Ask Pastor John

Our hearts have a natural drive to seek glory. But unless we find that desire in God, we will never experience the satisfaction we so crave.

Unless our pursuit of pleasure has proper boundaries, we’ll always come up short of the lasting joy we’re looking for.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But what about enemies who constantly kill and destroy innocent life like ISIS?

Sex may be a natural, physical act, but the union of a man and woman is from God himself. Only those with eyes to see can truly know the wonders of the marriage bed.

God has deep purposes in our most searing pains. We don’t always know what he is doing, but we can experience joy in the sorrow when we trust him.

To write with a calling from God isn’t simply to enjoy putting pen to paper, but to have an insatiable drive to awaken delight in God with whatever you say.

The process of writing — putting thoughts into words and sentences and paragraphs — clarifies our thinking in ways that dialogue simply cannot.

Doctrine and ethics are never far apart. The beliefs and views that lead distort one will inevitably corrupt the other.

The hope of heaven not only grants us comfort when we think of eternity, but also empowers our love for God and Neighbor today.

The resolve to keep moving forward in ministry doesn’t come from mere determination, but daily dependence on God’s amazing grace.

Sometimes the Bible confronts us and tears down our longstanding opinions. And although the process may hurt, being refined by God’s word is always worth the cost.

God’s world shines with his glory — and so does his word. Just as the heavens declare God’s greatness, so his word overflows with the beauty of his majesty.

When it comes to making God-honoring decisions, our greatest problem isn’t necessarily that we don’t think enough, but that we don’t have hearts and emotions that treasure God above all else.

As we study the Bible, we want to go deep into the details of specific texts, and we want to get a broad overview of the whole. How can we do both in a limited amount of time?

We need more pastors with both theological backbones of steel and compassionate hearts of warmth. In short, we need more pastors like our Lord Jesus Christ.

Should a parent share their past sins with a child to comfort or warn them? Or are parents better off just keeping their sins to themselves?

The Bible repeatedly calls Christians to set their minds on what is above — on what is true and good and beautiful. But does that mean we need to avoid anything that isn’t obviously Christian?

As a writer and musician, Trip Lee reads regularly to spark his creativity. So what three books have influenced his life most?

We may assume that we can always just do something later, but God never guarantees a “later.” We must make the most of the time we have now.

We will never find security if we think we have what it takes to make it through life. Only God himself can provide the fullness of hope we desperately long for.

God calls Christians to stand firm in the truth, but that doesn’t excuse us for being jerks when our culture turns against us.

Our phones offer us plenty of convenience, but it comes at the price of distraction. Sometimes we need to step back and make sure we control our phones and that they haven’t mastered us.

Explicit sexuality and nudity are pervasive in our culture. And because it’s everywhere, Christians need to guard their souls more than ever.

We may sometimes be tempted to think that God is just a cosmic killjoy with lots of rules. But in reality, he is working for our highest joy, even when he asks us to deny ourselves.

We can use social media as a tool for good, but all too often, the likes and retweets can consume us. How do we get sucked in so easily?

Joy in the Christian life doesn’t usually come without a struggle. We have to fight to delight in the Lord on a daily basis.

True strength doesn’t come from having the energy to do everything we want to accomplish. According to the Bible, when we are weak, then we are strong.

Jesus did not have a sinful nature like ours, but that doesn’t mean he can’t identify with our temptation. He was tempted as we are, but had to remain without sin to save us forever.

Jesus teaches us to pray that the Father would deliver us from evil. But what exactly does God deliver us from, and does he do it?

The world around us isn’t impressed with a church that lives just like everyone else. What they need to see are people who daily breathe the air of another world.

First Peter calls us to cast our anxieties on the Lord. But how can we know if we have really given over all our stresses and burdens to him?

The human heart longs to be part of a God-sized cause, and radical movements like ISIS tap into those innate desires to lure and recruit.

God values men and women alike, and so should his people. So does that mean we shouldn’t pray specifically to have a boy or girl when expecting a child?

Same-sex “marriage” is simply not permissible according to Scripture. And for a pastor to marry a same-sex couple is to bless eternal suicide.

We may not always know it consciously, but the fear of death motivates much of how we live. But what if we could be liberated from that primal fear and live to the full?

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul commends singleness for the sake of the Lord. But does that mean that the married life is somehow less than the single, missionary calling?

The Scriptures not only tell us about God and his works, but shine with their own peculiar glory that open our eyes to vistas of majesty.

Just because John Piper has written so many books doesn’t mean they come easily. In this episode, he offers more tips for the writing process.

John Piper has written dozens of books, but that doesn’t mean the process is easy. So how does he begin laboring on a book project?

The clouds of suffering may darken the light for a time, but the steadfast love and mercy of the Lord never ever ceases.

Sabbath is not only a principle for rest, but the context from which we live. We work and play and have our being from the grace of rest in God.

In a digital age, a constant barrage of information can crowd out what matters most. Maybe we could all benefit from a break every once in a while.

The digital frontier presents countless opportunities, but also sobering dangers. Christians need wisdom to think through how technology shapes and impacts our faith.

We can fight pornography, but we have to want to battle it. We need a plan and some backup from fellow soldiers if we hope to see victory.

Not even the greatest good deed earns us anything with God apart from faith. We have favor with God on the basis of Jesus Christ alone.

When fear and anxiety creep up, we can cling to the most precious promise of all: God is with us, and he hears us.

The local church is essential to our growth in holiness. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to spur one another on to love and good works.

Anger creeps up when we try to take God’s place. He is the only judge and lawgiver, and so we can relax our grip a bit on what pains and troubles us.

To our fears, God speaks beautiful promises. And the most precious of all may just be that he is with us, always and forever.

God deserves our highest allegiance, but too often, all we do is belittle him by choosing to find our hope in joy in something else.