Don’t Waste Your Life

Study Questions
Chapter 1
My Search for a Single Passion to Live By

1) In the Preface, John Piper states:

It was not always plain to me that pursuing God’s glory would be virtually the
same as pursuing my joy. Now I see that millions of people waste their lives
because they think these paths are two and not one.

In your mind, is pursuing God’s glory “virtually the same” as pursuing your joy? How do you
conceive of these two pursuits? What do they have to do with wasting or not wasting your life?

2) John Piper asks the question “What [is] the opposite of wasting my life?” Give a couple
of examples of how a non-Christian might answer this question. (This can be very enlightening if
you have an unsaved friend that will answer this question honestly for you.) How would you
answer this question? How does John Piper answer this question? How are these answers
different?

3) In Acts 20:24 is Paul saying that Christians shouldn’t value their life? How would he
answer the question, “What is the opposite of wasting my life?”

4) Why is it important that meaning exists outside of ourselves, outside of that which we
create ourselves? Do we create meaning or are we merely discoverers of it?

5) Read Romans 1:18-23. According to these verses, why is it obvious that there is truth in
the world? Are the unsaved truly ignorant of truth, or do they suppress it? How does this passage
offer an explanation for the existence of different philosophies, religions, worldviews that deny
the existence of “the God Who is There” or warp the truth of Who He Is?

6) What is the most meaningful part of this chapter for you? Was there a sentence, concept,
or idea that really struck you? Why?

7) What questions and/or comments do you have about the material covered in this chapter?
Don’t Waste Your Life
Study Questions
Chapter 2
Breakthrough – the Beauty of Christ, My Joy

1) John Piper laments at the beginning of this chapter that existentialism had turned many
Bible studies into a “swamp of subjectivity”. What does he mean by this? How do we ensure
that this doesn’t happen when we study the Bible personally and in a group?

2) Do you think it important to discover what an author meant to communicate when

studying what (s)he wrote? Why? Why do you think many “experts” don’t accept this?

3) Do you agree with John Piper’s statement, “The Bible is crystal-clear: God created us for
his glory.” If not, what do you think He created us for? If so, what does it mean that we are
created for God’s glory? (Isaiah 43:6-7 and I Corinthians 10:31 may help)

4) How does the world define “love”? How does John Piper define it? How do you define
it?

5) Many Christians point to John 3:16 as a clear testimony of God’s love for us. According
to that verse, eternal life is the gift given to those who believe. (See also Rom. 6:24) Read John
17:1-5. How does Christ define eternal life in this passage? Why does Christ tie this into a
conversation with His Father about giving glory to whom it is due?

6) What is the most meaningful part of this chapter for you? Was there a sentence, concept,
or idea that really struck you? Why?

7) What questions and/or comments do you have about the material covered in this chapter?
Don’t Waste Your Life
Study Questions
Chapter 3
Boasting Only in the Cross, The Blazing Center of the Glory of God

1) Read the first paragraph on page 45 under the heading, “A Tragedy in the Making.”
Which parts of this description strike you as a tragedy? Do you agree with John Piper that this is
a wasted life? Why or why not?

2) Read Philippians 3:7-8. According to these verses, what is the apostle Paul’s all-
embracing passion in life? Restate the main point of these verses in your own words.

3) On pages 51 and 52 under the heading, “Christ Bought Every Good Thing and Every Bad
Thing That Turned for Good”, John Piper makes the point that our not living Christ-centered lives
is due to our not understanding the fullness of what Christ purchased for us on the cross. Do you
view life and breath and health and friends through the lens of the cross? Do you take these
things for granted and view them as yours by right? What biblical truths have you neglected that
lead you to regard these blessings as rights? Cite Scripture verses in your answer if you are able.

4) Read Galatians 2:20. How does it make sense to say that “I” died and yet “I” live? What
is Paul saying here?

5) What is the most meaningful part of this chapter for you? Was there a sentence, concept,
or idea that really struck you? Why?

6) What questions and/or comments do you have about the material covered in this chapter?
Don’t Waste Your Life
Study Questions
Chapter 4
Magnifying Christ Through Pain and Death

1) Read Philippians 1:19-26. According to verse 20, what is Paul’s eager expectation and
hope? How does verse 21 explain this hope? Summarize Paul’s main point in this passage.

2) Is there a divine design in our suffering? Does God have purposes for the suffering and
pain in your life? If so, what is that purpose? Cite Scripture verses or biblical examples to
support your answer.

3) Based on Philippians 1:19-26, your reading of Don’t Waste Your Life and – if you went to
Resolved or downloaded his sermons – Randy Alcorn’s teaching about Heaven, explain the
following statements in your own words:

“To live is Christ”

“To die is gain”

4) Does the call to suffer pain and possibly death for the cause of Christ mean that Christians
are masochists or suicidal? Is there a legitimate place for enjoying God’s gifts of life, family,
friends, beautiful weather, etc.?

5) In this chapter Piper argues that “Death makes visible where our treasure is” (pg. 68) and
“Christ aims to be magnified in life most clearly by the way we experience him in our losses” (pg.
73). Think about the last time you experienced a significant loss. What did your response to this
loss indicate about where your treasure is? Record your reflections in your notebook.

6) Reflect on the following questions and converse with God about your responses in prayer:
1. Are you willing to endure pain for the sake of Christ?
2. Are you willing to lose friendships and endure ridicule, being made fun of
or other persecution for the sake of Christ?
3. Are you willing to die for the sake of Christ?
4. Are you glad that Christ suffered these things so that you might be saved?
5. How are your answers to these questions reflected in your choice in friends,
entertainment choices, career/college major choices, Bible reading, prayer time
and church attendance?

7) What is the most meaningful part of this chapter for you? Was there a sentence, concept,
or idea that really struck you? Why?

8) What questions and/or comments do you have about the material covered in this chapter?
Don’t Waste Your Life
Study Questions
Chapters 5 & 6
Risk is Right – Better to Lose Your Life Than to Waste It
The Goal of Life – Gladly Making Others Glad in God

1) Is there a distinction between good risk and bad risk? If so, what is the difference?
Provide two examples of good risk and two examples of bad risk. Be sure to explain what makes
them examples of good or bad risk.

2) On page 90 John Piper says there are good reasons to risk and bad reasons to risk. What is
the difference between the good reasons and the bad reasons? How does Piper’s idea of risk
differ from thrill-seekers who jump out of airplanes or off cliffs?

3) Do you agree with John Piper that “gladly making others glad in God” is the goal of life?
Why or why not? Is this goal the same as loving others? Support your answer with Scripture
and/or scriptural argument.

4) Read Luke 21:16-19. How can the fact that “some will be put to death” and “not a hair of
your head will perish” be reconciled? How can both of these statements be true?

5) Why shouldn’t any of the following reasons be the ultimate reasons for wanting
forgiveness:
• To be cleansed from a guilty conscience
• To escape the pain of hell
• To go to heaven to see our loved ones
What makes these gifts ultimately good?

6) Read Galatians 5:22-23. How can Paul say that he works with them for their joy and that
joy is a fruit of the Spirit? Who produces joy in people – us or God? Can you think of other
verses that describe this tension?

7) Make a list of six practical ways that a person could risk more for the cause of Christ.
Circle the ones that you can immediately apply to your situation.

8) Read Matthew 6:25-33. How do we reconcile these verses that promise that God will
supply our basic needs with the obvious reality that some Christians die of hunger, thirst and
exposure? Are there other Scripture passages that speak to this issue?

9) Watch the DVD that was provided in your book. Enjoy the pleasure of listening to John
Piper exhorting you from God’s Word.

10) What is the most meaningful part of this chapter for you? Was there a sentence, concept,
or idea that really struck you? Why?

11) What questions and/or comments do you have about the material covered in this chapter?