Radical With David Platt

The Bible teaches us about the three foundational components of salvation. First, justification is an event. We speak of this by saying that we have been saved. Second, sanctification is a present process. We speak of this by saying that we are being saved. Third, glorification is a future prize. We speak of this by saying that we will be saved. The grace of God undergirds every facet of our salvation. In this message on Philippians 2:12–13, Pastor David Platt teaches us that faith involves radical dependence on God’s work in our lives.Explore more content from Radical.

Many gospel presentations emphasize the fact that God has a wonderful plan for your life while spending little time on the problem of sin and how it is that holy God can have fellowship with people who have rebelled against him. But Scripture paints a different and much fuller picture of God’s saving work in Christ. In this message from Romans 3:21–26, Pastor David Platt unpacks the following definition of the gospel: the just and gracious God of the universe looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin on the cross and to show his power over sin in the resurrection so that all who have faith in him will be reconciled to God forever. Though the problem of sin may be greater than we imagined, God’s grace in the gospel is greater still.Explore more content from Radical.

 Sometimes God’s timing leaves us with questions or even doubts. Does he care? Has he forgotten me? Is he really working all things for my good? In this message from Romans 8:18–30, David Platt points us to the character and promises of God. Regardless of our circumstances, we can trust what God says in his Word. His love is sure, even when we don’t understand his timing. Waiting on God should cause us to grow in prayer and dependence on him. Ultimately, our waiting is for God’s glory and our eternal good. Explore more content from Radical.

Jesus said that unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. So what does it mean to be born again? In this message from John 3:1–21, David Platt points us to the words of Jesus to understand God’s sovereign work in our salvation. We are responsible for putting our faith in Christ, but it’s the gracious and powerful work of the Holy Spirit that makes our response possible. As those who are born dead in sin, we need more than moral improvement—we need a new heart. And that’s precisely what God gives us in the new birth. Explore more content from Radical.

 Many professing Christians assume that because they’ve prayed a prayer or made a public profession, they are on their way to heaven, despite the fact that their lives give very little evidence of heart change. In this message from David Platt from Matthew 7:13–27, we hear the sobering warnings of Jesus. Many will call Jesus “Lord” on the last day, only to find out that they never belonged to him. Every professing Christian should examine his or her life to see if they are truly following the narrow way. Explore more content from Radical.

 Sometimes our culture talks about faith as if it’s a way to achieve our own dreams. But faith is more than self-centered positive thinking. Faith is humble and dependent on God, and it leads us to prayer and patience in suffering. Faith lives in light of Christ’s coming. In this message from David Platt from James 4:13–5:20, we see that genuine faith perseveres through the trials and difficulties of life. It may face obstacles and setbacks, but by God’s grace and power, true faith lasts. Explore more content from Radical.

Some Christians say that the way to be a light to the world is to look more like the world. However, the book of James has a very different message. We’re told to live by a wisdom that is very different from the world’s wisdom, and we’re told that friendship with the world and its sinful ways is rebellion against God. It’s by humbling ourselves before God and receiving his grace that we are enabled to live lives that please God. In this message from James 3:13–4:12, David Platt points us to the kind of faith and wisdom that submits to God’s good ways rather than the sinful ways of the world.Explore more content from Radical.

How can a God who is infinitely holy, just, and good show mercy and grace to sinful and rebellious people? How can a Just Judge let the guilty go free? In this message from Mark 15:1–20, David Platt points to the cross as the answer to these questions. By sending his Son in the flesh to bear his wrath against sin, God provided a substitute for guilty people like us. God’s justice and his mercy met at the cross, and as a result, all who trust in Christ can be freed from the penalty and power of sin. Explore more content from Radical.

Most Christians can understand looking to Abraham as an example of what it means to live by faith. But it’s surprising to hear of a notoriously sinful lady named Rahab get mentioned alongside one of the heroes of the faith. What makes Rahab like Abraham, and how does Rahab’s story give us hope? In this message from James 2:25–26, David Platt helps us see the faith of Rahab—a faith that risks everything out of trust in God’s sovereign lordship. Regardless of our background or the sin in our lives, we can be declared righteous by trusting in Christ, and this trust changes the way we live.Explore more content from Radical.

Scripture is very clear about the fact that we are saved through faith in Christ and not by our own works. This is a major emphasis in the apostle Paul’s letters. However, the book of James says that good works are necessary in order for our faith to be genuine, saving faith. So how do we put these two truths together? In this message from James 2:20–24, David Platt helps us see that Paul and James don’t contradict each other. Rather, they complement one another in the ways they talk about the relationship between faith and works. We are saved by faith, apart from works, but the faith that saves always and inevitably produces good works. Explore more content from Radical.

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. Explore more content from Radical.

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?”Explore more content from Radical.

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.Explore more content from Radical.

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.  Explore more content from Radical.

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.Explore more content from Radical.

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.Explore more content from Radical.

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. Explore more content from Radical.

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.Explore more content from Radical.

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. Explore more content from Radical.

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. Explore more content from Radical.