Look at the Book
Episodes
Romans 8:31–32: Who Can Be Against Us?
12 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 powe...
Romans 8:30: Predestined, Called, Justified, Glorified
10 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Romans 8:29: Conformed to the Image of Christ
05 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Romans 8:29: Foreknown by God
03 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The phrase “foreknown by God” has caused significant controversy and conflict within Christianity. Did God simply know ahead of time that we would...
Romans 8:28, Part 3: Called According to God’s Purpose
29 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Romans 8:28, Part 2: Do You Love God?
27 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Romans 8:28, Part 1: All Things Work Together for Good
22 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As God’s chosen child, all of your present suffering is serving your future glory.
Romans 8:26–27 : The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness
20 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Romans 8:22–25: The Redemption of Our Bodies
15 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Romans 8:18–21: The Freedom of the Glory of the Children of God
13 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Matthew 6:9–13, Part 3: Hallowed Be Your Name
08 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Matthew 6:9–13, Part 2: Deliver Us from Evil
06 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 the...
Matthew 6:9–13, Part 1: Your Kingdom Come
01 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
2 Thessalonians 1:11–12: New Year’s Resolutions
30 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
At the beginning of another year, people will make new resolutions. But should Christians make these New Years commitments? In this lab, John Piper sh...
Hebrews 2:14–15: Why Christmas?
23 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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.
Philippians 1:20–23: To Die Is Gain
18 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What Child Is This? Luke 1:30–37
16 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Romans 8:17: Heirs of God
11 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Romans 8:16: The Witness of the Spirit
09 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Romans 8:15: Not Slavery, But Adoption
04 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 thi...
The Children of God: Romans 8:14
02 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 show...
Put Sin to Death: Romans 8:12–13
27 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Do not let sin linger in your life. God gave you specific weapons to kill sin and its deception.
Sin Will Kill You: Romans 8:12–13
25 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Matthew 10:25–31: Have No Fear of Them
20 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
“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 disciple...
Love Builds Up: 1 Corinthians 8:1–3
18 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 Joh...
Romans 8:10–11: The Spirit in You Is Life
13 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 again...
You Are Not Your Own: Romans 8:9
11 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
Romans 8:9: The Spirit Lives in You
06 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 r...
Romans 8:7–8: The Mind Against God Is Dead
04 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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” st...
Romans 8:5–6: Set Your Mind on the Spirit
30 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 con...
Romans 8:3–4: What the Law Could Not Do
28 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Romans 8:3–4: Love Fulfills the Law
23 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Romans 8:3: God Sent His Own Son
21 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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 slow...
Romans 8:1–4: The Spirit Set You Free
16 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The word “for” is one of the most common in the Bible. In this lab, Pastor John explains the relationship between our justification and sanctifica...
Free in Christ Jesus: Romans 8:1–3
14 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Paul uses the phrase “in Christ Jesus” 47 times in his letters. What does that crucial phrase mean?
Romans 7:22–8:2: No Condemnation
09 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Romans 8: The Greatest Chapter
07 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Pastor John introduces a new series focused on Romans 8. First, he spends a couple minutes helping you make the most of Look at the Book. Then, he giv...
Exploring Key Words: The Book of Life
02 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When you come across an important word or phrase in your reading, stop to search for other uses of that same word or phrase. In this lab, John Piper b...
Isaiah 48:9–11: For My Name’s Sake
30 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We should be constantly comparing lists of characteristics about God to determine if qualities are the same, different, or overlapping. In this lab, J...
Luke 12:32: Fear Not, Little Flock
24 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There are often riches and depths of meaning in the simplest verses. Luke 12:32 is one verse with two short propositions, but there are riches buried ...
Matthew 28:18–20: I Am with You Always
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Some of God’s commands in the Bible are very difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, we need to pay close attention to the promises in Scripture th...
1 John 5:1–4: The Victory That Overcomes the World
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
There are two major ground clauses (“for” or “because”) in 1 John 5:3–4. Pastor John focuses in on these two for’s to see the relationship...
2 Chronicles 16:8–9: The Eyes of the Lord
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Look for promises in Scripture that rest in the never-changing character of God, and therefore are true for his people throughout all of history, even...
Romans 11:28–32: Our Disobedience and God’s Mercy
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When you see personal pronouns (e.g. he, she, etc.), identify to whom they are referring. Is the writer speaking about his audience? If so, who is the...
Lamentations 3:31–33: He Will Not Cast Off Forever
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
God is completely consistent in all he does, but he is also very complicated. What looks like a contradiction in God is always only a limitation in ou...
2 Corinthians 8:1–2: An Abundance of Joy
19 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We take some words in the Christian vocabulary for granted. 2 Corinthians offers a definition of love that you may not have considered. By paying clos...
Precious and Great Promises: 2 Peter 1:3–4
26 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When studying a paragraph of the Bible, break it down into individual propositions and ask questions about how each line relates to the one before it ...
Breathed Out by God: 2 Timothy 3:14–17
22 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training. Learn to identify, explain, and differentiate each reason for continuing in t...