Plainfield Ponderings - Scripture Meditations
Allen Greeley
Hello! I'm Allen Greeley and I love thinking and meditating on Scripture. Another word for it, which we don't use very often, is pondering. When the mother of Jesus heard the shepherds retell the vision of the angels celebratory singing; the Scripture says, "Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). That alone is my goal with this podcast. I want us to treasure in our hearts what we hear from God and ponder it. It would be an honor to have you listen in and ponder with me. To God be the glory!
Episodes
Set Apart by the Spirit: Where Sanctification Begins
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]
Recapping Philippians: Finding Joy in the Journey
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]
Gazing at Glory: Transformed into Glory
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]
Sanctified: Completely and Totally His
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]
Talking Through Philippians (Feat. Bryan Schiele): Reading of Philippians
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 RoadPlainfield, IN 46168 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Everything Hangs on Love: The Purpose Behind Every Command
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]
The Three-Day Test: Why God Lets Us Wait
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]
Neither Fight Nor Flight: The Third Response (Remembering Sep. 11, 2001)
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]
Stolen Glory: The Idol No One Admits They Worship
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]
Master and Portion: What Psalm 16 Teaches About Discipleship
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]
Zion Rising: How Micah Foretold the Church
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about the Lord's church in prophecy. Most often when we think of future prophecies, we mainly think of prophecies about Jesus...but what about the church? Are there prophecies that speak about His church? If so, what do those texts say about the position and responsibility of the church? Nothing we say is different from what you've seen in the N.T., but let's hear it from a different voice—the voice of Micah. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
The Sign of Joseph: The Resurrection Written in Genesis (Part 2)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me the "sign of Joseph". It's a play on words regarding what Jesus did say - "the sign of Jonah". There is nothing in Jonah's story that explicitly says it is speaking about the Messiah's resurrection, and the same could be said about the story of Joseph. Jesus is telling us how to read the O.T. though, by pulling on the Jonah thread ... and so we do the same in this episode but with Joseph's story. I hope and pray it builds your faith in the resurrection—the sign of all signs. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
The Eye is the Lamp: We Become What We Watch
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how our eyes dictate our actions. This episode is especially focusing on parents and grandparents. Right after the famous saying from Jesus about not hiding lamps under a basket, Jesus gives us some further wisdom about how we can shine in this world...perhaps it is something we haven't focused enough on. We act on what we take in. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Sign of All Signs: Staking Everything on the Resurrection (Part 1)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about the greatest piece of evidence in Scripture concerning Jesus—the resurrection. It is the sign of all signs. When Jesus had one piece of evidence to give the Jews, He pointed to His resurrection. This lesson is only a "Part 1" as we ponder Christ pointing to the O.T. in support of His resurrection. We will pick up again next week as we think about Joseph and how the Genesis narrative speaks of resurrection too. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
The Seed Must Die: God's True Path to Glory
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me—what is the path to God's glory? Jesus had many instances of honor, adoration, even worship throughout His life on earth. We might be tempted to say that some of them were Him being glorified. However, in John 12, Jesus makes it clear that His path to glory is only through death. How about our path to God's glory? Will it be any different? Join me in thinking through it. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
No Hammer Heard: The Sound of a Perfect Fit
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how quiet the construction site was during the building of Solomon's Temple. I Kings 6:7 gives us some unique details—there was no noise of a hammer, an axe, or any iron tool. Why are we being told this, and what does this have to do with the church? This metaphor is on Paul's mind in Ephesians 2, and why people from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities can come together and form a cohesive whole. What does this say about where you fit? Think through this with me. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
What God Joined, Let No Paperwork Separate: When Marriage is Adultery
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me—is there ever a time when a remarriage is living in adultery? The clarity with which Jesus speaks on this is quite shocking. However, as shocking as it is in our time, it was still new and challenging in His time too. Yet, Jesus still spoke with clarity on it...no doubt from a place of deep love and concern. As His disciples, we must do the same. Let's think through it together and at least let the seriousness of the marriage covenant impress us all over again. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Do You Have Older Brother Syndrome? (Friend of Sinners Part 3)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me—what was the older brother in the prodigal story thinking?! We know he didn't welcome the younger son home, and we know he was upset at how the Father's tremendous grace but...why? What were some things that contributed to thinking way? We'll end on a few challenging questions to see if we are dealing with older-brother characteristics, as well as the heartwarming thought of Jesus as the true older brother we all needed. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Run From, Run To: Defeating Materialism (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about materialism, and how to stop the psychological attachment to things. It is not enough to run away from something. We need to exercise as much energy, time, and effort around pursuing other things. It's like this with all sins, the love of money included. This is such an applicable message for our time. Join me in thinking through it. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
When Glory Interrupted Peter
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me the glory some of the disciples witnessed on the mount of transfiguration. This is a part of our glory series of lessons, which we have been releasing near the beginning of each month during 2026. All the glory scenes of the O.T. come crashing into the Lord Jesus and His ministry, and the transfiguration is no different. However, what practical lessons do God's glory mean for our lives? Join me in thinking through it. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
You Have to See the Movie: The Minor Prophets Come Alive
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how the Minor Prophets are quoted and repackaged in the New Testament. I am beginning a new Bible class here at the Plainfield church - everyone is invited! Wednesday's at 7pm. The address is below. We're going to look at how the N.T. quotes the minor prophets and then study the quotation in its original story, in depth. I assure you it will illuminate things you did not know were there! I hope you'll join me. To God be the glory!Plainfield church of Christ950 East Township Line RoadPlainfield, IN 46168 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
The Gift Shop Gospel (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how difficult it is to be content. Shockingly, Paul will say that false doctrine and false religion are stemming from conceit and the desire to get rich. There is real spiritual fallout if we cannot attain contentment. Even more challenging though is that Paul says with "food and clothing" we will be content. Perhaps we have tied our contentment to material stuff more than we want to admit. Let's think through it together. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Come Home: The Insult Jesus Never Denied (Friend of Sinners Part 2)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me a little more about why sinful outcasts wanted to be around Jesus. Sinners were drawn to Jesus' search for them, and His joy that came with finding them, wanting them to be a part of His family. However, the next parable in the series of parables that address what sinners were drawn to gives us another peak into what attracted them...that the forgiveness of God is like the past never even happened. Join me in thinking about the radical forgiveness of God. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
How Long Will Your Sin Keep 'You' a Secret? (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how we all have secret sins that most don't know about, even our closest friends and perhaps even our spouses. Sin has a way of finding us out. Certainly, that is true in the judgment, but it's also true in earthly ways that we may not have considered. What are ways in which we are being found out by sin? To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
The Insult Jesus Never Denied: An Uncomfortable Christlike Attribute (Friend of Sinners Part 1)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about an aspect of Christlikeness we may not feel very comfortable with - befriending sinners. His enemies used this as an insult, but when Jesus acknowledged this insult, He never denied it. He leaned into it. It is only the sick that need a Physician. While we loved this about Christ, do we seek to be this kind of friend too? Do worldly people find comfort and encouragement around us? Let's ponder it. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Don't Be Hasty: What the Laying on of Hands Really Means (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder the laying on of hands with me! This is not something we speak about very often in the church. It is not something physically that I have seen practiced either. However, the principle behind much of the laying on of hands IS practiced. What is that principle though? We'll distinguish the apostles laying their hands on people and then discuss what it meant in the early church when they laid hands on people. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
It's All Him: How Every Portrait of Glory Leads to Jesus
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how all the different aspects and perspectives of God's glory lead us to Jesus. We have been speaking about God's glory on the first Sunday of the month, but I want us to consider how all these different scenes that we have spoken about lead us to Jesus. Perhaps even more intriguing, all these different perspectives are found in the first two chapters of John! Let's pull on the thread of glory and see where it leads. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Fresh Starts and Forever Limps (Wrestling with God #2)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me once more about Jacob's wrestling match with God. The Lord blesses Jacob and yet he limps away from it and remains that way forever. Is that what it means to be blessed by God? Sometimes, yes. We'll also ponder how Hosea uses this wrestling match to speak to northern Israel about how they are acting too much like old-Jacob. Can we say we are a changed person with a new identity in Christ or are we acting like old-Jacob too? To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Honoring the Men Who Watch Our Souls (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about the leadership of elders. In the New Testament, after the apostles passed away, this is the highest role of leadership you can find in the church. It is so vital! Not all Christians have this leadership and so it's easy to take them for granted. Let's think through how to honor them in I Timothy 5:17-21. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
When Wrestling God Turns Into Surrender: Jacob's New Identity
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me one of the strangest passages in Scripture—Jacob wrestling God! On the eve of meeting Esau again Jacob wrestles God and the Lord put his hip out of socket to humble him. He goes from wrestler to clinger in the moment of suffering. I wonder if that's what we need to finally stop fighting and submit to Him? Let's think through this amazing story together. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Unveiled: The Team (feat. Bryan Schiele)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with Bryan about the need for the team. I love thinking about the church as a team. I've loved playing sports and following sports all of my life, and the need for one another is never more evident than in team sports. Following Jesus means you are a part of a team. We need each other. Christ never intended on you being isolated. Being on this team requires a degree of vulnerability though. We need to let others in for us to benefit the most from the team. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Unveiled: The Race (feat. Bryan Schiele)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with Bryan about the Christian race. Runners do everything in their power to run their races as light as humanly possible. They are not carrying anything excess. The Hebrews writer picks up on this, which Bryan unpacks, that we ought to be laying aside "every weight"...what are these? And finally, how is the success of our race determined? It's not on speed, but on constant movement forward, because Christ already ran the perfect race for us. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Unveiled: The Hunger (feat. Bryan Schiele)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with Bryan Shciele about hungering for God. Keeping our hung and thirst for spiritual things can be difficult. Bible study can become like a side-job almost, or we might even think it's boring. This is certainly not a problem with the Lord. It could be that we have been "snacking" too much on worldly things and our spiritual taste is out of whack. Let's ponder how we can keep the right hunger, knowing God alone satisfies. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Unveiled: The Student (feat. Bryan Schiele)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with Bryan about remaining teachable. A disciple is a learner, so we should even have to say this, and yet many of us feel like we have arrived when we have a certain level of knowledge. We think we "know enough". This is discipleship poison. Remaining teachable is vital, but so is the goal of learning. We learn not just to learn what the Master knows. We learn to do what the Master does. I needed this one! To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Unveiled: The Mirror (feat. Bryan Schiele)
Send Allen a text - Let's ponder with Bryan Schiele and his sermon series on being "Unveiled". We recorded an episode on February 10th with Bryan, advertising his upcoming sermon series which he preached here in mid-March. I'm going to release all the lessons over the next 5 days. This one is about reflecting what we behold, which is how mirrors work, and it's how Christlikeness works too. Keeping your eyes fixed on Him will slowly transform us into being more and more like Him. Join in on this challenging series. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Gates, Greatness, and Godly Women: A Talk Your Son Needs to Hear
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how unafraid Scripture is to praise women of great faith and action. These passages where women are praised were written in a time where societies were extremely male dominated. We will roll through many great examples of women in Scripture during this episode, but there's a twist in the end—what does this have to do with parenting boys? To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
From Mary's Son to Our Family: What the Cross Created
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Before we jump into speaking about Mary, we'll first speak about the incredible work that so many mothers and wives do. It goes unnoticed far too often. Then, we'll transition to thinking about Mary and Jesus, culminating at the cross. Jesus brings Mary and John together—but why him and why at that moment? To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Worse Than an Unbeliever? Taking Family Responsibility Seriously (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about honoring our widows within the church, and the family first policy Paul lays out in I Timothy. First off, I want us to be impressed with how much God cares for the most vulnerable. This has been a staple of God's character since the beginning, and He wants to see it in His people too. What are some guidelines for how this is to be done? Also, what does it say that Paul brings up adversaries to the gospel in this discussion? Join me in thinking through it! To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Holy, Holy, Holy: What Happens When God's Glory Hits You
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me Isaiah's theophany. In the most up close and personal vision of God's glory to this point in Scripture, the lessons are powerful. How did Isaiah walk away a changed man? What did he see about God and himself that prompted his change...and are we ready to do the same? To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Earned Respect: Focusing on Yourself (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me the discipline of focusing solely on yourself. This is a tough discipline to learn when people around you aren't doing the right thing, but it is vital. Paul lends his friend Timothy some Spirit-filled advice along these lines in his work as a preacher...but the principle is broader. It applies in all relationships. Join me and let's think through it. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Hard Work, Humble Hearts: A Word on Scripture
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about biblical interpretation. It's work! Sometimes it is extremely hard, laborious work. It is possible to understand Scripture correctly though. However, the believers that trust Scripture is understandable the most are oftentimes the least patient with people as they come along in their beliefs. Is there a balance we can work towards? Ponder it with me, and to God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Rigorous Discipleship and The Gym of Godliness (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me what it means to hit the gym of godliness. Literally, Paul says it like that in I Timothy. Our last episode on I Timothy (on March 24th) was about the spiritual war over our thoughts. We are to take every thought captive to obey Christ. But let's be real—this is not possible without rigorous discipline. Let's ponder what it means to hit the gym together! To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
A Story of God's Goodness - A Sinful Life That Ends in Faith
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about a man we either hate to love, or we love to hate! This Bible character elicits strong feelings on both sides, because he lived so carnally! However, he ended up on our "team" ... or perhaps I should say we are on his team - the team of faith! God is so good and there is redemption for anyone that will turn to Christ. But wait — who is this man? Join me to find out! To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Why the Miracles in John are Uniquely Designed as Evidence for Jesus
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about why the miracles in the gospel of John are uniquely designed as evidence for Jesus as the Christ the Son of God. John says they are - John 20:30-31. However, why are they? Many people performed miracles in the Scripture but that did not prove they were the Messiah...so what is so special about these miracles in John's gospel? This is the subject of a new class I'm teaching, and I hope this short episode gets people excited. To God be the glory!Class begins on Wednesday April 8th, at 7pm. It's a 13-week course.Class is held at the church of Christ in Plainfield, IN :950 East Township Line RoadPlainfield, IN 46168 Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
What Does Glory on Christ's Church Look Like?
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me some more about the glory of God! We have been tracing this theme throughout the year of 2026, at the beginning of each month. We start with the glory of God descending on the Temple, but that is now God's church. So, what does the glory of God look like when it rests on His church now? You might be surprised...and yet Peter tells us not to be! Please join me and see the evidence of God's glory on us. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
The Demons in Our Head and Protecting Our Thoughts (I Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how we let lies slip into our thinking and ultimately how lies end up dethroning Christ. Paul says in I Timothy 4 that people were going to leave the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. Demonic forces are a part of the religious lies we are surrounded with. Join me in this study and let's take that seriously. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
When Disciples Need to be Baptized Again
Send Allen a text - Ponder this question with me - is there ever a time when someone should be re-baptized? I realize this term "re-baptism" is somewhat controversial, because if the first baptism was not legit, then some think we should not call it a baptism at all. Regardless of what we call it though - is there ever a time when someone learns something different and then is baptized "again", with a fuller understanding? Consider this case study with me. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Groundhog Day - Avoiding Spiritual Monotony (1 Timothy Series)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how to stay spiritually motivated. If you have been around the church very long, things can feel like they are "same ole, same ole". Worship is the same, life is the same - it can even feel like the movie Groundhog Day. This is a spiritual killer. What is our godliness motivation? Join in and let's think through it. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Struggling With Spiritual Confidence? Growing to be Like Mordecai (Esther 3)
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me about how to be spiritually confident. I'm sure you have met people who are oozing with confidence about the Lord and their walk with Him. It makes you want that for yourself! Where does that boldness come from though? We already know the answer - it is both simple and yet extremely profound. Ponder it with me and may we grow in it together. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]
Exalting Preachers Over Elders - Do We Have This Backwards? 1 Timothy Series
Send Allen a text - Ponder with me the simplicity of how the church was structured in the New Testament. I Timothy 3 contains the qualifications of elders and deacons. In this lesson, we will not go line by line in studying the qualifications. Instead, I want to challenge whether we have exalted the role of preachers over elders - and what are the ramifications? Also, we'll end by thinking about the tremendous value of deacons...a role far too overlooked. To God be the glory! Please email me any comments or questions at [email protected]