Look at the Book
Episodes
2 Corinthians 4:16–18: Suffering Prepares Us to Enjoy God
13 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For God’s children, all suffering is light compared to the weight of the glory coming, and all affliction is temporary compared to eternal bliss.
Hebrews 12:6–11: Suffering Conforms Us to Christ
11 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Satan loves to lie to us in our suffering. He tells us that God must be against us if he would allow us to experience pain, the experience of discipli...
2 Corinthians 1:8–9: Suffering Makes Us Depend on God
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you who are evil know how to embrace your children when they cry, how much more will your heavenly Father embrace those who run to him in their pai...
Luke 13:1–5: Suffering Brings Us to Repentance
04 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When we suffer, we often cast ourselves as the victims. When Jesus was asked about suffering, he called a world of sinners to repent.
Revelation 4:10–11: How to Rejoice in Revelation
30 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The final chapter in any book is often the best, and yet many Christians do not rejoice in Revelation because it can be hard to understand. In this la...
How to Read Revelation: Revelation 4:10–11
28 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Revelation can be difficult to interpret. In this lab, Pastor John illustrates how to begin to understand the symbols, and apply them to life today.
Ephesians 6:23–24: Can Our Love Be Corrupted?
23 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We can lose our love for one another. One comment, one moment, one interaction can put out the flame of our affection. But can our love for God be ext...
1 Peter 1–5: 1 Peter in 1 Sentence
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Every Christian tastes and sees that God is good. Then we suffer and witness to a dying world, hoping that they might taste and see the same.
1 Peter 5:13–14: God’s Grace Creates a Family
16 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Heartache, brokenness, and death may mark our biological families, but God’s grace creates a new family that death, disease, and disaster cannot sha...
1 Peter 5:12: Stand Firm in Grace
14 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The grace of God meets us more faithfully than the morning and strengthens us more ardently than our daily bread. We rest, labor, and stand firm in gr...
1 Peter 5:12: We Get Grace, God Gets Glory
09 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
God’s grace turns rebels into citizens, orphans into children, an adulteress into a sinless bride. We receive the grace, he receives the glory. ...
1 Peter 5:10–11: How Long Must I Suffer?
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Our suffering can be so severe that all we can say is, “How long, oh Lord?” In those moments, God gently responds with, “Just a little while lon...
1 Peter 5:10: The God of Amazing Grace
02 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
God’s grace is amazing because God is. His tenderness and compassion avalanche upon us from the peaks of his steadfast love and mercy.
1 Peter 5:8–10: How to Fight the Devil
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As Christians, we have often been trained to fight pride, lust, anxiety, laziness, and other sins. But do we know how to war with Satan?
1 Peter 5:8–9: Can Satan Devour Christians?
23 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Satan is a fierce predator. He has devoured souls of men and women, children and the elderly. He hates none more than Christians. Can he destroy them?
1 Peter 5:8–9: Kept by God Day by Day
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The grace of God saves us. The grace of God frees us. The grace of God enslaves us. The grace of God keeps us.
1 Peter 5:8: Stay Alert Against Satan
16 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
While the world sings sweet lullabies to try and destroy us, God calls us to joyful wakefulness. Our eternity hangs on how we respond.
1 Timothy 2:15: How Are Women Saved Through Childbearing?
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Women are saved by faith in Christ. In what sense then, according to 1 Timothy 2:15, are they saved through childbirth?
1 Peter 5:7–9: Are You a Passive Christian?
09 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Bible is serious about two realities: God cares for, saves, and protects his people, and his people need to be alert, active, and aggressive again...
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
07 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does?
Romans 5:20–6:2: Do I Have Any Righteousness of My Own?
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Righteousness is a big deal for every single person on the planet. In this lab, John Piper shows why Jesus being perfect on our behalf does not free u...
1 Peter 5:6–7: Four Reasons God Hates Pride
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Pride not only multiplies the weight of our anxieties, but makes our loving Creator, our honorable King, our gracious God into our omnipotent enemy.
1 Peter 5:5: Clothe Yourself in Humility Daily
26 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The world scratches and fights each other in order to be exalted. The church joyfully submits to each other in order to exalt their King.
1 Peter 5:4: Does God Reward Pastors?
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Does God reward pastors for their service? And if so, doesn’t that contaminate the pure aims of loving others?
1 Peter 5:2–3: How Not to Lead a Church
19 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s CEOs often are ambitious, stern, and overworked. The church’s leaders need to be happy, holy, and humble.
1 Peter 5:1: Practice What You Preach
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Pastors cannot be men who preach what others should practice, but do not practice what they preach.
Acts 16:19–31: What to Do When God Is Silent
12 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Silence from family and friends is one thing, silence from God is another. But no matter how hard it is, we must trust that he is working all things f...
Acts 13:48: The Chosen Choose God
10 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If God has not redeemed you, nothing will make you choose God over your sin. If God has chosen you, no scheme of Satan can keep you from choosing him.
Acts 13:48: Unconditional Election
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Unconditional election means that God chose his people without them first meeting any conditions. God’s choice does not depend on our works, faith, ...
Lamentations 5:21: God, Bring Me Back to You
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When our thoughts have been unruly, our hearts hard, our deeds despicable, when we teeter from the devastation of sin and straddle the precipice of he...
1 Peter 4:12–19: Six Parts of a Christian Worldview
29 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
All thoughts are not created equal, all opinions are not valid, and no worldview matters but God’s.
1 Peter 4:19: Christians Never Need Revenge
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
While the world threatens, the Christian serves. As the world imprisons, the Christian prays. When the world does evil, the Christian does good. ...
Luke 1:26–38: Seven Reasons to Worship on Christmas
24 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The baby lay in the manger and the man hung on the cross, that by his life and death we would be free to enjoy God forever.
Matthew 1:18–25: What Makes Christmas Merry?
22 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When a Christian Hedonist says, “Merry Christmas,” he means much more than a warm holiday with friends and family.
God’s Miraculous Conception: Matthew 1:18–21
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How Jesus Christ came to lay in the cradle, has massive implications for what he did on the cross.
Saved Through the Fire of Suffering: 1 Peter 4:17–18
15 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Although the world may send us into its furnace for not bowing our knees, we know that the Son of God is with us in the flames.
Christian, Your Suffering Is Not Eternal: 1 Peter 4:17
13 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
No matter how bad your sufferings are in this life, rejoice that they can only cut so deep and last for so long.
1 Peter 4:17: God Is Working in Your Suffering
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to hear in the moment that God is sovereign over our suffering, but in the long run it makes all the difference.
1 Peter 4:17: How Will Christians Be Judged?
06 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If the Father judged Jesus on our behalf, doesn’t that mean that we won’t be?
Unashamed: 1 Peter 4:16
01 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We know we should never be ashamed of Jesus. But when that coworker asks, or that relative puts us on the spot, we can be slow to own the name Christi...
1 Peter 4:15: Mind Your Own Business
29 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Non-believers often tell Christians to mind their own business. They may be more right than we might think.
1 Peter 4:15: Do You Suffer Because of Your Sin?
24 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The cross defangs the fatal bite of sin — but it can still have devastating consequences. Don't consider yourself to be a martyr when you suffer bec...
1 Peter 4:14: Would I Be Able to Endure Persecution?
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We read stories about Christians being horrifically persecuted for their love of Christ. We marvel at their endurance and secretly wonder: if I were i...
1 Peter 4:13: Suffer for the Joy Set Before You
17 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For the joy set before him, Jesus endured suffering. For the joy set before us, we must also.
1 Peter 4:12: Is Persecution Coming for Christians?
15 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus was persecuted. Many in the early church were persecuted. Many Christians today are persecuted. You also will be persecuted.
Jeremiah 12:1: Can a Christian Complain to God?
10 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
God invites us to cast our cares upon him because he cares for us. How can we do that honestly and yet not complain in a way that dishonors him?
Galatians 1:3–5 : Do You Feel God’s Grace and Peace?
08 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Those who know the horrors of war are thankful for peace. Those who understand justice get excited about grace. Christian, grace and peace are yours.
1 Peter 4:11: Do Your Gifts Glorify You or God?
03 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
God gives gifts to his people to bless others. If you want to glorify God: steward your gifts, speak God’s words, and serve with God’s strength.
1 Peter 4:10–11 : Serve In God’s Strength, Not Yours
01 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When we speak, we speak in God’s power and with God’s words. When we serve, we serve in his power and point to his glory.
2 Corinthians 3:15–18: How Can I Change?
27 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Sin is a sticky, entangling web that traps and blinds those who live in it. But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
1 Peter 4:10: What Is a Spiritual Gift?
25 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Spiritual gifts do not lift us above others, they empower us to lower ourselves in the service of others.
1 Peter 4:10: Your Gifts Are Meant for Others
20 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Birthday gifts have your name on them because they are meant for you. God’s new-birth gift has your name on it but is meant for others.
Seeing Is Believing: 2 Corinthians 4:6–7
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The God who spoke light into the world speaks light into our souls, opening our blind eyes and dawning new affections for him.
1 Peter 4:9: What Grumbling Says About God
13 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Few can endure being around grumblers. Heaven forbid that Christians, inheritors of the world, would be called complainers.
1 Peter 4:9: How to Be More Hospitable
11 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
People can annoy us with their needs. Our selfishness transforms loved ones into inconveniences. But God calls us to more than begrudging hospitality....
1 Peter 4:8: Only Love Can Cover Sin
06 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Others’ sin confronts us daily, and daily we must choose how to respond to it. Denial dismisses their sin, indifference ignores it, anger attacks it...
Romans 11:33–36 : From Him, Through Him, To Him
04 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Psychologists cannot counsel him. Philosophers cannot instruct him. Billionaires cannot add to his treasures. He owns all, funds all, receives all. To...
1 Peter 4:7: A Lifeline for the Weak and Weary
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The world as we know it passes away, we must then be people who watch and pray.
1 Peter 4:7: Think Hard on Your Way to Heaven
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Sexuality, worldliness, Netflix, and all kinds of distractions compete daily for our thoughts. We cannot give our minds over to the enemy — we must ...
1 Peter 4:7: Are We Living in the Last Days?
22 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a peculiar age: battles rage but the war is won, spring dawns and summer looms, Christ came and is coming back.
Psalm 19:12–13 : Lord, Keep Me from Sin
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Even as Christians, sin still lingers in our shadow. How do we pray for the light of God’s grace to expel our darkness?
1 Peter 4:6: Is There Any Hope for the Dead?
15 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Bible says that the gospel was “preached to the dead” (1 Peter 4:6). Does this mean that someone can hear the gospel and repent after death?
1 Peter 4:5: God Will Deal with Your Enemies
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but how can we when real injustice is committed against us?
1 Thessalonians 3:11–13: What Does It Mean to Be Holy?
08 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Without holiness you will not see the Lord. Without knowing what holiness means you may never attain it. So what does it really mean to be holy?
1 Corinthians 15:58: Labor for the Lord Is Never Lost
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
With calloused hands and sweaty brow, the Christian rests knowing that his labor in Christ is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 3:21–23 : A Proven Recipe for Humility
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Pride is a recipe for disaster. But God's luscious logic cooks the cuisine of humility.
1 Peter 3:21–22: Does Baptism Save You?
30 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
“Baptism now saves you?” What in the world does 1 Peter 3:21 mean?
1 Peter 4:3–4 : Show the World a Life Worth Living
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Christian life is truly worth living. Following Jesus gives us the opportunity to show a dying world what real life looks like.
1 Peter 4:3–4: You Have Sinned Enough Already
23 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve given your sins room and board for long enough. Evict them and follow Jesus into the light.
1 Peter 4:2: Do You Want What God Wants?
18 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We can live for our will or God’s will, or we could have our passions so transformed that we need not choose between the two.
1 John 2:18–19 : Who Are the Antichrists?
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The apostle John tells us that many antichrists are in the world. What value is there in learning about them?
Arm Yourself to Battle Satan: 1 Peter 4:1
11 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The enemy’s flaming darts and God’s Great Commission make spiritual warfare unavoidable, and spiritual pacifism suicidal. So, how do we arm oursel...
Christ Died to Make Us Dead to Sin: 1 Peter 4:1
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Christ did not die to domesticate your sin and make it your pet. His death took the monster out back and killed it.
1 John 2:19: Can a True Christian Fall Away from God?
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Once saved, always saved? If so, how do we explain friends, family, and even church leaders who walk away from the faith?
1 Peter 3:19–20: How Do You Decrypt Confusing Bible Verses?
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Finding spiritual gems in the Bible is hard work. How do we dig into a verse when we don’t know what it means?
Micah 7:7–9: How to Rise After We Fall into Sin
28 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Our hearts break when we repay God’s faithfulness, kindness, and love with sin. What should we do after our spiritual adultery has left us broken, g...
Romans 15:8–9 : Why Did Jesus Come Into the World?
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus is the only human who ever chose to be born, so why did he come? The Bible’s answer may not be the same as yours.
Philippians 4:6–7: The Heart of Fearless Contentment
21 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this lab, Pastor John teaches us how to cultivate fearless faith.
Philippians 4:6–7 : Do Not Be Anxious About Anything
19 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety hangs over many of our heads like a dark cloud. How do we break free from the fears and worries that follow us everywhere we go?
Deuteronomy 33:26–27 : Mine God’s Poetry for God’s Beauty
14 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the most beautiful aspects of who God is and what he does are buried in poetry in the Bible. Do we skip over it?
Isaiah 41:10: Are the Old Testament Promises Made to Us?
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Did God bury promises to you in the Old Testament? Many of us apply Israel’s promises to ourselves today — but should we?
A.P.T.A.T.: Practical Steps to Walk by Faith
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to walk by faith? Here are five steps for whatever temptation, challenge, or heartache you are facing.
1 Peter 3:18: Does the Bible Contradict Itself?
05 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Certain verses in the Bible seem to contradict others. What should we do when come to one of those verses?
1 Thessalonians 5:9–11: Prepare Your Heart for Cancer
28 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
More than a third of you will have cancer at some point in life. Do you have a few verses to cling to when the diagnosis comes?
Do You Want God More Than Anything? 1 Peter 3:18
23 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If you only believe in Jesus to get out of hell, you are not a Christian. True Christians want to be forgiven because the forgiven get to be with God.
Psalm 100: How Can We Obey from the Heart?
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The hardest commands in the Bible are not the commands to serve, to abstain, or to forgive. They’re the commands to feel. How do we rejoice when we ...
Psalm 100: The Keys to Knowing How to Live
16 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Some Christians who know the most, love and do the least. So how exactly does right thinking move through our hearts to right feeling and doing?
1 Peter 3:17: Does God Will Sin Done Against Us?
14 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We all carry wounds inflicted by others — the father who abandoned us, the friend who betrayed us, or the co-worker who lied about us. What part doe...
1 Peter 3:15–16: Should We Want to Shame Unbelievers?
09 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When the world mocks and despises us for our faith, we often want to lash back. God has a better way of shaming those who abuse his followers.
1 Peter 3:15–16: Cleanse Your Conscience of Guilt
07 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Guilt over sin makes quiet Christians who are full of shame. How can we cleanse our conscience so that we share more boldly?
1 Peter 3:15: Can You Defend Your Hope in Christ?
02 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
All Christians know non-Christians. Whether with co-workers, spouses, parents, or acquaintances, a critical question faces us daily: How do I give a d...
1 Peter 3:14–15: Treasure Jesus More Than Safety
31 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
With terrorism, political instability, and social unrest, much of our culture is given to fear and anxiety. In the face of such realities, should Chri...
James 3:17–18: What Does It Mean to Meditate?
26 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever stop to meditate on the Bible? Do you even know what it means to meditate? Here’s a model to help you slow down and really think while y...
1 Peter 3:14–15: Does Anyone Ever Ask About Your Hope?
24 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you were asked about your hope in Christ? The world will only ask us when they see something in us dramatically different from ...
1 Peter 3:14: How Does God Bless the Hurting?
19 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
God promises to bless Christians who suffer while living faithfully for his glory, whatever that suffering may be. But what is the blessing, and how d...
1 Peter 3:13: Would a Sovereign God Ever Harm Us?
17 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
If you are Christ’s, no one in this world can ultimately harm you. They can only serve God’s good purposes for you and bring you greater blessing.
1 Peter 3:10–12: The Key to Enjoying Your Life
12 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus did not die only to ransom you from hell. He died to ransom you from wasting your life here on earth.
1 Peter 3:9–12: Love Your Enemies for Your Own Sake
10 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Should Christians be motivated by blessing when we love our enemies? And if we should be, how is that not works-based righteousness?
Colossians 2:13–14: The Heart of the Christian Faith
05 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How would you describe the core of the Christian faith? Do you have a place you would turn in the Bible? Here are two verses that give us the good new...
1 Peter 3:8–9, Part 3: Those Who Suffer Receive a Blessing
26 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How does our future inheritance in heaven help us suffer well? The answer is one key to loving those who wrong and mistreat us.