Sermons on Greg Smith:

Available For Impossible Dreams Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 30, 2010

We become available to God when we fully worship and trust Him, when we go out of our comfort zones; there are many possibilities open to us in our church and community.

Montgomery Hills Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD July 9, 2006 If what you expect to receive and what someone wants to give you are not the same thing, you are doomed to disappointment. If you want a particular thing, but the person you are dealing with is determined that you shall have ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Standing On The Rubbishes

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 30, 2010

Revised from an earlier message for a small church trying to affirm a new direction: Focus on what you have accomplished, know the heart of Christ for His church, confirm loving relationships.

Bethesda First Baptist Church, Bethesda, MD October 3, 2004 Some things end, but are not completed. Other things are completed, but do not end. There is a world of difference between the two. Some things end, but are not completed. Some things stop, unfinished. All these recent accidents ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

In Touch With Earth

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 1, 2010

Revision of earlier message. God calls us to remember that we are both physical and spiritual, and are therefore to be stewards of the earth as well as spiritually sound. The Table reminds of both our physical and spiritual sides and responsibilities.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, October 6, 1985, World Communion Sunday No matter how sophisticated we may become, something in us reaches out for the soil, reaches out for our roots and stirs within us to claim a simpler, more basic way of life. I would just about bet that most of us ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31

Denomination: Baptist

Will Anything Really Change?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 2, 2010

Revised from an earlier message for a church making a major turn in direction and leadership. Change is hard for us, for some of us fear change, some of us do not think change is real. But God is able and willing to complete what He begins among us.

Bethesda First Baptist Church, Bethesda, MD, September 19, 2004 Will anything really change? I mean, really?! So often change is only apparent, and not real. So often we tinker with things, but we do not really change them. We lack the will to change things, really. We lack the imagination ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

In Touch With Earth

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 2, 2010

We are both physical and spiritual, and our calling is to be good stewards of both. The Lord's Table ably symbolizes this.

Calverton Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD June 5, 1983 No matter how sophisticated we may become, something in us reaches out for the soil, reaches out for our roots and stirs within us to claim a simpler, more basic way of life. I would just about bet that most of us here do not think of ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31

Denomination: Baptist

The Sword Of Speech

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 2, 2010

If we have God's truth in our hearts, we must speak our witness. It is not good enough to remain silent. That word must be a word of love and it must be a word of justice. Martin Luther King exemplified this discipline.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC January 19, 1986 It was the spring of 1964, and I had to make a choice. I had to decide whether I would, in my very first year of ministry, do something which would create a bit of tension in the church, but which the students with whom I worked were ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 12:17-18

Denomination: Baptist

The Women At The Tomb: Remember

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 3, 2010

The skepticism of the apostles, hearing the women's testimony of the resurrection, could have been prevented had they heeded the angels' admonition to remember what Jesus predicted would happen. So today when our witness is challenged or our desires to d

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC April 14, 1987, Easter The old vaudeville song proclaims, “Dearie, do you remember? Because if you remember, then you’re much older than I.” The idea seems to be that remembering is nothing to be proud of; the implication is that ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Water For Drowning, Water For Thirst

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 4, 2010

After Christmas it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the return to reality, responsibility, and even depressing weather. The psalmist also felt overwhelmed until he remembered what God had done in and for him and that God was still present, even when unfe

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC January 6, 1985 Well, Christmas is over, isn't it? Christmas is over and done with, except for a few remaining lights and poinsettias … over, done with, finished. It was great while it lasted, but Christmas is over. How do you know that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Owning Our Exile

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 7, 2011

That we are different from the world is not a license to withdraw. We are to engage and to transform the world around us, for that is the key to our church's future.

Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, August 26, 1979; with minor changes, Forest Heights Baptist Church, Oxon Hill, MD, Sept. 9, 1979; Howard University School of Religion Chapel, Washington, DC, Oct. 10, 1979; Twinbrook Baptist Church, Rockville, MD, retreat, Jan. 19, 1980; ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

In And For The World

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 15, 2011

God calls us to follow the example He set in loving the world, not simply reproaching it; and it loving it with self-giving and the intent to redeem.

Initially preached at Central Baptist Church, Lexington, KY, June 9, 1968; subsequently, with minor variations, at Capton Baptist Church, Campton, KY, August 18, 1968; Reid Village Baptist Church, Mt. Sterling, KY, March 1, 1970; Campbellsville BSU Retreat, Sept. 1970; Berea BSU Missions Banquet, ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-21

Denomination: Baptist

God's Nobodies

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 20, 2011

We as the church, facing today's challenges, think of ourselves as nobodies. But we are God's kind of nobodies, those in whom He has been at work to make changes, and we are needed by the world around us.

(Originally preached at Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, Aug. 12, 1973; subsequently, with variations, at Woodbrook Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD, Aug. 19, 1973; Viers Mill Baptist Church, Rockville, MD, Sept. 9, 1973; Bethesda First Baptist Church, Bethesda, MD, Oct. 14, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

We Have A Light To Shine

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 21, 2011

Stewardship message, designed as a dialogue between the pastor and a lay reader, and focusing on all the light we as a church now shed, but also could share, with adequate personnel and finances. Ends with a candlelighting ceremony.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Nov. 11, 1990 Pastor: One Christian organization that is concerned with helping people who have emotional problems uses as its slogan, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Today we are going to test that theory. This morning we ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Denomination: Baptist

Open Windows

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 25, 2011

Annual Theme for the church for 1988, announcing a program of enhancing the educational ministries.

(Annual Theme Sunday, Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Jan. 24, 1988) A little over a year ago I brought you a report on the rebuilding of Takoma Park Baptist Church. In that report I said that our rebuilding and renewing process could be compared to the business of building a building, ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 2:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Church Maintenance Series

Contributed by Duane Smith on Jun 29, 2011

This message is designed to help us understand how God expects us to maintain relationships within the family of God.

CHURCH MAINTENANCE 1 Tim 5:1-21 INTRODUCTION: A. Maintenance can be a hard thing to do. 1. It is easier to buy something new, but eventually you have to do maintenance on it. 2. There are basically two types of maintenance: a. Preventive – this maintenance is do to preclude a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Is The Mystery Still Hidden?

Contributed by Eric Smith on Jul 17, 2011

Paul tells us that a mystery had been hidden from ages and from generations. What is that mystery that even the prophets spoke of? Paul tells us that it is Christ in you. Are many churches keeping this hidden today by not preaching the experience of the o

Col 1:20-29 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:20-29

Denomination: Apostolic