Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – May 23, 2021

Series Title: Understand,(be) Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn

Today’s Title: Yearning for Healthy Conversation

Today’s Text: John 3:1-15

Nicodemus (John 3)                  Samaritan (John 4)

Why was this a hard conversation?

Religious/Theological                                                                  Historical/Political

What were the obstacles to the conversation?

Reputation/Access                                                                                Social Norms

Who initiated the conversation?

Nicodemus                                                                                                           Jesus

With what tone did the conversation begin?

Respect                                                                                                            Request

What was the first response?

Engagement                                                                                                     Polarity

How was the conversation kept alive?

Nicodemus was teachable                                        Diverted to a common need

How did the conversation get to the heart?

Jesus focused on belief                                                  Jesus got to her real need

What was the result of the conversation?

belief put to action                                       “they urged him to stay with them”

John 7:50-51  & 19:38-42                                                                           John 4:40

Conversations that Heal

BEGIN: Who holds the authority?

What are the obstacles?

Make a plan to begin (but just begin)

PROCEED:  Acknowledge the surface problem, but don’t stay there

     Seek to get to the heart

Never condemn

If you both leave the conversation willing to speak again you have both “won”!

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – May 16, 2021

Series Title: UNIFY Understand, (be) Non-dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn

Today’s Title: Yearning for Integrity

Today’s Text: Psalm 15

BE ALIGNED WITH THE PRESENCE OF GOD (v1)

WALK WITH INTEGRITY (blameless, upright)(v2)

            - Doing what’s right

            - Speaking truth from the heart

CONTROL YOUR WORDS (v3)

            - No slander

            - No wrong to your neighbor

            - No slurs

KEEP GOOD COMPANY (v4)                                                       

            - Despise those who are vile

            - Honor those who fear god

KEEP YOUR WORD (v4)                                        

            -A promise holds little value until tested by trial

HAVE FINANCIAL INTEGRITY (v5)                                            

            - generosity seeks no gain

            -  don’t let money corrupt justice

“Whoever does these things will never be shaken.”

                  - Psalm 15:6

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – May 9, 2021

Series Title: UNIFY: Understand, (be) Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn

Today’s Title: Forgiveness and the Path to Peace

Today’s Text: Colossians 3:1-17

Are you at peace?

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” – Colossians 3:15

THE PATH TO PEACE

• A HEART-SET & MIND-SET FROM ABOVE (v1-4)

• STOMP OUT WHAT IS BENEATH YOU (v5-8)

• RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE, INCLUDE EVERYONE (v9-11)

• PUT ON YOUR GOOD-WORKS CLOTHES (v12)

• FORGIVE YOUR CO-WORKERS (v13)

• PUT ON LOVE (v14)
  1. Compassionate Love
  2. Kind Love
  3. Humble Love
  4. Gentle Love
  5. Patient Love
  6. Forgiving Love

• HERE THERE IS PEACE
  1. The Rule of Peace
  2. The Call of Peace
  3. The Response to Peace
     1. Gratitude
     2. Worship

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – May 2, 2021

Series Title: Forgiveness

Today’s Title: Paralyzed by Unforgiveness

Today’s Text: Luke 5:17-26

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

TWO WAYS THAT UNFORGIVENESS CAN PARALYZE

• PARALYZED BY NOT FORGIVING THE ONE WHO HURT YOU

• BITTERNESS

• PARALYZED BY NOT ASKING TO BE FORGIVEN BY THE ONE YOU HURT

• PRIDE

Seven Words that can change your life…..

GET UP

TAKE YOUR MAT

GO HOME

Forgiveness has the power to heal. It brings healing to relationships, it eases stress, it sharpens focus, it turns our attention away from self and on to the other. Forgiveness is our greatest need and Christ’s greatest work.

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – April 25, 2021

Series Title: Forgive

Today’s Title: “The Depth of Forgiveness”

Today’s Text: Luke 7:36-50

“All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. If we do not transform our pain, we will transmit it to those around us.” – Richard Rohr

CONFORMING FORGIVENESS

(law)

Closed System

Condemning

Outwardly Superficial

Fearfully Concealing

Measured & Limited

TRANSFORMING FORGIVENESS

(grace)

Open

Welcoming

Inwardly Honest

Beautifully Messy

Immeasurably Loving

Where are YOU in this story? Quick to judge and condemn, like the Pharisees? Humbled by your brokenness at the feet of Jesus, like the woman? Forgiving to even the “worst of sinners”, like Jesus?

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – April 11, 2021

Series Title: Forgive

Today’s Title: “Forgiveness & Prayer”

Today’s Text: Matthew 6:5-15

Prayer and forgiveness are tied together. You can’t be effective in one without the other. 

PRAYERS THAT ATTEMPT TO IMPRESS OTHERS ARE A SIGN OF INSECURITY (v5)

YOUR PRAYER IS GOD’S BUSINESS, NO ONE ELSE’S (v6)

GOD WILL NEVER BE IMPRESSED BY YOUR WORDS (v7)

GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED, BUT MAYBE YOU DON’T (v8)

SAYING WHO GOD IS, IN PRAYER, ISN’T FOR GOD’S SAKE, IT’S FOR YOURS. (v9)

SUBMITTING TO GOD’S BOUNDARIES & PURPOSES REVEALS WHERE & WHY WE MAY HAVE WANDERED (v10)

MY BODY’S MOST BASIC DAILY NEED IS FOOD. (v11)

MY HEART’S MOST BASIC DAILY NEED IS FORGIVENESS

TO LIVE IN UNFORGIVENSS TOWARD OTHERS STARVES YOUR HEART (v12)

EVEN AS I FOLLOW GOD’S LEAD, TEMPTATION WILL BE CLOSE BY (v13)

DON’T CONFUSE SUFFERING & DANGER WITH TEMPTATION & EVIL (v13)

GOD’S OFFER TO FORGIVE YOU IS DEPENDENT UPON YOUR WILLINGESS TO FORIGVE OTHERS (v14-15)

Are you receiving God’s forgiveness?

Are you withholding forgiveness from someone?

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – April 11, 2021

Series Title: Included in the Kingdom of God

Today’s Title: “Include the Outsider”

Today’s Text: Acts 10:1-23

OUTSIDERS INCLUDED BY JESUS

• EXCLUDED BY PREJUDICE - Samaritans
  • Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
  • The 10 Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
  • Samaritan Woman at the well (John 4:1-42)

• EXCLUDED BY DISEASE - Lepers
  • Jesus touched a leper to heal him (Matthew 8:1-4)
  • The 10 Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

• EXCLUDED BY REPUTATION - Tax Collectors
  • Matthew becomes a disciple (Matthew 9:9-12)
  • Gathered to hear Jesus (Luke 15:1-2)
  • Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)
  • Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

• EXCLUDED AS AGENTS OF OPPRESION - Centurions
  • Commended for great faith when Christ healed a servant (Matthew 8:5-13)
  • Declared Christ to eb the Son of God at the cross (Luke 23:47)

• EXCLUDED BY BIRTH - Greeks
  • Greek woman – Jesus casts out a demon from her daughter (Mark 7:24-30)
  • Greeks ask to see Jesus on Palm Sunday (John 12:20-22)

• EXLCUDED BY PATRIARCHY - Women
  • Samaritan Woman at the well (John 4:1-42)
  • Greek woman – Jesus casts out a demon from her daughter (Mark 7:24-30)
  • Woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11)

• EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC DISCOURSE - Children
  • Jesus angry at disciples for keeping children away – Luke 18:15-17
  • Jesus enjoyed the company of children and spoke about their faith (Matthew 18 1-5)
  • Praise for God from the lips of children on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:14-16)

• EXCLUDED BY THE INCLUDED - Jewish religious leaders
  • Jesus eats at the home of a “prominent Pharisee” (Luke 14:1-24)
  • A Pharisee named Nicodemus – (John 3:1-21)
  • Jesus heals the daughter of a synagogue leader (Matthew 9:18-26)

OUTSIDERS INCLUDED IN THE CHURCH

• THE GREAT (INCLUSIVE) COMMISSION
  • Matthew 28:16-20 – make disciple of all nations
  • Acts 1:6-9 – don’t exclude Samaria (Philip, Acts 8:4-8)

• PETER’S STRUGGLE TO INCLUDE GENTILES
  • Vision in Acts 10 – make disciples from all nations, not just Jews in every nation
  • Church Council in Acts 15 – Paul & Barnabas stand up for Gentile believers
  • Peter still struggled - Galatians 2:11-14 (Paul had to call him out)

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – April 4, 2021

Series Title: Included in the Gospel

Today’s Title: Include the Sick

Today’s Text: Luke 17:11-19

The impact of sickness and why Jesus healed people…

11 the border between Samaria and Galilee

                RACISM, OPPRESSION

12 a village, ten men who had leprosy

                A COMMUNITY OF OUTCASTS

They stood at a distance

                HEALTH LAW & SOCIAL EXPECTATION

13 called out in a loud voice,

                DESPARATION

“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

                RESPECT

14 “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”

                NOT YET HEALED, HOW COULD THEY?

 as they went,

                GOING WAS AN ACT OF FAITH

they were cleansed.

                GOD HONORED THAT FAITH

15 One of them,…….came back, praising God in a loud voice.

                STILL SHOUTING, BUT NOW WITH JOY!

 16 threw himself at Jesus’ feet

                NO LONGER AT A DISTANCE, BUT RIGHT AT HIS FEET

 thanked him

                NEVER DISCOUNT THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

 he was a Samaritan.

                A LESSON ABOUT PREJUDICE

17  Where are the other nine?

                LACK OF GRATITUDE STANDS OUT

 18  this foreigner?”

                THE JEWS AROUND JESUS SAW THIS MAN THAT WAY, NOT CHRIST

 19“Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

                THE GOAL OF ALL HEALING IS TO BE “WELL”

• WELL IN BODY, IN MIND, IN HEART, AND IN COMMUNITY

The inclusive message of the Gospel does not leave out people that are all too quickly ignored, forgotten, and condemned. Such is the life of the prisoner. Only persons who have actually lived inside of a prison have the right to describe it. This sermon includes words from several men who are currently "incarcerated", a word reserved only for those who have been tried, convicted, and sentenced to "time served" away from family, friends, and society. Are we as a nation, the church, and as individual followers of Jesus paying any attention to "the least of these" in prison? 

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – March 21, 2021

Series Title: Understand, (be)Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn

Today’s Title: Include part 1: Include the Hungry

Today’s Text: John 6:1-15

GOD, PEOPLE, & FOOD

• Trees in the garden – Genesis 2
• Temptation & Knowledge - Genesis 3
• Cain & Abel – Genesis 4
• The Passover – Exodus 12
• Manna – Exodus 16
• Feasts & Food Laws – Exodus 1-7, 11, 23-24 (among others)
• The Temptation of Jesus – Matthew 4
• The Lord’s Prayer – Matthew 6
• Feeding 5000 – John 6
• “I am the Bread of Life” – John 6
• The Lord’s Supper – Matthew 26

FOOD - GOD’S INCLUSIVE PROVISION – God gave us enough to go around

• Genesis 2:8-17 – God provided for us from the start
• Matthew 6:11 & 26 – Ask God for it & trust Him to provide it

FOOD CAN BE SHARED OR HOARDED – it’s the responsibility of those who have food to feed those who don’t

• Acts 2:42-47 – The church in Jerusalem
• Luke 12:13-21 – the rich fool

FOOD CAN BRING US TOGETHER OR REINFORCE OUR DIFFERENCES – None should be left out

• 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

FOOD CAN BE TEMPTATION OR THANKSGIVING

• Temptations of Adam & Eve and of Jesus
• John 6:11 – Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the fish

FOOD CAN BECOME A god OR REMIND US OF GOD IN CHRIST

• Philippians 3:18-20

FEEDING THE HUNGRY – THE WORK OF GOD

• Psalm 146:6-9 – God’s desire
• Isaiah 58:6-9 – true fasting
• Ezekiel 18:15-17 – description of a righteous person
• Proverbs 25:21 – feed your enemy
• Ezekiel 16:49-50 – the sin of Sodom

FEED THE HUNGRY….

Internationally:                 Compassion International - www.compassion.com

                                                World Vision - www.worldvision.org

                                                Heifer International - www.heifer.org

Hunger in America:         Dare to Care - donate.daretocare.org

                                                Feeding America - www.feedingamerica.org

Hunger in the Poconos: Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network - www.pven.net

                                                Bushkill Outreach – www.bushkilloutreach.org