Ask Pastor John

From our perspective, coming to Jesus Christ feels like placing our faith in him. But God himself enabled and awakened that faith in us.

We know outward beauty is insignificant compared to inward beauty. But what should we do if we still feel insecure about our looks?

Is faultless chastity an appropriate standard for pastors, or are our expectations simply too high?

Sometimes pain seems meaningless, but in Christ, every millisecond of your suffering is producing for you an eternal weight of glory.

As a couple’s affection for one another deepens, how can they make sure they are loving God more than each other?

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?

When we obey sin, we obey a liar, a deceiver, a murderer. Sin is a slave master who tricks his subjects into eternal death.

When Jesus comes, he brings deliverance, freedom, grace, and power. But some people prefer what life is like without him.

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?

Singing together is not merely the prelude to the sermon. When God’s people sing from the heart, more happens than we imagine.

“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?

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?

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.

The Nicene Creed speaks of Jesus as “begotten, not made.” What does that mean, and why does it matter?

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.

How can we tell if we are spiritually lukewarm, like the Christians in Laodicea? We can look at our private prayer life.

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.

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?

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?

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?

God promises eternal rewards for his people’s present obedience. But does every sin cost us one of those rewards?

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.

Some marketing succeeds by cultivating consumerism in the human heart. Can a Christian glorify God in that kind of job?

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?

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.