Ask Pastor John
John Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.
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desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-johnEpisodes
How Evil Works
How does Satan influence the world, and where do we see his work most clearly? Pastor John describes Satan’s power and limits under Christ’s victorious work.
2026-11-05Link to episode
Peace for Second-Guessers
How do we know when we’ve worked hard enough? Pastor John offers six ways to fight anxiety and rest in the grace of Christ.
2026-11-02Link to episode
Was Piper Unprepared?
In 1980, Bethlehem Baptist Church hired 34-year-old John Piper as lead pastor. Pastor John reflects on the life experience and biblical worldview that prepared him for ministry.
2026-10-29Link to episode
Happiness Myths to Avoid
Modern psychology defines happiness as “self-fulfillment.” But without God, our souls will always long for greater satisfaction and joy.
2026-10-26Link to episode
When God Is Against Me
Can God act as a Christian’s enemy through suffering? Pastor John explains how God’s painful providences do not conflict with his enduring love for his children.
2026-10-22Link to episode
Can My Pain Kill My Sins?
Does suffering kill the sin within us? Pastor John argues from 1 Peter 4:1 that believers die to sin with Christ so we can live to his righteousness.
2026-10-19Link to episode
Trapped in a Meaningless Life
Loss can lead to despair over God’s plan for our lives. When we can’t perceive meaning in life, Pastor John counsels us to find comfort in God’s glorious purpose in Christ.
2026-10-15Link to episode
Do Good People Get Hurt?
Does the Bible promise that believers will not be harmed for doing good? Pastor John explains the context of 1 Peter 3:13 and God’s sovereign wisdom in suffering.
2026-10-12Link to episode
The Marriage Miracle That Takes Time
Loving our spouses for better or worse includes loving them through their spiritual apathy. Pastor John gives ten encouragements for the weary.
2026-10-08Link to episode
When You’re Not Sorry
When someone confronts you wrongly, should you apologize? Pastor John encourages humility and reconciliation without giving in to emotional manipulation.
2026-10-05Link to episode
The Gospel Before Jesus Died
Did Jesus preach the gospel before his death and resurrection? Pastor John calls us to a deeper understanding of God as Creator and King, and Jesus as Lord and Savior.
2026-10-01Link to episode
The Perils of a Quick Fix
How can we witness to those who just want a quick fix? Pastor John presses home the shocking reality of eternity and the astounding love of Jesus.
2026-09-28Link to episode
When I’m Too Weak to Be Productive
Can a disabled mother model the Proverbs 31 woman? Pastor John describes the gift of a heart that hopes in God’s steadfast love.
2026-09-24Link to episode
Six Traits of a Forgettable Sermon
Rigorous exposition isn’t at odds with engaging preaching. Pastor John encourages pastors to work for creativity when technical, abstract sermons feel easier.
2026-09-21Link to episode
Do We Need to Go to Church Every Week?
Gathering with other Christians is a crucial way to encourage and be encouraged in Christ. But do we really need to gather every week?
2026-09-17Link to episode
The Joy That Sustained Jesus
Jesus endured unspeakable agony at the cross. Pastor John marvels at the force of his love sustained by expectant joy.
2026-09-14Link to episode
The Barrier to Doctrinal Maturity
Is the Bible accessible only to readers with a high IQ? Pastor John reframes biblical maturity as a moral issue centered on our obedience, not our intellect.
2026-09-10Link to episode
Daily Vigilance for Lifelong Productivity
Daily productivity requires often elusive focus and grit. Pastor John offers ten charges to live each day to the glory of God.
2026-09-07Link to episode
Why Did Jesus Call Her a Dog?
Did Jesus demean the Canaanite woman he called a dog? Pastor John explains how Jesus’s test revealed her great faith — and her adoption as one of God’s own.
2026-09-03Link to episode
When Walking Away Feels Good
Why should we follow Jesus when life seems easier without him? Pastor John responds to a man questioning the cost of daily obedience.
2026-08-31Link to episode
How a Crushed Faith Comes Home
Deep suffering can drive us away from true hope and comfort. But our Father waits to gather us back to himself.
2026-08-27Link to episode
When Nice People Face God
Does eternal punishment in hell bring God glory? Pastor John challenges the rejection of God’s judgment by pointing to his unmerited mercies and perfect righteousness.
2026-08-24Link to episode
Can My Silence Cost Souls?
Why does evangelism matter when God has chosen whom he will save? Pastor John unpacks and rejoices in our role as God’s instruments.
2026-08-20Link to episode
The Pleasure Trap
How can Christians avoid placing a relationship or hobby over a desire for God? Pastor John calls us to let earthly delights turn us Godward.
2026-08-17Link to episode
Selfies in the End Times
Are selfies a sign of the end times? Pastor John looks beyond smartphones and social media to our society’s desire for deep satisfaction.
2026-08-13Link to episode
Your Regrets Cannot Ruin You
Can past sins separate us from the love of God? Pastor John offers hope in God’s promised forgiveness for believers wrestling with crippling shame.
2026-08-10Link to episode
Why a Crowd Got Resurrected
At Jesus’s last breath, a crowd of saints rose from their tombs in Jerusalem. Pastor John offers six reasons Matthew’s Gospel includes this event.
2026-08-06Link to episode
Does God Owe You?
What’s the relationship between our good deeds and God’s reward? When he empowers us to obey him, he loves to celebrate the beauty of his grace.
2026-08-03Link to episode
Doomscrolling Done Right
How does God intend for us to deal with tragedy in the news? Pastor John offers six reasons why suffering should drive us to repentance and action.
2026-07-30Link to episode
When Your Boss Expects You to Lie
How do we respond when an employer expects us to compromise the truth? Pastor John offers counsel for keeping an uncompromised faith in the workplace.
2026-07-27Link to episode
Surviving Financial Panics
How can we fight anxiety through financial panic and stress? Pastor John offers five truths about God’s character to calm our hearts and minds.
2026-07-23Link to episode
If Jesus Returns Tonight
How would we use our time if Christ were coming back tonight? Pastor John gives ten transforming ways to live while waiting for the second coming.
2026-07-20Link to episode
Why Good Men Fail God
King Asa worshiped God almost all his days, but he drifted in his old age. So, how should we respond when sin corrupts good men?
2026-07-16Link to episode
Should You Marry Her Anyway?
Does past sexual sin ruin a future marriage? Pastor John counsels a confused young man to trust God’s redeeming love for repentant sexual sinners.
2026-07-13Link to episode
God’s Plan for Your Prayers
If God is sovereign, why should we pray? Pastor John encourages us to seek God with confidence in his power and plan for our lives.
2026-07-09Link to episode
When Your Pastor Feels Distant
How can the pastor of a growing church care for each member? Pastor John encourages shepherds to care tenderly for the flock and depend on God’s mercy.
2026-07-06Link to episode
Breaking Prayer Ruts
How can we shift our prayers from rote repetition to an awareness of God’s larger purposes? Pastor John models praying Scripture back to God.
2026-07-02Link to episode
Obedience Will Never Ruin Your Life
How can Christians act in obedience when they face a life-changing cost? Grace can sustain us through the painful consequences of following God.
2026-06-29Link to episode
Why God’s Protection Still Hurts
How can we reconcile the pain we feel in this fallen world with God’s promise to keep us from all evil? Pastor John applies Psalm 121 to this life.
2026-06-25Link to episode
Sovereignty and My Murdered Friend
Even great evil serves God’s eternal purposes — yet God also gives us precious promises to comfort us in the midst of our pain and grief.
2026-06-22Link to episode
How to Save a Marriage
To redeem relationships, we need humility — but how do we get that kind of sacrificial heart? Looking to Christ and his cross strips away entitlement.
2026-06-18Link to episode
Zeal For God Gone Wrong
How can Christians tell the difference between true and false zeal for God’s name? Pastor John examines Jehu’s tragic history in 2 Kings.
2026-06-15Link to episode
Preaching Outrage
Should pastors expose every fresh cultural outrage from the pulpit? Pastor John encourages pastors to condemn sin without being consumed.
2026-06-11Link to episode
Defeating Daily Anxiety
When we face day-to-day pressure and stress, Jesus’s teaching steadies our hearts and minds. Pastor John offers eight truths to fight anxiety.
2026-06-08Link to episode
The God Who Gives You Worth
Is God’s pursuit of his glory and man’s pursuit of our joy a selfish transaction? Pastor John insists on keeping our joy in God connected to God himself.
2026-06-04Link to episode
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.
2026-06-01Link to episode
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.
2026-05-28Link to episode
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.
2026-05-25Link to episode
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.
2026-05-21Link to episode
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.
2026-05-18Link to episode