John Piper | Desiring God

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 Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.

He Stayed at Home to Save the World: Andrew Fuller (1754–1815)

He Stayed at Home to Save the World

Andrew Fuller (1754–1815)

Andrew Fuller held the rope to support missionaries. He refuted heresy in England to keep the gospel pure. He fought at home to save the world.

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Does Christ’s Righteousness Cover My Joylessness?

Does Christ’s Righteousness Cover My Joylessness?

Jesus is our substitute, the one who became sin so we might be saved. So does his righteousness also cover our joylessness?

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James 4:13–16 : Your Life Is a Mist

Your Life Is a Mist

James 4:13–16

Planning becomes sinful when we presume whatever we schedule will come to pass. Preface all of life with “If the Lord wills.”

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Does God Direct All the Details of My Life?

Does God Direct All the Details of My Life?

God’s sovereign control is complete, not partial. He governs every aspect of nature, every aspect of history, and every aspect of personal life.

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What Does It Mean to Live ‘in the Flesh’?

What Does It Mean to Live ‘in the Flesh’?

Over ninety times, Paul speaks of “the flesh.” So what does this word mean to the apostle? Pastor John forms a definition from two key passages.

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James 1:12–15: Does God Ever Tempt Me to Sin?

Does God Ever Tempt Me to Sin?

James 1:12–15

God’s sovereignty means he reigns over every trial. And his love means that he intends them all for our good and his glory.

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Is Cremation Okay If I Give My Body to Science?

Is Cremation Okay If I Give My Body to Science?

We testify to the hope of resurrection when we choose burial over cremation. But if we first donate our body to science, is cremation okay then?

Pray for Holy Tears: Responding to Abominations in the Culture

Pray for Holy Tears

Responding to Abominations in the Culture

Pray that God will give you holy tears. They are a work of grace, not a work of nature. Natural tears are sweet. But holy tears are from the Spirit.

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James 1:12–15: Is God Testing Me?

Is God Testing Me?

James 1:12–15

Don’t get discouraged if the fight against sin seems endless. The fight is necessary, the fight is winnable, and the fight will end.

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Does Junk Food Dishonor God?

Does Junk Food Dishonor God?

When it comes to food, many of us are in greater danger of judging people where we shouldn’t than of eating what we shouldn’t.

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I Want Jesus to Be My Treasure — Is the Wanting Enough?

I Want Jesus to Be My Treasure — Is the Wanting Enough?

Our satisfaction in God will be in measure, not in fullness, until the day we see him face-to-face.

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Philippians 3:7–10: Suffering Can Be an Answer to Prayer

Suffering Can Be an Answer to Prayer

Philippians 3:7–10

Christian, God is working in your suffering. He is working Christlikeness, working trust, working to draw you closer to himself.

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My Joy Is So Short-Lived — How Do I Make It Last?

My Joy Is So Short-Lived — How Do I Make It Last?

God promises lasting joy. But what should we do when we feel full on Sunday but empty by Monday?

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Philippians 3:7–10: Where to Turn When Suffering Comes

Where to Turn When Suffering Comes

Philippians 3:7–10

God gives us power — not to escape or avoid suffering — but to endure suffering while looking to Christ.

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What’s the Significance of Simon Carrying Jesus’s Cross?

What’s the Significance of Simon Carrying Jesus’s Cross?

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that Simon of Cyrene helped carry Jesus’s cross. What’s the significance of this story?

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Where Was the Holy Spirit on Good Friday?

Where Was the Holy Spirit on Good Friday?

At the cross, the triune God was at work, securing our redemption. But what role did the Holy Spirit play in Jesus’s crucifixion?

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Philippians 3:7–10: The Mark of a True Christian

The Mark of a True Christian

Philippians 3:7–10

In this life, we will suffer. And through that suffering, we will know Christ in a way nothing else can provide.

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Is There Any Place for Fear in the Christian Life?

Is There Any Place for Fear in the Christian Life?

Fear does not govern the Christian life. But we have a skewed view of the Christian life if we exclude fear.

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1 Thessalonians 4:13–18: Will There Be a Rapture?

Will There Be a Rapture?

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

The Bible speaks of deep suffering in the last days. Does it also promise that God will spare believers from it through the rapture?

Message Excerpt

How to Engage Lost Loved Ones

How to Engage Lost Loved Ones

Tell them earnestly. Tell them compassionately. Tell them prayerfully. Tell them that Jesus Christ died for sinners and is coming back.

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How Does God Answer Today’s Skeptics?

How Does God Answer Today’s Skeptics?

Many of today’s skeptics ask questions that God himself has already addressed. Sometimes, we just need to hear how God responds to his critics.

The Psalms Must Be Fulfilled: The Son’s Script and Strength for Holy Week

The Psalms Must Be Fulfilled

The Son’s Script and Strength for Holy Week

The Old Testament book Jesus quoted most often was not a book of history, law, or wisdom, but of songs.

He Died a Thousand Times — and Lived: Adoniram Judson (1788–1850)

He Died a Thousand Times — and Lived

Adoniram Judson (1788–1850)

The suffering of Adoniram Judson was exceeded only by his spiritual fruit. Through imprisonment, loss, and torture, God built his church in Myanmar.

Message Excerpt

Are You Trading Away Your Soul?

Are You Trading Away Your Soul?

Bigger bank accounts and the newest gadgets will always try to lure our hearts from storing our treasure where it matters most.

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How Do Christians Survive in Middle-Class America?

How Do Christians Survive in Middle-Class America?

“Woe to you who are rich. Woe to you who are full now. Woe to you who laugh.” What do Jesus’s woes mean for middle-class Americans?