by Paul Apple | May 10, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP (FORSAKING ALL AND FOLLOWING CHRIST) OFFERS THE PROSPECT OF ABUNDANT MINISTRY FRUIT DESPITE OUR SINFULNESS BECAUSE OF THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUSINTRODUCTION:How can we with all of our sinfulness possibly be adequate as...
by Paul Apple | May 8, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WE NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE ABSOLUTE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST WHO REIGNS OVER THE KINGDOM OF GODINTRODUCTION:If the demons understand the person and power and authority of Jesus Christ, how much more so should we submit and enjoy the blessing of His...
by Paul Apple | May 8, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PROCLAMATION OF GRACIOUS MESSIANIC MISSION THAT EXTENDS TO THE GENTILES REJECTED BY HOSTILE HOMETOWN CROWDINTRODUCTION:The gospel message is only Good News to those who humble themselves and acknowledge that their spiritual condition is characterized by...
by Paul Apple | May 7, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS AS THE SECOND ADAM DEFEATED THE TEMPTATIONS OF SATAN BY RELYING ON THE WORD OF GOD IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRITINTRODUCTION:We know that there is no temptation but such as is common to man. We know that Adam and Eve were defeated by Satan in their...
by Paul Apple | May 6, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST TESTIFIES TO HIS LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO BE THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND TO THE UNIVERSALITY OF HIS SAVING WORKINTRODUCTION:Jeremy Myers: In those days, people naturally assumed that Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary. Luke corrects...
by Paul Apple | May 6, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AT THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, GOD ENDORSES HIS SON AS BOTH BELOVED DEITY AND SUFFERING SERVANT EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ACCOMPLISH HIS REDEMPTIVE MISSIONINTRODUCTION:What a majestic moment as God the Father commissions God the Son for His earthly Messianic...
by Paul Apple | May 6, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WICKEDNESS HATES THE LIGHTINTRODUCTION:John 3:19-20“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to...
by Paul Apple | May 5, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST (DEALING WITH ULTIMATE DESTINY) IS FAR SUPERIOR TO THAT OF JOHN THE BAPTISTINTRODUCTION:It is easy for spiritual leaders to get too full of themselves. They can imagine that their popularity and their large following equates to...
by Paul Apple | May 4, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE LORD REQUIRES REPENTANCE THAT IS PROVEN GENUINE BY THE FRUIT OF REPENTANCEINTRODUCTION:The ministry of John the Baptist paves the way for the coming of the promised Messiah who will bring salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. The...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER MUST TAKE PRIORITY EVEN OVER OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR EARTHLY PARENTSINTRODUCTION:Jesus demonstrates in this passage the crucial distinction between His earthly parents and His heavenly Father. As the unique Son of God...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PROPHETIC INSIGHT INTO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS REVEALS HIS GLOBAL MESSIANIC AND REDEMPTIVE MISSIONINTRODUCTION:Surprisingly few details are given of the life of Jesus on earth before the beginning of His public ministry. Therefore, all of the...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE HUMBLE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH MAKE HIS MISSION OF BRINGING GLORY TO GOD AND PEACE TO MAN EVEN MORE ASTOUNDINGINTRODUCTION:You would think that a birth that had been heralded by the OT prophets for so many centuries would be more...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE DIVINE VISITATION EVOKES AWE, AMAZEMENT AND HEARTFELT REJOICINGINTRODUCTION:The momentous intervention of God into human affairs (especially after such a long period of prophetic silence) should cause awe, amazement, and rejoicing. The events surrounding...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WE SHOULD REJOICE IN THE BLESSINGS THAT FLOW OUT OF THE CHARACTER OF GODINTRODUCTION:God’s actions flow out of His attributes. What He does is directly tied to Who He is. We need a passion to know God in a deeper, more intimate way. We need to focus more on...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE INCARNATION PROVIDES THE INITIAL DEFINITION FOR THE ROLE OF THE PROMISED MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:The birth of the Messiah was the subject of a number of prominent OT prophecies. Now the moment in history has arrived – “the...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: UNEXPECTED DIVINE INTERVENTION SETS IN MOTION THE COMING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TO POINT SINNERS TO THE MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:The role of a forerunner is to point people to the more important individual who will follow. Such was the mission ordained for John the...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE RELIABLE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS CONFIRMS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITYINTRODUCTION:How do you know whether something is true or not? In our postmodern world that has become almost an irrelevant question. Everything is...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EACH UNDERSHEPHERD MUST PASSIONATELY AND PERSONALLY FOLLOW THE GREAT SHEPHERD AND CARE FOR THE SHEEP(:15A) INTRODUCTION “So when they had finished breakfast”Context: Peter has constantly been thrusting himself forward as the “most committed” and “most...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE FINAL APPEARANCE OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST REINFORCES THE NECESSITY FOR TOTAL DEPENDENCE UPON THE MASTER FOR SUPERNATURAL RESULTS(:1-2) INTRODUCTION: PERFECT SETTING FOR A FISHING EXPEDITIONA. (:1) Location of Manifestation “After these things Jesus...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS’ SPECIAL SIGN MIRACLES POINT US TO FAITH IN HIM AS THE PROMISED MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD — WHO ALONE CAN PROVIDE SPIRITUAL LIFEINTRODUCTION: Why did John write his gospel? What special emphasis did he have over the other gospel writers? Why...
