John Piper, in a sermon “History is God’s Story” found at DesiringGod.org …Is this the way you tell stories about what happened? When you tell somebody about the past, do you say, “God did this and God did that and God did that and God did that, etc.”? Do you say that God did virtually … More History is God’s Story
Today we read Acts 13:1-25 in our reading plan. John Piper concluded a message from Acts 13:1-12 this way: God is a searching and saving God; that he is a God on a mission; he has straight paths that lead to faith; he is still sending us “to seek and to save the lost.” He … More God makes persecution a launching pad for missions
Here is a summary of the main point of Acts 12, the passage in our read-through-the-Bible plan today. It is taken from the introduction of a sermon by John Piper, “Execution, Escape and Eaten by Worms”: The chapter begins with Herod killing James the apostle of the Lord Jesus (v. 2), and ends with the … More Acts 12: If You Oppose Jesus, You Lose
The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, (Acts 11:22-23 ESV, read Acts 11:19-30 today) John Piper preached … More The grace of God in spreading the good news through persecution
A few comments on Matthew 8:18-20 “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go”: After witnessing the miracles of Jesus, many folks thought following Him might be more “glamorous” than it really was. I imagine that Jesus may have received many spontaneous offers like this. We, too, tend to buy in to the prosperity gospel … More Prosperity Gospel?
The brothers of Joseph had committed great sins. They knew this, were no doubt plagued with guilt, but thought they had gotten away with it. Now, after obtaining life-saving grain in Egypt from Joseph (NOT knowing who he really was) they discover the payment for the grain was back in their sacks. Their immediate response? … More Our Sovereign God Summons and Saves
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
Today we read Matthew 7:1-14. Here is encouragement from John Piper, in the introduction to a sermon “Ask Your Father in Heaven” on Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. When you pause to consider that God is infinitely strong … More Pause to consider the incredible privilege of prayer
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
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
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 