On this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast host Elizabeth Pittman is joined by Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, author of upcoming book Life in Christ: Rooted, Woven, and Grafted into God’s Story. Pastor Filipek discusses reading the Bible, and understanding what the stories in Scripture have to do with our everyday lives. 

Read a sample of Life in Christ by visiting books.cph.org/life-in-christ. Available on cph.org in June.

Show Notes:
Reading the Bible can feel like a disjointed narrative where the pieces don’t always fit together at first. With his upcoming book, Life in Christ, Pastor Filipek pieces the stories in the Bible together to allow readers to see how our lives are grafted into Christ’s story. He also provides context to the historical aspects of the Bible, addresses and alleviates the challenges of understanding the Bible story, and explains how his writing frames readers’ thoughts to discover why the faith isn’t about us. 

Plus, Pastor Filipek gives an inside look at where his inspiration for the idea of the book came from and what encouraged him to put pen to paper. Listen to the full episode for the inside scoop.

Questions Covered 
·  What prompted you to write this book?

·  You begin by talking about the Great Disconnect. What is this? Why is it important that we rediscover that the faith isn’t about us?

·   Why aren’t the books of the Bible arranged chronologically?

·  What is the story of the whole Bible in a nutshell?

·  What makes reading and understanding the overarching story of the Bible so challenging, and how does your book help alleviate this?

·  You write about the dangers of questioning the need to read Scripture, especially the trap of “isn’t this all I need to know?” Why do we need to read Scripture? Do we need to read the whole Bible?

· The Gospels are about Jesus coming to fulfill the law. Why then do we need to read the law books – Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy in particular?

·  Where do we fit into God’s story of salvation for all people in Christ?

·  What does it look like to live in Christ?

·   What is your favorite Bible verse or passage, and why?

·   What tips do you have for people to increase their Bible literacy?

About the Guest
Rev. Dr. Adam T. Filipek has been pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidgerwood, North Dakota, since October 2016. He serves as an online adjunct professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Pastor Filipek earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Minot State University in North Dakota, a master of divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, and a doctor of ministry from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His doctoral dissertation, which served as a foundation for his book Life in Christ, was centered around teaching and preaching the unified biblical narrative. Pastor Filipek has been married to Becky since 2006. They have four children: David, Miriam, Jacob, and Bethany.