Podcasts about desiring god

Let this Christmas be the time when you ponder what it means — what it costs — to worship and follow Jesus, the Messiah.

Can a sovereign God take risks? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens 1 Timothy 6:15–16 to show how God's power and certainty anchor our courage.

Why would a gospel-driven ministry define itself as Reformed? Because Reformed theology guards and glorifies the grace at the heart of the gospel.

God influenced the stars in the sky to get a little handful of foreign magi to Bethlehem so that they would worship his Son.

Why did God create you? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Psalm 123:1–2 to show that we exist not to meet God's need but to showcase his mercy.

Christmas proves how Jesus is Messiah — a King, and Promise-Fulfiller — for all the nations, not just Israel.

Scott Hubbard | The name Wonderful Counselor not only calls to mind Christ's many wonders. It also puts our hearts at ease when we wonder what he's doing.

The key that unlocks the treasure chest of God's peace is faith in the promises of God.

When we believe in Jesus, we receive him as living water, bread of life, and all-satisfying treasure. Saving faith is the awakening of joy in Christ.

God could have seen to it that Jesus have a room at his birth. But that would have been a detour off the Calvary road.

What if even your simplest obedience revealed God's power at work? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens 1 Peter 4:11 to show who empowers the good we do.

How can trust regrow in the aftermath of adultery? Pastor John identifies two needed miracles for a marriage to survive and thrive again.

Do not think, because you experience adversity, that the hand of the Lord is shortened.

What makes God's joy unshakable? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens 2 Corinthians 8:1–2 to show that God's delight rests in his own infinite sufficiency.

For the mind of faith, a promised act of God is as good as done.

Why does suffering drive us closer to God? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Hebrews 10:32–34 to show how pain deepens our joy in God.

The only people whose soul can truly magnify the Lord are people like Elizabeth and Mary. So, this Advent, imitate their lowliness and cheerful humility.

What makes Christian joy stronger than fleeting pleasure? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Hebrews 10:32–34 to show how Christ holds us when the world lets go.

Greg Morse | A house with little children is often a messy house, an untidy house, a house that falls short of a mother's desires. But oh, what abundance such a house holds.

Can a Christian lose patience and not be in sin? Pastor John explains why patience and impatience may be more complicated than we think.

This Advent, bend the efforts of your imagination to make the wonder of Jesus's arrival visible for your children.

Why does God delight in cheerful givers? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens 2 Corinthians 9:7 to show that real love flows from joy, not guilt or gritted teeth.

No matter how dirty with sin you are, through Christ you can see the light of God's glory and believe.

Clinton Manley | Every Advent, we remember that a child was born into our world to torch the darkness, to banish night, and to be for us the everlasting Light.

Our greatest problem is alienation from God. The only solution is the blood of Christ.

David walked with God through disasters, diseases, attacks, and his own sins. What pattern of life did he follow to depend on God through it all?

At the root of all ingratitude is the love of one's own greatness. But genuine gratitude glorifies God because it admits that we need him.

What kind of love gives freely when life is hard and resources are few? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens 2 Corinthians 8:1–8 to reveal the joy-driven heart of true generosity.

As we steward the body, our appearance might change for the better. How do we keep our focus on being a whole person, not just an attractive shape?

The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is.

In the Christian life, is joy in God just icing, or is it the cake? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Psalm 100:2 to show that gladness in God is not extra. It's essential.

Our salvation is as secure as Christ's priesthood is indestructible. His deity and resurrection from the dead secure his indestructible priesthood for us.

Can death really be gain? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper shows from Philippians 1:20–21 that Christ is honored in death when we see being with him as far better than all we lose.

A life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are the same life. And what makes them one is thankfulness.

Why do we seek beauty and greatness? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper shows from 2 Thessalonians 1:9–10 that we were made to marvel at Christ's infinite glory.

Satan wouldn't exist if God didn't keep him around — so why is he here? Pastor John explains four ways in which God is using Satan for his glory.

When Christ died for us, he did not buy the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast.

What if God's love for you begins with his love for himself? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Psalm 19:1 to reveal why God's glory stands at the center of the cross.

It is as unlikely that God will break his word of promise to bless us as it is that he will despise himself.

David Mathis | God is most honored in us when we are most desirous of him and the future he promises with him.

Getting ready to feast on all God's word is not first an intellectual challenge; it is first a moral challenge.

A thankful spirit is others-exalting and glad-hearted. Therefore, pray for a great awakening of humble gratitude.

Why isn't moral effort enough to please God? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Galatians 5:19–26 to show that true goodness grows only where self-reliance has died.

Differences in belief can feel bigger than they are — but sometimes they are truly big. What separates personal opinion from soul-damaging theology?

Death is gain because Christians will then be perfect, pain-free, rested, at home, and with Christ.

How do you fight what rises up inside you? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Galatians 5:16–18 to show how walking by the Spirit keeps old desires from taking over.

Because we have a Great High Priest, the throne of God is a throne of grace.

Why is serving others a mark of freedom? In this episode of Light + Truth, John Piper opens Galatians 5:13–15 to show how love flows from a heart already full in Christ.

The word of God is our only hope. It is sharp, living, and active. Therefore, be of good cheer in your battle to believe.

If God refuses to act “for our sake,” does that mean he refuses to do us good? Pastor John resolves a perplexity and holds forth lavish grace from Ezekiel 36.