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

Jonathan Dodson is the founding pastor of City Life Church in Austin, TX which he started with his wife, and a small group of people.He is also the founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship.com, which produces resources to help make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus.He is the author of a number of books, including Here in Spirit, The Unbelievable Gospel and Gospel-Centered Discipleship.He joins me to talk about his most recent project, a new book: The Unwavering Pastor: Leading the Church with Grace in Divisive Times. The book discusses Biblical wisdom to help ministry leaders cope with church division and leadership stress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Sauls is senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Before serving in Nashville, he served with Tim Keller at New York City's Redeemer Presbyterian Church as a lead and preaching pastor. In addition to his books, Scott's work has been featured in Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, as well as other publications.Scott Joins me to talk about his new book that was just released, Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen: How God Redeems Regret, Hurt, and Fear in the Making of Better Humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trevin Wax is vice president of research and resource development at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor at Wheaton College. A former missionary to Romania, Trevin is a regular columnist at The Gospel Coalition and has contributed to The Washington Post, Religion News Service, World, and Christianity Today, which named him one of 33 millennials shaping the next generation of evangelicals.He is the author of multiple books, including The Multi-Directional Leader, Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, Eschatological Discipleship, and Gospel Centered Teaching.He joins me to talk about a couple of books including a new devotional he organized through the Psalms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I believe it is a truth that a mother is made over a matter of months, but you always become a father in a single moment. I remember that moment well. The birth of our first child was full of complications. Hours of labor were induced by a rising blood pressure, alternating cycles of magnesium and then Pitocin, and platelet levels too low for an epidural.After being diagnosed with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, the first dose of magnesium gave my wife enough time to sleep before the induced contractions began. I alternatively spent my midnight hours googling preeclampsia in the dark delivery room corner. That was a bad idea...Read the rest of the article at: The 5 Masculine Instincts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessica Hooten Wilson is Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence at the University of Dallas. She is the author of several books, including Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov, which received a 2018 Christianity Today book of the year in arts and culture award.She writes on the great books and literature, including O’Connor, Doestovesky, and Walker Percy.She has a new book out entitled, The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your imagination In the Company of Literary Saints. She joins me to talk about the new book and how literature can shape a believer's pursuit of holiness even when it is a scandal and trips us up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jay Kim serves as the lead pastor at WestGate Church in the Silicon Valley and on the leadership team of the ReGeneration Project. His writing has been featured in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Missio Alliance,  and Relevant Magazine. He lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and two children.It’s Jay’s second time on the podcast. We previously discussed his first book, Analog Church, a great read. The book won numerous awards including Outreach Resource of the Year and The Gospel Coalition Book Award.He joined me in this episode to talk about his soon-to-be-released second book, Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daniel Grothe is the associate senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He is a pastor, speaker, drummer, and author of Chasing Wisdom and The Power of Place. Daniel and his wife, Lisa, live on a hobby farm outside of Colorado Springs with their three children and a whole lot of animals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Klavan is an award-winning writer, screenwriter, and media commentator. An internationally bestselling novelist and two-time Edgar Award winner, Klavan is also a contributing editor to City Journal, the magazine of the Manhattan Institute, and the host of a popular podcast on DailyWire.com, The Andrew Klavan Show.His essays and opeds on politics, religion, movies, and literature have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the LA Times.He joins me to talk about his newest book: The Truth and Beauty: How the lives and works of England’s greatest poets point the way to a deeper understanding of the words of Jesus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Martin is a content marketing editor at Moody Publishers and a social media, marketing, and communications consultant. He writes regularly in his newsletter, Terms of Service, and just published a book by the same name with B&H Publishing. Chris lives outside Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and their daughter.Chris asks listeners a simple question. Do we use social media, or are we being used by it?Social media is brilliant and obscene. It sharpens the mind and dulls it. It brings nations together and tears them apart. It perpetuates, reveals, and repairs injustice. It is an untamed beast upon which we can only hope to ride, but never quite corral. What is it doing to us? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Patterson is the lead pastor of Parkside Church in Fisher, IN. Before founding the church he traveled widely speaking at churches and events.Jason lives with his wife and three children in Indianapolis. He’s also a long-time friend and the author of a new book, From Your Biggest Fan. He joins me to discuss optimism and a pastor's responsibility for believing in people.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices