Life-relevant Bible-based teachings from Rev. Paul Miller, Pastor of Bushkill Community Church and St. John’s E.C. Church.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 30, 2018
Tuesday Jan 30, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 28, 2018
Series Title: “This is What Change Looks Like”
Today’s Title: “Humble Gifts”
Today’s Text: Matthew 6:1-4
BE A HUMBLE GIVER
- PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR MOTIVATION (v1)
- “Be careful” – why do you give? really?
- “to be seen by them” – people pleasing
- “no reward from your Father” – God pleasing
- THE GIFT IS NOT ABOUT THE GIVER (v2)
- “when you give” – giving is assumed
- “to the needy” – same attitude should apply to all offerings
- Mark 12:41-44
- “trumpets” – a fast was sometimes announced by trumpets and set the stage for givers to draw attention to themselves
- GOD SEES, AND THAT IS ENOUGH (v3-4)
- “in secret” – discrete, simple, quiet, anonymous
- “your Father, who sees” – God knows what we give and why we give it
- “will reward you” – Nothing can buy the approval of God
Question to consider about humble giving:
- Am I overly concerned with what others think, or might think, about me?
- Do I expect people thank me, to notice what I give, or to be honored for it?
Is knowing that God sees my giving all the reward that I need?
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 21, 2018
Series Title: “This is How Change Begins”
Today’s Title: “Changing the Way You See the Enemy”
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:43-48
‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
- God is love, to live in opposition to God
- 1 John 2:9, 2:11, 3:13, 3:15, 4:20
love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
- What is an “enemy”? How do I “love my enemy”?
- PRAY
- Pray for their well being
- Pray for the ability to see him/her as God does
- Pray that you’d see why he/she is that way
- Pray for the strength to love them
- FORGIVE
- Matthew 6:12-15
- Colossians 3:13
- LISTEN - James 1:19-20
- REPEAT… & repeat, & repeat, & repeat, & repeat, & repeat..
- PRAY
that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
- A child of God loves the way God loves- 1 John 3:16-18
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, …
- Weather is no indication of blessing or curse from God
- Circumstances are not an indication of blessing or curse from God
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? …
- Don’t play the game the world plays; you will lose (no one really wins at that game)
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
- “therefore”, see law and life and people through God’s eyes of love.
1 John 4:18
Wednesday Jan 17, 2018
Wednesday Jan 17, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 14, 2018
Series Title: “This is How Change Begins”
Today’s Title: “Changing Your Talk & Your Walk”
Today’s Main Text: Matthew 5:33-42
Key Verses: Matthew 5:37
YOUR TALK - Matthew 5:33-37
If you mean what say, and say what you mean, you don’t need to take an oath to prove it.
What the Word teaches about your words…
- The content of your words reveal the content of your heart.
- Matthew 12:33-37
- A healthy church community speaks the truth in love.
- Ephesians 4:11-16
- Your words represent Jesus, so fill them with grace.
- Colossians 4:5-6
YOUR WALK - Matthew 5:38-42
Humility holds the power to defuse insults and shame oppressors.
Questions for pondering and praying…
What do your words reveal about your heart?
Does our church community speak truthfully to one another in a loving way?
Do the words that “outsiders” hear from your mouth filled with grace?
Do you have the strength to stand up to oppression without fighting back?
Tuesday Jan 09, 2018
Tuesday Jan 09, 2018
Series Title: “This is How Change Begins”
Today’s Title: “Change in Attitude about Marriage”
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:27-32
Questions to ask yourself about adultery, lust, and divorce.
Do you have lust under control or does lust control you?
- Men, do you treat women respectfully and appropriately?
- Are you careful what comes before your eyes? (magazines, television, video games, movies, wed sites, etc.)
- Have your eyes or your hands caused you to sin sexually?
- If you have failed in the above areas, what steps are you willing to take to better align your life with what truly honors the opposite sex, honors the marriage covenant, and thereby honors God?
How is your marriage?
- Do you find yourself daydreaming or fantasizing about being with someone else?
- Are you addressing any difficulties in your marriage relationship?
- Communication problems?
- Parenting disagreements?
- Extended family issues?
- Money management?
- Spending time together?
- Overcoming past failures?
Friday Jan 05, 2018
Friday Jan 05, 2018
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – December 31, 2017
Series Title: “This is How Change Begins”
Today’s Title: “Change in Relationships”
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:21-26
In this passage, Jesus is making a value statement and a relational statement. Anyone who truly values the love of God will also value people.
WHAT VALUE DO OTHER PEOPLE HOLD… - Matthew 5:22
- IN YOUR MIND?
- “angry with a brother”
- Romans 15:5-7
- IN YOUR HEART?
- “raca”
- Luke 6:43-45
- IN YOUR SOUL?
- “you fool”
- 1 John 2:9-11
HOW DOES THE WAY YOU VALUE PEOPLE EFFECT YOUR REALTIONSHIP TO GOD? – Matthew 5:23-24
- IN WORSHIP
- “offering your gift at the altar”
- Micah 6:6-8
- act justly
- love mercy
- walk humblywith your God
- IN CONVICTION
- “and there remember”
- Hebrews 4:12-13
- IN RECONCILIATION
- “first go and be reconciled”
- Romans 12:14-19
Tuesday Dec 19, 2017
Tuesday Dec 19, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – December 17, 2017
Series Title: “The Way of Change”
Today’s Title: “Change of the Rules”
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:17-20
THREE KEY WORDS - Matthew 5:17-20
FULFILL – Matthew 5:17-18
- Jesus “accomplishes” (v18) what God intended the law to do.
- John 19:30 – “It is finished.”
- Romans 3:19-24
THEREFORE – in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
- Matthew 5:19 – The Law still matters, but in a new way
- Matthew 5:48 – The standard for “your righteousness” (5:20) be as perfect as God.
- Matthew 6:25 & 34 – Don’t worry about living good enough or having enough to live on. God will provide.
- Matthew 7:24 – Build a good foundation by practicing these teachings of Jesus.
RIGHTEOUSNESS – in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
- Matthew 5:6 - “hunger and thirst for righteousness”
- Matthew 5:10 - “persecuted because of righteousness”
- Matthew 5:20 - “unless your righteousness surpasses”
- Matthew 6:1 - “practice your righteousness”
- Matthew 6:33 - “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”
Saturday Dec 16, 2017
Saturday Dec 16, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – December 10, 2017
Series Title: “This is How Change Begins”
Today’s Title: “Change in the Darkness”
Today’s Text: Matthew 5:11-16
THE CAUSE OF CHRIST NEEDS CHANGE AGENTS
CHANGE AGENTS WILL BE RESISTED, REJECTED, AND REVILED
-Matthew 5:11-12
- Persecution Behind Us
- Zechariah – 2 Chronicles 24:20-22
- Jeremiah – Jeremiah 20:1-2
- Elijah – 1 Kings 19:1-3
- Persecution Before Us
- James 1:2-3
- Hebrews 10-32-35
- Philippians 1:29
CHANGE AGENTS ARE USELESS IF THEY DON’T
BRING CHANGE TO THE EARTH – Matthew 5:13
- 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
CHANGE AGENTS LIGHT THE WAY FOR OTHERS – Matthew 5:14-16
- The Light of Truth: always needed, rarely welcomed
- John 3:19-21
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
The Beatitudes are the foundation from which the rest of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” is built. Without embracing this pattern, applying the rest of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5-7 will just turn into more failed attempts to become holy on your own.
Monday Nov 27, 2017
Monday Nov 27, 2017
SIX THINGS PAUL LEARNED THROUGH LIVING “IN THE IN-BETWEEN” - Acts 21-26
Monday Nov 20, 2017
Monday Nov 20, 2017
Philippians 2:1-10
See also: John 1:16-17
John 6:28-29
Matthew 22:36-39