There is nothing like a great speech. President Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg after a battle that claimed 50,000 lives (MLB stadiums seat 40,000) and in 275 words he assured the nation it would survive the war. Martin Luther King took the pulpit at the most inspiring location in America, convincing 200,000 that his dream wasContinue reading “Oratory.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Choose Life!
Karma. You reap what you sow. What goes around comes around. Moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips. Consequences are an essential truth of the universe: EVERYONE reaps what they sow. Nonbelievers who work hard and live honest, clean lives, are healthier financially, physically, emotionally, and in other ways. They may have better families,Continue reading “Choose Life!”
Choices.
Life is a series of choices, right? You have good options and bad options. God says: “Today I have set before you both life and blessings, death and curses. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, soContinue reading “Choices.”
Blessings During a Global Disaster.
Does God always reward obedience? Do good people suffer? Do bad people enjoy pleasures? Is life “fair”? No. Remember, God is God. “He causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5:45. We all get wet together. Some rains nurture, some rains destroy. And we suffer for corporate sin. What isContinue reading “Blessings During a Global Disaster.”
Walk the Talk.
When Christian television came to Houston, there was one bit of Christian lingo I had not heard until I heard it shouted by TV preachers: “I am the head and NOT the tail!” Preachers would encourage audiences to claim it, believe it. To personally put on that phrase like a winning golfer putting on aContinue reading “Walk the Talk.”
Excessive Force.
We hear the phrase “excessive force” spoken by those who criticize police officers. But the phrase could also be applied to parents, teachers, and coaches. Sometimes we do the same thing: we over-punish. What is the danger when we over-punish? How does excessive force affect the child? What impact does excessive force have on theContinue reading “Excessive Force.”
How to Punish.
Having been a child, student, parent, and teacher, I have thought a lot about punishments. Here’s one of the best rules I learned from a college psychology professor: “Punishment should be swift, severe, and soon over.” Children must be punished quickly if they are going to “learn their lesson.” And only a severe punishment works:Continue reading “How to Punish.”
The Bible is Full of Practical, Every-day Wisdom.
College professors love theory. One favorite question is “How many angels could dance on the head of a pin?” But when profs talk theory, students lose interest, answering “So what? What does that have to do with my life?” Some think the Bible is like that too: ALL THEORY, and that scripture is all deepContinue reading “The Bible is Full of Practical, Every-day Wisdom.”
Sex.
There is not much debate about the morality of adultery: most people are against it. Everyone understands that it is the most fundamental kind of betrayal: to sleep with a married person is to destroy a marriage and family and to risk tremendous damage and hurt to innocent children. But about pre-marital sex, the consensusContinue reading “Sex.”
Haunted Houses.
People love haunted houses, though we say there’s no such thing. But not so fast. While I would not suggest a house can be occupied by the souls of dead people, there IS Biblical support for the idea that locations are connected to the sins committed in them. The ground remembers where innocent blood wasContinue reading “Haunted Houses.”
Household Words: 