Dear John, I, Nicodemus, thank you for your recent inquiry regarding my conversation with Our Lord. I am honored to be asked. I pray my report may be of some use to you as you draft your written account of Our Lord’s words and deeds while He walked among us. What a blessing to haveContinue reading “Letter From a Pharisee. John 3:1-21.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Marriage and The Woman at the Well. John 4:18.
One of the greatest evangelists in the Bible may be the unnamed “Woman at the Well.” In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman—a remarkable moment, because “Jews do not associate with Samaritans” John 4:9. Jesus was nice to her, they talked quite a bit, and she left andContinue reading “Marriage and The Woman at the Well. John 4:18.”
PURPOSE. Matthew 12:39-40.
People who change careers many times may be struggling to find purpose. Same goes for young people who begin a course of study but lose interest before completing it. “I’ll be an EMT. No, a teacher. No, farmer. No, actor. No, maybe….” —They lack purpose. Do you know anyone who’s changed majors 4, 5, orContinue reading “PURPOSE. Matthew 12:39-40.”
NESTS AND MANSIONS. Matthew 8:20, 22-24.
On vacation, my daughter would rather reach a single vacation destination, make that location what the military calls a “forward operating base,” then travel daily to sites in all directions, before returning to spend another night in her new home away from home. Her mother agreed. Of course, some journeys require you to move everyContinue reading “NESTS AND MANSIONS. Matthew 8:20, 22-24.”
CELEBRITY. Matthew 4:23-25.
Have you ever walked into a store and been dogged by the sales staff when you wish they would leave you alone? If you’re like me, you want to browse the store a bit, get a feel for products and prices, and maybe you’ll try something on or maybe you’ll walk out and hit theContinue reading “CELEBRITY. Matthew 4:23-25.”
A PROPHET WITHOUT HONOR. Luke 4:24.
Jesus was mocked and even hated in Nazareth. They said, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? We know Him and all His brothers and sisters. Where did He get this wisdom and these miracles?” They scorned Him. And He confronted them: “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in hisContinue reading “A PROPHET WITHOUT HONOR. Luke 4:24.”
WHO ARE YOU–DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE? Luke 4:18.
Some KNOW who they are and what defines them: “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life orContinue reading “WHO ARE YOU–DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE? Luke 4:18.”
GOALS & MISSION STATEMENTS. Luke 4:18-21.
A preacher asked, “Is there anyone here with goals?,” everyone nodded, then he followed-up: “Raise your hand if you have your goals written down in your pocket right now!” No one raised a hand. The point? You only achieve things you are deeply committed to. If you don’t write down your goals, you will notContinue reading “GOALS & MISSION STATEMENTS. Luke 4:18-21.”
LIFE VERSE: PRAY FOR ME! Matthew 13:54-55.
I love when Jesus walks into his hometown synagogue in Nazareth and reads from the scroll of Isaiah. It was not unusual for local men to read a passage. But the local boy did more than just read something aloud: “… And unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written: ‘The SpiritContinue reading “LIFE VERSE: PRAY FOR ME! Matthew 13:54-55.”
ALONE. Luke 4:1-7.
The adventure show ALONE is so popular it has spawned foreign-language versions in Danish and Norwegian, and English versions filmed in Australia and Britain. And I’m reading the Bible and find myself imagining the scene as an episode of the show: “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness 40Continue reading “ALONE. Luke 4:1-7.”
Household Words: 