Better Than Fiction Bible Podcast

For some reason, Nathan Vanhorn didn't want to record with the flu. Weird.

The mystery contributor is not allowed to guess

(Genesis 24:10-21) So like, this guy Abraham's servant went on a mission to find a wife for his son Isaac, right? He packed a bunch of cool stuff and took off on this trip. He ended up chilling at a well in a town called Nahor. He was like, "Yo, God, help me find the perfect girl for my bro Isaac."Just then, this super pretty girl named Rebekah rolled up with a jar to get some water. The servant was like, "Hey girl, lemme get a sip of that?" And she was like, "Sure, and let me water your camels too, no biggie."The servant was like, "Yo, this might be the one," but he wanted to make sure, so he kept watching her. Turns out, Rebekah was not only pretty, but also super nice and hardworking. The servant was like, "Yup, found her. Thanks, God!" #blessed

(Genesis 24:1-9) We have it all for you on this one. KFC, scandalous topics, singing, conflicting interpretations, and overlooked biblical truths. Our favorite biblical character: Eliezer of Damascus is given a task of the upmost importance by Abraham. Also, does anyone actually read these? I genuinely want to know. I try every week to make these as engaging as possible, just to add a little spice and helpful information. Send me a message at betterthanfictionbiblepodcast.com and let me know if you read this.

(Genesis 23) Trees, deals, land promises, and repeated words. We've seen all of this before, and we should know by now to pay close attention when the Bible uses these recurring symbols. From forgotten civilizations to ancestral graves, we discuss the start of Abraham's legacy.

(Genesis 22:20-24) One of the major recurrences in the Bible is genealogies. As we know, nothing is in the Bible for no reason. So, what is the genealogy at the end of chapter 22 meant to teach us? The crew dives deep into the text as we wrap up this chapter and begin to wind down the story of Abraham's life.

(Genesis 22) If there's one thing we have learned working on this podcast, it's that the Bible is very deliberate in the way it draws attention to certain elements in order to show something to the reader. But, it is possible to read too much into the text; especially when it comes to identifying when the text is foreshadowing Jesus! So how can we be sure when the Old Testament contains Jesus? We discuss this on this week's episode.

(Genesis 22:1-8) An AI was asked to provide an episode description for Ep 112 of The Better Than Fiction Bible Podcast: In this episode, our hosts delve into the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22, one of the most well-known and frequently debated stories in the Old Testament. They begin by setting the scene and providing background on the characters and the context of the story.The hosts then dive into a close reading of the text, exploring the various elements of the story, such as the test God puts Abraham through, the journey to the mountaintop, and the ultimate sacrifice. They discuss the significance of the different elements of the story and how they relate to the larger narrative of the Bible. The hosts intersperse pop-culture references into the discourse, and relate modern life to the story of the Bible.

(Genesis 22:1-19) Join Nathan VanHorn and Matt as they discuss the shocking instruction God gave Abraham to sacrifice his child. From Mel Gibson, The Terminator, and the wisdom of Gandalf the White, find it all in today’s wizardless episode.

(Genesis 4) When the producer is away, the hosts will play. Think we go slowly through the the Biblical story? Guess what; we are going backwards! All the way back to Cain and Abel. Again, we see what the Bible has in store for us if only we are willing to chew on it.

(Genesis 22:1-4) Mountains and tests, we’ve seen both several times in Genesis. Every time someone comes down from the Mountain, it’s in failure. But today we introduce a story that ends with Abraham coming down from the mountain in victory.

(Genesis 21:22-34) We come to the end of Chapter 21, and we talk about the usual stuff. Things like: pickles, how big a crowd of 80,000 really it, talking fish, and tree-based scams. I promise all this has to do with the Bible and the faith of Abraham.

(Genesis 21:8-21) We've seen how important names are in the Biblical narrative, from the sons of Cain to Abraham. But what if I ask you what the first name given by God was? Like we've seen time and time again, God is more merciful than than we might think.

(Genesis 21) Divorce happens; it's painful, messy, nuanced and more complicated than we often paint it. We are tempted to see life's journey as an "either/or" problem, but we see here that God often works with a "yes/and" solution.

(Genesis 21:8-9) The last episode of the year! Thank you to all our listeners for a fantastic year of Biblical Discussions. This episode: a brother teases a brother, and the family is never the same.

When Matt is away, Gandalf and Nathan Vanhorn will play. Join us as we delve into completely unknown territory: The New Testament!

(Genesis 21:4) You've seen us do whole episodes on one verse, but have you seen us do our longest episode yet on just one word? Like we always say, there's always more, not less when it comes to the Bible. One word can make all the difference when interpreted by different people.

(Genesis 21) The gang's all here. We got: polemic, look, see, take, laughter, and above all a child with help from the Lord.

Welcome to the first episode of Season 4! Leave us a message at our website betterthanfictionbiblepodcast.com

After 100 episode of exploring the Biblical narrative, the crew finally make the jump to the New Testament. View this special live video episode at www.betterthanfictionbiblepodcast.com

(Genesis 19:29-38) We've seen this before and it should come as no surprise; In the ancient world family lines are EVERYTHING. So, if this passage feels familiar to you, think about why. Nothing in this story is by mistake.

(Genesis 19:8) Today, things get more heavy and somber than what is typical of the show. It all boils down to one question: "How many Daughters did Lot have?" It might sound like an easy question, but as we have so often learned in reading genesis; there more (not less) to this story.

(Genesis 19) Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt; a result of an angry God, or a final rejection of rescue? We'll find out what the ancients thought about this whole thing. And also, Nathan sings a bunch .

(Genesis 19) How can Lot be called righteous? After all, he’s shown to do some shady stuff, yet the New Testament names him “Righteous”. Like with everything else we’ve seen there really is more (not less) to the story that meets the eye.

(Genesis 19: 1-22) The door is quickly closing on Sodom, and Lot makes one last attempt to save anyone who would be saved.

(Genesis 19:1-11) Zombies, Halo, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings....This is a Bible podcasts right? Blending complementary things can be fun. but find out what happens when some cross the boundaries that God has put in place. As we learn in this episode, God boundaries aren't there for no reason.

(Genesis 19:1-11) The Wizard-less trilogy come to an end, and the story Sodom and Gamora begins in Ernest. We begin with a simple question: Is it wrong to live in Sodom? “Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you”

(Genesis 13:8-13) What do the Hunger Games, The Walking Dead, and the Lorax have in common? Beats me, I wasn't there. I guess we'll just have to listen together.

(Genesis 18:22) Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him. Matt and Nathan Vanhorn delve into the story to answer a simple question: What is the benefit of a Saint's prayer?

Oops

(Genesis 18:16-33) Visit betterthanfictionbiblepodcast.com to see our first live episode!

(Genesis 18:16-21) We got a great show for you today! Lunchables, Star Wars, Michael Bay, Divine beings, and intercession. .

(Genesis 18) And we’re back. Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational podcast. Today we talk about a scandalous topic…or do we?

(Genesis 18:1-8) What do you do when God and His spiritual posse roll up while you're chilling in your tent? Abraham's response is a good place to start. We love connecting dots, and this episode is full of them. What do oaks, meals, divine visitors, and miraculous babies have in common? It means the author is trying to get you to pay close attention!

(Genesis 17:22-27) Nathan Vanhorn is not here, you know what that means, anything could happen. Guess what? We are going back to circumcision for the second time in a month, but don’t blame us we didn’t write the Bible. It’s a bit of an embarrassing topic, but like we always say: It’s more not less.

(Genesis 17:15-21)Ok, we are no longer talking about circumcision. Let’s talk about something a little more pleasant; Babies. Or more specifically, a baby. We are only 17 chapters into the Bible, but already we’ve seen several times God used the promise of a baby to change everything. This week: The return of Hook, talk of Theological systems, and Adam Sandler is not funny.

(Genesis 17:9-14) Get all the giggles out now, we’re all going to be mature adults about this. Today’s episode is about circumcision, and I don’t want the discussion to get cut off. No matter how you slice it, this is a topic of upmost importance to ancient Jewish readers.

(Genesis 17:3-8) What is the best Nolan movie? What date was modern Israel founded? When is Matt's anniversary? Who does Israel belong to? All these questions and more will be answered in today's episode.

(Genesis 17: 3-8) There are things going on that you can’t see. Not a conspiracy theory, literally things you can’t see. The players in the Bible narrative where not fiction characters, they lived in a real and storied world just like we do today. That world affected how it’s story interacted with theirs, and understanding how can help modern readers gain insight into the actions and motives of Biblical characters. Also, we talk about Spider-Man at one point.     

(Genesis 17: 1-8) The crew is once again united and ready to move into a new chapter of Genesis. We’ve seen the importance of names in The Story before, and this is no exception. A name for God and a new name for Abram, along with a promise that will shape the direction The Story from now on. Also, there’s some talk about the FBI, threats to the listeners, and Jason Webb.

(Genesis 16: 7-11) We’ve seen many references to angel and spiritual beings in the text, but what makes “The Angel of the Lord” different from the rest? Matt and Nathan Vanhorn discuss this topic in the absence of Gandalf and prove once and for all that they can record an episode all on their own.

(Genesis 16) Things are getting weird this week, but not in the text. An off-hand comment sends the Better than Fiction Crew down a rabbit hole that reveals clarity where once there was confusion. And Nathan Vanhorn sings, pop culture references are made, and Chapter 16 gets stretched out for another episode. So, not that weird after all.

(Genesis 16) You think you have family drama? Well, you’ve probably never been taken from your homeland and then been driven into the wilderness. But you probably have been in the spiritual wilderness. Just like Hagar, God sees you and is far more gracious than man.  

(Genesis 16) After many episodes, the crew leaves Genesis 15 behind and begins a new journey in Chapter 16. There is often more going on in the text of the Bible than what is immediately apparent, and other times it’s actually less complicated than you think. It’s tempting to read our own culture and customs into the text, but it’s important to remember that the Bible was written in a different place and time. This week: Superfans, Surrogate mothers, and Tom Hanks.

(Genesis 15:12-20) Not everything is as it first seems. The Bible uses genealogies, time, and now space to get it’s message across. Looking back on previously understood stories may reveal new truths. This week:  Jebusites, iniquity, maps, and  The Death Star.      Hook is a bad movie

(Genesis 12-21) Everything that follows, is a result of what you see here. My responses are limited, you must ask the right questions. "How long is a Generation?"I'm sorry, that is not the right question."Did God wait to free Israel from slavery?"That, is the right question.

(Genesis 15:12-21) This guy Abram, he’s great, really great, everyone says so. They come up to me and they say “Abram, his faith, it’s really outstanding”. Terrific guy. Wonderful guy. The dreams he’s having and deal’s he’s making, I’ve been saying it forever. I’ll just go ahead and say it: someone really loves this guy.

(Genesis 15:7-17) From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king. We celebrate and discuss life changes this week, both our own and Abrams.

(Genesis 15:6) Gandalf and Nathan continue to explore the question of Abram’s Faith, and it relation to the faith of modern Christians. Naturally there’s some singing, pop-culture references, and the acknowledgement of our slow pace. It’s the podcast you know and love.

(Genesis 15:6) Nathan and Gandalf discuss (among other things) The faith of Abram, the writings of Paul, and Spielberg’s best water based movie.