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Puritanism
Writing on Puritan history, theology and its influence.
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Trapped in a Meaningless Life
Loss can lead to despair over God’s plan for our lives. When we can’t perceive meaning in life, Pastor John counsels us to find comfort in God’s glorious purpose in Christ. Listen Now
Laziness and the Gladness of God
At some point today, you will encounter a task you need to do but would really rather not do. You will stare with dread at your Anatomy and Physiology textbook. Or you will hear your three-year-old spill a jar of jellybeans across the kitchen floor. Or you will remember you have a technical report due today. Or you will see crusty dishes on the counter. And in that moment, the voice of laziness may be loud in your mind. “Grab your phone” or “Grab a snack,” it will insist. Or perhaps more subtly: “Take care of other work first.”
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Gratitude Unseats Lust
What loosens lust’s grip on the heart? John Piper shows from Ephesians 5:3–6 how thanksgiving displaces the covetous desires that feed lust. Watch Now
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1 Corinthians 2:10–13, Part 3: We Cannot Know God’s Mind Without Revelation
How can anyone hope to understand the ways and wonders of God? Only the Spirit of God, through the words of Scripture, can reveal that truth. Watch Now
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The Mom God Isn’t Calling You to Be
“I’m so sorry I’m late.” As my son climbed into our minivan, my apology felt weak. I had misjudged the time — again. I didn’t leave any margin as I hurried to finish a project at home, so when another child needed care, the situation delayed me from picking up my waiting son. Then I hit extra traffic en route. Mom guilt weighed heavily on me as I realized running late was a pattern for me, even though it’s one I had hoped to avoid as a parent.
Do Good People Get Hurt?
Does the Bible promise that believers will not be harmed for doing good? Pastor John explains the context of 1 Peter 3:13 and God’s sovereign wisdom in suffering. Listen Now
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Your Life Runs Away
Moist summer greens dry into yellows, oranges, and reds. Soon, leaves swirl down in wind that has a bite. Birds fly south overhead. Light softens as the days shorten. Sweaters and fleeces come out. It’s fall. I love it! Yet every autumn pierces me. The year is ending — already. All these changes remind me that I’m ending too. I’m just as brief as a leaf’s final ride to the ground. Life runs away like time. But where does it go?
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Your Life Runs Away
Moist summer greens dry into yellows, oranges, and reds. Soon, leaves swirl down in wind that has a bite. Birds fly south overhead. Light softens as the days shorten. Sweaters and fleeces come out. It’s fall. I love it! Yet every autumn pierces me. The year is ending — already. All these changes remind me that I’m ending too. I’m just as brief as a leaf’s final ride to the ground. Life runs away like time. But where does it go?
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Do Good People Get Hurt?
Does the Bible promise that believers will not be harmed for doing good? Pastor John explains the context of 1 Peter 3:13 and God’s sovereign wisdom in suffering. Listen Now
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Why God Wills Purity
What does God demand in the fight for sexual purity? John Piper opens 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 to show that God’s will is holiness of heart and body. Watch Now
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Why God Wills Purity
What does God demand in the fight for sexual purity? John Piper opens 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8 to show that God’s will is holiness of heart and body. Watch Now
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Grumbling and the Goodness of God
“Don’t grumble; don’t complain. Don’t grumble; don’t complain. Don’t grumble! Don’t complain!” By the time I reach the fourth iteration of my little chant, what started as a scowling whisper has turned into a howling proclamation, as I jump up and down and pump my fists through the air. One of my kids is laughing and chanting with me. The other child has eyebrows furrowed in frustration. He has now shifted from grumbling about his dinner to protesting dad’s dancing.
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Grumbling and the Goodness of God
“Don’t grumble; don’t complain. Don’t grumble; don’t complain. Don’t grumble! Don’t complain!” By the time I reach the fourth iteration of my little chant, what started as a scowling whisper has turned into a howling proclamation, as I jump up and down and pump my fists through the air. One of my kids is laughing and chanting with me. The other child has eyebrows furrowed in frustration. He has now shifted from grumbling about his dinner to protesting dad’s dancing.
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Anchor Your Soul in His Majesty
Christ is priest, king, warrior, and the fulfillment of hope-filled prophecy. Psalm 110 reveals four unique majesties of Jesus for the comfort of the church. Watch Now
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FeedPress – RSS Analytics and Podcast Hosting, Done Right
Can anyone search the depths of God? The Holy Spirit can — because he himself is God, and he delights in knowing the depth of infinite glory. Watch Now
Anchor Your Soul in His Majesty
Christ is priest, king, warrior, and the fulfillment of hope-filled prophecy. Psalm 110 reveals four unique majesties of Jesus for the comfort of the church. Watch Now
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Jesus Frees You from the Comparison Trap
I should’ve seen it coming. I opened my computer to pull up the dinner recipe I was following, oblivious to the danger ahead. As I scrolled down to find the instructions, my eyes took in photos of a beautiful kitchen, a beautiful cook, and beautiful cuisine. With quick steps, my mind traveled a familiar trail: Her home is more beautiful than mine. She’s younger than me, prettier than me, and cooks better than me. She is better than me.
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Life on the Seas of Death
Secular man may learn how to survive, but he does not know how to live. Because he knows not why he lives. In his sin, he gropes in the dark for meaning. He knows he can wreck any day now. He knows he will eventually hit the bottom. A forced sailor, he is born into this wild and raging sea of life he does not understand. He shudders to sink. He strives to stay aloft as long as possible. Yet he is moving, dragged toward somewhere — but where?
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The Marriage Miracle That Takes Time
Loving our spouses for better or worse includes loving them through their spiritual apathy. Pastor John gives ten encouragements for the weary. Listen Now
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God’s Design for Sexual Desire
What turns sexual desire into worship? John Piper shows from 1 Timothy 4:1–5 how God gives marital pleasure to evoke thanksgiving. Watch Now
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Gluttony and the Fullness of God
Canto VI of Dante’s Inferno paints a sobering scene. Dante and Virgil have just arrived in the third ring of hell, where God punishes the sin of gluttony. An accursed rain — cold, foul, toxic — pours down on the circle. The eternal deluge turns the ground into a horizonless slough of stinking refuse. Dante beholds a mess of souls lying prone on the ground and drowning in this thick paste. Like great slugs, they can barely move beneath the weight of their sins’ consequences. Yet as heavy as they seem, they are insubstantial;
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FeedPress – RSS Analytics and Podcast Hosting, Done Right
How could the Holy Spirit search the infinite depths of God without being infinite himself, yet somehow distinct from the Father and the Son? The Christian God is triune. Watch Now
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Grace Gets Us Home
The most trusted solution for bloggers and podcasters to manage, track, and grow their RSS feeds with powerful analytics and seamless hosting.
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When You’re Not Sorry
When someone confronts you wrongly, should you apologize? Pastor John encourages humility and reconciliation without giving in to emotional manipulation. Listen Now
Take Up the Fight Against Small Sins
Gluttony will kill you. Not just your body; the stakes are far higher. Your very soul could hang in the balance with gluttony. So also with other seemingly minor sins like grumbling and gossip, fruitlessness and impatience.
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1 Corinthians 2:6–10, Part 5: Who Are the Mature?
Mature believers are not perfect people. But as we grow in discerning good and evil, we better understand and apply the wisdom of God. Watch Now
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The Man Who Reigns in Heaven
Why does Christ’s humanity matter now? John Piper opens Matthew 21:42 to unveil the man rejected by men, reigning from heaven. Watch Now
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What Makes God Happy?
In this episode of 'Theology Refresh,' discover how God’s happiness and glory become the foundation for true Christian joy. Watch Now
The Gospel Before Jesus Died
Did Jesus preach the gospel before his death and resurrection? Pastor John calls us to a deeper understanding of God as Creator and King, and Jesus as Lord and Savior. Listen Now
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Death Lost Its Sting
What removes death’s terror? John Piper shows from 1 Corinthians 15:51–58 that Christ took the sting of death our sin deserved. Watch Now
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Dear Comfort Seeker: Only God-Sized Comfort Will Do
I am from a long line of top-notch cozy-creators. I learned from my mom (who learned from her mom) the power of a creamy soup on the stove, chocolate chip cookies in the oven, and a fleece blanket on the lap. Something about the warm and perfectly well-worn invites us to come in and take off our shoes.
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1 Corinthians 2:6–10, Part 4: Unimaginable Joy Prepared for Those Who Love God
The mystery of God’s goodness in Christ exceeds everything we can imagine. We need God himself to reveal it to us. Watch Now
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A Sober-Minded Approach to Alcohol
Alcohol is one of God’s most potent gifts. He created it to gladden the heart (Psalm 104:15), to brighten life (Ecclesiastes 10:19), and to heighten celebration on the happiest occasions (John 2:1–11). Perhaps most telling, he designed this substance as an edible metaphor for the blood of Jesus, one that can help us taste the thrilling love of God. As seventeenth-century Anglican priest George Herbert reflected in his poem “The Agonie,” Communion is “that liquor sweet and most divine, which my God feels as blood, but I as wine.”
The Perils of a Quick Fix
How can we witness to those who just want a quick fix? Pastor John presses home the shocking reality of eternity and the astounding love of Jesus. Listen Now
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Hope Worth Any Hardship
What makes costly love worth it? John Piper opens 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 to show how resurrection hope frees us to take risks for love’s sake. Watch Now
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Christ Gives Sleep to His Beloved
Wise men know you can sleep too much. In fact, that memorable proverb appears twice in God’s inspired book: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:10–11 and 24:33–34) For all of history, drunkards and gluttons have slept their way into rags. The lazy have chosen extra slumber over productive labor. Some still fall prey. But most of us now wrestle with different temptations. We have electric lights.
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1 Corinthians 2:6–10, Part 3: Crucifying the Lord of Glory, They Fulfilled the Wisdom of God
The rulers of this age mistook Jesus, so they crucified him — and ushered him into new glories he shares with his saints. Watch Now
College Is for (Lasting) Pleasure
The world’s diversions at college may distract and entice. But when we pursue lasting pleasure in God, every semester counts for eternity. Watch Now
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A World Fit for Glory
What kind of world awaits God’s children? John Piper opens Romans 8:21 to show creation remade for God’s people to rule and enjoy. Watch Now
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Holy Ambition Begins at Home
I have an ambition: I want to write good stories that change the world. Following in the footsteps of Lewis and Tolkien, I want to craft tales that act as signposts to the triune God. I want to fight against the darkness with fables of light.
When I’m Too Weak to Be Productive
Can a disabled mother model the Proverbs 31 woman? Pastor John describes the gift of a heart that hopes in God’s steadfast love. Listen Now
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Swallowed Up by Life
What happens when life swallows mortality? John Piper shows from 2 Corinthians 5:4 that God remakes our bodies to see and savor his glory. Watch Now
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1 Corinthians 2:6–10, Part 2: Before Time, God Was Planning Our Glory
When this world fell into sin, God didn’t scramble for a backup plan. He had planned from all eternity to rescue a people through the work of his Son. Watch Now
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Moses and the Rock That Was Christ
Can guilty people count on God’s help? John Piper opens Exodus 17:1–7 to show that Christ bought the help sinners need. Watch Now
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Six Traits of a Forgettable Sermon
Rigorous exposition isn’t at odds with engaging preaching. Pastor John encourages pastors to work for creativity when technical, abstract sermons feel easier. Listen Now
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Christ Frees Parents to Play
Parents, let’s ask ourselves a searching question: If our children had to say what God is like based on how we act toward them, what might they say?
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1 Corinthians 2:6–10, Part 1: Don’t Be Impressed with the Wisdom and Power of This Age
Why should we refuse to get sucked in by the empty promises of this world? Because this age is passing away; nothing it offers will eternally satisfy. Watch Now
When the Curse Comes Close
How do we respond when the curse encroaches on our lives? In Psalm 108, David guides us to groan, praise, ask, trust, and tread. Watch Now
Preach Sermons, Not Commentaries
The heart of man is a fortress without a drawbridge. It is so hard and impregnable that it takes divine weapons and skilled soldiers to regularly invade it with the truth. Weekly, men equipped by the Spirit of God urge the dead to live and the sorely tempted to flee to Christ, to cling to Christ, firing God’s very words at their souls to save them. Men are dying; the saints are tempted and weary; has God spoken or not? He has indeed, and men preach sermons proclaiming those words.
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Moses and the Presence We Need
What if your greatest need is not relief? John Piper opens Exodus 17:1–7 to show how God’s presence meets our deepest need. Watch Now
Do We Need to Go to Church Every Week?
Gathering with other Christians is a crucial way to encourage and be encouraged in Christ. But do we really need to gather every week? Listen Now
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Jonah and the People God Pitied
Why does God rescue rebels? John Piper shows from Jonah 4:1–11 how mercy received becomes mercy shown. Watch Now
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1 Corinthians 2:1–5, Part 3: What Is the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power?
How did Paul demonstrate the power of the Spirit in his ministry? By preaching in weakness, Paul showed a faith that boasts only in Christ crucified. Watch Now
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