Nov
16
2009
Piper Q&A
I know no one better than John Piper at answering theological and practical questions. Below are the videos for the three-hour “Ask Pastor John.” You’ll hear his answers to questions like:
- what do you think of @FakeJohnPiper?
- why should I want to be a Christian?
- should marijuana be legalized?
- how does unbelief play into my need for porn?
- should I go on the mission field if it puts my wife at risk?
- should Christians use birth control?
- what would you say if you had two minutes with the Pope?
- how do you know Christianity is true?
- who really writes Piper’s tweets?
- what do you think about Halloween?
- why doesn’t Piper “name names” about prosperity gospel preachers?
- how should you confront those who have abused you when you’re younger?
- how do you respond to the idea that seeking accountability means Christ is insufficient?
- is it sin not to like the doctrine of election, even if one believes in it?
- what does Piper do to relax and unwind?
- what’s on the menu at Old Country Buffet? (Not a question that was asked, but one that was answered!)
- should local churches equip young men for ministry, or should they be sent to seminary?
- what hope would you offer to those addicted to cutting themselves?
- difference between confidence and presumption in risk taking?
- do you accept old earth?
- how is it ever right for God to slaughter women and children?
- how could God command others to slaughter?
- how important is it for preachers to preach Christ from every text?
- If you were a member of an Arminian church, what would you do if your pastor asked you not to talk about the doctrines of grace?
- what happens when infants die?
- how have you dealt with the fallout of your statements about your comments on the tornado and bridge collapse in Minneapolis?
- what do you think about the sinner’s prayer and asking people to “invite” Jesus into their heart?
- why not have one of your 30+ elders pastor a campus church rather than using video preaching?
- have you ever seen a vision or spoken in tongues?
- what do you think about Christians using anti-depressants?
- do Christians have permission to pray imprecatory prayers?
- how do I boast only in Christ when applying for a job?
- what books are you planning to write next?
17 Comments
[...] session with Pastor John Piper. This 3 hour Q&A can be found on Justin Taylor’s blog Between Two Worlds. Piper sits down to answer a wide array of questions [...]
What would be cool is if you had put the actual times referencing each question.
I listened to all 3 parts over two days. Very enjoyable. Very helpful.
I hope the videos get edited so that each question and answer is put on http://www.youtube.com/user/DGapj
I would pay money for this to be transcribed for DesiringGod.org.
What is the difference between confidence and presumption when it comes to God’s provision and risk taking?
Wow. That question is about me for me.
I am often quoted, “because of what I know in the Scriptures, there is no such thing as risk.”
I still believe that.
Is that tape on the desk? If so, what’s that about??? Sorry to seem petty, but I found it incredibly distracting. And if someone actually answers this, maybe you could explain the backdrop also. Please don’t be offended. Just curious about the aesthetic decisions.
The tape on the desk is “Don’t Waste Your Life” caution tape in the form of stickers (I think). Check this out: http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/OtherMerchandise/764_DWYL_Sticker_Pack_20/
Not sure about the backdrop.
That’s what I feared. But the real question remains: why?
Thank you for caring how APJ looks. It is quite encouraging to see how much people care.
We do aim for good design and aesthetics so that we do not distract from the message. In this case, we took our existing backdrop which was designed for only a medium shot of one person and used it for a wide shot of two. http://www.youtube.com/user/DGapj is how our normal APJ has been produced. We wanted to do a live broadcast experiment. Normally it has been Piper and the video team for 3 hours every 3 months. By adding David Mathis on screen, the composition changed, and the need for furniture. Due to time and financial constraints we were not able to design a new stage for our live stream experiment. We thought it best to pay for the live stream than to invest at this point in furniture and backdrop, especially as we are continuing to figure out the best format, etc. The desk we found in a storage area and tried our best to dress it up with what we had laying around…our don’t waste your life tape (which is not available for purchase). We aim for excellence in design for the sake of spreading the gospel, but in the end, our highest goal is spreading. We don’t let our inability to do great design keep us from an opportunity to spread in new ways. Pray for us as we are pressing into greater and more helpful ways to spread the gospel. Pray for us as there are so many ways to get it wrong.
BTW, the live show is currently being edited into the normal question by question podcast, and will be released twice per week. (shot with another camera angle, and it looks great)
Thanks for all the helpful feedback!
Lukas, thanks for the thoughtful and thorough info. That helps. And I’m equally glad to see that there was, indeed, some intentionality given to visual presentation. Given DG’s commitment to that in other areas, I would hope for no less here.
That said, I think the inclination to “dress up” a perfectly fine piece of furniture backfired. Next time, don’t doubt the power and effectiveness of simplicity.
But overall, great effort!
Speaking only for myself – I didn’t even notice the tape until I read these comments. I don’t think it matters at all.
I hear ya, Ben. I did notice the tape. And I kept watching John.
Doh well.
[...] by andyshin on November 18, 2009 This stuck out to me while listening to this Q/A session with Piper. Here are some [...]
Should Piper care whether the Vikings beat the Packers? Now that is the question.
Another little distraction–John’s leather chair is pretty squeaky!