Ask Pastor John

A well-cooked meal and a newborn baby fill our hearts with different delights. Pastor John explains how God’s gifts offer us a multicolored experience of joy.

How does Satan influence the world, and where do we see his work most clearly? Pastor John describes Satan’s power and limits under Christ’s victorious work.

How do we know when we’ve worked hard enough? Pastor John offers six ways to fight anxiety and rest in the grace of Christ.

In 1980, Bethlehem Baptist Church hired 34-year-old John Piper as lead pastor. Pastor John reflects on the life experience and biblical worldview that prepared him for ministry.

Modern psychology defines happiness as “self-fulfillment.” But without God, our souls will always long for greater satisfaction and joy.

Can God act as a Christian’s enemy through suffering? Pastor John explains how God’s painful providences do not conflict with his enduring love for his children.

Does suffering kill the sin within us? Pastor John argues from 1 Peter 4:1 that believers die to sin with Christ so we can live to his righteousness.

Loss can lead to despair over God’s plan for our lives. When we can’t perceive meaning in life, Pastor John counsels us to find comfort in God’s glorious purpose in Christ.

Does the Bible promise that believers will not be harmed for doing good? Pastor John explains the context of 1 Peter 3:13 and God’s sovereign wisdom in suffering.

Loving our spouses for better or worse includes loving them through their spiritual apathy. Pastor John gives ten encouragements for the weary.

When someone confronts you wrongly, should you apologize? Pastor John encourages humility and reconciliation without giving in to emotional manipulation.

Did Jesus preach the gospel before his death and resurrection? Pastor John calls us to a deeper understanding of God as Creator and King, and Jesus as Lord and Savior.

How can we witness to those who just want a quick fix? Pastor John presses home the shocking reality of eternity and the astounding love of Jesus.

Can a disabled mother model the Proverbs 31 woman? Pastor John describes the gift of a heart that hopes in God’s steadfast love.

Rigorous exposition isn’t at odds with engaging preaching. Pastor John encourages pastors to work for creativity when technical, abstract sermons feel easier.

Gathering with other Christians is a crucial way to encourage and be encouraged in Christ. But do we really need to gather every week?

Jesus endured unspeakable agony at the cross. Pastor John marvels at the force of his love sustained by expectant joy.

Is the Bible accessible only to readers with a high IQ? Pastor John reframes biblical maturity as a moral issue centered on our obedience, not our intellect.

Daily productivity requires often elusive focus and grit. Pastor John offers ten charges to live each day to the glory of God.

Did Jesus demean the Canaanite woman he called a dog? Pastor John explains how Jesus’s test revealed her great faith — and her adoption as one of God’s own.

Why should we follow Jesus when life seems easier without him? Pastor John responds to a man questioning the cost of daily obedience.

Deep suffering can drive us away from true hope and comfort. But our Father waits to gather us back to himself.

Does eternal punishment in hell bring God glory? Pastor John challenges the rejection of God’s judgment by pointing to his unmerited mercies and perfect righteousness.

Why does evangelism matter when God has chosen whom he will save? Pastor John unpacks and rejoices in our role as God’s instruments.

How can Christians avoid placing a relationship or hobby over a desire for God? Pastor John calls us to let earthly delights turn us Godward.

Are selfies a sign of the end times? Pastor John looks beyond smartphones and social media to our society’s desire for deep satisfaction.

Can past sins separate us from the love of God? Pastor John offers hope in God’s promised forgiveness for believers wrestling with crippling shame.

At Jesus’s last breath, a crowd of saints rose from their tombs in Jerusalem. Pastor John offers six reasons Matthew’s Gospel includes this event.

What’s the relationship between our good deeds and God’s reward? When he empowers us to obey him, he loves to celebrate the beauty of his grace.

How does God intend for us to deal with tragedy in the news? Pastor John offers six reasons why suffering should drive us to repentance and action.

How do we respond when an employer expects us to compromise the truth? Pastor John offers counsel for keeping an uncompromised faith in the workplace.

How can we fight anxiety through financial panic and stress? Pastor John offers five truths about God’s character to calm our hearts and minds.

How would we use our time if Christ were coming back tonight? Pastor John gives ten transforming ways to live while waiting for the second coming.

King Asa worshiped God almost all his days, but he drifted in his old age. So, how should we respond when sin corrupts good men?

Does past sexual sin ruin a future marriage? Pastor John counsels a confused young man to trust God’s redeeming love for repentant sexual sinners.

If God is sovereign, why should we pray? Pastor John encourages us to seek God with confidence in his power and plan for our lives.

How can the pastor of a growing church care for each member? Pastor John encourages shepherds to care tenderly for the flock and depend on God’s mercy.

How can we shift our prayers from rote repetition to an awareness of God’s larger purposes? Pastor John models praying Scripture back to God.

How can Christians act in obedience when they face a life-changing cost? Grace can sustain us through the painful consequences of following God.

How can we reconcile the pain we feel in this fallen world with God’s promise to keep us from all evil? Pastor John applies Psalm 121 to this life.