Ask Pastor John

Doctrinal systems can help us summarize the Bible’s teaching, but they are never a substitute for Scripture itself.

Even in the most bitter providences, Christians have comfort to offer. The gospel is best news in the world for the hardest moments in the world.

We often define “grace” as “undeserved favor.” But the grace of God has another meaning in the Bible that is filled with encouragement and comfort.

The help Jesus offers isn’t a commodity you can buy with money or morality. To have the Son, you must receive him by faith.

Are Calvinism and Arminianism just points of debate for theologians, or do they actually have real-life implications on our relationship with God?

How we dress for church will depend on our vision of God, our understanding of God’s people, and our grasp of what is at stake when we gather.

Technology can make our lives easier and more efficient than ever. But it can also slowly numb our affections to the things that matter most.

Is the Christian heart still wicked and deceitful? Or does God give us a completely new heart at the new birth?

Should churches ever consider calling a pastor who has committed adultery in the past? And if so, how should they evaluate his repentance?

When crisis hits, Jesus Christ remains on his throne. He reigns supreme, and he will never leave nor forsake his people.

If Christians are already fully forgiven, justified, and united with Christ, then why do we need to continually confess our sins to God?

As we seek to put away pride and become more humble, is there any humility in God for us to imitate? Or is humility fitting only for creatures?

How we handle our possessions in this world and the praise of man not only shapes our lives now, but determines our fate for eternity.

God created us to live in community, not to self-isolate. But when we do experience loneliness, to what promises can we turn?

The life Jesus promises when you follow him far surpasses anything you might have to give up. There is no greater joy than in walking with him.

If Jesus remained in the grave, then his followers have no hope. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. Christ is risen.

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty does not sit on the periphery of theology. Without the sovereignty of God, we have no gospel.

What is God doing through the coronavirus pandemic? He is not silent about what he is doing in the world. He has given us the Scriptures. In this special edition of APJ, Pastor John narrates his first-ever audiobook entitled Coronavirus and Christ.

Whether you became a Christian at age 5 or 85, God worked in you, by his Holy Spirit, to open your eyes to the wonder and beauty of Jesus Christ.

Honesty, integrity, and reliability should characterize every Christian. Since God delights in truth, so should his people.

Retirement is not the last chapter of life — eternity is the last chapter. And the hope of being with Jesus forever should shape our final years on earth.

Little hearts need the hope and security of a big God. What can parents tell kids and teens in the middle of a pandemic?

When Christian parents have a number of educational options for their children, what biblical principles help us decide what’s best?

God never wastes his children. If you devote yourself to serving the Lord, he will never leave you without significant opportunities for good works.

The coronavirus is a wake-up call for everyone. Have we built our lives on a fragile foundation, or do we have true, unshakable hope in Jesus Christ?

Jesus may not give us everything we want, or even everything we think we need. But he will give us everything we truly need — all the way to the end.

No technology can ever thwart God’s sovereignty. His oversight extends even to those advancements that seem to take his place.

God calls husbands to provide and protect, not demean and belittle. Husbands must lead, but always with gentleness and grace, especially in the home.

Jesus doesn’t want disciples who seek him merely for what he can provide. He wants disciples who treasure him for who he is.

Jesus told his disciples, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” What kind of sword does the Prince of Peace bring?

Jesus calls us away from self-protection and toward taking risks of love. To follow a sacrificial Savior is to give and sacrifice with him.

Jesus does not discriminate. He offers the bread of life to anyone who calls on his name — even to those who have committed unspeakable crimes.

Are we free to be who we want to be, or are we instead the products of our backgrounds and environments?

If all of God’s plans stand, and all of his purposes come to pass, is praying for what we want pointless?

Suffering is not a hindrance to the spread of the gospel. Suffering is, very often, God’s means of spreading the gospel where it has never gone before.

How can a husband cultivate an atmosphere of holy joy at home if his wife struggles with chronic sadness or depression?

After adultery, couples may feel like their marriage is ruined beyond repair. What biblical realities can help them begin to find healing?

How can Christians make sense of the coronavirus, which has infected and killed so many people all throughout the world? Pastor John offers four biblical realities.

Prayer offers us a lifeline to our Lord, a vital connection we need every day. But unless we plan ahead, we will be prone to wander.

The new birth brings an awakening of delight in Christ and increasing victory over sin. But how much delight and victory should Christians expect?

If you want to raise your children to know and love Jesus, then a regular rhythm of blessing may prove to be a helpful habit of grace.

If I believe all the right things, then why does my growth in holiness seem so tedious and slow?

Alcoholics Anonymous, and programs like it, seem to genuinely help hurting people. But what do such programs miss that Christians can’t overlook?

If the Bible says that loving pleasure is a sign of ungodliness, then can we really make joy and pleasure essential to our pursuit of God?

How do we lay down our anger, our bitterness, our grudges against those who have wronged us and gotten away with it?

God gets maximum glory from his people, not when we work for him out of begrudging duty, but when we run to him out of sheer delight.

If you live near a number of gospel-preaching churches, how do you decide which body is best for you to join? Pastor John suggests nine steps.

How do I become a sage who overflows with godly wisdom? Pastor John recommends a path too few of us choose to tread.

We all need private, regular communion with God. But the Bible presents a vision for prayer that reaches well beyond our personal quiet times.

The New Testament doesn’t apply the term “pastor” to any leader in the church, but only to qualified men who oversee and teach the flock.