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 faith

Dr. 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.

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May 2026 WP Campaign