Quotes from John Piper

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.

Jesus' primary concern—the very first petition of the prayer he teaches—is that more and more people, and more and more peoples, come to hallow God's name. This is the reason the universe exists. Missions exists because this hallowing does not.

In my view, America's greatest need is for husbands to begin guiding their families, rather than pouring every physical and emotional resource into the mere acquisition of money.

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. MARK 10:45

When you become a Christian—a disciple of Jesus—you do not become his helper. He becomes your helper. You do not become his benefactor. He becomes your benefactor. You do not become his servant. He becomes your servant. Jesus does not need your help; he commands your obedience and offers his help. Christmas. He came to serve, not to be served. He came to help us do everything he calls us to do.

Emotions for God that do not spring from seeing God cannot honor God.

Only the gospel can do two seemingly contradictory things: destroy pride and increase courage. Destroy self-exaltation and increase confidence. Destroy the pushiness of self-assertion and deliver from the paralysis of self-doubt.

Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you" (1Chronicles 29:14). This is the way we should speak of fasting. There is no ground of boasting here. Who am I that I should be able to fast? Nobody. There is nothing in me that would choose this for your glory apart from your transforming grace.

The cure for wimpy Christians is weighty doctrine!

The hope of heaven brought him joy, and joy brought him strength, and so, like John Calvin before him and George Whitefield after him (two verifiable examples) and, it would seem, like the apostle Paul himself Ã¢â'¬Â¦ he was astoundingly enabled to labor on, accomplishing more than would ever have seemed possible in a single lifetime."4 But

We know life is short and eternity is long. This eternal perspective does not take us out of the world. It gives us freedom from self-pity.

When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.1

Student—"any person who studies, investigates, or examines thoughtfully.

It seems to me that we are always falling off the horse on one side or the other in this matter of being tough and tender, durable and delightful, courageous and compassionate—wimping out on truth when we ought to be lionhearted, or wrangling when we ought to be weeping.

God responds to prayer because when we look away from ourselves to Christ as our only hope, that gives the Father an occasion to magnify the glory of his grace in the all-providing work of his Son. Similarly, fasting is peculiarly suited to glorify God in this way. It is fundamentally an offering of emptiness to God in hope.

Los ricos no son los únicos que están bajo el dominio de las cosas materiales; también son esclavos los que, sin tener dinero, son infelices por la falta del mismo.

Third, I define loving  God mainly as treasuring God. That is, it is an experience of cherishing, delighting, admiring, and valuing.

No true Christian can endure in battling unrighteousness unless his heart is aflame with new spiritual affections, or passions.

Father, I am empty, but you are full. I am hungry, but you are the Bread of Heaven. I am thirsty, but you are the Fountain of Life. I am weak, but you are strong. I am poor, but you are rich. I am foolish, but you are wise. I am broken, but you are whole. I am dying, but your steadfast love is better than life" (see Psalm63:3). When God sees this confession of need and this expression of trust, he acts, because the glory of his all-sufficient grace is at stake.

Te urjo pues, en el nombre de Jesús, a despertar y agrandar tu corazón, expandir tu mente y extender tus alas.

The Bible itself shows that our ultimate goal in reading the Bible is that God's infinite worth and beauty would be exalted in the everlasting, white-hot worship of the blood-bought bride of Christ from every people, language, tribe, and nation.

I spoke the hardest words and almost broke: 'There is another kinsman still More close to you than I. He will Be given legal right to take You if he will. Tomorrow make Your prayer, and I will settle this With elder in the gate.' No kiss That night. But when she left, still dark, She took my hand and drew and arc And said, 'The God of Exodus And flood at dawn will fight for us.' That was our only touch.

No man can give the impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save." Self-exaltation and Christ-exaltation can't go together.

There has been a wonderful alteration in my mind, in respect to the doctrine of God's sovereignty.… The doctrine has very often appeared exceeding pleasant, bright and sweet. Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. JONATHAN EDWARDS