Welcome back to the Ask Pastor John podcast with author and long time pastor John Piper.

Pastor John, you've just completed an eight week writing leave.

It's been a fruitful one from what you've said.

Can you give us a window into how it went and perhaps maybe more importantly, give us

a sneak peek as to what you wrote and what you expect to come out of it?

Tony, I really want to thank any of our listeners who prayed for me during that leave.

Here's a little example of the kind of merciful providence that I received and I believe it's

because people cared enough to pray.

So you start to write at the beginning of an eight week writing leave.

You have a general idea of the kind of book you want to write.

I wanted to write a book about how to read the Bible in the most Christ-exalting, God-centered,

life-changing, mission-advancing way possible.

I had no idea how long this book would be.

I had no idea how many chapters it would have.

I only had the vaguest idea of the several focuses I wanted it to have.

And so I just start gathering material and pondering and thinking about structure and

doodling down ideas and finally getting to work on pounding out chapters and low and

behold on the very last day of the eight week writing leave, 130,000 word book is finished

on the very day.

Nice.

I mean, that is astonishing, it's astonishing, I didn't plan that.

I had no idea how long the book would be.

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