Sermons on Joseph M Stowell:

Parenting: The Big Picture Series

Contributed by Robert Barnett on Oct 18, 2001

This sermon is an overview of the series "The Word On Parenting" and a treatment of four essential relationships in successful parenting.

P A R E N T I N G: T H E B I G P I C T U R E Proverbs 22:6 ¡§Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.¡¨ That verse tells me there are two basic gifts we are to give our children: Roots and Wings. Train up a child in the way he should go¡XWe ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Denomination: *other

Let’s Grow Up!

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 10, 2010

The need to mature in our faith. (PowerPoint slides are available for this talk on request - email: gcurley@gcurley.info

Let’s Grow Up! Reading: Hebrews chapter 5 verse 11 to chapter 6 verse 3. Ill: Children’s Wisdom • Patrick aged 10 • “Never trust a dog to watch your food” • Michael aged 14 • “When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don’t answer him” • Joel, aged 10 • “Don’t pick on ...read more

Denomination: Brethren

Holding Your Hand

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 4, 2008

We all face a variety of issues that threaten to make us stumble. Seeing the prosperity of the wicked caused the psalmist to question the goodness of God. But God squeezed his hand and reassured him that, given the judgment of God, the wicked do not reall

Opening illustration: One of the joys of being with kids is holding their hands. We do it to keep them safe while crossing the street, or to keep them from getting lost in a crowd. And whenever they stumble and lose their footing, we grab their little hands tighter to keep them from falling. That’s ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 73:23-26

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Laodicea: Things Spoil At Room Temperature Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 16, 2003

The world will invade us with its values. But we are called to be "hot" to pursue such things as compassion and evangelism and "cold" toward such things as hostility and prejudice. We can sustain these values if we are connected to one another and to Go

The Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes, speaks to me. I trust he also speaks to you. In fact, that is the very title of his poem! “To You” To sit and dream, to sit and read, To sit and learn about the world Outside our world of here and now – our problem world – To dream of vast horizons ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Denomination: Baptist

Teary Eyes, Stumbling Feet, Hands Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

Deepseated shame and objective guilt arise from a self-serving spirit, but the Cross delivers us from both and frees us to live out of gratitude.

Mark it down. Memorize this. Engrave it somewhere. It is an ironclad rule. This will always happen: when it is the least convenient for you to respond, someone will want you to respond. When it is nearly impossible for you to get up and do what someone wants you to do, that is the very moment ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 116:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

Pain Ignores The Appointment Book Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 20, 2001

Many of us dislike dealing with unplanned events, but those who need us need us now. So either we paralyze or we panic, unless we learn to work together inside God’s grace and unless we discern that He is giving us time in which to grow our faith.

I have the utmost admiration for anybody who can live amid constant crises. I cannot do that very well. If you are the kind of person who can keep your sanity when there are ten unplanned things happening around you, I salute you. How do you do it? That’s not me. That’s not my skill. I like ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:30-56

Denomination: Baptist

Advancing Without Hindrance

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 18, 2001

In our own lives, as well as in the life of the church, there are barriers to advancement, but they are nowhere near as difficult as our spiritual hindrances.

When I entered junior high school, I was introduced to track and field games – to things like the 100-yard dash, relay races, and, most of all, the hurdles. As any red-blooded American boy would have done, I had done my share of running and climbing and bicycling and the like. But hurdles I had ...read more

Scripture: Acts 28:23-30

Denomination: Baptist

Stairway To Heaven Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 4, 2001

The beatitudes can be understood sequentially .. as stairsteps to "perfection" (Matt. 5:48). The first four lift us to fellowship with God; the other four bring us back down to the reality of ministry with needy people. This sermon was delivered using a ladder as a "prop".

When Stanley Kubrick made the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”, he guessed that by this time we would be flitting back and forth in outer space, visiting other planets and seeing things never before seen by human beings. The movie suggested that those who would be alive in the year 2001 would go on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Paying Our Spiritual Debts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 4, 2001

Debt can be a good thing, spiritually; we owe debts to those who have shaped us, both negatively and positively, and pay that back by sharing in mutual respect and by offering the good news to a generation yet to come.

How do you feel about debt? Do you like debt? Do you take pleasure in interest payments? How many of you say, “Oh, Mr. Greenspan, please don’t lower the interest rate again. I want to pay more. I love debt.” Can I get a show of hands? I thought not. You don’t like debt. I don’t like ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:8-17

Denomination: Baptist

It Wasn't The Pacific Ocean Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 12, 2001

Jesus’ handling of and interpretation of His witness at the seashore is a parable of our witness in shaky, stormy circumstances.

A few weeks ago I caught the TV show, “America’s Funniest Videos.” You may know that on that show there are clips of poignant scenes from the human drama, as captured by someone’s home video camera. This particular clip caught my attention. A father was trying to show his small son how to fish, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

What Stands In The Way?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 22, 2004

For Ascension Sunday; and in preparation for my retirement as pastor. What stands in our way? Exhaustion? Gather all, gather the marginalized, and pray. Planless? Remember our core values and do them. Lack of urgency? We are accountable to God.

When a leader and those he leads part company, we learn a whole lot about both of them. Their true values become apparent. The things they are really about become clear. There is no more game-playing when it is time for a leader and those he leads to part company. Sometimes they separate ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-14, Acts 28:23-31

Denomination: Baptist

All Your Anxiety?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 26, 2004

Final sermon as pastor, before retirement. Trust God for the future; He cares for you. Cast on Him anxiety about what threatens us; what only appears to threaten us; and about our ultimate destinies.

I was taught never to put all my eggs in one basket. I was told, as a young person, that I needed to be careful not to commit myself to one and only one thing. I was to stay open to a variety of choices. When I started earning money, my parents taught me not to spend it all on any one ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

God's Invitation Leads To A Crisis Of Belief Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 21, 2003

Part 5 of a series on Blackaby’s Experiencing God: when God invites into some new truth, the first crisis will be one of personal belief; the second is one of tension between old patterns and new options; and the last comes in the temptation to fall back

There’s an old, old story about the time a crowd had gathered to watch a stunt man perform at Niagara Falls. It seems that the fellow had rigged up a wire from shore to shore, right across the falls, and was wowing the crowd by riding a bicycle along that wire. Back and forth he went, several ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-21

Denomination: Baptist

The Changing Church And The Changeless Christ

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 5, 2003

Although we may not want the church to change, change is inevitable and positive. Change will be guided if we will remember and assess accurately the traditions we have been given, if we will also assess proposed changes and not panic, and if we will mea

Some folks are allergic to change. They want everything to be just as it always was. They get used to things and they want everything to stay put. Some folks just won’t deal with change. A few weeks ago the electricity went out at our house. Some transformer blew, and for several hours we had ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7-16

Denomination: Baptist

When Sensitivity Is Dulled Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 17, 2004

Where does interpersonal insensitivity come from? Ignorance, alienation from God, loss of feeling, destructive self-absorption. How can sensitivity be regained? Learn, learn Christ, let the relationship govern, be renewed.

There has been an accident. You’ve been hit hard, and you cannot lift that leg. They examine you, they flex your muscles, they look for broken bones. If the condition persists, they may stick pins into the soles of your feet. They are trying to find out whether you can feel anything. They are ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Denomination: Baptist