Tag: John Piper
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Can We Get Along Together?
One of my ecclesiastical/theological heroes, John Piper, came under a slew of criticism earlier this year for inviting “Purpose Diven” Rick Warren to be one of the speakers for the Desiring God 2010 Conference. I like the way Collin Hansen introduces the controversy, in his article, Piper, Warren, and the Perils of Movement Building: You…
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What is God Like?
What is God like? Describe to me the God you say you believe in. In the first chapter of his best selling book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan challenges his readers to ponder who God is. “Who is it that you are praying to?” Chan wants us to ask. I really appreciate that challenge and that…
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John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel
A couple weeks ago I posted some of my thoughts about the Prosperity Gospel as it compares to Scripture. In particular I was reflecting on some insight from Revelation 2.8-11 – Jesus’ affirmation of the Church at Smyrna. (See Suffering Saints) I have since run across this video of John Piper expressing how the Prosperity Gospel…
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7 Reasons We Need Small Groups
Our church has begun a process to initiate Small Group ministry. Though I am familiar with the “whys” and the methods of small groups, I am by no measure an expert. Fortunately, we do have in our church others who a far more knowledgeable than I am about the implementation of this aspect of ministry. Still, the early going has been…
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The Gospel Saves From Morality
It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? The Gospel saves you from morality. Can this be true? It is true. And it is an important truth. And understanding what John Piper is saying in this video can free people from the crushing weight of trying to be good. For others it will free them from self-righteousness, which…
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3 Short Books I Wish Everyone in My Church Would Read
I read a fair amount. I have been accused, and probably rightly so, of unrealistically pushing books and other reading materials on people who don’t read quite as much; who don’t have the time to read as much; who don’t get “paid” to read as much (as I, in part, am). But there are ideas…
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Calvinist When Calvinism Wasn’t Cool
To paraphrase Barbara Mandrell, “I was a Calvinst when Calvinism wasn’t cool.” Historically Calvinism had a long day of being cool. Then it was cool no more. Now from all appearances it is cool once again. This resurgence of Reformed Spirituality is not new news. Christianity Today, among others, has been talking about it for several…
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More Narrow Than Conservative
In the Foreword to CJ Mahaney’s book, Worldliness, John Piper writes: “The gospel makes all the difference between whether you are merely conservative or whether you are conquering worldliness in the power of the Spirit for the glory of Christ.” What an awesome and insightful statement. In my circles I encounter way too many…
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The Supremacy of God in Missions Through Worship
by John Piper Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no…
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The Gospel in 6 Minutes
What is the Gospel? While in many ways this should be a simple question to answer, experience has taught me that many people are confused about what the Gsopel is. Most agree that the Gospel is something good. But they are confused about what particularly defines the Gospel. Some see the Gospel as merely that…
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Which Way?
Your life hangs on how you relate these two statements: “If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous” (1 John 2:1). “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). Do you experience the first one weakening the second? Or do you experience the first one…
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A Mind for Missions: Global Evangelism
With our church having just come through the front end of our first missions conference in at least a generation there are a number of people who are sensitive to what God is doing in the world, and hungry to explore what part he has in mind for us – the average Christian. Wanting to take…
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The Gospel in 6-Minutes
Paul, the Apostle, wrote: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… (Romans 1.16) The Gospel is a phrase I am fond of, and use frequently. But from time to time I have to stop and recognize that not everybody immediately understands…
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Desiring God
If you are not already familiar with his work, I want to introduce you to John Piper. In particular I commend his book Desiring God. This book is a modern day classic. And in my mind it an almost indespensible aid to gaining a Biblical perspective of the Glory of God. Well, indespensible might be a bit of an overstatement. But, it is…
