Discipling Leaders… Let Zacchaeus Have His Day 15 Nov 202215 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow You probably know the story. Or at least the song: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.” You likely know the…
Reflections on God, Faith, and Promises 10 Nov 2022 By Jamie Wiechman Exactly five years and three months ago, I believed God for something impossible. It wasn’t a promise directly out of Scripture (though it was surrounded by Scripture…
Exegetical Study Clearing a Way Forward 26 Oct 2022 By Justin Rossow We couldn't get to the back part of our property most of the summer; it rained more than usual this spring, and it turns out I have…
Discipleship Tools… Noticing Your Emotions, with Jesus 30 Sep 2022 By Justin Rossow Emotions are simply part of who we are as human beings; which means our emotions are "beautifully and wonderfully made," and part of a fallen creation, both…
For My Friends God at Work, in My Kids 23 Sep 20226 Oct 2022 By Katie Helmreich The past month has been an intense struggle for us. My youngest started kindergarten this year, and turns out she wasn't quite ready for it emotionally. Every…
Cultural Studies Great (and Not-So-Great) Expectations 17 Aug 20221 Nov 2022 By Ted Hopkins Expectations are a funny beast. On vacation this summer, we ate at a restaurant that was a bit sketchy when we first walked in. They had open…
Cultural Studies… Mary and Martha, GPA or GPS? 28 Jul 20222 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow (with Valerie Matyas) A couple of weeks ago, I got to lead a Next Step workshop at a congregation outside Buffalo, New York. As part of the…
For My Friends Peace in the Process 14 Jul 20222 Nov 2022 By Kim Longden A few days ago, I was sitting in the optometrist’s office with nine-year-old Jonah listening to the hushed tones of the eye exam in progress: “What is…
Uncategorized The Day After Perfect 10 Jul 20222 Nov 2022 By Katie Helmreich Ah, summer... Sunshine and a more laid back routine. The kids are home doing their childhood thing. The Suburban has been packed, unpacked, and repacked for trips…
For My Friends ADVENTURE! 22 Jun 20222 Nov 2022 By Katie Helmreich My daughter, Elise, just turned 13. It’s a big deal. So we decided to celebrate with a big adventure! Elise and I headed North for a two-day canoe…
Exegetical Study The god in My Pocket 15 Jun 20222 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow A friend of mine has a collection of artifacts from the Holy Land in his office, including a woven basket full of household gods. These crude figurines…
Exegetical Study… Money, in a Fish 7 Jun 20222 Nov 2022 By Kim Longden When my oldest son was little, we read from the Beginner’s Bible each night at bedtime. One night we opened up to a story entitled “Money in…
Exegetical Study Faithful Change 6 Jun 20221 Nov 2022 By Ted Hopkins In my last post, I ended by saying faithfulness to Jesus leads us to faithful change, despite our deep and abiding reluctance to do so. In that…
For My Friends Courage for a Small Step 26 May 20222 Nov 2022 By Katie Helmreich My 5-year-old, Jane, has been looking forward to the end of year Preschool field trip for ages! "We get to go do gymnastics, Mom! Gymnastics!!" So we carefully counted…
Cultural Studies… Change? Who Said Anything about Change? 26 Apr 20221 Nov 2022 By Ted Hopkins Almost every Lutheran knows the old joke about how many Lutherans it takes to change a light bulb. “Change? Who said anything about change?” After an initial…
Discipleship Tools… Family Devotion Calendar 18 Apr 202213 Apr 2022 By Justin Rossow Our mission at Next Step Press is to cultivate the kinds of people and resources that help you delight in taking a next step following Jesus. In…
Exegetical Study… Good Friday and God’s Failure 15 Apr 20221 Nov 2022 By Justin Rossow Of course, we know the big picture. We have the benefit of hindsight, and we know that the open tomb is just around the corner. Of course,…
Discipling Leaders… The Parable of the Pottery Class 21 Mar 202221 Mar 2022 By Justin Rossow The regular habit of following Jesus requires regular habits...In short, you are saved by grace alone. And you can actually get better at following Jesus. Back in…
