Sermons on Greg Smith:

A Hiding Place With Noble Plans

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 20, 2009

We all need a place of quiet in which to hide and reflect; it will be the community of faith. Here we know one another as we really are, but love one another anyway. That is transformative.

Just a little less than a month ago, as many of you know, my wife’s father passed away very suddenly. Of course, we all hurried to get together, and then, as families do in times like that, we began to tell stories. We remembered how he used to say this or how he once did that. And one story we ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 32:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Paternal Pleas To Posterity

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 21, 2009

Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, DC: We will never achieve maturity until we come to terms with our paternity and accept our posterity. Understand that those who shaped us were also maturing; the transforming power of Christ will open wide our hearts.

All of us aspire to maturity. All of us hope to become mature and complete, grown up in every way, accomplished, respected, and honored. It’s a worthy goal. It’s a proper ambition. But we will never achieve maturity until we come to terms with both our paternity and our posterity. Our ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Guiltless Grief

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 22, 2009

We can deal with grief if we allow ourselves to recognize its complexity, if we accept the love of caring friends, and if we permit God to use the grief to change us.

They stood at the gravesite, looking at the flower-covered casket of their father. The committal service had been over for ten or fifteen minutes. Everyone else had gone back to the cars. But the two sisters stood there, lingering long, staring into space. Their faces were masks: no emotions, no ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Handling God's Success When We Wanted It For Ourselves Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2009

Ministry looks impossible, and we want to run the other way. But when we do finally tackle it, and God redeems, then we want the credit. In His grace He assures us that we are not forgotten even though we are inappropriate.

All during this month we’ve worked together on the theme of compassion. Because we are a church which urgently needs to do ministry in this community; because we are a people with much to give and much to share, and with a place to share it, by the time this week is over we will have invested four ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

How Jesus Will Build His Church

Contributed by Jerry Smith on Aug 31, 2011

Expansion of the phrase Jesus said "I will build My church".

Our son Jeremy loves building things with Legos. Now he is a project manager for a commercial construction company. When he started college his major was as an architect. During the Christmas break we were talking and he came to the conclusion that he wanted to build things and not draw them. Where ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Denomination: Baptist

Desire To Grow

Contributed by Jerry Smith on Aug 31, 2011

Using the idea of desire or crave milk to grow in Christ, then illustrating the idea with Demas and John Mark as one who did not grow and one who did grow in Christ and the results of that

The Apostle Peter talked about milk and its value to us in our spiritual growth. Please turn with me to I Peter 2:1, 2 READ. I am so excited for Mitch, Taylor and Tyler this morning. You have the opportunity to begin your commitment to Christ today. You have your whole life ahead of you and the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

Sin In The Present Tense Series

Contributed by Phillip Smith on Oct 6, 2011

Are things we do everyday pleasing God?

The three chief causes of death in the United States are, in statistical order, diseases of the heart cancer and disorders of the nervous system. Two of the three are obviously diseases brought on by the strains imposed on the human body by worry, anxiety nervousness and the tensions of life ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:11-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Gluttony Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

There are two variations of gluttony: there is the ordinary sin of gluttony which the Catholics call a venial sin meaning it’s forgivable and not going to derail our walk with God. Yet we still need to confess, repent and then move in the opposite directi

Gluttony Luke 12:22-24, John 6:35 Chef Chris Cosentino, Food Network star and executive chef at Incanto restaurant in San Francisco, has created the Gluttony Pants for those of us who occasionally indulge and engorge without the post-meal awkwardness. The pants have three buttons, allowing you to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:22-24

Denomination: Methodist

Lust Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

Lust was considered to be the least deadly of sins though when you look at the church’s discussion of sexuality, you would think that it would be much higher. But it wasn’t. Our sexual desire is a gift from God. The problem is that when we change sexual i

Lust 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 Three ministers and their wives went out to dinner and were in a terrible accident, and all six were killed. They came to the Pearly Gates of Heaven and were greeted by St. Peter. "I know you are all men of the cloth," said St. Peter, "but as a matter of protocol I need ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

Denomination: Methodist

Sloth Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

This sermon looks at the Deadly Sin of Sloth. Often when we think of sloth, we think of people who are lazy and aren’t doing anything with their lives. In a word, they’re lazy. When most of us picture the idea of sloth we picture someone like Frank. So wh

Sloth Matthew 25:24-25, 44-45 Frank is 32 years old, lives in his parent’s home and works part time at a restaurant. His parents pay all of his bills and provide all of his meals. Frank doesn’t have lots of friends and he doesn’t go out very much. He spends the majority of his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:24-25

Denomination: Methodist

Greed Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

Americans do not go to church any more: they have switched religions; they now attend the Temple of Greed!” We didn’t invent greed. Greed has been around as long as there have been people, and stuff to lust after. In every era of human history, there have

Greed Proverbs 28:25, Luke 12:15, Philippians 4:12, 2 Corinthians 9:6 Several men were in the locker room of a health club after exercising. Suddenly a cell phone on one of the benches rings. A man picks it up and the following conversation ensues: 
Hello?" "Honey, It's me." "Hi!" "Are you ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:15

Denomination: Methodist

Wrath Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

Anger or wrath is very much a part of our life and our world. We see it every day. You can’t turn on the news without seeing a story about some guy who got angry at his kid’s baseball game and nearly killed the referee or a violent crime of some kind in t

Wrath Romans 12:17-21 A trucker was driving down the road when a motorcycle gang surrounded the truck and almost caused him to lose control. The trucker started to yell at the bikers and honk his horn, his face getting redder and redder. He even threw in a few obscene gestures. A couple of hours ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:17-21

Denomination: Methodist

Pride Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

There is a good kind of pride but the problem is when this is not balanced by humility. Pride must be balanced with humility. You can be proud of your child and have a bumper sticker which reads, “My child is on the honor roll at...” Now if that is so you

Pride II Chronicles 26:3-5, 15b-16 A politician attended a picnic with his constituents in his home district. He made the rounds visiting with people and then it was time to fill up his plate with lunch. He got his salad and side dishes and then went to the woman serving fried chicken. He asked, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 26:3-5

Denomination: Methodist

Envy Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

Envy is considered to be the second most deadly sin but it’s known to be the nastiest, ugliest and the meanest of all sins. It is also the most secretive of the 7 Deadly Sins. Many people will admit in public to the sin of sloth or gluttony but envy? Yet

Envy Galatians 5:13-23 When I served on staff at Rayne Memorial UMC on St. Charles Avenue, a young man named Arthur began attending. Arthur was a nice guy but was different, both in appearance and in personality. Arthur got involved in the young adult ministry I had started at the church and was ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-23

Denomination: Methodist

Breathe Into You Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

What does it really means to follow Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts begins with the Day of Pentecost, which occurred 50 days after Easter, when God gave the Holy Spirit to the church. From that point on, the church is those wh

Breathe Into You Acts 1:1-8; Romans 8:9 Pastor George Dillahunty tells the story of Norena who lived in southern Florida when Hurricane Andrew severely damaged her home. Norena received an insurance settlement, and the repair work began. However, when the money ran out, so did the contractor, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-8

Denomination: Methodist