Episodes
If death belongs to the children of God, as the apostle Paul says, then death not only loses its sting, but it turns around and becomes our servant.
Published 04/04/24
On September 22, 1967, V. Raymond Edman collapsed while delivering a chapel message at Wheaton. Pastor John reflects on his college chancellor’s final words.
Published 04/01/24
Some Christians carry an ongoing sense of guilt for sins confessed long ago. What can we do with these stubborn guilt feelings?
Published 03/28/24
If God is sovereign over our suffering, then we can trust him to strengthen us in suffering, sanctify us through suffering, and ultimately save us from suffering.
Published 03/25/24
From eternity, God has been self-sufficiently happy in himself. And because he has no needs of his own, he is gloriously free to meet ours.
Published 03/21/24
If our souls are deeply satisfied in God, what room is there for petitionary prayer? Pastor John reframes the question by clarifying the nature of prayer.
Published 03/18/24
If God is sovereign over salvation, do the non-elect even have a chance to repent? Pastor John addresses Romans 9:22, your most-asked-about Bible verse.
Published 03/14/24
Some biblical truths are essential to believe for salvation — but not all. So, how much error can someone hold and still be saved?
Published 03/11/24
How can parents resist the despair that comes from feeling like failures? Pastor John offers ten words of hope for parents of prodigals.
Published 03/07/24
After ten years and two thousand episodes, Tony Reinke has distilled the best of ‘Ask Pastor John’ in a remarkable new book.
Published 03/05/24
If we obey God outwardly but feel no affection for him inwardly, is our obedience still love? Pastor John takes us to the heart beneath God-pleasing obedience.
Published 03/04/24
How do preachers guard themselves from hypocrisy? Pastor John traces double-faced preaching to its deepest root: the love of human praise.
Published 02/29/24
How did Paul endure such unimaginable sufferings without turning from Christ? Pastor John traces three threads of the apostle’s perseverance.
Published 02/26/24
In Leviticus 21, God forbids men with physical defects from participating as full priests. How do we reconcile this prohibition with Jesus’s approach to the disabled?
Published 02/22/24
How do we enjoy pizza, friendship, or any other good gift without committing idolatry? Not only by enjoying God more than his gifts, but also by enjoying him in them.
Published 02/19/24
How do Paul’s travel plans relate to the Trinitarian depths of God’s love? Pastor John shows how ultimate reality undergirds the love between the saints.
Published 02/15/24
Christians have not only the right but the calling to speak truth to power. But such speech differs greatly from mere political flag-waving.
Published 02/12/24
The wrath of God is gone for those who are in Christ. But does God still sometimes bring physical suffering in response to unconfessed sin?
Published 02/08/24
What factors should Christian students consider when choosing a college or major? Pastor John gives five guidelines for those who don’t want to waste their lives.
Published 02/05/24
How can we know if our heart is hard toward God? Pastor John diagnoses hardness of heart, and gives a remedy for remaining soft to God’s Spirit.
Published 02/01/24
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Do these haunting words from Jesus suggest he was confused by the horrors of the cross?
Published 01/29/24
We live in a time of mounting global tensions, of wars and rumors of wars. What hope do we have for the future of missions should conflict continue to build?
Published 01/25/24
In a day starving for transcendence, how might church leaders arrange every element of the Sunday gathering to promote joyful Godward reverence?
Published 01/22/24
How might churches move away from casual culture toward heartfelt, happy reverence on Sunday morning? Pastor John shares five steps for preachers.
Published 01/18/24
Is it wrong to drink coffee during corporate worship? Pastor John moves beyond mugs to the heart of the issue.
Published 01/15/24