Ep 1405 | Steven Lawson’s New Book Is Troubling. Here Are My Takeaways
October 7, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readA Fallen Preacher’s Book: What Steven Lawson’s “Mercy in the Wilderness” Reveals and Conceals
Two years after Steven Lawson—the revered expository preacher and pillar of the Reformed world—was removed from ministry for an inappropriate relationship with a woman in her late twenties, he has released a book. It’s called Mercy in the Wilderness: How I Fell and What I Found. And it has prompted a difficult question among those who once admired him: Should a permanently disqualified pastor be writing and selling books about his scandal at all?
The Fall That Shook the Reformed World
Steven Lawson was not the kind of pastor anyone expected to fall. For 40 years, he preached verse-by-verse, exegetical sermons. He founded One Passion Ministries, served as a teaching fellow for an international ministry, authored 33 books, and was the dean of a doctoral program at a respected seminary. He was part of John MacArthur’s circle—the kind of figure whose commitment to biblical fidelity seemed unshakable.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Introduction: Steven Lawson's Fall and New Book** - Allie introduces the topic: Steven Lawson's scandal, his new book "Mercy in the Wilderness," and the debate over whether a disqualified pastor should be writing and selling books.
- 2 (04:59) **Lawson's Credentials and the Shock of His Fall** - Allie explains why Lawson's downfall was so surprising, given his reputation for theological rigor and personal discipline.
- 3 (08:36) **Background on Lawson's Ministry and the Scandal Details** - Allie provides context on Lawson's role at Trinity Bible Church and the murky details of his relationship.
- 4 (13:49) **The Doctrine of Permanent Disqualification** - Allie argues from Scripture that a fallen pastor is permanently disqualified from ministry, regardless of forgiveness.
- 5 (16:50) **Lawson's Silence and the Book's Premise** - Allie notes Lawson's long silence before releasing the book, and questions the timing and motivation behind it.
- 6 (18:56) **The Good Parts of the Book: Genuine Repentance** - Allie acknowledges the book appears to contain genuine repentance and self-awareness.
- 7 (24:12) **The Strange Parts: Humble-Bragging and Self-Comparison** - Allie finds several off-putting elements, including lengthy lists of credentials and comparisons to King David.
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Show Notes
Today Allie looks at Steven Lawson, the 73-year-old pastor who was exposed in 2024 for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman in her 20s. Lawson is back with a new book titled “Mercy in the Wilderness: How I Fell and What I Found.” Allie looks at the book and why it doesn’t seem to accomplish what the title implies and addresses criticism he is receiving for the timing of the book's release. Allie also looks at the Caleb Flynn case and how family and friends displayed both earthly justice and heavenly forgiveness in the midst of a tragic situation.Do you have a question for Allie? Leave a voicemail at 844-755-5252. Share the Arrows 2026 is on October 10 in Dallas, Texas! Tickets are on sale now at: https://sharethearrows.comShare the Arrows is sponsored by:A'del Natural Cosmetics: AdelNaturalCosmetics.comRange Leather: RangeLeather.com/ALLIEWe Heart Nutrition: WeHeartNutrition.com–Time Codes00:00 Intro00:59 Buy Your STA Tickets!3:29 Who is Steven Lawson6:11 “Mercy in the Wilderness”8:33 The Fall of Steven Lawson20:38 Critics Think It's Too Soon23:41 What Does the Book Say?45:16 Important Omission53:40 Lawson Returning to Ministry?56:58 The Caleb Flynn Case–Today's Sponsors:We Heart Nutrition | Head to http://WeHeartNutrition.com and use code ALLIE for 20% off your first order.Goo
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