Pondering the Bible

Ponder GMC
  • 4.8 (6)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

A deeper dive into the bible. Hosts Rev. Rocky Ellison and Ken Corkins work through the books of the bible, uncovering historical background and word studies to deepen their understanding of God's Word. Weekly episodes. Find more information at www.pondergmc.org.

  1. 2d ago

    The Cosmic Groan: Understanding Creation's Despair. Romans 8:18-30

    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 childbirth as an illustration, and connect human struggle with sin to the promise of renewed bodies. They discuss how the fall affected all creation, which now “groans” for renewal, citing Revelation’s new heaven and new earth and supporting the idea with 2 Peter 3:13 and Jeremiah 12. They clarify hope as patience in what is unseen, and explain the Spirit’s intercession in prayer, rejecting claims that speaking in tongues is required for salvation. They interpret Romans 8:28 as God bringing good from suffering for those called to His purpose, then address foreknowledge and predestination, contrasting Calvinism and Arminianism and arguing the terms imply God’s prior knowledge rather than coercion. They plan to finish Romans 8:31–39 next week.  00:00 Welcome and Setup  00:34 Romans 8 Reading  02:57 Suffering and Glory  06:05 Creation Awaits Renewal  09:36 Groaning for Redemption  12:15 Saved by Hope  15:05 Spirit Helps Our Prayers  19:45 All Things for Good  23:04 Predestination Debate  29:08 Wrap Up and Next Week 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 Snikrock

    31 min

  2. Jun 14

    The Spirit Within: A Guide to Assurance. Romans 8:1–17

    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 done, not by the law weakened by the flesh, and emphasize the role of the indwelling Holy Spirit as evidence of belonging to Christ. They interpret “living by the Spirit” as being troubled by sin and pursuing sanctification, and they discuss verses 9–11 as pointing to the Trinity. Using an ancient slavery-and-redemption analogy, they describe Jesus as redeemer and conclude with believers’ adoption as God’s children and heirs with Christ; they recommend the NLT for clarity and note a week off for Vacation Bible School before finishing Romans 8.  00:00 Welcome and Setup  00:21 Romans 8 Reading  03:22 No Condemnation Explained  06:04 Judged by Different Rules  08:45 Flesh vs Spirit Mindset  09:18 Do You Have the Spirit  13:02 Trinity in You  16:04 Debtors and Redeemer  20:05 Adoption and Heirs  23:03 Wrap Up and Next Week 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 Snikrock

    26 min

  3. Jun 7

    The Battle Within: Paul's Letter to the Romans Romans 7:7–25

    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 basketball-rules illustration, they explain that God’s rules are meant to prevent self-inflicted harm, not punish, and that ignorance doesn’t remove consequences. Paul’s anguish highlights the ongoing war between a believer’s mind that delights in God’s law and a flesh still captive to sin; sanctification is the lifelong process of aligning mind and behavior. They close with Paul’s cry for deliverance from the “body of death,” gratitude for Jesus, and anticipation of Romans 8’s “no condemnation.”  00:00 Welcome Back and Setup  01:09 Reading Romans Seven  04:03 Law Reveals Sin  08:22 Rules and Consequences  14:15 Carnal Nature and Original Sin  16:39 The Inner War Explained  22:25 Anguish and Two Laws  25:31 Body of Death and No Condemnation  30:30 Takeaways and Next 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 Snikrock

    33 min

  4. May 25

    Beyond Rules: Life in the Spirit Romans 7:1–6

    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. Using Paul’s marriage-and-death analogy, they explain that the law binds only while “alive,” and believers “die to the law” through Christ’s crucifixion so they can belong to the risen Christ and bear fruit for God. They note the law exposes sin and can even arouse sinful desire, while the Holy Spirit leads positively into good behavior without discarding Scripture. They also explore how the same action can be sin in one situation but not another, then announce a break next week and a return in two weeks to finish Romans 7.  00:00 Welcome and Setup  00:35 Romans Seven Reading  01:49 Jews and Gentiles Clash  03:16 Law Ends at Death  06:10 Marriage Law Example  08:23 Intent Versus Rules  10:24 Died With Christ  14:06 Law Sparks Temptation  15:34 New Life in Spirit  18:13 Situational Sin Example  20:14 Next Episode and Closing 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 Snikrock

    22 min

  5. May 17

    Slaves to Sin or Slaves to Righteousness Romans 6:15–23

    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’ teachings introduces the only real alternative—becoming slaves to righteousness/Christ. Rocky contrasts obedience of the heart and mind with the body’s actions, clarifies that “members” refers to the body, and emphasizes sanctification as a step-by-step lifelong process rather than instant perfection, warning against shame and discouragement. They highlight the two outcomes Paul presents: sin earns wages leading to spiritual death, while God offers the free gift of eternal life in Christ, noting that refusing to choose is still a choice.  00:00 Welcome and Catch Up  00:54 Recap and Passage Setup  02:34 Reading Romans 6  04:09 Grace Not License  04:58 Slaves to Sin or Christ  06:14 Teachings of Jesus Choice  09:13 Sanctification Takes Time  15:26 Sin Ends in Death  16:59 Gift of Eternal Life  21:17 Final Reflections and Outro 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 Snikrock

    23 min

  6. May 3

    Baptism and the Journey of Faith Romans 6:1–14

    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, baptism (likely immersion), and church acceptance occurred together, signifying regeneration (“born again”) and a new life. Dying with Christ means release from sin’s debt and slavery, while resurrection life begins at conversion, not only after physical death, through the indwelling Holy Spirit. They address whether Christians can live sin-free, noting Paul’s coming struggle in Romans 7, and introduce the Methodist doctrine of entire sanctification as moments of being “perfected in love” toward God and neighbor. They announce a one-week break due to Rocky’s trip and Ken’s move.  00:00 Welcome and Catch Up  00:31 Romans 6 Reading  02:22 Grace vs Sin Debate  04:06 Baptized Into Death  05:18 First Century Baptism  09:54 Regeneration Born Again  12:47 Freed From Sin 16:02 Resurrection Starts Now  18:04 Sin No Dominion  20:23 Entire Sanctification  24:58 Wrap Up and Next Time 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 Snikrock

    27 min

  7. Apr 26

    Understanding Sin: From Adam to Christ Romans 5:12–21

    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 depravity and how sin existed before Moses’ law even though the law later made trespass clearer. They explain Paul’s argument that death reigning from Adam to Moses implies sin was present, and they note Adam as a “type” of Christ in several ways while emphasizing Christ is not equal to Adam because Jesus’ act of righteousness and grace is “much more,” bringing justification and eternal life. They also address how “where sin increased grace abounded” can be misused as an excuse to sin, and preview Romans 6:1–14 for next week.  00:00 Welcome and Setup  00:26 Reading Romans 5  02:17 Why All Sin 03:06 Original Sin Debate  05:44 Sin Before the Law  08:48 Adam as a Type  11:52 Much More Grace  14:37 Not Equal Opposites  16:29 Law and Abounding Grace  18:19 Wrap Up and Next Week 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 Snikrock

    21 min

  8. Apr 19

    The Benefits of Salvation Romans 5:1–11

    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-always-saved against Methodist/Arminian theology. They explain “access” to grace using the Greek prosagoge (royal introduction or safe-harbor entry). They unpack Paul’s logical chain: suffering produces endurance, character/sanctification, hope tied to resurrection, and culminates in God’s love poured out through the Holy Spirit. They discuss “at the right time” both theologically planned and historically optimal, and highlight God’s love shown in Christ dying for sinners/enemies, Jesus’ blood as the final sacrifice, and rejoicing in reconciliation that removes sin’s barrier with God. 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 Snikrock

    26 min
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About

A deeper dive into the bible. Hosts Rev. Rocky Ellison and Ken Corkins work through the books of the bible, uncovering historical background and word studies to deepen their understanding of God's Word. Weekly episodes. Find more information at www.pondergmc.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Ponder GMC
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    234
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pondering the Bible
  • Show Website
    Pondering the Bible

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