The Next Step Podcast

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.

Leo Sanchez, author of Sculptor Spirit: Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology, joins Justin Rossow, author of When from Death I'm Free: A Hymn Journal for Holy Week to discuss "Go to Dark Gethsemane."

That hymn text points us to Jesus and His prayer in the garden and bids us, "Learn of Jesus Christ to pray." Leo and Justin will discuss Jesus as an example and how that relates to the role of the Holy Spirit, who shapes us and conforms us to the image of Christ.

You will hear a brief introduction on "theology done together," then Leo will pray, and the two authors will read the Scripture for the day responsively. They will discuss those readings before moving on to the devotion.

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.