Explore every episode of the podcast David Platt Messages

Jesus has given the church the task of making disciples of all nations. Many Christians view this as a task for pastors, missionaries, or other specially gifted Christians, but the Great Commission isn’t just for a select few. In this message from Matthew 28:16–20 from David Platt, we’ll see that every Christian has a part to play in making disciples in their own neighborhood and among all nations. Yet, this is not a mission we came up with or that we carry out in our own strength. We go in the sovereign authority of Jesus, and we rely on the presence of Jesus. He has promised to be with his church to the end of the age.

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God is described as a Father of the fatherless, and he tells us that true religion involves caring for orphans and widows. In this message from Psalm 10, David Platt urges us to put our faith into action by caring for the most vulnerable among us. However, we care for the vulnerable not out of guilt or because we have it all together. We care for the vulnerable because God, by his grace, has come to us in our brokenness and brought us into his family through the gospel. 

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As followers of Jesus, we often say that this world is not our home, but is that reflected in the way we view our money? Do we spend our resources on that which will matter for eternity, or are we primarily focused on temporary comforts and pleasures? In this message from David Platt, we’ll learn from the book of Proverbs a wise approach to money, an approach that helps us flourish under God’s design. Neither guilt nor greed should motivate us, for the gospel frees us to use our possessions to store up eternal treasure.

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In this message from Matthew 4:18–22, David Platt unpacks the significance of what Jesus means when he says to people, “Follow me.”

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The book of Acts tells the story of how God turned the world upside down through the earliest Christians and churches as they proclaimed God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. These followers of Jesus not only served one another—they served the world. In this message from the book of Acts, David Platt reminds us that, with the gospel as our foundation and motivation, followers of Christ today should live to make disciples and multiply churches to the glory of God. Just as it was for the early disciples, the cost will be great. But the reward is more than worth it.

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As followers of Christ, we know we’re supposed to pray when the church gathers, but it’s all too easy for prayer to become a thoughtless routine in which we don’t even stop to think about Who we’re praying to. We rarely have a sense of desperation for God’s help; we lack zeal for his beauty; our confession, if there is any, often misses the seriousness of our sin; our prayer and praise tend to be lukewarm. In this message, David Platt uses Psalm 27:4 and other passages to point us to the kind of prayer that ought to characterize God’s people. The church should come to God humbly, expectantly, and zealously, calling out for his grace and strength as we seek to enjoy and proclaim his glory.

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We were not intended to live the Christian life alone. While our culture urges us to express ourselves as individuals, Scripture teaches us that belonging and gathering with other believers is for our good and God’s glory. In this episode of Radical with David Platt from 1 Corinthians 1:1–2 and 12:12–31, David Platt highlights the need for all followers of Christ to embrace biblical membership in a local church. Belonging to Jesus means being a part of his body.

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What’s the most important thing about a church? Its website? Its facilities and programs? How about the general “vibe” on a Sunday morning? In this message from 2 Timothy 4:1–4, David Platt points to preaching and teaching as the fundamental mark of a healthy church. If we don’t believe God’s Word, or if we value the wisdom of man over the wisdom of God, then we are putting ourselves in a dangerous position. We desperately need to hear God speak to us through the preaching and teaching of Scripture. This is the beginning of a series in which we will identify twelve biblical traits that should characterize a church.

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You may not be the pastor of a church, but the teaching God’s Word is a responsibility—and a privilege!—that belongs to every follower of Christ. In this message from Acts, David Platt helps us see that every disciple is to be involved in making disciples, and the Word of God is critical in this task. The Word saves, satisfies, and sanctifies people. Whether formally from the pulpit or relationally in everyday life, disciples of Christ are to teach the Word.

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Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations extends to every church and every individual follower of Christ. No disciple was meant to be a spectator—disciples make disciples, and that starts with sharing the Word of God. In this message from the book of Acts, David Platt exhorts every member of the church is to make the gospel known. For the glory of Christ and by the power of his Spirit, we proclaim the good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection to the glory of God.

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As we read about the spread of the gospel in the book of Acts, we’re left with some questions. Should we expect the same experiences as the earliest Christian communities? Is there a baptism of the Holy Spirit that occurs after conversion? What does spiritual warfare look like? In this message from Acts 18:23–20:16, David Platt helps us think through what God’s work through the church in Acts means for us today. We must interpret Acts in light of where it falls in God’s plan of redemption, fully submitting to God’s Word while at the same time applying it in light of its wider context. God desires for the church to be a people mighty in the Word.

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When you think of things that have changed the course of history, what comes to mind? Great leaders? Revolutionary new inventions? It’s safe to say that, for most people, what comes to mind is not prayer and fasting. However, in this message from Acts 12:25–14:28, David Platt points us to the way God advanced the spread of the gospel in the early days of the church through his people’s dependence on him in prayer and fasting. So also today, the church should rely fully on God’s power and wisdom as we seek to carry out his will. God is still able to use fasting and prayer to change the world.

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When you think of things that have changed the course of history, what comes to mind? Great leaders? Revolutionary new inventions? It’s safe to say that, for most people, what comes to mind is not prayer and fasting. However, in this message from Acts 12:25–14:28, David Platt points us to the way God advanced the spread of the gospel in the early days of the church through his people’s dependence on him in prayer and fasting. So also today, the church should rely fully on God’s power and wisdom as we seek to carry out his will. God is still able to use fasting and prayer to change the world.

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To people who like to think of themselves as independent and self-sufficient, Jesus’ words, “I am the vine,” can be humbling. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. But for those who are trusting in Jesus, abundant, supernatural life is available! Jesus wants to produce his life and fruit through us, his branches. In this message from John 15:1–11 from David Platt, we are encouraged to come to Jesus continually so that he might bear fruit in and through our lives for the glory of God. 

(This message was given at The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference 2024.)

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If God left it up to us to carry out the church’s mission, relying on our own strength and counting on our own wisdom, we would be in serious trouble. Quite simply, we cannot address sin, sickness, suffering, favoritism, and persecution on our own. Gratefully, though, the God we serve is sovereign over all things, and he ensures the advancement of his kingdom through his people, the church. In this message from Acts 9:32–12:25, David Platt exhorts us to see how the God who is sovereign over all things has worked for the spread of the gospel and the multiplication of the church. The church today has no reason to fear or shrink back, because we serve the God who holds the world in his hands.

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Ever since the church was founded, Satan has attempted to oppose God’s people. However, the book of Acts teaches us how God worked in and through Christ’s early disciples for the spread of the gospel, even amid persecution and opposition. In this message based on Acts 4–8, David Platt points us to the early church as an example of a people who—though imperfect—relied on the power of God to carry out the church’s mission. We too can have confidence in God’s power as we seek to live faithfully in our day. Christ has given us his Spirit, and he has promised to build his church. Our mission is therefore unstoppable.

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Being a disciple of Jesus should make us stand out in a culture that prizes individuality and personal autonomy. When God saves us, he changes not only our personal desires and private actions but also the way in which we relate to others. We no longer live for ourselves. In this message from Colossians 3:1–4:1, David Platt helps us see how belonging to Jesus changes a disciple’s relationships. God’s Spirit empowers his people to live for his glory and for the eternal good of others. 

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At one time or another, many Christians have asked the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” To find the answer to that question, we use all sorts of methods. But what if God’s will is not lost, and what if he actually wants his people to know it? In this message from Galatians 2:20, we’ll be introduced to a better, more biblical way of finding God’s will. Faith in God’s promises is more certain than trying to discern temporary feelings or impressions. God desires to accomplish his will through us, and though he might not reveal every detail about every decision we make, his Word makes clear his overarching desires for us and how he wants us to live. 

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Many Christians are rightly giving thanks in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn the infamous Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a constitutional right. We rejoice that in this decision justice was upheld on behalf of the unborn. In addition to giving thanks, we also need to know how to speak about this issue to those in our culture—and in our churches—who have questions. In this sensitive message from Psalm 139:13–16, David Platt urges all believers to not only speak up on behalf of the unborn but also to continue caring for mothers and families. Even as we use our political freedoms to love our neighbors—including the unborn—we need to remember that our ultimate goal is not to win a political battle but to make disciples for the glory of God.

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In a culture that says, “No one can tell me what to do with my body,” God’s Word gives us a different reality for disciples of Jesus. Not only our minds and hearts but also our bodies belong to him. In this message from 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, David Platt highlights the way being a disciple of Christ changes the way we think about and use our bodies. As God’s Spirit indwells us, we are to live for his glory in all that we do.

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When God saves us, he doesn’t only change the things we believe in our minds. He also changes the very affections of our heart. Our desire for Christ begins to replace the fleeting pleasures of sin. In the message from John 6:25–35, David Platt points us to the change that takes place in our emotions when we come to believe the gospel. We were made to find our deepest and most meaningful cravings fulfilled by Christ.

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Jesus promised his disciples that they would be opposed and persecuted for his name’s sake. But this kind of opposition is not something that Jesus stands aloof from—he himself has been rejected, and even crucified. He knows what disciples need most if we are to be faithful in a hostile world. In this message from Mark 9:1–13, David Platt points us to the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Disciples then and now need to see Jesus for who he is—not merely a good religious teacher but the supreme revelation of God’s glory to weak and sinful people!

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Do you know it’s possible to know something about who Jesus is and still not truly be following him? Did you know that you can regularly attend church and desire many of the blessings of God’s salvation and still not be a Christian? In this message from Mark 8:31–38, David Platt points us to the sobering experience of Jesus’ disciples. Even with the recognition that Jesus was the Christ, the Deliverer God had promised, they didn’t yet fully understand the kind of Deliverer they needed. They didn’t realize that following Jesus would mean counting the cost and forsaking temporal comfort and pleasures in this world for the sake of finding greater, eternal pleasures in the life to come. What about you—have you considered what it really means to follow Jesus?

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The story in Mark 8 of Jesus healing a blind man includes some key people who, though easy to overlook, are essential to the story. Verse 22 mentions “some people” who brought the man to Jesus and “begged him to touch him.” The Bible is full of stories of people who bring people to Jesus and beg him on their behalf to then watch Jesus heal, restore, deliver, and forgive like only he can do. These stories in the Bible and that we see at work around us should lead us to ask ourselves the critical question, “How can you, how can I, how can we bring people to Jesus?”

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We need a radically God-centered perspective of sin. Sin has affected our lives and leads us to the mercy of God. In this message on Joshua 7:1–26, David Platt calls us to change our view of sin.

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What comes to your mind when you hear the word “healing”? How have you seen God heal in the past? What kind of healing do you long for in your life? Whether you’re praying for physical, emotional, or relational healing, the Lord sees you and cares for you, even in the darkest times. In this sermon on Mark 8:22–26, David Platt reminds Christians of the tender compassion, healing power, and sovereign timing of Jesus.

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Some people define faith as positive thinking, as if we can force Jesus to do what we want him to do. However, biblical faith trusts what Jesus will do—in his way and his time—instead of demanding what Jesus must do. In this message from Matthew 8:11–21, David Platt points us to a picture of true, biblical faith. Knowing who Jesus is should cause us to trust him in every circumstance.

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People have all kinds of opinions about who Jesus is. He has been called everything from a respected teacher to a mythical religious figure to a fraud. But the all-important question is, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” There is no more important question to answer, and it’s the question Jesus poses to his disciples in Mark 8:31–9:1. In this message, David Platt urges us to consider and respond to this question. And as we do, we must rely on God’s Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts. Only by God’s grace will see Jesus as the Messiah sent by God to redeem sinners through his life, death, and resurrection.

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When God saves us, he doesn’t merely change our habits or our outward behavior. He changes our heart and renews our mind, enabling us to know and do his will. In this message from Romans 12:2, David Platt points us to the transforming work of God in the life of a disciple. Those who belong to Christ no longer live for themselves but for the worship of God and the mission for which Christ sent us into the world.

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God has given his church the Great Commission as his plan to see disciples made among all the peoples of the earth. However, there are currently around 3.2 billion people today who do not have access to the gospel. Tragically, unless something changes, they will live, die, and go to hell without ever hearing about how they can be reconciled to God. In this message recently given at the Together for the Gospel conference, David Platt looks at a number of Scripture passages to urge us to consider how we might work for the spread of the gospel to the hardest to reach peoples and places. Rather than focusing inward and dividing over less important issues, we need to be united in our mission around the gospel—for the glory of God and for the sake of those who have never heard.

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Is Jesus your life? Whether we realize it or not, apart from faith in Jesus Christ, every person is enslaved to sin. This enslavement looks different in each of our lives, but it’s there in one form or another. To make things worse, Scripture says the end result of our enslavement to sin is that we will face death—both physical death and eternal death in hell. And there’s nothing we can do on our own to free ourselves. But gratefully, as Psalm 107:10–16  shows us, God is able to free those who are imprisoned and enslaved. In this message, David Platt urges all of us to make certain that Jesus is our life, for he alone can free us from our sin and its consequences. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is our only hope in life and death.

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As disciples of Jesus Christ, it’s critical that we know what we’ve been sent out into the world to do. We haven’t received grace simply to keep it to ourselves. We have been sent out to extend this grace to others. In this message from Matthew 9:35–10:4, David Platt urges us to consider the mission Christ has given us, a mission that leads us to look to the needs of others and to proclaim Christ’s love to them. Though this mission isn’t always easy, we go in the authority of the King.

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It is possible to have all the outward trappings of religion and still lack a genuine love for God and desire to do his will. Others may applaud you, and life may seem to be going well, all the while you may still lack the heart of pure religion. In this message from Mark 7:1–23, David Platt points us to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day as a warning of what it looks like to miss a heart for God. Like them, we’re capable of missing God’s purposes for us when we become focused on justifying ourselves and pleasing ourselves. God’s Word, not preferences and traditions, must be our final authority.

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As we think about the mission Christ has given the church—to make disciples of all nations—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. After all, we have our sins and weaknesses, so what do we have to offer? In this message from Mark 6:30–44, David Platt encourages us to let our witness to Christ overflow out of our relationship with Christ. As we rest in Jesus, we will begin to reflect his compassion to the world. Through his Spirit, Jesus not only meets our needs but also uses us to meet the needs of others.

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The church has the privilege of proclaiming the greatest news in all of history—that God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world! However, the fact that this gospel message is good news doesn’t mean it will be popular. In fact, those who proclaim Jesus should expect opposition and persecution. In this message from Mark 6:14–29, David Platt points to the example of John the Baptist’s death as a reminder that following Jesus is costly. But, as Scripture also makes clear, the reward of following Jesus is greater than the cost—both for us and for those with whom we have the privilege of sharing the gospel.

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We have sought leaders without conviction, devised salvation without dedication, manufactured worship without humiliation, and created a god without retribution. In this message on Exodus 32:1–6, Pastor David Platt reminds us of the sin that we corporately confess.

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It can seem easy to have a missional mindset when we go on a short-term mission trip to some place overseas or outside of our own context. We naturally see others in light of their greatest need—salvation in Christ. But what if we took that same approach with the people we interact with on a daily basis? How might that change the way we look at our neighbors and their need for Christ? In this message from Mark 6:7–13, David Platt challenges the church to consider their lives over the next couple weeks as if they were on a short-term mission trip. Rather than settling for what’s comfortable and easy, we ought to trust God to work as we intentionally share the gospel and meet the needs of those around us.

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As followers of Christ, we have the privilege of proclaiming the greatest news in all the world—that God has sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for sinners and then to rise from the dead, conquering sin and death! However, if we’re honest, proclaiming this good news isn’t always easy. Our sins, weaknesses, and fears often get in the way. Gratefully, God hasn’t left us alone in this task of sharing the gospel and making disciples. In this message from Acts 1:1–8, David Platt reminds us that Christ has given us his own Spirit, not only to comfort us but also to empower our witness in the world. 

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Despite all man’s attempts to build earthly kingdoms, God is establishing his kingdom as the gospel goes forward throughout the world today. And he has promised to consummate this work when Jesus, the world’s true King, returns in all his glory. Amazingly, God uses us in his kingdom work, both in receiving and scattering the seed of his word. In this message from Mark 4:21–34, David Platt helps us understand the parables of the kingdom and how these stories give us hope for the future. Though we don’t always perceive what God is doing with our eyes, we can rest assured that the King is establishing his kingdom.

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One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to seek to carry out Christ’s mission in the church without looking to the Word of God and relying on the Spirit of God. Even with the best of intentions, we can begin to trust in our own wisdom rather than in God’s power. In the message from 1 Corinthians 2:1–5, David Platt urges us to treat God’s Word as if our lives, and the lives of others, depended on it—because it does! This message was given at the CROSS conference 2021.

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There are points in our lives where all of us ask, “God, why is this happening to me? God, why now? God, how long will this go on?” Gratefully, God can handle our questions, and though we don’t always get the answers we’re looking for, God doesn’t leave us without hope. We can trust that his wisdom is greater than ours, and we can persevere knowing that he will keep his saving promises to those who are in Christ Jesus. In this message, David Platt points us to Job 3 and the example of a man who suffered greatly but who found God faithful in the end. Regardless of our circumstances or our questions, we can rest in God’s sovereign care.

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There’s not much worse than getting to the end of your life only to find out that you’ve missed the very point for which you were created. Sadly, this isn’t only a reality for unbelievers—Christians can also spend their lives on things that miss God’s ultimate purposes in the world. In this message from Revelation 7:9–17, David Platt urges us to consider our ultimate purpose in life from the perspective of Scripture and God’s redemptive plan for all nations. The question is: How will you pray, give, and go in light of Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations? This message was given at Ignite Auburn 2021. 

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Although many Christians talk about prayer and know that it is important, how much time do we actually spend doing it? How often do we feel our need for God? How often do we honestly confess our sins before him? Do we ever pause long enough to reflect on his Word and its implications for our lives? In this unique message from Nehemiah 9, David Platt leads his congregation through the prayer that Israel prayed when they gathered and fasted. As you listen, grab a pen and paper and be ready to record your own prayers and reflections in response to God’s Word.

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God desires for people from all nations to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells the story of the spread of this gospel, a story that culminates with people from all nations worshiping the Lamb who was slain. However, today there are approximately 3.2 billion people who are considered unreached, which means they have little or no access to the gospel. And many of them are suffering physically as well. In this message from Revelation 5, David Platt encourages us to consider our role in making disciples among all nations, particularly among those who have never heard. This message was given at Passion 2022.

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Amidst all of our planning and our good intentions for the coming year, we can easily overlook our greatest need—God himself. We need his grace and power if we are to glorify him and carry out his will for our lives. That’s one of the main reasons why prayer and fasting are so critical for us as individuals and as churches. In this message, David Platt looks at the role of prayer and fasting in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, and he urges us to put these spiritual disciplines into practice. We’ll consider nine reasons to pray and fast.

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For Christians who do not face hostility for their faith, it can be all too easy to forget that we are involved in a spiritual war. And the stakes are eternal. Satan wants to stop the church from believing and spreading the gospel, and he wants believers to be lured into all kinds of sin and deception. In this message from 1 Timothy 6:11–21, David Platt urges us to engage in this spiritual war by fleeing sin, looking to Christ, and pursuing righteousness. Because of what our mighty Savior has accomplished, we don’t fight for victory but from victory.

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We often approach the book of Revelation as a book to be deciphered. However, believers in the first century found more hope in this book than cryptic messages and symbols needing interpretation. In this message on Revelation 22:6–21, David Platt challenges us to move beyond simply interpreting the book for knowledge, and to instead practically apply this final passage to our lives as we await the return of Jesus Christ.

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In a world filled with spiritual and physical needs—lack of gospel access, extreme poverty, exploitation, etc.—how should the church respond? And what does our use of money say about us? In this message from 1 Timothy 6:17–19, David Platt warns of the danger of the love of money as well as the eternal reward for those who use their resources for God’s glory and the good of others. Riches are not inherently sinful, and God gives us good things to enjoy, but we must be on guard to make sure that our hearts treasure God more than the things of this world.

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We don’t normally associate the birth of Christ with concepts like justice, poverty, and oppression. But this is one of the reasons Jesus came—to put an end to injustice and to change the way his people relate to the poor, the vulnerable, and the oppressed. In this message, David Platt considers how the words of “O Holy Night” relate to Luke 4:16–21. Christ came to save us from our sins and to free us so that we might give ourselves to serve those in need. In his name, all oppression will one day cease.

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The angels had the privilege of making the most momentous announcement in human history: the long-awaited Messiah had been born! And this Messiah was none other than Christ the Lord, Immanuel, God with us. In this message, David Platt helps us consider the lyrics of the Christmas song “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” based on Luke 2:8–14. We’re reminded that the angels’ announcement was for God’s glory and our good. Unto us this child was given so that we might have peace with God both now and forever.

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