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Episodes
Pastor Steve Schell comprehensively teaches through entire books of the Bible pulling out the deep, eternal truths in each section of Scripture without skipping over challenging passages. These sermons will help foster true discipleship for the committed Christian, both young and old.
Episodes
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
62 - Overcoming Fear
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
By every appearance, the very thing Paul dreaded was happening. How many times had gangs of angry men surrounded him and dragged him to the police. In one situation after another government officials had conveniently sided with the mob. And here he was again being taken through the streets of Corinth to stand in front of the new Roman proconsul. It all felt horribly familiar. Would he be stripped and beaten publicly and then thrown into a filthy jail cell as he had in Philippi (Ac 16:19-24)? Or would the mob be allowed to take him out and stone him as they had in Lystra (Ac 14:19, 20)? But there was one thing that made this moment different from all the others. A year and a half earlier Paul had seen a vision of Jesus who told him not to be afraid, so when fear tried to surge up within Paul, he had a promise he could cling to.
The real enemy
The real enemy is fear. Most of the bad decisions we make are made in an effort to protect ourselves from something we fear. Fear weakens us, it breaks down our defenses, and actually seems to draw to us the very thing we’re trying to flee. You might say fear is a form of faith in reverse. When we’re afraid, we’re actively believing that bad things will happen. Fear’s almost like an odor or a magnetic field. If left unchallenged, sooner or later we tend to get the very thing we feared.
The culture we live in is full of fear. If you listen to the way people talk you’ll hear it. They say, “You know what worries me is…,” or “I’m really frightened for…” Our news is full of horrible scenarios about what might happen. Books, films and music constantly envision coming catastrophes, and for that matter, so do religious materials. The effect all this has on us is to make us want to withdraw and hide. We can’t dream of great things or step out into bold, new ventures because we’re waiting for something bad to happen. And living in fear leaves people tired, sad and angry. Frightened people build walls. We limit our own possibilities, we reduce our own potential, because in our mind what we fear is as real as if it had already happened. It’s as real as if we had already seen it. So, we think of ourselves as being realistic, not fearful; as wise, not reactionary. And fearful thinking becomes a habit which gets more deeply ingrained in us as the years go by, until we’re not even aware it’s there.
Monday Mar 04, 2024
61 - Releasing Ministry
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia they brought with them a financial gift from the church in Philippi. Apparently, a man named Epaphroditus actually carried the money, and then stayed in Corinth for awhile to assist Paul. He was sent home after surviving a life-threatening illness (Php 2:25-30). The effect this gift had on Paul was not to change what he was doing, but to release him to do it more. Luke says, “Paul began devoting himself completely to the Word…” (v5). He had been working six days a week making tents in order to support himself and then, in what must have been a very weary condition, he would reason in the synagogue on the Sabbath. No one had to pay Paul to minister. He did what he did with or without support, but the gift from the Philippians released him to focus all his energy and time on doing what he was called to do.
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
60 - Alone and Afraid
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Paul was a human being with strengths and weaknesses. He was incredibly brave. At times he seemed fearless in preaching the gospel. As we read through the Book of Acts we’ve often watched him pursued by angry mobs, and he didn’t always escape. On occasion they caught him and stoned or beat him badly. Yet he always seemed to get up and march off to the next city. So it might be hard for us to accept the fact that this great apostle could have moments when he too felt overwhelmed, when the pressure of it all grew too much for him, when he felt alone and afraid. But this was the condition he was in when he arrived in Corinth. So when he began to preach there, and that predictable pattern of anger began to emerge, when the threat of violence grew stronger by the day, he faithfully kept preaching, even though he wanted to run away. It almost hurts to say it, but he didn’t want to be hit again. He had been hit so hard, so often, it had begun to take its toll. But in that season of weakness Jesus didn’t scold Paul, He completely understood how he felt, He’d felt the same way. So He took care of him. He brought people who would stand beside him so he wouldn’t be alone. He prompted believers who loved him to send a timely gift, and above all He spoke to him. And that loneliness and fear left. Luke beautifully captures the change in Paul when he says, “and he sat down a year and six months, teaching among them the Word of God” (literal). He was at peace and able to finish his assignment.
There are, undoubtedly, people among us today who, like Paul, have not stopped serving the Lord, but inside feel alone and afraid. So as we watch the way Jesus kindly and patiently cares for Paul, his weakness actually encourages us. If this great apostle can struggle this deeply, then surely we can too. And if Jesus will come and minister to him, then He’ll come and minister to us, too. Paul’s weakness becomes an invitation from the Lord to admit our own weakness, and receive His care
Monday Feb 26, 2024
59 - Athens and Jerusalem
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
The culture around us is changing. What used to be “Jerusalem,” a society whose beliefs and morals were rooted in the Bible is becoming “Athens,” a society which is ignorant of God and the Bible, and looks for help elsewhere. It’s important that we understand this change and recognize where it has occurred, because God speaks to “Jerusalem” one way, but to “Athens” another. When He confronts “Jerusalem,” He speaks very directly, because these are people who know His Word and at some point in their history promised to serve Him. When it comes to spiritual matters, they’re not ignorant, when they sin it’s rebellion. But He speaks differently to “Athens.” It’s not filled with people who know God and have made a covenant with Him. Though they also do sinful things, their deeds are not done in direct rebellion to God. They don’t know Him (Mt 11:20-24).
Today, as we watch Paul preach in Athens, he models a very important lesson for us. He shows us how to reach people who are ignorant of spiritual realities and who live in a world of self-made philosophies. As he passed through that city, he became deeply grieved at the demonic bondage which held those people in its grip. He knew they were deceived, and that knowledge stirred him to action. Luke says as he walked through the city and saw all those idols, he became very upset, yet notice how he responded. He didn’t march into the marketplace and angrily rant at the crowds about their sin. He began to look for people to lead to Christ, because he was confident that even in that deeply confused place there would be individuals whom God had been drawing to Himself and who were ready to hear the truth.
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
58 - Lifelong Learners
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Learning is hard work. Anyone who’s gone to school knows that. Using our brains is like exercising a muscle; it grows tired when it’s overworked and weak when it’s left idle. The school system in our country requires us to study until we reach a certain age, and many people will keep on studying for a few years after that in order to get a better job. But sadly, in the minds of some, once they’re through with school, the season for pushing their brains to learn new ideas comes to an end. The assumption is, we’ve had a lot of information poured into our minds during our school years, and after graduation we enter the season of life when we draw on that pool of information whenever we need it. The problem with that approach, of course, is that our memories decay over time, and if we don’t keep using the knowledge we learned, we soon forget most of it. We may have gotten an “A” on the final, but six months later we can barely remember half of what we once knew.
You might think spiritual knowledge is different from this, but it’s not. We quickly discover that as soon as we stop going forward in our knowledge of God and His Word, we start sliding backward. It seems there is no plateau; it’s either uphill or downhill. In spiritual matters, just like any other area of life, it takes self-discipline and hard work to keep going uphill, which is why some people stopped learning a long time ago. Growing spiritually simply required more than they wanted to give.
But there are others who have the necessary attitudes and inner motivation to keep growing. In fact, some people are still growing when they die. That kind of individual never puts limits on themselves. They don’t decide they’ve outgrown the season for learning. And in every case they’re not mentally lazy. They’re willing to put in the time and energy to investigate a matter. They’re always reading something; they’re always stretching spiritually to walk at a deeper level with God (Php 3:12-14). You might suspect that someone like that was motivated by pride, but they never are. Proud people decide they already know way more than they need to, and stop growing early. In order for someone to keep growing for a lifetime, they must be willing to work hard year after year, decade after decade; and people only do that for one reason: They’re driven! And I think the only force that can drive someone for a lifetime is love. Not even hate has such power. A person can fall so deeply in love with something or someone that they never feel they know enough or have drawn close enough. And there are people who love God like that. Paul met some of them in the city of Berea.
Monday Feb 19, 2024
57 - Leading Someone To Christ
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
If you’re just reading through Acts and come across these few verses about Thessalonica, you might be left with the impression the mission there was something of a failure. Paul, Silas and Timothy were only in the city for a short period of time. Some people came to Christ, but it wasn’t long before fierce persecution arose and the missionaries were forced to flee, leaving these new believers on their own. It would be natural to assume that when left alone without the apostles to guide them, and facing the fury of a hostile community, these new believers might have renounced their faith or, at least, stopped speaking openly about their faith.
That’s what you might assume if you just read this passage, but that’s not all we know. Paul wrote two letters to them within probably a few months of his departure. He, too, was worried, so he sent Timothy back to check on them. And when Timothy returned and reported what he found (Ac 18:5; 1Thess 3:1-8), Paul was thrilled, and wrote the letter we call First Thessalonians, and shortly after that he heard the church was confused about the Lord’s return, so he wrote Second Thessalonians.
What we discover when we read these letters is not a church struggling to survive. Instead, we discover people that are thriving and spreading the gospel over the entire region. How is that possible? What on earth did these missionaries do to those people? What kind of seed did they plant in their hearts that would keep growing even without mature leadership and in the midst of persecution? Frankly, the result of the mission to Thessalonica is a miracle. Under normal circumstances that church shouldn’t have survived. But it did, and it grew…and we need to discover why. Because whatever those apostles taught or did to those people that produced such lasting life-change, we need to teach and do for those we lead to Christ.
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
56 - Resourcing Others
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
It’s amazing to watch the change that comes over a person when he or she gets married. The focus of life tends to move from “me” to “us,” or at least it should. We can all tell sad stories about situations where that shift in attitude didn’t take place. And then, there’s another drastic change when children come along. The focus of life moves from “us” to “them.” There is now a little person who depends on me for his or her very existence. Making time for “us” now takes special planning. Money I used to consider mine to spend as I wished is not mine anymore. It’s put into a family account to cover the many different expenses that come in. My free time disappears into a list of chores longer than the hours available.
The process I’m describing is painful. My old way of life must die and give way to another. Most of us discover in the middle of this transition that we are much more selfish than we realized, and it’s only when the needs of others force us to change do we actually let go of our self-centeredness. I described how marriage and parenthood press people to mature, but you and I know only too well, not everyone is willing to reorient their life from “me” to “us,” and then to “them.” We all have sad stories about people who quit and went back to “me.” And no, I’m not saying marriage and parenting are the only way such inner development takes place, but it is probably the most common way humans learn a measure of selflessness.
Through our study in Acts we met the church in Philippi. In that city we watched God draw together a very diverse group of people, and then Paul, Silas and Timothy traveled on, apparently leaving Luke behind. If it weren’t for Paul’s letter to the Philippian church we wouldn’t know what a powerful ministry this group of believers developed over the coming years. They became far more selfless and faithful in giving to God’s work than other churches Paul planted. Why this was so is not said, but I’m suspicious that Lydia and Luke modeled a level of generosity that caught on and became a beautiful part of that church’s culture. They were the church who faithfully supported a missionary named Paul over the next decade, and probably for the rest of his life.
Today we’ll study the Philippian church by reading what Paul wrote to them in his letter. We’ll learn from his words of appreciation and observe the effect their faithfulness had on his ministry. And in our study we’ll also discover that there were people like these Philippians who supported Jesus and His apostles. Such people are always quiet about what they do. Jesus said that’s how we should give (Mt 6:3), but the impact of such people on God’s kingdom is great. Not because of the amount of money they give, but because of the love and faith that goes with it. (Lk 21:1-4).
Monday Feb 12, 2024
55 - The Philippian Church
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Becoming a Christian will change your life, not only your inner spiritual life, but your external, relational life as well. Not only are you joined to Jesus when you believe, but you become joined to His people. This doesn’t mean you stop loving your own natural family, but it does mean you start feeling that same kind of love for those who are your spiritual family. You become committed to them as if they were your own flesh and blood. Jesus actually said that the spiritual bond formed between Him and us, and between those who believe with each other, would be closer than the deep ties we have with natural family members. Listen: Matthew 12:46-50. He isn’t trying to tear us away from our natural families. He wants us to love them, but sometimes knowing Jesus divides people, and He warned us that might even happen in our families: Matthew 10:32-39.
Jesus unites those of us who love Him, and tends to separate from us those who don’t, which can leave us feeling very alone, which is why He’s given us to each other and commanded us to love each other. He’s placing us into His family. He said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:34, 35)
New Eyes (2Co 5:16)
When Jesus rose from the dead a new, eternal, spiritual family was begun. He is now the “firstborn,” the eldest Son of a new race of humans, whom the Father has adopted as His children (Ps 2:7). Right now that reality is hidden from sight, but the day will come when we will be revealed in our resurrected bodies and share His glory. Yet, here and now, while still living in this present age, He asks us to look at each other with new eyes, to look past the natural, the superficial, and recognize a beloved child of God (2 Co 5:16).
If we will put aside old prejudices and fears and begin to see one another differently, and choose to love one another genuinely, He says we will become a powerful prophetic voice to our community. They will observe in us a level of love and grace they do not see anywhere else, and they will know that Jesus must be real.
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
54 - Preparing for an Earthquake
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
What do you do when things go wrong, when your best attempt to obey God ends up in a mess? Where do you turn when depression weakens you like a disease? When you’re attacked by the very people who should protect you, when people totally misunderstand what you say and the situation explodes into a crisis? How do you find peace when temptation rises like a fever until you submit? How do you prepare yourself for that dreaded meeting or phone call or doctor’s appointment? How do you live with the sorrow of watching a beloved family member or friend continue to rebel against all they know is right and destroy one relationship after another? How do you cope with getting older, watching your body age and your memory fail? How do you respond? Do you collapse in self-pity and try to comfort yourself with things you know are destructive? Do you get angry at God for failing to protect you? Do you blame yourself for being so stupid and fall into self-loathing? Because we all face these kinds of pressures, which is why we all need to learn how to respond when they come. Left to ourselves we tend to react badly, and our bad responses become habits and those habits enslave us and drag us down.
In today’s lesson we are allowed to observe Paul and Silas at a terribly low point in their lives. Everything seemed to have gone wrong, and they ended up trapped in a spiritual atmosphere that was about as close to hell as you can find on planet earth: chained in darkness, surrounded by filth and disease, held fast in a place of torture and despair, a place full of the demonic. Yet these two missionaries didn’t give in to despair, they didn’t rail against God or curse their captors. Instead, they deliberately, aggressively, tactically set about to transform the spiritual environment of that horrid place. They went to war, and they won…completely…what had been meant for evil turned out for the glory of God. And Luke has revealed enough of the details to allow us to discover how they did this. He said that in that inner jail the prisoners were listening to them intently, and you and I need to do the same. Paul and Silas are showing us how to find victory when we’re under attack, when we’re in bondage, and how to turn oppressors into brothers or sisters. Frankly, there’s no more important life lesson in the Bible.
Monday Feb 05, 2024
53 - Lydia’s Heart
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Luke says “And setting sail from Troas we had a good run (favorable winds which allowed the ship to sail straight to where they were headed) to Samothrace (about 70 miles north), and then, on the following day, into Neapolis (about the same distance). Neapolis was located on the northeast coast of Macedonia, and served as a harbor for Philippi which was about 10 miles inland. A very important highway ran through Neapolis called the Via Egnatia (Egnatian Way). It was a paved and carefully maintained military road that ran from Dyrrachium on the Adriatic Sea eastward all the way to what we call today Istanbul (Turkey). It served as Rome’s main land route across northern Greece, and Paul and his team traveled west on it from Neapolis to Philippi, and later on to Thessalonica.
In spite of the fact that it was located in eastern Macedonia, Philippi was the site of an important battle in Roman history. There, in 42 B.C., Antony, Octavian (Augustus) and Lepidus defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. To honor that victory the city had been declared a “colony,” which meant it became a military outpost and its citizens had all the same privileges as the citizens of Rome.
Then Luke tells us how this missionary team began evangelizing Philippi. He says, “…we were staying some days in this city, and on Sabbath days we went outside the (city) gate by a river where we thought there would be prayer, and sitting down we spoke to the women who had come together. And a certain woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth (the favorite color for Roman togas) from the city of Thyatira (a city in Asia Minor that specialized in dying purple cloth), a Gentile who worshiped God (Ac 13:43, 50; 17:4, 17), kept listening, and the Lord opened her heart to understand and receive the things spoken by Paul. And as she and her household were baptized she (invited us to be guests in her home) saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay, and she urged us so strongly she prevailed.