Ask Pastor John

We love to enjoy the benefits of the gospel, but the gospel is actually not an end in itself. So what is the ultimate goal of the gospel?

Our tax dollars inevitably end up at places like Planned Parenthood — an organization that takes innocent life. Is it wrong to continue contributing taxes to a government that underwrites sin?

Some argue, “If aborted babies go to heaven, why is abortion such a big deal?” Pastor John gives six reasons why Christians must never compromise.

In August 2015, Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Was she right to do so?

As you swim in the culture, be a dolphin that cuts through the currents, not a jellyfish that goes with the flow.

When everything in life is going well, should we be worried because we are not experiencing the suffering Scripture promises?

The love of God in the Bible can sometimes be difficult to understand, like when Jesus lets Lazarus die because he loves him. What is love in a passage like that?

If you are in a discouraging marriage, don’t focus on whether your marriage is pleasing to the Lord. Focus on whether you are.

When thinking about energy drinks, we need to ask if the stimulant is masking a deeper problem, becoming a new master in our lives, or harming other people.

New passions, new affections, produce new conduct. I am a Christian Hedonist for theological reasons. I am after people’s affections because all of our behaviors come from this.

In a fallen world, we will never rid ourselves completely from the threat of and allure of idols. But the gospel has the power to free us to live from security and stability.

Social media allows us to connect with high numbers of people, but often those relationships remain thin. For security in our identity, we need depth, not just breadth.

How do I know if my smartphone plays too prominent a role in my life? Dr. Richard Lints offers pointed questions to help you diagnose your screen time habits.

We all desire control. But when we realize that we are far from having any real control over our lives, we look for something we can easily manipulate — like a smartphone.

In an individualistic era, we like to think that we can just be who we are. But in fact, we are only who we are in relation to others — and most especially in relationship to God himself.

When addressing contentious cultural issues like homosexuality, Christians should never merely voice our opinions. We are stewards of God’s very grace and truth.

Outcries over social ills say something about God, but so does silence. So when should we vent over social sins?

God’s words lead us to the path of life. They help us see that God is sovereign, a shelter for the needy, and a treasure to those who love him.

Our smartphone will not destroy us. But our love for it can. Ask the Lord to make it plain when the time has come to get rid of your smartphone.

The love and forgiveness every believer experiences from God came at the highest price of God’s own Son. How could we ever hold back that grace and mercy from others?

On August 22, 2015, Christians and others gathered around the country to protest Planned Parenthood and government funding for the organization. Listen to Pastor Piper’s prayer from the gathering in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Satan is real. He has massive influence all over the world, and he never tires of wreaking havoc wherever he is able.

The Bible never promises that the children of believers will grow up and still follow Jesus. But that doesn’t mean parents are helpless in shepherding their littles ones to the Lord.

How do you stay humble when God blesses you? How do we guard against pride when others notice that blessing too?

The Bible uses types to teach us about the single stream of redemptive history that culminates in Christ. But are types really any different than analogies?

Our sin can overwhelm us, leaving us depressed and feeling stripped of value. How do we face our sin honestly without falling into hopelessness?

A pastor can’t be an expert on every news trend, but he can help shape a biblical worldview in his people so they can wrestle with the issues on their own.

The Bible prescribes different roles for men and women, but are those roles just for the home and the church?

If telling someone to be happy doesn’t make them happy, then why does the Bible constantly command us to feel a certain way?

The five points tease out the differences between Calvinists and Arminians, but how can parents teach them to their kids simply and clearly?

The Bible presents a pattern for six-day labor. Whether we follow that same pattern today depends on what we mean by sabbath and how we define our work.

Every person experiences disordered desires. The only hope we have to align ourselves with God’s desires is to pursue God in his word through prayer, all in the context of a community of saints.

The identity Christ gives to us guards us from devastation when painful breakups happen. We are secure in Jesus no matter what.

We can all benefit from practical examples of applying Scripture, but what really drives us toward change is a fresh sight of God’s glory and our place in his world.

The New Testament clearly teaches that Christ should be preeminent in all things. So then why does Desiring God’s slogan not even name him?

Why does a naked man show up at Jesus’s arrest, and then flee the scene completely naked? Pastor John offers some hermeneutical principles for interpreting seemingly strange texts like this one.

The call to “pay it forward” may promote kindness and goodwill, but is it Christian?

Doubt can hijack our time in the word, turning our Bible reading into a battle, not a delight. Where can we turn when this discouragement bombards us?

God doesn’t just call his people to avoid sin. He wants us to run our race for righteousness by throwing off anything that holds us back from reaching him.

The most beautiful love is God’s love, which paid the highest price — the life of the Son — to give undeserving enemies the greatest happiness.

When it comes to yoga or anything else, don’t simply ask, “What’s wrong with this?” Ask the much fuller question, “Will this make me more Christlike?”

When we enter into the covenant of marriage, we inevitably bring baggage with us. But God gives grace for us to learn and grow and flourish together.

In a pluralistic, postmodern culture, the concept of sin can prove difficult to understand. Where should we begin in helping others understand this essential tenet of the faith?

“Temple” is a theme that runs throughout the entirety of the Scriptures. How do we trace it, and how does this thread help us understand the whole Bible?

Biblical theology isn’t just theology derived from the Bible, but is a discipline that helps us understand the unique contribution of each part of Scripture to the unified whole.

We no longer have to bear the burden of our guilt. God offers the verdict of no condemnation to all who are in Christ.

Every marriage has struggles, but how open should we be in sharing those problems with others close to us?

Does love demand that we agree to call our transgender friends by their preferred gender title?

What we speak with our mouths ought to reflect the purity we strive for with our bodies and the love for God and neighbor we want to exude with our whole being.

Under God, none of our suffering is ever meaningless. Whatever comes our way, yet shall we hope in him.