by Paul Apple | May 4, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE LORD REQUIRES REPENTANCE THAT IS PROVEN GENUINE BY THE FRUIT OF REPENTANCEINTRODUCTION:The ministry of John the Baptist paves the way for the coming of the promised Messiah who will bring salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. The...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER MUST TAKE PRIORITY EVEN OVER OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR EARTHLY PARENTSINTRODUCTION:Jesus demonstrates in this passage the crucial distinction between His earthly parents and His heavenly Father. As the unique Son of God...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PROPHETIC INSIGHT INTO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS REVEALS HIS GLOBAL MESSIANIC AND REDEMPTIVE MISSIONINTRODUCTION:Surprisingly few details are given of the life of Jesus on earth before the beginning of His public ministry. Therefore, all of the...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE HUMBLE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH MAKE HIS MISSION OF BRINGING GLORY TO GOD AND PEACE TO MAN EVEN MORE ASTOUNDINGINTRODUCTION:You would think that a birth that had been heralded by the OT prophets for so many centuries would be more...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE DIVINE VISITATION EVOKES AWE, AMAZEMENT AND HEARTFELT REJOICINGINTRODUCTION:The momentous intervention of God into human affairs (especially after such a long period of prophetic silence) should cause awe, amazement, and rejoicing. The events surrounding...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WE SHOULD REJOICE IN THE BLESSINGS THAT FLOW OUT OF THE CHARACTER OF GODINTRODUCTION:God’s actions flow out of His attributes. What He does is directly tied to Who He is. We need a passion to know God in a deeper, more intimate way. We need to focus more on...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE INCARNATION PROVIDES THE INITIAL DEFINITION FOR THE ROLE OF THE PROMISED MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:The birth of the Messiah was the subject of a number of prominent OT prophecies. Now the moment in history has arrived – “the...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: UNEXPECTED DIVINE INTERVENTION SETS IN MOTION THE COMING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TO POINT SINNERS TO THE MESSIAHINTRODUCTION:The role of a forerunner is to point people to the more important individual who will follow. Such was the mission ordained for John the...
by Paul Apple | May 3, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE RELIABLE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS CONFIRMS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITYINTRODUCTION:How do you know whether something is true or not? In our postmodern world that has become almost an irrelevant question. Everything is...
