Ask Pastor John

Without joy in Christ and his word, pastors have nothing to offer to their people. Joy — or joylessness — is powerful and contagious.

While books like ‘Heaven Is for Real’ offer guesswork, the Bible offers certain, infallible truths about heaven that would take lifetimes to explore.

Ask Pastor John’s host, Tony Reinke, takes listeners through the ins and outs of the podcast and lists some of its top episodes.

From smooth finishes at the rim to impressive displays of endurance, Pastor John shares his thoughts about the undeniable draw of March Madness.

Many prefer sounds over words, listening over reading. But God is spirit. He has no vocal cords. He speaks through what he already said in the Bible.

When believers walk through trials with extraordinary faith, they bless the pastor who prepared them for this moment.

Podcasters can teach, encourage, exhort, and explain, but they cannot shepherd. Only your pastor can do that.

Jesus, the Word, proclaims the word of God to be true. So is it? Pastor John defines inerrancy and encourages our confidence in the truth of the word.

Marriage represents an opportunity to fight for faith together, including through potentially tough financial times.

Jesus came to earth as a man, and God reveals himself as a king. However, Christians should not think of God the Father or God the Holy Spirit as male. Pastor John explains why.

Pastor John responds to criticism of Calvinism, Edwards, and Christian hedonism by explaining how God’s glory is God’s love, not his neediness.

Without God, Ayn Rand’s creativity and logical brilliance led her straight past the truth and into darkness.

We don’t learn anything about sin by giving in, but rather by fighting back. Pastor John shares a parable on resisting sexual temptation.

No pastor is immune from the insidious desire for riches. Pastor John provides five pleas to pastors to safeguard their hearts and the name of Christ.

Those who know Christ possess greater riches than the richest billionaire on the planet — spiritually right now, and materially in eternity.

If you are in Christ, you have a new heart. Your flesh will cause you still to stumble, but God will direct your affections to himself.

Pastor John exhorts believers, especially those tempted to give up on church, with four biblical reasons to seek out membership in a local body.

Is the mission field compatible with having children? Pastor John helps aspiring missionaries think through the implications of remaining childless.

Can the Song of Solomon, in all its sexual directness, really describe God’s relationship with his people?

For Christians, Bible reading is a lifelong routine — day by day, year by year. Where should new believers start?

We use countless physical strategies every day to cope with life’s difficulties. So how do sleep, antidepressants, and diet relate to a Christian’s spiritual life?

A.D.D. brings unique temptations to sin, but Pastor John encourages those who affected by the disorder with the gospel’s power to transform and renew.

Are the various anxieties in our lives sinful? Are they simply disorders? Are they neither? Are they both?

Satan’s plan is for evil. God’s plan is for good. Both set causes in motion but God exercises ultimate authority over all.

Does dad enjoy playing with me? A father’s earthly love for a child can serve as a picture of the Father’s heavenly love for them.

What is right in the marriage bed is right in the mind, but husbands should strive to serve their wives, not use them, in both.

The Bible often makes high demands of our minds. Believers must therefore work hard to understand and teach God’s word.

With digital Bibles and keyword searches at our fingertips, why should Christians take the time to memorize Scripture?

The digital revolution presents new challenges and opportunities. Should believers take advantage of the digital tools available for Bible study?

Digital Bibles can distract from worship — just like anything else. Readers and pastors alike must fight to wield them well.

If you feel in bondage to pornography, don’t assume it’s too late to repent. But don’t assume that repentance can wait until tomorrow.

Pastor John explains how humanity’s terrifying problems meet God’s glorious remedies in Romans 3:25.

Was God unfair on the cross? No. Pastor John proclaims two life-changing truths about the substitution of Christ in our place.

Whether rock climbing or crosswords, hobbies can encourage or discourage a believer’s relationship with God.

Believers can boast in their weaknesses, but crush the sin that slithers through their hearts.

Pastor John encourages women to cultivate a beautiful heart for the God who truly sees them before laboring over a beautiful appearance for everyone else.

Although moms and dads should both discipline their kids, God calls husbands to be engaged leaders and servants in their homes.

Loving criticism must always work with heartfelt care for the good of another. Unloving criticism acts out of a prideful spirit unaware of the need for grace.

Christ’s glory shines most fully, most brightly, most durably by making a complete atonement for sin on the cross and interceding for us in heaven.

Sometimes, the aching desire to want to worship God is itself worship. But what happens when a Christian feels nothing at all?

When the eyes see God’s beauty and the mind understands God’s worth, the heart overflows in worship.

Not only does abortion attack God’s image by murdering his image-bearers — it assaults God’s own Son, who came to earth by Mary’s womb.

Leaving a church for any reason is a serious matter; when should I leave a church to find a wife?

The Bible doesn’t include a list of God-approved words. Christians should instead ask, Does my speech exalt Christ? Does it build others up?

Pastor John encourages listeners to settle on a single Bible translation and commends the ESV as his go-to and recommended one.

Andy Davis’s method for memorizing Scripture helps believers on their way to retain long passages one day, and one verse, at a time.

We don’t have to memorize the Bible — we get to. Lovers of God delight to read, know, and recite his precious word.

A happy home can empower ministry, but struggles at home can deplete its power. Pastor John shares six counsels for a joyful family and ministry.

Dads joyfully lead their households so that each member can flourish to the fullest extent God has planned.

Scripture does not promise deliverance from harm in the present age. But in Christ, we will all get the best healing in the age to come.