Sermons on Joseph Remembered:

Handling God's Success When We Wanted It For Ourselves Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2009

Ministry looks impossible, and we want to run the other way. But when we do finally tackle it, and God redeems, then we want the credit. In His grace He assures us that we are not forgotten even though we are inappropriate.

All during this month we’ve worked together on the theme of compassion. Because we are a church which urgently needs to do ministry in this community; because we are a people with much to give and much to share, and with a place to share it, by the time this week is over we will have invested four ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Up And Down And In And Out

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 12, 2009

Calverton Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD: Worship involves four dimensions: UP toward God, our help; DOWN from our pride; IN toward a caring unity; and OUT toward a world in need.

When I was in college, I had a math professor who would write a problem on the board, and then with a few deft strokes of his chalk, write the answer: X equals 12. Somehow, no matter what the problem, it seemed as though X always equaled twelve. But how did he get that? From long and complex ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

What It Takes To Be Heard By God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 5, 2009

If you want to be heard by God, make sure God and not others are your audience, make sure that it is really you who is speaking, and make sure to forgive and to receive forgiveness.

The morning worship service had reached an emotional climax during the pastor’s fervent prayer. He had carefully crafted it with fine liturgical phrases, hallowed by centuries of use. It was backed up by a throbbing organ, playing a hymn that gently drew worshipers back to thoughts of that amazing ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

Walk The Walk, Sing The Song

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 17, 2009

To have singing joy in our hearts, we must be ready to serve when God’s time comes, to discern the will of God, and to avoid all escape mechanism.

I would wager that most of you can finish this sentence. You will have heard it a thousand times. Try it. "If you are going to talk the talk, then you have to what?" "Walk the walk". If you’re going to talk the talk, then you have to walk the walk. It means, of course, that what you profess ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20

Denomination: Baptist

The River Euphrates: Foolish Fashions Shrink Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 20, 2009

A great people learn to balance foolish pride and destructive shame, and learn to be themselves rather than selecting the worst habits of the majority. Cling to what has supported the African-American for years.

Those who have planned our observance of Black History Month this year selected the theme, "New Currents, Ancient Rivers". Many of you will recognize that the words, "Ancient Rivers" are drawn from a well-known poem by Langston Hughes. The phrase "New Currents, Ancient Rivers" suggests to me that ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 13:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Moving Out In Unity Series

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Apr 7, 2009

The final part in a 5 part series on giving God room to work.

WHEN WE MOVE OUT, GOD MOVES IN PART 5 Moving Out in Unity ( All my sermons use illustrations from sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) As we wrap up this series of sermons, please turn with me to Ephesians 4 and we will be looking at many scriptures from this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Transformers

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Sep 21, 2011

So many so-called Christians are only Christians outwardly, what needs to happen is a Transformation of our heart.

(All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) TRANSFORMERS Recently I took my children to see the new Transformers movie, I had already seen it in 3-D, but they had not seen it so we went and truly enjoyed the family time ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Healed Hearts Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 19, 2010

The fearful heart cannot accept what God offers; but the healed heart receives freedom from shortcomings, confidence before the world, and liberty from becoming a controller of others.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC; November 23, 1986 By now you are probably weary of heart, this several weeks of dealing with what I have called, "heart diseases." By now you may have felt that everything that could be said about the heart in a Biblical reference had been said, maybe ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Twas The Night Before . . . ?

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Oct 21, 2010

On Halloween it seems fitting to speak about Hell, this sermon shows that Hell is a choice, there are no second chances there and Heaven is a much better choie.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE . . . (All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) Today is Halloween, the night before what has been called “All Saints Day” a supposed time to pray and remember the dead. The History of this ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:41-46

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Bookkeeping Nightmare

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 27, 2010

Forgiveness is an act of understanding how much God has forgiven us; of the heart, making a changed spirit possible; and of the will, opening up all that God wants to do in us.

First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, MD, October 4, 1979; Cresthill Baptist Church, Bowie, MD, June 8, 1980; Calverton Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, May 16, 1982; Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC November 24, 1985 Back in my early teen years I was a Monopoly freak. Not an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:23-35

Denomination: Baptist

Knowledge (Not Opinion)

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 6, 2010

Some of us handle truth by simply asserting ourselves forcefully. Paul's way was to root truth in revelation rather than logic; to find authentic confidence in personal experience; and to submit himself to transformation. First Baptist Church of Gaithers

If there’s one thing I have a strong opinion about, it is that I do not like people with strong opinions! I have a hard time with the person who declares what he thinks with absolute hard-core certainty, riding roughshod over any contrary thoughts I might have. I struggle with that. I have ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:11-24

Denomination: Baptist

Laborers Together With God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 11, 2010

Annual sermon, D. C. Baptist Convention. Clergy and laity will be in conflict, but it can be creative when we recognize our humanness, turn our competitiveness in productivity, and learn to identify where God is already at work.

I've done a little work through the years in helping ministers get positions on church staffs. Every Baptist minister, I guess, has done that. Where are the bishops when you really need them? But it's been fun to help young ministers, particularly those who were students of mine from my campus ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Compassionate Christians?

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Apr 28, 2010

Compassion is not easy in a world full of sin, how do we become compassionate christians?

Compassionate Christians? Have you ever wondered how our Lord, was, and for that matter, still is, so compassionate? Jesus gives us the greatest examples of compassion seen, ever, in our world. I guess to be compassionate, one must first understand what compassion really is. "Compassion is the ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Triumph Through Trying Times

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Mar 29, 2011

When trying times come, and they always do, God has a message for us.

TRIUMPH THROUGH TESTING TIMES (All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and ALL scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) After a long series of sermons on giving God room to work, it almost seems fitting, to look at scripture and find a place where God tells us, that tough ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:31-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Is Worship?

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Apr 6, 2011

So much confusion about Worship, as if it really is all about a type of music, let's see what Jesus has to say about worship.

WHAT IS WORSHIP? (All of my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com And all Scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) This morning we are missing all the other Elders of the church, I am the only one here. They are all attending worship at our sister church in Shenendoah, and will ...read more

Scripture: John 4:21-24

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ