Ask Pastor John

How does our passion for happiness fit with God’s passion for glory? Pastor John lived with this tension for years, until he found Christian Hedonism.

Should we focus on fighting against our sin? Or should we focus on fighting for pleasure in God, which will in turn kill our sin?

Should we lift our hands during musical worship, or keep them in our pockets? Pastor John shares some principles from Scripture and his own experience.

What can parents do to protect their children from pornography? Pastor John shares eleven ways to guard our families.

If my funding dries up, is this God’s sign that I should leave the mission field? Pastor John suggests three ways to interpret a lack of funding.

When good happens in society — a government is fixed, slavery is abolished, or minorities are given equality — is God secretly at work?

Whether we attend the wedding of a couple living together or decide to stay home, we are saying something. So what exactly should we say?

Children don’t need to use the label “Christian Hedonism,” but parents can help them grasp what it means to be happy in God.

Peace and calm are not the only factors in determining what we should do. Pastor John explains what else should govern our decisions.

How do Christians know which Old Testament laws apply to them? Pastor John explains five ways Jesus shapes our approach to the Old Testament.

When God consistently answers prayers with “no,” many of us wonder if our faith is the problem. So what role does faith play in unanswered prayers?

God promises hope to the downcast, fullness of life to the broken, and joy to the depressed. Here are five passages to turn to when darkness falls.

R.C. Sproul went home to be with the Lord on December 14, 2017. Burk Parsons shares what it’s like to live and minister without him.

Pastors are not merely teachers or lecturers. They are shepherds to needy sheep. Burk Parsons describes the kind of sermons a shepherd should give.

If Christ is not our supreme treasure, something else will gladly take his place. So how do we preserve our joy in God through the day?

Millions of books compete for our attention, but only a fraction of them are worth reading. So where do we start when trying to grow our library?

How do people not waste their lives if a chronic illness has stolen their strengths, taken their time, and put them in bed all day?

A relentless pursuit of self-esteem can increase your confidence and soothe your emotions. And it can also ruin your Bible reading.

Hand-lettered verses on Instagram may comfort and encourage us, but they will never suffice. We need more than devotional tidbits to survive.

Comprehension, interpretation, and application — these three steps from Jen Wilkin have helped thousands of women dive deep into God’s word.

Long hair may be acceptable for men today, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore what Paul was saying to the Corinthians. Pastor John explains why.

How do we respect Buddhist priests? How about imams? Pastor John helps explain how to treat everyone with respect but still make our differences known.

Pastor John shares six tragic observations from a mainline church, and a helpful report card to check our tendencies to make assumptions about God.

Jordan Peterson has a bestselling book and a fast-growing following, especially among young men. What should Christians learn from him?

God could have prevented every disability we know today, but he didn’t. And he has ten thousand reasons why.

God wants his people to have serious joy. But at least three obstacles threaten the joy and the seriousness of this generation.

All people want to be a part of something larger than themselves. This is no accident. God designed you to join him in his goal of global glory.

We kill sin with superior promises. Pastor Piper shares his most-used promises and how they have served him over the decades.

When you wake up more interested in Twitter than God’s word, the battle is not lost. It has just begun. Fight to get into his word.

Whether we’re hoping for a job, a spouse, or something else, no one likes to patiently wait. But God transforms us in our waiting.

We’re needy people. But when life�’s going well, we often forget just how needy we really are.

In this life, our indwelling sin clouds our joy in God. But every Christian has the promise of never-ending, ever-increasing joy in God’s presence.

We all know that anger will only wound those around us. But its silent brother, sulking, can be just as deadly.

How do we not let a no from God squelch our joy in him? John Piper offers two anchors of hope to help us remain steady in the struggle.

A harvest awaits Christians in the gay community. Sam Allberry shares how he engages LGBT students with the message of Jesus.

You don’t need sex to be happy. Jesus never married, never had a romantic relationship, never had sex, and he was the most complete man to ever live.

Sam Allberry, who has been attracted to the same sex his whole life, gives an insider’s take on the current debates over sexual identity.

Does God want us to be happy or holy? How are holiness and happiness not at odds, but work together?

If Moses and Paul wished to be personally damned so others could be saved, didn’t they prioritize mission for others over joy in God?

We don’t receive Jesus in a saving way when we receive him as a ticket out of hell. He’s not a ticket. He’s a treasure — the greatest treasure.

When everyone gets grace, no one actually gets grace. Michael McClymond explains how universalism expels the biblical view of grace.

What is Christian universalism, and how should we respond? Michael McClymond, author of a new book on the topic, details the basics.

Do Christian Hedonists call people to experience a level of joy now that will be available only in heaven?

We often miss Christ’s beauty in his word because our hearts are out of sync. Pastor John explains how he prepares his heart to meet God.

We know God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. But is God at all glorified in those who reject him?

David Platt, like all of us, has past regrets and future hopes. Here’s what he would say to his 20-year-old self.

If our affections are the thermometer of our relationship with God, how can we remain stable through all our emotional ups and downs?

Security, comfort, and wealth aren’t the primary guides for our job decisions. God is. But how do we discern his will?

A bank account with seven, eight, or nine zeros is not necessarily sinful. But it is dangerous for hearts that easily treasure dollar signs.

An excessive self-focus leads to either discouragement or pride. So what steps can we take to conquer the curse of self-consciousness?