by Paul Apple | Oct 24, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BOAST ONLY IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST AND THE CORRESPONDING SCARS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH THE CROSS INTRODUCTION: Thomas Schreiner: Galatians 6:11–18 should be categorized as a letter closing. The exhortation section has concluded with 6:10, and Paul now touches...
by Paul Apple | Oct 24, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: 2 PRACTICAL WAYS TO WALK IN LOVE BY THE SPIRIT INTRODUCTION: Richard Longenecker: In 6:1–10 Paul gives a series of instructions that spell out in practical terms what it means for his Galatian converts to “live by the Spirit” (5:16, 25a), to “be led by the...
by Paul Apple | Oct 22, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: USE FREEDOM AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK IN LOVE BY WALKING IN THE SPIRIT — (NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO FULFILL THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH) INTRODUCTION: Howard Vos: As Paul now launches into his discussion of the life of Christian liberty, he points out that...
by Paul Apple | Oct 21, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: STAND FIRM IN THE LIBERTY TO WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED INTRODUCTION: Robert Gromacki: After the Civil War a great majority of the slaves became sharecroppers. Although they were free, they did not enjoy their freedom. In some cases they were worse off...
by Paul Apple | Oct 20, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE OT ANALOGY OF ISHMAEL AND ISAAC PICTURES OUR FREEDOM — ACCOMPLISHED BY THE SPIRIT ACCORDING TO GOD’S PROMISE INTRODUCTION: William Hendriksen: The chapter closes with a reminder–in the form of an allegory–that those who hear the law...
by Paul Apple | Oct 16, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MUST BE HELD ON TO DESPITE THE SEDUCTIVE DECEPTIONS OF ZEALOUS FALSE TEACHERS INTRODUCTION: Nijay Gupta: After engaging in a heavy dose of theoretical and theological discussion of the law and its place in the ongoing story of God’s...
by Paul Apple | Oct 15, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE COMING OF CHRIST ELEVATED OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD TO THAT OF PRIVILEGED SONS AND HEIRS – that’s a Big Deal INTRODUCTION: What’s the Big Deal about Christmas? Secularists today continue to try to minimize Christmas. They do everything in their power to...
by Paul Apple | Oct 14, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE COMING OF CHRIST ELEVATED OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD TO THAT OF PRIVILEGED SONS AND HEIRS INTRODUCTION: David deSilva: Paul continues to advance the view of salvation history articulated in 3:15–22, with the period of Torah’s authority yielding to the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 22, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SINCE GOD IS SOVEREIGN, THE WISE MUST BENEFIT FROM SORROW AND SUBMIT RATHER THAN EXPRESS PRIDEFUL IMPATIENCE AND FRUSTRATION INTRODUCTION: Walter Kaiser: Present grief and pain may prove to be more beneficial in their effect on us than all the festivity,...
by Paul Apple | Mar 20, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EVEN THOSE WHO APPEAR TO HAVE GRABBED HOLD OF THE GOOD LIFE STRUGGLE WITH NO ENJOYMENT, NO SATISFACTION AND NO ANSWERS TO LIFE’S ULTIMATE QUESTIONS INTRODUCTION: Daniel Akin: Chapter 6 begins, echoing the curse with the language of “sickening tragedy,” by...
by Paul Apple | Mar 19, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: APART FROM CONTENTMENT IN ENJOYING GOD’S GIFTS, THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH CAN CREATE HUGE PROBLEMS INTRODUCTION Iain Provan: Ecclesiastes 5:8–9 picks up the thoughts of 4:1–3, making it clear to the reader that oppression is not merely a matter of individuals...
by Paul Apple | Mar 18, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WISE WORSHIP CALLS FOR OBEDIENT LISTENING, CONTROLLED SPEECH, FAITHFUL COMMITMENT AND REVERENTIAL AWE INTRODUCTION Douglas Sean O’Donnell: As we approach God in worship, Pastor Solomon wants to establish a safe distance between us and the transcendent God....
by Paul Apple | Mar 10, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TWELVE FINAL EXPRESSIONS CONSTITUTE THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF OUR LONGING FOR JESUS TO RETURN SOON INTRODUCTION: We have arrived finally at the end of our journey through the book of Revelation. This wraps up our study of the entire canon of scripture as...
by Paul Apple | Mar 9, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WITH ITS FRUIT-BEARING TREE OF LIFE AND ILLUMINATION BY GOD’S PRESENCE, PARADISE TRANSFORMED SURPASSES THE SPLENDOR OF EDEN INTRODUCTION: Many times we experience disappointment and regret when our new experiences revisit and remind us of past similar...
by Paul Apple | Mar 8, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: 3 DEFINING REALITIES OF THE ETERNAL STATE – HOUSES THE PRESENCE OF GOD, MANIFESTS THE BRILLIANCE OF GOD’S GLORY AND CONTAINS DEDICATED WORSHIPERS INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: The rest of the chapter provides a glimpse of the holiness, glory, and joy that...
by Paul Apple | Mar 7, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: NEW JERUSALEM IS PRESENTED AS GLORIOUS IN APPEARANCE WITH MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE AND COSTLY BUILDING MATERIALS INTRODUCTION: Gordon Fee: The point of all this, of course, is to indicate how great is the “new Jerusalem,” where God and the Lamb sit...
by Paul Apple | Mar 6, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS WILL CREATE A NEW COSMIC ORDER WITH NEW JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL CITY WHERE OVERCOMERS WILL ENJOY ALL THE BENEFITS OF ETERNAL LIFE IN COMMUNION WITH GOD INTRODUCTION: Daniel Akin: Main Idea: God will establish a new heaven and a new earth, where Christ...
by Paul Apple | Mar 5, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE WICKED DEAD WILL STAND BEFORE THE DIVINE JUDGE TO BE CONDEMNED TO THE ETERNAL LAKE OF FIRE BASED ON A FAIR EVALUATION OF THEIR WORKS INTRODUCTION: S. Lewis Johnson: The writer of the Epistle of the Hebrews says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SATAN IS IMPRISONED DURING THE BLESSED MILLENNIAL KINGDOM BUT THEN RELEASED FOR ULTIMATE DEFEAT AND CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Premillennialism believes that Christ will return to earth, destroy the evil forces, and reign here for a thousand...
by Paul Apple | Mar 2, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SLAUGHTER OF THE EVIL FORCES OF ANTICHRIST AT ARMAGEDDON SETS THE TABLE FOR A GRUESOME FEAST FOR THE VULTURES OF THE SKY INTRODUCTION: Buist Fanning: This vision anticipates the overwhelming defeat of all the forces that futilely resist his coming (cf....
