Ask Pastor John

What is purgatory, and why have thoughtful Christians like C.S. Lewis believed in it? Does this belief in afterlife cleansing find support in Scripture?

Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. But how can we love them if they don’t want our help, or if they even actively ignore us?

Christians are new creations in Christ — yet we still feel the familiar pull of the old self. How do we reckon with the persistence of indwelling sin?

Some parts of the world seem to endure far more sorrow than other parts. Does God favor some places and peoples more than others?

Some of us find ourselves confessing the same sins over and over. How do we know our repentance is real if we repeatedly lose the same battles?

If we try to make much of the love of God by downplaying the wrath of God, we destroy the love of God.

The primary responsibility for a child’s education belongs to parents, not to the state. So, what can parents do when the state tries to take control?

The book of Genesis records life spans in the hundreds of years. Why did the first humans live for so long — and why are our life spans today so short?

How might Christians process the failures of once-beloved figures like Ravi Zacharias? Pastor John draws out lessons from the ministries of fallen leaders.

Some wait to come to Christ because they feel powerless to live the Christian life. But that power becomes ours only by coming to Christ.

Angels appear all over Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. But why did God create angels in the first place — and what are they doing today?

Conspiracy theories — Christian or otherwise — are nothing new. But how can we talk to friends who find themselves gripped by them?

“No condemnation” means that you are finally free: free to love, free to serve, free to forgive, and even free to die for the good of others.

Paul looks back to Abraham and celebrates his unwavering faith. But is Abraham’s laughter at God’s promise in Genesis 17 really a faithful response?

The differences between male and female are not obstacles to overcome or facts to ignore. They are distinct glories that God calls “very good.”

If we want to follow Jesus, we will need to give up more than just sins. We will also need to give up everything that dulls our hearts for him.

How can children who come from dysfunctional or abusive families begin to embrace the perfect fatherhood of God?

Why might God allow his children to endure years, or even decades, of unremitting suffering? How does such chronic pain bring him glory?

The deepest cure for lust never comes from strategies or accountability. The deepest cure comes from seeing the soul-staggering grandeur of God.

Joy isn’t just a nice byproduct of the Christian life, but an essential part of it. From propitiation to glorification, joy animates our life in Christ.

Christ’s resurrection secures our future hope that we too will rise one day. In the meantime, it also grants us spiritual power for everyday life.

Everything good in the Christian life grows in the soil of rich, deep, and happy humility.

The cross of Christ accomplished everything we need to glorify God by being eternally happy in him. But is there anything the cross didn’t accomplish?

When you have the privilege of caring for dying people, how can you minister to their souls in addition to meeting their physical needs?

Forgiveness, justification, adoption, and eternal life are all a means to something even greater: enjoying God himself.

Christians rest on Jesus not only for justification, but also for sanctification. Both are blood bought. Both are certain.

If I feel called to missions, should I be open to dating a Christian who doesn’t share the same calling?

God determines the direction of history down to the smallest detail. But what is his ultimate goal in all his providence?

God is the most important and most valuable reality in the entire universe. Who has he revealed himself to be?

Before we can ask who God is, we need to know where to find the answer. Where can we go to learn the truth about who God reveals himself to be?

God’s providence isn’t an obstacle to evangelism and missions. It is, instead, our only hope to see the good news of the gospel reach all nations.

We dishonor God when we love the gifts more than the Giver. But we also dishonor him when we forget all the gifts he has given.

John Piper’s newest book, ‘Providence,’ celebrates the all-embracing, all-pervasive, invincible providence of God.

If Jesus knew that Judas would betray him in the end, why did Jesus choose Judas as a disciple to begin with?

The doctrine of God’s all-governing providence is not a problem for our prayers. It is our only hope for our prayers coming to pass.

Where is God when I face life-changing consequences for my sin? Can he really work for my good, even in a punishment as severe as prison?

Can we pursue our own dreams while also obeying God? Or do we need to give up our dreams in order to follow what Jesus is really calling us to?

Joyful faith in the all-governing providence of God immunizes us against false teaching that exalts man and detracts from the glory due to God alone.

The question “Who wrote the Bible?” has a double answer: God and man. Humans held the quill, but God ultimately inspired their words.

When life just doesn’t seem to make sense, or even when it seems void of any meaning at all, what can help us to know our purpose again?

God’s providence not only governs all things, but it gives us hope in our suffering. We can trust that our all-good God will turn every sorrow to joy.

Jesus commands the church not only to make disciples, but also to baptize them. But why is baptism so important?

What can Christian parents do if they discover that one of their children is living in serious sexual sin? Pastor John offers counsel on where to begin.

God’s all-pervasive providence is the key that unlocks enduring patience. He is always working more good than we can ever see.

Peter tells us that a husband’s prayers are hindered if he dishonors his wife. Is this just a marriage principle, or does sin always obstruct our prayers?

Does the presence or absence of happiness say anything about us morally, or is happiness simply a nonmoral state of affairs?

In a culture filled with silliness and superficiality, seeing and savoring the providence of God protects our hearts from trifling with divine things.

Pornography distorts our souls. But with the transformation of the Holy Spirit and a hard, honest fight, there is still hope for godly intimacy in marriage.

Social media feeds are often infernos of insults and anger. How can Christians engage online in ways that make much of Christ?

Even the tiniest details of history move forward under the providential care of our sovereign, all-good God. Nothing is random. Nothing is meaningless.