Award-winning Christian rapper and hip-hop artist FLAME joins this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to discuss his upcoming book, Extra Nos: Discovering Grace outside Myself. FLAME talks about writing his first book with CPH and what it was like writing personal stories of his faith journey down on paper. Download a sample of the book by visiting books.cph.org/extra-nos.

Show Notes:
Listen to this episode to hear FLAME preview the inspirational story of his life and how God brought him to Lutheranism. 

FLAME discusses his spiritual journey as God brought him through various trials testing his faith, pushing him to further his theological background and find the truth of "extra nos." Host Elizabeth Pittman also discusses the meaning of “extra nos” with FLAME and what it means. He goes into detail about exploring his faith, learning more about Lutheran theology, and his advice for others defending their faith. 

 Questions Covered

• Can you talk a little about the intersection of theology and music? Listening to your songs is like taking a crash course in theology – what comes first, the lyrics, or the melody? How does this process work?
•  Lutheran theology needs to rule the day. Why?
• You share your very personal faith journey in your book. Can you talk about what parts of the book were the most challenging for you to write?
• Your book is titles Extra Nos: Discovering Grace outside Myself. What does this mean?
• In your book, you mentioned that you journaled daily and documented how you were feeling and what you were learning as you explored your faith. Do you still journal? Would you recommend journaling to others, and if so, why?
• In your book, you wrote about your experiences with Calvinism. It sounds like this denomination emphasizes the work that an individual needs to do to be right with God, rather than the Lutheran view that our salvation is a gift from God that we can’t earn on our merits – Jesus earned it for us on the cross. Is this an accurate summary of these key differences? Do you have any tips for Lutherans who have the opportunity to witness (or just speak with) Calvinists?
• It’s been said that misunderstanding or ignoring the two kinds of righteousness will only lead to one of two outcomes: a person will either be filled with pride or despair.
• What was the reaction to people who thought you apostate after becoming Lutheran?
• What advice or encouragement do you have for those who are grappling with some aspect of their faith? Examples – not feeling like God is listening to their prayers; not sure if they’re in the “correct” denomination; unsure of their life direction.
• What is your favorite Bible verse (or passage), and why?
• not sure about this one but including it for consideration We couldn’t help but notice how active you are on social media, including some civil but pointed posts and comments challenging people on issues like baptism and that it’s not just a symbolic act. What advice can you share for defending/advocating for faith on social media?
• What do you hope readers take away from your book?

About the Guest
FLAME IS A GRAMMY®-nominated and Stellar Award–winning hip-hop artist. He is a well-versed leader in the Christian hip-hop scene with a growing list of accolades, including a GRAMMY nomination, multiple Billboard chart-toppers, and several Dove and Stellar award nominations. He was born and raised in the inner city of St. Louis, Missouri. FLAME’s latest releases include four EPs, including Extra Nos (2020), which was his first project as a Lutheran.