Welcome to the intersection of faith and the culture. It's WallBuilders where we take on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical and constitutional perspective. Thanks so much for joining us, be sure to visit the website WallBuilders.com today, where you can make your one time or monthly contribution. Come alongside us and that way it helps us to reach more people, also want to encourage you to visit Patriot Academy today so that you can check out the leadership Congress, for
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learn how it works. It's going to make you better at influencing your legislator, maybe even set you up to run for the legislature. But best of all, it's going to train you to be a good biblical citizen, all the speaking workshops, all the great speakers that are going to be there, it's going to be incredible. You don't want to miss it. Check it out at PatriotAcademy.com , today. Alright folks, many of you out there listening right now, you remember the book, Tender
Warrior. It was, I don't know, 30 years ago? I gave it to every man in my wedding. So it had to be close to that. It's a great book and a great philosophy. We got a modern day Tender Warrior coming on little later guys, John Lovell, Warrior Poet Society. So he calls it being a Warrior Poet, we're going to find out what that is.
You know, it's interesting, we've seen the left redefine gender. But in so doing they've also redefined masculinity and femininity. And so not only have you lost the concept of distinct genders, you've also lost the concept that each of those genders has distinct characteristics. And those characteristics are historical and biblical. And one... and I've heard a lot of people lament this over the last three or four years is the loss of masculinity. Where's the backbone? Where's the stand up
and defend your family? Where's the fight for the things that are right? Where... and this is what particularly they think that young people are missing out on this aspect of maleness and masculinity. But I've also seen a whole flurry of women saying, hey, we need to get back to being feminine as well. I mean, this thing of kind of meeting both genders in the middle and merging the two of them is not healthy for society. So I think it's a great topic to even look at.
Well, guys, you know, this is something that reminds me a little bit of William Wilberforce, one of the things in addition to obviously fighting slavery, one of the things that he said over in England is he wanted to make manners fashionable again, he wanted to help that become a trend again. Well, one of the things that I see with guys like John Lovell is they're trying to make masculinity fashionable again. And you see guys like a John Lovell, WarriorPoet
Society. And for those out there, I mean, Rick, we know John Lovell because of the handgun training we do. And so we know a lot of people kind of in that industry, at least familiar with who they are. We might not know them all personally and be connected with them. But you have guys like John Lovell, you have Tim Kennedys, you have a lot of individuals out there who are growing a massive social media following. And by the way, there's guys like a Chad Robichaux and they're one of our
good buddies. Several of these military combat veteran, Special Force guys who now have grown these incredible followings. And it's really very simple, basic practical stuff by and large, what they're promoting, but they're promoting something that's lost and missing and culture. And just like Wilberforce tried to make manners fashionable, again. They're trying to help masculinity become fashionable again, but they're doing it in what masculinity should be, In
general. It should be used to protect and help those in need. But where John level does such a great job of the Warrior Poet Society, as he says, right, you should be two things at once. Because there's times you need to be the, as you're mentioning, Rick, right, that Tender warrior side, that Tender side, and there's times that you need a man who's willing to stand up and in face of evil and punch the bad guy in the mouth if it needs to be done. That is what John Lovell is doing with
Warrior Poets Society. I'm so excited to have him on our show. I'm so excited for this interview. I've watched so many of his videos, one day I'm going to do one of his trainings. So this is super exciting to me.
I think he is going to be a fast friend of WallBuilders and our audience is going to love him. I think he's going to love what we're doing. In fact, he told me that last time I... first time I got to meet him and talk to him just last month, how much he loves WallBuilders and what we're doing so anyway, going to be a great interview. Looking forward to it. John Lovell, our guest. Stay with us you're listening to WallBuilders.
This is Tim Barton from WallBuilders, with another moment from American history. The year after the American War for Independence ended, we began addressing the issue of Muslim terrorists in North Africa, who were attacking American ships and killing and enslaving American seamen. Congress dispatched John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to negotiate peace.
And when they asked the Muslim Ambassador the reason for the unprovoked attacks, he told them that it was written in their Koran, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them whenever they could be found. 16 years of negotiations failed, and in 1801, America sent its military to crush the
terrorists. When that war ended in 1805, the first American edition of the Koran was published, urging Americans to read the Koran to see for themselves that his teachings were incompatible with the safety and peace of non Muslims. To see the first American Koran, and to get more information about America’s first war on Islamic terror, go to WallBuilders.com .
Welcome back to WallBuilders. Thanks for staying with us, today. Most of you know I'm pretty picky about bragging on speakers. Like I'm almost a speaker snob because I've been doing it forever, you know, trained with guys like Tony Robbins and Zig Ziglar. So I got high standards. But I heard this guy last month in Florida at the homeschool convention that just knocked it out of the park. It was not just a great content. It was funny. He read the crowd well, it was just awesome. The
whole thing was was great. And I've been following him on social media and doing a few things here and there with their incredible organization. But we've got him today. He's on our show. John Lovell with us, Warrior Poets Society. Hey, brother. Thanks for coming on.
Thanks for having me. Man, that's such a great intro. But what if my oratorical skills aren't up to snuff? I'm just not there... You put me so high.
Just stutter for half the program.
Maybe I can't do words so good. I don't know.
Maybe you'd like, like George W. Bush used to say, you know, I have a volatile relationship with the English language. Anyway, you're going to be better than him no matter what you do today. So that'll be good. Listen, bro, you've got a massive, massive impact, right now. I hear people all the time talking about what you're doing with Warrior Poet Society, not only what they learned from you in terms of self defense, and that sort of thing. But you're now talking about the
Constitution. Your biblical worldview is coming out and you just got... God's gifted you and he's given you a great platform. And now to top it all off new book, talking about the warrior way, man, how do you say it? The Warrior Poet way? Is that right?
You nailed it. That's it.
Well, I thought when I saw that, in fact, when you showed me the picture of it back in Florida, I wondered if this was like Dead Poets Society. Do we have to go to a cave? Do we need a saxophone? Like how does this work to be... only the people that are Dead Poets Society fans we'll get that but warrior poet way, what does that mean?
Well, the way it works for you Rick is at the end of this interview, you need to stand up on your desk and say Oh, Captain, My Captain!... I know it's radio radio, but everyone, you guys listening y'all are just gonna have to imagine, Oh, Captain, My Captain!
I will be Ethan Hawke, and it shall be done. I'm gonna do it. The fact that you came back with that, I'm just...
Great movie by the way.
I knew you and I were gonna have fun. This is too good. Okay, launch of the book. It's happening right now. Tell us what you want people to think about when you say Warrior Poet way. What do you want them to imagine?
Sure. So warrior poets are an antidote for all the just terrible, crumbling masculinity that you see happening. We're really ceding our great country, all the freedoms, our religious liberties, all of that is being ceded to a woke deconstructionist postmodern ideology that is, frankly, evil at its core. And I'm so sick of it. I just wanted to do some fun gun videos on the internet. I thought, hey, that'll be good. But the difficulty is, is I'm just watching all my central
liberties just slip away. And I'm seeing just sick, twisted stuff being done to kids and babies. And I mean, I'm fed up. And so I recognize that the world is in dire need of warrior poets. And that's my moniker. You want me to go into what that is?
Oh, man, go for it. And by the way, I just want to read the byline, a guide to living free and dying well. Just the fact that you included that in the title sets the tone at the... this is about a philosophy for your entire life. And the legacy you're going to leave. At least that's what I read into that.
No, it's right. And bro, I come out swinging. I just say all the things unabashedly, naked, vulnerable, like, this is what I believe. And this is why I believe it. And I lay out all kinds of practicums, practical advice. My goal is to give courage to people so that they could press into the warrior archetype. And the poet archetype, I believe we run a terrible risk of pendulum swinging back and forth between
alpha and beta male. And so we really need to be balanced very, very well and all the strengths that a poet has, and also the strengths of a warrior. So there's this old adage of like, people say, Oh, well, you know, I'm a lover not a fighter, right? You've heard that expression? Well, yeah, really, we should be both. That's right. A lover, if you're really a lover, well real love protects. You know, lovers and fighters. It's not lions or lambs. It's
lions and lambs. It's warriors and poets warriors have that long suffering grit. Warriors are bold, they're fearless. They have leadership attributes. They're dangerous protectors. And whether that's literally on a battlefield of some kind, or it's just in the, public arena, where we're battling out in the war of ideas. We need warriors. We also need poets. Poets are romantic. So they're really good with their wives. They are sensitive, they're good with their kids. They're truth
seekers. They love wisdom. They choose to live, not by lies. They're passionate, they're able to hold relationships together, they're able to find the truth and tell it in beautiful and inspiring ways. And so men, we shouldn't just be tough statues etched in marble, we should be poets, romantic and passionate as well. And it's this way that we can stave off tyranny, we can fight for freedom, but we also don't lose our essential freedoms and fail to enjoy them. There's the Second Amendment.
And the founders rightfully put that second amendment, the right to bear arms after the First Amendment. It's because the Second Amendment is a means to safeguard what is more important thats freedom of speech, and religious freedoms and freedom of the press and due process, all that good stuff packed into the First Amendment. That's the good stuff. That's the poet stuff. And then the warrior, Second Amendment safeguards, so we need both.
Oh, I love that. All this time. I've been teaching the Constitution all these years. I never thought about it that way. The poet stuff is in the First Amendment and just to go back to our Dead Poets Society, when Robin Williams says, you know, love life, all these things. That's why we... that's what we are living for. You nailed it. I mean, that's exactly it. So the First Amendment's the poet's stuff, Second Amendment, you got to be
the warrior as well. I have to imagine and this has come from watching enough of your stuff on online. I know there's some... I somewhat know the answer to this before I even ask it, but I just can't imagine you would have gotten to these conclusions without your biblical foundation. I mean, even though King David failed a lot on the family stuff and, whatnot, that same kind of warrior poet mindset that he had and lived out, and so many other things in the Bible, you have a strong
biblical foundation. How important was that to what you've put into this book?
Yeah, just essential. When you think of anybody that really lives the ultimate warrior archetype and the poet archetype. I'm left with dudes like King David. It is no coincidence that the Bible's greatest worshiper an actual poet, is also its greatest warrior, killing tens of thousands, as the psalms would say. And so you see these amazing examples in biblical
history. And, of course, the actual prototype, the top shelf warrior poet is Jesus, you see him in Revelation 5, is there's... one of my favorite parts of the Bible, absolutely incredible rocked my world. And it would lay a foundation for our warrior poet ethos, it comes straight out of revelation five, where the apostle John is take up in a vision of eternity
future in heaven. And so he's got this celestial tour guide, and he sees all these thrones, and then all of a sudden, they're talking about seals and some weird prophetic stuff that's really hard to understand. Then someone says, hey, look, the lion of the tribe of Judah, and all of Heavens gaze kind of snaps to that great lion, and that would be the Son
of God. But when John looked and saw, though heaven really saw a dangerous commander of the Lord's army, they saw the dangerous lion, he saw a Lamb looking as it has been slayed. And the answer to the riddle as Jesus stands forever, the lamb and the lion, he's both fully at the same time both. And we are supposed to be as Christians, little Christ, we're supposed to be just like him. And so I totally ripped off Biblical
Masculinity. Now, the book, the book, you know, like warrior Poets Society, it's actually a secular movement. So there's all kinds of different religious affiliations that will kind of cram under our banner, really, the banner is broader on purpose, that we would live for higher purpose, and we would be ready to sacrifice in the defense of others. And so, you know, I look back of the Samurai, for instance, or the Stoic. I don't subscribe to these philosophies or ideologies, though there's some
certainly good stuff in them. I think all the stuff that's good in them I can find in Christianity and the stuff they're lacking, I also find in Christianity and so I find Christianity to be the superior worldview, but the Warrior Poets Society in general, it's a secular wider movement. Think of it like the top of the funnel.
And in the book, I get extremely apologetic, erm sorry, apologetical, meaning I am leaning into Christian faith and beckoning people to see the steps that I've trod, and I've been brought into salvation by Jesus Christ. And I believe that Jesus really is the God Emmanuel, God with us. This sole hope of salvation for a lost and dying world. And so I make no qualms about that, though, the society is broad and secular. I
am a Christian. And so I don't pull punches on that in the book, though, it's a harbinger for Jesus, it's evangelical....
Yeah, but I think it's strategic. I think it's brilliant, the way you've done it, you know, David Barton has always said, you know, you got to think biblically and speak secularly, sometimes and as a former legislator, I had to do that. I couldn't go out on the House floor, you know, and start quoting scripture and saying everybody's got to vote for this, because the Bible says it, I'd have been done. Nobody would have been with me. And so I think what you're doing is
exactly the right formula. And I think that's part of why you had the success you've had the principals are there, the biblical foundation is there, but sometimes you got to speak secularly to get people to listen. So I applaud you for that. And I did notice, though, there was sort of a switch that
got flipped for you. And I'm trying to remember when it was, if it was this last December, or the December before that, but I remember watching the video where you basically said, you know, that's it, we're in a culture war, I'm not going to perfume this up anymore, I'm not going to hide from or, you know, not be very clear about the, you know, Faith element that has got
to be done. And you said, I know, we've got people of all faiths watching, and a part of our tribe and doing this, but listen, guys, here's where we are as a... I can't remember exactly how you said it. But something flipped for you at that point. What was it? I mean, I know a lot of people have had a, you know, inflection point during COVID. But you felt like you had to be more clear about the faith element. What caused you to go that route?
Oh, quite a few things. One is the Holy Spirit's Oh that section 230, Yeah, just been stirring me in a really big way, the last year or two. And so there's one element. Two, is COVID really ticked me off. Because I think some really, really sinister stuff was going on there from the beginning, during and even now up into this day, and then like that, and then I noticed that politics had gobbled up every subject. So I couldn't talk about anything without it being decried as a political issue.
Somehow abortion is a political issue. You killing babies is like, how is this a political issue...? It's a theological one. Maybe it's a philosophical one, maybe you could even say it's a biological one. But how in the world is that a political issue? Oh, it's because politics has gobbled everything... You can't even talk about the weather now, because of climate change. So everything is political. And I felt myself increasingly more and more backed into a corner. Like I
couldn't... There was more stuff that you couldn't talk about, than what you could talk about, especially if you're on the wrong side of the ideological debate, big tech, which, you know, they hold the keys to the house that we've got of like, we have YouTube channels, and you know, Instagram and Facebook and all the things and we find ourselves censored highly in an illegal discriminatory way, meaning they are not applying the same things across the
board. They claim to be like a utility, like a telephone company, but then they censor content like a publisher would. All while enjoying the exemption... And so I see censorship they're trying to put a different viewpoint out of business. And I don't know enough happened where I got ticked off and I just stopped caring anymore... Great, cancel me. I don't care anymore. Everything's evil and twisted.
I'm going to say exactly what I think and I'm going to let the chips fall where they may because I will not be silent anymore.
Amen. Amen. I love it. I love it man. And you know I... And I think that there's a lot of people... well you know, because you've heard from them, that feel the exact same way and you're voicing what they haven't been able to voice and it's part of what has drawn them to you. That's why I think your book
timing's perfect as well. Tell me where do you recommend people to go to get the book, I want to make sure people know where to follow you on social media, they can just, you know, look for Warrior Poet Society, or specifically for John Lovell, we'll have links today at WallBuilders.com for that as well. Where do you want to send people for the book?
Check out TheWarriorPoetWay.com . Aside from that, you know, like that'll point you toward all the places where the book is sold, but really it's sold where all books are sold.
And and while I've got you because I definitely want to have you back and we'll talk more about these other things as well, if they want to train with you, what's the best website to go to find out where you've got classes all over the country and when they can join you on one of those? Alright, WarriorPoetSociety.com . By the
WarriorPoetsSociety.com way, folks, if you subscribe to The Warrior Poet Network, you can get Chasing American Legends there on Warrior Poet Network as well. John, God bless you, man. I will tell you whether he's mad at me or not, I don't care, Tim Barton said he was super jealous that I was getting to interview you, today. And so he wants to come train with you as well. We'd love we'd love to spend more time with you have a God bless you for what you're doing in the book. I look forward to
reading it. I haven't had a chance. I got my pre release copy couple days ago. Hadn't had a chance to read it, yet. But I know from watching your stuff, I'm going to love the book. Really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
That's John Lovell, folks. Stay with us. We'll be right back with David and Tim Barton. Have you noticed the vacuum of leadership in America? We’re looking around for leaders of principle to step up and too often, no one is there. God is raising up a generation of young leaders with a passion for impacting the world around them. They’re crying out for the mentorship and leadership training they need. Patriot Academy was created to meet that
need. Patriot Academy graduates now serve in state capitals around America in the halls of Congress, in business, in the film industry, in the pulpit and every area of the culture. They’re leading effectively and impacting the world around them. Patriot Academy is now expanding across the nation and now’s your chance to experience this life changing week that trains champions to change the world. Visit patriotacademy.com for
dates and locations. Our core program is still for young leaders 16 to 25 years old, but we also now have a citizen track for adults, so visit the website today to learn more. Help us fill the void of leadership in America. Join us in training champions to change the world at PatriotAcademy.com . We're back here on WallBuilders. Thanks for staying with us. Special thanks to John Lovell for joining us from warrior poet society. And great new book to
check out. I can't wait. I say great new book, I mean, I'm just looking at the outline right now. And no one from all the videos we've watched, it's good stuff and you can tell from the interview, you know, he shares our heart and definitely a passion for both our Lord and Savior but also the country and doing this in a in a Warrior Poet way. I love it.
Well, you know, I'm really kind of disturbed at how the culture squashed the idea of masculinity even for a warrior, the concept of a warrior. That's a God concept. Being a warrior is a gifting of God. Psalm 144:1 is very clear. And I was talking to one of the best military warriors I know who's got one of the best hearts out there. And he's coming to faith in God. He's finding God. And he's been such a good warrior for his country and he understands you know what's right and wrong and just an
unjust in war. He's not crossed that line. But he's having real difficulty coming to faith in God because man, look what I've done in war, look what I've done to other people in war and I don't know that God will accept that and go wait a minute, timeout. God made a covenant with a guy named David because he said David has slain his thousands. His people had said that. People said Saul has slain his thousands but David have slain his ten thousands. And that's a dude that God made a
covenant with. And so when you look biblically, that's not a problem, if you understand what the Bible says about things like war, what is the difference beween a just war and an unjust war in God's eyes? There are some wars that God is going to get involved with, he's going to help with he's going to bless what you do in that and there's others he won't, what is the difference? And so we've so attacked masculinity, that to be a warrior now is just like, you
feel guilty? And I can't be a friend of God, if I've been a warrior. No, no, no, you can't
do that. And I'm watching too the degree of cowardice that we're now seeing, in some... and Tim and I've been using a verse out of revelation 21:8 in recent days, but it talks about those who go to hell, the murderers and the perjures and the adulterers in the whoremongers and liars, and all those that do really bad things, but the list starts by saying those that go to hell, first thing in is the cowards and the fearful, those
that don't have a backbone. And so what's happened is like we've gotten so conscious of not having a backbone that interestingly enough, I've watched Christians change how they see death. It's like life is all about this life and I don't really think about an afterlife and I can't do anything in this life that would put me in danger or that would cause somebody to get mad at me because this is my life. No, no, this is warm up. All this is, is just you're getting warmed up to
get put in the game. Life begins after death quite frankly, this is the prep ground. And so Christians have got to get back to that concept that life is not here. Life is with Jesus after we die, but you've got to live like a man or like a woman here but I think John's on to some really good stuff.
Well and just like Dad, you kind of close that thoughts and you got to live like a man or like a woman, what God's called you to be. And obviously who God made you this isn't a gender discussion. We know there's male and female. We're not confusing that right
now. But what you see is, right, even in God, you see times when God was gentle, and he was humble, and he was gracious and he was loving, and then there's times that God was a warrior, and he was just in his wrath and his anger, you see that right God is what he needs to be in the moment. And that's really what part of this movement is from the warrior Poets Society, is you have to find the balance of what does this moment need?
There's times, right, as you're raising a family, there's times that the family needs a dad who's soft and gentle and fun. And there's times that the family needs a dad who is tough and ferocious and fierce to protect and defend them from outside danger. And that's exactly what Warrior Poets Society is about. So fun. Having John Lovell on the program.
Alright folks out of time for today. Don't forget to visit PatriotAcademy.com and get signed up for that Coach Congress. It's going to be coming up really quick. That's the first week of August, you've got to sign up now, if you want
to be a part of it. We've got a package where you can stay at the DoubleTree hotel right next door to the Texas Capitol with the rest of us or you can just do the tuition for the week and choose your own lodging, inexpensive either way for the experience that you're going to get. So check that out today at PatriotAcademy.com and come join us for the week. I'm telling you it's going to be incredible.
You'll hear from Tim Barton, David Barton, myself, all kinds of other speakers that are coming in and being a part of it that we plus the training plus the chance to just be a legislator for the week actually be on the real floor and the real committee rooms. I mean, how do you beat that? It's the best simulation in the world for the legislative process and it will make you a better citizen, I can promise you. Check it out today at PatriotAcademy.com click on Leadership Congress.
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