In this revised and expanded edition of Brothers, We Are Not Professionals that includes a new introduction and select all-new chapters, best-selling author John Piper pleads through a series of thoughtful essays with fellow pastors to abandon the professionalization of the pastorate and pursue the prophetic call of the Bible for radical ministry.“We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry,” he writes. “The mentality of the professional i...

Everyone is looking for power. Political campaigns play to the power of fear and hope; advertising agencies rely on the power of appetite, both wielding power by the means of words.But churches have something different and better. Churches have the gospel. Though we live in the world, we must not wage war like the world, or fight with its weapons. On the contrary, we have divine power to demolish strongholds.The gospel consists merely of words, but those words have the unex...

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”It is the most dangerous and loving cause in the universe: rescuing sinners from eternal suffering and bringing them into the eternal joy of relationship with Jesus.Jesus himself said that for every person who does not believe, the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). And for the peoples of the world who have no access to the gospel, the wrath of God does just that. World missions is the marvelous v...

John Piper Explores the Ultimate Source of Pleasure, Satisfaction, and Lasting Joy"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." This simple but powerful statement has been a cornerstone of John Piper's ministry for nearly 40 years. Laying out the principles behind this "Christian Hedonism," Desiring God has proved to be a source of rich theological insight for countless readers through the years, guiding them to the fullness of joy found...

By anchoring your understanding of productivity in God's plan, What's Best Next gives you a practical approach for increasing your effectiveness in everything you do.There are a lot of myths about productivity--what it means to get things done and how to accomplish work that really matters. In our current era of innovation and information overload, it may feel harder than ever to understand the meaning of work or to have a sense of vocation or calling....

Reflecting on forty years of matrimony, John Piper exalts thebiblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples tokeep their covenant for all the best reasons.Even in the days when people commonly stayed married "'til deathdo us part," there has never been a generation whose view ofmarriage was high enough, says Pastor John Piper. That is all themore true in our casual times.Though personal selfishness and cultural bondage obstruct thewonder of God's purpose, ...

Claude is a victim. He was victimized and bullied throughout his early years, through school and even at work it was still going on. He had come to expect it, but he didn't see what was coming next until he was trapped.Late one night a gang of drunken women on their way home from a hen-night, force their way into his home and gang rape him, before leaving him in a park, tied and naked. He gets free the next morning and turns to his neighbor for help. She enslaves him and forces him ...

In a grimy industrial town in the North East of England, corruption reigns in high places The ambitious Mayor has brought prosperity to some, mainly himself, but most of the population are struggling to survive. Then, a celebration for the great and the good turns into an orgy.and many lusts and perversions are exposed within the corridors of power. Closure and redevelopment of the docks has left many out of work and the pressure of life has increased the levels of crime and prostitution o...

31 meditations from the founder of Desiring God that will connect you to a fresh understanding of God and renew your faith."You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).Living knowing that your life is a vapor is different than just living. Things here are passing away. You’ve got to hold on to what will stand. Savor what matters. This collection of t...

We all want to experience liberating, love-producing, risk-taking satisfaction in God. But the reality is that we often struggle to find, and hold onto, true and lasting joy—even when we have embraced the good news of God’s grace. So we face a crucial question: What should I do when I don’t desire God?John Piper aims to help us find joy in Jesus that is so deep and so strong that it frees us from bondage to comfort and security, and impels us to live merci...

Our appetites dictate the direction of our lives—whether it be the cravings of our stomachs, the passionate desire for possessions or power, or the longings of our spirits for God. But for the Christian, the hunger for anything besides God can be an archenemy, while our hunger for God—and Him alone—is the only thing that will bring victory.Do you have that hunger for Him? As John Piper puts it: “If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not be...

John Piper writes, "I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A couple 'took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. . . .' Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: 'Look, Lord. See my shells.' That is a tra...