Ask Pastor John
John Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.
Mon, April 28, 2025
‘No One Ever Hated His Own Body’ — Really?
Did Paul know about self-harm and poor body image? If he did, how could he still say that “no one ever hated his own flesh”?
Thu, April 24, 2025
Every Pinch of Pain Has Purpose
Persecution, troubles, heaviness of heart — are these different forms of God’s discipline? Pastor John traces God’s good purposes in different kinds of pain.
Mon, April 21, 2025
Will Heaven Ever Grow Boring?
We know the new heavens and new earth will be a place of perfect, endless joy. But will we really never get bored, even after millions of years?
Thu, April 17, 2025
The Cost of Being a Loner
Those who try to live the Christian life outside of community are missing something crucial. So, how might Christian loners move toward life together?
Mon, April 14, 2025
God Withholds Nothing We Need
If God has already promised not to withhold anything good from us, then does asking him for more imply that yesterday’s good wasn’t good enough?
Thu, April 10, 2025
How Can I Grow in Humility as I Grow in Knowledge?
If knowledge puffs up, will formal Bible education make us proud? Pastor John points out pride’s craftiness and offers five weapons of humility.
Mon, April 07, 2025
How to Become the Mother of Jesus
What does the Bible say about Mary, Jesus’s mother? What is Mary’s true legacy for Christians today?
Thu, April 03, 2025
Distinguishing Shame from Guilt
What is the difference between guilt and shame? And when do true feelings of guilt or shame become false feelings that reject God’s grace?
Mon, March 31, 2025
What Jordan Peterson Gets Wrong About Happiness
Is the purpose of life to find meaning? Pastor John responds to Jordan Peterson’s claim that happiness cannot be our goal.
Thu, March 27, 2025
Does God Withdraw His Presence from Me?
God promises never to leave us nor forsake us, but sometimes the Bible says he withdraws his presence from us. How can those both be true?
Mon, March 24, 2025
Seven Promises That Have Kept John Piper
How can our faith turn from nominal to authentic? Pastor John reflects on God’s power to establish and sustain belief through his promises.
Thu, March 20, 2025
Help Me Live a Genuine Life
When God commands a godly life of genuine affections, how do we obey? John Piper draws our attention to the transforming mercies of God.
Mon, March 17, 2025
How Did Jesus Freely Live a Scripted Life?
As Jesus headed toward the cross, he knew he was fulfilling the script that was written for him. So, how did he authentically choose a death already decided?
Thu, March 13, 2025
How Much of Christianity Remains a Secret?
How much of the Christian faith has already been revealed to us now, and how much of it remains a secret that we won’t understand until we get to heaven?
Mon, March 10, 2025
If No One Seeks God, How Is Anyone Saved?
If sinners cannot seek God, how does anyone receive salvation? Pastor John shows that God must give his power and grace precisely because we cannot seek him on our own.
Thu, March 06, 2025
Are Christians Happier Than Non-Christians in This Life?
Why are Christians most to be pitied if there’s no resurrection? Don’t we still experience more joy than non-Christians? Pastor John gives four responses.
Mon, March 03, 2025
I Never Felt Like God’s Enemy — Was I?
If we have no memory of hating or opposing God before he saved us, then how should we understand the Bible’s claim that we were his enemy?
Thu, February 27, 2025
Advice for Reading Romans After Decades of Experience
Why does Pastor John believe Romans is the greatest letter ever written? And how would he encourage Christians to benefit from this monumental book?
Mon, February 24, 2025
Should I Use AI to Help Me Write Sermons?
Should pastors and ministry leaders use artificial intelligence as a tool to write their sermons and newsletters? If so, how? If not, why not?
Thu, February 20, 2025
Every Good Sermon Has Application
How much life application should pastors offer in their sermons? Pastor John commends interweaving exposition and application throughout each sermon.
Mon, February 17, 2025
What Makes Someone Spiritually Dirty?
When Jesus taught that impurity comes from within, was he departing from the Old Testament? Pastor John considers purity across the covenants.
Thu, February 13, 2025
Why Does the Bible Say Baptism Saves Us?
If God justifies by faith apart from works, then why do some passages seem to suggest that forgiveness comes through the act of baptism?
Mon, February 10, 2025
Living with Gospel-Sized Ambition
Acts 20:24 has encouraged and challenged Christians throughout the centuries. How, in particular, has it shaped the life and ministry of John Piper?
Thu, February 06, 2025
Why Is Witchcraft Handled So Differently Across Scripture?
In the Old Testament, witchcraft is met with capital punishment — but now in the New. Why does God handle this sin differently across redemptive history?
Mon, February 03, 2025
Is There Good Magic and Edifying Sorcery?
Do the signs and wonders in Scripture justify using righteous magic in fiction? Pastor John helps us discern the kinds of stories that serve our sight of Reality.
Thu, January 30, 2025
How Do I Become Happy in God?
Sometimes, the story of another Christian’s joy in God serves to kindle our own. Pastor John takes us to a remarkable moment in the life of Hudson Taylor.
Mon, January 27, 2025
If God Pastors Me, Why Do I Need Pastors?
God could have designed the world so that all the help we need comes from him directly. Instead, he often ministers to us indirectly through other people. Why?
Thu, January 23, 2025
How Do I Apply Bible Stories to My Life?
How can we begin to grasp the meaning of biblical narratives and their application to life? Pastor John offers an example from the story of Joseph.
Mon, January 20, 2025
One Believer Dies, Another Lives: On Reading Providence
In Acts 12, God allows Herod to kill James, but he thwarts the king’s plan to kill Peter. What might this chapter teach us about God’s providence?
Thu, January 16, 2025
The Pleasure That Defeats Pornography
How does a promise about the future help us fight for purity today? Pastor John unpacks the power of the greatest pleasure purchased at the greatest price.
Mon, January 13, 2025
Does God Believe in Atheists?
People for millennia have said, in one way or another, “There is no God.” Pastor John describes five ways we suppress the knowledge of God’s existence.
Thu, January 09, 2025
Is Heaven a Real Place Right Now?
Is heaven a physical place that exists right now? As Pastor John answers, he encourages us to focus mainly on the relational, not the spatial, aspect of heaven.
Mon, January 06, 2025
Why Pray for Protection When Suffering Keeps Coming?
Even when our prayers for protection feel pointless, they are not. God is our good and sovereign Father, and it is never pointless to ask him for what we need.
Thu, January 02, 2025
The Spiritual Battles in Your Bible Reading
As we begin a new year of Bible reading, what obstacles can we expect to meet along the way — and what benefits will keep us reading day by day?
Mon, December 30, 2024
‘A Man at Church Thinks We Should Marry — I Disagree’
If someone is convinced that he knows God’s will for us, yet we disagree, what can we do? Pastor John offers five ways forward.
Sat, December 28, 2024
Your Bible-Reading Feedback, and How to Help Us in 2025
Hear John Piper’s invitation to partner with us. A $10 monthly gift enables us to reach 70 more people with God-centered resources. https://dsr.gd/3AYGuj2
Thu, December 26, 2024
Am I Overusing Bible Commentaries?
God gives the church teachers, including Bible commentators, to help us understand his word. But how can we tell if we’re relying on commentaries too much?
Mon, December 23, 2024
Does Christmas Bring Peace or War?
At Christmas, Jesus came to bring God-exalting happiness through peace with God — and merciful warfare against everything that destroys such happiness.
Thu, December 19, 2024
The God over Geopolitics
In his infinite wisdom, righteousness, and power, God designs even the deeds of evil kings for the good of his people and the glory of his name.
Mon, December 16, 2024
How Does God Deliver Me from Pain by Pain?
Sometimes God delivers us from affliction through affliction. But what kinds of affliction does he use — and how can we know when he does so?
Thu, December 12, 2024
Every Gift Points Us to Christ
How can we know that we love God more than his gifts, especially during the Christmas season? Pastor John unlocks the answer with two keys.
Mon, December 09, 2024
Will I Suffer My Singleness Forever?
Single Christians may be tempted to despair over missing the experience of marital love. But God himself will see to it that our joy is eternally full in Christ.
Thu, December 05, 2024
On Creepy, Darker Media
Since the Bible calls Christians children of light, should darkness and violence have any place in the stories we create?
Mon, December 02, 2024
On So-Called ‘Gender Pronoun Hospitality’
Should Christians show so-called “gender pronoun hospitality”? Pastor John shares practical ways to speak the truth in love with those confused about their sexuality.
Thu, November 28, 2024
Christian Thankfulness: What It Is (and Isn’t)
What is Christian thankfulness? Pastor John commends the power of a heart filled with gratitude to the Giver of every good gift.
Mon, November 25, 2024
‘Help, I’m Struggling to Believe Anything Is True’
When we continually struggle with doubts and unbelief, how can we know what is true? How can we believe that truth even exists?
Thu, November 21, 2024
Will We See God in Eternity?
Will we be able to see God when we get to heaven? If so, how does that fit with Scripture passages that say no one can see God?
Mon, November 18, 2024
What’s True and False in Job?
How do we discern what’s true and what’s false in Job? Pastor John provides a grid for the entire book to help us interpret it accurately.
Thu, November 14, 2024
Can a Church Require Tithing?
Should church leaders require Christians to tithe since God commanded tithing in the Old Testament? Pastor John commends a better approach.
Mon, November 11, 2024
Can We Know Truth with Complete Certainty?
Arguments, logic, and careful analysis may give us 99 percent certainty for some doctrine or truth claim. But what about the remaining 1 percent?
Thu, November 07, 2024
Ministry After God Takes a Beloved Wife
Why did God take the life of Ezekiel’s wife and then command Ezekiel not to mourn? Pastor John considers the perplexing yet merciful ways of God.
Mon, November 04, 2024
I Want God’s Wrath on My Enemy
How can we love our enemies when they treat us horrifically? Pastor John appeals to six biblical realities to help us face unimaginable darkness.
Thu, October 31, 2024
How Not to Respond to Suffering
“Curse God and die.” Why does the author of Job relate the apparent despair of Job’s wife? What purpose does she play in the message of the book?
Mon, October 28, 2024
Perfectionism Makes Me Indecisive — What Can I Do?
How can perfectionists make decisions without getting paralyzed by fear? Pastor John shares seven encouragements for those who feel stuck.
Thu, October 24, 2024
When Are Good Grades Good Enough?
How much should we sacrifice in order to do excellent work? Pastor John encourages perfectionists to find wisdom from a strong, spiritually mature community.
Mon, October 21, 2024
What Future Judgment Will Christians Face?
If Christians are no longer under wrath, why does Paul say that we will stand before God’s judgment seat? Pastor John clarifies the Christian’s future judgment.
Thu, October 17, 2024
How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?
How much money should we set aside for retirement? Pastor John commends three biblical principles to apply in our various contexts.
Mon, October 14, 2024
How God Guards You
Does God ultimately sustain our faith, or do we? Pastor John unfolds 1 Peter 1:4–5 to show how God guards us to the end.
Thu, October 10, 2024
Does Free Will Exist?
Do humans have free will — and if so, what is it? Pastor John considers the depravity of the human heart and the sovereign grace that saves us.
Mon, October 07, 2024
Do Christian Hedonists Deny Self-Denial?
Does God’s command to deny ourselves contradict Christian Hedonism? Pastor John clarifies the God-centered, pleasure-seeking aim of all Christian self-denial.
Thu, October 03, 2024
Joy’s Triumph over Spiritual Sloth
How does zeal for God relate to joy in God? With help from Jonathan Edwards, Pastor John traces the crucial connection in four steps.
Mon, September 30, 2024
Overcoming Spiritual Laziness
How do we overcome half-hearted spiritual laziness? Pastor John appeals to the apostle Paul and Jonathan Edwards to commend a life totally devoted to Christ.
Thu, September 26, 2024
Rome’s Seven Deadly Errors
The Roman Catholic Church teaches numerous unbiblical doctrines. So, can devout Catholics be genuinely saved?
Wed, September 25, 2024
Celebrate the Reformation with Us This October
Luther didn’t stand alone 500 years ago. Nor does he stand alone today. We’ve created a 31-day journey to introduce you to the many heroes of the Reformation. Join us at desiringGod.org/stand.
Mon, September 23, 2024
The Busy Soul Learning to Wait for God
How can active, impatient doers learn to wait on God? Pastor John describes spiritual waiting — and shows how we can answer such a question for ourselves.
Thu, September 19, 2024
DG’s Slogan, Coined 36 Years Ago Today
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” How did John Piper craft this memorable motto? Tony Reinke tells the story.
Thu, September 19, 2024
American Church, Is Your Christ Too Cheap?
Why do so many American Christians bear the marks of worldliness? Too often in our churches, Christ is too cheap, heaven is too distant, and earth is too big.
Mon, September 16, 2024
Why Do I Exist?
Why do you exist? Why does anything exist? Pastor John shows from Isaiah 43:1–7 that God created his people to glorify him by enjoying him.
Thu, September 12, 2024
Will God Forgive My Worst Sin?
Will God forgive my very worst sin? Pastor John shares seven powerful encouragements for those paralyzed with guilt.
Mon, September 09, 2024
The Pitfalls of Being a Thinker
Thinking is indispensable — but thinking is also dangerous. How can we use our minds to glorify God rather than puffing up ourselves?
Thu, September 05, 2024
On Hoarding
How can we help those struggling with hoarding? Pastor John shares five underlying factors and five practical suggestions for those who seem stuck.
Mon, September 02, 2024
How to Find the Meaning of a Bible Verse
How do we make sense of Bible passages that we don’t understand? Pastor John demonstrates how to patiently interpret Scripture with Scripture.
Thu, August 29, 2024
What Is ‘White-Hot Worship’?
Though our response to God often feels frustratingly inadequate, he is worthy of all our heart, soul, and mind. He is worthy of “white-hot worship.”
Mon, August 26, 2024
Did My Negligence Kill My Baby?
What comfort does God give to those who feel responsible for tragic loss? Pastor John offers eight words of hope to a brokenhearted mom.
Thu, August 22, 2024
Defining Success in My 9-to-5 Job
What does it mean to “work heartily, as for the Lord” in our 9-to-5 jobs? Pastor John considers five qualities of faithful work from Paul’s words in Colossians 3.
Mon, August 19, 2024
Your Holy Deeds Are Not Filthy Rags
In Christ, the righteous deeds you do by faith are emphatically not “filthy rags.” Pastor John corrects a common and profound misunderstanding.
Thu, August 15, 2024
Are Motorcycles for Fools?
If God is sovereign over life and death, does it matter what risks we take? Pastor John considers the place of precautions beneath God’s providence.
Mon, August 12, 2024
Should We Ever Speak Directly to the Devil?
Scripture gives us a category for addressing the devil, but our normal way of defeating him is by trusting the promises of God and killing our own sin.
Thu, August 08, 2024
Seven Encouragements for Parents of Prodigals
How can we not lose heart over children who wander from Christ? Pastor John opens the parable of the prodigal son to offer encouragement after encouragement.
Mon, August 05, 2024
Can We Pray for God to Teach Someone a Lesson?
Can Christians ask God to teach the unrepentant hard lessons? Pastor John helps us pray against others’ sins without presuming to be God.
Thu, August 01, 2024
Should My Construction Company Help Build a Casino?
Should a Christian construction worker help to build a casino — or any other building that facilitates sin? Pastor John offers principles for the Christian conscience.
Mon, July 29, 2024
When Love Wanes, the Marriage Covenant Remains
Staying married is not first about staying in love. It’s about keeping a covenant that reflects Jesus’s own faithfulness to his bride, the church.
Thu, July 25, 2024
Can a Single Pastor Date in His Church?
Where should an unmarried pastor look for a wife? Pastor John encourages single men in ministry to take practical steps while trusting God’s providence.
Mon, July 22, 2024
What Makes a True Friend?
What makes for a true friend, according to God’s word? Pastor John sketches the nature and importance of friendship across the Scriptures.
Thu, July 18, 2024
God Is Eager to Work for You
God looks throughout the earth, eager to work for those whose hearts are whole toward him. Pastor John unfolds glory from a favorite verse.
Mon, July 15, 2024
Will God Judge People for Being Born Muslim?
Will God condemn someone for being born into another religion? Pastor John responds to a former Muslim deeply worried about her loved ones.
Thu, July 11, 2024
On Repetitive Worship Songs
“For his steadfast love endures forever” appears 26 times in Psalm 136. What might we learn from this psalm about the right kind of repetition in worship?
Mon, July 08, 2024
Let the Bible Smash Your Bad Theology
If you want more of your thoughts to become captive to Christ, open the Bible and pray, “Anything in my thinking that needs to be destroyed, destroy it.”
Thu, July 04, 2024
The Good Grace of Being American
American citizens enjoy lavish blessings of common grace. Pastor John calls us to give thanks without giving away our far deeper allegiance to God’s special grace.
Mon, July 01, 2024
Is My Joy Commanded or Spontaneous?
If joy in God is a gift from God, why does he also command us to rejoice? Pastor John takes us into a paradox that lies at the heart of the God-glorifying life.
Thu, June 27, 2024
The Next Generation of Missionaries
The local church’s task of sending and sustaining long-term missionaries rests on several deep biblical assumptions. Pastor John shares five.
Mon, June 24, 2024
How Your Heart Governs Your Mind
At the root of our sin is not a mind ignorant of God’s ways, but a darkened love, a hardened heart, and a will bent away from God’s ways.
Thu, June 20, 2024
Resurrection Power for Our Pain
In this fallen age, resurrection power does not keep us from pain. Instead, it brings life to others as we keep loving Jesus in our pain.
Mon, June 17, 2024
The Emotional Roller Coaster of Bible Reading
Bible reading can bring comfort, but Bible reading can also bring fear. How can we rightly embrace both the comfort of God’s promises and the fear of his warnings?
Thu, June 13, 2024
Taste Test Your Way to God’s Will
Paul says that the renewed mind discerns God’s good will “by testing.” What does that testing look like in the thousands of everyday decisions we make?
Mon, June 10, 2024
God’s Purpose in Our Boredom
Our boredom in this world is meant to point us to another world — a world where the infinitely interesting God will banish boredom forever.
Thu, June 06, 2024
How Can I Convince Comfortable People to Embrace Christ?
No matter how comfortable our friends and neighbors may seem, they are headed for hell unless they repent. So, what words might break through their comfort?
Mon, June 03, 2024
Satan, the ‘Prince of the Air’ — What Does That Mean?
Why does Paul call Satan “the prince of the power of the air”? Pastor John explores the extent of Satan’s authority and Christ’s decisive victory.
Thu, May 30, 2024
If I’m Not Elect, How Am I Guilty for Not Believing?
If God has not chosen to save me, then why would he condemn me for not believing? Pastor John explains the kind of inability that does not remove responsibility.
Mon, May 27, 2024
What Shia LaBeouf Gets Wrong About Joy
Is Shia LaBeouf right to say that Jesus experienced “maximum joy” as he died? Pastor John considers the joy set before Christ and the horrors of the cross.
Thu, May 23, 2024
Killing Lust with the Cross of Christ
“Cross,” “nails,” “spear,” and “thorns” are words that evoke images in our minds — images with tremendous power to dispel lustful thoughts.
Mon, May 20, 2024
Ten Questions for Readers of Erotica
How should Christians think about sexually explicit material on the page rather than the screen? Pastor John offers ten questions for readers of erotica.
Thu, May 16, 2024
Warning Our Children of Rebellion
Parents have the God-given duty to warn their children not to rebel against Christ, and some of the most powerful warnings come from stories of failed rebellions.
Mon, May 13, 2024
Mom’s Role in Raising Boys
How can a mom raise boys to become strong and godly men? Pastor John offers counsel for training up the next generation.
Thu, May 09, 2024
The Prayer You Don’t Want Answered
Sometimes, God responds to our sinful requests with a merciful no. But other times, he gives what we ask, brings misery with it, and then amazingly works good through it.
Mon, May 06, 2024
How Can I Grow in Expressing Affection?
How can Christians grow in expressing their deepest affections for God and others? Pastor John offers eight pieces of counsel for those who struggle to speak.
Thu, May 02, 2024
Why Does God Allow Satan to Block the Gospel?
God could destroy Satan at any moment. So, why has God allowed Satan to blind the minds of unbelievers from seeing the glory of Christ?
Mon, April 29, 2024
Are Parents to Blame for Prodigals?
Does Proverbs 22:6 promise that children raised by godly parents will become Christians? Pastor John explains the proverb and points parents to their ultimate hope.
Thu, April 25, 2024
How to Write a Good Sentence
What makes a good sentence? Good sentences are true, clear, authentic, thoughtful, creative, well-timed, clean, loving, and glorifying to God.
Mon, April 22, 2024
A Daily Morning Exercise
How can we walk through this world of sin, suffering, and futility with strength and joy? Psalm 90:14 holds the key.
Thu, April 18, 2024
Am I Confident or Arrogant?
In a society steeped in self-worth and self-esteem, how can Christians aim for significance in a way that glorifies Christ?
Mon, April 15, 2024
Should the Church ‘Bless’ Same-Sex Relationships?
Should churches be willing to somehow “bless” same-sex relationships? Pastor John responds to Pope Francis’s concerning proposal.
Thu, April 11, 2024
How Can I Glorify God as I Pray for Myself?
God does everything he does for his glory, including answering our prayers. So, how can we align all our requests with this big, overarching purpose?
Mon, April 08, 2024
Am I Abusing Caffeine?
How can we tell if we’re abusing caffeine (or any food or drink)? Pastor John offers three questions to guide a Christian’s consumption.
Thu, April 04, 2024
‘Death Is Yours’ — What Does Paul Mean?
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.
Mon, April 01, 2024
The Man Who Died in the Pulpit
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.
Thu, March 28, 2024
How Do I Forget My Sinful Past?
Some Christians carry an ongoing sense of guilt for sins confessed long ago. What can we do with these stubborn guilt feelings?
Mon, March 25, 2024
God Delivers from the Suffering He Ordains
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.
Thu, March 21, 2024
The Gift of God’s God-Centeredness
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.
Mon, March 18, 2024
Should Confidence in Sovereignty Make Me Prayerless?
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.
Thu, March 14, 2024
Your Most-Asked-About Bible Verse
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.
Mon, March 11, 2024
How Much Error Can I Believe and Still Be Saved?
Some biblical truths are essential to believe for salvation — but not all. So, how much error can someone hold and still be saved?
Thu, March 07, 2024
Is My Child Transgender Because of Me?
How can parents resist the despair that comes from feeling like failures? Pastor John offers ten words of hope for parents of prodigals.
Tue, March 05, 2024
The ‘Ask Pastor John’ Book Is Here
After ten years and two thousand episodes, Tony Reinke has distilled the best of ‘Ask Pastor John’ in a remarkable new book.
Mon, March 04, 2024
Is Obedience Without Affection Still Love?
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.
Thu, February 29, 2024
How Preachers Grow Graceless
How do preachers guard themselves from hypocrisy? Pastor John traces double-faced preaching to its deepest root: the love of human praise.
Mon, February 26, 2024
Your Suffering Is Not Meaningless
How did Paul endure such unimaginable sufferings without turning from Christ? Pastor John traces three threads of the apostle’s perseverance.
Thu, February 22, 2024
Why Did God Stigmatize the Disabled?
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?
Mon, February 19, 2024
Enjoying God in His Gifts
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.
Thu, February 15, 2024
What’s the Essence of Love?
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.
Mon, February 12, 2024
Political Flag-Waving Isn’t Enough
Christians have not only the right but the calling to speak truth to power. But such speech differs greatly from mere political flag-waving.
Thu, February 08, 2024
Does Hidden Sin Bring Physical Suffering?
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?
Mon, February 05, 2024
How Should I Choose a College Major?
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.
Thu, February 01, 2024
Do I Have a Hard Heart?
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.
Mon, January 29, 2024
Was Jesus Confused by the Cross?
“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?
Thu, January 25, 2024
What Would World War III Mean for Missions?
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?
Mon, January 22, 2024
Strategies for Building a Reverent Church
In a day starving for transcendence, how might church leaders arrange every element of the Sunday gathering to promote joyful Godward reverence?
Thu, January 18, 2024
Leading a Church out of Casual Culture
How might churches move away from casual culture toward heartfelt, happy reverence on Sunday morning? Pastor John shares five steps for preachers.
Mon, January 15, 2024
On Coffee-Sipping in the Sanctuary
Is it wrong to drink coffee during corporate worship? Pastor John moves beyond mugs to the heart of the issue.
Thu, January 11, 2024
Should Christians Make Bucket Lists?
From college grads to retirees, many people love to keep bucket lists. Should Christians? Pastor John puts rest and recreation within a biblical mindset.
Mon, January 08, 2024
How Do I Find the Main Point of a Psalm?
How can we discern the main point of not only a single verse, but an entire paragraph, section, or even chapter of the Bible?
Thu, January 04, 2024
The Good News of God’s Faithfulness to God
God’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.
Mon, January 01, 2024
Read the Bible with Us in 2024
On 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.
Fri, December 29, 2023
Appeal from John Piper
Your prayers and financial support help us bring more people into the fullest enjoyment of the greatest treasure ever found. For every $10 per month you give, we can reach 70 more people with God-centered resources. Would you join us as a monthly partner? https://dsr.gd/Give
Thu, December 28, 2023
My Bible Reading Feels Flat — What Can I Do?
Sometimes, 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?
Mon, December 25, 2023
Four Reasons Christmas Is Special
Christmas is a day for marveling. Pastor John shares four earth-shaking, soul-satisfying reasons to glory in the coming of the Son of God.
Thu, December 21, 2023
Looking Back at 2023, Looking Ahead to 2024
As a new year nears, Pastor John marvels at God’s grace from 2023 and shares exciting plans for the months ahead.
Mon, December 18, 2023
Make the Bible Part of Your Everyday in 2024
What 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.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Feast on the Bible’s Grammar
The word “therefore” appears almost five hundred times in the New Testament. And every one of them is a doorway to life and love.
Mon, December 11, 2023
How John Piper Marks Up His Books
Pastor 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?
Thu, December 07, 2023
Make Your Life Count: Twelve Rules for Teens
How can teens make their lives count? From dating wisely to failing well, Pastor John offers twelve rules for teenage followers of Christ.
Mon, December 04, 2023
Go to the Ant
We 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?
Thu, November 30, 2023
How to Study the Bible on a Topic
How 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.’
Mon, November 27, 2023
Learning for Those Who Don’t Love Learning
The 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?
Thu, November 23, 2023
How Thanksgiving Shapes Your Life Story
At 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.
Mon, November 20, 2023
How Does Learning Deepen Joy?
What 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.
Thu, November 16, 2023
Learning in a World Blind to God
God 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.
Mon, November 13, 2023
How to Lead Teens Deeper into Their Bibles
How 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.
Thu, November 09, 2023
How Can I Return to Normal Life After Tragedy?
Seasons of affliction, however painful or even deadening they may feel, do not last forever. God will restore the souls he has saved.
Mon, November 06, 2023
Hoping in God When Our Heroes Die
Godly pastors and leaders are a tremendous gift to Christ’s church. So, how do we keep hoping in God when our spiritual heroes die?
Thu, November 02, 2023
How Can I Kill My Selfishness?
If you want to kill your selfishness, focus on more than your selfishness. Fill your soul to overflowing with Christ.
Mon, October 30, 2023
What Do We Celebrate on Reformation Day?
Over 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.
Thu, October 26, 2023
Is My Painting Hobby a Wartime Waste?
When do our hobbies glorify God, and when do they become a wartime waste? Pastor John offers three guiding questions to ask of any hobby.
Mon, October 23, 2023
Should We Consult with Dead Ancestors?
What do the Scriptures say about communicating with dead ancestors? Pastor John explains four truths about God and the sufficiency of his revelation.
Thu, October 19, 2023
Can Pro-Life Advocates Lie to Save Lives?
With so much at stake in the fight against abortion, can pro-life advocates use doctrinal falsehoods to persuade parents to keep their babies?
Mon, October 16, 2023
John Piper on ChatGPT
Intelligence without affection is barren, mechanical — even artificial. Pastor John reflects on his ministry in the light of developing AI technologies.
Thu, October 12, 2023
Is It Sinful to Be Unhappy?
Given Paul’s command to “rejoice always,” do we sin when we lack joy? Pastor John offers a simple answer with three crucial qualifications.
Mon, October 09, 2023
Is Joy a Choice or a Feeling?
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.
Thu, October 05, 2023
What Old Testament Promises Are for Me?
Can new-covenant Christians claim old-covenant promises? As long as we keep some key distinctions in mind, we not only can, but should.
Mon, October 02, 2023
Evidence for the Cross and Resurrection
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.
Thu, September 28, 2023
Does God Love Us Simply for His Glory?
God-centered theology can raise all kinds of questions about God’s love for us. Pastor John asks and answers nine of them.
Mon, September 25, 2023
If Sin’s Penalty Is Eternal, Why Isn’t Jesus Still Suffering?
If the penalty for sin is eternal punishment, how could Jesus’s finite sufferings pay the price of our redemption?
Thu, September 21, 2023
Six Reasons Jesus Left Earth After Easter
Why did Jesus leave earth after his resurrection? Pastor John gives six reasons for Jesus’s ascension to the Father’s right hand.
Mon, September 18, 2023
Even If Our Faith Is False, Aren’t Christians Happier People?
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?
Thu, September 14, 2023
What Does Piper Mean by ‘Satisfied’?
“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”?
Mon, September 11, 2023
Christ, Our Sabbath Rest at Work
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?
Thu, September 07, 2023
How Can I Become a Humbler Calvinist?
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?
Mon, September 04, 2023
Will We Work in Eternity?
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.
Thu, August 31, 2023
Ten Authors for Your Soul
Rich doctrine makes the heart sing. So, where might Christians start if they want to read time-tested, soul-deepening books?
Mon, August 28, 2023
Why John Piper Reads 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.
Thu, August 24, 2023
I Don’t Feel God’s Love — What Can I Do?
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.
Mon, August 21, 2023
Ten Reasons You Need Unconditional Election
How important is unconditional election for the Christian life? Pastor John offers ten reasons why Christians need this crucial doctrine.
Thu, August 17, 2023
Ten Criticisms of John Piper’s Preaching
Anyone who preaches for long will find his preaching criticized — sometimes unfairly, but often wisely. Pastor John shares ten criticisms that have shaped him.
Mon, August 14, 2023
Do Christians Really Suffer in America?
If Jesus and his apostles promised that faithful Christians would suffer, how can comfortable disciples make sense of their experience?
Thu, August 10, 2023
How Can I Explain Christian Joy to Unbelievers?
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?
Mon, August 07, 2023
Why Does God Choose the Foolish?
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?
Thu, August 03, 2023
Resisting the Inner Skeptic in Our Bible Reading
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.
Mon, July 31, 2023
Can I Still Have Joy in Seasons of Doubt?
Seasons of doubt may afflict our minds and shake our hearts, but they need not take our joy. Beneath the waves of doubt, joy’s deep waters can still remain calm.
Thu, July 27, 2023
How Does God’s Joy Become My Joy?
The New Testament seems to connect the person of the Holy Spirit with the joy we experience as believers. But how do the two relate to each other?
Mon, July 24, 2023
Fifty Years of Theological Battles
If you want to prepare for the unknown controversies of tomorrow, know your Bible deeply, thoroughly, confidently, joyfully.
Thu, July 20, 2023
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual?
Some Christians identify spirituality with gifts like speaking in tongues and healing. Does that view match the Bible’s own description of truly spiritual people?
Mon, July 17, 2023
How Are We Being Saved Right Now?
If we are in Christ, then God has saved us from our sins in the past, and he will save us from his wrath in the future. But in what sense is he saving us right now?
Thu, July 13, 2023
How Can I Encourage Without Flattering?
How can we celebrate the good we see without succumbing to flattery? Pastor John traces a key distinction between godly and ungodly praise.
Mon, July 10, 2023
What Do We Give to God?
God is self-existent and self-sufficient, far beyond any need or lack. So, what can we give to God when we gather for corporate worship?
Thu, July 06, 2023
What Does It Mean to Serve God?
The command to “serve the Lord” appears all through Scripture — but Scripture also assures us that God has no needs. So, how do we serve an all-sufficient God?
Mon, July 03, 2023
Learning to Forgive Family
For some, forgiving family from the heart may be one of the hardest steps of obedience. Pastor John offers five ways forward when forgiveness feels impossible.
Thu, June 29, 2023
On Sibling Rivalries
Sibling rivalries have fractured families since Cain and Abel. So, how does God work redemptively between siblings, and how might parents do their part to promote peace?
Mon, June 26, 2023
Manhood and Womanhood in Parachurch Ministry
Increasingly, parachurch ministries are allowing women to occupy positions of spiritual authority once reserved for men. Do they have biblical warrant to do so?
Thu, June 22, 2023
What Will We Remember in the New Creation?
In Isaiah, God promises that “the former things shall not be remembered” in the new creation. Will we really have no memory of this age in the age to come?
Mon, June 19, 2023
Better Than Scrolling Your Phone in the Morning
Why do so many of us reach instinctively for our phones in the morning? Pastor John identifies six temptations and points to a better way to begin our day.
Thu, June 15, 2023
Dangers in Exposing Cultural Sins
How can a preacher faithfully call out a culture’s sins while still sounding the dominant note of amazement at the glories of God in Christ?
Mon, June 12, 2023
The Sick Love of Controversy
How can we recognize what Paul calls “an unhealthy craving for controversy” in ourselves and others? Pastor John identifies six traits of a controversy-loving spirit.
Thu, June 08, 2023
How Much Should Pastors Make?
“The laborer deserves his wages” — including those who labor in preaching and teaching. But how might a church decide what a pastor’s wages should be?
Mon, June 05, 2023
Can Single Men Pastor?
In Paul’s elder qualifications, he seems to assume that pastors will be married. So how should churches assess the qualification of a single man who wants to pastor?
Thu, June 01, 2023
Why Do We Pray for Our President?
Why does Paul call Christians to pray for kings and other political rulers — and what specifically might we ask God to do in them and through them?
Mon, May 29, 2023
Hope for the Fragile and Fragmented
In a world filled with wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines, a right understanding of the end times can bring stability to anxious minds.
Fri, May 26, 2023
The Joy of Jesus’s Return
When Jesus returns, he will magnify the radiance of his glory by multiplying our own joy in that glory. We will happily marvel, and he will forever shine.
Wed, May 24, 2023
Why God Wills Suffering for the Children He Loves
If we’re going to rejoice in even the worst circumstances, then we need clear and strong reasons for why God wills suffering for the children he loves.
Tue, May 23, 2023
Upcoming Changes to APJ
Tony Reinke shares two upcoming changes to Ask Pastor John in light of a brand-new John Piper sermon podcast called Light + Truth.
Mon, May 22, 2023
Go to Work, Go to Church — Christ Is Coming Back!
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles draw some profound connections between the glorious second coming and our ordinary everyday lives.
Fri, May 19, 2023
Death Can Only Make Me Better: Remembering Tim Keller (1950–2023)
Today Tim Keller entered the reward of his Master. In this special episode of Ask Pastor John, Tony Reinke shares a sermon clip from Dr. Keller on the joy of God in the face of cancer.
Fri, May 19, 2023
Popular Blunders About Christ’s Return
Discussions of the second coming often spiral into speculation — or misconception. Pastor John explains five mistaken beliefs about Christ’s return.
Wed, May 17, 2023
Five Ways to Find Wisdom
In the midst of a busy life, how can we find the time to read great Christian books? We might begin by setting aside just fifteen minutes a day.
Mon, May 15, 2023
Nicotine, Amphetamines, and Holy Concentration
God does not give us a list of foods and drinks we can and cannot consume. Instead, he gives us his words and his Spirit to shape how we see all of life.
Fri, May 12, 2023
A Beautiful Savior for the Unattractive
If we are going to find lasting satisfaction in the beauty of Christ, despite the pain of rejection, four massive changes need to happen in our hearts.
Wed, May 10, 2023
The Hardest Act in Parenting Teens
Headship calls a man to put away his anger and initiate reconciliation — no matter how much of the fault lies with his wife or with his children.
Mon, May 08, 2023
The Path from Orthodoxy to Demon Theology
The movement from orthodoxy to demon theology happens sometimes slowly and sometimes suddenly — but always because love for Christ has grown cold.
Fri, May 05, 2023
‘Nothing Is to Be Rejected’ — Including Pot?
“Nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,” Paul says. So can Christians enjoy pot if they thank God for it?
Wed, May 03, 2023
What Makes You Happiest?
What is the deepest source of your joy — what God gives to you, or who God is for you?
Mon, May 01, 2023
Can I Be Saved If I Never Evangelize?
Will a professing Christian go to hell if he never shares the gospel? Pastor John gets to the heart and offers practical suggestions for growing in evangelism.
Fri, April 28, 2023
Should Men Still Pray with Lifted Hands?
Paul desired that “in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands.” Should men in the church today still lift their hands when they pray?
Wed, April 26, 2023
Our Joyful Duty
At the core of Christian Hedonism is the glorious reality that the duty God requires of us is the path to our greatest joy.
Mon, April 24, 2023
Caring for Families with Cross-Dressing Children
Should parents allow children to cross-dress? Pastor John explains why this cuts across the grain of God-created reality and how to offer counsel to Christian parents.
Fri, April 21, 2023
Should the World Like Us or Hate Us?
Jesus promised that his followers would be “hated by all,” but Paul said pastors must be “well thought of by outsiders.” So should the world like us or hate us?
Wed, April 19, 2023
Why Did Jesus Use Spit and Mud to Heal?
Jesus could have healed the man born blind with a simple command; instead, he used spit and mud. Why?
Mon, April 17, 2023
Does My Sexual Past Disqualify Me from Pastoring?
If a man has a history of fornication, is he disqualified from the office of pastor — or can he still be considered “the husband of one wife”?
Fri, April 14, 2023
Overcoming Fear
If God has really given us “a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control,” then why do we still struggle with fear and anxiety?
Wed, April 12, 2023
The Gospel’s War Against Our Fears and Insecurities
In the face of every fear and insecurity, the gospel says, “In Christ, God is for you — always and forever, with all of his heart and soul. So what can man do to you?”
Mon, April 10, 2023
Should We Despise the Vile — or Love Them?
In Psalm 15, David tells us to despise the vile; in Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to love them. How can we do both?
Fri, April 07, 2023
If God Desires All to Be Saved, Why Aren’t They?
God “desires all people to be saved,” Paul tells us — but clearly not all people are saved. Does this mean God cannot do what he wants to do?
Wed, April 05, 2023
Christ’s Plan for the Globe — and You
Christ’s global purpose to ransom people from every tribe and tongue can be summed up in his words, “I have other sheep. I must bring them also.”
Mon, April 03, 2023
Is Work a Blessing or a Curse?
God gave work as a blessing in the beginning, but we live now on the other side of the fall. So is our work today a blessing or a curse?
Fri, March 31, 2023
Best Commentaries on the Whole Bible
Alongside his personal study of Scripture, what whole-Bible commentaries has Pastor John found most helpful over the years?
Wed, March 29, 2023
How Do I Find My Identity?
If you want to settle the question of personal identity, don’t ask “Who am I?” Ask, “Whose am I?”
Mon, March 27, 2023
Can Satan Put Thoughts into Our Heads?
We know the devil can tempt us and attack us and try to deceive us, but can he put thoughts into our heads?
Fri, March 24, 2023
Does God Read Every Thought?
At every moment, God knows the thoughts and intentions of every human heart. Pastor John explores six vast implications of this foundational truth.
Wed, March 22, 2023
John Piper’s Conversion Story
The book of Romans interprets life — and it also transforms life. Pastor John shares how Romans has shaped him, from conversion to the pastorate.
Mon, March 20, 2023
How to Glorify God in Business Success
How can a Christian business leader speak about his success in a way that makes God, not him, look great?
Fri, March 17, 2023
Is Venting the Same as Complaining?
Is there really a difference between complaining about our problems and venting about them — or are we just kidding ourselves?
Wed, March 15, 2023
Christian Hedonism in Two Minutes
What is the simplest, shortest definition of Christian Hedonism? Pastor John explains in two minutes why pursuing joy in God is essential to the Christian life.
Mon, March 13, 2023
How Does Childbirth Save Women?
Women, Paul says, “will be saved through childbearing.” How does childbirth save women — and what about women who never have children of their own?
Fri, March 10, 2023
I’m Stuck in Sexual Sin — Should I Excommunicate Myself?
Those who play the victim to their sexual lusts act like slaves, like dogs eating their vomit, like washed pigs rolling in mud. But in Christ, they don’t have to stay that way.
Wed, March 08, 2023
1 Percent of a Book Can Change Your Life
Even if you remember only one sentence of a book, that one sentence can create an immeasurable moment, a flash of insight that shapes you forever.
Mon, March 06, 2023
Is ‘De-Gendering’ a Sin?
What might Scripture say to a woman who desperately wants to become a man? Pastor John offers six reasons why attempting to “de-gender” is a tragic act of sin.
Fri, March 03, 2023
Are Christians Obligated to Vote?
Are Christians who have the opportunity to vote obligated to do so — or can we abstain from the whole process for righteous reasons?
Wed, March 01, 2023
Why Christians Don’t Need Holy Shrines
Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near.
Mon, February 27, 2023
Do Angels Carry Our Prayers to God?
No angel, no saint, and not even Mary herself can improve the access to God we already have through Christ and his finished work.
Fri, February 24, 2023
Was Paul Really the World’s Worst Sinner?
In 1 Timothy 1:15, the apostle Paul claims to have been “the foremost” of sinners. Is Paul speaking in hyperbole here, or was he really the world’s worst sinner?
Wed, February 22, 2023
Overcoming Fear and Passivity in Evangelism
How can we become bolder in evangelism? Pastor John shares a story of his stumbling attempts to love a neighbor, and God’s patient persistence through it all.
Mon, February 20, 2023
Was God at Work in My Pre-Conversion Life?
When we look with eyes of faith on our pre-conversion life, we find abundant reason to thank God for his mercy, and abundant reason to give others hope.
Fri, February 17, 2023
How Could God Be Jealous?
The jealousy of God shows his zeal for his own worth — and it also shows his zeal for our deepest joy.
Wed, February 15, 2023
The God-Centeredness of God Unlocks the Gospel
The biblical mindset puts God and his glory, not man and his desires, at the center of the universe. And grasping this blazing center unlocks the greatness of the gospel.
Mon, February 13, 2023
I Shipwrecked My Faith — Am I Doomed?
Is there any hope for the recovery of a shipwrecked faith? Pastor John offers four reasons shipwreck need not be final.
Fri, February 10, 2023
Sinners or Saints — How Should We Speak of Christians?
Should we speak of Christians as saints or sinners? Pastor John explores why Paul addresses Christians as saints dozens of times — and as sinners almost never.
Wed, February 08, 2023
Why We Share the Gospel
What drove the apostle Paul to win people to Christ? He longed to taste the joy of the gospel not only in his own heart, but in the hearts of countless others.
Mon, February 06, 2023
Preaching the Gospel of the Happy God
Sound preaching comes from those who live in the presence of God-centered glory and long to echo his infinite worth.
Fri, February 03, 2023
Can I Really Trust My Interpretation of the Bible?
“The law is good, if one uses it lawfully,” Paul says. But how can we tell if we are using the law in the way that God intends?
Wed, February 01, 2023
How to Keep Your Eyes on Christ
How can we guard against drifting in the Christian life? By looking and looking and looking at Jesus.
Mon, January 30, 2023
How Can I Have a Good Conscience?
You do not need to walk in sinless perfection in order to have a good conscience. You just need to walk in the light.
Fri, January 27, 2023
Did Paul Oppose Fiction?
The apostle Paul strongly warned Timothy and Titus against the “myths” of his day. What might he have to say about the fictional stories in our own day?
Wed, January 25, 2023
Turn Down the Noise and Listen to Jesus
If we’re going to listen to Jesus and not drift away from him, we likely will need to turn down the noises that capture so much of our attention.
Mon, January 23, 2023
Where Do You Draw Lines for Ministry Partnerships?
Where should pastors and other Christians draw lines for ministry partnerships? Pastor John shares the degree of unity he has pursued in six ministry settings.
Fri, January 20, 2023
Were Abortions Induced on Old Testament Adulteresses?
Does Numbers 5:22 suggest that women guilty of adultery were punished with miscarriage? And if so, how does this passage speak to the pro-life position?
Wed, January 18, 2023
Fight for Delight by Planning Your Devotions
If we don’t have a plan for when, where, and how we will read the Bible, our devotions will probably fall before the demands of the day.
Mon, January 16, 2023
Eight Counsels for Those Thinking of Quitting
Every pastor receives criticism. But at what point might criticism become so serious or sustained that a pastor should consider stepping down?
Fri, January 13, 2023
When Does Despondency Become Sin?
Everyone passes through seasons of despondency — seasons when the soul is troubled and hope feels thin. But when does despondency become sin?
Wed, January 11, 2023
How Do I Push Truth from My Head to My Heart?
How can we push the truth of the Bible from our heads to our hearts, so that our times of daily Bible reading become times of daily worship?
Mon, January 09, 2023
Getting the Tone Right on Sunday Morning
Given the pain of this world, the joy of salvation, and the glory of God, what kind of tone should a pastor seek to set on Sunday morning?
Fri, January 06, 2023
Is Intermittent Fasting Sacrilegious?
Some people find intermittent fasting helpful for losing weight. But is fasting for merely physical purposes a sacrilegious use of a spiritual gift?
Wed, January 04, 2023
The Bible’s Main Road Out of Discouragement
The psalmists show that darkness and discouragement are part of the normal Christian life. And they also show a crucial strategy for finding the light again.
Mon, January 02, 2023
John Piper’s Favorite Things
Pastor John, like the rest of us, has his likes and dislikes. From movies and soft drinks to breakfasts and songs, here are twelve of his favorite things.
Fri, December 30, 2022
Can I Be a Nurse for a ‘Gender-Reassignment’ Surgery?
If a hospital asks a Christian nurse to participate in a “gender-reassignment” surgery, should she agree — or should she take her nursing skills elsewhere?
Wed, December 28, 2022
Beat a Path to the Word in 2023
Strong Christians read the Bible, memorize the Bible, meditate on the Bible, and live on the Bible. They make intentional plans for the word to be their daily bread.
Mon, December 26, 2022
How Do I Put Away My Desire for Praise?
A desire to do good can easily become a desire to look good. So how do we put away our hunger to be praised by other people?
Fri, December 23, 2022
The Christmas We Needed
The best gift anyone can receive at Christmas is deliverance from our two greatest enemies: sin and Satan.
Wed, December 21, 2022
What Makes for a Good Musical Worship Experience?
A good musical worship experience involves head and heart, truth and affections. It will lead people to know their God and to embrace him with joy.
Mon, December 19, 2022
‘Though He Slay Me’ — Why the Silence on This Verse?
“Though he slay me, I will hope in him.” Why has Pastor John barely mentioned these remarkable words of Job throughout his decades of preaching and teaching?
Fri, December 16, 2022
Does God Still Save the Lost Through Visions?
Does God save the lost through visions today — or does someone need to hear the gospel to be saved?
Wed, December 14, 2022
John Piper’s 2022 Year-in-Review
Pastor John discusses personal and ministry highlights from 2022, including podcasts, books, global outreach, and a new goal for ‘Look at the Book.’
Mon, December 12, 2022
Good and Bad People-Pleasing
How can we find freedom from living for the opinions of people? Pray for and pursue a big vision of God. Find a firm identity in Christ. Look to your eternal reward.
Fri, December 09, 2022
How Can I Cast My Cares on God?
Casting your cares onto God begins with believing that he really is the infinitely powerful, all-wise, always-good God he reveals himself to be.
Wed, December 07, 2022
Satan Cannot Scare You into Hell
Satan may oppress you, attack you, and rage against you. But if you are in Christ, he holds no power to finally destroy you.
Mon, December 05, 2022
Build Structures to Serve Your Calling
How can leaders prevent the pressures of running an organization from squeezing out opportunities for face-to-face work and ministry?
Fri, December 02, 2022
How Can Satan Harm Christians?
Scripture is clear that Satan is not ultimately sovereign — God is. But under that sovereignty, in what ways can Satan still harm God’s people?
Wed, November 30, 2022
Amusing Ourselves from Death
Outside of Christ, the fear of death is a slave master that holds everyone in bondage — even those who seem unaware of their chains.
Mon, November 28, 2022
Give Young Christians a Chance to Lead
Our churches grow in wisdom and maturity when the young honor the old, the old listen to the young, and all clothe themselves with humility.
Fri, November 25, 2022
Should We Seek to Suffer?
Suffering may be the price of Christian love, but it is not the aim of Christian love. Our aim is to do as much good as we can on the lowly path of service.
Wed, November 23, 2022
Pray Your Way into Thanksgiving
How can we aim to be done with anxiety and enjoy peace in any circumstance? By bringing every circumstance to God in prayer.
Mon, November 21, 2022
How Does Baptism Save Us?
If God saves his people through faith alone apart from works, why does Peter say that baptism now saves us?
Fri, November 18, 2022
Do Unbelievers Get a Second Chance After Death?
In 1 Peter 3:19, we read that Christ “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey.” What might Peter mean?
Wed, November 16, 2022
How Do I Pray from the Misery of My Sin?
There is no distress that puts you beyond the good news that God brings — not even the distress caused by your own sin.
Mon, November 14, 2022
Let the Nations Be Glad! — Thirty Years Later
Thirty years after ‘Let the Nations Be Glad!’ was published, Pastor John reflects on the book’s beginnings and its lasting legacy.
Fri, November 11, 2022
What If I Don’t Have a Spiritual Gift?
Paul and Peter charge Christians to use our spiritual gifts for the good of the church. But what if we don’t seem to have any spiritual gifts?
Wed, November 09, 2022
What Makes My Gift a Spiritual Gift?
If God has given helpful skills to both believers and unbelievers, what makes the difference between a merely natural ability and a spiritual gift?
Mon, November 07, 2022
What Makes My Life Christian?
How can Christians live so that, at bottom, we can say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”?
Fri, November 04, 2022
Should I Charge Other Christians for My Expertise?
Christ bids his people both to wisely get and freely give, and he supplies us with the grace we need to discern when to do what with our talents.
Wed, November 02, 2022
Christ’s Death Was No Accident
The death of Christ was no accident. He came to be crucified, that he might hang the sins and sufferings of those he loves with him there.
Mon, October 31, 2022
How Does Love Cover a Multitude of Sins?
Christian love labors to overlook the sins of others, just as Christ went to the cross to forgive us, not to shame us.
Fri, October 28, 2022
Christian Unity in Three Steps
Real differences exist between real Christians. But where we lack unity of conviction, we can share unity of humble, sacrificial disposition.
Wed, October 26, 2022
Step One in Preparing to Suffer
We ready ourselves to suffer well when we look our life dead in the eye and say with Paul, “I count it all as loss compared to Christ.”
Mon, October 24, 2022
Is Suffering a Paradox for Christian Hedonists?
When Christ died, so did our sin-loving selves. Now, God sends suffering to weed out the sin that lingers and stunts our joy in Christ.
Fri, October 21, 2022
How Much Speculation Should We Bring into Sermons?
Preachers are emissaries of God’s revealed truth. So how should we talk about parts of the text we don’t understand?
Wed, October 19, 2022
The Relational Pain of Ministry
Christian ministry is relationally painful. Friends in the ministry can leave and never return, as even the apostle Paul experienced near the end of his life.
Mon, October 17, 2022
How Do People Shipwreck Their Faith?
Jesus, Paul, Peter, and the author of Hebrews all describe people who begin well in the Christian life before eventually making shipwreck of their faith.
Fri, October 14, 2022
How Can I Learn to Receive Criticism?
No one likes to receive criticism, even when it’s well-intended. How can we learn to control our emotional responses and remain grounded in the love of Christ?
Wed, October 12, 2022
Becoming Unshakable in a World of Pain
We all face crises, and without grace, we find our world collapsing in the midst of them. But there is strong and stable hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mon, October 10, 2022
Is Any Part of Life Morally Neutral?
Scripture calls us to do everything for the glory of God. Does that mean no action we take is morally neutral?
Fri, October 07, 2022
Will My Spouse Be My Best Friend in Heaven?
What will the relationship between husband and wife be like in the age to come? Pastor John explains how the best parts of marriage point ahead to eternal joy.
Wed, October 05, 2022
How Do I Persist in Prayer?
How can Christians always pray and not lose heart? In part, by remembering the generous heart of God and his delight to hear his people.
Mon, October 03, 2022
How Do I Pray for My Husband’s Salvation?
How can a wife go on praying for her unbelieving husband after years, or even decades, of no evident change?
Fri, September 30, 2022
How Do I See the Glory of Christ?
How can we see the glory of Christ? Renounce the praise of man. Devote yourself to Scripture. Turn to Christ through his word. Keep praying for sight.
Wed, September 28, 2022
What’s the Real Problem with Fearing Man?
Why is the fear of man such a big problem? Because those who fear men cast their vote against the trustworthiness of God.
Mon, September 26, 2022
How to Live Fearlessly
How can Christians live fearlessly? Replace the fear of man with the fear of God. Fear man — live fearfully. Fear God — live fearlessly.
Fri, September 23, 2022
I Want to Be Baptized — My Husband Opposes It
Godly submission does not require that a woman do everything her husband says. Before she is a wife who submits to her husband, she is a Christian who submits to Christ.
Wed, September 21, 2022
Am I Called to Ministry? Five Tests
How do we know if we are able to bear the heavy calling of being the aroma of life to some and the aroma of death to others?
Mon, September 19, 2022
What Should We Think of Flashy Pastors?
Pastors who flaunt their riches will not draw anyone to the hope of the gospel. They will draw men and women to the hope of luxury.
Fri, September 16, 2022
Who’s More Sinful: Men or Women?
Men and women may face temptations peculiar to their sex, but we both share a deep, common depravity and a profound need for mercy.
Wed, September 14, 2022
The Godly Woman’s Charm
Hope in God clothes a woman with a beauty that will never fade, never perish, and never cease to be precious in God’s sight.
Mon, September 12, 2022
How Much Jewelry Is Too Much Jewelry?
How might we as parents teach our daughters, even at young ages, how to express their femininity without flaunting their body?
Fri, September 09, 2022
Does God Call Us to Submit to Everyone?
God calls church members to submit to their pastors, wives to their husbands, employees to their bosses. But is there also a sense in which God calls us to submit to everyone?
Wed, September 07, 2022
Who Are My Enemies?
“Love your enemies,” Jesus says. But who are our enemies? The answer is broader than we might imagine.
Mon, September 05, 2022
My Husband Left Me — How Do I Respond?
In the wake of great betrayal, how do we respond with love and forgiveness without minimizing the evil of the sin?
Fri, September 02, 2022
How Do I Address My Spouse’s Ongoing Sin?
Peter tells wives to win their husbands “without a word.” Does that mean a wife should never confront her husband over a pattern of habitual sin?
Wed, August 31, 2022
Overcoming Anger in the Home
How can a father governed by anger begin to recover kindness and tenderheartedness? By freshly embracing God the Father’s forgiveness through Christ.
Mon, August 29, 2022
Can I Be Angry with God and Be Holy?
Is heartfelt anger toward God ever righteous, or even morally neutral — or is such anger always sinful?
Fri, August 26, 2022
Is Double Predestination Biblical?
Does the Bible teach that God has predestined some to disobedience and destruction, just as he has predestined some to salvation?
Wed, August 24, 2022
The Two Greatest Questions in the Universe
What are the two greatest questions in the universe? Pastor John explains by looking at 1 Peter 2:11–12.
Mon, August 22, 2022
How Do Passions Wage War Against the Soul?
When do innocent desires of the flesh become threats to the soul? When they cross over from serving God’s will to serving our rebellious self.
Fri, August 19, 2022
What’s the Difference Between Faith and Hope?
The biblical authors often intertwine faith and hope, yet they also distinguish them. So what is the difference between these two gifts of the Spirit?
Wed, August 17, 2022
Why Do So Many Reject Jesus?
When the light of Christ shines upon the darkness of our sin, we either run to Christ as the only covering for our shame, or we run further into darkness.
Mon, August 15, 2022
Who Will Judge the World?
Scripture speaks of the Father judging the world, the Son judging the world, and sometimes even the word of Christ judging the world. So, in the end, who will judge?
Fri, August 12, 2022
How Are We Born Again?
The new birth is a sovereign work of the Spirit, but it is a work bound to the word. The Spirit of God works through the word of God to glorify the Son of God.
Wed, August 10, 2022
How Money Fears Kill Our Worship
When we trust God with our money, we not only enjoy freedom from worry, but we magnify the shepherd, Father, and King who provides for us.
Mon, August 08, 2022
What Makes Christian Love Different?
What makes Christian love different from non-Christian love? It is rooted in the cross of Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit, and aimed at the glory of God.
Fri, August 05, 2022
What Does It Mean to Be ‘Overly Righteous’?
Ecclesiastes tells us not to be “overly righteous,” but Jesus calls us to a righteousness that exceeds even that of the Pharisees. How can we put these two texts together?
Wed, August 03, 2022
Gospel Drift — and How to Avoid It
You don’t have to commit great sins in order to fall away from Jesus. You just have to neglect your great salvation.
Mon, August 01, 2022
Why Did Jesus Need to Suffer and Die Publicly?
Did Jesus have to die a public, agonizing death, or could he have saved us by living sinlessly and dying in obscurity?
Fri, July 29, 2022
Does God Ever Tempt Us to Sin?
God clearly tests his people, but does he ever tempt them to sin? Pastor John explores the distinction between tests and temptations in James 1.
Wed, July 27, 2022
Trembling Before God on Sunday
Hundreds of times, God tells us to “fear not.” So why does he also call us to work out our salvation “with fear and trembling”?
Mon, July 25, 2022
Is My Humorous Personality a Liability?
Sober-mindedness keeps us from the silliness that is allergic to serious moments, but it also keeps us from the somberness that doesn’t know how to be joyful.
Fri, July 22, 2022
Are Eternal Rewards and Inheritance the Same?
Peter assures us of an inheritance kept safe in heaven; Jesus calls us to lay up treasures in heaven. Are eternal inheritance and rewards the same?
Wed, July 20, 2022
Fighting for Faith in the Entertainment Age
In an age inundated with entertainment, how do Christians stay awake to the glory of Christ and help others do the same?
Mon, July 18, 2022
Should Non-Christians Pray for Faith?
Saving faith is the gift of God, who opens blind eyes and raises dead hearts. So what can unbelievers do when they find themselves unable to believe on their own?
Fri, July 15, 2022
How Do I Prioritize My Busy Life?
Sometimes, busyness and stress are reasons to realign our priorities. Other times, they are invitations to pray that God would empower us to do the seemingly impossible.
Wed, July 13, 2022
Learning to Follow God’s Will
God doesn’t give us a blueprint for our futures, but he does give us biblical trajectories by which we can discern his will and follow it with confidence.
Mon, July 11, 2022
The Key to Knowing God’s Will
How do “spiritual wisdom and understanding” fill us with the knowledge of God’s will for our daily lives? Pastor John explains from Colossians 1:9.
Fri, July 08, 2022
Does God Send ‘Strong Delusions’ into the World?
In our sin, we refuse to hear the truth, receive the truth, believe the truth — until God intervenes to give us a deep and abiding love for the truth.
Wed, July 06, 2022
God’s School of Prayer
When God puts us in the flames of suffering, he often intends to rescue us from self-sufficient comfort and awaken in us desperate, earnest prayer.
Mon, July 04, 2022
Politics, Patriotism, and the Pulpit
We need pastors who will regularly remind us that our greatest allegiance is not to any political party, ethnicity, or nation, but to King Jesus.
Fri, July 01, 2022
Who Is the Man of Lawlessness?
Paul teaches that Jesus will not return until “the man of lawlessness is revealed.” Who is this man of lawlessness?
Thu, June 30, 2022
Roe v. Wade Has Ended — Our Pro-Life Work Has Not
The Christian pro-life cause goes far deeper than legislation. We aim not only to change laws and behavior, but to change hearts and eternities.
Wed, June 29, 2022
Sustain Your Prayer Life with Sleep
Satan will try to put us to sleep in prayer. And he does so, most commonly, by tricking us into staying up too late the night before.
Mon, June 27, 2022
Is God Present or Absent in Hell?
Is God present in hell, as John seems to say in Revelation 14:10 — or is he absent, as Paul seems to say in 2 Thessalonians 1:9?
Fri, June 24, 2022
What’s the Center of Our Holiness?
Scripture describes the process of sanctification in many different ways. How can we weave the various strands together into one coherent picture?
Wed, June 22, 2022
God’s Love and My Sickness
Because Jesus loved Lazarus, the Gospel of John tells us, he did not come to him right away, but lingered and let him die. How is that love?
Mon, June 20, 2022
Crucial Texts for Our Hardest Battles
When temptation strikes, we need more than a vague sense of God’s goodness — we need specific promises. Pastor John shares his favorite passages for fighting sin.
Fri, June 17, 2022
Is God More Honored or Dishonored in the World?
If God aims to be glorified in this world, why is human history and the daily news filled with so much that dishonors him?
Wed, June 15, 2022
The Pervasive Problem of Loving Money
The love of money often lives where others least suspect, like in the hearts of Pharisees, miracle workers, and those who seem most moral.
Mon, June 13, 2022
How Do I ‘Wrestle’ in Prayer?
Paul speaks of wrestling in prayer, and many of us use his phrase. But what might our prayer lives actually feel like if we wrestled like the apostle?
Fri, June 10, 2022
Counsel for Wives with Harsh Husbands
“Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them,” Paul writes. But what can a wife do if she finds herself with a harsh man?
Wed, June 08, 2022
Eight Essentials for Christian Living
How does God bring us from the grace of new birth to the glory of heaven? Pastor John explains eight essentials for Christian living from 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12.
Mon, June 06, 2022
Did Jesus Tell Us to Give to Every Panhandler?
Jesus tells us to give to those who ask, but Paul warns the church against giving to the lazy. How might we apply these teachings when we meet a panhandler?
Fri, June 03, 2022
Did Jesus Disregard the Sacrificial System?
If there is no forgiveness without shed blood, how could Jesus forgive sins apart from the sacrificial system and prior to his own death?
Wed, June 01, 2022
Prayer in the Age of Global Hate
In an age of hate, Christians testify to God’s grace by praying for all kinds of people: high and low, white and black, Democrat and Republican, friend and enemy.
Mon, May 30, 2022
How Will I Find My Ministry Calling?
When God grants us a ministry, does his leading come to us through internal impulses, external affirmation, or some combination of the two?
Fri, May 27, 2022
Should We Pray for Unbelievers or for Evangelists?
Does Scripture ever command us to pray for unbelievers, or does it only command us to pray for the evangelists who speak to them?
Wed, May 25, 2022
The Easiest Step of Love
Prayer is the easiest step of love, and it is also the most powerful. God can do far more for others in response to our prayers than we could ever do on our own.
Mon, May 23, 2022
Have I Sinned If I Fall Short of Excellence at Work?
God is honored when we do our jobs with technical excellence, and he is also honored when we give ourselves to the kinds of excellence that cannot be measured.
Fri, May 20, 2022
How Do I Not Provoke My Children?
How can we require obedience of our children without provoking and discouraging them? Pastor John offers eight pitfalls for fathers.
Wed, May 18, 2022
Do Answered Prayers Depend on My Holiness?
Throughout Scripture, God warns that he will not hear the prayers of the disobedient. So do answered prayers depend on our holiness?
Mon, May 16, 2022
For Christians Whose Testimony Seems Boring
We will never plumb the depths of sin and grace merely from past experience. Only God’s word can tell us how lost and dead we were, and how found and alive we are.
Fri, May 13, 2022
Would You Have Supported Prohibition in 1913?
In the early twentieth century, many Christian leaders lent their approval to the cause of Prohibition. Would Pastor John have done the same if he lived back then?
Wed, May 11, 2022
How Greatly Am I Loved?
In Christ, God has chosen us from eternity, and called us in time, so that we would boast no longer in ourselves, but only in him and his great love.
Mon, May 09, 2022
How Do I Make Christian Hedonism My Own?
Some teachers influence us so deeply that we find ourselves imitating them without trying. So how can we move past imitation to make biblical truth our own?
Fri, May 06, 2022
Why Dead Men Must Die
Paul says we all were dead apart from Christ, but he also says we died when we were united to Christ. In what sense, then, do dead men die?
Wed, May 04, 2022
God Saves to Make Much of Himself — Doesn’t That Lessen His Love?
Nothing but God can forever satisfy hearts that are made for God. And so, in great mercy, God loves us in a way that makes much of himself.
Mon, May 02, 2022
Should Gospel Disagreements End a Friendship?
Christians can disagree over many doctrines and stay friends. But what should we do when a friend rejects a doctrine central to the gospel?
Fri, April 29, 2022
My Spouse Died Prematurely — Was It My Fault?
How might Christians process feelings of guilt over the death of a loved one? Pastor John offers counsel to a new widow struggling not to blame herself.
Wed, April 27, 2022
How God Makes Much of You
In Christ, God makes more of us than we could ever imagine. And he will go on doing so forever.
Mon, April 25, 2022
Does Faith Cause Regeneration?
Does faith bring about the new birth, or does the new birth bring about faith? Pastor John offers three reasons why getting the order right matters.
Fri, April 22, 2022
Does God Delight in Justification or Holiness?
Does God delight in his people based on Christ’s work alone, or does his delight also depend on our own holiness?
Wed, April 20, 2022
Why God Makes Much of You
When God makes much of us, he does it for his sake, not ours. And that makes his love far greater than we could have imagined.
Mon, April 18, 2022
Shame: Its Uses and Abuses
Some shame condemns and destroys, and some shame heals and restores. So how can we tell the difference between misplaced and well-placed shame?
Fri, April 15, 2022
What Are Church Traditions?
In his letters, Paul speaks not only of teachings he delivered to the churches, but also of traditions he passed on. What kind of traditions does he have in mind?
Wed, April 13, 2022
The Heart of Fake Happiness
Many nominal Christians go to church, believe God loves them, and yet are on their way to hell. So what marks the born again from those who only think they are?
Mon, April 11, 2022
Should Pro-Lifers Embrace Embryo Adoption?
In America, there are hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos, left over from in vitro fertilization. How might Christians weigh the decision to adopt one of them?
Fri, April 08, 2022
Does Romans 7 Describe a Christian?
What kind of person does Romans 7:14–25 describe? Pastor John offers nine reasons to read Paul’s description as part of the Christian experience.
Wed, April 06, 2022
What’s Lost When We Only Pray Alone?
The church of Acts often gathered together to praise God and intercede for his people. So what might we lose if we pray only by ourselves?
Mon, April 04, 2022
Should We Dramatize Jesus’s Life for Television?
God gave us a book about Jesus, not a video. So how might Christians think about dramatic portrayals of Jesus’s life in television or movies?
Fri, April 01, 2022
Do Christians Still Have Evil Desires?
If God’s wrath comes against evil desires, and not only evil behaviors, why will his wrath not come against Christians, who still battle evil desires?
Wed, March 30, 2022
How Fleeting Pleasures Sidetrack Our Love
A lack of love for other people doesn’t show that we’re trying too hard to please ourselves — it shows that we’re far too easily pleased.
Mon, March 28, 2022
I’m Too Distracted with Life to Meditate on Christ
How can we turn our attention away from regrets, dreams, and other consuming thoughts so that we can set our minds on things that are above?
Fri, March 25, 2022
On Permanent Birth Control
If two spouses agree that they do not want to have more children, would it be sinful to pursue permanent forms of birth control?
Wed, March 23, 2022
How Does God Lead Us in Daily Decisions?
How do I follow God’s lead in my daily decisions? I know he’s my shepherd, and that he’s leading me, but how do I know if I am following him?
Mon, March 21, 2022
In Our Racial Differences, How Is Christ ‘All’ and ‘in All’?
To be a Christian is not only to trust Christ and treasure Christ, but to be indwelt by Christ. And that new identity transforms all our relationships.
Fri, March 18, 2022
What Should We Make of Healing Ministries?
God still answers prayers for physical healing today. But how should Christians evaluate the claims of so-called healing ministries?
Wed, March 16, 2022
When Will Christ Heal My Body?
We know that Jesus has purchased both our forgiveness and our physical healing at the cross. But what kind of healing can we expect in this life?
Mon, March 14, 2022
All My Sins Were Canceled — So Why Continue to Confess?
If all our sins are forgiven — past, present, and future — does ongoing confession show that we doubt Christ’s finished work?
Fri, March 11, 2022
My Flesh Was Crucified — So Why Do I Still Sin?
If our sinful flesh was crucified with Christ when we first believed, why do we keep sinning like we do?
Wed, March 09, 2022
How Do I Know If My Good Deeds Are Worthless?
How do we make sure the good we do is not done in vain? Listen to Pastor John’s answer more than thirty years ago, just weeks after becoming a pastor.
Mon, March 07, 2022
If God Is Sovereign, Why Is His World Full of Suffering?
When we look around at our world of horrific suffering, how can we keep believing in an all-good, all-wise, totally sovereign God?
Fri, March 04, 2022
Is There a Place for Asceticism in the Christian Life?
Some self-denial exalts self and feeds sin, and some self-denial exalts Christ and kills sin. So how can we practice the right kind?
Wed, March 02, 2022
How Do I Handle My Disordered Desires?
Every Christian battles excessive and distorted desires. And in Christ, God gives every Christian daily forgiveness, hope, and strength to keep fighting.
Mon, February 28, 2022
How Did the Cross Disarm the Devil?
At the cross, Paul says, God “disarmed the rulers and authorities.” So what weapons are no longer in Satan’s hands?
Fri, February 25, 2022
How Can I Avoid Worldly Thinking in My Studies?
How can Christians pursue education without being taken captive by worldly thinking? Pastor John reflects on Paul’s warning against “philosophy” in Colossians 2:8.
Wed, February 23, 2022
God’s Providence in the Ministry of Crossway Books
In 1938, a small publishing ministry began distributing gospel tracts. Today, that ministry has spread millions of tracts, books, and Bibles all over the world.
Mon, February 21, 2022
How Did God Reconcile ‘All Things’ to Himself?
Paul says that God has reconciled to himself “all things” in heaven and on earth. Does that mean even unbelievers and demons will be saved in the end?
Fri, February 18, 2022
Are Divisions in the Church Necessary?
How should Christians respond to divisions in the church? Don’t make light of them, for they are tragic. And don’t make death of them, for they are predicted.
Wed, February 16, 2022
Singing Sends Lovers of Christ to the Nations
Under God, musical worship can mobilize the church to finish the Great Commission. The gladness of Godward singing sends lovers of Christ to the nations.
Mon, February 14, 2022
Can We Speak with Angels?
Scripture includes stories of angels talking with humans through dreams and visions. So should Christians expect, and even pursue, conversations with angels today?
Fri, February 11, 2022
What Does It Mean to Cry, ‘Abba, Father’?
When God puts the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, giving us a spiritual sight of his fatherly care in Christ, we can’t help but cry, “Abba! Father!”
Wed, February 09, 2022
Escaping the Love of Comfort and Safety
The freest people in this world are those most in love with the next. If our hope is safe in heaven, we can afford to take risks on earth.
Mon, February 07, 2022
Has the Gospel Already Reached the Entire World?
Colossians 1:23 says the gospel “has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” Does that mean the gospel has already reached the entire world?
Fri, February 04, 2022
Is My Salvation an Event or a Process?
If our final salvation rests on the condition that we persevere in faith, how can we know that we really will make it to heaven?
Wed, February 02, 2022
Embracing Unpopular Truth in an Age of Political Correctness
Unless we become mature in our thinking, we will regularly be blown about by the winds of subtle, clever, politically correct language.
Mon, January 31, 2022
Why Did God Make Eve from Part of Adam?
In creation, God made Adam and all the animals from the ground. So why, when God made Eve, did he take a rib from Adam’s side?
Fri, January 28, 2022
If Every Gift Comes from God, Why Thank Anyone Else?
All good gifts are from God, through God, and to God. But in his providence, those gifts often come to us through others, who rightly deserve our thanks.
Wed, January 26, 2022
The God Who Dwarfs Big Tech
Pastor John commends Tony Reinke’s new book — a panoramic, penetrating theology of technology, tethered to God’s infallible Scriptures.
Tue, January 25, 2022
Is Technology Holy or Worldly?
How can Christians live faithfully in the day of Big Tech? In ‘God, Technology, and the Christian Life,’ Tony Reinke explores God’s relationship to the innovations of our age.
Mon, January 24, 2022
Did Bathsheba Sin with David?
Does the story of David and Bathsheba suggest that Bathsheba was a willing partner in his adultery, or that David took her against her will?
Fri, January 21, 2022
I Enjoy Being Alone — Is That Unloving?
God made some Christians to enjoy spending a lot of time alone. But what makes the difference between a Christian loner and a self-centered loner?
Wed, January 19, 2022
When Life Shrinks to the Size of Our Problems
The God of the universe cares about every problem you have, no matter how small. And he wants to draw you up into purposes far greater than your problems.
Mon, January 17, 2022
How the Lottery Preys on the Poor
Pull-tabs and scratch games incentivize risky, destructive behaviors, especially among those who can least afford to play.
Fri, January 14, 2022
I Have Multiple Disabilities — How Do I Not Waste My Life?
What might it look like for a Christian with significant disabilities to live a productive, spiritually fruitful, God-glorifying life?
Wed, January 12, 2022
Should I Become a Preacher?
Should I become a preacher? Pastor John’s own road to the pastorate shows that God often makes preachers in unexpected ways.
Mon, January 10, 2022
Should I Leave an Inheritance for My Children?
If Scripture doesn’t obligate parents to leave a financial inheritance to their children, how might Christians decide what to do with their money?
Fri, January 07, 2022
Why Does God Hide Himself from Christians?
God will never leave or forsake his children. But for our lasting good, he may sometimes hide his face and allow us to walk through seasons of darkness.
Wed, January 05, 2022
Let God’s Word Dwell in You Richly This Year
When we memorize and meditate on God’s word, we create a deep, transforming connection between the Bible, our minds, and our hearts.
Mon, January 03, 2022
What Is an Idol?
The Bible describes idols as actual objects people worship, but today many use the language of “idolatry” more broadly. So what is an idol?
Fri, December 31, 2021
Is Sanctification the Pursuit of Perfection?
In our pursuit to be holy as God is holy, how do we move past our failures to obey without feeling condemned in the process?
Wed, December 29, 2021
What Desiring God Wants to Be Known For
The ministry of Desiring God is fueled by the prayers and financial gifts of God’s people. If you have been blessed by our resources in 2021, would you consider becoming a monthly partner? https://give.desiringgod.org/#monthly
Mon, December 27, 2021
End-of-Life Medical Intervention — or Not?
God may use medicine to lengthen our lives, but he will always use habits of grace, like prayer and Bible reading, to sustain our faith in suffering.
Fri, December 24, 2021
Why Is Christmas Precious to You?
We miss the miracle of what Christmas is if we forget why Christmas happened: God the Son became man — to die in our place.
Wed, December 22, 2021
History Ended at Christmas
Christmas is not just another bend in the river of redemptive history. Christmas marks the end of the river and the arrival of the ocean.
Mon, December 20, 2021
Do the Non-Elect Have a Chance to Repent?
The Bible teaches both the absolute sovereignty of God and the genuine accountability of man. And nowhere are they considered contradictory.
Fri, December 17, 2021
Is It Normal to Have a Divided Heart?
No Christian consistently longs for God, which is one reason God gives us prayers like Psalm 86:11: “Unite my heart to fear your name.”
Wed, December 15, 2021
The God Who Brings Us into Everlasting Pleasure
Those who live for joy in God now will possess joy in God forever. And until then, God pledges his protection over body and soul, through life and death.
Mon, December 13, 2021
Can We Really Give God More or Less Glory?
Christians sometimes talk about giving God “some” glory, “more” glory, or “most” glory, but are those really biblical categories?
Fri, December 10, 2021
How ‘Progressive’ Can a Christian Get?
None of us has an infallible understanding of the Bible, but at what point does open contradiction of Scripture call into question someone’s profession of faith?
Wed, December 08, 2021
God’s Plan When Our Plans Fail
God, in his grace, does not keep us from trouble and pain. But he does order and measure our trouble and pain — and then uphold us through it all.
Mon, December 06, 2021
How Can I Resist a Critical Spirit?
A love for excellence can easily grow into a hypercritical spirit. How can we resist the tendency to focus mostly on the failures of others?
Fri, December 03, 2021
John Piper’s Ministry in One Bible Text
John Piper’s ministry has been marked by rigorous attention to God’s word paired with deep delight in God’s word — a double emphasis captured in Psalm 119:97.
Wed, December 01, 2021
The God Who Turns Hearts to God
The story of Elijah on Mount Carmel shows that God rules over fire and rain, bulls and rocks — and even over every human heart.
Mon, November 29, 2021
Does Righteous Anger Kill Our Joy?
If we allow anger to come quickly and stay long, it will eventually consume love, consume gratitude, consume mercy, and consume true perceptions of reality.
Fri, November 26, 2021
How Do I Write a Personal Mission Statement?
God has reasons for everything he does — and an ultimate purpose driving it all. Personal mission statements help us align all of life with that great purpose.
Wed, November 24, 2021
The Glorious Duty of Thanksgiving
Gratitude is a duty — we ought to thank God for the grace he has given. But genuine Christian gratitude is far more than mere duty.
Mon, November 22, 2021
How Can I Serve My Disabled Friends?
Jesus healed people with deep, lifelong disabilities. So should we pray that he would heal loved ones with disabilities like Down syndrome or cerebral palsy?
Fri, November 19, 2021
Is Violent Crime Under God’s Providence?
When we don’t understand God and his ways, we can still rest here: God is always totally sovereign, and God is always infinitely good.
Wed, November 17, 2021
Only Jesus Knows the Full Force of Temptation
Jesus never lied, stole, coveted, grumbled, lusted, or sinned in any other way. And that means Jesus alone knows the full force of temptation.
Mon, November 15, 2021
Parenting Young Children Through Life’s Pains
When suffering overshadows the life of a family, how can parents help their children embrace God’s all-good, all-wise, all-governing providence?
Fri, November 12, 2021
Is Complementarity Merely Functional?
Are God’s callings for men and women merely functional and practical, or do they flow from something deeper in his design?
Wed, November 10, 2021
One Day Tolerance Will End
We live in the day of salvation, the day of patience, the day of tolerance. But when Jesus returns, that day will end forever.
Mon, November 08, 2021
On Cigarettes, Vaping, and Nicotine
Despite the warnings, cigarette smoking and other forms of nicotine use persist. How concerned should parents be about whether their teens smoke, chew, or vape?
Fri, November 05, 2021
Does God Command Our Praise for His Sake or Ours?
Pleasure in God is not complete unless it overflows in praise to God. And praise to God is not sincere unless it overflows from pleasure in God.
Wed, November 03, 2021
How to Find More Joy in God
Joy in God was never meant to be a solitary pursuit. Joy sends us out to serve — and serving fills us up with joy.
Mon, November 01, 2021
Why Did God Make Me Unattractive?
Few of us feel as attractive as we would like, and some of us feel downright ugly. Why does God allow such unattractiveness in a world that prizes physical beauty?
Fri, October 29, 2021
The Church’s Calling in an Age of Recreational Pot
Fifteen states have now legalized the recreational use of marijuana. What message might God be sending to the church in an age of legal pot?
Wed, October 27, 2021
Finding a Life of Gospel Boldness
The boldest people in the world are those who can look into the face of God, in all of his holiness and power, and know that he is for them in Christ.
Mon, October 25, 2021
How Do You Find Meaning in the Bible’s Narratives?
Whether 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?
Fri, October 22, 2021
Is Stress Making Me More Holy or More Sinful?
Life’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?
Wed, October 20, 2021
Would I Trust Jesus More If I Had Seen Him?
Many 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.
Mon, October 18, 2021
Reckoning with the Message of Job
Until 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.
Fri, October 15, 2021
How Do We ‘Dwell in the Shelter of the Most High’?
Psalm 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?
Wed, October 13, 2021
Five Ways Pastors Fail
Countless 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?
Mon, October 11, 2021
Are Non-Christian Marriages Valid in God’s Eyes?
God 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?
Fri, October 08, 2021
Has God Abandoned Me?
God has promised never to leave us or forsake his people. So how do we respond when it feels like he has?
Wed, October 06, 2021
Parenting Through a Family Crisis
If 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.
Mon, October 04, 2021
Ingredients for a Theology of Feasting
The 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?
Fri, October 01, 2021
How Do We Prepare for the Second Coming?
We 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?
Wed, September 29, 2021
You Don’t Need More Self-Love
Jesus’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.
Mon, September 27, 2021
Should Couples Use Role-Play in the Bedroom?
When 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.
Fri, September 24, 2021
My Boyfriend Is Spiritually Lethargic — Should I Still Marry Him?
At what point should a Christian woman keep encouraging her spiritually lethargic boyfriend — and at what point should she call it off?
Wed, September 22, 2021
Does God Love Me?
When 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.
Mon, September 20, 2021
How Do I Stop Rooting My Joy in My Circumstances?
We 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?
Fri, September 17, 2021
Should Rich Christians Downgrade Their Lifestyle?
Jesus and the apostles regularly warn against the dangers of wealth. So, should rich Christians take steps to downgrade their lifestyle?
Wed, September 15, 2021
Prayers That Work
Jesus promises spectacular responses to our prayers, but only if our desires are shaped by his word abiding within us.
Mon, September 13, 2021
How Do We Discern False Teachers?
The Bible repeatedly warns us against false teachers. But how can we actually identify them, especially if their ministry is mainly online?
Sat, September 11, 2021
John Piper’s 9/11 Radio Interview
On 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.
Fri, September 10, 2021
What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?
The New Testament never pairs the blessing of God with material prosperity in this age. So, what does it really mean to be blessed?
Wed, September 08, 2021
The Power of Your Personal Testimony
Don’t be intimidated when people far smarter than you level arguments against Jesus. Your personal testimony has power to trump the most sophisticated arguments.
Mon, September 06, 2021
How Will Love Grow Cold in the End Times?
At 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?
Fri, September 03, 2021
Did Christ Already Return?
Does Revelation suggest that Jesus already returned when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 — and therefore that we should not wait for another coming?
Wed, September 01, 2021
We Become Like the Videos We Behold
For better or worse, we become what we behold. How should this truth affect our media consumption in the digital age?
Mon, August 30, 2021
What’s the Difference Between Sloth and Rest?
Both 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?
Fri, August 27, 2021
God Never Runs Out
Everything in this world eventually runs out: money runs out, health runs out, pleasure runs out, time runs out. But God never runs out.
Wed, August 25, 2021
How Can I Make Daily Bible Reading Authentic?
How can we prevent Bible reading from becoming a lifeless routine? Pastor John offers three principles for authentic daily devotions.
Mon, August 23, 2021
How Can I Honor My Parents If I Don’t Respect Them?
God calls his people to show honor to everyone — but not for the same reasons, and not in the same ways.
Fri, August 20, 2021
Does Christ Rule the Nations Now?
If 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?
Wed, August 18, 2021
You Don’t Know God If You Don’t Love Christ
If 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.
Mon, August 16, 2021
Is Death Past, Present, or Future?
According 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?
Fri, August 13, 2021
Six Dangers of Podcasts
Podcasts, including Christian podcasts, have great potential for both good and evil. Pastor John explains six dangers to beware of as you listen.
Wed, August 11, 2021
Living the Mystery of Joy in Suffering
Christians are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: sorrowful because of the ugliness and horrors of sin, and rejoicing because of the infinite worth of Jesus.
Mon, August 09, 2021
If All My Sins Are Forgiven, Why Pursue Holiness?
If 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?
Fri, August 06, 2021
Is Sex During Menstruation Sinful?
The Old Testament prohibited a husband and wife from having sex during menstruation. Is that command still in force today?
Wed, August 04, 2021
Controversy Is Essential — and Deadly
Controversy is essential — and deadly. Slowly, we can begin to care more about defending the truth than enjoying the truth.
Mon, August 02, 2021
How Do We Pray in the Spirit?
What 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”?
Fri, July 30, 2021
If We Read Our Bibles, Why Do We Need Sermons?
The 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?
Wed, July 28, 2021
How to Argue Like a Calvinist
John Newton cherished the doctrines of grace. And he knew that the best way to commend them was with a spirit of graciousness.
Mon, July 26, 2021
Doing Math to the Glory of God
Why learn math — especially if studying math feels agonizing? Pastor John addresses an 8-year-old boy struggling to persevere in school.
Fri, July 23, 2021
Can I Marry a Woman Half My Age?
The 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?
Wed, July 21, 2021
The Strong Murder the Weak Every Day in America
Killing 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.
Mon, July 19, 2021
How Much Media Is Too Much Media?
In a media-saturated age, obedience to Jesus requires intentional detachment from the patterns of the world — especially its patterns of entertainment.
Fri, July 16, 2021
Will I Suffer More If I Follow Jesus?
Those 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.
Thu, July 15, 2021
The Supremacy of God in Preaching: Conclusion
People are starving for the grandeur of God. Christian preachers, more than all others, should know this truth — and shape every sermon accordingly.
Wed, July 14, 2021
Faith Won’t Survive Without Friends
We 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.
Mon, July 12, 2021
Does the Bible Say I Am Unique?
God 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?
Fri, July 09, 2021
Will God Really Praise Us?
If God deserves all glory and praise, what does Scripture mean when it mentions God’s glorifying and praising us?
Wed, July 07, 2021
Why Comfortable Christians Go Prayerless
Until we come awake to the great spiritual war that surrounds us, we will never truly know the privilege and power of prayer.
Mon, July 05, 2021
Do Angels Walk Among Us Today?
Hebrews tells us that, by showing hospitality to strangers, “some have entertained angels unawares.” Does this suggest that angels walk among us in human form?
Fri, July 02, 2021
On Codependent Dating Relationships
God made us to need other people — but not to be codependent on them. So, how can we tell the difference between healthy need and disordered neediness?
Wed, June 30, 2021
Why Would God Create a Baby to Live for Two Minutes?
With eternity in view, any span of life is a vapor. However long we live, our time here is preparation for the endless days of heaven.
Mon, June 28, 2021
Should We Watch for Signs from God?
Some Christians seem to be always on the lookout for signs from God in creation or circumstances. Does the Bible encourage us in that search?
Fri, June 25, 2021
Should Christians Visit Cemeteries?
Should Christians make a habit of visiting loved ones’ graves? And if we do visit, how can we honor Christ in the cemetery?
Wed, June 23, 2021
One Surprising Reason for Pain
Many wonder how a good God could govern a world filled with pain. But sometimes, pain becomes the very means God uses to awaken us to his goodness.
Mon, June 21, 2021
Who Is the Disciple Jesus Loved?
The Gospel of John speaks of a “disciple whom Jesus loved” five times. Who was this beloved disciple, and why does he single himself out like this?
Fri, June 18, 2021
Plans for 2021 and Beyond
After a year unlike any other, Pastor John looks ahead to new books and renewed ambitions to spread Christian Hedonism farther across the globe.
Wed, June 16, 2021
How Not to Correct a Fellow Christian
How can Christians challenge and correct one another in a way that honors Christ and acknowledges our common neediness before him?
Mon, June 14, 2021
The Disabled Wife and the Proverbs 31 Woman
God expects faithfulness of all his people. But faithfulness for one Christian may look far different than faithfulness for another Christian.
Fri, June 11, 2021
Are Our Enemies Spiritual, Human, or Both?
Paul tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. But Paul himself had many human enemies. So, are our enemies spiritual, human, or both?
Wed, June 09, 2021
To Be Loved Infinitely
The essence of God’s love is not that he makes much of us, but that he frees us, at great cost to himself, to enjoy making much of him forever.
Mon, June 07, 2021
How Do I Serve Dying Unbelievers?
Many medical professionals regularly find themselves around people only hours or minutes from hell. How would love call us to act in those moments?
Fri, June 04, 2021
Should Christian Jurors Show Mercy to the Guilty?
Christians display the character of God through both mercy and justice. But how do we know when to show mercy and when to give justice?
Wed, June 02, 2021
Why Do You Want to Be Loved by God?
Almost everyone wants to be loved by God. But our reasons for wanting God’s love may reveal whether we truly know him or not.
Mon, May 31, 2021
Is It Sinful to Pray for a Larger Income?
When God restored Job’s fortunes, he also doubled his wealth. Should Christians pray for God to do the same for us today?
Fri, May 28, 2021
A Better Promise for Serial Daters
Serial dating, if left unconquered, often turns into serial marriage. So, what hope does Jesus offer to those addicted to the pleasures of a new relationship?
Wed, May 26, 2021
Flee to Christ in Fear
God commands us both to fear him and to flee to him for refuge. How can we possibly do one without contradicting the other?
Mon, May 24, 2021
Where Is Providence in the Vanity of Ecclesiastes?
The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that “all is vanity.” But if God providentially guides all things, then doesn’t he give meaning to everything in this world?
Fri, May 21, 2021
What Is a Baptist?
As with other Protestants, many Baptists trace their lineage to the Reformation. But what makes Baptists unique among the heirs of the Reformation?
Wed, May 19, 2021
The Key to Killing Lust
Strategies are important in our battle against lust. But nothing arrests our souls with the urgency of purity like the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
Mon, May 17, 2021
What Does the Bible Say About Purgatory?
What is purgatory, and why have thoughtful Christians like C.S. Lewis believed in it? Does this belief in afterlife cleansing find support in Scripture?
Fri, May 14, 2021
How Do I Love Neighbors Who Ignore Me?
Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. But how can we love them if they don’t want our help, or if they even actively ignore us?
Wed, May 12, 2021
Reckoning with Personal Failure
Christians are new creations in Christ — yet we still feel the familiar pull of the old self. How do we reckon with the persistence of indwelling sin?
Mon, May 10, 2021
Why Have Africans Suffered So Much?
Some parts of the world seem to endure far more sorrow than other parts. Does God favor some places and peoples more than others?
Fri, May 07, 2021
Is My Repentance Real If I Keep Committing the Same Sin?
Some of us find ourselves confessing the same sins over and over. How do we know our repentance is real if we repeatedly lose the same battles?
Wed, May 05, 2021
How Churches Sabotage the Love of God
If we try to make much of the love of God by downplaying the wrath of God, we destroy the love of God.
Mon, May 03, 2021
How Can I Protect My Child from State Indoctrination?
The primary responsibility for a child’s education belongs to parents, not to the state. So, what can parents do when the state tries to take control?
Fri, April 30, 2021
Why Did the First Humans Live for So Long?
The book of Genesis records life spans in the hundreds of years. Why did the first humans live for so long — and why are our life spans today so short?
Thu, April 29, 2021
How Have You Processed the Sin of Ravi Zacharias?
How might Christians process the failures of once-beloved figures like Ravi Zacharias? Pastor John draws out lessons from the ministries of fallen leaders.
Wed, April 28, 2021
What’s Stopping You from Coming to Christ?
Some wait to come to Christ because they feel powerless to live the Christian life. But that power becomes ours only by coming to Christ.
Mon, April 26, 2021
What Are Angels Doing Today?
Angels appear all over Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. But why did God create angels in the first place — and what are they doing today?
Fri, April 23, 2021
How Should We Respond to Christian Conspiracy Theories?
Conspiracy theories — Christian or otherwise — are nothing new. But how can we talk to friends who find themselves gripped by them?
Wed, April 21, 2021
What ‘No Condemnation’ Does to a Heart
“No condemnation” means that you are finally free: free to love, free to serve, free to forgive, and even free to die for the good of others.
Mon, April 19, 2021
Did Abraham Laugh at God’s Promise?
Paul looks back to Abraham and celebrates his unwavering faith. But is Abraham’s laughter at God’s promise in Genesis 17 really a faithful response?
Fri, April 16, 2021
What Makes Women the ‘Weaker Vessel’?
The differences between male and female are not obstacles to overcome or facts to ignore. They are distinct glories that God calls “very good.”
Wed, April 14, 2021
The Problem with Asking, ‘What’s Wrong with It?’
If we want to follow Jesus, we will need to give up more than just sins. We will also need to give up everything that dulls our hearts for him.
Mon, April 12, 2021
Hope for Children from Dysfunctional Families
How can children who come from dysfunctional or abusive families begin to embrace the perfect fatherhood of God?
Fri, April 09, 2021
How Does Chronic Pain Glorify God?
Why might God allow his children to endure years, or even decades, of unremitting suffering? How does such chronic pain bring him glory?
Wed, April 07, 2021
Escape the World’s Infatuation with Sex
The deepest cure for lust never comes from strategies or accountability. The deepest cure comes from seeing the soul-staggering grandeur of God.
Mon, April 05, 2021
How Will Heaven Change Our Joy?
Joy isn’t just a nice byproduct of the Christian life, but an essential part of it. From propitiation to glorification, joy animates our life in Christ.
Fri, April 02, 2021
How Does Easter Change Us?
Christ’s resurrection secures our future hope that we too will rise one day. In the meantime, it also grants us spiritual power for everyday life.
Wed, March 31, 2021
What You Need More Than Self-Confidence
Everything good in the Christian life grows in the soil of rich, deep, and happy humility.
Mon, March 29, 2021
What Didn’t Christ Accomplish?
The cross of Christ accomplished everything we need to glorify God by being eternally happy in him. But is there anything the cross didn’t accomplish?
Fri, March 26, 2021
How Can I Serve the Dying?
When you have the privilege of caring for dying people, how can you minister to their souls in addition to meeting their physical needs?
Wed, March 24, 2021
What Is the Gospel For?
Forgiveness, justification, adoption, and eternal life are all a means to something even greater: enjoying God himself.
Mon, March 22, 2021
How Can I Fight Sin Without Losing Sight of Christ?
Christians rest on Jesus not only for justification, but also for sanctification. Both are blood bought. Both are certain.
Fri, March 19, 2021
I Feel Called to Missions — Should I Date Someone Who Doesn’t?
If I feel called to missions, should I be open to dating a Christian who doesn’t share the same calling?
Wed, March 17, 2021
Finding Hope in God’s Unfolding Plan
God determines the direction of history down to the smallest detail. But what is his ultimate goal in all his providence?
Mon, March 15, 2021
Who Is God?
God is the most important and most valuable reality in the entire universe. Who has he revealed himself to be?
Fri, March 12, 2021
How Can We Know God?
Before we can ask who God is, we need to know where to find the answer. Where can we go to learn the truth about who God reveals himself to be?
Wed, March 10, 2021
The Courage We Need for Mission
God’s providence isn’t an obstacle to evangelism and missions. It is, instead, our only hope to see the good news of the gospel reach all nations.
Mon, March 08, 2021
Do We Dishonor God by Neglecting His Gifts?
We dishonor God when we love the gifts more than the Giver. But we also dishonor him when we forget all the gifts he has given.
Sat, March 06, 2021
John Piper’s Big Book on the Providence of God
John Piper’s newest book, ‘Providence,’ celebrates the all-embracing, all-pervasive, invincible providence of God.
Fri, March 05, 2021
Why Did Jesus Choose Judas?
If Jesus knew that Judas would betray him in the end, why did Jesus choose Judas as a disciple to begin with?
Wed, March 03, 2021
Finding the Confidence to Pray
The doctrine of God’s all-governing providence is not a problem for our prayers. It is our only hope for our prayers coming to pass.
Mon, March 01, 2021
I’m Likely Going to Prison — Now What?
Where is God when I face life-changing consequences for my sin? Can he really work for my good, even in a punishment as severe as prison?
Fri, February 26, 2021
Should I Ever Pursue My Dreams?
Can we pursue our own dreams while also obeying God? Or do we need to give up our dreams in order to follow what Jesus is really calling us to?
Wed, February 24, 2021
Protected from False Teaching
Joyful faith in the all-governing providence of God immunizes us against false teaching that exalts man and detracts from the glory due to God alone.
Mon, February 22, 2021
Who Wrote the Bible?
The question “Who wrote the Bible?” has a double answer: God and man. Humans held the quill, but God ultimately inspired their words.
Fri, February 19, 2021
What Is the Meaning of Life?
When life just doesn’t seem to make sense, or even when it seems void of any meaning at all, what can help us to know our purpose again?
Wed, February 17, 2021
Sustained Through the Hardest Suffering
God’s providence not only governs all things, but it gives us hope in our suffering. We can trust that our all-good God will turn every sorrow to joy.
Mon, February 15, 2021
Why Is Baptism Important?
Jesus commands the church not only to make disciples, but also to baptize them. But why is baptism so important?
Fri, February 12, 2021
My Teen Is Sexually Active — What Can I Do?
What can Christian parents do if they discover that one of their children is living in serious sexual sin? Pastor John offers counsel on where to begin.
Wed, February 10, 2021
The Root of Beautiful Patience
God’s all-pervasive providence is the key that unlocks enduring patience. He is always working more good than we can ever see.
Mon, February 08, 2021
Do My Sins Hinder My Prayers?
Peter tells us that a husband’s prayers are hindered if he dishonors his wife. Is this just a marriage principle, or does sin always obstruct our prayers?
Fri, February 05, 2021
Is My Happiness Moral or Not?
Does the presence or absence of happiness say anything about us morally, or is happiness simply a nonmoral state of affairs?
Wed, February 03, 2021
Escaping the Fog of Triviality
In a culture filled with silliness and superficiality, seeing and savoring the providence of God protects our hearts from trifling with divine things.
Mon, February 01, 2021
Has Porn Already Broken My Future Marriage?
Pornography distorts our souls. But with the transformation of the Holy Spirit and a hard, honest fight, there is still hope for godly intimacy in marriage.
Fri, January 29, 2021
Before You Tweet Criticism: Six Considerations
Social media feeds are often infernos of insults and anger. How can Christians engage online in ways that make much of Christ?
Wed, January 27, 2021
Everything Made Meaningful
Even the tiniest details of history move forward under the providential care of our sovereign, all-good God. Nothing is random. Nothing is meaningless.
Mon, January 25, 2021
Why Did God Create Us?
If God doesn’t need anything in this world in order to be who he is, then why did he create the world at all?
Fri, January 22, 2021
Am I Too Hard on Myself?
God has given us a high and holy calling in Christ. But can a Christian ever be too hard on himself as he strives to live up to that calling?
Wed, January 20, 2021
Trembling at Sin, Marveling at Grace
Seeing and savoring God’s providence in our redemption fills us with wonder and trembling joy. We owe everything to his grace.
Mon, January 18, 2021
Martin Luther King and His Partner in the Cause
Christian citizenship expands far beyond the country on our passport. We share a citizenship with those from every nation who call upon the name of Jesus.
Fri, January 15, 2021
Is an Audio Bible Sufficient for Devotions?
Is listening to the Bible just as good as reading it? Or do we risk missing something if our Bible intake comes mainly through listening?
Wed, January 13, 2021
Confronting Lukewarm Worship
When we see and savor the providence of God, lukewarm worship gives way to wonder, awe, and holy reverence before our majestic God.
Mon, January 11, 2021
How Do I Bear with Immature Christians?
Faithful pastors long to see their churches grow up in faith, hope, and love. So, how does a pastor bear with those who seem to be going backward?
Fri, January 08, 2021
How Often Should I Question My Salvation?
The Bible instructs believers to examine themselves, but does it tell us to what extent or how often we should question our salvation?
Wed, January 06, 2021
What Difference Does Providence Make?
What difference does seeing and savoring the providence of God make? Pastor John explains why providence overflows with practical implications.
Mon, January 04, 2021
Can I Take a Vaccine Made from Aborted Babies?
Several vaccines in current use are developed from the cells of aborted babies. Can Christians use these vaccines in good conscience?
Fri, January 01, 2021
How Do I Become Passionate About Bible Reading?
Regular, disciplined Bible intake is not optional for God’s people. It is God’s plan for preserving us and bringing us safely to glory.
Wed, December 30, 2020
Eight Years of APJ, and What’s Ahead
At the end of another year, Pastor John reflects on 2020, the world of Ephesians, and the need for a new tidal wave of God-centered teaching.
Mon, December 28, 2020
Should We Talk More About ‘Following Jesus’?
In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly tells people to follow him. But why doesn’t that call ring out in the rest of the New Testament?
Fri, December 25, 2020
Is Christmas Too Pagan for Christians?
Christmas offers an opportunity to look upon the incarnation with fresh amazement. But does the timing of our celebration just reflect pagan tradition?
Wed, December 23, 2020
Why Did Christ Need a Body?
In the person of Jesus Christ, we encounter incarnate Deity. But why did he have to take on flesh that first Christmas?
Mon, December 21, 2020
Do We Have the Exact Words of Christ, or a Paraphrase?
Do the Gospels give us the exact words that Jesus spoke, or do they give us a paraphrase that captures his meaning?
Fri, December 18, 2020
Does Joy Come After Suffering, Or in It?
Faith does not shield us from waves of sorrow. But it does plant our feet on a rock of immovable joy. And when the waves leave, the rock remains.
Wed, December 16, 2020
The Sweetness of Christ in 2020
As 2020 draws to a close, Pastor John describes the one reality that shaped everything else for him: the experience of sweeter fellowship with God.
Mon, December 14, 2020
What Happens to Non-Christians Who Take the Lord’s Supper?
What happens when unbelievers eat the Lord’s Supper — either because they think they are believers or because the church has welcomed them to participate?
Fri, December 11, 2020
Christian Marries Non-Christian — How Does a Church Respond?
How should pastors respond to a Christian who marries a non-Christian? And what might repentance look like in such a situation?
Wed, December 09, 2020
Fight Sin Like a Victor, Not a Victim
When Christ gives you new life by the Spirit, you are no longer a victim under sin’s power, but a victor who has the strength to triumph.
Mon, December 07, 2020
How Do I Battle Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome can make us feel like frauds in the workplace — like we are never good enough and always about to be exposed. How can we respond?
Fri, December 04, 2020
Did Jesus Say We Are gods?
In John 10, Jesus quotes from Psalm 82, saying, “You are gods.” Does this mean human beings are gods, or is something else going on?
Wed, December 02, 2020
What’s Keeping Me from Seeing Jesus?
By nature, we all want to be made much of. Until that craving for praise is laid to rest, we’ll never know the joy of making much of Jesus.
Mon, November 30, 2020
Can I ‘Name It and Claim It’?
God can do far, far more than we can think to ask. But that doesn’t mean whatever we wish lines up with his sovereign plans to bring us good.
Tue, November 24, 2020
Critical Race Theory, Part 2: The Root Problem
How should Christians respond to critical race theory? In a special episode, Pastor John explains the theory’s goals, assumptions, and root problem.
Mon, November 23, 2020
Critical Race Theory, Part 1: The Relationships
Critical race theory is a divisive topic among many Christians today. In a special episode, Pastor John explains why we should be careful in how we talk to each other about it.
Fri, November 20, 2020
Ten Effects of Seeing and Savoring the Providence of God
When we see and savor the all-embracing, all-pervasive providence of God, we cannot help but show the worth of his providence in all of life.
Wed, November 18, 2020
Have You Seen the Providence of God?
Immersing ourselves in the ocean of God’s providence helps us to know him, fear him, trust him, and love him as we ought.
Mon, November 16, 2020
God’s Providence in 2020
In January 2021, John Piper releases his newest book: a 750-page study of the all-embracing, all-pervasive providence of God.
Fri, November 13, 2020
Does God Regret Making Me?
We know that God is committed to saving his people. But does he ever become so frustrated with us that he regrets having made us in the first place?
Wed, November 11, 2020
What Makes Us Want to Move and Travel?
Our cravings can take us to new spouses, new jobs, or even new cities or countries. But there is only one place we’ll find the satisfaction we seek.
Mon, November 09, 2020
My Wife Is More Spiritual — How Do I Lead Her?
As a husband, I know that God calls me to lead my family. But what if my wife is more capable and more spiritually mature than I am?
Fri, November 06, 2020
Am I Completely Surrendered to Christ?
Jesus calls us to renounce all we have to follow him. But how can we gauge if we are fully and completely committed to him?
Wed, November 04, 2020
How Can I Grow in Obeying God?
Unless God enables our obedience, we work and serve in vain. All true obedience flows from the strength he supplies.
Mon, November 02, 2020
I Sought a Prostitute — Am I Doomed?
Proverbs says that no one who visits the “forbidden woman” will return to the paths of life. So, is a man who seeks a prostitute doomed?
Fri, October 30, 2020
When Does God Harden a Sinner’s Heart?
Does God harden sinners’ hearts only in response to their persistent sin, or is their sin a result of his prior hardening?
Wed, October 28, 2020
God’s Good Design in Our Suffering
In this life, we will have trouble. But every trial paves the way to an inheritance with Christ that will satisfy us forever.
Mon, October 26, 2020
Do My Past Sins Work Toward My Future Good?
We know that God works all things together for the good of his people. But does “all things” include even our sins?
Fri, October 23, 2020
How Do We Raise Kids Who Are Not Naive or Cynical?
As Christians, we aspire to live out the paradox of brokenhearted boldness. But how do we teach and model this attitude for our kids?
Wed, October 21, 2020
How Did God Call Me to Himself?
From our perspective, coming to Jesus Christ feels like placing our faith in him. But God himself enabled and awakened that faith in us.
Mon, October 19, 2020
I’m Obsessed with My Appearance — How Can I Stop?
We know outward beauty is insignificant compared to inward beauty. But what should we do if we still feel insecure about our looks?
Fri, October 16, 2020
Are Our Standards for Sexual Purity Too High for Pastors?
Is faultless chastity an appropriate standard for pastors, or are our expectations simply too high?
Wed, October 14, 2020
My Suffering Feels Meaningless — What Can I Do?
Sometimes pain seems meaningless, but in Christ, every millisecond of your suffering is producing for you an eternal weight of glory.
Mon, October 12, 2020
How Can I Love God More Than My Boyfriend?
As a couple’s affection for one another deepens, how can they make sure they are loving God more than each other?
Fri, October 09, 2020
Is My Suffering a Correction for Sin?
When trials come, how can I know whether God is calling me to patiently endure, or whether he wants me to repent of a specific sin?
Wed, October 07, 2020
How Do We Get Tricked into Sinning?
When we obey sin, we obey a liar, a deceiver, a murderer. Sin is a slave master who tricks his subjects into eternal death.
Mon, October 05, 2020
Why Did Demons Ask Jesus for Pigs?
When Jesus comes, he brings deliverance, freedom, grace, and power. But some people prefer what life is like without him.
Fri, October 02, 2020
Why Do I Need to Read the Bible When We Have Bible Teachers Online?
Today more than ever, Christians have access to a wealth of faithful Bible teaching online. So, why do we need to read the Bible for ourselves?
Wed, September 30, 2020
Dismiss the Devil with a Song
Singing together is not merely the prelude to the sermon. When God’s people sing from the heart, more happens than we imagine.
Mon, September 28, 2020
Is Enjoying God the Same as Glorifying God?
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” Does that mean enjoying God and glorifying God are the same thing?
Fri, September 25, 2020
Why Is the Bible So Violent?
The Bible depicts more violence than our modern sensibilities often want to admit. How do we handle these parts of Scripture when we come across them?
Wed, September 23, 2020
How Do I Overcome My Fear of the Future?
In this life, we will have trouble. In this world, we will have reasons to fear. But in Christ, our God is with us through it all.
Mon, September 21, 2020
Why Does It Matter That Christ Was ‘Begotten, Not Made’?
The Nicene Creed speaks of Jesus as “begotten, not made.” What does that mean, and why does it matter?
Fri, September 18, 2020
Money Motivates Me to Work Hard — Is That Okay?
How can we tell if our desire for money is a good, God-given desire, instead of a love for Mammon? Pastor John offers seven ways to discern the difference.
Wed, September 16, 2020
How Do I Tell If I Am Lukewarm?
How can we tell if we are spiritually lukewarm, like the Christians in Laodicea? We can look at our private prayer life.
Mon, September 14, 2020
What Do You Love Most About God?
Unless the Bible informs what we love most about God, we risk imagining a god in our own likeness, rather than treasuring him for who he really is.
Fri, September 11, 2020
‘Always Learning but Never Arriving’ — Is That Me?
Paul warns us about some who are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” What kind of person does he have in mind?
Wed, September 09, 2020
What Is God Accomplishing in My Suffering?
Suffering often feels meaningless in the moment. So how can Christians learn not only to endure trials, but to rejoice in the midst of them?
Mon, September 07, 2020
What Do My Entertainment Habits Reveal About My Soul?
If we cope with stress by watching movies, posting on social media, or consuming other forms of entertainment, what does that say about our souls?
Fri, September 04, 2020
Does Every Sin Cost Me an Eternal Reward?
God promises eternal rewards for his people’s present obedience. But does every sin cost us one of those rewards?
Wed, September 02, 2020
I Feel Unappreciated — How Should I Respond?
Ingratitude can make us feel unwanted and unnoticed. But our Father in heaven sees in secret, and he will more than make up for every thankless deed.
Mon, August 31, 2020
Is My Career in Marketing Vain?
Some marketing succeeds by cultivating consumerism in the human heart. Can a Christian glorify God in that kind of job?
Fri, August 28, 2020
How Do I Recover from an Unbearable Tragedy?
Some tragedies make life feel barely worth living anymore. So is there any hope that we could one day be happy and at peace again?
Wed, August 26, 2020
What Does My Stealing Say About My Soul?
Whether we steal time, money, glances, or anything else, our impulse to take what is not rightfully ours reveals a lot about our view of God.
Mon, August 24, 2020
Will the New Creation Look Like This One?
The new creation will probably seem familiar to us. But there will also be new dimensions of life and joy we can’t even begin to fathom.
Fri, August 21, 2020
Is Angry Prayer Okay?
We have nothing to hide from God since he already knows our hearts. But that doesn’t mean we can do or say whatever we want in prayer.
Wed, August 19, 2020
How Did John Piper Become a Calvinist?
When John Piper entered seminary in 1968, he believed in the self-determining will of man. But then he encountered Philippians 2 and Romans 9.
Mon, August 17, 2020
When Should I Follow My Heart?
If a Christian desires God above all, then shouldn’t he follow his heart? Or are our hearts so deceitful that we can never trust them at all?
Fri, August 14, 2020
Ten Reasons to Read the Bible Every Day
If we are going to grow up into maturity in Christ, we need to feast on Scripture — and not just here and there, but every day.
Wed, August 12, 2020
How Does Christ Change How I Work?
When you come to know Jesus Christ, something about everything in your life changes — including how you approach your vocation.
Mon, August 10, 2020
How Do I Lead Someone to Christ?
To lead someone to Christ is a spectacular gift from God. But what should you actually say and do in the moment?
Fri, August 07, 2020
Do We Need Extrabiblical Texts to Understand the Bible?
Extrabiblical sources can help fill in some details of our Bible study, but all the gold we need to mine for life and godliness is in our English Bibles.
Wed, August 05, 2020
Did God Save Me to Call Attention to Himself?
Over and over in the Bible, God says that he saves us in order to draw attention to himself. Why did God design salvation that way?
Mon, August 03, 2020
Are Christian Couples Required to Have Kids?
The Bible is clear that children are a gift from God. So is there any room for a Christian couple to decide not to have any?
Fri, July 31, 2020
Can a Christian Hedonist Get Depressed?
If we glorify God by enjoying him, how do we think about seasons of darkness in the Christian life, when joy seems far away?
Wed, July 29, 2020
How Do I Wait for God?
God works for those who wait for him. But what does it mean to wait for God?
Tue, July 28, 2020
John Piper Interviews J.I. Packer
In a 72-minute interview, John Piper and J.I. Packer discuss the Puritans, theology, the Christian life, and our heavenly hope.
Mon, July 27, 2020
How Do I Glorify God in My Daily Life?
God created us to glorify him by enjoying him forever. But how do we fulfill that purpose in the little things, in the small moments, in the day to day?
Fri, July 24, 2020
Am I Wasting My Life in a Secular Job?
Our vocation doesn’t automatically determine our fruitfulness for Jesus. God uses all kinds of people in all kinds of places to accomplish his purposes.
Wed, July 22, 2020
How Does God Become Totally for Me?
God won’t settle for anything less than perfection from us. Either we depend on Christ’s perfection in our place, or we keep the entire law.
Mon, July 20, 2020
How Do I Wage War on My Self-Pity?
At the cross, Christ canceled all our sins through his blood. Now, by the Spirit, we work to conquer every canceled sin.
Sun, July 19, 2020
A Seriously Happy Puritan: Praising God for J.I. Packer
On the morning of July 17, J.I. Packer passed into glory. Pastor John shares a tribute to the man he looked up to as a father in the faith.
Fri, July 17, 2020
Seven Lessons for Productivity
After fifteen hundred episodes of the Ask Pastor John podcast, Pastor John shares seven lessons that have inspired him to labor faithfully over decades.
Wed, July 15, 2020
What Does Freedom from the Love of Money Look Like?
Our hearts were never meant to find their meaning in money. God made us for something far more valuable.
Mon, July 13, 2020
How Can I Disagree with My Husband and Still Submit?
How can a wife disagree with her husband about a decision while still submitting to his leadership in the home?
Fri, July 10, 2020
How Do I Know If I’m Doing Enough for God?
Before you get overwhelmed by all of the Bible’s commands, remember your right standing with God and focus first on the anchors of faithful obedience.
Wed, July 08, 2020
Why Do I Need to Be Saved?
At the cross, God not only clears a path for sinners to himself. He also vindicates his righteousness after passing over centuries of sin.
Mon, July 06, 2020
Why Does ‘Atonement’ Disappear in the New Testament?
The word “atonement” appears all over the ESV’s translation of the Old Testament, but never in the New. Didn’t Jesus make atonement for our sins?
Fri, July 03, 2020
How Much Patriotism Is Too Much Patriotism?
If Christians are first and foremost citizens of heaven, then is it ever appropriate to show patriotism for a homeland?
Wed, July 01, 2020
How Can I Be Free from Materialism?
For many Western Christians, materialism has transformed our wants into needs and distorted our view of biblical Christianity. How can we be free?
Mon, June 29, 2020
Did Moses Think Sinners Could Keep the Law?
The Mosaic law requires obedience over and over again. Does that mean old-covenant believers earned their way to a right standing with God?
Fri, June 26, 2020
Do I Need to Understand the Trinity to Be Saved?
What does someone need to know about the Trinity in order to have saving faith in Jesus?
Wed, June 24, 2020
How Do I Find Freedom from Worry?
In the moment when troubles come or worries rise, we need the precious truth of specific promises from God’s word.
Mon, June 22, 2020
Would God Have Been More Loving Not to Create Anyone?
If God knew before he created the world that millions of people would suffer eternally in hell, would he have been more loving not to create at all?
Fri, June 19, 2020
Which Characters in Job Can We Trust?
Job is a famously difficult book to understand and apply. But God has not left us without interpretive guides to help us discern the book’s message.
Thu, June 18, 2020
Update from John Piper and How You Can Help Us
Hear from Pastor John on his latest ministry projects, and learn how you can partner with us to spread joy in Jesus Christ for years to come.
Wed, June 17, 2020
What Do You See When You Look at the Sky?
All creation rings with its Maker’s praise. If we pause to look and listen, God can show us glory in all that he has made.
Mon, June 15, 2020
Why Does Christ Want Some Not to Believe?
If God desires all people to be saved, why did Jesus sometimes speak in a way that kept people from believing?
Fri, June 12, 2020
How Should Christians Respond to Climate Change?
Climate-change activists warn of dire consequences if nations and individuals refuse to care for the environment. How should Christians respond?
Wed, June 10, 2020
Why Must Our Bodies Get Resurrected?
Our resurrection bodies will allow us not only to experience life without disease and decay, but also to enjoy God in the bliss he intended.
Mon, June 08, 2020
Does the Law Aggravate Our Sin Nature?
The Mosaic law raises countless questions for Christians. But how might we begin to understand the function of the law in redemptive history?
Fri, June 05, 2020
What Are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus gave his disciples the keys to the kingdom of heaven so that they could loose and bind. What does that mean for Christians today?
Wed, June 03, 2020
What Do You Say to Evangelicals Who Affirm So-Called ‘Same-Sex Marriage’?
When someone close to you affirms so-called “same-sex marriage,” how do you respond in both faithfulness to Scripture and love for that person?
Mon, June 01, 2020
My Pastors Don’t Preach Against Sin — Is That Okay?
Addressing sin and repentance may sound harsh to some, but genuine biblical preaching names and denounces specific sins.
Fri, May 29, 2020
Does John Piper Deny Personal Assurance?
God gives believers warnings not to strip us of our assurance, but to keep us clinging to Christ and killing sin by the Spirit.
Wed, May 27, 2020
What Are God’s Purposes in a Recession?
God has thousands of purposes in all that he does — including recessions. What does Scripture tell us about God’s designs in our financial uncertainty?
Mon, May 25, 2020
How Much Joy Did the Curse Cost Me?
Because of the fall, we are by nature dead to joy in God. Because of the cross, we can experience more joy in God than we ever could have had in Eden.
Fri, May 22, 2020
Do My Sins Ruin God’s Plan for My Life?
Some sins unalterably change the course of our lives, leaving us to live with the consequences. Do these sins sabotage God’s best plan for us?
Wed, May 20, 2020
The God over Viruses
If we say God is sovereign, does that mean he’s in charge of everything — even down to the tiniest molecule?
Mon, May 18, 2020
Does Christ Govern Every Storm?
Jesus stilled a storm for his disciples two thousand years ago, but does that necessarily mean he controls every single storm today?
Fri, May 15, 2020
Am I Living by Faith or Unbelief?
The Bible calls us to walk by faith, but how can we actually know if we are living by faith instead of unbelief?
Wed, May 13, 2020
Could a Recession Serve Our Joy?
Sometimes it takes a recession to dig up the roots of our lives and replant them in soil that causes us to bear the fruit of generosity.
Mon, May 11, 2020
What Is Hyper-Calvinism?
Doctrinal systems can help us summarize the Bible’s teaching, but they are never a substitute for Scripture itself.
Mon, May 11, 2020
What’s the Comfort If the Coronavirus Is Judgment?
Even in the most bitter providences, Christians have comfort to offer. The gospel is best news in the world for the hardest moments in the world.
Fri, May 08, 2020
What Is Grace?
We often define “grace” as “undeserved favor.” But the grace of God has another meaning in the Bible that is filled with encouragement and comfort.
Wed, May 06, 2020
How Can I Receive Christ?
The help Jesus offers isn’t a commodity you can buy with money or morality. To have the Son, you must receive him by faith.
Mon, May 04, 2020
Is the Calvinist-Arminian Debate Really Important?
Are Calvinism and Arminianism just points of debate for theologians, or do they actually have real-life implications on our relationship with God?
Fri, May 01, 2020
How Should We Dress for Church?
How we dress for church will depend on our vision of God, our understanding of God’s people, and our grasp of what is at stake when we gather.
Wed, April 29, 2020
What Are the Spiritual Dangers of Technology?
Technology can make our lives easier and more efficient than ever. But it can also slowly numb our affections to the things that matter most.
Mon, April 27, 2020
Is the Christian’s Heart Deceitfully Wicked?
Is the Christian heart still wicked and deceitful? Or does God give us a completely new heart at the new birth?
Fri, April 24, 2020
What Sins Disqualify a Pastor for Life?
Should churches ever consider calling a pastor who has committed adultery in the past? And if so, how should they evaluate his repentance?
Wed, April 22, 2020
Sovereign Comfort for Uncertain Times
When crisis hits, Jesus Christ remains on his throne. He reigns supreme, and he will never leave nor forsake his people.
Mon, April 20, 2020
Why Do We Confess If Our Sins Are Already Forgiven?
If Christians are already fully forgiven, justified, and united with Christ, then why do we need to continually confess our sins to God?
Fri, April 17, 2020
Is God Humble?
As we seek to put away pride and become more humble, is there any humility in God for us to imitate? Or is humility fitting only for creatures?
Wed, April 15, 2020
More Precious Than Praise and Possessions
How we handle our possessions in this world and the praise of man not only shapes our lives now, but determines our fate for eternity.
Tue, April 14, 2020
Fighting Loneliness in the Coronavirus Outbreak
God created us to live in community, not to self-isolate. But when we do experience loneliness, to what promises can we turn?
Mon, April 13, 2020
I’m Afraid of Surrendering to Christ — What Can I Do?
The life Jesus promises when you follow him far surpasses anything you might have to give up. There is no greater joy than in walking with him.
Fri, April 10, 2020
Why Do We Celebrate Easter?
If Jesus remained in the grave, then his followers have no hope. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. Christ is risen.
Thu, April 09, 2020
Why the Sovereignty of God Is Good News
The doctrine of God’s sovereignty does not sit on the periphery of theology. Without the sovereignty of God, we have no gospel.
Wed, April 08, 2020
Coronavirus and Christ (Audiobook)
What is God doing through the coronavirus pandemic? He is not silent about what he is doing in the world. He has given us the Scriptures. In this special edition of APJ, Pastor John narrates his first-ever audiobook entitled Coronavirus and Christ.
Mon, April 06, 2020
How Do I Know If the Holy Spirit Is in Me?
Whether you became a Christian at age 5 or 85, God worked in you, by his Holy Spirit, to open your eyes to the wonder and beauty of Jesus Christ.
Fri, April 03, 2020
Is It a Sin to Back Out of a Commitment?
Honesty, integrity, and reliability should characterize every Christian. Since God delights in truth, so should his people.
Wed, April 01, 2020
Plan for Something Greater Than Retirement
Retirement is not the last chapter of life — eternity is the last chapter. And the hope of being with Jesus forever should shape our final years on earth.
Tue, March 31, 2020
How to Talk to Children About the Coronavirus
Little hearts need the hope and security of a big God. What can parents tell kids and teens in the middle of a pandemic?
Mon, March 30, 2020
Public, Private, Online, Homeschool?
When Christian parents have a number of educational options for their children, what biblical principles help us decide what’s best?
Fri, March 27, 2020
What’s Next for an Aging Pastor?
God never wastes his children. If you devote yourself to serving the Lord, he will never leave you without significant opportunities for good works.
Thu, March 26, 2020
How Do I Fight My Coronavirus Fears?
The coronavirus is a wake-up call for everyone. Have we built our lives on a fragile foundation, or do we have true, unshakable hope in Jesus Christ?
Wed, March 25, 2020
Grace for Our Hardest Moments
Jesus may not give us everything we want, or even everything we think we need. But he will give us everything we truly need — all the way to the end.
Mon, March 23, 2020
Are IVF Babies Knit Together by God Too?
No technology can ever thwart God’s sovereignty. His oversight extends even to those advancements that seem to take his place.
Fri, March 20, 2020
A Word to Men Who Demean Their Wives
God calls husbands to provide and protect, not demean and belittle. Husbands must lead, but always with gentleness and grace, especially in the home.
Wed, March 18, 2020
Jesus Didn’t Die for Our Present Prosperity
Jesus doesn’t want disciples who seek him merely for what he can provide. He wants disciples who treasure him for who he is.
Mon, March 16, 2020
Jesus Came to Bring Violence — but What Does That Mean for Us?
Jesus told his disciples, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” What kind of sword does the Prince of Peace bring?
Fri, March 13, 2020
How Do I Take Risks Without Being Unwise?
Jesus calls us away from self-protection and toward taking risks of love. To follow a sacrificial Savior is to give and sacrifice with him.
Wed, March 11, 2020
John Piper’s Death-Row Plea
Jesus does not discriminate. He offers the bread of life to anyone who calls on his name — even to those who have committed unspeakable crimes.
Mon, March 09, 2020
Am I Mainly the Product of My Background?
Are we free to be who we want to be, or are we instead the products of our backgrounds and environments?
Fri, March 06, 2020
If God Is Sovereign, Are My Prayers Pointless?
If all of God’s plans stand, and all of his purposes come to pass, is praying for what we want pointless?
Wed, March 04, 2020
Will Suffering Weaken My Ministry?
Suffering is not a hindrance to the spread of the gospel. Suffering is, very often, God’s means of spreading the gospel where it has never gone before.
Mon, March 02, 2020
How Do I Care for My Depressed Wife?
How can a husband cultivate an atmosphere of holy joy at home if his wife struggles with chronic sadness or depression?
Fri, February 28, 2020
How Can Couples Heal After Adultery?
After adultery, couples may feel like their marriage is ruined beyond repair. What biblical realities can help them begin to find healing?
Fri, February 28, 2020
How Do We Make Sense of the Coronavirus?
How can Christians make sense of the coronavirus, which has infected and killed so many people all throughout the world? Pastor John offers four biblical realities.
Wed, February 26, 2020
How Can I Jumpstart My Prayer Life?
Prayer offers us a lifeline to our Lord, a vital connection we need every day. But unless we plan ahead, we will be prone to wander.
Mon, February 24, 2020
How Much Victory Can I Expect over Sinful Desires?
The new birth brings an awakening of delight in Christ and increasing victory over sin. But how much delight and victory should Christians expect?
Fri, February 21, 2020
How Do I Bless My Children Before Bed?
If you want to raise your children to know and love Jesus, then a regular rhythm of blessing may prove to be a helpful habit of grace.
Wed, February 19, 2020
Why Is My Theology Not Changing My Life?
If I believe all the right things, then why does my growth in holiness seem so tedious and slow?
Mon, February 17, 2020
Should Christians Attend Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous, and programs like it, seem to genuinely help hurting people. But what do such programs miss that Christians can’t overlook?
Fri, February 14, 2020
Can We Love Both God and Pleasure?
If the Bible says that loving pleasure is a sign of ungodliness, then can we really make joy and pleasure essential to our pursuit of God?
Wed, February 12, 2020
How Do I Let Go of Anger over Past Wrongs?
How do we lay down our anger, our bitterness, our grudges against those who have wronged us and gotten away with it?
Mon, February 10, 2020
Would God Be Just as Glorified If We Were His Slaves?
God gets maximum glory from his people, not when we work for him out of begrudging duty, but when we run to him out of sheer delight.
Fri, February 07, 2020
How Do I Find a Good Church?
If you live near a number of gospel-preaching churches, how do you decide which body is best for you to join? Pastor John suggests nine steps.
Wed, February 05, 2020
How Do I Grow in Wisdom?
How do I become a sage who overflows with godly wisdom? Pastor John recommends a path too few of us choose to tread.
Mon, February 03, 2020
Should My Husband Pray with Me More?
We all need private, regular communion with God. But the Bible presents a vision for prayer that reaches well beyond our personal quiet times.
Fri, January 31, 2020
Should We Call Female Leaders ‘Pastors’?
The New Testament doesn’t apply the term “pastor” to any leader in the church, but only to qualified men who oversee and teach the flock.
Wed, January 29, 2020
Who Is Yahweh?
The God of our Bibles is more glorious than we can even begin to imagine. And it all begins with this fact: God absolutely and simply is.
Mon, January 27, 2020
Is John Piper Popular Because He Makes Christianity Look Intelligent?
What happens when a preacher saturates himself with the Scriptures, walks into a pulpit, and overflows with a God-entranced vision of all things?
Fri, January 24, 2020
Did My Dad Die Because I Lacked Faith?
James tells us that we have not because we ask not. But do we still lack sometimes because we don’t ask with enough faith?
Wed, January 22, 2020
Is Something Evil Only If It Harms Others?
Evil goes beyond the harm we commit against other humans. Evil is preferring anything above God, even if we harm no one in the process.
Mon, January 20, 2020
What Is the State of Race Relations in the Church?
Our perceptions of race relations in the church are of some importance. God’s vision for where race relations are heading is of infinite importance.
Fri, January 17, 2020
Is a Similar Sense of Calling Required for Marriage?
Most fundamentally, marriage is not a convenient matchup of vocations, but a covenant that displays the love Jesus has for his church.
Wed, January 15, 2020
How Should I Parent My Non-Christian Teen?
Should parents require non-Christian teens to attend church with them? And if so, how do they avoid creating hypocrites of their kids?
Mon, January 13, 2020
Are Hell and the Cross Overkill for Sin?
The cross will seem like an overreaction as long as man is big and God is small. The essence of sin is not harm done to man, but indignities done to God.
Fri, January 10, 2020
How Do We Respond to Claims That Christianity Is Dangerous?
How should Christians live in a culture that increasingly views our faith as bigoted, immoral, and even dangerous?
Wed, January 08, 2020
What Every Marriage Needs Most
What our marriages need most is probably not new and novel counsel from the latest book or seminar, but this one piece of timeless, biblical truth.
Mon, January 06, 2020
How Do I Respond to Sexual Dreams?
What do sexually illicit dreams reveal about our souls? Pastor John offers biblical principles for understanding dreams and practical ways to overcome them.
Fri, January 03, 2020
What Should I Expect My First Time Through the Bible?
What can you expect when you set out on a journey through the entire Bible? Pastor John offers three cautions and nine life-transforming hopes for every Bible reader.
Wed, January 01, 2020
Are Personal Resolutions Effective or Futile?
Are New Year’s resolutions helpful, are they harmful, or are they just a setup for eventual failure?
Mon, December 30, 2019
I Have a New Journaling Bible — How Should I Mark It Up?
Journaling Bibles can be a great way to go deeper in God’s word, but many feel paralyzed, not knowing what to write (or not).
Fri, December 27, 2019
How Concerned Should Christians Be with Consumerism?
In our good concern for what and how we consume, how do Christians keep from being consumed by ethical consumerism?
Wed, December 25, 2019
Why Was Christ Born into This World?
The wonder and glory of Christmas will never dry up because the manger lets loose waterfalls of mercy that will flow forever.
Mon, December 23, 2019
Should I Use Christmas Dinner for Evangelism?
As we gather around the dinner table this Christmas, how might we share the gospel with family who don’t understand the meaning of Jesus’s birth?
Fri, December 20, 2019
Does the Bible Forbid My Nativity Set?
The second commandment forbids using an image or likeness of God in worship. Does that mean we should take down our nativity sets?
Wed, December 18, 2019
How Do I Banish Low Thoughts of Christ?
The Christ who took on flesh and dwelt among us never had a beginning. He existed eternally before, and will be forever after.
Mon, December 16, 2019
How Do I Battle Subtle Temptations to Lust?
Victory over pornography use is no small thing, but that doesn’t mean our battle is over. God lays claim to every impulse in our hearts, however small.
Fri, December 13, 2019
Will All Nations Be Reached Before Christ Returns?
Did the biblical writers expect Jesus to return at any moment, or were they waiting for certain events to take place before the end would come?
Wed, December 11, 2019
What’s the Deepest Desire of My Heart?
The greatest ache of the human heart is not to have wealth, comfort, or power, but to see and savor the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Wed, December 11, 2019
Does Christmas Create Racial Tensions?
Why was Jesus born a Jew? The incarnation undercuts all ethnic boasting and throws people from every tribe, tongue, and nation on the mercy of a Jewish man from Nazareth.
Mon, December 09, 2019
I’m Not Good at My Job — Is the Lord Telling Me to Quit?
If we don’t see much success in a career we thought God called us to, did we misread his call?
Fri, December 06, 2019
How Can I Revitalize My Church from the Pulpit?
Whether a church is healthy or needs revitalization, every local congregation needs a consistent window to the greatness and glory of God from the pulpit.
Wed, December 04, 2019
What Happens When We Sing Together
Singing together is never just a formality in a church service. God uses truth in song to sustain, encourage, and recharge his people.
Mon, December 02, 2019
Why Do I Still Struggle with My Pre-Conversion Sins?
Every believer is already new in Christ, and yet vestiges of our old selves remain. We must fight every day to become who we already are.
Fri, November 29, 2019
My Life Is Endless Drudgery — How Do I Find Joy in Christ?
The burdens and drudgery of life may feel like walls keeping you from joy. But inside these walls, God Almighty is working for your everlasting good.
Wed, November 27, 2019
How Do We Feast to the Glory of God?
If God made everything good, then do we honor him just by using what he has made? Pastor John explains the essential steps to God-honoring feasting.
Mon, November 25, 2019
How Should I Handle My Regrets?
Every single one of us can look over our lives and find failures we regret. How do we deal with remorse in light of God’s mercy?
Fri, November 22, 2019
Is It Sinful to Watch Sin on a Screen?
Our culture saturates itself with entertainment that hardly gives a passing thought to God. Should Christians consume such media?
Wed, November 20, 2019
Is the God-Centeredness of God Precious?
When you discover that God is not only perfectly glorious, but that everything he does is for his glory, your life may get flipped upside down.
Mon, November 18, 2019
How Do I Stay Attracted to My Aging Spouse?
Sexual desire doesn’t begin and end with physical attraction. God made us to cherish inner beauty and glory, not just looks that pass with age.
Fri, November 15, 2019
Will We Pray in Heaven?
If heaven is a world of love, with no grief or pain or loss, then will we have any need to pray to God once we are there?
Wed, November 13, 2019
The Key to Our Victory over Sin
Only the grace of supernatural delight can empower us to resist the allure of sin’s constant temptations.
Mon, November 11, 2019
I Feel No Sexual Attraction — Should I Still Pursue Marriage?
If someone’s sexual desires are low to the point of indifference, should he or she still be open to marriage down the road?
Fri, November 08, 2019
Why Does the Bible Stress the Power of Jesus’s Name?
The Bible stresses repeatedly the power and greatness of Jesus’s name. But why does it emphasize his name, and not just his person?
Wed, November 06, 2019
‘I Don’t Believe in Christ — Why Is Faith So Hard?’
If Jesus promises that his yoke is easy and his burden light, then why do some people struggle so much to put their faith in him?
Mon, November 04, 2019
When Has My Career Become My Idol?
If God created us for good works and wants us to labor diligently, then how do we determine when our career has become an idol?
Fri, November 01, 2019
Advice for Christians Who Work Sundays
If your job requires you to work on Sundays, how do you honor the Lord’s Day? Pastor John offers three pieces of counsel.
Wed, October 30, 2019
What Did the Reformation Give Us?
Every Protestant owes a debt of gratitude to the Reformers, especially for one of their most precious gifts to us: expository exultation.
Mon, October 28, 2019
Should We Stop Reading Dead White Guys?
Christians should judge a book not by the color of its author or the number of its century, but by the God-exalting or God-ignoring content of its pages.
Fri, October 25, 2019
Should Anyone Say, ‘I Am of Calvin’?
As we sit under preaching in our churches, what matters most is not how eloquent the teacher is, but how much truth shines forth in his content.
Wed, October 23, 2019
What Makes a Sermon Good?
Sermons are more than a transfer of facts and stories. They are a part of worship that God uses to work miracles in both the preacher and the people.
Mon, October 21, 2019
Should Stay-at-Home Moms Take a Day Off?
With all the demands on our time, how can young families pace themselves to run the marathon of life without burning out halfway through?
Fri, October 18, 2019
Are God’s Providence and God’s Sovereignty the Same?
God’s sovereignty is his right and power to do whatever he pleases. God’s providence is his wise and purposeful sovereignty.
Wed, October 16, 2019
When to Stop Listening to This Podcast
If God has given you elders in your local church and brothers and sisters in Christ, then why should you bother seeking wisdom from this podcast?
Mon, October 14, 2019
How Do I Follow God’s Will in the Face of Two Good Options?
God may not reveal every detail we want to know about our future, but he does promise to walk with us and direct our steps.
Fri, October 11, 2019
What Does the Bible Say About ‘National Coming Out Day’?
Our culture may celebrate sin and stifle truth, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope. God can still grant an awakening.
Wed, October 09, 2019
How Do We Respond When a Pastor Leaves the Faith?
If we believe in the sovereignty of God, then how do we explain friends or prominent leaders who turn their backs on Jesus?
Mon, October 07, 2019
How Much ‘Lover’ Language Should We Use in Worship Songs?
Our song choices influence our churches nearly as much as our sermons. If we don’t choose our music with care, we aren’t shepherding well.
Fri, October 04, 2019
Should We Call Out False Teachers or Ignore Them?
False teachers threaten churches all over the world. Every Christian, and especially pastors, should know how to respond to their danger.
Wed, October 02, 2019
How Do I Submit to My Unbelieving Husband?
A wife’s submission to her husband is qualified submission. She follows Jesus first, and then does whatever she can to honor her husband’s leadership.
Mon, September 30, 2019
Is Everyone Punished the Same in Hell?
The Bible describes degrees of happiness for the saints in heaven. Does that mean there are degrees of despair in hell?
Fri, September 27, 2019
John Piper’s Most Bizarre Moment in Preaching
If John Piper wants Christians to find their ultimate happiness and joy in God, why hasn’t he ever told a joke from the pulpit?
Wed, September 25, 2019
Who Is John Piper?
We make plans and prepare for what’s ahead, but only God orders our steps. Pastor John shares his path toward a lifetime of fruitful ministry.
Mon, September 23, 2019
Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
The Bible commands us to be baptized, but what does the water actually do? Does it save us, like 1 Peter 3:21 appears to say?
Fri, September 20, 2019
We’re Back! — Update from John Piper
Pastor John recently finished a book on the providence of God — the purposeful sovereignty of a heavenly Father who loves and cares for his children.
Wed, July 17, 2019
How Do I Live Like a Son Rather Than a Slave?
God has called us sons and daughters, but his people sometimes talk as if we were still slaves. What does it mean to talk like children of God?
Mon, July 15, 2019
How Does ‘Christ Live in Me’ (Galatians 2:20)?
When we are saved, we’re united to Christ by the Spirit. Our old self — our unbelieving, rebellious, sin-loving self — dies, and we live by the Spirit.
Fri, July 12, 2019
Does Jesus Teach Us to Sell All Our Possessions?
Jesus said, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.” Are we disobeying Jesus if we don’t literally give away all that we have?
Wed, July 10, 2019
How Can I Forgive My Parents for Childhood Abuse?
How can we forgive others who have hurt us deeply? Pastor John gives three practical suggestions for pursuing forgiveness.
Mon, July 08, 2019
I’m Terrified of Giving Birth — Should I Still Pursue Marriage?
The fall has made childbirth painful and dangerous. But in Christ, the deepest dangers of the curse have been removed.
Fri, July 05, 2019
How Do I Survive This Midlife Crisis?
God keeps his children through midlife crises by empowering them to keep fighting to be kept.
Wed, July 03, 2019
Is God Just as Sovereign over Damnation as Salvation?
What role does God play in the redemption and damnation of sinners? Is he just as sovereign over both?
Mon, July 01, 2019
What Is a Father’s Role in Caring for an Infant?
A godly father will want to show God the Father to his children. He will want to model for them the heart of Jesus.
Fri, June 28, 2019
Would God Be Less Glorious If He Never Created?
If God created the world to display the fullness of his attributes, would he have been less glorious without creation?
Wed, June 26, 2019
Is God Angry at Me When I Sin?
We go from a rebel against the King to a child of the King. God’s attitude toward us completely changes. But does he still get angry at us when we sin?
Mon, June 24, 2019
The Heart of the Calvinist-Arminian Divide
Both Calvinists and Arminians see grace as powerful and necessary, but not in the same way. Pastor John gets at the heart of the theological divide.
Fri, June 21, 2019
What Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
If you are a Christian, then you have the Holy Spirit. But is this the same as being baptized in the Holy Spirit? Pastor John explains the difference.
Wed, June 19, 2019
How Do I Trust God with the Eternal Destiny of My Child?
We know God will accomplish his purposes for good, but he doesn’t promise our children’s eternal good. How can we be satisfied in God with this unknown?
Mon, June 17, 2019
Does God Ever Soften a Heart He Has Hardened?
When we think God has hardened someone’s heart, we should not assume that the hardening is permanent. God can and does break in and save.
Fri, June 14, 2019
How Should a Husband Treat His Quarrelsome Wife?
“Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.” What are readers of Scripture supposed to learn from a proverb like this?
Wed, June 12, 2019
Should My Boyfriend and I Travel Alone?
Is it wise for a girlfriend and boyfriend to travel together and stay in the same hotel? Should they? Pastor John gives three reasons why they shouldn’t.
Mon, June 10, 2019
Do Human Technologies Ever Threaten Divine Sovereignty?
At any moment, God can put a complete stop to the plans of man. Rebellious human plans never threaten a sovereign God.
Fri, June 07, 2019
Was Job a Man or a Myth?
Job is a profound book on human suffering, worthy of a lifetime of study. But was Job himself a real, historical character? And does it matter?
Wed, June 05, 2019
Why Does God Discipline Some Christians with Death?
Why would God take some of his children home as a means of discipline when he could have prevented their sin another way?
Mon, June 03, 2019
How Do I Kill My Pride?
Faith kills pride by forcing us to look away from ourselves to God to receive the gift of salvation that we could never earn on our own.
Fri, May 31, 2019
Do I Need to Love Myself More?
Jesus said we should love our neighbors as ourselves. How is this kind of self-love different from the mantra we hear in advertising and social media?
Wed, May 29, 2019
How Much Authority Does Satan Have in the World?
All Satan’s power is by permission. He has no authority to do anything God does not permit for infinitely wise purposes.
Mon, May 27, 2019
Are Christians Righteous or Unrighteous?
Are Christians righteous or unrighteous? Pastor John explains two forms of righteousness in Scripture that get to the core of the gospel.
Fri, May 24, 2019
Should We Postpone Children While I Finish My Degree?
Deciding when to start a family can be complex. Pastor John shares how he and Noël decided, and what biblical truths should inform the process.
Wed, May 22, 2019
Why Is It Better That Christ Went Away (John 16:7)?
It’s better for us that Jesus is gone. He said so when he left. But why is Christ’s physical absence from us better for us than his physical presence?
Mon, May 20, 2019
Will Marriage Cure My Lust?
Sex in marriage, just like other physical gifts from God, is not an absolute cure for lust, but it can be a great help in the battle.
Fri, May 17, 2019
Can an Elect Person Die Without Hearing the Gospel?
Letting the truth of election deter evangelism isn’t only illogical, but unbiblical. Pastor John shows how election moves us to action, not inaction.
Wed, May 15, 2019
Should a Gay Couple, Once Converted, Stay ‘Married’?
The union of two men or women is not “gay marriage.” It’s no marriage. When they come to Christ, that former relationship has no binding authority.
Mon, May 13, 2019
Is It Sinful to Want to Die?
Pain surrounds us in this world, and for those in Christ, the exact opposite awaits us after we die. Is it sinful to want to die and be with Jesus?
Fri, May 10, 2019
Should We Expect Revival or More Social Decay?
Scripture tells us that the last days will bring an upsurge of evil in the world. Does that mean we should stop expecting revivals to take place?
Wed, May 08, 2019
How Does the Gospel Speak to Self-Hate?
The Bible has a lot to say about the issue of self-hate. Where should we begin if we’re talking to a non-Christian who struggles in this area?
Mon, May 06, 2019
Does Christ’s Righteousness Cover My Joylessness?
Jesus is our substitute, the one who became sin so we might be saved. So does his righteousness also cover our joylessness?
Fri, May 03, 2019
Does God Direct All the Details of My Life?
God’s sovereign control is complete, not partial. He governs every aspect of nature, every aspect of history, and every aspect of personal life.
Wed, May 01, 2019
What Does It Mean to Live ‘in the Flesh’?
Over ninety times, Paul speaks of “the flesh.” So what does this word mean to the apostle? Pastor John forms a definition from two key passages.
Mon, April 29, 2019
Is Cremation Okay If I Give My Body to Science?
We testify to the hope of resurrection when we choose burial over cremation. But if we first donate our body to science, is cremation okay then?
Fri, April 26, 2019
Does Junk Food Dishonor God?
When it comes to food, many of us are in greater danger of judging people where we shouldn’t than of eating what we shouldn’t.
Wed, April 24, 2019
I Want Jesus to Be My Treasure — Is the Wanting Enough?
Our satisfaction in God will be in measure, not in fullness, until the day we see him face-to-face.
Mon, April 22, 2019
My Joy Is So Short-Lived — How Do I Make It Last?
God promises lasting joy. But what should we do when we feel full on Sunday but empty by Monday?
Fri, April 19, 2019
What’s the Significance of Simon Carrying Jesus’s Cross?
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that Simon of Cyrene helped carry Jesus’s cross. What’s the significance of this story?
Wed, April 17, 2019
Where Was the Holy Spirit on Good Friday?
At the cross, the triune God was at work, securing our redemption. But what role did the Holy Spirit play in Jesus’s crucifixion?
Mon, April 15, 2019
Is There Any Place for Fear in the Christian Life?
Fear does not govern the Christian life. But we have a skewed view of the Christian life if we exclude fear.
Fri, April 12, 2019
How Does God Answer Today’s Skeptics?
Many of today’s skeptics ask questions that God himself has already addressed. Sometimes, we just need to hear how God responds to his critics.
Wed, April 10, 2019
How Do Christians Survive in Middle-Class America?
“Woe to you who are rich. Woe to you who are full now. Woe to you who laugh.” What do Jesus’s woes mean for middle-class Americans?
Mon, April 08, 2019
What Is the Sovereignty of God?
God’s sovereignty over all creation is one of the grandest themes in the Bible. Pastor John overviews some of the basics.
Fri, April 05, 2019
Why Have Kids If They Might End Up in Hell?
Every child is an eternal being, someone who will live forever. So if our children may end up in hell, would we be better off not having kids?
Wed, April 03, 2019
I’m Eager to Pastor Now — Should I Skip Seminary?
With so many urgent spiritual needs in the world, is it wise to spend years of life in a seminary classroom? If someone is eager for ministry, why wait?
Mon, April 01, 2019
Why Did Jesus Need to ‘Become Superior’ to Angels?
If Jesus is God, why does the Bible say that he “became” superior to angels? Hasn’t he always been superior to angels?
Fri, March 29, 2019
How Much Can Christians Learn from Non-Christians?
Christians can learn many important facts from non-Christian teachers. But they cannot learn the most important facts — or how to love them.
Wed, March 27, 2019
He Killed His Wife and Children — Can He Really Be Forgiven?
Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters. A few months into his prison sentence, he said he found God. Can he really be forgiven?
Mon, March 25, 2019
Does the Old Testament Alienate the Disabled?
In the Old Testament, the disabled were excluded from the holy place. In the New Testament, Jesus touched and healed the disabled. Why the difference?
Fri, March 22, 2019
Why Does God Choose Some and Not Others?
God could have chosen all to inherit eternal life, but he didn’t. So why would God choose some and not choose others?
Wed, March 20, 2019
Money, Mardi Gras, and Something Far Better: Stories from South America
Dozens of countries are experiencing a resurgence of biblical Christianity. Pastor John shares several stories from his recent trip to Brazil and Argentina.
Fri, March 08, 2019
How Do I Resist Smartphone Overuse?
Your smartphone is changing you, whether you realize it or not. Tony Reinke explains the costs of smartphone overuse, and how we can resist.
Wed, February 27, 2019
Can a Coin Flip Reveal God’s Will for My Life?
Making a decision with a coin flip glorifies chance. But making a decision from a renewed mind glorifies God.
Mon, February 25, 2019
My Girlfriend Affirms Homosexual Love — Is This a Deal-Breaker?
“My girlfriend affirms homosexual love — is this a deal-breaker?” Yes. Pastor John gives five reasons why.
Fri, February 22, 2019
What Does Jesus Mean by ‘I Never Knew You’?
When Jesus says, “I never knew you,” he means, “I don’t recognize you as my disciple, as my follower. You are a spiritual stranger to me.”
Wed, February 20, 2019
My Husband Is Passive — What Can I Do?
God may use you to change your spouse. But if you press in to him, no matter how disappointed you are in marriage, he will certainly change you.
Mon, February 18, 2019
How Do I Break My Entertainment Addiction?
As God’s child, you are not enslaved to entertainment or anything else. Christ has purchased a way out for you.
Fri, February 15, 2019
How Much Entertainment Is Too Much?
Watching a movie, playing a board game, reading a novel — is God disappointed if we use free time for these instead of reading Scripture and praying?
Wed, February 13, 2019
I’m an Anxious Person — How Do I ‘Rest in Christ’?
In Jesus, God has given us what we need to rest — even while we work. To every anxious soul, Jesus says, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.”
Mon, February 04, 2019
How Can I See the Beauty of God?
Seeing and loving art and seeing and loving divine glory are not the same. They require different ways of seeing. So how can we see the beauty of God?
Fri, February 01, 2019
Is Street Evangelism Better Than Building Relationships?
God has not given us a formula for when to share the gospel quickly and when to share over time in the context of a relationship. Both are needed.
Wed, January 30, 2019
Why Global Missions Requires Healthy Churches
The Great Commission isn’t disconnected from the church — it’s given to the church. God designed the local church and missions to be wed together.
Mon, January 28, 2019
Should Hell Motivate Our Missionaries?
We cannot afford to ignore hell. Christians must care about suffering, but especially eternal suffering. And it must mobilize us to go and to send.
Fri, January 25, 2019
I Feel Trapped in My Job — What Should I Do?
We were made to work, and we are happy only if we do work. But what should we do if our job makes us feel trapped, not fulfilled?
Wed, January 23, 2019
How Your Career Could Crush You
If we are not finding purpose in our work from God, then we will likely turn our job into a means of self-fulfillment and self-advancement.
Mon, January 21, 2019
Is Investing in Stocks Any Better Than Gambling?
Wherever we put our money, we are accepting risk. So is there any difference between educated sports gambling and investing in stocks?
Fri, January 18, 2019
Did Jesus Endorse Polygamy in the Parable of the Ten Virgins?
“The bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast.” Did Jesus endorse polygamy here?
Wed, January 16, 2019
Why Is God Withholding Marriage from Me?
How can single people who desire marriage keep those desires in proper perspective? Pastor John offers six ways to cultivate godly desire.
Mon, January 14, 2019
Are Calvinists Inconsistent with Romans 9?
God sends the wicked to hell because they deserve it. God welcomes the humble to heaven because Christ secured it. This isn’t inconsistent. This is the gospel.
Fri, January 11, 2019
How Can We Prioritize Our Marriage over Work and Kids?
Marriages die from neglect but grow with God-centered time and attention. Pastor John gives six ways to feed your marriage the time it needs.
Wed, January 09, 2019
When Does Bible Neglect Become Sinful?
When does diminishing time in God’s word become sinful? Pastor John identifies five symptoms of Bible neglect.
Mon, January 07, 2019
I’m Tired and Busy — How Do I Make Time for the Bible?
We wake up every day needing to meet God in his word. Don’t leave the word to fill the cracks. Force other things into the cracks.
Fri, January 04, 2019
I Have an Hour a Day to Read — How Much Should Be Bible?
If I have only an hour a day to read, how should I divide my time between the Bible and great Christian books?
Wed, January 02, 2019
Three Reasons to Read the Bible Every Day in 2019
As we begin another year of Bible reading, Pastor John takes us back to the basics: feed your motivation, grow in skill, and pray for illumination.
Mon, December 31, 2018
How Do I Make the Most of Daily Bible Reading?
As you plan your Bible reading for 2019, know yourself, know your tendencies, but know most of all that you desperately need God’s word.
Fri, December 28, 2018
Can a Christian Survive in Silicon Valley?
Can the Christlike virtues of patience, forgiveness, and gentleness survive in a cutthroat technology sector like Silicon Valley?
Tue, December 25, 2018
How Do I Welcome Christ at Christmas?
The famous hymn calls every heart to “prepare him room.” But what does it mean to receive Christ this Christmas?
Sun, December 23, 2018
What Makes Christmas So Controversial?
The wrath of God is our biggest problem. If it didn’t exist, we wouldn’t need the gospel, and we wouldn’t need Christmas.
Fri, December 21, 2018
What Is the Rapture?
Will Christians be raptured before the tribulation? Or will we rise to meet the Lord only at his final coming?
Wed, December 19, 2018
Will We Meet Jesus as Soon as We Die?
We often say that our dead loved ones are with Jesus now. But Paul seems to say that Christians will meet Jesus at the second coming. Which is right?
Mon, December 17, 2018
How Will Christ ‘Reconcile’ Unbelievers to Himself?
Colossians 1:20 says that Christ will reconcile “all things” to himself. Does that include demons and unbelievers?
Fri, December 14, 2018
Why Do We Give Christmas Gifts?
Gift giving, done rightly, doesn’t distract from the meaning of Christmas. Pastor John puts Christmas gifts in biblical context.
Wed, December 12, 2018
What Should I Tell My Kids About Santa?
If we think Christ cannot compete with Santa in the hearts of our children, we don’t know the real Christ.
Mon, December 10, 2018
How Do We Know Jesus Is the Messiah?
When we say “Jesus Christ,” we should be thinking “Jesus the Messiah”: the promised Priest, King, and Prophet, the one God anointed to redeem us.
Fri, December 07, 2018
I Will Die Young — How Do I Fight for Hope?
When the prognosis is an early death, how can we live in a courageous manner that honors God and refuses to be jaded toward him?
Wed, December 05, 2018
My Friend Claims She’s Gay — What Do I Say?
What do you say when a professing Christian is ready to embrace the gay lifestyle? Pastor John offers a place to start.
Mon, December 03, 2018
How Do Introverts Guard Against Selfishness?
Instead of seeing introversion as a fatalistic limitation, ask, “How can I make my peculiar personality bent a means of grace to others?”
Fri, November 30, 2018
Why Is the Ministry Called ‘Desiring God’?
Why did Pastor John name his book and ministry “Desiring God” instead of “Enjoying God,” “Delighting in God,” or “Rejoicing in God”?
Wed, November 28, 2018
What Will Become of Christian Hedonism After You’re Gone?
What will happen to Christian Hedonism in generations to come? Pastor John shares eight dangers for young Christian Hedonists.
Mon, November 26, 2018
What Does Christian Hedonism Add to Reformed Theology?
Christian Hedonism does not revise Reformed theology. Rather, it clarifies one of the central assumptions of Reformed theology.
Fri, November 23, 2018
Should I Ever Go Through the Motions in Worship?
Is there an alternative between empty, duty-driven worship and spontaneous, joyful worship? Pastor John gives six marks of a middle way.
Wed, November 21, 2018
Do I Need to ‘Hear from God’ Before I Make a Decision?
We all want to know we are making the right decisions. To decide wisely, do we need to hear from God beyond what he has already written?
Mon, November 19, 2018
How Do I Respond to Blasphemous Thoughts?
All of us experience harassing thoughts. Where do these thoughts come from? And how do we respond?
Fri, November 16, 2018
Seven Ways This Podcast Will Kill Your Joy
This podcast could bring life and joy, or it could be a deadly weapon in the enemy’s hands. Pastor John explains how not to use Ask Pastor John.
Wed, November 14, 2018
What Comes First: My Obedience to Jesus or My Joy in Jesus?
Does our obedience or our joy come first? Pastor John explains that joy-driven obedience is the only obedience worth pursuing.
Mon, November 12, 2018
How Do I Pray for Healing and Honor God’s ‘No’?
Our greatest hope in prayer is not getting what we asked for, but rather in the goodness of our Father, who always gives what is best for his children.
Fri, November 09, 2018
Does My Sexual Past Make Me Unsavable?
Our past sexual sin is not beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness — unless we don’t give it up. It’s not too late to turn and receive God’s mercy.
Wed, November 07, 2018
Does Jesus Commend Dishonesty in Luke 16?
What was Jesus commending in the parable of the dishonest manager, and what are the implications for Christians today?
Mon, November 05, 2018
How Can God Be Sovereign and Good and Allow Suffering?
God designs all our weaknesses — even those that leave us unable to do anything. And one of his purposes in our weaknesses is to sanctify the strong.
Fri, November 02, 2018
Do Gender Roles Apply Beyond Marriage?
God designed us as male and female for his glory. And he intends for us to reflect him in every relationship, not just marriage.
Wed, October 31, 2018
What Is Union with Christ?
What does it mean to be united to Christ? Pastor John shows how we can begin to mine the riches of this doctrine from Scripture.
Mon, October 29, 2018
Is It Sinful to Gamble on Fantasy Sports?
Gambling your money — whether at a slot machine or with your fantasy team — is not just unwise. It is sin. Pastor John gives seven reasons why.
Fri, October 26, 2018
How to Read the Bible for Teenagers
When the teenage years come, we get to teach our kids how to move from reading the Bible to studying it. Here are seven places to start.
Wed, October 24, 2018
How Do I Question Someone’s Salvation at the End of His Life?
How do we approach the deathbeds of professing Christians whose faith we are not sure is real? Pastor John offers four ways to love them.
Mon, October 22, 2018
I Didn’t Treasure Christ When I First Believed — Was I Unsaved?
Treasuring Christ is a key ingredient to saving faith. But what if you don’t remember treasuring him when you were converted?
Fri, October 19, 2018
My Girlfriend Is Pregnant — What Do I Do Next?
A premarital pregnancy means a couple has chosen sin over God. But it doesn’t mean they need to continue to make that choice.
Wed, October 17, 2018
Does Premarital Pregnancy Nullify ‘Unequally Yoked’?
God clearly calls believers to marry only believers. But does a premarital pregnancy introduce an exception?
Mon, October 15, 2018
Why Does Piper Avoid Politics and What’s Trending?
In general, Pastor John avoids talking about politics, breaking news, and hot trends. Why doesn’t he address such cultural issues more often?
Fri, October 12, 2018
Why Does John Piper Journal?
God does not require any of us to keep a journal. But journaling may help some of us see Christ, love Christ, and become like Christ.
Wed, October 10, 2018
Does Depression Disqualify a Pastor?
At what point, if any, does depression or joylessness disqualify a pastor from ministry? Pastor John gives several factors to consider.
Mon, October 08, 2018
When You Sin at Home: Learning to Pause and Repent
Many of us spend our days running around with few breaks. So how do we repent of our sins when we find it hard to pause even for a moment?
Fri, October 05, 2018
How John Piper Became a ‘Christian Hedonist’
How does our passion for happiness fit with God’s passion for glory? Pastor John lived with this tension for years, until he found Christian Hedonism.
Wed, October 03, 2018
Are We Fighting Against Sin or for Joy?
Should we focus on fighting against our sin? Or should we focus on fighting for pleasure in God, which will in turn kill our sin?
Mon, October 01, 2018
Should We Raise Our Hands in Worship?
Should we lift our hands during musical worship, or keep them in our pockets? Pastor John shares some principles from Scripture and his own experience.
Fri, September 28, 2018
How to Raise Children in a Pornographic Culture
What can parents do to protect their children from pornography? Pastor John shares eleven ways to guard our families.
Wed, September 26, 2018
My Funding Dried Up — Is This My Sign to Leave the Ministry?
If my funding dries up, is this God’s sign that I should leave the mission field? Pastor John suggests three ways to interpret a lack of funding.
Mon, September 24, 2018
What Part Does God Play in Positive Social Change?
When good happens in society — a government is fixed, slavery is abolished, or minorities are given equality — is God secretly at work?
Fri, September 21, 2018
Should I Attend the Wedding of a Couple Already Living Together?
Whether we attend the wedding of a couple living together or decide to stay home, we are saying something. So what exactly should we say?
Wed, September 19, 2018
How Do I Teach ‘Christian Hedonism’ to My Kids?
Children don’t need to use the label “Christian Hedonism,” but parents can help them grasp what it means to be happy in God.
Mon, September 17, 2018
Should I Ever Take an Action I Don’t ‘Have Peace’ About?
Peace and calm are not the only factors in determining what we should do. Pastor John explains what else should govern our decisions.
Fri, September 14, 2018
Five Ways Jesus Changes Our Relationship to the Old Testament
How do Christians know which Old Testament laws apply to them? Pastor John explains five ways Jesus shapes our approach to the Old Testament.
Wed, September 12, 2018
What Is the Place of Faith in My Unanswered Prayers?
When God consistently answers prayers with “no,” many of us wonder if our faith is the problem. So what role does faith play in unanswered prayers?
Mon, September 10, 2018
What Hope Does God Offer in My Depression?
God promises hope to the downcast, fullness of life to the broken, and joy to the depressed. Here are five passages to turn to when darkness falls.
Fri, September 07, 2018
Ministering Without R.C. Sproul
R.C. Sproul went home to be with the Lord on December 14, 2017. Burk Parsons shares what it’s like to live and minister without him.
Wed, September 05, 2018
Real Sermons Are Not Lectures or Moral Stories
Pastors are not merely teachers or lecturers. They are shepherds to needy sheep. Burk Parsons describes the kind of sermons a shepherd should give.
Mon, September 03, 2018
How Do I Feed My Joy in Jesus Every Morning?
If Christ is not our supreme treasure, something else will gladly take his place. So how do we preserve our joy in God through the day?
Fri, August 31, 2018
How Do I Choose Good Books and Grow My Library?
Millions of books compete for our attention, but only a fraction of them are worth reading. So where do we start when trying to grow our library?
Wed, August 29, 2018
I Have Chronic Fatigue — How Do I Not Waste My Life?
How do people not waste their lives if a chronic illness has stolen their strengths, taken their time, and put them in bed all day?
Mon, August 27, 2018
How Self-Esteem Ruins Bible Reading
A relentless pursuit of self-esteem can increase your confidence and soothe your emotions. And it can also ruin your Bible reading.
Fri, August 24, 2018
How Has Social Media Changed Bible Reading?
Hand-lettered verses on Instagram may comfort and encourage us, but they will never suffice. We need more than devotional tidbits to survive.
Wed, August 22, 2018
Women of the Word: Reading the Bible for Ourselves
Comprehension, interpretation, and application — these three steps from Jen Wilkin have helped thousands of women dive deep into God’s word.
Mon, August 20, 2018
Is It Wrong for Men to Have Long Hair?
Long hair may be acceptable for men today, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore what Paul was saying to the Corinthians. Pastor John explains why.
Fri, August 17, 2018
How Do We Respect Others While Rejecting Their False Beliefs?
How do we respect Buddhist priests? How about imams? Pastor John helps explain how to treat everyone with respect but still make our differences known.
Wed, August 15, 2018
Piper’s Reflections After a Mainline Church Service
Pastor John shares six tragic observations from a mainline church, and a helpful report card to check our tendencies to make assumptions about God.
Mon, August 13, 2018
What Can We Learn from the Jordan Peterson Phenomenon?
Jordan Peterson has a bestselling book and a fast-growing following, especially among young men. What should Christians learn from him?
Fri, August 10, 2018
Why Is My Child Disabled?
God could have prevented every disability we know today, but he didn’t. And he has ten thousand reasons why.
Wed, August 08, 2018
Three Threats to the Joy of This Generation
God wants his people to have serious joy. But at least three obstacles threaten the joy and the seriousness of this generation.
Mon, August 06, 2018
What’s the Point of My Life?
All people want to be a part of something larger than themselves. This is no accident. God designed you to join him in his goal of global glory.
Fri, August 03, 2018
John Piper’s Most-Used Promises
We kill sin with superior promises. Pastor Piper shares his most-used promises and how they have served him over the decades.
Wed, August 01, 2018
How to Win the War for Morning Devotions
When you wake up more interested in Twitter than God’s word, the battle is not lost. It has just begun. Fight to get into his word.
Mon, July 30, 2018
The Miracle of Waiting Faithfully
Whether we’re hoping for a job, a spouse, or something else, no one likes to patiently wait. But God transforms us in our waiting.
Fri, July 27, 2018
How Do I Cling to God — When Life Feels Easy?
We’re needy people. But when life’s going well, we often forget just how needy we really are.
Wed, July 25, 2018
How Much Joy Can We Really Expect in This Life?
In this life, our indwelling sin clouds our joy in God. But every Christian has the promise of never-ending, ever-increasing joy in God’s presence.
Mon, July 23, 2018
Make War on Your Urge to Sulk
We all know that anger will only wound those around us. But its silent brother, sulking, can be just as deadly.
Fri, July 20, 2018
When God Answers ‘No’ to Our Prayers
How do we not let a no from God squelch our joy in him? John Piper offers two anchors of hope to help us remain steady in the struggle.
Wed, July 18, 2018
How to Navigate Conversations About Sexual Identity
A harvest awaits Christians in the gay community. Sam Allberry shares how he engages LGBT students with the message of Jesus.
Mon, July 16, 2018
Am I Less Human If I’m Sexually Unfulfilled?
You don’t need sex to be happy. Jesus never married, never had a romantic relationship, never had sex, and he was the most complete man to ever live.
Fri, July 13, 2018
The Christian Debate over Sexual Identity
Sam Allberry, who has been attracted to the same sex his whole life, gives an insider’s take on the current debates over sexual identity.
Wed, July 11, 2018
Does God Want Me to Be Happy or Holy?
Does God want us to be happy or holy? How are holiness and happiness not at odds, but work together?
Mon, July 09, 2018
Did Paul and Moses Prioritize Mission over Joy in God?
If Moses and Paul wished to be personally damned so others could be saved, didn’t they prioritize mission for others over joy in God?
Fri, July 06, 2018
Does John Piper Add (Joy) to the Gospel?
We don’t receive Jesus in a saving way when we receive him as a ticket out of hell. He’s not a ticket. He’s a treasure — the greatest treasure.
Wed, July 04, 2018
Universalism Distorts the Grace of God
When everyone gets grace, no one actually gets grace. Michael McClymond explains how universalism expels the biblical view of grace.
Mon, July 02, 2018
Universalism Is ‘Alive and Well’ — How Do We Oppose It?
What is Christian universalism, and how should we respond? Michael McClymond, author of a new book on the topic, details the basics.
Fri, June 29, 2018
Did C.S. Lewis Warn Against Christian Hedonism?
Do Christian Hedonists call people to experience a level of joy now that will be available only in heaven?
Wed, June 27, 2018
What Does It Feel Like to See the Beauty of Christ?
We often miss Christ’s beauty in his word because our hearts are out of sync. Pastor John explains how he prepares his heart to meet God.
Mon, June 25, 2018
Is God Glorified in Those Who Reject Him?
We know God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. But is God at all glorified in those who reject him?
Fri, June 22, 2018
What 40-Year-Old David Platt Would Say to His 20-Year-Old Self
David Platt, like all of us, has past regrets and future hopes. Here’s what he would say to his 20-year-old self.
Wed, June 20, 2018
Isn’t the Joy-Centered Life Just an Emotional Roller Coaster?
If our affections are the thermometer of our relationship with God, how can we remain stable through all our emotional ups and downs?
Mon, June 18, 2018
How Do I Find God’s Will for My Life?
Security, comfort, and wealth aren’t the primary guides for our job decisions. God is. But how do we discern his will?
Fri, June 15, 2018
Does Scripture Forbid Entrepreneurs from Raising Big Money?
A bank account with seven, eight, or nine zeros is not necessarily sinful. But it is dangerous for hearts that easily treasure dollar signs.
Wed, June 13, 2018
How Do I Overcome Crippling Self-Consciousness?
An excessive self-focus leads to either discouragement or pride. So what steps can we take to conquer the curse of self-consciousness?
Mon, June 11, 2018
Where Is Satan Most Visibly Active Today?
Wherever saving truth is hated, distorted, and muted, Satan is at work. Our best weapon against him is to tell and live the truth.
Fri, June 08, 2018
A Word to Strengthen Parents of Disabled Children
Caring for a disabled child often goes unthanked and unrecognized in this world. But God sees every sacrifice, and he will reward you.
Wed, June 06, 2018
How Do I Overcome My Fear of Death?
Everything we need in life and death was bought by the blood of Jesus. We have nothing to fear — not even death.
Mon, June 04, 2018
Should Christians Save for Retirement?
The Bible doesn’t have a category for retiring from ministry. We may retire from a paid vocation, but never from loving and serving others.
Fri, June 01, 2018
Drug Users and Christian Hedonists — Aren’t Both Just Chasing the Next High?
Both drug users and Christians feel ups and downs. But the parallels end there. Pastor John gives five reasons why the experiences are different.
Wed, May 30, 2018
How Can We Tweet to the Glory of God?
Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat — they allow us to say more words to more people than ever before. So how can we use them for an eternal purpose?
Mon, May 28, 2018
The Secret to Fighting Anxiety
Worry gains us nothing. As soon as we discover we have a problem, God has already been working on it, and the solution is on the way.
Fri, May 25, 2018
Should We Sing of God’s ‘Reckless Love’?
Is the term “reckless” too reckless? Pastor John offers pastors, worship leaders, and congregations ways to think about the popular lyrics.
Wed, May 23, 2018
Is My Joy Essential in Glorifying God?
Our enjoyment of God is not only a response to God’s glory — it is the way we glorify him. Therefore, joy in God is not optional.
Mon, May 21, 2018
Reflections on the Seashells Sermon, 18 Years Later
Eighteen years after OneDay 2000, Pastor John reflects on a sermon that roused thousands of young people to not waste their lives.
Fri, May 18, 2018
How Do I Know If a Sermon Is Too Long or Too Short?
Is there an ideal sermon length? Pastor John gives five factors to consider when trying to decide how long to preach.
Wed, May 16, 2018
What Is the Place of Eloquence in Christian Preaching?
From alliteration and assonance to metaphors, imagery, and illustrations — what role does creativity, imagination, and rhetoric have in preaching?
Mon, May 14, 2018
How to Read the Bible — and Preach It
Good sermons and good Bible reading push into a writer’s words, grammar, and logic to embrace all the glorious realities behind them.
Fri, May 11, 2018
Piper’s Six-Stage Process for Writing Books
After writing over fifty books, Pastor John explains his six-stage process, from gathering the initial idea to seeing the project come to life.
Wed, May 09, 2018
How Does God’s Sovereignty Not Violate Our Decision-Making?
How does God’s sovereignty not make us robots? Pastor John explores the relationship between God’s sovereignty and the human will in seven steps.
Mon, May 07, 2018
My Body: Friend or Foe?
True freedom from body hatred does not come from finally liking what we see in the mirror. It comes from being swept up in the greatness of God.
Fri, May 04, 2018
Isn’t God Most Glorified in Me When I Am Most Self-Giving?
Enjoying God and loving our neighbors are not competing goals. True love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others.
Wed, May 02, 2018
How to Keep Your Faith When You Lose Confidence in a Local Church
Christian community is a precious gift from God. But our love for the community must never replace our love for the Lord of the community.
Mon, April 30, 2018
Why Do We See So Few Miracles Today?
There were fewer miracles in the Bible than many of us think, and there are more miracles today than many of us know.
Fri, April 27, 2018
Where the Gospel of Roman Catholicism Fails
Protestants insist that God imputes Christ’s righteousness to believers, while the Catholic Church claims that he imparts it. What’s the difference?
Wed, April 25, 2018
Do Paul’s Missions Leave Us with a Geographic Pattern to Follow?
Paul’s missionary journeys do not mandate how we should do missions today, but we can certainly learn from the methods he used.
Mon, April 23, 2018
Why Will Some of Us Get Fewer Rewards in Heaven?
There will be no envy in heaven. Perfect love will reign. Those who have more will have humility; those who have less will rejoice in others’ gifts.
Fri, April 20, 2018
Will Profanity Make Us More Relevant in Reaching Our Culture?
Crude language won’t transform the culture. It won’t convict sinners. It may make us more relatable, but in the end it will backfire.
Wed, April 18, 2018
Can We Skip the Parts of the New Testament Not in the Original Manuscripts?
The first manuscripts of the Bible no longer exist, but that doesn’t need to shake Christians’ faith. Pastor John gives three reasons why.
Mon, April 16, 2018
Do the Biblical Warnings Against Riches Apply to Most Americans?
The aim of wartime simplicity is not to be as poor as possible, but to use all of our resources for the advancement of the gospel.
Fri, April 13, 2018
Have I Really Forgiven Someone If I Keep Remembering Their Wrong?
The sign of forgiveness is not that you forget the pain another caused you, but that you relinquish the desire to punish, and instead seek their good.
Wed, April 11, 2018
How Do I Avoid the Pitfalls of Too Little Introspection and Too Much?
Self-examination can quickly turn into self-condemnation. Pastor John offers three strategies to keep introspection in its proper place.
Mon, April 09, 2018
When Do We Intervene in Other People’s Conflicts?
God calls Christians to be peacemakers. But when and how should we intervene in other people’s conflicts?
Fri, April 06, 2018
Does the Bible Portray Women as Emotional and Men as Rational?
Our culture often stereotypes women as hyperemotional and men as rational. But is this a biblical dichotomy?
Wed, April 04, 2018
How Do I Show Kindness to My Children and Expect Them to Obey?
How do we teach our children to respect our God-given authority, while also treating them with Christlike humility and servant leadership?
Mon, April 02, 2018
Is the Great Commission for Every Individual Christian?
God may not call you to move to another country to join the Great Commission, but he has called you to play a significant part.
Fri, March 30, 2018
Does Reformed Theology Impede Racial Reconciliation?
Some have suggested Reformed theology is a hurdle to racial harmony. Pastor John explains why the opposite has been true over decades of urban ministry.
Wed, March 28, 2018
Dating: Good Jealousy and Bad
Is all jealousy bad? No, God models perfect jealousy, and calls us to have the same zeal for his glory in all we do — even in dating.
Mon, March 26, 2018
Is It Sinful for My Husband and Me to Pray Against Pregnancy?
God’s highest priority is not for us to have children, but for us to have Christ-exalting faith that overflows in meeting the needs of others.
Fri, March 23, 2018
Isn’t It Loving to My Family to Prepare for Doomsday?
Has a husband and father failed in his God-given responsibility if his family is suffering when he could have prevented it?
Wed, March 21, 2018
How to Climb the Corporate Ladder — for Jesus’s Sake
How can we glorify God in our jobs? Pastor John offers ten reflections to help Christians integrate their Christian life with their working life.
Mon, March 19, 2018
My Midlife Crisis — and Counsel for Yours
Some men may avoid a midlife crisis, but many of us will face one. Pastor John describes his own midlife crisis, and how God carried him through.
Fri, March 16, 2018
Sex-Abuse Allegations and the Egalitarian Myth
For fifty years, our culture has denied that men have any unique responsibility to care for and protect women. It was a myth, and it isn’t working.
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