Ask Pastor John with John Piper on MOR Music Podcasts

June 8, 2023 How Much Should Pastors Make?

“The laborer deserves his wages” — including those who labor in preaching and teaching. But how might a church decide what a pastor’s wages should be?

June 5, 2023 Can Single Men Pastor?

In Paul’s elder qualifications, he seems to assume that pastors will be married. So how should churches assess the qualification of a single man who wants to pastor?

June 1, 2023 Why Do We Pray for Our President?

Why does Paul call Christians to pray for kings and other political rulers — and what specifically might we ask God to do in them and through them?

May 29, 2023 Hope for the Fragile and Fragmented

In a world filled with wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines, a right understanding of the end times can bring stability to anxious minds.

May 26, 2023 The Joy of Jesus’s Return

When Jesus returns, he will magnify the radiance of his glory by multiplying our own joy in that glory. We will happily marvel, and he will forever shine.

May 24, 2023 Why God Wills Suffering for the Children He Loves

If we’re going to rejoice in even the worst circumstances, then we need clear and strong reasons for why God wills suffering for the children he loves.

May 23, 2023 Upcoming Changes to APJ

Tony Reinke shares two upcoming changes to Ask Pastor John in light of a brand-new John Piper sermon podcast called Light + Truth.

May 22, 2023 Go to Work, Go to Church — Christ Is Coming Back!

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles draw some profound connections between the glorious second coming and our ordinary everyday lives.

May 19, 2023 Death Can Only Make Me Better: Remembering Tim Keller (1950–2023)

Today Tim Keller entered the reward of his Master. In this special episode of Ask Pastor John, Tony Reinke shares a sermon clip from Dr. Keller on the joy of God in the face of cancer.

May 19, 2023 Popular Blunders About Christ’s Return

Discussions of the second coming often spiral into speculation — or misconception. Pastor John explains five mistaken beliefs about Christ’s return.

May 17, 2023 Five Ways to Find Wisdom

In the midst of a busy life, how can we find the time to read great Christian books? We might begin by setting aside just fifteen minutes a day.

May 15, 2023 Nicotine, Amphetamines, and Holy Concentration

God does not give us a list of foods and drinks we can and cannot consume. Instead, he gives us his words and his Spirit to shape how we see all of life.

May 12, 2023 A Beautiful Savior for the Unattractive

If we are going to find lasting satisfaction in the beauty of Christ, despite the pain of rejection, four massive changes need to happen in our hearts.

May 10, 2023 The Hardest Act in Parenting Teens

Headship calls a man to put away his anger and initiate reconciliation — no matter how much of the fault lies with his wife or with his children.

May 8, 2023 The Path from Orthodoxy to Demon Theology

The movement from orthodoxy to demon theology happens sometimes slowly and sometimes suddenly — but always because love for Christ has grown cold.

May 5, 2023 ‘Nothing Is to Be Rejected’ — Including Pot?

“Nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,” Paul says. So can Christians enjoy pot if they thank God for it?

May 3, 2023 What Makes You Happiest?

What is the deepest source of your joy — what God gives to you, or who God is for you?

May 1, 2023 Can I Be Saved If I Never Evangelize?

Will a professing Christian go to hell if he never shares the gospel? Pastor John gets to the heart and offers practical suggestions for growing in evangelism.

April 28, 2023 Should Men Still Pray with Lifted Hands?

Paul desired that “in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands.” Should men in the church today still lift their hands when they pray?

April 26, 2023 Our Joyful Duty

At the core of Christian Hedonism is the glorious reality that the duty God requires of us is the path to our greatest joy.

April 24, 2023 Caring for Families with Cross-Dressing Children

Should parents allow children to cross-dress? Pastor John explains why this cuts across the grain of God-created reality and how to offer counsel to Christian parents.

April 21, 2023 Should the World Like Us or Hate Us?

Jesus promised that his followers would be “hated by all,” but Paul said pastors must be “well thought of by outsiders.” So should the world like us or hate us?

April 19, 2023 Why Did Jesus Use Spit and Mud to Heal?

Jesus could have healed the man born blind with a simple command; instead, he used spit and mud. Why?

April 17, 2023 Does My Sexual Past Disqualify Me from Pastoring?

If a man has a history of fornication, is he disqualified from the office of pastor — or can he still be considered “the husband of one wife”?

April 14, 2023 Overcoming Fear

If God has really given us “a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control,” then why do we still struggle with fear and anxiety?

April 12, 2023 The Gospel’s War Against Our Fears and Insecurities

In the face of every fear and insecurity, the gospel says, “In Christ, God is for you — always and forever, with all of his heart and soul. So what can man do to you?”

April 10, 2023 Should We Despise the Vile — or Love Them?

In Psalm 15, David tells us to despise the vile; in Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to love them. How can we do both?

April 7, 2023 If God Desires All to Be Saved, Why Aren’t They?

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?

April 5, 2023 Christ’s Plan for the Globe — and You

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.”

April 3, 2023 Is Work a Blessing or a Curse?

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?

March 31, 2023 Best Commentaries on the Whole Bible

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

March 29, 2023 How Do I Find My Identity?

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

March 27, 2023 Can Satan Put Thoughts into Our Heads?

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

March 24, 2023 Does God Read Every Thought?

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

March 22, 2023 John Piper’s Conversion Story

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

March 20, 2023 How to Glorify God in Business Success

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

March 17, 2023 Is Venting the Same as Complaining?

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

March 15, 2023 Christian Hedonism in Two Minutes

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.

March 13, 2023 How Does Childbirth Save Women?

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

March 8, 2023 1 Percent of a Book Can Change Your Life

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.

March 6, 2023 Is ‘De-Gendering’ a Sin?

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.

March 3, 2023 Are Christians Obligated to Vote?

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

March 1, 2023 Why Christians Don’t Need Holy Shrines

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

February 27, 2023 Do Angels Carry Our Prayers to God?

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

February 24, 2023 Was Paul Really the World’s Worst Sinner?

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?

February 22, 2023 Overcoming Fear and Passivity in Evangelism

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.

February 20, 2023 Was God at Work in My Pre-Conversion Life?

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.

February 17, 2023 How Could God Be Jealous?

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

February 15, 2023 The God-Centeredness of God Unlocks the Gospel

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.

February 10, 2023 Sinners or Saints — How Should We Speak of Christians?

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.

February 8, 2023 Why We Share the Gospel

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.

February 6, 2023 Preaching the Gospel of the Happy God

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

February 3, 2023 Can I Really Trust My Interpretation of the Bible?

“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?

February 1, 2023 How to Keep Your Eyes on Christ

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

January 30, 2023 How Can I Have a Good Conscience?

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

January 27, 2023 Did Paul Oppose Fiction?

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?

January 25, 2023 Turn Down the Noise and Listen to Jesus

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.

January 23, 2023 Where Do You Draw Lines for Ministry Partnerships?

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.

January 20, 2023 Were Abortions Induced on Old Testament Adulteresses?

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?

January 18, 2023 Fight for Delight by Planning Your Devotions

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.

January 16, 2023 Eight Counsels for Those Thinking of Quitting

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

January 13, 2023 When Does Despondency Become Sin?

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

January 11, 2023 How Do I Push Truth from My Head to My Heart?

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?

January 9, 2023 Getting the Tone Right on Sunday Morning

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?

January 6, 2023 Is Intermittent Fasting Sacrilegious?

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

January 4, 2023 The Bible’s Main Road Out of Discouragement

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.

January 2, 2023 John Piper’s Favorite Things

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.

December 30, 2022 Can I Be a Nurse for a ‘Gender-Reassignment’ Surgery?

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?

December 29, 2022 Appeal from John Piper

Your prayers and financial support help us bring more people into the fullest enjoyment of the greatest treasure ever found. For every $10 per month you give, we can reach 70 more people with God-centered resources. Would you join us as a monthly partner? https://dsr.gd/Give

December 28, 2022 Beat a Path to the Word in 2023

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.

December 26, 2022 How Do I Put Away My Desire for Praise?

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?

December 23, 2022 The Christmas We Needed

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

December 21, 2022 What Makes for a Good Musical Worship Experience?

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.

December 19, 2022 ‘Though He Slay Me’ — Why the Silence on This Verse?

“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?

December 16, 2022 Does God Still Save the Lost Through Visions?

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

December 14, 2022 John Piper’s 2022 Year-in-Review

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

December 12, 2022 Good and Bad People-Pleasing

How can we find freedom from living for the opinions of people? Pray for and pursue a big vision of God. Find a firm identity in Christ. Look to your eternal reward.

December 9, 2022 How Can I Cast My Cares on God?

Casting your cares onto God begins with believing that he really is the infinitely powerful, all-wise, always-good God he reveals himself to be.

December 7, 2022 Satan Cannot Scare You into Hell

Satan may oppress you, attack you, and rage against you. But if you are in Christ, he holds no power to finally destroy you.

December 5, 2022 Build Structures to Serve Your Calling

How can leaders prevent the pressures of running an organization from squeezing out opportunities for face-to-face work and ministry?

December 2, 2022 How Can Satan Harm Christians?

Scripture is clear that Satan is not ultimately sovereign — God is. But under that sovereignty, in what ways can Satan still harm God’s people?

November 30, 2022 Amusing Ourselves from Death

Outside of Christ, the fear of death is a slave master that holds everyone in bondage — even those who seem unaware of their chains.

November 28, 2022 Give Young Christians a Chance to Lead

Our churches grow in wisdom and maturity when the young honor the old, the old listen to the young, and all clothe themselves with humility.

November 25, 2022 Should We Seek to Suffer?

Suffering may be the price of Christian love, but it is not the aim of Christian love. Our aim is to do as much good as we can on the lowly path of service.

November 23, 2022 Pray Your Way into Thanksgiving

How can we aim to be done with anxiety and enjoy peace in any circumstance? By bringing every circumstance to God in prayer.

November 21, 2022 How Does Baptism Save Us?

If God saves his people through faith alone apart from works, why does Peter say that baptism now saves us?

November 18, 2022 Do Unbelievers Get a Second Chance After Death?

In 1 Peter 3:19, we read that Christ “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey.” What might Peter mean?

November 16, 2022 How Do I Pray from the Misery of My Sin?

There is no distress that puts you beyond the good news that God brings — not even the distress caused by your own sin.

November 14, 2022 Let the Nations Be Glad! — Thirty Years Later

Thirty years after ‘Let the Nations Be Glad!’ was published, Pastor John reflects on the book’s beginnings and its lasting legacy.

November 11, 2022 What If I Don’t Have a Spiritual Gift?

Paul and Peter charge Christians to use our spiritual gifts for the good of the church. But what if we don’t seem to have any spiritual gifts?

November 9, 2022 What Makes My Gift a Spiritual Gift?

If God has given helpful skills to both believers and unbelievers, what makes the difference between a merely natural ability and a spiritual gift?

November 7, 2022 What Makes My Life Christian?

How can Christians live so that, at bottom, we can say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”?

November 4, 2022 Should I Charge Other Christians for My Expertise?

Christ bids his people both to wisely get and freely give, and he supplies us with the grace we need to discern when to do what with our talents.

November 2, 2022 Christ’s Death Was No Accident

The death of Christ was no accident. He came to be crucified, that he might hang the sins and sufferings of those he loves with him there.

October 31, 2022 How Does Love Cover a Multitude of Sins?

Christian love labors to overlook the sins of others, just as Christ went to the cross to forgive us, not to shame us.

October 28, 2022 Christian Unity in Three Steps

Real differences exist between real Christians. But where we lack unity of conviction, we can share unity of humble, sacrificial disposition.

October 26, 2022 Step One in Preparing to Suffer

We ready ourselves to suffer well when we look our life dead in the eye and say with Paul, “I count it all as loss compared to Christ.”

October 24, 2022 Is Suffering a Paradox for Christian Hedonists?

When Christ died, so did our sin-loving selves. Now, God sends suffering to weed out the sin that lingers and stunts our joy in Christ.

October 21, 2022 How Much Speculation Should We Bring into Sermons?

Preachers are emissaries of God’s revealed truth. So how should we talk about parts of the text we don’t understand?

October 19, 2022 The Relational Pain of Ministry

Christian ministry is relationally painful. Friends in the ministry can leave and never return, as even the apostle Paul experienced near the end of his life.

October 17, 2022 How Do People Shipwreck Their Faith?

Jesus, Paul, Peter, and the author of Hebrews all describe people who begin well in the Christian life before eventually making shipwreck of their faith.

October 14, 2022 How Can I Learn to Receive Criticism?

No one likes to receive criticism, even when it’s well-intended. How can we learn to control our emotional responses and remain grounded in the love of Christ?

October 12, 2022 Becoming Unshakable in a World of Pain

We all face crises, and without grace, we find our world collapsing in the midst of them. But there is strong and stable hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

October 10, 2022 Is Any Part of Life Morally Neutral?

Scripture calls us to do everything for the glory of God. Does that mean no action we take is morally neutral?

October 7, 2022 Will My Spouse Be My Best Friend in Heaven?

What will the relationship between husband and wife be like in the age to come? Pastor John explains how the best parts of marriage point ahead to eternal joy.

October 5, 2022 How Do I Persist in Prayer?

How can Christians always pray and not lose heart? In part, by remembering the generous heart of God and his delight to hear his people.

October 3, 2022 How Do I Pray for My Husband’s Salvation?

How can a wife go on praying for her unbelieving husband after years, or even decades, of no evident change?

September 30, 2022 How Do I See the Glory of Christ?

How can we see the glory of Christ? Renounce the praise of man. Devote yourself to Scripture. Turn to Christ through his word. Keep praying for sight.

September 28, 2022 What’s the Real Problem with Fearing Man?

Why is the fear of man such a big problem? Because those who fear men cast their vote against the trustworthiness of God.

September 26, 2022 How to Live Fearlessly

How can Christians live fearlessly? Replace the fear of man with the fear of God. Fear man — live fearfully. Fear God — live fearlessly.

September 23, 2022 I Want to Be Baptized — My Husband Opposes It

Godly submission does not require that a woman do everything her husband says. Before she is a wife who submits to her husband, she is a Christian who submits to Christ.

September 21, 2022 Am I Called to Ministry? Five Tests

How do we know if we are able to bear the heavy calling of being the aroma of life to some and the aroma of death to others?

September 19, 2022 What Should We Think of Flashy Pastors?

Pastors who flaunt their riches will not draw anyone to the hope of the gospel. They will draw men and women to the hope of luxury.

September 16, 2022 Who’s More Sinful: Men or Women?

Men and women may face temptations peculiar to their sex, but we both share a deep, common depravity and a profound need for mercy.

September 14, 2022 The Godly Woman’s Charm

Hope in God clothes a woman with a beauty that will never fade, never perish, and never cease to be precious in God’s sight.

September 12, 2022 How Much Jewelry Is Too Much Jewelry?

How might we as parents teach our daughters, even at young ages, how to express their femininity without flaunting their body?

September 9, 2022 Does God Call Us to Submit to Everyone?

God calls church members to submit to their pastors, wives to their husbands, employees to their bosses. But is there also a sense in which God calls us to submit to everyone?

September 7, 2022 Who Are My Enemies?

“Love your enemies,” Jesus says. But who are our enemies? The answer is broader than we might imagine.

September 5, 2022 My Husband Left Me — How Do I Respond?

In the wake of great betrayal, how do we respond with love and forgiveness without minimizing the evil of the sin?

September 2, 2022 How Do I Address My Spouse’s Ongoing Sin?

Peter tells wives to win their husbands “without a word.” Does that mean a wife should never confront her husband over a pattern of habitual sin?

August 31, 2022 Overcoming Anger in the Home

How can a father governed by anger begin to recover kindness and tenderheartedness? By freshly embracing God the Father’s forgiveness through Christ.

August 29, 2022 Can I Be Angry with God and Be Holy?

Is heartfelt anger toward God ever righteous, or even morally neutral — or is such anger always sinful?

August 26, 2022 Is Double Predestination Biblical?

Does that Bible teach that God has predestined some to disobedience and destruction, just as he has predestined some to salvation?

August 24, 2022 The Two Greatest Questions in the Universe

What are the two greatest questions in the universe? Pastor John explains by looking at 1 Peter 2:11–12.

August 22, 2022 How Do Passions Wage War Against the Soul?

When do innocent desires of the flesh become threats to the soul? When they cross over from serving God’s will to serving our rebellious self.

August 19, 2022 What’s the Difference Between Faith and Hope?

The biblical authors often intertwine faith and hope, yet they also distinguish them. So what is the difference between these two gifts of the Spirit?

August 17, 2022 Why Do So Many Reject Jesus?

When the light of Christ shines upon the darkness of our sin, we either run to Christ as the only covering for our shame, or we run further into darkness.

August 15, 2022 Who Will Judge the World?

Scripture speaks of the Father judging the world, the Son judging the world, and sometimes even the word of Christ judging the world. So, in the end, who will judge?

August 12, 2022 How Are We Born Again?

The new birth is a sovereign work of the Spirit, but it is a work bound to the word. The Spirit of God works through the word of God to glorify the Son of God.

August 10, 2022 How Money Fears Kill Our Worship

When we trust God with our money, we not only enjoy freedom from worry, but we magnify the shepherd, Father, and King who provides for us.

August 8, 2022 What Makes Christian Love Different?

What makes Christian love different from non-Christian love? It is rooted in the cross of Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit, and aimed at the glory of God.

August 5, 2022 What Does It Mean to Be ‘Overly Righteous’?

Ecclesiastes tells us not to be “overly righteous,” but Jesus calls us to a righteousness that exceeds even that of the Pharisees. How can we put these two texts together?

August 3, 2022 Gospel Drift — and How to Avoid It

You don’t have to commit great sins in order to fall away from Jesus. You just have to neglect your great salvation.

August 1, 2022 Why Did Jesus Need to Suffer and Die Publicly?

Did Jesus have to die a public, agonizing death, or could he have saved us by living sinlessly and dying in obscurity?

July 29, 2022 Does God Ever Tempt Us to Sin?

God clearly tests his people, but does he ever tempt them to sin? Pastor John explores the distinction between tests and temptations in James 1.

July 27, 2022 Trembling Before God on Sunday

Hundreds of times, God tells us to “fear not.” So why does he also call us to work out our salvation “with fear and trembling”?

July 25, 2022 Is My Humorous Personality a Liability?

Sober-mindedness keeps us from the silliness that is allergic to serious moments, but it also keeps us from the somberness that doesn’t know how to be joyful.

July 22, 2022 Are Eternal Rewards and Inheritance the Same?

Peter assures us of an inheritance kept safe in heaven; Jesus calls us to lay up treasures in heaven. Are eternal inheritance and rewards the same?

July 20, 2022 Fighting for Faith in the Entertainment Age

In an age inundated with entertainment, how do Christians stay awake to the glory of Christ and help others do the same?

July 18, 2022 Should Non-Christians Pray for Faith?

Saving faith is the gift of God, who opens blind eyes and raises dead hearts. So what can unbelievers do when they find themselves unable to believe on their own?

July 15, 2022 How Do I Prioritize My Busy Life?

Sometimes, busyness and stress are reasons to realign our priorities. Other times, they are invitations to pray that God would empower us to do the seemingly impossible.

July 13, 2022 Learning to Follow God’s Will

God doesn’t give us a blueprint for our futures, but he does give us biblical trajectories by which we can discern his will and follow it with confidence.

July 11, 2022 The Key to Knowing God’s Will

How do “spiritual wisdom and understanding” fill us with the knowledge of God’s will for our daily lives? Pastor John explains from Colossians 1:9.

July 8, 2022 Does God Send ‘Strong Delusions’ into the World?

In our sin, we refuse to hear the truth, receive the truth, believe the truth — until God intervenes to give us a deep and abiding love for the truth.

July 6, 2022 God’s School of Prayer

When God puts us in the flames of suffering, he often intends to rescue us from self-sufficient comfort and awaken in us desperate, earnest prayer.

July 4, 2022 Politics, Patriotism, and the Pulpit

We need pastors who will regularly remind us that our greatest allegiance is not to any political party, ethnicity, or nation, but to King Jesus.

July 1, 2022 Who Is the Man of Lawlessness?

Paul teaches that Jesus will not return until “the man of lawlessness is revealed.” Who is this man of lawlessness?

June 30, 2022 Roe v. Wade Has Ended — Our Pro-Life Work Has Not

The Christian pro-life cause goes far deeper than legislation. We aim not only to change laws and behavior, but to change hearts and eternities.

June 29, 2022 Sustain Your Prayer Life with Sleep

Satan will try to put us to sleep in prayer. And he does so, most commonly, by tricking us into staying up too late the night before.

June 27, 2022 Is God Present or Absent in Hell?

Is God present in hell, as John seems to say in Revelation 14:10 — or is he absent, as Paul seems to say in 2 Thessalonians 1:9?

June 24, 2022 What’s the Center of Our Holiness?

Scripture describes the process of sanctification in many different ways. How can we weave the various strands together into one coherent picture?

June 22, 2022 God’s Love and My Sickness

Because Jesus loved Lazarus, the Gospel of John tells us, he did not come to him right away, but lingered and let him die. How is that love?

June 20, 2022 Crucial Texts for Our Hardest Battles

When temptation strikes, we need more than a vague sense of God’s goodness — we need specific promises. Pastor John shares his favorite passages for fighting sin.

June 17, 2022 Is God More Honored or Dishonored in the World?

If God aims to be glorified in this world, why is human history and the daily news filled with so much that dishonors him?

June 15, 2022 The Pervasive Problem of Loving Money

The love of money often lives where others least suspect, like in the hearts of Pharisees, miracle workers, and those who seem most moral.

June 13, 2022 How Do I ‘Wrestle’ in Prayer?

Paul speaks of wrestling in prayer, and many of us use his phrase. But what might our prayer lives actually feel like if we wrestled like the apostle?

June 10, 2022 Counsel for Wives with Harsh Husbands

“Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them,” Paul writes. But what can a wife do if she finds herself with a harsh man?

June 8, 2022 Eight Essentials for Christian Living

How does God bring us from the grace of new birth to the glory of heaven? Pastor John explains eight essentials for Christian living from 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12.

June 6, 2022 Did Jesus Tell Us to Give to Every Panhandler?

Jesus tells us to give to those who ask, but Paul warns the church against giving to the lazy. How might we apply these teachings when we meet a panhandler?

June 3, 2022 Did Jesus Disregard the Sacrificial System?

If there is no forgiveness without shed blood, how could Jesus forgive sins apart from the sacrificial system and prior to his own death?

June 1, 2022 Prayer in the Age of Global Hate

In an age of hate, Christians testify to God’s grace by praying for all kinds of people: high and low, white and black, Democrat and Republican, friend and enemy.

May 30, 2022 How Will I Find My Ministry Calling?

When God grants us a ministry, does his leading come to us through internal impulses, external affirmation, or some combination of the two?

May 27, 2022 Should We Pray for Unbelievers or for Evangelists?

Does Scripture ever command us to pray for unbelievers, or does it only command us to pray for the evangelists who speak to them?

May 25, 2022 The Easiest Step of Love

Prayer is the easiest step of love, and it is also the most powerful. God can do far more for others in response to our prayers than we could ever do on our own.

May 23, 2022 Have I Sinned If I Fall Short of Excellence at Work?

God is honored when we do our jobs with technical excellence, and he is also honored when we give ourselves to the kinds of excellence that cannot be measured.

May 20, 2022 How Do I Not Provoke My Children?

How can we require obedience of our children without provoking and discouraging them? Pastor John offers eight pitfalls for fathers.

May 18, 2022 Do Answered Prayers Depend on My Holiness?

Throughout Scripture, God warns that he will not hear the prayers of the disobedient. So do answered prayers depend on our holiness?

May 16, 2022 For Christians Whose Testimony Seems Boring

We will never plumb the depths of sin and grace merely from past experience. Only God’s word can tell us how lost and dead we were, and how found and alive we are.

May 13, 2022 Would You Have Supported Prohibition in 1913?

In the early twentieth century, many Christian leaders lent their approval to the cause of Prohibition. Would Pastor John have done the same if he lived back then?

May 11, 2022 How Greatly Am I Loved?

In Christ, God has chosen us from eternity, and called us in time, so that we would boast no longer in ourselves, but only in him and his great love.

May 9, 2022 How Do I Make Christian Hedonism My Own?

Some teachers influence us so deeply that we find ourselves imitating them without trying. So how can we move past imitation to make biblical truth our own?

May 6, 2022 Why Dead Men Must Die

Paul says we all were dead apart from Christ, but he also says we died when we were united to Christ. In what sense, then, do dead men die?

May 4, 2022 God Saves to Make Much of Himself — Doesn’t That Lessen His Love?

Nothing but God can forever satisfy hearts that are made for God. And so, in great mercy, God loves us in a way that makes much of himself.

May 2, 2022 Should Gospel Disagreements End a Friendship?

Christians can disagree over many doctrines and stay friends. But what should we do when a friend rejects a doctrine central to the gospel?

April 29, 2022 My Spouse Died Prematurely — Was It My Fault?

How might Christians process feelings of guilt over the death of a loved one? Pastor John offers counsel to a new widow struggling not to blame herself.

April 27, 2022 How God Makes Much of You

In Christ, God makes more of us than we could ever imagine. And he will go on doing so forever.

April 25, 2022 Does Faith Cause Regeneration?

Does faith bring about the new birth, or does the new birth bring about faith? Pastor John offers three reasons why getting the order right matters.

April 22, 2022 Does God Delight in Justification or Holiness?

Does God delight in his people based on Christ’s work alone, or does his delight also depend on our own holiness?

April 20, 2022 Why God Makes Much of You

When God makes much of us, he does it for his sake, not ours. And that makes his love far greater than we could have imagined.

April 18, 2022 Shame: Its Uses and Abuses

Some shame condemns and destroys, and some shame heals and restores. So how can we tell the difference between misplaced and well-placed shame?

April 15, 2022 What Are Church Traditions?

In his letters, Paul speaks not only of teachings he delivered to the churches, but also of traditions he passed on. What kind of traditions does he have in mind?

April 13, 2022 The Heart of Fake Happiness

Many nominal Christians go to church, believe God loves them, and yet are on their way to hell. So what marks the born again from those who only think they are?

April 11, 2022 Should Pro-Lifers Embrace Embryo Adoption?

In America, there are hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos, left over from in vitro fertilization. How might Christians weigh the decision to adopt one of them?

April 8, 2022 Does Romans 7 Describe a Christian?

What kind of person does Romans 7:14–25 describe? Pastor John offers nine reasons to read Paul’s description as part of the Christian experience.

April 6, 2022 What’s Lost When We Only Pray Alone?

The church of Acts often gathered together to praise God and intercede for his people. So what might we lose if we pray only by ourselves?

April 4, 2022 Should We Dramatize Jesus’s Life for Television?

God gave us a book about Jesus, not a video. So how might Christians think about dramatic portrayals of Jesus’s life in television or movies?

April 1, 2022 Do Christians Still Have Evil Desires?

If God’s wrath comes against evil desires, and not only evil behaviors, why will his wrath not come against Christians, who still battle evil desires?

March 30, 2022 How Fleeting Pleasures Sidetrack Our Love

A lack of love for other people doesn’t show that we’re trying too hard to please ourselves — it shows that we’re far too easily pleased.

March 28, 2022 I’m Too Distracted with Life to Meditate on Christ

How can we turn our attention away from regrets, dreams, and other consuming thoughts so that we can set our minds on things that are above?

March 25, 2022 On Permanent Birth Control

If two spouses agree that they do not want to have more children, would it be sinful to pursue permanent forms of birth control?

March 23, 2022 How Does God Lead Us in Daily Decisions?

How do I follow God’s lead in my daily decisions? I know he’s my shepherd, and that he’s leading me, but how do I know if I am following him?

March 21, 2022 In Our Racial Differences, How Is Christ ‘All’ and ‘in All’?

To be a Christian is not only to trust Christ and treasure Christ, but to be indwelt by Christ. And that new identity transforms all our relationships.

March 18, 2022 What Should We Make of Healing Ministries?

God still answers prayers for physical healing today. But how should Christians evaluate the claims of so-called healing ministries?

March 16, 2022 When Will Christ Heal My Body?

We know that Jesus has purchased both our forgiveness and our physical healing at the cross. But what kind of healing can we expect in this life?

March 14, 2022 All My Sins Were Canceled — So Why Continue to Confess?

If all our sins are forgiven — past, present, and future — does ongoing confession show that we doubt Christ’s finished work?

March 11, 2022 My Flesh Was Crucified — So Why Do I Still Sin?

If our sinful flesh was crucified with Christ when we first believed, why do we keep sinning like we do?

March 9, 2022 How Do I Know If My Good Deeds Are Worthless?

How do we make sure the good we do is not done in vain? Listen to Pastor John’s answer more than thirty years ago, just weeks after becoming a pastor.

March 7, 2022 If God Is Sovereign, Why Is His World Full of Suffering?

When we look around at our world of horrific suffering, how can we keep believing in an all-good, all-wise, totally sovereign God?

March 4, 2022 Is There a Place for Asceticism in the Christian Life?

Some self-denial exalts self and feeds sin, and some self-denial exalts Christ and kills sin. So how can we practice the right kind?

March 2, 2022 How Do I Handle My Disordered Desires?

Every Christian battles excessive and distorted desires. And in Christ, God gives every Christian daily forgiveness, hope, and strength to keep fighting.

February 28, 2022 How Did the Cross Disarm the Devil?

At the cross, Paul says, God “disarmed the rulers and authorities.” So what weapons are no longer in Satan’s hands?

February 25, 2022 How Can I Avoid Worldly Thinking in My Studies?

How can Christians pursue education without being taken captive by worldly thinking? Pastor John reflects on Paul’s warning against “philosophy” in Colossians 2:8.

February 23, 2022 God’s Providence in the Ministry of Crossway Books

In 1938, a small publishing ministry began distributing gospel tracts. Today, that ministry has spread millions of tracts, books, and Bibles all over the world.

February 21, 2022 How Did God Reconcile ‘All Things’ to Himself?

Paul says that God has reconciled to himself “all things” in heaven and on earth. Does that mean even unbelievers and demons will be saved in the end?

February 18, 2022 Are Divisions in the Church Necessary?

How should Christians respond to divisions in the church? Don’t make light of them, for they are tragic. And don’t make death of them, for they are predicted.

February 16, 2022 Singing Sends Lovers of Christ to the Nations

Under God, musical worship can mobilize the church to finish the Great Commission. The gladness of Godward singing sends lovers of Christ to the nations.

February 14, 2022 Can We Speak with Angels?

Scripture includes stories of angels talking with humans through dreams and visions. So should Christians expect, and even pursue, conversations with angels today?

February 11, 2022 What Does It Mean to Cry, ‘Abba, Father’?

When God puts the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, giving us a spiritual sight of his fatherly care in Christ, we can’t help but cry, “Abba! Father!”

February 9, 2022 Escaping the Love of Comfort and Safety

The freest people in this world are those most in love with the next. If our hope is safe in heaven, we can afford to take risks on earth.

February 7, 2022 Has the Gospel Already Reached the Entire World?

Colossians 1:23 says the gospel “has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” Does that mean the gospel has already reached the entire world?

February 4, 2022 Is My Salvation an Event or a Process?

If our final salvation rests on the condition that we persevere in faith, how can we know that we really will make it to heaven?

February 2, 2022 Embracing Unpopular Truth in an Age of Political Correctness

Unless we become mature in our thinking, we will regularly be blown about by the winds of subtle, clever, politically correct language.

January 31, 2022 Why Did God Make Eve from Part of Adam?

In creation, God made Adam and all the animals from the ground. So why, when God made Eve, did he take a rib from Adam’s side?

January 28, 2022 If Every Gift Comes from God, Why Thank Anyone Else?

All good gifts are from God, through God, and to God. But in his providence, those gifts often come to us through others, who rightly deserve our thanks.

January 26, 2022 The God Who Dwarfs Big Tech

Pastor John commends Tony Reinke’s new book — a panoramic, penetrating theology of technology, tethered to God’s infallible Scriptures.

January 25, 2022 Is Technology Holy or Worldly?

How can Christians live faithfully in the day of Big Tech? In ‘God, Technology, and the Christian Life,’ Tony Reinke explores God’s relationship to the innovations of our age.

January 24, 2022 Did Bathsheba Sin with David?

Does the story of David and Bathsheba suggest that Bathsheba was a willing partner in his adultery, or that David took her against her will?

January 21, 2022 I Enjoy Being Alone — Is That Unloving?

God made some Christians to enjoy spending a lot of time alone. But what makes the difference between a Christian loner and a self-centered loner?

January 19, 2022 When Life Shrinks to the Size of Our Problems

The God of the universe cares about every problem you have, no matter how small. And he wants to draw you up into purposes far greater than your problems.

January 17, 2022 How the Lottery Preys on the Poor

Pull-tabs and scratch games incentivize risky, destructive behaviors, especially among those who can least afford to play.

January 14, 2022 I Have Multiple Disabilities — How Do I Not Waste My Life?

What might it look like for a Christian with significant disabilities to live a productive, spiritually fruitful, God-glorifying life?

January 12, 2022 Should I Become a Preacher?

Should I become a preacher? Pastor John’s own road to the pastorate shows that God often makes preachers in unexpected ways.

January 10, 2022 Should I Leave an Inheritance for My Children?

If Scripture doesn’t obligate parents to leave a financial inheritance to their children, how might Christians decide what to do with their money?

January 7, 2022 Why Does God Hide Himself from Christians?

God will never leave or forsake his children. But for our lasting good, he may sometimes hide his face and allow us to walk through seasons of darkness.

January 5, 2022 Let God’s Word Dwell in You Richly This Year

When we memorize and meditate on God’s word, we create a deep, transforming connection between the Bible, our minds, and our hearts.

January 3, 2022 What Is an Idol?

The Bible describes idols as actual objects people worship, but today many use the language of “idolatry” more broadly. So what is an idol?

December 31, 2021 Is Sanctification the Pursuit of Perfection?

In our pursuit to be holy as God is holy, how do we move past our failures to obey without feeling condemned in the process?

December 29, 2021 What Desiring God Wants to Be Known For

The ministry of Desiring God is fueled by the prayers and financial gifts of God’s people. If you have been blessed by our resources in 2021, would you consider becoming a monthly partner? https://give.desiringgod.org/#monthly

December 27, 2021 End-of-Life Medical Intervention — or Not?

God may use medicine to lengthen our lives, but he will always use habits of grace, like prayer and Bible reading, to sustain our faith in suffering.

December 24, 2021 Why Is Christmas Precious to You?

We miss the miracle of what Christmas is if we forget why Christmas happened: God the Son became man — to die in our place.

December 22, 2021 History Ended at Christmas

Christmas is not just another bend in the river of redemptive history. Christmas marks the end of the river and the arrival of the ocean.

December 20, 2021 Do the Non-Elect Have a Chance to Repent?

The Bible teaches both the absolute sovereignty of God and the genuine accountability of man. And nowhere are they considered contradictory.

December 17, 2021 Is It Normal to Have a Divided Heart?

No Christian consistently longs for God, which is one reason God gives us prayers like Psalm 86:11: “Unite my heart to fear your name.”

December 15, 2021 The God Who Brings Us into Everlasting Pleasure

Those who live for joy in God now will possess joy in God forever. And until then, God pledges his protection over body and soul, through life and death.

December 13, 2021 Can We Really Give God More or Less Glory?

Christians sometimes talk about giving God “some” glory, “more” glory, or “most” glory, but are those really biblical categories?

December 10, 2021 How ‘Progressive’ Can a Christian Get?

None of us has an infallible understanding of the Bible, but at what point does open contradiction of Scripture call into question someone’s profession of faith?

December 8, 2021 God’s Plan When Our Plans Fail

God, in his grace, does not keep us from trouble and pain. But he does order and measure our trouble and pain — and then uphold us through it all.

December 6, 2021 How Can I Resist a Critical Spirit?

A love for excellence can easily grow into a hypercritical spirit. How can we resist the tendency to focus mostly on the failures of others?

December 3, 2021 John Piper’s Ministry in One Bible Text

John Piper’s ministry has been marked by rigorous attention to God’s word paired with deep delight in God’s word — a double emphasis captured in Psalm 119:97.

December 1, 2021 The God Who Turns Hearts to God

The story of Elijah on Mount Carmel shows that God rules over fire and rain, bulls and rocks — and even over every human heart.

November 29, 2021 Does Righteous Anger Kill Our Joy?

If we allow anger to come quickly and stay long, it will eventually consume love, consume gratitude, consume mercy, and consume true perceptions of reality.

November 26, 2021 How Do I Write a Personal Mission Statement?

God has reasons for everything he does — and an ultimate purpose driving it all. Personal mission statements help us align all of life with that great purpose.

November 24, 2021 The Glorious Duty of Thanksgiving

Gratitude is a duty — we ought to thank God for the grace he has given. But genuine Christian gratitude is far more than mere duty.

November 22, 2021 How Can I Serve My Disabled Friends?

Jesus healed people with deep, lifelong disabilities. So should we pray that he would heal loved ones with disabilities like Down syndrome or cerebral palsy?

November 19, 2021 Is Violent Crime Under God’s Providence?

When we don’t understand God and his ways, we can still rest here: God is always totally sovereign, and God is always infinitely good.

November 17, 2021 Only Jesus Knows the Full Force of Temptation

Jesus never lied, stole, coveted, grumbled, lusted, or sinned in any other way. And that means Jesus alone knows the full force of temptation.

November 15, 2021 Parenting Young Children Through Life’s Pains

When suffering overshadows the life of a family, how can parents help their children embrace God’s all-good, all-wise, all-governing providence?

November 12, 2021 Is Complementarity Merely Functional?

Are God’s callings for men and women merely functional and practical, or do they flow from something deeper in his design?

November 10, 2021 One Day Tolerance Will End

We live in the day of salvation, the day of patience, the day of tolerance. But when Jesus returns, that day will end forever.

November 8, 2021 On Cigarettes, Vaping, and Nicotine

Despite the warnings, cigarette smoking and other forms of nicotine use persist. How concerned should parents be about whether their teens smoke, chew, or vape?

November 3, 2021 How to Find More Joy in God

Joy in God was never meant to be a solitary pursuit. Joy sends us out to serve — and serving fills us up with joy.

November 1, 2021 Why Did God Make Me Unattractive?

Few of us feel as attractive as we would like, and some of us feel downright ugly. Why does God allow such unattractiveness in a world that prizes physical beauty?

October 29, 2021 The Church’s Calling in an Age of Recreational Pot

Fifteen states have now legalized the recreational use of marijuana. What message might God be sending to the church in an age of legal pot?

October 27, 2021 Finding a Life of Gospel Boldness

The boldest people in the world are those who can look into the face of God, in all of his holiness and power, and know that he is for them in Christ.

October 25, 2021 How Do You Find Meaning in the Bible’s Narratives?

Whether Old Testament or New Testament, stories fill the pages of Scripture. How can we begin to discover God’s meaning in the Bible’s narratives?

October 22, 2021 Is Stress Making Me More Holy or More Sinful?

Life’s pressures have a way of exposing hidden sins and introducing new temptations. So how we do know if pressure is making us more holy or more sinful?

October 20, 2021 Would I Trust Jesus More If I Had Seen Him?

Many wish they could have seen Jesus in person as he walked on the earth. But to have the four Gospels is even better than being there.

October 18, 2021 Reckoning with the Message of Job

Until we begin to grasp the infinite worth of God, and the horrific evil of sin, much of the Bible will make no sense — including a book like Job.

October 15, 2021 How Do We ‘Dwell in the Shelter of the Most High’?

Psalm 91 offers spectacular promises for the one who “dwells in the shelter of the Most High.” What does dwelling in the shelter of God mean for us today?

October 13, 2021 Five Ways Pastors Fail

Countless pastors carry out their ministries faithfully — and some abuse their position and cause many to stumble. What does God have to say to hypocritical pastors?

October 11, 2021 Are Non-Christian Marriages Valid in God’s Eyes?

God made marriage to picture the relationship of Christ and his church. Does it follow that a marriage between an unbelieving man and woman is illegitimate?

October 8, 2021 Has God Abandoned Me?

God has promised never to leave us or forsake his people. So how do we respond when it feels like he has?

October 6, 2021 Parenting Through a Family Crisis

If we’re going to parent well through family troubles, we need to know, first, that our own sin is our worst problem, and second, that Jesus’s blood covers it all.

October 4, 2021 Ingredients for a Theology of Feasting

The Bible talks a lot about feasting — far more than about fasting, in fact. So what is feasting, and how might we enjoy it in our Christian lives?

October 1, 2021 How Do We Prepare for the Second Coming?

We know from the New Testament that Jesus will return in power and glory. What can we do to prepare ourselves for that long-expected day?

September 29, 2021 You Don’t Need More Self-Love

Jesus’s command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves isn’t a call to raise our self-esteem. It’s a charge to seek others’ good in the same way we seek our own.

September 27, 2021 Should Couples Use Role-Play in the Bedroom?

When the glory of God grows dim in our eyes, bodily appetites become gods. When we lose sight of a big purpose for our lives, sexual urges become too big.

September 24, 2021 My Boyfriend Is Spiritually Lethargic — Should I Still Marry Him?

At what point should a Christian woman keep encouraging her spiritually lethargic boyfriend — and at what point should she call it off?

September 22, 2021 Does God Love Me?

When do we experience the love of God most deeply? Not when we get whatever we want, but when he does whatever it takes to satisfy us in himself.

September 20, 2021 How Do I Stop Rooting My Joy in My Circumstances?

We seem hardwired to be happiest when life goes well, and saddest when life goes poorly. How can we root our joy in Jesus instead of circumstances?

September 17, 2021 Should Rich Christians Downgrade Their Lifestyle?

Jesus and the apostles regularly warn against the dangers of wealth. So, should rich Christians take steps to downgrade their lifestyle?

September 15, 2021 Prayers That Work

Jesus promises spectacular responses to our prayers, but only if our desires are shaped by his word abiding within us.

September 13, 2021 How Do We Discern False Teachers?

The Bible repeatedly warns us against false teachers. But how can we actually identify them, especially if their ministry is mainly online?

September 11, 2021 John Piper’s 9/11 Radio Interview

On the morning after September 11, 2001, a radio station interviewed Pastor John about the day’s stunning and tragic attack. Listen to the 47-minute recording.

September 10, 2021 What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?

The New Testament never pairs the blessing of God with material prosperity in this age. So, what does it really mean to be blessed?

September 8, 2021 The Power of Your Personal Testimony

Don’t be intimidated when people far smarter than you level arguments against Jesus. Your personal testimony has power to trump the most sophisticated arguments.

September 6, 2021 How Will Love Grow Cold in the End Times?

At the end of this age, “the love of many will grow cold.” What will such coldness look like — and how can we guard ourselves against it?

September 3, 2021 Did Christ Already Return?

Does Revelation suggest that Jesus already returned when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 — and therefore that we should not wait for another coming?

September 1, 2021 We Become Like the Videos We Behold

For better or worse, we become what we behold. How should this truth affect our media consumption in the digital age?

August 30, 2021 What’s the Difference Between Sloth and Rest?

Both the sluggard and the diligent might take a nap on their day off. So, what distinguishes the laziness of the sluggard from the rest of the diligent?

August 27, 2021 God Never Runs Out

Everything in this world eventually runs out: money runs out, health runs out, pleasure runs out, time runs out. But God never runs out.

August 25, 2021 How Can I Make Daily Bible Reading Authentic?

How can we prevent Bible reading from becoming a lifeless routine? Pastor John offers three principles for authentic daily devotions.

August 23, 2021 How Can I Honor My Parents If I Don’t Respect Them?

God calls his people to show honor to everyone — but not for the same reasons, and not in the same ways.

August 20, 2021 Does Christ Rule the Nations Now?

If Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth, does he rule over the nations now? Or is he waiting to exercise his rule until his second coming?

August 18, 2021 You Don’t Know God If You Don’t Love Christ

If you want to know whether others love God, ask if they love the Jesus of Scripture. Love for Jesus is the litmus test of love for God.

August 16, 2021 Is Death Past, Present, or Future?

According to Paul, Christians have died, will die, and die every day. What do these different deaths mean, and how else does Scripture speak of our dying?

August 13, 2021 Six Dangers of Podcasts

Podcasts, including Christian podcasts, have great potential for both good and evil. Pastor John explains six dangers to beware of as you listen.

August 11, 2021 Living the Mystery of Joy in Suffering

Christians are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: sorrowful because of the ugliness and horrors of sin, and rejoicing because of the infinite worth of Jesus.

August 9, 2021 If All My Sins Are Forgiven, Why Pursue Holiness?

If Christ already paid for all our sins — past, present, and future — then why do we need to work so hard to put sin to death and grow in holiness?

August 6, 2021 Is Sex During Menstruation Sinful?

The Old Testament prohibited a husband and wife from having sex during menstruation. Is that command still in force today?

August 4, 2021 Controversy Is Essential — and Deadly

Controversy is essential — and deadly. Slowly, we can begin to care more about defending the truth than enjoying the truth.

August 2, 2021 How Do We Pray in the Spirit?

What do Paul and Jude mean when they command Christians to pray “in the Spirit” — and what would it mean to pray “out of the Spirit”?

July 30, 2021 If We Read Our Bibles, Why Do We Need Sermons?

The Bible is perfect; preachers are not. So, why listen to the sermons of fallible men when we can read God’s infallible word for ourselves?

July 28, 2021 How to Argue Like a Calvinist

John Newton cherished the doctrines of grace. And he knew that the best way to commend them was with a spirit of graciousness.

July 26, 2021 Doing Math to the Glory of God

Why learn math — especially if studying math feels agonizing? Pastor John addresses an 8-year-old boy struggling to persevere in school.

July 23, 2021 Can I Marry a Woman Half My Age?

The Bible doesn’t say how old Christians should be when they marry — or how close in age. So, can a Christian marry someone significantly younger?

July 21, 2021 The Strong Murder the Weak Every Day in America

Killing an unborn child is illegal if the mother wants the baby — but legal if she doesn’t. The rights of the weak rest in the hands of the strong.

July 19, 2021 How Much Media Is Too Much Media?

In a media-saturated age, obedience to Jesus requires intentional detachment from the patterns of the world — especially its patterns of entertainment.

July 16, 2021 Will I Suffer More If I Follow Jesus?

Those who follow Jesus may suffer more in this life than those who don’t. But from the standpoint of eternity, they will suffer infinitely less.

July 15, 2021 The Supremacy of God in Preaching: Conclusion

People are starving for the grandeur of God. Christian preachers, more than all others, should know this truth — and shape every sermon accordingly.

Episodes