John Piper on the Importance of the Bible

5 good questions to ask on the importance of anything. Thinking in terms of the Bible, below is a video of John Piper answering those questions. Great to listen to and apply.



John Piper @ GELF Breakfast - Lausanne 2010 from Crossway on Vimeo.

What would happen if it did not exist?

• No saving knowledge of God 

• Where the Word goes, the Holy Spirit reveals

What would you give to have it or keep it?

If you came across someone who approached you and said, 'I'll give you 500 million dollars to do with as you wish, but you'd be required to get rid of all your Bibles for a year...would you take it? Piper, 'Not on my life'.

 You know the worth of something by what you are willing to take instead of it.

 "I am groping to find a way to express the preciousness of THIS book."

 This book is Infinitely precious

What does it make possible?

It makes possible fellowship with the Living God 

 God talks to me through His Word, the Scriptures 

 He talks to me very personally, through His Words, through His Spirit.

How does it weather critics and detractors?

All hammers go against the Bible wear out and break. It outlasts them all.

How much effort should be given to spread it and preserve it?

MORE...MORE...MORE 

Desiring God Live with Darrin Patrick

Darren Patrick is lead pastor at Journey Church in St. Louis and vice-president of the Acts 29 church planting network. He recently authored the book Church Planter and recently sat down with the crew at Desiring God for an interview.

I watched this for a few reasons, but one because I bought the book and wanted to get a little more background on the context of the HOW and WHY the book was written.

The promo video for the book is excellent and worth the 5 minutes it takes to watch.

Here are a few thoughts, quotes, etc. I walked away with from the interview:

- In Darrin's testimony, God used an assistant high school football coach to bring the message of the Gospel to him when he was a junior in high school, had just gotten kicked off the football team for drinking, kicked out of school for fighting and was sure he had just gotten his girlfriend pregnant.

The below quotes have a full context within the interivew to understand, but they are worth noting.

"You can always take the commands of God back to the character of God"


"I saved you, so now you can obey me" (not the other way around)


"You cannot make God smile bigger at you than He already is because of what Jesus has done"


"There is a difference between surface idols and source idols" You'll have to listen to the interview for him to unpack this.

Disaster is 'when the story and glory of a church becomes bigger than the story and glory of God'.

"A BAN is not a boy, not a man, prolongs adolescence and many do this because they don't have dads."

What is the posture God wants to use us in??? Weakness II COR. 12.

'When people look around at you and aren't impressed with you but with Jesus, that is a great thing.'

'His Purposes are Right and Will Stand'...especially during suffering

Below is a wonderful video a family who is spreading the love of Christ in the midst of cancer, foster care, adoption. Let this be an encouragement and know that what the Lord is teaching you in these moments of life He has purpose for His glory in them.



The Watters' Story from Children Desiring God on Vimeo.


Desiring God is hands down one of my favorite ministries. God exalting, Christ-centered, and full of great resources.

Lasting Rest...Paul Tripp

As a parent with young children, this blog post was extremely helpful, especially in terms of my relating with my Father. I long and pray that I would be a father to my children as He is to me.

O to abide in Christ!!!! John 14.

"Do you ever struggle with God’s sovereignty? Do you wonder why he has ordained for you to face the things you face? Are you ever tempted to doubt his goodness or question his love? Or do you experience rest of heart even when your relationships are messy and your circumstances are difficult? The following words are about where the rest can be found."

Read the rest: