Messages by Desiring God

Money, Sex, and Power. Three precious gifts of God. Three dangers ready to destroy our souls. Three beautiful possibilities for worship and love.

John Piper | The glory of God is the brightest beauty, and the greatest treasure, the sweetest pleasure in all of reality, and is, therefore, never to be exchanged for what sex, money, or power can bring.

Money, sex, and power are three good gifts of God. We know the basic definition of each — but is there more underneath the surface?

Everyone struggles with doubts at some point, but God doesn’t want us to wallow in uncertainty. He gives us his Spirit to testify to our new life.

John Piper | Christians, as chosen lights, proclaim God’s excellencies through transformed living, silencing ignorance, shaming the revilers with good behavior, and bringing glory to their heavenly Father.

John Piper | Is stumbling because of disobedience any different from being born again by the mercy of God? If we are not born again, we will disobey, destined by our nature.

John Piper | According to 1 Peter, what does it mean to have your soul purified by “obedience to the truth”?

John Piper | Christians are called to both “fear not” and fear — fear to squander the precious ransom of Christ’s blood.

John Piper | New passions give rise to new conduct. And if you try to turn it around, you don’t have Christianity anymore.

John Piper | Your faith is so valuable that God is willing to put it through fire to burn out all the dross. Don’t begrudge the school of suffering because God deems it necessary.

John Piper | The Christian life is characterized by the simultaneous experience of both joy and sorrow. Trials are allowed by God’s necessity to test and strengthen one’s faith, all while God provides the necessary grace for each day’s challenges.

John Piper | God sustains faith, trials refine faith, and faith glorifies Christ.

John Piper | Every Christian has been born again, and everyone who has been born again has a living hope.

John Piper | According to the apostle Peter, knowing the cause, means, and goal of our election as exiles awakens joy and worship.

John Piper | Our exile status is connected to our election — a connection carefully woven together by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If we attempt to be exiles apart from the work of the triune God, we end up with Phariseeism.

John Piper | As Christians, our earthly identity is that of aliens, strangers, sojourners, and exiles, with our true citizenship found in heaven.

John Piper | If you find the Bible boring, mythological, or distracting, then 2 Corinthians 4:6 hasn’t happened to you yet. You will not understand the Bible without the Holy Spirit.

John Piper | If you feel totally at home in this world, 1 Peter will either pass by you or awaken you to your alien status here.

John Piper | John Piper’s commencement message on the relationship between friendship with Jesus and the aims of higher education — specifically the educational aims of Bethlehem College and Seminary.

Without sourcing our love for others from our joy in God, we will never be able to risk whatever it takes draw more people to Jesus.

The greatest benefits of the cross, like justification, propitiations, salvation, and redemption, are all a means to us enjoying the one greatest benefit: glorifying God by enjoying him forever.

John Piper | We may never be able to explain every instance of suffering, but we can trust that God is near, he is in control, and he is bringing us unimaginable good — even through pain.

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Jesus demands the impossible, whole-hearted love for God and others, but he does not abandon us to the task.

The foundation of the gospel propels us to seek justice in this world which gives people what they deserve, and even more to seek grace which gives people better than they deserve.