by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AMBASSADORS FOR JESUS CHRIST ADVANCE GOD’S KINGDOM BY MEANS OF DELEGATED RIGHTEOUS POWER THAT ALWAYS TRUMPS DEPRAVED PAGAN POWERINTRODUCTION:Beheadings are in the news today – so as barbaric as this biblical account sounds to our civilized ears … depraved...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SHOCKING REALITY FOR GOD’S MESSENGERS:THOSE WHO KNOW YOU THE BEST BELIEVE YOU THE LEASTINTRODUCTION: (Parallel — Matt. 13:54-58)We come this morning to a very short story – but one of the saddest stories in the gospel accounts. In Chap. 5 we saw...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO TRUST IN JESUS FOR DELIVERANCE –NEVER MISINTERPRET GOD’S DELAYS TO BE GOD’S DENIALSINTRODUCTION:One of the many perversions of our sin nature is our perverted sense of time. We have our own timetable that dictates our...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE COMPASSIONATE SAVIOR DEMONSTRATES HIS DOMINION OVER THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF DEPRAVED DEMONS INTRODUCTION: Massive outbreaks of visible demonic activity are very scarce throughout human history. You have the rebellion of 1/3 of the angels at the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS CAN BE TRUSTED IN THE STORMS OF LIFE BECAUSE HE IS LORD OF ALL –CONFIDENCE IN THE SUPREME AUTHORITY AND PROVIDENTIAL CARE OF OUR SOVEREIGN SAVIOR SHOULD EMBOLDEN OUR FAITHINTRODUCTION:We see disobedience to Jesus Christ all around us every day. It is...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE MAGNIFICENT TRUTHS OF THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME TO US PACKAGED IN PARABLES OF DIVINE INSIGHTINTRODUCTION:Last week we looked at the first of 4 parables in Mark chapter 4. It was the longest of the four and the most fundamental – our...
by Paul Apple | Mar 13, 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:Interesting paradox in the Galilean ministry of Jesus Christ...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST BALANCED THE PRESSURE TO REACH THE MASSES WITH THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF INTIMATE DISCIPLESHIP OF KEY LEADERS –4 INTERACTIONS WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE CONTEXT OF GROWING MINISTRY POPULARITY AND INCREASING...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ONLY THE SUFFERING SERVANT EMBRACES GOD’S PLAN FOR REDEMPTIONINTRODUCTION:Our story this morning is a very simple narrative. It is a story that we can easily jump over without stopping to grasp its significance. It is a story where preachers at a loss for...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DEVOTION TO JESUS REPLACES THE HARSHNESS OF SEPARATIST PREJUDICE AND LEGALISTIC TRADITION WITH THE CELEBRATION OF JOY OF THE NEW MESSIANIC AGEINTRODUCTION:If you are someone who likes the status quo – who likes things to continue on as they always have –...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS TRUMPS ALL OF GOD’S MANIFOLD BLESSINGS –ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE SINSINTRODUCTION:This new section in Mark extends to 3:6 and continues the theme of highlighting the authority of Jesus while introducing the new dynamic of the mounting...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE AMAZING, AUTHORITATIVE TEACHING MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST MUST TAKE PRIORITY OVER HEALING MIRACLES AND CASTING OUT OF DEMONSINTRODUCTION:Last week we saw the transition from the ministry of John the Baptist, the one heralding the arrival of the Messiah,...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: A DISCIPLE CAN FOLLOW NO GREATER MASTER THAN JESUS CHRIST, THE ULTIMATE KINGDOM AUTHORITY FIGURE = THE SERVANT KINGINTRODUCTION:Perspective in this Gospel account is that of John Mark – the former deserter who was restored to faithful serviceConstable: The...
by Paul Apple | Mar 11, 2020 | Bible-NT
[Originally posted Jan. 29, 2006] In our culture of restrained emotions, self-centeredness and pragmatism, it is healthy to take time to meditate on the supreme example of devotion to Christ demonstrated by Mary of Bethany in the memorable biblical account (Matthew...
by Paul Apple | Mar 11, 2020 | Bible-NT
Education can easily become an idol – even in Christian circles. We can confuse academic training and book learning with genuine spiritual discernment that can only come from the Spirit of God. In John 7, we see the teaching of Jesus regarding the key to spiritual...
by Paul Apple | Mar 10, 2020 | Bible-NT, Christian
Believers in the local church come from different backgrounds and have different personal convictions and different perspectives towards a variety of non-moral issues. The context of Romans 14 has been summarized by Dr. John MacArthur as follows: The weak Jewish...
by Paul Apple | Mar 10, 2020 | Bible-NT
OVERVIEW OF 2 CORINTHIANSSpiritual ministry must be conducted in reliance upon God’s power. Every believer has been given a spiritual gift for service. A sense of inadequacy should accompany the call to faithfulness in ministry. 1 Peter 4:10-11 presents 5 Guidelines...
