Working Preacher hosts "I Love to Tell the Story," an engaging conversation on upcoming Narrative Lectionary readings. Each episode is fun, informative, and creative—and will help you and your congregation become fluent in the first language of faith.
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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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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:…
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
