Ask Pastor John

Wherever saving truth is hated, distorted, and muted, Satan is at work. Our best weapon against him is to tell and live the truth.

Caring for a disabled child often goes unthanked and unrecognized in this world. But God sees every sacrifice, and he will reward you.

Everything we need in life and death was bought by the blood of Jesus. We have nothing to fear — not even death.

The Bible doesn’t have a category for retiring from ministry. We may retire from a paid vocation, but never from loving and serving others.

Both drug users and Christians feel ups and downs. But the parallels end there. Pastor John gives five reasons why the experiences are different.

Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat — they allow us to say more words to more people than ever before. So how can we use them for an eternal purpose?

Worry gains us nothing. As soon as we discover we have a problem, God has already been working on it, and the solution is on the way.

Is the term “reckless” too reckless? Pastor John offers pastors, worship leaders, and congregations ways to think about the popular lyrics.

Our enjoyment of God is not only a response to God’s glory — it is the way we glorify him. Therefore, joy in God is not optional.

Eighteen years after OneDay 2000, Pastor John reflects on a sermon that roused thousands of young people to not waste their lives.

Is there an ideal sermon length? Pastor John gives five factors to consider when trying to decide how long to preach.

From alliteration and assonance to metaphors, imagery, and illustrations — what role does creativity, imagination, and rhetoric have in preaching?

Good sermons and good Bible reading push into a writer’s words, grammar, and logic to embrace all the glorious realities behind them.

After writing over fifty books, Pastor John explains his six-stage process, from gathering the initial idea to seeing the project come to life.

How does God’s sovereignty not make us robots? Pastor John explores the relationship between God’s sovereignty and the human will in seven steps.

True freedom from body hatred does not come from finally liking what we see in the mirror. It comes from being swept up in the greatness of God.

Enjoying God and loving our neighbors are not competing goals. True love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others.

Christian community is a precious gift from God. But our love for the community must never replace our love for the Lord of the community.

There were fewer miracles in the Bible than many of us think, and there are more miracles today than many of us know.

Protestants insist that God imputes Christ’s righteousness to believers, while the Catholic Church claims that he imparts it. What’s the difference?

Paul’s missionary journeys do not mandate how we should do missions today, but we can certainly learn from the methods he used.

There will be no envy in heaven. Perfect love will reign. Those who have more will have humility; those who have less will rejoice in others’ gifts.

Crude language won’t transform the culture. It won’t convict sinners. It may make us more relatable, but in the end it will backfire.

The first manuscripts of the Bible no longer exist, but that doesn’t need to shake Christians’ faith. Pastor John gives three reasons why.

The aim of wartime simplicity is not to be as poor as possible, but to use all of our resources for the advancement of the gospel.

The sign of forgiveness is not that you forget the pain another caused you, but that you relinquish the desire to punish, and instead seek their good.

Self-examination can quickly turn into self-condemnation. Pastor John offers three strategies to keep introspection in its proper place.

God calls Christians to be peacemakers. But when and how should we intervene in other people’s conflicts?

Our culture often stereotypes women as hyperemotional and men as rational. But is this a biblical dichotomy?

How do we teach our children to respect our God-given authority, while also treating them with Christlike humility and servant leadership?

God may not call you to move to another country to join the Great Commission, but he has called you to play a significant part.

Some have suggested Reformed theology is a hurdle to racial harmony. Pastor John explains why the opposite has been true over decades of urban ministry.

Is all jealousy bad? No, God models perfect jealousy, and calls us to have the same zeal for his glory in all we do — even in dating.

God’s highest priority is not for us to have children, but for us to have Christ-exalting faith that overflows in meeting the needs of others.

Has a husband and father failed in his God-given responsibility if his family is suffering when he could have prevented it?

How can we glorify God in our jobs? Pastor John offers ten reflections to help Christians integrate their Christian life with their working life.

Some men may avoid a midlife crisis, but many of us will face one. Pastor John describes his own midlife crisis, and how God carried him through.

For fifty years, our culture has denied that men have any unique responsibility to care for and protect women. It was a myth, and it isn’t working.

When God feels distant, he may be calling us away from a flimsy faith to a tough, unshakable allegiance to Jesus.

God’s priorities for efficiency in this life are not ours. His aim is not to provide the most direct route, but to sanctify the traveler.

The Bible calls us not to over-think, under-think, think poorly, or think falsely. So how can we avoid slipping into these ruts?

Many believers experience deep emotional stress over the sin and pain in the world. When these emotions become paralyzing, what should we do?

Although some singles are delaying marriage for the wrong reasons, many are not. What does God say to those who yearn to marry but have no prospects?

Protestants have long championed justification by faith alone. But we distort this truth when we confuse justification and final salvation.

What encouragement does God give to those who are the product of reproductive technology and feel like they were abandoned by a biological parent?

In the new heavens and new earth, Christians will sit with Jesus on his throne. Ordinary believers will join God in judging the universe.

God calls us to pursue our fullest joy in him. Will we fall short if we don’t pursue the extraordinary supernatural gifts like tongues and prophecy?

In this special episode, Pastor John reflects on the life and legacy of Billy Graham.

Roman Catholic teaching has led many astray, even into destruction. But are there some genuine Christians in the Roman Catholic Church?

All sin involves the will. But continuing to sin deliberately — with eagerness and persistence — will destroy the soul.