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

Scott Lindsey is the Executive Director of Faithlife, the parent company of Logos Bible Software. Scott is a nationally renowned expert on the future of digital Bible study and has been a conference presenter and trainer for 20+ years. “Years ago a good friend of mine, who was a few years my senior, told me I was behind the curve on bible software. Since then I have found Logos to be the most intu...

Benjamin Vrbicek is the author of the soon to be released, Don't Just Send a Resume and has written for Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, and For the Church.

Drew Dyck, Acquisitions Editor at Moody and Editor for Christianity Today Pastors, joins me to talk about his experiences with Eugene Peterson, his writing and legacy.

Doug Wilson is a prolific author across a wide range of topics: from education and history to parenting and cultural issues. He joins me to talk about his book, Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life.

Zack Eswine is the author of the book, The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus. It's on my must-read list for pastors.

Heath Adamson is the author of the recently released, Grace in the Valley: Awakening to God's Presence When He Feels Far Away. The book offers a personal and contemplative look at Psalm 23.

George P. Wood has reviewed hundreds of books. Amazon users have recognized his work, by ranking him as #543 in all Amazon reviewers. His passion for books and reading supports his work as the executive editor of Assemblies of God Publications. One of the most obvious takeaways from my conversation with George is how seriously he takes his reading. It's long been a mantra that "leaders a...

Writers pay attention to the first sentence. Writing great first sentences is an art worth practicing.

Karl Vaters is a pastor and author of Small Church Essentials. He blogs at NewSmallChurch.com and for Christianity Today. He joins me to talk about writing and success in a small church context.

Thomas Umstattd, Jr. is an author, speaker, and consultant helping authors better market their writing. He is also the co-host of the Novel Marketing Podcast. 

Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is a professor of English at Liberty University and the author of the recently released On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books.

Barnabas Piper is an author, blogger, podcaster and Marketing Manager at the publisher, B & H Academic. He joins me to talk about his book, The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life.

Tim Challies joins me to talk about his work reviewing more than 15 years of Christian books, plus his own journey as a writer.

Why is so much of the advice about writing how to make money as a writer? And what is a professional writer anyway?

Janet McHenry is the author of The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus. She joins me to talk about the relationship between writing and prayer.

Russ Ramsey is a Nashville pastor and the author of the recently released Retelling the Story series. He joins me to talk writing, art, and biblical interpretation.

Janet Grant is the President and Founder of Books & Such Literary Management. She joins me to talk realistically about the journey of traditional publishing.

Peter Scazzero is the author of The Emotionally Healthy Leader and two bestselling books: The Emotionally Healthy Church and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.

Chris Martin is the Co-Creator and Chief Content Officer at LifeWay Social. He helps a select group of authors to engage with their audiences online. He joins me to talk about social media and platform.

Ryan is a church planter and author of Paul and His Team. We talk making the transition from academic writing, handling influence, and our images of leadership.

Scott Sauls is a pastor and published author. He joins me to talk about how writing impacts a congregation and the pitfalls of success and platform.

Os Guinness is one of the world's foremost Christian thinkers. His books such as The Call, have already become modern Christian classics. Os joins me to talk about the lost art of persuasion and how pastors and writers must learn to be subversive.

As a long time editor and writing coach, Mick knows how to spot a good idea, and he knows how to help clarify your idea into a book project worth working on. Mick joins me to share his questions for evaluation.

Michelle Ule is the author of Mrs. Oswald Chambers, the story behind the world's most popular devotional My Utmost For His Highest. She joins me to talk about the Chambers' story, writing, and biographies.

Every writer knows to avoid cliches, but we still can't help ourselves. Like garden weeds, we pluck them only to find them growing again the next day. Good writers keep weeding, but why do cliches come so naturally? What do they suggest about our writing? They are more dangerous than you might expect.