453 avsnitt • Längd: 45 min • Veckovis: Torsdag
The BEMA Podcast is a walk-through of the context of the Bible and the Text itself, as well as surrounding history. We deconstruct our common readings of the Bible and attempt to reconstruct them through the lens of historical context.
The main body of work is contained in Seasons 1–5, and we encourage you to start with episode 0 (or even -1) and continue in order through episode 204. Beyond that, we explore new topics, revisit old topics, and dive deeper into practical ways of living out the things we have learned together.
BEMA Discipleship is a ministry of Impact Campus Ministries.
The podcast The BEMA Podcast is created by BEMA Discipleship. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé close out this series by taking a gander at the Lord’s Prayer.
BEMA 332: Andrew DeCort — Flourishing on the Edge of Faith
Alexandrian Text-Type — Wikipedia
Byzantine Text-Type — Wikipedia
“Ancient Amulets with Incipits” — Biblical Archaeology Society
“The Lord’s Prayer” (Live from Jerusalem in 2001) — Charlotte Church, YouTube
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks step into their prayer closets and shut the door on the babbling pagans.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks take a spin with Jesus’s concept of rewards or wages.
Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity by Gregg E. Gardner
De Re Publica, De Legibus by Cicero — Internet Archive
Politics by Aristotle — Internet Archive
Politics (Aristotle) — Wikipedia
Synagogue Wall Decorations — Sardis Expedition
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks take a crack at what it means to be children of God.
“What’s Wrong with Winsomeness?” by Russell Moore — Christianity Today
The Greatest Prayer by John Dominic Crossan
BEMA 80: Silent Years — Pharisees
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Richard James
Brent Billings and Reed Dent team up with Elle Grover Fricks to excavate some ancient ideas about enemies.
Jesus and Nonviolence by Walter Wink
The Peaceable Kingdom by Stanley Hauerwas
Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman
1QS 1 (Community Rule) with Matthew 5:43 — Intertextual Bible
BEMA 358: Sabbath Practice — Prayer
Greek Priest Recreates Excitement of Resurrection Announcement — Instagram
Greek Priest Recreates Excitement of Resurrection Announcement — TikTok
“‘Flying Priest’ Marks Holy Saturday’s Liturgy in Greece” by Nick Kampouris — Greek Reporter
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Karen Stiller, author of Holiness Here and the author and editor of many other books, magazines, essays, and more.
Holiness Here by Karen Stiller
Review of Holiness Here — Marty Solomon, Goodreads
Review of Holiness Here — Brent Billings, Goodreads
Meadow Lake Progress — Wikipedia
The Minister’s Wife by Karen Stiller
Craft, Cost & Call by Patricia Paddey & Karen Stiller
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Karen Stiller.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks investigate Jesus’s teaching on oaths.
“Greek Oath-Rituals” by Irene Berti — OpenEdition Books
“The Greek Oath in the Roman World” by Serena Connolly — Oxford Academic
“The Kinyradai of Paphos” by John Curtis Franklin — The Center for Hellenic Studies
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Elle Grover Fricks to contextualize Jesus’s teaching on divorce in its Jewish and Roman landscape.
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé take a closer look at Jesus’s teachings on desire.
Brent Billings joins Elle Grover Fricks to reconsider the topic of reconciliation through a Talmudic lens, featuring Reed Dent.
“Dining in Heaven” by Robin M. Jensen — Biblical Archaeology Society Library
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks consider Jesus’s teaching on anger through a Talmudic lens.
Matthew 5:22 (Interlinear) — Bible Hub
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks search out what life can be found in two short verses from the Sermon on the Mount.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Elle Grover Fricks to lay the groundwork for another series of Talmudic conversations in Matthew.
“Dei Verbum” — Pope Paul VI, November 18, 1965
A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume I, by John P. Meier
Early Jewish Messianism in the New Testament — “Introduction” by Serge Ruzer
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Brant Hansen, author, nationally syndicated radio host, and advocate for healing children through CURE International.
Tenth Avenue North — Wikipedia
Life Is Hard, God Is Good, Let's Dance by Brant Hansen
Kingdom, Grace, Judgment by Robert Farrar Capon
Brant Hansen on Good Morning America — YouTube
The Men We Need by Brant Hansen
The (Young) Men We Need by Brant Hansen
Unoffendable Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video
The Unoffendable Small Group Questions Leaders Guide
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Brant Hansen.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings conclude an examination of Hosea, finding out what actually gets the last word. Featuring a special appearance by Elle Grover Fricks.
Tradition for Crisis by Walter Brueggemann
Hosea: A Commentary by James Luther Mays
The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume VI by George Arthur Buttrick
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings approach the penultimate chapter of Hosea’s prophecy, hearing him issue a final challenge to take stock of our idolatrous condition.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings watch the prophet parallel the experience of God’s people with the history of their Patriarch Jacob.
“Back to the Future” by Brad Gray (14 minutes) — Walking the Text
“Back to the Future” by Brad Gray (55 minutes) — Central Holland Church, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are with Elle Grover Fricks to venture into Hosea 11, seeing a shift in the prophet’s tone as he talks about who God is and how God feels.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are with Josh Bossé to travel through Hosea 10, finding instructions for what can be done in the face of such idolatrous vanity.
Brent Billings and Reed Dent drive this podcast into a tree and find out how many friends we actually have.
It’s a Wonderful Life — Wikipedia
It’s a Wonderful Life — JustWatch
Planet Money Movie Club: It’s a Wonderful Life — NPR
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Catherine McNiel, author of Fearing Bravely.
Fearing Bravely by Catherine McNiel
Review of Fearing Bravely — Marty Solomon, Goodreads
Review of Fearing Bravely — Brent Billings, Goodreads
Long Days of Small Things by Catherine McNiel
All Shall Be Well by Catherine McNiel
Mid-Faith Crisis by Catherine McNiel
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Catherine McNiel.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss Hosea 9 and the consequences of participating in imperial rebellion against the Lord.
BEMA 362: Isaiah — Prophetic Pathos
Water Hyacinth — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent discuss the futility of reaping a whirlwind, and why we would keep going back to empty expecting to find anything else.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up discussion of Season 4 of The Chosen with the emotional events of episode 8.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
BEMA 283: John — Missing God in the Name of God
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the conversation from the previous episode, considering the call to be different following our repentance.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss Season 4 of The Chosen and the dramatic events of episode 7.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings use the first portion of Hosea 6 to examine the relationship between God’s forgiveness and our repentance.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the discussion of Season 4 of The Chosen with episode 6.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Josh Bossé to consider Hosea 5 and the wisdom it holds, exhorting us to remember the dangers of trying to use God for our own agendas.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the discussion of Season 4 of The Chosen with the struggles of Jesus in episode 5.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. A. J. Sherrill, who has more than twenty years of experience as a pastor, including his current role as lead pastor at St. Peter’s Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He has served as adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, and he is the author of a new book called Rediscovering Christmas.
Rediscovering Christmas by AJ Sherrill
The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation by AJ Sherrill
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: A. J. Sherrill.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the discussion of Season 4 of The Chosen with a big finally in episode 4.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent look to Hosea 4 to answer the question of how we can find ourselves in a mess like this.
BEMA 386: Psalms — The Whole Human Experience
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the discussion of Season 4 of The Chosen with the controversial episode 3.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
“Leading Like Jesus” sermon by Megan Trischler — University Christian Church
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings venture into the biblical Text of Hosea, letting the prophetic story of Hosea lead us into some reflections on wisdom for our day.
The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
Shirat Ha'azinu: The Song of Moses by Rabbi David Fohrman — Aleph Beta
Subscribe to Aleph Beta Academy
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss some Chosen announcements, offer a mea culpa for episode 1, and continue into Season 4 of The Chosen with episode 2.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks begin a series on Hosea, considering a framework we can use to approach a passage with a fresh lens.
The Oxford Handbook of Hosea by Brad E. Kelle
The Latter Prophets: A Feminist Companion to the Bible by Athalya Brenner-Idan
Texts of Terror by Phyllis Trible
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finally commence the discussion of Season 4 of The Chosen, starting things off with episode 1.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin Session 9 of the podcast and discuss what comes next and what we can look forward to in the months to come.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings close out Session 8 with Reed Dent, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. Sandra Richter, the Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College, a graduate of Harvard University, and of course the author of The Epic of Eden, including a new study in that series covering Deborah.
The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter
The Story of God, the Story of Us by Sean Gladding
The Story by Zondervan, Max Lucado, and Randy Frazee
NIV Committee on Bible Translation (CBT)
Sandra Richter at Westmont College
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Sandra Richter.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the depths of Shabbat with Josh Bossé.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are breaking Shabbat with Josh Bossé.
Brent Billings and Reed Dent join Josh Bossé in remembering Shabbat.
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
I Asked for Wonder by Abraham Joshua Heschel and Samuel H. Dresner
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks keep Shabbat with Josh Bossé.
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks are joined by special guest Mariko Clark, author of The Book of Belonging. She is a mother and a storyteller, and her time as an editor of National Geographic Learning enabled her to make complex topics accessible and engaging. She and her husband live outside of Indianapolis with their three kids.
The Book of Belonging by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor
The Book of Belonging — Substack
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Mariko Clark.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Elle Grover Fricks to close out this series from the Talmud and return to a well where Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman.
Origin of the Old Testament — The Bible for Normal People
“Tell all the truth but tell it slant” (poem) by Emily Dickinson
“Jacob Traditions and the Interpretation of John 4:10–26” by Jerome H. Neyrey — JSTOR
Eliezer ben Hurcanus — Wikipedia
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer — Sefaria
Only the Lover Sings by Matthew Clark
BEMA 227: The Chosen S1E8 — “I Am He”
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé examine one more perspective on the ideas of salt and light found in the Sermon on the Mount.
BEMA 257: John — Wells and Husbands
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Elle Grover Fricks to consider Jesus’s teaching on light through the lens of the Talmud.
1 Corinthians 3: Building a Temple — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Numbers: The Wilderness Years, volume 4 of Covenant & Conversation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks unearth a deeper meaning of salt through a Talmudic lens.
“The Salt of the Land and the Light of the World” — BibleProject Podcast
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé browse through the Beatitudes one by one.
Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing by Søren Kierkegaard
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé crack open the question of what a biblical blessing is.
To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue
Every Moment Holy, Volume I by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Mitch Lavender, longtime BEMA listener and group facilitator, and now Lead Campus Minister in Cincinnati with Impact Campus Ministries, about his experiences with a community dealing with the challenges of diversity and how that can lead to transition with family, friends, and faith.
A Church Called Tov by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Mitch Lavender.
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Reed Dent revisit Matthew 4 with a Talmudic lens.
BEMA 92: How to Bring Order Out of Chaos
Ethics Ratings of Nearly All Professions Down in U.S. — Gallup
“Questions About Angels” (poem) by Billy Collins
Gospel of Matthew Summary (Part 1) — BibleProject
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks take a closer look at the work of John the Baptist.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks take a closer look at the magi and the star of the nativity.
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Reed Dent explore how the Talmudic conversation might shed new light on the account of Joseph’s angelic visitation in Matthew 1.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are with Elle Grover Fricks to kick off a new series on Talmudic conversations in Matthew.
Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
Sefaria: A Living Library of Jewish Texts
Brad Gray on the Genealogy of Matthew — Real Life on the Palouse
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Tommy Brown, author of The Ache for Meaning. He is a pastor and contemplative teacher with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry and master’s degrees in divinity and management, and a former little league baseball coach.
The Ache for Meaning by Tommy Brown
Dark Night of the Soul — Wikipedia
The Seven Money Types by Tommy Brown
The Torah for Dummies by Arthur Kurzweil
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Tommy Brown.
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Elle Grover Fricks conclude the series on the Psalms and offer a final bit of encouragement to carry with us into the future.
Festival of Faith & Writing — Calvin University
My Bright Abyss by Christian Wiman
Inside Out (2015 film) — JustWatch
“Despite My Efforts Even My Prayers Have Turned into Threats” from Pilgrim Bell by Kaveh Akbar
“The Only Animal” from Walking to Martha’s Vineyard by Franz Wright
“Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson — Poetry Foundation
“Bless Me” by Maverick City Music (feat. Kirk Franklin) — YouTube
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé take a second stroll through the words of Psalm 23.
Saving Paradise by Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker
Brent Billings and Reed Dent listen to the voice of Psalm 19.
Firefly [Lightning Bug] — Wikipedia
Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner
Psalm 19: The Heavens Declare the Glory of God — Aleph Beta
Reflections: Christianity Makes Sense of the World — C. S. Lewis Institute
Brent Billings and Reed Dent mull over the words of Psalm 32.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent compare and contrast Psalms 51 and 139.
Psalm 139: Take 1 — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Psalm 139: Take 4 — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent discuss Psalm 91.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Derek Vreeland, author of Centering Jesus. He is the discipleship pastor at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, MO, where he lives with his wife, Jenni.
Centering Jesus by Derek Vreeland
Review of Centering Jesus — Marty Solomon, Goodreads
God’s Empowering Presence by Gordon D. Fee
Benefit of the Doubt by Gregory A. Boyd
Salvation by Allegiance Alone by Matthew W. Bates
Daily Office Lectionary by Derek Vreeland
Book of Common Prayer — Wikipedia
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Derek Vreeland.
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Elle Grover Fricks discuss the words of Psalm 137.
BEMA 380: Psalms — The Hidden Face
Answering God by Eugene H. Peterson
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Elle Grover Fricks consider the words of Psalm 8.
The Message of the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann
Visual Commentary on Psalm 8 — BibleProject
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis
“Rabbi Simcha Bunem's Favorite Sayings” by Julie Danan — Sefaria
Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 8 — Sefaria
“Stars” by Switchfoot — YouTube
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé discuss Psalm 23.
“House of God Forever” by Jon Foreman — YouTube
The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé discuss Psalm 13.
The Message of the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann
Telling the Truth by Frederick Buechner
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Reed Dent as he launches a series on the Psalms.
Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
Free at Last by dc Talk — YouTube
“[Psalm] 40” by dc Talk — YouTube
The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert Alter
The Art of Bible Translation by Robert Alter
Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible by Thomas G. Long
BEMA 349: The Chosen S3E8 — “Sustenance” (Bonus Episode)
The Message of the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann
Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott
Answering God by Eugene H. Peterson
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Lea Schrumpf, Director of Pastoral Care at Purdue Christian Campus House, to discuss how we are shaped by harm, but how we are created for delight and honor, and how we can enter our stories with compassion and kindness.
BEMA 242: Spiritual Abuse — Commodities and Variables
Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson
The Place We Find Ourselves podcast
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Snack-Stadium by Ordi Stefan Hossu — Facebook
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Lea Schrumpf.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings conclude the journey through Isaiah by looking at his prophetic visions for the future and how hope changes the substance of our conversations, desires, and experiences.
BEMA 332: Andrew DeCort — Flourishing on the Edge of Faith
Friend or Foe #1: The Truth and Proper Place of Guilt sermon — YouTube
Overview of Isaiah — BibleProject
King Chizkiah, the Almost Messiah — Rabbi David Fohrman, Aleph Beta
Subscribe to Aleph Beta Academy
BEMA listeners can use code friendsofbema for one month off of a monthly Premium membership.
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Reed Dent discuss the maternal images seen throughout Isaiah.
Subscribe to Aleph Beta Academy
BEMA listeners can use code friendsofbema for one month off of a monthly Premium membership.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings press on into the final chapters of Isaiah’s servant discourse, hearing the famous passage of God’s suffering servant and searching for the fruit of those trials.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings enter a new season of Isaiah’s prophecy. Times have changed, circumstances are different, but God’s love remains the same.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Preston Ulmer, author of Deconstruct Faith, Discover Jesus, founder and director of the Doubters’ Club, pastor at North Point Church in Springfield, MO, and many pastoral roles before that.
Deconstruct Faith, Discover Jesus by Preston Ulmer
The Doubters’ Club (book) by Preston Ulmer
Conversational Intelligence by Judith E. Glaser
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Preston Ulmer.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are with Elle Grover Fricks to discuss the historical portion of Isaiah that bridges the two parts of the prophetic work, considering the possibilities for voices and redactions.
BEMA 82: The Text — When, Where, Who, and Why
Documentary Hypothesis — Wikipedia
Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
The Documentary Hypothesis and the Composition of the Pentateuch by Umberto Cassuto (PDF)
“You have been weighed, measured, and found wanting” — A Knight’s Tale, YouTube
BEMA 365: Isaiah — Prophet vs. Wizard Priests
Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider the reality of God’s anger in the next portion of Isaiah.
The Jewish Study Bible: Second Edition
“JPS Bible Translation Enters Digital Era with Sefaria” — The Jewish Publication Society
New Jewish Publication Society of America Tanakh — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the next portion of Isaiah to see God’s message aimed directly as His own people.
BEMA 176: Revelation — Smyrna and Their Crown
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the universal pronouncement of God’s care and judgment in Isaiah, and then see the response of the prophet to what could lie ahead.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks are joined by Elisa Bosley, founder of Spiritual Eldercare. Elisa has decades of experience leading worship services and Bible studies, and also working with adults who have dementia. Combining those efforts, she became a chaplain in 2016 and serves at a long-term memory care community in Boulder, Colorado.
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Elisa Bosley.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear Isaiah communicate the comprehensive and exhaustive nature of how God carries the burdens of all nations, not just the ones that bear His name.
Presentation for Isaiah — Burdens (PDF)
NIV Archaeological Study Bible
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter
Cross Vision by Gregory A. Boyd
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings venture further into Isaiah and the days of Ahaz to see God’s invitation to trust the story—and warnings for what might happen if that invitation is not accepted.
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé dig a little deeper into the cultural context of Isaiah 6.
Myths & Legends of Babylonia & Assyria by Lewis Spence
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey into the text of Isaiah, hearing the call of a father to his stubborn children.
The Ache for Meaning by Tommy Brown
The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter
Isaiah: Holy, Holy, Holy — Derrick Rohr, Campus Christian Fellowship
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are back with Reed Dent to continue the introduction to the prophecy of Isaiah and consider Walter Brueggemann’s ideas about the prophetic imagination.
The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
“What Prophecy Is For” — BibleProject Podcast
Thought of the Day: Prophetic Imagination — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are with Reed Dent to begin a journey deep into the prophecy of Isaiah by considering what we can learn from Abraham Joshua Heschel about the prophetic pathos.
The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Isaiah: History — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
A Collision or (3+4=7) by David Crowder*Band
Collected Poems of W. H. Auden (see Part IX)
Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
“I Have a Dream” (Martin Luther King Jr. speech) — Wikipedia
“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (Martin Luther King Jr. speech) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings return to “Ordinary Time” on the podcast and prepare for some fresh studies of the Text.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up Session 7 of the podcast by hearing about Marty’s sabbatical experience and reflecting on what we’ve all been through in this season of rest.
“Closing Time” (Marty’s sabbatical recap blog post)
Meet the Solomons: Sabbatical Recap — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Ignatius of Loyola — Wikipedia
BEMA 350: Kat Armstrong — Storyline Bible
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are back with Dallas Jenkins to mull over the questions that arose from Seasons 2 and 3 of The Chosen.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Ancient Israel by Roland de Vaux
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Dallas Jenkins.
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Elle Grover Fricks pontificate on the practice of prayer.
Presentation for Sabbath Practice — Prayer (PDF)
“Patient Trust” by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen
This Is Water by David Foster Wallace
Every Moment Holy, Volume I by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue
The Ignatian Examen — Jesuits.org
“How to Make Ringtones for iPhone” by Don Reisinger — Tom’s Guide
“How to Create Custom Ringtones for Your Android Phone” by Cameron Summerson — How-To Geek
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks traverse the topic of fasting.
John Wesley (Holy Club section for fasting) — Wikipedia
“Fasting for Religious Observance” — Brandeis University
“Intermittent Fasting 101: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide” — Healthline
Brent Billings is considering the practice of friendship with Reed Dent and his best friend and ministry partner Derrick James Rohr III.
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore Marty’s spiritual practices and see what has changed or evolved for him over the last seven years.
Thought of the Day: Two Hands of Faith — Marty Solomon, YouTube
The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr
Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
“Is It Time to Quit ‘Quiet Time’?” by Dru Johnson and Celina Durgin — Christianity Today
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor (via Jim Feicht)
A Day in the Life: Spiritual Practices — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Thought of the Day: Writing the Text — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Brent Billings and Josh Bossé discuss his spiritual practices and how they have evolved throughout his journey with God.
Schottenstein Interlinear Complete Chumash by Rabbi Menachem Davis
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks chat about her spiritual practices.
Notebook Classic — LEUCHTTURM1917
Brent Billings and Reed Dent consider a different framework for spiritual practice and explore how Reed engages his own practices.
Grasslands National Park — Wikipedia
Visiting Grasslands National Park — Brent Billings
Big Bend National Park — Wikipedia
Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Making All Things New by Henri Nouwen
Eat This Book by Eugene H. Peterson
Common Prayer by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro
Every Moment Holy, Volume I by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
Every Moment Holy, Volume II by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen
“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins from The Apple That Astonished Paris
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Brent Billings offers an extended track of music and sounds for spending time in reflection. To maintain a reasonable file size for downloads, this music is presented at a slightly reduced quality compared to the original Sabbath Reflection episodes.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Kat Armstrong, a Bible teacher and ministry leader who holds a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. She is the author of the Storyline Bible Studies and is the cofounder of the Polished Network.
Storyline Bible Studies by Kat Armstrong
The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing by Jonathan T. Pennington
Tree of Life Series — BibleProject Podcast
Reading the Bible for a Change by Ray Lubeck
No More Holding Back by Kat Armstrong
The In-Between Place by Kat Armstrong
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Kat Armstrong.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the ultimate episode of Season 3 of The Chosen.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings conclude this series of reflection by working to apply the lessons of trust from the Mishkan.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection VII — Trust (PDF)
BEMA 331: Sanctuary — Resting with the Mishkan
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the events of the penultimate episode of Season 3 of The Chosen.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue this series of reflection, considering the wonder of God’s redemptive, saving work, which isn’t ours to control.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection VI — Wonder (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are introduced to Pilate and watch with the crowd as Jesus does everything except get John the Baptist out of jail.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a series of reflection, considering our approaches to sin and how we occupy different places.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection V — Place (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see Jesus engage the act of healing in new ways.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue this series of reflection, working to consider the different ways in which we teach others.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection IV — Teaching (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see the disciples utilize their healing power and then process what happened.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
BEMA 332: Andrew DeCort — Flourishing on the Edge of Faith
BEMA 124: Statement of Triumph
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue this series of reflection, working to apply the lessons of community from the Mishkan.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection III — Community (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings watch as Jesus returns to Nazareth to become a prophet without honor in his hometown.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue through this series of reflection, working to apply the lessons of love from the Mishkan.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection II — Love (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings return to The Chosen to watch as the disciples are commissioned as apostles and sent out in pairs.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
The Kingdom (Teaching Series) — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Addendum: James Who? — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings start a series of reflection, working to apply the lessons of the Mishkan once again.
Presentation for Sabbath Reflection I — Truth (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings jump back into The Chosen with the first episode of Season 3.
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings venture into new territory and approach the podcast with a different perspective for a season.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up Session 6 of the podcast and reflect on where we’ve been.
The Kingdom (Teaching Series) — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Andrew DeCort, author of Flourishing on the Edge of Faith. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious and Political Ethics and is the founder of the Neighbor-Love Movement and the Institute for Faith and Flourishing. Andrew has taught at a variety of universities around the world, and he and his wife, Lily, live and work between Ethiopia and Chicago.
Flourishing on the Edge of Faith by Andrew DeCort
BEMA 275: Kate Schmidgall — BitterSweet
The Institute for Faith and Flourishing
Coming soon: What Is Christianity? by Andrew DeCort
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Andrew DeCort.
Brent Billings, Josh Bossé, and Elle Grover Fricks muse on the mysteries of rest and holiness, and conclude the anthology on the tabernacle.
Presentation for Sanctuary — Resting with the Mishkan (PDF)
Strong Bad Email #58: Dragon — YouTube
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
“When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt — YouTube
Brent Billings, Josh Bossé, and Elle Grover Fricks gather once again around the fire and wrestle with the radical implications of putting the Divine Image into practice.
Presentation for Sanctuary — Traversing the Mishkan (PDF)
Brent Billings is with Josh Bossé and Reed Dent to see how God’s presence shows up in surprising ways throughout the tabernacle.
Presentation for Sanctuary — Moving the Mishkan (PDF)
Brent Billings is with Josh Bossé and Reed Dent to consider the role of priests in the tabernacle through their clothing.
Presentation for Sanctuary — Listening by the Mishkan (PDF)
A Commentary on the Book of Exodus by U. Cassuto
Brent Billings and Josh Bossé examine the communal life and stability found in the sacrificial altar.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are back with Josh Bossé to consider the boundaries established for the tabernacle and the love hidden within them.
Presentation for Sanctuary — Entering the Mishkan (PDF)
Symbolism of the Biblical World by Othmar Keel
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Josh Bossé to begin a series on the tabernacle of Exodus and the parallels it has to the Creation story, turning those spiritual principles into tangible practices.
Presentation for Sanctuary — Waking Up in the Mishkan (PDF)
“What’s So Special About the Tabernacle?” — BibleProject Podcast
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Anita Grace Brown. She has been using yoga for 25 years to heal from trauma, fear, and spiritual struggles. She engages nature and uses art to help others find redemption.
It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere Podcast
Kamikaze Yogi by Anita Grace Brown
I’m Gonna Stress You Out — Online Course
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Anita Grace Brown.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks finish out the series by turning their attention to two figures in the book of Revelation.
Litter (vehicle) [palanquin] — Wikipedia
Epiphanius of Salamis — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to survey the forgotten women of the New Testament.
Learning Greek with Elle — Servant (PDF)
Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
Brent Billings, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé draw their chairs closer to the fire of the accounts of women who may have been overlooked in the Hebrew Bible.
Binders Full of Women — Know Your Meme
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks study sages and wise women of the Text.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to discuss how to navigate the dangers of presentism and primitivism as we start a series on the forgotten women of the Bible.
Presentation for The Forgotten Women — Presentism and Primitivism (PDF)
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
BEMA 240: Sin and the Archaeology of Joshua w/ Elle Grover Fricks
BEMA 308: The Chosen S2E9 — “The Messengers”
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Alonzo Felder, author of Discovering A. S. J. Allen. Over the course of his career as an IT analyst at Duke University, Alonzo became an expert in a number of research methods and has done extensive work on his own family history.
Discovering A. S. J. Allen by Alonzo Felder
Review of Discovering A. S. J. Allen — Marty Solomon, Goodreads
Coming soon: Online Course for Family History Research
Coming soon: Documentary Film/Series
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Alonzo Felder.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Erin Geiselman, leader of the launch team for Marty’s book Asking Better Questions of the Bible, to discuss what the experience of writing a book was like for Marty.
Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
BEMA 207: J. R. Briggs — The Sacred Overlap
The Writing Life Course — Kairos Partnerships
From Novice to Expert by Patricia Benner
BEMA 57: Lamentations — Lament and Hope
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Erin Geiselman.
Brent Billings and Reed Dent talk about the story of the unforgiving servant and the end of bookkeeping and seeing our enemies as ourselves.
BEMA 121: The Key to Your Own Prison
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are back with Reed Dent to discuss the lost son of Luke 15 and what it means to be lost.
The Pharisees by Joseph Sievers and Amy-Jill Levine
Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
Brent Billings and Reed Dent talk about the story of the rich fool and the dynamics of money and relationships.
Tell It Slant by Eugene Peterson
Hope: The Prophet Candle — The BEMA Liturgy
“Tripping Billies” by Dave Matthews Band — YouTube
Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
The Parable of the Rich Fool — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Brent Billings is joined by Reed Dent and Elle Grover Fricks to talk about the story of the Good Samaritan and what it looks like to love people we’d rather not.
“On Priests and Jericho in the Second Temple Period” by Joshua Schwartz — ResearchGate
The Parable of the Good Samaritan — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are bringing in Reed Dent to launch a miniseries on parables, starting with a discussion about what a parable is and why anyone would want to teach in that way.
Tell It Slant by Eugene Peterson
The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McLaren
Kingdom, Grace, Judgment by Robert Farrar Capon
“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins from The Apple That Astonished Paris
Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Keith Simon, co-author of Truth Over Tribe, who co-planted The Crossing, a politically diverse church where he is the co-lead teaching pastor. He hosts a podcast by the same name, Truth Over Tribe, and teaches on Ten Minute Bible Talks.
Truth Over Tribe by Patrick Miller and Keith Simon
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Keith Simon.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings address the Twitter-sized elephant in the room, talk about how each of them use social media, and consider ways all of us can engage this part of our world in a healthy way.
BEMA Poll/Survey (valid through 26 April 2023)
“Elon Musk offloads another $3.6 billion of Tesla stock” — Dave Lee, Financial Times/Ars Technica
“One More for the ‘Everything Is Going Just Fine at Twitter’ File” — John Gruber, Daring Fireball
“On the Prevalence of Hate Speech on Twitter” — John Gruber, Daring Fireball
“Goodbye, Twitter” — Ken White, Substack
Thought of the Day: The Social Dilemma — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Brent’s Tweet on Playback Controls
Tweet Thread on Infinite Scrolling
BEMA 2: Knowing When to Say “Enough”
Thought of the Day: Social Media Beatitudes — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Thought of the Day: Disagreement — Marty Solomon, YouTube
THINGS THAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN RECORDING AND PUBLISHINGElon’s Poll for Leadership of Twitter
Brent’s Tweet Commenting on How This Episode Quickly Became Outdated
Dave Lee’s Tweet on Linking to Mastodon
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Maggi Billings to discuss The Chosen S2E9 (the 2021 Christmas special), “The Messengers.”
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
The Nativity Story (2006 film)
The Nativity Story on JustWatch
Special Guest: Maggi Billings.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Brian Truschinger, Elle Grover Fricks, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé, all together for the very first time to discuss what is happening with BEMA and what we hope for the future.
BEMA Poll/Survey (valid through 26 April 2023)
Tell It Slant by Eugene Peterson
Elle’s Website for Hebrew Classes
Josh’s Beard Progress (surgery > shaved > 1 month > 3 months)
Sermon with Brian’s Toilet Story
“How to Speed Listen (for Students or Podfasters)” by Hugh Rayner — University of Melbourne
Special Guest: Brian Truschinger.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Brian David, who spent 37 years coaching people in software, and 25 years coaching high school sports, but now finds himself “coaching” the Text.
Chiasms in John by Brian David
BEMA 28: Images of the Desert — Ar'ar and Tamarisk
Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
Star Wars Ring Theory by Mike Klimo
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Bauckham
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Brian David.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. Gary Burge, author of Interpreting the Gospel of John, and one of the foremost authorities on John. He was a professor at Wheaton College for 25 years and now serves as a New Testament scholar at Calvin Theological Seminary.
Gary M. Burge, Professor of New Testament — Calvin Theological Seminary
Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge
The Anointed Community by Gary M. Burge
Society of Biblical Literature
The Gospel of John: A Commentary by Rudolf Bultmann
John’s Wisdom by Ben Witherington III
Acts: An Exegetical Commentary by Craig S. Keener
The Gospel of John: A Commentary by Craig S. Keener
The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel by Craig L. Blomberg
Jesus the Purifier: John’s Gospel and the Fourth Quest for the Historical Jesus by Craig L. Blomberg
John: The NIV Application Commentary by Gary M. Burge
The Letters of John: The NIV Application Commentary by Gary M. Burge
The New Testament in Antiquity by Gary M. Burge and Gene L. Green
“The Fifth Gospel — Interview with Gary Burge” — GTI Tours Podcast #4
“Why Context Matters — Interview with Dr. Gary Burge” — GTI Tours Podcast #45
Banias Archaeological Dig of 2020 — YouTube
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Gary Burge.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the different elements of John’s construction and consider some of the scholarly theories and observations that have been made over the years, seeing what there might be to learn in those possibilities.
Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a tour through the history of textual criticism that surrounds the Gospel of John and we look at the unique styles and attributes of John’s writing.
Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings listen in on the restoration of Peter and consider the conclusion John writes for his Gospel account.
Pre-order: Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon
Brent Billings and Reed Dent discuss Thomas—a seemingly strange disciple—and question the nature of doubt and belief.
“The Seeing Heart” by Frederick Buechner — YouTube
Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner
“St. Thomas Didymus” by Denise Levertov
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks witness the resurrection of Jesus and consider the figure of Miriam the Migdal, more commonly known as Mary Magdalene.
Early Christian Women and Pagan Opinion by Margaret Y. MacDonald
The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene by Jane Schaberg
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings pick up after the moment of Jesus’s death on the cross, looking at the preparations for his burial and the work of two unexpected characters who take their own stand in honoring Jesus.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into John’s account of Jesus’s crucifixion.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Kat Armas, author of Abuelita Faith, whose earliest theological formation came from her grandmother and ultimately inspired her to tell the stories of those we find on the margins. She teaches people to reflect on the abuelitas in their lives and shows us how to live out this kind of faith on a daily basis.
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Kat Armas.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see Jesus arrested, finding himself questioned, Peter questioned, finding himself lacking in courage, and Pilate drawn into an argument, finding himself cornered.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at Jesus’s famous prayer for unity. Why is this his foremost concern before he goes to the cross?
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks consider the various words for sacrifices in Hebrew before moving on to the second half of John 16 as we work our way through the Farewell Discourses.
Learning Hebrew with Elle — Sacrifices (PDF)
Consider the Birds by Debbie Blue
Michael Pakaluk — The Catholic University of America
George Parsenios — Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
Urban von Wahlde — Loyola University Chicago
“Wine, Women, and the Polis” by Brigette Ford Russell — JSTOR
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue Jesus’s discussion about the place of persecution in the coming days, decades, and centuries. What is the Holy Spirit’s job (or at least one of them) in this process of glorification?
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings spend time in one of the staple passages of Impact Campus Ministries, and a foundational text for intimacy with God. Jesus is the true vine—what can we learn by taking this truth seriously?
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue into Jesus’s discourse in preparation for his death, where he promises the Advocate, the Helper, the Counselor—the Holy Spirit.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin Jesus’s final discourse in John as he prepares for his imminent arrest, considering what it means that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Oxford University Press (NRSV)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin an examination of the “Book of Hours” or the “Book of Glory.” What does it look like to believe in Jesus?
John — Loved to the End Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Steve Park, founder of Little Lights Urban Ministries in Washington, DC. He teaches race literacy for Christians, provides after-school and summer programs, adult and employment programs, Christian mentoring and Bible studies, and so much more.
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
The World’s Religions by Huston Smith
Race: The Power of an Illusion — PBS
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Steve Park.
Brent Billings and Josh Bossé resume an reexamination of John 6 as Jesus continues to subvert the expectations of the people as the second Moses.
Brent Billings and Josh Bossé examine John 6 for a second time, looking at the test Jesus gives to his disciples as they prepare to feed the 5000.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish John’s “Book of Signs” and the concluding examination of belief and disbelief.
Thought of the Day: Two Hands of Faith — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings work toward the closing of the Book of Signs in the Gospel of John as Jesus states that his hour has come.
BEMA 124: Statement of Triumph
The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Oxford University Press (NRSV)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider the Pharisees’ reaction to the raising of Lazarus, as well as the story of Mary anointing Jesus for burial.
“Missing God in the Name of God” sermon — University Christian Church, YouTube
The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Oxford University Press (NRSV)
Brent Billings and Reed Dent discuss a story about Mary and Martha and Jesus, which also happens to contain an episode about the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
“Lazarus Come Forth” by Carmen — YouTube
“The Way of Suffering: A Reasoning of the Heart” by Jerome A. Miller
Brent Billings and Josh Bossé discuss spiritual leadership and the conversations with Jesus in the temple courts at the Festival of Dedication.
Brent Billings provides an introduction for Marty Solomon to lead us in a special conversation that means a lot to him personally, meant to help us consider one of the things God is inviting us to as we partner with Him to put the world back together. How do we make it back to Eden?
The Beast that Crouches at the Door by Rabbi David Fohrman (Amazon)
The Beast that Crouches at the Door by Rabbi David Fohrman (Aleph Beta)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at Jesus’s claim to be the true gate and the good shepherd for his sheep.
John — My Sheep, My Voice Presentation (PDF)
BEMA 26: Images of the Desert — Shepherd
BEMA 105: An Explosive Kingdom
The 7 Great I Ams #3: I Am the Door sermon — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the healing of a blind man and Jesus’s subsequent teaching on a different kind of blindness.
Everyman’s Talmud by Abraham Cohen
The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider a provocative teaching of Jesus that nearly got him executed.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the dispute Jesus has with those who believed him about who their father is.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Kate Schmidgall, the founder and director of BitterSweet Creative, and the founder and editor of BitterSweet Monthly.
National Community Church, Lincoln Theatre Campus
NCC Lincoln Theatre Campus Staff
Contemplations Series with Walter Brueggemann
An Other Kingdom by Peter Block, Walter Brueggemann, and John McKnight
Breaking Ground by Anne Snyder and Susannah Black
Resident Aliens by Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon
Flourishing on the Edge of Faith by Andrew DeCort
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Kate Schmidgall.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear Jesus talk about his own identity and testimony in the face of those who grapple with his teachings.
“Written in the Dust” sermon (Brad Gray) — YouTube
Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks talk about the cultural context of Jesus being confronted in the courts with the woman accused of adultery in John 8.
The Daniel Scene Brent Could Not Remember (from April 1986)
“John 7:53-8:11: A Study in Misreading” by Gail R. O’Day — JSTOR
BEMA 82: The Text — When, Where, Who, and Why
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Richard James
The Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John, and the Literacy of Jesus by Chris Keith
To Cast the First Stone by Jennifer Knust and Tommy Wasserman
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings conclude a review of Season 2 of The Chosen with a discussion on the eighth episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 272
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Dallas Regrets This One Thing (Season Finale Reaction) — The Chosen, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish John 7, discussing the differing opinions about the identity of Jesus.
Miracles of Messiah by Ron Miller
BEMA 76: Silent Years — Sadducees
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue reviewing The Chosen with a discussion on the seventh episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 270
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings jump into John 7, discussing Jesus’s engagement with the Festival of Tabernacles.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings return to The Chosen with a discussion on the sixth episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 268
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Episode 6: "This line wrecks me." (Director Reaction) — The Chosen, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Reed Dent to finish examining the sixth chapter of John, and attempt to bring some closure to this challenging portion of the Text.
I Asked for Wonder by Abraham Joshua Heschel
BEMA 230: Mandy Smith — Unfettered
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the controversial fifth episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 266
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
I'm firing back about one criticism — The Chosen, YouTube
Whoa! Episode 5 was controversial (Director reacts) — The Chosen, YouTube
Our Bible consultants discuss our most controversial moment — The Chosen, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrestle with the potential interpretations of what is happening in the beginning of John 6.
A Harmony of the Gospels (NASB) by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry
The NIV Harmony of the Gospels by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry
A Harmony of the Gospels by A. T. Robertson
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings venture further into a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the fourth episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 264
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
BEMA 261: John — What Do You Want?
Our best ever? Episode 4 Director Reaction — The Chosen, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider the reactions to Jesus healing on the Sabbath in John 5, and discuss the authority of and testimonies about Jesus.
Impact Staff Opening at the University of Oregon
God Was in This Place & I, I Did Not Know by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue reviewing The Chosen with a discussion on the third episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 262
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Our most talked about scene ever? Chosen director reacts — The Chosen, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Kevan Chandler of We Carry Kevan to continue through the Gospel of John, exploring the healing of the official’s son and the healing at the pool of Bethesda.
Addendum to BEMA 102 — Marty Solomon, YouTube
We Carry Kevan (Nonprofit Organization)
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Kevan Chandler.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the second episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 260
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
BEMA 78: Silent Years — Essenes
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Kevan Chandler, author of the book We Carry Kevan, and founder of the nonprofit organization We Carry Kevan.
We Carry Kevan by Kevan Chandler
We Carry Kevan (Nonprofit Organization)
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Kevan Chandler.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are breaking ground with a first-time-ever Monday episode of BEMA, beginning the continuation of our review of The Chosen with a discussion on the first episode of Season 2.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 258
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to continue through the Gospel of John, exploring who the Samaritans are, the place of women in Jewish and Christian practice around the first century, and a sprinkling of midrash to top it all off.
Samaritans Cooking for Passover
Targum Jerusalem, Genesis 28:10 — Sefaria
The Samaritan Woman Story: An Alternative View — Israel Institute of Biblical Studies
“Women Leaders in the Ancient Synagogue” by Bernadette J. Brooten — Brown University Library
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through the Gospel of John, looking at the testimony of John the Baptist as he ratifies the identity and ministry of Christ.
Map of the Regions of Israel in Ancient Times
Thought of the Day: Imposter Syndrome — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Brent Billings and Josh Bossé continue the journey through the Gospel of John, discussing the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus, and the themes of their conversation.
BEMA 226: The Chosen S1E7 — “Invitations”
The Great British Bake Off — Wikipedia
God in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continuing the journey through the Gospel of John with the wedding at Cana and the clearing of the temple courts.
BEMA 79: Silent Years — Zealots
BEMA 224: The Chosen S1E5 — “The Wedding Gift”
The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Oxford University Press (NRSV)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through the Gospel of John with the testimony of John the Baptist and Jesus’s call to his first disciples.
Creation Series: John 1 — BibleProject
In the Beginning: John 1 — BibleProject Podcast
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings start a verse-by-verse journey through the Gospel of John, beginning with a discussion about how John introduces us to Jesus.
Reading the Gospel of John Through Palestinian Eyes by Yohanna Katanacho
The Fifth Gospel: Interview with Gary Burge — GTI Tours Podcast #4
Why Context Matters: Interview with Dr. Gary Burge — GTI Tours Podcast #45
Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge
NIV Archaeological Study Bible
John 1 in the New English Translation
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
Heart and Mind by Alexander John Shaia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest John Roberts to discuss his book, A Griever’s Guide to Life.
A Griever’s Guide to Life by John McNeely Roberts
“September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire — YouTube
Home Video: La Paz, Bolivia Vol. 1 — Olivia Roberts, YouTube
“Not for Me to Say” by Johnny Mathis — YouTube
John’s family in 2015 | Olivia in 2016
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: John Roberts.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings go back to where it all started for The Chosen, reviewing what essentially became the pilot episode. “The Shepherd” was created as a short film for Dallas’s church in 2017 and took off like a wildfire.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 250
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Michael Burns, a teaching minister in the Two Cities Church in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He taught high school history in the central city of Milwaukee for nearly ten years before graduating from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. He is a national and international biblical teacher at churches, schools of mission, and workshops. He has authored many books, including Crossing the Line; All Things to All People; and Escaping the Beast. Michael and his wife, MyCresha, have two adult sons.
Marty on the All Things to All People Podcast with Michael Burns
Escaping the Beast by Michael Burns
Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
Crossing the Line by Michael Burns
All Things to All People by Michael Burns
All Things to All People Podcast
Michael Burns Teaching Ministry website
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Michael Burns.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks go through a Hebrew lesson on joy and explore the account of Lot’s wife, examining what is said and what is not said about this character.
Learning Hebrew with Elle — Joy (PDF)
Sanhedrin (tractate) — Wikipedia
“Lot’s Wife” by Kristine Batey
“Women and Torah: Ancient and Modern Midrashim” by Janelle Glick
Brent Billings is joined by Josh Bossé to examine Esther’s plan for getting into the king’s throne room and what she is actually trying to accomplish once she’s there.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Eugenia Ortega to discuss her experience raising a child with autism, and encouraging all of us to have curiosity and empathy for people whose experiences are different than our own.
A Look into Our Window by Eugenia Ortega
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Eugenia Ortega.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to provide a liturgical space for repentance and healing.
This episode is adapted from “Prayers of the Faithful” from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Rape, Assault & Incest National Network
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to discuss The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast.
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast
“Unintended Consequences of Failure Porn” — Liam Thatcher
“Trouble” by Taylor Swift (Angry Mark Driscoll Edition)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings reflect on a conversation between Rachel Clinton Chen and Adam Young that provided some helpful notes to illuminate the journey into the world of spiritual abuse.
The Place We Find Ourselves 89: Spiritual Abuse
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin a series that reflects on the heartbreaking realities of spiritual abuse, using notes from a recent conference to guide the conversation.
Thought of the Day: Imposter Syndrome — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the state of the podcast, and then Marty is joined by Becky Solomon to talk about parenting.
“How 936 Pennies Will Forever Change How You Parent” — Eryn Lynum
Special Guest: Becky Solomon.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks discuss sin and the archaeology of Joshua.
Learning Hebrew with Elle — Sin (PDF)
List of Archaeological Periods (Levant) — Wikipedia
Brent Billings is joined by Reed Dent to discuss the meaning of faith and the fears associated with deconstruction, both within a person and for those around them.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings follow up on listener feedback from the episode with Jen Rosner before exploring the final three chapters of Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing the Jewish character of the Church and puzzling through what difference it makes to our lives as Christians.
Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill — Christianity Today
Archbishop Foley Beach at the Anglican Church in North America
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the seventh and eighth chapters of Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing the divergence of Judaism and Christianity, and analyzing the relationship between the two groups in the centuries since.
Jewish Roots — Ways Parted for a Dark History Presentation (PDF)
Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott
Isaac W. Oliver at Bradley University
“Seeing What’s Next” (Technology Adoption Rates) — Asymco
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the fourth and fifth chapters of Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing Paul’s relationship to Jewish Law and the atonement process we see in Hebrews.
Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott
David Rudolph at The King’s University
David M. Moffitt at the University of St. Andrews
BEMA 147: Galatians — Two Women, Two Covenants
BEMA 165: Hebrews — Running a Better Race
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings venture further into the ideas from the book Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing chapters 2–3 on how the authors of the New Testament used Tanakh and whether Jesus intended to establish a new religion.
Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott
Mark S. Gignilliat at Beeson Divinity School
Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. Jennifer Rosner, Affiliate Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. She also holds academic posts at The King’s University, Azusa Pacific University, and the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute. Her passion is to explore the relationship with Judaism and Christianity, and she spent time living in Jerusalem with her husband, Yonah, before returning to the States. They have two children.
Keely Boeving, Literary Agent and Freelance Editor
At the Foot of the Mountain by Joshua M. Lessard and Jennifer M. Rosner
The Torah and the Spirit (Part 1) with Jen Rosner and Josh Lessard
The Torah and the Spirit (Part 2) with Jen Rosner and Josh Lessard
The God of Israel and Christian Theology by R. Kendall Soulen
Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott
Healing the Schism by Jennifer M. Rosner
Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Jen Rosner.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by the next new host, Josh Bossé, to discuss his expanded role on the BEMA team. Josh is the Lead Campus Minister with Impact Campus Ministries in Cincinnati, a newly established team for ICM. He is passionate about digging deep into the Text and finding practical, psychological, cultural, and mystical ways of weaving ourselves into God's story. He and his wife, Sophia, have just purchased a home in College Hill and look forward to building a family.
BEMA 21: With All Your Soul & “Very”
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by their next new host, Elle Grover Fricks. Elle has undergraduate degrees in psychology and music from Washington State University, spent four years in mental health as a state-certified behavioral therapist, has a Master of Arts in the Bible & the Ancient Near East from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is the pastor of Refuge Church in Pullman, Washington. They discuss her new role on the BEMA team, the different words for laws and rules in the Old Testament, Jephthah’s daughter and the subject of violence against women, and other random topics.
Learning Hebrew with Elle — Laws, Decrees, Commands, etc. (PDF)
Elle Singing at St. Anne’s in Jerusalem — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined again by Reed Dent, staff member with Campus Christian Fellowship at Truman State University in Missouri, to discuss his new role on the BEMA team and consider the idea of deconstruction.
Impossible Constructions — M. C. Escher
The Architecture of Dr. Seuss, a Brief History — Architizer
Kingdom, Grace, Judgment by Robert Farrar Capon
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Mandy Smith, pastor, author, and speaker. She is a regular contributor to Christianity Today and Missio Alliance, and a part of the Ecclesia Network. She and her husband, Jamie, a New Testament professor, have two kids.
The Vulnerable Pastor by Mandy Smith
The Wordless Book by Charles H. Spurgeon
The Whole Good News — Missio Alliance [this event happened in 2021]
Mandy Smith at Christianity Today
Mandy Smith at Missio Alliance
Mandy Smith at Ecclesia Network
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Mandy Smith.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a conversation with special guest Dallas Jenkins, creator and director of The Chosen, on Season 1 of this breakout series.
Thank you to Drew Schmitz of Harvest Bible Church in Phoenix for helping us set up this interview.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 229
“Can you trust The Chosen?” — The Chosen, YouTube
The Chosen’s Channel on YouTube
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Dallas Jenkins.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dallas Jenkins, creator and director of The Chosen, to discuss all of the burning questions from Season 1 of this breakout series.
Thank you to Drew Schmitz of Harvest Bible Church in Phoenix for helping us set up this interview.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 228
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Dallas Jenkins.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue reviewing The Chosen with a discussion on the eighth and final episode of Season 1.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 227
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the seventh episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 226
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the sixth episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 225
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the fifth episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 224
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the fourth episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 223
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the third episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 222
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a review of The Chosen with a discussion on the second episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 221
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The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings commence a review of The Chosen, starting with an overview of what the series is and discussing the first episode.
(No) Discussion Video for BEMA 220
The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia
The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb
Marty Solomon is joined by his wife, Becky. They talk about what it is like to live their lifestyle, and how that plays out in their marriage and their parenting.
Family Culture Project (website)
Family Culture Project (email)
Use code bemalistener for 15% off.
Marty’s Holiday Series — YouTube
Cultural Appropriation — Wikipedia
The Beast that Crouches at the Door by Rabbi David Fohrman (Amazon)
The Beast that Crouches at the Door by Rabbi David Fohrman (Aleph Beta)
Special Guest: Becky Solomon.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey back into the story of Eliezer finding Rebekah as a wife for Isaac. What is happening at dinner that evening? Why is Laban acting with such authority if the father, Bethuel, is alive and well?
Map of Abraham’s Servant Finding Isaac a Wife — Headwaters Christian Resources
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into some of the midrash surrounding the story of the “binding of Isaac.” What really happened to Isaac on that mountain, and what does this have to do with Isaac’s blindness?
Map of Abraham’s Servant Finding Isaac a Wife — Headwaters Christian Resources
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Porshe Chiles. She holds a master’s degree in higher education from the University of North Texas, and she is currently the associate director of global research at Wake Forest University. Moving from Texas to Japan to North Carolina, and other places in between, Porshe has a wealth of experience in language and intercultural studies.
The Disrupters Podcast (Esau McCaulley)
Epiphany Fellowship Church Podcast (Eric Mason)
Endurance Consulting on Instagram
Can We Talk? Facebook Community
Additional audio production by Gus Simpson
Special Guest: Porshe Chiles.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings merge the studies of Joseph and Jacob. As Joseph eventually experiences a reunification of his family, what more is left to do? Shouldn’t they sit back and enjoy the redemption in Egypt? Apparently not, according to Jacob.
The Exodus You Almost Passed Over by Rabbi David Fohrman
Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the arguments surrounding who bought Joseph from his brothers.
The Exodus You Almost Passed Over by Rabbi David Fohrman
Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the conversation for this particular character study of Jacob. They suggested in the last episode that God was with Jacob, even if He did not approve of his actions. Why does God delay justice and/or punishment?
Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a deeper look at the character of Jacob and share some things they’ve learned since the previous episodes on Jacob from 2017.
Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest John Whittaker. He holds degrees in theology and ministry from Boise Bible College and Cincinnati Bible Seminary, plus a doctorate in preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He served as a professor of preaching and the New Testament for 19 years, spent 11 years planting and pastoring a church, and has taught and preached at various places around the world. He has been teaching people to follow Jesus by learning to hear what the Bible says, and his latest endeavors are more accessible to people than ever. He and his wife, Louise, have been married for more than 30 years.
The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Tim Mackie: Skateboards, Jesus, and the Bible — Bible in Life Podcast
Brad Gray: The Power of the Original Context — Bible in Life Podcast
Brad Gray: The Old Testament Law and the Big Story of the Bible — Bible in Life Podcast
Jesus vs. Culture on Money and Wealth — Bible in Life Podcast
Core Training for Christians — Video Courses by John Whittaker
Prepare Them to Flourish by John Whittaker
About Prepare Them to Flourish
Intro to the Gospels — The Listener’s Commentary
Luke — The Listener’s Commentary
Special Guest: John Whittaker.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a look at even more midrash that surrounds the character of Noah. Some commentary describes Noah as the man in the fur coat. What is this all about?
Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a look at the backstory of Noah and talk about the midrash surrounding the Nephilim from Genesis 6.
“Pete & Jared on Genesis” — The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Episode 100
Genesis for Normal People by Peter Enns and Jared Byas
Tallest Person Living — Guinness World Records
Parshat Noach — Aleph Beta Academy
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Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
“What’s So Bad about Babel?” — BibleProject Podcast
Sefaria: A Living Library of Jewish Texts
BEMA FAQ: Midrash — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Thought of the Day: The Social Dilemma — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a deeper dive into one of the topics they hear about from listeners the most—midrash—and answer the most commonly asked question from the entire run of the podcast: What is going on with the genealogy of Abraham?
BEMA FAQ: Midrash — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. J. R. Briggs, the founder and director of Kairos Partnerships. His list of ministries and projects spans the gamut of possibility: from coaching pastors to instructing university students, from authoring books to hosting podcasts, J. R. brings a wealth of experience wherever he goes. He and his wife, Megan, have two boys and live just outside of Philadelphia.
About J. R. Briggs — Kairos Partnerships
Publications — Kairos Partnerships
The Sacred Overlap by J. R. Briggs
Thought of the Day: Sacred Overlap — Marty Solomon, YouTube
“Rubbing Shoulders with God” with Marty Solomon — Monday Morning Pastor
Practical Tips and Resources for Hand Copying Scripture — Kairos Partnerships
A Time To Heal by J. R. Briggs
Special Guest: J. R. Briggs.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Reed Dent. He’s been on staff with Campus Christian Fellowship at Truman State University in Missouri for the last twelve years. He and his wife, LeAnn, have three boys, who provide some great sermon illustrations.
Campus Christian Fellowship, Truman State University
Truman State University — Wikipedia
Staff — Campus Christian Fellowship
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
The Parable of the Good Samaritan — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
The Wall Street Journal, September 12, 2001 (PDF)
“September 11” by Scott Cairns
“Trump's name to appear on coronavirus stimulus checks sent to Americans” — Fox News
“Trump Seeks To Stimulate Economy By Sending Rare Autographed Photo To Every American” — The Onion
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
“The Seeing Heart” by Frederick Buechner — YouTube
Secrets in the Dark by Frederick Buechner
The Lost World of Genesis One by John H. Walton
The Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture Trilogy
The War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
The Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter
The Art of Bible Translation by Robert Alter
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative by Meir Sternberg
What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell
Special Guest: Reed Dent.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about Session 6, what they hope to accomplish, and some of the things you can expect to find in the next chapter of the BEMA Podcast.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings officially wrap up the journey through history and talk about what comes next for BEMA…
Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey
Sign Up for the BEMA Messenger
Bible Book Timeline by Roger Schmidgall
Whole Bible Story — BibleTelling, YouTube (via Roger Schmidgall)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings try to evaluate the great takeaways from this five-session journey through the Bible and the world of faith, talking about “The Four Pillars of BEMA” and imagining a world that returns to partake in some of the same things those early followers did thousands of years ago.
Out of Babylon by Walter Brueggemann
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings bring the story to our current day, seeing what this last century has done to the world of faith that we call our own. What is Christian fundamentalism and where did it come from? And how does evangelicalism fit into all of this? As believers, we make many assumptions about the world around us, but knowing why it exists is often helpful in accepting what it is.
“Jacob Neusner, Judaic Scholar Who Forged Interfaith Bonds, Dies at 84” — The New York Times
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings leave the French Revolution behind and move into the modern era. How was the newfound land of freedom and independence handled? How did it impact the theology and ecclesiology of the people?
AD 1800–1925 Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey up to the end of the eighteenth century and follow the world of Protestant history as it moves out of the Reformation and through the Age of Enlightenment.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through one century of history that experienced an unbelievable amount of change and progress. Even outside of church history, this evolving world was fertile soil for the Reformation.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey from the Crusades and head toward the Protestant Reformation—but on the way, it is good to recognize some names that are often underappreciated. These figures truly paved the way for some of the formative changes coming to Christendom.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine one of the darkest chapters in the history of Christendom.
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through three centuries to see the great and famous East-West Schism, look at the idea of icons, and meet Charlemagne as a major character of this era of history.
Byzantine Iconoclasm — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey through the sixth and seventh centuries, examining the early monastic movements.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the fourth and fifth centuries and the period of the ecumenical councils of early Christendom.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through the second and third centuries of Church history. Why are we so not-Jewish in our Christian practice today? What happened to cause such a schism between Jews and Christians?
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss what history is, what it isn’t, and give some disclaimers about the intentions of Session 5.
Making an Impact: Message — Covered in His Dust
Constantine’s Sword by James Carroll
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelly
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings prepare for the beginning of Session 5 and our journey through church history by taking one last look in our rearview mirror.
Session 5 Intro Presentation (PDF)
Bible Book Timeline by Roger Schmidgall
Whole Bible Story — BibleTelling, YouTube (via Roger Schmidgall)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hold the usual capstone conversation, concluding our journey through the remainder of Scripture and reviewing the entirety thereof.
Session 4 Capstone Presentation (PDF)
Bible Book Timeline by Roger Schmidgall
Whole Bible Story — BibleTelling, YouTube (via Roger Schmidgall)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the book of Revelation and the final verses of our journey through the New Testament, hearing the moving description of a new heaven and a new earth and an old world that has been made new.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings confront the great beast of Babylon as it appears in Revelation and consider which part of the story we should align with the most.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the voices of those who stood against Empire and paid for it with their lives, and are reminded that Revelation is not a book of futuristic code, but an encouragement to those trying to remain faithful almost 2,000 years ago.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see dragons and beasts and women riding on them. Who is this beast of land and sea? The same hermeneutic we’ve used throughout Revelation will help us know more.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings press further into Revelation and this epic showdown and holy competition between Empire and Shalom.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings put some context behind a cultural device that is setting up John’s Apocalypse, seeing the ancient Olympic Games and wrestling with John’s intent for the letter of Revelation.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine some of the context behind the seals of the scroll that are opened and what happens when they are, taking note of the apocalyptic chaos that ensues.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings head into the rest of Revelation and the apocalyptic vision that John is sharing with his persecuted audience, standing in the throne room and paying careful attention to what is seen.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to the last of the seven churches of John’s apocalypse: Laodicea. We’ve heard the warning against being a “lukewarm Christian.” Is there more context to this idea?
Revelation — Lukewarm Laodicea Presentation (PDF)
The Early Church — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine John’s apocalyptic letter to the church of Philadelphia and look for context, as well as Text spoken into that context.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wake up in the ancient city of Sardis to see her history and glory, which should help us understand the message in the letter to her church.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider the idea that John has been deliberately drawing off of apocalyptic prophets while speaking directly into culture, and we add one more layer to our hermeneutical toolbox as it relates to the book of Revelation.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the ancient city of Pergamum and hear the letter to their church in its original context.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue to hone a hermeneutical prowess in the realm of apocalyptic literature, taking a look at the letter to Smyrna and asking, “What is the context?”
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to Ephesus, hearing the first of John’s seven letters in its context.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings prepare for a journey through the book of Revelation, remembering the function and method of apocalyptic literature and trying to remove the “crazy” from the study.
BEMA 68: Zechariah — Apocalyptic Literature
Christ and the Caesars by Ethelbert Stauffer
The Christians: Their First Two Thousand Years — A Pinch of Incense by the Christian History Project
The Seven Cities of the Apocalypse and Roman Culture by Roland H. Worth, Jr.
The Seven Cities of the Apocalypse and Greco-Asian Culture by Roland H. Worth, Jr.
Imperial Cult and Commerce in John’s Apocalypse by J. Nelson Kraybill
The Letters to the Seven Churches by William M. Ramsay
The Days of Vengeance by David Chilton
The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era by James S. Jeffers
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the short, often forgotten, and confusing book of Jude. Just what is Jude talking about?
BEMA 169: 2 Peter — The Other Side of a Conversation
BEMA 156: 1 Corinthians — Broken Body
The Book of Enoch — Academy of Ancient Texts
The Assumption of Moses — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a brief but meaningful and reflective journey through the short letter of 3 John, hearing the apostle warn the church about those who are trying to discredit and dismantle the faith.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the words of 2 John and toy with the question of who the woman is that John addresses his letter to.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the letter of 1 John and his insistence on the role that love plays in truth—and not the other way around.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the second letter from the Apostle Peter to see how he utilizes the Midrash to encourage the early believers to keep walking in faithfulness and not give in to the temptation to return to the cultural norms around them.
Sefaria: A Living Library of Jewish Texts
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the first of two letters penned by Peter, hearing the heart of a man who had went everywhere with Jesus—including betrayal and restoration.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the book of James and its challenging contents. Love it or hate it, this letter often provokes very strong reactions.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the many different theories and explanations of atonement that have arisen throughout the centuries—a very critical conversation for theology in our day and how we interact with the story.
A Better Atonement by Tony Jones
Did God Kill Jesus? by Tony Jones
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Crucifixion of the Warrior God by Gregory A. Boyd
The Jesus Driven Life by Michael Hardin
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin to examine the letter of Hebrews and learn from its potential context, hearing the call for us to be people who suffer well and persevere in the faith and struggle authored by Jesus himself.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey through a tiny letter from Paul with a big message to Philemon, enjoying Paul’s light-hearted encouragement to live as Jesus would have us live.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the lives of two very different pastors discipled by Paul—Timothy in Ephesus and Titus on Crete—and hear of their different personalities and how Paul uses each of them in his ministry.
Addendum to BEMA 163 — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Walk as Jesus Walked — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the second letter to Thessalonica, learn about the “Man of Lawlessness,” and wrestle with the implications of this mysterious character.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings step into the context of the church in Thessalonica and examine the theme of “parousia.”
In Search of Paul by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the letter to the Colossians, pointing out the unique context that seems to surround the people there and the false thinking that seeks to pervade their lives of worship.
The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato’s Allegory in Clay — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear Paul’s warm letter to the Philippians and see him express joy at their faith, love, and generosity as they follow Christ.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to the second largest city in the Roman Empire and hear the words Paul wrote to the Ephesians.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the second letter to the Corinthians and see their continued struggle to live out the gospel in their unique context.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a trip to Corinth for an examination of the first letter to that complex city.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the verse-by-verse journey through the book of Romans and look back to see Paul’s big argument buried in this brilliant letter.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings watch Paul transition from a larger argument to the massive implications for how we interact in this new Kingdom.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings tackle the pesky idea of predestination and election.
In the Dust of the Rabbi — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings let Paul teach us from the metaphor of covenants and death. If part of us died at baptism, why would we live as if we were bound?
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings listen to what Paul says about walking in righteousness.
The Evolution of Adam by Peter Enns
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through Romans, addressing the question of where we find righteousness.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings enter into a verse-by-verse journey through the book of Romans, looking at Paul’s introductory section as he addresses this diverse group of believers.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the study of Galatians and try to grapple with the implications of this gospel for Jews and Gentiles.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about the importance of covenants and how they are relevant to different audiences.
Galatians — Two Women, Two Covenants Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the third chapter of Galatians, unpacking big ideas about Gentiles, their relation to the family of God, and a “curse” that Paul seems to suggest the Law brings.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings spend time in the second chapter of Galatians, bringing some context to a much misunderstood and often misrepresented passage.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, listening to Paul describe a gospel he received straight from Jesus, not from any human teaching.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set everything we have studied about Acts back into the context of the larger Textual narrative, wrapping up the greater story and setting the stage for the inspired letters of the New Testament.
The Epilogue Presentation (PDF)
Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings circle back to a question from a few episodes ago: Did Paul experience a conversion, a repentance, or something else entirely?
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see how Paul’s methodology changes and then draw some conclusions about what we see happening in his ministry.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine how the early church community handled applying the gospel to a major cultural problem, seeking to learn from their methods and seeing what we might be able to take into our own unique settings.
Addendum on James — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Latest Information on BEMA Trips
In Search of Paul by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings come back to the story of Saul and see what is impacting his experience and how that is calling him to impact the Greco-Roman world.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings meet Saul, persecutor of Jesus, and wrestle with the questions of his identity and his experience; they also encounter the entrance of some unlikely characters into God’s narrative.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Oxford University Press (NRSV)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings challenge listeners to consider our methods of advancing God’s agenda and the implications of this new king and new kingdom.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings make observations about what this early church community was accomplishing together with the help of the Holy Spirit.
The Story #28: New Beginnings (‘Each One’ Rant) sermon — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the opening of the book of Acts and the beginning of the Spirit-filled movement changing the course of human history.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin to see how God’s people apply the reality of Christ into their first-century contexts.
Session 4 Intro Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hold the usual capstone conversation, concluding a journey through the gospels, and reviewing the story from Genesis to John.
Session 3 Capstone Presentation (PDF)
Bible Book Timeline by Roger Schmidgall
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings bring the discussion of the Gospels to a close with a brief look at the resurrection and the great commission.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the betrayals of Jesus and discuss which characters are involved in it.
BEMA 79: Silent Years — Zealots
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the question of who brought about Jesus’s execution, acknowledging the different characters at play and the role they each had.
BEMA 76: Silent Years — Sadducees
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set the stage for the final week of Jesus’s earthly ministry.
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
The Last Week by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan
A Better Atonement by Tony Jones
Did God Kill Jesus? by Tony Jones
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at one of the most perplexing passages of Jesus’s ministry, asking if this is about the end times or ancient times.
Faithful and Wise Steward Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into the list of woes Jesus gives to the Pharisees and ask what kind of person Jesus is describing.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see the religious leadership of both Pharisees and Sadducees attempting to trap Jesus with a series of testing questions, and witness the rabbinical brilliance of Jesus as a Jewish teacher.
Trapped by a Question Presentation (PDF)
The Parables by Brad H. Young (cites Flusser extensively)
The Parable of the Good Samaritan — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see Jesus go on the offensive, confronting the corrupt priesthood that rules in Jerusalem.
BEMA 80: Silent Years — Pharisees
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the triumphal entry and Jesus’s confrontation of religious corruption on all sides.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the parable of the vineyard, a generous God, and the interactions that follow as Jesus makes his way towards Jerusalem.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings find our understanding of divorce challenged by Jesus, and an ancient discussion taking place between the rabbis about the importance and value of people.
The Ten Commandments — Aleph Beta Academy
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the many teachings of Matthew 18, including some parables and rabbinic insights from Jesus.
The Queen You Thought You Knew by Rabbi David Fohrman
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration as Jesus talks about his exodus with Moses and Elijah.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine Peter’s great confession at Caesarea Philippi and the intense conversation that follows.
The Gates of Hell Presentation (PDF)
On the Early Church: Conquering the Gates of Hell — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the story of the feeding of the four thousand and watch the disciples struggle to apply its meaning.
Map of Tyre and Sidon in relation to the Galilee
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Dr. Christopher Gambino, talk about Jesus’s critique of rabbinic traditions and the surprise he encounters in the region of Phoenicia.
Brent Billings introduces the story of Peter walking on water and Marty Solomon interacts with it by sharing some of his thoughts originally written years ago.
In the Dust of the Rabbi — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
She Giggled (Part 1) — Covered in His Dust
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Dr. Christopher Gambino, look at Jesus’s time in Nazareth, pass briefly through the beheading of John the Baptist, and land in the story of feeding the 5000.
Dr. Christopher Gambino on Twitter
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Corey Knadler, look at the final parable in the string of teachings found in Matthew 13, searching for the p’shat, remez, and drash found in the story of fish caught in a net.
Why the Midrash Has Abraham Thrown into Nimrod’s Furnace — TheTorah.com
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Corey Knadler, discuss the next two parables of Jesus in Matthew 13.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings try to learn from Jesus’s puzzling explanation for the parable of the weeds.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at two intimately connected parables in the stories of a crazy farmer and his mustard seed, and a credulous woman and her baked goods.
The Parable of the Leaven — LeAnn Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Sermons — Campus Christian Fellowship, Truman State University
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings learn how to engage the methods of rabbinical teaching and unpack what a rabbi is trying to accomplish with his cryptic instructions.
Addendum to BEMA 110 — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Hayamim: A Proposal [this event happened in 2019]
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin an exciting trip through the parables of Jesus, starting with his conversation about four different soils.
Hayamim: A Proposal [this event happened in 2019]
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the critique of the Pharisees who want to write off Jesus’s ministry as the work of evil. They also see Jesus field their request for a sign.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a verse-by-verse examination of the gospel of Matthew by dealing with the Sabbath and rabbinical arguments surrounding Torah.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine Jesus as he moves on from John the Baptist and begins to confront the religious worldview around him.
Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg
Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg
New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus by David Bivin
The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D. McLaren
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear what appears to be the doubt of John the Baptist and the challenging response of Jesus that honors him.
An Explosive Kingdom Presentation (PDF)
“Sheep going through a gate, North Yorkshire moors” — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings listen to the second major discourse given by Jesus as he sends out his disciples on a mission to bring the Kingdom.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the ninth chapter of Matthew, seeing a handful of stories where Jesus brings shalom to the chaos of others.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the story of a paralyzed man and his faithfully determined friends who inspire his healing.
Addendum to BEMA 102 — Marty Solomon, YouTube
BEMA 80: Silent Years — Pharisees
Jesus H. Christ, Part 11: And Now the H — The RobCast, Episode 221
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue in Matthew’s narrative by jumping to the gospel of Mark, traveling to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings watch as Jesus brings the Kingdom to the brokenness of the world around him, observing the surprising responses of those who encounter it.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the Sermon on the Mount, talking about gates, trees, fools, and houses.
Sermon on the Mount #10: Trees and Fruit sermon — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discover how worry leads to judgment, and judgment leads to muddy pearls.
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through the Sermon on the Mount, looking at Jesus’s teachings on generosity, prayer, and fasting.
Donate to Impact Campus Ministries
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the fifth chapter of Matthew, surveying the many examples Jesus gives for properly interpreting the Text.
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the next few verses in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus speaks of the relationship between his teaching and the teachings of the Hebrew scriptures.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings resume looking at the opening teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and how he sets the stage for his interpretation of Torah.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through the gospel of Matthew and into the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
BEMA 74: Silent Years — Synagogue
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the stories of Jesus’s baptism and temptation.
How to Bring Order Out of Chaos Presentation (PDF)
BEMA 2: Knowing When to Say “Enough”
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into the third chapter of the gospel of Matthew, uncovering the ministry of John the Baptist.
Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish looking at the story of the birth of Jesus, juxtaposing two kings and the kingdoms that they bring.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin the trek through the gospel narrative of Matthew and the life and ministry of Jesus, starting with a look at the story of the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi.
Prepare the Way #5: In Our Present sermon — YouTube
Men Askaenos in Antioch of Pisidia — Wikipedia
The Real Meaning of the Zodiac by D. James Kennedy
The Nativity Story (2006 film)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set the stage for our journey through the gospels by looking at the geographical region of the Galilee where Jesus did most of his ministry.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings spend time in the gospel of John, investigating the different tools he uses in speaking to his particular audience.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the gospel of Luke and wrestle with the many perspectives regarding his audience and his agenda.
The Evangelists’ Calendar by M. D. Goulder
Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the gospel narrative of Mark, noting his distinct audience and the intentional methods he used to communicate the euangelion to them.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the record of Matthew, attempting to understand his unique agenda as he presents the life and ministry of his Rabbi Jesus.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a look at the ancient use of gospel (euangelion in Greek) and how the New Testament writers are subversively playing off of this Greco-Roman idea.
The NIV Harmony of the Gospels by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrestle with the questions surrounding the authorship of the Text.
Documentary Hypothesis — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the perfect timing spoken of in Galatians 4:4 in reference to the coming of Jesus in his cultural context. We also wrestle with the personal implications of the different responses to Hellenism in our world today.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Megan Gambino, near the end of our journey through the silent years and the context of Jesus’s ministry, examining the Pharisees.
Silent Years — Pharisees Presentation (PDF)
Addendum to BEMA 80 — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Megan’s Website [no longer available]
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, joined by special guest Megan Gambino, continue the journey through the silent years and the context of Jesus’s ministry, examining the group known as the Zealots.
Silent Years — Zealots Presentation (PDF)
Megan’s Website [no longer available]
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a look at the responses to Hellenism in the world of first-century Judaism, this time examining the group known as the Essenes.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue a look at the responses to Hellenism in the world of first-century Judaism, this time examining the group known as Herodians.
Silent Years — Herodians Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin an in-depth look at the five different responses to Hellenism in the first-century world of Judaism by examining the priestly group known as the Sadducees.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, joined by special guest Jim Feicht, continue their examination of the context of the world of Jesus. The last episode covered the context of Judaism specifically, whereas this episode covers the context of the surrounding culture.
Silent Years — Welcome to Hellenism Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Jim Feicht. They begin the journey into the historical context of the world of Jesus, looking at the new Judaism that arose from the ashes of exile.
Silent Years — Synagogue Presentation (PDF)
In the Dust of the Rabbi — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings introduce the third session of the BEMA Podcast with special guest Jim Feicht, discussing what to expect in the upcoming session and reviewing where we have been to this point.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings give a summary of the prophets and the writings at the conclusion of Session 2 of the podcast.
Session 2 Capstone Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the multifaceted dialogue and the many voices found within the prophets that represent the battling perspectives found in the world of God’s people as they attempt to respond to the effects of exile.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the book of Esther and the story that lies behind the celebration of Purim.
The Queen You Thought You Knew by Rabbi David Fohrman
The Story #20: The Queen of Beauty and Courage sermon — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the message of Malachi, seeing how he utilizes a question-and-answer format to prophetically speak to the people of God.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings study the apocalyptic message of Zechariah, a contemporary to Haggai, who sought to encourage God’s people with image-driven messages of forthcoming hope.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings read through the prophecy of Haggai and find that the real issues rarely change—past, present, or future.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the different leadership styles seen during the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings move into the fourth voice of Isaiah, seen in chapters 55–66. We hear the compelling promise of restoration for God’s people and the invitation for them to become the people they were meant to be.
1 Isaiah — Vineyard Presentation (PDF)
Faith Unraveled by Rachel Held Evans
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings challenge the typical understanding of the voice of Isaiah, taking a look at the servant discourse in chapters 40–54.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discover that the famous story of Job is so much more than we ever realized.
NOOMA 012: Matthew by Rob Bell
Literary Structure (Chiasm) of the Bible
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the book of Daniel and its persistent and sometimes hidden message of perseverance.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the apocalyptic visions of Ezekiel and his message of encouragement to a people trapped in exile.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the words of prophet Joel speaking to God’s people about the hope that exists, even in the midst of utter destruction.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the shortest prophet in Tanakh—the book of Obadiah—and its condemnation of the nation of Edom for their lack of care for their brother and their neighbor.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into one of Marty’s favorite prophecies: the book of Habakkuk. They examine the complaints submitted by the prophet and his ensuing dialogue with God.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the often-avoided book of Lamentations and the shocking space it creates for the dark things that need to be grieved.
Learning to Lament, Part 1: The Culture of Denial — The RobCast, Episode 92
Learning to Lament, Part 2: Widow, Slave, Mother — The RobCast, Episode 93
Learning to Lament, Part 3: She’s Finding Her Voice — The RobCast, Episode 94
Learning to Lament, Part 4: As Deep as the Sea — The RobCast, Episode 95
Learning to Lament, Part 5: Skirts and Virgins — The RobCast, Episode 96
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin our journey through the Babylonian prophets, examining the famous weeping prophet: Jeremiah.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the Assyrian period of history by looking at one of the most distressing prophets: the voice of 2 Isaiah as he delivers numerous woes to the nations of the world, including God’s people. Yet even this is not void of hope as we see it scattered throughout today’s portion of Text.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the voice of Zephaniah as he warns the kingdom of Judah of impending judgment.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings juxtapose the book of Jonah against the other Assyrian prophet to Israel—the book of Nahum—looking at the other side of the equation of how God deals with evil.
Information on BEMA Trips [Marty doesn’t need more emails]
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the book of Jonah and try to uncover the message buried in this most unusual prophet.
Jonah — Potential Presentation (PDF)
Challenging God: Why Did Jonah Run? — Aleph Beta Academy
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the first of four voices found in Isaiah — the pre-Assyrian voice that condemned the greed and injustice of the people of Judah.
NB: Due to a malfunction with our original recording, this episode was recorded in 2021. Our environments and equipment setups have changed, but we did our best to present it as it was in 2017.
1 Isaiah — Vineyard Presentation (PDF)
Out of Babylon by Walter Brueggemann
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the warning of the prophet Micah as he speaks to the people of Judah about what God truly desires.
NB: Due to a malfunction with our original recording, this episode was recorded in 2021. Our environments and equipment setups have changed, but we did our best to present it as it was in 2017.
A simplified version of the daily prayer from Hosea 2. This recording is meant to follow Episode 49.
Verastikh le l'olam
Verastikh lib'tzedek
uve'mishpat, uve'chesed, uve'rachamim
Verastikh lib'emuna, v'yadat et Adonai
I will betroth you to myself forever.
I will betroth you to myself in righteousness,
and in justice, and in love, and in compassion.
I will betroth you to myself in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the message of Hosea as depicted in the prophetic theater of his own life through his marriage to the prostitute Gomer.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the book of Amos on a quest to find the heart of God as expressed in the first of His many mouthpieces.
Amos — Plumb Line Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the remaining books in Tanakh, most of which are prophets, attempting to understand prophetic history as a whole and the setting for each period of history.
The Lord’s Mouthpiece Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the underaddressed book called Song of Songs and explore the ramifications of avoiding the topic of sexuality.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and special guest Kevin Luo continue our study of wisdom literature, examining the collection of Proverbs and the teaching of Ecclesiastes.
A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
Less Is More Than Enough by Chris McNaught
“How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Senek — TED
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and special guest Kevin Luo discuss the collection of ancient songs known as the Psalms.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up a look at the kings of Israel, exploring the story of Naaman and its implications for us today.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the story of Elijah and the lessons learned by one of Israel’s greatest prophets.
Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings revisit the two sources comprising this portion of the biblical narrative, analyzing the agendas found in each. They attempt to look at the differences between the sources to understand the reigns of David and Solomon and the split of the nation of God’s people, ultimately helping us figure out what went wrong.
The Story Behind the Story Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin the journey to understanding the historical record of the united kingdom of Israel by taking a look at the two sources comprising this biblical narrative.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue to examine the life of David, looking at the defeat of Goliath and making some general observations about the character of David.
Promised Land — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
“The Unheard Story of David and Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell — TED
Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden
Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a look at Israel’s first two kings and try to see what the Text is showing us in these two characters.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings zoom in on the mini-narrative of Ruth — one story where the mission of God is realized in the way Israel treats the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the book of Judges and the cycle found therein.
The Forgiving Flow, Part 2: Drop the Jawbone — The RobCast, Episode 39
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the discussion of Joshua and bridge the gap toward the book of Judges, pondering the mission of God and His choice of real estate for His people.
Crossroads of the Earth Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings address the nagging questions about the book of Joshua and its stories of mass slaughter and genocide.
The Hardest Story in the Bible (for me) Presentation (PDF)
The Hardest Story in the Bible (for me) — Covered in His Dust
The Forest in the Trees: Jesus — Woodland Hills (Greg Boyd)
[no longer available] Why Is the Old Testament So Violent? (blog post)
What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set the stage for Session 2 of the podcast. We review our journey through Torah to bring everyone up to speed for what we will study next.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings give a summary of the books of Moses at the conclusion of Session 1 of the podcast.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings bring our study of Torah to a close by exploring the book of Deuteronomy, examining its call to remember our stories.
Remember Where You Came From Presentation (PDF)
The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter
Topic: Deuteronomy 32 — Aleph Beta Academy
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the discussion of the desert and the book of Numbers with the story of Moses striking the rock and subsequently having his entrance to the Promised Land denied.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the series on images found in the desert. We will see God’s continual use of the desert to minister to us and to teach us how to minister to others.
Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi Presentation (PDF)
Flash Floods in Wadi Peres — YouTube
Flash Flood in Israel — YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the series on images found in the desert, discussing the ar'ar and tamarisk trees and what they teach us about living in our own deserts.
Images of the Desert — Ar'ar and Tamarisk Presentation (PDF)
BEMA Schedule (no longer active) — See our current Groups page
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the series on images found in the desert, discussing the rotem and acacia trees and what they teach us about living in our own deserts.
Images of the Desert — Rotem and Acacia Presentation (PDF)
The Story #28: New Beginnings (‘Each One’ Rant) sermon — YouTube
Walking with God in the Desert — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Written Works of Noga Hareuveni
“The Broom Usually Grows in the Wilderness” — Bar-Ilan University (via Jim Feicht)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the first in a series of images found in the desert — what it means to be a shepherd in the biblical world.
Images of the Desert — Shepherd Presentation (PDF)
Walking with God in the Desert — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings give an overview of the book of Leviticus.
A Kingdom of What? Presentation (PDF)
Leviticus: A Call to Priesthood (Sermon Series) — Real Life on the Palouse
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider the implications of the story of the Tabernacle in our own pursuits of God.
Walter Brueggemann, “An Alternative Way” — The Work of the People
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the construction of the Tabernacle and its call to be a place of rest, covering Exodus 24–40.
Falling on Joyful Faces Presentation (PDF)
With All Your Heart — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss Israel’s arrival at Sinai and the ensuing covenant relationship with their God, covering Exodus 19–23.
Under the Chuppah Presentation (PDF)
A simplified version of the daily prayer from Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19. This recording is meant to follow Episode 21.
Sh'ma Israel, adonai elohenu, adonai echad
Ve'ahavta et adonai eloiekah
b'khol levavkah
uve'khol naphshekah
uve'khol meodeikah
Ve'ahavta reyacha c'mocha
Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your might.
And love your neighbor as yourself.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the next two tests of God’s people on their way to Mount Sinai in Exodus 16–17.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 14, and then dissect their first test on the way to Mount Sinai in Exodus 15.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into the story of the Passover and its plagues, God’s interaction with Pharaoh, and the call of God’s rescued people.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Josh Bossé set up the narrative of God’s story as a contrast between Empire and Shalom.
That the World May Know — Faith Lessons, Volumes 1–12 (Amazon)
God Heard Their Cry — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the introduction to God’s story and set up the narrative of the remainder of Scripture in an effort to understand what God is rescuing His people from.
A God Who Hears the Cry Presentation (PDF)
Biblical Theme: Justice — BibleProject
Vocab Insight: Tse’aqah / Outcry — BibleProject
That the World May Know — Faith Lessons, Volumes 1–12 (Amazon)
God Heard Their Cry — Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)
TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the study of the life of Joseph, covering Genesis 41–50.
Out of the Pit Presentation (PDF)
Rabbi David Fohrman — TorahAnytime
The Joseph Story — Aleph Beta Academy
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Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks begin our study of the life of Joseph, covering Genesis 37–40.
Into the Pit Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue to look at the life of Jacob, covering Genesis 32–35.
Uncut Gems (2019 film) — JustWatch
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Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent begin our look at the life of Jacob, starting with Genesis 25 and moving through Chapter 31.
Subscribe to Aleph Beta Academy
BEMA listeners can use code friendsofbema for one month off of a monthly Premium membership.
God Was in This Place & I, I Did Not Know by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings cover the life of Isaac as told in Genesis 24 and 26, where we begin to see the initial realization of God’s promise to Abraham.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Josh Bossé continue to look at the kind of partner God has chosen in Abraham.
BEMA 210: Midrash — The Man in the Fur Coat
And They Walked Together: More Than Blind Loyalty — Aleph Beta
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings work through Genesis 15–17, continuing to look at the evolving partnership between God and Abram.
Walking the Blood Path Presentation (PDF)
Subscribe to Aleph Beta Academy
BEMA listeners can use code friendsofbema for one month off of a monthly Premium membership.
History of male circumcision — Wikipedia
The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter
George DeJong, Under the Fig Tree
The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume I
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about Genesis 12–14, covering the call of Abram and his initial adventures in the land of Canaan.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to ask the question the Rabbis have asked over the centuries: Why did God choose Abraham?
Buried in a Genealogy Presentation (PDF)
The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter
“Sarah: Midrash and Aggadah” by Tamar Kadari — Jewish Women’s Archive
[Legacy] Follow-up 1: BEMA 208: Midrash — Iscah, Sarai, and Birth Orders
[Legacy] Follow-up 2: BEMA FAQ: Abram, Sarai & Iscah — Marty Solomon, YouTube
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look back over the first eleven chapters of Genesis and work to understand their significance to the greater narrative of the scriptures.
The Preface Presentation (PDF)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about the tower of Babel and some of the observations we can take away from the story.
BEMA 233: Introducing the Team — Striking the Rock w/ Josh Bossé
A Brief History of the World from Adam to Abraham: Babel Tower — Aleph Beta
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Reed Dent to talk about Noah’s departure from the ark and the tragedy that ensues.
Campus Christian Fellowship, Truman State University
BEMA 231: Introducing the Team — Deconstruction w/ Reed Dent
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to talk about the story of Noah and the Flood and how we have a wide variety of buried treasure from the author.
BEMA 232: Introducing the Team — Jephthah’s Daughter w/ Elle Grover Fricks
The Lost World of the Flood by Tremper Longman III & John H. Walton
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about Cain and Abel and the idea of how fear and shame ruin the story.
BEMA FAQ: Bibles, Translations, Resources
The Beast that Crouches at the Door by Rabbi David Fohrman
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Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and what the story might really be getting at.
The Exodus You Almost Passed Over by Rabbi David Fohrman
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about the creation story in Genesis 1 and the foundation it lays for understanding the scriptural narrative correctly.
Trust the Story Presentation (PDF)
Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
BEMA Discipleship on Twitter/X
BEMA Discipleship on Instagram
BEMA Discipleship — Subscribe (Recommended Apps)
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings have an introductory conversation about the world of the Bible, investigating the differences between Eastern and Western perspectives.
Introductory Lesson Presentation (PDF)
Special music by Logan Daily
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about how BEMA came to be, what it is, and how it works.
That the World May Know with Ray Vander Laan
The BEMA Story — Impact Campus Ministries
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.