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John Piper

John Piper is founder and teacher of Desiring God and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Foundations for Lifelong Learning: Education in Serious Joy. Read more about John.

Should We Teach That Good Works Come With Saving Faith?

John Piper says that we must protect people from turning the gospel into either lechery or legalism.

Knowledge Increases Mystery

From time to time I meet the objection that efforts to understand complex and mysterious doctrines in the Bible are unhelpful because they reduce mystery and therefore diminish wonder and worship There are at least two answers to this objection…

Should I Pray In Jesus' Name When Asked to Pray In Public?

John Piper gives two reasons why he always prays in Jesus' name.

Fighting Covetousness by Looking at Others

Keep God first in your life by finding others who love God well and imitating them.

Should Missions Be Secondary In the Life of a Local Church?

John Piper says missions is too intertwined with God's glory to be peripheral.

John Piper Is Not an Innovator

I heard Collin Hansen say in an interview that John Piper is not an innovator I hope I can live up to that tribute. I would like it to be true. I am very happy with the simple role of…

Pour Out Your Indignation Upon Them

Pour Out Your Indignation Upon Them

How should we understand the psalms that call down curses on others?

The Lord's Money

Every day is the Lord’s day just like all your money is the Lord’s money Nevertheless one day in seven is called “the Lord’s Day” in a special sense (Revelation 1:10; cf. 1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 20:7). We set this…

What Should a Wife Do When Her Husband Doesn't Lead Spiritually?

John Piper offers several ideas for how a wife can help her husband take responsibility for the spiritual life of his family.

Why It Matters That God Does Everything for His Own Glory

Why should we emphasize that God loves, forgives, and saves for his own glory Two reasons (among others). 1) Because the Bible does. I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will…

2 Birthdays and Biblical Inerrancy

Two birthdays give reason to be thankful because of what they signify about the truth of God’s word.

Does Suffering Always Make Sense?

John Piper says that even though we don't understand our suffering, God does, and that with him it is totally worth enduring.

Is God's Sovereignty Limited?

John Piper argues that it is both right and good to believe in God's absolute control over all things.

Conference Message

The Echo and the Insufficiency of Hell

The Echo and the Insufficiency of Hell

The threat of hell might scare us toward God, but only a deep love for Jesus can take us all the way home to him.

Conference Message

The Triumph of the Gospel in the New Heavens and the New Earth

The Triumph of the Gospel in the New Heavens and the New Earth

Death and decay won’t have the last word. One day soon, God will release all of creation from corruption.

Gratitude for Power-Restraints

The Supreme Court rendered a decision last week concerning Guantanamo Bay. Unlawful combatants there now have constitutional habeas rights (protection from unlawful detention). The decision was considered a rebuke to the Bush administration and the way the armed services are…

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Perhaps nothing is more effective in helping children fear God than verbally blessing the Lord in their presence.

A Poem for Father's Day

I wrote this poem when Noël’s Father died. But now it covers both our fathers. We thank God for them. What a gift they were to us. And what a gift they gave In Memory of George T. Henry and…

Many Years of Patience

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him” (Lamentations 3:25) Charles Simeon was in the Church of England from 1782 to 1836 at Trinity Church in Cambridge. He was appointed to his church by a bishop against the…

Is It Possible to Not Worship Jesus and Still Be Moral?

John Piper says that we can't talk about morality only in terms of behavior.

God’s Painful Exegetical Help

In this week’s Taste & See Article, I pointed out from Psalm 119:67 and Psalm 119:71 that God sends affliction to help us learn his word Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word…

Is Christianity Just a Bunch of Rules for How to Live?

John Piper says that Christianity isn't first rules but news—very good news.

How God Teaches the Deep Things of His Word

A Meditation on Psalm 119:65–72

A meditation on goodness in Psalm 119:65–72.

Warfield's Supernatural Patience

It takes supernatural power to be patient. That’s why Paul seems to go over the top in how he prays for our patience May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience…

Unseen Purposes for Disappointment

When Christ died he purchased for you the Yes to all God’s promises (2 Cor. 1:20), and that includes the promise to use his sovereign power to govern all the inexplicable, maddening detours and delays of your life for wise…

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