Episode 2124
Why Does the Bible Say Baptism Saves Us?
If God justifies by faith apart from works, then why do some passages seem to suggest that forgiveness comes through the act of baptism?
Episode 2123
Living with Gospel-Sized Ambition
Acts 20:24 has encouraged and challenged Christians throughout the centuries. How, in particular, has it shaped the life and ministry of John Piper?
Episode 2122
Why Is Witchcraft Handled So Differently Across Scripture?
In the Old Testament, witchcraft is met with capital punishment — but not in the New. Why does God handle this sin differently across redemptive history?
Episode 2121
Is There Good Magic and Edifying Sorcery?
Do the signs and wonders in Scripture justify using righteous magic in fiction? Pastor John helps us discern the kinds of stories that serve our sight of Reality.
Episode 2120
How Do I Become Happy in God?
Sometimes, the story of another Christian’s joy in God serves to kindle our own. Pastor John takes us to a remarkable moment in the life of Hudson Taylor.
Episode 2119
If God Pastors Me, Why Do I Need Pastors?
God could have designed the world so that all the help we need comes from him directly. Instead, he often ministers to us indirectly through other people. Why?
Episode 2118
How Do I Apply Bible Stories to My Life?
How can we begin to grasp the meaning of biblical narratives and their application to life? Pastor John offers an example from the story of Joseph.
Episode 2117
One Believer Dies, Another Lives: On Reading Providence
In Acts 12, God allows Herod to kill James, but he thwarts the king’s plan to kill Peter. What might this chapter teach us about God’s providence?
Episode 2116
The Pleasure That Defeats Pornography
How does a promise about the future help us fight for purity today? Pastor John unpacks the power of the greatest pleasure purchased at the greatest price.
Episode 2115
Does God Believe in Atheists?
People for millennia have said, in one way or another, “There is no God.” Pastor John describes five ways we suppress the knowledge of God’s existence.
Episode 2114
Is Heaven a Real Place Right Now?
Is heaven a physical place that exists right now? As Pastor John answers, he encourages us to focus mainly on the relational, not the spatial, aspect of heaven.