Desiring God

I enjoyed the book. Its a fine text to read and be encouraged by if that is what you desire (no pun intended.)

Piper is a fine writer imho and sticks to the essentials while offering some challenging insights about the nature of the Christian life. His paradigm of "Christian hedonism" is certainly a concept that most people would benefit from mulling over in their heads.

You don't have to agree with everything he says, I certainly don't, to appreciate this book. It will benefit anyone who reads it.

 

Among living pastor-theologians, there's none I enjoy more than Piper. You'll find Desiring God to be quite a treat, though there'll be points of disagreements here and there, as PreachinJesus suggests.

Enjoy.

 

One summer, while on summer hiatus from classes at Southern Seminary, I was living in the Williamsburg, VA area and I took it upon myself to read Desiring God. The only exposure I had had to John Piper was a tape of two messages he had delivered to a missions conference for, I believe, the Christian Missionary Alliance.

It was early on in my seminary studies and I found the book a very difficult read. I read half the book and decided I didn't get it. So, I started re-reading the book--hoping and praying I would get it. I did. By the time I got through the first half again I found myself in the midst of a major worldview shake up.

I tend to buy and read everything Piper writes. His message at Together for the Gospel in 2010 was the message of the conference. It was an astounding message. It was the kind of message that changes the way you think about God and life--just like Desiring God.

I have met John Piper twice. While I know he's only a human being--and a sinner at that--there is something about talking to him that makes you want to know God more. It is almost as if the glory of God radiates from him (as it did with Moses in the Old Testament). One gets the impression that he lives in the presence of Christ and, if you once thought your walk with Christ was sufficient, you realize you have not yet begun to know Christ deeply. After meeting him, you realize you want what he's got and that drives you to your knees and it drives you to Christ.

As for Desiring God, I have said that this book will be the Pilgrim's Progress of the next 200 years (even though the genres are totally different). It is that much of a must-read for any Christian.

Blessings,

The Archangel

 

That's quite an endorsement.

 

Wow.

Anyway, I have Pipers book The Justification of God:... It is not an easy read but there is a lot to learn there. At the beginning he attempts to answer the question why he stops at Romans 9:23? This question is never answered to my satisfaction at least. Not being critical as it is a must read for anyone who takes the Scriptures seriously.