Now available: John Piper’s book on the second coming →

Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. We’re on a mission to change that. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ.

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John Piper

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & 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 Come, Lord Jesus

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Did Three People Write This Letter? 2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 1

Did Three People Write This Letter?

2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, Part 1

The New Testament does not convey the mere opinions of men but the very words the risen Christ wanted his church to hear.

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John Piper’s 2022 Year-in-Review

John Piper’s 2022 Year-in-Review

Pastor John discusses personal and ministry highlights from 2022, including podcasts, books, global outreach, and a new goal for ‘Look at the Book.’

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An Overview of 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5:28

An Overview of 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:1–5:28

First Thessalonians is a letter that affirms the election of the saints and calls them to live holy lives as they anticipate the longed-for return of Christ.

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Good and Bad People-Pleasing

Good and Bad People-Pleasing

How can we find freedom from living for the opinions of people? Pray for and pursue a big vision of God. Find a firm identity in Christ. Look to your eternal reward.

The Joy of the Puritans

The Joy of the Puritans

The Puritans took joy seriously because they read the Bible carefully. They saw that delight in God is at the heart of all true obedience.

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The Danger of Skipping 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 6

The Danger of Skipping 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 6

The apostle Paul made himself clear that the entire church needed to read this letter.

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How Can I Cast My Cares on God?

How Can I Cast My Cares on God?

Casting your cares onto God begins with believing that he really is the infinitely powerful, all-wise, always-good God he reveals himself to be.

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Should We Still Give a Holy Kiss? 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 5

Should We Still Give a Holy Kiss?

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 5

The command to greet one another with a holy kiss is a call to grow in expressions of true, holy, familial affection in the church.

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Satan Cannot Scare You into Hell

Satan Cannot Scare You into Hell

Satan may oppress you, attack you, and rage against you. But if you are in Christ, he holds no power to finally destroy you.

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What Can We Pray for the Church? 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 4

What Can We Pray for the Church?

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 4

The prayers of ordinary Christians are the means God uses to cause his word to run and be exalted in the world.

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Build Structures to Serve Your Calling

Build Structures to Serve Your Calling

How can leaders prevent the pressures of running an organization from squeezing out opportunities for face-to-face work and ministry?

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All the Called Are Kept: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 3

All the Called Are Kept

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 3

What is the connection between God’s effectual calling of believers and his constant keeping of believers? His faithfulness.

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How Can Satan Harm Christians?

How Can Satan Harm Christians?

Scripture is clear that Satan is not ultimately sovereign — God is. But under that sovereignty, in what ways can Satan still harm God’s people?

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How Are We Kept Blameless for the Day of Christ? 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 2

How Are We Kept Blameless for the Day of Christ?

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 2

By faith we are reconciled to God, and by faith we pursue the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

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Amusing Ourselves from Death

Amusing Ourselves from Death

Outside of Christ, the fear of death is a slave master that holds everyone in bondage — even those who seem unaware of their chains.

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Sanctified in Spirit, Soul, and Body: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 1

Sanctified in Spirit, Soul, and Body

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28, Part 1

Paul sometimes describes humans as body and soul, sometimes as body, soul, and spirit. What does man consist of?

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Give Young Christians a Chance to Lead

Give Young Christians a Chance to Lead

Our churches grow in wisdom and maturity when the young honor the old, the old listen to the young, and all clothe themselves with humility.

The Purposes of God in the Pain of the World

The Purposes of God in the Pain of the World

Before he created the earth, God knew pain would plague this world. And not only knew, but planned. And not only planned — but purposed.

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How We Quench the Spirit: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 11

How We Quench the Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 11

One way to quench the Spirit is to have a cynical attitude towards spiritual gifts that he gives to the church.

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Should We Seek to Suffer?

Should We Seek to Suffer?

Suffering may be the price of Christian love, but it is not the aim of Christian love. Our aim is to do as much good as we can on the lowly path of service.

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Always Joyful and Thankful — Really? 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 10

Always Joyful and Thankful — Really?

1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 10

While it may seem that sorrow and joy are exclusive, there is a pervasive joy and a pervasive thankfulness that is available in every circumstance.

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Pray Your Way into Thanksgiving

Pray Your Way into Thanksgiving

How can we aim to be done with anxiety and enjoy peace in any circumstance? By bringing every circumstance to God in prayer.

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Always Joyful, Prayerful, Thankful, and Good: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 9

Always Joyful, Prayerful, Thankful, and Good

1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Part 9

How can Christians always rejoice, give thanks, pray, and do good towards others? By resting in God’s goodness towards them in Christ.

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How Does Baptism Save Us?

How Does Baptism Save Us?

If God saves his people through faith alone apart from works, why does Peter say that baptism now saves us?

How Can a Holy God Have Pleasure in Sinners?

How Can a Holy God Have Pleasure in Sinners?

You will not be perfect in this life, but you can be pleasing to God. You can become a real ingredient in the divine happiness.

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