Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey welcomes Matthew Adams, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Dillon, South Carolina, to discuss his book Act Like a Man: Understanding the Biblical Call to Masculinity, published by Christian Focus. Adams argues for a vision of manhood grounded in Scripture and formed by the Holy Spirit rather than by cultural capitulation, reactionary posturing, or online personality-driven models of masculinity.
The conversation considers why the doctrine of Scripture and the work of the Spirit must come before any faithful account of biblical masculinity. Adams unfolds five marks of manhood—righteous living, sacrificial love, dependent leadership, courageous zeal, and humble servanthood—using David’s life as both a positive and negative example that ultimately points to Christ. The episode also addresses contemporary challenges in the church, the need for fathers and elders to disciple younger men, and the importance of presence, faithfulness, and generational responsibility in the home and covenant community.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:15 Matthew Adams, First Presbyterian Church Dillon, and PCA General Assembly
6:27 Reformed Forum events and the Christ the Center 1000 summit
9:31 Act Like a Man and the biblical call to masculinity
11:24 Why write a book on biblical masculinity?
15:50 “Act Like a Man,” Latimer, Ridley, and courage under trial
19:35 Beginning with the Holy Spirit and the sufficiency of Scripture
22:07 John Owen, perspicuity, and the Spirit’s testimony
27:20 David as a case study in manhood
29:09 Righteous living and sacrificial love
32:34 Dependent leadership and David’s example
36:40 Generational effects of fathers’ failures
37:23 Courageous zeal rightly directed
40:21 Humble servanthood
42:05 Contemporary challenges: egalitarian compromise and immature reaction
51:04 Discipling younger men in the church
54:10 Fathers, daughters, presence, and covenant children
59:04 A final charge: go forth, live righteously, love sacrificially
1:05:28 Closing and Reformed Forum resources
In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey welcomes Matthew Adams, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Dillon, South Carolina, to discuss his book Act Like a Man: Understanding the Biblical Call to Masculinity, published by Christian Focus. Adams argues for a vision of manhood grounded in Scripture and formed by the Holy Spirit rather than by cultural capitulation, reactionary posturing, or online personality-driven models of masculinity.
The conversation considers why the doctrine of Scripture and the work of the Spirit must come before any faithful account of biblical masculinity. Adams unfolds five marks of manhood—righteous living, sacrificial love, dependent leadership, courageous zeal, and humble servanthood—using David’s life as both a positive and negative example that ultimately points to Christ. The episode also addresses contemporary challenges in the church, the need for fathers and elders to disciple younger men, and the importance of presence, faithfulness, and generational responsibility in the home and covenant community.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:15 Matthew Adams, First Presbyterian Church Dillon, and PCA General Assembly
6:27 Reformed Forum events and the Christ the Center 1000 summit
9:31 Act Like a Man and the biblical call to masculinity
11:24 Why write a book on biblical masculinity?
15:50 “Act Like a Man,” Latimer, Ridley, and courage under trial
19:35 Beginning with the Holy Spirit and the sufficiency of Scripture
22:07 John Owen, perspicuity, and the Spirit’s testimony
27:20 David as a case study in manhood
29:09 Righteous living and sacrificial love
32:34 Dependent leadership and David’s example
36:40 Generational effects of fathers’ failures
37:23 Courageous zeal rightly directed
40:21 Humble servanthood
42:05 Contemporary challenges: egalitarian compromise and immature reaction
51:04 Discipling younger men in the church
54:10 Fathers, daughters, presence, and covenant children
59:04 A final charge: go forth, live righteously, love sacrificially
1:05:28 Closing and Reformed Forum resources
