Sermons on Joe Smith:

Listening To God's Will For Our Lives

Contributed by Christopher Smith on Aug 4, 2003

Everyone struggles with purpose, but how should we look for our purpose from God.

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD , for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD , but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:11-13

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Changing Church And The Changeless Christ

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 5, 2003

Although we may not want the church to change, change is inevitable and positive. Change will be guided if we will remember and assess accurately the traditions we have been given, if we will also assess proposed changes and not panic, and if we will mea

Some folks are allergic to change. They want everything to be just as it always was. They get used to things and they want everything to stay put. Some folks just won’t deal with change. A few weeks ago the electricity went out at our house. Some transformer blew, and for several hours we had ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7-16

Denomination: Baptist

So Filled We Cannot Stand

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 5, 2003

What brings the glory of God to worship? Discernment of where we are in God’s plan and a willingness to grow the gifts of God’s people.

What a clattering cacophony, that day in Jerusalem! What an assault on the ears! You could hardly hear yourself think. I don’t suppose they had rock concerts three thousand years ago, but it must have been a little like a rock concert. With noise, noise, noise! Loud, boisterous, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 5:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Fear No One Bearing Gifts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 6, 2003

Solomon built the Temple using foreign gifts and foreign artists. Each of us brings to today’s church the limitations of his own culture, and must learn to ask for and trust the gifts others can give. Working together we learn to savor God’s greatness.

The Latin poet Virgil, in his epic poem, The Aeneid, has one of the Trojan warriors murmur, when a giant wooden horse was offered as a gift by the Greek armies outside the city walls, “I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts.” “I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts.” That is a statement of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Following Our Call

Contributed by Christopher Smith on Aug 7, 2003

We all wait for that call from God, but what do we do when it comes?

When we hear God’s call, but do not head. The reading this week is a little longer than last, but I decided it was important to read the entire first chapter of Jonah. Everyone is familiar with the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale, but perhaps not everyone knows why. As we can see ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fire Of Glory, Fire Of Drought

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 8, 2003

We have experienced the warm glow of God’s blessings, but the fire of judgment is also at hand, for worship becomes ritual, there is a critical spirit, and pessimism spreads. Diligence and integrity bring vitality in worship.

In all the annals of human history, there is one item which has held out more hope and yet offered more terror than any other. Wherever human beings gathered, in the infancy of our race, there this one item, this one element, both attracted them and repelled them; it drew them close and yet it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

God's Perfect Plan: Strength, Action, Courage

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 9, 2003

When God gives us a task, His perfect plan includes the resources to do it: strength, action, and courage. Sermon for deacon ordination service.

We have been burning fuel very rapidly. Coal, oil, natural gas .. we are consuming it. It is irreplaceable. Some scientists say that unless we change our ways, we are going to burden our children and our grandchildren with a very serious energy problem. The next generation will inherit a burden ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 28:20-21

Denomination: Baptist

Heavenly Minded, Earthly Good Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 9, 2003

Introductory sermon to a series on the Purpose-Driven Life: the world says life’s purpose is having things or impressing people. But we are empowered when we use our lives for the purposes for which they are intended.

The choir began to sing, “This earth is not my home”, and I began to be uncomfortable. The more they chanted, the more I squirmed. “This earth is not my home, I am a stranger here, but I am bound for heaven, whence I shall never roam.” Well, yes and no. It is true that this earth is not our ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Revival, Reform, Renewal

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 12, 2003

For Reformation Sunday, and a followup to a week of revival services: revival is good, reformation is better, but renewal is what God is really aiming at.

My great-uncle, Ed Weber, drove an ancient car. I doubt if you’ve ever heard of its brand name. He drove a Terraplane. Anybody remember the Terraplane? Well, dearie, if you do, then you are much older than I, because my great-uncle’s Terraplane was already ancient when I was a boy. It had been ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 23:25, Zephaniah 3:14-17

Denomination: Baptist

The Land Of Beginning Again

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 15, 2003

For New Year’s: a participatory sermon, raising the questions: [1] What comfort zone is God calling you to leave? [2] What frightens you most about what God is calling you toward? [3] In what ways have you resisted God’s desire to bless you? [4] How is G

Every now and then God does something which guarantees that those among whom He is working will never be the same again. Whatever it is that He does may seem small and insignificant at the time, but after a while you come to realize that He has done something which has changed everything. We’ve ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-3, Psalm 137:1

Denomination: Baptist

The Fear Of Death

Contributed by Christopher Smith on Aug 17, 2003

Should we fear death? No because through Christ it has no power over us.

Death; at some point we’ve all had to think about it in some form. Wether it was contemplating your own mortality or the death of someone you knew, there is no way to avoid it. I once was talking to someone and the subject of death came up, don’t ask me how I can’t really remember. What I do ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-16, John 11:38-44

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Were Formed To Be Part Of God's Family Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 23, 2003

Diversity divides the human family, but understanding unites us. However, finally the fragmented family can be fixed only by faith. Part of a series to support the study of Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life.

A few years ago I began to pay attention to the tradition of family reunions in African-American families. I think it may have been when I learned that the Faulkners were driving to Massachusetts to meet other Faulkners. Or maybe it was when I found out that the Hairstons rent an entire hotel and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34

Denomination: Baptist

The Strength Of Fellowship

Contributed by Christopher Smith on Aug 25, 2003

Why is it so important to go to church and have christian friends? Beacuse of the strength we gain from them.

This week is perhaps one of the most important topics that I’ve discussed so far, although it may not seem like that to most. It is the importance of church, more specifically the fellowship we gain from it. As it says in verse 9 of the reading, “Two are better than one…”, but how much better ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Deep River, Deeper Foundation

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 30, 2003

Funeral service for Flenoid Bettis, carpenter and home improvement craftsman, former chairman of the church’s Residential Properties Committee.

It seems perfectly right that Flenoid Bettis should have passed away in the month of August, the month of stormy weather. He was born on August 15, 1926, and entered eternal life on August 23 of this year. It seems perfectly right, because this is thunderstorm season, and during this season we ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:46-49

Denomination: Baptist

You Were Shaped For God's Service Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 6, 2003

Part of a series on Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life. Worship without service is idolatry; fellowship without service is self-indulgence; discipleship without service is perfectionism. Pay the price of service.

Not long ago an insurance salesman called, wanting to sell me long-term care insurance. I was tempted to tell him I had an unbeatable plan for long-term care, called heaven, but I didn’t. Not this time, anyway, because some aches and pains we had been feeling did remind us that we might actually ...read more

Denomination: Baptist