Ask Pastor John

God “desires all people to be saved,” Paul tells us — but clearly not all people are saved. Does this mean God cannot do what he wants to do?

Christ’s global purpose to ransom people from every tribe and tongue can be summed up in his words, “I have other sheep. I must bring them also.”

God gave work as a blessing in the beginning, but we live now on the other side of the fall. So is our work today a blessing or a curse?

Alongside his personal study of Scripture, what whole-Bible commentaries has Pastor John found most helpful over the years?

If you want to settle the question of personal identity, don’t ask “Who am I?” Ask, “Whose am I?”

We know the devil can tempt us and attack us and try to deceive us, but can he put thoughts into our heads?

At every moment, God knows the thoughts and intentions of every human heart. Pastor John explores six vast implications of this foundational truth.

The book of Romans interprets life — and it also transforms life. Pastor John shares how Romans has shaped him, from conversion to the pastorate.

How can a Christian business leader speak about his success in a way that makes God, not him, look great?

Is there really a difference between complaining about our problems and venting about them — or are we just kidding ourselves?

What is the simplest, shortest definition of Christian Hedonism? Pastor John explains in two minutes why pursuing joy in God is essential to the Christian life.

Women, Paul says, “will be saved through childbearing.” How does childbirth save women — and what about women who never have children of their own?

Those who play the victim to their sexual lusts act like slaves, like dogs eating their vomit, like washed pigs rolling in mud. But in Christ, they don’t have to stay that way.

Even if you remember only one sentence of a book, that one sentence can create an immeasurable moment, a flash of insight that shapes you forever.

What might Scripture say to a woman who desperately wants to become a man? Pastor John offers six reasons why attempting to “de-gender” is a tragic act of sin.

Are Christians who have the opportunity to vote obligated to do so — or can we abstain from the whole process for righteous reasons?

Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near.

No angel, no saint, and not even Mary herself can improve the access to God we already have through Christ and his finished work.

In 1 Timothy 1:15, the apostle Paul claims to have been “the foremost” of sinners. Is Paul speaking in hyperbole here, or was he really the world’s worst sinner?

How can we become bolder in evangelism? Pastor John shares a story of his stumbling attempts to love a neighbor, and God’s patient persistence through it all.

When we look with eyes of faith on our pre-conversion life, we find abundant reason to thank God for his mercy, and abundant reason to give others hope.

The jealousy of God shows his zeal for his own worth — and it also shows his zeal for our deepest joy.

The biblical mindset puts God and his glory, not man and his desires, at the center of the universe. And grasping this blazing center unlocks the greatness of the gospel.

Is there any hope for the recovery of a shipwrecked faith? Pastor John offers four reasons shipwreck need not be final.

Should we speak of Christians as saints or sinners? Pastor John explores why Paul addresses Christians as saints dozens of times — and as sinners almost never.

What drove the apostle Paul to win people to Christ? He longed to taste the joy of the gospel not only in his own heart, but in the hearts of countless others.

Sound preaching comes from those who live in the presence of God-centered glory and long to echo his infinite worth.

“The law is good, if one uses it lawfully,” Paul says. But how can we tell if we are using the law in the way that God intends?

How can we guard against drifting in the Christian life? By looking and looking and looking at Jesus.

You do not need to walk in sinless perfection in order to have a good conscience. You just need to walk in the light.

The apostle Paul strongly warned Timothy and Titus against the “myths” of his day. What might he have to say about the fictional stories in our own day?

If we’re going to listen to Jesus and not drift away from him, we likely will need to turn down the noises that capture so much of our attention.

Where should pastors and other Christians draw lines for ministry partnerships? Pastor John shares the degree of unity he has pursued in six ministry settings.

Does Numbers 5:22 suggest that women guilty of adultery were punished with miscarriage? And if so, how does this passage speak to the pro-life position?

If we don’t have a plan for when, where, and how we will read the Bible, our devotions will probably fall before the demands of the day.

Every pastor receives criticism. But at what point might criticism become so serious or sustained that a pastor should consider stepping down?

Everyone passes through seasons of despondency — seasons when the soul is troubled and hope feels thin. But when does despondency become sin?

How can we push the truth of the Bible from our heads to our hearts, so that our times of daily Bible reading become times of daily worship?

Given the pain of this world, the joy of salvation, and the glory of God, what kind of tone should a pastor seek to set on Sunday morning?

Some people find intermittent fasting helpful for losing weight. But is fasting for merely physical purposes a sacrilegious use of a spiritual gift?

The psalmists show that darkness and discouragement are part of the normal Christian life. And they also show a crucial strategy for finding the light again.

Pastor John, like the rest of us, has his likes and dislikes. From movies and soft drinks to breakfasts and songs, here are twelve of his favorite things.

If a hospital asks a Christian nurse to participate in a “gender-reassignment” surgery, should she agree — or should she take her nursing skills elsewhere?

Strong Christians read the Bible, memorize the Bible, meditate on the Bible, and live on the Bible. They make intentional plans for the word to be their daily bread.

A desire to do good can easily become a desire to look good. So how do we put away our hunger to be praised by other people?

The best gift anyone can receive at Christmas is deliverance from our two greatest enemies: sin and Satan.

A good musical worship experience involves head and heart, truth and affections. It will lead people to know their God and to embrace him with joy.

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” Why has Pastor John barely mentioned these remarkable words of Job throughout his decades of preaching and teaching?

Does God save the lost through visions today — or does someone need to hear the gospel to be saved?

Pastor John discusses personal and ministry highlights from 2022, including podcasts, books, global outreach, and a new goal for ‘Look at the Book.’