Episodes

Episode 2123

Living with Gospel-Sized Ambition

The Gospel
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?

Cults & The Occult
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?

Cults & The Occult
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?

Biography, Christian Hedonism
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?

Pastoral Ministry
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?

Bible Reading
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

Sexual Purity, 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?

World Religions
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?

Heaven & Hell
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.