Ask Pastor John

When we feel stuck, is God redirecting us, or are spiritual forces trying to derail us? Pastor John delves into the mysteries of providence.

The Internet is full of different teachers and various doctrines. So, how do we discern false teachers from true, and good doctrine from bad?

As long as we sincerely love God, does it really matter if we have wrong doctrine? Pastor John shows what’s at stake in our knowledge of God and his ways.

When we feel the pressure of worldly expectations, what should really matter to us? Pastor John defines true success in a world of conflicting advice.

If a couple sins their way into marriage, should they split up and start over? Pastor John calls a weary husband and wife back to their lifelong covenant.

How can we be sure that God truly forgives us, especially when our past sins feel unforgivable? Pastor John ministers hope to the unassured.

In a corrupted and corrupting world, how can we protect our minds without becoming isolated or indifferent to the world around us?

When Jesus calls down woes on the rich, full, and laughing, does he have any qualifications in mind? Pastor John uncovers a clue in the context.

What if we feel more excited to see family than to see Jesus in heaven? Pastor John offers seven practical suggestions for pursuing deeper love for Christ.

If we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, why does it so often feel like we do? Pastor John explores the demonic designs in human opposition.

If we want to get close to God, then we won’t ask how close we can get to sin. We’ll ask how we can enjoy more of the Holy Spirit’s fullness.

Anxiety can overwhelm us, especially in times of deep loss. How do we fight our fears of the future when so much has already gone wrong?

Life gets harder as we age. We can’t do the same ministries forever. How do we cling to joy in God amid the loss and uncertainty?

When Paul talks about the riches of God’s inheritance, is God the one inheriting, or are we? Pastor John offers four clues from the context.

How do churches decide when repentance is real, discipline is done, and someone removed from membership is ready to be restored?

How can faithful parents maintain a meaningful relationship with a wayward child? Pastor John helps moms and dads walk wisely through the pain.

If the world was already fallen with Adam and utterly corrupt at the flood, why did God wait thousands of years before sending Jesus?

How do we face death and broken relationships, especially when they pile on at the same time? Pastor John helps us find wisdom, love, and strength in deep loss.

How can women navigate a corrupt and confusing world? Pastor John offers biblical strategies for confidence, strength, and freedom.

In a world where Christians deal with chronic pain and awful sickness, how can we understand and apply the promise that “God heals all your diseases”?

Can we lose eternal rewards by becoming incapacitated or less fruitful as we age? Or can our sin cancel out rewards we would have received?

Knowing God is the most extraordinary experience in the world. But how do we come to know him authentically, deeply, personally?

Did Paul know about self-harm and poor body image? If he did, how could he still say that “no one ever hated his own flesh”?

Persecution, troubles, heaviness of heart — are these different forms of God’s discipline? Pastor John traces God’s good purposes in different kinds of pain.

We know the new heavens and new earth will be a place of perfect, endless joy. But will we really never get bored, even after millions of years?

Those who try to live the Christian life outside of community are missing something crucial. So, how might Christian loners move toward life together?

If God has already promised not to withhold anything good from us, then does asking him for more imply that yesterday’s good wasn’t good enough?

If knowledge puffs up, will formal Bible education make us proud? Pastor John points out pride’s craftiness and offers five weapons of humility.

What does the Bible say about Mary, Jesus’s mother? What is Mary’s true legacy for Christians today?

What is the difference between guilt and shame? And when do true feelings of guilt or shame become false feelings that reject God’s grace?

Is the purpose of life to find meaning? Pastor John responds to Jordan Peterson’s claim that happiness cannot be our goal.

God promises never to leave us nor forsake us, but sometimes the Bible says he withdraws his presence from us. How can those both be true?

How can our faith turn from nominal to authentic? Pastor John reflects on God’s power to establish and sustain belief through his promises.

When God commands a godly life of genuine affections, how do we obey? John Piper draws our attention to the transforming mercies of God.

As Jesus headed toward the cross, he knew he was fulfilling the script that was written for him. So, how did he authentically choose a death already decided?

How much of the Christian faith has already been revealed to us now, and how much of it remains a secret that we won’t understand until we get to heaven?

If sinners cannot seek God, how does anyone receive salvation? Pastor John shows that God must give his power and grace precisely because we cannot seek him on our own.

Why are Christians most to be pitied if there’s no resurrection? Don’t we still experience more joy than non-Christians? Pastor John gives four responses.

If we have no memory of hating or opposing God before he saved us, then how should we understand the Bible’s claim that we were his enemy?

Why does Pastor John believe Romans is the greatest letter ever written? And how would he encourage Christians to benefit from this monumental book?

Should pastors and ministry leaders use artificial intelligence as a tool to write their sermons and newsletters? If so, how? If not, why not?

How much life application should pastors offer in their sermons? Pastor John commends interweaving exposition and application throughout each sermon.

When Jesus taught that impurity comes from within, was he departing from the Old Testament? Pastor John considers purity across the covenants.

If God justifies by faith apart from works, then why do some passages seem to suggest that forgiveness comes through the act of baptism?

Acts 20:24 has encouraged and challenged Christians throughout the centuries. How, in particular, has it shaped the life and ministry of John Piper?

In the Old Testament, witchcraft is met with capital punishment — but not in the New. Why does God handle this sin differently across redemptive history?

Do the signs and wonders in Scripture justify using righteous magic in fiction? Pastor John helps us discern the kinds of stories that serve our sight of Reality.

Sometimes, the story of another Christian’s joy in God serves to kindle our own. Pastor John takes us to a remarkable moment in the life of Hudson Taylor.

God could have designed the world so that all the help we need comes from him directly. Instead, he often ministers to us indirectly through other people. Why?

How can we begin to grasp the meaning of biblical narratives and their application to life? Pastor John offers an example from the story of Joseph.