Sermons on Joseph M Stowell:

Cutting Through The Legalese Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 17, 2003

We look for loopholes in what God has called us to do, but the Bible calls us to a proactive lifestyle, it makes us face who we really are, and it calls us to accountability.

Some of us love to take the simple and make it complex. Some of us thrive on taking perfectly obvious matters and making them as obscure as possible. My neighbor’s car has on it a bumper sticker that says, “Eschew obfuscation”. After about a half-hour with the dictionary, I found out that means, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13

Denomination: Baptist

It Is Finished!

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 20, 2003

For Labor Day Sunday: God is not finished with His work on us until we finish our work for Him. An experiential service.

The car in front of mine was carrying a puzzling bumper sticker. In large, readable print, it said, [hold up sign] “PBPWMGIFWMY”. Whatever could that mean? And what language was that? Polish, maybe? Swahili? Hindi? Serbo-Croatian? I inched a little closer, because there was something ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58

Denomination: Baptist

How Much Is The Fare To Tarshish? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 6, 2003

Jonah refused to go to Tarshish because emotionally he felt unwelcome and theologically he thought he could escape God’s oversight. He paid hidden costs, in vain: the loss of a vessel, the loss of joy, human wreckage, reckoning with eternity.

When I travel, I don’t want to spend too much money on the travel itself. I’d rather spend my money on whatever there is to buy where I’m going. I don’t want to hand much over to the airline or the railroad. I want to travel cheap. But I sometimes miss an important fact – that when I try to ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

When Nothing Seems Possible, Pray

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 14, 2003

When frustration abounds, in prayer we can discover deepened relationships, new possibilities, and ultimately grace.

For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him; therefore your servant has found it possible to pray before you. Isn’t that an intriguing phrase? “Your servant has found it possible to pray.” My theme for today is “when nothing seems possible, pray.” “When ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 17:1-27, Romans 3:3-5

Denomination: Baptist

You Missed The Point

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 23, 2003

Why do we scold fathers on Father’s Day, when it is often that their children simply miss hearing their counsel. The sons of Josiah ignored their grounding in God’s word and the support of the Temple and misunderstood the value of hard work.

The difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is that we honor our mothers but we scold our fathers. We talk of saintly moms, who wore their fingers to the bone to cook and clean and sow for us. We honor them for their industry, their mother wit, and their prayer life. And that is as it ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 22:11-23

Denomination: Baptist

Blending Into The Woodwork Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 13, 2004

A quiet, introverted people can still bear witness if they will first determine to be obedient, and then will affirm who they are, where they are, as an opportunity for witness.

One of the defining moments of my life the day I was the first to arrive for class. I sat for a couple of moments alone in a corner of the classroom, waiting for others to show up. A young woman came in the door, looked around, and then said to someone behind her in the hall, “There’s nobody ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

I Know History; I Do Not Know Myself Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 4, 2002

It is one thing to know history and theology; it is another entirely to understand our own hearts. Job’s pilgrimage into self-understanding led to self-hatred, but in Christ that can be redeemed.

I’ll ask you to repeat with me this wonderful, ringing affirmation from the New Testament: But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. I know. I know the one in whom I have put my trust. ...read more

Scripture: Job 9:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Stand And Be Counted

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 23, 2008

At a church-sponsored rally for census involvement. Census taking may seem invasive, but the information leads toward justice; God is able to use the census for His purposes; and it reminds us of the vast task of redemption to which we are called.

When Rev. Gray asked me to preach, the answer was easy. I am just about always ready to preach! You know how it is with preachers, especially Baptists: we can come up with a Scripture to cover all occasions, we have an opinion about everything, and we believe that everybody is waiting to hear our ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 7:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Gifted For Ministry

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 10, 2007

We are a gifted church, with diversely gifted members, and we need to turn that into creative expressions of love for our community.

I don’t get to watch the Miss America pageant any more. Used to be, every September I would hunker down in front of a TV set and prepare to ogle. Gorgeous gals, we called them, in those Neanderthal days, before our language had to become politically correct. Beauty contest, we called it, before ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

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

The Changing Church And The Changeless Christ

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 29, 2010

We are in transitional times; we will be helped through transition if we remember who got us here and why, but if we also remain wary of popular bandwagons. The ultimate measure is whether we have been faithful to Christ's call.

Gethsemane Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Nov. 24, 1996 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 ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7-16

Denomination: Baptist

Building A Better Body Series

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Feb 12, 2009

Part 1 of a 6 part series on Building a Better body, church building.

BETTER BODY BUILDING INTRO part 1 Can you believe that we are headed for the holiday season already? Very soon we will be looking at celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas and it will be another new year. I am praying that 2009 will be a year when we see great growth and decisions as we have ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Moving Out In Humility Series

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Feb 19, 2009

This series is about Giving God room to work in our lives and in our church, each sermon talks a little about what we need to do and we need to stop doing in order to have God work in our lives.

WHEN WE MOVE OUT, GOD MOVES IN! Part 1 “Moving Out in Humility” (All my sermons use illustrations from Sermon Central and scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) Several years ago I was the preacher of a church in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After I had ministered there for a while, I saw ...read more

Scripture: John 3:30

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Knit Quilt

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 16, 2009

Jonathan and David demonstrate how people are joined to one another: acknowledging a Father, receiving validation, empowering one another, working together for life.

There is a group in our church which is planning a quilt. This quilt is to depict the history of our church, with each square representing a decade in the church’s life. The finished product will be put on display so that everyone can get a picture of our history. Now this is not the first time ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

What More Can You Ask?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 19, 2009

What keeps us from fulfilling Jesus’ "So send I you" mandate? Lack of information? There is the Bible. Motivation? Forgiveness is critical for all. No personal experience with Christ? Now is the time for a fresh encounter. Montgomery Hills Baptist

Some of us live in a state of perpetual unreadiness. No matter what happens, we think we are not ready. Notice how I put that. We THINK we are not ready. We may have plenty of stuff in our old kit bags. We may have assembled all that we need to accomplish whatever we are about to do, but the ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Denomination: Baptist