Sermons on Joseph And Potiphar:

Two Full Plates Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 23, 2009

We are given the plate of growth gifts: space, quiet, renewal, guidance; and the plate of opportunities: to be present at ultimate times, to enter dangerous places, to receive responsibility.

If you approach someone and ask him to take on a responsibility, but his answer is, "I have a very full plate," what does he mean? Does he mean, "I can’t do it right now because I just sat down to dinner. Let me finish eating and I’ll do it"? No, if you ask someone to do something and he replies ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Two Peoples, One Nation

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 25, 2009

Blacks and whites must develop together and learn from one another; we will also be judged together. Together we must work on issues of justice and righteousness.

The world is full of divisions. Every sort of difference and distinction you can imagine has been magnified. Who of us knew anything a few years ago about six or more different ethnic groups in Yugoslavia!? About all I knew about Yugoslavia was that they made a little car called a Yugo, which ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

To The Out Of Control: Son Of God Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 26, 2009

Christmas Eve 1989: The strong Son of God is what we need when we are out of control in terms of life direction, life circumstances, or sin.

May God help you if you are going shopping this afternoon! And may God forgive you if you woke up this morning and said, "I guess it’s about time I thought of something for her. “ The trouble is, most of us mere males are reduced to jelly by the trauma of shopping. In the first place, we don’t ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

For Such A Time As This

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 27, 2009

Compassion must be owned personally, and we must know that we do have the resources to meet needs. However, it will be costly to do so.

If we suppose that the essence of being compassionate is simply to have mushy feelings about somebody, we are dead wrong. If for us the word "compassion" suggests nothing more than feelings of sympathy and maybe the willingness to dole out a few dollars of welfare, then we’ve missed it. We’ve not ...read more

Scripture: Esther 4:11-16

Denomination: Baptist

Spies Who Stayed To Serve

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 28, 2009

For deacon ordination: deacons are like spies, of whom the world is suspicious; but we win their confidence by serving them.

Agent Double-Oh-Seven has it all. Movie buffs know that when you hear him intone his introduction, "Bond, James Bond", you are in for another adventure, during which this intrepid spy will single-handedly defeat the enemy, win the affections of three or four women, line his pockets with money, and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Song Of A Free Spirit

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 29, 2009

Singing is a matter of skill and practice, but it is only when your spirit is freed that you have a convincing song to sing, only when your life is changed that you have something to share.

What makes it possible for voices like these to sing music like that? Where do they get whatever it takes to sing with such grace and power and beauty? Of course they have been blessed with a good deal of natural skill. Of course these singers are talented, and there’s no substitute for that. And ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Something No Thief Can Steal

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 30, 2009

Contrast the thieves on the crosses; from Jesus they had, or could have had, salvation, assurance, companionship, things which no thief can steal.

The scene was one of striking and even bitter contrast. While three men were being hauled off to their deaths, one of them was far different from the other two. Two of these hapless three were thieves, and as thieves they had lived by the law of the thief: namely, easy come, easy go. If you take ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Denomination: Baptist

Recognizing What Time It Is

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 23, 2009

There is nothing so fulfilling as good timing, nothing so embarassing as bad timing. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was wonderful for some, judgment time for others. What time is it for us? (MLK assassination anniversary)

There is nothing quite so fulfilling as good timing. And nothing quite so embarrassing as bad timing. They say that the secret in being a comedian is good timing. Well, the secret in living is good timing. Quite a few years ago, a young lady in whom I was more than slightly interested had to be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:36-44

Denomination: Baptist

Reform, Revival, Or Renewal

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 24, 2009

(Reformation Sunday). It is good to reform how we do church, using the Bible as our basis; it is good to revive our spiritual energies. But best of all is to renew ourselves for mission.

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: Zephaniah 3:14-18

Denomination: Baptist

Remembering, Reconnecting, And Rejoicing: What God Gives To The Grieving Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 25, 2009

Grieving healthily means remembering both positive and negative; it means connecting with others who can love us and whom we can love. In His own time God will give joy.

One of the laws of life is: To get something, you must give up something. To gain, you must also lose. We call that the tradeoff principle. We operate on the tradeoff principle every day. When you go to the grocery store and fill your basket, they have the audacity to expect you to pay for what ...read more

Scripture: John 19:25-27

Denomination: Baptist

Remembering, Reconnecting, And Rejoicing: Taking Charge Of Our Own Grief Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 26, 2009

We take charge of reducing our grief when we first trust ourselves, then trust others in redemptive relationships, and ultimately trust God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Granger Westberg, in his little book, Good Grief, says that when you have something worth grieving about, then go ahead and grieve, but grieve in a healthy way. Westberg agrees that the Bible says, "Do not grieve as those do who have no hope", but that does not mean we do not grieve. When you have ...read more

Scripture: John 19:25-27

Denomination: Baptist

Invisible Man

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 27, 2009

As Ralph Ellison helped us see racism as one group treating another as invisible, so today we need to discern who is invisible to us; and we need to see how Jesus is invisible to many until He is connected to the culture and until we make Him visible.

"I am an invisible man." Those words, pecked out on an old typewriter one night in the Vermont hills, began a literary work of unparalleled beauty and power. Ralph Waldo Ellison; encouraged to make music and to write by his father; inspired by the civil rights activism of his mother, began to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Extreme Living

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Apr 28, 2009

In a world of Extreme life, we as Christians can live Extreme also

EXTREME LIVING Attitude is Everything (All my sermons use illustrations from Sermon Central and all Scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) In our world there seems to be a need to take things to another level. When I was younger I enjoyed sports, now there is EXTREME sports. Our world is ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:10

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Reality Check

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 30, 2009

Adherence to the Bible will teach us neither to be overly optimistic nor overly negative about human nature, but will give us both hope and harmony. Thus we must be serious Bible students.

Twenty-five years ago, Neil Armstrong stepped out of that lunar module and set foot where no person had ever gone before, on the surface of the moon. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." We were fascinated, and we still are. Nothing like that had ever been done; nothing quite like ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

In The Hour Of Trial: Open Door

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 1, 2009

The doors of the church: some are locked, but panic hardware always lets us out for mission; some are heavily locked, but it is Christ who is our security; and some are never locked, for we are to be open to embrace those who need us.

Have you ever seen a place with as many doors as this church building has! A hardware salesman would be in heaven, right here! Doors, doors, everywhere doors. There are doors leading to the outside. Eight of them, I think. There are doors inside, leading into the rooms. Some doors take you into ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13

Denomination: Baptist