Steven Wales

Fire Insurance is Not Enough. John 10.

Children are so sweet and so innocent. They trust Jesus, they love Him, they want to please Him. They go to church and trust Sunday school teachers and preachers and they ask Jesus into their hearts. And they mean it. Soon they get baptized and they do whatever adults tell them. They really want toContinue reading “Fire Insurance is Not Enough. John 10.”

When Did Jesus Realize He Would Have to Die? John 10:11-18.

It is fascinating to ponder the childhood of the God-Man Jesus. Anne Rice in her novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, suggests little Jesus must have been the best student in Cairo, his brilliant teachers begging Joseph not to take the young family back to Israel. Fiction aside, we know that as Jesus grew,Continue reading “When Did Jesus Realize He Would Have to Die? John 10:11-18.”

I’M SWAMPED. Luke 10:38-42.

I’ve said it many times: “I’m swamped.” The last few months have been extremely busy—creating a new class (the most difficult course yet) and helping my parents with the repair of their home have combined to keep me quite busy. Life is like that. Sometimes we are busy and challenged. There are classes, jobs, personalContinue reading “I’M SWAMPED. Luke 10:38-42.”

Facing a ‘Good Emergency’? Consider Your Priorities. Luke 10:41-42.

What does it take to get you to change your plans? An emergency? I will never forget looking up from a hospital bed and seeing that my friends Chris and Amy had left their jobs to come see me after a nearly fatal car accident. We understand emergencies—we know we will be interrupted sometimes byContinue reading “Facing a ‘Good Emergency’? Consider Your Priorities. Luke 10:41-42.”

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE. John 8:31-36.

I once attended two classes at UT with my brother, Dennis. One building had a motto chiseled near the top: “The Truth Shall Set You Free.” Dennis and I both sort of laughed at that, knowing that the people at UT probably liked the phrase, but were ignorant of its context—and would probably prefer toContinue reading “THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE. John 8:31-36.”

FREEDOM AND SLAVERY. Galatians 4:9, 5:1.

Ever watch MY STRANGE ADDICTION? How can eating glass be addicting? Or drinking deodorant? Owning cats? Smelling gasoline? Eating plastic bags? Snorting baby powder? Eating rocks? Being stung? Eating your husband’s ashes? (Google it.) Heroin is addicting, right? And alcohol and tobacco? But these people on TV are fakes, right? Wrong. You can be addicted—enslaved—toContinue reading “FREEDOM AND SLAVERY. Galatians 4:9, 5:1.”

EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. John 8:31-34.

Which of the following are addictive? Drugs. Porn. Violence. Pain. Eating glass. Eating dirt. Tobacco. Marijuana. Chocolate. Alcohol. Gambling. Gaming. Sports. Screens. Cell phones. Exercise. The Bachelor. Plastic Surgery. Dieting. Tattoos. Shopping. Tanning. Hoarding. Diet soda. Chewing ice. Sadness. Worry. Rejection. I hope you chose all of the above. Not all addictions are the same—butContinue reading “EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. John 8:31-34.”

Do you imagine Jesus as a judge or as a forgiver? John 8:10-11.

Is Jesus Judge or Forgiver? He’s both. He is God. He will judge sin. But to His people He offers infinite grace. He said to the woman caught in adultery: “Where are your accusers? Does no one condemn you? Neither do I condemn you. [But don’t miss the next sentence]: Now go your way andContinue reading “Do you imagine Jesus as a judge or as a forgiver? John 8:10-11.”

ADDICTIONS. John 8:34.

We hear talk about addictions every day. What are people addicted to? Drugs. Alcohol. Gambling. Pornography. Sex. Cigarettes. Extreme sports. What else? There must be a hundred more. Obviously some addictions are more dangerous than others. But why are there so many addictions? And even the bizarre show, “My Strange Addiction.” Doesn’t it seem likeContinue reading “ADDICTIONS. John 8:34.”

Some People LOVE Rules. John 9:16.

Some of us find our security in rules. Social rules—both written and unwritten, etiquette rules, grammar rules, rules on the job—there are rules for everything, and believe it or not, there are those among us who crave rules. Rules provide security. If I know the rules and follow the rules, the result I want isContinue reading “Some People LOVE Rules. John 9:16.”