Ask Pastor John

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?

“No condemnation” means that you are finally free: free to love, free to serve, free to forgive, and even free to die for the good of others.

Paul looks back to Abraham and celebrates his unwavering faith. But is Abraham’s laughter at God’s promise in Genesis 17 really a faithful response?

The differences between male and female are not obstacles to overcome or facts to ignore. They are distinct glories that God calls “very good.”

If we want to follow Jesus, we will need to give up more than just sins. We will also need to give up everything that dulls our hearts for him.

How can children who come from dysfunctional or abusive families begin to embrace the perfect fatherhood of God?

Why might God allow his children to endure years, or even decades, of unremitting suffering? How does such chronic pain bring him glory?

The deepest cure for lust never comes from strategies or accountability. The deepest cure comes from seeing the soul-staggering grandeur of God.

Joy isn’t just a nice byproduct of the Christian life, but an essential part of it. From propitiation to glorification, joy animates our life in Christ.