Pastor Writer: Conversations on Reading, Writing, and the Christian Life

From the Graveyard of the Pacific to the paradise of the Polynesian Islands…

This is the true story of a journey with real people, real places, and the adventures that inevitably follow.

Katherine and Andrés leave lucrative jobs and a stable life to accomplish his dream of sailing the world.

She worries what awaits them beyond the horizon: Failure? Pirates? Poverty? Will they make it to the South Pacific, and will they survive the voyage? (Better yet, will their marriage?)

The epic expedition puts them face-to-face with waves that threaten to...

These days, brokenness feels more comfortable to discuss than holiness. It’s easier to say that we are messy than holy, that healing is a long way off. To say that we are holy seems like one step away from holier than thou, and no one ever wants to be that.

Holiness Here offers practical and inspiring ways to transform your life by helping you see the holiness within your ordinary, everyday life. Holiness is

From Life in the Negative World:

Learning how to live in today's new social and cultural environment will require examination, trial and error, and adaptation over time. But there are ways to live with integrity and follow Christ today, even in a negative world.

From a peak in church attendance in the mid-20th century, Christianity has been on a trajectory of decline in the United States. Once positive toward Christianity and Christian moral teachings, cultural shifts toward the mid-90s led many to adopt a more neutral tone toward the Christian faith, seeing it...

As we close out the year and finish our Christmas shopping amidst a flurry of holiday parties, I took a moment to reflect on my reading over the past twelve months. Each year, I enjoy compiling a list of my reads, as it helps me appreciate the work and thoughts that have shaped my year. I reviewed the shelves in my office, scrolled through my Audible purchases, and checked my Amazon cart history.

It’s fascinating how the books I’ve read encapsulate my growth and development over the year.

This year was particularly focused on c...

The Judeo-Christian faith has long been formed by books and reading. From synagogue scrolls to circulating letters, believers have been nurtured, disciplined, and matured through ongoing conversations in the form of written words. We are people of The Book, and alongside it is an ever-growing shelf of more books.

I am a reader, in large part, because I am a believer. From the literature of the Second Temple period to the writings of Lewis, Chesterton, and Peterson, books have had an incalculable influence on my life and faith. Our house shows it. We converted our formal dining...

Mike Blackaby is a pastor and church planter in Victoria, BC, Canada. He earned a PhD in worldview and apologetics from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and was formerly a pastor to young adults and current church planter.

Daniel Blackaby earned a PhD in Christianity and the arts and a Masters in philosophy, apologetics, and worldview from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He runs The Collision, a multi-media ministry equipping Christians for cultural engagement.

They join me to discuss their new book, Straight to the Heart: Communicating the Gospel in an Emotionally Driven Culture.

...

Justin Gravitt is a disciple making leader and writer. Justin has served with The Navigators since 2000 and is the founder and executive director of the Dayton Disciple Makers Network, as well as the host of the popular Practitioners’ Podcast. He’s an avid Reds fan, loves the beach, and Dad-joking his kids. He lives in Dayton, Ohio, with his wife, Kristen, and their four children. 

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I'm excited for today to be the official release of A Sharp Compassion. It's now available wherever books are sold. In our episode today, I'm reading from the final pages of the book and suggesting a couple of ways you can help with sharing the book. A big thanks to everyone who has already pre-ordered it. It means so much to me.

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Over the last few weeks, I've be releasing the first three chapters of A Sharp Compassion in audio form on the podcast. I hope its been a chance for you to learn more about the book and to better understand the significance of offense in the Bible. You can learn more about the book at asharpcompassion.com.

It would mean a lot to me if you would pick up a copy of the book. Buy a copy.

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Over the next few weeks, I'll be releasing the first three chapters of A Sharp Compassion in audio form on the podcast. I hope its a chance for you to learn more about the book and to better understand the significance of offense in the Bible. You can learn more about the book at asharpcompassion.com.

It would mean a lot to me if you would pick up a copy of the book. Buy a copy.

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Over the next few weeks, I'll be releasing the first three chapters of A Sharp Compassion in audio form on the podcast. I hope its a chance for you to learn more about the book and to better understand the significance of offense in the Bible. You can learn more about the book at asharpcompassion.com.

It would mean a lot to me if you would pick up a copy of the book. Buy a copy.

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On September 10th, I’m releasing a new book entitled A Sharp Compassion: 7 Hard Words to Heal Our Insecurities and Free Us from Offense. I think it’s an important conversation for learning to recognize the insecurity within our culture and in our own lives. It would mean a lot to me if you would consider buying a copy and recommending it to friends.

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Author of more than 200 books with sales of over 70 million copies, including the best-selling Left Behind series, Jerry Jenkins is the former vice president for publishing and former chairman of the board of trustees for the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.

Jerry's writing has appeared in Time, Reader's Digest, Parade, Guideposts, and dozens of Christian periodicals. Twenty-one of his books have reached The New York Times best-seller list (seven debuting number one).

Jerry owns the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, through which he trains writers online at www.JerryJenkins.com.

A few years ago...

Jared  Wilson is an award-winning author of over 20 books and a popular speaker at churches and conferences around the world. A 30-year ministry veteran, he is especially known for his passionate gospel-centered teaching.

Jared serves as Pastor for Preaching and the Director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Liberty, Missouri and as an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.

Jared is a great writer, and it's been my honor to have him on the podcast before. Today, he joins m...

Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.

He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.

Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.

Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes...

Patrick Schreiner is an associate professor of New Testament and Biblical theology at Midwestern baptist Theological Seminary. He is also an elder at Emmaus Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author numerous books, including Matthew, Discipels and Scribe; a commentary on Acts, The Ascension of Christ; and The Kigndom of God and the Glory of the Cross.

Patrick joins me on today's episode to discuss his new book, The Transfiguration of Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Reading. We take a closer look at Jesus's transfiguration and why it matters for how we read the gospels...

Brian Croft is the former Senior Pastor of Au-burn-dale Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky and is the Founder of Practical Shepherding. He is also Senior Fellow for the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization and an Adjunct Professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Ronnie Martin is founder and lead pastor of Substance Church (EFCA) in Ashland, Ohio. Before pastoral ministry, Ronnie was an internationally known recording artist, producing and releasing over 15 albums for the Tooth and Nail Records label. In addition to pastoring Substance, Ronnie is also the Director of Leader Renewal for Harbor Network, a church...

Ryan Rush, serves as pastor of Kingsland Baptist Church, in Katy, Texas.

He has spent more than 20 years working in ministry, and during that time, he has been on a mission to connect church and home life, becoming a national voice for the “Faith at Home” movement.

In over a decade serving as Adjunct Professor at Liberty University, he has taught more than 1,500 students the course he helped to design, “Theology of the Family.” Ryan currently teaches Doctoral students in the Marriage and Family program at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Ryan is a graduate of Liber...

David Kaywood is a senior pastor at Eastside Community Church in Jacksonville, Florida. He is the author of A Call to Contentment: Pursuing Godly Satisfaction in a Restless World. He is the founder of gospelrelevance.com and a contributor to The Gospel Coalition. He lives in Jacksonville Beach, Florida with his wife and two children.

In our conversation, we explore the Christian call to contentment in a restless world. How can Christians experience contentment, and how can we, as Christian writers, do our work without the restless anxiety it often causes?

Learn more...

I'm joined on today's podcast by Editor Todd Hains and Illustrator Natasha Kennedy. Together, they have been working on Lexham's new series of children's books, known as the FatCat series. We discuss the current state of Christian children's literature, Catechism, and Classical Education, and how we can be intentional about teaching our children the language and the theology of our faith. 

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Drew Dyck is the author of multiple books, including Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets To Self Control From The Bible And Brain Science (2019), and the book he joins me to talk about today, Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything (2023).

Drew is an editor at Moody Publishers and the former managing editor of Leadership Journal. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, and CNN.com.

Drew grew up in Canada and now lives in the Portland area with his wife, Grace, and...

Mark Fugitt has been a pastor for eighteen years and an adjunct professor for a decade. He has a bachelor’s in history; master’s degrees in history, theological studies, and theology; and his PhD in biblical studies and historical theology. He lives with his wife Laura and four children on a farm in the hills of Missouri.

He joins me to talk about his new book: Lost Shepherd: What Believers Once Knew About Paslm 23 That the Modern World has Forgotten

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Since the beginning of the Pastor Writer podcast, I've dedicated the last episode of each year to a reflection on some of my favorite books. I think it's a great practice for anyone. I looked back through my Amazon orders, my bookshelves, my Kindle and Audible apps, and noted books that stood out. For me, books are never just read, they represent the things I've been thinking about, working on, and areas I'm trying to grow. 

This year, the books really reflect my ongoing writing project, but hopefully, there are a few that will be interesting to y...

Cary Schmidt serves as the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newington, Connecticut.

He and his wife, Dana, have been blessed with three children and have enjoyed thirty four years of marriage and ministry together. Cary's passion is to love God, love his family, and point people to Jesus Christ through teaching, preaching, and writing. He hosts the "Leading in the Gospel" podcast to encourage Gospel-shaped leadership, and "Growing in the gospel"—a daily devotional on Youtube.

He has written fifteen books, including Stop Trying, Live Lighter—Love Better, Off Script, Passionate Parenting, Real Chri...

Randall Wallace is the Oscar®-nominated creative force behind the epic storytelling of such critical and box-office hits as BRAVEHEART, WE WERE SOLDIERS, PEARL HARBOR, SECRETARIAT, and HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. Along with his work in film, Randall is the author of nine books, including five original novels, three novel versions of the screenplays of his films, and his first work of non-fiction, LIVING THE BRAVEHEART LIFE.

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Harold Senkbeil is executive director emeritus of Doxology: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care.

His pastoral experience of nearly five decades includes parish ministry, the seminary classroom, and parachurch leadership. He is author of numerous books, including the award-winning The Care of Souls, Christ and Calamity, and Dying to Live.

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Alex McFarland is a speaker, author, and advocate for Christian apologetics. He is the founder and president of the national apologetic conference, Truth for a New Generation. Alex is the author of over twenty books on apologetics and the Christian faith. For more than a decade, Alex and Bert Harper have cohosted Exploring the Word, a nationally syndicated, live Bible-teaching program heard daily on American Family Radio. He is a graduate of Liberty University and lives near Greensboro North Carolina with Angie, his wife of over thirty years.

Alex joins me to talk about his new book, 100...

We’re excited your family is joining us in talking about the Bible. We’re Chase, Ashley, Will, and Charlotte. 

We enjoy talking about the Bible and the world in which the Bible stories actually happened. We hope our conversations can help inspire conversations in your family. We wanted to create a podcast that the whole family could enjoy and learn from. Too often, kid's content is dumbed down. We think kids are capable of far more than sometimes our Bible conversations reflect. So we’ve aimed high with our conversations. There will certainly be plenty of new wor...

The EVERY MOMENT HOLY series of books by Douglas McKelvey and published by Rabbit Room Press brings new prayers and liturgies for the ordinary events of daily life. These prayers are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose even when, especially when, we are too busy or too caught up in our busyness to notice. The prayers are accented with linocut illustrations by Ned Bustard.

Collectively, Every Moment Holy has sold over 300,000 books across two volumes and five editions. 

DOUGLAS MC-KELVEY grew up in East Texas and moved to N...

Tommy Brown is the pastor for spiritual and community formation at Generations United Church in Freeport, Florida. He has a BA in pastoral ministry and master’s degrees in divinity and management, and he is the author of The Seven Money Types: Discover How God Wired You to Handle Money.

He joins me to talk about his new book: The Ache for Meaning: How the Temptations of Christ Reveal Who We Are and What We're Seeking.

Description:

In The Ache for Meaning, Tommy Brown journeys through our questions and temptations into the de...

Austin Carty lives and pastors in Anderson, South Carolina. He holds degrees in literature and divinity from High Point University, Wake Forest University, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Emory University. He is a lover of theology and the arts, and is particularly passionate about good literature.

He joins me to discuss his book, The Pastor's Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for MInistry.

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Andrew Root is the Carrie Olson Baalson professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Andrew writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations.

His most recent books are Churches and the Crisis of Decline and the book he joins me to discuss today, When Church Stops Working: A Future for Your Congregation beyond More Money, programs, and Innovation.

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John Dyer holds a Phd from Durham university. He currently serves as the VP for Enrollment and Educational Technology and Assistant Professor of Theological Studies for Dallas Theological Seminary. He has also been a technology creator for more than 20 years, building tools for Apple, Microsoft, Harley Davidson, the Department of Defense, and Dallas's NPR affiliate, and his open source code is part of the WordPress core. He lives near Dallas, Texas, with his wife, and two children.

He joins me on the Pastor Writer podcast to discuss his new book, People of the Screen: How Evangelicals Created...

It’s been over a year since I released The 5 Masculine Instincts. I wrote the book because, as a pastor, I saw the way so many men were wrestling with questions about masculinity and how the broader cultural conversation seemed to be leading to more online debates than actual Christlike growth in the lives of men. That trend continues. There are more books, more articles, and more controversies. Drop the word masculinity on Twitter, and like raw meat thrown into the river, the piranhas swarm. Some do it simply because they enjoy that show (You know, some people keep Pi...

Dr. Sean McGever has a PhD from the University of Aberdeen. He is an Area Director for Young Life in Phoenix, Arizona, and an adjunct faculty at Grand Canyon University. He speaks, teaches, and ministers across the United States, Canada, and the UK. He joins me to talk about his recently released book, Evangelism. It is a part of Lexam’s The Care of Souls Series.

The Lexham Ministry Guides, edited by Harold L. Senkbeil, are designed to offer practical, proven wisdom for the church. 

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John Meador has served as a lead pastor for 40 years, most recently at Cross City Church, in Euless, Texas since 2006. The church is intergenerational and multi-ethnic.

He and His wife Kim have been married for 44 years and are the grateful parents of six grown children. John loves sports—and enjoys working on and driving around in his old Ford truck.

He joins me to talk about his new book, God’s Not Done With You: Encouragement from the Bible’s Greatest Comeback Stories.

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Jeremy Writebol has served in vocational ministry as a pastor for over 20 years. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute (B.A. 2001) he currently is the lead campus pastor of Woodside Bible Church's Plymouth, MI campus.

Alongside his pastoral ministry, Jeremy is the Executive Director of the publishing and resourcing ministry Gospel-Centered Discipleship. He is married to Stephanie and is the father of two children.

He joins me to talk about his new book: Pastor, Jesus Is Enough: Hope for the Weary, the Burned Out, and the Broken.

Learn more about your...

Andrew Peterson is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and author of the Wingfeather Saga. He’s also the founder of The Rabbit Room, an organization that fosters community through story, art, and music. Andrew and his wife, Jamie, have two sons, Aeden and Asher, and one daughter, Skye. They live in the Nashville, Tennessee, area on a wooded hill in a little house they call the Warren—where they are generally safe from bumpy digtoads and toothy cows.

The Wingfeather Saga is being released in Paperback to coincide with its release in animation. Andrew joins the Pastor Writer podc...

Robert Wolgemuth has been in the media business for thirty-nine years. A former president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, he is the founder of Wolgemuth & Associates, a literary agency exclusively representing the writing work of more than one hundred authors.

Robert is a speaker and best-selling author of over twenty books.

Among his professional accomplishments, he has served two terms as the Chairman of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He is a 1969 graduate of Taylor University, where he also received an honorary doctorate in May 2005.

He joins me to talk about his new book...

Collin Hansen serves as vice president for content and editor-in-chief of The Gospel Coalition, as well as executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. He hosts the Gospelbound podcast and has written and contributed to many books, most recently Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation and Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential.

He has published with the New York Times and the Washington Post and offered commentary for CNN, Fox News, NPR, BBC, ABC News, and PBS NewsHour. He edited Our Secular Age: Ten Years of Reading and Applying Charles Taylor...