The Boundless Bible
The Boundless Bible is a podcast dedicated to discussing the many layers and perspectives the Bible offers to those interested in deepening their views and understanding.
Hosted by three friends from very different walks of life and life experiences, who've come together through curiosity of, and respect for, the living Word.
Our hosts are:
- DAVID SHAPIRO -- was born an Orthodox Jew, later an atheist, ex-military and MMA fighter, David heeded the call to Jesus and is now an ordained Pastor, specializing in Apologetics.
- JAVIER MARQUEZ -- Originally from Brooklyn, moved to LA to be an actor, and deeply found the Lord which led him to work in the church, lead Bible studies and grow his faith.
- JASON HOLLOWAY -- grew up in the church, left in college, and spent the next 2 decades immersed in learning world religion, spirituality, science, and mythology, recently returning to the Faith with renewed insight and perspective.
After a year of weekly discussions, we came to find that sharing and debating their different perspectives had become an exciting way to introduce new ideas to old thinking, grow their understanding, and strengthen their faith.
We are aware that there are many people out there who feel their questions haven't been answered, whose curiosity has been tamped down, or who just generally feel their community doesn't allow open dialogue, and our goal is to give those people a place to listen, ask questions, and engage with their curiosity to find a deeper and more robust connection to their faith.
The Boundless Bible
QUICK Qs: Which Biblical Character is Your First Memory?
We dive into our earliest biblical memories, revealing surprisingly different formative experiences with scripture that shaped our faith journeys.
• David's first Bible story memory is Zacchaeus, remembered through the children's song "Zacchaeus was a wee little man"
• Songs stick with children, which is why they're such an effective teaching tool
• One panelist's earliest memory was the crucifixion, which felt noble but incomprehensible as a child
• Charlton Heston's "The Ten Commandments" and family Passover Seders formed another's first biblical impressions
• Even Mel Brooks' comedic interpretation of Moses dropping the commandments served as an early biblical introduction
• The varied experiences highlight different ways children encounter and interpret scripture
Have a topic, verse, or story you'd like us to cover?
- Tell us on the socials at @theboundlessbible:
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok - Join the new Facebook Group: The Boundless Bible Discussion Group
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Quick questions with David. All right, give me a backup. Sing Javi, there it is All right so we have quick questions today and we don't even know what the question's going to be, so why don't you enlighten us, David? All right.
Speaker 3:What is the earliest Bible story that you remember? What's the earliest Bible story you remember being taught?
Speaker 1:Zacchaeus was a wee little man. A wee little man, was he? That is the very first thing that popped into my head. Really, yeah, yeah, yeah, dude, that's VBS all day. That's very first thing. I mean, it's just one of look, songs, songs, stick, songs, stick. It's the reason you teach kids those things. So Zacchaeus is the first one that comes to mind. He was a wee little man. A wee little man was he Climbed up in a sycamore tree to see what he could see. So that's what I know. That's my first one.
Speaker 3:Wow, that is completely different than what I would have thought. You said Like that is, this is why we do this. This is great, I'm learning more about you myself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 2:Wow, the fact that I like children's songs that's my first memory will be, or like first story, it will be the crucifixion.
Speaker 2:Oh ouch, and I was young all I remember was jesus on a cross bleeding, so yeah, I think it was. It was always that and I never understood it. I just didn't understand it, like it just never like registered for me of what that is for what he done us. It was more like there was this man that was crucified and we worship him or we follow him or something. So that was my earliest memory and I just thought it was noble. I thought like, wow, okay, he did it for something. Sorry, that's what I had to do.
Speaker 1:I think your experience is very consistent with many people, right. I mean, just, I know the guy, I know what he did, but I don't get it. I think that's a, that's a common, just a common thing. I mean it's one of the things that we have to. One of the things we have to work on as as Christians right, making sure that people either do get it or understand that you'll get it later, right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for me it's probably Charlton Heston's the Ten Commandments, the movie. I just remember it being on every year. We'd watch it every year and I just remember the story of Moses and then learning about that story at a Passover Seder at my family, my grandfather's house. We'd go there every year and it would be a traditional Orthodox Seder that my family, my grandfather's house, we'd go there every year and it would be a traditional Orthodox Seder that we'd have. That would take way too many hours and I was just hungry and wanted to eat, but we'd be sitting there for hours going through a book called the Haggadah, which is the prayer book that you do for the Seder, and I just it was. It's a fond memory. It's something that I look back at with with, with just fondness to make me smile, but it definitely by far was it and it's my favorite, which is it's my first memory.
Speaker 1:It's also my favorite story of the bible, so it's probably thanks to my, my grandfather you talking about the 10 commandments actually makes me want to amend my answer, because before I knew any of those things, about any of those things, I knew mel bro Brooks, moses, with the 15 commandments, I come down to bring you the 15, 10 commandments and I had no idea what that meant, but I found it to be the funniest thing in the world because because I mean everybody you kind of can't grow up in America without knowing what the 10 commandments are, right, even if you don't know anything else. But yeah, so, mel Brooks, dropping, dropping the first command, the first tablet, was hysterical to me. So I love that. It's such a funny movie.
Speaker 2:All right guys thanks again for great questions.
Speaker 1:We learn more every week. And as always, we appreciate those who listen and we look forward to talking to you next week. Thanks, bye, guys, bye.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
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