by Paul Apple | May 26, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS ADDRESSES WRONG PERSPECTIVES ON THE PART OF HIS APOSTLES WITH A SERIES OF 4 CORRECTIONSINTRODUCTION:Mountain top spiritual experiences – such as the Transfiguration – are often juxtaposed next to the valleys of spiritual failure and correction. Here we...
by Paul Apple | May 25, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE TRANSFIGURATION PROVIDES VISUAL AND AUDIBLE TESTIMONY TO BOTH THE IDENTITY OF JESUS AND THE NECESSITY OF HIS REDEMPTIVE MISSIONINTRODUCTION:Our studies in Luke have concentrated on the Identity and Mission of Jesus as the Promised Messiah. But as both of...
by Paul Apple | May 25, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CALL TO CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP DEMANDS A COMPLETE REORIENTATION OF ONE’S LIFEINTRODUCTION:There are many false views of Christian discipleship. One camp promotes the concept of Easy Believism where the demands of discipleship are reserved for those...
by Paul Apple | May 23, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS CHALLENGES EVERYONE TO KNOW HIS TRUE IDENTITY AND TO RESPOND TO HIS REDEMPTIVE MISSIONINTRODUCTION:At this stage in the training of the twelve, it is time for their final exam. There is really only one question that matters – but it matters to the...
by Paul Apple | May 22, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ALL-SUFFICIENT KING EQUIPS INADEQUATE DISCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRYINTRODUCTION:On the job training can be so much more valuable than just classroom training. Jesus is the master at equipping men for ministry. These events occur at the halfway mark of...
by Paul Apple | May 21, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WHATEVER THE CRISIS, FAITH IN THE PERSON AND POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS IS THE ANSWERINTRODUCTION:Maybe you are facing some crisis in life today. Maybe you know someone who is under intense pressure. These 4 quick stories presented in a row by Luke are...
by Paul Apple | May 20, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BE CAREFUL HOW YOU LISTEN AND RESPOND TO THE WORD OF GODINTRODUCTION:How does this parable relate to the parable of the soils we just covered?This parable seems to tie directly to the parable of the soils just above.Deals with our response to God’s...
by Paul Apple | May 20, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL DEPENDS ON YOUR HEART CONDITION — UNDERSTANDING EVANGELISM STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING THE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF HEART RESPONSES TO THE SOWING OF THE GOSPELINTRODUCTION:This passage is not about the sower – who is not expressly...
by Paul Apple | May 19, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FORGIVEN SINNERS DISPLAY EXTRAVAGANT LOVE THAT THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS REJECTINTRODUCTION:How should we respond to our Savior in light of the extraordinary forgiveness we have received solely by His grace? The more we understand our sinfulness, the deeper should...
by Paul Apple | May 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE MIRACLES PERFORMED BY JESUS:- CONFIRM HIS IDENTITY AS PROMISED MESSIAH- CALM THE DOUBTS OF COMMENDED DICIPLES (LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST)- CALL OUT THE DUPLICITY OF HIS UNREASONABLE CRITICSINTRODUCTION:Don’t underestimate the value of the miracles performed...
by Paul Apple | May 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: NO HEARTACHE IS TOO HOPELESS FOR THE COMPASSIONATE GRACE OF JESUS — WHO ALONE HAS THE POWER OVER EVEN DEATHINTRODUCTION:J. C. Ryle: Let us never forget this great truth. The world around us is full of sorrow. Sickness, and pain, and infirmity, and...
by Paul Apple | May 16, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE GREAT FAITH OF THE HUMBLE GENTILE CENTURION FOCUSED ON THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS TO JUST SPEAK THE SAVING WORDINTRODUCTION:When we come to Jesus as little children in humility and complete dependence, we see the simplicity of trusting Him to...
by Paul Apple | May 15, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SPIRITUAL SECURITY COMES FROM OBEYING THE WORD OF THE LORDINTRODUCTION:This is one of the simplest lessons the Lord Jesus ever taught His disciples. It is a familiar story to any child from their Sunday School days. The interpretation is straightforward. The...
by Paul Apple | May 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU FOLLOW –4 TYPES OF LEADERS NOT TO FOLLOWINTRODUCTION:As parents we understand how important it is for our children to have good role models. We know that children very easily can pick up bad traits from having friends who are a bad...
by Paul Apple | May 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: LOVING OUR ENEMIES- DISTINGUISHES DISCIPLES FROM THE WORLD- REVEALS OUR CONNECTION TO OUR MERCIFUL FATHER AND- IMPROVES OUR RELATIONSHIP FOR THE SAKE OF EVANGELISMINTRODUCTION:The command to love our neighbor as our self is radical enough once we understand...
by Paul Apple | May 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THOSE WHO EMBRACE THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD RECEIVE BLESSING RATHER THAN CONDEMNATIONINTRODUCTION:The shocking impact of the message delivered here by Jesus has been blunted by our familiarity with the Sermon on the Mount. This dramatic contrast...
by Paul Apple | May 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PAY ATTENTION TO LEADERSHIP SELECTIONINTRODUCTION:Leadership selection is critical to the success of any enterprise. You must have clearly defined character qualifications and job definitions. You must both choose wisely and then provide the necessary...
by Paul Apple | May 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: COMPASSION FOR HUMAN NEED TRUMPS LEGALISTIC CONFORMITY BECAUSE:- JESUS IS LORD OF THE SABBATH- JESUS PUTS A PRIORITY ON DOING GOODINTRODUCTION:Self-righteousness always blinds us to the true inner demands of God’s moral standards. We can be so concerned with...
by Paul Apple | May 11, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: CRITICS OF CHRISTIANITY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE RADICAL MISSION AND THE NEW MOVEMENT COMMANDED BY JESUSINTRODUCTION:Leaders who sit on top of any hierarchical system with its perks and advantages oppose any changes that would threaten to unseat them and...
by Paul Apple | May 11, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE MIRACLES OF PHYSICAL HEALING AUTHENTICATE THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS TO CLEANSE FROM SIN AND TO FORGIVE SINSINTRODUCTION:Jesus constantly used miracles of healing in the physical realm to authenticate His Person and to point to the deeper spiritual...
