The Next Step Podcast
Season 7: Wednesdays are for Walking With
Episode 02 (41 min)
Date: 08 November 2023
Guests: Conrad Gempf and Nathan Wendorf
Also available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Vurbl, and Amazon Music.
The Wednesdays are for Walking With series explores the Disciple Like You Mean It online training from Next Step Press. In this special production of the Next Step Podcast, we will practice non-judgmental noticing with Jesus and help one another take a small next step, together.
Episode 02 was first recorded on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. It features a conversation with Conrad Gempf, recently retired from the London School of Theology. You’ll also hear a comment from Pastor Nathan Wendorf, one of the participants in the first cohort of the Disciple Like You Mean It training.
0:00-6:59
After a brief introduction and opening prayer, you’ll get a little more history on Professor Conrad Gempf, his background, training, and interest in Luke and Paul, as well as a little about his friendship with Justin Rossow and Next Step Press.
7:00-16:30
Then Conrad and Justin will discuss the mindset or attitudes you might take when you approach Scripture. Conrad shares his Batman vs Spiderman analogy (10:48) to describe different ways of setting the agenda for reading the Bible. And then suggests that steeping or marinating in Scripture (14:32) is a good way to think about what we are doing as we ask, “Jesus, where are you speaking into my life?”
16:31-23:31
Conrad also shares “The Gospel according to Superman” (this must be our comic book episode) and the two friends discuss a 911 approach to Scripture reading and prayer as opposed to a relational approach, where you might even ask questions of the text.
23:32-28:23
Conrad shares his personal habit of Bible reading, following the M’Cheyne plan for reading four chapters a day and discussing weekly with a friend. And then, instead of suggesting everyone start by reading the whole Bible in a year, Conrad highlights three elements from his personal practice that he thinks can apply to anyone when it comes to engaging Scripture:
- immerse yourself in Scripture (marinate)
- allow Scripture to change you (be bit)
- engage Scripture with someone else
28:24-end
Before we are done, you’ll hear Justin ask Conrad specifically about applying the Old Testament to your life without allegorizing it, and you’ll hear from one of our DLYMI trailblazers, Nathan Wendorf (Senior Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Harlingen, Texas).
You can get more help on meditating as marinating (or savoring) in section 5.2 “Lip-Smacking Good” in Volume 2 of the My Next Step series (the one with the carabiner on the cover) or read a version of the Batman/Spiderman analogy in section 6.2 “Up Close and Personal” in that same volume.
If you would like to experiment with the M’Cheyne Reading Plan with Conrad, check out this web page.
You can hear more from Conrad in the following episodes of the Next Step Podcast. Or listen to him read his book Jesus Asked by visiting http://gempf.com/wp/Jesus-Asked-the-podcast/.
The intro and outro music comes from Peter Prochnow’s rendition of the hymn, “Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest” and is available at www.thehymnalproject.com. Used by permission.
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 2023. 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.
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