Sermons on Joel Smith:

Hamnation Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Aug 30, 2008

Knowing and applying God’s truth to sexuality brings freedom and blessing.

Those of you who are my age or older I want you to try to remember back to your high school days. As I read this news item from June 18th ask yourself this question, “How did we, as a nation, get here?” As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies — more than ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 9:18-29

Denomination: Baptist

A User-Friendly God Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Sep 13, 2008

Don’t let the drive for security and significance cause you to create a more manageable God.

Aren’t you glad we live in an age of user-friendly technology? You could go to Wal-Mart right after this service, purchase a relatively inexpensive laptop computer, plug it in, fire it up and with no previous experience understand how to use it in no time. Computer companies intentionally make ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The School Of Faith Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Sep 13, 2008

God wants to reveal Himself to you so that He can reveal Himself through you.

[Use children’s sermon as introduction for this sermon.] I have a reward for one of you this morning, but you’re going to have to trust me to get it. Here’s the challenge: Somewhere in this room I have hidden a candy bar and you have to find it while blindfolded. I will tell you that it is in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

His Frustrating Ways Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Sep 25, 2008

God’s ways are usually more frustrating than mysterious.

Back in 2000, my friend Dan and I were called and hired as pastors of Wellspring Community Church, a fellowship that we started from scratch. Dan and I began the process as friends, but we’d never actually worked together. At first, all was well as we concentrated on getting the facilities ready ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Knowing And Doing God's Will Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Sep 25, 2008

You can’t always know what God is up to, but you can position yourself to participate in His plan.

If I had to pick the number one question that people have asked me over the years as a pastor I’d have to say that it’s this: “What’s God’s will for me?” That question used to stump me, but now I have an answer, “I don’t know!” God’s will is an incredibly slippery thing, even for those who are ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Twittering Ourselves To Death Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jul 8, 2009

Put on the new self by getting your mind right with God.

An article appearing in the August 11, 2007 edition of World Magazine entitled, “Sex and the evangelical teen” suggests evangelical teenagers on the whole may be more sexually immoral than non-Christians. “Christian parents and churches need to face up to a problem long hidden in the dark: ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Denomination: Baptist

Return The Favor Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jul 8, 2009

If you’ve received the grace of God return the favor to everyone else.

Let’s begin this morning with a little check of your vocabulary. Can someone give me a defining of the word nag? If someone accuses you of nagging them, what are they trying to tell you? Nagging is when you tell someone something that they already know. And you tell them over … and over … and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Denomination: Baptist

Coup De Moi Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jul 13, 2009

If you want to know if you’ve truly been born again answer the question: "Who is your spiritual daddy?"

I guess it’s a sign of the times in which we live, but a couple of years ago I saw a billboard on I-85 in Charlotte that said, “Who’s the daddy?” There was a picture of a baby and an ad for a genetic testing lab beneath the picture. It’s sad that young folks are so promiscuous they have to have a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Leave The Light On Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jul 27, 2009

God calls His children to go into the darkness and leave their light on.

Light has amazing qualities. It attracts and transforms. Turn on a light in the darkness outside and watch what happens. Every flying critter within range will flock to it. Turn out all the lights at night in your safe, comfortable house and what happens? It becomes a treacherous obstacle ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:7-14

Denomination: Baptist

Never Trust A Charismatic With Marriage Problems Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jul 27, 2009

A Spirit-filled Christian chooses to be under the influence of God.

I love idioms. Idioms are local or cultural words or phrases that have dual meanings. If, for example, someone says that you are cool or hot, they’re not talking about your body temperature. Cool means unaffected by pressure or it describes a certain winsome personality or just means good. Hot, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Resisting Thought Assault Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jul 30, 2009

God created you for a calling, but you’re going to have to fight for it.

When I read this Paul’s final teaching in the book of Ephesians. It reminds me of George C. Scott in that classic movie “Patton.” He’s standing in front of an enormous American flag rallying the men to fight the battle before them during WW II. In he utters one of the best lines I’ve ever heard ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Denomination: Baptist

Hell

Contributed by Joel Smith on Apr 16, 2011

Hell is the eternal, conscious, tormenting state of existence of those separated from God.

The summer of my seventh year I attended a Vacation Bible School at Grace Baptist Church in Tyro, North Carolina. My family attended a United Methodist Church in the neighboring community and this VBS was quite similar to what I was used to: games; sugar wafers; cherry Kool-Aid; flannel-graph; I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

Denomination: Baptist

Reason For Hope On The Road Ahead Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jan 1, 2009

The road ahead is about to get rocky, but, we have reason for hope.

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. It’s 2009 and what makes this new year unique is there’s more reason for pessimism than optimism at what it will bring. Maybe you’ve heard some of the dire predictions about what the near future holds. A couple of weeks ago, economist and ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 28:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

A Crash Course In Character Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jan 14, 2009

God wants to shape your soul to be just like Jesus. Will you cooperate?

John Ortberg tells of a man in a church he once pastored whom he called Denny. Denny was not a happy man. He had attended church his whole life, but he had never been happy. Even the expression on his face was perpetually negative – so much so that one day a deacon asked him, "Denny, are you ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Power Of The Call Series

Contributed by Joel Smith on Jun 15, 2009

God’s call sets the course for your life.

‘Tis the season for graduation! It’s a bittersweet time. One chapter of life ends while a new one begins. The door closes on friendships that have lasted a decade or more, but just ahead are relationships that will probably last a lifetime. There’s some anxiety at moving into the unknown, but ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13

Denomination: Baptist