Radical With David Platt

If we assume that the Christian life should be carefree and filled with uninterrupted joy, we are likely to be shaken when reality hits. The truth is, in a fallen world, faith can be hard and our burdens can be heavy. Gratefully, Jesus knows life in the real world, and he knows what we most need—his grace and his power. In this message by David Platt from Matthew 11:30, we hear Jesus call the weary and heavy laden to himself to find rest. He reminds us that his yoke and his burden is light. 

What did Jesus mean at the Last Supper when he said of the bread, “This is my body,” and of the cup, “This is my blood”? That may sound like a strange question, but it’s one that Christians before us have had to answer at the cost of their lives. The question of whether the bread and the wine actually become Christ’s physical body in the Lord’s Supper became one of the central issues of the Reformation nearly 500 years ago. At stake was the gospel of God’s grace. In this message from David Platt from Mark 14:22–31, we are faced with the question, “Are you willing to lose your life over one word?”

Did you know it’s possible to have a kind of faith that is not saving faith? The Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble before God, and yet they don’t have saving faith. According to James 2:14–19, faith that doesn’t produce works is “dead.” True, saving faith rests in Christ for salvation, but it inevitably produces the fruit of good works, including helping those in need. In this message, David Platt challenges us to consider whether our faith is genuine. Genuine faith acts.

What does true Christianity look like? Many people are happy to go to church, or even identify with Christ, so long as it doesn’t cost them anything. Their “faith” doesn’t seem to affect the way they live or the way they view those in need. In this message from James 1:26–2:13, David Platt challenges us to look at how true faith is described in the Bible rather than taking our cues from culture or common practices in the church. True faith produces love, and this love should be evident in the way we speak, the way we treat the vulnerable and the poor, and the way we live in relation to the ways of the world.  

It’s good for us to read and hear God’s Word on a regular basis, but merely hearing or agreeing with the Word isn’t the end goal. True faith obeys God’s Word. In this message from David Platt on James 1:19–27, we see that true faith receives God’s Word humbly and then responds. Our obedience will never be perfect in this life, but true faith, the kind that is produced and sustained by God’s grace, is evidenced by the works it produces.

We cannot escape trials and suffering in this world that is still broken by sin. It’s in the midst of these difficult times that our faith gets tested. The question is, “How should we respond?” In this message from James 1:1-18, Pastor David Platt helps us see how true faith perseveres in the midst of trials. By trusting in God, we can endure, and even rejoice, in life’s most difficult seasons.

How much thought do you give to the offering when your church gathers each Sunday? Is it a significant part of your worship, or is it merely a routine that you go through? In Mark 12:41–44, Jesus uses the seemingly insignificant—yet sacrificial—gift of a poor widow to challenge many of our practices and assumptions about giving and money. By God’s grace, our approach to giving can change when we realize that God already owns everything, including our money, and that giving to him is a privilege that should be motivated by his grace in the gospel. In this message, David Platt contrasts worldly giving with godly giving. 

Who do you say that Jesus is? An important historical figure? A revered religious teacher? While all kinds of answers have been given to that question, the Bible teaches clearly that Jesus is Lord, God come in the flesh. In this message from Mark 12:35–40, David Platt helps us see the significance of Christ’s lordship. If we confess Jesus as Lord, then our lives should look different from the world and it should shape our message to the world. The One whom we proclaim as Savior is the One to whom every knee will one day bow.

What are you living for? Money, health, career, reputation, or comfort? These things aren’t inherently bad, but they were never meant to be truly and finally satisfying. Sadly,  many professing Christians seem to live for these things while sprinkling in some religious devotion here and there. However, based on Mark 12:28–34, Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is what we were created for, and it’s what Jesus saved us to experience and enjoy—a relationship with the God who is our highest good and greatest joy. Those who have come to God through Jesus are then freed and enabled to obey the second greatest commandment, to love their neighbors as themselves. This message from David Platt continues our series through the Gospel of Mark. 

How should belief in heaven to come affect the way you live on earth this week? In this message on Mark 12:18–27, Pastor David Platt asks us to reflect upon this poignant question. He reminds us that God will make all things new at the end of time. The earthly pleasures we enjoy for a time are mere shadows of heavenly pleasures we’ll enjoy forever. As Christians, we can rejoice in suffering because the indescribable sorrow in this world will one day turn into inexpressible joy. 

 Almost everyone seems to have an opinion about the government, but too often we disconnect our view of the government from the teaching of God’s Word. We fail to ask questions like, What obligations and responsibilities do Christians have toward the government? Is there ever a time to disobey the government? If so, when? In this message from Mark 12:13–17, David Platt points us to some foundational truths from Jesus concerning the way we should think about our relationship to government and, more importantly, to God. As Christians, though we are to be submissive to the government, our ultimate allegiance is to God. 

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.

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.

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.

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?________I want to personally invite you to this year’s Secret Church. We are going to dive word-for-word into the book of Jonah, and as I’ve been studying this book, I cannot wait to explore it with you! Most people just know it’s a story about a fish swallowing a man, but it is so much more than that, and it contains shocking relevance to our lives and the world around us today.Learn more about Secret

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.________I want to personally invite you to this year’s Secret Church. We are going to dive word-for-word into the book of Jonah, and as I’ve been studying this book, I cannot wait to explore it with you! Most people just know it’s a story about a fish swallowing a man, but it is so much more than that, and it contains shocking relevance to our lives and the world around us today.Learn more about Secret Church and sign up at https://radical.net/sec

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.________I want to personally invite you to this year’s Secret Church. We are going to dive word-for-word into the book of Jonah, and as I’ve been studying this book, I cannot wait to explore it with you! Most people just know it’s a story about a fish swall

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. ________I want to personally invite you to this year’s Secret Church. We are going to dive word-for-word into the book of Jonah, and as I’ve been studying this book, I cannot wait to explore it with you! Most people just know it’s a story about a fish swallowing a man, but it is so much more than that, and it contains shocking relevance to our lives and the world around us tod

 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. ________I want to personally invite you to this year’s Secret Church. We are going to dive word-for-word into the book of Jonah, and as I’ve been studying this book, I cannot wait to explore it with you! Most people just know it’s a story about a fish swallowing a man, but it is so much more than that, and it contains shocking relevance to our lives and the world around us today.Learn more about Secret Church and sign up at https://radical.net/secret-church

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.––––––––––––In David Platt's newest book, Don't Hold Back, he challenges Christians to break free from an American gospel that prioritizes comfort, power, prosperity, politics – and to pursue instead the full beauty of the gospel of Jesus.Learn more at DontHoldBackBook.com