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Recommended Teaching

Sound Bible teaching from trusted teachers, summarized in brief with a link to the full message. Every teacher is credited, and every message is free to watch.

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Teachings on this page

12 Meanings of “I AM WHO I AM” — John Piper (Exodus 3:13–15)
What to Do When Your Spirits Sink — John Piper (Psalm 40:1–3)

12 Meanings of “I AM WHO I AM”

A teaching by John Piper · Main text: Exodus 3:13–15 BLB · 14 minutes

The Main Teaching

When God told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” He gave His name: Yahweh, which means “I am” — absolute being. That name appears as LORD (in capital letters) about 6,000 times in the Old Testament. John Piper gives twelve meanings of the name, so that whenever we read “LORD,” our hearts will be stirred by who God is.

What “I AM WHO I AM” Means

  1. God never had a beginning. No one made God.
  2. God will never end. He cannot stop being, because He is being itself.
  3. God is absolute reality. Before creation there was no space, no universe, no emptiness — only God.
  4. God is completely independent. He depends on nothing to exist, to be supported, or to be counseled.
  5. Everything that is not God depends completely on God. The whole universe is secondary.
  6. Compared with God, all creation is as nothing — “as a shadow to substance.” (Isaiah 40:17 BLB)
  7. God is constant. He is not becoming anything; He cannot be improved. (Hebrews 13:8 BLB)
  8. God is the standard of all that is true, good, and beautiful. There is no rule book above Him.
  9. God does whatever He pleases. Nothing outside Him can hinder Him.
  10. God is the most valuable Person in the universe — more worthy of our attention, admiration, and joy than anything else.
  11. Jesus Christ is the I AM: “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:56–58 BLB)
  12. The I AM became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14 BLB)

Why It Matters

In Jesus, absolute being united with human being. He died to bring us out of condemnation into the happiness of God — what Piper calls “a second exodus.” Piper’s prayer is that we would see the great I AM, treasure Him, and make Him known as Yahweh in our families, our neighborhoods, our churches, and among the nations.

Watch the full teaching on YouTube

ExodusNames of GodAttributes of GodJesus Christ

Teaching by John Piper. Video from The Gospel Coalition (thegospelcoalition.org). This summary is offered to point you to the full teaching.

What to Do When Your Spirits Sink

A sermon by John Piper · Main text: Psalm 40:1–3 BLB · 43 minutes

The Main Teaching

Christians go through low seasons when joy in Jesus seems to vanish. Our salvation is not fragile — God keeps His own (Romans 8:30 BLB; Jude 24 BLB). But the fight for faith is a fight for joy, and God has given us a pattern in Psalm 40 for walking through the down times. John Piper sees six stages in these three verses.

Six Stages in the Pit with the King

  1. The King’s Pit — There are seasons when a believer feels helpless and sinking, with little joy in Jesus. David calls it “the pit of destruction” and “the miry bog.” (Psalm 40:2 BLB)
  2. The King’s Cry — Cry out to God like a helpless child, not a self-sufficient person. Make God your first resort, not your last. (Psalm 40:1 BLB)
  3. The King’s Patience — Wait for the Lord humbly and hopefully. His timing is rarely our timing, but it is always right. (Psalm 130:5 BLB)
  4. The King’s Rescue — God draws us out of the mire and sets our feet on a rock. We were secure in His hand all along; now He lets us feel it. (Psalm 40:2 BLB)
  5. The King’s Song — God puts a new song in our mouth. Sometimes He takes us through the pit so that we will come up singing. (Psalm 40:3 BLB)
  6. The King’s Influence — Others see God’s faithfulness in our hardship, and many come to fear and trust the Lord. (Psalm 40:3 BLB)

Why It Matters

When you are in the pit, cry out to the Lord, wait for Him humbly and hopefully, and when He sets you on the rock, sing a new song — out loud and in public. God may use your story so that “many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.”

Watch the full sermon on YouTube

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By John Piper. © Desiring God Foundation. Source: desiringGod.org

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