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Look at the Book

Look at the Book

1,362 episodes — Page 27 of 28

Hebrews 10:32–35: A Better and Abiding Possession

The gospel shines most brightly when Christians rejoice in the midst of really painful, even unjust suffering. In this lab, John Piper looks at Hebrews 10 to understand how we cultivate the kind of joy that can endure anything and that frees us to love and serve radically.

Apr 21, 2015

Romans 12:19–20: Vengeance Is Mine

We all have been sinned against, in large or small ways. The Bible calls us not to avenge ourselves, but to entrust the pain and offense to God, who judges justly. In this lab, John Piper reminds us of the promise that God will repay every wrong ever committed against us.

Apr 14, 2015

Hebrews 11:24–26: The Fleeting Pleasures of Sin

Hebrews 11 calls us to look to God’s people who have gone before us to learn how to walk by faith. In this lab, John Piper highlights the life of Moses, who preferred the reward he had with God more than all the riches of Egypt.

Apr 9, 2015

2 Thessalonians 2:9–12: They Refused to Love the Truth

The Bible is clear that people are perishing in rebellion against God. One of the most important questions we can ask is why people perish, and how we can avoid that fate. In this lab, John Piper looks at the relationship between what we believe and what we love in determining our eternal destiny.

Apr 7, 2015

Luke 12:32–34, Part 2: Seek the Treasure That Will Not Fail

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What we treasure has massive implications for the health and security of our hearts. In this lab, John Piper explains why treasure in heaven will satisfy us more than any other, and shows us the pathway to more of the joy found in Jesus.

Mar 26, 2015

Luke 12:32–34, Part 1: Sell the Treasure That Will Not Last

Many people are afraid to give because they’re afraid they won’t have enough themselves or that they’ll miss out on something in the future. In this lab, John Piper highlights the liberating promise that God is a providing shepherd, father, and king. Therefore, we can give freely and generously.

Mar 24, 2015

2 Corinthians 4:4–6: The Light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ

What happened when you were saved? While Satan did everything he could to blind you to the beauty of Jesus Christ, God broke through in marvelous light, and you saw, and you believed. In this lab, John Piper highlights critical parallels between two key verses to explain the miracle of conversion.

Mar 12, 2015

Matthew 22:15–21: Render to Caesar

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Mar 10, 2015

Hebrews 3:12–14, Part 2: Exhort One Another Every Day

God has appointed other believers as one of the primary means of our perseverance. In this lab, John Piper explains how sin wages war against our souls, and how God equips us with weapons for the battle. We will see that this fight is not one we should fight alone.

Mar 5, 2015

Hebrews 3:12–14, Part 1: Take Care, Brothers

When you come across an if/then statement, restate the condition and study the implications. For instance, can someone who has truly been saved fall away from the faith? John Piper answers in this lab.

Mar 3, 2015

Romans 8: The Big Picture

John Piper has completed thirty labs working verse-by-verse through Romans 8. In this last lab, he sums up all that we have learned and explains how the highest points relate to each other. We need to be regularly stepping back in our Bible reading to see the bigger picture.

Feb 26, 2015

Romans 8:38–39: Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

Romans 8 lands on the note of God’s unstoppable, unshakeable love for us in Christ. Nothing — however dark or hard — can separate us from him. In this lab, John Piper reveals the love of God for us, and calls us all to love one another in response to this great love.

Feb 24, 2015

Romans 8:35–37: We Are More Than Conquerors

We learn a lot about the Bible when the Bible quotes itself. In this lab, John Piper looks at Paul’s use of Psalm 44 to see how we are more than conquerors in all our suffering. Understanding God’s love for us in Christ completely changes how we think about hard things in this life.

Feb 19, 2015

Romans 8:33–34 : It Is God Who Justifies

Satan is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), but Jesus disarmed him at the cross. In this lab, John Piper explains how the work of Christ wars against and defeats Satan’s schemes to accuse and condemn us. Are you able to wield the sword of Paul’s promises against the evil one?

Feb 17, 2015

Romans 8:31–32: Who Can Be Against Us?

God is for you, and therefore no one can defeat you. God gave his Son, so he will most definitely give you all things. This lab looks at a couple powerful rhetorical questions. John Piper searches the truths behind Paul’s questions to find massive rocks under the Christian’s life.

Feb 12, 2015

Romans 8:30: Predestined, Called, Justified, Glorified

A promise as mind-blowing as Romans 8:28 needs massive faith-sustaining truth underneath it. Romans 8:30 lays out a process in which God exalts Christ by bringing ungodly people to glory. In this lab, John Piper offers assurance in God’s invincible plan of salvation.

Feb 10, 2015

Romans 8:29: Conformed to the Image of Christ

God’s purpose in creation and redemption is to have a family of children conformed to the image of his Son. But how does that happen in me? In this lab, Pastor John explains the ways in which we are made like Jesus

Feb 5, 2015

Romans 8:29: Foreknown by God

The phrase “foreknown by God” has caused significant controversy and conflict within Christianity. Did God simply know ahead of time that we would believe, or did he choose who would believe? In this lab, John Piper explains as he tackles the next verse in Romans 8.

Feb 3, 2015

Romans 8:28, Part 3: Called According to God’s Purpose

When God calls a man or woman, what happens? In this lab, the third of three labs focused on Romans 8:28, John Piper draws in several other verses to try and understand the call of God. He explains why those who love God should rest secure in his sovereign care.

Jan 29, 2015

Romans 8:28, Part 2: Do You Love God?

The Bible makes promises to those who love God. But how do we know if we do? In this lab, John Piper digs into the relationship between saving faith and loving God. He goes on to show why and how God works all things for good for those who love him.

Jan 27, 2015

Romans 8:28, Part 1: All Things Work Together for Good

As God’s chosen child, all of your present suffering is serving your future glory.

Jan 22, 2015

Romans 8:26–27 : The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness

These two verses are two of the hardest in Romans 8. John Piper asks two important questions to uncover how the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. He shows how God — all three persons — is active in helping and keeping us through the hardest things in life.

Jan 20, 2015

Romans 8:22–25: The Redemption of Our Bodies

Knowing that the whole creation, including us, is suffering because of the corruption of sin, what hope can we have that things will get better? In this lab, John Piper talks about the tensions we feel as we strive to believe God’s promises while sometimes suffering greatly.

Jan 15, 2015

Romans 8:18–21: The Freedom of the Glory of the Children of God

Suffering might be the hardest, most confusing reality in the Christian life. In this lab, John Piper uncovers deep and durable truths that will help you suffer well. God made and saves the world in the way he did in to make Christ the center of the universe.

Jan 13, 2015

Matthew 6:9–13, Part 3: Hallowed Be Your Name

There is no more familiar prayer in the Bible than the Lord’s Prayer. In the last lab of his three-part series, John Piper highlights two major new insights he’s seen over the years in the structure and relationships within this paradigm-creating prayer of Jesus.

Jan 8, 2015

Matthew 6:9–13, Part 2: Deliver Us from Evil

Jesus’s prayer for you is clear: Today, you need God to provide for you, forgive you, and deliver you. Every single day, you need God to move in these three ways. In this lab, John Piper unfolds these simple, but critical prayers.

Jan 6, 2015

Matthew 6:9–13, Part 1: Your Kingdom Come

In five short verses in Matthew, Jesus taught us to pray. There are prayer-life-changing glories to be seen in these most familiar words *if* we slow down enough to see them. In this lab, John Piper begins a three-part series on the Lord’s Prayer.

Jan 1, 2015

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12: New Year’s Resolutions

At the beginning of another year, people will make new resolutions. But should Christians make these New Years commitments? In this lab, John Piper shows that resolutions can be deeply Christian and grace-filled.

Dec 30, 2014

Hebrews 2:14–15: Why Christmas?

We have every reason to look each other in the eye and say from the bottom of our heart, “Merry Christmas.” His birth means we have hope.

Dec 23, 2014

Philippians 1:20–23: To Die Is Gain

John Piper says this passage has been one of the most pivotal for him and his ministry. These four verses hold profound and precious truths about life and about death. In this lab, Piper shows why Christ is most magnified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

Dec 18, 2014

What Child Is This? Luke 1:30–37

What child is this, the baby boy we celebrate every Christmas? Mary met the true identity of her son in the words of an angel, recorded in Luke 1. In this lab, John Piper prepares our hearts for Christmas by slowing down over these verses.

Dec 16, 2014

Romans 8:17: Heirs of God

Our adoption as sons and daughters of God is a deep and glorious blessing. In this lab, drawing on several other texts, John Piper asks what it means that we will be glorified with Christ and share in his inheritance.

Dec 11, 2014

Romans 8:16: The Witness of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit has a massive role in Romans 8, and in the rest of the Bible, but he is often overlooked. In this lab, John Piper highlights the work of the Holy Spirit, specifically three ways he testifies that we are the children of God.

Dec 9, 2014

Romans 8:15: Not Slavery, But Adoption

Adoption is not unique to Christianity, but it is a much more complex and glorious reality in the context of God’s love for us in the gospel. In this lab, John Piper presses in on several key words to show what it means for God to be a Father.

Dec 4, 2014

The Children of God: Romans 8:14

The Bible often argues in “if/then” statements, and the context will help us clarify exactly what the conditions are. In this lab, John Piper shows us where to find assurance that we are the children of God.

Dec 2, 2014

Put Sin to Death: Romans 8:12–13

Do not let sin linger in your life. God gave you specific weapons to kill sin and its deception.

Nov 27, 2014

Sin Will Kill You: Romans 8:12–13

Sin will kill you. God gives warnings in the Bible, and sometimes they seem to call into question our security in Christ. How should we read the Bible’s warnings? And what role do they play in our salvation? John Piper answers in this lab.

Nov 25, 2014

Matthew 10:25–31: Have No Fear of Them

“Do not fear.” Jesus’s command can be hard to obey, but it is filled with promise. In this lab, John Piper shows us how Jesus helps his disciples (and us) battle fear.

Nov 20, 2014

Love Builds Up: 1 Corinthians 8:1–3

Is knowledge good or bad? 1 Corinthians 8:1–3 says that knowledge can lead to pride or to love, so how do we know which our knowledge is? Pastor John unfolds the life of the mind in this new lab.

Nov 18, 2014

Romans 8:10–11: The Spirit in You Is Life

Even though we’ve been saved by Jesus, we all still die. What does it mean for us that the Spirit lives in us? What does it mean for our fight against sin, our relationship to Jesus, and our death? Piper answers in this lab.

Nov 13, 2014

You Are Not Your Own: Romans 8:9

When we belong to Jesus, when we are found in him alone, we are finally able to make God look glorious in every area of our lives, fully pleasing to him.

Nov 11, 2014

Romans 8:9: The Spirit Lives in You

Jesus bought us with his death and then sealed us with his Spirit. In this lab, John Piper unfolds the glory of the Trinity in our salvation and the role of the Spirit in showing that we belong to Jesus.

Nov 6, 2014

Romans 8:7–8: The Mind Against God Is Dead

Romans 8:5–8 gets down to the bottom of our sin, untangling the reasons we rebel against God. Pastor John highlights the meaning of two “for” statements to show the relationship between sin, hostility to God, death, and worldliness.

Nov 4, 2014

Romans 8:5–6: Set Your Mind on the Spirit

The Bible often presents two ways for us to live. In Romans 8:5–6, Paul describes two different lives, two different mindsets, and two different conditions. This lab carefully traces the serious differences in order to cause us to look to Christ.

Oct 30, 2014

Romans 8:3–4: What the Law Could Not Do

Purpose clauses (“in order that”) tell us why God does what he does. In this lab, Pastor John looks at why God gave us the law and why he sent his Son to die on the cross. All along, he asks how the Christian should relate to the law after Christ has come.

Oct 28, 2014

Romans 8:3–4: Love Fulfills the Law

Romans 8:3–4 says Christ died so that the law would be fulfilled in us. What does it mean for the law to be fulfilled? And how is it fulfilled in us? In this lab, John Piper tackles these two critical questions.

Oct 23, 2014

Romans 8:3: God Sent His Own Son

Romans 8:3 holds some of the most precious truths of Christianity. Paul explains how God removes our guilt and ends our condemnation. Pastor John slows down to dig into the nitty-gritty details of our good news.

Oct 21, 2014

Romans 8:1–4: The Spirit Set You Free

The word “for” is one of the most common in the Bible. In this lab, Pastor John explains the relationship between our justification and sanctification by focusing on those three letters: f-o-r.

Oct 16, 2014

Free in Christ Jesus: Romans 8:1–3

Paul uses the phrase “in Christ Jesus” 47 times in his letters. What does that crucial phrase mean?

Oct 14, 2014

Romans 7:22–8:2: No Condemnation

In your Bible reading, an author will often compare two things. It’s important to stop and study everything you learn about how those two things are similar and different. In this lab, Pastor John looks at our slavery to sin and freedom in Christ.

Oct 9, 2014