Pondering the Bible

Send us Fan Mail Romans 8:31–39: Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue Season 18 of Pondering the Bible by finishing Romans 8:31–39 (RSV). They explain Paul’s “therefore” conclusion to the prior discussion of sin’s effects, suffering, and God bringing good out of hardship, clarifying that “If God is for us” doesn’t mean Christians always win. They co...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 8:18–30: Suffering, Creation’s Groaning, the Spirit’s Help, and Predestination Ken Corkins and pastor Rock Ellison record season 18, episode 18 of Pondering the Bible after Vacation Bible School and continue their study of Romans, reading and discussing Romans 8:18–30 (RSV). They explain Paul’s teaching that present suffering is not comparable to future glory, using childbi...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 8:1–17: No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and Adoption as God’s Children Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 8:1–17 (RSV) on “Pondering the Bible,” focusing on Paul’s shift from despair in Romans 7 to assurance that there is “no condemnation” for those in Christ, especially in the end-time judgment. They explain that believers are judged by what Jesus has...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue “Pondering the Bible” (Season 18, Episode 16) by finishing Romans 7:7–25 from the Revised Standard Version. They discuss Paul’s teaching that the law is holy and reveals sin—especially the internal sin of coveting—while sin exploits commandments as a “base of operations,” making forbidden things more tempting. Using Prohibition and a b...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 7:1–6 — Dead to the Law, Alive in the Spirit Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison host “Pondering the Bible” (Season 18, Episode 15), continuing their study of Romans by covering chapter 7:1–6 (RSV). They discuss Paul addressing the Jew–Gentile conflict in the Roman church: Jews emphasize strict adherence to the law while Gentiles claim the Spirit makes the law unnecessary....

Send us Fan Mail Romans 6:15–23: Slaves to Sin or Slaves to Righteousness Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 6:15–23, continuing Paul’s argument about law versus grace and revisiting the rejection of antinomianism. They explain Paul’s slavery metaphor: people are born slaves to sin through original sin and cannot choose freedom on their own, but hearing and accepting Jesus’ teachi...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 6: Dead to Sin, Alive to God Co-hosts Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Alison discuss Romans 6:1–14 (RSV), focusing on Paul’s rejection of antinomianism (“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means”) and the teaching that believers have died to sin. They explain “baptized into Christ’s death” as the first-century conversion process where confession, repentance...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 5:12–21 — Adam, Sin, Death, and the Greater Gift of Grace in Christ Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue Season 18’s study of Romans by finishing chapter 5 (verses 12–21, RSV), focusing on Paul’s “big picture” comparison of Adam and Jesus. They discuss how sin entered through one man and death spread to all, using this passage to explore original sin versus total d...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 5:1–11 (RSV) as a shift from how salvation happens to the benefits of being saved. They emphasize Paul’s capitalized “THEREFORE,” arguing that sin makes people enemies at war with God, and justification by faith is a completed act that brings “peace” as a military cessation of hostilities, supporting their view of once-saved-alwa...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 4:13–25: Abraham’s Faith, God’s Promise, and Resurrection Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue Season 18, Episode 10 of “Pondering the Bible,” finishing Romans 4:13–25 (RSV) on salvation by grace through faith using Abraham as Paul’s key example. They explain that God’s promise to Abraham came long before the law, so it could not be earned by law-keeping; they cont...

Send us Fan Mail Romans 4:1–12—Abraham, David, and Salvation by Faith Apart from Works  Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue their Romans study (Season 18, Episode 9) by beginning Romans 4:1–12 in the RSV, where Paul answers objections to justification by faith by using Abraham and David as biblical proof. They explain that Genesis says Abraham “believed God” and righteousness was “reckon...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 3:21–31 (RSV) as Paul’s conclusion that everyone—Jew and Gentile—sins and cannot save themselves by obeying the law. They explain key terms Paul uses: saving faith in Jesus as the perfect God-man and sacrifice, justification as being declared not guilty and made sinless by God’s response to faith, grace as an undeserved gift, red...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison discuss Romans 3:9–20 (RSV) in Season 18, episode seven. Rocky reviews Paul’s argument from Romans 2–3 that being a Jew is about obedience, not DNA, though Jews have the privilege of specific revelation in Scripture. They explain Paul’s claim that both Jews and Greeks are “under the power of sin,” likening it to a soldier or slave under authori...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison continue their Romans study switching from the NLT to the Revised Standard Version for its academic clarity. Covering Romans 3:1–8, they connect Paul’s argument from chapter 2 about who is truly a Jew—those who do God’s will—and ask what advantage being Jewish has. Paul’s main answer is that Jews were entrusted with the “oracles of God,” meanin...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Corkins and pastor Rocky Ellison resume Season 18,  noting upcoming travel breaks, and finish Romans chapter 2 by reading verses 17–29 from the Revised Standard Version to capture Paul’s deliberate word choices. They discuss Paul’s harsh critique of Jewish Christians who rely on the law and circumcision as marks of superiority while failing their responsibility to teach Gentil...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Pastor Rocky Ellison delve into the second chapter of Romans, focusing on verses 1 through 16. They discuss how Paul addresses both Jewish and Gentile Christians, emphasizing that God's judgment is impartial and based on one's behavior rather than lineage or knowledge of the law. They also clari...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Pastor Rocky Ellison delve into Romans 1:18-32, discussing God's anger and the consequences He allows for those who reject Him. They explore different translations, the concept of God's wrath versus His justice, and the natural revelation of God in creation. They also address the consequences of...

Send us Fan Mail Hosts Ken Corkins and Rocky Ellison delve into Romans 1:8-17, discussing various themes and interpretations of faith. They reflect on the importance of spiritual gifts, Paul's desire to visit the Roman Christians, and the need for unity and orthodoxy in the church. The conversation also covers different theological views on how faith is obtained and the significance of the Ol...

Send us Fan Mail  We’re sorry to miss you this week! Due to some scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to get together to record. We will be back next week with a brand-new episode.  NEW!: Rate us at Podchaser   Find us at www.pondergmc.org .  Feedback is welcome: PonderMethodist@gmail.com   Music performed by the Ponder GMC worship team. Cover Art: Joe Wagner Recorded, edited and mixed by Snikroc...

Send us Fan Mail In the Season 18 premiere of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Rocky Ellison return from an extended break. Rocky reflects on his retirement and personal loss before introducing the new direction of the podcast. Without the constraints of weekly sermon preparations, they embark on an extensive verse-by-verse analysis of the Book of Romans. This episode focu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Rocky Ellison dissect Matthew 2:19-23. They discuss the historical context of Herod's death and his chaotic reign, including his brutal acts against his family. The episode elaborates on Joseph's return to Israel with Mary and Jesus after Herod's demise, navigating fears of new ruler Archel...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' Ken Corkins and Pastor Rocky Ellison explore Matthew 2:13-18, discussing the flight of Jesus' family to Egypt and Herod's brutal massacre of Bethlehem's infant boys. The discussion highlights the significance of God's intervention through dreams, the providence shown in the Magi's gifts, and the typology...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Rocky Ellison delve into Matthew Chapter 2, focusing on the wise men's visit to Jesus. They discuss the timing of Jesus' birth, the historical inaccuracies of the December 25th date, the significance of Bethlehem, and the wise men's journey from the East guided by a divine star. The hosts a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' hosts Ken Corkins and Pastor Rocky Ellison discuss the meaning of Advent, focusing on the birth narrative of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew. They explore the cultural context of marriage during Jesus's time, the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 concerning the virgin birth, and the significance of the name 'Jesus.'...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Pondering the Bible,' co-hosts Ken Corkins and Rocky Ellison discuss Psalm 28 in the context of Thanksgiving. They examine how King David's lament about his tumultuous life transitions into a prayer of gratitude, reflecting his reassurance of salvation. They delve into the various categories of Psalms, the context of David's life, and the de...