Sermons on Greg Smith:

The Potter, The Clay, And The Church Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Nov 3, 2008

We know the role of the Potter and the role of the Clay, but what is the role of the Church? A revisit of the well known story as well as a study of the purpose of the church!

INTRODUCTION SERIES: “The Purpose of the Church” – Part 2 Part 1: Luke 14:25-35 “What Is the Cost of Discipleship” - All believers are called into Discipleship - There is a cost for discipleship - All called but b/c of cost, many are not willing or (prepared) to pay the price - Saw that One ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

A Call For God's Anointing Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Nov 3, 2008

A study of what to do when all else fails. Looking at the example of the disciples and the lesson of Jesus, this message calls on the church for a day of prayer and fasting.

Series: The Purpose of the Church 1. Luke 14 – “The Cost of Discipleship” 2. Jeremiah 18 – “The Potter, The Clay, and The Church” 3. Today – Matt. 17:1-21 “A Call for God’s Anointing” 4. 9th – Eph 4 – The Internal Role of the Church – How we fit together 5. 16th – Acts 2 – The Church and The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Hot Heads, Cold Hearts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 6, 2008

Anger drains us when it is either displaced or misplaced. But when we learn to replace it with a relationship to Christ, it becomes energizing.

One day when Margaret and I were college students, she said, “I think you ought to know that the deacons are going to ask for our pastor’s resignation.” We were members of the same church and had shared in appreciation for the thoughtful, exciting sermons our pastor brought us week by week. But ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

What Do I Still Lack? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 8, 2008

The young man raising this question with Jesus lacked historical memory, lacked self-awareness, and lacked a vision for one compelling pursuit. For Maundy Thursday

I: Remember The third of our ultimate questions sounds almost like a throwaway. Like a sarcastic castoff. “What do I still lack?” The young man had already asked the most sweeping question possible, “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” As you may remember if you were here two ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-22

Denomination: Baptist

Absence Of Pain Or Pain Of Absence? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 9, 2008

We either want to disengage from conflict situations and save ourselves the pain, or we have to absorb the guilt of being absent and causing others pain. Trust an abundant God, who is able to take our pain and express abundant love.

We serve a God of abundance and not a God of scarcity. Ours is not a dilettante deity with nothing in His hands. Ours is the God who possesses the cattle on a thousand hills, who flung the stars into space, and who has made all things – all things. All things are made by Him and all things are ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Detecting The Fingerprints Of God Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Nov 11, 2008

Learn to pick up the C.L.U.E.s of our invisible God.

I think it’s safe to assume that everyone here believes that God exists. (Why waste your time in a Sunday morning worship service if you don’t have faith that He is real?) What Christians aren’t always convinced of is the reality of God in their every day lives. For most of us God exists, but ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 24:1-67

Denomination: Baptist

Who Can Be Saved? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 11, 2008

Salvation seems elusive, whether it means personal peace, reconciliation, or productive life. Good Friday we see what God will do about that frustration.

I Everyone gets frustrated. In ways small or great, we feel the frustration of not being able to do what we want to do, not being able have what we want to have, not being able to achieve as we would want to achieve. Young people, by nature, dream great dreams. If you give them half a chance, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-26

Denomination: Baptist

A New Dimension Of Obedience

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 12, 2008

Dated 1985. Jesus saw that we live in a complicated age and are therefore called to love God with our minds as well as heart and soul and strength. Consider serious Biblical and theological study.

In order for you to understand fully what I am about to say, you would need to know my wife, and moreover, you would need to visit our backyard and find out that my wife is a wild flower nut. Now you will be very careful to get exactly what I said. I did not say, exactly, that my wife has lost her ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Disqualified! Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Nov 14, 2008

Don’t let a desire for instant gratification disqualify you from God’s best.

I think the five most nauseating words a person can hear are, “I’m sorry, you’ve been disqualified.” Disqualification means that no matter how hard you try or how well you’ve done, you will not reach your goal. There’s something that you can never have because you’ve been disqualified. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 25:19-34

Denomination: Baptist

A World-Class Child For A World Of Children

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 15, 2008

Story sermon: a child watches her father being taken away charged with being disorderly, feels guilty, but does not understand why all the others in her family "receive him not."

No Scripture is more loved and more often quoted than the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. If you want to put: the good news in miniature, there it is. One sentence encompassing the heart of the good news. So as we cane to the Advent season, during which we shall remember the Lord’s ...read more

Scripture: John 1:10-13

Denomination: Baptist

Payday Someday

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 15, 2008

Dated 1988. Being paid not only means money, it also means self-worth. So when they complained to Malachi that evil people got rewarded, he pointed out that being God’s possession was reward enough, and that God’s justice would ultimately be done.

My seminary classmates and I were approaching graduation, and went through a little process requested by the alumni office of the seminary. They asked us to fill out a form that would help them place us in churches or other ministry positions, now that we were finishing our training. And one of the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Let's Turn The World Over To Mothers

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 15, 2008

Dated 1988. Part dialogue, part conversation, between the preacher and his wife. Pain is caused by absenting ourselves from those against whom we have a grievance. Mothers understand compassion and challenge the rest of us to reconcile.

It is very appropriate that Margaret join me in bringing the message today… appropriate not only because she is a mother, but also because today’s message was inspired by both of our mothers … both hers and mine. Several years ago my mother was sitting in her living room reading the newspaper with ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 14:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

Leaky Disciples

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 17, 2008

Dated 1988; post-revival message. We do not retain the Spirit after a period of excitement because we have not counted the cost, we are victims of low self-esteem, or we are not our own persons.

Nothing is more annoying than to be trying to transport some liquid in a leaky vessel. You think you’ve got whatever it is all secure and ready for use, and then all of a sudden you find out it has leaked and drained allover the place ... and nothing is more disturbing and frustrating. When I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Denomination: Baptist

All You Need Is Love Series

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 18, 2008

"Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ’You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed

I’ve decided to speak this morning on one of the most unnerving and threatening pieces of Scripture I’ve ever come across - threatening and unnerving at least for professional clerics like myself (people who get paid to teach the Bible). The passage is from Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:8-10

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

To Err Is Human. To Forgive Is Crazy! Series

Contributed by David Smith on Nov 18, 2008

Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22)

Jesus said, “the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.” And he found a guy who owed him 50 billion dollars! Now that’s a round figure of course. I may be a few dollars out. The original text says the man owed him ten thousand talents, which is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican