On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, Rev. Michael Newman joins host Elizabeth Pittman as the guest to talk about his recently released book with CPH, Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Men. Mike talks with Elizabeth about the struggles young men face today, from isolation to peer pressure and bullying. He tells listeners how his new book (the companion to Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Womenby Cassie Moore) contains devotions that point young men to the hope that can only be found in Jesus.

Learn more and get the book at cph.org/faith-notes.

Show Notes
Anxiety. Isolation. Bullying. Faced with issues like these, where can teen boys turn? They can turn to God. During the episode, author Mike Newman tells listeners how his book, Faith Notes: A Christ-Centered Survival Kit for Young Men, features nearly 100 devotions on topics like these, pointing youth to God's truth, showing them God's forgiveness and hope, and steering them toward Christ. Devotional topics include anxiety, mistakes, family and home life, purity, relationships, and more.

Mike also delves into his experiences as a pastor and father and how these shaped his insight in the book, advice he has for young men who feel disconnected from God, why he chose the format he did for the book, and more.

Questions

• How did your experiences as a pastor and parent shape the topics covered in the book?
• What are some of the biggest struggles you see young men facing today?
• The book covers difficult topics like anxiety and pornography—how do you approach these issues with grace and biblical guidance?
• Why did you choose the format of short reflections with space to write or sketch?
• How do you hope young men will engage with this book—individually, in small groups, or with mentors?
• What advice would you give to a young man who feels disconnected from God and struggles to trust in Him?
• The title calls this a “survival kit”—how does this devotional equip young men to navigate today’s world?
• What feedback have you received from young men, parents, or youth leaders about this book?

About the Guest
When not teaching and writing, Michael W. Newman enjoys running the Texas roads, reading a good book, and spending time with his family. He is husband to Cindy, father to two beautiful daughters, and grandpa to a brood of wonderful grandchildren.

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman speaks with author Rev. Andrew R. Jones about his newest book, Ten Lies Satan Loves to Tell. Andy dives into the truth that Satan lies to us all the time but helps us recognize and combat 10 of the major lies with God’s Word.

Get Andy’s newest book at cph.org/tenlies.

Show Notes
“You need and deserve more.” “You should cover up your sins.” “You are too sinful to be forgiven.”

Have you ever heard Satan murmur these lies into your ear? In Ten Lies Satan Loves to Tell, Andrew R. Jones identifies 10 lies Satan—the father of lies (John 8:44)—tells in an effort to dismantle God’s kingdom and God’s people. Andy tells listeners that by enhancing your radar for Satan’s schemes, you can better defend against his deception, and be encouraged to live in God’s truth. Andy also talks about writing this book as a follow-up to his first, Ten Questions to Ask Every Time You Read the Bible, how he narrowed down all the lies Satan tells to just 10, what Satan aims to achieve through his lies, and how God provides us tools to defend against both sin and Satan.

About the Guest
Andrew R. Jones lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he enjoys writing, hiking, and adventuring with his wife, Stephanie. He has served the church on three continents in varying roles, including campus ministry, international mission work, professor of preaching, and parish pastor. His writings speak to the importance of spiritual formation in the midst of a hectic world.

On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, we take a look at the history and legacy of Lutheran homiletics with guest Pastor Isaac Johnson. Isaac is the translator of Reinhold Pieper's Evangelical Lutheran Homiletics, available now on cph.org.

Show Notes

Listen now as host Elizabeth Pittman and guest Isaac Johnson talk discuss his translation of Reinhold Pieper’s Evangelical Lutheran Homiletics, which offers a fuller understanding of the history of preaching within the LCMS as typified by C. F. W. Walther. Pieper, a student of Walther who would serve as a homiletics professor and president of Concordia Preachers’ Seminary from 1891–1914, dissects the task of preaching from start to finish as inspired by the classic German homiletics textbook by J. J. Rambach.

Isaac talks about who Reinhold Pieper was, historical context behind Pieper’s writing, how Pieper has influenced his own work, and advice for pastors and the challenges they face in today’s fast-paced world.

Questions

• Who was Reinhold Pieper?
• In the foreword, Dr. Adam Koontz writes Reinhold was “the heir of much and the preserver of more.” What motivated Reinhold to write this book, and what were the influences that he was working to preserve?
• How does this work reflect the influence of Reinhold’s teacher, CFW Walther?
• How does this book complement Walther's Law and Gospel as a preaching guide?
• What was the historical context in which Pieper wrote this book? How did this context shape his approach to preaching?
• How was this book used at LCMS seminaries before the transition to English?Pieper emphasized “strictly textual” preaching. What does this mean, and why is it important?
• Walk us through Pieper’s approach to sermon preparation.
• What does Pieper have to say about the preachers personal style, and how pastors can balance individuality with faithfulness to the text?
• How has Pieper influenced your own preaching? If you could ask him any questions about preaching in our modern context, what would you ask him?
• What advice might you expect Pieper to give to pastors today who are faced with the challenges of preaching in a highly digital and fast-paced world?

About the Guest

Isaac Johnson is the pastor of New Hope Lutheran Church in Charles City, Iowa. He is married to Kaite Johnson, and they have five children: Elise, Clara, Lyla, James, and Annie. Besides ministry and family, Johnson is involved in the translation of German and Latin, focusing on the field of early Missouri Synod homiletics. He is currently enrolled in the reduced-residency Ph.D. program at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in the Culture and Theology department with an emphasis in homiletics. He enjoys preaching, reading aloud to his family, classical guitar, and choral music.