Bible in a Year (The Story) Podcast
Bible in a Year (The Story) podcast features Professor Rachel Bodell, a marketing storyteller who teaches marketing, innovation, and leadership at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA University). She will not only read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation in one year, but she will share all the resources that have helped her to understand the Bible as one unfolding connected story along the way through short commentaries and reflections from biblical scholars, most of which read original biblical languages like Hebrew and Greek (e.g., Dr. Tim Mackie, N.T. Wright, Dr. Carmen Imes, Dr. Jeannine Hanger, Dr. James Petitfils, Kristi Mclelland, Dr. John Walton, Dr. Michael Heiser, and Dr. Lucy, Peppiatt) By 2024, we hope to additionally offer special episodes from the renowned Bible scholars themselves that will help you understand the context of hard-to-understand stories within the meta-narrative of the Bible. We want to help you not only listen but hear what God is saying through the Bible every year and grow in your understanding, practice, and re-telling of the story to others as you learn more about how all the pieces of the Bible fit together to tell the GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD with a God that is inviting us to participate in the story as it is unfolding today! Each episode is about 15 minutes and includes two to three scripture readings and a short commentary and reflection with suggested biblical scholar sources (e.g. The Bible Project and Premiere Insights) for this is our prayer ”that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God” (Phil 1:9-11). Some passages of the Bible and commentary reflections contain adult themes that may not be suitable for younger children - parental discretion is advised. Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Listen on:
Episodes
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Today we read Genesis 24, Job 13 and 14, Proverbs 2:16-19. This is the first account of a husband “loving” his wife and not just “knowing” her. Yet, this is more than the Isaac and Rebekah story, this is a story that points to Jesus and His rescue mission that leads to redemption. Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in the book of Genesis and there are some really interesting connections between this story of a bride and groom at a well. There are other stories in the Bible about a bride and a groom at a well. Then, fast forward to the New Testament, John 4 where Jesus had the longest recorded conversation with anyone, a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well! A well that still exists today in Samaria where you can drink clear cool water! So many cool things to discuss today.
Resources:
Kendra Haloviak Valentine, PhD, Associate professor of New Testament studies, H. M. S. Richards Divinity School, La Sierra University, Riverside, California, United States. The Wedding at the Well, January 2014. Ministry Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2014/01/the-wedding-at-the-well
Kristi McLelland (June, 2022) Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now. Lifeway Press.
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
This is the weekend review and reflection challenge. We'll be back on Monday! If you need to catch up, the weekend gives you the chance to do that. Remember, you can start whenever, pause whenever, but never stop listening (or reading) the Bible!
Reflection challenge question: What is one or two things you learned this week from listening to the Bible that you can put into practice in your life today?
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to our show wherever you are podcasting to get notifications to remind you on Monday that the show has been posted! Subscribing, rating, reviewing and sharing our show also helps to organically grow our channel and make it easier for people to find us! Thanks for listening and we look forward to being back with you next week.
Friday Jan 20, 2023
Friday Jan 20, 2023
Today we read Genesis 22 and 23, Job 11 and 12, and Proverbs 2:9-15. For me, the theme of the passage today is “I surrender all.” Hebrew scholars such as Dr. Carissa Quinn and Dr. Tim Mackie, Dr. Krayer, and Father Mike Schmitz help to clarify and connect this passage to the unified story of the Bible. There is clarification on what “wild donkey” means and a reflection on how God can bless both the chosen and not-chosen. There is also considerable clarification on the imagery and activation impact of trees in a story which often signifies God’s presence, a choice, and a call to trust in God fully. I also might break into a few lines of the song, “I Surrender All.” We discuss how the story of Abraham and Isaac in relation to the mountain sacrifice is a reversal of the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve's decision. Abraham and Isaac chose faith in God for their future where Adam and Eve chose their own way. With the help of biblical scholars, we have a lot to chew on as we get ready for the next generation in the story - Isaac and Rebekah.
Resources:
Dr. Tim Mackie, Jon Collins, Carissa, Bible Project Genesis Scroll podcast, Trees of Testing and Blessing, Episode 4 (66 minutes) 1/2022
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/under-trees-yahweh/
Fr. Mike Schmitz (Bible in a Year) Podcast (19 minutes), Day 11: The Sacrifice of Isaac
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-11-the-sacrifice-of-isaac-2023/id1539568321?i=1000593626016
Dr. Patrick Krayer (2022), God’s Promise to Hagar: Clearing up a misunderstanding, Intervene USA Organization
https://www.interserveusa.org/gods-promise-to-hagar-clearing-up-a-misunderstaning/
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Today we read Genesis 20 and 21, Job 9 and 10, and Proverbs 2:6-8. Abraham and Sarah revert back to fear, self-preservation, and selfishness as they deceive King Abimelech and cast out Hagar, the slave immigrant from Egypt, and her son, Ishmael. We learn about the immutable character of God who works to protect and care for those His people sinned against. We discuss how some believe Abraham’s son Ishmael is the descendant of Mohammad who becomes the prophet of Islam. Also note, when God called Ishmael a "wild donkey" this metaphor in Hebrew is something more like a horse running free than something negative. He was offering Hagar the image of something good from a good God. The story of Job continues as we sit uncomfortably with the fact that God’s wisdom is not ours and we may not deserve suffering but find ourselves smack dab in the middle of it. Yet we are God’s and we can cry to, cry at, and cry out for Him in our suffering and He will hear us and be with us, even-if and even-when we might or we do lose what is important to us.
Resources:
“I Raise a Hallelujah” Song and Story: https://bethelmusic.com/videos/raise-a-hallelujah/
Noegel, S. B., & Wheeler, B. M. (2010). The A to Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism: Scarecrow Press.
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, Bible Project Genesis Scroll podcast, Trees of Testing and Blessing, Episode 4 (66 minutes) 1/2022
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/under-trees-yahweh/
Fr. Mike Schmitz (Bible in a Year) Podcast (20 minutes)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-10-hagar-and-ishmael-2023/id1539568321?i=1000593364643
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Today we read Genesis 18 and 19, Job 7 and 8, and Proverbs 2:1-5. This is a hard story and it also contains adult scenarios that may not be appropriate for children. But it starts on a positive note, with the nearness of God and Isaac being promised to Abraham and Sarah a son is promised to them within a year. Sarah, being 90 years old, struggles with the faith to believe it and then tries to hide her doubt from God. Then there are these three men, but we really don’t have a lot of clarity on this because it also states that Abraham (standing under the tree) and Sarah at some point (was standing in the door to the tent listening) were before the Lord. Dr. Mackie on the Bible Project podcast interprets that God appeared to Abraham and Sarah both under trees at the door of their tent is a scene that looks backward to Eden and forward to the tabernacle. That’s a pretty cool picture to mentally reflect on. We also continue the story of Job and learn about how his hurt and confusion have sparks of anger and that God is ready and willing to meet us where we are. We also have the chance to reflect on the kind of advice we give our friends if and when they are suffering based on our learning from Job’s friends who were perhaps well intended but misguided in their advice to Job.
Resources:
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, Bible Project Genesis Scroll podcast,Under the Trees with Yahweh Episode 3, (51 minutes) 1/2022
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/under-trees-yahweh/
Fr. Mike Schimitz (Bible in a Year) Podcast (21 minutes)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-9-sodom-and-gomorrah-2023/id1539568321?i=1000593089723
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Today we read Genesis 16 and 17, Job 5 and 6, and Proverbs 1:20-33. We have learned about Adam and Eve, Noah and his family, and now Abram and Sarai who became Abraham and Sarah. These were all families elected by God to be blessed and to be a blessing to all creation as God’s image bearers. These were all families who had faith but also struggled to keep the faith. We learn in this story today how hard it can be to wait on God’s timing and how hard it can be to lean into our relationship with God in suffering. We are introduced to Hagar, which in Hebrew means immigrant. We learn more about who God is as we learn about His covenant with Abraham and this sign of the convent, circumcision.
We also learn from Job in this story because he reiterates how suffering is not always a sign of consequence and we are reminded that blessing is not a reward that is earned but a gift from a God that loves to give and share. We ultimately learn that there is a natural pattern to justice and fairness in the ordering of creation, but there is also exception that may go beyond our comprehension for God’s thoughts and ways are not our own and He is wisdom and we cannot compare our wisdom to His but ultimately make the choice to trust in His immutable character and have faith in His goodness and love for us, even if and when we cannot understand the “why.”
Note: This episode of Bible reading and commentary has adult scenarios that may not be appropriate for children.
Resources:
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, Bible Project podcast, Abraham, the Immigrant, and Circumcision, God’s Family Episode 4, (66 minutes) 12/2020
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/abraham-immigrant-and-circumcision/
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, Bible Project, visual commentary (6 minutes and 19 seconds)
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/abraham-immigrant-and-circumcision/
Fr. Mike Schimitz (Bible in a Year) Podcast (19 minutes)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-8-the-surrender-of-abraham-2023/id1539568321?i=1000593012966
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Monday Jan 16, 2023
Monday Jan 16, 2023
Today we read Genesis 14 and 15, Job 3 and 4, and Proverbs 1:8-19. We learn about a rescue mission that Abram went on to save his nephew Lot and his family from the coalition of kings who had taken them as captives alongside their plunder in conquering Sodom and Gomorrah. Then we are introduced to a really cool character, Melchizedek, who was both a priest and a king who blesses Abram and to whom Abram gives a tenth of everything he owns. An expectation is set in the story and a parallel is later made between this priest-king and Jesus. We learn more about blessings and covenants in this story and like Abram, we can hear how we are also called to be part of God’s rescue mission and at the same time God is our rescuer and priest king. We also hear more about Job’s story and discuss the three wisdom books of literature in the Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, learning more about how they relate to one another.
Resources:
Dr. Carmen Imes, Torah Tuesday - Genesis 14:18-20 (Jan 3, 2023) (11 minutes and twenty one seconds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ryTsJpjJM
Eli Shukron and Yoel Bin-Nun, A Matzevah Temple from the Period of the Patriarchs in the City of Salem, Later the City of David. https://www.k-etzion.co.il/Eli-Shukron-and-Yoel-Bin-Nun--A-Matzevah-Temple-from-the-Period-of-the-Patriarchs-in-the-City-of-Salem,-Later-the-City-of-David
https://www.k-etzion.co.il/Eli-Shukron-and-Yoel-Bin-Nun--A-Matzevah-Temple-from-the-Period-of-the-Patriarchs-in-the-City-of-Salem,-Later-the-City-of-David
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, Bible Project Visual Commentary (5 minutes and 9 seconds)
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/abraham-and-melchizedek/
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins have a Bible Project Podcast (44 minutes) March 8, 2021
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/who-was-melchizedek/
Fr. Mike Schmitz (Bible in a Year) Podcast (18 minutes and 40 seconds)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-7-gods-covenant-with-abram-2023/id1539568321?i=1000592947917
Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, Bible Project, visual commentary (6 minutes and 19 seconds)
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-job/
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
Saturday Jan 14, 2023
This is the weekend review and reflection challenge. We'll be back on Monday! If you need to catch up, the weekend gives you the chance to do that. Remember, you can start whenever, pause whenever, but never stop listening (or reading) the Bible!
Reflection challenge question: What is one or two things you learned this week from listening to the Bible that you can put into practice in your life today?
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to our show wherever you are podcasting to get notifications to remind you on Monday that the show has been posted! Subscribing, rating, reviewing and sharing our show also helps to organically grow our channel and make it easier for people to find us! Thanks for listening and we look forward to being back with you next week.
Friday Jan 13, 2023
Friday Jan 13, 2023
Today we read Genesis 12 through 13, Job 1 and 2, and Proverbs 1:1-7. In these stories we learn about even-if and even-when faith in God. In this story we move away from the Early World period and zoom into two stories, one is about the founding father of Israel - Abram who later is re-named by God, Abraham. This family was chosen by God to not only be blessed but to be a blessing to all people. In the first part of this story, Abram carries out acts of faith, he also struggles to obey God and live in God’s promises, offering his wife Sarai to the pharaoh of Egypt out of fear. Yet, God remains faithful to Abram and Sarai. Wow, God is good. The other story is about a man in the wisdom book of Job. In that story we will zoom into what it looks like to struggle for and have even-when faith in times of suffering and loss, when we might struggle with doubt and it can be hard to feel or understand God’s goodness. Yet, we can call out to God like Job, and even when we may not understand His answer, we can make a choice to trust that God is wisdom and we cannot compare Him to our own and we can trust in God’s immutable character because He keeps His promises.
Resources:
Hillsong Conference (2015) Taya, Even When it Hurts I’ll Praise You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByM53v4JauY
Overview: Job, Bible Project
A God of Love A World of Suffering - Job (Tim Mackie - The Bible Project)(2022)
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Today we read Genesis 10 - 11 and Psalms 2. This is the last two chapters of the Early World period (Genesis 1 through 11) and it is just before we meet Abram and Sarai, who will later be named by God as Abraham and Sarah, the Father and Mother of Israel. We learn about Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. We learn about the importance of the “why” and the posture of our hearts when we do something “for” God when we really want something “from” God or worse, to be like a god instead of being in His likeness and reflecting His image as we were designed to do from the start of creation.
Resources:
The Bible in a Year (2021) with Fr. Mike Schmitz, featuring Jeff Cavins. Ascension Family Faith Formation. Day 6 Trust in the Lord https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/day-6-trust-in-the-lord-2023/id1539568321?i=1000592800936
Spark Bible, Explore Resources on Genesis 11: https://sparkbible.com/explore/Genesis/11
Dr. John Walton on Seedbed, Seven Minute Seminary. The Real Problem With The Tower Of Babel (2014) https://sparkbible.com/r/seedbed/john-walton-the-meaning-of-the-tower-of-babel
Credits:
Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.