We naturally want to be in control of our lives. The idea that someone else might have authority over us can feel threatening. We see this in the response of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day, and we can see it in our own lives. In this message from Mark 11:27–12:12, David Platt encourages us to see the authority of Jesus as something to be submitted to and gladly embraced. When we turn from our sin and put our faith in Jesus, we are restored to God—the One we have rebelled against. Now, for those who belong to Jesus, his authority is the greatest news in all the world.

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Is it possible for churches to worship in ways that are comfortable, all while ignoring the lost around them and far from them, including the unreached—the over 3 billion people in the world who have little or no access to the gospel? Sadly, this is a reality for many churches. We need to realize or be reminded: God calls all believers to pray, give, and go for the spread of the gospel among all nations. In addition to reverent fear, sorrow for sin, and faithful prayer, genuine worship should involve a desire to see all nations reached with the gospel of Christ. This is Part 2 of a message titled, “Are We Truly Worshiping?” from Mark 11:12–26.

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It’s possible for churches to have people gathered, have access to God’s Word, display the outward forms of worship, and participate in a lot of religious activity and yet still miss the heart of genuine worship. In this message from David Platt from Mark 11:12–26, we’re reminded that true worship includes fear and reverence before God, confession of sin, and faithful prayer. Christ’s cleansing of the temple is a humbling reminder of the kind of worship God deserves.

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If you’ve ever had your hopes dashed, lost your joy, or experienced deep grief, then it may be that you need to hear the voice of Jesus calling you like he called to Mary on that first Easter morning. Today we hear his voice in the words of Scripture, and through the gospel he offers us the very same peace that he offered to his followers while he was on earth. In this message from John 20, David Platt urges us to respond to Jesus now, while God has given us an opportunity. His claim to have risen from the dead has been believed by even the most resistant skeptics. How will you respond to the risen Christ?

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Though Jesus came as a king, he was not the kind of king that most people expected. He didn’t come to provide immediate political and military victory, nor did he strike people as outwardly impressive. Jesus was different than other earthly kings. In this message from Mark 11:1–11, David Platt helps us see that, despite our expectations, Jesus Christ is precisely the kind of king we need. His authority, his humility, his power over sin, his ability to give us peace with God, and his ability heal us—for all these reasons and many more, there is no one like Jesus.

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Music has a powerful way of stirring our affections, and many followers of Christ feel a passion and excitement for God when certain songs are played. While this can be very good and biblical, have you ever stopped to ask: what if we had that level of anticipation and eagerness to hear God’s Word? In this message from the Passion conference in 2023, David Platt points to Nehemiah 8 to highlight the priority we ought to put on God’s Word, and he recites the entirety of Romans 1-8 to demonstrate the powerful effect of Scripture as it is spoken. God’s Word is the final and authoritative truth for who we are and how God sees us. We ought to treasure it like it’s our life—because it is!—and we should long to make it known to those who are apart from Christ.

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It may sound odd to the world, but the way to greatness comes through humility and dependence. Though we often don’t acknowledge it, we are completely dependent on God for everything—from our salvation to our growth in godliness to every detail of our lives. And all of this is made possible through Christ’s selfless service to us in which he laid down his life to atone for our sins. In this message from Matthew 10:32–45, David Platt asks us to consider ways in which we need God’s grace and strength, as well how we can serve others in reliance on him. We are to follow in the pattern of Christ, who became a servant for our salvation. 

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 What are you holding onto that is keeping you from the fullness of God in your life? Jesus calls his followers to radical surrender to his lordship and radical love for him. Yet, the sad reality is that many people choose the passing pleasures of sin and the comforts of this life. In this message from Mark 10:17–31, David Platt urges us to find true and eternal life in Jesus. Don’t hold back from living for him. 

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There is a constant temptation for all of us to settle for a safe, easy, comfortable Christianity that consists of casually going through motions on Sunday morning and moving on with our lives however we want to live them.  But that is not biblical Christianity, and it’s not what we’re made for. In this message from Exodus 14, David Platt urges the church to pursue the Lord’s lead and not to hold back from following him. Relying on God’s Word and empowered by his Spirit, we look expectantly for how the Lord will work out his saving purposes in and through us.

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When is the last time you acknowledged that you were desperate for God? When is the last time you came to him, pouring out your heart, longing for his presence and grace and power to obey him? In this message from Isaiah 54:2, David Platt exhorts us not to hold back in our pursuit of God and in our desire to bring glory to him. As the bride of Christ, the church should not want to hold back in becoming all that God intends for us. This message is drawn from themes from David’s new book, Don’t Hold Back: Leaving Behind the American Gospel to Follow Jesus Fully.

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