No barriers

John Piper helps us understand Peter’s vision in Acts 10, in a sermon, “What God Has Cleansed Do Not Call Common”: Let me try to sum up the whole story for us. Cornelius is a Gentile, not a Jew. But he feared God as best he knew him and he prayed and he gave alms … More No barriers

Destroying the Dreamer

John Piper’s sermon, “The Sale of Joseph and the Son of God” concludes this way: The story of Joseph is the story of a righteous one who is sinned against and suffers so that tribe of Judah would be preserved and a Lion would come forth, and would prove to be a Lamb-like Lion, and … More Destroying the Dreamer

Jesus turns things around

John Piper in a sermon, “Jesus Still Turns Things Around” brings this encouragement from Acts 9, our reading for today: Luke drives this home by showing the persecutor becoming the persecuted. First, in verse 23 Luke tells us that the Jews in Damascus plotted to kill him. The hunter becomes the hunted. And he escapes … More Jesus turns things around

God-given Direction

John Piper in a sermon, “The Leading of the Lord in Personal Evangelism” from Acts 8:26-40 …. the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch teaches us one of the ways God uses to evangelize the world. I say “one of the ways God uses” because it is clear from the book of Acts that … More God-given Direction

Treasuring the reward of heaven empowers you to love your enemy.

Matthew 5:43–48 You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on … More Treasuring the reward of heaven empowers you to love your enemy.

History as a defense

John Piper, in a sermon from Acts 7, The Story of a Stiff-Necked People: So in Acts 7:1 the high priest gives Stephen a chance to defend himself, “Is this so?” he asks. And Stephen does a very strange thing. He tells a story—a condensed version of the history of Israel. He starts with Abraham … More History as a defense