The most difficult challenge any man ever faced was the cross. But God gave Jesus encouragement in many ways. While He prayed in the Garden before His arrest, “an angel appeared to Him, strengthening Him” Luke 22:43. But back the clock up a few days…. “He took Peter, James, and John, and went up onContinue reading “GOD WILL SEND HELP! Luke 9:28-31; 22:43.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Jesus Was Shrewd. John 2:23-25.
He knows human nature. So when the Pharisees were in a frenzy to kill Him, He knew not to trust anyone. He understands what lurks in the heart of mankind. “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. ButContinue reading “Jesus Was Shrewd. John 2:23-25.”
CAN YOU BE TOO TRUSTING? Matthew 10:16.
Some of us trust everyone. Some of us trust no one. Who is right? As a young lawyer, I remember being cautioned by senior attorneys: “Don’t tell them anything, you understand? I don’t care that he is a co-defendant—he’s gonna be nice to you to try to discover our evidence. But don’t tell him anything,Continue reading “CAN YOU BE TOO TRUSTING? Matthew 10:16.”
DOES TODAY’S CHRISTIAN FEAR THE LORD? Mark 4:38-41; 2 Corinthians 5:10.
One of the most dramatic scandals of my life was the implosion of the ministry of Jim Bakker. Throughout the 1980s, Bakker preached on a high-profile television show. He and his wife generated millions of dollars in donations. As is all-too-common, they promised donors that God would make the donors rich, but the ones gettingContinue reading “DOES TODAY’S CHRISTIAN FEAR THE LORD? Mark 4:38-41; 2 Corinthians 5:10.”
Lost. Matthew 9:36.
When a young man makes bad choices, we say he is lost. When a young woman drops out of college and refuses to work, we say she is lost. When a man’s career is over and he wallows, depressed and inert, we say he is lost. These people are lost because they have no plans,Continue reading “Lost. Matthew 9:36.”
SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN: JESUS WAS NOT HOMELESS, Matthew 8:20.
One day an enthusiastic young scribe told Jesus “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go!” Jesus responded with an interesting comment: “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” Matthew 8:19-20. Was Jesus homeless? There is a Wikipedia pageContinue reading “SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN: JESUS WAS NOT HOMELESS, Matthew 8:20.”
Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.
Which is more valuable–old treasure or new treasure? Imagine a visit to a wealthy couple we will call Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They live in a three-story mansion with Greek columns and dormer windows. Once inside, a remark about an autographed baseball jersey leads to stories about favorite possessions, and suddenly our hosts decide toContinue reading “Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.”
PLANTING MUSTARD. Matthew 13:31-32.
Have you seen mustard seeds? Those seeds are TINY, roughly the size of a period. They must be easy to lose—a gust of wind could carry them for miles. I found mustard seed online. It’s sold by the McCormick spice company in a tiny glass jar with a red plastic top—like so many of ourContinue reading “PLANTING MUSTARD. Matthew 13:31-32.”
HOW SMALL IS YOUR PART? Matthew 13:31-32.
They say, “there are no small parts, only small actors,” but the truth is—there ARE small parts. You can be the star or you can be “Man in the crowd number 2.” Do you ever feel that way about your life? Like your part is small? You have an unnamed role, a face in theContinue reading “HOW SMALL IS YOUR PART? Matthew 13:31-32.”
CULTIVATE THE SEED. Matthew 13:1-23.
Jesus told the Parable of the Sower and while reading it again I thought about Passion and other mountaintop experiences: Camps, Disciple Nows, Revivals, Christmas Pageants, concerts, a sermon series, etc. When we are moved deep in our souls, we think we will never fall away, never go back. But things happen, life happens, andContinue reading “CULTIVATE THE SEED. Matthew 13:1-23.”
Household Words: 