Ask Pastor John

How does reading the Bible lead to life transformation? Pastor John offers three suggestions to experience more of the Spirit’s power.

How do we craft a personal mission statement? Pastor John helps us draw the details of our lives into God’s ultimate purpose.

How can we make New Year’s resolutions in a way that honors God? Pastor John explains the mystery of fulfilling resolves in the strength of another.

How can we root our joy in Jesus rather than in his gifts? Pastor John gives four strategies for loving God in and above every gift.

What does it feel like to meet the living God in the pages of Scripture? Pastor John gives us a glimpse into a profound encounter with God.

How do we avoid falling into spiritual complacency amid daily routines? Pastor John warns of the danger of viewing God as a nonfactor in everyday life.

How should we respond when we face accusations, especially if they seem unwarranted? Pastor John helps us bear all kinds of criticism with gutsy guilt.

How can we love our aging parents through the many challenges of caregiving? Pastor John shares counsel from Scripture and personal experience.

Why would a gospel-driven ministry define itself as Reformed? Because Reformed theology guards and glorifies the grace at the heart of the gospel.

How can trust regrow in the aftermath of adultery? Pastor John identifies two needed miracles for a marriage to survive and thrive again.

Can a Christian lose patience and not be in sin? Pastor John explains why patience and impatience may be more complicated than we think.

As we steward the body, our appearance might change for the better. How do we keep our focus on being a whole person, not just an attractive shape?

Satan wouldn’t exist if God didn’t keep him around — so why is he here? Pastor John explains four ways in which God is using Satan for his glory.

Differences in belief can feel bigger than they are — but sometimes they are truly big. What separates personal opinion from soul-damaging theology?

If God refuses to act “for our sake,” does that mean he refuses to do us good? Pastor John resolves a perplexity and holds forth lavish grace from Ezekiel 36.

Does Psalm 82 teach that human beings are gods? Pastor John describes the moment when Jesus quoted the psalm to escape an early death.

How could Jesus, the King of kings and true Son of God, be ashamed at the final judgment? Pastor John digs into Jesus’s argument for following him.

Are “fleshly” Christians truly Christian? Pastor John traces Paul’s distinctions between natural people, carnal Christians, and spiritual Christians.

How can we learn to rest in the saving work of Jesus Christ? Pastor John offers eight God-given ways to increase our confidence in him.

What is the bottom-line, existential, frightening, glorious question of Romans 8? Pastor John draws out two signs that a professing Christian is secure in Christ.

When pastors have the freedom to decide what to preach, how do we make a wise decision in line with the mind of Christ?

When we move to a new place, how do we find a good local church to call home? Pastor John offers nine steps to take in our search.

What should we do when two texts seem to say opposite things about God and his character? Pastor John digs to the common root of truth.

James says God cannot be tempted, but Hebrews says Jesus was tempted just like we are. How do these two passages fit together?

If a man wants to be married but is too young to pursue it, how can he keep his desires in the right place? Pastor John offers five weapons for the fight.

Sorrow and joy are not just sequential emotional states: first sorrow, then joy. Miraculously, we can experience overflowing joy in the midst of deep sorrow.

How can we delight in the good work we do while keeping our work in its proper place? Pastor John situates daily work within God’s larger purposes.

Does human evil really call for infinite punishment? Pastor John confronts the ultimate sin of ignoring God’s infinite value.

Pastor John connects God’s word with his ability to perform that word, grounding our faith in the unstoppable purposes of our loving God.

In Isaiah 58, does God condemn his people for having too much delight in his ways? Pastor John distinguishes hypocritical pleasure from true, generous joy in God.

God promised a home to faithful eunuchs in the Old Testament, but what about childless believers today? Pastor John sees three enduring blessings.

In the Bible, God sometimes tests his people to see how they will respond. Why does he do this if he already knows every heart?

Should Christians seek mystical experiences as a way to grow closer to God? Pastor John looks at how Paul responded to his own visions.

When a society normalizes sin, how should the church respond? Pastor John calls for spiritual integrity that doesn’t depend on society’s opinion.

God destroys many enemies in the Bible, and he promises to destroy many more in hell. As his people, should we celebrate our enemies’ downfall?

Sometimes, when the Bible describes indifference to God, it sounds like us. How can we resist our tendency to drift away from him?

How might we understand the apparently casual way some biblical writers quote earlier parts of Scripture? Pastor John explores how Hebrews handles God’s word.

With so many decisions for us to make every day, why doesn’t God tell us exactly what to do in each situation?

Serving children in Jesus’s name is beautiful and God-pleasing. Gathering for worship is crucial and soul-preserving. So, how much corporate worship should we miss to serve?

In a day when sexualized content seems to be everywhere, including in many shows and movies, Pastor John gives twelve reasons to never watch nudity.

What might Simon of Cyrene teach us about supporting one another in trials? Pastor John digs into the perseverance of the saints and the church’s crucial role.

How can we rebuke without compromising love and show gentleness without diminishing truth? Pastor John gives counsel for speaking with emotional wholeness.

What does a ring-wearing pig have to do with physical beauty? Pastor John describes God’s purposes for beauty and how we so often misuse it.

Does the Bible say women should never teach anything anywhere? Pastor John traces and applies Paul’s argument from the created order.

To understand the two sides of pre-Christian suffering, Pastor John analyzes the two identities we had before we became believers.

What happens when Christians saturate themselves with worldly entertainment? Pastor John calls us to offer a resolute no for the sake of a better, sweeter yes.

Why would anyone say that God causes suffering when Satan is so clearly at work? Pastor John leads us through the shocking sovereignty of God.

How do we live with unfulfilled desires, especially when we thought God had promised them to us? Pastor John meditates on mature sorrow and persevering joy.

What are some common but wrong reasons for coming to Christ? Pastor John warns against coming to Jesus to get something other than Jesus.

Jesus laid woes on cities and even an entire generation. Does God still render corporate judgments today — and if so, what happens to believers in these groups?