Ask Pastor John

Christians display the character of God through both mercy and justice. But how do we know when to show mercy and when to give justice?

Almost everyone wants to be loved by God. But our reasons for wanting God’s love may reveal whether we truly know him or not.

When God restored Job’s fortunes, he also doubled his wealth. Should Christians pray for God to do the same for us today?

Serial dating, if left unconquered, often turns into serial marriage. So, what hope does Jesus offer to those addicted to the pleasures of a new relationship?

God commands us both to fear him and to flee to him for refuge. How can we possibly do one without contradicting the other?

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that “all is vanity.” But if God providentially guides all things, then doesn’t he give meaning to everything in this world?

As with other Protestants, many Baptists trace their lineage to the Reformation. But what makes Baptists unique among the heirs of the Reformation?

Strategies are important in our battle against lust. But nothing arrests our souls with the urgency of purity like the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

What is purgatory, and why have thoughtful Christians like C.S. Lewis believed in it? Does this belief in afterlife cleansing find support in Scripture?

Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. But how can we love them if they don’t want our help, or if they even actively ignore us?

Christians are new creations in Christ — yet we still feel the familiar pull of the old self. How do we reckon with the persistence of indwelling sin?

Some parts of the world seem to endure far more sorrow than other parts. Does God favor some places and peoples more than others?

Some of us find ourselves confessing the same sins over and over. How do we know our repentance is real if we repeatedly lose the same battles?

If we try to make much of the love of God by downplaying the wrath of God, we destroy the love of God.

The primary responsibility for a child’s education belongs to parents, not to the state. So, what can parents do when the state tries to take control?

The book of Genesis records life spans in the hundreds of years. Why did the first humans live for so long — and why are our life spans today so short?

How might Christians process the failures of once-beloved figures like Ravi Zacharias? Pastor John draws out lessons from the ministries of fallen leaders.

Some wait to come to Christ because they feel powerless to live the Christian life. But that power becomes ours only by coming to Christ.

Angels appear all over Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. But why did God create angels in the first place — and what are they doing today?

Conspiracy theories — Christian or otherwise — are nothing new. But how can we talk to friends who find themselves gripped by them?