At a recent morning staff devotional at the DG offices, John Piper shared a biographical sketch of the brilliant scientist, Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727). The talk was inspired by his recent reading of this 2005 biography by Gale Christianson.

The 37-minute talk was recorded, and although the audio quality is poorer than we prefer, the content is worth sharing.

"Isaac Newton was one of the most brilliant men who walked this planet, and, as far as I can tell, he ‘missed it’ profoundly,” said Piper. “The price of his ruthless focus on scientific observation was very high. He missed the true nature of Jesus. And he was in ceaseless war with other scientists, arguing endlessly about who discovered things first.”

It is a tragic story, but it is also a story that points to several spiritual principles. The biography can be listened to here.

Newton is remembered for many things, but especially for his theory of gravity, a discovery famously sparked by a falling apple. Yet the cause of gravity remains “a giant riddle still” (Christianson). In one of the more meditative sections of talk, Pastor John pondered the correlation between the cause of gravity in the natural realm and the cause of perseverance in the spiritual realm.

Nobody knows what gravity is — yet. All we know is the effects. Every entity in the universe that has mass is exerting a pull on every other entity in the universe. The earth is pulling on the moon, the moon is pulling on the earth, and since the waters in the sea are movable, the pull causes rising and falling tides.

The force of the moon's pull on the tides is enormous. I tried to compute in my head how much the water weighs that rises 20 feet in the middle of the Pacific, pulling out the water from all the coastlines. It must be trillions of tons of water getting pulled — by nothing. It's nothing!

Does anybody know what it [gravity] is? That the moon exists, means it is pulling. And scientists don't know what that is.

So I'm preparing my message for T4G and thinking: how does He keep me a Christian? He is Spirit. And I have a spirit. My spirit came alive when I was 6 years old. I have no idea what that means. Something came into being that wasn't there. Life. A spiritual life, and moment by moment that life is kept from degenerating into carnality and non-existence. And who can describe what force is exerted by this thing I have no idea what it is, called Spirit, on this thing, called spirit.

Therefore, who can define what power is necessary for that to happen? Is it a little power? Is it an easy thing for the Spirit to keep a spirit in being? Is it measured in pounds? Kilowatts? What is it? I have no idea what it is. All I have is the Bible to go on, and the Bible says: glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, to him who is able to keep me from stumbling (Jude 24–25).

Find the full biographical sketch here.

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John Piper, Future Grace (Multnomah, 1995), page 9:

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

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It's been a long time since our last update on what translations we've been adding to this website. But God has continued to provide us resources, and we wanted to announce at least a few of those that have come in recently.

As always, you can visit our language index to see all the resources we have in any particular language.

Oh, and don't forget the translated versions of our website (we added Persian just this week!). You can access all eight of them by mousing over the "International" button at the top right of our website.

Here's just a sampling of what we've posted recently:

• Albanian sermons, like Triumfi i Ungjillit në Qiellin e ri dhe Tokën e re ("The Triumph of the Gospel in the New Heavens and the New Earth")

• Arabic sermons, including لنذهب مع يسوع، حاملين عاره ("Let Us Go with Jesus Bearing Reproach")

• Chinese sermons, such as 为什么耶稣被处死而且又复活了？ ("Why Was Jesus Put to Death and Raised Again?")

• Czech sermons, like Buďte oddáni modlitbě ("Be Devoted to Prayer")

• Hindi sermons, including परमेश्वर की इच्छा क्या है और हम इसे कैसे जानें ? ("What Is the Will of God and How Do We Know It?")

• The Hungarian book Jézus Krisztus szenvedése, váltsághalála (Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die)

• Indonesian sermons, e. g. Kabar Baik Allah tentang Anak-Nya ("God's Good News Concerning His Son")

• The Korean booklet 우리가 기뻐하며 (In Our Joy)

• French sermons, such as Saint, saint, saint est le Seigneur des armées ("Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord of Hosts")

• Persian resources, like چگونه همسایۀ مسلمانمان را محبت نماییم؟ ("How Shall we love our Muslim Neighbor?")

Praise God for all that he is doing to make his Word heard among every tribe, tongue, and nation. In all of this, it is our aim that people everywhere would understand and embrace the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Thank you for your partnership. It is through your support that we can continue our mission to reach the world through the web.

The Puritans on motherhood only go so far. And Charles Spurgeon and Octavius Winslow have great things to say, but after a while it's good for moms to hear from other moms on believing the gospel in the home.

In this episode of "Behind the Blog" — the new five-minute audio behind the scenes of the Desiring God blog — Tony gives the backstory to the "Grace at Home" series. More in this episode includes some thoughts on God, dreams, and giftedness related to John Stott's godly ambition, as well as a word about Salt and Like, and Pastor's John recent update on future ministry.

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You can also listen here.

Thanks for reading the blog. It exists to serve you. And we value your feedback. Send your questions, ideas, and suggestions to us at blog@desiringgod.org.

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Recent episode —

• Behind the Blog: The Yum! Center

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The man at Home Depot said I had to choose between having kids and having a yard.

I have five kids. And our friends next door have five kids. Inner-city living means that most of the biking, digging, running, building, light saber wars and ball games occur inside the fenced confines of our little yard.

Choice made, I guess.

Spring’s advent has resurrected my fantasy of a lush, well-kept lawn with trimmed bushes, weeded flowerbeds, and drainpipes that don’t get stamped flat. That’s what I want: beauty and order and peace.

But my yard is not beautiful and orderly. Being long on kids and short on time, it’s a mess. About 30% of my lawn is now dirt. There are toys scattered around, winter-blown trash in the corners, overgrown hedges, weedy beds, and a neglected garden. There are holes under the front fence dug by a dog pining for freedom. There’s a planter the dog broke by the front step still sitting in two pieces. That’s what I’m used to seeing: my yard’s deficiencies.

Yesterday during my prayer time I was walking through my disordered yard, feeling my grumbling rising, when suddenly I saw it all as a picture of me. . . .

I long for a well-kept life full of beauty and order and peace. But I have trash in my corners, weeds in my garden, and overgrown bushes. Much activity has left barren places. I’m not beautiful and orderly. I’m in many ways a mess. That’s what I’m used to seeing: my deficiencies. My little gratitude betrays how little of grace I see.

And then I looked closely at a lilac flower just coming into bloom. And it preached to me: “Consider the [lilacs], how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Luke 12:27). Have you only eyes to see your ugly sin and defects? Can you not see the God-made beautiful things that are growing? Look for grace, Jon!

Then I looked at a barren spot and it was teaming with ant-life. And it preached to me: “Go to the ant… consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6). Not all barrenness is lifeless. Look closely. There is wisdom to be found.

Then I looked at the sun soaking my city with life-giving light. And it preached to me: “In your light do we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Though the Light of the world exposes our evil (John 3:20), the real reason he came is to give you “the light of life” (John 8:12). Having your ugliness exposed is itself a gift that you might stop looking for beauty in the wrong places. Turn your eyes on the one true Beauty. Take heart! He will complete the good work he began in you (Philippians 1:6) and make “everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What are you seeing today? (Clue: your gratitude or grumbling will tell you.) Look! Look for grace!

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Previous posts from Jon Bloom —

• A Prayer for a Lukewarm Heart
• If You Feel Overwhelmed, Eat!
• The Cross Guarantees the Death of Our Dark Guest

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Today is John Stott’s first birthday in heaven.

Coming toward the end of my (32-year) ministry as Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church, I read Alister Chapman’s new biography of John Stott with special interest. I wanted to see how he finished at All Soul’s and how he shaped the rest of his life.

Stott became Rector at All Souls in 1950 at the age of 29. Just shy of 20 years later he told the church council on September 20, 1969 that “he wanted to stand down.” The church was not prospering as it once had. He felt his calling was to “wider responsibilities.”

The council accepted the proposal and 15 months later Michael Baughen took the helm. “Within a few years All Souls was bursting again” (75). But, Chapman observes, “by almost any measure, Stott’s ministry at All Souls was a success” (77).

Stott was still on the ministerial team at All Souls for another five years. When the severance was complete in September, 1975, he wrote, “I find myself pulled and pushed in various directions these days, and need divine wisdom to know how to establish priorities” (Timothy Dudley-Smith, John Stott, A Biography: The Later Years, IVP, 2001, 248).

I found this comforting. It is remarkable how many good things there are to do. And if one is ambitious to live an unwasted life for the glory of Christ, discernment is crucial. Sudden release from decades of familiar pastoral expectations can easily lead to sloth or superficial busy-ness.

Stott’s discovery was that his calling was a remarkable global ministry. “As with Jim Packer, Stott gave himself to Anglican politics but in the end tired of them. Neither had an obvious, appealing role to fill in England. Both were in demand elsewhere. The result was that two of England’s most gifted evangelicals spent most of the end of their careers serving the church beyond England’s shores” (Godly Ambition, 111).

The thesis of Chapman’s book, Godly Ambition: John Stott and the Evangelical Movement (Oxford, 2012), is that Stott “was both a Christian seeking to honor God and a very talented man who believed he had key roles to play in God’s work in the world and wanted to play them. In short, he combined two things that might seem incongruous: godliness and ambition” (8). With that double drive, “few did more than John Stott to shape global Christianity in the twentieth century” (160).

This ambition was as vital to the end of Stott’s days as his mental and physical life would sustain. One reason is that it was biblically grounded. Explaining his own understanding of ambition he said,

Ambitions for God, if they are to be worthy, can never be modest. There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God. How can we ever be content that he should acquire just a little more honour in the world?

Christians should be eager to develop their gifts, widen their opportunities, extend their influence and be given promotion in their work — not now to boost their own ego or build their own empire, but rather through everything they do to bring glory to God. (156)

May every one of us, in the transitions of our lives, seek the kind of holy fire that gives both the light of discernment and the heat of ambition. All of it for the glory of God. This is my deep longing as I face whatever future God gives.

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Recent posts from John Piper —

• My Future at Desiring God
• Earnestness in Preaching (and Life)
• Ajith Fernando – Through the Eyes of His Son

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Get the revised edition of The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God.

For a limited time WTS Books is offering a $5 off coupon to DG readers. To apply the coupon, enter the code "DGBOOKS12" into the coupon code field at the top of the Shopping Cart page (in the box next to "ENTER SPECIAL OFFER COUPON CODE(S)").

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You may have noticed a series of social media buttons on the side of each blog post and resource on the Desiring God website. This post is a little attempt to explain why those buttons, and the statistics they reflect, matter to us.

But I’ll begin with two reasons that do not explain why those buttons exist.

Like to Share

First, the social media numbers are not our attempt to win a popularity contest. We are not blog street performers hoping for a click-and-a-retweet dime. The same is true with Facebook. Of course, we do want you to "Like" our content, which sounds especially self-serving. “Like” is not our preferred term.

Partly this is due to the evolution of the technology we use. Facebook developers originally distinguished between two buttons: "Like" and "Share." The "Share" button certainly sounds more strategically-minded, and it is certainly more accurate for what we are trying to do here. But over time the "Like" button has become so popular, it has largely replaced the "Share" button in function. Facebook developers have now essentially loaded the function of the “Share” button into the more popular “Like” button. So now, when you “Like” a post on the DG blog, the story headline, blurb, and thumbnail are posted to your profile wall where you can add a personal comment to it. The point is that “Like” is more than an end, it is a strategic means. More on that in a moment.

Second, the social media numbers are not designed to help us gauge our most popular themes so that we can narrow our blogging efforts to what we know will be most popular with readers. With some level of certainty, we can predict which posts will generate a lot of traffic (like Pastor John’s take on current events). But in many cases, our core ministry priorities will actually rank consistently low in social media spread (like disabilities). And that's okay, because our goal is not generating the biggest numbers. Our core priorities are not shaped by statistics.

So why do we have the social media buttons and stats built into each blog post?

To Help Others Enjoy God

"Likes" and retweets are significant to us because they represent spread, and we exist to spread. We write posts about rejoicing in God so joy in God will spread. We write blog posts so they will spread as far as possible — so that after you have been blessed, you will pass along content to other readers.

And whenever you "like" or retweet a blog post, that's what you are doing, you are spreading that content to your community.

“Salt and light” is the biblical category for this (Matthew 5:13–16). We are not isolated readers online, but we read everything as Christians tapped into a broader community. And knowing that we can easily share content with others brings an added opportunity to everything we read online. We have a calling, and that calling is rooted in our place in the Body of Christ. And we have a divine obligation to our neighbors, to our friends, and to our followers to point them to Christ. And every day we are given new opportunities to share, new opportunities to be salt and light online.

A Spreading Partnership

As a ministry we believe it is part of our calling not only to create content, but to extend the scope of God-honoring content. Together we share in a partnership of spreading. This is true of us here at Desiring God, it’s true at The Gospel Coalition, and it’s true of countless Christian blogs and websites.

So when you read blog posts, think about your neighbor. It’s not just about “liking” content, it’s about serving others. As you read, think about whether the content can serve your online community. Be discerning and selective with content to avoid overwhelming others, but be proactive and thoughtful.

In this work we partner together to reach the lost, and to connect with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need of God’s grace today. So thank you for “liking” our posts. Thank you for retweeting our posts. Thank you for playing a critical role in helping us “spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.”

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In this episode of Theology Refresh, Tony Reinke discusses the role of reading in the Christian life, including some practical tips to become a better reader.

Stream or download the 11-minute audio.

Recommended resources:

• How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler
• Realms of God: The Classics in Christian Perspective, Leland Ryken
• Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature, Gene Veith
• Lit!: A Christian Guide for Reading Books, Tony Reinke

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Recent Theology Refresh podcasts —

• Patrick Lai on the Doctrine of Vocation
• Don Carson on the Wrath of God
• David Platt on the Doctrine of Hell

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John Piper is scheduled to be in Europe over the next few weeks to speak at conferences in Bucharest, Geneva, and Hamburg.

The first event, Conferinţa biblică, is in Bucharest, May 3–6.

From May 10–12, Pastor John joins Don Carson at the French-speaking ‘Un ministère centré sur l'Évangile’ conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

Immediately afterwards, May 13–15, Piper and Carson address the Evangelium21 conference in Hamburg, Germany.

History of Evangelium21

During his last visit to Germany, Pastor John was part of an initial brainstorming meeting of this group. After speaking in Bonn, he joined 20 German pastors and theologians for a meeting in Munich, where he shared some of his experiences from the early days of The Gospel Coalition. Over the course of the last couple years, the group met a number of times, talked theology, and ended up writing a confessional statement heavily influenced by The Gospel Coalition, but adapted to fit the German context and joined convictions. In late 2010, the group adopted a confessional statement and chose the name Evangelium21, evangelium being the German word for gospel and 21 indicating the desire to promote the same old gospel in the 21st century. In the summer of 2011, the first Evangelium21conference, co-hosted with 9Marks, took place.

The second conference is the event this May in Hamburg, focusing on the doctrine of the word of God. Next to John Piper and Don Carson, the conference will include talks and workshops from several German leaders who are part of Evangelium21. The conference will be bilingual (German/English) with potential translation into other languages.

Please pray for these events, that God would use these gatherings to fan the Reformation flame in Europe!

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I was 22 when I began doing outreach and evangelism with my church college ministry, Volunteers for Christ. When I began knocking on dorm room doors at the University of Tennessee, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. I thought to myself, “Who will reject me? Who will come to know Christ this year? What will I say when the door opens?” If no one opened the door, I would simply slide an invitation to our ministry kick-off under the door.

At one of our ministry kick-offs, one of the girls I invited came. She was white, wore cowboy boots, listened to Bluegrass, and was from Oregon. I was black, wore casual business attire (I might as well have had a suitcase), listened to jazz, and thought I was from New York City (I’m actually from Tennessee).

As we got to know each other, we ridiculed each other for our differences. We were polar opposites in so many ways. But in time, she bought me a bluegrass CD, and I had her over for a black southern style Thanksgiving dinner (yes — it’s different).

Liz and I became the best of friends. We were different, but we were kindred spirits at the time. Why? Because the gospel of Jesus Christ breaks down barriers like skin color and ethnicity.

Liz and I celebrated diversity in our dorm rooms.

Going Beyond Black History Month

In our culture, diversity gets celebrated each February. Schoolteachers pin up the faces of American black heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, and Thurgood Marshall. Churches break out old negro spirituals and host black pastors to preach. Black history month provides a wonderful time for celebration and reflection.

But, if we are truly going to build diversity within our homes, it must be more than once a year.

One practical way to begin building diversity in your family is through teaching and learning about different cultures and ethnicities throughout the year. Learning the history of other cultures can only assist you in understanding the perspective of other cultures. As you learn with your children, don’t limit your knowledge to textbooks and mini-biographies. Get creative and cook a new meal. Or introduce your family to the culture and music of those different than you.

Going Beyond Skin Color

There is one thing that I am assuming in this article, which is that its readers have a desire to build a home that cultivates diversity. May I submit to you that it isn’t really about diversity, at all? It’s about love. To celebrate diversity in your home you must first cultivate a love for people — a radical, whole-hearted, grace-motivated, love for others.

Jesus commands a radical love, doesn’t he? It’s a self-abandoned love. He tells us not only to love others but to love them like we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39) And that’s a lot! This type of love God commands of us can only come from one source, Himself!

Pray that God would give you a radical love for people. His Word says that if we have not love, we gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3). Pray that your heart would be stirred to take an interest in others, in people who are different than you, in people who are made in the same image of God.

Diversity at the Dinner Table

One practical way to show love to others in your home is simply to invite other Christians in. This can be for lunch, dinner, or parties. This can be fellow with members in your church, or with your neighbors. Find those who are different from you, take an interest in their lives, and invite them over for a meal.

Truthfully, it’s more comfortable to dine with those who are just like us, and there is nothing new about that. When the early church gathered in homes, probably the homes of the wealthy, certain divisions emerged over the dinner table (see 1 Corinthians 11:17–22). Commentators believe these divisions were caused because wealthy believers tended to sit and feast together in privileged dining rooms (triclinium), while the poorer believers sat in second-class facilities (atrium). The privileged Corinthians preferred to dine with those of the same social rank. Does that sound familiar? It’s always more comfortable to dine with the people who resemble us, but however comfortable this makes us, divisions over race or class are a clear contradiction of the gospel.

Who can you invite into your home? If a visitor comes to church and you notice them, greet them. Be inclusive. Then look at your neighborhood and welcome your neighbors in. Learn about them as people and go beyond skin color or ethnicity. And if their culture is an important aspect of their lives, listen and learn.

Learning From the Shepherds

“Nothing binds a pastor’s heart to diversity more than having it in his home,” says John Piper (Bloodlines). He has done this through adoption, but there are many other important expressions of this for pastors to consider. It’s important because congregations look to pastors for guidance and direction in their lives. Whether it is subconsciously or intentionally, we learn from those who lead us in the Lord and emulate their lives.

Building diversity within the homes of the congregation starts from the heart of the leadership. If pastors are excited and passionate about diversity, the congregation will get a vision for it, too. Building diversity in the church begins with pastors who are willing to build diversity into their own homes. Just like parishioners, pastors can begin to take simple steps like learning history, talking about it with their families, and inviting others into their homes.

Our Hearts and the Good News

Stepping out of our comfort zone is uncomfortable. It has been uncomfortable for Christians since the early days of the church in Corinth. It is uncomfortable because our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). It is wise for us to examine it for the sin of partiality in our own hearts.

James addresses partiality when He says:

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2:1–9)

Could it be that you are partial to those who are just like you?

Could it be partiality that hinders your own pursuit of diversity?

God says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We can run to God and receive forgiveness and grace.

By the grace of God, he will reveal to us what needs to be revealed, and he will give us the grace to repent if repentance is needed, then he will pour out his grace to us again through the forgiveness that comes from knowing Christ.

Every Tribe, One Voice

I’m convinced that diversity is possible if you desire it for your home. If God can bring two people together like my friend Liz and I, then he can definitely create ways for you to serve and love others through diversity, until the day when every tongue and tribe will, with one voice, sing praises to our God and King (Revelation 5:9–10)!

Until then, let us continue to strive against partiality in our fallen hearts, and strive towards building homes that celebrate diversity, reflecting the diversity of God’s people, all for God’s glory.

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As a mother, there is a constant, uncomfortable battle that rages inside of me. It is not the big or dramatic: Will I raise my children to love God? Will I train them to obey Him? Do my children belong to Him?

The constant battle of motherhood is more subtle, more everyday, more hideable. At the center is one question: Will I sacrifice? Or as Oswald Chambers poses in My Utmost for His Highest: "[Am I] willing to spend and be spent; not seeking to be ministered unto, but to minister?"

The Everyday Question isn't answered one time, with the birth of a child, with the planning of school, or with the decision to discipline. This question — Will I sacrifice? — is answered everyday.

It’s answered when a child wakes early with a need, interrupting my quiet hour alone with the Lord.

It’s answered when a sick child keeps me from worship and adult interaction at church on Sunday mornings.

It’s answered when I am emotionally spent, but a child’s behavior requires my patient, purposeful response.

It’s answered almost every moment of the potty training process.

It’s answered as I systematically teach my special-needs son how to interact with others.

In motherhood, the Everyday Question is answered every time a child’s concern or need must come before my own, which is most of the time.

Too often, I attend to necessary tasks — leaving the stove to help with pant buttons, putting down the phone to search for a beloved toy, excusing myself from a conversation at church to take tired children home for a nap — while my heart grumbles. If I just had one moment to complete a task or have an adult conversation without an interruption.

The Everyday Question, however, asks not just about what I do but also about my attitude: Will I joyfully pour out my life as a fragrant offering before the Lord for the benefit of my children? Will I serve my children out of obligation and duty or will I serve like I'm serving God Himself? Will I die to myself so that I might live to God in the specific calling He has given me as a mom?

The Everyday Question must be answered everyday.

Because motherhood is not so much the big, dramatic acts of sacrifice, but the little, everyday, unseen ones.

Because we can have a clean house and obedient children and not sacrifice.

Because we are so easily deceived to think we can live for ourselves and be faithful to God in our ministry as moms.

Jesus said that those who live for themselves will actually have an unfulfilling life, but those who lose for their lives for His sake will really experience life. As parents, our self-death for Christ’s sake not only produces fruit in our own hearts, but produces fruit in the hearts of our children, fruit that grows by the power of God. Let us, then, choose to joyfully give of ourselves for our children.

Everyday.

“For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:11)

“For the love of Christ compels us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15)

Dear Friends,

This has been a season of transition at both Bethlehem and Desiring God. In both cases I feel more carried along than pushing or pulling. God is manifestly moving. May the Lord give me grace to stay in step with the Spirit, as he kindly leads us through these happy days.

I am overjoyed with the elders’ choice of Jason Meyer as the candidate to eventually take my place as the Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bethlehem. As I wrote in the transition questions and answers, there were times when I wept for joy — both at the process God designed, and the person God provided.

I thought, “God is actually doing this. God is loving Bethlehem. God is giving unity. God is anointing Jason. His hand is on him for this. This is no mere human process. God has been at work in this for over twelve years. (Yes, and in eternity!)” Thank you for praying.

My Future at Desiring God

You might wonder what my transition from Bethlehem leadership means for Desiring God. I asked myself, “What would be on a post-pastor business card?” One answer is: “Desiring God: Founder and Teacher.” If God gives me strength, I hope that is one of my roles till I’m not able to function any more.

In other words, transition at Bethlehem does not mean transition at Desiring God. Actually, as I told our church, one of the reasons for my transition is that there is an ever increasing pull on my life to be involved in ministry outside Bethlehem through Desiring God. Much of this feels strategic to me for the cause of Christ, and it seems to me that the Lord is saying: “You have led Bethlehem to this point; it is time to hand off the internal leadership labors to another; I have a few other things yet for you to do.”

This feels particularly timely and weighty as we begin to move ahead with our next season of ministry here at Desiring God — what we've called "Desiring God 3.0". Along with changes in my life and with the church, it's been amazing to see God clarify, lead, and provide for us at Desiring God as we've come to this clarified focus on the Internet as the main megaphone for our message. And as long as God gives me life and health, along with my role as Chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary, the plan is for these next years of my life to be devoted to that mission as founder and teacher at Desiring God.

A Few Updates

1. Thank you to everyone who has helped "lighten our load" as we close our Web store. We were able to distribute roughly 75,000 resources in short order. This move away from having a store will free us up to focus on our core strategy of free content on the Web, to the world. Meanwhile, our books will still be available through Amazon and Westminster Bookstore and many other channels. As always, if you aren't able to afford a resource, you can request a book through our whatever-you-can-afford policy.

2. Last week we launched a Persian section of our Website. Along with Arabic, these represent our first major efforts online to reach the Muslim world. It won't be our last. Pray for us as we continue to invest in translations and technology to reach the non-English speaking world. God has been kind to us: In the last 12 months we've seen a 40% increase in Website visits from outside the United States.

3. On June 6th the Desiring God board will be meeting to approve a strategic plan for our next 12 months of ministry. Please pray for the wisdom of God in leading us to make effective and God-magnifying plans.

Under God, it is through your support that we can continue our mission to reach the world through the Web. Thank you for your partnership. Through all this transition, my life’s calling remains the same — I exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Pray that I will spend and be spent for this till I can speak and write no more.

Your partner in the greatest cause,

John Piper
with Josh Etter

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Recent posts from John Piper —

• Earnestness in Preaching (and Life)
• Ajith Fernando – Through the Eyes of His Son
• What Does Paul Mean: "Christ Will Reconcile to Himself All Things"?

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