The Roots of Endurance
Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce
John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce suffered lifelong opposition and endured for the causes of gospel truth, missionary zeal, and political justice. They found, in solid doctrine and humble joy, the tough roots for habitual tenderness in response to their adversaries—without doctrinal or moral flinching. They are examples of remarkable grace.
In the third book of the Swans Are Not Silent series, bestselling author John Piper looks at the lives of these three great men and focuses on how they not only endured great opposition but did so with joy and without bitterness. Their lives exemplify how to set a pace and finish the race before us, encouraging every heart that it is possible to jump the hurdles in our paths.
- Opening Credits
- Preface
- Verses From Hebrews And Revelations
- Introduction
- The Unbiblical Absolutes Of Self-Protection
- Stress And Danger Are Normal
- Christians Move Toward Need, Not Comfort
- The Biblical Urgency Of The Call For Endurance
- How My Mind Has Changed
- Desperate Praying For Endurance
- The Foundation Of Prayer In Promised Grace
- A Peculiar Kind Of Striving
- Enduring By Grace Through Faith So God Gets The Glory
- Pardon Before Power
- The Politician Who Cared Deeply About Doctrine
- The Surprising Place Of Cross-Focused Doctrine
- And The Surprising Place Of Cross-Focused Delight
- The Linking Of Three Lives
- Newton’s Wise Nurture Of William Wilberforce
- The Blessing Returned On Newton’s Head
- Another Young Beneficiary Of Newton’s Amazing Grace
- Tribute To The Little-Known Emissaries Of Sustaining Grace
- Gratitude That These Three Swans Are Still Not Silent
- Quotes From John Newton
- Chapter 1
- Durable As Redwoods, Tender As Clover
- Lovers Of Doctrine Who Spread Joy
- No Perfect Pastors
- His Childhood And Youth
- A Durable Romance
- Moral Ruin And Misery
- The Precious Storm At Sea
- Captain, Epileptic, And Surveyor
- Self-Taught
- Two Pastorates, No Children, And Heaven
- Newton’s Habitual Tenderness
- Loving People At First Sight
- Suffer The Little Children To Come
- The Flocks
- Minister To The Depressed
- Satan Will Not Love You For This
- From Liberal To Lover Of The Truth
- Not Driven Away Or Carried Away
- Defeating Heresy By Establishing Truth
- The Temper Of Tenderness In Telling Truth
- Commending Opponents To God In Prayer
- His Calvinism Is Like Sugar In His Tea
- Misgivings About Newton’s Approach
- He Could Draw A Line
- The Eye And Tongue Of A Poet
- The Health Of Natural Humor
- Realism About The Limits Of This Lif
- Peaceful Confidence In The Pervasive, Loving Providence Of God
- Quotes From Charles Simeon
- Chapter 2
- Patience In Tribulation
- Escaping Emotional Fragility
- Simeon’s Life And Times
- How God Saved Him
- Bearing Fruit Worthy Of Repentance
- The Call To Trinity Church, Cambridge
- Celibacy
- A Long Global Impact
- A Preacher Without Labels
- A Conversation With John Wesley
- Christ, The Center Of All Subjects
- Let The Bible Speak
- The Unripe Self
- The Unwanted Vicar
- Despised In His Own University
- Broken And Restored For Ministry In Old Age
- The Roots Of His Endurance
- A Strong Sense Of His Accountability Before God For The Souls Of His Flock
- Free From The Scolding Tone Even Through Controversy
- Not A Rumor-Tracker
- Not A Heresy-Hunter
- Dealing With Opponents In A Forthright, Face-To-Face Way
- Receiving Rebuke And Growing From It
- Unimpeachable In His Finances With No Love Of Money
- Seeing Discouraging Things Hopefully
- Suffering As A Privilege Of Bearing The Cross With Christ
- The Deepest Root Of Simeon’s Endurance
- Growing Downward In Humiliation Before God, Upward In Adoration Of Christ
- The Ballast Of Humiliation
- Ballast Below, Full Sails Above—At The Same Time
- “My Proper Place”
- A Focus On God, Not On Self
- “I Am Enjoying” . . . The Cross
- Quotes From William Wilberforce
- Chapter 3
- What Made Him Tick?
- The Great Doer
- The Fatal Habit Of Nominal Christians
- The Decisive Direction Of Sin- Vertical
- What’s Wrong With Dueling?
- His Early Life
- “The Great Change” - The Story Of His Conversion
- “Highly Dangerous Possessions”
- The Regret That Leads To Life
- Ten Thousand Doubts And Good Counsel
- “God Has Set Before Me Two Great Objects”
- Triumph Over All Opposition
- The Battle Was Not Over
- But He Was Not A Single-Issue Candidate
- The Personal Evangelism Of A Politician
- Missions And Mercy Across The Miles
- Extraordinary Endurance
- Obstacles
- Slander
- A Father’s Pain
- His Bad Eyes, Ulcerated Bowels, Opium, And Curved Spine
- He Did Not Fight Alone
- The Deeper Root Of Childlike Joy
- Interested In All And Interesting To All
- His Presence Fatal To Dullness
- Joy Is Our “Bounden Duty”
- But What About The Hard Times?
- Unwearied Endeavor To Relish God
- Rooting Joy In Truth In The “Retired Hours”
- The Gigantic Truths Of The Gospel
- Christ Our Righteousness
- Politician With A Passion For Pure Doctrine
- Perhaps Our Greatest Need
- Verses From Romans And Hebrews
- Conclusion
John Piper
John Piper is an American New Testament scholar, Calvinist theologian, pastor, and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In addition to his pastoral duties, Piper is widely recognized as the founder and senior teacher of desiringGod.org, an organization named after his influential book "Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist"
Throughout his career, he has authored numerous acclaimed books, including ECPA Christian Book Award winners and his bestselling works have resonated with audiences worldwide.
Piper's impact extends beyond his literary achievements. In recognition of his exceptional preaching skills, Baylor University honored him in 2018 as one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in English. Piper's dedication to scholarship, theological insight, and inspiring teachings have made him a prominent figure in the Christian community, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to shape hearts and minds.