Steven Wales

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.”

How to Discern Truth About People. John 7; Matthew 7:16.

As we were promised in the 1990s, the internet has created an information superhighway. Trouble is, much of that information is unreliable. Some subjects are easy to handle. You can verify scientific and medical facts by tracking down reliable authorities. The same is true for history and other traditional school subjects. But other topics doContinue reading “How to Discern Truth About People. John 7; Matthew 7:16.”

Jesus Has Compassion for You—Even When Your Faith is Weak. John 20:25-27.

When the disciples told Thomas they had seen the Risen Christ, he said, “unless I place my fingers in the holes in His hands and place my hand in His side, I will NOT believe” John 20:25. Eight long days later, Jesus showed up, and went straight to Thomas: “Come. Put your finger here andContinue reading “Jesus Has Compassion for You—Even When Your Faith is Weak. John 20:25-27.”

Secrets of Prayer: Praying With Power. Mark 9:24.

Everyone wants to get results when they pray. To put it another way: we want God to give us what we want! And of course, that can be a selfish thing. If we need rent money, we might pray selfishly or we might pray selflessly, but either way—we really do need the money. And GodContinue reading “Secrets of Prayer: Praying With Power. Mark 9:24.”

THE PARADOX OF MATURITY. Matthew 18:3-4.

Do you remember the TOTAL FAITH you had as a tiny child? The way you believed in God with the complete trust that only children have? Do you miss that faith? Jesus is calling you back. There is satisfaction in maturity—in having the experience and wisdom to manage life’s challenges. But there is a risk—andContinue reading “THE PARADOX OF MATURITY. Matthew 18:3-4.”

Tell the Lawyers They Need to Become Like Children. Matthew 18:1-5.

When I was fourteen our youth group went on a mission trip to Wyoming. As teens, we possessed few skills, but we could play with children. I was good at playing. And one child captured my heart, a little girl named “Stormy.” Everything about the four-year-old was cute, beginning with her name. I played littleContinue reading “Tell the Lawyers They Need to Become Like Children. Matthew 18:1-5.”

DRY BONES. Romans 10:17; Ezekiel 37.

When you walk through a cattle ranch, dry bones are common—most farmers leave dead cows for the buzzards. Soon bones bleached white are the only thing left. If you happened across the dried-up, crumbling bones of an elderly bovine, would you command those bones to live? Imagine making such a request: the bones are notContinue reading “DRY BONES. Romans 10:17; Ezekiel 37.”

Do you believe demons can occupy a human soul? Matthew 17:21

When Jesus came to the Gadarene demoniac (a man in Gadarenes who was demon-possessed), He had a conversation with the legion of demons. They begged Jesus to send them into the swine herd nearby—and 2,000 pigs immediately ran off a cliff and drowned. So not only could a single human soul house 2,000 demons, butContinue reading “Do you believe demons can occupy a human soul? Matthew 17:21”