by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE VALUE OF THE ETERNAL PRIZE AND THE DANGER OF DISQUALIFICATION MOTIVATE DISCIPLINED CHRISTIAN LIVING IN THE WARFARE AGAINST SIN APPROACH: Are we talking in this passage about rewards that will differentiate between believers based on the quality of their...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE GOAL OF WINNING SOULS DRIVES US TO RESTRICT OUR FREEDOM IN WAYS THAT WOULD SERVE OTHERS IN LOVE RATHER THAN OFFEND THEM INTRODUCTION: Voluntarily restricting our rights and freedoms is no small matter. But a person who has been genuinely converted and...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SOMETIMES GOSPEL MINISTRY INVOLVES YIELDING ONE’S RIGHT TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOUR CONSIDERATIONS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL REGARDING PREACHING THE GOSPEL WITHOUT DEMANDING HIS RIGHT TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT INTRODUCTION: The immediate context has already established...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SPIRITUAL MINISTERS (ESPECIALLY APOSTLES) DESERVE TO BE ADEQUATELY SUPPORTED BUT ALSO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO REFRAIN FROM DEMANDING SUCH RIGHTS INTRODUCTION: Some people imagine that Christian ministers should serve at their own expense. This passage clearly...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE CONTROLLING FACTOR IN OUR DECISION MAKING REGARDING DEBATABLE AREAS OF CHRISTIAN CONDUCT MUST BE LOVE INTRODUCTION: These matters are sometimes called doubtful areas. They are specific issues of Christian conduct where believers debate whether it is...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: STAYING SINGLE HAS MUCH TO COMMEND ITSELF . . . BUT MARRIAGE IS STILL A GOOD OPTION INTRODUCTION: Richard Hays: It is notoriously difficult to determine from Paul’s response exactly who the people were that the Corinthians designated as virgins, and what...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EMBRACE WITH CONTENTMENT GOD’S SOVEREIGN PROVIDENTIAL DISPENSATION OF YOUR OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES AS YOU FOCUS ON SERVING CHRIST TO THE MAX CONTEXT: MARITAL STATUS Paul had been giving instruction in Chapter 7 regarding marital status. Apparently there was...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DIFFERENT SITUATIONS CALL FOR DIFFERENT DIVINE INSTRUCTION REGARDING SINGLENESS, MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 3 GROUPS ADDRESSED: I. (:8-9) INSTRUCTIONS TO THE UNMARRIED AND TO WIDOWS – EITHER SINGLENESS OR THE MARRIED STATE MAY BE A VIABLE OPTION A. (:8) Value of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BOTH CELIBACY AND MARRIAGE ARE LEGITIMATE GIFTS OF GOD, BUT A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF SEXUAL INTIMACY IN MARRIAGE MUST BE MAINTAINED TO PROTECT AGAINST IMMORALITY AND TO EXPRESS MUTUAL SUBMISSION INTRODUCTION: Temptation to Immorality is all around us. ...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EIGHT GUIDELINES TO ENCOURAGE BELIEVERS TO GLORIFY GOD IN OUR PHYSICAL BODY INTRODUCTION: Paul has been talking about the subject of avoiding sexual immorality; but this passage has a much wider application to how believers should view the physical body...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: UNCONVERTED SINNERS HAVE NO PART IN GOD’S KINGDOM – A TRANSFORMED LIFE SHOULD PRODUCE TRANSFORMED LIVING INTRODUCTION: Dealing today with the biggest question of all: Who qualifies for entrance into God’s Kingdom and enjoyment of all Kingdom Blessings? ...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BELIEVERS SHOULD NEVER SUE FELLOW BELIEVERS INTRODUCTION: Remember the book written by Jay Adams, Competent to Counsel – that laid a lot of the groundwork for the basis for nouthetic counseling. Adams made the argument that believers would be wrong to...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: CHURCH DISCIPLINE MUST BE ENFORCED AGAINST SEXUAL PERVERSION INTRODUCTION: The failure of the Christian church to enforce church discipline against sexual immorality in its midst has severely compromised its inner health and outward testimony. Tolerance has...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP AGGRESSIVELY CONFRONTS SIN AND PROVIDES JUST THE RIGHT BALANCE OF NURTURE AND DISCIPLINE FOR THE NEED OF THE MOMENT TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR INTRODUCTION: Sin in the church of Jesus Christ cannot be ignored or...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BOASTING IN PARTICULAR PROMINENT PREACHERS DEMONSTRATES ARROGANT PRIDE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY INTRODUCTION: Christians often play the game of “Look at whose camp I am in! We are followers of Dr. John MacArthur; we are disciples of C. J. Mahaney . . .” Even...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE JUDGMENT OF THE LORD IS ALL THAT MATTERS WHEN IT COMES TO ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CHRISTIAN MINISTRY INTRODUCTION: We all are used to performance reviews at work. We are used to receiving them – might not like them all that much – if we supervise...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TWO FOOLISH MISTAKES THAT UNDERMINE GOD’S WISDOM AND CAUSE DIVISION WITHIN THE LOCAL CHURCH INTRODUCTION: In this section Paul has already shown how the church must be built on the wisdom of God rather than human wisdom. His goal is to combat divisions that...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BECAUSE THE LOCAL CHURCH IS GOD’S HOLY SANCTUARY, ANYONE WHO DAMAGES IT WILL BE PUNISHED ACCORDINGLY INTRODUCTION: But there is a far more dangerous threat to the integrity and health of a local church than the use of poor construction materials by spiritual...
by Paul Apple | Apr 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE HARD WORK OF SPIRITUAL MINISTRY CAN REAP ETERNAL REWARDS WHEN WE BUILD WISELY ON THE PROPER FOUNDATION INTRODUCTION: Remember in the last paragraph Paul had introduced the two analogies for Christian workers: that of a farmer and that of a builder. Here...
by Paul Apple | Apr 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: ALL OF THE ACCOLADES FOR SPIRITUAL MINISTRY SHOULD GO TO GOD WHO CAUSES THE GROWTH — NOT TO THE PARTICULAR SERVANTS LABORING TOGETHER ON GOD’S BEHALF INTRODUCTION: Paul is not saying that we should refrain from expressing appreciation and rendering...
