Ask Pastor John
2,059 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 3.3K ratingsJohn Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.
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Episodes
Your Suffering Is Not Meaningless
February 26, 2024 11:00 - 14 minutes - 18.1 MBHow did Paul endure such unimaginable sufferings without turning from Christ? Pastor John traces three threads of the apostle’s perseverance.
Why Did God Stigmatize the Disabled?
February 22, 2024 11:00 - 12 minutes - 15.1 MBIn 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?
Enjoying God in His Gifts
February 19, 2024 11:00 - 15 minutes - 18.6 MBHow 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.
What’s the Essence of Love?
February 15, 2024 11:00 - 13 minutes - 17.4 MBHow 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.
Political Flag-Waving Isn’t Enough
February 12, 2024 11:00 - 12 minutes - 15.3 MBChristians have not only the right but the calling to speak truth to power. But such speech differs greatly from mere political flag-waving.
Does Hidden Sin Bring Physical Suffering?
February 08, 2024 11:00 - 14 minutes - 17.7 MBThe wrath of God is gone for those who are in Christ. But does God still sometimes bring physical suffering in response to unconfessed sin?
How Should I Choose a College Major?
February 05, 2024 11:00 - 13 minutes - 17.3 MBWhat 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.
Do I Have a Hard Heart?
February 01, 2024 11:00 - 11 minutes - 14.7 MBHow 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.
Was Jesus Confused by the Cross?
January 29, 2024 11:00 - 11 minutes - 14.2 MB“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?
What Would World War III Mean for Missions?
January 25, 2024 11:00 - 14 minutes - 17.7 MBWe 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?
Strategies for Building a Reverent Church
January 22, 2024 11:00 - 17 minutes - 21.1 MBIn a day starving for transcendence, how might church leaders arrange every element of the Sunday gathering to promote joyful Godward reverence?
Leading a Church out of Casual Culture
January 18, 2024 11:00 - 14 minutes - 17.8 MBHow might churches move away from casual culture toward heartfelt, happy reverence on Sunday morning? Pastor John shares five steps for preachers.
On Coffee-Sipping in the Sanctuary
January 15, 2024 11:00 - 13 minutes - 17 MBIs it wrong to drink coffee during corporate worship? Pastor John moves beyond mugs to the heart of the issue.
Should Christians Make Bucket Lists?
January 11, 2024 11:00 - 11 minutes - 15 MBFrom college grads to retirees, many people love to keep bucket lists. Should Christians? Pastor John puts rest and recreation within a biblical mindset.
How Do I Find the Main Point of a Psalm?
January 08, 2024 11:00 - 11 minutes - 14.3 MBHow can we discern the main point of not only a single verse, but an entire paragraph, section, or even chapter of the Bible?
The Good News of God’s Faithfulness to God
January 04, 2024 11:00 - 13 minutes - 17.4 MBGod’s faithfulness to God may not sound like good news. But the foundation of our hope rests on God’s zeal to display the worth of his name.
Read the Bible with Us in 2024
January 01, 2024 11:00 - 13 minutes - 16.5 MBOn the first day of a new year, Pastor John commends a yearlong Bible-reading plan and invites listeners to join him from Genesis to Revelation.
My Bible Reading Feels Flat — What Can I Do?
December 28, 2023 11:00 - 18 minutes - 22.3 MBSometimes, perhaps even often, we read Scripture with our eyes, grasp its truth in our minds, yet feel little pleasure in our hearts. What can we do in such moments?
Four Reasons Christmas Is Special
December 25, 2023 11:00 - 11 minutes - 14.9 MBChristmas is a day for marveling. Pastor John shares four earth-shaking, soul-satisfying reasons to glory in the coming of the Son of God.
Looking Back at 2023, Looking Ahead to 2024
December 21, 2023 11:00 - 13 minutes - 16.4 MBAs a new year nears, Pastor John marvels at God’s grace from 2023 and shares exciting plans for the months ahead.
Make the Bible Part of Your Everyday in 2024
December 18, 2023 11:00 - 15 minutes - 19.3 MBWhat makes regular Bible intake not only helpful for the Christian life, but crucial? Pastor John gives ten reasons to make the Bible part of your everyday.
Feast on the Bible’s Grammar
December 14, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 21.1 MBThe word “therefore” appears almost five hundred times in the New Testament. And every one of them is a doorway to life and love.
How John Piper Marks Up His Books
December 11, 2023 11:00 - 18 minutes - 22.6 MBPastor John never reads a book — even novels — without a pencil in hand. What does he do with it, and why won’t he use a pen?
Make Your Life Count: Twelve Rules for Teens
December 07, 2023 11:00 - 19 minutes - 24.2 MBHow can teens make their lives count? From dating wisely to failing well, Pastor John offers twelve rules for teenage followers of Christ.
Go to the Ant
December 04, 2023 11:00 - 12 minutes - 16.2 MBWe know God inspired the Bible, but we sometimes forget that he also spoke creation into existence. How might we begin to learn from both of God’s books?
How to Study the Bible on a Topic
November 30, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutes - 13.6 MBHow can normal Christians learn to study the Bible on a topic? Pastor John models his own approach as he prepares answers for ‘Ask Pastor John.’
Learning for Those Who Don’t Love Learning
November 27, 2023 11:00 - 14 minutes - 17.9 MBThe apostle Peter calls Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. But how might we grow in knowledge if we don’t enjoy the process of learning?
How Thanksgiving Shapes Your Life Story
November 23, 2023 11:00 - 14 minutes - 18.5 MBAt the heart of our unbelief lies not only our refusal to glorify God, but our refusal to thank him. Apart from grace, we take the gifts and ignore the Giver.
How Does Learning Deepen Joy?
November 20, 2023 11:00 - 15 minutes - 19.3 MBWhat role should emotions play in Christian education? If we take our cue from Scripture, appropriate feelings will be central, not peripheral, to all our learning.
Learning in a World Blind to God
November 16, 2023 11:00 - 14 minutes - 18.2 MBGod communicates through not just his word, but also his world. Christian learning presses deeply into the Bible, but the stars have something to say as well.
How to Lead Teens Deeper into Their Bibles
November 13, 2023 11:00 - 16 minutes - 19.9 MBHow can youth leaders lead teens deeper into their Bibles? By teaching with an eye on language, a heart for reality, and a knack for question-asking.
How Can I Return to Normal Life After Tragedy?
November 09, 2023 11:00 - 14 minutes - 18 MBSeasons of affliction, however painful or even deadening they may feel, do not last forever. God will restore the souls he has saved.
Hoping in God When Our Heroes Die
November 06, 2023 11:00 - 13 minutes - 16.7 MBGodly pastors and leaders are a tremendous gift to Christ’s church. So, how do we keep hoping in God when our spiritual heroes die?
How Can I Kill My Selfishness?
November 02, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 17.3 MBIf you want to kill your selfishness, focus on more than your selfishness. Fill your soul to overflowing with Christ.
What Do We Celebrate on Reformation Day?
October 30, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.3 MBOver five hundred years after Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, what do we celebrate on Reformation Day? Pastor John traces five of the Reformation’s greatest recoveries.
Is My Painting Hobby a Wartime Waste?
October 26, 2023 10:00 - 14 minutes - 17.4 MBWhen do our hobbies glorify God, and when do they become a wartime waste? Pastor John offers three guiding questions to ask of any hobby.
Should We Consult with Dead Ancestors?
October 23, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.9 MBWhat do the Scriptures say about communicating with dead ancestors? Pastor John explains four truths about God and the sufficiency of his revelation.
Can Pro-Life Advocates Lie to Save Lives?
October 19, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.5 MBWith so much at stake in the fight against abortion, can pro-life advocates use doctrinal falsehoods to persuade parents to keep their babies?
John Piper on ChatGPT
October 16, 2023 10:00 - 14 minutes - 17.4 MBIntelligence without affection is barren, mechanical — even artificial. Pastor John reflects on his ministry in the light of developing AI technologies.
Is It Sinful to Be Unhappy?
October 12, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.3 MBGiven Paul’s command to “rejoice always,” do we sin when we lack joy? Pastor John offers a simple answer with three crucial qualifications.
Is Joy a Choice or a Feeling?
October 09, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutes - 15.6 MBGenuine joy in God is far deeper than a choice we make. Even so, our actions can help or hinder the spontaneous experience of joy.
What Old Testament Promises Are for Me?
October 05, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.9 MBCan new-covenant Christians claim old-covenant promises? As long as we keep some key distinctions in mind, we not only can, but should.
Evidence for the Cross and Resurrection
October 02, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 16.6 MBGod has not left us without evidence for the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. But evidence alone will never open the eyes of the blind.
Does God Love Us Simply for His Glory?
September 28, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutes - 15.5 MBGod-centered theology can raise all kinds of questions about God’s love for us. Pastor John asks and answers nine of them.
If Sin’s Penalty Is Eternal, Why Isn’t Jesus Still Suffering?
September 25, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.4 MBIf the penalty for sin is eternal punishment, how could Jesus’s finite sufferings pay the price of our redemption?
Six Reasons Jesus Left Earth After Easter
September 21, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 13 MBWhy did Jesus leave earth after his resurrection? Pastor John gives six reasons for Jesus’s ascension to the Father’s right hand.
Even If Our Faith Is False, Aren’t Christians Happier People?
September 18, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.9 MBIf 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?
What Does Piper Mean by ‘Satisfied’?
September 14, 2023 10:00 - 14 minutes - 17.4 MB“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, Our Sabbath Rest at Work
September 11, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutes - 16.2 MBChrist 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?
How Can I Become a Humbler Calvinist?
September 07, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 14.3 MBThe doctrines of grace are designed to destroy human boasting. So, what can we do if we find our theology becoming a platform for pride?