Ask Pastor John

Seven times in the book of Hebrews, the author captures the heart of Christianity in a simple, wonderful command: draw near.

No angel, no saint, and not even Mary herself can improve the access to God we already have through Christ and his finished work.

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?

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.

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.

The jealousy of God shows his zeal for his own worth — and it also shows his zeal for our deepest joy.

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.

Is there any hope for the recovery of a shipwrecked faith? Pastor John offers four reasons shipwreck need not be final.

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.

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.

Sound preaching comes from those who live in the presence of God-centered glory and long to echo his infinite worth.

“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?

How can we guard against drifting in the Christian life? By looking and looking and looking at Jesus.

You do not need to walk in sinless perfection in order to have a good conscience. You just need to walk in the light.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

Every pastor receives criticism. But at what point might criticism become so serious or sustained that a pastor should consider stepping down?

Everyone passes through seasons of despondency — seasons when the soul is troubled and hope feels thin. But when does despondency become sin?

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?

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?

Some people find intermittent fasting helpful for losing weight. But is fasting for merely physical purposes a sacrilegious use of a spiritual gift?

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.