Find My Next Step

Book link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09XZ8HYN2

After a brief introduction and Justin and Jamie begin their conversation on noticing yourself with Jesus by looking at Jamie's blog "The Lord is Not Slow. Say What?" Blog link: https://community.findmynextstep.org/2022/10/03/the-lord-is-not-slow-say-what/

Jamie then shares a little more about how Breathe Life Ministries comes along side people to help them slow down and notice what they are experiencing without self-condemnation. Creating that space is one way to invite Jesus into whatever you are going through right now.

You can view the Zoom meeting of this episode here: https://youtu.be/88-_bWTV1uE

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons.  Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron before the end 2022. To see different options for support, including monthly and annual options, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

Thank you to all of our Patrons! Patrons make it possible.

This extra, bonus chapter of the When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week comes from author and illustrator Alli Bauck. After two Lenten seasons of following the hymn journal, Alli decided to create her own chapter from a favorite hymn and collaborated with Next Step Press founder Justin Rossow to produce a whole new chapter for the top new release in Christian Devotionals from 2020.

You can download your complimentary copy of the My Song is Love Unknown bonus chapter, then follow along as Alli and Justin walk you through the theology and the thinking behind the Scripture readings, devotion, coloring page, and faith experiment. It's a great way to lean into your Holy Week experience!

Download Here

Alli shared how much she enjoys listening to different version of the song. Here are a couple of her favorites:

Fernando Ortega version: https://youtu.be/fIbYENJVSic

Dynamic choral version: https://youtu.be/iFmvFi0ocp8

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join the Next Step Community by signing up at http://bit.ly/joinnsp.

Sign Up Today

You can find more from Alli Bauck on the Next Step Community blog or in the anthology Be Still and Notice: Tales from the Next Step Community, Year 2.

Other hymn journal from Next Step Press include:
Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence and
Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

You can help Next Step Press possible by providing regular, monthly support for content like this podcast: become a patron today.

The resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas explores twelve different Christmas carols and original songs composed, arranged, and recorded by singer/songwriter Brooke Orozco and musician Brendan Knorp. Brooke and Brendan join author Justin Rossow for the final episode of this season of the Next Step Podcast that has been focused on their music and the hymn journal.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Brendan read Matthew 4 and Brooke read select verses of Psalm 119 (both on page 117 of the hymn journal). As part of the following discussion, Justin will read the devotion on the next page, titled, "He Comes to Light the Way."

After we listen to Light in the Darkness, the title track for both the Christmas album and the hymn journal, we'll hear more about the composition of that song and gain some insight on the rest of that album from the recording artists themselves.

As part of the discussion of the recording process, Brooke mentions one of her favorite songs on the album is an arrangement of German carol that wasn't included in this hymn journal: Waerst Du Kindchen. Brendan especially appreciates their setting of O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a song titled Emmanuel on their CD. Brendan talked about that song and its arrangement in the podcast recorded to go with Chapter 3 of the hymn journal: The Next Step Podcast, Season 3, Episode 3.

The entire A Light in the Darkness Christmas album from Brooke and Brendan is available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

As part of the discussion, Brooke mentions the book Delight!: Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved, and Justin talks about how J.S. Bach would begin his compositions with the the Latin abbreviation J.J. (to find out more, read the article "Jesus, Judge Me!")

At the close of this season of the Next Step Podcast, we want to thank all of our Next Step Patrons. Their regular support helps make this next step discipleship content possible. Thank you, Patrons!

Whether you choose monthly support, an annual contribution, or a one-time gift, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron in 2022. To see different options for support visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

Pat Maier, cofounder of Visual Faith™ Ministry, and Amy Meyer, cofounder of Neighboring Life, join Justin Rossow, founder of Next Step Press, to talk about Chapter 10: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly in the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

John 1 is the traditional reading for Christmas Day, and after a brief intro and opening prayer, we'll hear about the Word becoming flesh as Pat reads from the English Standard Version. Then Amy will read the same verses from The Message paraphrase. You can find that reading on page 97 of the hymn journal.

After discussing those verses, we'll hear from Pat Maier about her artwork on page 95 that keeps Jesus at the center of our Christmas celebrations, and about the mission of Visual Faith™ Ministry to provide resources that help you slow down and experience time in prayer and in Bible study more intentionally.

Once we've looked briefly at the corner art on page 98, you'll hear Justin read the devotion on that same page. You can share that reflection with your friends by posting or emailing a link to the blog version of this chapter's devotion, "For His Bed a Cattle Stall."

After we hear Brooke and Brendan sing their version of "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly," we'll turn to the Prayer Experiment on pages 100-101 and hear from Amy Meyer about the soon-to-be-launched online community called Neighboring Life.

Founded by Amy and her husband, Jeff, Neighboring Life invites you and your household to imagine neighborhoods where every person belongs, where every person knows they matter and have a contribution to make, a story to share. We'll make sure to let the Next Step Community know when Neighboring Life goes live sometime in 2022.

Before we are done, we'll get an update on the Pat's neighborhood sketch on page 101 and Amy's experiments to build community in her new apartment living. You can follow Pat's lead with this recipe for her Fresh Orange Muffins (links to other Visual Faith resources are included in the article).

As you can probably tell just by reading their names, Amy Meyer and Pat Maier are not related, although we did discover that Pat lives on Meyer Avenue, a happy coincidence. The two will team up again next year, September 23-25, 2022, for one of Camp Arcadia's women's retreats. Make sure to check it out!

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons. Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron before the end 2021. To see different options for support, including monthly and annual options, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

Jamie Wiechman, cofounder of Breathe Life Ministries, joins host Justin Rossow on the Next Step Podcast to talk about Chapter 8: O Holy Night, in the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Jamie read Romans 5:1-11 on page 77 of the hymn journal. Then Jamie and Justin will discuss the text and what it means for living out our lives as followers of Jesus. That part of the discussion concludes with Justin reading the devotion, "A Thrill of Hope," from page 78.

After we hear the Brooke and Brendan rendition of O Holy Night, Jamie tells us a little more about Breathe Life Ministries. Leading up to Easter last year, Breathe Life ran an experiment called "Making Room," a series of weekly emails that helped acknowledge and honor our losses. The goal was to prepare our hearts and lives for what Jesus has for us next. You can see one of the weekly installments of Making Room in a blog by Jamie Wiechman, called "Loss of the Familiar."

At one point in the podcast, Justin failed to come up with a reference to something Luther once said. (To be fair, Luther said a whole bunch of stuff...) If this had been Jeopardy, the right answer would have been, "What is Luther's Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis 21?" Here, in part, is what Luther said: "A theology of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theology of the cross calls the thing what it actually is. This is clear: the person who does not know Christ does not know God hidden in suffering."

Justin also retold the story from this chapter's devotion (with a little more context) as part of a brief Advent devotion for St. Paul, Ann Arbor. Check out that conversation here. The Bible Project also unpacks the biblical concept of hope, the major theme of this podcast, in this five-minute video.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons.  Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron before the end 2021. To see different options for support, including monthly and annual options, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube. The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, pastor, author, and podcast host Keith Haney joins Justin Rossow to talk about Chapter 6: In the Bleak Midwinter from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Keith read from Micah 6 and Jeremiah 9 (on page 57 of the book). As part of the discussion of those verses, Justin will read the devotion "What Shall I Give Him?" on page 58, followed by the Brooke and Brenan rendition of this chapter's featured hymn.

You can see Micah 6:8 (Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly) on protest sign or social media pages, and the Faith Experiment on pages 60-61 gives Justin the chance to ask Keith about his work addressing race and racism. The two talk about Keith's Bible study, One Nation Under God, originally written after the racial unrest in Ferguson, MO in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown in 2014.

Keith started the Becoming Bridge Builders podcast in August of 2020, which focuses on exploring effective solutions to complex issues. Keith said his favorite episode includes an interview with Kevin Hofmann; you can listen to that podcast here, or visit the Becoming Bridge Builders podcast home for their latest conversation around race and following Jesus.

You might also appreciate my experience during a visit to St. Louis, MO: Hope for the Future and a Bright Red Nose. I wrote that blog less than a year after the rioting in Ferguson, MO; one month after the police chief's resignation sparked further protests (in which two police officers were shot); and three days before protestors again took to the streets of Ferguson following the April death of Freddie Gray due to spinal chord injuries sustained while in police custody, being transported in the back of a van in Baltimore, MD.

More background on the Hebrew words in Micah 6:8 can be found with a printable version of the Prayer Experiment in this chapter in this post: Praying Micah 6:8.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons.  Special thanks to Eden, a Next Step Patron who just converted her monthly pledge to an annual gift. Whether you choose monthly support, an annual contribution, or a one-time gift, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron before the end 2021. To see different options for support visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

Dr. Reed Lessing, Professor of Theology & Ministry and Director of The Center for Biblical Studies on the campus of Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota joins the Next Step Podcast to talk about Chapter 4: Comfort, Comfort Ye My People of the book Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

Pastor, professor, and author, Reed has written scholarly commentaries on Jonah, Amos, Zechariah, and two-volume work on Isaiah, as well as various devotions and other resources. His latest book from Concordia Publishing House is a cross between a commentary and a personal devotion called Overcoming Life’s Sorrows: Studies in the Book of Jeremiah.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Dr. Lessing read from Isaiah 40 (on page 37 of the hymn journal). The discussion that ensues will take us from Isaiah to Exodus, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and several Pauline epistles. (That's how conversations with Reed Lessing usually go ...)

Before we are done, Justin will read the devotion "Make the Rougher Places Plain" on page 38 and we'll hear the Brooke and Brendan arrangement of this chapter's featured hymn.

In closing, Reed and Justin will talk about possible Advent next steps in their own lives. Perhaps the Faith Experiment on pages 40-41 would be one way for you to take a next step as you prepare for Christmas.

Reed mentions the hymn "Joy to the World" as part of the conversation. If you would like to hear more about that hymn, check out this episode of the Next Step Podcast: Joy to the World.

Dr. Lessing also joined the Next Step Podcast for a discussion of hymn 3 in Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence. You can check out that episode here: Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons.  Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron before the end 2021. To see different options for support, including monthly and annual options, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

Thank you to all of our Patrons! Patrons make it possible.

The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved. The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, professional coach, author, and CEO Jonathan Reitz joins Justin Rossow to talk about Chapter 2: Lift Up Your Heads, You Mighty Gates from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Jonathan read from Psalm 24 (on page 15 of the book) and, as part of the ensuing discussion, Justin will read the devotion "Open Wide My Heart, Your Home" on page 16.

After we listen to this chapter's featured hymn, Jonathan and Justin will discuss both the hymn and the Prayer Experiment on pages 18-19 with a focus on opening up places in your life to Jesus even when that seems challenging. Jonathan opens up with us about some of his own personal baggage around family, depression, and the holidays and also gives us some coaching questions to consider as we imagine inviting Jesus into the places we like to keep hidden from other people.

For more on celebrating Christmas no matter what you are feeling this year, see the blog Have A Very … Christmas.

The image that shapes the devotion in this chapter--of a back room hiding all of our clutter from a Christmas visitor--is a much-shortened version of the story that begins and ends this Advent sermon on the Key of David. (Audio only.)

Jonathan mentioned the song "King of the Glory" by the band Third Day. Do you have any favorite songs from that time period?

If you would like to find out more about coaching or about Jonathan, you can check out his book or visit the Fluxify web page. (When this podcast went live, Fluxify was still migrating from https://coachnet.org/. It's the same company undergoing rebranding.)

Jonathan and Justin also talk about the first Advent of King Jesus in light of the Second Advent of the King. For more on that topic, check out the scholarly article "If Jesus 'Came Down from Heaven,' Where Does that Leave Me?" by Justin Rossow, beginning on page 388 of the Concordia Journal, Volume 32, No. 4. Or check out this fun, five-minute video.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons. To see different options for support, including monthly and annual options, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep. Thank you to all of our Patrons! Patrons make it possible.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast kicks off year two of the Light in the Darkness social learning group on Facebook. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal. 

Host Justin Rossow talks to Valerie Matyas and Alli Bauck, both of whom are familiar with the practice of calendaring your faith. While they take a closer look at the 12 Days of Christmas calendar on page 123 of the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas, the conversation could also apply to the Advent calendar on page vii, or to any calendar you use to capture what Jesus has been speaking into your life.

You can read more from Alli in Be Still and Notice: Tales from the Next Step Community, Year 2 or hear more from Valerie about the Advent calendar in last year's intro podcast, "Introducing Light in the Darkness."

As part of the conversations, you will hear these friends mention The Movable Adventure, an online formation experience from Visual Faith™ Ministry; Justin, Alli, and Valerie all contributed to that online resource.

You might hear Justin make a passing reference to everyday faith conversations with his daughter on the way to school or in a PT session; you can read more about those everyday discipleship experiences in these two blog posts: The Christ in the Mouth of My Brother or Sister and Small Conversations.

You'll also hear Justin try to quote from Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved. The real quote comes from page 236 and goes like this: "I bet you already knew God’s Word takes work to understand. But I hope that you are beginning to imagine another truth: God’s Word also takes play to understand."

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons. Special thanks to Janice, our newest Next Step Patron. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

We'll look specifically at the way St. Paul, Austin answered social media questions about resourcing home worship and putting Bible class online for the whole world to see. You can see one example of a home worship resource video or check out their Worldwide Bible Class if you'd like to see those decisions in action.

Your congregation may have come to different conclusions to similar questions, but the attitude and insight Pastor Wolfmueller brings to the table will help you think creatively and theologically about your next ministry challenge.

This recording (and the Thank You gifts) are made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

Conrad Gempf, author and Lecturer in New Testament at the London School of Theology, joins Justin Rossow for the final episode of this season dedicated to the resource Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost from Next Step Press.

Following a brief introduction, Conrad and Justin talk about the book of Acts as they set up the reading for the Day of Pentecost. Then the two friends explore the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2, other mini-Pentecost events in the book of Acts, and what it all means for our daily faith and life.

Conrad has been a friend of Next Step Press from the beginning. You can hear his interviews from other seasons of the Next Step Podcast below:

For more from Conrad, check out these books:

(Using the paid links above supports the mission of Next Step Press.)

For more on the Day of Pentecost, see the article Pentecost, Like Jesus by Justin Rossow.

This season of the Next Step Podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp.

Sign up for the Next Step Community for the latest blogs, podcasts, and resources to help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus.

This episode was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift.

Like Theophilus, Patrons make it possible.

Connie Denninger, one of the cofounders of Visual Faith™ Ministry, joins author Justin Rossow for Episode 7, Season 5 of the Next Step Podcast to talk about the purpose and origin of Visual Faith™ and of The Secret Code Prayer, one of the prayer experiments featured in the Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost.

After a brief introduction, you'll hear Connie's story of how her own personal prayer life was transformed through visual and kinesthetic engagement with God's Word, and how her study of education and spiritual formation led to where she is today.

Connie shares with us some of the thinking behind experimenting with a variety of prayer practices to discover your own spiritual I.E.P., an Individual Education Plan that works for you as you seek to grow and engage God's Word. Along the way, Connie emphasizes the importance of community as we continue to pray, "Come, Holy Spirit" and discover what the Spirit is shaping in our lives.

Connie mentions Sybil MacBeth's Praying in Color as one of the early tools that helped shape her prayer life (use this link to Sybil's book to support the Next Step Community), and Justin references the Hymn Journal Project, a joint effort between  Visual Faith™ Ministry artists and Next Step Press. You can find all three of the current hymn journals on the Next Step Press Resource Page.

Connie also talks about the importance of running faith formation experiments in community; or, as Justin would say, "We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together." To that end, you can find support in your faith walk by joining with the Next Step Community or the Visual Faith™ community at one or more of the following:

You can read more about the Secret Code Prayer or watch a video walk through of the Secret Code Prayer, or find other Next Step podcast episodes, video tutorials, and articles related to Visual Faith™ to help you run your own experiments in personal faith formation.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Steve and Jamie Wiechman, cofounders of Breathe Life Ministries, join author Justin Rossow for Episode 6, Season 5 of the Next Step Podcast to talk about the rhythm of rest, healing, and play in the lives of those who follow Jesus.

After a brief introduction, you will hear Steve and Jamie read the Scripture verses for Day 30 and Justin read the devotion in the Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost. Then the three friends will discuss what rhythm looks like and how we can receive rest, healing, and play not as another set of aspirational goals or burdens, but as an invitation to notice what Jesus is doing in your life.

Along the way, Steve and Jamie talk about noticing yourself with God, and how their adventure with Breathe Life has led them to rethink their own habits and rhythms of grace. Justin also shares the Meditation Quotation from Day 31, a quote from Andrew Peterson's book, Adorning the Dark:

“All you really have is your willingness to fail, coupled with the mountain of evidence that the Maker has never left nor forsaken you....

I’m pleasantly expendable, delightfully unnecessary. We’re not invited into this because God needs us, but because he wants us.”

(Use this link to the book to support Next Step Press.)

Steve and Jamie have both written articles for The Next Step Community blog and were two of the authors featured in Jesus at the Center of My Messy Life: Tales from The Next Step Community, Year One. Other content from the blog related to this week's travel log include:

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp.

Sign up for the Next Step Community for the latest blogs, podcasts, and resources to help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Carl Medearis, author and international expert in the field of Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations, joins Justin Rossow to talk about the risks and adventure of extending and receiving hospitality in this episode of the Next Step Podcast. This whole season is dedicated to the resource Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost from Next Step Press.

Following a brief introduction, Carl and Justin will talk about experiencing hospitality in the Middle East and in America, and about how Jesus both expressed and went beyond first-century, Middle Eastern hospitality. In the course of the conversation, Carl brings up Conrad Gempf's book Mealtime Habits of the Messiah. Carl's encouragement is that you take a small risk and extend or accept an invitation for getting together for food and conversation; Jesus doesn't need us to be in charge of extending his Kingdom, but we also are invited to experience that Kingdom at work through us.

Carl has published several influential books you might find helpful in training your thinking for taking a small next step in the area of hospitality, including

(Using the paid links above supports the mission of Next Step Press).

Next Step Press author and founder Justin Rossow prepared sermon and Bible study notes for Carl's 42 Seconds book. These resources are available for free download through the Next Step Press Patreon page.

For an in-depth study of the conceptual metaphors in Speaking of Jesus, see the three-blog series that begins with "Outreach and Warfare," or for a perspective from the pulpit, see "How Speaking of Jesus Changed My Preaching."

If you enjoyed Car's story about accepting hospitality from a Hezbollah leader, you will probably want to check out this video from a Michigan District pastors conference.

Hospitality hinges on the boundary of IN vs OUT, so this video from Justin Rossow on "Jesus at the Leading Edge" from the same Michigan District pastors conference also fits our theme well. 

This episode was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Professor Lois Malcolm joins Justin Rossow for Episode 4, Season 5 of the Next Step Podcast to talk about paradox and life in the Spirit. The Meditation Quotation on page 76 of the Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost comes from Dr. Malcolm's book, Holy Spirit: Creative Power in Our Lives. (Use this link to help support the mission of Next Step Press.)

After a brief introduction, you will hear Justin and Lois discuss both of the paradoxes in that quote and explore ways in which the presence of the Spirit frees us and empowers us to make a unique contribution for the common good while learning to appreciate the unique story of others more and more.

That one quote from Dr. Malcolm's book leads to several other quotes that deepen and broaden the conversation. Before the episode ends, you will hear Lois read the Philippians verse for Day 21 and Justin read the Spilled Wine devotion and pray the prayer for that day.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp.

Sign up for the Next Step Community for the latest blogs, podcasts, and resources to help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Pastor Walt Waiser joins Justin Rossow for Episode 3, Season 5 of the Next Step Podcast to talk about his experience seeking meaningful time with Jesus that eventually led him to spend time in the desert wilderness of Big Bend National Park in southern Texas. That adventure fits well with Day 9 of the Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost from Next Step Press.

After a brief introduction, you will hear Justin read the devotion for Day 9 and then ask Walt about his time in Big Bend, why he went and what he was hoping to accomplish. In the course of that conversation, Walt mentions several resources he regularly uses in his own faith journey. Use the paid links below to help support the Next Step Community.

To see pictures of Big Bend National Park, visit this episode on the Next Step Community blog at https://community.findmynextstep.org/desert-wilderness/. 

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp.

Sign up for the Next Step Community for the latest blogs, podcasts, and resources to help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Deaconess, licensed counselor, and author Heidi Goehmann joins Justin Rossow for Episode 2, Season 5 of the Next Step Podcast. Today we focus on Day 3 of the Come, Holy Spirit daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost from Next Step Press.

By way of introduction, Justin asks for an update on Heidi's recent Next Step blog post, Our Family COVID-versary Meal. Then you'll hear Justin pray the prayer for Day 3 and Heidi read the Romans verses on page 20 before the two authors discuss the pendulum of perfectionism and fatalism on the basis of the Personal Reflection on page 21.

Before reading her Meditation Quotation, Heidi tells us more about her new book, Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration. Justin then reads the Imagination Experiment on page 22 as they close with a conversation of the individual and community aspects of baptism. As the podcast comes to a close, The Emotional Devotion: Following Jesus in Every Emotion comes up. You can read Heidi's endorsement of that resource, written and illustrated by teenage girls, for teenage girls, on The Emotional Devotional home page.

You can read the devotion from Day 3 here: DOWN to Death and UP to Life.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp.

Sign up for the Next Step Community for the latest blogs, podcasts, and resources to help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Dr. Leo Sánchez, who has written extensively on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, joins Justin Rossow in this opening episode of Season 5 of the Next Step Podcast. The entire season will focus on the resource Come, Holy Spirit: A daily discipleship travel log for Easter to Pentecost from Next Step Press.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Leo read from his foreword to the Come, Holy Spirit volume and the two authors will discuss why we don't pray to the Holy Spirit as often as we might. After a discussion of the book Sculptor Spirit: Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology, you will also hear Justin read part of his introduction, which is set on that first Easter evening.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Come, Holy Spirit Facebook Social Learning Group sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/comeholyspirit.nsp. 

Sign up for the Next Step Community for the latest blogs, podcasts, and resources to help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons, a fun and easy way to support the mission and ministry of Next Step Press. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

Matthew Scholar Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs joins Justin Rossow in this episode of the Next Step Podcast to talk all things Epiphany while walking through Chapter 11: What Child Is This? from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Jeff translate the Matthew passage on page 107 from his Greek New Testament, and then proceed to talk through some of the meaning of that text. As part of the discussion, Justin will read the devotion on page 108, titled "So Bring Him Incense, Gold, and Myrrh."

After we listen to the Brooke and Brenan arrangement of this chapter's featured hymn, Jeff and Justin will discuss more in depth the three gifts, the magi, their guiding star, and what it means for us that God would lead people like that to Jesus.

You might hear a passing reference to a blog from last Epiphany: A Change of Epiphany Bumper Stickers.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons. We welcome three new patrons to our Next Step family: Kay, Sam, and Brooke. Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron for 2021. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, Conrad Gempf joins Justin Rossow to talk about Chapter 9: Joy to the World from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Conrad and Justin read the selected Scripture 87. As part of the ensuing discussion, Justin will read the devotion "Nor Thorns Infest the Ground" on page 88.

After we listen to the Brooke and Brenan arrangement of this chapter's featured hymn, Conrad and Justin will discuss the hymn text and the theology of Jesus' first Advent in light of His second Advent.

Two recent blogs from The Next Step Community continue the theme of today's discussion:

When Joy to the World Comes True, and
Far as the Curse is Found.

If you enjoyed hearing Conrad today, you might want to check out the free audio recording of his book Jesus Asked: What He Wanted to Know at http://gempf.com/wp/jesus-asked-the-podcast/.

Conrad has also appeared in podcast episodes for the last two hymn journals from Next Step Press: 

Ride On, Ride On in Majesty and I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

This episode of the Next Step Podcast was supported in part by the generosity of Next Step Patrons.  Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron for 2021. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep, or email justin@findmynextstep.org to make a one-time gift. Thank you to all of our Patrons! Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, Pastor Jeff Meyer joins author Justin Rossow to talk about Chapter 7: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence  from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, you'll hear Justin pray and Jeff read the Isaiah 6 passage on page 67. After exploring those verses further, Justin will read the devotion "Veil Their Faces to the Presence" on page 68.

After we listen to the Brooke and Brenan arrangement of this chapter's featured hymn, Jeff and Justin will discuss the hymn text and then turn to the  faith experiment on page 70. In the course of that conversation, you'll hear Jeff cite Zechariah's song in Luke 1:

"...that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days."
(Luke 1:74-75, ESV)

As part of that discussion, you'll hear the motto of Jeff's Dream Accelerator: "Move Forward Anyway." You can learn more at www.jeffmeyer.org. Justin also refer to Jeff's book, Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute as the two talk what next step Jesus might be inviting them to take in the new year.

If you would like to read (and hear) more about Isaiah 6 and the Holy, Holy, Holy (or "Sanctus") that we sing during the communion liturgy, check out this post from justinrossow.com: The Sanctus and Metaphor Theory.

Jeff Meyer also appeared on a recent episode of the Next Step Podcast that looked more in-depth at providing unifying congregational leadership from the pulpit: Direction, Alignment, and Your Preaching Ministry Post-Covid.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

Getting ready for Christmas and the New Year is a great time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship. Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep. Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, artist Deanna Rossow and author Heidi Goehmann join Justin Rossow to talk about the text, and the art, and the "Wrapping Up Feat" faith experiment in Chapter 5: Noel from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction and an opening prayer, Deanna will read the Luke passages on page 47 of the hymn journal. After thinking through these stories of Good News and fear, Justin will read the devotion on page 48.

The featured song for this chapter is "Noel," performed by Brooke and Brendan. Once we have listen to the first two verses and heard the phrase, "Peace fall on you," in the lyrics, Justin and Deanna discuss the "Peace fall on you" illustration on page 45.

As the podcast turns to the Wrapping Up Fear Prayer Experiment that begins on page 50, Justin welcomes our second guest. Heide Goehmann from heidigoehmann.com is an author, deaconess, and licensed clinical social worker. Her forthcoming book is called Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration.

Heidi and Justin talk about the kinds of emotions you might feel around the holidays, the complicated mix of comfortable and uncomfortable feelings. They talk about the Payer Experiment and the concept of acknowledging your emotions and entrusting them to Jesus.

Once we have heard from Heidi about processing our emotions, we get to hear more from the illustrator about what she was thinking when she put this prayer experiment down on paper.

You may recognize page 51 as a modified version of a Secret Code Prayer, with a slightly different focus and function. Justin mentions an article on visual prayer by Katie Helmreich as part of the inspiration for this faith experiment. Katie tells the story of her young daughter imaginatively "trapping" the monsters or bugs she sketches by circling them on her piece of pager. Visual prayer can help you do something like that with the prayer requests that seem difficult to corral.

Getting ready for Christmas and the New Year is a great time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship. Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep. Patrons make it possible.

The A Light in the Darkness CD from Brooke and Brendan is now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, musician Brendan Knorp and Visual Faith™ Ministry Artist Ann Gillaspie join author Justin Rossow to talk about the text, the music, and the art in Chapter 3: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

Before this episode gets quite off the ground, Justin gets to ask Brendan about the origins of the A Light in the Darkness CD, now available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube. It turns out, Brooke and Brendan have been making Advent music together for years!

As part of that introduction, you'll also hear Brendan talk about his role in formatting the hymn and songs for the Hymn Journal series from Next Step Press and how meaningful it was to see his work on music layout become the backdrop for artwork in our online community.

After that opening discussion, Justin will pray and Brendan will read the Zephaniah 3 passage on page 25 of the hymn journal. Zephaniah 3 is a key verse for Chapter 7 of the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow. You can hear the author read that chapter, titled "He Will Rejoice Over You With Singing," beginning with the podcast Songs of Belonging.

Ann, Brendan, and Justin will highlight some of their take-aways from that Zephaniah 3 reading before Justin turns the page to the devotion, titled "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel."

After we listen to the first two verses of the song "Emmanuel" from Brooke and Brendan, Justin gets to ask some more specific questions about the development of this song and it's unique guitar accompaniment.  Brendan mentions the unique guitar tuning required by the piece (available here for those interested) and talks a little but about how the song evolved over the years, mentioning a recent video of Emmanuel.

After we hear the last verse of the song, Justin and Ann explore about the O Antiphon Bible Margins project starting on page 29 of the hymn journal. This isn't the first time Ann has brought her gift for Bible Margins to a hymn journal. You can read more about how you might use or adapt this faith practice in Ann's blog, "Bible Margin Art: Comfort in the Midst of Crisis."

To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep. Patrons make it possible.

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, singer/songwriter Brooke Orozco and Visual Faith™ Ministry Artist Katie Helmreich join author Justin Rossow to talk about the text, the music, and the art in Chapter 1: To Us from the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas.

After a brief introduction, Justin will pray and Katie and Brooke will read the Isaiah 9 passage on page 5 of the book. After discussing those verses, Justin will read the devotion on page 6, and we'll hear the first two verses of the song "To Us" performed by Brooke Orozco and Brendan Knorp.

Brooke will then talk a little bit about the song and the process that moved from the biblical text to the song lyrics. We'll listen to the rest of the song before talking to Katie Helmreich about her illustrations on page 9 and the process that led her from the biblical text to the art on page 3.

Along the way, the guests talk about the Jesse Tree project from Visual Faith™ Ministry. You can download that resource here or watch an interview with Katie and Valerie Matyas, two of our Ponder Anew illustrators who created the Jesse Tree project.

They also mention the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved. The song "To Us" is part of the album A Light in the Darkness available on your favorite streaming services as well as on YouTube.

Before the podcast ends, you will hear our guest consider what next step Jesus is inviting them to take as they walk toward the Nativity of Our Lord.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

Getting ready for Christmas and the New Year is a great time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship. Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep. Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written by Brooke Orozco and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

These two preachers will discuss how to live out the ideas in a recent blog about taking some of your sermon content and putting it out into various communication channels during the week. You preach a shorter Sunday sermon, but get more chances to see the Word active Monday through Saturday. It's the difference between trying to load up on a Sunday buffet and making a meal plan for the whole week.

Sam will talk about some of the changes their congregation went through because of Covid and share some of the experiments their staff is running, and hoping to run, when it comes to getting the Word into their community beyond Sunday.

This podcast is one example of hitting multiple communication streams with content that is thematically related. You can see some of the Taking Worship Into Your Week resources Justin mentions at https://community.findmynextstep.org/tag/table-talk/.  

You can read the whole blog series and listen to other, related podcasts, beginning with https://community.findmynextstep.org/weekly-meal-plan-not-sunday-buffet/.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Next Step Podcast, where we help you take a next step! Season 3 is dedicated to exploring the resource Light in the Darkness: A Hymn Journal for Advent & Christmas from Next Step Press.

In this episode, lead illustrator Valerie Matyas joins author Justin Rossow to give an overview of Light in the Darkness and a closer look at the introduction. You’ll hear Justin read the Author’s Note on page ii, and you’ll hear Valerie read part of her introduction that begins on page iii. The two discuss the Advent and Christmas calendars included in the book and how these devotional tools can help you keep your eyes open for what Jesus is doing in your life as you journey toward Christmas and into the New Year.

You can see a version of that introduction, including a free download of the Advent calendar, on the Next Step Community blog at https://community.findmynextstep.org/advent2020/.

Along the way you will also get to hear Brooke Orozco and Brendan Knorp perform the title song from the hymn journal, “Light in the Darkness.” Brooke and Brendan have recorded modern arrangements of all of the hymns and carols in this hymn journal, and even added three new compositions to the mix.

Before they are through, you’ll hear Justin give a brief description of “Advent” and “Epiphany,” and Valerie give her best advice for getting the most out of your hymn journal.

This podcast is designed especially to go with the Light in the Darkness Facebook learning community sponsored by Next Step Press. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal.

Getting ready for Christmas and the New Year is a great time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship. Please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep. Patrons make it possible.

The intro and outro music for Season 3: Light in the Darkness was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. The music included in the podcast was written by Brooke Orozco and performed by Brooke and Brendan. All rights reserved.

You'll hear Justin refer to Jeff's book, Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute as the two talk about mission creep and the power of measuring more than just activity. You can learn more about setting a clear direction for your congregation at www.jeffmeyer.org.

This podcast is one example of hitting multiple communication streams with content that is thematically related. Read the whole blog series, below.

Episode 24, Season 4 of the Next Step podcast covers the rest of the last chapter, "Living With Delight" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

How do you take a small next step in the right direction when you live in a performance-driven culture? How do you trad in your Spiritual GPA for a Spiritual GPS?

Thanks so much for taking this journey of discovery with us. Please share your best words of insight, encouragement, or advice: https://www.videoask.com/fc14pikzh.

You can see all of the readings from Delight! on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The newest addition to the Next Step Press suite of resource, Light in the Darkness, has become the #1 New Release in the Amazon category of Christian Hymns and Hymnals. Discover more at the  Light in the Darkness page.

Episode 23, Season 4 of the Next Step podcast covers the first half of the last chapter, "Living With Delight" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

Delight is one of the most vulnerable emotions; and vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, belonging, and delight. How do you live with the healthy vulnerability that leads to a faith life characterized by delight?

You can see all of the readings from Delight! on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The newest addition to the Next Step Press suite of resource, Light in the Darkness, has become the #1 New Release in the Amazon category of Christian Hymns and Hymnals. Discover more at the  Light in the Darkness page.

We all know the most famous verse of Psalm 119: "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." But have you ever stopped to consider what that kind of light would have meant for the average person at the time of King David? Or what God might intend for us to mean by that prayer of faith?

Author Justin Rossow reads the third part of Chapter 11 from the book Delight! Discipleship As The Adventure Of Loving and Being Loved.

Get a copy of the Delight! book for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

The newest hymn journal from Next Step Press is now available: https://community.findmynextstep.org/l…/

Make sure you also join the Facebook group, and invite a friend! https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal

Join us on Facebook Live weeknights at 7PM EST!

Season 4, Episode 21 of the Next Step podcast continues Chapter 11, God's Word Propels Your Adventure from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow. God's Word takes work to understand; but God's Word also take play to understand!

Based on passages in Psalm 119 and Isaiah 55, we take a playful look at God's incredible Word.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live or watch a recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The newest addition to the Next Step Press suite of resource, Light in the Darkness, has become the #1 New Release in the Amazon category of Christian Hymns and Hymnals. Discover more at the  Light in the Darkness page.

The Bible itself talks about itself in delightful terms: God's Word is a Delicious Delight that sustains us on our journey of faith.

Author Justin Rossow reads the rest of Chapter 11 of the book Delight! Discipleship As The Adventure Of Loving and Being Loved.

Get a copy of the Delight! book for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

The newest hymn journal from Next Step Press is now available: https://community.findmynextstep.org/l…/

Make sure you also join the Facebook group, and invite a friend! https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdventHymnJournal

Join us on Facebook Live weeknights at 7PM EST!

The two Pastors Rossow discuss a blog about sermon series in an age of Covid and reflect on the role of "themes" in the life of a congregation and the preaching ministry of a pastor.

You will hear them talk about this video on themes to launch the conversation, and they will explore the effects of lower worship attendance in general, and Covid in particular, when it comes to shaping a sermon series over time.

The veteran preacher also responds to the idea that our current communication culture requires us to bring the Word to people in multiple communication streams. His suggestion honors the Body of Christ while still reaching people with different communication media: ask God to give you people who can use their gifts to expand the proclamation of the Word into different media environments.

This podcast is one example of hitting multiple communication streams with content that is thematically related. Read the whole blog series, beginning with: https://community.findmynextstep.org/sermon-series-in-the-age-of-covid-think-tinker-toys-not-jenga/. 

Get a copy of the Delight! book for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

The newest hymn journal from Next Step Press just launched today! https://community.findmynextstep.org/l…/

God delights in your complete dependence; and God delights in your complete engagement. God delights in your work, but also in your rest and your play!

Author Justin Rossow reads from Chapter 10 of the book Delight! Discipleship As The Adventure Of Loving and Being Loved.

Get a copy of the Delight! book for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

The newest hymn journal from Next Step Press just launched today! https://community.findmynextstep.org/l…/

God delights in your complete dependence; and God delights in your complete engagement. You aren't in control of your adventure of following Jesus, but you do get to be actively involved.

In Season 4, Episode 17, author Justin Rossow reads from Chapter 10 of the book Delight! Discipleship As The Adventure Of Loving and Being Loved.

Get a copy of the Delight! book for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

Happy Reformation! Check out this video short from Next Step Press: https://youtu.be/z6GcT57ioA4

Author Ben Miller was mentioned in todays live reading; you can find his books on amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Be…/e/B00Q9SZYCG…

Join us weeknights at 7PM EST!

Episode 16 of the Next Step Podcast Season 4 features a reading of the first part of Chapter 10 "God's Work Shapes Your Adventure" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

Weekday readings typically go live at 7PM EST on Facebook. You can find recordings of the live video on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

To watch the streaming performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream on Oct 30 or 31, 2020 at 7PM EST, visit: https://www.cuaa.edu/stream/theater.html

Discipleship is an adventure. And God's will directs your journey of faith.

How do you rejoice in the midst of suffering? What does it mean to pray for God's Will to be done, if God's will is directly related to God's Delight?

What would the Lord's Prayer look like if we prayed, "Your Kingdom, come; your DELIGHT be done, on earth as it is in heaven"?

Author Justin Rossow finishes Chapter 9 of the book Delight! Discipleship As The Adventure Of Loving and Being Loved.

Get a copy for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

Share this link on your social media or email to a friend: https://community.findmynextstep.org/delight-by-justin-rossow/

Join us weeknights at 7PM EST!

Discipleship is an adventure. And God's will directs your journey of faith. Jesus knows both suffering and obedience. And so do you.

How does that jive with God's Good Pleasure? How do you rejoice in the midst of suffering? What does it mean to pray for God's Will to be done, if God's will is directly related to God's Delight?

Author Justin Rossow reads from Chapter 9 of the book Delight! Discipleship As The Adventure Of Loving and Being Loved.

Get a copy for yourself or a friend (and support Next Step Press by using this promotional link): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

Support a Next Step by becoming a Patron. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

Join us weeknights on Facebook Live at 7PM EST!

See Less

Season 4, Episode 13 of the Next Step podcast continues Chapter 9, God's Will Directs Your Adventure in the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow. God's will is focused on Jesus, but Jesus still know both suffering and obedience. And so do you. How does that jive with God's Good Pleasure?

You can see daily readings from Delight! weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live or watch a recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

Find our more at the Jesus at the Center of My Messy Life page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with any of our publications. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

Season 4, Episode 12 of the Next Step podcast begins the third section of the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow with a reading from chapter 9, God's Will Directs Your Adventure.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live or watch a recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

This episode of the Next Step podcast features a reading from the last part of chapter 8 "I Am My Beloved's And My Beloved Is Mine" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

For the rest of this series, the readings will air weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live so that you can hear Andrew Peterson read from his Wingfeather Saga at 8PM EST at https://www.facebook.com/andrewpetersonmusic/.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live or watch a recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight! You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

This episode of the Next Step podcast features a reading from the middle of chapter 8 "I Am My Beloved's And My Beloved Is Mine" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

If you already have a copy of the book and would like to add a five star rating or add your own review, you can go directly to Amazon's review page for Delight!

For the rest of this series, the readings will air weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live so that you can hear Andrew Peterson read from his Wingfeather Saga at 8PM EST at https://www.facebook.com/andrewpetersonmusic/.

You can see daily readings from Delight! on Facebook Live or a recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

This episode of the Next Step podcast features a reading of the first half of chapter 8 "I Am My Beloved's And My Beloved Is Mine" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

For the rest of this series, the readings will air weekdays at 7PM EST on Facebook Live so that you can hear Andrew Peterson read from his Wingfeather Saga at 8PM EST at https://www.facebook.com/andrewpetersonmusic/.

You can see daily readings from Delight! on Facebook Live or a recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

Support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

This episode of the Next Step podcast features a reading of the second half of chapter 7 "He Will Rejoice Over You With Singing" from the book Delight! Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved by Justin Rossow.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

You can see daily readings from Delight! Monday through Thursday at 8PM EST on Facebook Live or recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E. Try saying, "Alexa! Play the podcast Find My Next Step!"

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live or recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E. Try saying, "Alexa! Play the podcast Find My Next Step!"

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live or recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E. Try saying, "Alexa! Play the podcast Find My Next Step!"

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live or recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

You can find other books by author Justin Rossow at his Amazon author's page.

You can see daily readings from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live or recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The author is reading from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live. You can see daily recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The author is reading from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live. You can see daily recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The author is reading from Delight! weeknights at 8PM EST on Facebook Live. You can see daily recording on the Next Step Community Facebook page. Find out more about the book or get a copy for yourself or for a friend (use this link to support Next Step Press): https://amzn.to/2ZuVC1E.

You can support the mission of resourcing next step discipleship by becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Next Step Community Facebook group and share your experience with the Delight! book. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

When Season 2 of The Next Step Podcast was first released, we skipped hymn 3 in Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence. At the time, our guest was unavailable, so this Episode 3 was recorded months after the original intended release date.

Our guest, Dr. Reed Lessing, served as Professor of Old Testament at Concordia Seminary before going back into the parish ministry. He was unavailable back in June because he had just taken a call to serve as Professor of Theology at Concordia University, St. Paul.

Dr. Lessing, a pastor and Hebrew scholar, has written scholarly commentaries on Jonah, Amos, and Isaiah, and just finished writing a commentary on Jeremiah. He joins author Justin Rossow to talk about he hymn, "Great is They Faithfulness," and especially the verses in the Old Testament book of Lamentations on which the hymn is based.

After a brief orientation on where exactly we are in the Old Testament Story, you'll hear Dr. Rossow pray and Dr. Lessing read the verses from Lamentations  found on page 25 of the hymn journal. The ensuing conversation covers quite a bit of Scriptural territory, and is focused on God's compassion.

After that deep dive on the theology of God in the Old Testament, Justin will read the devotion on page 26, Reed talks about God's faithful character. Because God's character doesn't change, God actually can change from Law to Gospel when it comes time to relent from bringing calamity.

In another scriptural tour de force, Lessing and Rossow explore the Hebrew for repent (shuv) and relent (nacham) and how God invites us to repentance, relents from judgement, and refuses to relent from the promise we have in Jesus.

Before the interview is done, Justin asks Reed about any small next step Jesus might be inviting a theology professor to take as a new school year starts. Lessing's answer is a study in dependence on Jesus.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

You can read more of what Professor Hopkins has to say about the ways in which you can say love is greater than faith in this sermon: The Greatest of These Is LOVE?

Ultimately, this conversation gets back to a tension: we already have salvation, and we have not yet received salvation as fully as we will when Jesus comes again. This Already/Not Yet dynamic is clearly seen in verses 3 and 4 of It is Well With My Soul.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. Today we recognize two sisters, Kristi and Scott, for their ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Scott and Kristi, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

Like the Emmaus Road disciples, we follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join The Ponder Anew Facebook Group and share your part of the story Jesus is shaping in your life. Big or small, those stories help us look for Jesus at work in our lives, as well. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Pat Maier, one of the founders of Visual Faith™ Ministry  and the illustrator for Chapter 11 of the Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, joins author Justin Rossow to talk through the art and theology of this week's hymn. You can find the related material beginning on page 103 of the book.

After a brief introduction, Pat will read the verses from Psalm 22 on page 107; you may recognize verse 1: Jesus quotes this verse from the cross (and is probably invoking the entire Psalm) as he experiences the darkness and abandonment of Good Friday.

Pat and Justin will talk about the Psalm and then discuss the movement and the meaning of Pat's artwork on page 105. You'll also hear Justin read his devotion on page 108, and the two will discuss the "bonus verses" of the hymn found on page 110.

One of the striking features of this chapter is the Triptych Prayer Experiment on pages 110 and 111; Pat and Justin will talk a little about the history of the triptych in the history of religious art and also specifically about the details of this illustration.

Before the two are done, they will think through what next step Jesus might be inviting them into this week. Whatever next step you are taking, you can be confident in God's activity in your life and trust that Jesus is acting for your good right now.

In the introduction, Pat and Justin talk about family: Pat was expecting a fifth grandchild, and has since been blessed by the birth of Ella Bliss; Justin's family tested negative for the Corona Virus, and thus he was able to preach at his friend's installation. (You can read a version of the sermon here: Treasure, Where You Least Expect It.)

Pat Maier was also our guest for Season 1, Episode 7 of the podcast: Go to Dark Gethsemane. You can read more from Pat  by visiting  https://community.findmynextstep.org/author/patmaier/.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. Today we recognize Richard and Deanna for their ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Deanna and Richard, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

"Come, Though Fount of Every Blessing" is the hymn focus of Episode 10, especially the verse: "Here I raise my Ebenezer..." Eben-Ezer is Hebrew for Stone of Help and comes from the story of the Old Testament prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 7.

That Stone of Help caused us to seek out a rock expert: Pastor Matt Hein, Senior Pastor at NewLife Community Lutheran Church near Flint, has an advanced degree in geoscience as well as theology.

After a brief intro, you'll hear author Justin Rossow pray, and Pastor Hein will read the 1 Samuel 7 verses found on page 97 of the hymn journal. The two friends will discuss those verses before Justin turns the page to read the devotion "Here I Raise My Ebenezer."

In the course of the conversation that follows, you will hear Matt and Justin talk through some other significant "rock" passages in Scripture and wonder about the connection between rocks, creation, and remembering. They will touch on Joshua 4, 1 Kings 18, and Ephesians 2 as well as the passage from 1 Samuel 7.

You are a living stone; you have God's Word on your heart and on your lips. Your life is a place where the transcendent God touches creation. Your God is present with you, and our lives become memorial stones: you get to tell the story of God's work in your life.

Because we follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, you also get to ask people to tell their stories. The stories of Jesus' faithfulness in the past become the springboard for joining Him in His mission for the future.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. Today we recognize two sisters, Judy and Joan, for their ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Joan and Judy, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

You can see the Stone of Help faith experiment lived out in this video post: Rock of Help Video Tutorial. We invite you to join The Ponder Anew Facebook Group and share with us a story of how Jesus showed up in your life. Big or small, those stories help us look for Jesus at work in our lives, as well. We'd love to hear from you at Next Step Press.

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 9 focuses on the hymn,"Come Unto Me, Ye Weary" and the Scripture, devotion, and faith experiment beginning on page 83. Leo Sánchez, Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, will open us with prayer and then share the readings on page 87 with author Justin Rossow. A conversation of Jesus asleep in the storm will lead directly into the devotion on page 88.

In the course of the conversation, you will hear Leo and Justin discuss "rest" in two senses: (1) literal sleep as an act of trust and (2) the spiritual rest of hearing the Word and addressing the Lord in prayer. You can see both kinds of rest in the life of Jesus. Jesus doesn't live up to my standard of being busy all the time; instead Jesus finds time for work, rest, and delight in the Spirit.

Leo talks about these three areas of our Christian life as the Garden (where we labor), the Mountain (where we receive from God and worship), and the Playground (where we experience delight in God's creation). Human beings were created in God's image, and we image God not only as stewards of the earth, and so in our labor, but we also image God as people who delight in the creation.

All that talk of "delight" points back to the introduction of Ponder Anew, where we talked about the Hebrew word for playful delight: Sha-ah! You can hear Justin's conversation with Lead Illustrator Valerie Matyas about sha'a' in the first episode of this season of the Next Step Podcast, and you can hear author Justin Rossow read from his forthcoming book, Delight!--Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved in the special bonus episode 3B: Joyful Delight.

Dr. Sanchez was also our guest for Season 1, Episode 5 of the podcast: Go to Dark Gethsemane. Leo talks more about rest, work, and play in chapter 7 on the Devotional Model in his book Sculptor Spirit: Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. Today we recognize Jon and Ken for their ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Ken and Jon, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for you to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 8 centers on the hymn, Scripture, devotion, and faith experiments in chapter 8, "I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus" beginning on page 71. New Testament scholar Conrad Gempf will read the Matthew 6 Scripture on page 75 after some brief introductions and a pray by author Justin Rossow. After a discussion of those verses, Justin will read the devotion on page 76.

You'll hear Conrad and Justin talk through some of the other animal imagery in the teachings of Jesus, from sparrows and dogs and hens, to sheep, goats, and camels (among others). Their conversations doesn't cover everything, but you'll get a quick overview of how Jesus uses animals as illustrations. The whole conversation leads to wondering how we can trust and rely on Jesus a little bit more this week. Take some time to explore the animal imagery in the verses on pages 80-81 and do one or both of the Faith Experiments on page 78. How is Jesus inviting you to take a small step toward intentional dependence this week?

You can find Conrad's book Jesus Asked on Amazon, or better yet, listen to the author read the entire book on his web page. Conrad's engaging style and wonderful voice make Jesus Asked a great companion to the Next Step Podcast. You can also see Conrad at work in this video post: Go, Stand, Witness, Rejoice: A Close Reading of Acts 5:16-42. Conrad was also our guest for Season 1, Episode 3 of the Next Step Podcast: Ride On, Ride On in Majesty.

Katie Helmreich's blog, Consider the Ducklings, published in conjunction with Season 2, Episode 7 also picks up on the theme of the simple trust and dependence of animals. The recent article by Kim Longden, Seek First His Kingdom, looks at the Scripture verses in this chapter and explores what it means to receive God's good gifts and enjoy them in freedom and dependence on Jesus.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. Today we recognize Valerie and Anne for their ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Anne and Valerie, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 7 focuses on the hymn, Scripture, devotion, and faith experiments in chapter 7, "In the Cross of Christ I Glory." After a brief introduction, you will hear author Justin Rossow pray, and Visual Faith Illustrator Katie Helmreich read the Philippians 4 passage on page 65. After a discussion of those verses, Justin will read the devotion on page 66.

Justin and Katie will talk about the corner art on page 66 and Katie will tell the story behind the illustration on page 63. They will connect that discussion to the INRI Prayer on page 69 and Katie shares how her family with young children uses the Secret Code Prayer in their regular family devotions.

You can read more about the Secret Code Prayer in this blog: The Secret Code Prayer or find the video tutorial here: A Walk through the Secret Code Prayer. Justin also mentions the initials "JJ" as part of the INRI prayer; you can read more about the Latin typo that turned into a teachable moment in Jesus, Judge Me!

The topic of ducklings winds its way through this episode (the Helmreich family rescued some duck eggs in a spring flood) and you can find Katie's reflection on that experience here: Consider the Ducklings. But don't stop there! Katie has written some wonderful articles on family discipleship and visual faith. You can find all of her articles on the Next Step Community by viewing her author tag: https://community.findmynextstep.org/author/katiehelmreich/.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. All Next Step Patrons who join before July 25 will be personally recognized during Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast. Today we recognize Katie and Dorothy for their ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Katie and Dorothy, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 6 of 12 means we are halfway through Ponder Anew! Today's guest is Karen Hunter, the Visual Faith Illustrator for Chapter 6 and Chapter 12. You can find Karen on Facebook or on Instagram.

After a brief introduction, you will hear author Justin Rossow pray, and Karen will read the John 20 passage on page 55. After a discussion of those verses, Justin will read the devotion on page 56.

Justin and Karen will talk about the text of the hymn "How Can I Keep from Singing?" and the illustrations on pages 53 and 59 and the similarities and differences between a refreshing fountain and a secure rock in a storm.

The topic of hand lettering comes up again; you can find some of Karen's favorite fonts here: https://www.pinterest.com/karenhunter/hand-lettering-favorite-fonts/.

If you missed the tutorial on hand lettering, you can catch up with our Lettering Video Tutorial, Part 1 from Lead Illustrator Valerie Matyas.

Before Karen gets back to her vacation, she also talks about how the discussion of this chapter helps her take a next step following Jesus into a fall of uncertainty. With her daughter going into middle school in an era of Covid and online learning, there are plenty of things to be anxious about! Having a rock to cling to is good news indeed!

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. All Next Step Patrons who join before July 25 will be personally recognized during Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast. Today we recognize Joy for her ongoing support of our mission and ministry.  Thank you, Joy, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for to make a commitment to the mission of resourcing next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Steve and Jamie Wiechman, founders of Breathe Life Ministries, join author Justin Rossow for this episode of the Next Step Podcast. After a brief introduction, you will hear  Justin pray and Steve and Jamie read responsively the Scripture passages on page 45 of the hymn journal. After a brief discussion of those verses, Justin will read the devotion on page 46.

That devotion is based, in part, on the days leading up to the death of Justin's father-in-law. One of the most-read articles on justinrossow.com is a touching piece from those same beautiful and difficult days, titled Focus on the New Creation.

Steve and Jamie get a chance to share a little about their ministry and mission at Breathe Life; you can find out more at breathelifetoday.com. Steve and Jamie talk a about noticing your own emotions in the presence of Jesus; Steve wrote a blog for The Next Step Community on that same topic, called Noticing Yourself With God. Jamie expands on the discussion of being patient with the process in Hard Days, Good Things.

The three friends also discuss some of the dynamics of relationship distance in the Ripple Prayer on page 49; you can explore that theme more with the post Patterns of Belonging. Steve and Jamie also appeared together in Season 1, Episode 8 of the Next Step Podcast: The Dignity of the Cross.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. All Next Step Patrons who join before July 25 will be personally recognized during Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast. Today we recognize Steve and Jamie for their encouragement and support, as well as Eden who became a Next Step Patron this week.  Thank you, Steve, Jamie, and Eden for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for to make a commitment to the mission of resource next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 4 welcomes Ann Gillaspie, the Visual Faith Illustrator who provided artwork for chapters 4 and 10 of Ponder Anew. After a brief introduction, you will hear author Justin Rossow pray, and Ann will read the Isaiah passages on page 35. After a brief discussion of those verses, Justin will read the devotion on page 36.

Justin and Ann will also talk about the illustrations for the Bible Margins on page 39 and the different ways you can use that art. They'll also look at the hymn art for chapter 4 on page 33 before taking a sneak peek at the rocks in chapter 10. The conversation will close with Ann talking about what next step she might take following Jesus as her work slowly begins to ramp up again after Covid-19.

This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. All Next Step Patrons who join before July 25 will be personally recognized during Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast. Today we recognize Samantha and Lisa for their encouragement and support.  Thank you, Samantha and Lisa, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

If now is the right time for to make a commitment to the mission of resource next step discipleship, please consider becoming a Next Step Patron today. To see different options for support, visit https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

As part of their discussion, Justin and Ann talk about the lettering on page 33. If you would like a brief overview of some simple ways to get stared with your own hand lettering, check out this hand lettering video tutorial from Lead Illustrator Valerie Matyas.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 3 should be on the hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness." But, as author Justin Rossow explains, the right person for the interview won't be available until late August.

Instead of just skipping a week, we are adding a bonus episode: Episode 3B, "Joyful Delight." You'll hear the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Delight!--Discipleship as the Adventure of Loving and Being Loved read by the author. That book is scheduled to be published by Next Step Press this fall.

The introduction of Ponder Anew drew from the Delight! book in the section on Sha-AH!, a Hebrew word that can mean sport or play, but also gets used to talk about our Playful Delight in God's Word. You may have also read part of the book in the blog, The Adventure of Discipleship.

If you enjoyed that blog or the Sha'a' section of Ponder Anew, or if you are intrigued by this reading of Delight!, make sure you join the Next Step Press email list to stay informed of new publications. We'll be sure to let you know when Delight! is available.

This recording was originally shared with Next Step Patrons as a way of keeping them informed and up to date on the vision and ministry of Next Step Press. Their generous support makes these podcasts possible. If you would like to support a next step and receive regular updates and unique, behind-the-scenes content, become a Next Step Patron today.

All Next Step Patrons who join before July 25 will be personally recognized duriong Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast. Today we welcome Debi and Judy, who joined the Next Step team this last week.  Thank you, Debi and Judy, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Next Step Press. We help you take a next step.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

In Episode 2, we welcome Emily Adams to the podcast for the first time. Emily is one of the Visual Faith™ Illustrators for Ponder Anew; her art is featured in Chapters 2 and 3. In today's interview, Justin Rossow from Next Step Press talks to Emily about the hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." You might want to add color to page 13 of your hymn journal as you listen along.

After a brief introduction, you will hear Justin pray and Emily read the Scripture verses on page 15. They then discuss these verses in the context of the hymn and talk about what it means to cast your anxieties or burdens on Jesus, "all our sins and griefs to bear."

Emily lets us in on what she was thinking when she drew the hands on page 13, and Justin and Emily talk about all of the hands that show up in this chapter. If you are familiar with Visual Faith™ Ministry, you might recognize the Big Rocks Prayer on page 19 as a variation of the Stained Glass Prayer. This version of the prayer experiment helps us prioritize and share our burdens with Jesus. But the video tutorial on the Stained Glass Prayer would still be a real help, especially if this kind of prayer is newer to you.

In this episode, you will also hear Justin read the devotion on page 16, and both Emily and Justin get to talk about a favorite verse from the hymn. Before the podcast ends, they jump ahead to Chapter 3 to look briefly at Emily's art on page 29.

As the podcast winds down, Emily and Justin both help each other wonder what small next step Jesus is inviting them to take this week. You have an open invitation to take your burdens and anxieties to Jesus. The scars on your Savior's hands are present and visible in a unique way as Jesus receives and carries your burdens.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

This podcast was made possible in part by the support of Next Step Patrons. Today we recognize Brandon and Becky, who became Next Step Patrons this month. Thank you, Brandon and Becky, for helping us equip others for their next step following Jesus!

You can help make Season 2 possible by providing regular, monthly support for content like this podcast: become a Next Step Patron today.

The intro and outro music for Season 2: Ponder Anew was arranged and performed by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast focuses on the resource, Ponder Anew: A Hymn Journal of Trust and Confidence, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 1 features an interview with the book's author, Justin Rossow, and Valerie Matyas, the Lead Illustrator for Ponder Anew and the Educational Development Consultant for Visual Faith™ Ministry.

Valerie and Justin begin by discussing the How to Use This Book section of Ponder Anew beginning on page vii. They mention creating a Permissions Page (see the blog Permission Granted) as well as the letters "JJ" on the top of page xii. "JJ" stands for the Latin phrase "Jesus, help!" J. S. Bach regularly put those letters at the top of his musical compositions. You can read more in the blog titled "Jesus, Judge Me!"

In this opening section of the podcast, Valerie and Justin also talk about both "Washi tape," and a journaling feature called a "tip-in" or "tip-out." We covered Washi tape in Season 1, Episode 12 of the Next Step Podcast, and Valerie suggested she might be making a video tutorial for tip-ins, which we will also post here.

The point of all these different options for handling the Word is to actively engage in what is fundamentally a passive process: the Word itself has all the power, and as we get our hands dirty engaging the Word, that power is released into our hearts and lives.

After the discussion of how to use a hymn journal, Valerie and Justin turn to chapter 1 of the book to talk about the hymn, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty." You will hear Justin pray and Valerie read John 15:9-17 on page 5. They discuss how those verses speak to current events, including racial discord and violence. The blog "Wash One Another's Feet" flows out of this conversation.

Then they turn the page, and Justin reads the devotion on page 6, and both Valerie and Justin get to choose a favorite verse from the hymn. The podcast ends as they help each other wonder what small step Jesus is inviting them to take next. Nothing happening in your world today scares or surprises your Heavenly Father. The Spirit continues to shape you to love and live more and more like the Jesus who draws near to you.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: The Ponder Anew Facebook Group. 

This podcast was made possible in part by the support of Next Step Patrons. At the end of this episode, Valerie says that becoming a Patron was an easy decision: "If I believe in what Next Step Press is doing, if I enjoy it, if I like it, if I want to see more of it, then a way to make sure that that happens is to support it. Being a Next Step Patron is a joy! It's a joy, a privilege, and an honor."

You can help make Season 2 possible by providing regular, monthly support for content like this podcast: become a Next Step Patron today.

Cover illustration by Valerie Matyas, colored by Ann Gillaspie. Intro and outro music by Brendan Knorp. All rights reserved.

In this Bonus Episode of the Next Step Podcast, all of the Visual Faith Illustrators for  When from Death I'm Free: A Hymn Journal for Holy Week join author and Next Step Press founder Justin Rossow to talk about their experience as artists. After an opening prayer and introductions, we get to hear the artists reflect on what it was like to see other people interact with their art. We'll hear more about their favorite things to draw and what the creative process is like for them. These illustrators will share what they will remember from this hymn journal experience and wonder together about what next step Jesus is shaping in their lives.

You can find the discipling questions they discuss on pages 127-128 of the book and artist biographies on pages 135-137.

This episode of the podcast was recorded on Zoom, an online meeting platform, because we were still under shelter-in-place orders related to COVID-19. The video of this interview is available on the Next Step Press YouTube Channel.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join the Next Step Community Facebook Group. We help you take a next step.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Special thanks to Valerie and Dennis, our latest Next Step Patrons! Patrons receive behind the scenes access and other benefits while providing monthly financial support to keep the creative content flowing. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

The closing chapter of When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week begins on page 117 with the Kip Fox song, "We Will Rise." Special guest Karen Hunter, who did the illustrations for Chapter 12 as well as Chapter 10, joins author Justin Rossow to talk about the 1 Corinthians 15 reading on page 121, the devotion on page 122, and the whole Lent and Easter experience.

Karen will share her thoughts on the illustrations on pages 199 and 99 and will explain why she was a little intimidated by having to draw something for Chapter 12. Karen will also talk about why she finds Visual Faith Ministry so engaging, and how her social media has become a way for her to share God's Word with friends and strangers alike. You can find Karen on Facebook or on Instagram.

This episode contains more laughter than any other episode in season one. The sun is shining, we are living in the light of the Resurrection, and Karen and Justin are just fun people to hang out with!

Along the way, their conversation turns to a design feature used by some scrappers called, "Washi tape." The decorative, almost transparent tape is Japanese in origin, and you can find a range of variations on the original. You can see some of Karen's work that includes Washi tape in the pictures, at https://community.findmynextstep.org/.  If you would like to experiment in your own Bible journaling, Karen suggest you start with something like this Washi tape on Amazon.

Today's episode included the song, "We Will Rise," words and music by Kip Fox and Brady Toops, (c) 2013 Puffy Bear Music / SESAC. Underspoken Music / SESAC. Used by permission. You can also find more music from Kip Fox at kipfox.com.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group. Once that Pop Up group is closed, members will have access to an archived edition. You can continue to find community around next step discipleship at The Next Step Community web page, brought to you by Next Step Press.

Episode 12 is the final podcast in Season 1: When from Death I'm Free. We look forward to bringing you more quality resources that help you take a next step following Jesus in Season 2 of the Next Step Podcast.

You can help make Season 2 possible by providing regular, monthly support for content like this podcast: become a patron today.

Beginning on page 97, chapter 10 of When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week covers the Kip Fox song, "This Dust." Special guest Brendan Knorp talks about his role in putting together the music for the hymn journal, and then Justin and Brendan read Scripture together and talk about the importance of Paul's profession of faith in the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

Their conversation includes the devotion for chapter 10 as well as a discussion of the music and lyrics of "This Dust." Justin welcomes the songwriter back to the podcast to talk about some of Kip's word choices and how he wrote the song to begin with.

After listening to the song "This Dust" [words and music by Kip Fox, (c) 2011 Puffy Bear Music, used by permission] from start to finish, Brendan and Justin sign off with a conversation about what next step Jesus is inviting them each into this week.

During the interview, Brendan references the community that gathered around Concordia's Easter worship online. You can see one of their songs here.

Justin referenced the book The Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity as well as this Easter sermon from Easter 2013 that weaves the lyrics of This Dust into the message.

You can also find more music from Kip Fox at kipfox.com.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

Join the Next Step Press team by providing regular, monthly support for content like this podcast: become a patron today.

Ann Gillaspie was the illustrator for  Chapter 11, "I Know that My Redeemer Live," beginning on page 107 of When from Death I'm Free: A Hymn Journal for Holy Week from Next Step Press. Ann joins author Justin Rossow as they pray, read and discuss Scripture, talk about the illustrations and the hymn verses in this chapter, and wonder together about what next step Jesus is shaping in their lives.

This episode of the Next Step podcast was recorded before Covid-19 was an international pandemic. You can tell there have been no shelter in place orders given not only because Ann and Justin are in the same room sitting at the same table, but because both of their next steps assume contact with other people in public.

Even though our next steps don't always turn out as we imagine, the promise of Jesus that invited us into that adventure never changes.

You might want to color along as you listen; Ann will discuss her artwork on page 109, as well as the Secret Code Prayer on page 115, and the benefit she receives from slowing down and taking time with God.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons receive behind the scenes access and other benefits while providing monthly financial support to keep the creative content flowing. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

This special Good Friday edition of the Next Step Podcast takes a closer look at Chapter  6 of the When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week.

The first part of this episode is a sermon preached back on Ash Wednesday at Shepherd of the Lakes in Brighton, Michigan. That sermon walks through each of the verses of Kip Fox's song, "Thieves on a Cross" in light of the crucifixion account beginning in Luke 23.

Following the sermon, author Justin Rossow is joined by Lead Illustrator Valerie Matyas to discuss her work for the Visual Faith Experiment on page 65 of the book. Justin and Valerie captured this conversation when they got together back in March to record the episode for Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted. So no shelter in place orders were violated in the making of this podcast!

You can find this Visual Faith Experiment as the Friday devotion in the free Shelter In Place Holy Week Resource from Next Step Press and read more about the Secret Code Prayer in this article, or watch Valerie walk us through a simple Secret Code Prayer here.

This podcast includes the song "Thieves on a Cross," words and music by Kip Fox, (c) 2011 Puffy Bear Music, used by permission. Find more music from Kip Fox at kipfox.com.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

Special thanks to Joy, our new $25 per month Next Step patron, who helped make this episode possible. We invite you to help support a next step: become a patron today.

The hymn "Go to Dark Gethsemane" is on page 47 of When from Death I'm Free and artwork, Scripture readings, and the devotion are  on following pages. The music in today's episode was provided by thehymnalproject.com and, according to their website, was commissioned by the Michigan District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and is available for free use.

You can find Leo's book Sculptor Spirit  on Amazon, or hear an overview of three models found in that book as Leo presents at the 2015 Theological Conference, “Life in the Spirit: Watered, Fed, and Armed” Theological Conference put on by the Michigan District: 

The opening discussion of today's podcast briefly points to the distinction between "Logos Christology" (focusing on Jesus as the Incarnate Word, or "Logos" of God, who is completely unique) and "Spirit Christology" (focusing on Jesus as the Anointed Bearer and Giver of the Spirit, who is like us). Both are Scriptural and both are important (and both can sound like high-brow technical jargon). For a sermon that lays out the difference between the two (without ever using the technical terms), see the last sermon in the 42 Seconds sermon series: "Be Jesus."

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Special thanks to our new Patrons this week: Steve, Jon, and Dorothy. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

The Palm Sunday processional that kicks off Holy Week is a striking event. Conrad Gempf, author and New Testament scholar, unpacks Luke's Palm Sunday account with Next Step Press founder, Justin Rossow. "Ride On, Ride On in Majesty" is the accompanying hymn in the When from Death I'm Free: A Hymn Journal for Holy Week.

You will hear an opening prayer from Justin and then Conrad will read the Luke text found on page 31 of the book.  The two discuss the stark contrasts in the text as will as in the devotion on page 32. The text of the hymn, "Ride On, Ride On in Majesty" was written by a poetry professor at Oxford University in the 1820's, and Conrad will read the hymn as a poem.

You'll also hear a discussion of the difference between Pharisees and Sadducees at the time of Jesus, and why those differences might make us read at least part of the Palm Sunday account differently. Ultimately, Conrad and Justin will discuss what it means for us to follow and trust Jesus, even though we can get Him wrong, too. What verdict have you made about Jesus or about sinners that God is working to overturn in your life? What's your next step?

You can find Conrad's book Jesus Asked on Amazon, or better yet, listen to the author read the entire book on his web page. Conrad's engaging style and wonderful voice make Jesus Asked a wonderful follow up to the When from Death I'm Free Podcast.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join  the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

Visual Faith Ministry Co-founder and illustrator Pat Maier joins author Justin Rossow to talk about the 7th hymn in When from Death I'm Free: A Hymn Journal for Holy Week.

Pat and Justin talk about the ups and downs in the Scripture reading for Chapter 7, and explore the devotion focused on the hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." You can find the hymn on page 67 and follow along with the readings on pages 71 and 72.

You'll also hear Pat talk about the origins and goals of Visual Faith Ministry. And you'll get an artist's insight into the illustration on page 69 of the book. Justin and Pat look for what next step Jesus is shaping in them and explore invitation and innovation in the Christian life. 

Their discussion references two specific Visual Faith resources created for our current circumstance: a Prayer Space for Covid-19 and Bible Margin Art with words of encouragement and hope. See more Visual Faith blogs from The Next Step Community or visit the Visual Faith web page at www.visualfaithmin.org.

The music in this podcast was provided by thehymnalproject.com and, according to their website, was commissioned by the Michigan District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and is available for free use.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

This bonus episodes explores the theme of Chapter 8. The Dignity of the Cross in more detail.

Beginning with a strange scene in Genesis 15, where the presence of Yahweh walks a bloody aisle of sacrificed animals to cut covenant with a sleeping Abram, Justin Rossow unpacks the implications of the fact that God's own person was put forward as collateral for the covenant.

Moving from the covenant in Genesis 15 to the sign of the covenant in Genesis 17, to the Book of the Covenant in Exodus 19 and following, Rossow weaves the imagery of commitment and covenant promise to the words of Jesus in Matthew 26:28, "This is my blood of the covenant."  We come to see the cross as Jesus putting Himself on the line for the sake of the promise.

Finally, Rossow turns to our own failure to hold faithfully to the sign of the covenant. In the face of our own weakness, we hold to the promise that we will not always be bound to a cycle of forgetfulness, sin, repentance, and forgiveness. The 8th-day sign of the covenant points us to a breaking of this fallen world's repetitive cycle. As Jesus ushers in the beginning of a New Creation on His 8th-day resurrection, we now belong to a covenant promise that makes us part of the New Creation, already now by faith.

This sermon takes advantage of the theory explored further in Preaching Metaphor: How to Shape Sermons that Shape People by Justin Rossow.

This podcast is also available on iTunes and was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

Steve and Jamie Wiechman, co-founders of Breathe Life Ministries, join author Justin Rossow to talk about chapter 8, The Dignity of the Cross in the When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week.

These three friends discuss the Scripture reading and devotion and unpack some of the implications of how Jesus values us each individually so highly, that He was willing to pay the price of everything He had, for us. They also process what Rest, Heal, and Play look like when the day you have been given is not the day you were expecting to receive.

The song "The Dignity of the Cross" was written by Kip Fox and Jonathan Lee, (c) 2013 Puffy Bear Music / SESAC, JLEE Publishing/Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Tunes, SESAC. Find more music from Kip Fox at kipfox.com.

You can learn more about Breath Life Ministries at www.breathelifetoday.com.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

Author Justin Rossow and Lead Illustrator Valerie Matyas walk through the material for the hymn Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted in the When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week.

Valerie and Justin talk about the Scripture reading and devotion and spend some time coming to grips with the real suffering Jesus went through for us. They also talk about how hymns and visual faith tools help us focus on the Word as we point our toes and eyes toward Jesus.

This episode was recorded on location at the Bay Valley Resort in Bay City Michigan, before Covid-19 made gathering in a public place somewhat suspect. Thank you to the Bay Valley Resort and their staff for their hospitality.

The music was provided by thehymnalproject.com and, according to their website, was commissioned by the Michigan District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod is available for free use.

We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together, so we invite you to join the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

Katie Helmreich, one of the Visual Faith illustrators for When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week, joins author Justin Rossow on the Next Step Press podcast for this episode. You can find the song, the Bible reading, the devotion, and the art under discussion beginning on page 37 of that resource. 

Katie and Justin interact with chapter 4 as they talk about the creative process, limitations, needing Jesus, and submitting your perfectionism to God's gracious invitation.

The illusion that I have to have it all together stops me from even beginning to serve. Limitations on my time and ability are invitations to creativity and to relying on God instead of myself.

This episode was recorded on location at the artist's kitchen table in Bay City, Michigan on a day that was starting to feel like Spring (though none of the Michiganders believed it for one minute). If you listen closely, you might hear the wind chimes outside her kitchen window as the wind (and the Spirit) gently blows. 

Check out the Facebook Pop Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group.

Find a recording and a lead sheet for The King is Calling by Kip Fox at Next Step Press: www.findmynextstep.org/music or check out www.kipfox.com for more.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons, like you. Patrons make it possible. Support a next step: become a patron today.

This episode is bonus material related to the second chapter of When from Death I'm Free: A Hymn Journal for Holy Week.

Rev. Dr. Justin Rossow preached a midweek Lenten sermon based on Genesis 3:12-15 and the song "On That Morning" by Kip Fox.

The service took place at Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church, Brighton, MI on Wednesday, May 4.

Support a next step by becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/findmynextstep.

(c) 2020 Justin Rossow and Next Step Press

https://www.findmynextstep.org

In this episode of the Next Step Podcast, nationally recognized singer/songwriter Kip Fox and author Justin Rossow talk about the music, lyrics, and theology of "On That Morning," the hymn for the second chapter of the When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week.

Kip and Justin read the Scripture verse and devotion for chapter 2 in the book and then continue the discussion, touching on the creative process, the benefits of using a hymn-like setting for modern song writing, and the future of this particular piece of music. The speakers also touch on importance of the resurrection and the invitation to take your fear of failure to the Jesus who knew total failure and yet won the victory, for you.

You can take your fear of failure to Jesus and leave it with Him.
When you get rid of fear, you create a space for joy.

This episode was recorded on the frozen shores of Lake Chemung in Brighton, MI and in sunny Phoenix, AZ simultaneously. If you hear a shiver in my voice every now and then, you'll know why...

Find a recording and a lead sheet for On That Morning by Kip Fox at Next Step Press: www.findmynextstep.org/music or check out www.kipfox.com for more.

For further reading:
"The Resurrection of Christ: Its Importance in the History of the Church" by David Maxwell is a scholarly article that explores different ways the Scriptures and the Church have talked about the significance of Easter, including the "Stomping Narrative" grounded in Genesis 3, where the death of Jesus is the victory of the Snake, and the resurrection of Jesus is the victory on the Seed of the Woman.  You can find Maxwell's article in this issue of the Concordia Journal.

This podcast was made possible in part by the generous support of Next Step Patrons. Support a next step: become a patron today.

Artist C. Brooke Orozco and Author Justin Rossow talk about the first hymn in the When from Death I'm Free hymn journal for Holy Week.

Brooke walks us through some of the thoughts behind her collaborative work with Brendan Knorp and how that led to a new rendition of the hymn. Brooke and Justin read the Scripture verses and devotion that go with the hymn and discuss the meaning and invitation of Jesus' love for us.

Topics range from the Son delivering the Kingdom to the Father to the importance of the body and the invitation to experience your relationship with God not only with your soul but with your created, physical body. Jesus loves your body. Jesus died for your body. Your body is going to rise.

This episode was recorded in the children's section of the Barnes and Noble in Brighton, MI. As we begin to talk about aging and death and resurrection, you can hear some kids arrive and begin to talk and play and explore. I think the children's noises in the background are the perfect accompaniment to a discussion of resurrection life and the gift of your physical body.

Episode 1 of 12 in the When From Death I'm Free series brought to you by Next Step Press, www.FindMyNextStep.org.

Check out the Facebook Po Up Group sharing this hymn journal experience here: When From Death I’m Free Pop Up Group

Find a recording and a lead sheet for His Wondrous Love by Brendan Knorp and C. Brooke Orozco at Next Step Press: www.findmynextstep.org/music or check out their Advent album Light in the Darkness at store.cdbaby.com/cd/orozcoknorp.