Ask Pastor John

Feb 03 2025 2158 ep. 10 mins 26.1k

Ask Pastor John Podcast artwork

John Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.

Religion & Spirituality

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Is There Good Magic and Edifying Sorcery?

Feb 03 2025 14 mins

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.

How Do I Become Happy in God?

Jan 30 2025 13 mins

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.

If God Pastors Me, Why Do I Need Pastors?

Jan 27 2025 12 mins

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?

How Do I Apply Bible Stories to My Life?

Jan 23 2025 17 mins

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.

One Believer Dies, Another Lives: On Reading Providence

Jan 20 2025 10 mins

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?

The Pleasure That Defeats Pornography

Jan 16 2025 12 mins

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.

Does God Believe in Atheists?

Jan 13 2025 12 mins

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.

Is Heaven a Real Place Right Now?

Jan 09 2025 16 mins

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.

Why Pray for Protection When Suffering Keeps Coming?

Jan 06 2025 13 mins

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.

The Spiritual Battles in Your Bible Reading

Jan 02 2025 13 mins

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?