Ask Pastor John - podcast cover

Ask Pastor John

Desiring Godwww.desiringgod.org
John Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.
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Episodes

Kill Your Ego, Find Your Joy

Every recognition and reward we receive is a gift of God’s steadfast love, poured out so that we might magnify the glory of his undeserved grace.

Jun 01, 202610 min

The Secret Superpower of Silence

How does Jesus’s silence before his accusers teach us how to suffer? Pastor John offers encouragement for Christians facing unjust treatment.

May 28, 202613 min

The Freedom That Kills Regret

True freedom means our desires align with God’s; we want what he wants. Pastor John answers three questions from Galatians about Christian liberty.

May 25, 202610 min

The God Over Dice

What do we mean when we say God is sovereign? Pastor John traces God’s sovereignty throughout the Bible and draws out two big, soul-steadying truths.

May 21, 202613 min

Don’t Wait for the Pain to Stop

We don’t need to wait for painful seasons to end before we feel joy again. By God’s grace, we can hold sorrow and joy in the very same heart.

May 18, 202613 min

Why Your Mind Cannot Die

If consciousness is part of the soul, what are the implications when the brain degrades and dies? Pastor John speaks to consciousness in both life and death.

May 14, 202617 min

When Obedience Is Evil

How should Christians respond when an authority asks them to sin? Pastor John encourages believers to respect earthly institutions without compromising God’s word.

May 11, 202612 min

Delighting in a Holy God

God’s children are set apart as saints, given the privilege of sharing in Christ’s moral beauty. Pastor John explains how God’s holiness draws us to him.

May 07, 202614 min

Suffering for Joy

Christianity isn’t a fix for all suffering in this life — but it does offer unshakable joy in trials and immediate relief from the deepest of pains.

May 04, 202614 min

Ten Seconds After You Die

Do the souls of believers “sleep” in the grave after death, or do they go to be with the Lord? Pastor John explains the logic of the resurrection.

Apr 30, 202612 min

Fur Babies and Pet Stewardship

How should Christians steward pets? Pastor John offers guidance for enjoying animals without treating their companionship like human companionship.

Apr 23, 202614 min

Wasted Talents

Without Christ-exalting love, spiritual gifts serve as self-promotion — even when they produce powerful results.

Apr 20, 202611 min

Where AI Fails

How important are emotions in the Christian life? Pastor John looks to AI and suffering to clarify the essence of what makes us unique as human beings.

Apr 16, 202614 min

Long Sorrows Set the Stage

In Scripture, long periods of suffering and pain serve as a backdrop for God’s great kindness. Pastor John offers three reasons for long sorrows.

Apr 13, 202612 min

The Bondage of Singleness

What does true freedom look like in the Christian life? Pastor John describes the apostle Paul’s burden for both single and married believers.

Apr 09, 202614 min

Sex Is Worship

If sex outside of marriage doesn’t hurt anyone, why does Scripture call it sin? Pastor John unfolds the spiritual significance of sex from 1 Corinthians 6.

Apr 06, 202613 min

The Wrong Kind of Cross-Centered

Should every sermon make a beeline to the cross? Pastor John traces the pattern of the New Testament from the death of Christ to the holiness of Christians.

Apr 02, 202613 min

Will You Be Happy in a Million Years?

Eternity with God can sound too good to be true — even impossible. Will heaven really never end? And if not, will we still be happy after a million years?

Mar 30, 202616 min

Made Lonely by Holiness

How should we respond when friends embrace worldly entertainment? Pastor John offers encouragement for when personal convictions lead to loneliness.

Mar 26, 202612 min

Dying to Live

How do we present ourselves to God “as a living sacrifice”? Pastor John applies Romans 12:1–2 to believers’ daily lives.

Mar 23, 202614 min

Stop Waiting for a Sign

Should all believers assume they are called to missions? Pastor John provides seven factors to direct a desire for ministry at home or abroad.

Mar 19, 202613 min

Your Only Roadblock to Heaven

God’s sovereign grace is strong enough to overcome all human sin and rebellion — changing belief in Jesus from “will not” to “want to.”

Mar 16, 202612 min

Everything Happens for a Reason

Does the Bible teach that everything happens for a reason? Pastor John offers grounding from Romans 8 for God’s purpose in our suffering.

Mar 12, 202615 min

Your Main Calling in the End Times

When Christians encounter signs of the end times, how should we respond? Pastor John outlines a biblical approach to waiting well for Jesus’s return.

Mar 09, 202612 min

Five Escapes from Dry Devotions

How can believers push past surface-level Bible reading to the reality behind the words? Pastor John offers five practices to enliven dry devotions.

Mar 05, 202613 min

Why Smart People Reject God

Why do people reject God when creation proclaims his presence? Pastor John explains how truth becomes suppressed, both internally and externally.

Mar 02, 202613 min

Hope for Screwups

How can those who have wandered far from God come back home to him? Pastor John offers hope in the face of deep failure.

Feb 26, 202612 min

Marks of a Godly Boss

How do Jesus’s teaching and example shape our leadership? Pastor John examines the traits of a godly leader in the home, church, or workplace.

Feb 23, 202611 min

Waiting Is the Hardest Part

What is God doing while we wait in a painful place? Pastor John shows how God uses waiting to produce a new security, a new song, and a new significance.

Feb 19, 202613 min
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