Ask Pastor John
By Desiring God
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James
Oct 13, 2018
Description
John Piper answering tough theological and pastoral questions.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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Will We Meet Jesus as Soon as We Die?
00:10:44
We often say that our dead loved ones are with Jesus now. But Paul seems to say that Christians will meet Jesus at the second coming. Which is right?
|
Dec 19, 2018 |
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How Will Christ ‘Reconcile’ Unbelievers to Himself?
00:10:15
Colossians 1:20 says that Christ will reconcile “all things” to himself. Does that include demons and unbelievers?
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Dec 17, 2018 |
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Why Do We Give Christmas Gifts?
00:11:08
Gift giving, done rightly, doesn’t distract from the meaning of Christmas. Pastor John puts Christmas gifts in biblical context.
|
Dec 14, 2018 |
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What Should I Tell My Kids About Santa?
00:12:43
If we think Christ cannot compete with Santa in the hearts of our children, we don’t know the real Christ.
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Dec 12, 2018 |
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How Do We Know Jesus Is the Messiah?
00:17:13
When we say “Jesus Christ,” we should be thinking “Jesus the Messiah”: the promised Priest, King, and Prophet, the one God anointed to redeem us.
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Dec 10, 2018 |
|
I Will Die Young — How Do I Fight for Hope?
00:12:16
When the prognosis is an early death, how can we live in a courageous manner that honors God and refuses to be jaded toward him?
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Dec 07, 2018 |
|
My Friend Claims She’s Gay — What Do I Say?
00:09:58
What do you say when a professing Christian is ready to embrace the gay lifestyle? Pastor John offers a place to start.
|
Dec 05, 2018 |
|
How Do Introverts Guard Against Selfishness?
00:11:04
Instead of seeing introversion as a fatalistic limitation, ask, “How can I make my peculiar personality bent a means of grace to others?”
|
Dec 03, 2018 |
|
Why Is the Ministry Called ‘Desiring God’?
00:09:00
Why did Pastor John name his book and ministry “Desiring God” instead of “Enjoying God,” “Delighting in God,” or “Rejoicing in God”?
|
Nov 30, 2018 |
|
What Will Become of Christian Hedonism After You’re Gone?
00:12:38
What will happen to Christian Hedonism in generations to come? Pastor John shares eight dangers for young Christian Hedonists.
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Nov 28, 2018 |
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What Does Christian Hedonism Add to Reformed Theology?
00:16:49
Christian Hedonism does not revise Reformed theology. Rather, it clarifies one of the central assumptions of Reformed theology.
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Nov 26, 2018 |
|
Should I Ever Go Through the Motions in Worship?
00:11:25
Is there an alternative between empty, duty-driven worship and spontaneous, joyful worship? Pastor John gives six marks of a middle way.
|
Nov 23, 2018 |
|
Do I Need to ‘Hear from God’ Before I Make a Decision?
00:10:32
We all want to know we are making the right decisions. To decide wisely, do we need to hear from God beyond what he has already written?
|
Nov 21, 2018 |
|
How Do I Respond to Blasphemous Thoughts?
00:13:39
All of us experience harassing thoughts. Where do these thoughts come from? And how do we respond?
|
Nov 19, 2018 |
|
Seven Ways This Podcast Will Kill Your Joy
00:11:11
This podcast could bring life and joy, or it could be a deadly weapon in the enemy’s hands. Pastor John explains how not to use Ask Pastor John.
|
Nov 16, 2018 |
|
What Comes First: My Obedience to Jesus or My Joy in Jesus?
00:09:26
Does our obedience or our joy come first? Pastor John explains that joy-driven obedience is the only obedience worth pursuing.
|
Nov 14, 2018 |
|
How Do I Pray for Healing and Honor God’s ‘No’?
00:11:01
Our greatest hope in prayer is not getting what we asked for, but rather in the goodness of our Father, who always gives what is best for his children.
|
Nov 12, 2018 |
|
Does My Sexual Past Make Me Unsavable?
00:10:54
Our past sexual sin is not beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness — unless we don’t give it up. It’s not too late to turn and receive God’s mercy.
|
Nov 09, 2018 |
|
Does Jesus Commend Dishonesty in Luke 16?
00:08:29
What was Jesus commending in the parable of the dishonest manager, and what are the implications for Christians today?
|
Nov 07, 2018 |
|
How Can God Be Sovereign and Good and Allow Suffering?
00:12:00
God designs all our weaknesses — even those that leave us unable to do anything. And one of his purposes in our weaknesses is to sanctify the strong.
|
Nov 05, 2018 |
|
Do Gender Roles Apply Beyond Marriage?
00:11:29
God designed us as male and female for his glory. And he intends for us to reflect him in every relationship, not just marriage.
|
Nov 02, 2018 |
|
What Is Union with Christ?
00:11:58
What does it mean to be united to Christ? John Piper shows how we can begin to mine the riches of this doctrine from Scripture.
|
Oct 31, 2018 |
|
Is It Sinful to Gamble on Fantasy Sports?
00:11:10
Gambling your money — whether at a slot machine or with your fantasy team — is not just unwise. It is sin. Pastor John gives seven reasons why.
|
Oct 29, 2018 |
|
How to Read the Bible for Teenagers
00:13:25
When the teenage years come, we get to teach our kids how to move from reading the Bible to studying it. Here are seven places to start.
|
Oct 26, 2018 |
|
How Do I Question Someone’s Salvation at the End of His Life?
00:12:48
How do we approach the deathbeds of professing Christians whose faith we are not sure is real? Pastor John offers four ways to love them.
|
Oct 24, 2018 |
|
I Didn’t Treasure Christ When I First Believed — Was I Unsaved?
00:12:25
Treasuring Christ is a key ingredient to saving faith. But what if you don’t remember treasuring him when you were converted?
|
Oct 22, 2018 |
|
My Girlfriend Is Pregnant — What Do I Do Next?
00:12:29
A premarital pregnancy means a couple has chosen sin over God. But it doesn’t mean they need to continue to make that choice.
|
Oct 19, 2018 |
|
Does Premarital Pregnancy Nullify ‘Unequally Yoked’?
00:09:17
God clearly calls believers to marry only believers. But does a premarital pregnancy introduce an exception?
|
Oct 17, 2018 |
|
Why Does Piper Avoid Politics and What’s Trending?
00:14:51
In general, Pastor John avoids talking about politics, breaking news, and hot trends. Why doesn’t he address such cultural issues more often?
|
Oct 15, 2018 |
|
Why Does John Piper Journal?
00:14:09
God does not require any of us to keep a journal. But journaling may help some of us see Christ, love Christ, and become like Christ.
|
Oct 12, 2018 |
|
Does Depression Disqualify a Pastor?
00:10:33
At what point, if any, does depression or joylessness disqualify a pastor from ministry? Pastor John gives several factors to consider.
|
Oct 10, 2018 |
|
When You Sin at Home: Learning to Pause and Repent
00:08:12
Many of us spend our days running around with few breaks. So how do we repent of our sins when we find it hard to pause even for a moment?
|
Oct 08, 2018 |
|
How John Piper Became a ‘Christian Hedonist’
00:12:23
How does our passion for happiness fit with God’s passion for glory? Pastor John lived with this tension for years, until he found Christian Hedonism.
|
Oct 05, 2018 |
|
Are We Fighting Against Sin or for Joy?
00:10:21
Should we focus on fighting against our sin? Or should we focus on fighting for pleasure in God, which will in turn kill our sin?
|
Oct 03, 2018 |
|
Should We Raise Our Hands in Worship?
00:09:03
Should we lift our hands during musical worship, or keep them in our pockets? Pastor John shares some principles from Scripture and his own experience.
|
Oct 01, 2018 |
|
How to Raise Children in a Pornographic Culture
00:11:09
What can parents do to protect their children from pornography? Pastor John shares eleven ways to guard our families.
|
Sep 28, 2018 |
|
My Funding Dried Up — Is This My Sign to Leave the Ministry?
00:09:16
If my funding dries up, is this God’s sign that I should leave the mission field? Pastor John suggests three ways to interpret a lack of funding.
|
Sep 26, 2018 |
|
What Part Does God Play in Positive Social Change?
00:09:56
When good happens in society — a government is fixed, slavery is abolished, or minorities are given equality — is God secretly at work?
|
Sep 24, 2018 |
|
Should I Attend the Wedding of a Couple Already Living Together?
00:09:58
Whether we attend the wedding of a couple living together or decide to stay home, we are saying something. So what exactly should we say?
|
Sep 21, 2018 |
|
How Do I Teach ‘Christian Hedonism’ to My Kids?
00:11:31
Children don’t need to use the label “Christian Hedonism,” but parents can help them grasp what it means to be happy in God.
|
Sep 19, 2018 |
|
Should I Ever Take an Action I Don’t ‘Have Peace’ About?
00:08:46
Peace and calm are not the only factors in determining what we should do. Pastor John explains what else should govern our decisions.
|
Sep 17, 2018 |
|
Five Ways Jesus Changes Our Relationship to the Old Testament
00:12:33
How do Christians know which Old Testament laws apply to them? Pastor John explains five ways Jesus shapes our approach to the Old Testament.
|
Sep 14, 2018 |
|
What Is the Place of Faith in My Unanswered Prayers?
00:10:55
When God consistently answers prayers with “no,” many of us wonder if our faith is the problem. So what role does faith play in unanswered prayers?
|
Sep 12, 2018 |
|
What Hope Does God Offer in My Depression?
00:15:37
God promises hope to the downcast, fullness of life to the broken, and joy to the depressed. Here are five passages to turn to when darkness falls.
|
Sep 10, 2018 |
|
Ministering Without R.C. Sproul
00:09:41
R.C. Sproul went home to be with the Lord on December 14, 2017. Burk Parsons shares what it’s like to live and minister without him.
|
Sep 07, 2018 |
|
Real Sermons Are Not Lectures or Moral Stories
00:12:43
Pastors are not merely teachers or lecturers. They are shepherds to needy sheep. Burk Parsons describes the kind of sermons a shepherd should give.
|
Sep 05, 2018 |
|
How Do I Feed My Joy in Jesus Every Morning?
00:12:23
If Christ is not our supreme treasure, something else will gladly take his place. So how do we preserve our joy in God through the day?
|
Sep 03, 2018 |
|
How Do I Choose Good Books and Grow My Library?
00:13:46
Millions of books compete for our attention, but only a fraction of them are worth reading. So where do we start when trying to grow our library?
|
Aug 31, 2018 |
|
I Have Chronic Fatigue — How Do I Not Waste My Life?
00:10:31
How do people not waste their lives if a chronic illness has stolen their strengths, taken their time, and put them in bed all day?
|
Aug 29, 2018 |
|
How Self-Esteem Ruins Bible Reading
00:07:30
A relentless pursuit of self-esteem can increase your confidence and soothe your emotions. And it can also ruin your Bible reading.
|
Aug 27, 2018 |