Some people ask, "Why doesn't God just kill all the bad people so we can have a good world?" Well, these chapters in Genesis give us our answer. Even though the flood eliminated all the bad people on earth, leaving only one family alive, it was only a matter of a short time afterwards that evil was expressed, and human society was again corrupted (…

Every Christian comes to a time when he or she tires of doing God's will and longs for a change of circumstances. There are few things in our spiritual lives more difficult than waiting for God's guidance. Sometimes it seems He doesn't hear our prayers, or if He does that He refuses to give us an answer. In these seasons resentment can rise up in u…

It is one thing to hear God's voice; it is another to actually do what He tells us to do. Noah did both: he heard God speak, and he did everything he was told. Why do we often have a problem obeying God's voice? And how do people respond to God's voice? Pastor Steve will answer these questions in this episode and discuss the benefits of obedience i…

Noah is one of the finest examples in the Bible of someone who heard God speak to him and obeyed what he was told. He was wiling to put enormous expense and effort into a project which appeared foolish until the moment it was needed. Like Noah, we must also develop the ability to hear God speak, and then when we do hear Him speak, we must have the …

Moses paints a terrible picture of the days of Noah. He says that every intent of the thoughts of people's hearts were only evil continualy. Every kind of sin was rampant and there was demonic activity taking place at a level beyond our comprehension. So, when we're introduced to Noah, the contrast is stark. In the midst of this dirty world, there …

God judges Cain for his terrible deed but still shows him much mercy. Yet Cain never seems to notice and instead chooses to angrily walk away from God. In our lesson we'll examine the attitudes that tend to make a person rebellious when subjected to discipline. Cain's reaction to God is surprising, yet we all know people who've responded the same w…

The record of this brutal encounter between Cain and Abel contains some profound insights into the inner workings of compulsive sin. The event takes place as both brothers bring offerings to God and discover that He accepts the worship of one, but not the other. Jealousy quickly turns to rage and a murder is committed. The wonder of the passage is …

We will talk about a difficult section of Scripture today in Genesis 3 about marriage as we see God pronounce the consequences of Adam's and Eve's actions after he and Eve sin in the garden. We will also talk about finding Jesus' will in marriage for Christians now that we have been redeemed. To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book…

Many people think this section of the Bible shows God as a harsh judge who inflicts pain on women in childbirth as a punishment for Eve's actions. But nothing could be further from the truth. In just a few verses, God's heart of love in the midst of dealing with sin is revealed. To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse b…

Some people don't know what to do after they sin. And it is more important what a person does after they have sinned even than the sin itself. Yes, sin brings trouble into our lives, but how we handle our sin after it is done brings even more trouble. If we learn how to rightly respond to God after we sin, a lot of the damage can be mitigated and s…

What takes place in our passage of Scripture for this episode is one of the most important events in all of human history. God's initial plan for the human race was ruined by their deliberate rebellion against Him. Because of this event, a rebellious force entered into every child descended from this couple, and this inclination to rebellion has re…

This remarkable passage reveals that God ordained from the very first creation of humans that there would be an interdependence between men and women. I believe this is true, not only for those who are married, but for those who are not married as well. In order to create the first woman, God took something away from the first man, and the two part…

So many Christians go through their lives feeling spiritually dry, without a sense of purpose, without divine guidance, drifting apart from family and friends and forgetting what it felt like to have God's Spirit carrying them through circumstances. These live daily with a quiet sense of despair and loneliness, but this is not how God intended us t…

In this sermon we take a look at certain questions that may come up when doing an honest read of the beginning of Genesis. For instance, why did God even add the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden? Why would God give us an option to obey Him or not obey Him? And why would there be a serpent in the garden? These kinds of qu…

God has, in some degree, made us in His image and according to His likeness. There is no definite statement made in Scripture as to what this means, but we can infer some of the things it must mean from what the Bible tells us about mankind. First, being in God's image must include sharing the holiness of His character. Second must be the fact that…

God has, in some degree, made us in His image and according to His likeness. There is no definite statement made in Scripture as to what this means, but we can infer some of the things it must mean from what the Bible tells us about mankind. First, being in God's image must include sharing the holiness of His character. Second must be the fact that…

Paul says in Romans 12 to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In other words, we have to think differently. Many people who have become Christians still think like unbelievers, and that kind of worldly thinking brings trouble into their lives. If we are going to bring the blessings of the Lord, if we are going to make wise choices, we need…

It's one thing to ask me to not make an idol, or profane the Lord's name, or work on the sabbath, or dishonor my parents, or murder, or break my marriage covenant, or steal, or lie, but it's quite another when you look at the hidden motives of my heart and command me to be content with my lot in life. Now you're in an area inside of me I hardly und…

When it comes to stealing, the human mind can be so creative it would be impossible to write enough laws to prevent it in all its forms. There are flagrant, aggressive ways to steal and subtle, passive ways. Some types are obvious while others could never be proven In a court of law because they depend on hidden attitudes of the heart. Who's to say…

When it comes to stealing, the human mind can be so creative it would be impossible to write enough laws to prevent it in all its forms. There are flagrant, aggressive ways to steal and subtle, passive ways. Some types are obvious while others could never be proven in a court of law because they depend on hidden attitudes of the heart. Who's to say…

Today it's not uncommon to hear the term "sexual revolution" applied to the dramatic changes our society is undergoing in its thinking about sexual behaviors. Those who use this term assume that a new view of sex is emerging out of the uninformed bigotry of our cultural past. But that's not what's happening at all. The only real sexual revolution i…

The Lord needed only two words to produce the sixth commandment. He engraved into a flat plate of stone this simple statement, "Murder not!" Out of ten words which are associated with killing in the Old Testament, He chose the one which refers specifically to the killing of a human whether that person's death is intentional (murder) or accidental (…

It's interesting that the first lesson on learning to love my neighbor as myself has to do with honoring those God has placed in authority over me as a child. And then He bundled into this commandment a warning that says my life expectancy, the availability of His resources and my progress toward achieving His plan for my life are contingent upon m…

So far in our study of the Ten Commandments we first learned that God will not allow other gods in our lives. He forces us to choose whether we want His blessing or the help these other spirits can give. Next, we learned that He measures our love for Him in part by the way we speak of Him. We trouble our lives when we profane His name. If, at times…

Our mouths expose our hearts. Sooner or later our real beliefs and attitudes pour out of our lips. As hard as we may try to hide them it's impossible to filter everything, and in those moments when we drop our guard, our hearts speak what we really believe. That's why in these lessons on how to love God (Ex 20:3-11) He draws our attention to how we…

We learned in our study of the "law of Moses" that the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to teach us how to love: first, to love God with all our heart, soul & might (Dt 6:5), and then to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev 19:18). Considering these commandments as a whole, we see that the first four focus on loving God, and the final six focus on…

The Law of Moses was the code of rules and regulations which Israel agreed to live by as people in covenant with God. Moses didn't invent these laws; he just wrote them down as God dictated them to him. And the "heart" of these laws is the Ten Commandments which the Lord Himself wrote down on two flat tablets of stone (24:12; 31:18; 32:15,16; 34:1-…

In order to be fruitful for God, it is not enough to simply realize that we are called to service, nor even to discover what that call is. We must give God time to produce fruit through us, and that means we must learn to be consistent in what we do and persevere in doing it over the long haul. But realizing this truth is much easier than living it…

In order to be fruitful for God, it is not enough to simply realize that we are called to service, nor even to discover what that call is. We must give God time to produce fruit through us, and that means we must learn to be consistent in what we do and persevere in doing it over the long haul. But realizing this truth is much easier than living it…

In order to be fruitful for God, it is not enough to simply realize that we are called to service, nor even to discover what that call is. We must give God time to produce fruit through us, and that means we must learn to be consistent in what we do and persevere in doing it over the long haul. But realizing this truth is much easier than living it…

What more appropriate response can there be of Jesus giving His life for us than us giving our lives back to Jesus? If we want Jesus, we come and give our life to HIm. We are talking about the call of God on our lives for the next few episodes. The first call is to a wedding. That's the call of salvation. But the second call is to service. It may b…

Our lives are meant to be lived with clear purpose and direction. God doesn't waste anything. He doesn't waste any part of your life. If you feel that you are somehow on hold and being wasted, you simply don't understand what He is doing. The reality is God has much for us to do. There is a call, a purpose and a plan for your life. This episode foc…

In this episode, Pastor Steve goes into the practical aspects of worshipping God and gives some boundaries to worshipping in the Spirit so believers do not take the focus off the Lord. To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Hebrews, email us at [email protected] and ask for your copy at no charge…

A person who is maturing in worship has learned that they have a continual need to be transformed in the Lord's presence, no matter how old. When I am in the flesh, I will still be grumpy; I will still be the old me. God does not come and so change me that I become a really nice person with or without Him. Rather, a mature Christian becomes more an…

We were created to worship and be in love with God. In this new four-part series, we look at how and why we worship. God actually looks for people who worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He goes after men and women who are worshippers. We must see the importance of worship in our life, and we each must become a true worshipper, growing in our under…

We were created to worship and be in love with God. In this new four-part series, we look at how and why we worship. God actually looks for people who worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He goes after men and women who are worshippers. We must see the importance of worship in our life, and we each must become a true worshipper, growing in our under…

Listeners, this episode is a out of chronological order in our study of Luke, but the message is so good we included it anyway! People suffer hardship and rejection for different reasons. Sometimes we reap the bitter fruit of our own mistakes or rebellion. Sometimes we reap the bitter fruit of others' mistakes or rebellion. Yet, sometimes we suffer…

You might say this passage describes the first Sunday night service. It takes place on Sunday evening (the first day of Jesus' resurrection). The disciples were gathered for a meal (Mk 16:14) in a room with the door barred against intruders. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in their midst. They had been arguing about the validity of His resurrection, so th…

If Jesus stood in front of us in white robes, it wouldn't make us believe in Him. Faith doesn't come by seeing. Rather, it is a choice we make. It has to do with our character. In moments when we are caught off-guard, what we really believe comes out of our mouths and shows on our face. We are going to see this fact occur with two disciples who are…

Not all the seventy elders of the Sanhedrin agreed with the decision about Jesus. At least two were secret followers of His who disagreed with the majority and watched in dismay at the brutalization and crucifixion. They were prominent, influential men who believed Jesus was sent from God but were still afraid to confess Him publicly. They knew if …

You and I need to understand what it means when we say Jesus died for us on the cross. We say it often with real faith, and we mean it. But what Jesus really did for us isn't particularly clear in our minds. We know He somehow died on a cross. But the more we understand Jesus' suffering and the dignity with which He went through the crucifixion, th…

The saving of the thief on the cross is undoubtedly the most remarkable salvation of all of those recorded in the gospels. Many people believed in Jesus as they watched Him heal, deliver and perform miracles, but this man believed as he watched Jesus die. He had only a few hours of contact with Jesus, during which both endured the horrors of crucif…

As I read this passage describing the arrest and trials of Jesus, there is an ingredient present throughout which startles me. It's the degree of anger which is directed toward Jesus. He's not just arrested, tried and executed. He is mocked and brutalized at every turn. In view of the fact that He did nothing more than teach, heal and deliver peopl…

In a short span of time these two disciples both experienced a level of personal failure which devastated them. Judas, of course, betrayed the Lord by leading the religious officiais to the Garden ot Gethsemane. Peter blatantly and repeatedly denied knowing the Lord while waiting among the crowd outside the high priest's home. Though Judas' sin was…

Every year many Americans make promises to themselves and others called "resolutions." These commitments to improve behavior are notorious failures. People promise all sorts of things, but usually these can't be kept for more than a month or two into the new year. The problem, of course, is that our will power isn't strong enough to resist the temp…

We are still in the upper room with Jesus and the disciples. In these last moments Jesus has before He is arrested, He wants to teach His disciples, among other things, about humility. After Jesus and the disciples have just enjoyed partaking of the Lord's supper, Jesus watches them break into an argument about who is the greatest. Jesus wants His …

In this episode, we're going to see the final passover service the Lord served to His disciples. We will look at Judas' betrayal, at the upper room and Passover. And then we will look at the glorious New Covenant Jesus introduced the disciples to through the taking of the first communion. To purchase Pastor Steve's newest book Understanding Romans:…

It's Tuesday afternoon of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, and He and His disciples are heading back to the Mount of Olives where they will camp for the night. As the road rises, going up the hillside, the Temple comes into view with the setting sun glistening behind it. Though it has been 49 years in construction, it is still not completed, yet the…

The subject of finances is one that can make us uncomfortable, but there are things we need to do with our finances as Christians in order for us to be blessed of God. And the model for us is this marvelous widow who gives all she has out of a faith-filled and generous heart. Though we are not told, we have to ask the question: What possible reason…

We begin this episode in Mark 11, and we hear Jesus use prophetic symbolism when he comes across a fig tree on the road. The fig tree was one of the major symbols of Israel, so the fact that this fig tree had leaves with no figs indicates something was wrong, since figs and their leaves always come out at the same time. The Messiah is looking for f…