by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: COUNTERFEIT SPIRITUAL SHEPHERDS SUBSTITUTE THEIR OWN PEACEFUL IMAGINATIONS FOR GOD’S AUTHENTIC REVELATION OF JUDGMENTINTRODUCTION:Jeremiah understood what was involved in faithfully proclaiming God’s Word – no matter how unpopular the message. He was willing...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: IDOLATRY AND SPIRITUAL ADULTERY PERVERT GOD’S APPOINTED LEADERS FROM THE MANDATED PATH OF SOCIAL JUSTICEINTRODUCTION:We all would like to end well. We would like the summary of our life and ministry to read like a praiseworthy eulogy. Instead, in this series...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DON’T SEEK GOD’S DELIVERANCE IF YOU ARE NOT PRACTICING SOCIAL JUSTICEINTRODUCTION:When we seek the Lord’s intervention and deliverance, apart from contrition and repentance, we should not be surprised to find that God has become our enemy. This new section...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S MESSENGERS WRESTLE WITH THE SUFFERING AND ABUSE ASSOCIATED WITH FAITHFULLY PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORDINTRODUCTION:You would think that faithfulness to God in a difficult ministry setting would fortify God’s servant with special confidence and a sense of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE OUTPOURING OF GOD’S WRATH EXECUTES HIS JUSTICE AND EVOKES TERRORINTRODUCTION:Often you hear people making the complaint that God is not fair. In this passage you see the ultimate connection between the Justice of God and the outpouring of His Wrath....
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DON’T BLAME GOD OR HIS PROPHET WHEN THE CLAY GETS SMASHED FOR REFUSING TO YIELD TO ITS POTTERINTRODUCTION:Who do you choose to control your life? Will you grasp control into your own hands and think that you can forge a favorable destiny by your ingenuity...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SPIRITUAL SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE RIGHT ORIENTATION TOWARDS THE MAJOR THEMES OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GODINTRODUCTION:Sometimes in studying the Bible we get off on rabbit trails that deal with obscure and seemingly insignificant issues. In this chapter we see...
by Paul Apple | Apr 21, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JUDGMENT AND RESTORATION MAGNIFY THE NAME AND POWER OF THE LORDINTRODUCTION: Sometimes we look at God’s judgments and can’t see past the severity and the harshness of the resulting carnage. Certainly, Jeremiah’s heart was broken with the impending calamities...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: MINISTRY DISCOURAGEMENT BOTTOMS OUT IN SELF PITY UNLESS WE FEAST ON GOD’S WORD AND HOPE IN HIS PROMISESINRODUCTION: It is easy to become discouraged in ministry – especially when one is largely ministering on his own without the support of fellow team...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SOMETIMES GOD DOESN’T COME TO THE RESCUEINTRODUCTION:The Israelites were a people that were accustomed to God bailing them out of every disastrous situation. Abraham got himself into multiple pickles because of his lies about Sarah being his sister; but God...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PRIDE PERVERTS PRIVILEGED POSITION INTO THE SHAME AND HUMILIATION OF DEGRADING DOMINATIONINTRODUCTION:We are all familiar with the axiom: Pride goes before a Fall; but when the privileged position and potential to be what God has created you to be is so...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DIVINE ENCOURAGEMENT PUSHES MINISTERS TO PERSEVERE IN FULFILLING THEIR CALLINGINTRODUCTION:Since today marks the 145th running of the historic Kentucky Derby, it is appropriate that our text directs our attention to what it takes to run with thoroughbreds....
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PERSISTENT COVENANT BREAKING INVOKES GOD’S CURSE THAT BRINGS INESCAPABLE DISASTERINTRODUCTION:We live in a culture that has rejected God’s Word; that worships the creature rather than the Creator; that has turned to idolatry and false religion; that has...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REJECT THE FUTILITY OF PAGAN IDOLATRY BY FOCUSING ON THE POWER AND MAJESTY OF THE UNIQUE LIVING AND ETERNAL GODINTRODUCTION:Dead and worthless idols made by human hands should never compete for our loyalty and affections with the power and majesty of the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FALSE CONFIDENCE IN COVENANT IDENTITY PUNCTURED BY THE DESOLATION RESULTING FROM APOSTASYINTRODUCTION:Pride and self-sufficiency are like a big balloon of hot air. Once punctured, the air quickly pours out and you are left with a deflated, worthless skin...
by Paul Apple | Apr 20, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: 3 EXPLANATIONS OF ISRAEL’S REFUSAL TO REPENT DESPITE PROPHETIC WARNINGSINTRODUCTION:How can one explain the refusal of God’s people to repent and turn back to faithful obedience once confronted with their rebellion? It seems like common sense on the surface...
by Paul Apple | Apr 19, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: 4 FORMS OF IMPROPER WORSHIP EXPOSED AND CONDEMNED –RELIGIOUS PRACTICES WITHOUT INWARD RIGHTEOUSNESS (REFLECTED IN OUTWARD ACTIONS) CANNOT SAVEINTRODUCTION:There have been some great Reformation preachers down thru the ages – men of God who had their pulse on...
by Paul Apple | Apr 19, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: STUBBORN REBELLION YIELDS DEVASTATING DESTRUCTIONINTRODUCTION:The Lord will not hold back His judgment forever. There comes a time when it is too late to try to flee for safety. Those immersed in wickedness will no longer be able to hide behind the empty...
by Paul Apple | Apr 19, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD MUST PUNISH THOSE WHO FORSAKE HIM AND REFUSE TO REPENTINTRODUCTION:Here we see clearly that the proper recompense for forsaking God is divine judgment. It is a sad situation when God cannot find a single person in Jerusalem who is characterized by truth...
by Paul Apple | Apr 19, 2020 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REPENT FROM SIN BEFORE GOD’S JUDGMENT DEVASTATES YOUINTRODUCTION:It is so easy for people to have a false sense of security. If you don’t really understand the character of God and you don’t really understand your own depravity, you fail to see the danger of...
