Characters In The Bible

The 10 Commandments E6 — Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?” In the Bible, it turns out a lot, actually. The creator God Yahweh is the source of all life and good, so his name is the greatest name. But surprisingly, he attaches his name to Israel, a lowly n ... Show More

The 10 Commandments E5 — In the ancient world, gods (or elohim in Hebrew) were associated with transcendent forces of nature, and humans created statues (mostly of animals) to represent these forces, known as idols. But in Exodus 20:4-6, Yahweh forbids Israel from making idols of ... Show More

The 10 Commandments E4 — Before Yahweh gives the 10 Commandments to Israel, he reminds them that he is the God who liberated them from slavery and is entering into a covenant with them. So how does this connect with the first commandment, “You will have no other gods before me”? ... Show More

<p>Our first reading for this weekend gives us a glimpse of one of the most powerful texts in the Bible—indeed, one of the truly great literary works that has come down to us from the ancient world. I’m talking about the story that we refer to as first and second Samuel. At the h ... Show More

What exactly is the Bible? If we misunderstand what the Bible is, we’ll turn in into something it’s not. John Mark makes the case that the Bible is a library of writings that are both divine and human, that together tell a unified story which leads us to Jesus. Key Scripture Pass ... Show More

Why do authoritarian governments often ban the Bible? John Mark talks about the how the library of Scripture is an alternative story: one that points to Jesus as the center of reality. He challenges us to let this story shape our lives and engage with these writings, even through ... Show More

<p>The story of Hannah’s barrenness and faithful prayer to Yahweh for a child is well known to Bible readers. Yet there is much more to the story and her prayer than meets the eye. In this episode of the podcast we look at how this portion of 1 Samuel connects to the wider Old Te ... Show More

In this Bible Story, we meet the mighty men of David. Their character, skill and devotion separate them from the rest of the soldiers of Israel, and David relies on them as he takes back Israel from the Philistines. This story is inspired by 2 Samuel 5, 23:13-23 & 1 Chronicles 11 ... Show More

In this Bible Story, Samson is born, and God grooms him to be a mighty judge over Israel against the Philistines. Samson was raised to drink no wine or strong drinks, eat only clean foods, and abstain from cutting his hair. This story is inspired by Judges 13. Go to BibleinaYear. ... Show More

In this Bible Story, Jesus reveals himself to be the messiah towards a woman at the well. This woman is the adulteress from Samaria and when she discovered Jesus was the Messiah, she ran to go and tell everyone. This story is inspired by John 4:1-42. Go to BibleinaYear.com and le ... Show More

Oftentimes in Christian media we see what Fr. Mike dubs a “Hallmark” version of following Christ. There’s struggle and hardship, but then God’s grace comes in and cures everything, making everything nearly perfect for the characters in the story. While these types of stories make ... Show More

In this Bible Story, the people of Israel grumble to God about food. Their constant complaining and ungrateful spirits drive Moses' stress and God appointed 70 men to relieve Moses of his burdens. This story is inspired by Numbers 11:4-11:35. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the ... Show More