Ask Pastor John

How can anything make God more or less joyful than he already is? Does the joy of God ever fluctuate?

On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. penned “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” a vivid report of racial injustice and oppression.

The light will become lighter and the dark will become darker. The world is changing, but sin, Jesus, and the every-knee-will-bow reality will not.

We live in racial realities that 50 years ago would have been inconceivable. But our church and country continue to chart new multiethnic territories.

Jesus crossed painful racial lines at the well two thousand years ago. Pastor John recounts Tony Evans’s powerful message from John 4 at Kainos 2014.

Both premarital sex and pornography addiction harm men and women alike, but in different ways. So which sin is worse?

Pastor John shares six ways that Christians can begin to sever the cords of their addiction to entertainment.

Pastor John gives his take on whether or not Christians should feel obligated to read the holy books of other religions.

What kind of pitfalls exist in the “New Calvinism” movement? What do New Calvinists need to beware of?

Our sin, God’s holiness, and Jesus’s cross are the core truths around which saving faith is formed.

God elects unconditionally. But he glorifies us on the condition of our faithful obedience. Does that mean our glorification is not guaranteed?

The promises of God mark us as his children. They also keep us in the family when we walk through trials and persecution.

Going the speed limit is an act of faith in the God who controls your day and can maximize your minutes for his glory.

Pastor John shares five specific principles from the Bible relating to food. God created food good, but there is a right and wrong way to enjoy it.

How can Christians detect the beginnings of prosperity preaching? Pastor John shares six signs.

The five solas unite Reformed Christians past and present, but Pastor John notes how seven factors may be creating a new mold under the same banner.

If Jesus calls his followers to turn the other cheek, then can a Christian serve society as a cop or a soldier?

Self-sacrifice and just punishment under ruling authorities image God’s love and justice. Pastor John shares more thoughts on Christians’ use of force.

Reformed theology, as a biblical expression of the gospel, is relevant for every problem in every ethnicity of every stress and stripe.

Pastor John describes the growing need for a theology of race in reformed circles and for pastors’ to purposely pursue ethnic diversity in their churches.

Scripture tells us to test all things. But overanalyzing what the pastor is saying keeps us from being in awe of what God said.

Some of the most surprising challenges to effective ministry will stem from family and marriage. How has Pastor John experienced God’s grace in his?

How important is reformed doctrine for Christians who are seeking out a church home? Pastor John shares his thoughts.

Pastor John reflects on the staying power of Westminster Seminary and the inescapably Reformed theology of the Bible.

God calls his children to fear him with trembling, reverence, awe, and worship — but not with cowering.

When Christ frees a Christian, he frees her to love him. Only those who delight to obey God are truly free.

No human being has the power to conquer sin. Yet God righteously holds everyone responsible for their failure. How can both realities be true?

In our flesh, we walk morally ruined, spiritually blind, and broken-willed. But our salvation depends on God’s free grace, not on our free choice.

Given the Christian man’s duty to protect his family, self-defense may seem appropriate. But Scripture calls him to an even higher standard of love.

Believer’s baptism requires assent, so what about people who cannot give it? Pastor John explores baptism for people with mental disabilities.

For every lustful thought or nude picture that plagues the mind, a visualized image of the bloodied, crucified Jesus can turn a battle into victory.

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?