Life-relevant Bible-based teachings from Rev. Paul Miller, Pastor of Bushkill Community Church and St. John’s E.C. Church.
Episodes
Monday Oct 15, 2018
Monday Oct 15, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – October 14, 2018
Series Title: “This is What God Does”
Today’s Title: “God Blesses”
Today’s Text: Genesis 32:22-32
Jacob’s Story…
- God sent Jacob back “home” (Genesis 31:3)
- Jacob had reason to fear meeting Esau (Genesis 32:6-7)
- Jacob’s prayer (Genesis 32:9-12)
- Jacob wrestles with God (Genesis 32:22-32)
- Jacob meets Esau (Genesis 33:1-10)
This story produces more questions than answers…
How is your life blessed?
What do you have to lose?
Have you ever wrestled with God?
Who are you?
Can you accept struggle a necessary part of knowing God?
Are you trying to name God?
Who is the face of God to you?
Thursday Oct 11, 2018
Thursday Oct 11, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – October 7, 2018
Series Title: “This is What God Does”
Today’s Title: “God Blesses”
Today’s Text: Genesis 28:10-17
Jacob’s family was filled with jealousy, rivalry, deception, violence, disappointment, and pain.
But there was also love and blessing from God.
Jacob’s Story – Part 1 (Genesis 25:19-34 & Genesis 27-30)
- Rivalry at birth and beyond (25:19-34)
- Deceptively takes his father’s blessing (27:1-40)
- Esau threatened his life, so he fled to Laban (27:41-28:9)
- Jacob’s vision of security & blessing form God (28:10-22)
- Jacob falls in love with Rachel (29:1-21)
- Jacob is deceived into marrying Leah before Rachel (29:22-30)
- Jacob is blessed with many children (29:31-30:43)
Jacob’s Sons
NAME & TEXT MOTHER MEANING MOTHER’S WORDS
Reuben 29:32 Leah my misery “the Lord has seen my misery”
Simeon 29:33 Leah one who hears “the Lord heard that I am not loved”
Levi 29:34 Leah attached “my husband will become attached to me”
Judah 29:35 Leah praise “this time I will praise the Lord”
Dan 30:6 Bilhah he has vindicated me “God has vindicated me”
Naphtali 30:8 Bilhah my struggle “I have had a great struggle with my sister”
Gad 30:11 Zilpah good fortune “What good fortune”
Asher 30:13 Zilpah happy “How happy I am”
Issachar 30:18 Leah reward “God has rewarded me”
Zebulun 30:20 Leah honor “This time my husband will treat me with honor”
Joseph 30:24 Rachel may He add “God has taken away my disgrace”
Benjamin 35:18 Rachel son of my right hand (Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin)
Thursday Oct 04, 2018
Thursday Oct 04, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – September 30, 2018
Series Title: “This is What God Does”
Today’s Title: “God Provides”
Today’s Text: Genesis 22:1-12
Provision in Birth (Genesis 21:1-5)
Provision in Death (Genesis 22)
- Isaac’s first recorded words (22:6-8)
- The place of sacrifice named “The Lord Will Provide” (22:12-14)
Provision for Marriage - Isaac’s wife, Rebekah (Genesis 24)
- Abraham’s servant sent to find a wife for Isaac (24:1-9)
- The servant prays, & Rebekah shows up (24:12-16)
- Rebekah willingly leaves her home (24:57-58)
- Isaac is in prayer when he meets Rebekah (24:62-65)
Provision for Parenthood (Genesis 25:19-34)
- Isaac prayed for children, “on behalf of his wife” (25:21-26)
Provision for Water (Genesis 26)
- God appears to and assures Isaac during a famine (26:1-6)
- Isaac succumbs to fear & repeats his father’s mistake (26:7-16)
- God appears & assures Isaac after a well dispute (26:19-25)
Provision to Deal with Children’s Poor Choices
- Esau had bad marriages (Genesis 26:34-35)
- Jacob was a deceiver from birth (Genesis 27:5-29)
- Deep strife between siblings (Genesis 27:41)
- They came together to bury their father (Genesis 35:27-29)
Conclusion:
- Isaac was a very prayerful man. When God answered those prayers, he was careful with what God provided for him.
Are you in prayer about what you need?
Do you trust God to provide?
When God does provide, are you careful with His provision?
Monday Sep 24, 2018
Monday Sep 24, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – September 23, 2018
Series Title: “This is What God Does”
Today’s Title: “God Calls”
Today’s Text: Genesis 12:1-8
ABRAHAM’S CALLING
- Finishing what his father started (11:31-32 & Joshua 24:2-3)
- God said to Abram …” (12:1)
- first person since Noah that God spoke to (9:17)
- Go – Leaving behind…
- Country – culture, gods, security
- People – friends, connections, community life
- Father’s household – family, parents, support system
- Abram is letting go of his identity
- He has no son, but Lot is like a son
- God promises Greatness to Abraham
- A Great Nation
- A Great Name
- A Great Blessing
ABRAHAM’S ACTIONS
- In Egypt during a famine (12:10-20)
- In conflict with Lot (13:1-18)
- In war to rescue Lot (14:1-24)
- In faith that God would give him a son (15)
- Impatience with God and fathering Ishmael (16)
- In covenant with God through circumcision (17)
- In hosting God at his home (18)
- In seeing God’s patience come to an end (18-19)
- the sin of Sodom & Gomorrah? Ezekiel 16:49-50
- In battling lingering weakness (20)
- In seeing the fulfillment of what God promised (21)
- In offering up to God the very thing he waited to possess (22)
WHAT DO WE SEE IN ABRAHAM’S CALLING AND LIFE?
- FAITH, FAILURE, FULFILLMENT, FATHER, FUTURE
Monday Sep 17, 2018
Monday Sep 17, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – September 16, 2018
Series Title: “This is What God Does” (Exploring the Themes of Genesis)
Today’s Title: “God Saves”
Today’s Text: Genesis 7:1-12
WWW - Symbols of Salvation
- Water (life-giving, destructive, shaping, cleansing, refreshing)
- The Spirit hovering over the waters before light came to the earth – Genesis 1:2
- River in the Garden of Eden – Genesis 2:10-14
- The flood – Genesis 6-9
- Crossing the Red Sea – Exodus 14:21-31
- Naaman’s healing in the Jordan – 2 Kings 5
- Jesus baptized in the Jordan – Matthew 3:13-17
- Jesus walks on water – John 6:16-24
- Baptism in the Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20
- Baptism as a sign of salvation – 1 Peter 3:18-22
- River in Heaven – Revelation 22:1-2
- Wood (fruitful, cursed, energy-filled, carried & carries)
- The Tree of Life in the Garden – Genesis 2:9 & Revelation 22:1-2
- The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil – Genesis 2:9
- The Ark – Genesis 6-9
- Isaac carries the wood – Genesis 22:6-8
- The Cross of Christ – John 19:16-18
- The Tree of Life in Heaven – Revelation 22:1-2
- Will – (Jesus was willingly baptized and crucified for us)
- He Saved Us - Titus 3:3-7
Thursday Sep 06, 2018
Thursday Sep 06, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – September 2, 2018
Series Title: “This is What God Does”
Today’s Title: “God Creates”
Today’s Text: Colossians 1:15-23
God’s Creation is…
- Good
- Genesis 1
- Ecclesiastes 7:29
- 1 Timothy 4:3-4
- All Inclusive
- Isaiah 45:7-8
- Isaiah 54:16
- Colossians 1:16
- Romans 8:38-39
- Waiting for Salvation
- Mark 16:15
- Romans 8:19-22
God’s Creation Provides You With…
- Being
- Psalm 139:13
- Revelation 4:11
- Possibility
- A New You – 2 Corinthians 5:17
- A Pure Heart – Psalm 51:10
- Good Works – Ephesians 2:10
- God-likeness – Ephesians 4:24
Tuesday Aug 28, 2018
Tuesday Aug 28, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – August 26, 2018
Series Title: “What in your world is God doing?
Today’s Title: “Are you ready for battle?”
Today’s Text: Ephesians 6:10-17
Battle Plans
- Be Strong (v10)
- Joshua 1:9
- Put on (v11 & 13)
- Romans 13:12
- Our Struggle (v12)
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- Stand (3x – v13-14)
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15
Defensive Weapons
- Truth – Belt (v14)
- John 1:14
- Righteousness – Breastplate (v14)
- Titus 3:4-5
- Romans 3:22-24
- Gospel of Peace – Boots (v15)
- John 4:27
- Faith – Shield (v16)
- 1 Peter 1:3-5
- “shield” in the Bible
- appears 93x in OT
- 2x in NT, both in the context of “faith”
- Salvation – Helmet (v17)
- Luke 1:76-79
Offensive Weapon
- The Word of God – Sword (v17)
- Hebrews 4:12
Thursday Aug 23, 2018
Thursday Aug 23, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – August 19, 2018
Series Title: “What in Your World is God Doing?”
Today’s Title: “Does your home life match your church life?”
Today’s Text: Ephesians 5
Paul’s familiar teaching about the roles of husband and wife…..
- SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER (v21 & 4:21-33)
- Wives, in as much as your husband submits to Christ, submit to him
- Husbands, love means to give yourself away
So, in marriage, and in all family relationships,…
- WALK IN THE WAY OF LOVE v2 & 4:29-5:2
- The way of Forgiveness
- The way of Unity
- Is this the path of your home?
- LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU v6 & 5:3-7
- Guard your heart (sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity)
- Guard your words (foolish talk, coarse joking)
- Are you guarding your home against such things?
- LIVE AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT v8 & 5:8-14
- Light produces good fruit
- Light exposes what is fruitless
- Is your home filled with light and the fruit of that light?
- BE VERY CAREFUL, THEN, HOW YOU LIVE v15 & 5:15-20
- making the most of every opportunity
- understand what the Lord’s will is
- be filled with the Spirit
- always giving thanks to God
- Are you being very careful about your home life?
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Thursday Aug 09, 2018
Ephesians 4:
UNITY IS A CHOICE (v1-3)
UNITY CONNECTS WITH REALITY (v4-6)
UNITY IS DIVERSE (v7-13)
UNITY PRODUCES MATURITY (v14-16)
UNITY REQUIRES CHANGE (v17-24)
UNITY IS HONEST (v25-28)
UNITY SPEAKS WELL (v29-32)
Thursday Aug 02, 2018
Thursday Aug 02, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – July 29, 2018
Series Title: “What in Your World is God Doing?”
Today’s Title: "God's Mystery, Intent, & Power"
Today’s Text: Ephesians 3
THE MYSTERY OF GOD
MADE KNOWN BY REVELATION (v2-5)
A GOSPEL AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE (v6-9)
THE INTENT OF GOD
THAT THE CHURCH REVEAL GOD’S WISDOM TO THE HEAVENS
(v10-11)
THAT WE CAN APPRAOCH GOD WITH FREEDOM &
CONFIDENCE (v12-13)
THE POWER OF GOD
STRENGTH FROM HIS SPIRIT FOR CHRIST TO DWELL IN YOUR
HEART (v14-17a)
ROOTED IN LOVE, TOGETHER (v17b-21)
WE GROW IN LOVE, TOGETHER
WE LEARN HOW BIG LOVE IS, TOGETHER
WE SEE LOVE SURPASS KNOWLEDGE, TOGETHER
WE EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF GOD, TOGETHER
WE RECEIVE MORE FROM GOD THAN WHAT WE ASK
OR IMAGINE, TOGETHER