Jesus didn't trick people into becoming disciples, neglecting to mention the hardships until people were too far in to back out. He didn't try to sell them by focusing only on the benefits. He didn't suggest people try discipleship for a little while and then if they didn't like it, they could always quit. No, He came right out and explained, in de…

In Luke 6:1-5, we're looking at an event in Jesus' ministry where the subject of the Sabbath comes up. We'll look at what the issues were, what the Lord says about it, and we'll look at some practical things about the business of giving a day to the Lord. We'll talk about whether it's required or not and what might be the benefits of it. To purchas…

The new wine is an illustration that Jesus gives. The Pharisees, along with the disciples of John the Baptist, can't understand why Jesus and His disciples are not adhering to the same rituals, like fasting and Sabbath observance, that they do. Jesus answers in Luke 5:34-39 and says, "I am bringing a new spiritual walk with God. I am not rejuvenati…

As we read Luke's account of that first Resurrection Day, we are startled by the unbelief and confusion in the disciples as they discover the Lord has been resurrected. If Jesus had never explained what would happen to Him, their response might have been understandable. But that was not the case. Jesus had clearly taught that He would die and rise …

In this account of the Lord's calling of Matthew to be His disciple, we see a stark contrast between the heart of God and the attitudes of religious people toward unbelievers. Whereas God is merciful and aggressive in seeking to rescue lost people, religion tends to build up a wall of separation. First we need to understand how and why that wall bu…

When people reached Jesus, their restoration came easily. But there are obstacles that keep us from coming to Jesus and receiving His care. Our lesson today gives us two powerful examples of people who refused to let obstacles keep them from receiving from Jesus. As we read these accounts, not only do we see Jesus' power to touch lives, but we are …

America is now a nation of religious and cultural pluralism, witti a Christian minority. As a society, we are rapidly discarding the Judeo-Christian worldview and ethics that were the agreed upon norm of past generations. Biology, geology, astronomy, and psychology in particular have been used to sever us from our theological roots. Also, nearly un…

If you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that God existed, that the Bible was true, that there was a heaven and a hell, that Jesus Christ is the savior, would you be His disciple? How would that change your life? What would it do to you? Jesus has just done a miracle by bringing a load of fish into Peter's net, and Peter now knows God is real. In t…

For most of the past 30 years Jesus has been a normal young man in Nazareth, except, of course, for the fact that He has done nothing to disobey God. He had become the village carpenter, working alongside Joseph His stepfather, and He was regularly found studying in the synagogue and known to be a godly man by the whole village (Lk. 2:52). But over…

To understand these temptations of Jesus and to recognize how they might apply in our own lives, we must see that these are temptations designed to assault a particular kind of person: they are the temptations the devil brings against someone whose heart is set to serve the Lord. They are the temptations of a minister. Each temptation strikes at a …

Jesus' three temptations in Luke chapter 4 are not just run of the mill temptations. They are the temptations of someone who is set on serving God and has an anointing and call on their life. So this is true of an earnest believer, a minister full of the Spirit. The devil also has temptations for that person. And the Lord will actually allow it; in…

When people are touched by God through you, they often don't know the difference between you or the Holy Spirit in you. That is a dangerous moment when spiritual pride can come in. John the Baptist had a powerful ministry. He was out calling Israel to repentance, and people by the thousands were coming out to him. This was a move of God. The Romans…

The time has arrived for God to work His great salvation. And He has anointed and prepared a young man to be a prophet in Israel. As we look at John the Baptist's ministry, we see John challenging Israel with a call to repentance to prepare Israel for the Messiah. In this message we will define repentance and look at how God goes about bringing us …

For some reason when we think of the Holy Spirit we tend to think of Him as an emanation from God, some sort of impersonal power He uses to make things happen. But this thinking is wrong. He is not a power. He is not even a power with a personality. He is a Person whose presence is powerful. There is a great difference between an Impersonal force (…

Why does God seem to hide His kingdom? Why does He do things in such subtle ways? You would think if God really wanted to save people, He would be dramatic and do things no one could question. As we look at the birth of John the Baptist and later Jesus' ministry, we see how Jesus conducted Himself and the way He organized things, and it left John t…

Last time we saw Mary receive the miracle of a supernatural conception. She became pregnant with the Son of God. Suddenly Jesus was living inside her, and the effect that His presence had on her and the circumstances surrounding her is a dramatic illustration of what all Christians can expect. After all, when a person believes in Jesus Christ, He a…

It's true that the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ are unique events in history, so we might tend to assume there is nothing in these accounts that common believers like us can seek to put into practice in our own lives. But though we are reading about a very special miracle of God, the principles which are at work in Elizabeth and Mary…

The angel Gabriel explains that John the Baptist will become a prophet who restores many people to spiritual health. Quoting from the prophecy of Malachi, the angel states that when true repentance and faith comes to Israel there will be a marked transformation in the attitudes of men toward children. Though this is obviously a positive thing to ha…

After having encouraged the Ephesian Church to resist the devil by putting on the armor of God, Paul reminds them that their protection is incomplete unless they make prayer for one another a regular part of their lives. Most of us know that God wants us to pray, but when it comes to our actual practice of praying we may struggle with inconsistency…

We are to be people who pray. What is prayer, and what does it accomplish? Does prayer really change things? Pastor Steve will address these questions in this episode on prayer.Af Steve Schell

Paul has been talking to us about the theme that we are IN Christ. We are now covered and enveloped in Christ. One more important dimension of being in Christ is being able to stand against the devil's schemes. To purchase Pastor Steve's new book Understanding Acts: Life-Changing Lessons from the Early Church, visit Amazon. Also check out our websi…

What Paul is doing in this passage in Ephesians is giving instruction on the attitude of the heart. His ultimate goal for us is to stay free. A person who is in bondage inside cannot be free. People often look to have a change of circumstances. Paul starts by saying, "No, let God change you in the circumstance, and that will transform the situation…

In these verses Paul continues on the theme of Christian's expressing the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives by submitting to one another. We have just finished seeing how Paul applies this to husbands and wives in marriage (5:22-33), and now, in the verses before us, he focuses on the attitude which parents and children have toward each other…

Something real happens in marriage in which a husband and wife are joined together. There is a deep psychological and emotional tie that forms. Something connects that is deep and normally permanent between husband and wife. It is a tie of the soul, a tie that is intended to form between these two people. But this same tie can form where it is inap…

Our roles for husbands and wives today are in turmoil. Our society has thrown off what it considers to be Biblical roles in favor of an ideal in which two people pursue their own fulfillment while living together. It hasn't worked well and the number of people who ended up suffering and lonely is enormous. But on the other hand, what has been prese…

I believe that the Lord does financially provide for His people, but I also believe there are some attitudes which must be part of our lives before we can live peacefully in His care. We will look at six such attitudes today. When these are present in us, I believe the issue of our provision becomes a joyful matter. On the other hand, if any one of…

Just about everybody tells the truth when it does them no harm, and this can lead people to think of themselves as basically honest when, in fact, they really aren't. Our true character doesn't show until it's put under stress. The moment that determines whether I am honest or not is what comes out of my mouth at a time when telling the truth will:…

When Christ rose from the dead, He gave gifts to His people. Here are five of them: the gift of forgiveness, the gift of redemption, the gift of propitiation, the gift of reconciliation, and the gift of justification.Af Steve Schell

No Christian is intended to live out their spiritual life in isolation. No Christian is intended to grow in maturity in isolation. No Christian is intended to carry out the ministry God has given them in isolation. Becoming a Christian is not just a private decision between each person and God, it involves being joined into a community of God's peo…

The way we see ourselves and the way we see others must change. Even Christians often don't realize how much has changed when they receive Christ. We're not the same anymore. The way we think about things and the way we respond in situations become very different. And the way we see other people changes at least as much as the way we see ourselves.…

While under house arrest in Rome, Paul writes to churches he had pastored in and around Ephesus (a city on the coast of Western Asia Minor). He wants to be sure that with the passing of time this group, made up largely of converted Gentiles, does not lose sight of the wonderful things God has done for them. He wanted them to keep focused on the fac…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

As Christians we aren’t just forgiven of past sins. The Lord has set us free from the control of our flesh and the devil so we can live fruitful lives. So, how’s your freedom? Are there areas where you still feel some bondage to old ways, habits and temptations? If so, you are not alone. The principles in this series Steps to Freedom are the key to…

Calling is very different from employment. Calling has to do with the most primal issues in any person’s life. It’s the answer to the questions: Who am I and why am I here? Employment, however, is a practical matter. It’s about doing something to generate the resources I need to live. Since we all need food, shelter and clothing, our employment is …

Within three days of arriving in Rome, Paul sent someone to invite the elders of the Jewish community to meet with him. As he had done in city after city he would begin by preaching to his kinsmen. He would do his very best to show them the suffering Messiah in the Scriptures and explain how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled those prophecies. And again, …

The issue that lay at the heart of this debate between Paul and these synagogue leaders was the question of how God deals with sin. Paul was trying to convince them that God requires a payment to be made for our sins, one that goes far deeper than anything we humans could even provide. But most of those elders appear to have believed that God can s…

So much of our testimony about what we believe is given in moments when we don’t realize we’re doing it, to people we don’t even know are listening. When we think about proclaiming Christ to others we usually picture someone talking about Him, but actually some of the most effective preaching is done wordlessly. It’s what people see when they watch…

Paul wasn’t supposed to be on Malta. God had clearly expressed His will. He had prophetically warned those in charge of the ship to stay in the safety of the harbor in Crete (Ac 27:9-11). And then, nearly two weeks later while they were helplessly drifting about in a storm, Paul scolded them for not listening to him (Ac 27:21). No, they weren’t sup…

When God uses you to minister to someone it’s natural for them to become grateful to you. It’s hard for people to distinguish in their minds what part of that wonderful blessing you did, and what part was God. They realize their help came from God, but it was God through you. And they’re so grateful that you were faithful to do what you did, or say…

People follow certain kinds of people. Some they follow because of fear. The leader will punish them if they don’t do what they’re told, and this is not necessarily a wrong way to lead because certain people can only be led with a firm hand. They will only obey a particular law because they might get caught and punished if they don’t. But there is …

So many books have been written, and sermons preached, about faith that the subject can become overwhelming. Those who long to walk in greater faith can be left with the feeling that real faith, the kind that produces real miracles, is just too hard for normal people like us. We don’t doubt that miracles can happen, or that they do happen for some …

There’s a huge difference between humility and insecurity. They may look the same on the surface, but they serve two different masters. One is driven by the fear that it is unworthy of being loved and tries desperately to earn approval. The other is able to wrap a towel around its waist and kneel down to wash feet because it is so confident that it…

This chapter is a case study in bad human leadership. Luke describes Paul’s voyage to Rome in great detail, and by the time 276 people wade ashore on the island of Malta we’re left amazed that anyone survived the foolish decisions made by those who were supposed to protect them. Time after time the human leaders used their authority to benefit them…

It’s easy to confuse the terms “works of the Law” with “works worthy of repentance.” We can take the truth that we are saved by faith and not by works to mean that our works don’t matter; in fact some people consider any attempt to produce good works to be dangerous because it might lead to self-righteousness. The result of this kind of thinking ha…

It’s one thing to believe that God still speaks to us today, but it’s quite another to know how to listen to His voice. Many believers, many long-time believers, have never been around anyone who actually lived this way. They have no models to show them how or prove to them it works. Yes, they read about such things in the Bible, but outside of tha…