Don't Play the Lottery for Me! …
Why Christians should never knowingly take money won by gambling.
January
The Reformed Faith and Racial Harmony …
Racial Harmony Sunday
Where racial harmony doesn’t flourish, the cross of Christ is dishonored and the sovereignty of God is obscured.
Fifteen Pro-Life Truths to Speak …
A list of things to consider when thinking about whether abortion is ethical.
The Darkness of Abortion and the Light of Truth …
Sanctity of Life Sunday
Five suggestions for how to respond as salt and light to the sin of abortion.
The Eye Is the Lamp of the Body …
A Meditation on Matthew 6:19-24
A bad eye is one that can't see that mercy is more precious than money.
February
Counted Righteous in Christ …
Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness?
“As I have preached through the first eight chapters of Paul’s letter to the Romans in the last four years, I have found my mind and heart moving toward Luther’s estimation of the doctrine of justification, and particularly the imputation of Christ’s righteousness as the precious foundation of our full acceptance and everlasting inheritance of life and joy” (p. 13).
Beyond the Bounds …
Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity
"We have prepared this book to address the issue of boundaries and, we pray, bring some remedy to the present and impending pain of embracing open theism as a legitimate Christian vision of God" (p. 11).
The Fame of His Name and the Freedom of Mercy …
God chooses who will believe and undeservingly be saved, and who will rebel and deservingly perish.
Guarding the Gospel: The Pastor’s Calling …
Desiring God 2003 Conference for Pastors
Good Fences, Bad Fences, and the Glory of Christ
How Few There Are Who Die So Hard! …
Suffering and Success in the Life of Adoniram Judson: The Cost of Bringing Christ to Burma
2003 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors
Serving the Truth: The Pastor’s Privilege …
Desiring God 2003 Conference for Pastors
Good Fences, Bad Fences, and the Glory of Christ
Facing Broken Fences: The Pastor’s Burden …
Desiring God 2003 Conference for Pastors
Good Fences, Bad Fences, and the Glory of Christ
Out of Many, One: Finding Unity in What Matters Most …
Desiring God 2003 Conference for Pastors
Good Fences, Bad Fences, and the Glory of Christ
Laying Firm Foundations: Why Theology Matters in Missions …
Desiring God 2003 Conference for Pastors
Good Fences, Bad Fences, and the Glory of Christ
Panel Discussion …
Desiring God 2003 Conference for Pastors
Good Fences, Bad Fences, and the Glory of Christ
Is There Injustice With Our God? …
Is there injustice with our God / When he decrees our ways? / No! This is but his righteousness / And root of all our praise.
How to Query God …
It is okay to question God if you do it humbly and teachably.
God's Ultimate Purpose: Vessels of Mercy Knowing the Riches of His Glory …
Heaven is where old glories only ripen in memory, and the thrill of new glories breaks upon us every day.
God Is Not Boring …
God is worthy enough to inspire an infinite number of new and imaginative expressions of his beauty.
March
Desiring God …
Meditations of a Christian Hedonist
“The overriding concern of this book is that in all of life God be glorified the way He Himself has appointed. To that end this book aims to persuade you that The chief end of man if to glorify God by enjoying Him forever” (p. 18).
Boasting in Man Is Doubly Excluded …
There are two reasons (at least) why God hates for man to boast in man.
Crossway Books Interview With John Piper on Counted Righteous in Christ …
John Piper discusses his book Counted Righteous in Christ and the debate concerning what the believer receives from Christ's death.
The Uncertainties of War and the Hope of History …
Though so many have given their lives at war, history holds out hope that few can imagine.
April
Palm Sunday Tears of Sovereign Mercy …
Palm Sunday
Consider how Jesus has been merciful to you, and then be like him.
Quest: Joy! Found: Christ! …
Easter Sunday
What is the basic message of the Bible? And what does it mean for me?
Kill Anger Before It Kills You or Your Marriage …
Anger is often a worse enemy than lust in marriage. What can you do to keep it from ruining yours?
Suffering, Mercy, and Heavenly Regret …
Will regret ruin our joy in heaven, or will it add to it?
May
Don't Waste Your Life …
“If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full. This is not a book about how to avoid a wounded life, but how to avoid a wasted life. Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy” (p. 10).
The Gentiles Have Obtained Righteousness by Faith …
The law teaches two things about obtaining salvation.
How to Submit to the Righteousness of God …
Mother's Day
Are we teaching the Scriptures to make our children wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?
Why Satan Is Left on Earth …
Incentives in the Battle for Joy in Jesus
God's plan to glorify himself involves defeating Satan in stages.
A Generation Passionate for God's Holiness …
Passion OneDay
Sherman, TX
June
The Goodness and the Groaning of Growth …
Thoughts on Bethlehem's Future
Churches move forward by grace in the midst of great inadequacy.
July
Sweet Sorrow: The Happy Root of Holy Living …
The Jonathan Edwards Institute
Annapolis, MD
August
Bethlehem's Position on Homosexuality …
Submission to God's authority implies these six beliefs about sexuality.
When to Be Merciful and When to Demand Justice …
Consider three criteria for deciding when to love others with mercy and when to love them with justice.
Taking the Swagger Out of Christian Cultural Influence …
Being exiles does not mean being cynical. Christians should be concerned about culture and involved in it.
September
Pierced by the Word …
Thirty-One Meditations for Your Soul
“Yes, the Word pierces. And there is pain. But for those who trust in the living word, Jesus Christ, all the piercing will be pleasant in the end” (p. 11).
Treasuring Christ Together, Part 2 …
Lessons in Love from 1 John
Treasuring Christ Together, Part 3 …
What is the Philosophy of Worship that Unites Us?
October
What Unites Us in Worship at Bethlehem? …
What are the essentials of worship that go deeper than style and form?
The Prodigal’s Sister …
“Prodigal. I don’t know which is harder— to be one or to love one. But I know that when he comes home, there is great joy. Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son is about God and how he welcomes sinners who come home through Jesus” (p. 9).
Treasuring Christ Together, Part 4 …
What is the Philosophy of Worship That Unites Us?
Jonathan Edwards on the Pilgrim Mindset …
What characteristics ought to mark the life of a Christian sojourner?
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things: Why We Need Jonathan Edwards 300 Years Later …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Speaker Interviews, Session 1 …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Sarah Edwards: Jonathan's Home and Haven …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Jonathan Edwards: The Life, the Man, and the Legacy …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Speaker Interviews, Session 2 …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Joy's Eternal Increase: Edwards on the Beauty of Heaven …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
The Glory of God and the Reviving of Religion …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
How Jonathan Edwards Got Fired, and Why It's Important for Us Today …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Pursuing a Passion for God Through Spiritual Disciplines: Learning from Jonathan Edwards …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
A Divine and Supernatural Light Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God …
Desiring God 2003 National Conference
A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
Everlasting Truth for the Joy of All Peoples …
Missions Week
Jesus Christ is building his church around the world with missionaries.
An Open Letter to Michael Prowse …
God loves us by commanding us to praise him, because we won't be happy until we give it.
November
The Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith …
Formerly known as the TBI Affirmation of Faith
Revised November 11, 2003
Christ Suffered and Died to Deliver Us from the Present Evil …
Don't follow a defeated foe; follow Christ. You will be an exile in this age, but you will be free.
For God's Sake, Let Grace Be Grace! …
No one's obstinance can stop them from being saved, because God can remove the hardness.
What John Piper Said in Washington, D.C. …
D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship
Washington, DC
Bethlehem: A Culture of Peace …
The next best thing to having a church without conflict is having one that knows how to resolve it in a Christ-exalting way.
December
The Passion of Jesus Christ and the Passion of Auschwitz …
Is there a way that Jewish suffering may find, not its cause, but its final meaning in the suffering of Jesus Christ?
When There's Crisis at Christmas …
Noel Piper encourages a friend to hold onto Jesus at Christmas time even if nothing about the holiday season feels joyful.
