Sermons on Joe Smith:

Having And Giving Authority

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 18, 2009

How do we decide whom to help and how, of all the needs presented? Jesus responded to the needs that presented themselves, He discerns what the real problems are, and He trusted others with authority.

The problem is never whether somebody needs help. The problem is always which somebody we can help. The issue is never whether there are any needs. There are always needs. In any given moment there are more needs than anyone person can possibly address. The issue is how to make the choice. Who ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

God And Hurting Persons

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 21, 2009

God has always expressed care for those who hurt; it’s nothing new. But Jesus extended that care to those not like His listeners, and His church is intended to reach the marginal.

This week, while the rest of you were surfing the Internet reading Ken Starr’s report, I was reading my favorite form of literature. I was reading "church bulletin bloopers." Church bulletin bloopers are those funny little errors that creep into church bulletins, maybe because the typist didn’t ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Denomination: Baptist

Persistence In The Presence: How Women Pray

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 22, 2009

Women succeed in pray because they persist in trusting God, allow the whole self to pray, take God at His word, are not afraid of intensity, choose responsibility over religion, and keep their commitments.

If, as Thomas Edison tells us, genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration, then I suspect it is also true that prayer is one per cent insistence and ninety-nine per cent persistence. Prayer is one per cent insistence, to be sure; we do, in our prayers, tell God what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-28

Denomination: Baptist

Judge Not? Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Oct 8, 2007

How do we as Christians make judgments without being judgmental? Jesus continues to teach his disciples the way of the heart.

INTRODUCTION 1. ILLUSTRATION: A few years ago, a church in Oklahoma expelled a woman for immorality. When she filed a lawsuit against the church, the story made all the national news media. One of the shows to give the lawsuit coverage was Phil Donahue and on that show, I think the attitude of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Keeping Prayer In Context Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Oct 8, 2007

While keeping the famous "Ask, Seek, & Knock" passage in context with the Sermon on the Mount, we can still learn some awesome principles regarding prayer.

INTRODUCTION ILLUSTRATION: PRAYER’S BEST POSITION Three ministers were talking about prayer in general and the appropriate and effective positions for prayer. As they were talking, a telephone repairman was working on the phone system in the background. One minister shared that he felt the key ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Basis For Judging Others Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Oct 8, 2007

What is the basis for making judgments of others? Jesus teaches how one’s fruit will expose the heart as well as the choice in life.

I. INTRODUCTION A. The Dangers of In/Out of Context 1. Key Verse of S.O.M. - Matthew 5:20 a. The Setting - Jesus Has Just Called The Disciples All they had for examples before Jesus was the Pharisee and Scribes. Jesus needed to show them his way of life was different. b. The LAW was all they had ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-20

Denomination: Baptist

It's About The Heart Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Oct 8, 2007

Jesus finishes the great Sermon on the Mount teaching the disciples that it’s all about the heart as the heart exposes one’s foundation.

INTRODUCTION A. The CLOSE We come today to close the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve heard it taught many days in ways that teach a section here and there and have learned that while there are many GENERAL PRINCIPLES giving regarding several subjects, a lot of what I’ve been taught has been taken out of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29

Denomination: Baptist

Getting On God's Agenda

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 16, 2007

God’s agenda is to give freedom to the oppressed, and He will not be stopped. But our disobedience can frustrate Him. The church needs to get on God’s agenda quickly.

A little book called “Kids’ Letters to Pastors” provides some fertile ground this morning for us to begin thinking about getting on God’s agenda. You see, you and I know the words we are supposed to say, whether we mean them or not. But kids say what they think, without editing. And so I suspect ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 6:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Fate, Failure And Fig Trees (And Why Bad Things Happen To Good People)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 17, 2007

It’s the age-old theological question - why do bad things happen to good people? Jesus, as ever, doesn’t give us the response we expect.

They say that philosophy deals with two sorts of questions: * Questions to which everybody knows the answer (eg. Do I really exist?). * Questions to which nobody knows the answer (eg. Why do I exist?). Religious teachers tend to deal the same sorts of questions, perhaps particularly questions ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Do You Really Want To Follow Jesus?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 18, 2007

We need to distinguish between needs and wants. Poverty can help us decide what we truly need; then we become eager to make happen what we truly want. Our relationship to God determines our priorities. Montgomery Hills Baptist Church

Some things I need, it is true. But many of the things I think I need I do not truly need. I only want them, but persuade myself I need them. They are not needs; they are wants. And, deeper than that, many of the things I think I want I do not truly want. I just hope they will make me feel ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Second Chance In Christ Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 21, 2007

Deepening "whiles" become heightened "boasts". Weakness, sin, and enmity are our problems toward God. But in Christ there is help at the right time, conversion of consequences into positives, and sacrifical love for reconciliation.

“We have a problem here.” That phrase, in one form or another, runs through much of human history. We have a problem here. You know it, if you remember 1995, as almost what astronaut John Swigert said from Apollo 13. “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” Changed a little and immortalized by ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

The Parable Of The Sly Bastard (A Sermon On Luke 16:1-9)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 24, 2007

If you want to know how to handle money, take your lead from this sleaze-bag criminal accountant in Luke 16, for he was smart enough to know the most valuable thing that you.

One of the lads at Fight Club on Tuesday night approached me with a question: "You know that parable Jesus tells about the merchant who found the pearl of great price?”, he asked. “Yeah”, I said. “Well, I want to know who is the merchant in the story supposed to be?” This is not the standard sort ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-9

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Hating Your Family For Jesus' Sake?! (A Sermon On Luke 14:25-33)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 24, 2007

How can we hate our parents, partners and children? It has to be the most offensive exhortation Jesus ever gave - telling us that we have to hate the ones we love th most.

As soon as I noticed that our Gospel reading today was the one that begins by telling us that we’ve got to ’hate our mothers and fathers’, I decided then and there to give my sermon today on Paul’s Letter to Philemon! No, as much as I’d like to do that, I feel I have to stick with "hate your ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Faithful Servants (A Sermon On Luke 12:35-40)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 24, 2007

Following Jesus: It’s long hours, hard work, costly, and a little bit crazy, but would we ever consider changing positions and serving someone else? Not a chance!

I thought that I finally had a totally positive sermon for you today! I’ve been under rather trenchant criticism of late for repeatedly giving sermons focused on the theme of judgement and on the hard path of discipleship, and I admit that I have been looking for that text, "Come to me, all ye who ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:35-40

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus V Legion: A Hellish Stoush! (A Sermon On Luke 8:26-39)

Contributed by David Smith on Oct 25, 2007

I do personally believe that the greatest thing that holds people back from following Jesus, and that so often holds us back from truly giving ourselves to Him, is fear.

Those of you who tune in regularly to my online forum will know that there’s been a lot of discussion lately about Christopher Hitchens’ new book, "God is Not Great - how religion poisons everything". The publishers, Allen and Unwin, had sent me a review copy that I passed on to someone else on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican