Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints

by John Piper (Editor), Justin Taylor (Editor), John F. MacArthur Jr.

With Contributions by John Piper, John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, and Helen Roseveare These powerful calls to godly perseverance from four admired Christians elevate the value and necessity of lifelong faithfulness in the lives of God's people. Many people seek to better their lives by leaving, changing, swapping, or modifying their commitments. But God's Word holds up a beautiful value that, while difficult, leads to deep satisfaction and great endurance. Such long, steady, hold-the-course perseverance is especially needed within our vacillating generation. This thoughtful book thus not only elevates the virtue of godly endurance but bears witness to its power in the Christian life through the exhortations of John Piper-who provides the context and overview for the entire book-John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, and Helen Roseveare. Each contributor represents a different kind of from MacArthur's longtime, faithful shepherding of a church to Alcorn's radical obedience in the culture wars, from Bridges' unswerving patience through suffering to Roseveare's courageous constancy on the war-torn mission field. Stand will awaken and solidify rugged, Christ-exalting endurance in people who are weary in their faith journey or who simply long to remain firm to the end. And for everyone who dreams of a Christian culture-shift from brief trial runs to lifelong commitments, John Piper and Justin Taylor's latest offering is a watershed that will serve to seal that vision in people's minds and hearts.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.

John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Brooke Zolnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blessed my soul. Each chapter is written by a different author and my favorite and most beneficial chapter was Jerry Bridges' contribution. As I've heard of many Christians falling lately, this book's message was especially meaningful.

Favorite quotes:

*"God's people will persevere by God's grace by using God's means."

*"No one should drift toward the finish line. It involves serious effort (which is why Paul compared it to a fight and a race).

*"Give Jesus first place in your life. Don't let your life just happen, choose what to do with it, or in the end you'll wonder where it went. If you're going to persevere as Christ's follower, you must consciously choose not to squander your life or let it idle away, but to invest it in what matters."

*"As Christians we are not called to a picnic...We are called to a race, which needs determination, guts, and endurance to finish. Anyone can start a race, but what matters is getting to the end."

*"A daily appropriation of the gospel is essential to enduring to the end."

*"Don't stop running until you hit the tape."

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to endure/persevere in your christian race to the end? This is an encouraging and challenging little book with various world-known Christians as authors to different chapters that deal with different aspects of endurance.

[Nathan Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very, very encouraging and challenging. Randy Alcorn's chapter was by far my favorite and I would have bought the book if only to read that. The interviews at the end were also incredible. I found a greater desire to pray, read, and memorize Scripture. Is there really much more you can ask for?

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ll soon be 86 but I feel strong and my health is good. God has been exceedingly gracious and I am most unworthy of His matchless grace and patience. The Lord is more precious to me the older I get." Evangelist Bill Piper, quoted by son John Piper

Four Essential Elements for Finishing Well
• daily time of focused personal communion with God
• daily appropriation of the gospel
• daily commitment to God as a living sacrifice
• firm belief in the sovereignty and love of God
~ Jerry Bridges

I think one of the most common misunderstandings of the grace of God is, “God’s cutting me some slack. Grace is God’s letting me get away with a few things.” That’s the furthest thought from the grace of God. The grace of God comes to us through Jesus Christ as a result of his sinless life and sin-bearing death for us, but that grace is more than just God’s kindness and benevolent feeling toward us. The grace of God is dynamic. The grace of God is God in action for our good. And so when the apostle Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am,” he was speaking about the empowering of the Holy Spirit that God in his grace supplies to each of us as we seek to live for him.

Getting old to the glory of God means getting old in a way that makes God look glorious. ~ John Piper

[Jorge Sancho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me parece una lectura escencial. Las entrevistas al final, me gustaron mucho.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 articles from the 4 leading theologians in our era. In their old age, they still strong in their faith and not retiring from their ministry and evangelical activities. They posed an example how should God's people behave in their later days.

[Brian Pate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical encouragement to stay faithful by older Christian authors. Contributors include Helen Roseveare (83 at the time of publication, died in 2016), Jerry Bridges (79 at publication; died in 2016), John MacArthur (69 at publication), John Piper (62 at publication), and Randy Alcorn (54 at publication).

This book is the published version of the 2007 Desiring God conference. You can listen to all of the talks and interviews here. I read this with the pastoral interns at our church in Brazil.

[Rod Innis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book. It was a collection of articles by several authors. I enjoyed them all.

[Jehiel Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es un libro interesante, porque está cargado de testimonios y experiencias personales.

John Piper se unió a varios amigos y juntos decidieron abrir sus corazones para enseñarnos cómo ellos han perseverado en diversas situaciones de la vida.

Tiene un lenguaje práctico, ameno y de fácil lectura. A pesar de que tiene menos de 200 páginas, posee mucho contenido.

Hay mucho que aprender sobre la perseverancia y este libro puede ser un buen inicio.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of short essays! So blessed by these men and women and their ministries, and these readings were very timely for me! Highest recommendation!

[Jonatas Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um ótimo livro, com ótimos autores. Testemunhos e experiências para permanecer Firme Em meio adversidade da vida

[Claudia Loor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro aparte de la Biblia es de obligatoria lectura, me encantó, fui edificada, y a la gente que estimo y los que comienzan el caminar con Jesús, se los regalo y los releo una y otra veZ.

[Carol Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not really by John Piper. He and Justin Taylor were the General Editors. It is a series of essays on Christian endurance. Contributors were Jerry Bridges, John Piper, John MacArthur, Randy Alcorn and Helen Roseveare. To my surprise, the essays by Piper and MacArthur were NOT my favorites! I guess I just prefer the expositional style of MacArthur's better than his topical study. Not sure why Piper's impressed me less. They are usually two of my favorite authors. That said, I did enjoy all the essays, just some more than others. The book concluded with Justin Taylor interviewing all the authors in the book.

[Tiffany Dubois · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick book with lots of nuggets to chew on. I’m really glad I read it before the coming of the new year because I find myself eager to follow God into what ever is next verses dreading what may or may not come to pass.

[Javier Tizcareno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro con diferentes historias y puntos de citas para ayudarte a perseverar y estar firmes, los cincos autores enriquecen el libro.
Al final dos entrevistas que te permiten conocer buenas experiencias de estos autores.
Logra el objetivo de inspirarte por sus vidas y enseñanzas.

[Hugo Lopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um livro inspirador e cheios de relatos pessoais desses servos de Deus que já são veteranos na obra de Deus, mas com espírito de iniciantes. Indico demais! Boa leitura!

[Bruna · Rating 5 out of 5]

muito bom!!!!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites reads of the year thus far. It was convicting, encouraging, and helped spur me on!

[Todd Wilhelm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very encouraging and helpful.


Helen Roseveare on suffering:

“I know that the evening that I came to know the Lord Jesus as my Savior, seven o’clock in the evening, I was at a youth house party over the Christmas holidays from college. I went downstairs at the evening meeting, and somebody said, “What’s happened to you?” I guess I was just so overwhelmed at the wonder that God loved me so much he sent Jesus to die for me. I was given a Bible, and it was the first Bible I ever owned. The man who’d been doing the Bible studies at the house party, Dr. Graham Scroggie, wrote in the flyleaf of my Bible, Philippians 3:10. For some of you today I’ve been signing books, and you’ll find Philippians 3:10 is written in because that was my verse that was given to me. First he quoted the verse to me: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” And then he said, “Tonight you started that verse, ‘that I may know Christ.’ My prayer for you in the years that lie ahead is that you’ll know more and more of the power of his resurrection.” He was a very straight, upright man, and then very quietly, looking straight at me, he said, “Maybe one day God will give you the privilege to know something of the fellowship of his sufferings.” I’d been a Christian half an hour and I was told that it was a privilege to suffer for Jesus.


Ever since then, I think that the word privilege has stayed with me possibly more than any one word in my Christian life. It’s a privilege. It’s a privilege that he saved me. It’s a privilege that he’s allowed me to have any part in talking to others about him. Everything has been privilege, and I was told the same night that I came to know Jesus as my Savior that it’s a privilege to have fellowship in his sufferings. I fear that in today’s climate we – that’s any of us who have the privilege of speaking to others, encouraging others to accept Jesus as their Savior – we don’t underline straightaway that the Christian life will involve suffering. In our country we don’t really know what persecution is, but in Muslim countries we expect new Christians to accept suffering, and we think it’s very marvelous of them. We don’t think about it for ourselves, but we should all of us know that if we love the Lord Jesus, he himself said, “If you’re going to follow me, take up your cross and follow me.” And where was he going? He was going to Calvary. And we follow him there.


The death-to-the-self life – the death to our ambition and our rights to be who or what or where we wish; the giving of that over to Jesus and letting him really live his life in and through us under any circumstance – will involve suffering. I believe the Savior suffers today for the millions of unreached, untouched people who have never yet even heard his name. And he invites us. It’s such a privilege. It’s such a privilege to be invited to share with him in his sufferings.


I’ve got no panacea to offer you. I’ve got no way of saying you won’t suffer. You will suffer. You should suffer if you’re really a Christian. Christians are indwelt by Jesus, and he suffers.”




“Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints” edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor, pages 122-123

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all need perseverance especially in the Christian life. We can be discouraged by many different things. How do we learn from it, how do we grow from it, and most important how is the gospel related in my perseverance. It does not come by being a passive, but being intentional and knowing who the Lord is. This book is has testimony from John Piper, John MacArthur, Randy Alcorn, Jerry Bridges and Helen Rosevere. Our perseverance is a fight of faith to delight in Christ. to be motivated by Christ that we are building our character, our faith in response to God and who he is. Perseverance is the Gospel, the cross, Jesus cruicified that we need preached to our minds each day. The working of the holy spirit in our lives. More of Christ and less of me. The book looks at unrealistic expectations and our commitment to Christ. I think another word for perseverance should be patience. It does not come easily, we usually have to wait, and sometimes we never see the fruit.

[Summer Cromartie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great book, and I think it would be good to read it annually. It's only 112 pages! It's written by five prominent Christian authors/speakers who all happen to be getting on in years. Each of them gives their own perspective on what it means to run the race and finish well in one's Christian life on Earth. Because they're older and their resumes are full of experience and trials, I'm certain they're qualified to speak on the subject.
A major theme is how to avoid thinking that if we just serve God well while we're young, we can just retire and rest on our laurels when we're older and tired. Evidently, this is not the case! They even say that we will have more time to serve the Lord when we retire from our full-time occupations.
These are hard truths to hear, but it has been so encouraging and refreshing. These people have done life well and will continue to do so until they run through the tape. I strive to do the same.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking and encouraging to me at this stage in my life. Now at 53 I can see more clearly that everyday decisions, actions and attitudes culminate in large ways down the road. We are changing who we are becoming with every small moment of every day so I need to be thoughtful; intentional. I liked the book's format with different authors for every chapter. I would have liked a longer book as many more subjects could have been addressed. I will revisit it regularly to see if I am acting on the Call for Endurance.

[Rachel ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um dos absurdos do neocalvinismo: quer controlar o mundo.
No cap. 4, o autor é aquele tipo que vai para porta de clínica de aborto fazer escândalo. Perdeu causa na justiça movida pela clínica e usou a estratégia de retirar tudo do nome dele. Saiu do pastoreio e fundou uma organização, ora... E acha que está tudo certo. Mesmo que suas atitudes não tenha qualquer base Bíblica. Somos chamados para proclamar mensagem Dele e não fazer escândalos usando Seu nome. Antes de querer “perseverar”, precisamos ver se está de acordo com as ordens Dele.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can Christians remain faithful to the end of their lives? Many Christians in America are preparing to retire or have already done so. Others face their senior years with little direction or purpose. The authors of this book (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor) convincingly argue that the ‘golden years’ should be times of faithful service and increased devotion to the Lord. The result is a challenging book, recommended for believers of all ages.

[Leigh Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great encouragement for perseverance. This is geared towards the older Christians who are nearing "retirement," but it was completely applicable for my 25 year old self. Getting to hear from various teachers, pastors, missionaries whom I respect greatly all in one book was exciting. Not a long read, but it was filled with much encouragement to persevere in all things until the end.

[Barry Karschner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on understand what it means to Stand and endure even in the hard trials in your life. The book gives you multiple views from various godly people. I would consider this book a must read for Christians so they can stand when they are in the fire.

[Zinnada Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book that encourages you on the importance of ENDURING. Often times we can forget that struggles and trials are good for us and WHY they are good for us and what a blessing it is to endure in our Christian race.

[Chad Schollaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Christian books I've read in a long time!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this more than once and will read it again. Life impacting.

[Eric Durso · Rating 3 out of 5]

This compilation has some great stories from our pastoral heroes that are moving and inspiring.