Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me one of the most ancient and strange laws regarding freeing slaves. However, the strange twist is not in the freedom but in the lawful keeping of a slave, if the slave wanted to permanently remain in the house of their Master. We will first think through how awesome it is that these ancient texts are so relevant and then we'll see if we can find ourselves in this practice. To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me how sincere thanksgiving ought to be seen in us. This week is Thanksgiving, and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday! I love this holiday so much. Please join me as we meditate on how superficial gratitude is a lot more common in our culture than the genuine. Where does all genuine gratitude end up, and with whom? To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me one of the strangest, weirdest, cryptic references in Scripture! It is Jude's reference to Satan and the Archangel Michael arguing over the body of Moses. We'll talk briefly about what piece of literature this reference comes from (it's outside the Scriptures) ... but we don't want the main point to get lost on us. It's about leaving room for the judgments of God and putting ourselves under them without presumption.

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me about the agendas we have when we come to Scripture. Because of our culture, upbringing or popular religious thinking (that we have accepted without thinking through it), we all have expectations we are bringing to God's word. What happens when God comes in direct conflict with those? This scenario is played out in Jeremiah 41-43 - let's ponder it together. To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me about prayers of faith. Can we say that our prayers are of faith? Let's first look at what it means to have prayers of faith, and then we'll ponder the example of prayer that James gives - Elijah. There's a detail in Elijah's story that may shed light on what it means to have absolute confidence in prayer, like he had. To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me about taking matters out of our hands and letting the Lord fix it. As Americans we love to think we can fix anything and everything. We love to think we can influence any situation. It's not true though. There are some things in life that are too big, which only God can fix...and even then, we might need to wait until the return of Christ for the ultimate resolution. This takes patience. To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me about what to do with our extra manna. We don't often think about the contribution of money on the Lord's Day as being a facet of one-another Christianity, but it's at the very heart of taking care of one another. Please join me in thinking about some principles to guide our hearts in pondering the contribution on Sundays. To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me the final two temptations from Satan in Matthew 4. They are all about shortcuts. The shortcut to show everyone Jesus is the true Messiah, and the shortcut of God's promise to Christ of all the nations (Psalm 2). Satan is all about quick fixes and short cutting the sacrifice of true love. Praise God that Jesus has had enough - be gone! To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder with me some applications to some very big topics - loving our neighbor as ourselves and the brevity of life. It may seem silly to ponder such big things in one lesson, but James gives them in back-to-back paragraphs. Hint - it all has to do with the context of our previous four lessons from James - peaceable relationships and worldliness. To God be the glory!

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

Send Allen a text -

Ponder the spiritual warfare in the wilderness between Christ and Satan, from Matthew 4. Christ, as our High Priest, is showing the way to fight temptation. Let's get into the mind of the devil, while also getting into the mind of Jesus. These temptations have so many layers to them, and it is all things we face today. I hope you'll join me - to God be the glory!

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