Barnabas Piper's Blog
November 26, 2025
Kindle Deals for November 26
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:Come You Weary by Michel Reeves – $6.60
How Does God Change Us?: “Real Change for Real Sinners” by Dane Ortlund – $7.08
Enjoy Your Prayer Life by Michael Reeves – $2.99
Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures For Approaching God’s Word by Matt Smethurst – $2.99
Before You Share Your Faith: Five Ways to Be Evangelism Ready by Matt Smethurst – $6.99
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 by Joseph Laconte – $1.99
Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission by Bob Drury & Tom Clavin – $1.99
Hollywood: The Oral History by Jeanine Basinger & Sam Wasson – $1.99
Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford by Clint Hill – $1.99
A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House by Arthur Schlesinger – $1.99
Saving MacArthur: The Story of America’s Most Daring Naval Rescue, and of the Men it Left Behind by Rudy Toledo – $4.99
Do the Work by Steven Pressfield – $4.99
Why Poetry by Matthew Zapruder – $1.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 25, 2025
Kindle Deals for November 25
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits by R. Albert Mohler Jr. – $1.99
Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption by Vaneetha Risner – $1.99
On the Incarnation by Athanasius – $.99
Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders – $6.67
Christianity and Liberalism: A Classic Defense of Biblical Faith Against Modernist Theology by J. Gresham Machen – $.99
The Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization by Vishal Mangalwadi – $1.99
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham – $4.99
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides – $1.99
On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides – $4.99
The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln’s Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby’s Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America’s Special Operations by Patrick O’Donnell – $1.99
438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea by Jonathan Franklin – $1.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 24, 2025
The Living Word
1 Thessalonians 2:13
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
It is so easy to take our Bibles for granted–to think of them as something mundane. We know the words of the Bible are God’s words, but the import of that gets lost. We approach scripture as habit or obligation. We hear it preached as mere inspiration or moral instruction. We treat the Bible as a mere source of good instruction.
For we have lost sight of the wonder of what it truly is–God’s living word that works. So we ask God to humble us under his mighty word so that we receive it rather than critiquing it, obey it rather than rebelling against it, and are filled with its truth rather than cherry picking our preferred parts.
We pray the words of Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” To behold and receive these wondrous things we need humble and soft our hearts, so we ask God for those too because we can’t turn our hearts that way. In the Bible God tells us of his character, his love, his power, his plans, and most importantly of his Son. And our small, distracted, sinful minds and hearts can’t receive all this goodness without the help of the Holy Spirit, but he is with us and in us, enabling and teaching us.
And as the Holy Spirit opens and instructs our hearts we are able to see the work of the word–the way it is growing and changing us, the way it brings dead hearts to life, the way it is the means and promise we need to walk faithfully with Jesus. Yes, we are still tempted to think of it as static or mundane or boring, but when we attend to the Bible’s depths and marvels we will never cease to be satisfied and amazed by this living word.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville , in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
Kindle Deals for November 24
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse by Chuck DeGroat – $4.99
The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves by Curtis Thompson, MD – $4.99
Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image by Dr. Paul brand & Philip Yancey – $4.99
The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam McHugh – $3.99
Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness by Michael Card – $3.99
Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed by Alisa Childers – $3.99
Walking in Unity: Biblical Answers to Questions on Race and Racism by Krista Bontrager & Monique Duson – $4.61
Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live. by David Platt – $3.99
Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin – $3.99
Every Hour I Need You: 30 Meditations for Moms on the Character of God by Katie Faris – $4.99
Help for the Hungry Soul: Eight Encouragements to Grow Your Appetite for God’s Word by Kristen Wetherell – $3.99
Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper – $4.99
A Godward Heart: Treasuring the God Who Loves You by John Piper – $5.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 21, 2025
3 Things I Like This Week – November 21
Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis
Few people deserve our attention as brilliant readers to the degree that CS Lewis does. He was profoundly intentional, voracious, broad, deep, and constantly delighted as a reader. This little collection is wonderful selection of excerpts from on various aspects of reading. It samples many of his longer works, giving a taste test for those who haven’t had a chance to read them. It also draws on his mountain of correspondence (Lewis was a prolific letter writer), adding a wonderful personal flavor. Maybe my favorite feature is that it leaves you more inspired and eager to read rather than being pretentious and discouraging. If you have read much Lewis then you will love this as a sort of “greatest hits”collection. If you have not read much lewis then this is a delightful, light, thoughtful place to start.
2) Micron 005 pens
I write in nearly every print book I read. And while most books are printed on heavy enough paper to handle a Pilot G-2 .38 (yes, that’s a pen, not a caliber of weapon) or a Uniball Vision Elite .5, most Bible sadly are not. Ink bleeds through the thinner pages and that is simply unacceptable. So I have searched high and low for the best Bible writing pen, and I think I have found it. While I believe Micron pens are designed for sketch artists, they work wonderfully for underlining and marginalia in a Bible. They come in various sizes, and I have settled on the 005 for this purpose since it allows for the finest of writing in small spaces. Is this all a bit nerdy? A tad wonkish? Absolutely, and with great satisfaction–becaus tere are few satisfactions like finding the perfect tool for a very particular job.
3) “The Real Blues” by the Ray Brown Trio
Ray Brown is a legendary jazz bassist whose work you absolutely know from various collaborations. This here is a nearly perfect groove to start your weekend right.
Kindle Deals for November 21
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:From Nothing: A Theology of Creation by Ian McFarland – $5.99
The Word Made Flesh: A Theology of the Incarnation by Ian McFarland – $5.99
The Triune God by Fred Sanders – $3.99
The Holy Spirit by Christopher R.J. Holmes – $3.99
Lord Jesus Christ by Daniel J. Treier – $6.99
Understanding the Bible by John Stott – $6.99
Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns by D.A. Carson – $1.99
God’s Glory Alone—The Majestic Heart of Christian Faith and Life: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters by David VanDrunen – $5.99
Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson – $4.99
The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany by Gwen Strauss – $2.99
Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors by Stephen Ambrose – $1.99
Last Stand: George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West by Michael Punke – $1.99
Shotguns and Stagecoaches: The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West by John Boessenecker – $2.99
The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction by Charles Lane – $3.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 20, 2025
Kindle Deals for November 20
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:Gather: Loving Your Church as You Celebrate Christ Together by Tony Merida – $2.99
Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive by Thom Rainer – $4.99
The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology by Kevin Vanhoozer – $5.99
Faith Speaking Understanding: Performing the Drama of Doctrine by Kevin Vanhoozer – $5.99
Acts: The Power That Changes the World, Study Guide with Leader’s Notes by Howard Brown – $3.99
A Giant among Giants: The Baseball Life of Willie McCovey by Chris Haft – $2.77
Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella by Neil Lanctot – $1.99
Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson by Doug Wilson – $2.99
The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych by Doug Wilson – $2.99
Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back by Louis Tiant – $2.99
K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches by Tyler Kepner – $5.99
The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series by Tyler Kepner – $4.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 19, 2025
Kindle Deals for November 19
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:Pray Big: Learn to Pray Like an Apostle by Alistair Begg – $2.99
Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul – $6.99
Suffering Is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot – $4.99
Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions by Tim Keller – $4.99
Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It’s Not about You by Sharon Hodge Miller – $3.99
She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a World That’s Passing Away by Rachel Myers & Amanda Bible Williams – $4.99
The Church: An Introduction by Gregg Allison – $2.99
CSB Christian Standard Bible: Faithful and True – $3.03
NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible – $3.99
War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line by David Nott – $3.99
The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific by William Craig – $3.99
Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage by Noah Andre Trudeau – $4.99
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin – $1.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 18, 2025
Kindle Deals for November 18
Some Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels by N.T. Wright – $1.99
Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God by Timothy Keller – $4.99
The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges – $5.99
A Place for Weakness: Preparing Yourself for Suffering by Michael Horton – $1.99
Counsel for Couples: A Biblical and Practical Guide for Marriage Counseling by Jonathan Holmes – $1.99
Catching Foxes: A Gospel-Guided Journey to Marriage by John Henderson – $4.99
When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey – $4.99
Master of One: Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do by Jordan Raynor – $1.99
The Sacredness of Secular Work: 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even When You’re Not Sharing the Gospel) by Jordan Raynor – $5.99
Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea by Marcus Rediker – $1.99
The Desert War: The classic trilogy on the North Africa campaign 1940-43 by Alan Moorhead – $.99
Ghost Patrol: A History of the Long Range Desert Group, 1940-1945 by John Sadler – $2.99
Beaufighter: The Untold Story of a Wartime Icon by Chaz Bowyer – $5.99
Wing Leader: The Incredible Story of the Top-Scoring RAF Fighter Ace of WWII by Johnnie Johnson – $3.99
Duel of Eagles: The Classic Pilot’s Account of the Battle of Britain by Peter Townsend – $4.99
Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another – $8.99
Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s most elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality – $8.99
The Pastor’s Kid: What it’s Like and How to Help – $8.99
Help My Unbelief: Why doubt is not the enemy of faith – $8.99
The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life – $4.99
These links are Amazon affiliate links.
November 17, 2025
Peace from Above
Philippians 4:6-7
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When I am anxious or angry or afraid my tendency is either to lean into those feelings and let them overwhelm me as I wallow in them. Or I try to engineer a version of peace for myself. Sometimes I do this by trying to change my circumstances or environment. Sometimes I focus on changing my perspective. Most often it means that I frantically pour my energy into fixing whatever I perceive my problem to be . . . which in the end just makes me more worn out and in a worse state than when I started.
So often I forget to bring my needs, my feelings, or my fears to God. I try to play the role of God in my own life and act as if I can grant myself peace. What foolishness. What a waste of time and energy. I’m reminded of those lyrics from the old hymn:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pains we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.
It is needless pain because God has told us what to do when we are overwhelmed. 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. He has assured us of peace that is not tied to circumstance but tied to him in all his love and power and goodness and faithfulness. When we come to God with needs, he offers peace that makes no earthly sense–calm, serenity, true perspective on what matters, true hope for the future.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville , in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
