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Jerrell also draws a beautiful contrast between the "smiting pose" of the Pharaohs vs. the loving kindness of the shepherding God of Israel. This poses the question, "Which one do we imitate in our leadership?" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medinet_Habu Would you like to see Egypt for yourself and learn about the Exodus? Consider joining our "Footsteps of Moses" Signature Tour of Egypt and Jordan! The 2023 trip is already full, but please keep the 2024 trip in mind. You'll be glad you did! Follow this link to see the itinerary: https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-egypt-2023 Visit https://gtitours.org/podcastfor photos, links, and more from this episode. 

If you're interested in coming to Israel and seeing some of these off-the-beaten-path sites, consider joining our "Homesick for Israel Tour"! The dates are September 3-14, 2023.View the itinerary and register here: https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-homesick-for-israel-2023 If you'd like to read the blog to learn more about the trip, follow this link: https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/signature-homesick-for-israel Matt Bach the Pastor of Christian Development at Bridgeway Christian Church in Roseville, California. He is married with three children. He studied OT Theology in Briarcrest Bible College, holds a Masters in Theology from Fuller Seminary and is in his PhD studies in Biblical Studies through Trinity College Bristol (partnered with Univ. of Aberdeen) in England. Matt also teaches The Hebrew Bible (OT Survey) at William Jessup University as an Adjunct Faculty. He has been leading tours to Israel with GTI since 2015. Visit https://gtitours.org/podcast for photos, links, and more from this episode. 

https://netbible.org/bible/Isaiah+58 https://www.gotquestions.org/Sabbath-made-for-man.html https://store.focusonthefamily.com/that-the-world-may-know/   Would you like to experience Shabbat in Israel? Joining the September 3-14, 2023 "Homesick for Israel" Tour will allow you to do that! One of our many cultural experiences on this trip is participating in a Shabbat dinner with a Jewish family. You will also be able to see the amazing Mehane Yehuda Market as people prepare for Shabbat. See, smell, touch and taste many examples of Israel's prized produce and treats! https://www.machne.co.il/ Learn more and register here: https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-homesick-for-israel-2023

Visit https://gtitours.org/podcast for photos, links, and more from this episode.  https://netbible.org/bible/Isaiah+58 https://www.gotquestions.org/Sabbath-made-for-man.html JUC online class list for Spring 2023 semester: https://www.juc.edu/juc-online/semester-learning/ Would you like to experience Shabbat in Israel? Joining the September 3-14, 2023 "Homesick for Israel" Tour will allow you to do that! One of our many cultural experiences on this trip is participating in a Shabbat dinner with a Jewish family. You will also be able to see the amazing Mehane Yehuda Market as people prepare for Shabbat. See, smell, touch and taste many of Israel's prized produce and treats! https://www.machne.co.il/ Learn more and register here: https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-homesick-for-israel-2023   Dr. Hersey holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament Theology and an M.A. in Biblical Archaeology both from Trinity Evangelical Divinity Seminary. He is passionate about providing opportunity for students to see and understand the context of the Bible so they can grow in their relationship with God and His story. Oliver has over 15 years of experience teaching Bible in a variety of settings including youth camps, college classrooms, and churches. He and his wife Andra and their two children live in Jerusalem.  

In the first episode of our new mini-series "Characters of Christmas", Pt 1: Town of Bethlehem, Brad examines some of the flawed thinking that has crept into the Christmas story. By the end of this episode, you’ll gain new understanding and see that the town of Bethlehem welcomed Jesus with wonder! To view the Discussion Questions for this episode, please go here http://bit.ly/characters ofchristmaspt1 If you'd like to watch this episode, go to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/c/WalkingTheText Follow us on Social Media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/walkingthetext/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/walkingthetext Website - https://walkingthetext.com/ To learn more about Brad's study tours, go to https://walkingthetext.com/study-trips/   Further Study Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels: The Birthplace of Jesus and the Journeys of His First Visitors by Paul H. Wright – Chapter 1 Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels: Luke's Birth Narrative Reconstructing the Real Story – Chapter 2 Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey – Chapters 1-4 Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels by Cyndi Parker – Chapter 6 Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlasby Paul H. Wright – Chapter 19 Advent Part 1 (Context Matters Podcast) by Cyndi Parker (with Paul H. Wright) – Dec 10, 2020  Brad Gray has lived and has traveled extensively to the biblical lands and has been leading study trips since 2010. He is a national speaker, published author, former teaching pastor, and the Founder and Executive Director of Walking The Text. He has a BA in Business Management from Cornerstone University, a Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary, and has done additional graduate work at Jerusalem University College in Israel. Brad and his wife, Shallon, live with their four children in Nashville, Tennessee.  

The holidays are quickly approaching! If you'd like to order one or more of these titles for the littles in your life, follow this link: https://www.freshwindstudios.com https://www.bibleplaces.com/bethlehem/   Watch trailers for the books here: https://youtu.be/YOFj4VJI3dU https://youtu.be/gr4vBp_mLJg https://youtu.be/SVqif689uWg   As parents of two small children, Eric and Meredith Schrotenboer created Fresh Wind Studios out of the desire for them to fall more in love with God’s words. They quickly realized resources that put the Bible stories into their correct context were hard to find. Eric is a Bible teacher who leads study trips to the lands of the Bible, teaching people the cultural, historical, and geographical context in which it was written. Eric and Meredith know that context matters. The “pictures” that we teach our children will stick with them and shape their faith for the rest of their lives. Fresh Wind Studios both publishes and works with publishing partners to create and distribute a variety of resources to help children and families learn the context of God’s words. Eric and Meredith are both storytellers at heart. Eric is an award winning filmmaker, and an award winning composer. His ministry is The Acacia Project. Meredith is a morning show news anchor and a certified Enneagram coach. ericschrotenboer.com www.meredithterhaar.com theacaciaproject.com thewanderingwisemen.com Social: @ericschrotenboer @wanderingwisemen @freshwindstudios    

Casey also teaches on Shiloh (pronounced SHEE-LOW in Hebrew), a biblical site where the Ark of God rested for over 300 years. Like Casey's teaching? Join her on her trip to Israel November 5-16, 2023 and check out her website! https://gtitours.org/trip/96bb493c-82bc-4a43-bf74-5b7c7e000f8f www.caseyjordan.com https://www.bibleplaces.com/shiloh/ Next year's Homesick for Israel Tour dates are September 3-15, 2023. Registration now open! If you'd like to read the blog from the previous trip to learn more, visit: https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/signature-homesick-for-israel-2022

For the past two decades, Matt Davis has been married to his beautiful wife Marilee (the story of them meeting is fantastic!), and together they have three outstanding kids. Matt is a graduate of BIOLA University and Talbot School of Theology. After serving in a church for the past two decades as a Teaching and Executive Pastor, he started The Jewish Road with his dad (the guy below). One of Matt’s greatest joys in life is bringing families on legacy trips to the Middle East to teach them about the roots of their faith. https://www.thejewishroad.com Ron Davis is husband to the beautiful Kay and the grand patriarch of a whole tribe of kids and grandkids. Ron has too many post-graduate degrees (Talbot School of Theology) to count, but his main passion in life is sharing the gospel with Jewish people. When he first met Jesus as His Jewish Messiah in his twenties, it changed everything for him! Ron's mission is to equip the church to know the roots of their faith and to share the gospel with his Jewish brethren.

Melissa’s story is a great example of how a trip to Israel can be a springboard for your faith and personal Bible study. Perhaps most inspirational is her challenge to loosen our grip on our passions and plans. It's so easy to get carried away with doing things "for Jesus" that we lose focus on the fundamentals of following and obeying Him.   Melissa's recommended resources: “Sitting at the Feet of the Rabbi Jesus” by Lois Tverberg “Listening to the Language of the Bible: Hearing it Through Jesus’ Ears” by Lois Tverberg and Bruce Okkema “Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible” by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien “Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel Jewish Study Bible and commentaries   Read some of Melissa's writing at: https://bringingshalomtoday.wordpress.com/   Purchase one of our 30th Anniversary photo books at https://gtitours.org/book    

Is it safe? Is it comfortable? Is COVID still a factor? Bad jetlag? How's the food? Becky answers these questions and more from her perspective as a wife, mother, and traveler. She also gives some great descriptions of the Ferreira's Favorites: Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea, and Mount Nebo. Seeing the Bible come to life will be a treasured memory for their family. We can trust God and His plan no matter where our travels may lead us! Visit https://gtitours.org/podcast for photos, links, and more from this episode.    https://www.bibleplaces.com/petra/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Rum https://www.bibleplaces.com/aqaba/ https://www.bibleplaces.com/gerasa/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nebo          

  https://archaeology.huji.ac.il/tel-abel-beth-maacah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel-beth-maachah https://www.bibleplaces.com/hazor/ https://christiananswers.net/dictionary/hazor.html

View the Hope in the Holy Land trailer https://hopeintheholyland.com https://www.graftedministries.com View the Promise Land trailer Todd's bio: Todd Morehead is the Founder and Director of Grafted Ministries and is from Southern California, where he lives with his wife and four children. He is a graduate of Talbot Seminary with a M.A. in Biblical & Theological Studies and has over twenty years of experience in ministry. Ever since Todd can remember, he’s had a love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel. He became a believer at a very young age and with that decision, the love of Israel followed suit. In his earlier years, Todd worked for a couple different Christian organizations, but regardless of the task at hand, the Jewish people were always on his heart and mind. Wherever he went, it was as if he had a magnetic pull towards the Jewish people, which always led to new friendships.  In his early twenties, Todd realized there was a problem; not all Christians share God’s love for Israel and the Jewish people. Being convinced by the Scriptures that the Jews are not just another people group Christians can choose to cultivate a heart for, his vision sharpened and he began to laser in on helping Christians understand their role with God’s chosen people. Grafted Ministries was birthed out of this focus. Whether it’s the films or study guides he creates, or the Israel trips he leads—where he has been about thirty times, Todd’s aim is to awaken Christians to God’s purpose for them with the Jewish people. Photos by Justin Kron

Dr. Hersey holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament Theology and an M.A. in Biblical Archaeology both from Trinity Evangelical Divinity Seminary. He is passionate about providing opportunity for students to see and understand the context of the Bible so they can grow in their relationship with God and His story. Oliver has over 15 years of experience teaching Bible in a variety of settings including youth camps, college classrooms, and churches. He and his wife Andra and their two children live in Jerusalem. Summer Institute Webpage: https://juc.edu/juc-online/summer-institute Summer Institute Registration Page: https://connect.juc.edu/register/summer-institute-2022 JUC Summer Institute 6-week sessions Egypt and the Bible with Egyptologist Dr. James K. Hoffmeier After Israel, Egypt is mentioned more than any other nation in the OT, and within its territory, the two greatest events of salvation history occurred, namely the Exodus and the Sinai theophany and covenant ceremony. This course seeks to investigate these events in their historical and geographical contexts. After the exodus, Israel continued to have political and military dealings until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Thereafter, Egypt served as a place of refuge for Judeans. These events of the Iron age will be investigated through Egyptian archaeological sources.   Jewish Context of Jesus and the New Testament with Dr. Joel Willitts & Dr. Oliver Hersey The course is a brief survey of the history, archaeology, culture, and literature of Second Temple Judaism, the context of Jesus, and the New Testament. Students will be introduced to the key events of the Jewish story and significant people who shaped that story, deepening their appreciation for Jesus’ life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.   Geographical Lenses on Ezekiel with Dr. Elaine Phillips & Dr. Perry Phillips Studying Ezekiel, who prophesied from exile, requires expanding our focus beyond the geographical boundaries of the promised Land. This brief introduction will address Ezekiel’s messages to the communities in Jerusalem and in Babylon in the grim final years of the first temple. Join us as we explore Judah’s idolatry, the covenant sanctions, the oracles against surrounding foreign nations, the hope God’s people found in his promised forthcoming justice, and the visions of renewal – realities we might call eschatological geography.  

This story is an adaptation of the Shema, God's centerpiece prayer for his people from Deuteronomy 6:4-9: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Order Hear, O Little One wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Barnes and Noble. Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hear-Little-One-Morning-Evening/dp/0736983651/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26WHSPM2DA4EH&keywords=hear+o+little+one&qid=1644540736&sprefix=hear+o+little+%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1 Trailer #1: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4kdSWWAA4U3a04M2riX7-Q Trailer #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkviS_juArw To learn more about the Schrotenboer's first project, The Wandering Wise Men Activity Set, go podcast #31 or to https://www.freshwindstudios.com/thewanderingwisemen

Context is key to understanding the ancient world, so that is the focus of Brad's annual conference, the Infusion Bible Conference. Even if you can't be there in person, the good news is that the material is now available online! Virtual registration includes a plethora of notes, insights, timelines, and resources, all in one convenient place! Whether you attend in person or online, the goal is to help you grow not only in your knowledge of the Bible but in faithfulness. Infusion Conference Digital Download https://infusionbibleconference.com/collections/conference-downloads https://infusionbibleconference.com   Brad Gray has traveled extensively to the biblical lands of Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and Greece, and has been leading study trips to Israel and Turkey since 2010. He is a national speaker, published author (Make Your Mark: Getting Right What Samson Got Wrong), and former teaching pastor, with over 10 years of experience serving in multiple local churches. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan), a Masters of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan), and has done additional graduate work at Jerusalem University College (Jerusalem, Israel). Brad and his wife, Shallon, live with their four children in Nashville, Tennessee. https://walkingthetext.com/

Mark L. Strauss (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego. He is the author or coauthor of several books and numerous articles, including How to Read the Bible in Changing Times, Four Portraits, One Jesus: An Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels, How to Choose a Translation for All It's Worth (with Gordon D. Fee), The Essential Bible Companion (with John Walton), and commentaries on Mark's Gospel in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Series and Expositors Bible Commentary, Vol. 9. He is New Testament editor of the Expanded Bible and the Teach the Text Commentary Series. He also serves as vice-chair of the Committee for Bible Translation for the New International Version and as an associate editor for the NIV Study Bible. Strauss has a heart for ministry and preaches and teaches regularly at churches, conferences, and college campuses. He is the weekly teacher at the Cove Bible Study at The Church at Rancho Bernardo. He lives in San Diego with his wife, Roxanne, and three kids. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miletus https://www.bibleplaces.com/capernaum/ https://www.zondervan.com/9780310528593/introducing-jesus/ Video of inscription in Miletus https://www.dropbox.com/s/iioh9i4abd5dk31/Inscription%20at%20Miletus.mov?dl=0   Mark teaching in Miletus https://vimeo.com/103525372 Mark teaching on Revelation 3 https://vimeo.com/103448364 Mark teaching at Ephesus https://vimeo.com/103512147   Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospelshttps://www.christianbook.com/lexham-geographic-commentary-on-the-gospels/barry-beitzel/9781683590446/pd/590446?en=google&event=SHOP&kw=academic-20-40%7C590446&p=1179710&dv=m&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm9yJBhDTARIsABKIcGZJHvW5dz4wXw1GFgg_a1MbBww3w4cSudXde_uWCXfDNgYofnrxu_caAl0XEALw_wcB   The Essential Bible Companion: Key Insights for Reading God's Word https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Bible-Companion-Insights-Reading/dp/0310266629

CHRISTOPHER D. STANLEY is a professor at St. Bonaventure University who studies the social and religious history of the Greco-Roman world, with special attention to early Christianity and Judaism. He has written or edited six books and dozens of professional articles on the subject and presents papers regularly at conferences around the world. The trilogy A Slave’s Story, which grew out of his historical research on first-century Asia Minor, is his first work of fiction. He is currently working on an academic book that explores healing practices in the Greco-Roman world, a subject that plays a vital role in this series.   "The Past is a foreign country. They do things differently there." L.P. Hartley https://www.aslavesstory.com The photos in the show notes depict the Asclepion (hospital/healing center) in Pergamum https://www.bestturkeytour.com/asclepion-pergamon-turkey/

A few principles of GTI Tours that are mentioned... God is in the business of restoration God is our CEO "If it's God's will, it's God's bill" You can't out-give God A GTI Tour is not a product but an experience  Part 1 was released on Thursday, December 23 so we encourage you to go back and listen if you missed it! Visit https://gtitours.org/podcast for photos, links, and more from this episode. 

*This podcast is a repeat from our original release January 14, 2021* This week’s episode is extra special as our GM Rich Ferreira interviews our company Vice President and former GM, Tom Harrington. Rich and Tom answer some age-old questions such as, “What does GTI stand for?” and “How did this company begin?” Listen as Tom shares the story of his experience in the travel industry, his personal loss, and how God wove the pieces of his past into a new and different plan, a plan that included GTI Tours. Part 1 will be released on Thursday, December 23 followed by Part 2 on Thursday, December 30. Tracing the path of God’s hand in a person’s life can bring much hope and encouragement, and that is our New Year’s wish for each of you!

Cost is $59.95. For a limited time, all pre-orders receive free shipping within the continental U.S.! All proceeds go toward our Trip Scholarship Fund.  Check off your shopping list and at the same time, support some of our partners in the Land, like Johnny from Bethlehem at https://johnnysouvenir.com/ or Israeli guide Nadav at https://promisesofglory.com/ Homesick for Israel video: https://vimeo.com/418114134 To learn more about the Homesick for Israel Tour in August of 2022, follow this link: https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-homesick-for-israel To give back to our guides and drivers, go to: https://gtitours.org/giving-back#tcs To see our recommended resources, go to https://gtitours.org/resources#tcs Donate $25 or more and receive a free GTI t-shirt (see attached images)! *while supplies last To listen to previous podcasts, such as #38 and #39 as mentioned, go to https://gtitours.org/podcast#tcs