When you look at the way that biblical characters grieve, you never see Stoicism, ever in the Bible.

When Job loses his kids, he just, he tears his clothes and falls on the ground and just weeps and just sits there in agony.

And we know he's not sending and charging God with wrong. He's not blaming God,

but he's feeling it deeply. Why? It hurts as much as it's worth. You know, if your car breaks down,

it hurts. It's a nuisance. But if you lose a child, if you lose your dad, it hurts as much as it's worth. Welcome to the Crossway podcast, a show where we sit down with authors each week for

thoughtful interviews about the Bible, theology, church history, and the Christian life.

I'm Matt Tully, and today I'm talking with Joe Rigney.

Joe serves as assistant professor of theology and literature at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis.

He's also a pastor at City's Church and the author of a number of books, including

Strangely Bright, Can You Love God and Enjoy This World?

From Crossway.

Today, Joe and I discuss why it's okay to celebrate God's good gifts.

He explains the impact that John Piper and Christian hedonism have had on his

life and theology, the proper place of self-denial in the Christian life, and how to navigate the

tension of loving God and enjoying his good gifts. Let's get started. Well, Joe, thank you so much

for joining me today on the Crossway podcast.

Happy to be back.

So you write something early on in your book that I thought was pretty interesting and

would love to hear you comment on it.

You write, God is radically God-centered.

He does everything that he does for the sake of his name, for his glory.

And I think some Christians listening right now, that kind of language, that kind of talking about

...