Have you persisted in prayer? Have you? Have you really, really prayed hard? Have you prayed for a long time? Have you ever had something on a prayer list that you came back to day-after-day for a long time? Have you prayed consistently, while days turned to weeks and weeks to months and months toContinue reading “PRAY HARD! Luke 11:5-10.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
BAD FRUIT/GOOD FRUIT. Matthew 7:16-17.
Some bear only good fruit. With them I am energized and restored, my tank filled, my joy renewed. These are believers who have walked with Jesus for a lifetime. Others are in the middle: their impact may be sweet, but sour notes remain. Finally, there are those who take you to dark places, though everyContinue reading “BAD FRUIT/GOOD FRUIT. Matthew 7:16-17.”
ARE RUINS IN YOUR FUTURE? Matthew 7:24-26.
I just re-read Matthew 5-7, Jesus’s first recorded sermon, commonly called “The Sermon on the Mount.” There is so much in there! It is as if Jesus packed a year’s worth of sermons into three chapters. Imagine the millions of sermons based on these well-known scriptures. He touches on so many topics: worship, fasting, giving,Continue reading “ARE RUINS IN YOUR FUTURE? Matthew 7:24-26.”
Pray for Discernment. Matthew 7:15-17, 20.
One of the toughest challenges of modern life is knowing whom to trust. Whom can you date? Whom can you trust with your secrets? Whom can you hire? Whom can you elect? Which preacher is worthy of your attention? Which reporter or news organization can you trust to give you all sides of complex stories?Continue reading “Pray for Discernment. Matthew 7:15-17, 20.”
BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART. Revelation 14:4-5.
Do you hear stories of those who have participated in every sin the world offers, then come to Jesus and seem to share the most exciting testimonies? Do you read about King David who—as if being king were not reward enough—also had 1,000 beautiful wives? (The Bible does not say all 1,000 were beautiful, butContinue reading “BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART. Revelation 14:4-5.”
SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Matthew 6 is About the HEART. Matthew 6:33.
Yesterday I wrote that the Beatitudes (the opening lines of the Sermon on the Mount) are about the heart. This is a theme of the Son of God’s first and most important sermon: your heart. The Old Testament encouraged God’s people to obey the law. And the words of Jesus are consistent with that. HeContinue reading “SERMON ON THE MOUNT: Matthew 6 is About the HEART. Matthew 6:33.”
SERMON ON THE MOUNT:You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows. Matthew 5-7.
I try to read the Bible with fresh eyes. It’s hard to read the familiar Sermon on the Mount as though I were hearing it for the first time. But I try. Jesus created images, ideas, and poetry as rich as anything by Shakespeare or MLK. And what a poetic opening! “Blessed are the poorContinue reading “SERMON ON THE MOUNT:You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows. Matthew 5-7.”
SALT. Matthew 5:13.
Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13. What? Remember what salt meant back then. It was a preservative for food—meat packed in salt lasts a long time. Application? We preserve the world. Christians should keep things pure and fresh. Does your influence slow the decay around you? Does our culture remainContinue reading “SALT. Matthew 5:13.”
RECONCILE YOUR CONFLICTS. Matthew 5:9, 23-26.
Recently a woman told me that God made her a fighter. She argued that feuding with people was her calling, where reconciliation was the calling of ministers and Bible teachers. She seemed to think the two options were equally valid, as if God designed her to be someone who fights nasty, bitter battles (her extremelyContinue reading “RECONCILE YOUR CONFLICTS. Matthew 5:9, 23-26.”
DARKNESS AND LIGHT. Matthew 5:14.
Have you ever been in a dark tent with a small light? What is the best way to light things up? Put the flashlight into your pillowcase? No—you hold it up high. Light works best filtering down from high places. The higher the light source, the better it can reach every nook and cranny. JesusContinue reading “DARKNESS AND LIGHT. Matthew 5:14.”
Household Words: 