Ask Pastor John

Genuine joy in God is far deeper than a choice we make. Even so, our actions can help or hinder the spontaneous experience of joy.

Can new-covenant Christians claim old-covenant promises? As long as we keep some key distinctions in mind, we not only can, but should.

God has not left us without evidence for the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. But evidence alone will never open the eyes of the blind.

God-centered theology can raise all kinds of questions about God’s love for us. Pastor John asks and answers nine of them.

If the penalty for sin is eternal punishment, how could Jesus’s finite sufferings pay the price of our redemption?

Why did Jesus leave earth after his resurrection? Pastor John gives six reasons for Jesus’s ascension to the Father’s right hand.

If Christ has not been raised, Paul says, then Christians are “of all people most to be pitied.” But why should we be pitied when we live with such joy?

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” What does Pastor John mean when he talks about “satisfaction in God”?

Christ is our rest on Monday as well as Sunday. But how do we experience the peaceful rest of Jesus in the midst of our labors?

The doctrines of grace are designed to destroy human boasting. So, what can we do if we find our theology becoming a platform for pride?

At least six biblical pointers give us reason to expect some kind of work in the age to come. But whatever eternity holds, it will be a future beyond disappointment.

Rich doctrine makes the heart sing. So, where might Christians start if they want to read time-tested, soul-deepening books?

With so many demands on our time, why should we carve out precious minutes for books? Pastor John gives seven reasons he loves to read.

When life is hard and heaven seems silent, how can God’s people still feel his love? Pastor John offers six reminders for those in spiritual darkness.

How important is unconditional election for the Christian life? Pastor John offers ten reasons why Christians need this crucial doctrine.

Anyone who preaches for long will find his preaching criticized — sometimes unfairly, but often wisely. Pastor John shares ten criticisms that have shaped him.

If Jesus and his apostles promised that faithful Christians would suffer, how can comfortable disciples make sense of their experience?

The Bible rings with the language of pleasure and joy in God. But how can we explain that pleasure and joy in ways non-Christian loved ones may understand?

World evangelization would spread more quickly, it may seem, if God had chosen the wise and powerful. So, why did he choose the foolish and weak instead?

When doubts disrupt our Bible reading, how can we resist the inner skeptic? Pastor John offers six ways to fight for faith in daily devotions.