Life Lessons with Dr. Steve Schell

The Bible teaches us that God sees people very differently than we do. We look at appearances and actions, but God is able to look at motives (1Sa 16:7). He sees not only what people do, but He knows why they do it. And this knowledge seems to play heavily into how He deals with each person. I believe this truth helps us explain why He showed mercy to Abram and Sarai, even though Abram had made fo...

Not only does it take faith to find God's will for our lives, but it also takes faith to stay in His will. Predictably, after we finally arrive at a place where we are confident we are doing what God asks us to do, forces rise up to oppose us. One of the most devastating is the drying up of financial support. If we don't have enough money for the basic needs of life then we can't remain in a place...

Some people think God randomly chose Abraham to leave his land because God really liked him. But the Lord was not playing favorites. In Abraham and Sarah, He finally found someone who would obey Him! That's why God chose them. God found someone who was willing to obey His call and walk in faith.  The Bible is full of lessons on walking in faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith, it is impossible...

When God prophetically speaks a promise to us, He's telling us what He plans to accomplish through us. But He is not predicting the future as if to say this is what will happen to you no matter what choices you make. In order for God to accomplish great things in our lives, He must first grow our faith to a level where we can receive His promise. God promised great blessings to Abraham and Sarah,...

Something recoils in all of us at the sight of blood. Some may even faint when they see it. So when we open the Bible and find so many references to blood, it can be a bit disturbing. In the Old Testament animals are sacrificed and their blood sprinkled on people and things, and in the New Testament Jesus uses shocking analogies involving His own blood (Jn 6:53-56; Mt 26:27, 28) and his apostles w...

The Bible lays out the high points and the low points of its heroes. We have seen Noah's extraordinary obedience over a long period of time. But today it brings up a sad occurrence from Noah's life. And with this passage of Scripture in Genesis 9 there has also come wrong theology known as the "curse of Ham" that people have used to excuse racism. In this episode we delve into the origin of racism...

As we have studied Noah over the past few weeks, we've seen in him several important qualities: First, he knew how to hear the voice of God; second, he did the will of God; and third, he patiently waited for the timing of God. So, it should come as no surprise that today we read, "And God blessed Noah and his sons..." This means that God committed Himself to watch over Noah's life so that the good...

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 (Ge 9:20-24; 11:1-9). This shows that every human,...

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 us. We may decide He's forgotten us and decide to t...

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 if we obey God. To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve...

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 faith to obey. This episode explores some practica...

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 is a man who has stayed clean. If we've ever felt...

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 way when someone's tried to correct them, or maybe...

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 that we get to hear God's counsel to someone under...

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 Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at in...

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 by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonsp...

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 softened. So in this episode we will look at how to...

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 resulted in an incomprehensible amount of suffering....

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 parts would only be whole again when they worked toget...

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 to live and from the very beginning He devised a pl...

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 questions go to the very heart and character of God....

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 man was not intended to die. Third, we are person...

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 man was not intended to die. Third, we are person...

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 to make good decisions. There isn't a book in the...

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 understand myself. You're asking me to control someth...