Look at the Book

1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 2: The Saving Power of a Fearless Wife

23 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What hope does a wife have of saving her husband? In this lab, John Piper explains how fearlessness and purity might make all the difference for her h...

1 Peter 3:1–6, Part 1: To Wives with Unbelieving Husbands

18 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Some women are exiles within their own marriage. They want to follow Jesus, but their husbands have rejected the gospel they love.

1 Peter 2:21–25, Part 2: By His Wounds You Have Been Healed

11 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When Jesus went to the cross, he bore our condemnation and purchased our healing. This lab explains what kind of healing and transformation we experie...

1 Peter 2:21–25, Part 1: Jesus Suffered to Keep You from Sinning

09 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Jesus promised us that his followers would suffer unjustly for bearing his name. In this lab, John Piper explains how we return good for evil, even wh...

Proverbs 22:17–19, Part 3: God’s Bigger Purpose for Proverbs

04 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

You probably know the book of Proverbs as a collection of practical advice for God’s people. Proverbs itself, though, defines its purpose in a deepe...

Proverbs 22:17–19, Part 2: Fix Your Eyes and Heart on the Bible

02 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Our Bible reading is about much more than reading. In this lab, John Piper highlights two major principles for getting the most out of your time in Go...

Proverbs 22:17–19, Part 1: Enjoy, Apply, and Share

28 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Proverbs is one of the most ruthlessly practical books in the whole Bible. In this lab, John Piper breaks down several lines, asking what they mean an...

1 Peter 2:18–20, Part 3: God Will Reward Every Wrong Endured

21 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Jesus says that those who follow him will suffer. In this lab, John Piper uncovers the promise that God will one day make every wrong right.

1 Peter 2:18–20, Part 2: Trust God When You Are Mistreated

19 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when someone is mistreated for doing good? In this lab, John Piper teaches us how to respond to and endure injustice.

1 Peter 2:18–20, Part 1: Slaves, Obey Your Masters

14 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Slavery is a sensitive topic with a horrific history. So what does the Bible say for slaves? In this lab, John Piper explores one place where freedom ...

1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 3: Fear God, Not the Government

12 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What does freedom in Christ look like in subjection to a human government? In this lab, John Piper explains five key principles.

1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 2: Obey as People Who Are Free

07 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

How do servants of the King live and serve in a world with kings? In this lab, John Piper reveals the wonder of Christian freedom and the witness of b...

1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 1: Live on Earth as Citizens of Heaven

05 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Christians live in and are citizens of some nation on earth, under some government, but their final authority is in heaven. In this lab, John Piper ex...

1 Peter 2:11–12, Part 3: Will Others Worship God Because of You?

31 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The Bible says that some will be saved through the witness of our faithfulness. In this lab, John Piper explains how our good deeds win others to Chri...

1 Peter 2:11–12, Part 2: Silence the World with Good Deeds

29 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Many Christians today cannot stand being maligned, and so they cave to what the world wants. In this lab, John Piper helps us win the world by living ...

Philippians 2:3–8, Part 2: Lower Yourself in Love Like Jesus

24 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The key to enduring suffering in service to others is putting on the humility of Christ. In this lab, John Piper walks us through the birth and death ...

Philippians 2:3–8, Part 1: Holy God Became Like Us

22 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Jesus Christ lived and died in every way for the sake of others. In this lab, John Piper calls us to do the same by looking at the wonder of Christmas...

John 1:14, Part 2: Glory Full of Grace and Truth

17 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

“We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” In this lab, John Piper helps us understand the glory we see at Christmas.

John 1:14, Part 1: God Lived Among Us

15 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t let good things distract from ultimate things this Christmas. Our great reason for celebration is that God came to save us.

1 Peter 2:11–12, Part 1: Your Old Passions War Against You

10 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

There are desires inside of you that want to destroy you. In this lab, John Piper teaches us to fight remaining sin in our own hearts.

1 Peter 2:9–10, Part 2: Why You Exist in the World

08 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Can you explain why you exist in the world? In this lab, John Piper explains the purpose of your life.

1 Peter 2:9–10, Part 1: God Treasures You, But Not Because of You

03 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

When a person becomes a Christian, they take on an entirely different identity, the pinnacle of which is being God’s prized possession.

James 5:19–20, Part 2: Five Truths About Eternal Security

01 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this lab, John Piper deals with the security of every believer, explaining how God keeps his children from falling away.

James 5:19–20, Part 1: Bringing Back a Wandering Believer

26 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the most heartbreaking moments in a Christian’s life are watching other believers wander away from the truth. In this lab, John Piper tackle...

1 Peter 2:4–8, Part 2: They Were Destined to Disobey God

24 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God predestined some, in his infinite mercy, to hear the gospel and believe. And he predestined others to disobey and reject the good news. In this la...

1 Peter 2:4–8, Part 1: Come to the Man Rejected by Men

19 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Those who follow Jesus should expect to be rejected by the world. But their rejection will not be the last word. In this lab, John Piper traces a new ...

1 Peter 2:1–3, Part 2: A Remedy for Envy

17 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The new birth produces love in every true believer in Jesus Christ, and it also weans us off our old sinful desires, like envy. But we have to be able...

1 Peter 2:1–3, Part 1 : Spiritual Growth Is Not Optional

12 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God is not done with his work when we first believe and are saved. He intends day by day to make us into what we already are in Christ. Spiritual grow...

Hebrews 13:5–6: God Will Never Forsake You

10 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The love of money — a craving for money as the source of our security — is an epidemic in our world, and maybe especially in our nation. So how do...

1 Peter 1:22–25, Part 2: We Cannot Love Without Hope

05 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Where do we find the strength we need to truly love the people in our lives? In this lab, John Piper looks at two verses in 1 Peter that describe our ...

1 Peter 1:22–25, Part 1: How God Purifies Our Souls from Sin

03 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

How does the faith in Jesus by which we were saved relate to the new life in Jesus for which we were saved? How do we pursue purity by grace, and not ...

1 Peter 1:20–21: Jesus Christ, the Beginning and the End

29 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people identify Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But do they live in way that also says he is their Treasure? In this lab, John Piper uncovers ...

1 Peter 1:17–19: Fear Treating God as Trash

27 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Do you fear God? The Bible seems to be confusing about fear. In some places, God calls us to live in fear. Elsewhere, he says he’s delivered us from...

1 Corinthians 15:9–10, Part 3: Grace Supplies Strength for Today

22 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

If grace empowers us to live like Christ, how do we access that grace day after day? What does it mean to live in the strength that God supplies? In t...

1 Corinthians 15:9–10, Part 2: Grace Empowers the Best Work

20 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

For many, the message of grace means the end of all effort. But the Bible will not let us settle for that kind of Christian life. In this lab, John Pi...

1 Corinthians 15:9–10, Part 1: Grace Redeems the Worst Pasts

15 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God’s grace rescued one of the worst sinners in history, a man who by his own admission was a persecutor, blasphemer, and murderer. Paul’s story g...

1 Peter 1:13–16, Part 2: Put Away Ignorant Passions

13 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

All of us have remaining sin still inside of us making war against our souls. In this lab, John Piper looks at strategies for bringing our hearts and ...

1 Peter 1:13–16, Part 1: Think Hard for the Sake of Your Heart

08 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Hope is a human emotion, and the Bible commands us to have it. So how do we pursue it if we do not feel it? In this lab, John Piper explains how God h...

1 Peter 1:10–12: The Immeasurable Value of Grace

06 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We’ll never be able to estimate the value of the grace God has shown us as sinners. In this lab, John Piper highlights the preciousness of our salva...

1 Peter 1:6–9, Part 2: Love by Faith, Not by Sight

01 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Do you love Jesus? A genuine affection for and devotion to Jesus is a miracle made possible only by God’s work. In this lab, John Piper looks at the...

1 Peter 1:6–9, Part 1: God Gives Us Joy in Grief

29 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What role do trials play in the Christian life? In this lab, John Piper explains a hard, but beautiful truth. God writes hardship and suffering into e...

Luke 7:36–50, Part 2: God’s Love for the Worst

24 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Who will love Jesus more, the one who has been forgiven much or the one who has been forgiven little? If so, why do we not sin more? In this lab, John...

Luke 7:36–50, Part 1: Forgiveness Leads to Love

22 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What do you do when a verse in the Bible (even words from Jesus himself) seem to contradict core beliefs at the heart of Christianity? In this lab, Jo...

1 Peter 1:3–5, Part 2: God’s Power Will Guard You

17 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God is guarding an infinitely valuable inheritance for you in heaven, and guarding you through faith to make sure you receive it. In this lab, John Pi...

1 Peter 1:3–5, Part 1: Born Again to a Living Hope

15 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Bible, every believer in Jesus Christ is born a second time by the Spirit. In this lab, John Piper looks at this beautiful and specta...

1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 3: Bought with Blood for Obedience

10 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The Bible stabilizes us in the storms of life by reminding us who we are. In this lab, John Piper highlights our unfathomable relationship to God — ...

1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 2 : Known by God Before You Were Born

08 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

When did God know you would be his adopted son or daughter? Peter says that our election is “according to the foreknowledge of God.” In this lab, ...

1 Peter 1:1–2, Part 1: A Letter to Exiles

03 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Peter wrote a letter to Christians facing massive opposition and even persecution for their faith. These believers refused to join in the world’s re...

Galatians 6:12–15, Part 2: Crucified to the World

01 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean for us to die to the world or for the world to die to us (Galatians 6:14)? In this lab, John Piper explains what happens when we bel...

Galatians 6:12–15, Part 1: Law-Keeping Cannot Save You

27 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

People by nature want to boast in their own abilities, efforts, and achievements. Therefore, the cross of Christ is an offense to everyone. In this la...

Psalm 141:1–4: Pray for God to Satisfy You

25 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

When we ask God to incline our hearts, can he do it? In this third lab, John Piper asks a couple of hard questions about what we pray when we pray. Ar...

Psalm 141:1–4: Pray for God to Guard You

20 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Prayer is vital for the fight to be more like Jesus. In this lab, John Piper looks at prayer in the Bible that models the pursuit of purity. All of ou...

Psalm 141:1–4: Pray for God to Meet You

18 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We learn to pray by reading the prayers in the Bible. This short series will look at David’s prayer in Psalm 141. In the first lab, John Piper asks ...

Psalm 147:10–11: What Will Please God?

13 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of heart and faith pleases God? In this lab, John Piper looks at several texts to try and understand what it means for us to fear God. How c...

Romans 9:30–33: The Great Antidote to Shame

11 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Has God’s word of promise failed because so many in Israel have failed to believe and receive it? In the last lab in this Romans 9 series, John Pipe...

Romans 9:24–29, Part 2: Partakers of God’s Promises

06 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

When did God decide to include the nations in his chosen people? The apostle Paul cites Old Testament passages to show that God always intended to bri...

Romans 9:24–29, Part 1: The Circumcision of the Heart

04 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

How could God be faithful to his promises if so many in Israel have fallen away, rejected the Messiah, and not been saved? In this lab, John Piper unc...

Romans 9:22–23, Part 3: Jonathan Edwards and His Angry God

30 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

If people’s hearts are ultimately governed by God, how can God find fault with their hardness and rejection? In this lab, John Piper looks to Jonath...

Romans 9:22–23, Part 2: The Ultimate Purpose of the Universe

28 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Why would God prepare some people for wrath and destruction? It’s one of the biggest, weightiest questions in all the Bible. In this lab, John Piper...

Romans 9:22–23, Part 1: God Wants to Show His Wrath

23 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

John Piper says, “In all the Bible, there are no more weighty, or ultimate, or difficult words than Romans 9:22–23.” These verse tackle the issu...

Romans 9:20–21: Why Have You Made Me This Way?

21 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

It’s in the nature of us to question our Creator. Why did you make me like this, and not like him or him? Why did you make him like that, and not li...

Romans 9:20: Who Are You to Question God?

16 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Certain truths about God in the Bible are confusing and even troubling to some. In this lab, John Piper corrects one way of questioning God, and encou...

Romans 9:19: None Can Resist God

14 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

If God was governing Pharaoh, how could God hold Pharaoh responsible? Isn’t God the guilty one? In this lab, John Piper begins to unfold an answer t...

John 15:12–15, Part 3: We Are Friends, Not Slaves

09 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

If you believe in, follow, and treasure Jesus Christ, he calls you his friend. Last time, we asked how we know if we are his friends. In this lab, Joh...

John 15:12–15, Part 2: Are You a Friend of Jesus?

07 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a friend of Jesus? How do you know? In this lab, John Piper looks again at John 15 to see what kind of confidence we can have that Jesus loves...

John 15:12–15, Part 1: Love Lays Down His Life

02 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be a friend of Jesus? In this lab, John Piper begins a series of three labs focused on friendship with Jesus. Jesus loves you wit...

Romans 9:14–18, Part 5: God Exalted Him to Crush Him

30 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Paul defends God’s freedom to mercifully save or righteously harden in Romans 9:14–18. In this lab, John Piper looks at Pharaoh as an example from...

Romans 9:14–18, Part 4: God Has Mercy on Whom He Wills

25 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Watch Now

Saved Not by Human Will or Effort: Romans 9:14–18, Part 3

23 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

If God is as big and sovereign as we have seen so far in Romans 9, that must have implications for us. In this lab, John Piper explores the question o...

Romans 9:14–18, Part 2: God Acts for the Sake of His Glory

18 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Many in Paul’s day were accusing God of being unrighteous in electing some and not others. In this lab, John Piper explains what the righteousness o...

Romans 9:14–18, Part 1: Is God Just to Choose Some?

16 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God’s unconditional election causes many to say that he must be unrighteous. He can’t choose some and not others, and be good and just. In this la...

Romans 9:9–13, Part 3: The Mystery of Election

11 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What did it mean for God to “love” Jacob and “hate” Esau, even before they were born? How can God elect some and still be good? In this lab, J...

Romans 9:9–13, Part 2: Why God Chooses Whom He Chooses

09 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God’s electing love is one of the most challenging realities in the Bible. In this lab, John Piper digs down underneath the doctrine of election to ...

Romans 9:9–13, Part 1: Jacob I Loved, But Esau I Hated

04 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In Romans 9, Paul wants to show us why we should believe in God’s unconditional election. Isaac and Ishmael were examples in the previous verses, an...

Romans 9:6–8 : God’s Promises Never Fail

02 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God made massive promises to Israel, but much of Israel has rejected the Christ. How, then, can we trust the promises of God to us today? In this lab,...

Romans 9:1–5, Part 3: Chosen by God, Cut Off from Christ

28 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The crisis in the first verses of Romans 9 is the unbelief of Israel, God’s chosen people. How can we trust God’s promises to us, if his promises ...

Romans 9:1–5, Part 2: Unending Joy and Unceasing Anguish

26 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The Christian life is an undeniably hard, yet gloriously satisfying life. How is it that we can be unbelievably heartbroken over the lost in our lives...

The Word of God Has Not Failed: Romans 9:1–5, Part 1

21 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Romans 9 potentially creates a massive problem for the glorious promises of Romans 8. In this lab, John Piper begins a series through this difficult, ...

Philippians 4:19–20: God Will Supply Your Every Need

19 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God exalts himself by serving us, not by having us serve him, and that sets him apart from all the gods. In this lab, John Piper shows why we should n...

Psalm 50:8–15: God Does Not Need You

14 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Why did God make human beings? Was it because he needed something that he didn’t already have? This series of labs asks what sets our God apart from...

Isaiah 55:6–9: God Will Abundantly Pardon

12 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The God of the Bible is not like any god of any other religion. This series of labs asks what sets our God apart from all the alternatives. In this la...

Isaiah 64:1–4; 46:1–4: God Works for Those Who Wait

07 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The Bible says several times that our God is utterly unique among all the gods in the world and in history. But what makes him so unique? In this lab,...

Romans 1:18–23: What Can Be Known About God

05 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The Bible says that the whole world already knows God, but also says that much of the world does not know him. How does someone know him, and yet not ...

Matthew 6:24–34, Part 3: Your Father Knows What You Need

30 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

God wants to comfort and stabilize the anxious with truth. What truths calm our fears? In Part 1, John Piper identified nine arguments against our anx...

Matthew 6:24–34, Part 2: Do Not Be Anxious About Tomorrow

28 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

When you think about the future, what makes you most anxious? Jesus gives us plenty of reasons not to fear. In Part 1 of this series, John Piper ident...

Matthew 6:24–34, Part 1: Nine Arguments Against Anxiety

23 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This three-part series of labs takes on anxiety by studying Matthew 6:24–34. If the Bible is going to effectively speak to our anxious hearts, we ne...

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

21 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The gospel shines most brightly when Christians rejoice in the midst of really painful, even unjust suffering. In this lab, John Piper looks at Hebrew...

Romans 12:19–20: Vengeance Is Mine

14 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 j...

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

09 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 Mo...

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

07 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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...

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

26 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

“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 t...

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

24 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

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

12 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 ligh...

Matthew 22:15–21: Render to Caesar

10 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Watch Now

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

05 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 soul...

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

03 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Romans 8: The Big Picture

26 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

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

24 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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. I...

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

19 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 con...

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

17 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...