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

Russ is a pastor and author living in Nashville, Tennessee. His books include Struck, and the Retelling the Story Series. He joins me today to talk about his soon-to-be-released new book, Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith.Aside from his books, Russ has written for The Rabbit Room, The Gospel Coalition, Crossway, among other blogs, podcasts, and printed media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, The 5 Masculine Instincts is finally released. If you haven't bought a copy yet, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider it. I also wanted to say thanks for your willingness to spend the last eight weeks listening and thinking about The 5 Masculine Instincts. In this final episode, we'll be wrapping things up and discussing the time it takes to grow in character and as a man. Next week, we'll be back to our regular author interviews. I've got some great interviews scheduled for the Spring and I can't wait to share them with you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Having learned about the 5 masculine instincts, you might be wondering, what comes next? What should I do with what I've learned?We'll take a closer look at Paul's advice to Timothy about how to watch your life and doctrine closely. We'll see how the Christian gospel offers a different path to character and why character is best infused into our life by the power of the gospel.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakespeare recorded man's fifth stage as a retreat. He uses the phrase, the world now too wide. He captured what is a natural instinct for so many men, apathy. The longer we live the more we realize how little control we have. The world feels increasingly complicated and ourselves increasingly less capable of fixing it. We naturally begin to disengage and retreat into hobbies and comfort. Doubt and sin are certainly risks to faith, but rarely do we recognize the risk of apathy. Through the story of Abraham, we'll look at the instinct of apathy and how God tested Abraham to keep him engaged with his faith.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakespeare described this fourth stage as the professionals. The man now dresses the part, cuts his beard, and says what is expected. By this point in his life, he has achieved some success and with it a reputation, a reputation he cares more and more about protecting. That instinct is central to the lives of both Saul and David as they struggle to live into the expectations of their throne while remaining honest and true before their God. It is a question of integrity and their ability to confess. We'll see how this instinct is at work in men today and how we keep it from leading us to the same ruin.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Shakespeare described the third stage of man as a warrior, quick to quarrel, given to strange oaths, and determined to change the world. He is a man of ambition. But ambition can be a perplexing experience. One minute, ambition swells us with a sense of divine calling and optimism, the next it leaves us discouraged and disillusioned. Nowhere is that experience more clear than in the life of Moses.Moses's life was driven by ambition, by both its success and failure. Moses helps us understand the full range of ambition's drive. And Moses also helps us learn why rest is critical to checking ambitions pursuit. Far from a life hack to gain more productivity, Sabbath is a tool for perspective, a tool for limiting ambition's control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakespeare described man’s second stage as the lover. He was describing a romantic view of life that is driven by a need for adventure, quests, and experience. Samson was driven by this romantic need for adventure. Restless and determined to find himself, he constantly wandered off to Philistia. Through his story, we come to realize how easily we abandon what God is doing looking for our own story. Real adventures are received not achieved. Peter and I discuss how to recognize this instinct and why discernment and commitment are the necessary counterbalances of faith.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakespeare described the first stage as the reluctant schoolboy, dragging himself to school. He is you and immature and perhaps worst doesn't realize it. We find his companion in the story of Cain, the firstborn of creation and equally reluctant to take up God's divine lessons. Sarcasm can be funny but often it serves as a tool to mask contempt. We'll take a closer look at the instinct and how it can be balanced leading to a better character. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakespeare described the world as a stage and pointed out that a man plays many parts throughout his life. Shakespeare's stages helped me start to recognize some of these unique instincts at work in myself and the men I know. But I also began to recognize them in the men of the Bible. If you read the Biblical stories carefully, it becomes clear that the men of the Bible don't make for great heroes. Their lives are too complicated and messy. They are instead, companions. They expose the complexity of our own lives, and by their lessons, help us find a better way forward as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this new 9-part series, we're taking a closer look at The 5 Masculine Instincts. The series will lead us up to the book's launch on March 1, 2022. In our first conversation, we discuss the question of men and meat, how masculinity has become so controversial, and why men feel a sense of cultural malaise. If you're interested in the book, you can learn more by visiting the5masculineisntincts.com. There you can find information about pre-ordering as well as some special bonuses including all of these interviews in video format.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices