Sermons on Josephs Brothers:

Never Unloved Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 2, 2002

Some receive love, but reject it; others never know that they are loved. In either case, the Cross is evidence that we have never been unloved.

We need to think not only about the way we relate to other people, but also about how we receive them. It is not enough simply to be friendly and cordial. We also need to look at how we receive people when they extend themselves to us. I went to a meeting this week, where all the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, John 14:18-24

Denomination: Baptist

Sons, Sin, Swine, And Starving Souls

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 28, 2009

World Hunger Sunday: The younger son found that physical hunger starved his soul; the elder son found that spiritual hunger hardened his heart; the Father hungers for all of his children’s needs.

When I read the Gospels, I know that Jesus must have been a Baptist, and the twelve disciples must have been the Deacons of the First Baptist Church of Galilee. Must have been! Do you know why? Because there is all this talk about eating! Everywhere you turn in the Gospels, there are stories ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Baptist

Playing The Fool Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 1, 2001

Words do hurt when they come from our unresolved anger. That anger is about our own issues, it requires accountability when it hurts others, it separates us from God when it is deliberate. Reconciliation is a priority.

Words have power. The things we say to one another have power. Kids may deal with smart-mouths in the schoolyard by chanting, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” But that’s rubbish! Don’t you believe it. Names do hurt. Words hurt. The things we say to each ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-24

Denomination: Baptist

Playing The Fool

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 5, 2009

Sarcasm betrays anger at ourselves or at others, but we cannot let it fester. We need to come to the Cross, where there is reconciliation.

Words have power. The things we say to one another have power. Kids may deal with smart-mouths in the schoolyard by chanting, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." But that’s rubbish! Don’t you believe it? Names do hurt. Words hurt. The things we say to each other do ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-24

Denomination: Baptist

A Motley Crew, In Chains

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 3, 2008

Tychicus, Onesimus, and Aristarchus chose to chain themselves to ministries of encouragement, inclusion, and support.

If you follow the rock music scene, I guess I should hurry to assure you that the sermon today is not about a heavy metal group, nor is it about some kind of kinky fetish. The theme, "A Motley Crew, In Chains" is evoked by the long list of names which Paul singles out as he finishes the Colossian ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:7-18

Denomination: Baptist

Time To Go To Egypt

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 17, 2001

Fathers today, like Jacob, have been irresponsible; but, like him also, we can see that God is giving us another chance to redeem our relationships with our children, to allow Him to keep His promises, and to use major resources for Kingdom business.

This past Monday was our son-in-law’s birthday. We’ve cared about this young man for a long time, but now he’s even more special. He is our granddaughter Olivia’s father. And that makes him extra special. So we sent Don a birthday card and a little gift, and got an email response. In part, it ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Heart Bypass (1986)

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 16, 2010

We are divided over whether to invest more in charity or more in the church program. A key element must be the compassion that gives from the core of our beings.

It seems as though just about once a week someone will phone from one of the charity agencies -- the Purple Heart, the Good Will, the Disabled Veterans -- and I always know when they are calling, because they will ask for Mrs. Smith. Nobody asks for Mrs. Smith when they could ask for Margaret ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:11-18

Denomination: Baptist

My Soul Looks Back

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 10, 2007

We blame failure on "social ills" and that is a factor. But most of the time we are scapegoating, when we do not have to, for Jesus has turned our failure into potential. Clifton Park Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD

There is at my house a picture I treasure. In that picture I am about three years old, and my father is holding me in his arms. You look at my father and you see that he is wearing the cap of a service station attendant. Shell Oil, it says. Nothing especially remarkable about that, except that ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Denomination: Baptist

Jump-Starting Jabez

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 13, 2001

We have learned, thanks to Bruce Wilkinson’s writings, to treasure the prayer of Jabez; but what can we intuit that Jabez’ mother did for him: she honored his uniqueness, she owned her own pain and shared it with her son, and she move him toward faithful prayer.

You know how they say that behind every good man there is a good woman? Well, they used to say that. That is a pre-feminist proverb. Now they say that alongside every good man there is a good woman, like Newton’s Law, equal in force but opposite in direction! But I certainly find it true that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

My Soul Looks Back Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 30, 2003

When we look back at our lives and the disasters they contain, we do have to ask whether we brought some of these things on ourselves, whether scapegoating is occurring. But God is at work in all things, even disasters, for the Kingdom.

I’m convinced that the best education in the world is the one you gain listening to other people tell their life stories. So much can be learned just from hearing what others have been through. This past week I attended a workshop for ministers. It was supposed to be about creating and handling ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Denomination: Baptist

Have You Only One Blessing?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 7, 2009

Our families are dysfunctional because we are not creative and do not consult the Lord in prayer. Isaac is weak, late, and materialistic. Rebekah is manipulative and anxious. God the Father of Jesus shows us how to love and give to our chidren.

We are bombarded daily with the phrase "family values." It has become the buzzword of the current political campaign. And as candidates parade their wives and children and grandchildren across the platform; as presidential hopefuls debate about which of them is the more family-oriented; as ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 27:1-45

Denomination: Baptist

God Invites You To Become Involved Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 7, 2004

The story of Philemon and Onesimus, presented as an imaginative story, shows how God called Paul to become involved as a mediator, Philemon to become involved in real church work, and Onesimus to become involved in overcoming his background to become usef

The new day greeted his eyes early. He stretched and shook off the sleep, but then, remembering why he had wanted to get up at the crack of dawn, Philemon jumped out of bed and began his day’s duties. His first task was to open his window and turn his gaze toward the rising sun, offering his ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Baptist

Hazard Ahead: Hypocrisy

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Mar 29, 2011

A main excuse for worldly people not to come to church is that the church is full of hypocrites, well there is always room for one more.

HAZARD AHEAD: HYPOCRISY (All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and All scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) Perhaps one of the biggest reasons given by non-churchgoers is “church is full of hypocrites.” This is true to some extent, but there is always ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 29:13-21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christian Compassion Believes The Best About The Worst

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 12, 2009

Delivered as if Ananias were telling his story about encountering Paul: The Spirit calls us to believe that others can be changed, that if we do not go to them the consequences are large, and that others need a human touch from us.

I had always prided myself on understanding people. I had always thought I knew enough about the human mind that I could predict what a man would be like on the basis of what he had always done. After all, if a person is a thief when he is a child, you expect that he will be a cheating thief when ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

A Dirty Altar

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 12, 2009

(Various objects on the altar). Our church altar is dirty with unresolved anger, put-downs, and prejudicial outreach. These things must be cleaned away before God accepts what we bring here.

Who says there’s nothing new under the sun? The pastor not accepting the offering! Lots of folks think that raising money is about all we ever do in church. Wish they could have seen that! But, you see, the problem is there isn’t any room up here on the altar. We have a dirty altar today. It’s ...read more

Denomination: Baptist