We talked with pastor and author Tomy Cummins about what to do when someone you love admits that they're drowning in anxiety, depression, or thoughts of suicide. Most of us care deeply but feel unprepared, afraid of saying the wrong thing or making things worse. His new book Shepherds of The Mind: Caring Like Christ in an age of Silent Suffering equips ordinary people to respond with compassion, gentleness, and hope.

Tomy A. Cummins is a pastor, communicator, author, and mental health advocate. With over two decades of ministry experience, his work integrates scripture with evidence-based practices, shaped by training in Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid, safeTALK, ASIST, Soul Shop, and QPRT suicide risk detection. Tomy is passionate about helping everyday followers of Jesus become a healing presence rooted in a life deeply connected to the Good Shepherd. He lives in Colorado with his wife Mendy, their two children (Laney and Judah), and an extremely affectionate golden doodle named Sir Chester Chauntavious Chewingston Esquire—Chewie for short. Tomy enjoys spending time with his family, reading, cycling, disc golf, birdwatching, smoking briskets, and cheering for the Oklahoma City Thunder like they can hear him from 600 miles away. You can connect with Tomy and his work on his website https://www.tomycummins.com/

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What is “Ordinary Time” in the Christian calendar, and why is it called “ordinary” if it’s still spiritually significant? How can we practice rhythms of faith and stay spiritually grounded during the quieter seasons of life? Christy, Ben, and Matt discuss.

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What is Pentecost, and why is it such an important moment in Christianity? What was the significance of the disciples speaking in different languages in Acts 2? How do different Christian traditions and cultures celebrate Pentecost today? Ben, Christy, and Matt discuss these questions and more!

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What is the Ascension of Jesus, and how does the theology of the ascension matter? How did the Ascension change the disciples’ understanding of Jesus and their mission? Join Matt, Ben, and Christy to hear their answers to these questions and more.

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Ben and Christy welcome Matt back to the podcast after the sabbatical; Matt reflects on his time away.

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We’re continuing our mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this series, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don’t realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don’t have immediate access to. Today’s topic: Jesus versus the Greek Gods.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

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We’re continuing our mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this series, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don’t realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don’t have immediate access to. Today’s topic: Jesus versus the Apocalyptics.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

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We talked with BEMA Podcast host Marty Solomon about what it means to be human. Many of us have inherited a theology that says being human is our main problem, something for us to overcome, but what if being human is actually the point of the gospel? What if God is inviting us to see our humanity as, in fact, very good news? In The Gospel of Being Human, Marty Solomon and Reed Dent invite you on a journey of curiosity, attention, and wonder--asking better questions about who we really are and what Scripture actually says about our identity.

Marty Solomon is a theologian, president and director of discipleship for Impact Campus Ministries, and the creator and executive producer of the BEMA Podcast. He and his wife Rebekah live in Cincinnati with their two children. Marty's previous book was titled Asking Better Questions of the Bible: A Guide for the Wounded, Wary & Longing for More. Find out more about Marty at www.martysolomon.com.

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