Character in Context thebestoftimesisnow

Ugh. When I started my Context for Kids radio show, I was just dreading this series. Genesis 19—really the only chapter in the Bible I would want to teach even less is Judges 19. But, I can’t skip it over, right? I will be teaching the kids Genesis 19 interpretation by using the prophets and how they viewed and spoke about Sodom—as an unhospitable and oppressively wicked society—and leave sex out of it. But you guys need to be able to answer the hard questions that would get me fitted for an ankle bracelet if I tried it. This is a brutal, deep dive into the ancient Near Eastern context of the account of the destruction of the cities of the plain and so you’ll likely be hearing things you’ve never heard before such as the ancient practice of shaming via gang rape, and the dyadic community mindset that drove Lot’s daughters to incest. Not for the faint of heart. Not for little kids.Transcript: https://theancientbridge.com/2024/04/episode-188-stuff-i-cant-teach-kids-about-sodom-and-gomorrah/YouTube: https://youtu.be/TdWB3d3SeNg

Now that we’ve covered the ancient rules for hospitality, I want to talk about the commonly misunderstood accounts of Rahab, Yael and Abigail. And we’ll also talk about how the world had changed by the time of the apostles with a quick look at Lydia.Transcript: https://theancientbridge.com/2024/03/episode-187-hospitality-or-not-rahab-yael-abigail-and-lydia-in-context/YouTube:  https://youtu.be/nbEgohsMR00

Genesis chapters 18 and 19 read as very shallow morality tales without an intimate understanding of the social dynamics going on in the arena of hospitality expectations. This is the first of two teachings describing the established parameters and rituals associated with dealing with strangers to a community and the who, what, when, where and why’s of offering sustenance and lodging. What did Abraham do right? What did Lot do wrong? This is where we can begin to understand these two complex chapters of Scripture—as well as Judges 19.Transcript: https://theancientbridge.com/2024/02/episode-186-hospitality-family-and-travel-in-the-days-of-sodom/YouTube: https://youtu.be/xHsnfgK7Vsk

This is a companion and more intensive lesson for adults based upon my current series on Context for Kids on "being like Jesus." 
Transcript: https://theancientbridge.com/2024/01/episode-185-are-we-modeling-good-fruit-or-folly/
YouTube:  https://youtu.be/qh8SjoSnwiA

A huge early theme of the Gospel of Matthew that carries throughout is the portrayal of Yeshua as the latter and greater Moses. In addition to this, He also declares Himself to be greater than the Temple and a whole lot of other sacred cows of the first century. This week we will investigate these claims and find out why they are so important to Matthew’s particular audience.Transcript: https://theancientbridge.com/2023/11/episode-184-the-gospel-of-matthew-3-the-greater-than-motif-second-moses/YouTube: https://youtu.be/6zimKlSuW0k

What is the Kingdom of Heaven and how does it differ (if at all) from the Kingdom of God spoken of by Mark and Luke? How is it to be compared with the Kingdom of the Beast and the worldly systems of honor and shame culture?Transcript: https://theancientbridge.com/2023/11/episode-183-gospel-of-matthew-2-honor-and-shame-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven/YouTube: https://youtu.be/RYrRBigIdo0