twin Cities The Twin Cities’ Hispanic population more than doubled from 1990 to 2000. The Twin Cities was the eighth fastest growing Hispanic city in the United States during the 1990s. The Twin…

Rethinking Retirement

Rethinking Retirement

Finishing Life for the Glory of Christ

A Christian’s retirement years are not about accumulating comforts and toys, but about finishing life in a way that makes Christ look glorious.

The Most Important Prayer Request in the World

The most important prayer is that the most important person in the universe do the most important act in the universe That’s why Jesus put this request at the beginning of the Lord’s prayer: “Hallowed be your name.” God is…

What Is God's Purpose In Preventing Believers From Understanding Certain Truths In His Word?

John Piper says that God has good reasons for sometimes keeping us in the dark.

The Sorrow and Joy of the Seasoned Soul

It is not a sign of a seasoned Christian soul that steady joy is untinged with steady sorrow Or to put it positively, the seasoned soul in Christ has a steady joy and a steady sorrow. They protect each other…

What Do You Think of Casting Lots to Determine God's Will?

John Piper explains why casting lots should only be used very rarely.

A Plea for Heart Devotions and Head Study

This is a plea that all of you would build into your lives both personal devotions and purposeful study of God’s word Both: Daily prayerful meditation seeking personal application of God’s word to your own heart and life. And: Regular…

What Books Are You Using in Your Sermon Preparations As You Go Through the Gospel of John?

John Piper mentions who he is reading and how each helps his study of John.

Clarence Thomas’s God-Centered Submission

Clarence Thomas was confirmed to be a Supreme Court Justice on October 15, 1991 after one of the most divisive confirmation battles in history. He tells the story movingly in his autobiography My Grandfather’s Son What many may not…

Finally Alive

What Happens When We Are Born Again

In this book, John Piper explains the Bible’s teaching on the new birth: what it is, how it happens, and how we can help others experience it.

Why Can't We Get Any Straight Answers From Christianity?

John Piper says that the complexities of Christian faith shouldn't make us forget or reject the many clear and glorious truths.

The Second Coming Is Like Lightning and Vultures

Jesus is going to return to earth. I pray very soon. He said that before he comes—periodically throughout history—some people would think he has already come If they say to you, "Look, he is in the wilderness," do not go…

Never Let the Gospel Get Smaller

Here is a simple exhortation that I have been trying to implement in our family Seek to see and feel the gospel as bigger as years go by rather than smaller. Our temptation is to think that the gospel is…

What Is the Gospel Coalition, and Why Are You Part of It?

John Piper shares some of the history and vision of the Gospel Coalition.

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