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Untouchable
Words of Caution for Those Who Think They're Beyond Temptation
Too many Christians, especially those in ministry, believe they are untouchable--that they're too faithful to fall or too spiritual to give in to temptation. They deny any sort of weakness, fail to draw proper boundaries, and end up doing the very things they swore they'd never do.
Pastor and author Brittany Rust was one such person--until she found herself in the middle of moral failure and a church-wide scandal. Bewildered, humiliated, and ashamed, she thought she was beyond redemption. But God's grace met her on the ground, and here she shares what she's learned through her painful journey. She unravels the myth of being untouchable, showing how we start to believe the lie, and how we can protect ourselves from temptation. Ultimately she shows that to truly flourish in life, you must be willing to admit weakness--and that no one is beyond God's redeeming love.
Too many Christians, especially those in ministry, believe they are untouchable--that they're too faithful to fall or too spiritual to give in to temptation. They deny any sort of weakness, fail to draw proper boundaries, and end up doing the very things they swore they'd never do.
Pastor and author Brittany Rust was one such person--until she found herself in the middle of moral failure and a church-wide scandal. Bewildered, humiliated, and ashamed, she thought she was beyond redemption. But God's grace met her on the ground, and here she shares what she's learned through her painful journey. She unravels the myth of being untouchable, showing how we start to believe the lie, and how we can protect ourselves from temptation. Ultimately she shows that to truly flourish in life, you must be willing to admit weakness--and that no one is beyond God's redeeming love.
- GenresChristian
192 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2018
7 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Brittany Rust
16 books8 followersHi, I'm Brittany! I love a good outdoor adventure, Andy's Frozen Custard, nibbling on my son's yummy cheeks, and binge-watching Downton Abbey. I’m also a big fan of road trips, great food, and new experiences. Coffee is a must have in life and although some may call me crazy, I prefer the mountains, rain, and cooler weather!
A little about me: I'm an author, speaker, podcast host, and founder of For the Mama Heart. I'm also a regular contributor for Crosswalk, YouVersion, Propel Women, Focus on the Family, and have contributed resources to LifeWay Women, Single Christianity Magazine, iBelieve, ForEveryMom, and many more.
I'm married to the most wonderful guy in the world, the dashing Ryan Rust [as I affectionately call him]. He is on staff at Focus on the Family and together we make our home in the great state of Colorado, pursuing life, marriage, and ministry. We have a handsome son named Roman (his yumminess makes me want to channel Beverly Goldberg), a precious little one in Heaven, and a permanent puppy lab named Pepper!
A little about me: I'm an author, speaker, podcast host, and founder of For the Mama Heart. I'm also a regular contributor for Crosswalk, YouVersion, Propel Women, Focus on the Family, and have contributed resources to LifeWay Women, Single Christianity Magazine, iBelieve, ForEveryMom, and many more.
I'm married to the most wonderful guy in the world, the dashing Ryan Rust [as I affectionately call him]. He is on staff at Focus on the Family and together we make our home in the great state of Colorado, pursuing life, marriage, and ministry. We have a handsome son named Roman (his yumminess makes me want to channel Beverly Goldberg), a precious little one in Heaven, and a permanent puppy lab named Pepper!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 2, 2019
5 stars! I was incredibly moved by this book and it challenged me in many ways. Review to come.
November 14, 2018
First and foremost I want to praise the author for her courage and humility in sharing her story. She faced the embarrassment and shame to help others not fall into the same trap. For many, premarital sex is no big deal in our day and age. How wonderful Ms. Rust felt convicted and saw it as God does: sin. That was her transgression but the book can apply to ANY sin one might find themselves a part of.
Being a pastor’s wife for over 2 decades, I never quit cringing when I heard a Christian say, “I’ll never .....” because I knew they were in danger of doing that very thing. I must add the majority of the time that the people uttering those words did exactly what they believed they never could. Whether it is pride or feeling one has reached a level of supreme Christian that prompts these declarations I do not know but I believe it puts a target on our backs for Satan.
Ms. Rust not only warns us that anyone can fall but if they do, it is not a “death sentence” to our Christian walk. The same God that saved us and forgave our sins can heal and restore. She gives sound scriptural advice on how to protect ourselves from this flawed thinking and actually falling into sin. Ms. Rust doesn’t leave the reader there. She guides them with encouragement and God’s Word on how to move forward. I liked the chapter on the Amour of God, a very important gift from the Lord that is often overlooked as a means of protection. I felt it was outstanding that she told about the practice of true church discipline; holding the person accountable in love with the purpose of restoring them. That is something that is rarely seen today. It is very scriptural and much needed in churches today but rarely applied. This was a book written from the author’s heart.
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I stated are my own.
Being a pastor’s wife for over 2 decades, I never quit cringing when I heard a Christian say, “I’ll never .....” because I knew they were in danger of doing that very thing. I must add the majority of the time that the people uttering those words did exactly what they believed they never could. Whether it is pride or feeling one has reached a level of supreme Christian that prompts these declarations I do not know but I believe it puts a target on our backs for Satan.
Ms. Rust not only warns us that anyone can fall but if they do, it is not a “death sentence” to our Christian walk. The same God that saved us and forgave our sins can heal and restore. She gives sound scriptural advice on how to protect ourselves from this flawed thinking and actually falling into sin. Ms. Rust doesn’t leave the reader there. She guides them with encouragement and God’s Word on how to move forward. I liked the chapter on the Amour of God, a very important gift from the Lord that is often overlooked as a means of protection. I felt it was outstanding that she told about the practice of true church discipline; holding the person accountable in love with the purpose of restoring them. That is something that is rarely seen today. It is very scriptural and much needed in churches today but rarely applied. This was a book written from the author’s heart.
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I stated are my own.
October 25, 2018
I wasn't able to finish this book. Everyone has a style of writing they like, and with inspirational books, the voice of the author is one a reader either connects to or doesn't. I just really didn't enjoy Rust's voice or writing style. There are so many authors like Brene Brown or Anne Lamott who write in such a way that it feels like your having an amazing, heart-felt conversation with the writer, but this book (for me) just read like Rust really, reeeeeally wanted to come across as inspirational. I think because of that, the stories didn't do much for me. I was also really creeped out by the "church discipline" story, and how her own "amazing" story of redemption was...wait for it...getting back together with her boyfriend after having sex before marriage. GIRL! People breakup all the time and don't get suicidal over it!!! I get that breakups are difficult, but it just made me roll my eyes. The other stories read like something borrowed, and so it lacked authenticity and empowerment. Maybe other will like the book? I don't know. I returned my copy.
October 4, 2018
Untouchable
Unraveling the Myth That You're Too Faithful to Fall
by Brittany Rust
Chosen
Chosen Books
Christian
Pub Date 05 Jun 2018
I am reviewing a copy of Untouchable through Chosen Books and Netgalley:
Many Christians especially those in ministry believe they are untouchable that they won't fall into temptation. Some deny any sort of weakness, fail to draw proper boundaries and end up doing the things they swore they would never do.
Brittany Rust is a Pastor as well as an author once did not believe she was untouchable until she found herself in the midst of a moral failure and a church wide scandal. Bewildered, humiliated and ashamed she thought she was beyond redemption but God’s grace got her through as she shares what she's learned through this painful journey.
I give Untouchable five out of five stars!
May 29, 2018
Jesus survived the temptations in the desert and proved life can be because he knew his source of strength . Man wants to live his life with a do it yourself kit having what he shouldn't have and trying to live a fake life for the sake of a pay check.
I think the church has fallen farther than we think because we don't preach about sin, we are trying to preach a gray area word where everyone comes in sad but leaves happy.
Now the workers, they are not Super human and they can fall. Untouchable is a reminder that anyone can fall but they ALL CAN GET UP.
I think the church has fallen farther than we think because we don't preach about sin, we are trying to preach a gray area word where everyone comes in sad but leaves happy.
Now the workers, they are not Super human and they can fall. Untouchable is a reminder that anyone can fall but they ALL CAN GET UP.
June 26, 2018
Outstanding! In this bare all book, Brittany Rust takes us on a courageous journey through the myth that you’re too faithful to fall. She asks the question, “how to can you flourish by admitting weakness?” Brittany gracefully and biblically argues that failure to acknowledge personal vulnerabilities creates a blind spot in our lives. Along the way she explains the secrets on how to confront weakness, establish guardrails and claim adversity as a blessing. This book is a timeless treasure that speaks loudly to God redemptive plan playing out in all of us.
August 24, 2018
Untouchable is a useful and inspiring book for all Christians. Rust gives Christians biblical advice for guarding against sin and temptation. She also gives advice for healing after “falling from grace” or to quote the book, “falling into grace.” It is rare to find a Christian book nowadays that truly uses the Bible as the main source of truth and reference. Rust does a fantastic job of using scripture and personal experiences to reach the reader. I would highly recommend this book for all Christians.
October 10, 2018
(DNF at about 50%) Average writing that jumps all over the place. It was more like a series of rambling thoughts with a hodgepodge of stories that didn't really inspire or motivate me. I kind of felt like everything I needed to know about the book was summed up in the description, and the rest of the book was just filler. There are so many excellent motivational/self-help books out there that target Christians, that I just feel like a book really needs to be exceptional for me to want to finish reading it. I returned my copy to B&N.
June 21, 2021
While I normally attend conferences only with Christian women, this summer I’m attending a co-ed conference. I consider this book essential reading before I interact with other men. This book deftly exposes blind spots you may have as a Christian leader, and humbly points out ways you can recognize and handle them so you don’t fall into temptation.
August 24, 2020
Must Read!!!
June 9, 2018
I feel bad giving this a low rating, because it's SOOO obvious Rust painfully, desperately wants to be inspiring to women. This book ended up being a really disappointing read. I heard about it through an acquaintance who attends Brittany's church and was part of the people trying to help launch the book. My biggest issue with the book is that is just wasn't necessary. It can be summed up in a single description: don't assume you're too spiritual to struggle (in this case, have dreaded sex before marriage), but should you fall, you can recover. It's just a trite, overdone message. The entire book could have been broken down into really a blog post instead of an entire book.
Furthermore, the description is just overblown. I was expecting a really dynamic story or a real struggle (IDK, drugs, alcoholism, whatever....nope, literally just (GASP!) she had sex! Before marriage! Who hasn't heard that story before?). Rust's story was neither scandalous nor a massive fall from grace. She wasn't even a pastor at the time, just did some ministry work. The book was more disturbing than inspiring. As a result of this sin, Rust had a psychological breakdown afterwards, received "church correction" (alone, without her boyfriend if I remember correctly; I was mostly just disgusted and appalled by this point in the book), and her boyfriend ditched her and went off on his merry way, leaving her to feel like the whore of Babylon. Eventually, they got married, so all's well that ends well I guess. I didn't finish the book, because it was just so trite and expected. But, I guess the literal moral of the story is don't assume you are too spiritual to have sex before marriage.
Her story just falls flat and really was disturbing how badly she beat herself up over having sex before marriage. I always love it when now married people who had sex before marriage preach about the errors of their ways. It's pretty convenient in the aftermath. I don't know, everything about this story just felt off and blown out of proportion. Definitely not worth the read. I'm returning my copy.
Furthermore, the description is just overblown. I was expecting a really dynamic story or a real struggle (IDK, drugs, alcoholism, whatever....nope, literally just (GASP!) she had sex! Before marriage! Who hasn't heard that story before?). Rust's story was neither scandalous nor a massive fall from grace. She wasn't even a pastor at the time, just did some ministry work. The book was more disturbing than inspiring. As a result of this sin, Rust had a psychological breakdown afterwards, received "church correction" (alone, without her boyfriend if I remember correctly; I was mostly just disgusted and appalled by this point in the book), and her boyfriend ditched her and went off on his merry way, leaving her to feel like the whore of Babylon. Eventually, they got married, so all's well that ends well I guess. I didn't finish the book, because it was just so trite and expected. But, I guess the literal moral of the story is don't assume you are too spiritual to have sex before marriage.
Her story just falls flat and really was disturbing how badly she beat herself up over having sex before marriage. I always love it when now married people who had sex before marriage preach about the errors of their ways. It's pretty convenient in the aftermath. I don't know, everything about this story just felt off and blown out of proportion. Definitely not worth the read. I'm returning my copy.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews