Ask Pastor John
2,078 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 3.3K ratingsJohn Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.
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Episodes
How Do You Find Meaning in the Bible’s Narratives?
October 25, 2021 10:00 - 17 minutesWhether 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?
Is Stress Making Me More Holy or More Sinful?
October 22, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutesLife’s pressures have a way of exposing hidden sins and introducing new temptations. So how do we know if pressure is making us more holy or more sinful?
Would I Trust Jesus More If I Had Seen Him?
October 20, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutesMany 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.
Reckoning with the Message of Job
October 18, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesUntil 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.
How Do We ‘Dwell in the Shelter of the Most High’?
October 15, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutesPsalm 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?
Five Ways Pastors Fail
October 13, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutesCountless 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?
Are Non-Christian Marriages Valid in God’s Eyes?
October 11, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesGod 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?
Has God Abandoned Me?
October 08, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesGod has promised never to leave us or forsake his people. So how do we respond when it feels like he has?
Parenting Through a Family Crisis
October 06, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesIf 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.
Ingredients for a Theology of Feasting
October 04, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesThe 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?
How Do We Prepare for the Second Coming?
October 01, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutesWe 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?
You Don’t Need More Self-Love
September 29, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesJesus’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.
Should Couples Use Role-Play in the Bedroom?
September 27, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesWhen 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.
My Boyfriend Is Spiritually Lethargic — Should I Still Marry Him?
September 24, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutesAt what point should a Christian woman keep encouraging her spiritually lethargic boyfriend — and at what point should she call it off?
Does God Love Me?
September 22, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesWhen 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.
How Do I Stop Rooting My Joy in My Circumstances?
September 20, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesWe 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?
Should Rich Christians Downgrade Their Lifestyle?
September 17, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesJesus and the apostles regularly warn against the dangers of wealth. So, should rich Christians take steps to downgrade their lifestyle?
Prayers That Work
September 15, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesJesus promises spectacular responses to our prayers, but only if our desires are shaped by his word abiding within us.
How Do We Discern False Teachers?
September 13, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutesThe Bible repeatedly warns us against false teachers. But how can we actually identify them, especially if their ministry is mainly online?
John Piper’s 9/11 Radio Interview
September 11, 2021 10:00 - 47 minutesOn 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.
What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?
September 10, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesThe New Testament never pairs the blessing of God with material prosperity in this age. So, what does it really mean to be blessed?
The Power of Your Personal Testimony
September 08, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutesDon’t be intimidated when people far smarter than you level arguments against Jesus. Your personal testimony has power to trump the most sophisticated arguments.
How Will Love Grow Cold in the End Times?
September 06, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesAt 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?
Did Christ Already Return?
September 03, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutesDoes Revelation suggest that Jesus already returned when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 — and therefore that we should not wait for another coming?
We Become Like the Videos We Behold
September 01, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutesFor better or worse, we become what we behold. How should this truth affect our media consumption in the digital age?
What’s the Difference Between Sloth and Rest?
August 30, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesBoth 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?
God Never Runs Out
August 27, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesEverything in this world eventually runs out: money runs out, health runs out, pleasure runs out, time runs out. But God never runs out.
How Can I Make Daily Bible Reading Authentic?
August 25, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutesHow can we prevent Bible reading from becoming a lifeless routine? Pastor John offers three principles for authentic daily devotions.
How Can I Honor My Parents If I Don’t Respect Them?
August 23, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesGod calls his people to show honor to everyone — but not for the same reasons, and not in the same ways.
Does Christ Rule the Nations Now?
August 20, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesIf 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?
You Don’t Know God If You Don’t Love Christ
August 18, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesIf 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.
Is Death Past, Present, or Future?
August 16, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesAccording 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?
Six Dangers of Podcasts
August 13, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesPodcasts, including Christian podcasts, have great potential for both good and evil. Pastor John explains six dangers to beware of as you listen.
Living the Mystery of Joy in Suffering
August 11, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutesChristians are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: sorrowful because of the ugliness and horrors of sin, and rejoicing because of the infinite worth of Jesus.
If All My Sins Are Forgiven, Why Pursue Holiness?
August 09, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesIf 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?
Is Sex During Menstruation Sinful?
August 06, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutesThe Old Testament prohibited a husband and wife from having sex during menstruation. Is that command still in force today?
Controversy Is Essential — and Deadly
August 04, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutesControversy is essential — and deadly. Slowly, we can begin to care more about defending the truth than enjoying the truth.
How Do We Pray in the Spirit?
August 02, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutesWhat 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”?
If We Read Our Bibles, Why Do We Need Sermons?
July 30, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesThe 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?
How to Argue Like a Calvinist
July 28, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesJohn Newton cherished the doctrines of grace. And he knew that the best way to commend them was with a spirit of graciousness.
Doing Math to the Glory of God
July 26, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesWhy learn math — especially if studying math feels agonizing? Pastor John addresses an 8-year-old boy struggling to persevere in school.
Can I Marry a Woman Half My Age?
July 23, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesThe 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?
The Strong Murder the Weak Every Day in America
July 21, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutesKilling 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.
How Much Media Is Too Much Media?
July 19, 2021 10:00 - 11 minutesIn a media-saturated age, obedience to Jesus requires intentional detachment from the patterns of the world — especially its patterns of entertainment.
Will I Suffer More If I Follow Jesus?
July 16, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesThose 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.
The Supremacy of God in Preaching: Conclusion
July 15, 2021 10:00 - 8 minutesPeople are starving for the grandeur of God. Christian preachers, more than all others, should know this truth — and shape every sermon accordingly.
Faith Won’t Survive Without Friends
July 14, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutesWe all need people who will remind us that Christ is far better than sin, and that unrepentant sin destroys. Without friends, our faith won’t survive.
Does the Bible Say I Am Unique?
July 12, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesGod made everybody, knitting each of us intricately in our mother’s womb. Does that mean we are each unique, unlike any other person God created?
Will God Really Praise Us?
July 09, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutesIf God deserves all glory and praise, what does Scripture mean when it mentions God’s glorifying and praising us?
Why Comfortable Christians Go Prayerless
July 07, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutesUntil we come awake to the great spiritual war that surrounds us, we will never truly know the privilege and power of prayer.