Sermons on Greg Smith:

A House Is Not A Home

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

Christ comes to dwell in our messy, imperfect homes, just as they are, to build love, not a museum-like perfection.

A house is not a home. A house is not a home. A house is a house, and it may be lovely to look at and fine to visit, but a house, by itself, is not a home. What is the difference? Let me tell you a tale of two houses. These are the best of houses, these are the worst of houses. See if you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-17, John 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

A King In The Gate

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

David’s emergence from grief over Absalom was marked by his "sitting in the gate" -- a sign of healthy recovery in that he had begun to care for others more than for his own wounds, he had returned to the work of justice, he faced vulnerability, he resumed leadership, he could face his own grief.

I This day the noise of battle, the next the victory’s won. Or so the king hoped. Much was at stake. His own future was uncertain; the nation’s stability was shaky; the confidence of those around him was low; and, most of all, his relationship with his son was in jeopardy. There had been a ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Denomination: Baptist

Ambassadors With Contradictions

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

We live with contradictory feelings about many things, including our church. We do not get the gift of reconciliation fully until there is conflict, but God wants to give the gift of reconciliation now, if we will accept it.

Church, some say, should be a place of peace. Church should be a place where we can come after a week of dealing with conflicts, fears, and doubts, and find peace. I was told we don’t want conflict at church. And I do understand. I do understand why, when we come to the hour of worship, we want ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, 2 Corinthians 6:2-10

Denomination: Baptist

Ambassadors With Wide Open Hearts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

The cross teaches us to allow ourselves to be misused in the name of giving so that others might find salvation; the alternative is to hoard and thus to lose.

The woman answered a knock on her door, and found there a homeless man who said that he was looking for odd jobs to do so that he could earn a little money. “Well,” she said, “around the back of my house I do have a porch that needs painting. Can you handle a paint brush?” He said that he could, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Presenting Eyes And Ears: Vantage Point From The Hiding Place Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 7, 2001

When we are overwhelmed, in our panic we do not see what is before us, nor can we hear any word of counsel; someone -- innocent, devoted to us -- needs to create a stable point, a hiding place for us. Ultimately that is what Jesus Christ in His cross does.

We have abilities that we barely even use. Our senses are capable of doing much more than we allow them to do. I want to try a short experiment with you. I want to test your eyes and your ears. First, I am going to give you thirty seconds to look around this room and take it all in. Many of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 32:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 9, 2001

This sermon was done while peeling off T-shirts, one by one. The focus is that the presence of the Lord in our lives, as an active participant, drives out cynicism and preserves our joy.

I wish I had bought stock in the T-shirt industry. Of the making of souvenir T-shirts there is no end. People are using T-shirts to send all sorts of messages. Some T-shirts advertise products. Some T-shirts identify the work places. Some focus on the club memberships. And then some T-shirts ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Callousing Of The North American Church

Contributed by David Smith on Jul 11, 2001

Addressing the whys of hard hearts in the pews - and out

The Callousing of the North American Church Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. (KJV) Illustration - John’s first day at work ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:14, Hosea 10:12

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Benefits Of Keeping The Commandments

Contributed by Eddie Smith on Oct 18, 2000

A)JOHN 14:21 B)JOHN 14:23 BENIFITS OF KEEPIN

A)JOHN 14:21 B)JOHN 14:23 BENIFITS OF KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS 1)HE ABIDES 1 JOHN 3:24 2) THE POWER OF PRAYER 1 JOHN 3:22 JOHN 14:13-14 MARK 11:22-23 MATTHEW 21:22 ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15

Exercise Your Faith

Contributed by Robbey Smith on Oct 18, 2000

Let me ask you a question.

Let me ask you a question. If I were to walk in the room with all these patients and pray for healing will all be healed? People and some preachers will tell you that if you don't get what you pray for it's because you didn't have enough faith.  God gives everyman a measure of faith But how you use ...read more

Appearances Are Deceiving Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 24, 2000

A quest for truth often begins with disillusionment, but is easily diverted to something that appears good on the surface; but when you find God's truth, even if it is in a strange place, embrace it quickly and fully.

The LORD does not see as [men] see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. Ridgecrest is a large Baptist-run assembly ground, nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina. All summer long, every year, thousands of Christians come to Ridgecrest for training, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 6:10-18

Denomination: Baptist

Screen Doors For The Kursk Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 24, 2000

Doing battle always requires protection, but we often try to use something flimsy, not employing the help which God gives through others.

No one in his right mind goes out to do battle without protection. You won’t last long on to any battlefield, whether it be the beaches of Normandy or the sands of Kuwait, if you don’t have some kind of armor. Tanks, flak jackets, bulletproof vests – you must have something to protect your heart, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18, Romans 1:13-17

Denomination: Baptist

Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 24, 2000

If I am going to do battle for peace and justice, I need appropriate equipping -- sometimes for hard work, sometimes for self-defense, and always for a teachable spirit.

There may be some things of which it can be said that one size fits all, but shoes are not among them. Shoes are very personal, and when they’re wrong, they’re wrong. If they hurt, they hurt. With some things, you can make do with the wrong size – a belt that’s too long, pants that are a bit ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12, Ephesians 6:10-18

Denomination: Baptist

A Lion In A Den Of Daniels Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 24, 2000

When you feel you are the only one who's wrong in the crowd of acceptable people, see how faith teaches us to find a shred of dignity in reaching out for help, and how complete faith gives us wholeness despite our past.

This message is dedicated to the memory of my deceased great-aunt, Adelia Miller. Aunt Dedie loved to tell how, when she was a little girl going to the Sunday School at the Cloverport Baptist Church in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, the pastor had all the children in Sunday School one day. He ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18, Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Baptist

Survivors And Castaways Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 24, 2000

The fundamental stance we have before God is critical to everything else in our lives, for personal idolatries, failed intimacies, and low self-esteem are all results of our not experiencing salvation.

When I was young, and riding a bicycle, we didn’t wear helmets. Nobody had thought of such a thing. And even if they had, no government was telling us we had to wear helmets. I haven’t even worn so much as a hat since I reached the age of 13, much less a helmet. So when we spilled, we spilled, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Denomination: Baptist

Who Got Revived?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 1, 2000

Pulpit drama, imaginatively reconstructing Elijah

Elijah: Zarephath! What a lovely town! It’s always good to come to Zarephath. A man wants to feel welcomed, and I find that here. Out there, in some of the towns and villages of Israel, I have to watch my back. King Ahab’s agents are everywhere, and who knows what they will do? In some places ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-24

Denomination: Baptist