Steven Wales

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.”

JARS OF CLAY. 2 Corinthians 4:7.

Few buildings rival Solomon’s Temple. It included the Outer Courts, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Within the temple, God instructed the people to use candles for light—ten “golden lampstands” with seven candles on each one. That’s 70 lamps burning pure olive oil. These beautiful menorahs were huge, each made of 75 poundsContinue reading “JARS OF CLAY. 2 Corinthians 4:7.”

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3.

While teaching as an adjunct professor, I applied for a job as a full-time professor. I was required to provide letters of recommendation. I decided to ask two former students, both high achievers who loved my teaching, and had been admitted to the college’s graduate school after I wrote glowing letters on their behalf. WhenContinue reading “LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3.”

STINK, STANK, STUNK. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.

Previously I described a co-worker who always smelled amazing. We now have another employee whose presence is equally noticeable, but the aroma not nearly so pleasant. He gives off a bad smell that is just medicinal enough to force everyone to tolerate it. If I walk up the stairs, I think “Oh, Mister Jenkins mustContinue reading “STINK, STANK, STUNK. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.”