Steven Wales

HAMAN HAD 99%, BUT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED. Esther 3:2-5; James 4:10.

The king honored Haman more than all his other counselors. He even passed a law requiring everyone to bow before Haman—and everyone did. Except Mordecai, servant of the One true God; he would not bow to a man. It made Haman crazy. “The entire royal staff bowed down and paid homage, but Mordecai would notContinue reading “HAMAN HAD 99%, BUT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED. Esther 3:2-5; James 4:10.”

WHY IS THE BIBLE FILLED WITH RICHES? Esther 1:4; Luke 11:31.

People are poor. Many struggle to feed their children. Yet the Bible—a story about God’s compassion for the least of these—is filled with tales of the greatest among us. We meet Egypt’s pharaohs. Then God’s kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. Solomon builds a temple covered in gold. The nation splits. Nineteen of history’s richest menContinue reading “WHY IS THE BIBLE FILLED WITH RICHES? Esther 1:4; Luke 11:31.”

Fallen Preachers. Zechariah 11:15 and 17.

Could there be a bigger disappointment to a church than to see its pastor embroiled in scandal? Could there be a greater hindrance to the gospel than preachers caught in adultery or worse? God’s judgment awaits those who bring shame to the Name of Christ. “Take the equipment of a foolish shepherd … Woe toContinue reading “Fallen Preachers. Zechariah 11:15 and 17.”

Is it Important to Attend Church Regularly? Zechariah 14:17

Why do we go to church? Can’t we just read the Bible and watch a TV preacher? Maybe sing along with Christian radio? Why bother with the Sunday service? Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not forsake the assembling together of ourselves, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and do so evenContinue reading “Is it Important to Attend Church Regularly? Zechariah 14:17”

HOW SHOULD A KING COME? Zechariah 9:9.

One of my all-time favorite stories of the Incarnation–of Christmas–is the song “How Should a King Come?” by Jimmy and Carol Owens. Read it as a poem. It clearly lays out the contrast between how most kings would want to enter a city, and how the KING OF KINGS entered. He could not have made aContinue reading “HOW SHOULD A KING COME? Zechariah 9:9.”

AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM. Zechariah 8:4-5,12,16-17.

America is not perfect, and it was never holy. There are evil threads woven into our story—slavery, the genocide of Indian tribes, racism, greed. But what other nation do the people of the world flock to enter? What other nation is a melting pot like this land of opportunity? What nation can offer such freedom,Continue reading “AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM. Zechariah 8:4-5,12,16-17.”

ARCHITECTURAL ZERO. Zechariah 4:10.

Adolf Hitler loved architecture. Albert Speer, his architect, writes that Hitler was forever coming up with plans for buildings and monuments. The drawings were not bad, but the designs dwarfed everything else. Hitler dreamed of making Berlin a partial copy of Paris, but making everything larger: a wider main boulevard, a taller victory arch, andContinue reading “ARCHITECTURAL ZERO. Zechariah 4:10.”

DREAM SMALL. Zechariah 4:10.

We encourage you to dream big. We say it every day. We tell children they can all be presidents, astronauts, football stars, heroes. And we should. Children should be encouraged to think big. And when you see problems, you should dream of big solutions. When you see a mountain, you should have hope and believe,Continue reading “DREAM SMALL. Zechariah 4:10.”

DEFEND BULLYING VICTIMS. Zechariah 3:2-4.

There is something infuriating about watching someone powerless endure bullying by someone stronger. Bullying is not harmless or funny or a case of “boys will be boys.” It can be abusive. But you need situational awareness—the context, the age, and the personalities are important considerations. I don’t believe in the application of black-and-white “zero-tolerance” rulesContinue reading “DEFEND BULLYING VICTIMS. Zechariah 3:2-4.”