Sermons on Joseph Freidman:

Finally Ready: Or Are You?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 24, 2003

For Ascension and for Graduate Recognition: when we think we are ready for life, we may be the least ready! Trusting the Lord, however, will provide a challenging life plan. The church can and will support young adults who dream great dreams for the Lor

Every year about this time we engage in a little ritual. In May or June, proud families drive off to some distant university, there to celebrate with a young adult who has finally slugged through four or more years of classes, writing papers, taking exams, and surviving all-nighters, and who is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Lord Of The Dance

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 25, 2003

There is joy in losing things because ultimately you find them! We, like the elder brother, do not even know what we are missing by not experiencing conversionsn, nor are we in touch with everyday grace. Celebrate! (Congregation invited to sing, severa

The older I get, the more I lose things. I leave a file on that ridiculous garbage heap I call my desk, and two minutes later it has buried itself three layers down. I set my keys on the table to free my hands for something else, and when I turn my back, those keys take flight. It’s amazing. I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:25-32

Denomination: Baptist

Has My Life Been A Failure? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 26, 2003

Joshua’s life reveals that success in old age is measured by faith and not sight, by what we have left for the next generation to complete, and by passing on a warning about the lessons he had learned.

And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed. Not one thing has failed. It would ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 23:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

Time For New Clothes Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 27, 2003

Midlife feels like a time for new clothes .. signs of mortality are showing up. We need new "shoes" to climb out of self-centeredness, and a new "coat" to enable us to travel out of our comfort zone.

I’ve always been glad that in this church we wear pulpit robes. I’m glad of that because pulpit robes keep you from noticing what the preacher is wearing. I don’t want you to think about what I am wearing. I don’t want you to think about my clothes because you are likely to discover that my ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 102:18-28

Denomination: Baptist

No More Night

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 28, 2003

We are promised "no more night": no more blind thrashing about, unable to see where our lives are going; no more mistrust; no more incompleteness. Sermon for Remembrance Day, when we celebrate members who have passed away in the previous year.

Several Saturday nights ago I just was not satisfied with my preaching preparation. Somehow the message had not quite gelled, and I knew there were many improvements I needed to make before Sunday morning. But by then it was late, after a busy weekend, and I decided, hey, so what, it’ll be all ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 22:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Rolling Stones: Leverage Or Fear?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2003

The risen Christ rolls away the stones that hold us back: secrets we carry, fears and suspicions. He provides "leverage" to move these things out of the way.

What giant stone stands in your way? What stops you from becoming what you want to become? You have dreams, hopes, goals. But something stops you. Not enough money? Not enough time? Maybe. But I would guess that some very large spiritual thing stands in your way. If you sift through all the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:2-6, John 19:38

Denomination: Baptist

Skepticism Or Commitment? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 30, 2003

You can read "What is truth?" as cynical skepticism, as playful intellectualism, as the plaintive cry of a battered soul, or as the hopeful sound of a hungry heart.

It was our first Thanksgiving on our own; always before we had traveled to our parents, but now, with a baby in the house and with other responsibilities, we had elected to do it our own, complete with a full-fledged roasted turkey. Margaret had done a magnificent job. Brother turkey presented ...read more

Scripture: John 18:28-38

Denomination: Baptist

Embarassment Or Witness? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 1, 2003

First-person account of Peter, at the time of the cockcrow denial, remembering the times he had embarassed himself and Jesus when he could have made a witness.

This knife, this bloody knife! Why did I keep it, why did I not throw it into the Brook Kidron while I had a chance? It could become evidence. They will have the assault weapon and they will tie me to it. Great God, I am going to be arrested! I am going to be taken prisoner. Who knows what ...read more

Scripture: John 18:10-18

Denomination: Baptist

Dissatisfaction Or Fulfillment? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 2, 2003

Like Judas, despite all we have, we feel dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction comes from too small a vision of where our lives must go or depending on others to give us meaning. A relationship with Jesus gives us redemption and release.

Willy Loman is the central character in Arthur Miller’s play, “Death of a Salesman”. Willy had known only one thing all his life, and that was selling. Selling, pitching, cajoling, persuading, making the sale. That was it. His wife played second fiddle to selling. His children tried to please, ...read more

Scripture: John 18:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Information Overload Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2003

We have so much knowledge, but we do not know how to use it. A reverent relationship to God readies us to respond when we lack courage, reinforces righteousness when we are doubtful, and retains reticence when we are tempted to say more than we understan

Only a few years ago, we replaced the old office computer. It was a dual-floppy drive type, if that means anything to you. We decided that we would get a newer computer, the kind with a hard drive on it, so that we could not only do word processing (for the uninitiated, that just means typing, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-7, Proverbs 1:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Through An Open Window To Life

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2003

Funeral sermon for Cecil Gordon Davison, Jr., Army retiree and U. S. Marshall, member of the church’s Building and Grounds Committee.

Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him ... The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. My first glimpse of the kind of man Cecil Davison was came just a few feet from where I am standing now. It was over at that window. We had scheduled a workday to get ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:7-12, Deuteronomy 33:27

Denomination: Baptist

Worship: How? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 4, 2003

Worship is done in many ways. But it must always have freshness and not mere form; it must be in community and not merely individual; it must have joy and not mere instruction at the bottom line; and it must spill into the streets, not confined to the sa

In your mind’s eye, take a tour with me. In your imagination, let’s go into some very special rooms. First, we go to a spacious room, dark, slightly musty, with nooks and crannies in which you could hide if you wanted to. And, indeed, in this room, there are a number of people who appear to be ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 149:1-9, 2 Chronicles 15:12

Denomination: Baptist

Worship: What? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 5, 2003

Worship will not satisfy unless it has both the elements of "spirit" and "truth". To worship without knowing the Bible is to fall for "feel-good" religion. And to worship without connecting with Christ is to go through the motions.

I am one of those who does not consider a meal complete unless it includes dessert. No matter how sumptuous the meal may be, until I have had my bowl of ice cream or my slice of pie, it just isn’t complete. And my wife is saying, under her breath, what you mean is a bowl of ice cream AND a slice ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 146:1-10, John 4:19-24

Denomination: Baptist

Never Abandoned Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 19, 2002

Sermon for Pentecost Sunday, intended as the first of three on the Trinity, all based on John 14. The Holy Spirit does not abandon His church, but if we are not obedient before claiming His support, we may forfeit His power. And if we do not acknowledge

If you believe you’ve been abandoned, you have two choices: either you can indulge in something that may soothe you temporarily, or you can watch for the power that will lead you out to success. If someone that matters to you has walked off and abandoned you, you can either pretend ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-17, John 14:25-27

Denomination: Baptist

A Prevailing Church: Loosing Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 20, 2002

A prevailing church is one which lives like those persons others thought Jesus might be -- like John the Baptist, loosing himself from tradition; like Elijah, living out of grace; like Jeremiah, let loose in the world.

I walked into the Baptist Student Center at the University of Kentucky, about to take over as chaplain. My predecessor was still on the scene, filling up garbage cans with files. In those pre-Watergate days, nobody had thought of shredders, I guess. He was throwing away every record, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist