
Ask Pastor John
2,291 episodes — Page 27 of 46

Will I Be Single for the Rest of My Life?
God promises to give his single children an everlasting monument and name better than sons and daughters.

Is It Sinful to Seek Fame Online?
We must not find satisfaction in the praise of men, but in God himself and in helping others find that same satisfaction.

Why Are Women More Eager Missionaries?
More single women serve in missions than single men, but God is able to give grace for every circumstance.

How Does a ‘Man’s Man’ Sing to a ‘Beautiful’ Jesus?
When we see all of Jesus’s virtuous capacities and magnificent achievements, it is natural, not awkward, to call him beautiful.

The Sacrifice of Christ in the Season of Christmas
We must see how sacrifice works as a theme in all of the Bible in order to fully appreciate the cross of Christ.

John Piper’s Favorite Hymn
And it’s a rather obscure German hymn you’ve probably never heard — until now.

Santa Claus: Harmless Fun or Tragic Distraction?
If being Jesus-focused is a killjoy for your Christmas, you don’t know him well.

Will We Fear God in Heaven?
We should not exclude the prospect of trembling in and of itself from our glorified state in the age to come.

Is It Sinful to Be Pregnant Before Marriage?
A pregnancy outside of marriage exposes a previous sin, but pregnancy itself is not sin. Pastor John gives three reasons why.

Can Christians Benefit from Books by Nonbelievers?
It is wise to pursue a measured use of wide reading and listening — including non-Christian authors.

Can We Do Whatever We Want in Heaven?
In the age to come, when there will be no more sorrow or sin, we will experience perfect freedom for the first time.

I’m Paralyzed by Indecision — What Should I Do?
As you make plans, know that when God works for you, the goal of his work is to fit you for enjoying God himself.

Am I Quenching the Holy Spirit?
Quenching the Spirit means despising or neglecting his gifts, refusing to express spiritual emotion, and resisting his fruit.

Does God Promise to Feed and Clothe Christians?
God will give us everything we need to do his will and to glorify him most fully, even if it means death.

Which Old-Testament Promises Apply to Me?
We are heirs of all God’s promises. But they are fulfilled differently today because of the work of Jesus.

Talk to Your Wife About Lust
Only Christ-centered commitment enables spouses to be honest with each other about their sexual purity.

Are We Overdoing the Anti-Prosperity Gospel Theme?
God does not mean to remove suffering in this life, but assure us in suffering that nothing can separate us from his love.

Yes to Hating Sin, No to Hating Self
Remember your corruption enough to humble yourself, but forget whatever keeps you back from pressing on toward Christ.

Should We Encourage Interracial Marriage?
Your conscience should be clear in marrying a godly, Christ-exalting spouse, whatever his or her race.

How to Read a Bible Full of Promises
The Bible portrays the unfolding of history under the sovereignty of God to bring about his purposes in line with his promises.

How Is Christ My Advocate If His Saving Work Is Finished?
Christ’s advocacy is the ongoing presentation of our union with him established at the cross through faith by the Spirit.

Did My Lust Cause Our Miscarriage?
God wills a new humility and submission and faith through our sin and the pain of loss.

Should We Obey Old Testament Law?
The prohibition of eating pork is a refusal to submit to God’s plan for the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus.

What Is “Fullness of Joy” and Do I Have It?
The fullness of our joy in God will climax when we delight in the Son with the very delight that the Father has in him.

Isn’t Unlimited Atonement More Glorious Than Limited Atonement?
Definite atonement triumphs over unbelief and hardness of heart and brings to pass salvation and all the purposes of God that depend on it.

A Little Introduction to Covenants
We think of our Bibles as two testaments, but the notion of covenant shapes much of how God has shaped the Scriptures.

The Heart of Christian Hedonism — and the Bible and Creation and Everything
The greatest happiness God pursues is the delight he takes in the echoes of his excellence in the supremely happy praises of the saints.

Why Do We Celebrate the Protestant Reformation?
The Reformation celebrates how embracing Christ as our supreme treasure in faith is how we enjoy God’s fellowship.

Contrary to Roman Catholics, the Bible Is Our Sufficient Authority
If the Bible is God’s word, by definition no human authority can serve alongside it with equal authority.

Is It Sinful to Watch Porn with My Spouse?
It is inconceivable that the pleasures Christ has in the church would be stimulated by his imaging a prostitute to get his juices flowing.

Why Does God Regret and Repent in the Bible?
God is capable of bringing something about and both lamenting that act in one regard, while affirming it as best in another.

Is It Love If I Don’t Feel It?
Our loving behavior must always include gladness in God that overflows in the hope of including other people in our joy.

How Is the Law Written on Every Heart?
Real obedience to God, even though imperfect, is made possible through the work of Christ for all who believe in him.

Why Did Jesus Delay So Long Before Entering Human History?
Given the way he chose to make the gospel clear in the world, God’s preparations for Christ were necessary and fitting.

Little Ears, “Big Church,” and Sensitive Sermons
Pastors should notify parents when they need to address difficult topics so they can decide if they want their children present.

As a Pastor, Did You Use Church Growth Strategies?
There should be a never-ending stream of creativity in helping our people reach the lost, but theological faithfulness is essential.

How Do We Prepare Our Children for Suffering?
Help your children prepare to suffer by teaching them a biblical worldview, disciplining them, and modeling joy through your own sorrow.

Fight Sin, Find Rest
The fight, the striving, the narrow, the hard, the work, the warfare is not a striving to get Christ. It is a striving precisely to rest.

Does Porn Use Disqualify a Pastor?
If a pastor looks at porn once, restore him with his wife and fellow elders. But if it is a pattern, he is unqualified for eldership.

You Cannot Glorify God If You Find Him Boring
God created the world to present himself as glorious, not boring. Therefore, we must move beyond knowing and believing to joy.

How Do I Test My Interpretations of the Bible?
There are many dangers that teachers like John Piper must guard against, but also many practices which help guard them.

How Can I Minister to My Classmates This Year?
Students, you can be ready to tell someone why you have hope in Jesus.

Is the Missionary Greater Than the Artist?
While God requires faithfulness from everyone, some vocations are worth twice the honor as others.

Should I Confront Sin in My Non-Christian Friends?
The longer you wait to share Christ with your friends, the more perplexed they will be. Befriend and confront others in love, as Jesus did.

Is Christian Hedonism Only for Complementarians?
Egalitarians can also embrace Christian Hedonism, though not all the relational details will look the same.

Five Strategies for Avoiding Intellectualism
A warm, practical, affectionate relationship with the living Christ really matters.

Can I Be Sure I’m Saved If Persevering Is the Proof?
God intends for his children to take heart from his promises to preserve them to the end.

Why Did Jesus Not Seek His Own Glory?
Jesus does not seek private glory apart from the Father’s glory, but he does seek his glory through the Father after his redemptive work is done.

Does God Love His Enemies?
Both God and his people love their human enemies, but not in the same way, since God is all-wise and all-governing, and we are finite.

How Can I Soften My Own Heart?
God causes the miracle of unhardening our hearts, and we act the miracle of unhardening them.