Author David Mathis
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David Mathis

David Mathis is executive editor for Desiring God and pastor at Cities Church. He is a husband, father of four, and author of A Little Theology of Exercise: Enjoying Christ in Body and Soul (2025). Read more about David.
Article
Navigating Trials in the New America

Navigating Trials in the New America

New Book

Jan 12, 2016
The church in America is slowly awakening from the distortion of 350 years of dominance and prosperity. We hope this new book will help prepare you for what’s to come.
John Piper + 1
Jan 12, 2016
Book
Think It Not Strange

Think It Not Strange

Navigating Trials in the New America

Jan 1, 2016
A diverse team of contributors joins together to help Christians prepare for the trials, opposition, and even persecution that may lie ahead.
John Piper + 9
Jan 1, 2016
Article
The Eternity Before Christmas

The Eternity Before Christmas

Dec 22, 2015
As a materialistic society marks its most material time of the year, the preexistence of Christ reminds us of his priority and preciousness above all created things.
David Mathis
Dec 22, 2015
Article
What Child Is This?

What Child Is This?

Poverty, Not a Palace, for the Greatest King

Dec 6, 2015
The light and joy of Christmas are hollow at best, even horrifying, if we miss the link between the manger and the cross.
David Mathis
Dec 6, 2015
Article
Take Halloween Captive

Take Halloween Captive

Oct 31, 2015
Halloween is not a threat. It’s an opportunity. Here are five ways to prepare your heart and home for advancing the gospel on October 31.
David Mathis
Oct 31, 2015
Article
Seven Ways to Improve Your Team

Seven Ways to Improve Your Team

Oct 13, 2015
Jesus sent his disciples out two by two, and throughout the New Testament, leadership in the local church is always plural (first the apostles, then the elders/pastors/overseers). Here are seven ways for ministry teams (and especially team leaders) to pursue health and fitness in team dynamics.
David Mathis
Oct 13, 2015
Article
The World Needs More One-Woman Men

The World Needs More One-Woman Men

Sep 29, 2015
The “one-woman man” seems like an endangered species today. It’s increasingly rare to come across married men who are truly faithful to their bride.
David Mathis
Sep 29, 2015
Article
Four Prayers for Bible Reading

Four Prayers for Bible Reading

Sep 21, 2015
Prayer is a conversation God starts. His voice sounds in the Scriptures and climactically in the person and work of his Son.
David Mathis
Sep 21, 2015
Audio
Article
How Great Is Our God

How Great Is Our God

Sep 13, 2015
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” (Psalm 40:16) Great is an important word. We use it to talk about something of unusually large…
David Mathis
Sep 13, 2015
Article
How to Stay Christian on Campus

How to Stay Christian on Campus

Sep 7, 2015
They call it “the bubble”: the perception that your campus is quarantined off from the surrounding world. Life is different when you’re safe “in the bubble.” Or is it?
David Mathis
Sep 7, 2015
Article
A Guide to Christian Fasting

Fasting for Beginners

Aug 26, 2015
Christian fasting sounds so simple, and yet all sorts of complications keep it from happening. Here is a basic guide for more consistent, biblical fasting.
David Mathis
Aug 26, 2015
Article
Community Conquers Culture

Community Conquers Culture

Aug 10, 2015
Our final apologetic is not persuasive public rhetoric or shrewdly identifying areas of common concern with society; it is our love for one another. Not only will love and harmony in our congregations help win the lost — they will help keep the found.
David Mathis
Aug 10, 2015
Book
Designed for Joy

Designed for Joy

How the Gospel Impacts Men and Women, Identity and Practice

Jul 31, 2015
God created men and women in his image — equal in value and complementary in roles, which are integral to God’s good design for humanity.
John Piper + 14
Jul 31, 2015
Article
Why Join a Church

Why Join a Church

Jul 22, 2015
What if you joined the rebellion, and pledged your loyalty and engagement to a Bible-believing, gospel-cherishing local church?
David Mathis
Jul 22, 2015
Article
Workers for Your Joy

Workers for Your Joy

Why Christ Gave Us Leaders

Jun 25, 2015
What if you knew that your leaders were not in it to stroke their ego, or garner private privilege, or assert their will to power over others, but they actively were laying aside their rights and comforts to self-sacrificially take initiative and expend energy in working for your joy?
David Mathis
Jun 25, 2015
Audio
Article
Stronger

Stronger

Jun 21, 2015
As strong as Satan may seem, as powerful as sin’s pull may be, as enslaving as our shame feels, as dire as our circumstances appear, Jesus is stronger.
David Mathis
Jun 21, 2015
Article
Happiness Honors the King

Happiness Honors the King

Jun 15, 2015
The happiness of a wife is the glory of her husband. The flourishing of a child is an honor to his parents. The collective joy of a local church is a tribute to her elders (Hebrews 13:17). And our King is most honored in us when we are most happy in him.
David Mathis
Jun 15, 2015
Article
The Rock in a World of Sand

The Rock in a World of Sand

Jun 3, 2015
It may be the most overlooked aspect of the gospel. It probably doesn’t sound like especially good news, but just history — the lives of a few ordinary men. Maybe, though, you’ll marvel with me at the wisdom of God…
David Mathis
Jun 3, 2015
Article
Conflict Is an Opportunity for Grace

Conflict Is an Opportunity for Grace

May 20, 2015
We’re quick to believe the lie that if we just avoid the conflict, or at least minimize it, then it will diminish over time and eventually go away. But wisdom speaks a different word.
David Mathis
May 20, 2015
Article
It’s Not Too Late: Hope for the Fight Against Porn

It’s Not Too Late

Hope for the Fight Against Porn

May 6, 2015
While the issue of online access to porn may be new to this generation, the invitation to repentance from besetting sin is gloriously ancient.
David Mathis
May 6, 2015
Audio
Article
10,000 Reasons

10,000 Reasons

Worship in the Good and Bad

May 3, 2015
We may have ten thousand reasons to praise him in the best times, but this one reason can suffice in the worst times: He is God.
David Mathis
May 3, 2015
Article
Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept

Apr 16, 2015
In these tears we see that God does not stand aloof to the pains of our existence. He has drawn near. He has taken our flesh and blood. We suffer no pain he was unwilling to bear. We have no grief he was unwilling to carry.
David Mathis
Apr 16, 2015
Article
The Triumph of Joy

The Triumph of Joy

Easter Sunday

Apr 5, 2015
Easter Sunday announces, in the voice of the risen Christ, “Your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20) and “no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).
David Mathis
Apr 5, 2015
Article
Your Joy Rests on Jesus’s Righteousness

Your Joy Rests on Jesus’s Righteousness

Mar 19, 2015
Justification is the long j-word that has so much to do with the short j-word that we’re all seeking in our own way — joy.
David Mathis
Mar 19, 2015
Article
You Can’t Arrest the Gospel

You Can’t Arrest the Gospel

Mar 11, 2015
For 350 years, the church on American soil has enjoyed relatively little affliction for her fidelity to the Scriptures. The United States, though, is an anomaly in church history. And those days are passing, more quickly than many of us expected.
David Mathis
Mar 11, 2015

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