Steven Wales

What Happens When You Die?

Christians believe in Heaven and Hell—two destinations. If you trust yourself for goodness, you’ll never be good enough, and Hell is your destiny. But if you humble yourself and rely on Jesus, He can make you holy, and death is the door into Heaven. But did they understand that in the Old Testament? Yes. WhenContinue reading “What Happens When You Die?”

Confession is Good for the Soul.

When I was a Boy Scout we took long hikes with loaded, external-framed backpacks. A six-mile walk with a heavy pack is tough—and the hardest part is setting off again after a break. Shouldering a heavy pack the second time is harder than the first. When we sin we carry the weight on our soulContinue reading “Confession is Good for the Soul.”

Storms and Fire.

I watched a food documentary that spent an hour praising fire. Fire creates chemical changes in texture and flavor. Heat is critical in the preparation of not only meats, but many other foods—casseroles, desserts, soups, breads, even snacks. The Bible talks a lot about the refiner’s fire: silver must be heated to burn off allContinue reading “Storms and Fire.”

The Scarlet Thread.

What did Abraham, Moses, and David put their faith in—sacrifices? The blood of sheep? Did they believe their good deeds got them into Heaven, or did they believe that God required faith? Does the Old Testament speak of Jesus? Yes. The Old Testament looks forward to Jesus, just as the New Testament looks back. HeContinue reading “The Scarlet Thread.”

Scandals in the Church.

Every week I read about ministers embroiled in scandals, usually involving sex, money, or an abusive leadership style. Imagine: God chose YOU. He gave you preaching gifts, leadership, the ability to tell a great story, and He put a fire in your belly to share His Good News. In the beginning, it was great. PeopleContinue reading “Scandals in the Church.”

Pride.

It’s driving an amazing car and feeling the stares of strangers. It’s wearing your newest outfit and being complimented sincerely. It’s hearing your name spoken and every head in the room turns to look, their hands clapping. It’s being congratulated by teammates and hearing the roar of the crowd. It’s walking on stage and hearingContinue reading “Pride.”

Your Desire May Indicate Your Purpose.

It is not easy to know your purpose. We think we know sometimes, but then it changes. So were you right before, or are you right now? It takes a lot of prayer and Godly counsel to understand why God put you here and His plan for your life. One clue can be your deepestContinue reading “Your Desire May Indicate Your Purpose.”

God Chose Them For You.

God makes many choices for us, including our parents. We have no say in who raises us. But God has His reasons, and “His ways are past finding out” Isaiah 55:9. The Ammonite king Nahash treated King David well. When Nahash died, David sent his officials to show kindness to the new king, Hanun, sonContinue reading “God Chose Them For You.”

There Are No Small Parts, Only Small Actors.

Auditioning for a Shakespeare play is an adventure—you never know what role you might receive. From a pool of college students a director might cast human roles of all ages plus monsters, ghosts, and fantastic creatures of all kinds. Perhaps you hoped to play Fairy Queen Titania, but find yourself cast as “fairy number two.”Continue reading “There Are No Small Parts, Only Small Actors.”

The Lord in Heaven Laughs.

“Mann traoch, Gott Lauch” is a Yiddish proverb: “man plans, God laughs.” God is in control. How could He not laugh? We plan for success, but God chuckles, allowing humbling failure. Or perhaps we prepare for a few failures—but God laughs and sends only victories. That too is humbling as we realize victory was notContinue reading “The Lord in Heaven Laughs.”