Ask Pastor John

Taking in the word of God and talking to him in prayer are the most basic, fundamental disciplines. But is there a way to do both of those better?

Discipline is a mark of a believer in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us new desires to see and savor Jesus Christ wherever we can find him.

The spiritual disciplines are habits to be engaged in personally and corporately. We need time alone with God, and we need time together with his people.

What makes a discipline spiritual, and what makes a spiritual practice a discipline? Don Whitney addresses six characteristics of Christian spiritual disciplines.

Every generation faces unique issues, but the most pressing, most urgent Christians remain the same year in and year out.

Marriage — including sexual intimacy — portrays Jesus’s relationship with the church. Pastor John explains how.

Faith, defined biblically, not only believes in Jesus Christ but also treasures him as the supreme value of all the universe.

Christmas is a time for relishing in the peace that God offers the whole world through Jesus Christ, but we will only have it if we put our faith in the one who took on flesh that first Christmas.

The birth of Jesus at Christmas enables glory to ascend forever to God and peace to descend on his people forever.

Compared to all the riches of knowing Jesus Christ, even the best gift Santa could bring is little more than a lump of coal.

Matthew’s Gospel recounts Herod’s infanticide of baby boys in Bethlehem, but no other historical sources appear to mention this tragedy. Did it really happen?

Lots of missionaries raise their own support for ministry. Does the Bible have any examples of this kind of support-raising that we can look to as a model?

Does the cross of Christ show how valuable we are? Or how enormous sin is that we need a Savior?

When our contentment in God fades, food quickly takes its place. Pastor John focuses on the secret to winning the war for our desires.

“I’m done with the organized church, but I still love Jesus.” If you walk away from the church, you walk away from Jesus.

We know Satan has been working evil since the beginning. But should we actually hate him? Pastor John explains why we should.

We may not be able to explain how Satan became evil, but we do know that God did not compromise his goodness or glory in allowing Satan’s fall.

Never settle for passionless Bible reading. Lean in, pray for God to open your eyes, and keep searching for treasure for your heart.

Are property and intellectual rights selfish, or do they actually match up with clear biblical principles?

Our salvation isn’t just a once-and-done event, but a lifetime of drawing near to God through Jesus Christ, our high priest.

For Christians indwelt by the Spirit, God is always in us and with us. But sometimes, he exerts his influence for our good in unique, unmistakeable ways.

Should I stay and send, or should I go to the mission field? Pastor John gives seven factors to keep in mind when weighing a calling to missions.

Shopping today is more convenient than ever, especially online. But what should we do when online shopping becomes more than just a convenience?

The New Testament mentions greeting one another with a kiss four times. Is that just an outmoded cultural practice, or is there something we can learn from it today?

For every believer, we can know with complete confidence that God is not only with us sin our pain, but is producing glory through every ounce of our suffering.

God can use anything he wants — even sin — to lead and guide his people. But that doesn’t mean we should seek out sinful means just because God can sovereignly use them.

I’ve heard the gospel, but how can I be sure that I am truly ready to surrender my whole life to Jesus Christ?

God offers all of his children joy in Christ now. But compared to heaven, those are just mere glimpses of what is to come.

Throughout the Scriptures, God’s people feast as an expression of their joy in the Lord. What would it look like for the church to be known for celebration and joy?

Sin and anxiety threaten to still our happiness every day. Thankfully, Jesus offers us greater pleasure than sin and an antidote to all our worry.

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.