Ask Pastor John

As we read the Bible, we see a God who is righteously angry at sin. But we can’t let that overshadow the reality that God is a fundamentally happy being.

We often hear that joy and happiness are fundamentally different. But does this idea actually hold up to the way the Bible presents the concepts of happiness and joy to us?

If we are inclined to embrace emotion more than thinking, what biblical truths might help us embrace a balance between passion and intellect?

Do I dishonor God when I quit something that I have committed to? What if that commitment prevents me from doing other things that honor the Lord?

So much of our lives seem ordinary, or even trivial. But the truth is that nothing done for Christ’s sake is ever ordinary.

Our vocation isn’t something we do apart from efforts to know and enjoy God. Rather, our work should be the very sphere where we publicly enjoy and show off the glory of God.

Substitutionary atonement may not appeal to modern sensibilities, and even seems unjust to some. But if we lose Christ in our place, we lose the gospel.

The psalmists regularly plead their own righteousness before God. Can Christians today do the same, even though we know just how sinful we really are?

In our personal communion with the Lord, we want the highlight of our time to be worship an adoration, not just more ideas and notes for our next sermon or Bible study.

If God gave his only Son, then that means that we must receive him. But what does it really mean to receive Jesus Christ?

Pursuing romance outside of marriage might seem like it offers a path to pleasure and joy, but in the end, it obscures the only way to life and sets you on a road to destruction.

Every believing parent longs to see their children walking with the Lord. But what can a mom or dad do when their son or daughter rebels?

Would we really stand for Christ in the moment our life is on the line? What if we’re really not sure?

Tardiness may not seem like a big deal, but when it becomes a habit, it can really disrupt someone’s life. So how can brothers and sisters in Christ help each other deal with chronic lateness?

The new birth changes our status before God and how we act in the world. We now fight for purity as adopted children of the Most High.

Christ has freed all his people from any and every Christ. All who take refuge in him need no longer fear any generational sin, hex, curse, or anything else.

The Bible calls us to encourage one another, but how do we prevent encouragement and praise from devolving into flattery?

If Scripture is the Christian’s primary guide, then why do we need confessions of faith? Shouldn’t we just stick to the Bible?

Even when others won’t acknowledge the wrong they have committed, Jesus still calls his people to love, forgive, and forebear.

The inheritance we have in Christ far outvalues anything this world can offer. Our eternal treasure is safe and secure in him.

When we reject God, we suppress the truth. But we can never escape all that is true, good, and beautiful in our Father’s world.

God has known himself perfectly for all eternity, and now he knows every aspect of his world perfectly. So as we come to learn and discover, we are simply thinking God’s thoughts after him.

The Bible seems to say that God does not take pleasure in death, and yet that he takes delight in executing his wrath. Is this a contradiction, or can they both be true?

Nothing exists that does not relate directly to God. In other words, everything about God is also about everything in this world.

Do not underestimate the power of preaching to your soul and singing to God when you can’t shake spiritual darkness.

How does socialism borrow from the Bible? And how does socialism differ from biblical principles on compassion and justice?

As peoples spread and migrate across the globe, Christianity ebbs and flows. But there is no reason to believe that God won’t use the movement of peoples to advance the gospel.

Christ frees every believer from being overly concerned with what others think. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care at all.

Good books have so much to offer for the Christian life. Pastor John describes seven ways books have shaped him personally.

We all need money and we all use money. But when we begin to seek happiness in money, we are taking steps toward destruction.

Jesus commands us to love others as we love ourselves. Does that mean he wants us to have high self-esteem?

How can a student face persecution from their peers at school? What promises can they hold on to when all seems to be shaking?

Spurgeon seemed to say that Arminians preach an insufficient gospel. But can our theological commitments really ruin our gospel presentation to the point that it’s completely defective?

God will receive glory from every part of his creation, even from those who rebel against him. But he receives most glory from the believer when our hearts find our fullest satisfaction in him.

Consistent spiritual discipline is Christian living and is not legalistic.

Some texts in the Bible, like 1 John 5:18, may seem difficult to understand at first. But with a little digging, nuggets of gold are sure to surface.

If Christ already bore the wrath of God on the cross, then is hell just redundant? Does hell take away from the glory of what Christ accomplished?

Before correcting a brother or sister in Christ, how certain must we be that our own outlook is free from sin and deceit?

How we talk about God’s absolute sovereignty, right down to our word choice, makes a big difference in how people receive this precious truth.

The accommodations of our modern world aren’t all inherently sinful. But unless they serve our faithfulness to Jesus, what good are they?

First Thessalonians 4:11 says that we should “live a quiet life.” Do Jesus’s and Paul’s lives measure up to that instruction?

Many Christians say, “God will never give us more than we can handle.” But the truth of that statement depends on two key words.

God desires that we have both peace and joy as we walk with him. How to joy and peace relate, and how do they differ?

When we learn that our time on this earth is short, what truths can help us live out our last days with joy?

The Bible speaks to our toughest moments.

Do what you have to do to be radically devoted to Jesus and his holiness.

The doctrines of grace invite us to discover the endless fountain of all joy. Let The Joy Project guide you on a journey to uncover those riches of happiness.

The prosperity gospel may be easy to critique from a distance, but what about when it comes home? How can you talk to close friends and loved ones who have accepted the so-called prosperity “gospel”?

What if zombie stories and movies weren’t just mindless horror but could actually teach us about the true nature of our world?

If my work can be corrupted by others for evil purposes, does that cancel out any good that I achieve?