The Next Step Podcast

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.