Sermons on Joseph Cook:

A Hiding Place With Noble Plans

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 20, 2009

We all need a place of quiet in which to hide and reflect; it will be the community of faith. Here we know one another as we really are, but love one another anyway. That is transformative.

Just a little less than a month ago, as many of you know, my wife’s father passed away very suddenly. Of course, we all hurried to get together, and then, as families do in times like that, we began to tell stories. We remembered how he used to say this or how he once did that. And one story we ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 32:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Paternal Pleas To Posterity

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 21, 2009

Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, DC: We will never achieve maturity until we come to terms with our paternity and accept our posterity. Understand that those who shaped us were also maturing; the transforming power of Christ will open wide our hearts.

All of us aspire to maturity. All of us hope to become mature and complete, grown up in every way, accomplished, respected, and honored. It’s a worthy goal. It’s a proper ambition. But we will never achieve maturity until we come to terms with both our paternity and our posterity. Our ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

The Absolutely Positively Proper Perspective

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Aug 26, 2010

Having a Positive Attitude is a vital aspect of a successful Christian life, this sermon looks at ways that the proper perspective insures our success.

THE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY PROPER PERSPECTIVE (All my sermons use illustrations found on sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) Having the proper perspective is truly one of the most important things we can have in life. Another way of saying this is: Having a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Power Of Prayer

Contributed by Joseph Pattar on Aug 28, 2010

A man who kneel will stand before king.

1 king 17:1 we read about the Elijah as `Èlijah the Tishbite` a inhabitant of Gilead. All previous 16 chapters we read about great kings and their victories over the other nations failure to stand before God and get defeated by enemies.And there suddenly appears a story of simple man or common man ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1

Denomination: Pentecostal

Finding Fearless Focus

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Sep 1, 2010

Keeping our focus on God is quite difficult for some, especially with the great amount of distractions found in today's fast paced world. Yet, Paul calls us to keep our devotion and single mindeness.

FINDING FEARLESS FOCUS (All my sermons use illustrations found on www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) Focus is a word we hear a lot in the media, in conversation and especially in sports. Having focus can insure success, being distracted almost always spells ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Guiltless Grief

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 22, 2009

We can deal with grief if we allow ourselves to recognize its complexity, if we accept the love of caring friends, and if we permit God to use the grief to change us.

They stood at the gravesite, looking at the flower-covered casket of their father. The committal service had been over for ten or fifteen minutes. Everyone else had gone back to the cars. But the two sisters stood there, lingering long, staring into space. Their faces were masks: no emotions, no ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Handling God's Success When We Wanted It For Ourselves Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2009

Ministry looks impossible, and we want to run the other way. But when we do finally tackle it, and God redeems, then we want the credit. In His grace He assures us that we are not forgotten even though we are inappropriate.

All during this month we’ve worked together on the theme of compassion. Because we are a church which urgently needs to do ministry in this community; because we are a people with much to give and much to share, and with a place to share it, by the time this week is over we will have invested four ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Raising The Roof: Sickness Down, Dander Up

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2009

It will be necessary to do some unusual things that will raise the anger of some Christians and will not be understood in the larger community. But the bottom line is getting help to those who need it.

Several years ago, when housing prices began to shoot up into the stratosphere, we began to see something new in my neighborhood. We saw many of the houses being opened up from the top, and then construction of new second stories or new dormers or even decks and balconies, way up high. What was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Pharisees: Stuck In Correctness Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 30, 2009

It is easier to be smug than satisfied, to be correct than compassionate, to be religious than real. What we need to do is to cry, "Lord forgive my sin."

The surest formula for unhappiness is have to be right, all of the time. If you are expected to be one hundred percent correct, never making a mistake, no blunders allowed, then you are asking for a serious heart attack, for high blood pressure, and for plain old unhappiness. It’s an awesome burden ...read more

Scripture: John 10:31-39

Denomination: Baptist

Rare Words Yield Worthless Children

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 1, 2009

Eli’s two sons were counted "worthless", and the fault can be traced to "the word of the Lord was rare in those days". Eli did not connect "church" and home for them. We must teach our children Biblical truth or face the consequences.

Nothing delights us any more than the birth of a new baby. Everybody gets sort of squishy and sentimental around a baby. And I suspect that it is not only because they are cute and cuddly and helpless and small, but also it is because they are full of promise. Babies are nothing more than a bundle ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Official Language: Spirit

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 2, 2009

The church’s communication medium is the Spirit, who understands us and allows us to understand one another.

Of all the achievements of human genius, nothing is more wonderful than language. And yet, it is also true that nothing is more destructive than language. For language unites us and yet, language also separates us. Of all the gifts we have been given, nothing is more useful than language. With ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

All I Need Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 7, 2010

Jesus’ healing of the man born blind forced his disciples to rethink their theology, forced his neighbors to rethink their perception of him as victim, and forces us to rethink our posture toward healing ministries.

Have you noticed that when you get sick, you get sick all over? When some part of your body isn’t up to par, then the whole person, the whole self, feels bad. When we get sick, we get sick all over. Now you may speak of having an upset stomach, but it’s really an upset you. The physician might ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-33

Denomination: Baptist

Every Time The Church Doors Open

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 11, 2010

Preached 1985. What merits our coming to church frequently? We need to come with the expectation that God will meet us in the presence of His people. And then we will respond with prayer for the church, not mere criticism or complaint.

They tell the story about the fellow who on one Sunday morning woke up, struggled out of bed, shuffled downstairs for his breakfast, and then announced to his mother, "Mother, I’m not going. I’m just not going to church today. I don’t feel like it, they don’t care for me down there, I don’t need ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 122:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

I Thirst

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 13, 2010

Fifth Word of a Seven-Last-Words service, summing up the first four as Jesus’ thirst for others, for salvation, for God, and finally for His own needs. Gethsemane Baptist Church, Washington, DC

True spirituality is to know that we have needs. It is only those who pose as ultra-spiritual who deny their needs. True spirituality is to need help, and to ask for it. Spiritual maturity means knowing when we are not adequate and knowing that it is all right to ask for help. It is only the ...read more

Scripture: John 19:28

Denomination: Baptist

Starting Over With God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 13, 2010

God, though He is a god of wrath, also gives Himself permission to start over with us; we ought to take a cue from that and give ourselves permission to start over in our relationship with Him.

Did you ever start something and then find that it was going so badly, it was such a mess, you just wished you could just start all over again? You started down some path, you knew it was a mistake, but you got so invested in it you felt you had to see it through, even though it was getting worse ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 11:1-9

Denomination: Baptist