Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 16
April 15, 2020
The Incredible Blessing of Fences [Podcast]
2 Kings 21-22
Sometimes it feels like God has us fenced in. He surrounds us with rules or hard circumstances, and the only way to move forward, it seems, is to hop the fence.
In this episode of Live the Bible, we look at the lives of Manasseh and Josiah. They remind us that the Bible isnt a museum piece or decoration for our home coffee tables. God gave us his Word and preserved it throughout the centuries so that His truth can help our lives. This episode tells us how.
Listen to the Podcast...
April 8, 2020
How to Find Hope for Tomorrow [Podcast]
Leviticus 23:9-14
This Easter week, often called the Passion Week, we need a fresh reminder from Gods Word that we have hope for tomorrowand why. In this episode of Live the Bible, we continue from last week and look in particular at the Feast of First Fruits. It has a principle that points to the resurrection of Jesus, which is Gods proof positive of the forgiveness of our sins when we have faith in His Son (Rom. 4:25).
I pray you have a wonderful Easter and you are encouraged in a time of...
April 1, 2020
How God’s Feasts Apply to You [Podcast]
Leviticus 23:4-8
In these days of worldwide fear, anxiety, and downright panic, we need to hear from God in clear terms. Timeless truths that mattertoday. This episode of Live the Bible focuses on Easter from a perspective you may not have heard before.
We will be looking at some of the biblical feasts as they relate to us as Christiansespecially in light of the resurrection. The Passover is full of practical truth for us as Christians. Not the least of which is the challenge that we remove...
March 25, 2020
Wisdom Isn’t Enough [Podcast]
Selections from 1 Kings
How could Solomon have been so wise and yet blow it so badly? In this episode of Live the Bible, we talk about what we need to succeed in life. Wisdom isnt enough. It also takes one more action.
Solomon offers a great reminder in our lives to do more than simply read the Bible for knowledge and instruction. We should also read it with a mind to apply it in our lives.
Listen to the Podcast NowBetter still, get my full posts the easy way...
March 23, 2020
How to Choose a Contagious Hope
Jesus' Miracle in Bethany Gives Context to Our Current Fears
What an unusual time were living in. Less than two weeks ago, much of America still stood in the dark as to the potential of the coronavirus. Many (including me) saw its threat as mostly media hype.
(Photo: Bethany. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
But now, America and other countries find themselves in quarantine modewith grocery stores struggling to stock the basics, airlines flying near-empty planes, and social...
March 18, 2020
Finding Shelter When Critics Curse [Podcast]
2 Samuel 16; 19; Psalm 3
What can you do when you are unfairly criticized? In this episode of Live the Bible, we talk about finding a place of shelter when the critics show up in your life. King Davids example in a time of unfair criticism is a model for us in our days of discouragement.
If youre in a season of injustice, you can ease the burden of unjust criticism by knowing that God knows the truth and He will make things right in His time.
Listen to the Podcast NowMarch 16, 2020
Where is God in All the Chaos?
2 Helpful Truths When Gods Plan Seems Delayed
These days the news can seem downright depressing. Whether its a pandemic sickness or political agendas, it can seem tough to see God working in the world. Our personal struggles feel the same. Our days are filled with hard work and little harvest.
(Photo: Wheat harvest combine on Mount Arbel. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
We seldom ask the questions out loud. But we all think it: Where exactly is God working in this fallen...
March 11, 2020
How God Uses Your Ordinary Days [Podcast]
Selections from 1 Samuel 17
Ever wonder how to make it through the blah days of the week?In this episode ofLive the Bible, we head to the Elah Valley in Israel where David fights Goliath. It’s much more than an exciting story. Why? It gives us encouragement that are ordinary days are not ordinary to God.
I love how practical God’s Word is. He is not calling us to do something great today but simply to be faithful. Then He takes our ordinary day and makes it great in His time.
Listen to the...March 10, 2020
Purim Offers Surprising Reasons Why God Put You Here
How coincidences in the Book of Esther point to your life.
Purim represents more than costume parties for kids and eating triangular cookies filled with fruit (called “Haman’s Ears”). The holiday remembers the historical event in the book of Esther where the Jews survived a plot to exterminate them.
(Photo: Hand-written scroll of the Book of Esther in Hebrew. By Chefallen. Own work. CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia)
My favorite part of the modern celebration of Purim includes the reading of the...
March 9, 2020
Ephesus – Redeeming the Time You Have Now
How the Ephesian Agora illustrates Paul’s principle of focus in your life.
What if God inspired 3 books of Scripture for your church and also sent two apostles to live and minister among you for years? Ephesus got both. And much more.
(Photo: Ephesus commercial agora. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
On his third missionary journey, the apostle Paul lived for several years as a (literal) tent-making missionary in Ephesus. He may have even sold his tents in the city’s agora,...
