My mind is real limited.

And I have to have a pretty small piece to work with.

And to fight with.

If I say, well, read a chapter, read three chapters and get strong in God.

And I get up from reading it and walk out in the world, I don't remember a thing.

I just don't remember a thing.

And so here comes a temptation, and I say, give me a truth that I can fight with.

And I can't think of a truth.

Isn't that awful?

I'm a preacher.

And I can't think of any Bible verses.

So how do we sustain joy in God through the ups and downs of life? In this episode of light and truth, John Piper offers practical wisdom on fighting for joy using three vital weapons,

the Word of God, prayer, and praise.

This sermon was originally preached at Trinity Baptist Church in Wheaton, Illinois on September 21, 1988.

Let me give you just a few practical things about the word that I've discovered.

Number one, read much and read little.

That sounds like a contradiction, but let me explain.

Read much means I think you need to be in some kind of pattern of constantly getting the

whole terrain of scripture before you otherwise we become too selective so you need

some kind of program to get through the Bible in a year probably or sometime just three

four chapters a day a soaking kind of extensiveness to your reading but if that's

all you do I can almost promise you

...