Sermons on Joseph M Stowell:

The Stone, The Stink, And The Glory Of God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 16, 2009

Remembrance Sunday, 1989: For us to see the glory of God in the face of death means that we have to move some obstacles and we have to live into the bitterness of what might have been; but then the great "Come Forth" can be heard.

At Easter it was not hard to think and to sing of the glory of God, was it? Not hard at all to imagine that God’s in His heaven, all’s right with the world. Triumphant music played, pronouncements came forth about victory and power and honor to our God. It was not hard at Easter to dwell on the ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-44

Denomination: Baptist

The Sword Of Speech

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 2, 2010

If we have God's truth in our hearts, we must speak our witness. It is not good enough to remain silent. That word must be a word of love and it must be a word of justice. Martin Luther King exemplified this discipline.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC January 19, 1986 It was the spring of 1964, and I had to make a choice. I had to decide whether I would, in my very first year of ministry, do something which would create a bit of tension in the church, but which the students with whom I worked were ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 12:17-18

Denomination: Baptist

Immanuel: He Drives Away Our Fears

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 3, 2010

Advent 1987: Ahaz let fear drive him to sacrifice the best that he had and to mire down in "what if". God through Isaiah offered the ultimate sign of hope, His own presence, who drives away our fears.

The birth of a child has many layers of meaning. When a baby is born into a family, there can be all kinds of different feelings, all sorts of different meanings. For one family, this is indeed a blessed event, filled with joy, running over with excitement, the fulfillment of hopes and dreams and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-17

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Full Heart Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 23, 2009

Christmas is a time for full hearts: weary, guilty, anxious, sad -- past, present, and future. Mary felt the same things, but Christ comes to forgive our past, empower our present, and assure our future.

Christmas is an emotional time. All kinds of feelings are involved with the celebration of Christmas. If you don’t feel some tension, some excitement, or some pressure, something at this time of the year, you are either dead or you’ve been watching the Redskins, which is about the same thing. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

The Anatomy Of Rebellion: Forehead, Heart, And Mouth

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 17, 2009

We rebel against God when we refuse to learn anything new, when we resist His love, and when we refrain from telling others about Christ.

Parenting is the toughest job in the world. Nobody has it harder than parents. Amen? Now this insight didn’t come out of a book somewhere. This is not just some Freudian theory, cooked up in the psychology lab. I learned this truth, that parenting is the toughest job in the world, in another ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Venus De Milo: Beautiful But Not Perfect

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 14, 2009

We are not perfect, nor are we beyond redemption. Wake up to correct the inadequacies; strengthen what is worth keeping; and remember the grace of God.

In the best of us there are deep flaws; but in the worst of us there is something worth redeeming. In the best of us there are deep, profound flaws. Every fine and saintly person I have known has been hard to get along with, had blinders on about some issue, or just hung on to some irritating ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

An Unfinished Symphony

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 22, 2010

We start the new year thinking it will be much like the last and that we will not finish all those things we have started. But there is more beauty in being unfinished than in being complete; for in Christ we can grow and become what He wants us to be.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC December 29, 1985 I have told you before, I believe, that I am an inveterate list-maker. I believe I have mentioned that my way of working and of setting daily work priorities is to build lists, long, elaborate, detailed lists of things ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:4-16

Denomination: Baptist

Fear, Death, Life

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 26, 2010

It may seem strange to embrace death. But John could do so as he learned of fellow believers being killed, because he had a vision of the risen Christ as lord of life and death and even as lord of all human history.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC July 27, 1986 The picture is indelibly etched on my memory, I'm sure because at the time the incident seemed so bizarre, so peculiar. The scene was an elementary school talent show; all of us had been groomed and polished and persuaded that we had ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:4-18

Denomination: Baptist

Eyewitnesses Of Majesty

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 8, 2010

We tend to see only what we expect to see, and thus at Christmas we do not see the glory and majesty of the Christ child in the homeless, the downtrodden, the ashamed.

They say that "seeing is believing". Well, that depends. That depends on whether you can trust your eyesight. And it depends on whether you have decided to see what is really there or just what you think is there. "Seeing is believing." It depends on whether you can trust your eyesight. My ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-19

Denomination: Baptist

Joy On The Line Of Scrimmage

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 11, 2009

Even though we seem to be too few and too ill-prepared, if we engage this community for Christ there will be some victories and therefore joy.

This afternoon, when the saints come marching in, there will be several grades and degrees of happiness. Those ladies who remain football widows, who have not yet learned that if you can’t beat ’em, you have to join ’em – those who are football widows may be unhappy about the temporary loss of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Tripping Over The Big Obstacle

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 21, 2009

We struggle against sins (actions), sin (attitude), and evil (forces greater than ourselves). We must have Christ’s help to keep from falling. (Delivered by gradually stretching down the chancel steps).

Walking looks like the simplest thing in the world, unless and until. Walking is something we do without even thinking about it, unless and until. Unless you are a toddler, just learning to use your legs; then walking becomes a matter of holding on to the coffee table for dear life, taking two ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:9-28

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

The Lord's Prayer - His Priority Series

Contributed by Joseph Rodgers on Dec 13, 2018

An 8 week series examining the heart of the Lord's Prayer

Bent into Shape – His Priority 4/29/18 Matthew 6:10 Sunday AM In 1999, Eddie Stankey died at the age of 83. You might be asking, who’s Eddie Stankey? Time Mag. wrote, “Eddie Stankey was a pugnacious, pennant-winning 2nd baseman who battled his way thru 11 seasons for the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:10

Denomination: Baptist

When You Down To Nothing God Is Up To Something

Contributed by David Rogers on Jun 24, 2012

This sermon examines how God's plan is carried out in our life even when we are facing trials and tribulations. We must simply trust Him and live for Him.

When you are down to nothing God is up to something Genesis 37:23-28; 39:21-23; 41:37-45 Prayer I hope that everyone has had a wonderful week this week. God’s blessings are too numerous to count even when we cannot see them. Have you ever felt that you have reached the end of your rope, that ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Christmas Is About Our Reaction Series

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Dec 19, 2015

This message looks at how various folks in the Christmas Story responded to what was happening.

Last week we celebrated Christmas with our children’s presentation, which I’m sure Marilyn and her crew would testify is kind of like herding cats. And that was part of the process that led Charlie Brown to ask in frustration, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-14

Denomination: Wesleyan