by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DO NOT HOLD YOUR FAITH IN OUR GLORIOUS LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH AN ATTITUDE OF PERSONAL FAVORITISM INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: The first chapter of James is in some ways an extended multilayered introduction to the entire letter. With this completed, James...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PRACTICAL EVIDENCES OF OBEDIENCE NEGATIVE: CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE POSITIVE: SOCIAL CONCERN AND MORAL PURITY INTRODUCTION: Alec Motyer: The three Christian characteristics of verses 26–27 are thus not an arbitrary choice. They say to us “Like Father, like...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PROVE YOURSELVES DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT MERELY HEARERS INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: His central purpose is to issue a call for the observance of a faith that practices, rather than a mere formal profession of faith. In this James echoes the thought of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD BLESSES US FROM START TO FINISH INTRODUCTION: Rather than God being the source of tempting us to evil, He must be recognized as the giver of every good gift and the one who has sovereignly granted us spiritual life. Craig Blomberg:...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TEMPTATIONS CANNOT BE BLAMED ON GOD INTRODUCTION: James switches his focus from Trials sourced in our external circumstances to Temptations arising from sin within. These two can easily be related since our response to external Trials can unleash inner...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TRIALS TEST OUR FAITH WITH THE GOAL OF PERSEVERANCE INTRODUCTION: James is concerned with the effectiveness of our faith. As we examine our faith, there are two different possible threads of application: If we fail the tests of faith that James has provided...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTALISM AND ECUMENISM MASQUERADE AS LOVE BUT MUST BE EXPOSED AS APOSTASY IF THEY DENY GOD’S TRUTH –WALKING IN CHRISTIAN LOVE REQUIRES OBEYING GOD’S TRUTHINTRODUCTION:They say that good things come in small packages. That is certainly...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ASSURANCE OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BRINGS 3 SOLID CONVICTIONS REGARDING SPIRITUAL VICTORYINTRODUCTION: Key phrase: “We know”Stedman: ” Perhaps the most striking thing about the close of First John is the threefold occurrence of the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ASSURANCE OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BRINGS QUALIFIED CONFIDENCE THAT GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSINTRODUCTION: – Importance of Prayer – Why doesn’t God always answer our prayers?I. (:14-15) THE EXTENT AND LIMITATION OF OUR CONFIDENCE...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR NEW NATURE IS THE ASSURANCE OF THE POSSESSION OF THE SON HIMSELF — THUS ETERNAL LIFEI. (:11) ETERNAL LIFE IS IN THE SON “And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”Do we have a personal...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR FAITH AND OUR ASSURANCE REST UPON THE HISTORICAL VALIDITY OF THE WITNESSES WHICH GOD HAS PROVIDEDI. (:6) FAITH IN GOD’S WITNESS OF THE INCARNATIONA. (:6a) Baptism of Jesus “This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ;”...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE VICTORY OF FAITH PROVES A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD –TRUE BELIEVERS WILL DEMONSTRATE A NEW NATURE(See notes from previous message; some overlap in terms of verses covered.)I. (:1) OUR LOVING RELATIONSHIP TO THE BRETHREN DEMONSTRATES OUR NEW NATUREA....
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN PRODUCES ASSURANCEI. (:17-18) LOVE FACES JUDGMENT DAY WITH CONFIDENCEA. (:17) Confidence Results from Christlikeness “By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES THE ASSURANCE OF ABIDINGINTRODUCTION: How do I know that someone is physically dead or alive? Is he thinking, moving, feeling, smelling, speaking, listening, breathing — is he acting in accordance with his nature? Problem: When...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THREE ARGUMENTS FOR LOVING THE BRETHREN(BASED ON THE TRINITY) — cf. BoiceINTRODUCTION: Problems with assurance are not solved so much by introspection (e.g. Am I one of God’s elect?) as by Faith (trusting in the promises of God) + Love (practical...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TRUTH IS THE BASIS FOR FAITH AND LOVE –SPIRITUAL TEACHING MUST BE EXAMINED TO IDENTIFY ITS SOURCEINTRODUCTION: There is a great tendency today to elevate love about doctrine (truth). But what is the connection and the relative importance?I. (:1)...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE TEST OF ABIDING IS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN BY THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRITINTRODUCTION:(Most of this involves review of previous material and making some interconnections between major themes that are woven throughout the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN PRODUCES SECURITYI. (:14-15) LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN PROVES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GODA. (:14a) Loving Indicates Life “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.”Piper: “Positively:...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TRANSITION: A LIFESTYLE OF PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS INVOLVES LOVING THE BRETHRENI. (:10b) FAILURE TO LOVE MARKS YOU AS A CHILD OF THE DEVIL “anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR LIFESTYLE REVEALS OUR FAMILY IDENTITYI. (:2-3) OUR PRESENT CONDUCT SHOULD BE ELEVATED BY OUR FAMILY IDENTITYA. (:2a) Our Present Inclusion in God’s Family “Beloved, now we are children of God”B. (:2b) Our Future Expectation of Ultimate...
