Life-relevant Bible-based teachings from Rev. Paul Miller, Pastor of Bushkill Community Church and St. John’s E.C. Church.
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
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
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
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?
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
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
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – March 14, 2021
Series Title: “UNIFY: Understand, (be)Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn”
Today’s Title: “Being Non-Dual: Changing Views of the Unchanging God"
Today’s Text: Psalm 139
JONAH’S MIND & HEART – Jonah 3:10
DAVID’S MIND & HEART – Psalm 139
KNOW THAT GOD KNOWS YOU (v1-6)
EMBRACE THE MYSTERY OF GOD (v7-12)
GOD’S FEARFUL & WONDERFUL PRESENCE (v13-16)
THE INFINITE THOUGHTS OF GOD (v17-18)
OKAY GOD, THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS (v19-22)
SEARCH, TEST, KNOW, SEE, & LEAD MY HEART (v23-24)
Knowing in your mind how deeply God knows you is overwhelming, but inviting God to reveal what He sees in your heart is transforming.
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GROWTH CHALLENGE: Read Psalm 139:23-24 every day this week as a prayer. At the end of the week, write down what God has revealed to you about you.
Tuesday Mar 09, 2021
Tuesday Mar 09, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – March 7, 2021
Series Title: “UNIFY: Understand, (be)Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn”
Today’s Title: (be) Non-Dual - “Does God Breaks God’s Own Rules?”
Today’s Text: Romans 3:21-31
Unusual Rules
Punishable by Death?
Rebellious son?
What did Jesus have to say? - Luke 15:11-32
Caught in Adultery?
What did Jesus do about it? - John 8:2-11
Guilty of Murder?
What did God do about it?
Cain – Genesis 4:10-12
Moses – Exodus 2:11-12
David - 2 Samuel 12:13
Paul (?)
Romans 3:21-31
“apart from the law” (v21)
“given through faith in Jesus Christ” (v22)
“all have sinned” (v23)
“all are justified freely by his grace” (v24)
“a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (v28)
1 Timothy 1:12-16
Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – February 28, 2021
Series Title: UNIFY – Understand, (be) Non-dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn
Today’s Title: “Is God Fair?”
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:43-48, Ecclesiastes 9:1-2, 11-12
time and chance happen to everyone - Ecclesiastes 9:11
rain & sun come to the good and the bad - Matthew 5:45
“the last will be first, and the first will be last”
– Matthew 19:30 & 20:16
THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD WORKERS – Matthew 20:1-15
Has God treated you fairly? – Psalm 103:8-12
WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF YOUR FRUSTRATION?
Frustrated by how God has treated you?
Frustrated with how God treats others?
“bitter roots” – Hebrews 12:15
envy
“painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage” (Webster)
This is where envy takes us – James 3:13-16
This is the fruit of true wisdom – James 3:17-18
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – February 21, 2021
Series Title: “Understand, (be) Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn
Today’s Title: “Be Non-Dual; Full of Grace & Truth"
Today’s Text: John 1:1-18
The overwhelming, incomprehendable vastness of space & time
- Psalm 8:3, John 1:1, John 1:14
“dualistic” is to see morality, ethics, politics, and religious beliefs through exclusive either/or options. It is to see the world through an overly simplistic right/wrong, black/white, good/bad lens that never allows for gray areas, let alone grace.
“non-dual” still sees how basic moral structures and belief systems are necessary for order, but also sees how they are insufficient when it comes to the deepest truths of the universe, of human life, of suffering, of love, and of mystery. Not everything is explainable or understandable; and that’s okay.
DUALISTIC LIFE NON-DUAL LIFE
-NO COMPROMISE - FINDS COMMON GROUND
-WHO’S “IN” & “OUT” - UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
- NOT W/US YOU’RE AGAINST US - IF YOU’RE NOT AGAINST US, YOU’RE FOR US
- CREATES ENEMIES - CREATES FRIENDSHIPS
- PRODUCES FEAR - PRODUCES HOPE
- DIVIDES - UNITES
Where is “non-dual” in the Bible?
People are created both in God’s image & sinners from birth Genesis 1:27 & Psalm 51:5)
Jacob’s family (Genesis 25-50) God forgives David’s scandalous sin (2 Samuel 11 & 12, Psalm 51)
Ecclesiastes (the whole book) Mary is both virgin and mother (Luke 1:26-38)
Jesus’ Sermon of the Mount – (Matt. 5-7) Jesus is both God & man - (John 1:1-8)
FULL OF GRACE (non-dual) & TRUTH (dualistic)
Truth Grace
LAW FORGIVENESS
ORDER OPENNESS
STRUCTURE INCLUSION
ANSWERS MYSTERY
BASED UPON OBEDIENCE BASED UPON LOVE
Truth is where we all need to begin, but it’s also where we all need to fail. TRUTH SHOWS ME I’M BROKEN
Grace is Unconditional, Unearned, Undeserved, Unexplainable, but still Understandable GRACE IS A GIFT
The Creator came into His creation full of both grace and truth
- Romans 8:19-21 & 8:38-39
The depths of Space & Time, Life & Death, Joy & Suffering, Hope & Fear, Light & Darkness, Grace & Truth: are all well beyond what our minds can conceive. Don’t stress because you cannot understand; just stand in awe of the One who does…
Monday Feb 15, 2021
Monday Feb 15, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – February 14, 2021
“Understand Your Enemy’s Life” - John 4
Animosity toward Samaritans in the Gospels
“Samaritan” was an insult – John 8:48
The disciples shared in the hatred - Luke 9:51-56
A History of Animosity – 1011 BC to Jesus time
The Samaritans thought of themselves as Jews, and still part of God’s covenant with Abraham. But the Jews viewed Samaritans as rejected by God, even as traitors, half-breeds - THEY ARE BOTH RIGHT, AND THEY ARE BOTH WRONG
The Samaritan Woman at the Well
As you hear the details of this familiar story, keep in mind the 1000 years of bad blood between Jews and Samaritans.
What stands out to you about how this woman responds to Jesus?
What stand out to you about how Jesus treats this woman?
Who are the enemies in your life?
How can you apply the pattern of this conversation toward your enemies?
Can you look past the “big” issues and find the heart of the “other”?
Are you willing to worship God with that person, in the Spirit and in truth?
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 31, 2021
Series Title: UNFIFY – Understand, (be) Non-Dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn
Today’s Title: Your Story of Grace
Today’s Text: Galatians 1:11-2:21
The strife and division within the body of Christ today is not rooted in political, moral, or theological differences. If we are willing to humbly dig beneath those surface issues, we may discover that our troubles began when grace was set aside.
What is “grace”?
Our God-given opportunity and responsibility to forgive as much as we have been forgiven and to love as deeply as we have been loved.
PAUL’S STORY OF GRACE
- Open with Grace – Galatians 1:3
- To live w/o grace is to w/o Christ - Galatians 1:6
- Embraced by Grace – Galatians 1:15
- Grace is Our Base – Galatians 2:9
- Always Keep Space for Grace – Galatians 2:21
- Misplaced Grace – Galatians 5:4
- Close with Grace – Galatians 6:18
When did you first encounter the grace of Christ?
How deeply has that grace touched you, so far?
Who have you extended grace to?
Monday Jan 25, 2021
Monday Jan 25, 2021
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 24, 2021
Series Title: UNIFY: Understand, (be) Non-dual, Include, Forgive, Yearn
Today’s Title: “Understand How Your Own Family Influences Unity & Division”
Today’s Opening Text: Genesis 25:19-34
“…when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
- Titus 3:4
As you hear the familiar stories of Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob & Rachel, Joseph, and the many other people in these stories…
What do you admire about them?
What surprises you?
What did you learn for the first time?
What were you reminded of that you had forgotten?
As you consider you own upbringing….
What are you most thankful for?
What was hardest for you?
What good patterns are you passing on to your children? (or hope to pass on if/when you become a parent)
What aspects of your upbringing do you want to avoid passing on to the next generation?
God is with us in our struggles, including the ones of our own making. What difficult experiences have you lived through where can look back now and see that God was with you?
In what way has God been merciful to you?