I have been immersed in the book of Haggai today – – and decided to take a break by listening to someone else preach a sermon on Haggai. I “stumbled” across this sermon by John Piper which, as it turns…
Why Be Motivated to Live the Christian Life? (How John Piper Helped Me)
As a teenager and college student, I viewed living the Christian life with a sense of grim obligation. I knew that I should live for Christ, but I was not very excited to do so. John Piper helped me understand…
Would you rather have a “homecoming hug” or a “new toy”?
John Piper: There is a deep difference between the temporary thrill of a new toy and a homecoming hug from a devoted friend. Who do you think has the deepest, most satisfying joy in life, the man who pays .…
Why Hafemann’s essay alone is worth more than the price of the book
Crossway recently published For the Fame of God’s Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper. It’s over 500 pages long and filled with good material. The people in my church will probably find some of it to be very challenging…
A book I look forward to reading
Since seminary, no theologian has helped me clarify my thinking like John Piper. As I wrote in Unpacking Forgiveness, Piper helped me understand that there is not a tension between God’s glory and my joy. As he has said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”
This book is sure to stretch our thinking, but it will be worth the effort.
Pastoral Ministry and Writing
Over time, I’ve realized that part of what God’s call on my life is for me write on some modest level. Part of my Sabbatical is also about renewal for writing. While, I won’t be writing to a deadline during…
Piper on how he practices the Sabbath principle
One of our goals this summer during my sabbatical is not simply for me to take a sabbatical, but for our church as a whole to grow in their understanding of Sabbath. In this brief clip, John Piper shares practical…
John Piper’s 10 Resolutions for Mental Health
My sabbatical begins today (D.V.). The goal is renewal. Below is a post from John Piper in which he summarizes 10 resolutions for mental health given by Clyde Kilby. I read this on January 1 (thanks Z), but I scheduled…
How the greatest paragraph ever written was used to deliver a hymn writer from suicidal depression
If you struggle with depression – – and, what an awful battle that can be – – consider reading The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd (The…
Not too early to plan summer reading
One of the authors I plan to read this summer on my sabbatical is Marilynne Robinson. Regarding her Gilead: A Novel, John Piper posts: “ continues to move me, months after I read it. I have waited to comment on…