by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EXCITEMENT OVER JESUS THAT STOPS SHORT OF WORSHIPING HIMAS KING OVER ALL QUICKLY FADES AWAYINTRODUCTION:Following the confession of Peter in chap. 8 that Jesus is truly the Messiah, we have seen a growing sense of anticipation and drama in the Gospel of...
by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BLIND BEGGARS CAN ACCESS THE SAVING POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN THE MERCY OF JESUSINTRODUCTION:This story provides a stark contrast to how the rich young ruler approached Jesus in the previous encounter.- Man of privilege and distinction vs. the most...
by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SUFFERING AND SACRIFICIAL SERVICE IS THE PATH TO GREATNESS IN THE KINGDOM – NOT SELF-SEEKING AND SELF-PROMOTIONINTRODUCTION:Illustration: Brian Billick book — Competitive Leadership: Twelve Principles for Success- Be Values Oriented- Be Prepared- Be...
by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: IT IS WORTH IT TO FOLLOW JESUSINTRODUCTION:As the summer Olympics rapidly approach, we will be impressed once again with the sacrifices that these young athletes have made to try to achieve Olympic gold.* * * * * **The path to becoming a champion is paved by...
by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD REQUIRES A SENSE OF NEEDINESS AND DEPENDENCE VS ENTITLEMENT AND SOPHISTICATION[ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD CAN BE INCREDIBLY EASY OR INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT]INTRODUCTION:In our circles we are quick to criticize what we have termed...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: HARD HEARTS COMPLICATE SIMPLE COMMANDS IN THE CASE OF DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGEINTRODUCTION:The importance of this topic cannot be overstated. We all know people who have been involved in some aspect of divorce and remarriage issues. It would be far preferable...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE PATHWAY TO GREATNESS IS PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST THE CANCER OF SIN WHILE POSITIVELY IMPACTING OTHERS FOR CHRIST AND PROMOTING PEACE AMONG BELIEVERSINTRODUCTION:Figure it out … Live it out …Other messages started with the teaching and then moved into...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE PATHWAY TO GREATNESS IS RESPECTING DIVERSITY IN KINGDOM MINISTRY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE CROSSINTRODUCTION:More important to get the big picture and how it all hangs together in this sectionOverall context: Jesus has turned his focus to the Cross-...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GREATNESS IN THE KINGOM MUST BE MEASURED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE CROSSINTRODUCTION:I wanted to begin this morning by considering some famous quotes on the subject of Greatness – what makes someone attain to Greatness? What is the pathway or the secret to...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SON OF MAN MUST SUFFER IN ORDER FOR THE SON OF GOD TO BE SEEN IN THE FULL RADIANCE OF HIS GLORYIt’s possible to say a lot of nice things about Jesus without fully grasping Who He Is. Just look at the Christological teaching in liberal Protestant...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE HEAVY COST OF DISCIPLESHIP PALES IN CONTRAST TO THE MIGHTY DISPLAY OF POWER IN THE COMING KINGDOM OF GODThe disciples of Jesus now understand His Messianic identity as the Christ. They have been introduced to His Mission of suffering and rejection and...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE REDEMPTIVE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST CAN ONLY BE EMBRACED BY RELINQUISHING HUMAN AUTONOMY AND SUBMITTING TO DIVINE LORDSHIP AS A GENUINE DISICPLE [WHICH WILL INCLUDE REJECTION AND SUFFERING]INTRODUCTION:Remember the flow of the passage in this key heart of...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE REDEMPTIVE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST CAN ONLY BE EMBRACED BY RELINQUISHING HUMAN AUTONOMY AND SUBMITTING TO DIVINE LORDSHIP [WHICH WILL INCLUDE REJECTION AND SUFFERING]INTRODUCTION:Review: Chaps. 1-8As soon as the disciples of Jesus come to grips with Who...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE TRUE IDENTITY OF JESUS CONSTITUTES THE ULTIMATE LITMUS TESTINTRODUCTION:We all know what a litmus test is. That is where one particular criteria serves as a watershed to place people into two opposing camps. The expression is a metaphor based on the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR EYES OF FAITH NEED CLEAR VISION OF THE POWER AND SUFFICIENCY OF OUR SAVIORINTRODUCTION:We have observed many key threads as we have studied through the first half of the gospel of Mark — 4 most prominent threads:- The most important = the identity...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS GRACIOUSLY EXTENDS HIS HEALING POWER TO DESPERATE GENTILES – IN RECOGNITION OF REMARKABLE FAITH AND EVOKING REMARKABLE TESTIMONYINTRODUCTION:Have you ever experienced being an outsider – not being part of the accepted group with all of its privileges...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: YOU MUST LOOK WITHIN YOUR OWN HEART TO FIND THE SOURCE OF TRUE DEFILEMENT — DON’T MAKE EXCUSES OR TRY TO COVER UP YOUR SIN WITH LEGALISMINTRODUCTION:Many people today are not at all concerned with the issue of moral and spiritual defilement. They have...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: RELIGIOUS TRADITION CREATES HYPOCRITES IN THE SIGHT OF GOD BY UNDERMINING THE AUTHORITY OF GOD’S WORDINTRODUCTION:Some passages the Lord makes so simple that you can’t possibly miss the main point. Here Jesus just repeats His Big Idea statement several times...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: HARDENED HEARTS AND MISPLACED PRIORITIES OBSCURE THE IMPACT OF GOD’S SAVING PRESENCEINTRODUCTION:Nothing is more frustrating to a teacher than to continue to present lessons that the students just don’t get. Karen, as you know, teaches some of the lower...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: 4 IMPORTANT LESSONS TO QUALIFY AS A GOOD SHEPHERDINTRODUCTION:Here is a very familiar story to all of us – the feeding of the 5,000. But sometimes as we learned in the beginning verses of chapter 6, familiarity can breed contempt.Parunak: Out of 35 miracles...
