My new book is available in print and Kindle formats, and it is available for pre-order from Logos Bible Software:

Naselli, Andrew David. How to Write a Paper: Five Steps to Writing a Theological or Literary Research Paper. Lake Elmo, MN: Build & Fight Press, 2026.

My first print copy:

Contents

Who is this book for?

This book is for students—especially at the level of college and graduate school.

Advanced high school students could use it as well.

How should you use this book?

If you are a student, read this little book straight through before you write a paper, and consult it along the way as you plan, research, write, and revise.

If you are a teacher, require your students to read this little book before they begin the paper-writing process.

(This book is about how to write a research paper, but the principles apply to shorter essays as well as longer works such as an MA thesis, ThM thesis, DMin thesis, or PhD dissertation.)

Endorsements

“Naselli’s book helpfully supplies students a step-by-step, uncomplicated guide to writing a research paper, and by this he supplies teachers greater joys in grading and mobilizing a new generation of faithful communicators.”
—Jason S. DeRouchie, Research Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology and Rich and Judy Hastings Endowed Chair of Old Testament Studies, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Pastor, Sovereign Joy Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri

“This is a remarkable resource that I wish I’d had on my desk years ago. As valuable for a professor as for a student, it is a practical guide to that dread academic exercise: the writing and the grading of research papers. It covers everything from conception to completion: researching and outlining, documenting and reasoning, editing and honing. I am buying copies for all my teachers.”
—George Grant, pastor of Parish Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Franklin, Tennessee; founder of Franklin Classical School, the Chalmers Fund, and the King’s Meadow Study Center; author of more than 70 books

“Andy Naselli is one of the most enjoyable authors to read because his prose is so clear and his style unencumbered by the typical academic jargon of our day. This book gives you direct insight on his writing process. Not only that, Naselli demonstrates what is the true foundation of clear writing—namely, clear thinking. Students and professors will gain practical, actionable insights for their academic writing and grading. Our day is in need of coherent and logical arguments made in a way that is faithful to God’s word and comprehensible to readers. That is where impact is made. I am grateful for the way this book paves the way for such writing to take place.”
—Jeremy M. Kimble, Professor of Systematic and Applied Theology, Cedarville University

“Professors often jest (with that kernel of truth that every good joke contains) that we teach for free and are paid to grade. Poorly researched, badly argued, sloppily written papers are to blame, of course, but the sad fact is that far too many papers match this description. And while only the gifts of God can make a great writer, anyone can become a good writer—or, at least, a better one. Naselli shows the way as a man who is no stranger to the author’s pen, having written two dissertations and a full shelf of books. Wise is the student who follows his advice, and blessed is the professor who makes this book required reading in his classes.”
—Doug Ponder, Academic Dean and Professor of Biblical Studies, Grimké Seminary; Teaching Pastor, Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia

“Professors know the joys of teaching. Students know the joys of learning. And both professors and students know the pains of grading. In How to Write a Paper, Andy Naselli aims to increase joy and relieve pain for professors and students alike. Clearly and succinctly, he guides the reader through the research-and-writing process, modeling careful thinking, discipline, and pastoral wisdom. Practical and easy to read, this needed work will benefit every student looking to improve his research and writing. I heartily recommend it!”
—Michael Riccardi, Assistant Professor of Theology, The Master’s Seminary; Pastor of Local Outreach Ministries, Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California

“Like Dr. Naselli, I’m a professor who teaches for free and gets paid to grade. And I’m always on the lookout for resources to help students with the writing process. Dr. Naselli has written an accessible guide for both students and teachers. It will aid students in research and writing, and it will bless teachers with better papers. Read it, and then get to writing.”
—Joe Rigney, Fellow of Theology and Director of Greyfriars Hall, New Saint Andrews College; Associate Pastor, Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho

“In a world so often confusing and needlessly complicated, full of ambiguity and conflicting authorities shouting each other down, it is a profound relief to have someone sit you down and explain in a kind, clear voice exactly what is expected and why. This book speaks to you as if you were a slightly panicked student grasping at straws, and it offers you a life-raft of sound, plain-spoken advice, with helpful tables and examples. Read it.”
—Carson Spratt, Rhetoric and Integrated Humanities Teacher, Logos Online School

“This short book presents clear, practical, step-by-step help for students writing research papers. Naselli is a seasoned writer, editor, and teacher, and here he offers wise counsel applicable to anyone who wants to write well.”
—Brian J. Tabb, President and Professor of Biblical Studies, Bethlehem College and Seminary; General Editor, Themelios

“Writing research papers does not come naturally to any of us. We need expert guidance, and Andy Naselli’s short work may be the best concise one-stop shop for students to get started. If used well, it should result in clearer writing, better thinking, and happier teachers.”
—Justin Taylor, Executive Vice President of Book Publishing and Book Publisher, Crossway; Managing Editor, The ESV Study Bible

“Unfortunately, in our current educational system and the age of social media, the skill of how to write a solid research paper is becoming a lost art. This is why I am thrilled to recommend Andy Naselli’s How to Write a Paper. Naselli covers the crucial points with helpful illustrations regarding how to write an excellent paper, which will greatly aid students and receive the thanks of many teachers. Simply a wonderful resource for students of all ages and educational backgrounds.”
—Stephen J. Wellum, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Editor, The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology; Pastor, Providence Baptist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana

“Andy Naselli has given students a gift: a guide that helps them steward their written words. Clear, practical, and accessible, this book trains students to write with patience and precision. Those who take its counsel seriously will not only write better papers—they will become better communicators.”
—Jonathon Woodyard, Vice President of Student Life and Assistant Professor of Historical Theology, Southwest Baptist University

God has been so gracious to Christ the King Church in Stillwater, Minnesota. We recently celebrated our first year with our first guest preacher: Dr. John Piper. Now it’s our joy to announce our first conference:

“Christ the King of Your Home: Dating, Marriage, and Parenting” (August 21–22, 2026).

Pastor Doug Wilson plans to give three keynote addresses followed by Q&A that I plan to moderate.

There are also pre-conference sessions for men and women, and on Friday evening we plan to host a Contra Dance and singles mixer.

Seating is limited for our venue in downtown Stillwater.

More info here: conference.ChristTheKing.build.

Published today by Center for Baptist Leadership:

“I’m a Pastor in Minnesota. Here’s How I Prayed for ICE Yesterday”

Update on January 16, 2025: I recorded a follow-up interview with Joe Rigney and William Wolfe.

Wanted: A few good men to join us at Bethlehem Seminary for in-person (off-line only) pastoral training for an MDiv.

Here’s the kind of seminary student I love to teach at Bethlehem Seminary—and why in-person training is superior to online training (2:18 min.):

Here’s what the classroom is like for my seminary students—and why in-person training is superior to online training (4:26 min.):

Here’s what makes our seminary program rigorous—and why that’s so important (2:42 min.):

More info: bcsmn.edu/seminary.

In this little book, I give advice to young men:

Andrew David Naselli. Help! I Want to Be a Manly Man. LifeLine for Teens. Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd, 2025.

A manly man contrasts with a harsh macho man or a soft girly man. In this little book, I show you how to be a manly man by unpacking four statements:

1. A manly man is on a mission.
2. A manly man is responsible.
3. A manly man is hardworking.
4. A manly man is strong.

Here are resources I recommend at the end of the book:

• DeYoung, Kevin. Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024. DeYoung is gifted at explaining complex topics clearly and accessibly.
• Foster, Michael, and Dominic Bnonn Tennant. It’s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity. Moscow, ID: Canon, 2021. Motivates men to have weight-bearing gravitas through God-honoring, delightful duty—a mission with an excellent wife and a fraternity.
• Hughes, R. Kent. Disciplines of a Godly Man. 3rd ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019. Wise advice for men.
• Naselli, Andrew David. Tools to Study the Bible and Theology. Stillwater, MN: Christ the King Church, 2025. I organize the tools into various categories, and I annotate them.
• Piper, John. 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed, and Fruitful. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022. These theologically informed, God-centered biographies are instructive and inspiring.
• Riccardi, Michael. Gender and Sexuality: Biblical Sanity in a World of Confusion. The Institute for the Christian Life Series. Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2024. Clear, insightful, and sound teaching.
• Wilson, Douglas. Father Hunger: Why God Calls Men to Love and Lead Their Families. Nashville: Nelson, 2012. Wilson defines masculinity as “the glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility.” Wilson’s insightful teaching on men, women, marriage, and the family has influenced me more than I know. It’s hard to know sometimes if one of my thoughts about manhood is original or if I learned it from Wilson. I drafted this little book without rereading or relistening to Wilson’s works, but I’m sure that some of what I say here repackages what I’ve learned from him.

Update: I recorded what I thought was an audio podcast about the book, and it turned out to be a video. Whoops. I was walking on the treadmill in my cold Minnesota garage in December.

“Help! I Want to Be a Manly Man” (64 seconds):

This book should release by August 2026:

Carson, D. A., and Andrew David Naselli. Exegetical Fallacies. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2026.

Dr. Carson wrote the first two editions, which released in 1984 and 1996. Baker Academic plans to release the third edition thirty years after the second edition.

While Dr. Carson’s voice still predominates in the third edition, I have updated Exegetical Fallacies in three ways:

1. I have removed some less relevant examples and added new ones, including some new fallacies. This third edition is about 30% longer than the second edition.
2. Instead of using only labels as the headings for fallacies throughout the book, I have labeled each fallacy, and then I concisely define that fallacy. This makes the book a bit more user-friendly.
3. I have lightly updated the style to make it as accessible as I could for non-experts. I have attempted to make it readable for beginning theology students as well as stimulating for those who are intermediate or more advanced.

Related: Tools to Study the Bible and Theology.

Earlier this year my fellow pastors assigned to me the task of preparing a list of recommended resources for our church’s website. As I worked on this project, it snowballed into a little book—over 80 pages (over 30,000 words). My church has published it as a free e-book in PDF format:

Naselli, Andrew David. Tools to Study the Bible and Theology. Stillwater, MN: Christ the King Church, 2025.

• I organize the tools into various categories, and I annotate them.
• It may be a bit overwhelming to see such a long document of tools, so at the beginning of the document, I include a list of ten tools to prioritize.
• I want to encourage my church to continually benefit from excellent tools that help them study the Bible and theology.
• You may want to add some of the tools I recommend to your reading queue, and in the future you may want to search this document when you are looking for helpful tools on particular topics.

Take up and read!

I am preaching a series on 1 Timothy to Christ the King Church in Stillwater. When it came time to preach on 1 Timothy 2:9–15, I zoomed out and preached four sermons on God’s good design for men and women, and then I zoomed back in and preached five sermons on 1 Timothy 2:9–15. The videos are below, and audio is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts (I use Overcast).

1. God’s Good Design for Men and Women: Part 1 of 4—A Spectrum of Views and Two Types of Complementarianism | March 30, 2025

2. God’s Good Design for Men and Women: Part 2 of 4—Five Exhortations | April 6, 2025

3. God’s Good Design for Men and Women: Part 3 of 4—Three Arguments for Biblical Patriarchy | April 13, 2025

4. God’s Good Design for Men and Women: Part 4 of 4—Three More Arguments for Biblical Patriarchy | April 27, 2025

5. How Should Women Dress? (1 Timothy 2:9–10) | May 4, 2025

6. A Woman Must Learn Quietly and Submissively (1 Timothy 2:11–12) | May 18, 2025

7. Two Reasons a Woman Must Learn Quietly and Submissively (1 Timothy 2:13–14) | May 25, 2025

8. Responding to Objections to 1 Timothy 2:11–14 | June 15, 2025

9. A Woman Will Be Saved through Childbearing (1 Timothy 2:15) | June 22, 2025

Related: Pastor Tim Stephens, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, interviewed me on July 19, 2025: “Sunday Seminar: Evangelical Feminism, Egalitarianism, Complementarianism, & Patriarchy” (~64 min.):

Bethlehem College and Seminary hosted the “Theology for Everyone” Conference on April 4–5, 2025. The videos are now available for the five talks and the panel:

John Piper | Providence

Fred Sanders | The Holy Spirit

Tom Schreiner | Justification

Greg Allison | The Church

Andy Naselli | Predestination

Panel

Related:

The member covenant of Christ the King Church says that we commit “to encourage fathers to bring up their children with a Christian education and enculturation.” Here is a letter I coauthored with my fellow pastors to our church regarding Christian enculturation and government schools (PDF).

In this free little book, I give advice about how to decide what to do:

Naselli, Andrew David. God’s Will and Making Decisions. Field Guides. Kingsburg, CA: The Mentoring Project, 2025.

• Free PDF
• Free Spanish PDF
• Free audiobook (at the top of this page)

After disagreeing with what I call “the subjective view” of finding God’s will, I propose four diagnostic questions as a set of principles to help you decide what to do:

1. Holy Desire: What do you want to do?
2. Open Door: What opportunities are open or closed?
3. Wise Counsel: What do wise people who know you well and know the situation well advise you to do?
4. Biblical Wisdom: What do you think you should do based on Bible-saturated wisdom?

Then I give five closing exhortations:

1. Don’t be anxious. Trust God.
2. Don’t be sulky. Be holy and happy.
3. Don’t be inflexible. Be willing to adjust your plans.
4. Don’t overthink past decisions. Strain forward to what lies ahead.
5. Don’t be cowardly. Be courageous.

Updates: I gave a lecture on the topic with Q&A on February 2, 2025 (68 min.):

In my sermon “How to Discern if a Man Should be a Pastor” on 1 Timothy 3:1 (13 July 2025), I apply the principles in my little book:

Related: “God’s Will and Decision-Making” (August 15, 2012)

Here is the new website for Christ the King Church in Stillwater: www.ChristTheKing.build.

About four months ago, I announced that my family is planning to plant Christ the King Church with some dear friends. If you have been praying for us, thank you. There has been so much to do (this is probably the most I have felt saturated with responsibilities), and God has been kind to us each step of the way. It has been a joy to work with the Dodds, Williams, and Colestock families to prepare to make disciples who glorify God in all of life for all of Stillwater.

We are planning to covenant together as a church on the first Sunday in January, and we plan to start out meeting on Sunday mornings at the beautiful Historic Courthouse in downtown Stillwater. Here’s some drone footage of that building and area from on overcast day in late October (thanks to my former student Kyle Grindberg):

We are asking God to empower us to be faithful and fruitful in this good work. Would you please pray for us? And would you consider partnering with us by investing in this good work?

For more info, see www.ChristTheKing.build.

Christ the King Church (the church we are in the process of planting in Stillwater, Minnesota) is planning to sing selections mostly from the hymnal Treasury of Psalms and Hymns. Here’s why and how.

Why Our Church Plans to Use the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns

A good hymnal collects high-quality songs that span centuries and continents and cultures. It is a rich devotional resource for churches and families and individuals, and it fosters beautiful harmonious singing that stirs our hearts. Hymnals also make it easier to trace the argument of a hymn from line to line and stanza to stanza (which is harder to do with slides).

We plan to use the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns for at least eight reasons:

1. It helps us obey Ephesians 5:18b–19: “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (cf. Col 3:16). The three terms translated “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” appear in psalm titles in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, so God clearly wants Christians to sing the psalms. Our church plans to sing all 150 psalms. Selections 1–481 in the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns are various settings for the 150 psalms—usually at least three selections for each psalm. Selections 482–1135 are other hymns, including most classic hymns that Reformed churches sing.
2. It has more songs than most hymnals (1,135!).
3. It includes songs that Christians have been singing for hundreds of years as well as ones that are more recent.
4. It sets the music to a very singable pitch, especially for men.
5. It is more affordable than most hymnals.
6. It includes excellent indexes and online resources, including free recordings available for each song.
7. It arranges hymns 482–854 under the five headings that our church plans to follow as the gospel-shaped structure for our worship service: (1) Call to Worship, (2) Confession, (3) Consecration, (4) Communion, and (5) Commission (cf. Jeffrey Meyers, The Lord’s Service). That does not mean that we may sing those selections only if we are in that particular part of the worship service, but that organization is helpful for us.
8. It includes guitar chords. This makes it easier to sing from the hymnal while playing the guitar at home or in other settings.

How Our Church Plans to Use the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns

We plan to use the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns for most of what we sing together, and if you meet with us, we encourage you to prepare for the upcoming Sunday worship service by listening to and practicing what we plan to sing together:

1. We encourage you to practice singing the selections that we plan to sing together during the upcoming worship service. When our church begins in early 2025, God willing, we aim to upload a draft online of the Worship Service Guide for the upcoming Sunday worship service by 5:00pm each Monday so that families may start practicing those psalms and hymns together on Monday evenings.
2. We encourage you to own copies of the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns so that you can use it to sing at home. Once you own a copy of the hymnal, you may have access to an online folder that includes a PDF of the hymnal as well as free recordings for each selection. (You may request access using the contact form here.)
3. We encourage you to listen to selections from the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns on Youtube. If you listen to the selections once or twice a day the week prior to singing them together with the church, your joy while singing them may increase.
4. We encourage you to see and listen to our upcoming selections in the Sing Your Part app. It works as a web app on a computer and as an iOS app on an iPhone and iPad, and it recently became available on the Google Play Store for Android. If you select “Christ the King Church (Stillwater, MN)” in the app, then you can see and hear what we plan to sing in our upcoming worship service. In the app you can adjust a song’s tempo, and you can adjust the volume of each of the four parts (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) so that you can hear your part better. When our church begins in early 2025, God willing, we plan to purchase a family subscription for members. A subscription gives you access to all of the resources in the app—not just the songs that we plan to sing in the upcoming worship service. Between now and then, the good folks who operate the Sing Your Part app are giving us complimentary access to the app.

Note to leaders of other churches: If you would like to consider setting your church up with the Sing Your Part app, you may schedule a 30-minute call with Isaiah Holt, CEO of Crescendo Software.

New article:

Naselli, Andrew David. “Politics, Conscience, and the Church: The Why, What, and How of Political Disagreement.” Christ Over All, 9 September 2024.

It updates an article I coauthored with Jonathan Leeman four years ago by tweaking it throughout and by adding a new section at the end: “Test Case: May Christians in America Vote for a Pro-choice Candidate?”

Updates:

1. Kevin McClure reads the article aloud for the Christ Over All podcast—with an introduction by David Schrock (52 minutes).
2. On 9/23/2024, Christ Over All released a 61-minute podcast episode in which I discuss this article with David Schrock and Steve Wellum.

My school just published this short article:

Naselli, Andrew David. “Three Reflections on Being a Pastor and a Professor.” Bethlehem College and Seminary, 16 August 2024.

I expand on these three reflections:

1. It is helpful to lay out a spectrum of six options for being a pastor or professor.
2. It is good for seminary professors to be pastors as they train pastors.
3. Pastor-professors labor to build up Christ’s church.

Related:

• Announcing a New Church Plant
• 3 Reflections on Evangelical Academic Publishing
• Application to Bethlehem College and Seminary (Completing the initial step will take less than 10 minutes.)

Big news for the Naselli family: We’re planning to plant Christ the King Church with some dear friends.

More info at www.ChristTheKing.build.

(I plan to continue teaching full-time at Bethlehem College and Seminary. And our family hopes to move closer to the Stillwater area in due course.)

Would you please pray for us?

Update in mid-October 2024: Our family has moved to the Stillwater area. Please pray for us as we settle and labor. We plan to covenant together as a church on January 5, 2025.

Related:

1. Three Reflections on Being a Pastor and a Professor
2. Why and How Our Church Plans to Use the Treasury of Psalms and Hymns

New article:

Naselli, Andrew David. “Our Priest in the Pattern of Melchizedek: Eight Conclusions Hebrews 5–7 Draws about Jesus the Messiah from Genesis 14:18–20 and Psalm 110:4.” Christ Over All, 5 July 2024.

Summary: Because Jesus the Messiah is our priest in the pattern of Melchizedek …

1. he is the supreme priest (Heb. 4:14–5:10).
2. he has entered the Most Holy Place on our behalf (Heb. 6:19–20).
3. he is both king and priest (Heb. 7:1–2).
4. his priesthood is eternal (Heb. 7:3).
5. he is greater than both Abraham and Levitical priests (Heb. 7:4–10).
6. he is better than Levitical priests, and he fulfills the Mosaic law (Heb. 7:11–17).
7. he guarantees a covenant that is better than the Mosaic covenant (Heb. 7:18–22).
8. he can save his people completely (Heb. 7:23–28).

I wrote a book on how to read a book:

Naselli, Andrew David. How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers. Moscow, ID: Canon, 2024.

Last evening my family opened the package with my author copies:

Contents

Audiobook

My book is also available as an audiobook (4 hours, 45 min.) on Canon Plus and Audible. To listen to the audiobook on Canon Plus requires a subscription, but Canon Plus is offering a deal: a 21-day free trial. (I highly recommend subscribing to Canon Plus because it includes so much edifying content for the whole family.)

This is my first book that I wrote with the audiobook in mind. I tried to write for the ear and not just for the eye. I wrote headings and transitions with listeners in mind, and I don’t hide the good stuff in footnotes (since audiobooks don’t read the footnotes). And for tables (which I love to include), I verbally describe them instead of saying something like, “See the accompanying PDF file.”

This is also the first of my books that I read aloud myself. I hadn’t recorded one of my books yet; instead, other professional readers have done that. I asked Canon Press for permission to read this one because when I listen to audiobooks I prefer to listen to the author read it, even if the author isn’t as polished as a professional reader. And I say that as someone who has listened to hundreds of audiobooks. I love audiobooks! I hope you enjoy this one.

Who Is This Book For?

Only a certain kind of person would consider reading a book titled How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers. I am guessing that one of the following three descriptions fits the readers of this book:

1. You already like to read, and you want to pick up tips and inspiration from a fellow reader who shares your love for reading. This short book is for you.
2. You have a love-hate relationship with reading. You like to read, but it’s intimidating. You feel discouraged that you don’t read enough—or enough of the best stuff. You think you should read more and better somehow and are looking for help. Maybe you are frustrated that you read too slowly or that you have a hard time understanding what you read. Maybe you are gifted at math and science and are already decent at reading for information, but you would like to get better at reading literature. This short book is for you.
3. You are a student, and your professor is requiring you to read this book. Perhaps you are dutifully planning to slog through it—even though your expectations may be low since it seems strange and boring (and maybe even a waste of time) to read a book on how to read a book. Hang in there. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised how the advice in this book enhances your reading.

Sometimes my reading advice may appeal more to one of those three audiences than the other two. But as a whole, the book is relevant for all three. Every reader can get better at reading—including high school students and distinguished scholars.

I also assume that the readers profess to follow Christ since this is a book for Christian readers. Does being a Christian make a difference to how you approach reading? In one sense, not much difference. The basics of reading apply to Christians and non-Christians alike. But in another sense, it makes all the difference. Christ is Lord over everything. That includes reading. When Christ is your King, he transforms how you approach reading—why you read, how you read, what you read, and when you read.

Five Endorsements

1. “In a time when reading has fallen out of favor, Andy Naselli has done the Church (and the world) a great service by not only encouraging us to read, but also showing us how. I have long been a fan of Adler’s work on this topic, and I am grateful to Naselli for expanding on that work. This is a helpful and useful tool for anyone wanting to become a better reader. It is also an invaluable tool for those who, like me, have young people in their lives whom they wish to encourage to become lifelong readers. Please read this book! And when you’re done, you will be better equipped to read others as well.”

—VODDIE BAUCHAM JR., senior lecturer at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia, author of Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe (Salem, 2021)

2. “Andy Naselli’s How to Read a Book will become a cherished tome in every Christian’s library. Offering salient and comprehensive advice for reclaiming the love and skill of good reading in a world filled with distractions, How to Read a Book is friendly, pastoral, and inspiring. I especially appreciate Andy’s numbered lists, sober counsel about the use of social media, and loving wisdom for avid readers with dyslexia. Andy’s tips about organizing a home library put me to shame—and inspired me to make needed changes. Every Christian will benefit from this book! This book goes straight on my required reading list for my Rhetoric Literature students!”

—ROSARIA BUTTERFIELD, author of Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age (Crossway, 2023), pastor’s wife, former professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse University, high school rhetoric literature teacher in a large homeschool co-op

3. “Is there a more fundamental educational need in the world than instruction on reading? As someone who has already used Naselli’s material in ministry to lay people and seminarians in China, I can testify to the immense value of this book, regardless of one’s culture or background. The flood of information (and books!) in our age is overwhelming. Naselli helps us not only stay afloat but also sail confidently through the ocean of literature before us. Whether or not your mother tongue is English, I highly recommend this book.”

—MARK B., seminary president and pastor in China

4. “I suspect that I’m not the only one who didn’t pay attention in English class. Man, do we need this book. Sure, we know how to read in the sense that we are not illiterate. But do we know how to really read—carefully, perceptively, and enjoyably? Andy’s book is for people like me who need help with an avalanche of words that is a book. Take up and read!”

—C. J. MAHANEY, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville

5. “This book is more than meets the eye. It is like ‘the Wood between the Worlds,’ filled with pools that lead to many other places. You will learn not only how to micro-read, macro-read, and survey a book, but also how to think, how to cultivate good habits, how to avoid distraction, how to organize your thoughts, how to write, and many other skills to enrich your mind and heart. Filled with practical advice, helpful illustrations, and recommendations for further study, not only will it help you to read well, but it will help you to live well for the glory of God. Take up, and learn how to read.”

—JOE RIGNEY, fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho, and author of Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety That Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin the World (Canon Press, 2024)

Promotional Video (1 min. 20 sec.)

Lectures and Q&A

I shared the gist of the book in an hour in a lecture (with Q&A at the end) on October 19, 2023 (on the occasion of commemorating my promotion to full professor):

I gave the same basic talk (with Q&A at the end) to the Sojourners Fellowship Group of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, on January 14, 2024.

* * * * * * *

In order to live, to grow, and to enjoy, Take up and read!

Updates:

On May 10, Chase Davis interviewed me for his podcast “Full Proof Theology”: “Andy Naselli on the Value of Macro vs. Micro Reading in Bible Study” (50 min.):

On July 1, Christ Over All reprinted Appendix A: “Forty of My Favorite Books.”

On October 25, Phil Cecil and Mark Snoeberger interviewed me for Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary’s podcast:

Four videos from December 7, 2024 when I visited Canon Press and New Saint Andrews in Moscow, Idaho:

1. Jared Longshore interview: “How to Read the World (and Books Too) | ft Joe Rigney and Andy Naselli”

2. Lennox Kalifungwa interview: “Teaching Theology Through Stories | Andy Naselli | Of Flames and Crowns Ep. 21”

3. Doug Wilson interview: “You Read Weird | ft Doug Wilson & Andy Naselli”

4. Disputatio Lecture for New Saint Andrews: “How to Read at Different Levels”

Some reviews:

1. The Master’s Seminary Journal 35 (fall 2024), reviewed by Daniel Clouthier (pp. 301–3)
2. Themelios 49.3 (December 2024), reviewed by Luke Johnson (pp. 759–60)

This new article is insightful:

Laughlin, Bryan, and Doug Ponder. “Complementarians and the Rise of Second-Wave Evangelical Feminism.” Sola Ecclesia, 26 February 2024.

Here is one of my takeaways from the article (the below table is my own synthesis but in line with the article by Laughlin and Ponder):

Four Views on Hierarchy and Complementarity

	Hierarchy	Complementarity
1. Biblical patriarchy / broad, thick, or natural complementarianism
2. Narrow, thin, or ideological complementarianism	*	**
3. Egalitarianism / evangelical feminism (initially)		**
4. Egalitarianism / evangelical feminism (increasingly now)

*barely (see below)

**in a sense (see below)

Some explanations:

• For a primer on the spectrum of major views, see §2 in Andrew David Naselli, “Does Anyone Need to Recover from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood? A Review Article of Aimee Byrd’s Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood” (Eikon: A Journal for Biblical Anthropology 2.1 [2020]: 109–51)—PDF | web version. See especially my table “Narrow vs. Broad Complementarianism.”

1. Biblical patriarchy / broad, thick, or natural complementarianism

• This view affirms hierarchy broadly in the home, church, and society.
• This view affirms complementarity in the sense that complementary differences between men and women are part of God’s good design of our different natures and are reasons supporting the rules.
• From my review of Rosaria Butterfield’s Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age: “Patriarchy means father rule. For the past thirty years, complementarianism has been a common label that English-speaking conservative evangelicals have used for the biblical view of God’s design for men and women. It captures what God says in Genesis 2:18: ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’—that is, ‘corresponding to him’ (ESV note, CSB) or ‘who corresponds to him’ (NET). But as self-identified complementarians have become less broad and more narrow, some prefer the label patriarchy. In contrast, some complementarians think the label patriarchy has insurmountably negative connotations. I think both labels are fitting. Complementarianism emphasizes that God designed men and women to complement each other; they are not interchangeable. Patriarchy emphasizes that God designed fathers to rule; God designed both complementarity and hierarchy. (The subtitle of the second edition of Discovering Biblical Equality—a prominent textbook defending evangelical feminism—is Complementarity without Hierarchy. Egalitarians reject hierarchy.) But what matters most is not the label but what we mean by it.”

2. Narrow, thin, or ideological complementarianism

• This view affirms hierarchy narrowly in two specific areas: marriage (but emphasizes “mutual submission” and not a husband’s authority) and the church (only qualified men may be pastors, but an unordained woman may do anything an unordained man may do).
• Laughlin and Ponder describe this view as “complementarian in name only.” They argue that this view “is historically novel, theologically problematic, and internally incoherent. As such, narrow/thin complementarians—regardless of their intentions—are unwittingly sowing the seeds of second-wave evangelical feminism.”
• Laughlin and Ponder argue, “By ignoring or downplaying the differences between men and women taught in the Scriptures and observed in the natural world, these complementarians act as if men and women were not all that different and, therefore, are interchangeable in principle. The most succinct expression of this is found in Kathy Keller’s statement, ‘Anything that an unordained man is allowed to do, a woman is allowed to do.’ Setting aside the fact that such statements overlook male and female differences in marriage, where ordination is of no consequence, the real issue is that such statements attempt to carve out space for narrow sex-based prescriptions while undermining the very reason why God established such prescriptions. … In effect, narrow/thin/ideological complementarians are arguing for hierarchy without complementarity, which means random rules without reasons, divine commands divorced from created order, and a complementarianism without any actual complementarity. In other words, they are complementarian in name only. More than that, most of them are future egalitarians. For if there is no sexual complementarity grounding the gender-specific commands in Scripture, that means there is no reason why God says a man must (not) do this or a woman must (not) do that.”

3. Egalitarianism / evangelical feminism (initially)

• This view strongly rejects hierarchy in the home, church, and society.
• This view claims to affirm complementarity but defines that differently than broad complementarianism: “Women should participate equally with men precisely because they bring complementary gender qualities to marriage, ministry and society” (Rebecca Merrill Groothuis and Ronald W. Pierce, “Introduction,” in Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity without Hierarchy, p. 17).
• Laughlin and Ponder observe, “Early egalitarians seemed to accept sexual distinctions so long as those distinctions did not reflect a divine design that came with God-given prescriptions.”

4. Egalitarianism / evangelical feminism (increasingly now)

• This view contrasts with early egalitarians who recognized complementarity in some sense. Laughlin and Ponder explain, “More recently … egalitarians have moved away from speaking of ‘complementarity without hierarchy.’ In fact, the latest edition of Discovering Biblical Equality has dropped that language from its subtitle and concedes in the introduction that ‘contributors to this volume are varied in their opinions on the degrees of gender-related complementarity.’” As the culture changes, so do theologies that accommodate to culture.
• Laughlin and Ponder argue, “Whereas first-wave evangelical feminism took aim at gender hierarchy in marriage, the church, and society, second-wave evangelical feminism takes aim at gender complementarity. Indeed, it must do so, not only because the gender binary is increasingly passé but also because the very concept of sexual complementarity entails sexual difference, and sexual difference implies varying levels of sexual fitted-ness for certain roles—the very thing egalitarians are increasingly keen to avoid. In other words, second-wave evangelical feminists have realized the need to go beyond ‘complementarity without hierarchy.’ For to admit differences between men and women outside the reproductive realm is to leave open the door for arguments that gender differences convey God’s design for gendered duties in various spheres of life. Thus, for feminists of any stripe, gender complementarity will never do; they must have gender interchangeability. But to argue for that, of course, one must continually downplay, overlook, or flatly deny the very real differences between men’s and women’s bodies, brains, communication styles, prosocial orientations, and even sin tendencies (e.g., compare 1 Tim. 2:8 with 1 Tim. 2:9–10). That is what egalitarians have long done, but that is also what thin/narrow/ideological complementarians are now doing, too.”

Related: See other articles tagged “Complementarianism.”

Today with God’s help I joined the 1,000-pound club—the total pounds for 1 bench press + 1 squat + 1 deadlift.

250 pounds (bench press)
+ 340 pounds (squat)
+ 440 pounds (deadlift)
______________________
= 1,030 pounds (total)

A lot of men can lift way more than that. (Arnold Schwarzenegger recently shared, “My best bench press was 525, my best deadlift was 710, and my best squat was 610.” That’s 1,845 total pounds.) Lifting 1,000 total pounds isn’t hard for super strong guys, but it’s a milestone for me. I’m 43 years old. I’m about 6 feet tall, and I just bulked up to about 200 pounds. And I didn’t start strength training until I was 37.

Here’s the story of how I got stronger (with advice for beginners along the way).

Why I Started Strength Training

The reason I started strength training goes back to January 2016 when I preached in Myanmar and taught a theology course to pastors there. At age 35, I caught a disease that resulted in an 18-month stretch with chronic low energy. It was awful. God graciously restored my health after I started following a new plan to be a better steward of my body.

4 Basic Lifestyle Changes

Ever since summer 2017, I have been aiming to become healthier and stronger by consistently doing four activities:

1. Eat well. Prior to summer 2017, I had one criterion for what I ate: How does it taste? My metabolism and health finally caught up with me in my late thirties. For five years starting in summer 2017, I tracked what I ate and attempted to stay within a calorie-range for each day based on a macronutrient calculator. My daily goal is to eat about one gram of protein for every pound I weigh, which means that I eat a lot of meat and that I drink whey protein powder in the morning (and sometimes casein protein powder before bed). My food tastes have changed dramatically. I used to crave peanut M&Ms for lunch; now I crave grilled chicken, over-easy eggs, broccoli, rice, and air-fried potatoes (and Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt for a snack).
2. Do strength training. I do strength training four or five mornings per week. Each training session takes about an hour. I focus on compound lifts with barbells—especially the big four: squat, deadlift, press, and bench press. (More on that below.)
3. Do cardio. I do brief cardio or metabolic conditioning at the end of strength training sessions, and on Saturday mornings I do a longer cardio session. For the past several years, I typically did a Murph outside on Saturday mornings (at least from about April through November). There are three parts to a Murph: the first part is to run one mile; the second part is to do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300-squats (I usually break this up into twenty sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats); and the third and final part is to run one mile. I do it with a twenty-pound backpack on and usually with a group of guys from my church and school. My personal record with a 20-pound pack is 40 minutes, 52 seconds.
4. Sleep 8+ hours. I had been sleeping five to seven hours per night. Now I aim to sleep at least eight hours each night. Good sleep is important for your muscles to recover and grow, and it helps your energy level, mood, and focus.

I wish I would have implemented these four basic lifestyle changes as a teenager. I didn’t start until I was 37 years old and skinny fat. After about seven months of strength training, my weight dropped from about 190 to 150. After a few years of strength training, I gained about thirty pounds of muscle. Those are called “newbie gains.” As I’ve kept at it, I have gradually become stronger, and my energy has dramatically increased.

For most of this period, I have not focused mainly on getting stronger but on getting all-around fitter. In mid-August 2023, I stopped doing weekly Murphs because my right knee was getting sore. After completing over 150 Murphs, I realized that doing 300 squats is not great for your joints! Apparently, it’s also not great for gaining strength. After I stopped doing weekly Murphs, I got stronger as I focused mainly on strength training (and ate even more protein each day). On May 29, 2023, my one-rep max on the big four lifts were 230 pounds for bench press, 265 pounds for squat, 375 pounds for deadlift, and 155 pounds for press. (The total of the first three lifts is 870 pounds. That’s 160 pounds short of 1,030.) Six months later, my one-rep max on the big four lifts were 250 pounds for bench press (20 pounds more), 340 pounds for squat (75 pounds more), 440 pounds for deadlift (65 pounds more), and 175 pounds for press (20 pounds more).

8 Resources That Have Helped Me

God has used several resources to help me be a faithful steward of my physical body. I’ll highlight eight of them.

Two Disclaimers: First, beware of doing strength training with sinful motivations and to the neglect of more important priorities. Don’t spend all your time working out to the neglect of being a godly man—a faithful husband, a faithful father, a faithful church member. Second, I reject worldly motivations in these resources such as trying to impress others by showing off your ripped or strong body. I am sharing these resources because they helped teach me how to lift heavy weights with proper technique and how to plan a strength-training program.

Resources 1–2: These are the main resources I first learned from:

• Mike Matthews, Bigger, Leaner, Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body, 3rd ed. (Clearwater, FL: Oculus, 2019). Website: Legion Athletics.
• Mark Rippetoe, Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd ed. (Wichita Falls, TX: Aasgaard, 2011). Website: Starting Strength.

My biggest regret about following Mike Matthews’s book early in my strength training is that I focused too much on getting lean and not enough on getting strong. The only way to get bigger and stronger while doing strength training is by eating a caloric surplus with lots of protein. And that means you’ll gain both muscle and fat as your body recomposes. Your first year of strength training is when your “newbie” gains are biggest, and you can add 20–25 pounds of muscle. Mark Rippetoe and Andy Baker include this helpful chart in Practical Programming for Strength Training:

Grant Broggi, a Starting Strength coach, explains the stress-recovery-adaptation cycle in two helpful videos:

“How Do I Get Stronger? Stress. Recovery. Adaptation. EXPLAINED.” (5:45 min.):

“How to Get Stronger and Increase Longevity | Lift Heavy Weights!” (6:30 min.)

If you’re in your first few years of strength training, I’d encourage you to target getting stronger and not primarily getting leaner (unless you are grossly overweight). It’s much harder to build muscle than to lose fat. The best way to get stronger is to focus on progressive overload with the big four lifts: squat, deadlift, press, and bench press. The “Starting Strength” method of Mark Rippetoe is a good way to go.

Resource 3: Paul Horn, Radically Simple Strength: A Practical Plan to Help Average Guys Build Awesome Bodies (2022). Website: Horn Strength. Horn has been a Starting Strength trainer for a few decades, and he understands that guys want to be both strong and lean. His approach is a happy medium between Mark Rippetoe and Mike Matthews (with the exception of his eccentric meal advice—to eat the same thing for both lunch and dinner every single day!).

Resource 4: Matt Reynolds’s “Barbell Logic” website and videos. Reynolds builds on the Starting Strength fundamentals.

Resource 5: Grant Broggi’s “The Strength Co.” website and videos. Broggi is owner of The Strength Co., and he is a Starting Strength Coach (and brother-in-law of my friend Grant Castleberry). If I could afford online coaching, I would choose either Matt Reynolds or Grant Broggi. Bonus: Matt Reynolds and Grant Broggi are Christians.

Resource 6: Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program for strength training. When your strength performance starts to plateau (e.g., after a few years of the Starting Strength method), your training complexity needs to go up to compensate. This is the best program I’ve found to help me break through plateaus. It’s simple and effective. It’s what I used to join the 1,000-pound club. (Later I may try what Grant Broggi recommends in “Efficient 5x5s for the Intermediate.”)

Below is the version of the 5/3/1 program I’ve been following since the end of summer 2023. It’s a four-week cycle. After each cycle, I increase my working one-rep max for press and bench press by 5 pounds, and I increase my one-rep max for deadlift and squat by 10 pounds. For weeks 1–3, the focus is doing as many reps as possible on set 3 of the first big lift. Week 4 is a deload to recover. This is a good rhythm of volume and intensity for a guy my age.

Resource 7: Jeff Cavaliere’s Athlean-X website and videos. Jeff Cavaliere earned a masters degree in physical therapy, and he doesn’t simply tell you what to do; he explains why.

Resource 8: CrossFit. I haven’t joined a CrossFit gym, but I have benefitted from many CrossFit MetCons (i.e., metabolic conditioning) such as Murph (see above). And watching the guys compete at the CrossFit Games is inspiring. My favorite CrossFit athlete is Rich Froning.

How to Do the 4 Big Lifts: Squat, Deadlift, Press, and Bench Press

Here are some videos and notes I have accumulated about how to do the big four lifts—influenced mainly by Mark Rippetoe. A simple and sound plan for strength training is to focus on these four lifts and to view everything else as supplemental.

Disclaimer: Some videos may have objectionable elements (e.g., Mark Rippetoe may use coarse language—I don’t recall if he does in the videos below). I am sharing them because they have been helpful for teaching me how to lift heavy weights with proper technique.

Lift 1. Squat

Barbell Logic: “Gym Shorts: The Squat” (0:53 min.)

CrossFit: “The Back Squat” (0:59 min.)

1. Wear weightlifting shoes. I regret waiting several years to buy weightlifting shoes. They make a big difference. Very important. (I wear Adidas Powerlift 5 Weightlifting Shoes.)
2. Grip the bar. Place your thumb over (not under) the bar; keep your elbows up; all of the weight should be on the back—none on the hands or wrists. Use a narrow grip—not a wide grip (otherwise the bar won’t set on your back correctly).
3. Get under the bar. Use the low-bar stance (lower on the back), not the high-bar one. Align the barbell vertically over your mid-foot the entire process. Tighten your muscles first and then place the bar on the lower back while in squat position (not with one foot forward like a lunge). Set the bar between your traps and posterior deltoid—under the spine of the scapula. Adjust your hands so that they are as close to your shoulders as possible while keeping your wrists straight when you get under the bar.
4. Unrack the bar. Stand squarely on both feet. Keep your elbows back, wrists straight, and chest up. Secure the bar by lifting your chest and elbows at the same time (elevate your elbows to the rear). Take one step back from the rack, and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Point your toes out about 30 degrees. Press your heels and toes into the ground.
5. Squat. Take a deep breath and hold it for each rep. The first movement is to bend at the hip (shove your backside back) and to shove your knees out in a straight line with your feet. Point your chest at the floor. Keep your back flat and at about a 45-degree angle. Look down about 4–5 feet away with your chin down (imagine pressing a tennis ball against your sternum). Squat so that the top of your thighs are parallel with the ground and so that the bottom of your thighs are below parallel. As you descend, imagine that you will slightly bounce as you drive your hips straight up. Rebound at the bottom; don’t pause. Imagine a chain pulling your backside straight up; raise your backside out of the bottom (don’t imagine pushing the floor). When you come up, do not move your hips forward; drive your hips up, not forward; at no point should you bring your hips forward.
6. Rack the bar. Step straight forward until you hit the uprights; then set the bar into the hooks.

Master cue: Think about keeping the barbell over the mid-foot, and push your hips straight up.

More videos:

Barbell Logic (Matt Reynolds): “How To Squat: A Beginner’s Guide” (6:27 min.)

Paul Horn: “How to Squat” (0:57 min.) [written instructions]

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Learning to Squat | The Starting Strength Method” (5:46 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): How to Low Bar Squat With Mark Rippetoe | The Art of Manliness (10:51 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): The Squat | Rip Coaching – Starting Strength Method (23:24 min.)

CrossFit: “The Back Squat” (1:06 min.)

Athlean-X (Jeff Cavaliere):​ “The SINGLE BEST Squat Tip I’ve Ever Used!​”—i.e., move your hips and chest at the same time (5:16 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): The Squat – Bar Position with Mark Rippetoe (18:26 min.)

The Strength Co. (Grant Broggi): “5 Common Squat Mistakes and How to Fix Them” (14:33 min.)

Lift 2. Deadlift

Barbell Logic: “Gym Shorts: The Deadlift” (0:48 min.)

CrossFit: “The Deadlift” (0:57 min.)

1. Stance. Either take your shoes off, wear weightlifting shoes, or wear shoes with a flat sole. (At home I have deadlifted barefoot, wearing Reebok Men’s Nano 9 Cross Trainers, or wearing weight-lifting shoes.) Stand with your shins about an inch from the barbell and your feet under the bar so that the bar divides each foot into two equal parts; place your heels 8–12 inches apart (much narrower than the squat), and point your toes out slightly. Press your heels and toes into the ground; your heel should not come off the ground at all.
2. Grip. Without lowering your hips, grip the bar to the outside of your shins—as narrow as you can grip it without hitting your legs while going up and down. Grip the bar overhand with both hands if you can; it’s better to be symmetrical. Use an alternate grip only if the weight is too heavy for double-overhand. Grip the bar well down into the hook of the fingers so that the bar doesn’t slide. It’s okay to use straps if you can’t hold onto the bar.
3. Shins. Bend your knees until your shin touches the bar. Your bottom should be sticking out in the air in a half-squat position—not in a full-squat position. The bar must be over the middle of your foot. Your shins should be at an angle, and your arms should be at an angle (not straight up and down over the bar). Your back angle is not the key because that changes based on a person’s anthropometry. Do not round your back.
4. Chest. Squeeze your chest up in the air to set your back; imagine pointing your belt buckle at your face or dropping your belly between your legs or pointing your chest at the wall. If you lean forward too much, you will hurt your lower back. It should be a challenge to raise your chest. Don’t drop your hips (because then you’d push the bar forward on the floor and the bar is already exactly where you want it). Inhale while the bar is on the floor, and don’t exhale until you place the bar back on the floor at the end of the rep.
5. Pull. Drag the bar straight up your legs—touching or almost touching your shins. Imagine keeping the bar over the middle of your foot at all times as you pull in a straight vertical line. Pull the bar up as quickly as you can by pushing through your mid-foot (not through your heels); your mid-foot is the balance point. Move your hips and shoulders simultaneously. Look at the floor about 12–15 feet in front of you with your back straight (not rounded!) and your chest out; lift with your legs—not your back or arms (keep your arms straight). At the top of the rep, don’t lean back and hyperextend your lumbar or shrug your shoulders; simply lift your chest with your shoulders back. Imagine pushing your legs into the floor rather than pulling with your arms.
6. Drop. Don’t lower the bar to the ground slowly. Stick your backside back to get your knees out of the way so that the bar does not hit your knees and so that you don’t need to move the bar out around your knees. The bar should go down in a straight line above the middle of your foot. At the end of each rep, place the barbell completely on the ground; each rep should be a dead-lift; don’t bounce the bar off the floor.

More videos:

Barbell Logic: “How to Deadlift (Best Setup) in Five Easy Steps” (5:42 min.)

Paul Horn: “How to Deadlift” (0:52 min.) [written instructions]

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Learning to Deadlift | The Starting Strength Method” (4:22 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Proper Deadlift by Mark Rippetoe” (2:06 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “How to Deadlift With Mark Rippetoe | The Art of Manliness” (7:53 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “The Deadlift in 5 Steps | On the Platform” (3:58 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Deadlift Stance | On the Platform” (4:02 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “The Deadlift | Setting Up” (6:20 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “The Deadlift | Rip Coaching” (15:26 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “The Deadlift | Sets of Five” (4:02 min.)

Athlean-X (Jeff Cavaliere):​ “The Official Deadlift Checklist (AVOID MISTAKES!)” (15:15 min.)

The Strength Co. (Grant Broggi): “The Deadlift Grip: Overhand, Hook and Alternate” (7:45 min.) [article: “How to Grip Your Deadlift”]

The Strength Co. (Grant Broggi): “Should You Use Lifting Straps” (3:42 min.)

Lift 3. Press

This is also called a standing barbell shoulder press or military press.

Barbell Logic: “Gym Shorts: The Press” (0:53 min.)

CrossFit: “The Shoulder Press” (0:54 min.)

1. Grip. Pick the bar off the rack at about shoulder-level. (Rack the bar at the same height for the squat and the press.) Grip the bar at shoulder-width or just outside the shoulders; a close grip gives you more leverage. Grip the bar by pronating your hand; point your thumbs at the floor so that the bar rests on your palm and not your fingers.
2. Stance. Elbows up, chest up. Hold the bar as close to your chest as you can while keeping your elbows vertical. Keep your wrists straight with your forearms directly under the bar and your elbows just in front of the bar. Keep your shoulders back tight. Tighten your core and backside to plug energy leaks. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart in a squat-stance (wide and stable). Press your heels down. Look straight ahead.
3. Press. There are two options for breathing: (a) Take a deep breath when the bar is down, and hold it until you bring the bar back down, or (b) instead of breathing at the bottom, breathe at the top when the bar is fully extended overhead. Aim for your nose on the way up and down; that’s a cue for keeping the bar close to your shoulders. On the way up, get under the bar as soon as the bar passes your head. Press all the way to the top—extend as high as you can; shrug up. Hold the bar above your head (so it looks like it’s over the back of your neck). Bring bar down to the top of your chest—the clavicle or collarbone, not nipples. Lift straight up and down, not at an angle.

Alternate method: Begin the movement with a hip thrust. Mark Rippetoe recommends this tweak so that you can press heavier. Right before you press up, thrust your hip forward as far as you can with your knees locked (it helps to think of thrusting your upper thighs forward rather than your hip); bring your chin back; point the top of your chest at the ceiling and move your head back so that the bar can travel straight up right next to your nose. The hip thrust should produce a slight dip and then a bounce up as you press up explosively.

More videos:

Barbell Logic (Matt Reynolds): “How to Press: Proper Overhead Press Form (Step-by-Step Tutorial)” (5:21 min.)

Paul Horn: “How to Press” (0:46 min.) [written instructions]

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Learning to Press | The Starting Strength Method” (4:59 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “How to Overhead Press With Mark Rippetoe | The Art of Manliness” (11:43 min.)

Scott Herman: “How To: Standing Straight-Bar Military / Overhead Press” (2:47 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Learning to Press with Mark Rippetoe” (34:37 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Wrist Over-Extension in the Press | On the Platform” (2:53 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Grip Width in The Press | On the Platform” (2:48 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Rip Fixes Your Press Grip” (2:43 min.)

The Strength Co. (Grant Broggi): “Top 5 Starting Strength Press Mistakes: Fix Them Now!” (15:16 min.)

Lift 4. Bench Press

Barbell Logic: “Gym Shorts: The Bench Press” (0:54 min.)

CrossFit: “The Bench Press” (0:38 min.)

1. Starting position. Lie down with your eyes just short of the bar. Pinch your should blades together (like you are pinching someone’s hand between your shoulder blades); squeeze your shoulders back into the bench. Thrust your chest up high, and arch your lower back for the entire set. Place your feet directly beneath your knees and flat on the floor; push your heels into the floor during the set to produce a horizontal leg drive.
2. Grip. Grip the bar a few inches wider than shoulder-width. Place the bar in the palm of your hand, not in your fingers. Grip hard; leave your finger prints in the bar.
3. Bar placement. Unrack the bar with your elbows locked. When you bring the bar down, do not place it directly over your shoulders; move the bar down a few inches so that it is over your chest.
4. Bar movement. Take a deep breath and hold it for either the entire set or for each rep. Breathe only at the top when your elbows are locked. Bring the bar all the way to the bottom of your chest and lightly touch your chest (don’t bounce the bar off your chest). Don’t think about lowering the bar; instead, think about explosively driving the bar up. For the whole set, look at a fixed point on the ceiling, and bring the bar up to the same spot for each rep. Keep your forearms vertical from all angles. Keep your backside on the bench. Don’t smash the back of your head into the bench (try letting your hair touch the bench without resting your head on the bench). Finish your last rep before you try to rack the bar. Don’t think only about pushing the bar with your arms; imagine pushing the bench with your back; or better, imagine that you are pushing the bench and bar apart from each other. Slow down, fast up—that is, bring the bar down slowly, and explode up as fast as you can push.

More videos:

Barbell Logic: “How to Bench Press: Best Setup & Bar Path to Bench More Weight” (4:00 min.)

Paul Horn: “How to Bench” (0:38 min.) [written instructions]

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “Learning to Bench | The Starting Strength Method” (5:25 min.)

Starting Strength (Mark Rippetoe): “How to Bench Press With Mark Rippetoe | Art of Manliness” (18:34 min.)

Athlean-X (Jeff Cavaliere): “The Official Bench Press Check List (AVOID MISTAKES!)” (10:34 min.)

Athlean-X (Jeff Cavaliere): “The Chest Workout “Master Tip” (EVERY EXERCISE!)”—i.e., don’t shrug your shoulders up; keep them down and back (5:55 min.)

Barbell Logic: “How To LEG DRIVE! Increase Your Bench Press” (2:33 min.)

Barbell Logic (Matt Reynolds): “Butt on the Bench: Better Bench Press, Build Your Arch, Bigger Chest & Arms” (3:39)

Equipment for Strength Training

For the first year or so of strength training, I used equipment at a gym. But I thought it would be a better investment of time and money to create a home gym (which my wife also uses). (We were grateful to have this equipment during the Covid lockdowns!)

Here is some gear I have invested in.

Most Important Gear

1. a power rack like this (I use a Rogue R-3 Power Rack.)
2. an Olympic barbell—45-pounds (I use the Ohio Bar.)
3. Olympic barbell plates—steel or bumper plates (I use mostly Rogue bumper plates. I also recommend The Strength Co.)
4. an adjustable bench
5. adjustable dumbbells (I use Bowflex adjustable dumbbells.)

Other Gear

1. loadable dumbbells for heavy presses, rows, etc. (I use Rogue Loadable Dumbbells.)
2. a dip bar (I use the Rogue Infinity Matador.)
3. a dip belt for weighted dips, pull-ups, and chin-ups
4. weightlifting straps for your heaviest deadlifts
5. a weightlifting belt (I use this.) *Update in 2025: I now use this belt.*
6. weightlifting shoes (I wear Adidas Powerlift 5 Weightlifting Shoes.)
7. a pull-up bar mounted high enough for you to plug energy leaks by pointing your toes down without touching the ground (I have two Rogue P-5V Garage Pull-Up System bars hanging from my garage rafters so that I can do a Murph with a group of guys.)
8. curl bar for bicep curls and tricep extensions (I use the Rogue Rackable Curl Bar.)
9. ab mat for sit-ups
10. ab carver roller
11. ab straps for knee raises and leg raises
12. box for box jumps and step-ups (I use the four Rogue Resin Plyo Boxes.)
13. gymnastic rings for ring dips, rows, etc.
14. resistance bands—with loops and with anchors and handles (I use two tricep rope cables for face pulls.)
15. liquid chalk (cf. Grant Broggi, “Barbell Chalk: When. Why. How.” [1:31 min.])
16. wrist wraps (cf. Matt Reynolds, “All About WRIST WRAPS for Bench Press and Overhead Press” [6:25 min.])
17. Kettle Gryp for converting a dumbbell into a kettlebell
18. Tabata Stopwatch Pro (I use this on my iPad and iPhone. For example, for barbell squats, I may set the timer for 3 sets of 30 seconds of exercise and 2 or 3 minutes of rest. For the middle section of a Murph, I may set it to 20 sets of 45 seconds of exercise and 45 seconds of rest.)
19. jump rope (I use the Froning SR-1F Speed Rope 2.0.)
20. double D row handle for t-bar rows
21. barbell holder vertical storage rack
22. push-up bars parallettes set for deficit handstand push-ups (I use the Rogue Bolt Together Parallettes.)
23. Bonus: a bike desk and a walking desk for low-intensity steady state cardio.

7 Reasons Strength Training Is Beneficial

This is how I think about strength training as a Christian.

Strength training is beneficial for at least seven reasons:

1. Strength training is beneficial because God says so. The Bible commands, “Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way” (1 Timothy 4:7–8). God says that bodily training is of some value—not no value. So strength training is profitable. It is not as profitable as godliness. If you had to choose between strength training and godliness, you should choose godliness. But you don’t have to choose. It’s both-and, not either-or. (But the both-and is asymmetrical. Again, beware of doing strength training with sinful motivations and to the neglect of more important priorities.)
2. Strength training is beneficial because it helps you get stronger. It is good and fitting for men to be strong because God designed men to be protectors, providers, and leaders.
3. Strength training is beneficial because it increases your health and energy levels so that you can better serve others. God has called me to be a good steward of my physical body. That’s not my main focus, but it’s one of my responsibilities before God as a man. A steward manages another’s property (see Matthew 25:14–30), and your body is God’s property. Being fit and strong helps you serve your family and others. It is wise to pace yourself so that you do not burn out. Strength training helps you maintain muscle tissue as you get older, strengthens your bones, reduces body fat, improves your quality of sleep, reduces your risk of injury (especially as you get older), increases your heart’s health, and reduces your risk of age-related chronic diseases.
4. Strength training is beneficial because it can help you feel better (which can boost your mood) and can help you think more clearly throughout the day. As a pastor and professor, I do mostly white-collar work. I research, write, teach, and shepherd. That requires a lot of thinking. Strength training helps me be more alert and less lethargic.
5. Strength training is beneficial because being disciplined in one area helps you be disciplined in other areas. When I am consistently disciplined at a strength training plan, that helps establish patterns and momentum that carry over into cultivating godliness. It can build your confidence and courage to do hard things. (This is why Navy Seals learn to make their bed to perfection first thing in the morning.)
6. Strength training is beneficial because it is a way to please and serve your family. My wife often remarks that she likes it that I have become stronger, and my daughters often comment that they like having a stronger Daddy.
7. Strength training is beneficial because it can increase your capacity to treasure God in all of life. We glorify God when he satisfies us. In other words, the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. One way we treasure God is by enjoying his gifts. In some situations I can more highly treasure God by enjoying his gifts when I am healthier and stronger—such as when I carry a heavy load on my back (like one of my daughters or a backpack loaded with food and water) while my family hikes up a mountain to enjoy a spectacular view. Or when I lift my wife above my head! :)

Related:

1. Gant, Terry. “Christian Men Should Pursue Strength: Combating the Modern Gnosticism of Enfeebled Christianity.” American Reformer, 23 October 2023.
2. Jones, Mark. “Fit for Office: How Some Exercise Extends Ministry.” Desiring God, 29 August 2023.
3. Jones, Mark. “Remember the Body: The Pastor and His Exercise.” Desiring God, 20 June 2019.
4. Mathis, David. “A Little Theology of Exercise.” Desiring God, 22 March 2020.
5. Mathis, David. “Feel His Pleasure: Exercise, Endorphins, and Enjoying God.” Desiring God, 29 March 2020.
6. Piper, John. “Physical Exercise: What I Do and Why; Part 1.” Desiring God, 17 September 2011.
7. Piper, John. “Physical Exercise: What I Do and Why; Part 2.” Desiring God, 19 September 2011.

Update on September 12, 2025: New deadlift PR this morning = 445×4. Previous PR = 440×1 (on 11/28/2023).