Steven Wales

THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES ARE NOT VERY SPECIFIC. Luke 17:26-36.

The Pulitzer-winning novel GONE WITH THE WIND opens with the Tarleton twins courting Scarlett O’Hara. It is April of 1861, and the 19-year-old brothers have been expelled from the University of Georgia. “It don’t matter much. We’d have had to come home before the term was out anyway.” “Why?” “The war! The war’s going toContinue reading “THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES ARE NOT VERY SPECIFIC. Luke 17:26-36.”

CAMELS. Mark 10:17-25.

“As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to be saved?’” Mark 10:17. Jesus eventually told him to sell all he had and give to the poor—“and the man went away sad, because he had many possessions”v.22. And JesusContinue reading “CAMELS. Mark 10:17-25.”

DO YOU WANT HARDWARE OR TOOLS? Mark 10:42-45.

Remember baseball tournaments? Coaches would rally the team by inspiring them with talk of hardware: Come on, boys, let’s go get some hardware! We love to win trophies. We love certificates, plaques, ribbons, medals, scholarships, ranks, promotions, and more. Even the disciples wanted hardware. “But Jesus called the disciples over and said, ‘You know thatContinue reading “DO YOU WANT HARDWARE OR TOOLS? Mark 10:42-45.”

Biblical Manhood is Kingdom Childhood. Mark 10:14.

I admire two ministers and a layman.[1] First, Johnny Derouen. Our youth minister loved his family, and was determined to obey Jesus in all things. He also had a gift for loving people, listening to people, and showing compassion. He was full of joy and when you were around him, you knew following Christ wasContinue reading “Biblical Manhood is Kingdom Childhood. Mark 10:14.”

WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.

I wrote a book of study tips. One tip encourages visual learners to make the content from their classes visual if possible. But visual media have their limits: “IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO STUDY, THEN CONVERT YOUR NOTES TO DRAWINGS AND DIAGRAMS. If you’re a ‘visual person’ (everyone says they’re a visualContinue reading “WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.”

CHOOSE THE HUMBLE PLACE. Luke 14:8-11.

One weekend, our church choir recorded a new album for Word Music. Microphones were pointed at the first row. The minute you walked in, you knew: the best singers were already on the first row. That was the all-star team. I’d like to say I did not think about it, that I was not ambitious.Continue reading “CHOOSE THE HUMBLE PLACE. Luke 14:8-11.”

DILUTED. Luke 14:34-35.

Merchants are famous for diluting things. They put water into wine to make the wine last longer (thus the phrase “watered down”). They mix grain into sausage so it appears to contain more meat than it does. To increase volume, drug dealers mix (or “cut”) cocaine with powdered laundry detergent, laxatives, and meat tenderizer (amongContinue reading “DILUTED. Luke 14:34-35.”

Do You Need God’s Blessings? Luke 14:11.

If you need to be blessed by God, humble yourself. He blesses the humble—but not the proud. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” Luke 14:11. Consider the prodigal son—he failed, but he did not fail at repentance. And the father killed the fatted calfContinue reading “Do You Need God’s Blessings? Luke 14:11.”

How Much Did the People of Jesus’s Time Know About Crucifixion? Luke 14:27.

Could there be a symbol more ironic than the cross? The instrument of the most terrifying, arguably worst-possible death, has become the world’s most beloved symbol of eternal life. The cross is so candy-coated, so bathed in sugar and sweetness, it is impossible to grasp the bitter horror it once created. Consider the words ofContinue reading “How Much Did the People of Jesus’s Time Know About Crucifixion? Luke 14:27.”

A MAN OF PRAYER IS A MAN OF COURAGE. Luke 13:31-33.

No one faced worse than Jesus. Yet He faced it with courage. He drew amazing strength from amazing prayer. His prayer time was not mere “quality” time, but also a significant QUANTITY of time. He got up before dawn. He stayed up all night. He went away to places of solitude. Consider Gethsemane: Jesus beganContinue reading “A MAN OF PRAYER IS A MAN OF COURAGE. Luke 13:31-33.”