Sermons on Joseph Cook:

Rising Or Rejecting? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 21, 2009

The man at the pool of Bethsaida had lost his will to achieve, and blamed others. Jesus, however, gave Him his self-worth as well as his health. Do not blame prejudice or racism for failure; turn to Jesus and be healed and motivated.

The day dawned like any other day ... a little chillier, maybe, than you might have expected this time of year. But still, about as gray and bleak and unpromising as any other day. After all, every day was about like every other day. What reason did he have to expect anything different? For 38 ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

A Rebuke Turned Back Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 22, 2009

Jesus turns from silence about His achievements to open speaking about His death. He will not follow the ambition path, the pleasure path, or the easy spirituality path.

You can admire Jesus, you can think well of Jesus, you can even love Jesus. But you cannot domesticate Him, you cannot tame Him, you cannot make Him sweet and nice and pretty. He is who He is and He says what He says, and sometimes it’s hard to take. In my experience, just about everybody out ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:31-38

Denomination: Baptist

Live Until You Die, Die Until You Live

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 23, 2009

We admire those who pursue life goals as long as they can; but our calling is to die to self. It will mean a change of values and of attitudes, but it will give us true life.

I’m pretty sure that we can make a case for living until we die. It would not take a lot of effort to convince one another that we can approach life with gusto, squeezing every ounce of juice out. There’s a strong compulsion in us to extract all the value and the vitality we can get out from ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Moving Out In Endurance Series

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Mar 25, 2009

The 4th part of a 5 part series on giving God room to work in our lives

When We Move Out, God Moves In Part 4 “Moving Out In Endurance” (All my sermons use illustrations from sermoncentral.com and the Scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted.) As Easter approaches we are wrapping up this series of sermons about giving God room to work in our lives. John the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Turn Around Or Turn Out Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 30, 2009

Dramatic monologue as if Paul were speaking: a farewell address, focused largely on Philippians, but drawing from much of the Pauline literature. A play on Paul’s name: Pray, Avoid, Understand, Love.

Paul, servant of the Gospel, to all the saints in Gaithersburg: grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:12-26

Denomination: Baptist

Opposition, Prayer, And Victory Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 30, 2009

Preached in 1989. Sometimes opposition is deeply destructive and isolating; the only answer is through prayer, for ultimately integrity is given by the risen Christ.

Opposition comes in all shapes and sizes. Opposition: feeling that somebody is out to stop you -- it takes many different forms. Sometimes it is just outright, straightforward, political campaigning. Sometimes folks choose up sides and define the issues and go after each other, and that‘s all ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Not Perfect, Just Forgiven

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 30, 2009

Jesus’ call for us to be perfect is complemented by the Lord’s Prayer’s petition for forgiveness. "Trespasses" and "debts" are different nuances, and both need to be forgiven.

He marched up to me, stopped me in my tracks, fixed my eyes with his eagle look. And then slowly he raised both arms and clapped both hands on my shoulders, cleared his throat slightly, and intoned, "I forgive you.” And then, as quickly as he had encountered me, he walked away. Just dropped his ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Whole And At Peace: Get Up!

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 2, 2009

Funeral message for Launer Jones: Help comes from hope, not fear. Life comes from trust, not anxiety. A concerned family who did all they could turned to Jesus, and He will not disappoint.

It might have been a cold, gray morning, that day when Jairus did what a desperate father had to do. A cold, gray morning, made all the more bleak because a little girl lay dying. Only twelve years old she was, full of promise, full of life, the apple of her father’s eye, and so much in love with ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43

Denomination: Baptist

He Shall Feed His Flock

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 2, 2009

Enacted pulpit drama, with props and symbolic actions, as if the preacher were Ezekiel. Immorality and inattention will be judged by God, and until we repent of these we will not flourish.

[Heaving silently, face contorted, head shaking] Immorality and inattention. Immorality and inattention. These things are destroying our people. These things are going to bring God’s judgment on us. I just know it. Immorality and inattention. Selfishness and self-centeredness. Wrong hearts and ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 34:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

Keeping On Keeping On

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 3, 2009

For the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor: in times of turmoil, God is still present, using war to wake up His people. Our temptation is to turn to idolatrous weapons, but He is giving us a chance to use compassion to win hearts and minds.

You will need some background and interpretation in order for you to appreciate the Scripture I’m working from today. Let me first set the stage of history, and then, as we read through, I’ll try to show you the shape of what is being said. The time in which this reading from the 41st chapter of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 41:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

God Using A Two-By-Four

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 4, 2009

The cross hits us like a two-by-four to get our attention and remind us of our sin, teach us how God suffers for that sin, and show us how far He will go to call us back to Himself.

There is an old story -- so old, in fact, that I will not ask you to stop me if you’ve heard it before, because you have heard it before. But the story concerns a fellow riding on a cart, pulled by a stubborn old mule. It seems that this fellow liked to brag that he never had to whip the mule, he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:9-17

Denomination: Baptist

The World Turned Upside Down Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 5, 2009

An adaptation of the Seder service: Jesus turns upside down all our common values: sorrow for slavery becomes sorrow for sin; common issues become community; and wandering becomes salvation, all through the Cross.

When great crowds gather in city streets, it is either for a celebration or for a revolution. Throngs do not come together without a purpose; they come together either to celebrate a great occasion or to agitate for what they want. They come to see evidence of a world turned upside down. In ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

Having Is Losing

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 6, 2009

In times of financial stress, God knows the pressures on us. Our problem is that we want both material and spiritual security at the same time. The answer is faithfulness to the core values of ministry and witness.

A little snatch of dialogue from a television show caught my attention. Could it be true, or was it just so much pretentious hype? Could it be right, or was it just another exercise in excuse-making? The character who spoke, I noticed, was dressed tres chic and lived in a lavish house with a ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Denomination: Baptist

Moving Out In Unity Series

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Apr 7, 2009

The final part in a 5 part series on giving God room to work.

WHEN WE MOVE OUT, GOD MOVES IN PART 5 Moving Out in Unity ( All my sermons use illustrations from sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) As we wrap up this series of sermons, please turn with me to Ephesians 4 and we will be looking at many scriptures from this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Have You Only One Blessing?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 7, 2009

Our families are dysfunctional because we are not creative and do not consult the Lord in prayer. Isaac is weak, late, and materialistic. Rebekah is manipulative and anxious. God the Father of Jesus shows us how to love and give to our chidren.

We are bombarded daily with the phrase "family values." It has become the buzzword of the current political campaign. And as candidates parade their wives and children and grandchildren across the platform; as presidential hopefuls debate about which of them is the more family-oriented; as ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 27:1-45

Denomination: Baptist