Sermons on Joseph In Prison:

Summer Disappointments

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 24, 2008

When we feel disappointment in life, we blame our own expectations, we blame those who love us, and ultimately we blame God. Repentance and acceptance of grace takes us away from self and toward contentment.

Those of you who attempt to grow gardens know that it takes infinite patience and infinite hope to be a gardener. It takes infinite patience because it can be a great deal of work and a lot of expense and much waiting to get any kind of results. Incidentally, I dispute the notion that you can ...read more

Scripture: Micah 7:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

The Word Made Flesh: A New Beginning

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 28, 2011

We cannot repair our mistakes alone, because we keep on starting at old premises. What we need, and receive in the Incarnation, is a new beginning, modeled and taught.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Nov. 30, 1986, Advent I One comic strip character aspires to be a writer. His crowning ambition is to write the definitive novel, the bestseller to end all best sellers. And so time and again he sits down at his typewriter, poises his paws (must be ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

No Deposit, No Return

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 2, 2011

To fail to do what is right is not only sin, but is unproductive. What of our knowledge resources and our financial resources? Are they making a difference? If not, no gain.

Calverton Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, August 15, 1982; Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Sept. 30, 1984) Preachers find sermons in all sorts of strange places, and I found this one in a bottle! Now you can just stop thinking what you are thinking and listen to what I mean! ...read more

Scripture: James 4:17

Denomination: Baptist

On Not Giving Up On The Family

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 3, 2011

Baptists have a distinctive history, with some soaring moments and yet with some dismal ones as well. There is much to correct, but the good news is that we remain committed to missions and evangelism.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Feb. 4, 1996 They came out of nowhere. From small villages and obscure city streets, from backwoods farms and hard labor coal mines; from workingmen’s cottages, but not from the plantations, and from the ranks of domestics and cooks, but not ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-10

Denomination: Baptist

A Mother's Loan

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 4, 2011

Hannah shows us that women today can turn their insecurities and their relationships over to God and can find fulfillment.

(First Baptist Church, Gaithersburg, MD, May 11, 1980; Calverton Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, May 9, 1982; Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, May 12, 1985) One of God's great mercies is that He consistently takes our faltering insecurities and transforms them into something ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Where Is The God Of Justice?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 25, 2010

For Martin Luther King Day 1988: It is irresponsible to continue to whine about God's absence in the face of injustice. He is refining His church to address justice, and will bless us when we give ourselves without reserve to His purposes.

Some twenty-four centuries ago, when the prophet Malachi's ears were assaulted by an impertinent question, he heard it as a confession of irresponsibility. When the men and women of Judah shouted at this prophet, who had accused them of wearying God, who had charged that their blabbering talk was ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Prayer And The Cynical

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 25, 2010

Prayer emphasis fall 1987: common wisdom is that we will never change, and the cynic believes that. Like Koheleth we can lose hope for everything. But the Christ who will come gives us hope, life, companionship, and is at work in all things for change a

One of the rules you learn when you study the discipline of marriage counseling is that you must try to help young people preparing for marriage to know at least this much: that whatever he or she is now, they will be more of it in fifty years. Whatever he or she is now, they will be more of it in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Dirty Feet At The Table

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 27, 2010

The Lord's washing of all the disciples' feet reminds us that all of us need cleansing, that His cleansing starts us on the way to holiness, and that we are then empowered to help others toward cleansing.

When I was growing up, there were very definite rules about what you did or did not do at the dinner table. Obviously, everyone was expected to wash their hands before coming to the table and then to wait quietly while prayer was offered. To this day, if I rush to eat something without doing both ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

The Holy Spirit: The Gift Of Unity

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 27, 2010

Delivered in 1986, shortly after pastoral call. The Spirit gives us unity in a time of riskiness and danger. That gift is more than unanimity; it is dedication to God's purposes.

Not everything in every sermon has to be communicated in words. Words and speech are only a part of the way you get a message across. A part of what you folks receive is not only what you hear, but also what you see. What you see and what you pick up just from being here is certainly a part of the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

The Holy Spirit In The Heart: When Words Fail

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 28, 2010

Delivered 1986: When we cannot express ourselves even in prayer, God's Spirit communicates what we cannot say. So also His Table opens up a channel of communication via the contrite heart and the broken spirit.

Have you ever had this experience? You are caught up in a great debate, or maybe it's a discussion of some issue. You are quite sure you are right; you know, you just know, that what you think is the right way, and here you are, arguing your point. With power and passion you get right up to the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:26-27

Denomination: Baptist

Superstition, Luck, And Halloween

Contributed by Robert Joseph on Oct 26, 2012

A warning against mixing the beliefs of the pagan world--like luck and superstition--along with our precious Christian beliefs. Superstition is idolatry!

A pastor was in line at McDonald’s when the woman ahead of him became very upset. “Quick,” she told the clerk in an upset voice, “Add something to my order.” Usually, when someone wants another sandwich or extra order of fries, they are much calmer about it. So, I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:20-21

Denomination: Pentecostal

Making God Smile

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Aug 20, 2011

After Vacation Bible School I see the lesson we taught is a lesson we need to learn, We all should want to see God smile.

MAKING GOD SMILE (All my sermons use illustrations that can be found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) A few weeks ago we had Vacation Bible School, a slightly obnoxious camel puppet, from Brooklyn New York, taught the kids lessons about Noah. The first day ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bout Of A Lifetime

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Aug 20, 2011

We are all in a great fight, are you prepared

BOUT OF YOUR LIFETIME (All my sermons use illustration found on www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted.) Oh, the hype of a good fight! We see the advertising on television, trying hard to sell PPV tickets to the bout of the century. The WWF is always ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:9-13

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Like A Moth To A Candle

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Sep 28, 2011

The church today does NOT do enough to bring people out of darkness and into the light. Levi followed Jesus and invited his friends to do the same, we can to.

(All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) LIKE A MOTH TO A CANDLE Have you ever wondered why insects are attracted to light? I really think all living things, for the most part are attracted to light. There are of course some ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Keys To A Muscle Car Church

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Oct 26, 2011

We would all love to have a church that has the real "power" God intends the church to have, this sermon explores how.

All my sermons use illustrations found at www. Sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise stated. KEYS FOR A MUSCLE CAR CHURCH Recently I saw a show on television where a guy was very upset that his 1970 muscle car had been stolen. He was very attached to this powerful car, its ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ