The Dangerous Duty of Delight: Daring to Make God Your Greatest Desire

from the back cover:Jesus is Not Safe, but He is SATISFYING!Each of us has a restlessness, an inconsolable longing within. Some try to satisfy it with scenic vacations, creative accomplishments, huge cinematic productions, sexual exploits, sports extravaganzas, hallucinogenic drugs, ascetic rigors, managerial excellence, and more.Yet our longing remains. Why?John Piper turns your heart toward the one true Object of human desire - God.He shows how fulfilling your duty to delight in Him can change your attitude toward worship, toward marriage, toward material goods, toward your very mission and purpose on earth! Join him on a journey from desperate desire to infinite delight!'Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.' --Saint Augustine

The reason I give five stars for this book is because I think it accomplishes what it sets out to do; namely, put Desiring God in a nutshell. This is very useful for exposing people to the crucial concept of Christian Hedonism. On the other hand, I give it four stars because those looking for deep end-notes and greater clarity will be found wanting. However, since this is meant to be an introduction, or a highlight, it does exactly that and merits five stars.I had read Desiring God (twice), The Pleasures of God, and Future Grace, and the Holy Spirit has changed my affections to come to love how our delight and satisfaction in God spills over into wanting to share this joy with others. If you are like me, you too have longed with a great desire to share this passion with others. Handing someone Desiring God can initially be very intimidating. With this book, however, I was able to read the basic message of Desiring God to my family while on vacation in a car in under two hours. My mother said, "Now I really want to read Desiring God!" If your desire is to spread the gospel of the all-satisfying Christ, this book is both economical on you and easy-to-read for most anyone (though I'd venture to say: it does not involve light *thinking*).In other words, if your heart's desire is like that of Psalm 34:3, which says "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together," then grab this book by the dozens and be a channel of His glory.

In our world, where we are falling in love with shadows and neglecting the sun [Son] Piper comes to us with a timely word of hope; i.e, Turn and look to Christ for the ultimate fulfilment of your soul. If we are all honest with ourselves, the fleeting pleasures of this world are at best that--fleeting. The only lasting, and in the final anaylsis, real joy lay in being satisfied in all that God is for us in Jesus. Dare to read this book and come away with a changed perspective and a refreshed spirit. "For Thou hast creates us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee" Saint Augustine.

How often do you read something that changes your life? We think we have a handle on God and life then along comes a book that removes the scales from our eyes and forces us to see God more clearly. Our lives can never be the same again. The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper is a book that has the potential to change the way you think about God, the way you see Him in Scripture, and the way you live your life. Don't expect a formula, and don't expect your ears to be tickled. Beware! The word "dangerous" is certainly appropriate for you may lose your life in reading this book. The good news is, the life you gain is a life of genuine pleasure and ultimate purpose.

Hey, I'l admit it, anything Pastor Piper writes is going to get some serious star action from me. Frankly he deserves it. He's been writing eloquently on some of the most important topics in the universe. Don't let the Jabez-like cover fool you. Piper isn't focusing on one small verse in scripture. He's giving us the meat of Christianity: Hedonism. That's right, pure and unadulturated pleasure. Piper defends it Biblically and shows us why it is the only life that can be truly glorifying to God. In the book, Piper shows the application of this doctrine in four areas: worship, money, missions, and marriage. This book is perfect for those who are little afraid of the bulky intellectual mass known as Desiring God.