Life-relevant Bible-based teachings from Rev. Paul Miller, Pastor of Bushkill Community Church and St. John’s E.C. Church.
Episodes
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Monday Mar 20, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – March 19, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, The Truth, & The Life”
Today’s Title: “The Life that Follows the Right Leader”
Today’s Text: John 10:1-18
Jacob, Moses, David, shepherds, and sheep…
- Psalm 23 – The image of the good shepherd
- Matthew 9:35-36 – The compassion of Christ for shepherd-less
A man blind from birth receives sight & is then thrown out of the synagogue – John 9
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
- Knows us and calls us by name (v3)
- Leads safely to pasture (v9)
- Jesus calls out the Pharisees for being bad shepherds, thieves (v10)
o Ezekiel 34:1-16
- Will lay down his own life for the sheep (prophecy of what was to come) (v11,15,17)
- The Pharisees were selfish cowards (v12-13)
- Good shepherd = good relationship (v14-15)
- “Other sheep” – the Gentiles (v16)
o They also listen to His voice (v16)
o All of His sheep are “one” (v16)
- Colossians 3:11
- Gives up His life, only to take it up again – the coming resurrection (v17-18)
ARE YOU FOLLOWING HIS VOICE? – Hebrews 3:7-8, 15, 4:7
HOW ARE YOU LIVING? – John 10:10
HOW ARE YOU LEADING? – 1 Peter 5:1-4
Monday Mar 13, 2017
Monday Mar 13, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – March 12, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, The Truth, & The Life”
Today’s Title: “The Life that’s Discovered through Loss”
Today’s Text: John 12:20-33
“we want to see Jesus” – (v20)
TO SEE HIS GLORY, SEE HIS DEATH (v23-24)
- 1 Peter 1:21
SEE HIM IN LOSS & LOSE YOURSELF (v25-26)
- Galatians 2:20
- Romans 6:5-11
SEE HIM EMBRACE HIS DESTINY (v27-29)
- Philippians 2:5-11
SEE HOW HE DEFEATED THE WORLD (v30-31)
- John 16:7-11
SEE HIM LIFTED UP (32-33)
- John 3:14-15
Tuesday Mar 07, 2017
Tuesday Mar 07, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – March 5, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”
Today’s Title: “The Life that Overcomes Death”
Today’s Text: John 11:17-27
Key Verse: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (26)
attitudes about & responses to
DEATH – RESURRECTION - LIFE
- FATALSITIC FAITH - THOMAS (v16)
– Jesus, I will die with you
- FEEBLE FAITH – MARTHA (v20-27, 38-40)
– Jesus, I believe, help me with my unbelief
- FEELINGS & FAITH - MARY (v32-36, 38)
– Jesus, I am hurting, feel my pain
- FOLLOW-UP FAITH - THE CROWD (v45)
– Jesus, now that we see, we believe
- FEAR OVER FAITH - RELIGIOUS LEADERS (v47-48)
- Jesus, we fear Rome more than we fear you
- FORETELLING w/o FAITH – CAIAPHAS (v49-53)
– Jesus must die so we can survive
- FUTURE OF FAITH – JESUS (v47-53, 57)
– I will die so they can live
Monday Feb 27, 2017
Monday Feb 27, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – February 26, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, The Truth, and The Life”
Today’s Title: “Truth & Freedom”
Today’s Text: John 8:31-38
ARE YOU IMPRISONED?
“know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
STEPPING INTO FREEDOM IN CHRIST
- HOLD THE TRUTH (v31)
- KNOW THE TRUTH (v32)
- LET THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE (v32)
- ADMIT THE TRUTH (v33-34)
- MAKE ROOM FOR THE TRUTH (v37)
- LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF TRUTH (v38)
Being “set free” means being honest with yourself about what you are depending on for “life”.
You can’t see the truth until you open your eyes to your own falseness. That’s what sin is, replacing truth with a lie. Come to the truth and start building a new and better story of “you”!
Monday Feb 20, 2017
Monday Feb 20, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – February 19, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, the Truth, the Life”
Today’s Title: “Truth & Worship”
Today’s Text: John 4:19-26
Key Verse: John 4:24
TRUE WORSHIP DOES NOT DEPNED UPON LOCATION (v19-21)
The Samaritan’s Place of Worship
- Mt. Gerizim (Deut. 27:12)
- Temple there destroyed by the Jews in 128 BC
Temples in Jerusalem
- Solomon’s Temple - 967 BC - 1 Kings 6
- The glory of God comes in 960 BC - 1 Kings 8:10-11
- The glory of God left in 592 BC - Ezekiel 10:18
- Destroyed in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar - 2 Kings 25:8-17
- Zerubbabel’s Temple built in 515-520 BC (Ezra 3)
- God’s glory returns to the temple - Haggai 2:1-9
- Herod’s Temple – 19-4 BC, (a renovation)
- Temple curtain torn open the moment Jesus died
Matthew27:50-51, Mark 15:37-38, Luke 23:44-46
- Destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD
(as predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24:1-2)
- The Temple of the Holy Spirit
– Forgiveness & Spirit of God open up to all! - Hebrews 10:19-22
- God no longer dwells in a Temple built by hands, He dwells in us!
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
TRUE WORSHIP DOES NOT DEPEND UPON KNOWLEDGE (v22-23)
- “…a is coming, and has now come….”
- You don’t need to know the rules, the codes, the rituals
Colossians 2:16-23 & Hebrews 9
TRUE WORHIP DOES DEPEND UPON THE SPIRIT (v23-24)
- The Spirit in us units us to others
Philippians 2:1-4
- The greatest & truest act of worship is to be transformed by Christ! Romans 12:1-2
Monday Feb 06, 2017
Monday Feb 06, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – February 5, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, The Truth, and The Life!”
Today’s Title: “Truth & Grace”
Today’s Text: John 1:9-18
Christ LEADS with GRACE!
Full of Grace! (John 1:14 & 16)
NOT full of (leading with)…..
- DOMINION (oppression, servitude, control)
- CONDEMNATION (guilt, fear, despair)
- LAW (rules, codes, obedience)
Full of Grace!
- Paul’s Letters…
- Begin: “grace and peace be with you”
- End: “The grace of our Lord Jesus…”
- Romans 6:14
- Galatians 2:21
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
- Titus 2:11
- Hebrews 4:16
- Ephesians 2:4-9
Full of Truth!
You can only accept Christ’s grace from a place of truth.
- The truth about sin - (Romans 3:22-24)
- The truth about death – (Romans 5:12)
- The truth about faith – (Romans 5:1-2)
LEAD life with GRACE!
Wednesday Feb 01, 2017
Wednesday Feb 01, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 29, 2017
Series Title: “The Way the Truth, and the Life”
Today’s Title: “Truth & Spirit”
Today’s Text: John 14:15-27 & 15:26-16:15
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH…
(The Advocate, The Counselor, The Holy Spirit)
1) …COMES TO THOSE WHO OBEY THE COMMAND TO LOVE (14:15) - John 15:12, 15:17, & 1 John 3:23
2)….HELPS YOU & WILL BE WITH YOU FOREVER (14:16)
3) …TEACHES YOU, REMINDS YOU, & GIVES YOU PEACE (15:26-27)
4)…WILL PROVE THE WORLD TO BE WRONG (16:7-11)
a. WRONG ABOUT SIN – the greatest sin is unbelief (John 3:18)
b. WRONG ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS – the standard is no longer Law, but love, as expressed in the life of Jesus
c. WRONG ABOUT JUDGMENT – the accuser has been rendered powerless by the Spirit of Truth DON’T BELEIVE THE LIE!
5)…WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH (16:13)
You can know the truth and still grow in truth
6)…IS THE EVIDENT IN THE FRUIT OF YOUR LIFE (Gal. 5:22-23)
Tuesday Jan 24, 2017
Tuesday Jan 24, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller - Sermon Outline – January 22, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, The Truth, and The Life”
Today’s Title:
Today’s Text: John 14:1-14
Twelve working class guys gathered with Jesus to celebrate the Passover…….
- A CELEBRATION TURNS QUIET - John 13:33-38
- I AM GOING, YOU KNOW THE WAY - John 14:1-4
- THOMAS: WHERE? WHAT WAY? - John 14:5-7
- PHILIP: SHOW US GOD - John 14:8-14
THE WAY OF GOD OF IS SHOWN BY LOVING OBEDIENCE
-JOHN 14:15-21 (The command of love: John 13:34, 15:9-13, 15:17, 1 John 2:3-11, 3:11, 3:23, 4:7-21)
- JUDAS: WHY NOT SHOW THE WORLD? - JOHN 14:22-31
3 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WAY TO GOD & WAY THAT GOD WORKS
1) The Thomas Question: GOD, WHERE IS THIS HEADED?
- Jesus’ response: if you know me, you already know – follow His pattern of death and resurrection
2) The Philip Question: GOD, WHY DON’T YOU JUST SHOW UP? (show them, show yourself, show me, make it obvious)
- Jesus’ response: Don’t you know me? Don’t you believe me?
- You have already seen the Father because you have seen me.
- Keep my commands: (13:34) - Love as I have loved you.
3) The Judas Question: GOD, WHY DON’T YOU JUST SHOW “THEM”?
- Jesus’ response: You show them the Father by obeying the my command to love them.
Tuesday Jan 17, 2017
Tuesday Jan 17, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 15, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, The Truth, And The Life”
Today’s Title: “The Way is His Work and His Body”
Today’s Text: John 6
Key Verses: John 6:28-29
John 6 begins with Jesus and a crowd of more than 5000 people and ends with only Jesus and the 12. Why?
CONTEXT:
- Near the Sea of Galilee, just before Passover (v1-4)
- 5000+ people are fed (v5-13)
THE WAY IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS (v14-15)
- Jesus walks on water and rescues the 12 from a storm (v16-23)
THE WAY IS NOT ABOUT PHYSICAL PROVISION (v24-27)
THE WAY IS NOT ABOUT ACHIEVING, BUT BELIEVING (v28-29)
THE WAY IS NOT ABOUT SIGNS AND MIRACLES (v30-34)
- true bread from heaven (v35-40)
- the crowd for Jesus begins to doubt (v41-42)
- Jesus speaks about the Father (v43-46)
THE WAY IS TO BELIEVE IN THE BREAD OF LIFE (v47)
- Jesus speaks of living bread and doubt in the crowd deepens (v48-52)
- an impossible to accept (v53-60)
- doubt among “disciples” (but not “the 12”) (v61-65)
- The crowd is gone (v66)
- Are “the 12” going to leave too? (v67)
THE WAY IS TO BELIEVE IN THE HOLY ONE OF GOD (v68-69)
What was the difference between “the crowd”, “the disciples”, and “the twelve”? – THE STORM
When did the twelve understand this “hard teaching”? - THE NEXT PASSOVER
Monday Jan 09, 2017
Monday Jan 09, 2017
Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – January 8, 2017
Series Title: “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”
Today’s Title: “The Way is from the Word”
Today’s Text: John 5
Key Verse: John 5:24
Healing at the pool of Bethsaida
– The Way of the Word is that people matter more than rules.
The Way of the Word
- God’s Word and Work Never Stop (5:17)
- The Word Sets us Free from Judgment (5:22-24)
- The Word Dwells Within (5:36-38)
- The Word Brings Love into the Heart (5:45-47)