Customer Reviews

Don't Waste Your Life Study Guide

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Like all his books, John Piper asks hard questions and then presses you for an answer. While he encourages you to think, to reflect, to consider, to - as the Berean's did - search the Scriptures to see if these things are true, John delivers his message with a sense of immediacy and urgency that will not be denied. You will find yourself waking in the night thinking about some well-turned phrase, question, or to ask yourself, "What IF..." I loved this book and bought WHAT JESUS DEMANDS OF THE WORLD after reading it.

This book will be dog-earred, bookmarked, highlighted, and discussed. It compells you to talk about it. Buy it.

Lots of good questions for each chapter. Must read each chapter in the main book before using the corresponding chapter in this study guide.

Go to the best school you can. Get the job that makes the most money possible. Retire early. Spend the rest of your life "Doing what you want to do"-----collecting antiques, going on cruises, woodworking.

None of these things are bad in and of themselves. But is that all life is intended to be? Is that the way God designed living our life here on earth to look like?

John Piper, in the book Don't Waste Your Life, takes issue with the prevailing thoughts that life is primarily for our enjoyment. Instead, Piper pleads with his readers to "Make much of God"; that the joy that doing so creates, as well as the grace that we don't deserve, should lead the believer to be willing to risk all for Christ.

I was personally very taken by the story related in this book about Adinoram Judson, who, with his young bride, left the United States to serve God in Burma, only returning one time. That sort of risk of life and wealth and the Western definition of (pseudo)-"happiness" and satisfaction seems to carry with it the kind of lasting contentedness that acknowledges that we are but sojourners in this life on earth-that our home is not here but eternally with God our father.

In reading this book, I have been reminded of a verse that has come to have a great deal of meaning to me personally. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18:


17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

But until that day when the eternal weight of glory is realized and attained, we are to live in this world. But will our time here be wasted in vain pursuits? In gaining all the "glory" we can gain here on this earth? All the money, the cars, the vacations? Piper urges his readers to evaluate their lives, to give thought to what really matters. To realize that we may be called to give everything--including our lives--in order to make much of God. And that to make much of God is the reason why we were created.

Purchased this book as a gift for my brother. Full of excellent information and will help he and I both grow in our spiritual lives.

It was a good book which I would recommend to everyone in their early high school years. This isn't to say it isn't beneficial to college aged students or post-graduate persons, but that I think the content should mold the mind as early as possible to give people a vision of God and a passion for living their life to the uttermost for the sake of Christ. Anyone who has 'senioritis' and is not daily struggling to beat it down is not honoring God. Straight up.

The first half may seem a bit repetitive if you are familiar with Piper's Desiring God book or if you have listened to some of his more famous podcasts, but the second half is very different from each of those, and much can be gleaned. It's a pretty quick read: under 200 pages which would begs to be read as a part of a Bible study, book group, or discipleship corp, and subsequently discussed for further evaluation of the subject matter and practical, "So what do we do now?" talk. Your reading of this book will be in vain if you read it and then never consider it again, or if you say, "That's all well and good for those who are currently wasting their lives, but I'm not wasting my life, so no worries." I admit, I almost fell into this trap because many of the specific examples Piper explicated were things that I had already considered and abolished (were they bad) or endeavor to do on a regular basis (were they good). And yet, I was convicted near the end of the book to say: I really don't have it all together, and there are lots of areas of growth for me; God, don't let me waste my life in arrogance.

I do recommend this book. Mostly, I recommend it in the context of a discussion group of some kind. And I pray that you consider soberly the implications the book has for your life directly.

John Piper is always good. There is no complaint about the content of this study guide. It is the quality of this book that I don't like. It is flimsy like a magazine so, while it works fine for the publisher's intended use, it is not suitable for keeping in a book collection. To me...this book is simply over priced - especially because it is also available as a free download.

I am very pleased with this purchase. I received it in a timely manner and it was in perfect condition. I would recommend using this shipping.Don't Waste Your Life Study Guide [DONT WASTE YOUR LIFE SG]

I received this book in good condition, and just in a few days.