Barnabas Piper's Blog

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

John 15:4–5

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

As Christians we are called to abide in Christ – the Son of God has made himself available to us. He gave himself to us so that we could have life in him. It is real, it is available, it is present, He is ours. What does it mean to abide in Christ? What does this look like? How do we participate in it? HEre are three simple and profound ways.

We take Jesus at his word–he is the way/truth/life, no one comes to the Father except through him. He is our King, so we obey. He is our Savior so we depend. He is the one who calls all who are weary and heavy laden to find rest in him. To abide in Christ means we must know Christ–his words and his heart. We have nothing and no one else we look to for hope and fulfillment. He is our greatest treasure. To abide in Christ is to be confident that there is nothing better out there for us. Jesus is our context, our universe. All we do is connected to Jesus, draws on Jesus, reflects Jesus. This doesn’t mean we need to be weirdly spiritual. It means that we don’t do anything without reference to Jesus–he guides decisions, shapes moods, gives purpose.

I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

Talking about Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations by Isaac Adams – $1.99

Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger – $2.99

When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse by Chuck DeGroat – $4.99

7 Challenges Pastors Face: Overcome Common Struggles and Thrive in Ministry by David Horner – $.99

Church History for Modern Ministry: Why Our Past Matters for Everything We Do by Dayton Hartman – $5.99

The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross by A.W. Pink – $3.99

The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink – $.49

The Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace by Edmund Calamy – $4.99

Restless Faith: Holding Evangelical Beliefs in a World of Contested Labels by Richard Mouw – $3.99

Brave Men by Ernie Pyle – $1.99

If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer’s Riveting True Story by George Wilson – $4.99

Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers by Doug Swanson – $1.99

Defying Hitler: The Germans Who Resisted Nazi Rule by Gordon Thomas & Greg Lewis – $1.99

Alexander the Great: His Life and His Mysterious Death by Anthony Everitt – $1.99

The Crash Detectives: Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters by Christine Negroni – $1.99

How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University by Theo Baker – $1.99

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer – $2.99

Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux – $1.99

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – $1.99

When Breath Becomes Air: Pulitzer Prize Finalist by Paul Kalanithi – $2.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $8.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

Following Jesus: Finding Our Way Home in an Age of Anxiety by Henri Nouwen – $1.99

All of Grace: An Exhortation to Look to Christ and Live by Charles Spurgeon – $5.99

The Confessions by Augustine – $4.99

On the Incarnation by Athanasius – $.99

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton – $.99

Heretics by G.K. Chesterton – $.99

G. K. Chesterton Essays and Novels – $.99

The Ground Breaking: The Tulsa Race Massacre and an American City’s Search for Justice by Scott Ellsworth – $1.99

The Victors: Eisenhower And His Boys The Men Of World War II by Stephen Ambrose – $2.99

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour by James Hornfischer – $1.99

Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit by Eric Haney – $1.99

First Platoon: A Story of Modern War in the Age of Identity Dominance by Annie Jacobsen – $1.99

Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes – $2.99

Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender & Rick Tetzeli – $1.99

Outside Shot: Big Dreams, Hard Times, and One County’s Quest for Basketball Greatness by Keith O’Brien – $2.99

The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness by Andy McCullough – $1.99

The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter by Ian O’Connor – $3.99

The City Game: Basketball from the Garden to the Playgrounds by Pete Axthelm – $2.99

A People’s History of Sports in the United States: 250 Years of Politics, Protest, People, and Play by David Zirin – $3.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $8.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

Considering Sparrows: What Birds Teach Us About Who We Are, Where We’re Going, and the Joy of Following Jesus by Kevin Burrell – $1.99

Discover: Questioning Your Way to Faith by Mike McGarry – $2.99

Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive by Russ Ramsey – $2.99

The Making of an Atheist: How Immorality Leads to Unbelief by James Spiegel – $2.59

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – $2.99

Pierced by the Word: Thirty-One Meditations for Your Soul by John Piper – $4.99

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards & Brandon O’Brien – $4.99

A Little Theology of Exercise: Enjoying Christ in Body and Soul by David Mathis – $2.99

Creation, Power, and Truth: The Gospel in a World of Cultural Confusion by N.T. Wright – $1.99

The Commands of Christ: What It Really Means to Follow Jesus by Tom Blackaby – $4.99

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin – $6.86

Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin – $6.55

Jesus, the Only Way to God: Must You Hear the Gospel to be Saved? by John Piper – $3.99

East of Eden by John Steinbeck – $1.99

Lonesome Dove: A Novel by Larry McMurtry – $4.99

The Short Novels of John Steinbeck – $5.99

Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel by Kurt Vonnegut – $5.99

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – $2.99

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – $.99

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – $.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $8.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul – $5.99

Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow by R.C. Sproul – $6.00

Saved from What? By R.C. Sproul – $5.99

The Cross: Crucified with Christ, and Christ Alive in Me by J.C. Ryle – $.99

Repentance: What it Means to Repent and Why We Must Do So by J.C. Ryle – $.99

Holiness: For the Will of God Is Your Sanctification by J.C. Ryle – $.99

Partners in the Gospel: 50 Meditations for Pastors’ and Elders’ Wives by Megan Hill – $4.99

Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes – $6.69

The Redeemed Man edited by Joel Beeke & Richard Phillips – $2.99

The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Carl Trueman – $3.99

A Man at Arms: A Novel by Steven Pressfield – $3.99

Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield – $2.99

Camelot: The second epic Arthurian tale by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot by Giles Kristian – $2.99

Gods and Generals: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Shaara – $5.99

The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara – $1.99

The Fateful Lightning: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Shaara – $5.99

When Heroes Flew by H.W. Bernard – $4.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $8.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Photo by Jeffrey Workman on Unsplash

Isaiah 48:21

They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;

he made water flow for them from the rock;

he split the rock and the water gushed out.

 

1 Corinthians 10:4

. . . and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 

In Isaiah 48 God is speaking of the redemption of his people from slavery and captivity. In God’s genius, he is speaking of three timelines: the exodus from Egypt, the return from captivity in exile, and the redemption from captivity to sin through the work of Christ.

He refers to the water he provided from a rock when he led them through the desert (Exodus 17). But that act of physical salvation was always a symbol and promise for something greater. 

He refers to the provision and protection he offered when they were in the desert, but Israel’s wandering in the desert was always a symbol of something worse, distance from God and wandering in sin.

And he refers to the rock from which the water flowed, and while that was miraculous in the moment, it was always a symbol and promise of something greater–Christ himself, the source of living water (John 7). 

God, in his genius, meets the needs of his people with real help, rescues them in timely and miraculous fashion, and promises eternal redemption and provision in Christ. All across the pages of scripture Jesus is present as promise or as fulfillment.

I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

The Fruitful Life by Jerry Bridges – $2.99

Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul – $3.99

Christian Beliefs, Revised Edition: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem – $3.99

The Gospel at Work: How Working for King Jesus Gives Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs by Sebastian Traeger & Greg Gilbert – $1.99

The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies – $.99

The Great Love of God: Encountering God’s Heart for a Hostile World by Heath Lambert – $1.99

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman – $1.99

The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul – $5.99

Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth – $1.99

Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes by Jacques Ellul – $4.99

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle – $2.99

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell – $3.99

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell – $3.99

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell – $3.99

 

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell – $3.99

Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell – $3.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $8.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too.

1) Jurassic Park: A Novel by Michael CrichtonJurassic Park holds the distinction as the first PG-13 movie I ever saw. It was not until years later that I learned it was a book first. I read it probably fifteen or twenty years ago, but I picked it back up recently and was reminded that Michael Crichton was a brilliant storyteller. Many times a book is far and away better than the movie adaptation. I don’t know that I can say that here because the movie was so brilliant in its day and holds up so well. What I can say is that the book is deeper, more complex, and–as Crichton is known for–presses on scientific and ethical questions in clever ways in the midst of a gripping adventure. A novel simply has more room for explanation and exploration than a summer blockbuster movie, so Jurassic Park both mediums strikes just the right note. Make no mistake, it is a really fun read–suspenseful, frightening, fast-moving, and smart. It is also thought provoking if you want your mind provoked.2) Justin Verlander’s Farewell MomentJustin Verlander has been a staple figure in Major League Baseball and one of its most dominant pitchers since the year I graduated college. Which is to say, I have watched him pitch for the entirety of my adult life. He never played for my favorite team (unfortunately) but he was so fun to watch pitch–dominant, competitive, adapting with age. This week he pitched the final start of his career. And when the time came to take him out of the game, an absolutely beautiful moment occurred. Many of you have likely seen the video since it went viral (for good reason), but that’s ok–watch it again. For those who have not seen it, I will not spoil it with a description. I will simply say that it’s hard to imagine a sweeter, more rewarding way to conclude a brilliant career.

3) “Jesus Be A Fence Around Me” by Fred Hammond

Fred Hammond is a Gospel Music legend and for good reason. This song will infuse all sorts of joy into your day and it serves as a wonderful prayer over your loved ones.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man by Edward Welch – $3.99

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop – $7.99

The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God’s Truth and Revives Weary Souls by Brett McCracken – $3.99

Get Married, Have Babies, Join a Church: A Pastor’s Conversations With a Generation Navigating Love, Life, and God’s Timing by Sean DeMars – $.99

The Story of Christianity: Volume 1: A Study of the Early History of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez – $1.99

The War for Middle-earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945 by Joseph Laconte – $4.99

Christian Basics by John Stott – $2.99

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Andy Weir – $2.99

Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver – $2.99

The Goldfinch: A Novel by Donna Tartt – $3.99

The Secret History: A Novel by Donna Tartt – $2.99

Thalia: A Texas Trilogy by Larry McMurtry – $5.99

The Testament: A Novel by John Grisham – $6.99

The Associate: A Novel by John Grisham – $5.99

The Brethren by John Grisham – $6.99

Nightshade: A Catalina Novel by Michael Connelly – $3.99

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly – $3.99

The Poet: A Novel by Michael Connelly – $3.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.

Photo by Adryanto Suryo on Unsplash
Some Kindle deals from a variety of genres worth your mind and money today:

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith by Barnabas Piper – $3.99

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life by Barnabas Piper – $4.99

The Heart of Jesus The Heart of Jesus: How He Really Feels about You by Dane Ortlund – $6.99

Platforms to Pillars: Trading the Burden of Performance for the Freedom of God’s Presence by Mark Sayers – $3.99

A Creative Minority: Influencing Culture Through Redemptive Participation by Jon Tyson – $4.99

How to Reach the West Again: Six Essential Elements of a Missionary Encounter by Tim Keller – $3.99

Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age by Joshua Chatraw – $3.99

Timothy Keller, Updated and Expanded Edition: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen – $3.99

Mere Evangelism: 10 Insights From C.S. Lewis to Help You Share Your Faith by Randy Newman – $4.99

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert – $2.99

The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond by Alisa Childers & Tim Barnett – $2.99

The Problem of Jesus: Answering a Skeptic’s Challenges to the Scandal of Jesus by Mark Clark – $2.99

Rediscovering Jonah: The Secret of God’s Mercy by Tim Keller – $4.99

The Cry of the Soul: How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions about God by Tremper Longman III & Dan Allender – $2.99

When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse by Chuck DeGroat – $4.99

MY BOOKS:

Life After Divorce: Gospel Hope and Guidance for the Road Ahead – $12.99

(Releasing in March, 2027)

Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99

[image error]

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99

[image error]

The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99

[image error]

Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $3.99

[image error]

The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99

[image error]

All links are Amazon Affiliate links.