Radical With David Platt

Many people think of God’s salvation as a nice add-on to their lives, perhaps something that will give them comfort or success in their current pursuits. However, this is a far cry from how Scripture speaks of God’s saving work. In this message from Ezekiel 36–37, David Platt highlights God’s transforming work in the lives of His people. By His grace and by the life-giving power of His Spirit, God saves us and gives us a radically different purpose for our lives, all for His glory.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Find thousands of other Gospel-centered resources at Radical.net.Explore more content from Radical.

God promises to give His people “a future and a hope” in Jeremiah 29:11, and many Christians assume that this rules out the possibility of suffering in their lives. However, we need to consider this promise in its wider, biblical context. In this message from Jeremiah 29:11–13, David Platt helps us think through God’s promise to Jeremiah in the context of God’s overarching plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, God’s people can be confident that He will sustain them and that His saving promises will be fulfilled. Those who are in Christ truly have a future and an eternal hope.Explore more content from Radical.

So what is it that compels a person to give up his or her comforts for the sake of getting the gospel to unreached people groups around the world? Based on the book of Revelation, David Platt urges us to consider the glory of Christ as our motivation for reaching the unreached. This message from the CROSS conference in 2019 identifies forty-eight characteristics of Jesus that should elicit our praise, our awe, and our sacrifice for the sake of His name. Pursuing Christ’s glory, particularly in light of the urgency of eternity, should be the all-consuming passion of our lives.Explore more content from Radical.

One of the reasons Jesus died was for the unity of His church. However, from the church’s earliest days, there have been disagreements among God’s people. These disagreements can become especially difficult when both sides feel as if they are obeying what the Bible teaches on a particular issue. How, then, can Christians remain united in the midst of a multitude of opinions, preferences, and deeply-held convictions? In this message, David Platt points us to Christ’s prayer for unity in John 17:20–23 as well as Paul’s exhortations in Romans 14:1–15:7 concerning how God’s people should relate to one another in light of their disagreements. Our unity in Jesus, or lack thereof, profoundly affects our witness to the world. Explore more content from Radical.

It’s easy for churches to be involved in a lot of good things while giving too little attention to God’s design for the church. Other priorities and activities tend to crowd out caring for fellow members, growing in Christlikeness, and obeying Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations. Drawing from Proverbs 16:1–9 and 1 Kings 18, David Platt addresses the future of McLean Bible Church in light of Scripture’s priorities for the church. For the sake of Christ’s glory and the spread of His gospel, every church should ask itself, “How can we most faithfully and effectively accomplish our mission?” Explore more content from Radical.

The world tries to sell us a version of the good life, but, not surprisingly, God’s Word gives us an entirely different picture of what life should like. In the Old Testament, the high point in the life of God’s people occurs at the beginning of Solomon’s reign and the dedication of the temple. In this message from 1 Kings 2–8, David Platt points to the highlights of this period in Israel’s history and then considers the implications for the lives of God’s people today. The secret to living the “high life” involves God’s Word, God’s wisdom, and God’s worship.Explore more content from Radical.

While local ministry and mission are absolutely necessary for the church, global mission is often tragically neglected. Over two billion people in the world still do not have access to the gospel. In this message from Psalm 19, David Platt presses home the urgency of the church’s mission in view of the massive spiritual and physical needs in the world. This global mission involves every follower of Christ.Explore more content from Radical.

According to our culture, a woman’s identity is tied to such things as her outward appearance and her own inner strength. Scripture, on the other hand, casts a completely different vision of womanhood. Women have intrinsic value based on God’s good design, and they can be a blessing to others based on God’s grace in them. In this Mother’s Day sermon from Proverbs 31:10–31, David Platt identifies characteristics of a Christlike woman. How we view these characteristics has implications not only for married women but also for husbands, singles, and the entire church.Explore more content from Radical.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated His power in a variety of ways, including healing the sick, curing the demon-possessed, and raising the dead. However, we will miss the greater significance of the authority of Jesus if we only focus on the physical needs that He met. In this message from Mark 2:1–12, David Platt looks at Christ’s forgiveness and healing of a paralytic. Like Jesus, we should reach out compassionately reach out to meet urgent physical needs in the world. But this cannot be our primary or ultimate goal. As followers of Christ, we must be faithful to proclaim the gospel of the One who can meet the greatest need of every sinner––the forgiveness of sins.Explore more content from Radical.

Although most Christians are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, many simply view it as a call to have more courage. They do not view this story in light of the bigger picture of God’s unfolding plan of redemption. In this sermon on 1 Samuel 17, David Platt helps us see this well-known story at the level of individual, national, and redemptive history. The God who brought victory for Israel through a young shepherd-turned-king from Bethlehem has accomplished the work of redemption through the death and resurrection of another shepherd from Bethlehem––King Jesus.Explore more content from Radical.

Much to the surprise of Jesus’ disciples, He told them that He was going to be killed and then rise again. And as if that weren’t enough, Jesus also told them that they too would have to take up their cross if they wanted to follow Him. In this Easter sermon from Mark 8:31–38, David Platt holds out the invitation of Jesus to come and follow Him. While being a Christian is costly, the reward is far greater than any earthly possessions or praise that we might desire in this life. Eternal life and joy is found in the One who gave His life for us.Explore more content from Radical.

It’s easy for us to assume that our sin is not that big of a deal if others don’t know about it or seem to be affected by it. We can go on with life as usual without considering the that God Himself knows everything about us––our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our actions. In this sermon from Joshua 7, David Platt urges us to consider the seriousness of our sin, even the sin that we think is hidden. If we want a deeper and fuller sense of God’s presence and blessing in our lives, then we should acknowledge our sins––even our hidden ones––and look to the One who can graciously forgive and restore us.Explore more content from Radical.

Our entire lives are, in a sense, spent either working or resting. Sadly, though, we don’t often think of our working or our resting in light of God and His Word. We either overvalue our work or undervalue it; the same is true with our rest. In this sermon from Exodus 31, David Platt urges us to consider our work and our rest in light of God’s own character and actions. The God who finished His work of creation and then rested has made it possible for His people to work unto Him and to find rest in the gospel of Jesus Christ.Explore more content from Radical.

Sometimes the pull of sin can feel so strong that we feel completely overwhelmed. We are weak, and Satan’s lies are deceptive and enticing. Gratefully, God has not left us to face sin and temptation on our own. In this sermon from Matthew 4:1–11, David Platt points us to the One who has overcome temptation on our behalf. Christ, our King, has defeated Satan and given us the victory over sin, death, and hell.Explore more content from Radical.

Some Christians struggle with the motivation to pray because they don’t understand how their prayers fit with the purposes of a sovereign God. In this sermon from Exodus 32–34, David Platt helps us think through the mystery of prayer, as he points us to the character and purposes of God. We’ll see how God uses our prayers for the good of others, for the good of His people, and, ultimately, for His glory in the world.Explore more content from Radical.

As Christians, we can get so accustomed to talking about God’s salvation that we don’t stop to consider some foundational questions, questions such as How does God save us in light of our sin? And why does God save us? In this message, David Platt helps us see how the book of Exodus answers these all-important questions. As God’s salvation of Israel demonstrates, He saves us by His grace––for His glory and for our good.Explore more content from Radical.

In the midst of sin and suffering, God hears the cries of His people and He rescues them. This same God also sends His people out for purposes that are, humanly speaking, impossible. In this message from Exodus 2:23–3:22, David Platt shows us that, despite our weaknesses, God empowers us by His Spirit to accomplish His purposes in the world. Explore more content from Radical.

Although we often feel as if we’re without hope in our suffering, Scripture reminds us of God’s character and His promises. We can trust His sovereign care, His goodness, and His wisdom, even in the darkest seasons of life. In this sermon from Genesis 37–50, David Platt uses the life of Joseph to show us that God is not only with us in our sin and suffering but also that He uses it for our good and His glory. Explore more content from Radical.

All of us have blind spots in our lives, that is, areas of sin that we don’t notice or that we tend to downplay. But these small and seemingly harmless blind spots can have disastrous results in terms of our relationship with God and with others. In this sermon from Genesis 28–35, David Platt shows us how these truths play out in the life of Jacob. Gratefully, God in His grace is able to open our eyes to our blind spots, forgive us of our sins, and enable us to walk in new obedience, and all this is based on what Christ has done for us.Explore more content from Radical.

We rightly associate the Great Commission in Matthew 28 with making disciples, but what does making disciples have to do with caring for the unborn as well as others who are vulnerable or oppressed? In this message given at Evangelicals for Life, David Platt helps us see how the church’s makeup and mission make it specially designed to care for all who are made in God’s image. The God who gives us new life in Christ compels us to love our neighbors in every stage of life.Explore more content from Radical.