Plainfield Ponderings - Scripture Meditations

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Ponder with me the spiritual benefit that can come from trials. James 1 says they can create steadfastness, but Jesus mentioned people falling away in the midst of their faith being tested (Luke 8:14). So, which is it? It's up to us, and whether we have the wisdom to think through this correctly. And if we lack this wisdom, we need prayer...otherwise trials have the opportunity to bully us. To God be the glory!

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Please ponder a new series about Blue Collar Christianity with me. It's all about the book of James. In this lesson we introduce the book by emphasizing how it is different from most other N.T. Scripture. It is tremendously applicable and down to earth...or is it? I tease with that question because this 'down to earth' book has nothing to do with the wisdom of this world. Let's get started...to God be the glory!

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Ponder with me about how we can investigate to excel in building the church up. Paul says to do this in I Corinthians 14:12. Most translations say "seek" or "strive", but the original Greek term can mean "investigate". In other words, Paul wants us to really give careful, thoughtful consideration about how to build up the church. If singing is one way we can do that, then let's ponder it. To God be the glory!

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Let's ponder how we can show the world what God is like. It's not easy but it is powerful - forgiving others. We all know how serious God is about forgiving others. There were few things Jesus spoke so seriously about. Perhaps God knew just how much spiritual influence we could wield through it. This is a sermon I did in a church in Fort Wayne, IN as a part of a series about taking time to be holy and primarily focuses on forgiving each other in the church. To God be the glory!

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I start off this pondering with this question - what character of the O.T. believe in resurrection before there were any resurrections? And what was going through his mind to cause him to trust such a thing? This lesson has more application to our lives than you might think. To God be the glory!

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Let's ponder Christ's resurrection in the Old Testament. This will be our last lesson in our series on seeing Christ in the Old Testament. There's no better place to land than on the most important event in human history. Christ's resurrection did not just show Jesus for who He truly is...it shows us what our hope looks like! Where is this found in the Hebrew Scriptures? To God be the glory!

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Ponder the healing of the hemorrhaging woman with me. This episode is a bit of a follow up from the last. We saw in the previous episode that under the Old Law, uncleanness could spread but cleanness/holiness could NOT (Haggai 2). However, Christ reverses that. Let's think through some of the miracles where He heals people unclean under the Old Law and what the implications of that are. To God be the glory! 

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Let's ponder a weird sermon in Haggai. The prophet asks two hypothetical questions to the Jews about how holiness and cleanliness get passed on. The returned exiles had stopped work on the Temple partly because they thought just being around the animal sacrifices of the altar would make them holy. Haggai challenges that and even goes one step further...think through this weird one with me. To God be the glory!

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Let's ponder how the Scripture never hides the flaws of its most faithful characters. Their sins are staring us in the face...and not just their sins but the darker emotional side too that sometimes doesn't involve sin. In short, the Scripture wants us to see their humanity for what it is. Such is the case in James when he humanizes Elijah and turns it into an encouragement to pray. To God be the glory!

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Ponder the crucifixion with me, from the poetry of the Old Testament. There are some prophecies that are a little hidden and obscure...while others are so obvious they work more like a portrait. They paint a vivid scene of Jesus' life. Such is the case in Psalm 22. Let's ponder and be amazed at what He did for us! To God be the glory!

Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]