<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Scripture Ponderings]]></title><description><![CDATA[Scripture Ponderings is a website that offers one-page Bible-based devotionals intended to provide fresh insights into well-known biblical verses, characters, stories and understandings. ]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:06:28 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.scriptureponderings.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[John the Baptist]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There He stayed, and many people came to Him. They said, ‘Though John never performed a sign, all that John ever said about this man was true.’ And in that place many believed in Jesus.” — John 10:40–42 After dealing with the Jewish leaders and avoiding their attempts to seize Him at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, Jesus returned with His disciples to the site of John’s ministry to...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/john-the-baptist</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d99a86515c02011a0d0cbb</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:34:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_befcd465e90e4ecba24cd3ce1a287c5c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_802,h_581,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Enoch]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Enoch was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah. And after he fathered Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and fathered other sons and daughters. So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” (Genesis 5:21–24) Born the son of Jared, Enoch represents the seventh generation of patriarchs mentioned in the Bible, beginning with Adam. Genesis offers no explanation for why God took Enoch away, but the Book of Jude in...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/enoch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d82ddb4e4fe2e3f72b4252</guid><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:57:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_2a1993f0020f40e4b69326c10a7c0897~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_998,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mary - Mother of Jesus]]></title><description><![CDATA[When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:3–5) Why did Mary urge Jesus to perform His first miracle if Jesus said His time had not yet come? This truly is a spectacular event. Mary—moved by empathy and the urging of the Holy Spirit—clearly signaled to Jesus that the moment for His glory to be revealed was right then....]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/mary-mother-of-jesus</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d6d488a51db32c14c0cae3</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:25:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_cda9d4b3cd6746a696d617febd5b83a8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Wineskins for New Wine]]></title><description><![CDATA[“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment... And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (Mark 2:21-22) It never ceases to amaze me how often revelation can come from a verse, story, or parable we are well acquainted with when we focus on the big picture and the context of the event. We must ask questions like: Who is speaking? To whom are they speaking? Are they answering a question or addressing a particular concern? What is the full inference of their response? Often,...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/new-wineskins-for-new-wine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d6d15fc55f668b5305244e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:10:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_6265dc80ba5a476a8d3f37171c387916~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_741,h_530,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ultimate Zeal - David]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ultimate Zeal “As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.” (1 Samuel 17:57) When we truly scrutinize and ponder the story of David and Goliath, we must conclude that there is a downside to becoming too familiar with it through Sunday school stories. This is far from a simple tale about a youth who goes out in faith to slay a giant. It is, in fact, perhaps the most vivid picture of genuine...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/ultimate-zeal-david</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d6cc9c0b7119100dfef46d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:57:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_d9fc68d0d5934e478ac20843534a1f87~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_155,h_146,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[David]]></title><description><![CDATA[“…the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people…” (1 Sam 13:14) After years of wondering why David was a man after God’s own heart, I finally realize that I’ve wasted valuable time on a question God plainly answers. According to God Himself, if we desire a glimpse into His heart, we should ponder David’s heart! This revelation helped me understand why, even as a boy, I loved David so. Even though he is a pre-Christ figure, David is an outstanding...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/david</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d6bd87c55f668b5304f735</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:47:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_62cc218c463e46c18a4366957690c2c8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_559,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Branches]]></title><description><![CDATA[“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit” (John 15:1-2). When I was young and involved in an organized church centered around evangelism, I surmised that the ‘fruit’ of the branch was Christian converts; I believed it was my sole purpose to bring them into the fold. Since most church members aren’t naturally confident evangelists, many of us...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/branches</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d65fd5bf4ea4bc23072976</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:12:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_827160283fe84b5e8ae808a0cbb75b7d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_250,h_200,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Light]]></title><description><![CDATA[One evening, just before midnight, I was walking along the taxiway of my local airport. As I approached the end of the taxiway, I noticed that the acres of tall grass in the vast field at the end of the runway were twinkling with the flickering lights of fireflies. My immediate thought was, “That’s us—you and me!” As I warmed myself through this imagery and sense of connection, I noticed a regimented strobe light just above the vague horizon: an approaching small aircraft. It was turning onto...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/light</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d64253c55f668b5303d153</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:13:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_10d972e62e5d409ba3e1e2fc2f94fce5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_900,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Our Holy God and Father]]></title><description><![CDATA[Old precepts die hard. For instance, discussions regarding the holiness of God can easily cause us to fall short of fully comprehending and embracing our relationship with The Holy One. We understand that God is holy and we are not, because it is our nature to sin. Why? It is because at the root of all sin is the doubt that God exists, that He provides for our needs, that He loves and cares for us, or that He hears and answers our prayers. Sin is loveless and self-centered. The evil one wants...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/our-holy-god-and-father</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d63cec3c612b53ad6b24e2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:43:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_23487beeb1e24040b03af7540de6423c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_250,h_200,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jesus' Path to the Cross]]></title><description><![CDATA[One could reason that Jesus’ path to the cross was set in motion the moment he was discovered missing from his family’s travel party returning from the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. After three days of desperate searching, his parents finally found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The twelve-year-old Jesus pensively asked his distraught parents, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/jesus-path-to-the-cross</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d5967433362686b5d6dd41</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:51:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_50d2c1e09d8f489881bb6d73acd769ae~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_900,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Belief]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24) On the afternoon of July 20, 1969, I was driving a taxi while the Apollo 11 astronauts were walking on the moon. A Middle Eastern gentleman had just settled into the back seat as Neil Armstrong’s famous words were broadcast around the world: “That’s one small step for man… one giant leap for mankind.” With a sense of universal accomplishment, I turned to my rider and asked, “What do you think...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/belief</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d57ae474eeae096e520a79</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:52:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_348e55fc859d490c9aadcb660cc4c80a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_559,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[  Pilate's Plight]]></title><description><![CDATA[No other devotional has been as difficult to write as this one. Its thirty-year evolution led me to a humbling conclusion: we would have handled Jesus’ trial no differently than Pontius Pilate did. Even in the governor’s seat, the outcome would remain unchanged; Jesus would still die on the cross. While Jewish historians like Josephus and Philo portray Pilate as a severe and religiously insensitive administrator, the Gospels reveal a man who began that Friday morning aloof, but by the...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/pilate-s-plight-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d578b210427b2b314a4908</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:41:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_ced26de49af84234b1fc7516ea70abb3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_559,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Let There Be Light]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the late sixties, The Washington Post featured a cartoon entitled “The Big Bang Theory.” It portrayed two scientists reaching the pinnacle of a mountain where a monk was perched with the scriptures open on his lap. He asked them, “What took you so long?” Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is roughly 100,000 light-years across, and our solar system sits about 26,000 light-years from its center. To put this into perspective—if the star closest to our solar system vanished today, its light would...]]></description><link>https://www.scriptureponderings.com/post/let-there-be-light</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d521b310427b2b31497e0f</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:31:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/993e89_fe98728e041346269f7a4c6821b84cb6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_572,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael G. Bryan</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>