Sermons on Joseph M Stowell:

Breakthrough For Joy

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 2, 2010

Every now and then something happens, after a long struggle, to give us a breakthrough. So with God in Christ, planning from the foundation of time for the cross and achieving a breakthrough victory at the empty tomb. So count nothing impossible.

Every now and again, in human history, we achieve a breakthrough. Something which we have worked for, hoped for, fought and died for, finally happens. There has been struggle and agony and seemingly endless defeat, but suddenly it all works out. That’s called a breakthrough. You know the feeling. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

All Your Diseases?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 5, 2010

For Labor Day Sunday, 1989; a focus on and prayer for those involved in the medical professions. God wants to heal us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The resurrection means that full healing is ultimately assured. Those who research and apply

God wants us to be well. Do you believe that? I do. God does not want us to be sick; our gracious, loving, Father has not wished disease upon us, nor has He orchestrated illness to punish us, nor does He target us with sickness in order to judge us. Our God wants us to be well. If you read ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Bramble For President!

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 6, 2010

The politician who sells out to special interests and who has no regard for life is not worthy of our loyalty. We need to get involved in the political process with a servant mentality.

We have here in our church a long-standing tradition of the separation of church and state. We do not get involved in partisan politics. We do not support candidates, we do not give platforms to those running for political office. This sets us off from some other churches, where it is not at all ...read more

Scripture: Judges 9:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

All I Need Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 7, 2010

Jesus’ healing of the man born blind forced his disciples to rethink their theology, forced his neighbors to rethink their perception of him as victim, and forces us to rethink our posture toward healing ministries.

Have you noticed that when you get sick, you get sick all over? When some part of your body isn’t up to par, then the whole person, the whole self, feels bad. When we get sick, we get sick all over. Now you may speak of having an upset stomach, but it’s really an upset you. The physician might ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-33

Denomination: Baptist

I Thirst

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 13, 2010

Fifth Word of a Seven-Last-Words service, summing up the first four as Jesus’ thirst for others, for salvation, for God, and finally for His own needs. Gethsemane Baptist Church, Washington, DC

True spirituality is to know that we have needs. It is only those who pose as ultra-spiritual who deny their needs. True spirituality is to need help, and to ask for it. Spiritual maturity means knowing when we are not adequate and knowing that it is all right to ask for help. It is only the ...read more

Scripture: John 19:28

Denomination: Baptist

Hurry Up And Wait

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 25, 2010

Funeral message for Thelma Harper Brown, who exhibited extraordinary patience during a long decline.

What must it feel like to spend every day waiting? Just waiting. Not going anywhere, not keeping appointments, not concerned about a schedule, but just waiting. Waiting through interminable days and dark nights; waiting to be fed, to be turned, to be spoken to. What must it feel like just to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-39

Denomination: Baptist

Six Miles Of Obedience

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 25, 2010

Funeral message for Eva Myers, whose distinctive discipline was six miles of walking daily ... a metaphor for walking with Christ.

"Whoever obeys [God’s] word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, ’I abide in him,’ ought to walk just as he walked." At first I didn’t believe it. Six miles a day?! How could anybody, especially one up in her years, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 26:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Stranger In A Strange Land

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 27, 2010

For Prayer Breakfast given by a Francophone African church. We must respond to immigrants because God commands it, our history demands it, it serves our own best interests, and the Gospel includes it.

Valentine Michael Smith was born on Earth, raised on Mars, and returned to Earth. He never felt fully at home in either place. But his interaction with Earth, when he returned as a young adult, transformed Earth culture and impacted many lives. His most important contribution to Earth was the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:11-22

Denomination: Baptist

Peace Now

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 12, 2010

Funeral message for Matthew Jackson, a quiet man whose chief pleasure was to be among family and friends and who devoted himself to a disabled son.

There are two kinds of quiet people. There are those who are quiet because, to tell the truth, they have nothing to say! And then there are those who are quiet because they are simply content with what they know; they have no need to impress anyone else. There are two kinds of quiet people. Two ...read more

Scripture: James 3:13-18

Denomination: Baptist

All Things

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 14, 2010

Final message on the church's vision statement. Christ's lordship over all things means that there is nothing worthy that we can leave out of our work, but it will succeed if we are focused on Him and not on our own success.

At the very center of the Christian faith there is Christ. That sounds self-evident: it seems obvious. But we keep forgetting it. We keep on trying to live without a center. Think about a wheel which has no hub; if you try to roll that wheel, its spokes will collapse. And no church will hold its ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Denomination: Baptist

Knowing Just Enough To Be Dangerous Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 17, 2010

Being less than fully informed Christians can be injurious to ourselves and to our world. Ultimately we need to know Christ personally as much as we need to know about our faith.

Between knowing nothing and knowing a great deal there is something which is very dangerous. That is knowing a little. Knowing just enough to be dangerous. In many instances, it isn't dangerous to be totally ignorant. If you don't know, and you know you don't know, you will go ahead and get help. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Brothers: Rivals, Partners, Or Soul Mates?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 17, 2010

For Masonic Divine Service: Brothering can be an accident of birth or proximity, but it often becomes competitive because of insecurity or exploitive because of sin. Christ chooses us to be brothers and lays His life down for us.

It's almost time to elect a president of the United States. Every four years we go through this little exercise called a national election. And even though every four years we tell one another that the election is about issues; about the economy and about foreign policy and about defense and about ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

The Best Is Yet To Be

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 21, 2010

Senior Adult Sunday 1989: God wants to bless us in our senior years and to give us "laughter". He can work through our mistakes and even make those into blessings. From crosses He makes resurrections.

As they passed through the middle age years and headed for senior status, they took some measures to make sure that those years would be manageable years. They took stock of their finances, for example, and made sure that there would be enough for everyday life and for at least a few emergencies. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 17:1-21

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

Heavenly Cpr

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 28, 2010

1986, with an Assistant reading the part of Philemon. An imaginary set of letters between Paul and Philemon, emphasizing that a new relationship with Christ changes every human relationship, and calls for forgiveness and mutual support.

Among all the weighty theological treatises the apostle Paul wrote to the churches he had established, among all the complex sentences and profound thoughts and ponderous pronouncements, there is one little gem from the hand of the great apostle that is quite different. The little letter to ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Baptist