Desiring God by John Piper
Week 1: Preface & Introduction — The Longing That Demands an Answer
Read the Preface and Introduction of Desiring God. Key Scripture: Psalm 16:11; Matthew 13:44.
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Before Piper builds his case, he tells you where he is coming from and what he hopes this book will do to you — take time this week to engage his opening honestly and ask whether you share the longing he describes.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Piper opens by describing a kind of Christianity that is marked more by duty than by delight — a religion of grinding obligation rather than glad-hearted pleasure in God. Does that description resonate with your own experience, past or present? Be honest.
2.The central thesis of the book is: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." In your own words, what does Piper mean by this? What would have to be true about God and about us for this statement to be correct?
3.Piper coins the term "Christian Hedonism" to describe his position. Why do you think he chooses such a provocative label? What reaction does the word "hedonism" produce in you — and is that reaction something Piper anticipates and addresses?
4.Piper quotes Blaise Pascal's famous observation that there is a "God-shaped vacuum" in every human heart — a restless longing that nothing in creation can finally fill. How does Pascal's insight set up Piper's argument? Where have you experienced that restlessness yourself?
5.C. S. Lewis's argument in "The Weight of Glory" — that our problem is not that we want too much pleasure, but that we are "far too easily pleased," settling for mud pies when a holiday at the sea is offered — is a key building block for Piper. How does Lewis's image reframe what it means to pursue joy?
6.Jonathan Edwards argued that God's own pursuit of his glory and our pursuit of happiness are not in conflict — they are the same pursuit seen from two angles. Does this idea feel freeing or troubling to you? Why?
7.Piper says he wants this book to do more than inform — he wants it to change the way you feel about God. What would it look like for you to approach this study not just as an intellectual exercise but as an invitation to a more joyful relationship with God?
a.What is one habit or assumption you are bringing into this study that you are willing to have questioned?
b.What would "success" look like for you by the end of this book?
8.Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field, for which a man sells everything he has — with joy (Matthew 13:44). How does this parable connect to Piper's thesis? What is the relationship between sacrifice and joy in that story?
Closing Prayer
Father, we confess that we have often treated you as a duty rather than a delight — something to be performed rather than someone to be enjoyed. We come to this book with longing, and perhaps also with skepticism. Fill the vacuum in us that no earthly thing has ever satisfied. Teach us what it means to want you the way a man wants treasure hidden in a field. Begin in us a joy that is rooted not in our circumstances but in you — the one in whose presence, your Word promises, is fullness of joy. Amen.
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