by Paul Apple | Jun 30, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE JEWISH SPIRITUAL LEADERS HAVE SURRENDERED STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S KINGDOM BECAUSE OF:- THEIR ATTEMPT TO USURP OWNERSHIP OF THE KINGDOM INSTEAD OF FUNCTIONING AS GOOD STEWARDS- THEIR REJECTION AND MISTREATMENT OF GOD’S ENVOYS(DESPITE GOD’S PATIENT LOVE AND...
by Paul Apple | Jun 29, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SOURCE OF THE BAPTISM OF JOHN ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRISTINTRODUCTION:Answering the question of authority impacts the choice of whether or not to believe. That is why the authority of Scripture is such a major issue. If it truly...
by Paul Apple | Jun 28, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAILURE TO DISCERN THE DAY OF MESSIANIC VISITATION LEADS TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCESINTRODUCTION:Do you have the sense that the Messiah is visiting you today – calling for repentance and faith? Do you have a heart of compassion for those who seem oblivious to...
by Paul Apple | Jun 28, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE KING OF PEACE APPROACHED JERUSALEM IN FULFILLMENT OF OT PROPHECY WITH MESSIANIC SIGNIFICANCEINTRODUCTION:Here we enter into the Passion Week which culminates the revelation of the Son of Man with Messianic significance. The Miracles have been performed...
by Paul Apple | Jun 27, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAITHFULNESS IN SPIRITUAL STEWARDSHIP WHILE THE KING IS AWAY WILL BE REWARDED WHEN THE KING RETURNSINTRODUCTION:This is not a story primarily about stewardship of money. It is not the same story that Christ told on another occasion about investing our...
by Paul Apple | Jun 25, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOSTINTRODUCTION:It’s great when Jesus just comes out and states the Big Idea of the story so there is no doubt about the message He wants to communicate. God is in the business of seeking and saving...
by Paul Apple | Jun 24, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK GOD’S MERCY FOR TRANSFORMATION THROUGH FAITH IN THE MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:There are always individuals that you might expect would come to Jesus in faith – like the Pharisee and the rich young ruler – but who fail to acknowledge...
by Paul Apple | Jun 23, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE COSTLY SACRIFICES FOR GOD’S KINGDOMWILL PROVE TO BE WORTH IT BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICEINTRODUCTION:The call to “Follow Jesus” unreservedly with full heart commitment comes to each of us in our own circumstances. Jesus asks us individually to forsake...
by Paul Apple | Jun 22, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF SALVATION BY HUMAN MEANS REQUIRES GOD’S SOVEREIGN GRACE THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN THE LORDSHIP OF CHRISTINTRODUCTION:We are still dealing with the topic of how men should approach God. Here the question is framed in the context of...
by Paul Apple | Jun 21, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: APPROACH GOD IN CHILDLIKE DEPENDENCEINTRODUCTION:This is a good Father’s Day Message for 2020. Here we see the attitude and posture of the disciples at odds with the heart of their Master. The disciples still seemed to associate some concept of worthiness or...
by Paul Apple | Jun 20, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: APPROACH GOD WITH HUMILITY AND CONFESSION OF THE NEED FOR MERCY RATHER THAN SMUGLY TRUSTING IN YOUR OWN GOOD WORKSINTRODUCTION:Having just given instruction on the efficacy of persistent prayer, Jesus wants to make it plain that not all prayer has value. So...
by Paul Apple | Jun 19, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER DIRECTLY TIED TO PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH UNTIL CHRIST RETURNSINTRODUCTION:The delay in the consummation of the kingdom of God upon Christ returning means that in this church age we need to live by faith and be persistent in our prayers...
by Paul Apple | Jun 19, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE KINGDOM IS HERE (SO SUBMIT TO THE KING) AND IT’S COMING (SO BE READY) INTRODUCTION: Confusion and Uncertainty have long surrounded the topic of the coming kingdom of God. This was true when Jesus walked the earth and it remains true today. Yet the...
by Paul Apple | Jun 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FOUR PERSPECTIVES ESSENTIAL FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH (STAYING ON COURSE) AND GLORIFYING GODINTRODUCTION:It is easy to get knocked off course in our spiritual life. That is what makes the journey of Pilgrim in Pilgrim’s Progress so vivid and dramatic. He...
by Paul Apple | Jun 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ETERNAL DIVIDE BETWEEN SERVING GOD AND SERVING WEALTH BRINGS COMFORTING RELIEF OR UNRELENTING TORMENTINTRODUCTION:Unrelenting torment in Hell for all of eternity is not one of the more popular sermon topics in today’s populist culture. But Jesus does not...
by Paul Apple | Jun 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: LEGALISTS JUSTIFY LOOPHOLE LIVING BUT STAND CONDEMNED BEFORE GOD WHO SEES THE HEARTINTRODUCTION:The interaction between Jesus and the legalistic religious leaders of His day intensifies as His ministry approaches its culmination. Despite all of their...
by Paul Apple | Jun 16, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: STEWARD YOUR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS SHREWDLY AND FAITHFULLY SO THAT THEY DON’T RULE OVER YOU BUT SERVE GOD’S KINGDOM PURPOSESINTRODUCTION:The entirety of Chapter 16 revolves around money issues. Jesus had a lot to say about money and material possessions. This...
by Paul Apple | Jun 15, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE KINGDOM OF GOD VALUES NOT THE SELF RIGHTEOUS BUT LOST SINNERS WHO REPENTINTRODUCTION:The hard-hearted, self-righteous Pharisees would have found it easy to identify with the elder son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. They were all about working hard...
by Paul Apple | Jun 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE WHOLE-HEARTED DEMANDS OF GENUINE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP DEMOLISH SUPERFICIAL EASY-BELIEVISMINTRODUCTION:For some reason, Christians seem to think that the most effective way to present the gospel message and the call to Christian discipleship is to make...
by Paul Apple | Jun 13, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: 3 SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS RELATED TO PARTICIPATION AT THE ESCHATOLOGICAL MESSIANIC FEAST DON’T SEEK PROMINENCE, PAYBACK OR PRIVILEGEINTRODUCTION:Christ is once again striking at the self-righteousness of the hypocritical Pharisees who think too highly of...
