by Paul Apple | Aug 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AVOID HARDNESS OF HEART AND UNBELIEF BY RESPONDING IN FAITH AND ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER TO PERSEVEREINTRODUCTION:The history of the Jewish nation documents the failure of the people in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses to obey God and trust His...
by Paul Apple | Jul 31, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PERSEVERE IN THE FAITH BY CONSIDERING JESUS AS SUPERIOR TO MOSESINTRODUCTION:Moses was the most revered spiritual leader in all of Judaism. Without disparaging the honor or faithful service of this Jewish icon, the author of Hebrews in a few short verses...
by Paul Apple | Jul 30, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: CHRIST’S SUPERIORITY OVER ANGELS NOT COMPROMISED BY HIS HUMANITYINTRODUCTION:Throughout the gospel accounts we witnessed the disciples of Christ struggling to wrap their minds around the apparent incongruity of a Suffering Savior. It was difficult enough to...
by Paul Apple | Jul 29, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: IN LIGHT OF THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST, PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHENTICATED GOSPEL MESSAGE LEST YOU DRIFT AWAY AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCESINTRODUCTION:This parenthetical warning is directed towards some group of professing Jewish converts who were under severe...
by Paul Apple | Jul 28, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SERIES OF 7 OT MESSIANIC QUOTATIONS PROVE THE SUPERIORITY OF JESUS CHRIST OVER ANGELSINTRODUCTION:The Superiority of Jesus Christ over angels is not just a doctrinal exercise. It lies at the heart of the sufficiency of Christ to be an adequate Savior who can...
by Paul Apple | Jul 28, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: NT REVELATION IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST TO ALL MANKIND IS FAR SUPERIOR TO OT REVELATION THROUGH THE PROPHETS TO THE JEWISH PATRIARCHSINTRODUCTION:What does the phrase “Progressive Revelation” mean to you? The unspecified author of this book to Jewish...
by Paul Apple | Jul 24, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TRANSFORMED DISCIPLES, NOW CONFIDENT OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION AND WITNESSES TO HIS ASCENSION, REJOICE AS THEY AWAIT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER THEIR TESTIMONYINTRODUCTION:Jesus presents Himself as “The Truth.” We have seen in the Gospel of John the...
by Paul Apple | Jul 23, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ONLY JESUS CAN OPEN OUR EYES TO BELIEVE THE FULL SCOPE OF HIS MESSIANIC MISSION WHICH DELIVERS US FROM CONFUSION AND DESPAIRINTRODUCTION:Here we have the best Bible expositor ever holding a private tutorial session with two discouraged disciples on the road...
by Paul Apple | Jul 22, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DON’T BE SURPRISED BY THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTIONINTRODUCTION:The historicity of the Resurrection is crucial to the Christian faith – as the apostle Paul develops in 1 Cor. 15. Yet despite all of the predictions by Jesus of His coming resurrection, the...
by Paul Apple | Jul 22, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE BURIAL OF JESUS PROVIDES THE ESSENTIAL LINK BETWEEN THE REALITY OF HIS DEATH AND THE VALIDITY OF HIS RESURRECTIONINTRODUCTION:Why spend any time at all on the discussion of the burial of Jesus Christ? For one reason it attests to the reality of his...
by Paul Apple | Jul 21, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CRUCIFIXION CONSUMMATES THE REDEMPTIVE MISSION OF THE MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:When the Messiah set His face resolutely to go to Jerusalem, it was precisely to accomplish this work of redemption on the Cross. This moment is the focal point of human history....
by Paul Apple | Jul 20, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TRUTH AND JUSTICE ONLY FOUND IN THE FALSELY ACCUSED MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:Where do you look for Truth and Justice? You might think that religious leaders would be the best gatekeepers of righteousness. You might think that the legal system would be the best...
by Paul Apple | Jul 19, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: STUBBORN REJECTION OF THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST LEAD TO BRUTAL MISTREATMENT AND SHAM TRIALSINTRODUCTION:Wicked hearts don’t want to objectively evaluate the claims of Jesus Christ. We need to get it out of our heads that mankind has some type of moral neutrality...
by Paul Apple | Jul 19, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAILURE TO BOLDLY IDENTIFY WITH CHRIST DOES NOT HAVE TO DEFINE US IF WE RESPOND TO GOD’S MERCY AND REPENTINTRODUCTION:God is not only the God of second chances – but of third and fourth chances! We see here in the story of Peter’s denials of the Lord that...
by Paul Apple | Jul 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ONLY JESUS HAS THE POWER TO HAND HIMSELF OVER TO THE AUTHORITIESINTRODUCTION:Who is ultimately in control? That is a fundamental question in every situation of life. Never was the answer clearer than at the time of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus Christ....
by Paul Apple | Jul 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: LEARN THE LESSONS FROM JESUS ON PRAYER SO THAT WE TOO MAY TRIUMPH OVER TEMPTATION –TEN LESSONS ON PRAYER FROM JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANEINTRODUCTION:This short passage captures the deep emotion of Jesus as the weight of His propitiatory...
by Paul Apple | Jul 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST MUST BE PREPARED FOR SUFFERING AND REJECTION AS THEY ENTER INTO SPIRITUAL WARFAREINTRODUCTION: On Sunday morning we were challenged to choose the discomfort and suffering of combat boots over the comfort of household slippers. If we want...
by Paul Apple | Jul 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: INSTEAD OF STRIVING FOR LEADERSHIP PREEMINENCE, FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST TO LEAD BY SERVING OTHERSINTRODUCTION:This topic of church leadership is one of my hot buttons (see the Leadership Studies page on my website). Because of pride and ego, we tend to...
by Paul Apple | Jul 16, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE INSTITUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER BUILDS ON THE IMAGERY OF PASSOVER AND ANTICIPATES FINAL KINGDOM CONSUMMATIONINTRODUCTION:Here we have the famous last meal before Jesus goes to the Cross. So much happens at this event that is not even recorded in Luke....
by Paul Apple | Jul 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JUDAS IS THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BETRAY JESUS CHRISTINTRODUCTION:Are you a friend or foe of Jesus? You might counter that this is a silly question. You spend every Sunday in church. You read your bible. You hang out with some Christians. Yes,...
