God directed you to this sermon, I believe, so that you would know, first, that you don't have to die, and, second, so that you would know that Jesus, who makes this promise to you, is God, the God of Israel, the God of all. And, third, you are here because God wants you to see the implication for your life of knowing you will not die. By John ...more

Expect evil, hate evil, endure evil for God's purposes. Pray for escape from evil. Give thanks for its refining effects, overcome evil with good. Remember that God is in control and He is righteous and just. He can use evil for His glory. God is always for you. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. Used by ...more

Jesus shows God's love for Pharisees in his parable of the prodigal son. The older son typifies the arrogance and ungrateful attitude of the religious leaders of Jesus' time. The father moves toward him and entreats him. The father calls his son "my child." He assures him by saying "you are always with me." He proclaims, "all I have is yours." By ...more

The spectacular sin of those who built the Tower of Babel was used by God in spite of the pride of the wicked people. Where do all the languages in the world come from? All of the people groups? God used this spectacular sin to evangelize the world. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org

What is the difference between necessary judgments of probability and sinful prejudice? How did Jesus respond in these situations. In a reflective look of Martin Luther King's life and Roe vs. Wade, John Piper gives his thoughts. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. Used by permission.

Twice the Apostle John tells us that Christmas happened: the Son of God became a human being to take away sin, or to destroy the works of the devil, namely, sin. All of this because he was born. He was incarnate. He was the God-man. No incarnation, no regeneration. No faith. No justification. No purification. No final glorification. Christmas was ...more

Staying married is not about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. "Till death do us part," or, "As long as we both shall live" is sacred covenant promise: the same kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her. Therefore, what makes divorce and remarriage so horrific in God's eyes is not merely that it involves covenant breaking to ...more

Getting old to the glory of God means resolutely resisting the typical American dream of retirement. It means being so satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ that we are set free from the cravings that create so much emptiness and uselessness in retirement. Instead, knowing that we have an infinitely satisfying and everlasting ...more

We cannot afford to be lukewarm Christians. Paul teaches in Romans 12:11 that serving the Lord means 1) seeing the Lord as worth more than what the appetites offer; and serving the Lord means 2) seeing the Lord's approval as more valuable than the approval of man and acting on it; and serving the Lord means 3) believing that he has died for us and ...more

In the last generation, the rise of existentialism says that there are fixed, closed natural laws, that make the world understandable and scientifically manageable, and these laws do not allow the truth of the claim that someone has risen from the dead to live forever. That was a commonly held assumption: The modern world with its scientific ...more

Jesus' own brothers and countrymen doubted His deity and Messiahship because He wouldn't claim an earthly kingdom and take His country by storm. ?Many of the Jewish people in Jerusalem are not excited by Jesus' miracles. They are threatened by them, and want to see him dead. We often fail to believe Jesus because He does not choose to act upon our ...more

John Piper affirms the use of "the miracle gifts" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12-14, but believes that the most effective forum is in the context of a small group where there is accountability and a way to test the revelation or gift operation. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. Used by permission.

We must love people but also love the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:4). Paul teaches we need purity for the sake of unity. We must watch out for those who cause divisions and avoid them. Leave room for loving your enemies. False teachers seem nice, but serve their own appetites. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. ...more

God takes human life very seriously. God is much better than an earthly father. He is rich in mercy. The key is: You have a Father in heaven. He loved you and sent his Son to die for you. He is all-powerful and all-wise, and is more ready to help you when you call than the best earthly father in the world. I plead with you. Don?t choose between ...more

God promises spectacular blessings to those of you who remain single in Christ, and he gives you an extraordinary calling for your life. To be single in Christ is, therefore, not a falling short of God's best, but a path of Christ-exalting, covenant-keeping obedience that many are called to walk. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. ...more

The psalms are inspired by God and are meant to instruct us how to think about God, man and the world. Zeal for God's glory, pleading for rescue and crying for help are included in this poem. Imprecatory psalms show an approval of God's judgment, a foreshadowing of Christ's ministry and incentive to forgive. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God ...more

When we see and experience God's glory, we receive grace. Our task is to help people to see Him. Beholding the glory of God (according to 2 Corinthians 3:18) is the means by which transformation happens. We must understand the love of God for us, what is means to feel loved by God, and recognize that God's love takes supernatural power to ...more

Sexuality is designed by God as a way to know Him more fully. Knowing God is designed by God as a way of guarding and guiding our sexuality. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. Used by permission.

If you are parenting in the worst of times, or want to get ready for parenting in the worst of times, or simply want hope in the worst of times, look at Micah and look at Jesus and take this posture: brokenness because of your sin, and boldness because of Christ. Then in the power of the Holy Spirit, set your heart on being the best imperfect ...more

Satan has been decisively defeated in the death and resurrection of Christ through Christians who believe and speak the Word of God and wear His armor. Satan will finally be vanquished and thrown into the Lake of Fire, never to deceive and torment the world again. God will give grace for the battle. By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. ...more

How does the psalmist respond to discouragement? He asks God why. He affirms God's sovereign love. He sings. He preaches to his own soul. He remembers past experiences. He thirsts for God. He sees the face of God (as we do now in the face of Christ). By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org. Used by permission.

Why is the love of human glory, rather than God's glory, so contradictory to faith? One is that true faith in Jesus gives all glory to God and none to ourselves. When you come to Jesus in faith, you surrender the right to claim any glory for yourself. He owes us none. He will glorify us in due season. The other reason the love of human glory is ...more

Why does God allow a financial recession? He intends for a recession to expose hidden sin and so bring us to repentance and cleansing. He intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world where there is always and only recession of the worst kind. He intends to relocate the roots of our joy in His grace rather ...more

Intentionality in the discipline of private prayer where no one else can hear us is a fruit of the gospel. We must obey our Savior, desire to receive more and know that all our needs are met in Him. By John Piper. ©2014 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org

Help the children believe in God's sovereign wisdom and goodness in creating them with the body that they have, to believe in God's sovereign wisdom and goodness in making other people with the body that they have. Help the children believe that they and all other children and adults are made in God's image. Treat them according to the Great ...more