by Paul Apple | Apr 23, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT IN JESUS’ HOME TOWN OF NAZARETH – THOSE CLOSEST TO US RESPOND IN HURTFUL REJECTION AND UNBELIEF INTRODUCTION: Jeffrey Crabtree: Verse 53 brings the kingdom parables to an end and marks the end of Matthew’s third major block of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 22, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOLD NUGGETS OF KINGDOM TRUTH INCLUDE BOTH NEW AND OLD REVELATION INTRODUCTION: Donald Hagner: The key here—indeed the key to the parables themselves—is the combination of new and old. The parables, like Jesus’ other teaching about the kingdom, involve old...
by Paul Apple | Apr 22, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE FINAL JUDGMENT WILL SEPARATE OUT THE WICKED AND CONDEMN THEM TO ETERNAL SUFFERING INTRODUCTION: Stu Weber: Here, as in the parable of the weeds, we find the coexistence of evil alongside the righteous, the discarding and burning of the evil, and the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SUPREME VALUE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD MOTIVATES AN APPROPRIATION OF TOTAL COMMITMENT INTRODUCTION: Stu Weber: These parables (:44-46) answer two closely related questions from the surrounding context. First, why should we give our lives for a kingdom we...
by Paul Apple | Apr 19, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT GENUINE AND COUNTERFEIT GROWTH UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS AT THE END OF THE AGE TO EXERCISE JUDGMENT INTRODUCTION: Charles Swindoll: The problem of the ever-present wicked among the righteous is such a nagging issue...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2023 | Health
My son is having his dog Webster “fixed” today and I just was tickled with the inappropriate labeling of that procedure. Certainly if you were to ask Webster, he would not use the terminology of “fixing”! When you are breaking functionality...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2023 | Pet Peeves
OK . . . this classifies as one of those silly Dad jokes. But I still wanted to capture it for the Pet Peeve files.
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2023 | Pet Peeves
I want to be a good citizen as much as the next guy. But I fail to see how a blaring text alert message in the middle of the night accomplishes anything. The other night my wife and I were jolted out of our sleep by piercing Alert messages exhorting us to help track...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: VARYING RESPONSES TO THE WORD OF GOD HIGHLIGHT FRUITFULNESS AS THE KEY EVIDENCE OF GENUINE DISCIPLESHIP INTRODUCTION: Warren Wiersbe: This chapter records the events of a crisis day in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He knew that the growing opposition of the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 11, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: REJECTION OF MANIFEST TRUTH LEADS TO SEVERE JUDGMENT WHILE TRUE DISCIPLES PRIORITIZE SPIRITUAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS INTRODUCTION: The emphasis in this passage on “this evil generation” reinforces the interpretation of the unpardonable sin as applying to the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 10, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SPEECH REVEALS ONE’S INNER CHARACTER AND WILL BE JUDGED INTRODUCTION: Walter Wilson: Sins such as blasphemy and slander warrant particular scrutiny in meting out judgment because speech reveals a person’s true character, a point illustrated by three examples...
by Paul Apple | Apr 10, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ATTRIBUTING WORKS OF JESUS TO DEMONIC POWER UNLEASHES A POWERFUL REFUTATION DENOUNCING THIS UNPARDONABLE SIN INTRODUCTION: R. T. France: After the brief respite of Jesus’ withdrawal, the confrontation with the Pharisees is resumed. The trigger in this case...
by Paul Apple | Apr 8, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AS THE SPIRIT-EMPOWERED SERVANT OF THE LORD, THE CHOSEN MESSIAH WILL BRING JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES WITH COMPASSION AND POWER INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Thus far we have seen Jesus in the power and boldness of his miraculous ministry and prophetic...
by Paul Apple | Apr 7, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SHOWING LOVE AND MERCY DEMONSTRATES THE SUPERIOR AUTHORITY AND MERCIFUL PRIORITIES OF JESUS OVER LEGALISTIC FORMALISM INTRODUCTION: R. T. France: Three areas of controversy stand out in this chapter: Jesus’ attitude to the sabbath (vv. 1–14), his exorcisms...
by Paul Apple | Apr 5, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ESSENTIAL DIVINE REVELATION IS TARGETED BUT UNIVERSAL DISCIPLESHIP INVITATION IS EXTENDED TO ALL INTRODUCTION: Craig Blomberg: The language of these verses (“hidden,” “revealed,” “your good pleasure”) is incontrovertibly predestinarian in nature, but the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 4, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GREATER OPPORTUNITY AND REVELATION BRING MORE SEVERE JUDGMENT FOR FAILURE TO REPENT INTRODUCTION: Daniel Doriani: Jesus warns three cities—Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—that their resistance to his ministry is culpable. Each has the same pattern: Jesus...
by Paul Apple | Apr 3, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS MUST PRECEDE ENJOYMENT OF KINGDOM EXALTATION – NO BYPASSING THE CROSS INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Matthew 11:2 indicates a turning point in Matthew. There has been sporadic opposition (mainly 9:3–4, 11, 14, 34), but...
by Paul Apple | Apr 3, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DISCIPLESHIP INVOLVES CONFESSION, CONFLICT, COST BUT ALSO REWARD INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Jesus finalizes his Mission Discourse by demanding fearless confession in the midst of conflict. As such it acts as a concluding summary of the themes in the rest...
by Paul Apple | Apr 1, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PERSECUTION SHOULD BE EXPECTED BUT NOT FEARED INTRODUCTION: Charles Swindoll: How easy it would have been for the disciples to just opt out at this point. Persecution? Suffering? Rejection? Scourging? Death? No way! Knowing the human tendency toward...
by Paul Apple | Mar 31, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: IN THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL EXPECT PERSECUTION THAT WILL INTENSIFY IN THE END TIMES (FROM WOLVES OF FALSE RELIGION, GOVERNMENT, FAMILY AND SOCIETY) – SO AS SHEEP BE SNAKES AND DOVES INTRODUCTION: Stanley Saunders: Jesus has earlier described the people...
