Collars & Calluses

 In this episode of Collars and Calluses, Bill and Rich resume a discussion of Rich’s “13 Rules for Life: A Counsel for Young Men,” framing the rules as wisdom-guidelines rooted in Proverbs and applied to modern culture. They cover taking initiative and practicing chivalry with women as signals of male protection and provision, while rejecting “white knighting” and noting some women may exploit chivalry. They then emphasize an absolute command to avoid pornography, describing it as pervasive, addictive, shame-inducing, and emasculating, and warning it can escalate into more perverse sexual behavior; they stress cutting off lust, making no provision for the flesh, and pursuing holiness. Finally, they segue into pursuing a wife, arguing porn harms marital intimacy, chastity builds self-control needed in marriage, and men should become “marriageable,” avoid undue delay of marriage, and pursue marriage young as part of an active, high-standard masculinity.
Contact us: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com

A talk by Rich Lusk.

 Bill and Rich continue their Proverbs-focused series by discussing practical manhood through the theme of appropriateness, especially in speech, and framing manliness as an “art” learned through Scripture, experience, and lived models. Aimed particularly at younger men, they introduce Rich’s blog article “Counsel for Young Men: 13 Rules for Life” and cover three rules: (1) seek wisdom and submit to it by pursuing formal and informal mentors, learning from older godly men, and “reverse engineering” life and marriage from the reality of death; (2) act, speak, and dress like a man, including firm handshakes, clear direct speech, and dressing appropriately rather than “slobified” cultural norms; and (3) pursue integrity—doing the right thing even when costly—illustrated by Daniel, Joseph, and Clarence Thomas, emphasizing fear of God, responsibility, and initiative. 
Contact us: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com

In this Collars and Calluses episode, Bill and Rich answer listener questions about sex in marriage, emphasizing that Scripture treats procreation and pleasure as a unified “package deal,” with marriage requiring openness to children and a high view of children as blessing and duty under the creation mandate. They warn against adopting the world’s anti-child mindset and argue contraception must be evaluated by motives and methods, rejecting abortion as “birth control” and opposing hormonal birth control due to possible abortifacient effects and health risks, while allowing natural family planning and condoms as potentially lawful. They also discuss cultural propaganda against motherhood and the importance of disciplined parenting. A second question addresses how to talk to children about sex, urging ongoing age-appropriate conversations, trust, parent-led instruction, and guarding against pornography and cultural sexual confusion. 
Contact us: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com

Hosts Bill and Rich answer a listener’s question about vocational direction for men who lacked guidance beyond “get good grades and go to college.” They argue this reflects under-fathering and urge men not to adopt a victim mentality but to seek mentors, assess strengths and weaknesses, and pursue marketable opportunities rather than “follow your passion,” noting work is often hard and fulfillment includes providing for family. They caution against romantic views of work and against internet pressure to become entrepreneurs, emphasizing that many should start within structured employment and learn broadly. They discuss scenarios of an 18-year-old preparing for marriage, a 27-year-old artillery veteran leaving the military with savings and four children, and a construction estimator with limited upward mobility considering business ownership, stressing risk assessment, money management, and learning from wise counselors.
Email: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com

The episode of Collars & Calluses responds to a listener question about Romans 11 and modern Jews, outlining three views: dispensationalism (Israel and the church as two peoples of God with ongoing special status for Jews), covenantal futurism (a future mass conversion of Jews), and a minority preterist view claiming Romans 11 was fulfilled before AD 70 with no continuing Jew/Gentile distinction. The hosts argue Romans 9–11 addresses God’s covenant faithfulness, that unbelieving Jews are not saved apart from Christ, and that Paul’s olive tree image teaches one people of God with unbelieving Jewish branches broken off and Gentiles grafted in, yet with a future large-scale Jewish conversion after the “fullness of the Gentiles.” They reject a preterist reading as historically and exegetically implausible, critique both uncritical pro-Israel dispensationalism and anti-Jew scapegoating, and urge young men to stay informed without being consumed by online algorithm-driven obsessions that distract from personal responsibility.

Bill and Rich answer listener questions on Collars & Calluses, inviting more submissions via collarsandcalluses@gmail.com and on X (@wrs2_, @Vicar1973). They discuss how the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) is relational and manifests differently in masculinity and femininity, arguing the church and culture have often privileged feminine expressions of virtue; they illustrate this through distinct motherly and fatherly forms of love and through sex-specific challenges in self-control. They address video games, saying gaming isn’t inherently wrong but can delay maturity, foster addictive habits, and substitute “virtual dominion” for real-world skills, so it should be bounded like other entertainment. Finally, they consider whether young men should enter pastoral ministry, urging a slower path with apprenticeship, maturity, external confirmation of calling, real-world work experience, and awareness of the unique pressures on pastors’ wives and children, while also noting a pastoral shortage.

The hosts of “Collars & Calluses” introduce a Q&A backlog and address whether the U.S. war with Iran is just and whether CREC pastors should rebuke Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, noting he is in the CREC and that critics want public denunciations. They argue Christians should avoid dogmatism because citizens lack full information, the history is messy, and this issue shouldn’t divide friendships or churches; they express skepticism based on prior Middle East wars, unclear public justification, questions about Israel, and concerns about escalation, urging prayer for leaders. They then define patriarchy as “father rule” rooted in creation and applicable across life, versus complementarianism as a 1970s–80s adaptation focused mainly on roles in marriage and church, often lacking rationale, diluting male authority, and tending toward egalitarianism; they describe marital implications of headship/submission and warn against cultural rebellion against created order.
Contact us: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com
X handles: Bill: @wrs2_    Rich: @Vicar1973

Bill and Rich return to their Proverbs theme of wealth, focusing on how Solomon teaches that generosity—especially toward the legitimately poor—can lead to true riches, connecting giving to the biblical pattern of death and resurrection and to Paul’s “sowing and reaping” in 2 Corinthians 9. They warn against prosperity-gospel manipulation and stress discriminating charity that avoids enabling idleness or vice, emphasizing relationship-based help, the gleaning principle, and Paul’s rule that those unwilling to work should not eat, critiquing indiscriminate welfare systems. They argue Scripture is not anti-wealth, citing Abraham, Job, and the parable of the talents, and distinguish Jesus’ warnings about wealth as aimed at elites who extract wealth from others. They present wealth as power for dominion and encourage disciplined tithing, benevolence, and seeking God’s kingdom first; show notes: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com, @wrs2_, @Vicar1973.

Taken from Bill's series on Proverbs: https://www.cornerstonereformedcrec.org/proverbs