Advertise on podcast: Plainfield Ponderings - Scripture Meditations

Send Allen a text - Ponder with Bryan and I about the mind of Christ. This subject could take up a lifetime of study but in this context, the mind of Jesus was all about service and humility. This will be the true source of congregational unity. Also, the subject of the verbs is interesting in this section - it's Christ Himself lowering Himself, but His Father is exalting Him. What does this mean for us? Ponder it with us. To God be the glory! This was shot as a video as well, if you prefer to watch: Adopt a Humble Mindset | Talking Through Philippians — Session 4 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me the on-going work of sanctification. There are Scriptures that give us the indication that sanctification is a one-time deal, that it happens in conversion and it's done. Other Scriptures give us the indication it is on-going. The first part of the lesson is about how those two truths can be held together, and then we dig in on how Paul encouraged others to grow in their sanctification. And finally, what are some of the promises God has made to motivate us to grow in it? To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with Bryan and I as we discuss what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel. What does a worthy life look like to Paul? On the positive side it looks like humility, unity, and service among other things. On the negative side it means removing ANY selfish ambition or conceit. If those are not removed, one of the ways it shows itself is by ignoring people in the church that might not be able to do anything for you in return. Ponder this very applicable subject with us. To God be the glory! This was shot as a video as well. If you prefer to watch, here's a link: Practice Humility, Build Unity | Talking Through Philippians — Session 3 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me the greatest sermon ever preached - the sermon on the mount. This will begin a series on this sermon, but I want to take a couple of episodes and lay some important groundwork because it helps us to see why this sermon has been so important to believers for so long. The Holy Spirit gives us a summary of this sermon—the gospel of the Kingdom. What Kingdom is this? What should they have expected and what does that have to say about how we perceive the sermon? Join me as we begin pondering this profound teaching. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Paul with me—what does Paul mean when he says to live is Christ? We are recapping Philippians with Bryan and focusing in on the middle part of Philippians 1. Paul speaks of how the gospel has advanced because of his chains, while giving other people courage, and then waffles between life and death. Which one is better? Death is better for Paul, but life is better for others. Listen in and ponder these things with us. To God be the glory! This was shot as a video, and here's the link to the video if you prefer that: Center Your Life on Christ | Talking Through Philippians — Session 2 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me where sanctification begins. There must be a starting point somewhere. In the first episode on sanctification (Sep. 28th), we defined it as being completely and totally God's. That must have a beginning point though. Scripture emphasizes this in different ways - when someone is in Christ, and other times it speaks of being done by God's Holy Spirit. These come crashing together in our conversion though, in ways we may not have thought much about. I hope you can meditate with me. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me, and Bryan, about the beginning of the Philippians epistle. Back on September 24th, I released an episode with Bryan about an upcoming class he is teaching. However, I know many cannot attend that, so we thought we would publish a recap for the wider audience that does not live in this area. So, this conversation is broad overview of Philippians, as well as the very beginning of the letter where Paul tells them about his prayer for them and speaks of his affection for them. I hope these recaps can help you ponder Philippians more, and that it's a blessing in your studies. To God be the glory! This was originally recorded as a video. If you prefer to watch us engage with each other, here's a link: Find Joy in the Journey | Talking Through Philippians — Session 1 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how important and transforming it can be to gaze at Christ and His glory. We start with a principle from the sermon on the mount about how our eyes are discipling us. We are being shaped by the things we gaze at. Then, we'll ponder this together from II Corinthians 3 where Paul is contrasting the Law of Moses with Jesus and the new covenant, and end in Galatians where we get a sense of how Paul presented Jesus. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me what sanctification means. This is one of those words we don't give much attention to. It's a "Bible-word" used only in religious settings that most people just associate with morality. It's SO MUCH deeper and truly speaks to the heart of our Christianity. It captures the meaning of total devotion to the Lord. I have no doubt this will challenge all of us. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me some of the overall themes in Philippians. There is an upcoming class on Philippians that Bryan Schiele is teaching here at the Plainfield church (details below), and we want you to be there! If you don't live in the area, we talk through some of the main themes of the book and then follow it with a reading of the letter. To God be the glory! Class begins October 4th 9am, every Sunday morning for 13 weeks: 950 East Township Line Road Plainfield, IN 46168 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me what all of Scripture is hanging on - the commands of love. The short narrative of a pharisaical lawyer approaching Jesus to test Him about what is the greatest command of Scripture is fairly familiar to most disciples. However, the last sentence, only recorded in Matthew is as shocking as anything...that ALL of Scripture is hanging on these too. Let's ponder together how serious motive is, especially when dealing with the details of Scripture. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about the recurrence of 3-day trials in Scripture. Numbers have so much more meaning than just the numerical value. The Bible has dozens and dozens of 3-day tests where people are pushed to trust the Lord more. This included the death and burial of Jesus, while He laid in the grave for a part of 3 days. That 3-day test is especially pertinent to our darkest 3-day test we'll walk through - death. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me what our natural responses to trials are. It's normally fight or flight! That is the common way psychologists have worded it. We either want to run far away and not deal with it, or we want to dig our heels in and fight like crazy. There's a third option that Jeremiah preached a ton when Jerusalem was suffering—wait on God. Join me in meditating on this. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about the danger and idolatry of seeking glory from people. Sometimes we take this "no harm, no foul" mentality about seeking glory from others—as if it were not 'THAT' big of a deal, as long as it doesn't get in the way of serving God. That is not how Scripture portrays it though. The apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus both speak about the impossibility of having true faith while seeking the approval of men. Ponder this sobering topic with me. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]

Send Allen a text - Ponder with me what it looks like for God to be our Master. It's easy to throw out the common, broad descriptions of what that means—such as doing the will of the Lord. Nothing wrong with that! Jesus did that at times too. However, in this episode we dig in on the specifics. What did it mean to King David in Psalm 16 for God to be His Master, and is that true of us too? Join me in thinking through this practical topic. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]