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...
by Paul Apple | Jun 11, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: HYPOCRITICAL HEARTS CANNOT REFUTE THE LEGITIMACY OF COMPASSION AND MERCY TOWARDS THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERINGINTRODUCTION:Jesus never shied away from controversy. He took advantage of confrontational situations to expose hypocrisy and demonstrate His love and...
by Paul Apple | Jun 10, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE LOVE AND COMPASSION AND RESOLVE OF JESUS KEPT HIS MINISTRY ON TRACK DESPITE POTENTIAL DERAILMENTINTRODUCTION:Today’s ministry climate in America is certainly one of hate and all types of threats. The cultural divide has never been more volatile. There...
by Paul Apple | Jun 9, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL PROVE TO BE BOTH BROAD AND NARROWINTRODUCTION:The juxtaposition of these two short parables with Jesus’ teaching on entrance into the Kingdom of God provides a dramatic contrast as well as some interesting surprises relating to the...
by Paul Apple | Jun 9, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS BREAKS ALL THE RULES OF LEGALISM AND HYPOCRISY TO SET PEOPLE FREE FROM BONDAGE AND BROKENNESSINTRODUCTION:Why were the Pharisees and scribes and synagogue officials deserving of such judgment? This story demonstrates the urgent need for repentance on...
by Paul Apple | Jun 8, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AVOIDING DISASTER ONLY ACCENTUATES THE URGENCY OF REPENTANCE SINCE IT IS ONLY THE FORBEARANCE OF GOD THAT STANDS BETWEEN US AND ETERNAL DAMNATIONINTRODUCTION:The self-righteous, prideful Jews were horrified at the demand for repentance. How could they...
by Paul Apple | Jun 6, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BE READY FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRISTINTRODUCTION:How were people in Noah’s day so unprepared for the cataclysmic flood despite so many years of prophetic warning? Jesus had plenty to say on the topic of readiness and alertness and...
by Paul Apple | Jun 5, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: LIFE SHOULD BE ORIENTED AROUND INVESTING IN GOD’S KINGDOM TO LAY UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN RATHER THAN ACCUMULATING WEALTH HERE ON EARTHINTRODUCTION:There are a wide variety of investment strategies and various paths to prosperity promoted by financial planners....
by Paul Apple | Jun 4, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AVOID HYPOCRISY IN BOLDLY CONFESSING CHIRST IN THE FACE OF PERESECTION IN LIGHT OF FUTURE JUDGMENTINTRODUCTION:The pressure is being ramped up not only against Christ but also against His disciples. Jesus takes this opportunity to build up the courage and...
by Paul Apple | Jun 4, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY FOCUSES ON EXTERNAL FORMALISM AT THE EXPENSE OF INTERNAL RIGHTEOUSNESSINTRODUCTION:Jesus reserved his sharpest criticism for the hypocrisy of the Jewish religious leaders of His day. He was not only concerned that their emphasis on...
by Paul Apple | Jun 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT (SIGHT – the type of understanding that leads to Obedience) DEPENDS NOT ON GREATER REVELATION (LIGHT) BUT ON THE RIGHT HEART CONDITIONINTRODUCTION: — the heart of the passage — v.28 “Blessed are those who hear...
by Paul Apple | Jun 2, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DOMINION OVER THE REALM OF SATAN REQUIRES THE SUPERIOR POWER OF JESUS CHRIST THAT TRANSFORMS THOSE WHO HEAR AND OBEY HIMINTRODUCTION:As opposition to Jesus intensifies, the arguments posed by the Jewish religious leaders become more irrational and...
by Paul Apple | Jun 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AS WE PERSIST IN PRAYING AS JESUS TAUGHT US WE SHOULD HAVE THE EXPECTATION OF RECEIVING ANSWERS FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHERINTRODUCTION:The disciples had the privilege of witnessing the prayer life of Jesus as He communed with the Father. They also saw how John...
by Paul Apple | May 30, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: COMMUNION WITH GOD MUST TAKE PRIORITY OVER SPIRITUAL SERVICEINTRODUCTION:This is a critical passage for women – especially mothers – who are consumed with so many necessary everyday activities that it can be difficult to maintain their communion with God....
by Paul Apple | May 29, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S STANDARD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS CONVICTS US ALL OF OUR INABILITY TO MERIT SALVATION BY GOOD WORKSINTRODUCTION:Jesus is concerned with exposing self-righteousness and the inability to fully love God and our neighbor as the law requires. There is no...
