Sermons on Joseph And Potiphar:

Who Got Revived?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 1, 2000

Pulpit drama, imaginatively reconstructing Elijah

Elijah: Zarephath! What a lovely town! It’s always good to come to Zarephath. A man wants to feel welcomed, and I find that here. Out there, in some of the towns and villages of Israel, I have to watch my back. King Ahab’s agents are everywhere, and who knows what they will do? In some places ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

More Than Hatch, Match, And Dispatch Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 13, 2000

The church is for far more than empty ceremony on occasions demanded by tradition; it is the steward of new life, with a rich and full experience that employs the diversity of gifts God has given it.

Last week you seemed to get a big charge out of my little story about going to a wedding rehearsal and wasting time waiting for a key person to arrive. When I said that I didn’t know what we’d do on Sunday afternoon if he didn’t show up, you let out a belly laugh. You assumed I was talking about ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Knee Bowed And Body Bent Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

Since body language communicates our real feelings, we must pay attention to how we present our bodies to God -- in the words of James Weldon Johnson, "knee-bowed", ready to submit our wills to His; and "body-bent", ready to work for things that matter.

You may not speak a great many foreign languages, but there is one language other than English at which most of us are proficient. That is body language. Whether our mouths can pronounce strange sounds or whether our eyes can make any sense out of different alphabets, we can see body language. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Teary Eyes, Stumbling Feet, Hands Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

Deepseated shame and objective guilt arise from a self-serving spirit, but the Cross delivers us from both and frees us to live out of gratitude.

Mark it down. Memorize this. Engrave it somewhere. It is an ironclad rule. This will always happen: when it is the least convenient for you to respond, someone will want you to respond. When it is nearly impossible for you to get up and do what someone wants you to do, that is the very moment ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 116:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

This Day The Victor's Song

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

The enemies of God's people are entrenched oppression and their own loser's heart, but God is a God of victory, who calls us to participate in His victory.

I like winning. I do not like to lose. If I am going to compete, I want to be the winner. Number two is not good enough. Silver medals are not good enough. Almost is not good enough. I like winning. I do not like to lose. Grantland Rice may be more deeply Christian than I, as he wrote, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Secrets Of A Beautiful Face

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

The beauty of a nation, like that of a human face, is not cosmetic, but comes out of generosity, self-control, sacrificial love, and a vision that accords with God

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth … Beauty. When I was a boy, my parents decided to take a trip to Niagara Falls. They wanted my brother and me to be exposed to one of the world’s great ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 48:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Gatekeeper, Gateopener

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

The pastor has two roles that must not be reduced -- a gatekeeper to guard against useless ideas and hateful attitudes, and a gateopener to let in God's surprises.

Do you think the Lord has a sense of humor? I do. I see a delicious little coincidence that God’s word drops in our laps today. Some of us remember a 70’s TV program, the Mary Tyler Moore show. If you remember that program, you will recall that sweet, nice, loveable Mary lived in an apartment ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Distant Country, Better Country

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 1, 2001

Funeral message for Michael Keys, age 36, whose parents requested a message from the parable of the Prodigal Son

In my study there hangs a reproduction of a sixteenth century map. My son gave it to me several years ago. He knows that I have always liked maps. I like to look at maps, study maps, even sketch maps myself. There is something fulfilling about seeing how things are laid out, how streets and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-24, Hebrews 11:16

Denomination: Baptist

Brought Down

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 3, 2001

A brief message intended to serve as a transition from a choral concert of Advent music, featuring our children and youth choirs, to the Communion table.

“He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.” Children bring things down. All sorts of things. Around our place we are learning that a ten-month-old can move very quickly and has a vice-like grasp. Things will come down if they are not moved beyond reach. But ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:57-62

Denomination: Baptist

In Terror, Peace

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 23, 2001

Our times of terror are like those into which Jesus was born. Then and now we try to carve out peace with government, wealth, ingenuity. But Jesus is the source of peace because His life was given to service, His dependence on things was nil, and He ope

And on earth, peace. What an ancient longing! What a long-standing frustration! On earth, peace. I don’t know what language angels sing in, and I suppose the shepherds would have known only Aramaic, but we have grown accustomed to choirs singing the angelic words in Latin: “Gloria in excelsis ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Looking Forward

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 23, 2001

Funeral sermon for Edward D. Mitchell -- accountant, musician, deacon; age 85

That classic spiritual writer John Bunyan ends his Pilgrim’s Progress with a triumphant note, saying that after Pilgrim had traveled many miles and fought off many adversaries, when he got to the other side, the angels came out to welcome him. John Bunyan knew that if your lifestyle is that of a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:25-32

Denomination: Baptist

Three Plus One Equals Infinity Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 14, 2002

Dramatic monologue, done as if I were Daniel, reporting on his three friends in the fiery furnace. Focus on spiritual identity in a power-hungry world.

(Singing) “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, His grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee, He only designs thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.” Whew! Does it seem hot in here to you? Does it feel as though the very fires of hell are about ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 3:1-30

Denomination: Baptist

An Officer Who Cared

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 14, 2002

Message for the funeral of Carroll A. Reed, Major, U. S. Army, Ret.; combat veteran of WW II, Korea, and Vietnam; deacon

This past summer I did a series of sermons based on Romans, chapter 12, and Paul’s admonition that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. I built the sermons around various parts of the body, and suggested how we might present our eyes, our ears, our hands, our mouths, and our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Amanda: Loving Because She Was Loved

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 18, 2002

Funeral sermon for Mrs. Amanda Foye Jackson, who had suffered through two massive strokes and the loss of her son.

In Biblical times, a person’s name revealed something about who he was or what she was intended to be. In the creation story, there is Adam, meaning earth, and Eve, meaning mother. Their names told you who they were and what they were intended to be. Abraham, father of nations; Isaac, laughter; ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-19

Denomination: Baptist

The World Demands A Life-Giving Vision Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 20, 2002

Sermon delivered in support of our theme for 2002, and on the occasion of our annual meeting. A vision brings death if it is not communicated; it is discerned in prayer; and it always calls for repentance for the incompleteness of our obedience.

Two things you learn, if you are at all observant about churches. First, that church people do not agree on their vision of what the church should be about; and, second, that the world knows what the church ought to be about better than church people know. We who gather week by week as the church ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 2:1-45

Denomination: Baptist