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

Impact Campus Ministries

Jacob Neusner ? Wikipedia

BEMA FAQ: How to ?Do? BEMA

BEMA Discussion Groups

The BEMA Story ? Impact Campus Ministries

What Is the Palouse?

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings have an introductory conversation about the world of the Bible, investigating the differences between Eastern and Western perspectives.

Presentation for Introductory Lesson (PDF)

Special music by Logan Daily

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about the creation story in Genesis 1 and the foundation it lays for understanding the scriptural narrative correctly.

Presentation for Trust the Story (PDF)

Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

BEMA Discipleship ? Groups

Join the BEMA Slack

Brent on Twitter/X

BEMA Discipleship on Twitter/X

BEMA Discipleship on Facebook

Marty on Instagram

Brent on Instagram

BEMA Discipleship on Instagram

BEMA Discipleship ? Subscribe (Recommended Apps)

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 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

Aleph Beta Academy

Subscribe to Aleph Beta Academy

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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

Flood Myth ? Wikipedia

The Lost World of the Flood by Tremper Longman III & John H. Walton

Amarna Letters ? Wikipedia

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, Brent Billings, and Josh Bossé 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 look back over the first eleven chapters of Genesis and work to understand their significance to the greater narrative of the scriptures.

Presentation for The Preface (PDF)

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?

Presentation for Buried in a Genealogy (PDF)

Code of Hammurabi ? Wikipedia

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 talk about Genesis 12?14, covering the call of Abram and his initial adventures in the land of Canaan.

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings work through Genesis 15?17, continuing to look at the evolving partnership between God and Abram.

Presentation for Walking the Blood Path (PDF)

Aleph Beta Academy

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History of male circumcision ? Wikipedia

The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter

Sandra Richter, Ph.D.

George DeJong, Under the Fig Tree

The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume I

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Josh Bossé continue to look at the kind of partner God has chosen in Abraham.

Presentation for Here I Am (PDF)

BEMA 210: Midrash ? The Man in the Fur Coat

And They Walked Together: More Than Blind Loyalty ? Aleph Beta

Aleph Beta Academy

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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.

Impact Campus Ministries

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent begin our look at the life of Jacob, starting with Genesis 25 and moving through Chapter 31.

Aleph Beta Academy

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God Was in This Place & I, I Did Not Know by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

Genesis: A Parsha Companion by Rabbi David Fohrman

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent continue to look at the life of Jacob, covering Genesis 32?35.

Uncut Gems (2019 film) ? JustWatch

Aleph Beta Academy

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Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks begin our study of the life of Joseph, covering Genesis 37?40.

Presentation for Into the Pit (PDF)

Biblical Clothing ? Wikipedia

What Is the Palouse?

Yibbum ? Wikipedia

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks finish the study of the life of Joseph, covering Genesis 41?50.

Presentation for Out of the Pit (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 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.

Presentation for A God Who Hears the Cry (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, 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 dive into the story of the Passover and its plagues, God?s interaction with Pharaoh, and the call of God?s rescued people.

The Exodus You Almost Passed Over by Rabbi David Fohrman

Tefillin ? Wikipedia

History of Monopoly ? Wikipedia

kavad ? Blue Letter Bible

chazak ? Blue Letter Bible

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent look at the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and dissect their first test on the way to Mount Sinai.

Presentation for With All Your Heart (PDF)

Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler

The Poetics of Biblical Narrative by Meir Sternberg

The Torah: A Modern Commentary, edited by Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut

That the World May Know ? Faith Lessons, Volumes 1?12 (Amazon)

God Heard Their Cry ? Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)

Fire on the Mountain ? Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)

TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent explore the next two tests of God?s people on their way to Mount Sinai.

Presentation for With All Your Soul & ?Very? (PDF)

?Jesus Shema? ? Learn Hebrew

The Parable of the Leaven ? LeAnn Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship

God Spreads a Table in the Wilderness ? LeAnn Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship

Campus Christian Fellowship, Truman State University

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 lereyacha 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 discuss Israel?s arrival at Sinai and the ensuing covenant relationship with their God, covering Exodus 19?23.

Presentation for Under the Chuppah (PDF)

NIV Archaeological Study Bible

NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

Ancient Israel by Roland de Vaux

Families in Ancient Israel by Leo G. Perdue, Joseph Blenkinsopp, John J. Collins, and Carol Meyers

Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus by Joachim Jeremias

BEMA 310: The Nativity Story

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.

Presentation for Falling on Joyful Faces (PDF)

With All Your Heart ? Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)

TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Josh Bossé consider the implications of the story of the Tabernacle in our own pursuits of God.

Presentation for Creating a Space (PDF)

With All Your Heart ? Ray Vander Laan (Amazon)

TTWMK Faith Lessons on DVD and Digital (Focus on the Family)

Walter Brueggemann, ?An Alternative Way? ? The Work of the People

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Less Is More Than Enough by Chris McNaught

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings give an overview of the book of Leviticus.

Presentation for A Kingdom of What? (PDF)

Leviticus: The Book of Holiness, volume 3 of Covenant & Conversation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (Amazon)

Leviticus: The Book of Holiness, volume 3 of Covenant & Conversation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (Sefaria)

Leviticus: A Call to Priesthood (Sermon Series) ? Real Life on the Palouse

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks discuss the first in a series of images found in the desert?what it means to be a shepherd in the biblical world.

Presentation for Images of the Desert ? Shepherd (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

The Good Shepherd by Kenneth Bailey

?Lawning and Gardening [with goats]?

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the rotem and acacia trees and what they teach us about living in our own deserts.

Presentation for Images of the Desert ? Rotem and Acacia (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)

Hebrew University ? Wikipedia

Noga Hareuveni ? Wikipedia

Written Works of Noga Hareuveni

?The Broom Usually Grows in the Wilderness? ? Bar-Ilan University (via Jim Feicht and Internet Archive)

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks continue the series on images we find in the desert, learning about the ar'ar and tamarisk trees and what they teach us about living in our own deserts.

Presentation for Images of the Desert ? Ar'ar and Tamarisk (PDF)

Noga Hareuveni ? Wikipedia

Written Works of Noga Hareuveni

Hebrew University ? Wikipedia

National Botanic Garden of Israel ? Wikipedia

Tamarisk and Palm (Akkadian poem) ? Wikipedia

Tamarix (genus) ? Wikipedia

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks continue the series on images found in the desert, seeing God?s continual use of the desert to minister to us and to teach us how to minister to others.

Presentation for Images of the Desert ? Wadi and En Gedi (PDF)

Lulav ? Chabad.org

Flash Floods in Wadi Peres ? YouTube

Flash Flood in Israel ? YouTube

Israel: Flash Floods Hit Negev Desert ? AP Archive, YouTube

Onlookers caught in flash flood north of Oman ? AFP, YouTube

Pickup vs. Flash Flood ? YouTube

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.

Why Was Moses Not Allowed into the Promised Land? ? Aleph Beta

Why Couldn't Moses Enter The Land? ? Aleph Beta

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent bring our study of Torah to a close by exploring the book of Deuteronomy, examining its call to remember our stories.

Presentation for Remember Where You Came From (PDF)

The Epic of Eden by Sandra L. Richter

Topic: Deuteronomy 32 ? Aleph Beta Academy

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?A Covenant Guarantee? by Ray Vander Laan ? That the World May Know

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings give a summary of the Books of Moses at the conclusion of Session 1 of the podcast.

Presentation for Session 1 Capstone (PDF)

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set the stage for Session 2 of the podcast, reviewing our journey through Torah to bring everyone up to speed for what we will study next.

Presentation for Session 2 Intro (PDF)

BEMA 487: Sitting Shiva for Josh Bossé

BEMA 488: [Brent and Reed discuss Josh?s passing]

BEMA 489: [Marty and Elle discuss Josh?s passing]

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks address the nagging questions about the book of Joshua and its stories of mass slaughter and genocide.

Presentation for The Hardest Story in the Bible (for me) (PDF)

The Gospel of Being Human by Marty Solomon and Reed Dent

BEMA 240: Sin and the Archaeology of Joshua w/ Elle Grover Fricks

Stele ? Wikipedia

Stele of King Sennacherib ? World History Encyclopedia

The Forest in the Trees: Jesus ? Woodland Hills (Greg Boyd)

What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell

The Source by James A. Michener

The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill

Marty Solomon shares the news about the live event for our 10-year anniversary celebration.

Buy Tickets for the Anniversary Celebration

BEMA 500: [10-Year Anniversary Announcement]

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.

Presentation for Crossroads of the Earth (PDF)

The Source by James A. Michener

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the book of Judges and the cycle found therein.

?Judges Cycle? on Google

?Judges Cycle? on DuckDuckGo

?Judges Cycle? on Bing

?Judges Cycle? on Kagi

BEMA 232: Introducing the Team ? Jephthah?s Daughter w/ Elle Grover Fricks

The Forgiving Flow, Part 2: Drop the Jawbone ? The RobCast, Episode 39

Make Your Mark by Brad Gray

Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks zoom in on the mini-narrative of Ruth and gather tools for flourishing in the midst of trauma.

Map of Moab and the Surrounding Region

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.

Brock Lesnar ? Wikipedia

A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards

Leap Over a Wall by Eugene H. Peterson

David (2025 film)

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

Valley of Elah ? Wikipedia

Champion Warfare ? Wikipedia

Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden

Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

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.

Presentation for One Story, Two Sources (PDF)

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.

Presentation for The Story Behind the Story (PDF)

Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent look at the story of Elijah and the lessons learned by one of Israel?s greatest prophets.

The Gospel of Being Human by Marty Solomon and Reed Dent

Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler

Map of Phoenicia, Late Bronze Age ? Wikipedia

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.

Discussion Video for BEMA 43

Transcript for BEMA 43

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and special guest Kevin Luo discuss the collection of ancient songs known as the Psalms.

Discussion Video for BEMA 44

Classifying the Psalms by Genre

Kevin Luo on Twitter

Transcript for BEMA 44

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.

Discussion Video for BEMA 45

Kevin Luo on Twitter

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

NOOMA 012: Matthew by Rob Bell

Transcript for BEMA 45

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the underaddressed book called Song of Songs and explore the ramifications of avoiding the topic of sexuality.

Discussion Video for BEMA 46

Sex God by Rob Bell

NOOMA 002: Flame by Rob Bell

The Zimzum of Love by Rob and Kristen Bell

Transcript for BEMA 46