by Paul Apple | Sep 13, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DEVELOPING LEADERS FIRST EXPERIENCE FLESHLY FAILURE BEFORE LEARNING TO SUBMIT TO GOD’S TIMETABLE AND TRUST IN GOD’S EMPOWERMENT –3 KEY LESSONS FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTINTRODUCTION:Before God’s people even cry out for a deliverer, the sovereign plan...
by Paul Apple | Sep 11, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD PROTECTED MOSES AFTER HIS BIRTH, PLUCKED HIM FROM THE NILE AND PREPARED HIM FOR HIS FUTURE LEADERSHIP ROLEINTRODUCTION:The Providence of God dominates the events surrounding the birth and protection of the baby Moses. Significant...
by Paul Apple | Sep 10, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE BACKDROP FOR DIVINE DELIVERANCE AND THE FULFILMENT OF COVENANT PROMISES SHOWCASES GOD’S BLESSING AND PROTECTION DESPITE SATAN’S EFFORTS TO THWART GOD’S PURPOSESINTRODUCTION:Four hundred years is a long time for God’s people to be experiencing dark days...
by Paul Apple | Sep 8, 2020 | Sports
It is a good time to evaluate the Orioles with the truncated season already 2/3 completed. The record for the Baltimore Orioles stands at a surprising 19-21 (including an impressive 9-6 away record), despite most pundits picking them to be one of the worst teams in...
by Paul Apple | Sep 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE DYNAMICS OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER AND ENCOURAGING FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT OUR GOAL OF TRUSTING OUR GREAT SHEPHERD TO EQUIP US TO DO THE WILL OF GODINTRODUCTION:Finally we come to the miscellaneous closing sections of the book. Some of the great themes of the...
by Paul Apple | Sep 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SUSTAINING PERSEVERANCE REQUIRES:- STABILITY IN GRACE AND FAITH- SACRIFICES OF PRAISE AND GOOD WORKS AND- SUBMISSION TO OUR SPIRITUAL LEADERSINTRODUCTION:This closing section of practical exhortations that center around religious duties as compared to our...
by Paul Apple | Aug 31, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR LOVE AND REVERENT SERVICE TO GOD MUST BE COUPLED WITH CULTIVATING:- AGGRESSIVE LOVE TOWARDS THE BRETHREN- MARITAL FIDELITY AND- CONFIDENT CONTENTMENTINTRODUCTION:How do we behave towards our Christian brethren? How do we treat our spouse? What is our...
by Paul Apple | Aug 30, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SUPERIORITY OF THE NEW COVENANT BRINGS GREATER JUDGMENT IF WE FAIL HEED GOD’S WARNINGSINTRODUCTION:What a contrast the author paints between the terrifying / unapproachable nature of the God of the Old Covenant and the welcoming / approachable entrance...
by Paul Apple | Aug 29, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ENCOURAGE THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY:- TO PERSEVERE IN RUNNING THE RACE AND- TO PURSUE PEACE AND PURITYINTRODUCTION:This passage continues the same context as the previous section which focused on Divine Discipline – not so much for addressing specific sin –...
by Paul Apple | Aug 29, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DIVINE DISCIPLINE (IN THE FORM OF SUFFERING) COMES FROM THE HAND OF OUR LOVING FATHER FOR OUR GOODINTRODUCTION:The age old problem of suffering is addressed here in the context of family discipline from a loving heavenly Father. False professors of faith in...
by Paul Apple | Aug 27, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH AND MINISTRY REQUIRES MINIMIZING OBSTACLES AND MAINTAINING OUR FOCUS ON JESUS CHRISTINTRODUCTION:You must understand that the Christian life is one of walking by faith in Jesus Christ. We entered into this new life by turning away from...
by Paul Apple | Aug 27, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THESE FINAL HEROES OF FAITH HIGHLIGHT GRAND ACHIEVEMENTS, ENDURANCE THROUGH SEVERE SUFFERING AND THE HOPE OF ETERNAL REWARDSINTRODUCTION:The author is now forced to blitz through the remainder of Israel’s history to highlight the types of experiences that...
by Paul Apple | Aug 26, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAITH FOCUSES ON THE UNSEEN GOD TO GAIN ETERNAL REWARD BY:- CHOOSING GOD- DELIVERING FROM DEATH AND BONDAGE- CAPTURING ENEMY STRONGHOLDS TO ACHIEVE VICTORYINTRODUCTION:Consider how important Moses was to the Jews. In this important lesson on faith, the...
by Paul Apple | Aug 24, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ONLY A LIFE OF FAITH PLEASES GOD – HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF THE FAITH OF THE PATRIARCHS THAT LOOKED FORWARD TO GOD’S PROMISES FOR THE FUTUREINTRODUCTION:The previous examples of faith predated the establishment of the nation of Israel. Now the author moves on...
by Paul Apple | Aug 24, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ONLY A LIFE OF FAITH PLEASES GOD – HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF ABEL, ENOCH AND NOAHINTRODUCTION:The fundamental principle being illustrated by these key OT historical figures is that the righteous must live by faith if they want to please God. The essence of...
by Paul Apple | Aug 22, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAITH IS THE MEANS:- TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE,- TO REALIZE UNSEEN REALITIES,- TO GAIN GOD’S GRACE AND- TO COMPREHEND CREATIONINTRODUCTION:I don’t want to confuse you here. I am not talking about “the fundamentals of the faith” – that would be all of the great...
by Paul Apple | Aug 21, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PERSEVERE IN LOVE, HOPE AND FAITH CONSISTENT WITH YOUR EARLY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCEINTRODUCTION:This passage tracks nicely with vv.22-25 in terms of working through the triad of love, hope and faith from the orientation of perseverance. The author also works...
by Paul Apple | Aug 20, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PERSISTENT DELIBERATE SIN SHOWS CONTEMPT FOR CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE AND WILL BE JUDGED WITHOUT MERCY AS APOSTASYINTRODUCTION:The warning passages in Chapter 6 and here in Chapter 10 are especially difficult because the language seems to describe genuine...
by Paul Apple | Aug 20, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE REALITY OF THE SUPERIOR PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST IMPACTS BOTH OUR STANDING BEFORE GOD AND OUR STEADFASTNESS IN FAITH, HOPE AND LOVEINTRODUCTION:Here we begin the final section of the Book of Hebrews. The great lofty truths of the superiority of Jesus Christ...
by Paul Apple | Aug 19, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE OF CHRIST PROVIDES THE ULTIMATE CLEANSING AND FORGIVENESS THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE UNDER THE OLD COVENANTINTRODUCTION:This section completes the author’s doctrinal presentation before he launches into practical applications beginning in...
