What does it mean to follow Jesus not as first-generation believers, but as the second, third, or fourth generation of the church? In this episode of I Love to Tell the Story, host Kathryn Schifferdecker welcomes Dr. Edward Piller, New Testament scholar and minister at Evesham Baptist Church in Worcestershire, England, for a rich conversation on the Narrative Lectionary's five-week summer series in 1 and 2 Timothy.Dr. Piller brings pastoral wisdom and scholarly insight to bear on these often-overlooked letters, exploring what it means for a church community to inherit a living faith and pass it on. Together, Kathryn and Edward walk through all five weeks of the lectionary series, offering preachers a road map for each passage:* Week 1, 1 Timothy 1:12-17: Salvation as ongoing, daily experience, not a one-time event* Week 2, 1 Timothy 6:6-19: The call to pursue righteousness and "take hold of the life that really is life"* Week 3, 2 Timothy 1:1-14: Rekindling the gift of God, for individuals and for congregations* Week 4, 2 Timothy 2:8-15: The faithfulness of God even when we are faithless ("I hold and I am held")* Week 5, 2 Timothy 3 - 4: Scripture as living, breathing, dynamic word, and the final sign-off of a life well-lived in faithDr. Piller also reflects on preaching the epistles with personal vulnerability, the challenge of wealth and comfort in second-generation Christianity, and what it looks like to receive and pass on a living tradition.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

What happens when a story of radical loyalty meets a story of dangerous courage? In this special summer series introduction, hosts Rolf Jacobson and Kathryn Schifferdecker open the books of Ruth and Esther, the only two biblical books named for women, and explore why these compact, powerful narratives deserve a place at the center of your preaching and teaching.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

It's the final episode of the Narrative Lectionary year, and what a way to close: the arrival of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) paired with Paul's call to rejoice from prison (Philippians 4:4-7). Rolf, Kathryn, and Karoline reflect on what makes this day so significant, and why it's not just a day on the calendar but a way of life.In this episode:* Why Acts 2 isn't the Spirit's first appearance in Luke-Acts, and what makes Pentecost different* The Jewish Festival of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost) and why diaspora Jews from across the empire were gathered in Jerusalem* How Acts 1:8 functions as a "theme verse" for the entire book, and how Pentecost begins to fulfill it* The surprising pastoral comfort of Philippians 4 alongside the drama of Acts: "The Lord is near"* A word of encouragement for congregations who feel like Pentecost is someone else's storyMentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

What does it mean to have "the mind of Christ"? In this episode of I Love to Tell the Story, hosts Rolf Jacobson and Kathryn Schifferdecker are joined by scholar Karoline Lewis to explore one of the most beloved and theologically rich passages in all of Paul's letters: the Christ hymn of Philippians 2:1-13.The conversation opens with Paul's appeal to a divided congregation: since there is encouragement in Christ, consolation from love, and sharing (koinonia) in the Spirit, the Philippians are called to unity and genuine humility. Ralph unpacks an important Greek grammatical point: the opening "if" is actually a second-class conditional, best translated as "since." The condition isn't in doubt; Paul is building on a foundation he and his readers already share.From there, the hosts dig into the Christ hymn itself, examining how the incarnation functions as Paul's paradigm for Christian community. It isn't the resurrection or even primarily the crucifixion that Paul holds up here, but the incarnation: the moment God chose to enter human life not as a pharaoh or emperor, but as a servant. Caroline highlights how the call to "have the same mind" is an active, directional verb, pointing the community toward a specific vision of what it means to follow Jesus.The episode closes with a reminder not to stop at the cross: the hymn ends in exaltation, with the bold counter-imperial declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord, not Caesar.Whether you're preparing a sermon, leading a Bible study, or just wrestling with what Christian community looks like in an age of personal branding, this episode offers deep resources for reflection.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

What does it look like when a community takes on the mind of Christ? In this episode of I Love to Tell the Story, hosts Rolf Jacobson and Kathryn Schifferdecker, along with Johannine scholar Karoline Lewis, dig into one of the most beloved and theologically rich passages in all of Paul's letters: the Christ hymn of Philippians 2:1-13.In a culture that rewards self-promotion and personal branding, Paul's call to radical humility cuts against the grain. The hosts unpack why Paul reaches back to the incarnation (not the resurrection, not even the crucifixion) as the paradigm for Christian community, what it means that "every knee shall bow" in a world where Caesar claimed lordship, and why that second-class conditional in Greek matters more than you might think.Enter the Bible: Was Paul the real founder of Christianity?Commentary on Philippians 1:1-18a written by Timothy L. Adkins-JonesMentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

What do you do when you're surrounded by altars to gods you don't worship and one altar to a God nobody knows? In this episode, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and scholar Karoline Lewis explore Paul's remarkable sermon at the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17), where he meets a sophisticated, curious culture on its own terms.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

When Paul and Silas land in a Philippian jail, beaten, chained, and singing, they model something the early church understood deeply: that faithfulness to God sometimes means refusing to play by the empire's rules. In this episode, Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Karoline Lewis unpack Acts 16:16-34, tracing the clash between the gospel and the powers of Rome, the surprising story of a slave girl with a "spirit of a python," and what it looks like to respond to violence with pacifism and praise.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

What happens when the last person you'd trust becomes the one God chooses? In Acts 9, Saul, the man "breathing threats and murder" against the early church, is stopped in his tracks on the road to Damascus. But the real drama might belong to Ananias, the ordinary believer asked to welcome his worst enemy and call him brother.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

"Unless I see the wounds… I will not believe." Thomas gets a bad reputation, but this passage is about something far more profound than doubt. In John 20:19–31, the resurrected Jesus appears twice: once to the disciples huddled behind locked doors, and a week later to Thomas. In doing so, he reveals a stunning truth: the risen Christ still bears the marks of the cross.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb alone — not to anoint, not to prepare, but simply to grieve. And what she finds there changes everything. In this Easter Sunday episode, hosts Rolf Jacobson and Kathryn Schifferdecker are joined by Johannine scholar Karoline Lewis to explore one of the most intimate resurrection encounters in all of Scripture.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign