Happy Wednesday and welcome to this sermon clip day on the podcast for a long time.

Now I've been drawn to a little two part message, Pastor John delivered in the spring of 2010.

And from this pair of messages, I want to share some clips with you on the podcast today

and in the weeks ahead.

Historically, the sermons are interesting.

Pastor John was about to take an eight month leave of absence.

So way from the pulpit to work some things out in his own heart and in his own family.

We've talked about this leave and the lessons he would eventually take from it, particularly

in three episodes in APJ 138 to 20 and 1227.

As you know from those episodes, it was a defining season for him.

But first, he had to prepare his church for this leave.

And that makes the tone of these sermons interesting too.

Those two 2010 sermons are parting words to his church.

And because of that, they carry an urgency that you're about to hear.

So how does a preacher say goodbye to his church for eight months?

When we get the answer in these two messages, these messages go deep inside the plan of

God for his people, they go down into the deepest foundation of our very joy.

And in that context, here's the first interesting clip I want to feature on APJ.

He gets right at the heart of what drives John Piper and his ministry.

How is he wired?

Why does he do ministry the way he does it without further introduction?

Here he is to explain on April 18, 2010, two weeks out from his ministry leave, speaking

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