Podcasts by Look at the Book
Look at the Book is John Piper's ongoing series of 8-12 minute videos to help you learn to read the Bible for yourself.
Further podcasts by Desiring God
Podcast on the topic Christentum
All episodes
Paul’s Background Is a Mercy to Us: Galatians 1:1–2, Part 1 from 2023-12-12T11:00
Who was Paul before God made him an apostle? What can we learn from his life, conversion, and death?
Summary of Colossians: Colossians 1–4 from 2023-12-10T11:00
In his glorious letter to the Colossians, what was the most foundational truth Paul wanted to communicate?
My Signature. My Chains. My Blessing. Colossians 4:15–18 from 2023-12-08T11:00
What do Paul’s final words in the letter to the Colossians reveal about his priorities and about his deep affection for the saints in that city?Listen
Agonizing in Prayer to the Point of Pain: Colossians 4:10–14, Part 2 from 2023-12-05T11:00
Christians should labor in prayer. They should be like athletes in prayer who struggle for the glory of God and the good of others.
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Cultivating Christian Connectedness: Colossians 4:10–14, Part 1 from 2023-12-03T11:00
How do the greetings in Paul’s letters serve the connectedness of the church? And how might Christians better greet one another in Christ today?Listen
How Could Bad News Encourage Anyone? Colossians 4:7–9 from 2023-12-01T11:00
In the providence of God, even the events that we view as obstacles work to advance the gospel. God turns barriers into blessings.
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Grace and Salt for Each Outsider: Colossians 4:5–6 from 2023-11-28T11:00
What does it mean to have your speech seasoned with salt? Salt-seasoned words reveal the gospel of grace to those who have not yet tasted it.Listen
Your Prayers Help the Word Run: Colossians 4:2–4, Part 2 from 2023-11-26T11:00
How should Christians pray for preachers of the gospel? Pray that God would open doors for his word to be proclaimed boldly and fruitfully.Listen
Faithful, Watchful, Thankful in Prayer: Colossians 4:2–4, Part 1 from 2023-11-24T11:00
What should characterize the Christian prayer life? Steadfastness, watchfulness, and thanksgiving.
When Masters Are Also Slaves: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 6 from 2023-11-21T11:00
Paul leaves the shell of slavery in place, but guts it from the inside. How then should Christians today orient to slavery?
Listen
Slaves of Christ and Not Man: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 5 from 2023-11-19T11:00
All Christian work is done for the Lord. No matter where you work or what you do for work, “Christ is your Lord, not any man.”
Listen
Should Fear of God Motivate Us? Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 4 from 2023-11-17T11:00
If perfect love casts out fear, what does it mean to fear the Lord, and how does that motivate sincere obedience?
Is People-Pleasing Ever Right? Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 3 from 2023-11-14T11:00
People-pleasing is evil because it’s born of a duplicitous heart. But is there such a thing as good people-pleasing?
Listen
God and Limited Authorities in Christ: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 2 from 2023-11-12T11:00
Wives, children, citizens, church members, and slaves first submit to God, and then for his sake, submit to human authorities.
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How Paul Gutted Slavery: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 1 from 2023-11-10T11:00
Christians should aim to think about everything in light of Scripture. How then should Christians think about slavery?
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How Not to Break Your Child’s Spirit: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 7 from 2023-11-07T11:00
Fathers, do not discourage your children with excessive demands. Instead, encourage your kids by teaching them to hope in God.
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Children, Obey Your Parents! Colossians 3:18–21, Part 6 from 2023-11-05T11:00
Why should parents diligently teach their children to obey? Because the Lord takes delight in the glad-hearted obedience of children.
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Husbands, Love Your Wives! Colossians 3:18–21, Part 5 from 2023-11-03T10:00
What does it mean for a husband to become embittered toward his wife? How can we overcome such bitterness?
What Is Submission ‘In the Lord’? Colossians 3:18–21, Part 4 from 2023-10-31T10:00
Wives who trust the Lord are fearless. How does this confidence in Christ affect how they relate to their earthly husbands?
Listen
The Design of Creation for Man and Woman: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 3 from 2023-10-29T10:00
God saw his created order for marriage as good. What order did he intend, and why do godly women joyfully submit to their husbands?
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A Wife’s Submission Is Fitting: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 2 from 2023-10-27T10:00
Why should Christian wives submit to their husbands? What does it mean for a wife to submit to her husband “as is fitting in the Lord”?
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Citizens of Heaven Still Have Earthly Families: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 1 from 2023-10-24T10:00
We do not belong to this world, nor to the things of this world. How then shall we live out our time in this world?
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Do Everything in the Name of King Jesus: Colossians 3:15–17, Part 4 from 2023-10-22T10:00
How we speak and act reflects something about our King. What tangible effect has that had on your Christian life?
Songs Rich with the Word of Christ: Colossians 3:15–17, Part 3 from 2023-10-20T10:00
Does it really matter if we sing in the Christian life or not? Could we really be spiritually stunted if we refuse to greet one another with songs?Listen
How Does the Peace of Christ Rule? Colossians 3:15–17, Part 2 from 2023-10-17T10:00
Everyone lives by a rule. How can the “peace of Christ” rule in our hearts, homes, and communities?
Is Christian Peace in My Heart or in the Church? Colossians 3:15–17, Part 1 from 2023-10-15T10:00
Panic often prevents peace. In a world lacking calmness, what does it mean to be called to the peace of Christ?
How Does Love Bind Everything Together? Colossians 3:12–14, Part 4 from 2023-10-13T10:00
God calls us to marvel at Christ’s love which forgives and renews us. How does this fascination functionally change how we live?
Listen
The Perplexities of Forgiving and Forbearing: Colossians 3:12–14, Part 3 from 2023-10-10T10:00
The bite of others’ sin hurts more when repentance never comes. How do Christians become long-suffering in relationships?
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Put on Bowels of Mercy: Colossians 3:12–14, Part 2 from 2023-10-08T10:00
You need biblical bowels. What on earth are those, and how does a Christian embrace this unusual command?
Christian, You Are Chosen, Holy, Loved: Colossians 3:12–14, Part 1 from 2023-10-06T10:00
What difference does it make in our actual lives as Christians to know ourselves as chosen, holy, and loved by God?
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The End of Ethnic Strife in the Church: Colossians 3:11 from 2023-10-03T10:00
The alternative to ethnic strife that divides the world is a Christ-centered, Christ-empowered love that unites his people.
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Develop a Radical Love for Truth: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 7 from 2023-10-01T10:00
If we functionally replace God from the center of our lives with some other god, we cannot be people of the truth.
The Cravings Behind Our Anger: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 6 from 2023-09-29T10:00
Anger boils when our cravings are denied. The new man in Christ must put away all unrighteous anger and replace it with grateful joy.
Listen
Why Warn Saints About Wrath? Colossians 3:5–10, Part 5 from 2023-09-26T10:00
If Christians are safe from God’s wrath, why does God warn them about it?
How to Put Sexual Immorality to Death: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 4 from 2023-09-24T10:00
How do we gain victory over a sin that continually tempts us with the promise of pleasure?
What Is Sexual Immorality? Colossians 3:5–10, Part 3 from 2023-09-22T10:00
How do we know what a biblical author means when he uses words that we almost never use?
Where Is the Spirit in Colossians? Colossians 3:5–10, Part 2 from 2023-09-19T10:00
Paul seems extremely shy to mention the Spirit in Colossians. He does so explicitly only once. Why might that be?
Kill What’s Killed, Renew What’s New: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 1 from 2023-09-17T10:00
When sinfulness remains and newness of life delays, how should Christians make sense of it all?
Relentlessly Seek Reality Above: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 8 from 2023-09-15T10:00
Nothing on earth can compete with the worth of Christ, so we are called to seek him with all our hearts and minds.
Christ Is Coming in Glory: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 7 from 2023-09-12T10:00
Grace upon grace, resurrection from the dead, transformation into unimaginable glory, and the unceasing company of our Lord — can you imagine?Listen
Your Life Is Hidden with Christ in God: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 6 from 2023-09-10T10:00
One day we will all shine like the sun. What will our now-hidden lives look like on that day?
Christ Is Your Life: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 5 from 2023-09-08T10:00
Christ is our life now, but how do we experience that life? Scripture illuminates how this life flows to Christians through faith.
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Seated at the Right Hand of God: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 4 from 2023-09-05T10:00
Why is it significant that Jesus sits at the right hand of God? Exult in the current physical location of Christ.
Christian, You Have Been Raised! Colossians 3:1–4, Part 3 from 2023-09-03T10:00
Satan entices us to believe that our sin defines us. How does unity with Christ forever change the way we battle that lie?
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Christian, You Are Dead! Colossians 3:1–4, Part 2 from 2023-09-01T10:00
Death precedes true life. Christ exemplifies this, and we follow in his footsteps. How should this change how we live?
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Obedience Confirms Our Resurrection: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 1 from 2023-08-29T10:00
Christ calls his disciples to be doers of the word, not hearers only. How does our union with Christ relate to obeying his commands?
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Self-Made Religion Is Useless: Colossians 2:20–23 from 2023-08-27T10:00
Christians have died to man-made worship and any religious effort that would try to commend them to God apart from Christ.
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Why We Do Not Worship Angels: Colossians 2:18–19 from 2023-08-25T10:00
God has provided one Mediator between God and man, and he is far greater than any heavenly or fallen angel.
Shadows of Christ, the Substance: Colossians 2:16–17 from 2023-08-22T10:00
If Christianity is rooted in the Old Testament, why are Christians not keeping so much of what God commanded there?
Listen
How Did the Cross Defeat Satan? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 5 from 2023-08-20T10:00
Through his crucifixion, Christ silenced the accuser, nullified the terror of death, and delivered sinners from the dominion of sin.
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Can the Innocent Die for the Guilty? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 4 from 2023-08-18T10:00
Does it satisfy the standards of God’s justice for an innocent one to die for the guilty?
The Gospel: Salvation by Substitution: Colossians 2:13–15, Part 3 from 2023-08-15T10:00
God obliterates our record of debt by nailing it to the cross through the substitutionary death of Christ.
How Did God Make Us Alive? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 2 from 2023-08-13T10:00
The plights of our sinful state — deadness, blindness, hardness, and inability — were all resolved decisively in the moment God made us alive.Listen
How Dead Are We Before Christ? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 1 from 2023-08-11T10:00
Death before life is the testimony of all who really live. Do you know how bleak things were before God brought you to life?
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The Glorious Reality Baptism Reveals: Colossians 2:11–12, Part 3 from 2023-08-08T10:00
Our union with Christ in his death and resurrection should tangibly, observably define how we live in this world.
What Is a Circumcision Without Hands? Colossians 2:11–12, Part 2 from 2023-08-06T10:00
What is the body of the flesh, and how do you put it off? What exactly is cut away in this “circumcision of Christ”?
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The Sign of Circumcision and Baptism: Colossians 2:11–12, Part 1 from 2023-08-04T10:00
Christians have received a circumcision that is “made without hands.” What is this circumcision, and what does it do?
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Filled with the Head of All Authorities: Colossians 2:6–10, Part 4 from 2023-08-01T10:00
To be filled in Christ is to possess the riches of his inexhaustible love, unsearchable wisdom, and unrivaled rule.
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All Deity in Christ Bodily Now: Colossians 2:6–10, Part 3 from 2023-07-30T10:00
The incarnation of the Son of God reveals any denigrating of the human body as a man-made, deceitful philosophy.
What Is Wrong with Philosophy? Colossians 2:6–10, Part 2 from 2023-07-28T10:00
Christ is the treasure chest of wisdom and knowledge. Any philosophy that would exclude him excludes Wisdom himself.
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The Divine Tradition of Walking in Christ: Colossians 2:6–10, Part 1 from 2023-07-25T10:00
Faith rooted in Christ, built on him as its firm foundation, will not be blown about by every new gust of doctrine.
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Spiritual Antibodies Against Delusion: Colossians 2:4–5 from 2023-07-23T10:00
Many people are deceived by false teaching and lost while believing that they know the truth. How do we resist such deceptions?
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Love, Unity, and Assurance in the Truth: Colossians 2:1–3, Part 2 from 2023-07-21T10:00
Communities bound together in love will better know the great riches of Christ than communities divided by rivalry.
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What Was Worth So Much Struggle? Colossians 2:1–3, Part 1 from 2023-07-18T10:00
God gives good gifts to his church when he gives her good men to serve as pastors. The work is challenging, but worth every sacrifice.
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How to Struggle in the Strength of Christ: Colossians 1:28–29, Part 2 from 2023-07-16T10:00
When we put our hands to the plow of our Christian lives, we cannot leave prayer behind. God gives the strength we need; he must work within us.Listen
Who Presents Believers Mature in Christ? Colossians 1:28–29, Part 1 from 2023-07-14T10:00
Our growth in Christ can seem so slow and the road so long, but we can take comfort knowing that God himself is maturing us.
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The Wealth of the Glory of Mystery: Colossians 1:24–27, Part 4 from 2023-07-11T10:00
The welcoming of the nations into the unspeakable hope of the glory of God is the mystery revealed to the elect in the gospel of Christ.Listen
What Is Lacking in Christ’s Afflictions? Colossians 1:24–27, Part 3 from 2023-07-09T10:00
What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? The personal, bodily, costly presentation of his love to the elect through missionaries.
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The Amazing Apostolic Heart of Love: Colossians 1:24–27, Part 2 from 2023-07-07T10:00
Paul understood his sufferings for the gospel as an essential means to bring about the salvation of the elect.
Six Reasons to Rejoice in Suffering: Colossians 1:24–27, Part 1 from 2023-07-04T10:00
The New Testament provides at least six reasons for why Christians embrace the trials they undergo with joy.
Global Response, Personal Apostle: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 4 from 2023-07-02T10:00
God is no tribal deity. He will see to it that his gospel reaches every tribe, people, language, and nation under heaven.
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Conditional Reconciliation and Eternal Security: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 3 from 2023-06-30T10:00
God uses the warning passages of Scripture to stimulate us to fight for faith. And he uses that fight to keep us safe until the end.
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Reconciliation Accomplished and Applied: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 2 from 2023-06-27T10:00
God achieves reconciliation at the cross and applies it to us through faith, and he does it all to bring the elect to himself.
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Our Minds Were Hostile to God: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 1 from 2023-06-25T10:00
Alienated. Enemies. Evil. We won’t revel as we ought in the reconciling work of Christ unless we know who we were without him.
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Reconciliation of All Things by Blood: Colossians 1:19–20, Part 2 from 2023-06-23T10:00
When God finishes his reconciling work, there will be nothing left unreconciled to him.
All the Fullness of God in Christ: Colossians 1:19–20, Part 1 from 2023-06-20T10:00
The central truths of the gospel of reconciliation are bound up in the mystery of the Trinity.
Entranced by the Supremacy of Christ: Colossians 1:15–18, Part 3 from 2023-06-18T10:00
The one who humbly stoops to save his people is the infinitely supreme Creator and Upholder of all things.
Christ Created All Things to Display Christ: Colossians 1:15–18, Part 2 from 2023-06-16T10:00
God created all things through the Son so that all might know the beauty and glory and supremacy of the Son.
How Is Jesus the Firstborn of Creation? Colossians 1:15–18, Part 1 from 2023-06-13T10:00
When Scripture calls Jesus “the firstborn of creation,” he doesn’t mean firstborn as part of creation.
How Do We Become the Redeemed? Colossians 1:13–14, Part 3 from 2023-06-11T10:00
Through faith, Christians are delivered from bondage to Satan and transferred to the kingdom of the Son.
How Did Jesus Free Us from Satan? Colossians 1:13–14, Part 2 from 2023-06-09T10:00
At the cross, Satan’s one weapon of damnation is taken away. Jesus’s sacrifice cancels our record of debt.
Delivered from Satanic Authority: Colossians 1:13–14, Part 1 from 2023-06-06T10:00
To be a Christian means God delivered you from the rule of Satan to live under the rule of God’s beloved Son.
God Qualifies Us for Eternal Light: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 9 from 2023-06-04T10:00
The Father has mercifully and freely adopted us into his family and placed us in the bright kingdom of his Son.
Strengthened Through Joy for Endurance: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 8 from 2023-06-02T10:00
What produces the kind of strength we need to patiently and joyfully endure? The glory of God.
Knowing God by Bearing Fruit: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 7 from 2023-05-30T10:00
The good works God brings about through our lives are a means he uses to increase our knowledge of him.
How Does Our Walking Please God? Colossians 1:9–12, Part 6 from 2023-05-27T10:00
How does one walk in a manner worthy of the Lord? Value him in your work, in your play, in your worship.
How Are We Filled with the Knowledge of God’s Will? Colossians 1:9–12, Part 5 from 2023-05-25T10:00
How can I know God’s will for my life? How can I live a life pleasing to him in everything I do?
Does Paul Pray for Perfection in This Life? Colossians 1:9–12, Part 4 from 2023-05-23T10:00
Pray for fellow believers that they might grow in Christian maturity, that is, that they would know God’s will and walk in a manner pleasing to him.Listen
God’s Will of Decree and Decree of Command: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 3 from 2023-05-20T10:00
Understanding all the Bible says about God’s will requires one to think in two categories: the sovereign will of God and the moral will of God.Listen
Partnering with God in a Thousand Prayers: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 2 from 2023-05-18T10:00
Through prayer, we participate in God’s ongoing work of strengthening the saints and bringing them to full maturity.
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Doctrinal Prayer, Prayerful Doctrine: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 1 from 2023-05-16T10:00
Prayer and careful thinking about God aren’t separate activities. Prayer should precede theology; theology should inform prayer.
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Does Faith or the Spirit Produce Love? Colossians 1:3–8, Part 8 from 2023-05-13T10:00
Faith in the promises of God overflows in love toward others by the gracious working of the Spirit in the heart.
The Global Impact of the Gospel: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 7 from 2023-05-11T10:00
The gospel is not static. It increasingly advances throughout the world and grows in the heart of believers.
Six Aspects of the Glorious Gospel: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 6 from 2023-05-09T10:00
A gospel presentation that stops at the forgiveness of sins has missed the ultimate aim of the gospel, namely full and forever joy in God himself.Listen
The Gospel Is the Word of Truth: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 5 from 2023-05-06T10:00
The gospel is not just a truth to know, but a truth to be embraced and loved and taught and proclaimed.
Hope Awakens Faith and Faith Awakens Love: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 4 from 2023-05-04T10:00
Faith that truly embraces the hope laid up in heaven reveals itself through good works that are done in love.
How Does a Future Hope Awaken Faith Now? Colossians 1:3–8, Part 3 from 2023-05-02T10:00
Moses could renounce the pleasures of Egypt because of his coming reward. In the same way, Christians reject the world and put all our hope in Christ.Listen
What Is Our Hope Laid Up in Heaven? Colossians 1:3–8, Part 2 from 2023-04-29T10:00
Our hope laid up in heaven includes forgiveness of sins, a dwelling in the kingdom of Christ, and an inheritance in light.
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We Are Not Sons of God Like Jesus Is: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 1 from 2023-04-27T10:00
Jesus’s sonship is not like ours. All the benefits we enjoy as sons come to us through the only-begotten, eternal Son of the Father.
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If God Is Your Father, Grace Flows Continually: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 5 from 2023-04-25T10:00
The people who have God as their Father are the recipients of his inheritance, namely, boundless grace and perfect peace.
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Productive Imprisonment and Beloved Partners: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 4 from 2023-04-22T10:00
Prison, for the apostle, was not a time for pity parties, but for productive labor on behalf of local churches.
What Does It Mean to Be a Saint? Colossians 1:1–2, Part 3 from 2023-04-20T10:00
Every believer is someone who has already been made holy through his union with Christ by faith.
The Relational Authenticity and Wisdom of Paul: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 2 from 2023-04-18T10:00
The apostle mentions his fellow ministers, in part, to show how important relational dynamics are in the exercise of Christian authority.Listen
A Persecutor of Christians Was Made an Apostle: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 1 from 2023-04-15T10:00
What we read in the apostles is not mere human wisdom, but wisdom taught by the Spirit. 
How Would You Summarize 2 Thessalonians? 2 Thessalonians 3:16–18, Part 2 from 2023-04-13T10:00
How might you summarize Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians? In this lab, Pastor John makes an attempt.
Peaceful Relations Are Precious, Not Ultimate: 2 Thessalonians 3:16–18, Part 1 from 2023-04-11T10:00
Peace is precious. Peace is to be prized. But peace is not to be pursued at any cost.
How Long Are We Patient with the Idle? 2 Thessalonians 3:11–16, Part 3 from 2023-04-08T10:00
The aim of holy ostracism is to cause shame in a fellow believer so that they might turn and walk in the light.
Five Implications of ‘Eat Your Own Bread’: 2 Thessalonians 3:11–16, Part 2 from 2023-04-06T10:00
There are at least five significant implications from Paul’s command to the Thessalonian church to “eat your own bread.”
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As New Creatures, Eat What You Earn: 2 Thessalonians 3:11–16, Part 1 from 2023-04-04T10:00
God created mankind for good works. When he makes us new in Christ, his purpose remains the same.
Does ‘No Work, No Food’ Mean No Mercy? 2 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 3 from 2023-04-01T10:00
When someone sins against us, Christians are not always called to turn the other cheek.
Why Did Paul Refuse Gifts of Food? 2 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 2 from 2023-03-30T10:00
Pastors ought to be paid for their labors, but they should never give the impression that they labor for money.
Sometimes Ostracism Brings Reconciliation: 2 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 1 from 2023-03-28T10:00
Christians must have a category for shaming other Christians so that they might repent and be reconciled.
Prayer as an Answer to Prayer: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 5 from 2023-03-25T10:00
Hearts that remain firm through trials don’t depend on their own strength, but hang on the steadfastness of Christ.
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An Obedient Church Deals with Disobedience: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 4 from 2023-03-23T10:00
Disobedient churches deal lightly, if at all, with flagrant disobedience. Obedient churches consistently practice church discipline.
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What Is the Faithfulness of God? 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 3 from 2023-03-21T10:00
The deepest ground of God’s faithfulness, to his word and to his people, is his faithfulness to his own self.
God Is Decisive in Obedience — So Why Pray? 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 2 from 2023-03-18T10:00
God works through prayer to establish and guard us in the faith. Prayer is the lifeline by which he holds us fast.
Offense and Defense in Prayer for the Word: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 1 from 2023-03-16T10:00
Prayer is an offensive weapon and a defensive weapon. Do you utilize it in both ways?
How Paul Prays Eternal Comfort into Heart Comfort: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 7 from 2023-03-14T10:00
The apostle Paul wants Christians to subjectively experience the comfort that is already objectively ours in Christ.
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Are Traditions Good or Bad? 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 6 from 2023-03-11T11:00
The church ought to preserve traditions that evidence biblical fidelity — and discard those that elevate our ways over Scripture.
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Stand! The Command. The Prayer. The Promise.: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 5 from 2023-03-09T11:00
Christians stand firm by holding to the truth, depending on God in prayer, and hoping in his promise to keep us.
Called to Holiness, Called to Glory: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 4 from 2023-03-07T11:00
God’s call to his people is not merely a call to salvation. God’s call is for us to share in his glory.
How Sanctification Confirms Saving Faith: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 3 from 2023-03-04T11:00
Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real.
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God Won’t Leave Salvation to Chance: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 2 from 2023-03-02T11:00
True salvation entails both faith in the truth and sanctification by the Spirit. God choosing us doesn’t render either irrelevant.
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Chosen Before Creation for Salvation: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17, Part 1 from 2023-02-28T11:00
The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian.
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Why Does God Decree Carnage for the Church? 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 5 from 2023-02-25T11:00
Scripture says that the church will face terrible pain and opposition at the end. Why would God allow his people to suffer?
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God Is Not Absent in the Great Apostasy: 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 4 from 2023-02-23T11:00
Satan’s efforts to lead people astray from the truth do not happen apart from God’s plan and design. And yet, many will fall away.
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Saving Faith Involves Loving the Truth: 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 3 from 2023-02-21T11:00
The alternative to belief in the gospel is not merely unbelief, but a deep love for unrighteousness which opposes truth.
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The Lie All Satanic Power Serves: 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 2 from 2023-02-18T11:00
Satan wants all of us to yawn at truth and salivate for sin. We must persistently resist him and cling to Christ.
Real Signs and Wonders Serving Unreality: 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 1 from 2023-02-16T11:00
Signs and wonders can serve both truth and deception. We should trust what we see in the Bible above what we witness with our eyes.
Listen
Lawlessness Doomed by Truth and Beauty: 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8, Part 2 from 2023-02-14T11:00
The man of lawlessness has an appointed time and an appointed end which Jesus will bring when he returns.
“Lawlessness” Can’t Come Until Its Appointed Time: 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8, Part 1 from 2023-02-11T11:00
God sets the times and seasons. He has appointed a time for the man of lawlessness to appear. He is in full control.
Listen
The Man of Lawlessness Sits in the Temple: 2 Thessalonians 2:3–5, Part 4 from 2023-02-09T11:00
What is the temple of God in which the man of lawlessness takes his seat? This lab explores two possible answers.
Who Is the Man of Lawlessness? 2 Thessalonians 2:3–5, Part 3 from 2023-02-07T11:00
Lawlessness is the rejection of any authority. It exists in every sinful heart, and it will reach full expression in the man of lawlessness.Listen
The Rebellion Must Come Before Christ Returns: 2 Thessalonians 2:3–5, Part 2 from 2023-02-04T11:00
Rebellion and lawlessness characterize every age in a fallen world, but they will crescendo before the return of Christ.
Listen
Will Christ Return Seven Years After the Rapture? 2 Thessalonians 2:3–5, Part 1 from 2023-02-02T11:00
The blessed hope for which we wait is not a secret rapture, but the terrible, awful, and glorious event of Christ’s return.
Listen
Don’t Lose Your Head About the Second Coming: 2 Thessalonians 2:1–2, Part 2 from 2023-01-31T11:00
To avoid being influenced by false teachings about the second coming, the apostle Paul calls for careful thinking.
A Prophetic Distortion of the Second Coming: 2 Thessalonians 2:1–2, Part 1 from 2023-01-28T11:00
What does it mean when the Bible says that Jesus will come “like a thief in the night”?
Christians Made Glorious for the Glory of Christ: 2 Thessalonians 1:12–12, Part 3 from 2023-01-26T11:00
The glory of Christ shines through every resolve for good and work of faith because he empowers them according to his grace.
Listen
By God’s Grace, Through God’s Power, For God’s Glory: 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, Part 2 from 2023-01-24T11:00
Every good work in the Christian life is rooted in the grace of God, empowered by the person of God, and designed for the glory of God.
Listen
Praying the Purposes of God into Reality: 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, Part 1 from 2023-01-21T11:00
God ordains that his people are made worthy of his calling through the faithful prayers of his people.
The Joy of Marveling Glorifies Christ: 2 Thessalonians 1:9–10, Part 3 from 2023-01-19T11:00
The goal of all creation and redemption is fulfilled when Christ is glorified in his saints and his saints marvel at his glory.
Listen
The Loss of All You Were Made For: 2 Thessalonians 1:9–10, Part 2 from 2023-01-17T11:00
You were made to see the glory of God in Christ and to be with him forever. This is what the damned will lose.
The Punishment of Eternal Destruction: 2 Thessalonians 1:9–10, Part 1 from 2023-01-14T11:00
God is glorious and God is just. These realities ought to guide our thinking about hell, not our limited ideas of what seems fair.
Listen
On Whom Will Vengeance Fall? 2 Thessalonians 1:5–8, Part 6 from 2023-01-12T11:00
Those who do not know God are those who suppress the knowledge of him. So do you know him?
Mighty Angels, Flaming Fire, Holy Vengeance: 2 Thessalonians 1:5–8, Part 5 from 2023-01-10T11:00
When Jesus returns, he will give relief to those who obey the gospel and wreak vengeance on those who do not.
The Revelation of Jesus from Heaven: 2 Thessalonians 1:5–8, Part 4 from 2023-01-07T11:00
When Christ returns with his mighty angels, he will exercise full justice, repaying the afflicters with affliction and the afflicted with relief.Listen
Justice for Tormentors, Relief for Tormented: 2 Thessalonians 1:5–8, Part 3 from 2023-01-05T11:00
God’s work to provide relief for his afflicted people is not only a matter of his mercy, but of his justice.
God’s Kingdom: We Will Get in Because We Are In: 2 Thessalonians 1:5–8, Part 2 from 2023-01-03T11:00
The mystery of the kingdom of God is that it’s already here and yet it’s still coming.
God’s Righteous Judgment on Christians Now: 2 Thessalonians 1:5–8, Part 1 from 2022-12-31T11:00
God uses afflictions to transform his church and thus make her fit for the kingdom of heaven.
Let Your Heart Exult Vertically and Horizontally! 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 7 from 2022-12-29T11:00
Witnessing growing faith and love should result in exultation to God and exultation to one another about God.
Why Do We Thank God for Our Faith? 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 6 from 2022-12-27T11:00
Faith and love (and growth in each) are the gifts of God, and therefore it is fitting that we thank him for both.
Mighty Grace Is More Than Pardon: 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 5 from 2022-12-24T11:00
God’s grace does more than secure our pardon; it empowers us to walk in the good works he has prepared for us to do.
Listen
Why God as Father and Jesus as Lord? 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 4 from 2022-12-22T11:00
To be in God means to have all the immeasurably great benefits of his electing and keeping love.
The Explosive Power of Translating ‘Church’: 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 3 from 2022-12-20T11:00
The church is not the building Christians worship in. It is the people whom God has called to himself through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Listen
A Church Founded in the Fire: 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 2 from 2022-12-17T11:00
We have much of our New Testament because of Paul’s relational, spiritual, and theological vigilance on behalf of the churches he planted.Listen
Did Three People Write This Letter? 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 1 from 2022-12-15T11:00
The New Testament does not convey the mere opinions of men but the very words the risen Christ wanted his church to hear.
Listen
An Overview of 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5:28 from 2022-12-13T11:00
First Thessalonians is a letter that affirms the election of the saints and calls them to live holy lives as they anticipate the longed-for return of Christ.Listen
The Danger of Skipping 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 6 from 2022-12-10T11:00
The apostle Paul made himself clear that the entire church needed to read this letter.
Should We Still Give a Holy Kiss? 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 5 from 2022-12-08T11:00
The command to greet one another with a holy kiss is a call to grow in expressions of true, holy, familial affection in the church.
Listen
What Can We Pray for the Church? 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 4 from 2022-12-06T11:00
The prayers of ordinary Christians are the means God uses to cause his word to run and be exalted in the world.
All the Called Are Kept: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 3 from 2022-12-03T11:00
What is the connection between God’s effectual calling of believers and his constant keeping of believers? His faithfulness.
Listen
How Are We Kept Blameless for the Day of Christ? 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 2 from 2022-12-01T11:00
By faith we are reconciled to God, and by faith we pursue the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Sanctified in Spirit, Soul, and Body: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 1 from 2022-11-29T11:00
Paul sometimes describes humans as body and soul, sometimes as body, soul, and spirit. What does man consist of?
How We Quench the Spirit: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 11 from 2022-11-26T11:00
One way to quench the Spirit is to have a cynical attitude towards spiritual gifts that he gives to the church.
Always Joyful and Thankful — Really? 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 10 from 2022-11-24T11:00
While it may seem that sorrow and joy are exclusive, there is a pervasive joy and a pervasive thankfulness that is available in every circumstance.Listen
Always Joyful, Prayerful, Thankful, and Good: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 9 from 2022-11-22T11:00
How can Christians always rejoice, give thanks, pray, and do good towards others? By resting in God’s goodness towards them in Christ.
Listen
How to Not Return Evil for Evil: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 8 from 2022-11-19T11:00
The strength to do good towards all, even our enemies, comes from an unshakeable hope in the reward God has promised.
Listen
How Can People with Short Fuses Become Patient? 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 7 from 2022-11-17T11:00
Patience with others comes through trusting in the providence of God to turn every detour into a pathway to something better.
Listen
Are We Drained or Filled by Serving the Weak? 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 6 from 2022-11-15T11:00
The call to serving others in the church — admonishing, encouraging, and helping them — is not a call to misery. It’s a call to joy.
Listen
God Makes People the Means of Persevering Faith: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 5 from 2022-11-12T11:00
We must never belittle or overlook the fact that God employs human means to strengthen his church.
Tough Love Toward Idle People: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 4 from 2022-11-10T11:00
Christian idleness is unloving to outsiders because it sets a bad example. It is unloving to insiders because it adds to their burdens.
Listen
Does Christian Love Esteem Some More Than Others? 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 3 from 2022-11-08T11:00
Love looks on those who are doing the work of God with high esteem, and on those who are sinning with a longing to see them honor God.
Listen
Elders, Overseers, Bishops, Pastors, Deacons: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 2 from 2022-11-05T10:00
Because God loves the church, he has provided a leadership made up of elders and deacons.
A Vision for Leading and Being Led: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 1 from 2022-11-03T10:00
In a healthy church, the elders labor, exercise authority, and admonish the members, and the members respect and esteem the elders.
Listen
A Text for the Day the Doctor Says Cancer: 1 Thessalonians 5:6–11, Part 3 from 2022-11-01T10:00
First Thessalonians 5:6–11 is a gravestone text. It reminds believers that wrath is not their destiny, but unending life with Christ.
Listen
Drunk People Make Bad Soldiers: 1 Thessalonians 5:6–11, Part 2 from 2022-10-29T10:00
Drunk people make bad soldiers and sleepy people make poor watchmen. That is why we need to remain spiritually awake and sober.
Listen
Sons of the Day Stay Awake and Sober: 1 Thessalonians 5:6–11, Part 1 from 2022-10-27T10:00
Power for Christian obedience lies in being reminded of our new identity in God. Who we are grounds what we ought to do.
Listen
The Sons of Light Will Survive the End: 1 Thessalonians 5:1–5, Part 3 from 2022-10-25T10:00
What does it mean that saints are sons of light? It means that spiritual light shines in our loves, our wills, and our works.
Listen
What Is ‘the Day of the Lord’? 1 Thessalonians 5:1–5, Part 2 from 2022-10-22T10:00
What is the day of the Lord? And how does this day relate to the arrival of the kingdom of God?
How Is the Day of the Lord Like a Thief? 1 Thessalonians 5:1–5, Part 1 from 2022-10-20T10:00
What does Paul mean when he says that the last day “will come like a thief in the night”? And how do we remain ready?
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Did Paul Expect to See the Second Coming? 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Part 4 from 2022-10-18T10:00
Whether we will be alive when Christ returns is not for us to know. Rather, we ought to focus on living faithfully in the present age.
Listen
Will There Be a Rapture? 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Part 3 from 2022-10-15T10:00
Does the Bible teach that believers still on earth will experience a rapture when Jesus returns?
When Will the Dead Be Raised? 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Part 2 from 2022-10-13T10:00
The dead in Christ are not going to miss out on the spectacular return of Jesus to earth. All the saints will participate in this event together.Listen
What to Say to the Grieving: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Part 1 from 2022-10-11T10:00
The promise of the resurrection doesn’t minimize grief, but it does provide a ballast so Christians can grieve with hope.
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Should Christians Be Quiet Toward Outsiders? 1 Thessalonians 4:9–12, Part 2 from 2022-10-08T10:00
What does it mean to “live quietly?” What does a life characterized by this kind of quietness sound like?
Was Paul’s Letter Needed or Not? 1 Thessalonians 4:9–12, Part 1 from 2022-10-06T10:00
When Christians love one another, they show that they are not just taught, but God-taught. Our love shows God is on the move.
Listen
Sexual Immorality Is Against God and Man: 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Part 5 from 2022-10-04T10:00
Setting yourself against God’s command for sexual purity means you’re resisting his active, present working in your life.
Listen
The Sovereign Call to Sexual Purity: 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Part 4 from 2022-10-01T10:00
The command to pursue sexual purity is empowered by the promise that God sanctifies everyone he saves.
Should Sexual Purity Be Motivated by God’s Vengeance? 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Part 3 from 2022-09-29T10:00
God gives husbands and wives the promise of divine vengeance as a motive to maintain holiness and honor in marriage.
Listen
Five Reasons for Marital Faithfulness: 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Part 2 from 2022-09-27T10:00
Treating your wife in holiness and honor demonstrates that you rightly value God, your wife, and your brother.
Take Your Wife in Holiness — Not a Brother’s: 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Part 1 from 2022-09-24T10:00
Sexual purity is more a matter of knowing God than of following a prescribed list of dos and don’ts.
Apostle, Comforter, and Champion: 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2, Part 2 from 2022-09-22T10:00
We all need comforters who commend us for our faithfulness and champions who challenge us to greater heights.
Can Christians Please God by Our Behavior? 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2, Part 1 from 2022-09-20T10:00
Faith that rests in the righteous work of Christ produces a life of good fruit which pleases God.
Made Holy to Meet the Holy Ones: 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13, Part 5 from 2022-09-17T10:00
How often do you dream about the return of Jesus? Does the hope of that day fuel your desire to be holy?
How Can We Be Found Blameless at the End? 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13, Part 4 from 2022-09-15T10:00
Does the apostle Paul expect believers to be sinless in this life? What does it mean to be found blameless at the day of Christ?
Listen
Love Establishes Us in Holiness: 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13, Part 3 from 2022-09-13T10:00
If God and his infinite worth are everything to you, then you are set free from the hindrances to love.
We Act God’s Miracle of Love: 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13, Part 2 from 2022-09-10T10:00
Our ability to love others flows from God working the miracle of love in us.
How Do We Break Through Satan’s Obstacles? 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13, Part 1 from 2022-09-08T10:00
Paul doesn’t need a road map to get to Thessalonica, but he does need God to shatter the obstacles raised by Satan.
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Prayer Is Not One and Done: 1 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 3 from 2022-09-06T10:00
Christians who keep praying, even when they don’t see immediate changes, display a deep trust in their heavenly Father.
Listen
Inexpressible Joy Is the Essence of Paul’s Life: 1 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 2 from 2022-09-03T10:00
What things make you happy? What about witnessing the enduring faith of a brother or sister in the midst of hardship?
Listen
We Live If You Stand in Faith: 1 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 1 from 2022-09-01T10:00
The apostle Paul gladly said that the faith of others was a source of life for him. Can you say the same?
Can the Gospel Come in Vain to the Elect? 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 5 from 2022-08-30T10:00
Can the elect fall away? Can the gospel come to them in vain?
Does God or Satan Send Affliction? 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 4 from 2022-08-27T10:00
If the cross was a random act of evil, instead of a purposeful act of God, then there is no good news.
God Destined Your Afflictions — Don’t Be Shaken! 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 3 from 2022-08-25T10:00
God destines afflictions for believers, not to shake our faith, but to bolster it. He often displays his love best when our conditions get worse.Listen
How to Become a Coworker of God: 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 2 from 2022-08-23T10:00
The gospel doesn’t merely save us; it provides hope day by day to endure the afflictions we face.
The Messy Way to Know God’s Will: 1 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 1 from 2022-08-20T10:00
God has willed to use us in specific ways. And we should expect and embrace messiness as we seek to discern what those ways are.
Listen
Is Boasting Bad or Good? 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20, Part 3 from 2022-08-18T10:00
Is boasting always bad? If we answer yes, we miss opportunities to glorify the power of Christ on display in the lives of others.
Listen
Who Is Paul’s Joy — Christ or the Church? 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20, Part 2 from 2022-08-16T10:00
Christians not only love Christ; they love what Christ loves. And since Christ loves his church, so do we.
Paul’s Extraordinary Affection for Believers: 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20, Part 1 from 2022-08-13T10:00
Can Christians love other Christians the way that Christ commands without liking them?
Has Wrath Come Upon Israel Forever? 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 10 from 2022-08-11T10:00
The Jews rejected their Messiah and have been, for a time, rejected. How long will such wrath last?
How Does Israel ‘Fill Up Their Sins’? 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 9 from 2022-08-09T10:00
Scripture teaches that the sins of some needed to be “filled up” before God judged them. What does that mean?
God Hates When the Gospel Is Hindered: 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 8 from 2022-08-06T10:00
If the gospel is the way that souls are saved, it’s hateful to in any way hinder the preaching of the gospel.
Who Killed Jesus? 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 7 from 2022-08-04T10:00
For anyone who loves to wrestle with profound mysteries: Who killed Jesus? The Romans, the Jews, or God?
Was the Apostle Paul Anti-Semitic? 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 6 from 2022-08-02T10:00
The apostle Paul once said of the Jews, “Wrath has come upon them at last!” Did this make him anti-Semitic?
How Does the Word Produce New Preferences? 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 5 from 2022-07-30T10:00
Are you growing in holiness and love and courage? Then rejoice, the word of God is at work within you.
How the Word of God Brings About Faith: 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 4 from 2022-07-28T10:00
To receive the gospel is not just to be ready to go to heaven by it, but to be ready to suffer for it.
What Is Saving Faith? 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 3 from 2022-07-26T10:00
Saving faith is not merely assenting to true facts about Christ; it’s a glad reception of all he is for us.
How the Word of Man Becomes the Word of God: 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 2 from 2022-07-23T10:00
Do you believe the Bible is the word of God and not the word of man? How can you tell if you do or not?
Tradition Is Not a Dirty Word: 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Part 1 from 2022-07-21T10:00
The apostle Paul did not think “tradition” was a dirty word. He wanted churches to receive and pass along a certain type of tradition.
Listen
The Greatest Crescendo of Life and History: 1 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 5 from 2022-07-19T10:00
The greatest crescendo we could possibly experience in life is to be called by God into his kingdom and enjoy his beauty forever.
Listen
The Ongoing Miracle of God’s Calling: 1 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 4 from 2022-07-16T10:00
What does it mean to be called by God? And how should this reality impact my everyday life?
The Fatherly Way of Paul’s Exhortation: 1 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 3 from 2022-07-14T10:00
Christian obedience means walking in proper response to the beauty and worth of God.
Whether Present or Absent, the Same Man: 1 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 2 from 2022-07-12T10:00
When fellow Christians watch your life, what do they see? Do they see growing holiness, righteousness, and love for Jesus?
Listen
Paul Used His Life to Lift Burdens: 1 Thessalonians 2:9–12, Part 1 from 2022-07-09T10:00
The apostle Paul’s finances had everything to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do yours?
The Miracle of Mutual Soul-Sharing: 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 7 from 2022-07-07T10:00
The apostle Paul wanted to share more than the gospel with people; he longed to share his own soul with them.
Ministry Like a Nursing Mother: 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 6 from 2022-07-05T10:00
The apostle Paul could be gentle like a nursing mother and firm like an exhorting father. Does our ministry share that balance?
Listen
Loving Praise Versus Lifting Burdens: 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 5 from 2022-07-02T10:00
The fear of man can become a subtle and relentless craving for praise. How much do you do to be seen by others?
Don’t Make Ministry a Pretext for Greed: 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 4 from 2022-06-30T10:00
Ministers should not only keep their lives free from the love of money, but from the appearance that they love money.
Listen
Are Silvanus and Timothy Apostles? 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 3 from 2022-06-28T10:00
Scripture uses the word “apostle” in two ways, a special way and a common one. Do you know what they are?
A Christ-Exalting Renunciation of Power: 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 2 from 2022-06-25T10:00
An apostle has more authority than an earthly king, so why did Paul make it a point to lay down his power so often?
Listen
Sex, Money, Praise, Power — No! 1 Thessalonians 2:5–8, Part 1 from 2022-06-23T10:00
Pastors, we must not minister for popularity, for greed, for sex, for power. Shepherd from a love for people, for God, and for his glory.Listen
Gospel Authenticity, Proven and Pure: 1 Thessalonians 2:1–4, Part 2 from 2022-06-21T10:00
How do you know if your boldness in your faith is from yourself or from God?
Boldness in Conflict Comes from God: 1 Thessalonians 2:1–4, Part 1 from 2022-06-18T10:00
Is the Spirit ever more evident than when a man keeps sharing the gospel despite all it has cost him?
Jesus Delivers Us from the Wrath to Come: 1 Thessalonians 1:7–10, Part 4 from 2022-06-16T10:00
No suffering is like eternal suffering under the righteous wrath of Christ. Flee to him for refuge from that coming disaster.
Listen
Christian Life as Waiting and Serving: 1 Thessalonians 1:7–10, Part 3 from 2022-06-14T10:00
Jesus does not leave us to wait in passivity and inactivity. As he leaves, he says, “Engage in my business until I come.”
Listen
Dead Idols Don’t Give Living Joy: 1 Thessalonians 1:7–10, Part 2 from 2022-06-11T10:00
False gods clamor for our embrace and affection, but only our God can deliver what he promises: life and joy everlasting.
Listen
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Human Example: 1 Thessalonians 1:7–10, Part 1 from 2022-06-09T10:00
Each of us has an opportunity to become an example for someone in a way that strengthens them to live for Christ.
What Kind of Conduct Validates the Gospel? 1 Thessalonians 1:2–7, Part 5 from 2022-06-07T10:00
Can preachers today say to their people, “You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake”?
Joy in Affliction Validates Election: 1 Thessalonians 1:2–7, Part 4 from 2022-06-04T10:00
A great way to know that you are a genuine Christian: you receive the word of God with joy, even when afflictions and setbacks come.
Listen
Invincible Joy Confirms Our Election: 1 Thessalonians 1:2–7, Part 3 from 2022-06-02T10:00
Joy in Christ that withers when tribulation comes had no real root to begin with. Real joy perseveres even through real trials.
Listen
Do Not Diminish God’s Love for You: 1 Thessalonians 1:2–7, Part 2 from 2022-05-31T10:00
Can we diminish God’s love for us? If so, it’s critical to know how we do.
Hope Will Put You to Work: 1 Thessalonians 1:2–7, Part 1 from 2022-05-28T10:00
The apostle Paul often gives thanks to God for what other Christians do. Why does he do that?
What Does It Mean to Be in God? 1 Thessalonians 1:1, Part 2 from 2022-05-26T10:00
What does it mean to be in God or in Christ? It means at least three great things.
The Setting of 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 1:1, Part 1 from 2022-05-24T10:00
Join Pastor John for this first episode in his new teaching series through the book of 1 Thessalonians.
How Would You Summarize Ephesians? Ephesians 1–6 from 2022-05-21T10:00
How would you go about summarizing the whole book of Ephesians? Join Pastor John as he attempts to do just that.
Grace from Start to Finish: Ephesians 6:23–24, Part 2 from 2022-05-19T10:00
When you love the Lord Jesus, you are showing that your life got its start in grace, and that you will experience more grace forever and ever.Listen
A Closing Cry for Peace and Love: Ephesians 6:23–24, Part 1 from 2022-05-17T10:00
At the close of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he calls on God to give to the church two things: the peace and love which come from faith.Listen
What Do the Lives of Teachers Tell Us? Ephesians 6:21–22 from 2022-05-14T10:00
Pastors, your people need to see your lives so that they might pray for you, imitate you, and be encouraged by you.
Listen
The Camaraderie of Spiritual Conflict: Ephesians 6:16–20 from 2022-05-12T10:00
The armor of God is not just meant for us in our individual walk. It is meant to help us fight the good fight together.
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The Helmet, the Sword, and the Seriousness of the War: Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 8 from 2022-05-10T10:00
Those who are eternally secure still need a helmet, a sword, and a shield. They still need to put on armor and fight the war.
Listen
How the Shield of Faith Blocks Satanic Arrows: Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 7 from 2022-05-07T10:00
If you are a Christian, you have a supernatural enemy who every day aims his arrows at you. Do you know how to use your shield?
Listen
What Kind of Spiritual Armor Are Shoes? Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 6 from 2022-05-05T10:00
The apostle Paul commands us to wear the readiness of the gospel of peace on our feet. What is the readiness of the gospel and why our feet?Listen
Run the Devil Out with Righteousness: Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 5 from 2022-05-03T10:00
The apostle Paul calls us to put on the breastplate of righteousness. What exactly is that and how do we put it on?
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O Christians! Be People of Truth: Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 4 from 2022-04-30T10:00
Christians are people of the truth. We speak the truth, believe the truth, love the truth.
New Identity and Armor Against the Devil: Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 3 from 2022-04-28T10:00
You do not put on the armor of God with your hands. You put it on with your mind and your heart and your reason and your will.
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How Is the Armor of God Ordered? Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 2 from 2022-04-26T10:00
The armor of God must be worn in order for us to withstand the evil one. Do you know what the armor is?
Is Our Armor What God Wore? Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 1 from 2022-04-23T10:00
The armor in Ephesians 6 is not brand-new armor. It is ancient armor. It is tested armor. It is God’s armor.
The Aim: Stand in His Power for His Glory: Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 7 from 2022-04-21T10:00
To withstand a supernatural enemy, we must dress in supernatural armor — and this is just what Christ offers us.
Set Free from Cosmic Powers of Darkness: Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 6 from 2022-04-19T10:00
How do we get free from the dark and demonic rule over this world? We repent of our sins and entrust ourselves wholly to the God who can free us.Listen
How to Defeat the Defeated Forces of Evil: Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 5 from 2022-04-16T10:00
The demonic opposition that we face is a decisively defeated foe that has been disarmed of all his accusations against us.
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Don’t We Still Wrestle with Flesh and Blood? Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 4 from 2022-04-14T10:00
Our battles in life are not merely against human opposition. Behind any person is a greater enemy: the prince of the power of the air.
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Christian Life as Supernatural Combat: Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 3 from 2022-04-12T10:00
The word of God is clear: we are at war, however peaceful our lives may otherwise feel. Are you prepared for battle?
Listen
How Are We Empowered with God’s Power? Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 2 from 2022-04-09T10:00
How can we draw strength for everyday life from God’s almighty power?
From Supernatural Enemies to Triumphant Standing: Ephesians 6:10–13, Part 1 from 2022-04-07T10:00
Do you live with armor on? If you’re a Christian, you need to wear God’s armor, because you do not wrestle with mere flesh and blood.
Listen
What Is Slavery Like Without Threatening? Ephesians 6:5–9, Part 6 from 2022-04-05T10:00
What does it mean that masters are to stop their threatening? And how did that revolutionize the slave-master relationship?
Listen
Should We Be Motivated by Degrees of Reward? Ephesians 6:5–9, Part 5 from 2022-04-02T10:00
How could heaven be perfect and yet some people get more (or less) rewards? How could there be degrees in perfection?
Listen
Every Christian Serving with the Whole Soul: Ephesians 6:5–9, Part 4 from 2022-03-31T10:00
True Christian love and service spring from within. People-pleasers may sometimes serve, but not from the heart.
Does the New Testament Legitimize Slavery? Ephesians 6:5–9, Part 3 from 2022-03-29T10:00
Does the Bible condone slavery?
Can Slaves of Christ Have Another Master? Ephesians 6:5–9, Part 2 from 2022-03-26T10:00
The apostle’s words to slaves commanding them to obey their earthly masters apply to all of us — but how?
Let All Earthly Obedience Be Obedience to Christ: Ephesians 6:5–9, Part 1 from 2022-03-24T10:00
What can we learn about the lordship of Jesus Christ when we consider the relationship between slaves and masters in the early church?
Listen
Fathers, Aim at Trusting, Obedient, Happy Children: Ephesians 6:1–4, Part 2 from 2022-03-22T10:00
Fathers, have compassion on your children. Do not provoke them to anger. Be firm in discipline and instruction, but don’t break them.
Listen
Do Obedient Children Always Live Long? Ephesians 6:1–4, Part 1 from 2022-03-19T10:00
If a child professes faith in Christ and honors his mother and father, yet dies at a young age, has the promise of God failed?
Listen
Should Wives Fear Their Husbands? Ephesians 5:31–33, Part 3 from 2022-03-17T10:00
What does it mean when Paul writes, “Let the wife see that she fears her husband”?
How Great Is the Mystery of Marriage? Ephesians 5:31–33, Part 2 from 2022-03-15T10:00
In a culture that downplays and undermines marriage, we need to know why marriage is worth protecting and cultivating.
Listen
What Does It Mean to Become One Flesh? Ephesians 5:31–33, Part 1 from 2022-03-12T11:00
What does it mean that a husband and wife are “one flesh”? Is it only a reference to sexual intimacy?
What Does a Husband’s Headship Mean? Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 8 from 2022-03-10T11:00
What does it mean for a husband to be a “head” of a household? At least eight things.
Is Christ Selfish to Die for His Own Joy? Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 7 from 2022-03-08T11:00
Does it undermine love to have self-interest as a main motivation in caring for others?
First the Church, Then Marriage Follows: Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 6 from 2022-03-05T11:00
The model for the first marriage was modeled after Jesus and his bride; not vice versa. This is the meaning of marriage.
Listen
The Purpose of Election Is a Church Beautified: Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 5 from 2022-03-03T11:00
What did it mean for Christ to wash the church in water with the word?
How Paul Motivates Impossible Love in Marriage: Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 4 from 2022-03-01T11:00
The best way for a man to pursue more joy for himself in his marriage is to make it his business to give her all he can of Christ.
Listen
What Is Peculiar About Married Love? Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 3 from 2022-02-26T11:00
What makes marriage unique among all human relationships? God has made a husband and wife one flesh.
How Did the Divine Husband Love His Wife? Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 2 from 2022-02-24T11:00
How did Jesus, the divine Husband, love his wife? He gave himself for her.
Christ Loved Himself in Loving the Church: Ephesians 5:25–31, Part 1 from 2022-02-22T11:00
Husbands, don’t settle for imitating the best human husband you can find. Love your wife as the Lord Jesus loved his bride, the church.
Listen
Finite, Sinful Headship in Marriage: Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 7 from 2022-02-19T11:00
Jesus is the perfect leader, the perfect supplier, the perfect protector. How could an imperfect husband possibly imitate him?
Listen
How Is Christ Head of the Church? Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 6 from 2022-02-17T11:00
Why is the husband called the “head” of the wife? What does the word mean biblically? 
Why Aren’t Pre-Fall Adam and Eve the Model for Marriage? Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 5 from 2022-02-15T11:00
If Adam and Eve were married and without sin before the fall, why are they not our primary model for Christian marriage today?
Listen
Submissively Not Following a Husband: Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 4 from 2022-02-12T11:00
What does it mean that the wife is called to submit to her husband “in everything”?
Wives, Submit ‘As to the Lord’: Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 3 from 2022-02-10T11:00
What does it mean for a Christian wife to submit to her husband “as to the Lord”?
Factors Feeding a Wife’s Submission: Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 2 from 2022-02-08T11:00
Wives take their cues from the church as she submits to the Lord. Husbands take their cues from Christ as he loves the church.
Listen
The Most Glorious Relationship Among Humans: Ephesians 5:22–24, Part 1 from 2022-02-05T11:00
What makes marriage the most glorious relationship on earth? Because it is uniquely modeled on the relationship between Christ and his church.Listen
The Sweet Experience of Fearing Christ: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 9 from 2022-02-03T11:00
Our fear of Christ is not only a fear. We do fear him, but we also trust him and love him and delight in him.
Submit to One Another, Full of the Spirit: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 8 from 2022-02-01T11:00
How do we count others better than ourselves, even when we might be more gifted than they are?
Give Thanks for Everything — Really? Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 7 from 2022-01-29T11:00
God does not command us to give thanks for some things, or even most things, but for all things. How could we do that?
Listen
How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 6 from 2022-01-27T11:00
How do we obey the passive command to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Sing! Sing! Sing! — To Each Other and the Lord: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 5 from 2022-01-25T11:00
When we gather together, we not only sing to God. We sing to one another in order to build one another up.
The Root Problem with Drunkenness: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 4 from 2022-01-22T11:00
Drunkenness is anti-living. It wastes time. It wastes wisdom. It wastes our ability to honor the Lord.
Don’t Let Evil Days Make You Stupid: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 3 from 2022-01-20T11:00
We live in evil days. Therefore, walk wisely, purchase time, and seek to understand the will of God.
Be Shrewd and Buy Up Time: Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 2 from 2022-01-18T11:00
Do you just let life happen to you, or do you pray, do you plan, do you act, do you consider how you spend your time?
Listen
How Does Gratitude Serve the Will of God? Ephesians 5:15–21, Part 1 from 2022-01-15T11:00
Are you a thankful person? When we are truly filled by the Spirit, we increasingly give thanks for everything.
How to Speak to the Spiritually Dead: Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 8 from 2022-01-13T11:00
God uses our voice to do the impossible. He sends us to open the eyes of the spiritually dead through our words.
What Kind of Speech Is Shameful? Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 7 from 2022-01-11T11:00
How do you confront and expose works of darkness without speaking in ways that dishonor Christ?
How Do We Expose Works of Darkness? Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 6 from 2022-01-08T11:00
To expose unfruitful works of darkness means the uncomfortable work of confronting them, rebuking them, and showing them to be wrong.
Listen
Can Imperfect Christians Please the Lord? Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 5 from 2022-01-06T11:00
Is it true that we are so sinful that nothing we can do could please the Lord?
The All-Nourishing Fruit of Light: Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 4 from 2022-01-04T11:00
The lifestyle of those who walk in light is full of fruit and goodness. The lifestyle of those who walk in darkness is barren and full of evil.Listen
How Being Becomes Doing: Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 3 from 2022-01-01T11:00
All the effort of holiness flows from the new birth, the new heart. If you reverse the order, you don’t have Christianity; you have legalism.Listen
What Makes Christianity Different as a Religion? Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 2 from 2021-12-30T11:00
Once we were lost in darkness as children of darkness. But now, we are light in the Lord. Therefore, walk as children of light.
Listen
A New Argument for How to Live: Ephesians 5:8–14, Part 1 from 2021-12-28T11:00
How do you think of yourself? If you are in Christ, do you consider that he already calls you “light” in the Lord?
How to Escape the Coming Wrath of God: Ephesians 5:3–7, Part 6 from 2021-12-25T11:00
No one is justified because they stayed sexually pure. But no one inherits the kingdom of God while living a sexually impure life.
Listen
How Does Thankfulness Clean Up the Mouth? Ephesians 5:3–7, Part 5 from 2021-12-23T11:00
Foolish talk, crude joking, and shameful speech have no place to grow when our communities are filled with explicit thankfulness to God.Listen
How Is Something Not Proper for Saints? Ephesians 5:3–7, Part 4 from 2021-12-21T11:00
The apostle Paul rarely, if ever, calls believers “Christians,” but he often calls us “saints.” What does the name mean?
Listen
Sexual Immorality Is Not Even to Be Named: Ephesians 5:3–7, Part 3 from 2021-12-18T11:00
What does it mean that sexual immorality should not even be named among Christians?
How Is Covetousness the Root of Sexual Idolatry? Ephesians 5:3–7, Part 2 from 2021-12-16T11:00
If Christ is not the King of your heart on earth, he will not be the King that satisfies your heart for all eternity.
Listen
Should Saints Be Warned About Wrath? Ephesians 5:3–7, Part 1 from 2021-12-14T11:00
Those marked by sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness will not inherit the kingdom of God. Are such warnings aimed at Christians?Listen
Was God Pleased with the One He Cursed? Ephesians 5:1–2, Part 3 from 2021-12-11T11:00
If the Father crushed the Son on our behalf, could he also be pleased with his Son while he died?
Christian Love Is Sacrificial Love: Ephesians 5:1–2, Part 2 from 2021-12-09T11:00
Loving others as Christ loved us is not a safe or convenient enterprise. It is a sacrificial love that bleeds.
The Effects of Being Greatly Loved by God: Ephesians 5:1–2, Part 1 from 2021-12-07T11:00
The love of God is too great to leave us as we were. Anyone who has experienced the love of God has been transformed by the love of God.Listen
Can You Forgive Those Who Do Not Repent? Ephesians 4:30–32, Part 5 from 2021-12-04T11:00
Can you forgive someone who doesn’t repent of doing you any wrong? Can there be real forgiveness?
How Do the Easily Angered Become Tender? Ephesians 4:30–32, Part 4 from 2021-12-02T11:00
If you are a Christian, you are a new person. You are not what you were. You are fundamentally, profoundly, deeply new.
Listen
The Fruit and Root of Bitterness: Ephesians 4:30–32, Part 3 from 2021-11-30T11:00
Whenever we get hurt, we become vulnerable to bitterness. But God calls us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.
Listen
How Does the Spirit Seal Us for Eternity? Ephesians 4:30–32, Part 2 from 2021-11-27T11:00
God seals us with his Holy Spirit to ensure we make it home. And this sealing by the Spirit leads to a life of love on earth.
Listen
Is God Above Being Grieved? Ephesians 4:30–32, Part 1 from 2021-11-25T11:00
What does it mean that God can be grieved? Isn’t he unable to feel human feelings?
Giving Grace with Our Mouths: Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 8 from 2021-11-23T11:00
Keep your eyes on fellow Christians. Are they worn out, discouraged, downcast? Ask God for an upbuilding word.
What Is the Christian Alternative to Stealing? Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 7 from 2021-11-20T11:00
What does stealing reveal about our hearts? It shows a lack of love for people and a lack of contentment in the Lord.
Listen
How Not to Go to Bed Angry: Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 6 from 2021-11-18T11:00
Falling asleep with anger is an invitation to the devil to sow bitterness into your life and relationships.
How Does Anger Give Place to the Devil? Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 5 from 2021-11-16T11:00
Going to bed angry is dangerous. It invites bitterness into your life, but more than that, it invites the devil.
Does ‘Be Angry!’ Mean, ‘Make Sure You’re Angry’? Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 4 from 2021-11-13T11:00
When Paul says, “Be angry, and do not sin,” does that mean we should be angry?
Don’t Lie to Christians, Because They Are You: Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 3 from 2021-11-11T11:00
He who loves the church loves himself because he’s a part of the church. Take care how you love your fellow members in Christ.
Listen
Christian, Be Passionately Speaking Truth: Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 2 from 2021-11-09T11:00
If you don’t love the truth, you don’t love the gospel. If you love the gospel, you will love being a truthful person.
Listen
Take Off the Old Uniform, Put On the New: Ephesians 4:25–29, Part 1 from 2021-11-06T10:00
Christ does not simply tell us to put off our old lives. He tells us to put on his character.
Renewed in the Spirit of Our Mind: Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 9 from 2021-11-04T10:00
Our minds must have more than new ideas to be made new. It must have a new inclination, disposition, and ruling principle.
Listen
Deceit Shaped the Old Self: Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 8 from 2021-11-02T10:00
Are you still living according to your old sinful life? Put to death old desires and be transformed by truth in Christ.
Listen
How Does Truth Free Us from Sin? Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 7 from 2021-10-30T10:00
What can save us from our suicidal desires for sin? The truth as found in Christ.
Why New Clothes in Christ? Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 6 from 2021-10-28T10:00
The Christian is not just one inwardly. We put on a new man, a new uniform, a new identity that others can see.
How Do We ‘Learn Christ’? Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 5 from 2021-10-26T10:00
What does it mean to learn Christ? And if you were studying Ephesians for yourself, how would you answer a question like that from the Bible?Listen
What Happens to Desires Without God? Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 4 from 2021-10-23T10:00
The heart that loses God as its greatest desire becomes a cauldron of desires for sensuality.
The Deepest Problem of Humanity: Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 3 from 2021-10-21T10:00
Underneath every rejection of Christianity is a hardness of heart and rebellion of life.
What Is the Futility of the Human Mind? Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 2 from 2021-10-19T10:00
The reason God gave us reason was so that we might know God. When we refuse knowledge of him, we are left with futility.
Listen
Christianity Is a Life to Be Lived: Ephesians 4:17–24, Part 1 from 2021-10-16T10:00
Christianity is not just a worldview to be believed in, but it is a way to live by.
Unity in Truth by Love (Overview): Ephesians 4:1–16 from 2021-10-14T10:00
The church is the corporate representation of Christ to the world. This privilege is great, and the task of maturity is serious.
Listen
Who Lives in the Church? Ephesians 4:15–16, Part 3 from 2021-10-12T10:00
In the church, the redeemed build one another up in love into the dwelling place of God.
The Body Makes the Body Grow: Ephesians 4:15–16, Part 2 from 2021-10-09T10:00
Every part of the Church needs to function as God made us to function in order for the church to grow into maturity.
Listen
All Christians Speak Truth to Grow the Body: Ephesians 4:15–16, Part 1 from 2021-10-07T10:00
Pastors and teachers are given to the church so that we might stop being children and grow up in Christ, so are you growing?
Listen
How Not to Be Childlike: Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 10 from 2021-10-05T10:00
Immaturity in the Christian life is often exposed by us being easily swayed by new and false teaching.
How Is the Church a Mature Man? Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 9 from 2021-10-02T10:00
In order for the church to stand mature before God, each child of God needs to grow up into Christian maturity.
Why Do We Call Jesus the Son of God? Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 8 from 2021-09-30T10:00
We often say that Jesus is the “Son of God,” but what exactly does that name mean?
Will We Find Unity Before Christ Comes? Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 7 from 2021-09-28T10:00
Right now, our faith is imperfect, our churches are imperfect, our love is imperfect. When Christ comes, the imperfect will be made perfect.Listen
Unity in Truth Understood and Embraced: Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 6 from 2021-09-25T10:00
When we only unify over an intellectual assent to truth, we miss out on the true beauty and benefit of biblical unity.
Listen
How Do Saints Build the Body? Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 5 from 2021-09-23T10:00
When the pastors equip the saints and the saints do the work of ministry, the body of Christ builds itself up into maturity.
Listen
Who Are the Ministers in the Church? Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 4 from 2021-09-21T10:00
Pastors have the challenging task of teaching and inspiring their people to maturity in the faith for the health of the church.
Listen
Does Christ Put Pastors in Specific Churches? Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 3 from 2021-09-18T10:00
Is there a call to the ministry? Does God still appoint pastors to specific local churches?
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Teachers: Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 2 from 2021-09-16T10:00
Apostles and prophets are different from evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. Do you know how?
Individualism and Solidarity in the Church: Ephesians 4:11–14, Part 1 from 2021-09-14T10:00
Who we each are in Christ, with our specific giftings, matters. And who we are as members of the wider church also matters. One does not cancel the other.Listen
How Does Christ Fill All Things? Ephesians 4:7–10, Part 4 from 2021-09-11T10:00
Christ fills all things by dying and giving grace and gifts to his church. He is the head, and we are the body. As he reigns, so will we.Listen
Did Jesus Descend into Hell? Ephesians 4:7–10, Part 3 from 2021-09-09T10:00
The same Jesus that came to earth, lived, taught, died, and rose, is the same Jesus interceding for us now in heaven.
Listen
Was the Old Testament in Light of the New? Ephesians 4:7–10, Part 2 from 2021-09-07T10:00
When the Old Testament was written, was it written in light of what would be said in the New Testament?
How Will Diversity Not Destroy Oneness? Ephesians 4:7–10, Part 1 from 2021-09-04T10:00
God gives different gifts in different measures to different people, and he gives them to unite us, not divide us.
We Have a Father over All: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 13 from 2021-09-02T10:00
We long to belong. We long to be secure. We long for purpose. We long for riches. And all of these are satisfied in God as our Father.
Listen
Hope Created the Spirit-Filled Body: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 12 from 2021-08-31T10:00
What do you do when you are reading a tough text and not getting much help from commentaries? John Piper models his approach from Ephesians 4:1–6.Listen
Keep the Unity That Cost Everything: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 11 from 2021-08-28T10:00
We must be eager to keep the unity that Christ purchased with his own blood.
Enduring One Another in Love: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 10 from 2021-08-24T10:00
Do you have a quick temper? Do you get angry and find it hard to forgive? If Christ has saved you, he calls you to a long-suffering love.Listen
What Is Biblical Meekness? Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 9 from 2021-08-21T10:00
If biblical meekness does not just mean talking quietly or being soft, what does it mean?
How to Pursue All Lowliness: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 8 from 2021-08-17T10:00
Lowliness isn’t something that we should want just enough of to get by. We should desire “all humility” to glorify Christ.
Listen
Why Is Lowliness Fitting for Our Calling? Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 7 from 2021-08-14T10:00
Lowliness is fitting for the Christian because our redemption cost Christ his life. This should level any and every thought of boasting.Listen
The Heart Traits Behind a Worthy Walk: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 6 from 2021-08-10T10:00
A heart worthy of our calling is lowly, meek, long-suffering, and willing to endure others in love — in other words, it is a heart like Christ’s.Listen
Does God Help Us Walk in a Worthy Way? Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 5 from 2021-08-07T10:00
When we are commanded to walk worthily, are we ultimately responsible or does God do this in us?
What Is Worthy Walking? Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 4 from 2021-08-03T10:00
What does it mean to walk worthily of our calling? Does it mean we finally become deserving of our salvation?
What Is Our Infinitely Valuable Calling? Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 3 from 2021-07-31T10:00
The hope of the Christian calling is precious beyond measure. We walk toward a glory we can’t rightly imagine.
God Calls the Spiritually Dead to Life: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 2 from 2021-07-27T10:00
God calls us out of the tomb, out of death, out of condemnation, and out of slavery to sin. We are called into life and joy and freedom in Christ.Listen
Deep Doctrine Makes Houses Happy: Ephesians 4:1–6, Part 1 from 2021-07-24T10:00
The radical life change that Paul calls for in Ephesians is built upon radical truths about God.
To the Praise of the Glory of Grace: Overview of Ephesians 1–3 from 2021-07-20T10:00
Join John Piper as he walks through the first three chapters of Ephesians, showing how the main points relate, all in under twelve minutes.Listen
How Does It All End? Ephesians 3:20–21 from 2021-07-17T10:00
Do you have moments when you pause from your work, your studies, your responsibilities, your conversations to praise God? Oh, for hearts of worship.Listen
Filled with All the Fullness of God? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 8 from 2021-07-13T10:00
We need more than descriptions of God’s love for us. We need the Spirit to help us know and feel God’s love for us.
Listen
The Widest, Longest, Highest, Deepest Love: Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 7 from 2021-07-10T10:00
Go wide with Christ, go long with Christ, go high with Christ, go deep with Christ. Ask God to immerse you in the love of Christ.
Listen
Why Pray for Christ to Dwell in Believers? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 6 from 2021-07-06T10:00
If every Christian already has the Spirit of God, why does Paul pray that the Spirit would dwell in believers’ hearts through faith?
Listen
How Are We Strengthened Through the Spirit? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 5 from 2021-07-03T10:00
The strength we need for the Christian life is not a strength we possess naturally. We need to be strengthened in the inner man through the Spirit.Listen
What Are the Riches of the Glory of God? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 4 from 2021-06-29T10:00
How do you determine what a phrase like “the riches of his glory” might mean? Join John Piper as he walks through how he draws truth and reality out of Scripture.Listen
How Can We Experience the Fullness of God? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 3 from 2021-06-26T10:00
O God, give us strength to comprehend the fullness of your love, that we might be filled with your fullness.
The Family of God in Heaven and on Earth: Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 2 from 2021-06-22T10:00
Believers everywhere and throughout time are a new family called by a new name: children of God.
Why Does Paul Pray After Teaching? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 1 from 2021-06-19T10:00
Prayer comes before and after teaching because God must reveal the truth to us for doctrine to have any lasting effect on us.
Listen
How Does Affliction Become a Glory? Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 9 from 2021-06-15T10:00
When a man of God goes to be with the Lord, he is not to be pitied. We can rejoice for him as a man who made it home.
Listen
Confident Access to God in Christ: Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 8 from 2021-06-12T10:00
How do we increase our joy in the access we have to our holy God? Through increasing our faith in the crucified Christ.
Listen
Even Demons Are Part of God’s Plan: Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 7 from 2021-06-08T10:00
Nothing that transpired in history as part of God’s saving plan was decided within history. Whatever happens now was planned long ago.
Listen
The Church Puts Demons to Shame: Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 6 from 2021-06-05T10:00
As the church preaches the gospel, demons are forced to watch and relive the glory of God’s triumph over evil.
What Does the Word ‘Church’ Mean? Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 5 from 2021-06-01T10:00
We use the word “church” over and over in the Christian life, but what exactly does the word really mean?
A Plan No Mere Man Can Accomplish: Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 4 from 2021-05-29T10:00
Preaching, reading, thinking, praying can only get us so far. God must open eyes, awaken souls, enlighten minds, and answer prayer.
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What Are the Unsearchable Riches of Christ? Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 3 from 2021-05-25T10:00
That the riches of Christ are unsearchable means that heaven will never become boring — that joy in God will never end.
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The Chief of Sinners Made a Minister: Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 2 from 2021-05-22T10:00
We need grace to be saved, and to be kept saved. We need power to be made alive, and continual power to be kept alive.
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Gospel Ministry Before Angels and Demons: Ephesians 3:7–13, Part 1 from 2021-05-18T10:00
The wonder of the cosmos is how wicked men can boldly approach the throne of the Holy One.
Why Christians Care About Reading Well: Ephesians 3:1–6, Part 4 from 2021-05-15T10:00
Reading is essential in the Christian life. But not just any reading will do. We must be good readers because God wrote a book.
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Did the Old Testament Hint Gentile Inclusion? Ephesians 3:1–6, Part 3 from 2021-05-11T10:00
Were men like the apostle Peter wrong to question the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s people? Was it hinted in the Old Testament?
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Does “Mystery” Mean Beyond Understanding? Ephesians 3:1–6, Part 2 from 2021-05-08T10:00
The great mystery revealed to Paul was that the Gentiles, former enemies of God, would be brought near by the blood of Christ.
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Why Prison Did Not Discourage Paul: Ephesians 3:1–6, Part 1 from 2021-05-04T10:00
The apostle Paul so believed in the goodness of God that when he suffered and was imprisoned for Christ, he counted it all as grace.
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The Nations Are Becoming the Dwelling of God: Ephesians 2:19–22, Part 3 from 2021-05-01T10:00
Do you hunger to be with God’s people? God is experienced in our gatherings in ways he cannot be experienced alone.
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Are New Testament Prophets Foundational to the Church? Ephesians 2:19–22, Part 2 from 2021-04-27T10:00
Are there still prophets today? And how did the prophets function alongside the apostles in the early church?
Gentiles Are Full Citizens of Israel: Ephesians 2:19–22, Part 1 from 2021-04-24T10:00
What exactly is the relationship between Israel in the old covenant and the church in the new?
Access to God Is “in the Spirit”: Ephesians 2:14–18, Part 6 from 2021-04-20T10:00
We lived in fear that we would face the God of wrath in our sin, until Christ came and died so that we might call God, “Father.”
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The Crescendo of Our Peace with God: Ephesians 2:14–18, Part 5 from 2021-04-17T10:00
The crescendo of our salvation is that, together with the rest of God’s people, we have God as our Father.
How to Undermine Ethnic Harmony: Ephesians 2:14–18, Part 4 from 2021-04-13T10:00
The fundamental problem in our societies is not strife between man and man but strife between God and man.
How Does an Abolished Law Create Unity? Ephesians 2:14–18, Part 3 from 2021-04-10T10:00
The reason that Jew and Gentile are now one new man in Christ is because the law has been abolished. What does that mean?
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Jew and Gentile: One New Person: Ephesians 2:14–18, Part 2 from 2021-04-06T10:00
The people of Christ cannot simply give up and walk away from each other in conflict, because we are a part of the same body.
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What Kind of Hostility Did Christ Remove? Ephesians 2:14–18, Part 1 from 2021-04-03T10:00
In ripping down the barrier between God and his people, the cross also tore down the barrier between us as people.
The Glorious Reversal of Nearness to God: Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 8 from 2021-03-30T10:00
All who do not have Christ do not have God. And those who do not have Christ and God do not have hope. So, do you have Christ?
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How Do Old Testament Promises Become Ours? Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 7 from 2021-03-27T10:00
If we are not Jews, is it right to say that we share in the covenant promises of the Old Testament?
Do You Have to Belong to Israel to Be Saved? Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 6 from 2021-03-23T10:00
Do you have to become an Israelite to enjoy the promises of God? The answer, far from being straightforward, might surprise you.
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Brought Near from Five Dreadful Distances: Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 5 from 2021-03-20T10:00
Gentiles were born apart from Christ, apart from God’s people, apart from God’s promises, apart from hope, and apart from God.
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Why Is Circumcision Such a Big Deal? Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 4 from 2021-03-16T10:00
Why is circumcision, of all the different things that could have been, the sign of the covenant between God and Israel?
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Recalling Hopelessness Can Serve Happiness: Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 3 from 2021-03-13T11:00
Forever and always the banner of eternal life reads, “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” This fact will forever bring us low and lift our praises high.Listen
Should We Leave Our Failures Behind? Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 2 from 2021-03-09T11:00
The apostle Paul commands us to remember and to forget in his letters. When should we remember, and when should we forget?
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Salvation Is for All — Through the Jews: Ephesians 2:11–13, Part 1 from 2021-03-06T11:00
Jesus was not American, not African, not Asian, not European. The Messiah came as a Jew from the Jews, and that matters.
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Your Good Works Are His Good Works: Ephesians 2:8–10, Part 5 from 2021-03-02T11:00
In every good deed, God is active and working. Even our good works will ultimately be ascribed to the glory of God.
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We Are the Workmanship of God: Ephesians 2:8–10, Part 4 from 2021-02-27T11:00
In Christ, we get a new legal standing before the judgment seat of God and a new nature to live before men.
Freed from Wrath for a Life of Goodness: Ephesians 2:8–10, Part 3 from 2021-02-23T11:00
Christ has not only saved us from the wrath of God, but transformed us and saved us from the sinful nature that destined us for that wrath.Listen
The Good News of Obliterated Boasting: Ephesians 2:8–10, Part 2 from 2021-02-20T11:00
God saves sinners by his grace alone to obliterate all human boasting in his presence. Is this good news for sinners?
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Is Faith a Gift of God? Ephesians 2:8–10, Part 1 from 2021-02-16T11:00
If I am commanded to believe the gospel, is faith something I create, or is it a gift of God?
What Is God’s Ultimate Goal Toward Us? Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 10 from 2021-02-13T11:00
God’s purpose in saving his children is to show them his eternal kindness toward them in Christ forever.
Living the Miracle of New Life in Christ: Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 9 from 2021-02-09T11:00
We embrace, delight in, receive, live in, experience the miracle of being remade in Christ through our faith.
Salvation Is the Decisive Work of God: Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 8 from 2021-02-06T11:00
Without our consent, without our approval, without our say, God decided to save his own.
Were Saved, Are Saved, Will Be Saved: Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 7 from 2021-02-02T11:00
God has saved us. God is saving us. God will save us. All are true. All are necessary. All are glorious.
Grace Intrudes on the Undeserving: Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 6 from 2021-01-30T11:00
Grace loves to shine the brightest for the most undeserving and the most unable to save themselves.
What Is It Like to Be Made Alive? Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 5 from 2021-01-26T11:00
Being alive to Christ is a real experience, just like being dead to God is a real experience. What is it like?
Does God Love Everyone in the Same Way? Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 4 from 2021-01-23T11:00
Does God love everyone in the world? Does God care about both the elect and non-elect in the same way?
God Is Not Stingy with Mercy: Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 3 from 2021-01-19T11:00
Where would we be today, or in a thousand years, if God were not rich in mercy?
Are You Amazed You Are a Christian? Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 2 from 2021-01-16T11:00
It always takes immeasurable power to raise the dead to life. Every Christian has an amazing testimony.
Does God Save Us from God? Ephesians 2:4–7, Part 1 from 2021-01-12T11:00
When Christians say that we are “saved,” what exactly are we being saved from?
What (and When) Is the Wrath of God? Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 10 from 2021-01-09T11:00
The plight of all humanity is that we are lovers of sin and sons of disobedience. This makes us by nature children of wrath.
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Who Are the Sons of Disobedience? Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 9 from 2021-01-05T11:00
Apart from Christ, we were so sinful, so wicked, so rebellious that Scripture called us children of disobedience.
God Defeated the God of This World: Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 8 from 2021-01-02T11:00
The ruler and authority of the air is the same as the god of this world. The whole world lies in his power — for now.
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This Present Evil Age of Sin: Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 7 from 2020-12-29T11:00
Christians are unavoidably out of step with this world. We do not think the same or act the same because we serve a different Master.
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Walking in Sin Enslaves Us to Sin: Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 6 from 2020-12-26T11:00
Anyone who assumes he is free and independent apart from God is in reality enslaved to the world and a lackey of Satan.
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The Difference Between Sin, Sins, and Trespasses: Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 5 from 2020-12-22T11:00
What is the difference between sin, sins, and trespasses in the Bible?
Why Share the Gospel with Dead People? Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 4 from 2020-12-19T11:00
Keep sharing the gospel with friends, families, and neighbors. People are still being saved. Power still exists in God’s great news.
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Can the Spiritually Dead Please God? Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 3 from 2020-12-15T11:00
What does it mean that mankind is dead in their trespasses apart from Christ?
How Could We Be Healthy, Active, and Dead? Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 2 from 2020-12-12T11:00
Being dead apart from Christ does not mean you are inactive, unable to do anything in this world. It means you have no love or appetite for God.Listen
United Under Wrath and the Cross: Ephesians 2:1–3, Part 1 from 2020-12-08T11:00
All ethnic groups stand condemned apart from Christ. And all people from every ethnic group can be redeemed by the blood of the cross.
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Dead in Sin, Alive in Grace: Ephesians 2:1–3 from 2020-12-05T11:00
The word that describes us before Christ: Dead. The word that describes us after Christ meets us with mighty grace: Alive.
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The Glorious Grace of Electing Love: Summary of Ephesians 1 from 2020-12-01T11:00
We need to see God’s truth not only as our theology, but as our great treasure. For that, God needs to open the eyes of our hearts.
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How Does the Church Fill All in All? Ephesians 1:19–23, Part 5 from 2020-11-28T11:00
The church is the body of Christ, and he is the Head. He makes the decisions, he rules, and the body carries out his will.
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The Head of the Church Is the Head over All: Ephesians 1:19–23, Part 4 from 2020-11-24T11:00
Jesus is superior to every kind of rule, authority, and dominion that you will find in any culture, any nation, among any people, anywhere in the world.Listen
Whenever We Speak, God Hears: Ephesians 1:19–23, Part 3 from 2020-11-21T11:00
When we pray, when we talk to our children, when we speak to our neighbors or argue with our spouse — we speak in the sight of God.
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Christ Is Always Stronger Than All: Ephesians 1:19–23, Part 2 from 2020-11-17T11:00
Although real evils exist in this world, our King is seated far above them all.
How Much Did It Take to Make You Believe? Ephesians 1:19–23, Part 1 from 2020-11-14T11:00
The power God exerts toward us who believe is greater than any force imaginable. The fiercest tornadoes are but gentle breezes in comparison.Listen
How Prayer Opens the Eyes of Our Hearts: Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 7 from 2020-11-10T11:00
Lord, open the eyes of our hearts to see the value of the truths contained in your word.
Are We God’s Inheritance, Or Is He Ours? Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 6 from 2020-11-07T11:00
The unthinkable promise of the new covenant tells us not only that we are God’s people, but that he is our God.
The Irrevocable Glory of Our Calling: Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 5 from 2020-11-03T11:00
If God has called you by his grace into glory, he will never revoke that calling.
What Are the Eyes of the Heart For? Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 4 from 2020-10-31T10:00
If you have not been growing in your love for God, your eyes may have become dull to him. Ask God to show you more of Christ.
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What Does It Mean to Know God? Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 3 from 2020-10-27T10:00
Knowing God is to love God — the real God. If we do not love him, we do not know him.
Do You Have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation? Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 2 from 2020-10-24T10:00
If you have seen glory in the Bible, be assured, you can see more. Do not settle for what you’ve already seen.
Why Do We Pray to the Father of Glory? Ephesians 1:17–19, Part 1 from 2020-10-20T10:00
Why is God called the Father of glory? What does that phrase mean, and how does it shape and inspire our prayers?
Faith and Love Mark Every Christian: Ephesians 1:15–16, Part 3 from 2020-10-17T10:00
Why are faith and love so tied together in the Bible? Because they are tied together as a summary of the Christian life.
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Why Do We Thank God for Our Love? Ephesians 1:15–16, Part 2 from 2020-10-13T10:00
When you look at your life and notice greater devotion to Christ, greater obedience to his word, greater love for God and for neighbor — thank God.Listen
How to Transform Theology into Praise: Ephesians 1:15–16, Part 1 from 2020-10-10T10:00
Do you still pray for God to show you more of himself? No matter what you have seen so far, there are still worlds to see.
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Why Is God’s Pursuit of Praise Not Conceited? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 13 from 2020-10-06T10:00
How could God be loving and do everything he does for his own praise?
Is God Decisive in Saving Faith? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 12 from 2020-10-03T10:00
The human heart is dead, fleshly, blind, natural, unable to believe the word of God — without the Holy Spirit.
Adopted and Redeemed Now, But Not Yet: Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 11 from 2020-09-29T10:00
We are God’s possession. Sealed with his Spirit. Adopted. Redeemed. Yet awaiting our full adoption and redemption.
The Holy Spirit Seals Us for God: Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 10 from 2020-09-26T10:00
What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit? And how does his sealing affect the Christian life?
What Does It Mean to Believe in Christ? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 9 from 2020-09-22T10:00
What is involved in saving faith? The devils, for instance, believe but are not saved. What is different for us?
How Do We Win the Elect to Christ? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 8 from 2020-09-19T10:00
How do we win our elect neighbors, friends, and family members to Christ? What do we say?
What Exactly Is the Gospel? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 7 from 2020-09-15T10:00
According to Scripture, what exactly is the gospel?
How Is the Gospel True and Saving? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 6 from 2020-09-12T10:00
Some define it too narrowly, and others too broadly. So, what exactly is the gospel?
Hostile Enemies Made One in Christ: Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 5 from 2020-09-08T10:00
The mystery of Christ is that former enemies — Jews and Gentiles — are now united as one in Christ and share one inheritance.
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If God Is Sovereign, What Can We Do? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 4 from 2020-09-05T10:00
If God is absolutely sovereign over everything, is there anything truly meaningful for us to do?
Why Does the Sovereignty of God Matter? Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 3 from 2020-09-01T10:00
The sovereignty of God is explosively relevant for all of life. Come study his power and authority over all things, including you.
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The Precious Importance of Predestination: Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 2 from 2020-08-29T10:00
Why does the apostle Paul spend so much time drilling down into the realities and importance of predestination?
Chosen by God to Inherit God: Ephesians 1:11–14, Part 1 from 2020-08-25T10:00
The glory of adoption is that we now receive an inheritance from God, and the best inheritance he could give us is himself.
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The Sum of All Things Is Christ: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 9 from 2020-08-22T10:00
The grand climax of God’s plan in history, indeed the very point of all creation, is summed up in one word: Christ.
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The Pleasure of God in All of History: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 8 from 2020-08-18T10:00
God has a joyful plan and has worked it out in history, and the climax of that plan is the person and work of his Son.
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The Basis and Essence of God’s Grace: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 7 from 2020-08-15T10:00
Nothing can be clearer about the nature of grace than to realize our life in Christ is owing to nothing in us. We were dead.
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Knowing God’s Plan Is a Lavish Grace: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 6 from 2020-08-11T10:00
Have you begun to take the Bible for granted? Even knowing God’s will is an immense grace from God.
Grace Flows from Joy in the Trinity: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 5 from 2020-08-08T10:00
“To the praise of the glory of his grace” summarizes the purpose of Ephesians, your life, and history.
Christ Redeems Us from Disobedience: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 4 from 2020-08-04T10:00
Christ’s blood not only purchases our forgiveness, but our obedience. We were not only redeemed from guilt, but from our futile ways of living.Listen
How the Cross Secures Our Resurrection: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 3 from 2020-08-01T10:00
The blood of Christ not only frees us from just wrath; it frees us from the depths of the grave.
God Saves Us from His Own Wrath: Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 2 from 2020-07-28T10:00
God does not sweep our sins under the rug. He sent his Son to hang on a tree to satisfy his hatred against our crimes.
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What Does Redemption Mean? Ephesians 1:7–10, Part 1 from 2020-07-25T10:00
What does redemption in Christ mean, and why is it important for every person on the planet?
The Origin and End of All Things: Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 13 from 2020-07-21T10:00
Travel from eternity to eternity with John Piper as he submerges himself in the boundless oceans of Ephesians 1:3–6.
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How Do Predestination and Election Relate? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 12 from 2020-07-18T10:00
What is the distinction between election and predestination? Are they the same thing?
Holy in Love or Adopted in Love? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 11 from 2020-07-14T10:00
Some of the shiniest gold lies ready to be discovered in the mines of Scripture. Will we take the time to dig for and uncover them?
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God Is Preparing His Holy Bride: Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 10 from 2020-07-11T10:00
Before the stars lit up the night sky. Before the sun blazed in the heavens. God planned for his people to be radiantly holy forever before him.Listen
Election Silences Pride and Awakens Praise: Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 9 from 2020-07-07T10:00
God chose his people in his Son, before the foundation of the world, to put an end to all boasting and to secure eternal praise of the glory of his grace.Listen
Why Did God Choose Whom He Chose? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 8 from 2020-07-04T10:00
Why did God choose anybody for eternal life? And as he did choose some for eternal life, how did he choose those he chose?
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Were We Chosen as Sinful or Innocent? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 7 from 2020-06-30T10:00
When God chose us before the foundation of the world, did he consider us blameless or sinful?
Was Election Based on Foreknown Faith? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 6 from 2020-06-27T10:00
Did God choose his people because he saw their faith ahead of time?
Did God Really Choose Individuals to Be Saved? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 5 from 2020-06-23T10:00
Did God really choose individuals to be saved before the foundation of the world?
What God Did Before the World Began: Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 4 from 2020-06-20T10:00
God did not look at our works and consider us worthy of eternal life. Before the foundation of the world, he blessed us in his Son by grace alone.Listen
Destined for Everything Heaven Can Offer: Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 3 from 2020-06-16T10:00
If we knew what awaits us in Christ, we would hold to this world with a far weaker grip.
Does the Lord Jesus Have a God? Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 2 from 2020-06-13T10:00
If Jesus is God, why does Scripture say that the Father is the God of Jesus?
Studying the Bible as Worship: Ephesians 1:3–6, Part 1 from 2020-06-09T10:00
All exposition of the Scriptures should fly under the banner of exultation in the glory of God displayed in the Scriptures.
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What Are Grace and Peace? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 8 from 2020-06-06T10:00
Everything in all of history and all of redemption is to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.
How Is Our Faithfulness Different from God’s? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 7 from 2020-06-02T10:00
Our God is the faithful one. He surely does what he has committed himself to do for his people.
What Is the Holiness of God? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 6 from 2020-05-30T10:00
God’s holiness means that he is in a class by himself, infinitely above and distinct from all else. He is transcendent.
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Are Only Special Christians Saints? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 5 from 2020-05-26T10:00
Paul calls Christians “saints” dozens of times in his letters — far more than any other name. What does it mean?
Different and Precious Names for Jesus: Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 4 from 2020-05-23T10:00
Paul uses a variety of names to describe Jesus, and they are all meaningful. What can we learn from each?
What Are the Two Wills of God? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 3 from 2020-05-19T10:00
Are there really two wills in God? If so, what difference does that make for how we read the Bible?
What Does It Mean to Be an Apostle? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 2 from 2020-05-16T10:00
What does it mean to be an apostle? Are they different from disciples? And why does it matter?
Who Was This Man Named Paul? Ephesians 1:1–2, Part 1 from 2020-05-12T10:00
A former Pharisee, a converted persecutor of the church, a man with two names, but one holy ambition: the apostle Paul.
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Summary of Philippians in Nine Steps: Philippians 1–4 from 2020-05-09T10:00
What is at the heart of the book of Philippians? The display of the beauty of the gospel, the supreme worth of Christ, and the glory of God.Listen
Why Do Greetings Matter? Philippians 4:21–23 from 2020-05-05T10:00
One of the most overlooked ways to love the saints each week is to look them in the eye and greet them.
Philippians 4:20: Joining the Great Goal of the Universe from 2020-05-02T10:00
When we live for the glory of God, we join God in living for his ultimate purpose in all things.
Philippians 4:18–20, Part 3: No Need You Have Will Exhaust God from 2020-04-28T10:00
Our needs being met will never be limited by anything lacking in God. He has riches upon riches of mercy for those who ask him.
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Philippians 4:18–20, Part 2: Does God Really Supply All Our Needs? from 2020-04-25T10:00
Should I take God’s promises to provide for all my needs in every circumstance literally?
Philippians 4:18–20, Part 1: Can Imperfect Christians Please a Perfect God? from 2020-04-21T10:00
How can our actions, filled with mixed motives, ever please a holy God?
Philippians 4:17, Part 2: Strive for the Fruit That Lasts Forever from 2020-04-18T10:00
Invest your treasure in heaven through faith-filled, Spirit-empowered, Christ-exalting good works on earth.
Philippians 4:17, Part 1: Woe to Ministers Who Crave Money from 2020-04-14T10:00
As pastors, we must actively strive to make it clear that we do not do what we do for money.
Philippians 4:14–16: Any Christian Generosity Is Beautiful to God from 2020-04-11T10:00
God counts it a beautiful thing when churches show that their treasure is in heaven by giving to kingdom work on earth.
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Philippians 4:10–13, Part 6: How to Actually Live the Secret of Contentment from 2020-04-07T10:00
How can I go hungry to the glory of God? How can I lose a child to the glory of God? How can I receive a promotion to the glory of God?
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Philippians 4:10–13, Part 5: The Secret of Christ-Exalting Contentment from 2020-04-04T10:00
We tend to think contentment in Christ is hardest when life is hard, and easier when life is more comfortable, but reality says the opposite.Listen
Philippians 4:10–13, Part 4: How Does True Contentment Come? from 2020-03-31T10:00
If we are truly content in Christ, our contentment will increasingly silence all our grumbling.
Philippians 4:10–13, Part 3: How Does Self-Sufficiency Exalt Christ? from 2020-03-28T10:00
The secret to overcoming obstacles is not believing that you can do anything you put your mind to, but doing whatever you do in the strength of Christ.Listen
Philippians 4:10–13, Part 2: The Secret to Joy in Any Circumstance from 2020-03-24T10:00
Real happiness is untethered from this world. Whether we abound or are brought low, we have Christ.
Philippians 4:10–13, Part 1: True Honesty Minimizes Misunderstanding from 2020-03-21T10:00
A wise person not only knows what he wants to say, but how others will hear him say it.
Philippians 4:8–9, Part 3: How to Experience the Presence of God from 2020-03-17T10:00
How can I live to experience peace in the presence of God?
Philippians 4:8–9, Part 2: What Does the Mind of Peace Think About? from 2020-03-14T10:00
What do you think about most? How you answer the question will reveal how much of the peace of God you experience.
Philippians 4:8–9, Part 1: The Peace of God Does Not Produce Passivity from 2020-03-10T10:00
One way to find peace beyond our circumstances is to set our minds on things above our circumstances.
Philippians 4:4–7, Part 6: How God’s Peace Guards Our Hearts and Minds from 2020-03-07T11:00
The peace of God is not a calm stream to jump in when life becomes difficult. It is a home we live in, at all times, as we wait for heaven.Listen
Philippians 4:4–7, Part 5: Battling Anxiety with Thankful Prayer from 2020-03-03T11:00
Replace anxiety with this way of life: In whatever would make you anxious and cause you not to rejoice, go vertical in prayer.
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Philippians 4:4–7, Part 4: Is Any Christian Anxiety Good? from 2020-02-29T11:00
Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything,” but does that really mean anything? Is any Christian anxiety good?
Philippians 4:4–7, Part 3: How Is the Lord’s Coming ‘at Hand’? from 2020-02-25T11:00
“The Lord is at hand.” The apostle Paul wrote that more than 2,000 years ago, so why hasn’t Jesus come yet?
Philippians 4:4–7, Part 2: Gentleness Exposes Our Prayer Lives from 2020-02-22T11:00
Let people hear your gentle responses. Let God hear your cries for help.
Philippians 4:4–7, Part 1: Can Anyone Really Rejoice ‘Always’? from 2020-02-18T11:00
How could we possibly, in our world full of sin and death, “rejoice always”?
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 7: Is His Yoke Really Easy? from 2020-02-15T11:00
Countless ways exist to ruin your eternity and go to hell. Only one Way leads to eternal life: Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 6: What Kind of Rest Does Jesus Give? from 2020-02-11T11:00
Sin’s burden breaks the soul’s back. Jesus’s burden strengthens the soul and leads to rest.
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 5: The Sweetest Invitation in the New Testament from 2020-02-08T11:00
Christ invites you to lay down self-sufficiency and come find rest for your soul in him, a rest that can never be taken.
Listen
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 4: We Cannot See Jesus Without God from 2020-02-04T11:00
Thousands saw Jesus, but did not see him. Millions read the Bible and do not worship Jesus. Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Listen
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 3: Only God Can Reveal God from 2020-02-01T11:00
The pride of man is eternally humbled by the simple fact that unless God reveals himself to us, we could never have repented or believed.Listen
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 2: God Must Give Spiritual Sight from 2020-01-28T11:00
If God does not reveal himself to us, even the wisest, the strongest, the richest will not find him.
Matthew 11:25–30, Part 1: God Hides Salvation from the Proud from 2020-01-25T11:00
God has hidden works from some that if performed would have caused them to repent. Why?
Matthew 11:20–24, Part 2: Will Hell Be Worse for Some? from 2020-01-21T11:00
Some cities, Jesus says, are worse than Sodom. How they responded to him increased their judgment.
Matthew 11:20–24, Part 1: Miracles Are Meant to Drive Repentance from 2020-01-18T11:00
Even healing can be dangerous, if we do not reckon with the purpose of our healing: repentance.
Philippians 4:2–3, Part 4: Why Does It Matter That Their Names Are in the Book of Life? from 2020-01-14T11:00
The frustrations and grievances we carry against other Christians would feel different if we could see their names written in the book of life.Listen
Philippians 4:2–3, Part 3: Eight Ways Paul Encourages Euodia and Syntyche to Come to One Mind from 2020-01-11T11:00
Pastors are not called to create unity in the body of Christ. They are called to help their people maintain it.
Philippians 4:2–3, Part 2: The Bible and the Sermon Are Not Always Enough from 2020-01-07T11:00
Reconciliation between believers in our churches will require more than the pastor’s preaching or our private Bible reading.
Listen
Philippians 4:2–3, Part 1: How Pervasive Is Paul’s Concern with Conflict in the Church? from 2020-01-04T11:00
Christians share more than the same worldview. They share the same heart, the same mind, the same body, and the same Savior.
Listen
Micah 5:2, Part 4: How the Priests and Scribes Abused the Bible from 2019-12-31T11:00
Some people who teach the Bible should not be teaching the Bible. Here is an example from the Bible.
Micah 5:2, Part 3: The Global Majesty of the God-Man from 2019-12-28T11:00
Jesus is not a small Savior for small sins against God. Jesus is the global Savior for a world full of children of wrath.
Listen
Micah 5:2, Part 2: The Lowly, Ancient Origins of the King from 2019-12-24T11:00
From the small and lowly city of Bethlehem came the great ruler of the whole world.
Micah 5:2, Part 1: How Did Prophets See the Future? from 2019-12-21T11:00
The prophecies of the Bible can be confusing. One way to help us interpret them is to understand how prophets saw the future.
Listen
Isaiah 9:1–7, Part 4: God’s Zeal to Enthrone His Son on Earth from 2019-12-17T11:00
If men and women and children could see rightly, they would fall over themselves to enter the kingdom of a King like ours.
Listen
Isaiah 9:1–7, Part 3: What Kind of Government Will God Bring? from 2019-12-14T11:00
Only he whose hands bear the scars of nails, hands strong enough to bear our wrath, can hold the scepter over the redeemed people of God.Listen
Isaiah 9:1–7, Part 2: Yoke Broken, Joy Soaring, Enemies Serving from 2019-12-10T11:00
When God came to conquer his enemies, he prevailed so thoroughly that they became useful for his purposes and our good.
Listen
Isaiah 9:1–7, Part 1: Gloom to Glory by a Great Light from 2019-12-07T11:00
The Bible is beautifully coherent. Join John Piper as he studies the great prophecy given of Jesus in Isaiah.
Four Obstacles in Bible Reading, Part 4: ‘My Emotional Response Is Weak’ from 2019-12-03T11:00
If you read the Bible and don’t feel anything, cry out to God, “Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love.”
Listen
Four Obstacles in Bible Reading, Part 3: ‘I Am Distracted and Divided’ from 2019-11-30T11:00
We are so prone to distraction. Has the prayer “Unite my heart to fear your name” ever been more relevant?
Four Obstacles in Bible Reading, Part 2: ‘I Don’t See Wonders’ from 2019-11-26T11:00
God must give us both eyes to see his glory in the word and hearts to love that glory.
Four Obstacles in Bible Reading, Part 1: ‘I Don’t Want to Read the Bible’ from 2019-11-23T11:00
What can I do when I don’t want to read my Bible?
2 Timothy 2:1–7, Part 4: Single-mindedness, Integrity, and Diligence Through Grace from 2019-11-19T11:00
When Paul thought of Christian ministry, he thought of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Do you?
2 Timothy 2:1–7, Part 3: Teaching the Bible Takes Supernatural Strength from 2019-11-16T11:00
You do not need new curriculum to disciple someone in the Bible; you need supernatural strength from God.
2 Timothy 2:1–7, Part 2: Grace Is Power, Not Just Pardon from 2019-11-12T13:02
If you think you have received grace but have no new power to seek God and kill sin, you may not have received God’s grace.
Listen
2 Timothy 2:1–7, Part 1: Is Spiritual Insight a Product of Thinking or Praying? from 2019-11-09T14:47
Those who expect to have spiritual insight without thinking hard do not know how God gives understanding.
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 11: God Glorified, Man Satisfied from 2019-11-05T13:02
If you desire God to get glory from your life, take your joy in him very seriously.
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 10: Love for People as the Overflow of Joy from 2019-11-02T14:47
Pursuing greater, deeper joy in God increases, not diminishes or hinders, our love for other people.
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 9: Joy in Suffering Shows the Worth of God from 2019-10-29T13:02
Suffering with joy in this world is one of the greatest advertisements for the reality of the next.
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 7: The Severing of Boasting and Self-Pity from 2019-10-22T13:02
Joy in Christ is not passive or timid. It severs, with holy aggression, all boasting and self-pity still within us.
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Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 6: Is Joy Essential to Saving Faith? from 2019-10-19T14:47
If our faith in Jesus does not involve an enjoying of Jesus, it is not saving faith.
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 5: Conversion to Christ — and Joy from 2019-10-15T13:02
The essence of genuine conversion to Christ is awakening to Christ as supremely valuable.
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 4: What Is the Essence of Evil? from 2019-10-12T14:47
We should pursue our fullest and most lasting satisfaction in God because to find that satisfaction anywhere else is the essence of evil.Listen
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 3: If You Refuse to Be Happy from 2019-10-08T13:02
It is our duty, not just our opportunity, to pursue God. And he underlines this reality by threatening judgment if we will not seek happiness in him.Listen
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 2: God Demands Our Delight from 2019-10-05T14:47
God cares more about your happiness than you do. He is so serious about your joy that he threatens hell if you refuse to find it in him.Listen
Foundations of Christian Hedonism, Part 1: The Duty of Delight from 2019-10-01T13:02
Christian Hedonism: A life devoted to pursuing the fullest and longest pleasure in God through Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:1, Part 4: Stand Firm in the Strength of God from 2019-09-28T14:47
God does not call us to stand firm in our own willpower, relying on our own strength. He calls us to stand firm in the Lord.
Listen
Philippians 4:1, Part 3: What Crown Will Christians Receive? from 2019-09-24T13:02
Other Christians will stand as evidence on the last day that you truly loved the Lord Jesus during your lifetime.
Philippians 4:1, Part 2: Can We Love Christians Too Much? from 2019-09-21T14:47
How can the apostle Paul call other believers “my joy” when he just said that he counts everything as loss compared to knowing Christ?
Listen
Philippians 4:1, Part 1: Love and Long for One Another from 2019-09-17T13:02
The apostle Paul expressed a deep love and longing in his letters. How often do you express that kind of love to other Christians?
Listen
1 Corinthians 10:13, Part 2: What Is the Way of Escape in Temptation? from 2019-09-10T13:02
How can God say he will provide us with an escape in our tests and trials while also saying he will help us endure them?
Listen
1 Corinthians 10:13, Part 1: Is Every Temptation a Test from God? from 2019-09-07T14:47
Don’t limit the word “temptation” to something that lures us into sin. Anything that tries to pull us away from God is a temptation. Anything.Listen
Philippians 3:18–21: Our Bodies Will Shine Like the Sun from 2019-09-03T13:02
When this life comes to an end, when our frail bodies sputter for the last time, God will raise us from the dead and give us glorious bodies.Listen
Philippians 3:18–21: What Will My New Body Be Like? from 2019-08-31T14:47
Someday soon we get to exchange our crippled and lowly body for a glorious and heavenly one.
Philippians 3:18–21: Live Like You Belong in Heaven from 2019-08-27T13:02
If you are Christ’s, you don’t belong here. This is not your home. Your citizenship is in heaven.
Philippians 3:18–21: How to Be an Enemy of the Cross from 2019-08-24T14:47
Even though Paul could outdo every Pharisee in law-keeping, he had no confidence in the law. But he had full confidence in the cross.
Listen
Philippians 3:18–21: Two Ways to Oppose God from 2019-08-20T13:02
God’s enemies will face God’s eternal wrath. So who are these enemies of the cross, and how do I know I am not one of them?
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Philippians 3:18–21: Two Ways to Nullify the Cross from 2019-08-17T14:47
The cross was designed by God to humble us. It reminds us that we need Christ’s blood to rescue us, and his power to strengthen us.
Listen
Philippians 3:18–21: Are You Ruled by Your Desires? from 2019-08-13T13:02
To love the world and all its riches may scratch an itch for a moment, but it will cost you everything in the end.
Philippians 3:18–21: A Mini-Theology of Hell from 2019-08-10T14:47
As hard as it may be, we must face the reality that hell exists and is promised to all of God’s enemies.
Philippians 3:18–21: Do You Weep Over the Perishing? from 2019-08-06T13:02
God does not call us to learn just from Paul’s teaching but also from his emotions. Do you weep over the lost like the apostle Paul?
Listen
Philippians 3:17: The Kind of Person You Should Imitate from 2019-08-03T14:47
The question is not if you are imitating, but who. We either imitate those who walk toward heaven or those who walk toward hell.
Listen
Philippians 3:17: Should Someone Imitate Your Life? from 2019-07-30T13:02
God has given you life to honor him, display him, and summon others to follow him.
Job 19:11–42:12: The Lord Gives and Takes Away from 2019-07-27T14:47
Though God may take away, he has made a promise — and sealed it with his Son’s blood — that he will give back more.
Listen
Job 2:4–10: How a Fool Responds to Suffering from 2019-07-23T13:02
We have a refuge in times of trouble, safety amid life’s storms. Only a fool curses the shelter and runs into the eye of the storm.
Listen
Job 1:20–2:8: If God Afflicts You, Will You Curse Him? from 2019-07-20T14:47
No suffering takes God by surprise. He alone is the perfect help in our pain. Should all around our soul give way, he then is all our hope and stay.Listen
Job 1:6–22: How to Respond to Tragedy from 2019-07-16T13:02
We cannot respond however we want when we suffer. Though we can grieve and mourn, if we never get to worship, we’ve stopped short.
Listen
Job 1:1–2:3: Who Caused Job’s Suffering? from 2019-07-13T14:47
If God stripped away our gifts — our income, our family, even our own health — would we curse him or bless his name?
Listen
Job 1:1–12: Can You Trust God in Your Pain? from 2019-07-09T13:02
Job remained steadfast in his suffering and has left us with a model for how to trust God with our pain.
Philippians 3:15–16: Stages of the Christian Life from 2019-07-06T14:47
No one starts as a mature Christian. Keep seeking God. Keep laboring to grow. And keep trusting that God will bring about our maturity.
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Philippians 3:15–16: How God Changes Our Minds from 2019-07-02T13:02
God changes minds through ordinary means: Our gaze fixed upon his word, our knees bowed in prayer, and our time spent with our eternal family.Listen
Philippians 3:15–16: How to Disagree with a Christian from 2019-06-29T14:45
We cannot disagree with Christians in any way we want. God has given us boundaries and ways forward.
Philippians 3:15–16: What the Mature Think About from 2019-06-25T13:02
A heavenly mindset will not be lofty and self-righteous, but humble and God-dependent.
Philippians 3:15–16: What Does It Mean to Be Mature? from 2019-06-22T14:47
God wants us to grow up and leave behind childish ways. And he has done everything necessary to ensure it can happen.
Listen
Luke 6:20–26: Human Praise Is a Cheap Reward from 2019-06-18T13:02
Those who live for riches and the praise of man today will have hunger, mourning, and weeping tomorrow.
Luke 6:20–26: Should I Look For a Reward from God? from 2019-06-15T14:47
Do we err when we love others for the reward God offers us? No. Only those who labor for what God promises are rich enough to love others selflessly.Listen
Luke 6:20–26: How Christians Laugh from 2019-06-11T13:02
Those who follow Christ can weep now, can be poor and temporarily hated now, and yet remain wildly blessed because theirs is the coming kingdom.Listen
Luke 6:20–26: The Kind of People God Blesses from 2019-06-08T14:47
If we are Christ’s disciples — whether poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted — we are blessed.
Evidence of the New Birth: Living Out Identity in Christ from 2019-06-04T13:02
All of the New Testament commandments are a call to become in experience what we are in Christ. And what we are in Christ is a new creation.Listen
The Effort Needed to Fight Sin: Living Out Identity in Christ from 2019-06-01T14:47
The Christian’s life on earth will always be walking along the narrow path. Living for sin is easy. Following Christ requires carrying a cross daily.Listen
Be Who You Are: Living Out Identity in Christ from 2019-05-28T13:02
When we read commands and obligations, we are being summoned to become in experience what we are in Christ.
Philippians 3:11–14: Run Hard for Your Reward from 2019-05-25T14:47
We are going to win this race. We are going to get the crown. Not because we are great runners, but because Christ has made us his own.
Listen
Philippians 3:11–14: When Should I Forget My Past? from 2019-05-21T13:02
Pursue, strain forward, press on. God wants us to put all energy into making it to the end, not revisiting the life we had before we started the race.Listen
Philippians 3:11–14: The One Reason to Live from 2019-05-18T14:45
Devote your whole life to this one pursuit: attaining the fullest possible experience of Christ imaginable.
Philippians 3:11–14: Can I Really Have Assurance? from 2019-05-14T13:02
God wants to give his children the assurance that they will be saved. But not the kind of assurance that ignores the warnings along the way.Listen
Philippians 3:11–14: Does Paul Think He Could Miss the Resurrection? from 2019-05-11T14:47
The crown of life belongs to those who seek holiness, who hold fast to Christ, who finish the race. The crown of life belongs to Christians.Listen
James 4:13–16: Is God Sovereign over Evil? from 2019-05-07T13:02
We do God no favors by excusing him from being sovereign over evil. But we can steal confidence from his children that nothing happens to them without a purpose.Listen
Your Life Is a Mist: James 4:13–16 from 2019-05-04T14:47
Planning becomes sinful when we presume whatever we schedule will come to pass. Preface all of life with “If the Lord wills.”
Listen
James 1:12–15: Does God Ever Tempt Me to Sin? from 2019-04-30T13:02
God’s sovereignty means he reigns over every trial. And his love means that he intends them all for our good and his glory.
Listen
James 1:12–15: Is God Testing Me? from 2019-04-27T14:47
Don’t get discouraged if the fight against sin seems endless. The fight is necessary, the fight is winnable, and the fight will end.
Listen
Philippians 3:7–10: Suffering Can Be an Answer to Prayer from 2019-04-23T11:02
Christian, God is working in your suffering. He is working Christlikeness, working trust, working to draw you closer to himself.
Listen
Philippians 3:7–10: Where to Turn When Suffering Comes from 2019-04-20T15:47
God gives us power — not to escape or avoid suffering — but to endure suffering while looking to Christ.
Philippians 3:7–10: The Mark of a True Christian from 2019-04-16T13:02
In this life, we will suffer. And through that suffering, we will know Christ in a way nothing else can provide.
Luke 5:1–11: How a Prosperity Preacher Abuses a Verse from 2019-04-02T13:02
Prosperity preachers not only twist and mangle the Bible’s message. They twist and mangle their hearers.
2 Timothy 3:16–4:5: Why Do We Need Preaching? from 2019-03-30T16:02
We need the word of God to correct our passions, rebuke our passions, and shape our passions.
2 Timothy 3:16–4:5: Preachers Must Say Hard Things from 2019-03-26T13:02
Good preaching says hard things, calls out sin, and makes us uncomfortable, because good preaching heralds God’s word.
Listen
2 Timothy 3:16–4:5: How to Pray for Your Pastor’s Sermon from 2019-03-23T16:02
What the church needs this Sunday is God’s word — not laugh-out-loud humor, not moving stories, not news updates — God’s word.
Listen
Philippians 3:8–9: One Way to Know You’re in Christ from 2019-03-19T13:02
Faith is the experience of Christ as our surpassing worth and all else as rubbish by comparison.
Philippians 3:8–9: The Garbage We Bring to God from 2019-03-16T16:03
When we gain Christ, we get a right standing before God that depends upon Christ and not ourselves.
What Christ Might Cost You: Philippians 3:7–8 from 2019-03-12T13:02
A Christianity that never inconveniences us, never discomforts us, never costs anything, is not Christianity.
Philippians 3:2–7: Morality Minus Jesus Damns Us from 2019-03-09T16:02
We can feel safe before a holy God and boast of a sure eternity. But we cannot do that by looking to ourselves.
Philippians 3:2–7: Seven Deadly Confidences from 2019-03-05T13:02
The right parents, religious fervor, even good deeds will not save. We could have thousands of confidences, but all will fail unless it is Christ.Listen
Philippians 3:2–7: How to Live in the Flesh from 2019-03-02T16:02
We act out miracles when we do ordinary tasks — attending a work meeting, eating dinner with our family, talking to a neighbor — relying on Christ.Listen
Philippians 3:2–7: Put No Confidence in the Flesh from 2019-02-26T13:02
Paul had an impressive résumé and a lifetime’s worth of accolades — but none of them could save him, and none of them could compete with gaining Christ.Listen
Titus 2:11–14: The Christian Life Is Waiting from 2019-02-23T16:02
A longing for heaven can’t help but eclipse longings for worldly pursuits because a longing for future glory produces in us a pursuit of glory today.Listen
Titus 2:11–14: The Best (and Hardest) Life from 2019-02-19T13:02
Our hope does not rest on ourselves, our neighbors, our politicians, or our kings, but on the one and only true and coming King.
Listen
Titus 2:11–14: Cheap Grace Is No Grace from 2019-02-16T16:02
Those who say they know grace while refusing to pursue holiness do not know God’s grace as taught by Paul.
Titus 2:11–14: The Grace of God Appeared from 2019-02-12T13:02
God’s grace didn’t appear in a note from heaven telling sinners not to worry about it. God’s grace came in the person of Jesus Christ.
Listen
Genesis 50:16–21: Does God Rule over Sin? from 2019-02-09T16:02
God rules over sin, but never sins. This truth does not come from John Piper’s ideals, but from the Bible.
Acts 4:23–30: God Planned the Death of Jesus from 2019-02-05T13:02
Where was God when the worst evil in history took place? Right where he’s always been: seated on his throne, ruling over all.
Listen
Acts 4:23–30: Pray for Boldness from 2019-02-02T16:02
The silent begin to speak, the timid become courageous, the army begins to march when the church prays for boldness.
Listen
Acts 4:23–30: Sufferers Need a Sovereign God from 2019-01-29T13:02
A sovereign God reigns over suffering. Therefore, we have a place to go for help, healing, and hope.
Romans 15:18–21: Is Your Ambition in Life Christian? from 2019-01-26T16:02
We all must decide how we are going to fill the hours of our week. But how do we know what to commit to?
Romans 15:18–21: How God Uses Missionaries from 2019-01-22T13:02
Missions exists because God’s glory deserves global recognition.
Philippians 3:1–3: Has Your Belly Become Your God? from 2019-01-19T16:02
If Christ is not your treasure, you can search the whole globe and you will never find what you’re looking for.
Philippians 3:1–3: Who You Are in Christ from 2019-01-15T13:02
If you are in Christ, you have a new family, a new inheritance, a new identity.
Learn to Rejoice in Conflict: Philippians 3:1–2 from 2019-01-12T16:02
Loving others will be costly, uncomfortable, and countercultural. But he gives more grace in our times of need.
Philippians 3:1: How to Meditate on a Verse from 2019-01-08T13:02
A culture of fast food and insta-everything has nearly made biblical meditation extinct.
Colossians 1:19–20: Will Everyone Be Saved Eventually? from 2019-01-05T16:02
Does the Bible teach that atheists, members of other religions, and others who never followed Christ will be saved in the end?
Listen
Philippians 2:25–30: God Measures All Our Sorrows from 2019-01-01T13:02
We have no promise that our sorrows will go away. But we have the promise that God will give us grace to make it through.
Listen
Philippians 2:25–30: Risk Yourself for the Sake of Others from 2018-12-29T16:02
Many of us desire to genuinely love others better than we do now. But are we willing to pay the price?
Philippians 2:25–30: How to Make Decisions Biblically from 2018-12-20T13:02
Most of the decisions we make in life are not based upon direct commands from the Bible. But that does not mean we cannot make biblically informed, wise decisions.Listen
Philippians 2:25–30: A Bible Study Method for Leaders from 2018-12-18T13:02
No time spent learning how to study the Bible more faithfully is wasted.
John 3:16: Nine Promises About Eternal Life from 2018-12-13T13:02
Every temptation rendered powerless, every sickness eradicated, every tear banished — this is only the start of what eternity with God will be like.Listen
John 3:16: Don’t Believe Like Judas from 2018-12-11T13:02
Judas believed. The demons believe. And if we believe in the same way, we’ll share their fate. Faith must believe in and treasure all that God is for us in Christ.Listen
For God So Loved the World from 2018-12-08T16:02
Soldiers take bullets for one another. Parents sacrifice daily for their kids. But who dies for their enemies? God did.
Listen
Our Favorite Verse in the Bible from 2018-12-04T13:02
As a sinner, you can’t afford to ignore the good or the bad news in John 3:16.
Faith Starves Sexual Sin from 2018-12-01T16:02
Heaven will be full of sexual sinners who repented and fought against lust with God’s help. It will not be full of those who refused to fight.Listen
When You Want to Give Up from 2018-11-27T13:02
Preach God’s promises to your sadness. And keep preaching — for days, months, years, a lifetime. However long it takes.
Listen
Why We Hold on to Bitterness from 2018-11-24T16:02
How can I let go of the bitterness I still carry and treat people who hurt me better than they deserve?
Only Contentment Kills Covetousness from 2018-11-20T13:02
Our coveting problem is really a worship problem. We want what we cannot have because we believe that God is not enough.
Listen
How to Be More Patient from 2018-11-17T16:02
Whether it’s crawling through rush-hour traffic or suffering through years of loneliness, God has given us what we need to have patience.Listen
Freedom from Misplaced Shame from 2018-11-13T13:01
Not all shame is created equal. Some shame should be heeded and some shame should be defeated. Here’s how to fight misplaced shame.
Listen
What You Need to Kill Pride from 2018-11-10T16:02
Most of us have spent our lives fighting the bulletproof tanks of pride with a pea shooter. Here is what you actually need to kill it.
Listen
Nine Promises for Every Anxiety from 2018-11-06T13:02
If we fully believed what God has promised in the Bible, anxiety would have no place in our lives.
How to Love People When It’s Hard from 2018-11-03T16:02
The never-ending rewards of heaven give us never-ending reasons to love others today.
Saving Faith Is a Sin-Assassin from 2018-10-30T12:02
What does saving faith feel like? Like water to a thirsty soul. Like finding a treasure you cannot live without.
Kill Sin or Sin Will Kill You from 2018-10-27T15:02
Even though we are not saved by works, none of us will make it to heaven without actively killing our sin. Either we kill our sin or it will kill us.Listen
The Danger of Unbelief from 2018-10-23T12:02
Much is at stake in our fight against unbelief. Without love, holiness, and sin-killing, no one will see the kingdom of God.
Listen
Proverbs 26:13–16: Are You Enslaved to Laziness? from 2018-10-20T12:02
There is a comfort that heals and a comfort that kills. Do you know the difference?
Proverbs 26:7–9: How to Understand Proverbs from 2018-10-16T12:02
Give wisdom to a wise man, and he will grow wiser. Give wisdom to a fool, and he will hurt himself and others.
Philippians 2:19–24: Do You Live Worthy of the Gospel? from 2018-10-13T12:02
When pride tempts you, look to the cross. When self-pity beckons, look to the cross. When everything seems alright, look to the cross.
Listen
Philippians 2:19–24: Is Christianity About Self-Denial? from 2018-10-09T12:02
Christian self-denial constantly says “no” to that which threatens to steal joy forever.
Philippians 2:19–24: Make Others’ Interests Your Interests from 2018-10-06T12:02
Other people’s interests are our interests because other people’s interests are Christ’s interests.
Philippians 2:19–24: One Thing to Be Anxious About from 2018-10-02T12:02
Don’t be anxious about anything — except for this.
Philippians 2:19–24: Three Simple Words We Can’t Ignore from 2018-09-29T12:02
Many search for advanced steps for Bible reading but neglect a basic one: don’t skip over words. Here are three words in the Bible we cannot ignore.Listen
Philippians 2:19–24: Happy People Live for Others from 2018-09-25T12:02
The happiest people are happy when others are. The most mature love is the love that delights in others’ joy.
Philippians 2:19–24: The Others-Oriented Life from 2018-09-22T12:02
If God has placed others-oriented men and women in your life, he has done so expecting that, by his grace, you might imitate them.
Listen
How to Grow in Love for God, Part 4: How to Love God When You Don’t Feel It from 2018-09-18T12:02
Our love for God enflames when we see his beauty, remember his mercy, and feel his love.
How to Grow in Love for God, Part 3: Love for God Is a Gift from God from 2018-09-15T12:02
The gospel begins with the phrase, “but God,” because we can’t love him on our own.
How to Grow in Love for God, Part 2: How Do I Know If I Love God? from 2018-09-11T12:02
At the heart of saving faith is a love for God. But how can you know if you truly love him?
How to Grow in Love for God, Part 1: If You Do Not Love Jesus from 2018-09-08T12:02
The delightful promises of Scripture are for those who love him — and no one else.
Move: How Laziness Feeds Lust from 2018-09-04T12:02
You were not made for laziness. Many people struggle with sexual immorality because they sit around when they shouldn’t.
Listen
Enjoy: The Key Ingredient for Lasting Purity from 2018-09-01T12:02
Our greatest weapon against lust is joy in God. Our happiness in him gives us what we need to obtain lasting victory in the war for our souls.Listen
Hold On: Do Not Grow Weary in Fighting Lust from 2018-08-28T12:02
The war will be lost against lust by those who stop fighting it by the power and promises of God.
Turn: Why You Keep Falling into Sexual Sin from 2018-08-25T12:02
Saying no to lust is not enough. We must turn to a superior pleasure — the everlasting pleasure of knowing our God.
Listen
Say No: You Have Five Seconds to Kill It from 2018-08-21T12:02
Lust will kill you unless you deal it a death blow first. You usually have five seconds to act.
Avoid: The First Step to Defeating Lust from 2018-08-18T12:02
The first step to fighting lust is one too many are unwilling to make — avoid it.
What Is Lust? from 2018-08-14T12:02
Few things have destroyed more marriages, stolen more joy, or strangled more souls than lust. Do you know how to fight it?
Listen
Philippians 2:14–18: Faith Is More Precious Than Life from 2018-08-11T12:02
If we lose everything but gain Christ, we’ve lost nothing.
Philippians 2:14–18: Do Not Labor in Vain from 2018-08-07T12:02
When we finally see the Lord face to face, we want to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant,” not, “Your labor was in vain.”
Listen
Philippians 2:14–18: The Secret of Contentment from 2018-08-04T12:02
God doesn’t want his secret to contentment to stay secret. He wrote it plainly in a book.
Philippians 2:14–18: Grumble-Free for His Glory from 2018-07-31T12:02
When we set aside grumbling and complaining during hard times and take up joy in the Lord, a watching world sees stars shining in a dark world.Listen
Philippians 2:14–18: One of the Hardest Sins to Conquer from 2018-07-28T12:02
If you conquer this sin, James says you’ll be perfect, Paul says blameless, innocent, and without blemish. But it’s one of the hardest to conquer.Listen
Philippians 2:14–18: Can the Godly Grumble? from 2018-07-24T12:02
Our grumbling is not insignificant to God. When we choose contentment in the Lord over complaining, we shine as lights in the world.
Listen
Written by Man, Spoken by God from 2018-07-21T12:02
The Bible is like no other book in the history of the world. Man wrote it, but God spoke it.
How to Misinterpret the Bible from 2018-07-17T12:02
Bible studies are weakened because few believe that there are right and wrong interpretations of the Bible.
The Bible’s Meaning Never Changes from 2018-07-14T12:02
God’s word alone will stand forever. From age to age, country to country, and reader to reader, God’s truth, as revealed in Scripture, remains the same.Listen
Read to Discover Meaning, Not Create It from 2018-07-10T12:01
Those who come to a text without humility will only leave with their opinions. Those who come to the Bible to learn will leave with God’s truth.Listen
Read Every Book with Humility from 2018-07-07T12:01
Pride opens the Bible and reads without reading. Humility opens the Bible and asks God to give insight.
The Golden Rule of Bible Reading from 2018-07-03T12:01
It is considered rude when we interrupt someone while they are speaking and tell them what they really mean. We must not do this to authors either.Listen
What Does ‘Meaning’ Mean? from 2018-06-30T12:01
Great Bible study isn’t about being able to articulate how you think or feel about a text. The meaning of a text is defined by the author, not the reader.Listen
Philippians 2:12–13: If God Is Sovereign, Am I Responsible? from 2018-06-26T12:01
If you use God’s sovereignty as an excuse for passivity and laziness towards your sin, you may not be his child.
Philippians 2:12–13: You’re Not Alone in Fighting Sin from 2018-06-23T12:01
Satan works day and night to blind us to the fact that God’s children are never alone in their fight against sin.
Philippians 2:12–13: We Are Saved and Being Saved from 2018-06-19T12:01
Salvation is rooted in the past, worked out in the present, and guaranteed in the future.
Philippians 2:12–13: How Obedient Christians ‘Produce’ Salvation from 2018-06-16T12:01
If God justifies us by grace alone through faith alone, what does it mean to work out our salvation?
Philippians 2:12–13: How to Work Out Your Salvation from 2018-06-12T12:01
Obedience is neither the rock upon which our salvation rests nor the optional ribbon placed upon eternal life. It is essential. And it is empowered by God.Listen
Philippians 2:12–13: Obedience Is Not a Curse Word from 2018-06-09T12:00
To comply with God’s commands is to believe that God knows more than we do about what will ultimately make us happy.
Listen
Philippians 2:12–13: Empty Yourself to Serve Others from 2018-06-05T12:01
Christian self-denial is not truly self-denial. It is saying “no” to the lesser and impermanent for the better “yes” of eternity.
Listen
2 Corinthians 1:3–6: Give Away the Comfort You Receive from 2018-06-02T12:01
God doesn’t help us in our times of need so that we will keep it to ourselves. He comforts us so we can bring comfort to others.
Listen
2 Corinthians 1:3–6: Do You Know the God of All Comfort? from 2018-05-29T12:01
God promises rest for the weary, peace for the brokenhearted, and comfort for the restless. Do you know the God of all comfort?
Listen
Philippians 2:9–11: Is God an Egomaniac? from 2018-05-26T12:03
Christ’s work on the cross and subsequent resurrection not merely shows that he loved humanity. It proclaims that God loves his glory.
Listen
Philippians 2:9–11: You Will Bow Before Him from 2018-05-22T12:01
You have two options when it comes to Christ: submit to him joyfully now and gain your life, or submit to him begrudgingly later and lose it.Listen
Philippians 2:9–11: Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain! from 2018-05-19T12:00
You may not bow to him now. You may not bow to him next year. But a day draws near when every knee will bow before Jesus Christ.
Listen
Philippians 2:9–11: From Humiliation to Supremacy from 2018-05-15T12:01
Jesus ascended from earth to heaven, from lowliness to a throne, from humiliation to exaltation, from a cross to a crown.
Listen
Philippians 2:5–8: One Word to Describe Jesus’s Life from 2018-05-12T12:01
The Father and the Son were not in a Civil War to redeem humanity. They were in perfect harmony. The Father sent; the Son gladly went.
Listen
Philippians 2:5–8: God Became Human from 2018-05-08T12:00
God did not become an angel to save angels. But he did become fully human to save humans.
Philippians 2:5–8: Is Jesus Like-God or God? from 2018-05-05T12:03
If you see Jesus like you do Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, or Confucius, you do not know Jesus.
Philippians 2:5–8: Have the Mind of Christ from 2018-05-01T12:00
Many are willing to share in Christlikeness only as long as it doesn’t mean sacrifice. But Christlikeness led Christ to the cross.
Listen
Psalm 1:1–6: Some Pleasures Never Get Boring from 2018-04-28T12:01
Happiness that is not permanent is not a joy that is truly satisfying.
Psalm 1:4–6: The Way of the Wicked Will Perish from 2018-04-24T12:01
When you see horrendous crimes committed without adequate justice served, remember, the wicked will perish before the judgment of God.
Listen
Psalm 1:4–6: The Righteous Are Not the Perfect from 2018-04-21T12:00
“Righteousness” has a double meaning in the New Testament. Do you know what those meanings are?
Psalm 1:3: The True Prosperity Gospel from 2018-04-17T12:00
In all things, Christians prosper, because over all things, Christ reigns.
Psalm 1:3: Plant Yourself in God’s Word from 2018-04-14T12:00
Many do not blossom with the beauty of Christlikeness because they are not rooted in the word of God.
Psalm 1:2: Memorize the Bible to Maximize Your Joy from 2018-04-10T12:00
Memorizing God’s word puts heavenly treasure in the pockets of the mind and the heart.
Psalm 1:2: Do You Delight in Bible Reading? from 2018-04-07T12:00
The word of God is not merely medicine for our sickly souls. To the born-again heart, it is food for our enjoyment and drink for our soul’s delight.Listen
Psalm 1:1: How to Lose Your Happiness from 2018-04-03T12:01
Those who say they want to be happy while they still indulge in sin do not really want to be happy.
Love Delights in Another’s Joy from 2018-03-31T12:00
Love does not rest until others participate in all that we have in Christ.
Philippians 2:3–4: Short-Term Loss for Long-Term Gain from 2018-03-27T12:00
Love makes huge sacrifices for the beloved. Because the joy of the beloved is our own joy.
Philippians 2:3–4: True Humility Ends in Glory from 2018-03-24T12:00
True humility bends low in service, gives to others at a cost to self, and receives a kingdom in the end.
Psalm 127:3–5: How to Rest in Parenting from 2018-03-17T12:00
Rest in parenting will not come from getting our children to nap during the day and sleep during the night. It comes from going to Jesus with your burdens.Listen
Psalm 127:1–2: God Gives His Beloved Sleep from 2018-03-13T12:00
Jesus is not a fanatic CEO that needs you to render him anxious toil. He is a King who loves to give his beloved sleep.
Listen
Philippians 2:4: Look to the Interests of Others from 2018-03-10T01:00
Although Satan tries to persuade us otherwise, believing God when he tells us to look to others’ interests doesn’t force us to look away from our own joy.Listen
Philippians 2:3: You Are Never Too High to Serve from 2018-03-06T01:00
All whispers of “I deserve” are silenced at the foot of the cross. Go there with your pride and be set free.
Philippians 2:1–2: Diversity Makes for the Best Unity from 2018-03-03T01:00
Christian unity is not Christian uniformity. It is a beautiful painting comprised of various colors.
Philippians 2:1–2: May All Divisions Cease from 2018-02-27T01:00
Jesus did not die so that we could merely tolerate one another. He died so that we would cherish one another.
Philippians 2:1–2: Five Incentives for Christian Unity from 2018-02-24T01:00
It is biblically illogical to think we can live a life worthy of the gospel and be indifferent to Christian unity.
Mark 3:1–6: What Grieves God? from 2018-02-20T01:00
It is not for lack of compassion that men perish, but for lack of a heart that delights in the God of all compassion because of hard and rebellious hearts.Listen
Psalm 133:3: Don’t Rebuild Walls Christ Tore Down from 2018-02-17T01:01
Christ’s blood is the great adhesive that unites the church together across time, racial divides, and class distinctions.
Listen
Psalm 133:2: Christian Unity Is a Precious Gift from 2018-02-13T01:00
Unity among believers is not just a good thing or a normal thing. It is a God-given and sacred thing.
Unity Is the Church’s Perfume: Psalm 133:1 from 2018-02-10T01:00
The church is crowned with love, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and perfumed with Trinitarian unity.
Luke 18:18–27: Your Money May Keep You from Heaven from 2018-02-06T01:00
Many of us read that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God and think of millionaires. The rest of the world reads it and thinks of us.Listen
Philippians 1:28–30: One Proof That You Are Saved from 2018-02-03T01:00
Satan tells us that all suffering is a curse and proof that we are not loved by God. But God tells us it is a gift to show us our salvation.Listen
Philippians 1:27–28: Our Love Warns of God’s Wrath from 2018-01-30T01:00
Our love for one another in the face of persecution warns our opponents of the judgment to come.
Philippians 1:27–28: Stand Firm in Fearful Days from 2018-01-27T01:00
Standing firm in fearful days shows that you have promises in the gospel that death, nor loss, nor prison can steal.
Listen
Hebrews 5:7–9: How Did Jesus “Learn” Obedience? from 2018-01-23T01:02
If Jesus “learned obedience” and “was made perfect” does that mean he was ever disobedient and imperfect?
Hebrews 5:7–10: Jesus’s Prayer in His Darkest Hour from 2018-01-20T01:00
In his darkest hour, Jesus did not run from his Father, but boldly wept and cried aloud in trust before him.
Four Traits of a Life Worth Living: Philippians 1:27–28 from 2018-01-16T01:00
While the world gropes in the dark for significance, our God has told us how to live the worthy life.
Philippians 1:27–28: What Does “Gospel” Mean? from 2018-01-13T01:01
We hear the word “gospel” used all the time. But what does it actually mean?
Philippians 1:27–28: The Constitution of Heaven from 2018-01-09T01:00
If you are Christ’s, your home address is not truly your home address. Live in the here and now as a citizen of your true country: heaven.Listen
2 Corinthians 9:6–11: God Gives to Create Cheerful Givers from 2018-01-06T01:00
God is able to make all grace — not some grace — abound to you so that you may overflow in cheerful giving.
2 Corinthians 9:6–11: Do You Trust God with Your Money? from 2018-01-02T01:00
It is hard to say that we have trusted God with our lives when we do not trust him with our wallets.
2 Corinthians 9:6–11: Why Do You Give to the Church? from 2017-12-28T12:00
God doesn’t want you to begrudgingly give. He wants to satisfy you with himself so that you would give cheerfully.
Philippians 1:20–26: How Do We Get to Heaven? from 2017-12-26T12:00
God is sovereign over the ends and means of our salvation. Those who he has saved will continue to press on by the means of grace.
Listen
Luke 2:15–20: The Night Was Not Exactly Silent from 2017-12-21T12:00
The night wasn’t silent because people were spreading the good news to others. Will we join them this Christmas?
Luke 2:8–14: Unto Us a Savior Was Born from 2017-12-19T12:00
Is our Christmas more about Santa Claus and cookies or Jesus Christ and his cross?
Luke 2:1–7: God Sent His Son to a Stable from 2017-12-14T12:00
The birth of Jesus is not a Greek myth nor a vision seen by a false prophet. It is a historical reality orchestrated by the Father.
Listen
Philippians 1:20–26: Should I Always Pursue My Own Joy? from 2017-12-12T12:00
Those who make an impact in this world for Christ are those who labor for fruit and desire to be home with their Lord.
Listen
Philippians 1:20–26: Christian Hedonism Explained from 2017-12-07T12:00
It is not until a Christian is convinced that death is truly gain that he truly begins to live.
Philippians 1:20–26: To Live Is Christ from 2017-12-05T12:00
Your life will only be lived to the fullest when you’re convinced that dying and going to be with Christ is truly gain.
Listen
Philippians 1:20–26: Is Christian Hedonism in the Bible? from 2017-11-30T12:02
Joy is not optional for all those who seek to glorify God with their lives.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20: Your Body Is a Temple from 2017-11-28T12:01
The people of God are the dwelling place of God — and he cares how clean his house is.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20: God Bought Your Body from 2017-11-23T12:00
It is foolish to reason that God only cares about our theology and not how we live out that theology.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20: Flee Sexual Immorality! from 2017-11-21T12:00
Flee from sexual immorality to the Savior who holds all the joy and satisfaction you’re looking for.
1 John 1:5–10: How Do I Walk in the Light? from 2017-11-16T11:00
Walking in the light is a matter of life and death for the Christian. If we don’t walk in the light now, we won’t later.
Listen
1 John 1:5–10: Fake Christians Walk in Darkness from 2017-11-14T11:00
Fake Christians love darkness because it hides the sin that they love more than God.
Philippians 1:18–20: Honor Christ in Life or Death from 2017-11-09T11:02
The honor of our Master is more important than our dreams, our ambitions, and our very lives.
Philippians 1:18–20: Saved Through Prayer from 2017-11-07T11:03
If our theology stops us from praying for others’ salvation, we should reconsider our theology.
Philippians 1:18–20: The Happiest Book in the Bible from 2017-11-02T11:03
Pain comes, suffering invades, and tears fall. But the Christian faith is one of inescapable joy.
Philippians 1:15–18: Four Ways to Defend the Gospel from 2017-10-31T11:03
Peter charges us to be ready in season and out of season to give a defense of the hope that is in us. If asked to give a defense tomorrow, would you be ready?Listen
Philippians 1:15–18: Why Was Paul Nice to Bad Preachers? from 2017-10-04T11:00
Christians may, at times, have unchristian motives in their ministry. But they must not have a wrong gospel.
The Final Authority from 2017-10-03T00:06
Cultures change. Opinions come and go. God’s word stands forever.
To the Glory of God Alone from 2017-10-03T00:05
Tigers exist, butterflies exist, mountains exist, forests exist, music exists, humans exist, the solas exist, everything ultimately exists for the glory of God alone. Listen
Are the Five Solas in the Bible? Part 4: Through Faith Alone from 2017-10-03T00:04
A sinner is justified by faith alone or he is not justified at all.
Are the Five Solas in the Bible? Part 3: In Christ Alone from 2017-10-03T00:02
Muhammad will not save you. Buddha will not save you. Mary will not save you. The Pope will not save you. Parents, president, and yoga pose will not save you. Christ alone!Listen
Are the Five Solas in the Bible? Part 2: By Grace Alone from 2017-10-03T00:01
God’s grace alone makes the blind see, the lame walk, the dead live, and the sinner saved.
What Are the Five Solas? Are the Five Solas in the Bible? Part 1 from 2017-10-03T00:00
In an age of corruption and false teaching, the Protestant Reformers returned to the Scriptures.
Philippians 1:15–18: Do You Proclaim Christ from Envy? from 2017-09-26T11:01
Envy of other Christians makes us suspicious of their gifts and ungrateful for our own. But because of Christ, we need not live or minister from rivalry.Listen
Philippians 1:12–14: Conquer Fear by Seeing God from 2017-09-21T11:00
What will make the timid speak, the cowardly stand, and the weak strong? Belief in their God.
Philippians 1:12–14: Prosperity Preachers from 2017-09-19T11:01
Prosperity preachers would rob us of the opportunity to show the world that Christ is truly worth suffering and dying for.
Listen
Philippians 1:12–14: Suffering Can Advance the Gospel from 2017-09-14T11:01
Bullets can stop pastors. Shackles can stop missionaries. But nothing can stop the gospel.
Ephesians 5:22–32: The Meaning of Marriage from 2017-09-12T11:01
Marriage is a parable of the gospel, telling of Christ’s unrelenting love for his bride.
Philippians 1:9–11: Holiness Will Make You Happy from 2017-09-07T11:00
You will never grow in holiness until you see that the ultimate essence of evil is the refusal to be happy in God.
Proverbs 22:13: How to Milk a Text Through Meditation from 2017-09-05T11:43
Bible study without meditation is chewing without swallowing. When we recover the lost art, we will experience more joy in God and his word.Listen
Philippians 1:9–11: God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life from 2017-08-31T11:00
People say that God has a wonderful plan for their lives, often meaning that God will help them achieve their dreams. But God’s plans are far superior to our own.Listen
Philippians 1:9–11: I Don’t Feel Blameless, Am I? from 2017-08-29T11:00
Being blameless for the day of Christ doesn’t mean that we lived perfectly. It means that we lived a life hating our sin, seeking holiness, and trusting in Christ.Listen
Philippians 1:9–11: Learn to Delight in Excellence from 2017-08-24T11:00
Our neighborhoods need men and women who delight in beauty not pornography, excellence not crudity, Christ and not the world.
Listen
Philippians 1:9–11: Should I Tell Someone I Pray for Them? from 2017-08-22T11:00
If Jesus tells us to go and pray to our heavenly Father in secret, should I ever tell others that I am praying for them?
Listen
Philippians 1:7–8: A Strange Evidence of Saving Faith from 2017-08-17T11:00
When God saves someone, he not only gives them a new love for himself, but a new love for his people.
Revelation 22:3–5: Will There Be Slaves in Heaven? from 2017-08-15T11:00
Slavery is a haunting skeleton in the closet of many nations of the world. But doesn’t the Bible say there will be slaves in heaven?
Listen
Philippians 1:6: Ask God to Do What He Promises from 2017-08-10T11:00
God does not save us and send us to the couch. God calls his people to work out their salvation with fear and trembling and sends them out into a lost world.Listen
2 Chronicles 30:1–12: Do My Actions Affect God’s Plans? from 2017-08-08T11:02
Man’s will changes God’s plans like a gentle breeze changes the mountain.
Philippians 1:6: God Finishes What He Begins from 2017-08-03T11:00
God didn’t get his people part way out of Egypt or halfway through the Red Sea. Our God completes what he begins.
John 13:8–11: Fight Sin as a Sinless Person from 2017-08-01T11:00
We cannot fight sin with our hands tied in condemnation. Only when Christ has set us free can we truly conquer our sin.
Listen
Acts 4:27–28: Is God Sovereign over My Sin? from 2017-07-27T11:00
Bombs explode. Wars rage. Adultery devastates. With so much wickedness in the world, can we really say that God rules over everything?
Listen
Philippians 1:6: We Will Finish for He Is Faithful from 2017-07-25T11:00
Grace has brought us safe thus far, and grace will bring us home.
Philippians 1:6: The Most Important Day of Your Life from 2017-07-20T11:00
A day is drawing near that will swallow up all other days. Great days, bad days, slow days, fast days all lead unfailingly to judgment day.Listen
Praise God for Answered Prayers from 2017-07-18T11:00
Christians are robbed of help and God is robbed of praise when we are too proud to ask others for prayer.
Hebrews 12:1–2: For the Joy Set Before Him from 2017-07-13T11:00
Anyone who tells us that following Jesus is easy doesn’t know what it means to follow him. The way is hard, but the path leads to life.
Listen
The Bible Will Teach You How to Think from 2017-07-11T13:00
Digging for treasure is harder than raking leaves. But those who aren’t afraid of callouses can find spiritual diamonds in God’s word.
Listen
Was Jesus Just a Teacher? from 2017-07-06T13:00
Many respect Jesus as a good moral teacher like Gandhi or Socrates. But the Jesus of the Bible will not allow you to make that claim.
Listen
Philippians 1:3–5: Thank God for Gospel Friendships from 2017-07-04T11:00
Few relationships in this life compare with gospel friendships. Better to have one Christ-centered companion than one million followers on social media.Listen
Philippians 1:2: You Still Need Grace and Peace from 2017-06-29T11:00
We may outgrow childhood clothes and car seats, but as children of God, we never outgrow our need for grace and peace.
Listen
Philippians 1:1: Whom Does God Want to Govern His Church? from 2017-06-27T11:00
Kingdoms need a king. Children need parents. Sheep need shepherds. The Church needs servant leaders that point them to their King, Father, and Shepherd. Listen
Philippians 1:1: Is Every Christian a Saint? from 2017-06-22T11:00
Sainthood is not a trophy for the spiritually elite to win. It’s a free gift that every child of God receives.
Philippians 1:1: Do You Serve God or Man? from 2017-06-20T11:00
Slavery has horrible connotations in our day — and for good reason. But servitude to God gives life instead of taking it away.
Listen
The Good News of Christianity: Do You Know How to Be Saved? from 2017-06-15T13:57
The beggar and the prince, the African and the Asian, the wise man and the simpleton can all be saved by trusting in Jesus Christ.
Listen
The Good News of Christianity: Do You Know What God Has Done for You? from 2017-06-13T11:01
If you believe that the greatest thing that God has done for you is provide food for your table and health for your family, you are not a Christian.Listen
The Good News of Christianity : Do You Know That You Were Born Dead? from 2017-06-08T11:01
It would be better to be born at the base of an erupting volcano than to be born spiritually dead.
The Good News of Christianity: Do You Know Your Greatest Problem? from 2017-06-06T11:01
Your biggest problem is not your old car, your mundane job, or your broken family. Your biggest problem is your sin.
Listen
The Good News of Christianity: Do You Know How to Find Joy? from 2017-06-01T11:00
Everyone wants a happily-ever-after, but few people are willing to give up sin and autonomy to get it.
The Good News of Christianity: Do You Know Why You Were Made? from 2017-05-30T11:00
We can’t live meaningful lives if we don’t know why we were created. If we think God merely made us to be wealthy, healthy, and happy, we don’t know why he made us.Listen
Mark 8:34–38: Being Ashamed of Jesus Is Deadly from 2017-05-25T13:03
If no one in your life knows you are a Christian, you probably aren’t one. Heaven is only for those who were unashamed of their Savior on earth.Listen
Mark 8:34–38: You Can’t Buy a Soul Out of Hell from 2017-05-23T13:00
Satan loves to remind us of all that we are missing out on if we follow Christ — except for hell.
Mark 8:34–38: Save Your Life by Losing It from 2017-05-18T13:03
The great irony: those who love their lives will lose it forever, while those who lose their lives will gain it. Death with Jesus offers more life than any luxury in this world.Listen
Mark 8:34–38: What Does It Mean to Take Up Our Cross? from 2017-05-16T13:00
Following Jesus is not like following someone on Instagram. It doesn’t involve making a click; it involves taking up a cross.
Listen
Proverbs 26:4–5: How to See Jesus in Proverbs from 2017-05-11T13:00
The book of Proverbs is not a collection of fortune-cookie like wisdom. It’s a book available only through the person and work of Jesus Christ.Listen
Proverbs 26:4–5: Four Ways to Become Wise from 2017-05-09T13:00
Wisdom is not something for the academic elite. It’s necessary for everyone who desires to follow God and live a joy-filled life.
Listen
Matthew 6:22–23: God over Money from 2017-05-04T13:00
Loving money over God is soul-suicide. Those who love money over God will be eternally poor, but those who love God over money will own the universe.Listen
Psalm 8: We Will Reign with the Risen Christ from 2017-05-02T13:00
Combine all the authority that kings, presidents, and dictators have had throughout history, and it pales in comparison to Christians ruling with Christ in the world to come.Listen
Psalm 8: Does Man Still Have Dominion? from 2017-04-27T13:00
Mosquitos kill millions, massive floods destroy cities, earthquakes destroy countries. With the chaos of creation harming us, do humans really have dominion?Listen
Psalm 8: Majesty in Meekness from 2017-04-25T13:00
God conquers his foes by weak babies and rules the world with weak men. He is more likely to use your weaknesses for his glory than your strengths.Listen
Psalm 8: God Wages War Through Our Weakness from 2017-04-20T13:00
God conquers his foes with babies and rules his world through the frailty of man, all to demonstrate the splendors of his majesty.
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Romans 8:18–23: Suffering Exposes Our Sin from 2017-04-18T13:00
Wars rage, cancer lingers, and suffering remains so that we all might know how horrible sin really is.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18: Suffering Prepares Us to Enjoy God from 2017-04-13T13:00
For God’s children, all suffering is light compared to the weight of the glory coming, and all affliction is temporary compared to eternal bliss.Listen
Hebrews 12:6–11: Suffering Conforms Us to Christ from 2017-04-11T13:00
Satan loves to lie to us in our suffering. He tells us that God must be against us if he would allow us to experience pain, the experience of discipline really proves that we are children.
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2 Corinthians 1:8–9: Suffering Makes Us Depend on God from 2017-04-06T13:00
If you who are evil know how to embrace your children when they cry, how much more will your heavenly Father embrace those who run to him in their pain?Listen
Luke 13:1–5: Suffering Brings Us to Repentance from 2017-04-04T13:00
When we suffer, we often cast ourselves as the victims. When Jesus was asked about suffering, he called a world of sinners to repent.
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Revelation 4:10–11: How to Rejoice in Revelation from 2017-03-30T13:00
The final chapter in any book is often the best, and yet many Christians do not rejoice in Revelation because it can be hard to understand. In this lab, Pastor John helps us read the last pages of ...
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How to Read Revelation: Revelation 4:10–11 from 2017-03-28T13:00
Revelation can be difficult to interpret. In this lab, Pastor John illustrates how to begin to understand the symbols, and apply them to life today.Listen
Ephesians 6:23–24: Can Our Love Be Corrupted? from 2017-03-23T13:00
We can lose our love for one another. One comment, one moment, one interaction can put out the flame of our affection. But can our love for God be extinguished?Listen
1 Peter 1–5: 1 Peter in 1 Sentence from 2017-03-21T13:00
Every Christian tastes and sees that God is good. Then we suffer and witness to a dying world, hoping that they might taste and see the same.Listen
1 Peter 5:13–14: God’s Grace Creates a Family from 2017-03-16T13:00
Heartache, brokenness, and death may mark our biological families, but God’s grace creates a new family that death, disease, and disaster cannot shake. Listen
1 Peter 5:12: Stand Firm in Grace from 2017-03-14T13:00
The grace of God meets us more faithfully than the morning and strengthens us more ardently than our daily bread. We rest, labor, and stand firm in grace.Listen
1 Peter 5:12: We Get Grace, God Gets Glory from 2017-03-09T13:00
God’s grace turns rebels into citizens, orphans into children, an adulteress into a sinless bride. We receive the grace, he receives the glory.
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1 Peter 5:10–11: How Long Must I Suffer? from 2017-03-07T13:00
Our suffering can be so severe that all we can say is, “How long, oh Lord?” In those moments, God gently responds with, “Just a little while longer.”
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1 Peter 5:10: The God of Amazing Grace from 2017-03-02T13:00
God’s grace is amazing because God is. His tenderness and compassion avalanche upon us from the peaks of his steadfast love and mercy. 
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1 Peter 5:8–10: How to Fight the Devil from 2017-02-28T13:00
As Christians, we have often been trained to fight pride, lust, anxiety, laziness, and other sins. But do we know how to war with Satan?Listen
1 Peter 5:8–9: Can Satan Devour Christians? from 2017-02-23T13:00
Satan is a fierce predator. He has devoured souls of men and women, children and the elderly. He hates none more than Christians. Can he destroy them?Listen
1 Peter 5:8–9: Kept by God Day by Day from 2017-02-21T13:00
The grace of God saves us. The grace of God frees us. The grace of God enslaves us. The grace of God keeps us.
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1 Peter 5:8: Stay Alert Against Satan from 2017-02-16T13:00
While the world sings sweet lullabies to try and destroy us, God calls us to joyful wakefulness. Our eternity hangs on how we respond.
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1 Timothy 2:15: How Are Women Saved Through Childbearing? from 2017-02-14T13:00
Women are saved by faith in Christ. In what sense then, according to 1 Timothy 2:15, are they saved through childbirth?
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1 Peter 5:7–9: Are You a Passive Christian? from 2017-02-09T13:00
The Bible is serious about two realities: God cares for, saves, and protects his people, and his people need to be alert, active, and aggressive against Satan and sin.Listen
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety from 2017-02-07T13:00
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does?Listen
Romans 5:20–6:2: Do I Have Any Righteousness of My Own? from 2017-02-02T13:00
Righteousness is a big deal for every single person on the planet. In this lab, John Piper shows why Jesus being perfect on our behalf does not free us from pursuing perfection.Listen
1 Peter 5:6–7: Four Reasons God Hates Pride from 2017-01-31T13:00
Pride not only multiplies the weight of our anxieties, but makes our loving Creator, our honorable King, our gracious God into our omnipotent enemy.Listen
1 Peter 5:5: Clothe Yourself in Humility Daily from 2017-01-26T13:00
The world scratches and fights each other in order to be exalted. The church joyfully submits to each other in order to exalt their King.Listen
1 Peter 5:4: Does God Reward Pastors? from 2017-01-24T13:00
Does God reward pastors for their service? And if so, doesn’t that contaminate the pure aims of loving others?
1 Peter 5:2–3: How Not to Lead a Church from 2017-01-19T13:00
The world’s CEOs often are ambitious, stern, and overworked. The church’s leaders need to be happy, holy, and humble.
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1 Peter 5:1: Practice What You Preach from 2017-01-17T13:00
Pastors cannot be men who preach what others should practice, but do not practice what they preach.
Acts 16:19–31: What to Do When God Is Silent from 2017-01-12T13:00
Silence from family and friends is one thing, silence from God is another. But no matter how hard it is, we must trust that he is working all things for our good.
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Acts 13:48: The Chosen Choose God from 2017-01-10T13:00
If God has not redeemed you, nothing will make you choose God over your sin. If God has chosen you, no scheme of Satan can keep you from choosing him.Listen
Acts 13:48: Unconditional Election from 2017-01-05T13:00
Unconditional election means that God chose his people without them first meeting any conditions. God’s choice does not depend on our works, faith, or beauty, but rather his choice creates each in ...
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Lamentations 5:21: God, Bring Me Back to You from 2017-01-03T13:00
When our thoughts have been unruly, our hearts hard, our deeds despicable, when we teeter from the devastation of sin and straddle the precipice of hell, cry out to God for mercy.Listen
1 Peter 4:12–19: Six Parts of a Christian Worldview from 2016-12-29T13:00
All thoughts are not created equal, all opinions are not valid, and no worldview matters but God’s.
1 Peter 4:19: Christians Never Need Revenge from 2016-12-27T13:00
While the world threatens, the Christian serves. As the world imprisons, the Christian prays. When the world does evil, the Christian does good.
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Luke 1:26–38: Seven Reasons to Worship on Christmas from 2016-12-24T13:00
The baby lay in the manger and the man hung on the cross, that by his life and death we would be free to enjoy God forever.
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Matthew 1:18–25: What Makes Christmas Merry? from 2016-12-22T13:00
When a Christian Hedonist says, “Merry Christmas,” he means much more than a warm holiday with friends and family.
God’s Miraculous Conception: Matthew 1:18–21 from 2016-12-20T13:00
How Jesus Christ came to lay in the cradle, has massive implications for what he did on the cross.
Saved Through the Fire of Suffering: 1 Peter 4:17–18 from 2016-12-15T13:00
Although the world may send us into its furnace for not bowing our knees, we know that the Son of God is with us in the flames.
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Christian, Your Suffering Is Not Eternal: 1 Peter 4:17 from 2016-12-13T13:00
No matter how bad your sufferings are in this life, rejoice that they can only cut so deep and last for so long.
1 Peter 4:17: God Is Working in Your Suffering from 2016-12-08T13:00
It’s hard to hear in the moment that God is sovereign over our suffering, but in the long run it makes all the difference.
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1 Peter 4:17: How Will Christians Be Judged? from 2016-12-06T12:00
If the Father judged Jesus on our behalf, doesn’t that mean that we won’t be?
Unashamed: 1 Peter 4:16 from 2016-12-01T13:00
We know we should never be ashamed of Jesus. But when that coworker asks, or that relative puts us on the spot, we can be slow to own the name Christian.
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1 Peter 4:15: Mind Your Own Business from 2016-11-29T13:00
Non-believers often tell Christians to mind their own business. They may be more right than we might think.
1 Peter 4:15: Do You Suffer Because of Your Sin? from 2016-11-24T13:00
The cross defangs the fatal bite of sin — but it can still have devastating consequences. Don't consider yourself to be a martyr when you suffer because of your sin. Listen
1 Peter 4:14: Would I Be Able to Endure Persecution? from 2016-11-22T13:00
We read stories about Christians being horrifically persecuted for their love of Christ. We marvel at their endurance and secretly wonder: if I were in their place, would I endure? Listen
1 Peter 4:13: Suffer for the Joy Set Before You from 2016-11-17T13:00
For the joy set before him, Jesus endured suffering. For the joy set before us, we must also.
1 Peter 4:12: Is Persecution Coming for Christians? from 2016-11-15T13:00
Jesus was persecuted. Many in the early church were persecuted. Many Christians today are persecuted. You also will be persecuted.
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Jeremiah 12:1: Can a Christian Complain to God? from 2016-11-10T14:00
God invites us to cast our cares upon him because he cares for us. How can we do that honestly and yet not complain in a way that dishonors him?Listen
Galatians 1:3–5 : Do You Feel God’s Grace and Peace? from 2016-11-08T13:00
Those who know the horrors of war are thankful for peace. Those who understand justice get excited about grace. Christian, grace and peace are yours.Listen
1 Peter 4:11: Do Your Gifts Glorify You or God? from 2016-11-03T13:00
God gives gifts to his people to bless others. If you want to glorify God: steward your gifts, speak God’s words, and serve with God’s strength.Listen
1 Peter 4:10–11 : Serve In God’s Strength, Not Yours from 2016-11-01T13:00
When we speak, we speak in God’s power and with God’s words. When we serve, we serve in his power and point to his glory.
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2 Corinthians 3:15–18: How Can I Change? from 2016-10-27T13:00
Sin is a sticky, entangling web that traps and blinds those who live in it. But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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1 Peter 4:10: What Is a Spiritual Gift? from 2016-10-25T13:00
Spiritual gifts do not lift us above others, they empower us to lower ourselves in the service of others.
1 Peter 4:10: Your Gifts Are Meant for Others from 2016-10-20T13:00
Birthday gifts have your name on them because they are meant for you. God’s new-birth gift has your name on it but is meant for others.
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Seeing Is Believing: 2 Corinthians 4:6–7 from 2016-10-18T13:00
The God who spoke light into the world speaks light into our souls, opening our blind eyes and dawning new affections for him.
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1 Peter 4:9: What Grumbling Says About God from 2016-10-13T13:00
Few can endure being around grumblers. Heaven forbid that Christians, inheritors of the world, would be called complainers.
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1 Peter 4:9: How to Be More Hospitable from 2016-10-11T13:00
People can annoy us with their needs. Our selfishness transforms loved ones into inconveniences. But God calls us to more than begrudging hospitality. Listen
1 Peter 4:8: Only Love Can Cover Sin from 2016-10-06T13:00
Others’ sin confronts us daily, and daily we must choose how to respond to it. Denial dismisses their sin, indifference ignores it, anger attacks it, bitterness buries it — love alone covers it.
Romans 11:33–36 : From Him, Through Him, To Him from 2016-10-04T13:00
Psychologists cannot counsel him. Philosophers cannot instruct him. Billionaires cannot add to his treasures. He owns all, funds all, receives all. To him be praise forevermore.Listen
1 Peter 4:7: A Lifeline for the Weak and Weary from 2016-09-29T13:00
The world as we know it passes away, we must then be people who watch and pray.
1 Peter 4:7: Think Hard on Your Way to Heaven from 2016-09-27T13:00
Sexuality, worldliness, Netflix, and all kinds of distractions compete daily for our thoughts. We cannot give our minds over to the enemy — we must think hard to the glory of God. Listen
1 Peter 4:7: Are We Living in the Last Days? from 2016-09-22T13:00
We live in a peculiar age: battles rage but the war is won, spring dawns and summer looms, Christ came and is coming back.
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Psalm 19:12–13 : Lord, Keep Me from Sin from 2016-09-20T13:00
Even as Christians, sin still lingers in our shadow. How do we pray for the light of God’s grace to expel our darkness? 
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1 Peter 4:6: Is There Any Hope for the Dead? from 2016-09-15T13:00
The Bible says that the gospel was “preached to the dead” (1 Peter 4:6). Does this mean that someone can hear the gospel and repent after death?Listen
1 Peter 4:5: God Will Deal with Your Enemies from 2016-09-13T13:00
Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but how can we when real injustice is committed against us?
1 Thessalonians 3:11–13: What Does It Mean to Be Holy? from 2016-09-08T13:00
Without holiness you will not see the Lord. Without knowing what holiness means you may never attain it. So what does it really mean to be holy?Listen
1 Corinthians 15:58: Labor for the Lord Is Never Lost from 2016-09-06T13:00
With calloused hands and sweaty brow, the Christian rests knowing that his labor in Christ is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 3:21–23 : A Proven Recipe for Humility from 2016-09-01T13:00
Pride is a recipe for disaster. But God's luscious logic cooks the cuisine of humility.
1 Peter 3:21–22: Does Baptism Save You? from 2016-08-30T13:00
“Baptism now saves you?” What in the world does 1 Peter 3:21 mean? 
1 Peter 4:3–4 : Show the World a Life Worth Living from 2016-08-25T13:00
The Christian life is truly worth living. Following Jesus gives us the opportunity to show a dying world what real life looks like.
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1 Peter 4:3–4: You Have Sinned Enough Already from 2016-08-23T13:00
You’ve given your sins room and board for long enough. Evict them and follow Jesus into the light.
1 Peter 4:2: Do You Want What God Wants? from 2016-08-18T13:00
We can live for our will or God’s will, or we could have our passions so transformed that we need not choose between the two.
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1 John 2:18–19 : Who Are the Antichrists? from 2016-08-16T13:00
The apostle John tells us that many antichrists are in the world. What value is there in learning about them?
Arm Yourself to Battle Satan: 1 Peter 4:1 from 2016-08-11T13:00
The enemy’s flaming darts and God’s Great Commission make spiritual warfare unavoidable, and spiritual pacifism suicidal. So, how do we arm ourselves for combat? Listen
Christ Died to Make Us Dead to Sin: 1 Peter 4:1 from 2016-08-09T13:00
Christ did not die to domesticate your sin and make it your pet. His death took the monster out back and killed it. 
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1 John 2:19: Can a True Christian Fall Away from God? from 2016-08-04T13:00
Once saved, always saved? If so, how do we explain friends, family, and even church leaders who walk away from the faith?
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1 Peter 3:19–20: How Do You Decrypt Confusing Bible Verses? from 2016-08-02T13:00
Finding spiritual gems in the Bible is hard work. How do we dig into a verse when we don’t know what it means?
Micah 7:7–9: How to Rise After We Fall into Sin from 2016-07-28T13:00
Our hearts break when we repay God’s faithfulness, kindness, and love with sin. What should we do after our spiritual adultery has left us broken, guilty, and distant from God?Listen
Romans 15:8–9 : Why Did Jesus Come Into the World? from 2016-07-26T13:00
Jesus is the only human who ever chose to be born, so why did he come? The Bible’s answer may not be the same as yours.
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Philippians 4:6–7: The Heart of Fearless Contentment from 2016-07-21T13:00
In this lab, Pastor John teaches us how to cultivate fearless faith.
Philippians 4:6–7 : Do Not Be Anxious About Anything from 2016-07-19T13:00
Anxiety hangs over many of our heads like a dark cloud. How do we break free from the fears and worries that follow us everywhere we go?Listen
Deuteronomy 33:26–27 : Mine God’s Poetry for God’s Beauty from 2016-07-14T13:00
Some of the most beautiful aspects of who God is and what he does are buried in poetry in the Bible. Do we skip over it?
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Isaiah 41:10: Are the Old Testament Promises Made to Us? from 2016-07-12T13:00
Did God bury promises to you in the Old Testament? Many of us apply Israel’s promises to ourselves today — but should we? 
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A.P.T.A.T.: Practical Steps to Walk by Faith from 2016-07-07T13:00
What does it mean to walk by faith? Here are five steps for whatever temptation, challenge, or heartache you are facing.
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1 Peter 3:18: Does the Bible Contradict Itself? from 2016-07-05T13:00
Certain verses in the Bible seem to contradict others. What should we do when come to one of those verses?
1 Thessalonians 5:9–11: Prepare Your Heart for Cancer from 2016-06-28T13:00
More than a third of you will have cancer at some point in life. Do you have a few verses to cling to when the diagnosis comes?
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Do You Want God More Than Anything? 1 Peter 3:18 from 2016-06-23T13:00
If you only believe in Jesus to get out of hell, you are not a Christian. True Christians want to be forgiven because the forgiven get to be with God.Listen
Psalm 100: How Can We Obey from the Heart? from 2016-06-21T13:00
The hardest commands in the Bible are not the commands to serve, to abstain, or to forgive. They’re the commands to feel. How do we rejoice when we don’t feel any joy?Listen
Psalm 100: The Keys to Knowing How to Live from 2016-06-16T13:00
Some Christians who know the most, love and do the least. So how exactly does right thinking move through our hearts to right feeling and doing?Listen
1 Peter 3:17: Does God Will Sin Done Against Us? from 2016-06-14T13:00
We all carry wounds inflicted by others — the father who abandoned us, the friend who betrayed us, or the co-worker who lied about us. What part does God play in our pain?Listen
1 Peter 3:15–16: Should We Want to Shame Unbelievers? from 2016-06-09T13:00
When the world mocks and despises us for our faith, we often want to lash back. God has a better way of shaming those who abuse his followers. Listen
1 Peter 3:15–16: Cleanse Your Conscience of Guilt from 2016-06-07T13:00
Guilt over sin makes quiet Christians who are full of shame. How can we cleanse our conscience so that we share more boldly?
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1 Peter 3:15: Can You Defend Your Hope in Christ? from 2016-06-02T13:00
All Christians know non-Christians. Whether with co-workers, spouses, parents, or acquaintances, a critical question faces us daily: How do I give a defense for my faith?Listen
1 Peter 3:14–15: Treasure Jesus More Than Safety from 2016-05-31T13:00
With terrorism, political instability, and social unrest, much of our culture is given to fear and anxiety. In the face of such realities, should Christians fear the things that the world does?
James 3:17–18: What Does It Mean to Meditate? from 2016-05-26T13:00
Do you ever stop to meditate on the Bible? Do you even know what it means to meditate? Here’s a model to help you slow down and really think while you read.Listen
1 Peter 3:14–15: Does Anyone Ever Ask About Your Hope? from 2016-05-24T13:00
When was the last time you were asked about your hope in Christ? The world will only ask us when they see something in us dramatically different from themselves.Listen
1 Peter 3:14: How Does God Bless the Hurting? from 2016-05-19T13:00
God promises to bless Christians who suffer while living faithfully for his glory, whatever that suffering may be. But what is the blessing, and how does it come?Listen
1 Peter 3:13: Would a Sovereign God Ever Harm Us? from 2016-05-17T13:00
If you are Christ’s, no one in this world can ultimately harm you. They can only serve God’s good purposes for you and bring you greater blessing.Listen
1 Peter 3:10–12: The Key to Enjoying Your Life from 2016-05-12T12:00
Jesus did not die only to ransom you from hell. He died to ransom you from wasting your life here on earth.
1 Peter 3:9–12: Love Your Enemies for Your Own Sake from 2016-05-10T13:00
Should Christians be motivated by blessing when we love our enemies? And if we should be, how is that not works-based righteousness?
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Colossians 2:13–14: The Heart of the Christian Faith from 2016-05-05T13:00
How would you describe the core of the Christian faith? Do you have a place you would turn in the Bible? Here are two verses that give us the good news.Listen
1 Peter 3:8–9, Part 3: Those Who Suffer Receive a Blessing from 2016-04-26T15:10
How does our future inheritance in heaven help us suffer well? The answer is one key to loving those who wrong and mistreat us.
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1 Peter 3:8–9, Part 2: How Do We Obey Commands to Feel? from 2016-04-26T14:00
We do not have immediate control over our feelings, so how do we obey commands to feel? Here are five places to start in pursuing changes in your personality.Listen
1 Peter 3:8–9, Part 1: Bless Those Who Revile You from 2016-04-26T13:00
We know we are supposed to love our enemies, to bless those who curse or revile us, but how do we do that? Where does that kind of heart and response come from? Listen
Psalm 67: God Blesses You to Bless the World from 2016-04-21T13:00
Why does God love and bless his undeserving children like he does? These seven verses unlock several reasons, including one that should shape the direction and purpose of your life.Listen
2 Timothy 2:8–10, Part 3: Election Gives Evangelism Power from 2016-04-19T13:00
If God chooses some for salvation, why do we risk our lives to share the gospel? God’s sovereignty does not replace human effort in ministry; it fills it with power.Listen
2 Timothy 2:8–10, Part 2: The Gospel Triumphs Through Suffering from 2016-04-14T13:00
“The word of God is not bound.” Does that mean the word can work and spread apart from workers willing to suffer for it?
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2 Timothy 2:8–10, Part 1: Remember Jesus in All You Do from 2016-04-12T13:00
How often do you think about Jesus throughout the day? If we really understood what the Bible says about this Savior and King, he would come to mind much more often.Listen
1 Peter 3:7, Part 4: Your Prayers Hang on Your Marriage from 2016-03-29T13:00
The Bible says that the way a man treats his wife might interfere with his prayer life. Is God not listening to you because you’re not listening to her?Listen
1 Peter 3:7, Part 3: Your Wife Is an Heir of the Universe from 2016-03-24T13:00
If your wife loves Jesus, you are living with a queen of the universe, an heir of infinite glory. You should be amazed that you get to live with her.Listen
1 Peter 3:7, Part 2: Honor Your Wife as the Weaker Vessel from 2016-03-22T13:00
Peter calls wives the weaker vessel. Is that out-dated analysis, offensive sexisim, or just generally true? The right answer will help men honor women well.
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1 Peter 3:7, Part 1: Love Your Wife for the Lord’s Sake from 2016-03-17T14:00
Husbands are called to love their wives differently than wives love their husbands, but not completely differently. For instance, husbands submit in marriage, too.Listen
John 11:1–6, Part 3: God’s Love Allows Pain and Loss from 2016-03-15T14:00
If Jesus loved Lazarus enough to let him die, what can we learn from this about love? Here are three important principles for how we should love one another.Listen
John 11:1–6, Part 2: Why Did Jesus Let Lazarus Die? from 2016-03-10T14:00
Jesus loved Lazarus, and Jesus let Lazarus die. Is that possible? Love does not always look like what we expect.
John 11:1–6, Part 1: How Do We Read the Bible’s Stories? from 2016-03-08T00:00
The New Testament letters are some of most straightforward books in the Bible to interpret and apply. Should we read the other parts of the Bible, like the stories, differently?Listen
1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 5: Husbands Should Be Heads, Not Idols from 2016-03-03T14:00
Submission is a controversial and sensitive subject in our society. As we define what it is, it is just as important for us to clarify what it is not.Listen
1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 4: Holy Women Are Fueled by Hope from 2016-03-01T14:00
Underneath a wife’s submission to her husband must be the anchor of fearless hope in God. Where does that come from and where do we see it?Listen
1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 3: Beauty Is Not in Makeup or Clothing from 2016-02-25T14:00
Women have often been deceived into thinking that beauty is about how they look or what they wear. But God defines beauty very differently.Listen
1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 2: The Saving Power of a Fearless Wife from 2016-02-23T14:00
What hope does a wife have of saving her husband? In this lab, John Piper explains how fearlessness and purity might make all the difference for her husband’s faith.Listen
1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 1: To Wives with Unbelieving Husbands from 2016-02-18T14:00
Some women are exiles within their own marriage. They want to follow Jesus, but their husbands have rejected the gospel they love.
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2 Timothy 2:8–13: Saved by Grace, But Not Without War from 2016-02-16T14:00
Nobody who has been saved by Jesus will ever lose their salvation. But there’s a war still being waged for your soul, and you must fight to make it to glory.Listen
1 Peter 2:21–25, Part 2: By His Wounds You Have Been Healed from 2016-02-11T13:51
When Jesus went to the cross, he bore our condemnation and purchased our healing. This lab explains what kind of healing and transformation we experience.Listen
1 Peter 2:21–25, Part 1: Jesus Suffered to Keep You from Sinning from 2016-02-09T14:00
Jesus promised us that his followers would suffer unjustly for bearing his name. In this lab, John Piper explains how we return good for evil, even when it seems like evil is winning.Listen
Proverbs 22:17–19, Part 3: God’s Bigger Purpose for Proverbs from 2016-02-04T14:00
You probably know the book of Proverbs as a collection of practical advice for God’s people. Proverbs itself, though, defines its purpose in a deeper, more significant way.Listen
Proverbs 22:17–19, Part 2: Fix Your Eyes and Heart on the Bible from 2016-02-02T14:00
Our Bible reading is about much more than reading. In this lab, John Piper highlights two major principles for getting the most out of your time in God’s word.Listen
Proverbs 22:17–19, Part 1: Enjoy, Apply, and Share from 2016-01-28T14:00
Proverbs is one of the most ruthlessly practical books in the whole Bible. In this lab, John Piper breaks down several lines, asking what they mean and how they relate to each other. Listen
2 Timothy 2:11–13: If We Are Faithless, He Remains Faithful? from 2016-01-26T14:00
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful.” In this lab, John Piper asks whether this popular phrase was written to be a comfort or a warning.Listen
1 Peter 2:18–20, Part 3: God Will Reward Every Wrong Endured from 2016-01-21T14:00
Jesus says that those who follow him will suffer. In this lab, John Piper uncovers the promise that God will one day make every wrong right.Listen
1 Peter 2:18–20, Part 2: Trust God When You Are Mistreated from 2016-01-19T10:00
What happens when someone is mistreated for doing good? In this lab, John Piper teaches us how to respond to and endure injustice.
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1 Peter 2:18–20, Part 1: Slaves, Obey Your Masters from 2016-01-14T16:00
Slavery is a sensitive topic with a horrific history. So what does the Bible say for slaves? In this lab, John Piper explores one place where freedom is found.Listen
1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 3: Fear God, Not the Government from 2016-01-12T14:00
What does freedom in Christ look like in subjection to a human government? In this lab, John Piper explains five key principles.
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1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 2: Obey as People Who Are Free from 2016-01-07T13:00
How do servants of the King live and serve in a world with kings? In this lab, John Piper reveals the wonder of Christian freedom and the witness of being subject to human authorities.Listen
1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 1: Live on Earth as Citizens of Heaven from 2016-01-05T14:00
Christians live in and are citizens of some nation on earth, under some government, but their final authority is in heaven. In this lab, John Piper explains how to live as exiles and refugees.
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1 Peter 2:11–12, Part 3: Will Others Worship God Because of You? from 2015-12-31T14:00
The Bible says that some will be saved through the witness of our faithfulness. In this lab, John Piper explains how our good deeds win others to Christ. Listen
1 Peter 2:11–12, Part 2: Silence the World with Good Deeds from 2015-12-29T13:00
Many Christians today cannot stand being maligned, and so they cave to what the world wants. In this lab, John Piper helps us win the world by living differently.Listen
Philippians 2:3–8, Part 2: Lower Yourself in Love Like Jesus from 2015-12-24T14:00
The key to enduring suffering in service to others is putting on the humility of Christ. In this lab, John Piper walks us through the birth and death of Jesus.Listen
Philippians 2:3–8, Part 1: Holy God Became Like Us from 2015-12-22T14:00
Jesus Christ lived and died in every way for the sake of others. In this lab, John Piper calls us to do the same by looking at the wonder of Christmas.Listen
John 1:14, Part 2: Glory Full of Grace and Truth from 2015-12-17T14:01
“We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” In this lab, John Piper helps us understand the glory we see at Christmas.Listen
John 1:14, Part 1: God Lived Among Us from 2015-12-15T14:05
Don’t let good things distract from ultimate things this Christmas. Our great reason for celebration is that God came to save us.
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1 Peter 2:11–12, Part 1: Your Old Passions War Against You from 2015-12-10T14:00
There are desires inside of you that want to destroy you. In this lab, John Piper teaches us to fight remaining sin in our own hearts.
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1 Peter 2:9–10, Part 2: Why You Exist in the World from 2015-12-08T14:00
Can you explain why you exist in the world? In this lab, John Piper explains the purpose of your life.
1 Peter 2:9–10, Part 1: God Treasures You, But Not Because of You from 2015-12-03T14:00
When a person becomes a Christian, they take on an entirely different identity, the pinnacle of which is being God’s prized possession.
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James 5:19–20, Part 2: Five Truths About Eternal Security from 2015-12-01T14:00
In this lab, John Piper deals with the security of every believer, explaining how God keeps his children from falling away.
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James 5:19–20, Part 1: Bringing Back a Wandering Believer from 2015-11-26T14:00
Some of the most heartbreaking moments in a Christian’s life are watching other believers wander away from the truth. In this lab, John Piper tackles a couple verses that help us understand a Chris...
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1 Peter 2:4–8, Part 2: They Were Destined to Disobey God from 2015-11-24T14:00
God predestined some, in his infinite mercy, to hear the gospel and believe. And he predestined others to disobey and reject the good news. In this lab, John Piper leads us carefully word by word i...
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1 Peter 2:4–8, Part 1: Come to the Man Rejected by Men from 2015-11-19T14:00
Those who follow Jesus should expect to be rejected by the world. But their rejection will not be the last word. In this lab, John Piper traces a new word picture and several Old Testament quotatio...
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1 Peter 2:1–3, Part 2: A Remedy for Envy from 2015-11-17T13:00
The new birth produces love in every true believer in Jesus Christ, and it also weans us off our old sinful desires, like envy. But we have to be able to spot them. In this lab, John Piper zeros in...
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1 Peter 2:1–3, Part 1 : Spiritual Growth Is Not Optional from 2015-11-12T13:00
God is not done with his work when we first believe and are saved. He intends day by day to make us into what we already are in Christ. Spiritual growth is not optional or marginal in the Christian...
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Hebrews 13:5–6: God Will Never Forsake You from 2015-11-10T14:00
The love of money — a craving for money as the source of our security — is an epidemic in our world, and maybe especially in our nation. So how do we kill the craving within us? In this lab, John P...
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1 Peter 1:22–25, Part 2: We Cannot Love Without Hope from 2015-11-05T14:00
Where do we find the strength we need to truly love the people in our lives? In this lab, John Piper looks at two verses in 1 Peter that describe our new birth, and the affects it has on our earthl...
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1 Peter 1:22–25, Part 1: How God Purifies Our Souls from Sin from 2015-11-03T14:00
How does the faith in Jesus by which we were saved relate to the new life in Jesus for which we were saved? How do we pursue purity by grace, and not just our own resolve or discipline? In this lab...
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1 Peter 1:20–21: Jesus Christ, the Beginning and the End from 2015-10-29T13:00
Lots of people identify Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But do they live in way that also says he is their Treasure? In this lab, John Piper uncovers a couple of precious truths about our infinitel...
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1 Peter 1:17–19: Fear Treating God as Trash from 2015-10-27T13:00
Do you fear God? The Bible seems to be confusing about fear. In some places, God calls us to live in fear. Elsewhere, he says he’s delivered us from fear. In this lab, John Piper focuses on 1 Peter...
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1 Corinthians 15:9–10, Part 3: Grace Supplies Strength for Today from 2015-10-22T13:00
If grace empowers us to live like Christ, how do we access that grace day after day? What does it mean to live in the strength that God supplies? In this lab, John Piper unpacks a life sustained by...
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1 Corinthians 15:9–10, Part 2: Grace Empowers the Best Work from 2015-10-20T13:00
For many, the message of grace means the end of all effort. But the Bible will not let us settle for that kind of Christian life. In this lab, John Piper connects key texts to inspire real, consist...
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1 Corinthians 15:9–10, Part 1: Grace Redeems the Worst Pasts from 2015-10-15T13:00
God’s grace rescued one of the worst sinners in history, a man who by his own admission was a persecutor, blasphemer, and murderer. Paul’s story gives every sinner hope. In this lab, John Piper def...
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1 Peter 1:13–16, Part 2: Put Away Ignorant Passions from 2015-10-13T13:00
All of us have remaining sin still inside of us making war against our souls. In this lab, John Piper looks at strategies for bringing our hearts and lives further and further into conformity to Go...
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1 Peter 1:13–16, Part 1: Think Hard for the Sake of Your Heart from 2015-10-08T13:00
Hope is a human emotion, and the Bible commands us to have it. So how do we pursue it if we do not feel it? In this lab, John Piper explains how God has wired the relationship between the mind and ...
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1 Peter 1:10–12: The Immeasurable Value of Grace from 2015-10-06T13:00
We’ll never be able to estimate the value of the grace God has shown us as sinners. In this lab, John Piper highlights the preciousness of our salvation by looking at three groups of people: prophe...
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1 Peter 1:6–9, Part 2: Love by Faith, Not by Sight from 2015-10-01T13:00
Do you love Jesus? A genuine affection for and devotion to Jesus is a miracle made possible only by God’s work. In this lab, John Piper looks at the affect of the new birth on our heart’s response ...
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1 Peter 1:6–9, Part 1: God Gives Us Joy in Grief from 2015-09-29T13:00
What role do trials play in the Christian life? In this lab, John Piper explains a hard, but beautiful truth. God writes hardship and suffering into every believer’s story for the sake of their fai...
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Luke 7:36–50, Part 2: God’s Love for the Worst from 2015-09-24T13:00
Who will love Jesus more, the one who has been forgiven much or the one who has been forgiven little? If so, why do we not sin more? In this lab, John Piper tackles another difficult question raise...
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Luke 7:36–50, Part 1: Forgiveness Leads to Love from 2015-09-22T13:00
What do you do when a verse in the Bible (even words from Jesus himself) seem to contradict core beliefs at the heart of Christianity? In this lab, John Piper models a way forward with difficult te...
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1 Peter 1:3–5, Part 2: God’s Power Will Guard You from 2015-09-17T13:00
God is guarding an infinitely valuable inheritance for you in heaven, and guarding you through faith to make sure you receive it. In this lab, John Piper pulls parts several implications from the n...
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1 Peter 1:3–5, Part 1: Born Again to a Living Hope from 2015-09-15T13:00
According to the Bible, every believer in Jesus Christ is born a second time by the Spirit. In this lab, John Piper looks at this beautiful and spectacular mystery, asking what it means and how it ...
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1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 3: Bought with Blood for Obedience from 2015-09-10T13:00
The Bible stabilizes us in the storms of life by reminding us who we are. In this lab, John Piper highlights our unfathomable relationship to God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — all in the very fi...
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1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 2 : Known by God Before You Were Born from 2015-09-08T13:00
When did God know you would be his adopted son or daughter? Peter says that our election is “according to the foreknowledge of God.” In this lab, John Piper asks what it means for God to foreknow u...
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1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 1: A Letter to Exiles from 2015-09-03T13:00
Peter wrote a letter to Christians facing massive opposition and even persecution for their faith. These believers refused to join in the world’s rebellion against God, and they were mocked and rej...
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Galatians 6:12–15, Part 2: Crucified to the World from 2015-09-01T13:00
What does it mean for us to die to the world or for the world to die to us (Galatians 6:14)? In this lab, John Piper explains what happens when we belong to Jesus. What kind of new creation are we,...
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Galatians 6:12–15, Part 1: Law-Keeping Cannot Save You from 2015-08-27T13:00
People by nature want to boast in their own abilities, efforts, and achievements. Therefore, the cross of Christ is an offense to everyone. In this lab, John Piper looks at why we resist the messag...
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Psalm 141:1–4: Pray for God to Satisfy You from 2015-08-25T12:55
When we ask God to incline our hearts, can he do it? In this third lab, John Piper asks a couple of hard questions about what we pray when we pray. Are we hypocrites to pray for our mouths and beha...
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Psalm 141:1–4: Pray for God to Guard You from 2015-08-20T13:00
Prayer is vital for the fight to be more like Jesus. In this lab, John Piper looks at prayer in the Bible that models the pursuit of purity. All of our effort in the pursuit of purity and holiness ...
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Psalm 141:1–4: Pray for God to Meet You from 2015-08-18T12:50
We learn to pray by reading the prayers in the Bible. This short series will look at David’s prayer in Psalm 141. In the first lab, John Piper asks why we pray for God to come. God is everywhere al...
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Psalm 147:10–11: What Will Please God? from 2015-08-13T13:00
What kind of heart and faith pleases God? In this lab, John Piper looks at several texts to try and understand what it means for us to fear God. How can we be terrified of God and still find hope i...
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Romans 9:30–33: The Great Antidote to Shame from 2015-08-11T12:55
Has God’s word of promise failed because so many in Israel have failed to believe and receive it? In the last lab in this Romans 9 series, John Piper looks at a second major piece of Paul’s argumen...
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Romans 9:24–29, Part 2: Partakers of God’s Promises from 2015-08-06T12:55
When did God decide to include the nations in his chosen people? The apostle Paul cites Old Testament passages to show that God always intended to bring Gentiles into his family. In this lab, John ...
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Romans 9:24–29, Part 1: The Circumcision of the Heart from 2015-08-04T15:00
How could God be faithful to his promises if so many in Israel have fallen away, rejected the Messiah, and not been saved? In this lab, John Piper uncovers the next progression in Paul’s argument f...
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Romans 9:22–23, Part 3: Jonathan Edwards and His Angry God from 2015-07-30T12:55
If people’s hearts are ultimately governed by God, how can God find fault with their hardness and rejection? In this lab, John Piper looks to Jonathan Edwards to understand why the judgment of God ...
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Romans 9:22–23, Part 2: The Ultimate Purpose of the Universe from 2015-07-28T12:55
Why would God prepare some people for wrath and destruction? It’s one of the biggest, weightiest questions in all the Bible. In this lab, John Piper uncovers the purpose above every other purpose i...
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Romans 9:22–23, Part 1: God Wants to Show His Wrath from 2015-07-23T13:00
John Piper says, “In all the Bible, there are no more weighty, or ultimate, or difficult words than Romans 9:22–23.” These verse tackle the issues of God’s sovereignty and God’s wrath. How can God ...
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Romans 9:20–21: Why Have You Made Me This Way? from 2015-07-21T12:55
It’s in the nature of us to question our Creator. Why did you make me like this, and not like him or him? Why did you make him like that, and not like me? Why do some believe the good news, and oth...
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Romans 9:20: Who Are You to Question God? from 2015-07-16T12:55
Certain truths about God in the Bible are confusing and even troubling to some. In this lab, John Piper corrects one way of questioning God, and encourages another. Questions are welcome, even nece...
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Romans 9:19: None Can Resist God from 2015-07-14T12:55
If God was governing Pharaoh, how could God hold Pharaoh responsible? Isn’t God the guilty one? In this lab, John Piper begins to unfold an answer to one of the Bible’s most difficult questions. If...
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John 15:12–15, Part 3: We Are Friends, Not Slaves from 2015-07-09T12:55
If you believe in, follow, and treasure Jesus Christ, he calls you his friend. Last time, we asked how we know if we are his friends. In this lab, John Piper reveals five one-sided ways Jesus befri...
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John 15:12–15, Part 2: Are You a Friend of Jesus? from 2015-07-07T12:55
Are you a friend of Jesus? How do you know? In this lab, John Piper looks again at John 15 to see what kind of confidence we can have that Jesus loves us and died for our sins. He looks closely at ...
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John 15:12–15, Part 1: Love Lays Down His Life from 2015-07-02T13:00
What does it mean to be a friend of Jesus? In this lab, John Piper begins a series of three labs focused on friendship with Jesus. Jesus loves you with the greatest possible love and paid the ultim...
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Romans 9:14–18, Part 5: God Exalted Him to Crush Him from 2015-06-30T13:00
Paul defends God’s freedom to mercifully save or righteously harden in Romans 9:14–18. In this lab, John Piper looks at Pharaoh as an example from the Old Testament. Can God be just in hardening Ph...
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Saved Not by Human Will or Effort: Romans 9:14–18, Part 3 from 2015-06-23T12:50
If God is as big and sovereign as we have seen so far in Romans 9, that must have implications for us. In this lab, John Piper explores the question of human free will by examining the absolute sov...
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Romans 9:14–18, Part 2: God Acts for the Sake of His Glory from 2015-06-18T12:55
Many in Paul’s day were accusing God of being unrighteous in electing some and not others. In this lab, John Piper explains what the righteousness of God is, showing his definition from several tex...
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Romans 9:14–18, Part 1: Is God Just to Choose Some? from 2015-06-16T13:00
God’s unconditional election causes many to say that he must be unrighteous. He can’t choose some and not others, and be good and just. In this lab, John Piper begins to address this objection by s...
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Romans 9:9–13, Part 3: The Mystery of Election from 2015-06-11T13:00
What did it mean for God to “love” Jacob and “hate” Esau, even before they were born? How can God elect some and still be good? In this lab, John Piper narrows in on the question of election, and w...
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Romans 9:9–13, Part 2: Why God Chooses Whom He Chooses from 2015-06-09T13:00
God’s electing love is one of the most challenging realities in the Bible. In this lab, John Piper digs down underneath the doctrine of election to try and understand why God chooses who he chooses...
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Romans 9:9–13, Part 1: Jacob I Loved, But Esau I Hated from 2015-06-04T15:20
In Romans 9, Paul wants to show us why we should believe in God’s unconditional election. Isaac and Ishmael were examples in the previous verses, and now Jacob and Esau are presented as better exam...
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Romans 9:6–8 : God’s Promises Never Fail from 2015-06-02T12:45
God made massive promises to Israel, but much of Israel has rejected the Christ. How, then, can we trust the promises of God to us today? In this lab, John Piper looks at promises God made to Israe...
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Romans 9:1–5, Part 3: Chosen by God, Cut Off from Christ from 2015-05-28T13:00
The crisis in the first verses of Romans 9 is the unbelief of Israel, God’s chosen people. How can we trust God’s promises to us, if his promises to Israel did not come true? In this lab, John Pipe...
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Romans 9:1–5, Part 2: Unending Joy and Unceasing Anguish from 2015-05-26T15:00
The Christian life is an undeniably hard, yet gloriously satisfying life. How is it that we can be unbelievably heartbroken over the lost in our lives and unshakably happy in the promises of God al...
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The Word of God Has Not Failed: Romans 9:1–5, Part 1 from 2015-05-21T13:00
Romans 9 potentially creates a massive problem for the glorious promises of Romans 8. In this lab, John Piper begins a series through this difficult, but critical chapter by explaining the crisis o...
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Philippians 4:19–20: God Will Supply Your Every Need from 2015-05-19T13:00
God exalts himself by serving us, not by having us serve him, and that sets him apart from all the gods. In this lab, John Piper shows why we should never think we have served God as though he need...
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Psalm 50:8–15: God Does Not Need You from 2015-05-14T13:00
Why did God make human beings? Was it because he needed something that he didn’t already have? This series of labs asks what sets our God apart from all others. In this lab, John Piper asks how we ...
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Isaiah 55:6–9: God Will Abundantly Pardon from 2015-05-12T13:00
The God of the Bible is not like any god of any other religion. This series of labs asks what sets our God apart from all the alternatives. In this lab, John Piper looks at the beauty of an infinit...
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Isaiah 64:1–4; 46:1–4: God Works for Those Who Wait from 2015-05-07T15:30
The Bible says several times that our God is utterly unique among all the gods in the world and in history. But what makes him so unique? In this lab, John Piper begins a series looking at key text...
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Romans 1:18–23: What Can Be Known About God from 2015-05-05T15:00
The Bible says that the whole world already knows God, but also says that much of the world does not know him. How does someone know him, and yet not know him? In this lab, John Piper explores this...
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Matthew 6:24–34, Part 3: Your Father Knows What You Need from 2015-04-30T13:00
God wants to comfort and stabilize the anxious with truth. What truths calm our fears? In Part 1, John Piper identified nine arguments against our anxieties. In Part 2, he covered the first five. I...
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Matthew 6:24–34, Part 2: Do Not Be Anxious About Tomorrow from 2015-04-28T13:00
When you think about the future, what makes you most anxious? Jesus gives us plenty of reasons not to fear. In Part 1 of this series, John Piper identified nine arguments against our anxieties. In ...
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Matthew 6:24–34, Part 1: Nine Arguments Against Anxiety from 2015-04-23T13:00
This three-part series of labs takes on anxiety by studying Matthew 6:24–34. If the Bible is going to effectively speak to our anxious hearts, we need to learn how to read it well. In this lab, Joh...
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Hebrews 10:32–35: A Better and Abiding Possession from 2015-04-21T13:00
The gospel shines most brightly when Christians rejoice in the midst of really painful, even unjust suffering. In this lab, John Piper looks at Hebrews 10 to understand how we cultivate the kind of...
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Romans 12:19–20: Vengeance Is Mine from 2015-04-14T12:45
We all have been sinned against, in large or small ways. The Bible calls us not to avenge ourselves, but to entrust the pain and offense to God, who judges justly. In this lab, John Piper reminds u...
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Hebrews 11:24–26: The Fleeting Pleasures of Sin from 2015-04-09T12:45
Hebrews 11 calls us to look to God’s people who have gone before us to learn how to walk by faith. In this lab, John Piper highlights the life of Moses, who preferred the reward he had with God mor...
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2 Thessalonians 2:9–12: They Refused to Love the Truth from 2015-04-07T12:45
The Bible is clear that people are perishing in rebellion against God. One of the most important questions we can ask is why people perish, and how we can avoid that fate. In this lab, John Piper l...
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Luke 12:32–34, Part 2: Seek the Treasure That Will Not Fail from 2015-03-26T13:00
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What we treasure has massive implications for the health and security of our hearts. In this lab, John Piper explains why treasure in heaven...
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Luke 12:32–34, Part 1: Sell the Treasure That Will Not Last from 2015-03-24T16:00
Many people are afraid to give because they’re afraid they won’t have enough themselves or that they’ll miss out on something in the future. In this lab, John Piper highlights the liberating promis...
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2 Timothy 2:24–26, Part 2: God’s Agents of Repentance from 2015-03-19T13:30
God makes the objects of the miracle of repentance agents of the miracle of repentance. In Part 1 of this two-part series, John Piper established that it is God who decisively brings repentance for...
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2 Timothy 2:24–26, Part 1: God May Grant Repentance from 2015-03-17T13:00
There is war happening for your soul. On one side, Satan is scheming to enslave you to sin and blind you to the beauty of God. But God, by his power, is able to lead you to faith, repentance, and f...
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2 Corinthians 4:4–6: The Light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ from 2015-03-12T13:45
What happened when you were saved? While Satan did everything he could to blind you to the beauty of Jesus Christ, God broke through in marvelous light, and you saw, and you believed. In this lab, ...
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Hebrews 3:12–14, Part 2: Exhort One Another Every Day from 2015-03-05T13:00
God has appointed other believers as one of the primary means of our perseverance. In this lab, John Piper explains how sin wages war against our souls, and how God equips us with weapons for the b...
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Hebrews 3:12–14, Part 1: Take Care, Brothers from 2015-03-03T14:00
When you come across an if/then statement, restate the condition and study the implications. For instance, can someone who has truly been saved fall away from the faith? John Piper answers in this ...
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Romans 8: The Big Picture from 2015-02-26T14:00
John Piper has completed thirty labs working verse-by-verse through Romans 8. In this last lab, he sums up all that we have learned and explains how the highest points relate to each other. We need...
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Romans 8:38–39: Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love from 2015-02-24T14:00
Romans 8 lands on the note of God’s unstoppable, unshakeable love for us in Christ. Nothing — however dark or hard — can separate us from him. In this lab, John Piper reveals the love of God for us...
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Romans 8:35–37: We Are More Than Conquerors from 2015-02-19T13:00
We learn a lot about the Bible when the Bible quotes itself. In this lab, John Piper looks at Paul’s use of Psalm 44 to see how we are more than conquerors in all our suffering. Understanding God’s...
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Romans 8:33–34 : It Is God Who Justifies from 2015-02-17T13:00
Satan is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), but Jesus disarmed him at the cross. In this lab, John Piper explains how the work of Christ wars against and defeats Satan’s schemes to accuse and condemn u...
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Romans 8:31–32: Who Can Be Against Us? from 2015-02-12T13:00
God is for you, and therefore no one can defeat you. God gave his Son, so he will most definitely give you all things. This lab looks at a couple powerful rhetorical questions. John Piper searches ...
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Romans 8:30: Predestined, Called, Justified, Glorified from 2015-02-10T13:00
A promise as mind-blowing as Romans 8:28 needs massive faith-sustaining truth underneath it. Romans 8:30 lays out a process in which God exalts Christ by bringing ungodly people to glory. In this l...
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Romans 8:29: Conformed to the Image of Christ from 2015-02-05T14:00
God’s purpose in creation and redemption is to have a family of children conformed to the image of his Son. But how does that happen in me? In this lab, Pastor John explains the ways in which we ar...
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Romans 8:29: Foreknown by God from 2015-02-03T13:00
The phrase “foreknown by God” has caused significant controversy and conflict within Christianity. Did God simply know ahead of time that we would believe, or did he choose who would believe? In th...
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Romans 8:28, Part 3: Called According to God’s Purpose from 2015-01-29T14:00
When God calls a man or woman, what happens? In this lab, the third of three labs focused on Romans 8:28, John Piper draws in several other verses to try and understand the call of God. He explains...
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Romans 8:28, Part 2: Do You Love God? from 2015-01-27T13:00
The Bible makes promises to those who love God. But how do we know if we do? In this lab, John Piper digs into the relationship between saving faith and loving God. He goes on to show why and how G...
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Romans 8:28, Part 1: All Things Work Together for Good from 2015-01-22T14:00
As God’s chosen child, all of your present suffering is serving your future glory.
Romans 8:26–27 : The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness from 2015-01-20T14:00
These two verses are two of the hardest in Romans 8. John Piper asks two important questions to uncover how the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. He shows how God — all three persons — is act...
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Romans 8:22–25: The Redemption of Our Bodies from 2015-01-15T13:00
Knowing that the whole creation, including us, is suffering because of the corruption of sin, what hope can we have that things will get better? In this lab, John Piper talks about the tensions we ...
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Romans 8:18–21: The Freedom of the Glory of the Children of God from 2015-01-13T13:00
Suffering might be the hardest, most confusing reality in the Christian life. In this lab, John Piper uncovers deep and durable truths that will help you suffer well. God made and saves the world i...
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Matthew 6:9–13, Part 3: Hallowed Be Your Name from 2015-01-08T14:00
There is no more familiar prayer in the Bible than the Lord’s Prayer. In the last lab of his three-part series, John Piper highlights two major new insights he’s seen over the years in the structur...
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Matthew 6:9–13, Part 2: Deliver Us from Evil from 2015-01-06T14:00
Jesus’s prayer for you is clear: Today, you need God to provide for you, forgive you, and deliver you. Every single day, you need God to move in these three ways. In this lab, John Piper unfolds th...
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Matthew 6:9–13, Part 1: Your Kingdom Come from 2015-01-01T08:00
In five short verses in Matthew, Jesus taught us to pray. There are prayer-life-changing glories to be seen in these most familiar words *if* we slow down enough to see them. In this lab, John Pipe...
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2 Thessalonians 1:11–12: New Year’s Resolutions from 2014-12-30T13:00
At the beginning of another year, people will make new resolutions. But should Christians make these New Years commitments? In this lab, John Piper shows that resolutions can be deeply Christian an...
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Hebrews 2:14–15: Why Christmas? from 2014-12-23T13:00
We have every reason to look each other in the eye and say from the bottom of our heart, “Merry Christmas.” His birth means we have hope.Listen
Philippians 1:20–23: To Die Is Gain from 2014-12-18T13:00
John Piper says this passage has been one of the most pivotal for him and his ministry. These four verses hold profound and precious truths about life and about death. In this lab, Piper shows why ...
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What Child Is This? Luke 1:30–37 from 2014-12-16T13:00
What child is this, the baby boy we celebrate every Christmas? Mary met the true identity of her son in the words of an angel, recorded in Luke 1. In this lab, John Piper prepares our hearts for Ch...
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Romans 8:17: Heirs of God from 2014-12-11T13:00
Our adoption as sons and daughters of God is a deep and glorious blessing. In this lab, drawing on several other texts, John Piper asks what it means that we will be glorified with Christ and share...
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Romans 8:16: The Witness of the Spirit from 2014-12-09T14:00
The Holy Spirit has a massive role in Romans 8, and in the rest of the Bible, but he is often overlooked. In this lab, John Piper highlights the work of the Holy Spirit, specifically three ways he ...
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Romans 8:15: Not Slavery, But Adoption from 2014-12-04T13:00
Adoption is not unique to Christianity, but it is a much more complex and glorious reality in the context of God’s love for us in the gospel. In this lab, John Piper presses in on several key words...
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The Children of God: Romans 8:14 from 2014-12-02T13:00
The Bible often argues in “if/then” statements, and the context will help us clarify exactly what the conditions are. In this lab, John Piper shows us where to find assurance that we are the childr...
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Put Sin to Death: Romans 8:12–13 from 2014-11-27T13:00
Do not let sin linger in your life. God gave you specific weapons to kill sin and its deception.
Sin Will Kill You: Romans 8:12–13 from 2014-11-25T13:00
Sin will kill you. God gives warnings in the Bible, and sometimes they seem to call into question our security in Christ. How should we read the Bible’s warnings? And what role do they play in our ...
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Matthew 10:25–31: Have No Fear of Them from 2014-11-20T12:00
“Do not fear.” Jesus’s command can be hard to obey, but it is filled with promise. In this lab, John Piper shows us how Jesus helps his disciples (and us) battle fear.Listen
Love Builds Up: 1 Corinthians 8:1–3 from 2014-11-18T12:00
Is knowledge good or bad? 1 Corinthians 8:1–3 says that knowledge can lead to pride or to love, so how do we know which our knowledge is? Pastor John unfolds the life of the mind in this new lab.
Romans 8:10–11: The Spirit in You Is Life from 2014-11-13T12:00
Even though we’ve been saved by Jesus, we all still die. What does it mean for us that the Spirit lives in us? What does it mean for our fight against sin, our relationship to Jesus, and our death?...
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You Are Not Your Own: Romans 8:9 from 2014-11-11T12:00
When we belong to Jesus, when we are found in him alone, we are finally able to make God look glorious in every area of our lives, fully pleasing to him.Listen
Romans 8:9: The Spirit Lives in You from 2014-11-06T10:00
Jesus bought us with his death and then sealed us with his Spirit. In this lab, John Piper unfolds the glory of the Trinity in our salvation and the role of the Spirit in showing that we belong to ...
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Romans 8:7–8: The Mind Against God Is Dead from 2014-11-04T12:00
Romans 8:5–8 gets down to the bottom of our sin, untangling the reasons we rebel against God. Pastor John highlights the meaning of two “for” statements to show the relationship between sin, hostil...
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Romans 8:5–6: Set Your Mind on the Spirit from 2014-10-30T12:00
The Bible often presents two ways for us to live. In Romans 8:5–6, Paul describes two different lives, two different mindsets, and two different conditions. This lab carefully traces the serious di...
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Romans 8:3–4: What the Law Could Not Do from 2014-10-28T12:00
Purpose clauses (“in order that”) tell us why God does what he does. In this lab, Pastor John looks at why God gave us the law and why he sent his Son to die on the cross. All along, he asks how th...
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Romans 8:3–4: Love Fulfills the Law from 2014-10-23T12:00
Romans 8:3–4 says Christ died so that the law would be fulfilled in us. What does it mean for the law to be fulfilled? And how is it fulfilled in us? In this lab, John Piper tackles these two criti...
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Romans 8:3: God Sent His Own Son from 2014-10-21T12:00
Romans 8:3 holds some of the most precious truths of Christianity. Paul explains how God removes our guilt and ends our condemnation. Pastor John slows down to dig into the nitty-gritty details of ...
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Romans 8:1–4: The Spirit Set You Free from 2014-10-16T12:00
The word “for” is one of the most common in the Bible. In this lab, Pastor John explains the relationship between our justification and sanctification by focusing on those three letters: f-o-r.
Free in Christ Jesus: Romans 8:1–3 from 2014-10-14T12:00
Paul uses the phrase “in Christ Jesus” 47 times in his letters. What does that crucial phrase mean?
Romans 7:22–8:2: No Condemnation from 2014-10-09T12:00
In your Bible reading, an author will often compare two things. It’s important to stop and study everything you learn about how those two things are similar and different. In this lab, Pastor John ...
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Romans 8: The Greatest Chapter from 2014-10-07T12:00
Pastor John introduces a new series focused on Romans 8. First, he spends a couple minutes helping you make the most of Look at the Book. Then, he gives you seven reasons why Romans 8 is the greate...
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Exploring Key Words: The Book of Life from 2014-10-02T12:05
When you come across an important word or phrase in your reading, stop to search for other uses of that same word or phrase. In this lab, John Piper briefly looks at six different verses to better ...
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Isaiah 48:9–11: For My Name’s Sake from 2014-09-30T12:00
We should be constantly comparing lists of characteristics about God to determine if qualities are the same, different, or overlapping. In this lab, John Piper models this and uncovers God's love f...
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Luke 12:32: Fear Not, Little Flock from 2014-09-24T15:00
There are often riches and depths of meaning in the simplest verses. Luke 12:32 is one verse with two short propositions, but there are riches buried in its simplicity. In this lab, John Piper reve...
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Matthew 28:18–20: I Am with You Always from 2014-09-23T19:15
Some of God’s commands in the Bible are very difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, we need to pay close attention to the promises in Scripture that accompany God’s commands and equip us with God...
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1 John 5:1–4: The Victory That Overcomes the World from 2014-09-23T19:00
There are two major ground clauses (“for” or “because”) in 1 John 5:3–4. Pastor John focuses in on these two for’s to see the relationship between our love for God, our love for others, and our obe...
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2 Chronicles 16:8–9: The Eyes of the Lord from 2014-09-23T18:55
Look for promises in Scripture that rest in the never-changing character of God, and therefore are true for his people throughout all of history, even for us today. God gives us a broader, general ...
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Romans 11:28–32: Our Disobedience and God’s Mercy from 2014-09-23T18:50
When you see personal pronouns (e.g. he, she, etc.), identify to whom they are referring. Is the writer speaking about his audience? If so, who is the audience? Is he speaking about believers or no...
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Lamentations 3:31–33: He Will Not Cast Off Forever from 2014-09-23T18:30
God is completely consistent in all he does, but he is also very complicated. What looks like a contradiction in God is always only a limitation in our understanding. In this lab, Pastor John asks ...
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2 Corinthians 8:1–2: An Abundance of Joy from 2014-09-19T08:00
We take some words in the Christian vocabulary for granted. 2 Corinthians offers a definition of love that you may not have considered. By paying close attention, we can find keys to loving people ...
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Precious and Great Promises: 2 Peter 1:3–4 from 2014-08-26T01:00
When studying a paragraph of the Bible, break it down into individual propositions and ask questions about how each line relates to the one before it and after it. Focus in particular on connecting...
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Breathed Out by God: 2 Timothy 3:14–17 from 2014-07-22T01:00
Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training. Learn to identify, explain, and differentiate each reason for continuing in the word.Listen