Life Lessons with Dr. Steve Schell

Ep 43 Two Hungry Men, Gen 25:19-34

This passage is about two hungry men. One is returning to camp after an unsuccessful hunting trip. He is physically starving and feeling faint. The other has been waiting in camp cooking dinner. He is spiritually hungry, yearning for the birthright and blessing that would naturally go to his brother. The attitudes of these two men challenge us to examine our own attitude toward God. Are we like Esau who is too impatient to wait for God's promises, or are we like Jacob who wanted God's blessing more than anything else?

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

Ep 42 The Roles of a Father, Gen 25:6,9

Both these verses refer to children whom Abraham fathered, but his relationship to the two groups was very different. Verse six refers to the "sons of his concubine." These were six sons whom Abraham conceived in his old age with a woman named Keturah. When they reached a certain age he gave them enough to live on and sent them away. It appears he was their biological father, but invested little as their spiritual, emotional or educational father. Verse nine names Isaac and Ishmael and calls them "his sons," meaning that they were children Abraham personally love and nurtured. Being a real father requires much more than just conceiving a baby; it requires an enormous personal investment in the development of a child.

In this episode we'll look at four roles to which a father is called (if he is to be a real father to his children).

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

Ep 41 Healing Old Offenses, Gen 25:1-12

It would be hard to imagine an offense more painful than that which Ishmael experienced at the age of 16. Suddenly, without warning, he was awakened early in the morning by his father, walked a distance outside of camp and abandoned to the wilderness with only a goatskin of water. One day he was the firstborn son of a tribal chief and, the next, he was the disinherited and penniless child of a single mom fighting to stay alive. Miraculously, he and his mother did survive and even prospered by moving to a remote area where he could hunt for a living (Ge 21:9-21), but it's impossible to conceive that he was not deeply wounded by his father's brutal abandonment. Yet, there are clues given here in chapter 25 that a reconciliation took place between father and son before Abraham died. The most startling evidence is the sight of Isaac and Ishmael working side by side to bury their father (v 9). This simply could not have happened if Ishmael were still a bitter outcast.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

Ep 40 Important Personal Decisions, Gen 24:1-59

It's often quite easy to recognize God's will for other people and there are also certain areas of our own lives where we have no trouble making good decisions. But nothing is more difficult than trying to determine God's leading in matters where we have strong personal interest in the outcome. This is the area of decision-making where we all struggle and may have a long history of making bad choices. When confronted with these very personal decisions, we discover we can't trust our own judgment: our emotions overwhelm our reason, our fears and longings disguise themselves as God's voice, and we tend to hear what we want to hear.

In today's lesson we watch as Abraham's servant goes in search of a wife for Isaac. His trip turns into a remarkable adventure in which God guides him to the perfect choice and enables him to fulfill his assignment. In watching how this family makes their "important personal decision," we can all learn to make better decisions for our own lives.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

 

 

Ep 39 Undying Faith, Gen 23:1-20

Abraham and Sarah came to the end of their lives without seeing the fulfillment of every promise God had made to them. He had promised to them and their descendants the land of their "sojournings," but when Sarah died Abraham had to buy a cave so he would have a place to bury her body. Many of us grow bitter at God if all our prayers aren't answered, let alone going a lifetime without seeing a promise fulfilled. Abraham and Sarah certainly saw some of their promises fulfilled. They were personally prospered and miraculously conceived a son in their old age, but the only land Abraham ever owned in Canaan was a family burial plot.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

Ep 38 Abraham's Test, Gen 22:1-19

This chapter is a remarkable prophetic passage declaring the gospel . It is also an example of God testing His followers. First we will look at the gospel Abraham proclaims through his actions. Then we will discuss Abraham being tested. And we'll talk about God testing our hearts too because He tests our hearts just like He tested Abraham. 

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

 

Ep 37 Believable Believers, Gen 21:22-34

Though Abraham was unaware of it, God had been using him to witness to the Philistines. Even though they didn't worship Abraham's God, it became obvious over time that his God was powerful and blessed him abundantly (v 22), so much so that the Philistine king became frightened and came to Abraham begging him to make a covenant of friendship with him. The sad element in this story is that Abraham had nearly spoiled what God was trying to do by lying. God wanted to reveal Himself to this foreign nation through Abraham, yet Abraham's habit of lying to protect himself almost defeated God's plan. In the passage we're reading in this episode, the king came to Abraham to ask that he promise never to lie to him again (Ge 20:2-5), and in the middle of their discussion Abraham complained that a well he had dug had been stolen by Philistines. Uncomfortably aware that his honesty was no longer considered reliable, he made a dramatic gesture to emphasize that he was telling the truth this time.

Jesus told His followers that our yes must mean yes and our no must mean no (Mt 5:33-37). He wanted people to know that His followers would always tell the truth and would keep their promises. Believers should never need to swear we're telling the truth because we should have no history of lying. Yet many do and, like Abraham, we damage our witness to the world. Today we'll look at why honesty is so important and remind ourselves of key attitudes which help us tell the truth.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

Ep 36 A Single Parent, Gen 21:1-21

When Abraham disinherited Ishmael and abandoned him in the wilderness, he instantly turned Hagar into a single mom. Being the single mother of a teenage boy is quite a challenge, but Hagar took steps to see that her son would successfully grow into manhood. Many women and men who face the prospect of raising their children alone, without the support of a spouse, may find themselves wondering if their efforts are doomed to failure. In our lesson for today we see that such negative thinking forgets the reality of God as our father, and discounts what He can accomplish through a parent who will obey Him. Hagar's example teaches us some powerful lessons about parenting.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

 

Ep 35 The Sin of Sodom, Gen 19:4-10

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah became infamous examples of what happens when people let their sexual appetites run wild. Throughout human history their names have been associated with cultures which defied God's moral standards. One of the sins practiced in these cities was homosexuality, and today in America this subject has become very controversial, both in our society at large as well as in certain Christian denominations.The topic tends to stir up emotions and confusion with numerous challenging questions needing an answer. In this discussion, we'll try to answer some of these questions and remind ourselves of how God wants us to respond to this and other forms of addictive behavior.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

 

Ep 34 Lessons from Sodom, Gen 18:16-19:29

God was working with Abraham's heart and teaching his mind so that he would have a faith that could be passed on from generation to generation. Here the Lord uses the judgment of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to teach some foundational spiritual truths. These are truths that God knew he must understand, and they are truths that we also must understand if we are going to live lives that are not corrupted by the temptations that surround us. It's not enough for our hearts to desire to please God, we must also have understanding if we are to resist temptation and to continue to trust Him.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge! 

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.