John Piper - Battling Unbelief Study Guide: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure

L ESSON 1
Introduction to Battling Unbelief

L ESSON 2
A Passion for Gods Glory and Your Joy

L ESSON 3
A Passion for Practical Holiness

L ESSON 4
Is It Biblical? (Part 1)

L ESSON 5
Is It Biblical? (Part 2)

L ESSON 6
Origins of Radical Love (Part 1)

L ESSON 7
Origins of Radical Love (Part 2)

L ESSON 8
Battling the Unbelief of Anxiety

L ESSON 9
Battling the Unbelief of Covetousness

L ESSON 10
Battling the Unbelief of Lust

L ESSON 11
Battling the Unbelief of Bitterness and Impatience

L ESSON 12
Review and Conclusion

W ar. Our world today is familiar with war. Conflicts rage around the world. Nations rise up against other nations. Ethnic groups seek to systematically exterminate other ethnic groups. Sometimes the warfare even finds its way to our own city streets. But the greatest battle in the world is not taking place between foreign governments or terrorist networks or rival gangs. It is taking place over human souls and within human hearts. As the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Followers of Jesus are not free from this battle. In fact, we know it better than anyone else. As the apostle Peter says, Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11). This is the battle we find ourselves in: the desires of the flesh versus the desires of the Spirit; the powers of this present evil age versus the power of the resurrection; the lies of the evil one versus the truth of the gospel.

The aim of this study guide is to aid you in this battle. It is our conviction that beneath every sin lies the same root: unbelief. Therefore, the key to defeating anxiety and covetousness and lust and bitterness and impatience and pride and depression and greed and a thousand other sins is to sever the root of unbelief. And the way to sever this root is to live by faith in future grace. Our prayer is that this study guide and DVD would be used by God to liberate thousands from the deceitful and fleeting pleasures of sin by pointing to the superior satisfaction of knowing Jesus Christ, all to the glory of God.

This study guide is designed to be used in a twelve-session After an introductory lesson, each subsequent lesson examines one thirty minute session from Battling Unbelief. You, the learner, are encouraged to prepare for the viewing of each session by reading and reflecting upon Scripture, by considering key quotations, and by asking yourself penetrating questions. Your preparatory work for each lesson is marked with the heading Before You Watch the DVD, Study and Prepare in Lessons 211.

The workload is conveniently divided into five daily (and manageable) assignments. There is also a section suggesting further study. This work is to be completed individually, before the group convenes to view the DVD and discuss the material.

Throughout this study guide, paragraphs printed in a shaded box (like this one) are excerpts from a book written by John Piper, or excerpts taken from the Desiring God website (www.desiringgod.org). They are included to supplement the study questions and to summarize key or provocative points.

The next section in Lessons 29, entitled While You Watch the DVD, Take Notes, is to be completed as the DVD is playing. You are encouraged to engage with the DVD by filling in the appropriate blanks and writing down other notes that will aid you in the group discussion.

The third section in these weekly lessons is After You Watch the DVD, Discuss What Youve Learned. Three discussion questions are provided to guide and focus the conversation. You may record, in the spaces provided here, notes that will help you contribute to the conversation. Or, you may use this space to record things from the discussion that you want to remember.

The final section is an application section: After You Discuss, Make Application. You will be challenged to record a take-away point and to engage in a certain activity that is a fitting response to the content presented in the lesson.

Group leaders will want to find the Leaders Guide, included at the end of this study guide, immediately.

As weve said, life transformation will only occur by the grace of God. Therefore, we highly encourage you to pray throughout the learning process. Pray that God would open your mind to see wonderful things in his Word. Pray that he would grant you the insight, concentration, and attention you need in order to benefit from this resource. Pray that God would cause you to rejoice in the truth. And pray that the discussion in your group would be mutually encouraging and edifying. Weve included specific objectives at the beginning of each lesson. These objectives wont be realized without the gracious work of God through prayer.

It is our prayer that after you have finished this lesson

• You will get a feel for how you and others in your group approach the Christian life.

• Your curiosity would be roused, and questions would begin to come to mind.

• You will be eager to learn more about how you can live your life by faith in future grace.

1. What is your name?

2. Tell the group something about yourself that they probably dont already know.

3. Describe your relationship with Jesus.

1. In your own words, describe your battle against unbelief. How does this battle unfold? What weapons do you have in this battle? Describe any strategies that you use to overcome sin in your life. What motivates you to make war on sin?
   

2. Think about the phrase Living by Faith in Future Grace. What do you think this phrase means?

Lesson 2
A PASSION FOR GODS
GLORY AND YOUR JOY

It is our prayer that after you have finished this lesson

• A passion for the glory of God will be awakened in your soul.

• You will begin to think about how your joy relates to the glory of God.

• You will understand how to approach God in such a way that he always gets the glory.

  Before You Watch the DVD, Study and Prepare