by Paul Apple | Mar 22, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SINCE GOD IS SOVEREIGN, THE WISE MUST BENEFIT FROM SORROW AND SUBMIT RATHER THAN EXPRESS PRIDEFUL IMPATIENCE AND FRUSTRATION INTRODUCTION: Walter Kaiser: Present grief and pain may prove to be more beneficial in their effect on us than all the festivity,...
by Paul Apple | Mar 20, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EVEN THOSE WHO APPEAR TO HAVE GRABBED HOLD OF THE GOOD LIFE STRUGGLE WITH NO ENJOYMENT, NO SATISFACTION AND NO ANSWERS TO LIFE’S ULTIMATE QUESTIONS INTRODUCTION: Daniel Akin: Chapter 6 begins, echoing the curse with the language of “sickening tragedy,” by...
by Paul Apple | Mar 19, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: APART FROM CONTENTMENT IN ENJOYING GOD’S GIFTS, THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH CAN CREATE HUGE PROBLEMS INTRODUCTION Iain Provan: Ecclesiastes 5:8–9 picks up the thoughts of 4:1–3, making it clear to the reader that oppression is not merely a matter of individuals...
by Paul Apple | Mar 18, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WISE WORSHIP CALLS FOR OBEDIENT LISTENING, CONTROLLED SPEECH, FAITHFUL COMMITMENT AND REVERENTIAL AWE INTRODUCTION Douglas Sean O’Donnell: As we approach God in worship, Pastor Solomon wants to establish a safe distance between us and the transcendent God....
by Paul Apple | Mar 10, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TWELVE FINAL EXPRESSIONS CONSTITUTE THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF OUR LONGING FOR JESUS TO RETURN SOON INTRODUCTION: We have arrived finally at the end of our journey through the book of Revelation. This wraps up our study of the entire canon of scripture as...
by Paul Apple | Mar 9, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WITH ITS FRUIT-BEARING TREE OF LIFE AND ILLUMINATION BY GOD’S PRESENCE, PARADISE TRANSFORMED SURPASSES THE SPLENDOR OF EDEN INTRODUCTION: Many times we experience disappointment and regret when our new experiences revisit and remind us of past similar...
by Paul Apple | Mar 8, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: 3 DEFINING REALITIES OF THE ETERNAL STATE – HOUSES THE PRESENCE OF GOD, MANIFESTS THE BRILLIANCE OF GOD’S GLORY AND CONTAINS DEDICATED WORSHIPERS INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: The rest of the chapter provides a glimpse of the holiness, glory, and joy that...
by Paul Apple | Mar 7, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: NEW JERUSALEM IS PRESENTED AS GLORIOUS IN APPEARANCE WITH MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE AND COSTLY BUILDING MATERIALS INTRODUCTION: Gordon Fee: The point of all this, of course, is to indicate how great is the “new Jerusalem,” where God and the Lamb sit...
by Paul Apple | Mar 6, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS WILL CREATE A NEW COSMIC ORDER WITH NEW JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL CITY WHERE OVERCOMERS WILL ENJOY ALL THE BENEFITS OF ETERNAL LIFE IN COMMUNION WITH GOD INTRODUCTION: Daniel Akin: Main Idea: God will establish a new heaven and a new earth, where Christ...
by Paul Apple | Mar 5, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE WICKED DEAD WILL STAND BEFORE THE DIVINE JUDGE TO BE CONDEMNED TO THE ETERNAL LAKE OF FIRE BASED ON A FAIR EVALUATION OF THEIR WORKS INTRODUCTION: S. Lewis Johnson: The writer of the Epistle of the Hebrews says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SATAN IS IMPRISONED DURING THE BLESSED MILLENNIAL KINGDOM BUT THEN RELEASED FOR ULTIMATE DEFEAT AND CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Premillennialism believes that Christ will return to earth, destroy the evil forces, and reign here for a thousand...
by Paul Apple | Mar 2, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SLAUGHTER OF THE EVIL FORCES OF ANTICHRIST AT ARMAGEDDON SETS THE TABLE FOR A GRUESOME FEAST FOR THE VULTURES OF THE SKY INTRODUCTION: Buist Fanning: This vision anticipates the overwhelming defeat of all the forces that futilely resist his coming (cf....
by Paul Apple | Feb 29, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE VARIOUS NAMES OF JESUS FLESH OUT THE PICTURE OF HIM RETURNING AS MESSIANIC CONQUEROR, RIGHTEOUS JUDGE AND SOVEREIGN KING INTRODUCTION: Buist Fanning: While John knows the traditions about Jesus and the New Testament preaching of his saving work, the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 29, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GOD’S RULE ON EARTH IS CELEBRATED WITH THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB INTRODUCTION: Kendell Easley: Main Idea: The consummation of the ages is compared to a great marriage and the wedding supper of the Lamb. . . With the words then I...
by Paul Apple | Feb 27, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: HALLELUJAH! FOR GOD IS GLORIFIED IN THE SALVATION OF HIS PEOPLE THROUGH HIS TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS INTRODUCTION: Kendell Easley: In 1712, the brilliant hot-tempered German composer George Frideric Handel moved to London, where he lived until his death...
by Paul Apple | Feb 25, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOD WILL DESTROY ALL TRACES OF BABYLON THE GREAT DUE TO HER GRANDIOSE PRIDE, SEDUCTIVE INFLUENCES AND DEADLY PERSECUTIONS INTRODUCTION: Buist Fanning: In a final climactic section “a mighty angel” (cf. 5:2; 10:1) symbolically enacts Babylon’s fall and...
by Paul Apple | Feb 24, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THREE FUNERAL DIRGES ARE SUNG BY THE KINGS, MERCHANTS AND MARINERS OVER THE RAPID AND COMPLETE DEMISE OF THE GREAT HARLOT CITY BABYLON AND HER COMMERCIAL SYSTEM INTRODUCTION: Daniel Akin: Whatever we hate will also reveal what we truly love. The earth...
by Paul Apple | Feb 24, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CERTAINTY OF THE FALL OF BABYLON DEMANDS MORAL SEPARATION AND DISPLAYS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF JUDICIAL RECOMPENSE INTRODUCTION: Daniel Akin: In this chapter we observe the world weeping over the death of a prostitute. However, this prostitute was using...
by Paul Apple | Feb 22, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: APOSTATE, MAN-MADE RELIGION ATTEMPTS TO UNIFY THE WORLD UNDER THE ANTICHRIST VIA SEDUCTIVE IDOLATRY AND IMMORALITY BUT SELF-IMPLODES UNDER GOD’S APPOINTED JUDGMENT INTRODUCTION: Buist Fanning: The phrase “he carried me away in the Spirit” in 17:3 (cf. 21:10)...
by Paul Apple | Feb 20, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE FINAL OUTPOURING OF GOD’S FURY UNLEASHES UNPRECEDENTED CATASTROPHIC ATMOSPHERIC PLAGUES (ENORMOUS EARTHQUAKE AND HUGE HAIL) ON DEFIANT BABYLON AND THE GENTILE NATIONS INTRODUCTION: John Walvoord: With both the seal and the trumpet judgments, there was...
