Podcast appearances and mentions of John Piper

By all means work. But always look to the Lord for the decisive, supernatural work needed to fulfill his purposes.

Never grow weary of exploring and exulting in the inexhaustible privilege of being “in Christ Jesus.”

Paul builds his case for unity in the Corinthian church by piling seven arguments on top of one another. How do those arguments fit together?

The Father's infinite pleasure in his own perfections is the fountain of our everlasting joy and forgiveness.

Deep suffering can drive us away from true hope and comfort. But our Father waits to gather us back to himself.

The extent of Christ's reign reaches to the smallest and biggest enemy of his glory in your life, and in this universe. It will be defeated.

Brian opens with a heavy reflection on catastrophic glacial flooding in Nepal, using the tragedy to talk about the fragility of life and living with urgency and eternal perspective. He calls out a Christian social media user who publicly declared Dolly Parton "likely in hell" within hours of her death, arguing that gentleness and humility should govern how believers speak about someone's eternal state. Brian shares a Wall Street Journal piece on the surprising mental health benefits of travel and disconnection, and a Russell Moore column praising Dolly Parton's self-respect and freedom from shame rather than shamelessness. He digs into Carl Vaters's list of assumptions big churches make that unintentionally harm small churches, and closes with a striking John Piper clip on "Christian hedonism" — the idea that sin is driven by desire for pleasure, and that the Christian life is won not through duty but through a superior joy found in Jesus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God rejoices in the works of creation because they point us beyond themselves to God himself.

Brian pays tribute to the passing of Dolly Parton at 80, reflecting on her decades-long marriage, her genuine kindness, and closing the hour with nine of her most striking public statements about prayer, faith, and heaven. He shares a bizarre and troubling story of four Georgia pastors publicly apologizing after sending anonymous packets falsely accusing another pastor of plagiarism, reflecting on the need for churches to hold themselves to a higher standard. Brian digs into John Piper's teaching on "the pleasure trap" — how earthly pleasures are meant to point our hearts toward God rather than become idols — and shares Alan Noble's Gospel Coalition piece arguing that a Christian's suffering, while mysterious, is never meaningless. He closes reflecting on financial anxiety and contentment after reading about a Michael Jordan jersey expected to sell for $10 million alongside rising healthcare cost anxiety among ordinary Americans, along with the surprising power of nostalgic worship music to remind us of God's faithfulness over time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sweetest experience of God's love is conditional on our transformation into the kind of people whose emotions and choices and actions please God.

In this special episode of Pastors Talk, Jonathan Leeman and Mark Dever welcome John Piper to reflect on his book The Pleasures of God, newly reissued by Crossway. Together they explore why God's self-exaltation is not vanity but love, how grace overflows from a God who is full and free, the connection between God's glory and His happiness, and why a gloomy view of God distorts everything downstream. 

Eloquence and cleverness cannot deliver us from God's wrath. Only the death of Christ on behalf of sinners can turn condemnation into justification.

Does eternal punishment in hell bring God glory? Pastor John challenges the rejection of God's judgment by pointing to his unmerited mercies and perfect righteousness.

Day and night are saying one thing: God is glorious! Turn away from the creation as your supreme satisfaction, and delight yourself in the Lord of glory.

God is love precisely because he relentlessly pursues the praises of his name in the hearts of his people.

If God loves us enough to make our joy full, he must not only give us himself; he must also win from us the praise of our hearts.

Why does the same gospel message offend some and delight others? Because the message of Christ crucified lands only on those whom God has called.

God's pursuit of praise from us and our pursuit of pleasure in him are the same pursuit.

Why does evangelism matter when God has chosen whom he will save? Pastor John unpacks and rejoices in our role as God's instruments.

The Bible is a window that opens onto the sunrise glory of the risen Christ.

Christ's resurrection is God's declaration that we cannot work our way to glory, but that he intends to do the impossible to get us there.

You will always be better off to obey than to disobey Jesus, even if that obedience costs you your life.

In wisdom, God hides his plan of salvation from the self-proclaimed wise of this age. In grace, he reveals the power of the cross to those he calls.

How can Christians avoid placing a relationship or hobby over a desire for God? Pastor John calls us to let earthly delights turn us Godward.

Authentic speaking about God's goodness and greatness must come from the soul. Blessing God with the mouth without the soul would be hypocrisy.

Sleep can sometimes feel unproductive, but believe it or not, sleep is valuable in more ways than we realize! Sure there are many physical benefits, but there are also important spiritual benefits. Brett McCracken, author of The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God's Truth and Revives Weary Souls, joins Arlene to explore why God designed humans to need sleep at all. They discuss sleep as a gift of grace that can't be earned, the vulnerability of nighttime and what it teaches about dependence on God, and practical tips for helping both adults and children sleep better. The conversation also turns to how screens have replaced older nighttime dangers, and how sleep itself pushes back against an AI-driven culture that prizes constant productivity. Brett shares personal reflections as a father of four on choosing rest over an ever-growing to-do list. 03:53 — The central question: why did God design humans to need sleep? 05:52 — Sleep as an ungratefully-received gift of grace 06:38 — Nighttime vulnerability and learning to trust God's protection 10:03 — Practical sleep tips for adults and kids 15:27 — Phones and screens as the new "danger of the night" 18:23 — John Piper's quote on sleep as a corrective to pride 26:21 — AI, human limitation, and what sleep reveals about being human Get a copy of Brett McCracken's book, The Wisdom of Sleep, on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Connect with Brett at https://www.brettmccracken.com/ More Resources from Arlene Pellicane: SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse. Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier. Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook Watch the podcast on Arlene's YouTube Channel How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words. Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email speaking@arlenepellicane.com Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If we are to be sexually pure, God must have the supreme place in our feelings and thoughts.

All the other gifts of the gospel — forgiveness, justification, propitiation, eternal life — exist to make fellowship with God possible.

What makes Paul so unwilling to add eloquence to the word of the cross? The apparent folly of the cross proves its actual power to those who are saved.

The death of the Son of God is outrageous enough, and the glory of God that it upholds is great enough, that God is vindicated to forgive our sins.

Are selfies a sign of the end times? Pastor John looks beyond smartphones and social media to our society's desire for deep satisfaction.

The power of God to fulfill your resolves will come to you as you trust in the future grace of his promises.

Hey, Beyond Sunday listeners! Today, we're joined by Wes Selecman for a deeper dive into his sermon on Matthew 7:24-29 from this past Sunday. Thank you for following along with us this summer as we've been journeying back through the Sermon on the Mount! In the next few weeks, we'll be interviewing members of our church staff to help you understand the who, what, when, where, and why of our various ministry areas. Listen in to learn more about the heart and vision behind Preschool & Kids; Student Ministry; College, Young Adults & the Internship; Worship & the Harvest Collective; Home Groups & Sunday Schools; and Missions. You'll also receive guidance on how to get plugged into each of these areas! Then stay tuned for our Fall 2026 season, where we'll discuss John Piper's book Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure. We hope you'll join us!

When we see the face of Christ, we see the face of God. And we see the glory of his face when we hear the story of the gospel of his death and resurrection.

Grace is not only God's disposition to do good for us when we don't deserve it. It is also a power that makes good things happen in us.

Paul was taught by the Holy Spirit — but does that mean God told him exactly what to write? God preserved his truth through Paul's personality.

Can past sins separate us from the love of God? Pastor John offers hope in God's promised forgiveness for believers wrestling with crippling shame.

We know more of the mystery of our redemption than David did. We know Christ. But we lay hold of the mercy in the same way he did.

The gospel is the good news that God bought for us the everlasting enjoyment of God.

Stand in awe and be at peace, knowing that no natural event is outside of God's wise and good purposes, and perfect control.

Marshall Segal | God's presence makes heaven worth wanting. Because of his salvation, Christians not only rest in him and trust in him but sing to him.

As Paul discipled the Corinthian church, he never intended to be their celebrity pastor. He aimed at something far greater: preaching a powerful cross.

God made humans in his image so that the world would be filled with reflectors of God. Images of God. So that nobody would miss the point of creation.

At Jesus's last breath, a crowd of saints rose from their tombs in Jerusalem. Pastor John offers six reasons Matthew's Gospel includes this event.

God is totally committed to the perseverance and eternal security of his blood-bought children.

Yahweh is a proper name (like Peter) built out of the word for “I am.” It teaches us that God absolutely is.

Between eternity past in God's predestination, and eternity future in God's glorification, none is lost.

What's the relationship between our good deeds and God's reward? When he empowers us to obey him, he loves to celebrate the beauty of his grace.

God will honor the work of his Son by raising our bodies from the dead, and we will use our bodies to glorify him forever.

God has justified us. There is only future grace in front of us. Satan cannot overturn that decree.