Sermons on Joe Smith:

Reclaiming Hope Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 19, 2009

When we look out in the world at this time of year, we realize we have allowed our hope to be hijacked. It’s been hijacked by the materialism of the season, by the parties and overeating or even overindulging. It’s time to take back hope. It’s time to gro

Christmas Conspiracy: Reclaiming Hope Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 Let me ask you a question this morning: what is Christmas? Is it eating too much, going to too many parties, shopping too much and spending too much? Is it about giving and receiving gifts Is it about family get togethers? That’s what a lot of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7

Denomination: Methodist

The Questions Of Christmas Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 19, 2009

Christmas brought three questions which every person needed to deal with as they encountered the Christ child. Christmas isn’t so much about what God has done for us as it is about our response to the Christ child and to these questions.

The Questions of Christmas Luke 2:8-20 It’s tough to miss Christmas if you live in America today. We hear the ads on the radio and TV, see the lighted houses and buildings, the decorated yards in our neighborhoods, and the displays inside every store remind us Christmas is coming in case we’ve ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Denomination: Methodist

The Amazing Race Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 19, 2009

Paul calls us to intense training. The challenge which lies before us is nothing short of reaching the world for Christ and building God’s kingdom here on earth with a multi ethnic church. It is far beyond our current ability and it will not happen overni

The Amazing Race Hebrews 12:1-3 Have any of you ever watched the Amazing Race? It’s a reality game show in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. Contestants strive to arrive first at the end of each leg of the race to win prizes and to avoid coming in ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Denomination: Methodist

From Furnished Rooms To Fragrant Gardens

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 19, 2009

Now that this church has rebuilt its basic structure, it is time to go on and make it all work. To do so, go back to rediscover God’s intention for humanity and understand that the church is to restore the "garden."

One spiritual principle shows up over and over again in the Scriptures. One theme is repeated endlessly: and that is that the way to go forward is to go back. The way to move ahead with your life is to go back, to go back to its roots, go back to its foundations, where you discover what is valuable ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 14:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Shut Out Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 20, 2009

We are not shut out: Jesus includes us by giving us knowledge, by giving us a place in His mission, and by paying the price to see that we are included in the Kingdom.

A number of years ago I saw a very provocative poster. It was a depiction of the doors of Washington. Nothing more than a series of doors, arranged in rows on the poster, probably twenty or twenty-five, all photographs of various doors in this city. Some of them were beautifully simple doorways ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-17

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Misunderstood Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 21, 2009

Misunderstand is accidentally or deliberate. Jesus dealt with the accidental by bringing witnesses, going to the root of the issue, and affirming the questioner; with the deliberate by refusing to make others happy, being true to Himself, letting actions

It’s easy to be misunderstood. Misunderstanding happens all the time. It is very, very easy to be misunderstood. One way to be misunderstood is to be vague and hazy. Just mumble under your breath and utter ambiguities, and I guarantee that you will be misunderstood. Some of you are devotees of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:2-19

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Full Heart Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 23, 2009

Christmas is a time for full hearts: weary, guilty, anxious, sad -- past, present, and future. Mary felt the same things, but Christ comes to forgive our past, empower our present, and assure our future.

Christmas is an emotional time. All kinds of feelings are involved with the celebration of Christmas. If you don’t feel some tension, some excitement, or some pressure, something at this time of the year, you are either dead or you’ve been watching the Redskins, which is about the same thing. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Fresh Encounter

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 24, 2009

All of us need to hear God’s love in a fresh way. Some say they do not want an encounter, but they do. Some do not expect anything new. Some are just past their first thrill of knowing Christ. Some have never exercised faith. Christ waits to receive

Just about everybody ought to get married, at least once. There’s nothing quite like it in all the world. Everybody ought to have the experience of learning the difference between fantasy and reality. That’s what happens when you get married. Everything up to marriage is fantasy. It’s romance, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:14-17

Denomination: Baptist

Have A Scandalous Christmas

Contributed by Joel Smith on Dec 11, 2008

Mary was willing to be scandalized so that God would be glorified.

Isn’t it amazing how we have sanitized Christmas? Over the centuries we’ve cleaned up the story significantly. Christmas cards bear evidence of this. Most of them depict tinsel, holly, Christmas trees, bells, female angels, and Santa Claus. If they do get around to an image of the real ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-56

Denomination: Baptist

Within, Without Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 11, 2008

Paul and John Mark, a study in maturing relationships. John Mark starts out young and conflicted; he is insecure around the powerful Paul; but Paul grows to accept him and think of him as useful.

The Scripture texts I will be using today are scattered through several chapters in the Book of Acts, plus other locations in the New Testament. And so instead of simply reading passage after passage, let me put together a vignette, a character sketch, in order to make the life of John Mark ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Without Shifting From Hope

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 12, 2008

For Day of Prayer for World Peace: Peace is shattered because of social, personal, and spiritual relationship breakdowns. It is restored through spiritual healing, which leads to personal and then social healings.

Introduction A All around us lies the evidence that peace is a sometime, fragile thing. Everywhere we turn we discover that peace has been broken, peace has been shattered. 1 We have the international scene to remind us. A few years ago we hardly knew where Yugoslavia was, but now we are having to ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:21-23

Denomination: Baptist

Without One Plea Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 13, 2008

Like Paul, we cannot plead that we are either too broken or too privileged to engage in service. Brokenness is what God can use for the Kingdom.

No excuses. No excuses. We are accountable for what we do. We are accountable to God. And what God has called us to do, we can do. No excuses. If God has chosen us, then He has expectations. There are Kingdom tasks to be performed, there is a witness to be made, there is something that each of us ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Denomination: Baptist

Wonderful Words Of Life

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 17, 2008

Knowledge of the Bible is essential for us to life fruitfully, and it is critical to pass on that knowledge to our children, for whom it can be made exciting.

I’m glad they’ve brought "All in the Family" back on TV. I never did see what the fuss was, frankly, when it came out the first time. And now it still seems fresh and insightful and funny. To me, the best pieces of business in "All in the Family" are those scenes in which Edith starts out to ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:44-47

Denomination: Baptist

Wonders Of His Love

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 17, 2008

God has, in Christ, transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary, through the power of His love.

Which would you rank as the finest Christmas present you ever received? If you can go back in your memory and recall several Christmases, which was the gift that impressed you the most? Fellows, was it that electric train? I can’t explain it, but there is a touch of little boy in every man, no ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Whoopers, Nice Guys, And Rabbis

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 17, 2008

Some churches want entertainment, some want not to disturb anyone. But a Great Commission church will be interested in teaching everyone to obey everything commanded.

Funeral services always challenge me. It is always a high and solemn duty to speak a word from God to those who gather to remember someone’s life. I can hardly say that I enjoy funerals; they are a lot of work. But I can certainly say that I find them a challenge, I find them occasions that demand ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Baptist