Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions

by Tony Reinke, John Piper (Foreword)

John Piper’s Answers to Hundreds of Questions about Ethics, Theology, the Bible, and More Navigating the Christian life in a secular world will inevitably stir questions in the lives of thoughtful believers. Motivated by the need for sound biblical advice,  Ask Pastor John  was formed, a podcast featuring pastor-theologian and bestselling author John Piper’s answers to audience-proposed questions about life’s toughest topics. Podcast episodes have been played over 230 million times and have become a staple in the lives of Christians around the world. In this unique book,  Ask Pastor John  host Tony Reinke summarizes and organizes ten years of their most insightful and popular episodes into accessible, thematic sections. Readers will be able to quickly and systematically access Piper’s insights on hundreds of topics including Bible reading, dating, social media, mental health, and more. We discover afresh how asking good questions strengthens faith and grows our understanding of God’s word. 

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Faith, Christianity

536 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2024

About the author

Tony Reinke hosts the popular Ask Pastor John podcast and serves as the Communications Director for desiringGod.org. He has authored five books including *12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You* (2017). He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and their three children.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My endorsement: “For years, the Ask Pastor John podcast has served me as a go-to reservoir for pastoral encouragement and practical help. There is nothing else like it. If you’re serious about your joy in Jesus, turn these pages and find accessible, God-centered answers to life’s biggest questions. The book is brilliantly organized; few will sufficiently appreciate what Reinke has pulled off here.”

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot think of a living writer who has wielded more influence in my life than Dr. John Piper. My personal journey began with Piper’s epic book, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. To say the book was pivotal would be a massive understatement. Desiring God was a theological tidal wave that crashed into my life with force, authority, and passion.

After embracing Piper’s Christian Hedonism, many more books followed that only reinforced and encouraged my heart and mind. Reformed theology took hold and I’ve never been the same. The cry of Piper, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him," has left a permanent mark on my heart.

Almost forty years later, Tony Reinke captured Dr. Piper's thought in his book, Ask Pastor John. As the subtitle suggests, the book contains 750 Bible Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions. The book is an extension and overflow of the podcast that bears the same name, Ask Pastor John.

Readers have a front-row seat in this book as it presents topics that range from Bible reading, memorization, divorce and remarriage, spiritual warfare, suffering, technology, and hundreds of other topics. The book goes straight to the heart of John Piper. It not only sets forth his theological positions; it also reveals his heart, his joys, his struggles, his temptations, and his triumphs.

Ask Pastor John is heartfelt, transparent, and humble. Anyone familiar with John Piper will recognize that he presents his positions with authority and dogmatism. Some may react to such confidence and boldness. I am personally drawn to this kind of writing.

But the most important feature of Ask Pastor John is the deep love of Piper’s love for God, his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, and the preciousness of the gospel. It is impossible to read this book and walk away unaffected. Even after reading Piper’s works for nearly forty years, I can say that my heart was even more transfixed and transformed after reading Ask Pastor John.

Thanks and gratitude go out to Tony Reinke, who curated the podcasts and gifts this wonderful book to the church. Ask Pastor John is truly a labor of love, one that countless thousands of people will cherish for years to come.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

[Jason Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me forever to finally finish this but it was a fine one to pick up and put down every so often. It was just as helpful, challenging, and nourishing as the podcast. I thought it might make me feel less desire to listen to all 2000ish episodes, but it did the opposite.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ask Pastor John by Tony Reinke is a great book full of questions and answers that a person who is seeking to know more about God, the Bible and the Christian faith will get great use of. I have found this a valuable resource to use in my homeschool with both my pre teen and my teen.

[Joshua Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, don't read this from front to back. This is a reference book. As a compilation of 750 podcast episodes, it's best treated as a reference book for various topics. I highly recommend scooping up and keeping to use it as such.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite podcasts is Ask Pastor John, in which the host Tony Reinke reads questions from listeners to Pastor John Piper for him to answer. At the time of the writing of this book, 1,881 episodes of the podcast had been released, which have been played over 230 million times, or about 125,000 times each. Currently, Reinke and Piper release two episodes of the podcast each week – on Mondays and Thursdays.
Reinke tells us that to understand the podcast’s success, you need to understand one part of John Piper’s life, the part about why he thinks asking good questions is essential to succeeding in life. He states that over time, Piper came to discover that Christian learning is the process of heart convictions gained by asking great questions and finding convincing answers in the Bible. A quote from Piper included in the book was “All learning is the fruit of question-asking and answer-seeking”.
The author tells us that the purpose of the podcast is to disciple Christians into mentors who can better serve the people around them. The podcast doesn’t subvert local churches, instead it fortifies them.
This book is a guided tour, a narrated synthesis of the 750 most popular episodes of the podcast, mostly on situational ethics, over the course of its first decade (from January 11, 2013 to December 30, 2022). The book version of the podcast episodes is intentionally brief, blunt, and to the point. The audio recordings are fuller, warmer, and more pastoral. Reinke encourages us to use them in tandem. There are two appendices included – one that covers the author’s favorite six podcasts, and one is a full index of episodes featuring Piper from 2013-2022.
This is not like a normal book where you have to read from beginning to end, although that is what I did. I read this book like I would a daily devotional, reading one or two episodes/questions a day. You could do the same, or you could first go to the subject areas that most interest you.
The subjects range from Bible reading, to politics, calling, money, dating, sex, marriage, exercise, food, alcohol, social media, television, porn, Satan, sorrow, depression, leaving a church, retirement, suicide and much more. Some episodes will interest you more than others. You may disagree with some of Piper’s answers, and that’s OK. It’s good to engage with such a variety of important topics.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my favorite of 2024.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying this book and have found it to be very helpful and practical. It's very biblically sound. It takes Pastor John Piper's podcasts where people ask him questions and groups the responses into categories. The book is very well organized. The episodes that contribute to the content on each topic are listed below so you can go back and listen to the whole podcast if you want a more detailed explanation. The book covers a huge range of topics from Bible intake to guns to sex to movies, suicide, barrenness, and way more.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Bible reading, Bible neglect and Bible memory. I have included Bible memory in my morning routine off and on for years but more off of late. I was convicted and encouraged to take the practice up again. Piper talks of how powerful it is when you're talking with someone dying or suffering and can quote a verse or promise to them while looking them in the eye. He gave tips on how to go about memorizing that seemed manageable and even gave some chapters and verses to begin on.

I started reading this book on kindle as I received a free e-copy from Crossway but I quickly bought a hard copy as I wanted to be able to find topics more easily and to be able to underline and make notes that I could find more easily. It made me want to listen to the podcast as well. I'm going to download some to my phone to listen to while I travel or do household chores. It's been very encouraging for my soul. I'll be buying more copies for my family members. It's so rich and full of glorious biblical truth and wisdom. I'd highly recommend it. Thank you to Crossway for the free e-copy. All opinions are my own.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does the Bible have to say about ethics, theology, and everyday life? In Ask Pastor John, Tony Reinke presents John Piper’s Bible answers to 750 of life’s most important questions.

Biblical Wisdom Abounds

Based on the Ask Pastor John Podcast, this book categorizes, distills, and synthesizes 10 years worth of words. The book covers a lot of ground in over 500 pages, but Reinke keeps it moving by strictly presenting the meat of Piper’s answers. Biblical wisdom abounds.

I am a fan of the podcast - I’ve listened to every episode. This book is an excellent representation of the material and magic that makes the podcast special. It is broadly accessible, but also able to niche down into specific topics. The Bible and politics, marriage and dating, exercise and food, entertainment and sorrow. There is something here for everyone.

Clear, Compelling, Christ-Exulting

I was personally interested in reading Reinke’s Introduction: A Little History of APJ (and Why I Wrote This Book). It details the quick start of putting the podcast together. God’s sovereignty is on full display. The book itself is a beautiful hardcover with the podcast logo embossed on the cover, making it a must-have for avid listeners.

Reinke calls his book a guide to the podcast. But it’s also a guide to good, clear, Christian thinking. When you Ask Pastor John, you’ll get compelling, Christ-exulting answers. This book is a landmark work for Piper and Reinke, and a flagship resource for those who ask to desire God.

I received a media copy of Ask Pastor John and this is my honest review.

[Ryan Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Piper is my spiritual hero and biggest influence, bar none, and I love everything he writes and preaches. But honestly, concerning this book, at first, because APJ is one of my least favorite things Piper has done, simply because I thought a lot of it (I thought) was more subjective/opinion than expressly biblical exposition—because of that, I wasn’t looking forward to this as much. Moreover, the format seemed strange for a book like this. Those were my honest *initial* thoughts.

But then, as I started reading, I found myself totally drawn in, and, easily more than when I listen to it, I appreciated the way Piper handled so many questions, being astonished by how much the Bible did factor into his answers. Moreover, I came to really appreciate the format of the book, with Reinke doing a stellar job—seriously amazing at times—systematizing Piper’s comments (I can’t imagine how hard that was at times! What work!)

So overall, this book was incredible, and it gave me, in ascending order, 1) a new appreciation for this style of book (a breakthrough?), 2) a fresh appreciation for the podcast, and 3) most important of all, it stirred my soul on basically every topic addressed.

I will be revisiting this often. First, as a pastor, I will recommend it for pastoral questions. But second, I will revisit it just when I want to be stirred on closer to Christ concerning a specific topic. Grateful

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For many years, off and on, I have watched John Piper’s – Ask Pastor John on the Desiring God YouTube. Where he tackles a question asked by a listener. They are well done Biblical answers, about fifteen minutes in length. I appreciate that he tackles questions such that deal with everyday life and situations. So what I am reviewing here is the Ask Pastor John – 750 Bible Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions by Tony Reinke.

The book provides a summary about the podcast, the history of the podcast, John Piper’s bio, along with a brief summary of many of the questions that have been on the podcast over the years. The book is meant to be used more as a reference to go with the podcast. There are almost 2000 episodes that have been released. So this book helps to organize them, somewhat like an encyclopedia. The book only includes 750 of the most popular episodes.

“The teacher always learns more than the student. This is God’s way: it is always more blessed to give than to receive.”

[Lisa Gisèle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I'm going to preface this review by saying I reviewed this book because my closest friend is a huge fan of Pastor John. We differ very much in beliefs, but I respect her beliefs and saw this as an opportunity to learn more about her and her family. (After I told her she said I was not going to like Ask Pastor John at all)I

I'll admit I don't agree with some things answered, but I did agree with some things too like the first chapter. I would recommend this book to those wanting to strengthen their faith or just entering the world of Christianity. If your ideology is more neutral or liberal in their beliefs this is a great book to ask yourself does this make sense to you, you may surprise yourself by finding out you have more In common than you think.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I love and deeply appreciate the “Ask Pastor John” podcast, I am a visual learner, and knew I was missing some things due to listening to the podcast as opposed reading it. The answers to people’s questions were so thoughtful and thorough, I could probably listen to an episode two-three times before really grasping what Pastor John was teaching. He’s not that lofty. I just don’t listen well. Enter this new book!!! 750 biblical answers to important questions shared in the podcast. Broken up into different categories, it is not a book to read through, but a resource to many questions you might have at this very moment…about God, relationships, life, etc. You can count on Pastor John to use the Bible first and then any wisdom or insight he has as a scholar of the Word. I think you will be surprised at some of the questions he covers.

[Reyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Piper's podcast has been a source of wisdom for many years, it is a reliable source for me, and it is not unentertaining. I applaud this effort by Tony Reinke (whose voice I really enjoy as well) to put all this knowledge together in one book and make it accessible in book form. I believe that every pastor, parent, leader or teacher can benefit from having this book of answers on hand, as reference material for all those questions that arise in our own minds, or our children ask us. Personally, I have a couple of teenagers with a very active brain and full of questions. I love the possibility of talking about these topics together with a reference guide like this one. Congratulations! Thank you for this effort, very grateful for this resource.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed slowly reading through this book over the past 9 months. I've listened to most of the episodes, but I enjoyed seeing them in printed form and condensed together (since many of the episodes and questions overlap). It gave me a ton of appreciation for Tony's work in compiling the book! Of course if you're not a pacifist, you'll roll your eyes at the chapter on politics and a few other areas, but overall it was a great read and a good resource to have on hand. It helped clarify my thinking on a few issues and encouraged me on others. My favorite chapter was on reading and memorizing Scripture. It would have made it longer, but I would've liked to have seen the Bible verses printed as full quotations rather than just a chapter and verse reference.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work took an awful lot of compiling by Tony Reinke. Hundreds and hundreds of hours of podcasting, distilled into 450 pages of text. I didn't love the finished project, even though I have tons of respect for Dr. Piper. The "answers" get a bit repetitive, but never very deep. They will hit some people right where they need to, but others may have less success with this format. I'll keep it on my shelf (like Sproul's answer book), but who knows how often it will be referenced.

That's not to demean Piper's pastoral work. It is always Scriptural, principled, realistic, clear. But he can't be squeezed into this format quite as easily as the editor evidently supposed.

[Patrick Lacson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this book 1 star because the point APJ (Ask Pastor John) is so you can look for specific questions that John Piper has answered. The Table of Contents does not help you nor is there a subject index. What you have in the back is an episode index organized not by subject but by episode number.

The content is great but it's very unfortunate that searching for topics are kept in generalized sections. I cannot recommend for someone to buy a book that is available for free and much more accessible on the Desiring God website. Find answers to your Ask Pastor John questions there and it's free.

I love Piper and Reinke but a book like this need searchability since it's 750 questions.

[Rodney Tripp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is often scholarly in its writings. I was committed to reading this book through, but I decided to read only the questions which interested me. The first part of the book on Reading the Bible was insightful. But I find this book to be overwhelming in its questions from people as well as the answers Pastor Piper provided. It becomes clear to me Pastor Piper should have had no comment on some questions. Would I recommend the book to people... probably not. A new believer would not be ready for many of the discussions in the book and a season believer may end up saying WHAT IS THIS ANSWERS AND HOW DID PASTOR JOHN COME UP WITH THIS?

[Stefanie Sugia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Questions are the best steady-state way of creating problems for the mind because a question-free mind is a thinking-free mind and a discovery-free mind. Without this engagement, reading becomes passive entertainment, rather than growth in understanding reality. All learning is the fruit of question-asking and answer-seeking."

As someone who has listened to the Ask Pastor John podcast for years and has been highly impacted by it, I immediately want to read this book upon its release. Throughout the years, I've only listened to several episodes that answer questions I'm most intrigued about. Reading this book seems more convenient rather than listening to hundreds of episodes. I thank Tony Reinke for combining the 750 most popular episodes into a single guide with dozens of themes. As I read this book, I highlighted many parts that speak to me because John Piper helped me figure out my dilemmas wisely and biblically. In this review, I will share some of my favorite discoveries from this book to give an idea of what you'll get from it.

"Don't expect God to make every Bible reading time unforgettable. But expect a few of them to be especially sweet. Read with this anticipation. And even if God only shows up once a year, it's worth a year's reading."

"The prosperity gospel will not make anybody praise Jesus. It will make people praise prosperity."

The beginning of this book mentions how Christian learning is the process of heart convictions gained by asking great questions and finding convincing answers in the Bible. I reflected on my journey as a Christian for many years and how my faith has grown as I found answers to my questions about Christianity. I love the part that says, "The person who does not know why he believes something or does something is like a robot: he does not know from whence his thought or action springs nor where it is headed." The first chapter I want to highlight in this review is regarding the theme of Bible reading. John Piper reminded us not to expect God to make every Bible reading unforgettable but to expect a few to be especially sweet. I also took notes on sixteen key texts that Pastor John suggests readers memorize, such as Bible verses to battle lust, affliction, fear, depression, and many more. This chapter is an essential start for the book because many people question the importance of reading the Bible.

I am also personally encouraged by the chapter On Purpose, Productivity, and Laziness because I value being productive daily. A part of this chapter reminded me to factor in our seasons because certain seasons will demand more of your focus—such as having a child. I find consolation in the quote, "...the Lord will be pleased if you focus on the chapter you are in and live according to the demands of that chapter with all your might." Another important chapter is On Money, Shopping, and the Prosperity Gospel because it's easy to view money more than God. In this section, we are warned that the prosperity gospel will not make people praise Jesus—it will make people praise prosperity. Thus, we must make it our goal to spend money in a way that shows people how Jesus is better than money. It's a much-needed reminder for us despite how challenging it might be.

"Satan seeks to diminish the glory we give to God in our lives in two ways. One of those is pain, and the other is pleasure."

"God has ten thousand purposes here, so life is never simply 'one thing causes another thing.' There are always thousands and thousands of things God is doing that we cannot see."

One of the most eye-opening parts of this book is where Pastor John redefines the term 'addiction' for me. He gave an illustration of negative and positive motivators. With the right motivation, he says, "You can stop. You can walk away from it. I promise you. With a blowtorch in your face or a million dollars in your pocket—it would be easy." It's a fascinating concept that made me re-think about my habitual sin that I find hard to break. In the following chapter, Pastor John also gives some tips on responding to temptations—which I'm sure will benefit readers. The last topic I will mention in this review is Trials, Sorrow, and Chronic Pain. It's a theme that makes people question God's goodness and sovereignty. In this chapter, Pastor John provides a biblical perspective on thought-provoking questions on suffering. It is a chapter worth re-reading when going through a challenging time in life.

There are still many more compelling topics in this book, such as the unforgivable sin, depression, being childless on purpose, how to find a good local church, and even suicide. Even though it took me quite a long time to finish this book, I'm glad I decided to read it a little each day. Reading it has given me the confidence to help answer difficult questions that people around me have about Christianity. I believe the Ask Pastor John podcast has benefitted a lot of listeners in the past—myself included. I hope many more will be exposed to it by reading this book.

"Every breath we take, any moment we don't suffer—it's all undeserved grace to sinners."

Read my full review here:
https://www.thebookielooker.com/2024/...

[Matt Witten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that tackles tough topics vs a typical subject focused book, so be ready to read it that way. But overall as a tool, this is incredible. So many specific subjects I haven’t seen tackled directly, including the hardest ones. I know I’ll constantly revisit this book through my life, and am grateful for Pipers wisdom and Reinke’s amazing ability to bring so much of it together in a clear and concise way.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks be to God for John Piper and Tony Reinke for this book. I agree with Sinclair Ferguson’s opinion about this book: “One of those rare contemporary books that can be described as ‘should be in every Christian home.’”

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a book, 4 stars. Content, 5 stars. Even if you disagree with some of Piper’s conclusions, seeing him wrestle with Scripture for page after page, trying to pastorally apply God’s Word to practical questions, is an education in pastoral counseling. Definitely worth having as a resource, and if you’re a pastor, it may be helpful to do as I did and read it from cover to cover just to see how he goes about answering questions.