Ask Pastor John

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?

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.

Pull-tabs and scratch games incentivize risky, destructive behaviors, especially among those who can least afford to play.

What might it look like for a Christian with significant disabilities to live a productive, spiritually fruitful, God-glorifying life?

Should I become a preacher? Pastor John’s own road to the pastorate shows that God often makes preachers in unexpected ways.

If Scripture doesn’t obligate parents to leave a financial inheritance to their children, how might Christians decide what to do with their money?

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.

When we memorize and meditate on God’s word, we create a deep, transforming connection between the Bible, our minds, and our hearts.

The Bible describes idols as actual objects people worship, but today many use the language of “idolatry” more broadly. So what is an idol?

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?

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

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.

We miss the miracle of what Christmas is if we forget why Christmas happened: God the Son became man — to die in our place.

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.

The Bible teaches both the absolute sovereignty of God and the genuine accountability of man. And nowhere are they considered contradictory.

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.”

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.

Christians sometimes talk about giving God “some” glory, “more” glory, or “most” glory, but are those really biblical categories?

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?

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.

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?

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.

The story of Elijah on Mount Carmel shows that God rules over fire and rain, bulls and rocks — and even over every human heart.

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.

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.