Indomitable joy in Jesus in the very midst of suffering and sorrow — this is what the world needs from the church.

As tempting as it may be to figure things differently, what the world does not need from the services of the gathered church is chipper, frisky, high-spirited chatter designed to make people feel lighthearted and playful and bouncy. And the world does not need believers who are morose, gloomy, sullen, and dark, bringing with them a heavy atmosphere of solemnity.

No, what the world needs from the church, in her gathered services and in key moments of her scattered life, is the flavor of “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,” as the apostle Paul says it in 2 Corinthians 6:10. …

Continue Reading →

Some posts meet our readers in especially powerful or timely ways. We strive to provide God-glorifying, heart-stirring, church-building content every day, but we realize that some prove more memorable than others. With that in mind, here are the 25 most accessed posts from the Desiring God blog in 2012 to remind you of some of our highlights from the last year.

Many were touched by the story of Ian and Larissa. Others happily wandered into Chesterton’s elfland or Tolkien’s shire. Our posts for mothers and about parenting have been as popular as any. Some turned here before the election in deciding whether to vote or not, and how they should pray. More recently, thousands were comforted and…

Continue Reading →

Let the record show that we did not set out in 2012 to write more often about sports at Desiring God than previous years.

But as we’ve looked back on the last year, we noticed an uptick in our engagement with “the world of sports.” This trend doesn’t represent any new commitment on our part for the years ahead. It does, however, represent our great goal to see Jesus honored “in all things.” It’s the “supremacy of God in all things” part of our mission that keeps leading us here and elsewhere. We want to see Jesus honored and enjoyed in life and death, and in every nook and cranny of our existence — including sports and athletics.

The Cardinals and LinSanity

After doing some digging, i…

Continue Reading →

On February 4–6, 2013, we will gather, God willing, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the annual Desiring God Conference for Pastors. This time the theme is “Brothers, We Are Still Not Professionals: Reclaiming the Centrality of the Supernatural in Ministry.” Just days prior to the conference is the scheduled release of John Piper’s revised and expanded Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry.

This short new ebook Still Not Professionals: Ten Pleas for Today’s Pastors, available free from Desiring God, is a celebration and extension of that book — born not only from an effort to whet the appetite for the upcoming conference, but in a hope to bless pastors …

Continue Reading →

We dare you to find a better, and shorter, summary for the doctrine of the incarnation than John 1:14: “The Word became flesh.”

We grabbed Don Carson while he was in the Twin Cities earlier this month and asked him about this important doctrine at the very heart of Christmas. At the first Advent, the eternal Son of God took to himself full humanity. Without ceasing to be God, he became man. He is one uniquely spectacular person with two full and complete natures, perfectly and personally calibrated for us and for our salvation.

As always, Theology Refresh aims to sharpen pastors and other Christian leaders on important doctrines in hopes of making our theology be what must to be healthy …

Continue Reading →

"Jesus was not on a power trip when he came into the world," John Piper reminds us. "His aim was to die for his bride."

Expounding Ephesians 5:25, Piper shows that if men are to be leaders like Jesus, we will sacrifice, too.

This is excerpt is from the most recent sermon, "God Created Man Male and Female: What Does It Mean to Be Complementarian?"

Have you ever stopped to ponder how amazing it is to be alive? To be not generic or arbitrary, but a human being, a man or a woman created in the image of God?

It is no trifle, John Piper explains in this three-minute video:

This excerpt is from the most recent sermon. See Pastor John's related article, 10 Resolutions for Mental Health.

Isaiah 9:2,

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Where I live Christmastime is cold. Just days ago Minneapolis was wrapped in a frigid blanket of snow 14 inches thick. Though the drab brown city was transfigured into a winter wonderland, every Minneapolitan longed for warmth.

Where I live Christmastime is dark. High up in the northern hemisphere the sun makes his appearance for less than 9 hours and hangs low in the southern sky. When the long dark descends every Minneapolitan longs for light.

Where I live, nature plays out, like a Christmas pageant, a parable of the human condition.

Since the col…

Continue Reading →

Playfulness is vital to healthy Christianity, says pastor and professor Erik Thoennes. “To be a Christian means to take God very seriously, but not ourselves.”

The great source of Christian playfulness is God himself, and the lavishness of his creation kindness and redeeming grace. Toss in some good healthy competition — and yes, competition can be good and healthy — and you have a recipe for sport and athletics.

For the Christian, there’s no such thing as “just a game,” says Thoennes, who is a professor at Biola, a pastor in La Mirada, California, and the author of “Created to Play: Thoughts on Play, Sport, and the Christian Life.”

Not just sports, but everything we do is glory-…

Continue Reading →

Solid Joys is the daily devotional app from the ministry of John Piper, and it is now available free for Android devices. Get it from Google Play. (It’s also available in iTunes for Apple devices).

The app is a compilation of 365 of the best excerpts from Piper's printed books and online content that are able to stand well on their own. The goal is that you'll be able to dive in for just a moment each day and come away with something solid to feed your joy in God.

For more details about the app, see its description in Google Play or iTunes.

Please let us know what you think of the app by reviewing it on Google Play or iTunes, or by emailing us at mobile@desiringGod.org.