Christ, exalting courage, boldness, fearlessness, risk taking, is not something on the edges

and the periphery of Christian life, it's at the center.

It's not icing on the cake for the super saints that you read about in biographies.

It's the meat and potatoes of normal Christianity.

If courage is to be at the core of everyday Christianity, how can we as Christians become

bolder in our faith?

John Piper opens Philippians 1, 12, 30 to tackle that important question in this episode of

Light and Truth.

The sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on April 25, 1993.

One of the greatest fears in America today outside the church and inside the church is the

fear of being clashed with fringe groups.

So deliver me from being called racist, sexist, homophobic, right-wing, fundamentalist,

extremist, fanatic.

Now I hate those words, some I hate more than others, but I don't like any of them.

I don't want to be called any of those.

I would like to sort of say things and do things that avoid those labels.

I don't want them.

My not wanting them is a very dangerous thing, it's dangerous because the great danger is

that I will now instead of saying that the real fear is not speaking the truth in love,

the real fear is so calculating everything I do and everything I say so as to avoid

any label that is negative, I can't say anything anymore that has substance and truth and

point to it.

...