Steven Wales

Do You Need Answered Prayers or Do You Need Grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul writes that God brought him to heaven and showed him amazing things no other mortal has seen. Then, to keep the apostle humble, God sent him a thorn in his flesh. No one is sure what that thorn was, whether illness, temptation, or constant persecution. But Paul asked God to remove the thorn. “AndContinue reading “Do You Need Answered Prayers or Do You Need Grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9”

HOW’S YOUR CHRISTIAN RESUME? Philippians 3:4-6; 2 Corinthians 11:22-27.

What if you had a Christian Resume? Could you fill up a page with things you have done for God, ways you have served the church, scripture you have read, verses memorized? People you counseled or comforted? Money you donated? What about sacrifices made—you held your tongue when you wanted to say something cruel? YouContinue reading “HOW’S YOUR CHRISTIAN RESUME? Philippians 3:4-6; 2 Corinthians 11:22-27.”

BAD THOUGHTS. 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Bad thoughts can best be compared to: I would choose “all of the above.” In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul’s definition of bad thoughts includes not only temptations to commit bad ACTIONS, but also bad BELIEFS. But is a wrong belief that poses no temptation really a problem? YES! Bad beliefs lay the groundwork for badContinue reading “BAD THOUGHTS. 2 Corinthians 10:5.”

Offerings. 2 Corinthians 9:7.

God created so many offerings for Israel. He gave them options. You could sacrifice an unblemished young bull. Lay your sins on it, kill it, pour out the blood, burn the meat and fat as an offering. It was an elaborate ceremony. But people were willing to do it to receive forgiveness. But what ifContinue reading “Offerings. 2 Corinthians 9:7.”

God Loves a Cheerful Giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.

I planted some rye seed yesterday. I only had one bag—forty pounds. But I wish I had several more. Because the money I spend now will be more than repaid by the money I save on hay later. You see, whatever you plant grows, and grows far larger than the size of a single seed.Continue reading “God Loves a Cheerful Giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.”

DON’T JUDGE ME! 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (Law and grace).

A thought flowing in the Christian stream says that questioning another’s behavior or self-discipline or spiritual habits is judgmental, and worse, indicates you have abandoned grace: if you rebuke me, you are living under the law, and putting me under the law. It is the cry, “Don’t judge me!,” and is often followed by “IfContinue reading “DON’T JUDGE ME! 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (Law and grace).”

WHERE WILL YOU GO WHEN TIME RUNS OUT? 2 Peter 3:8.

Season 5 of THE CROWN documents the day in 1992 when a thousand-year-old castle caught fire. That’s right, Windsor Palace was built 1,000 years ago by Norman the Conqueror—300 years before Chaucer, 500 years before Shakespeare! The blaze roared through the building for 15 hours, destroying priceless pieces of art and furniture. Five years later,Continue reading “WHERE WILL YOU GO WHEN TIME RUNS OUT? 2 Peter 3:8.”

Have you ever purchased tires? 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.

When you buy tires, the most essential detail is that the new tires match the old, remaining tires. What would happen if the tires on one side were a little bigger than the tires on the other side? Or what if they were made differently, one made hollow and filled with air, the other aContinue reading “Have you ever purchased tires? 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.”

PURPOSE. 2 Corinthians 5:15.

What motivates the people you know? Do they have goals? Plans? Dreams? What drives their lives? The question is easiest to answer about small children: they want good food, enough sleep, and constant entertainment. Children are born selfish. Nothing wrong with that, really—we are all born selfish, but must not remain there. Yet most do.Continue reading “PURPOSE. 2 Corinthians 5:15.”

A Little Hard Work Never … 2 Corinthians 8:7-11.

When Billy Graham was a boy, the clock would chime at 2:30 a.m., waking the entire family for another day of hard work on the farm. Billy trotted off to the barn to milk twenty cows and shovel manure. After school he milked the cows a second time. The Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards spent 13Continue reading “A Little Hard Work Never … 2 Corinthians 8:7-11.”