Sermons on Josephs Brothers:

Without Hindrance Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 24, 2008

For Lent and for Black History Month, with a focus on Africa: the purposes of God will be accomplished, though not without difficulties and sacrifice. Examples of African Christians to show this truth.

I cannot imagine how Paul did it. Here he is, in prison, chained to a soldier, and he is talking about hope and making plans for the future. How can anyone with half a brain do that? Does he not understand how perilous is his predicament? Chained! Awaiting trial! And yet he can say, “It is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 28:16-30

Denomination: Baptist

Managing Terrible Times: Windows Blown Out Or Open? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 13, 2007

Liiving large in stressful times requires prayer. We are targets of a conspiracy of hate, but prayer makes us genuinely missionary. We are victims of self-centered religion, but prayer makes us compassionate. Montgomery Hills Baptist Church

(Singing): “Sitting by the window praying, waiting for the break of day; sitting by the window praying, waiting to hear what the Lord might say.” (Repeat) The way to live large is not only to step out in faith, as Abraham did, leaving his comfort zone; and not only to get past old defeats, even ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Judas Iscariot: Stuck In Frustration Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 8, 2009

Frustration means that we forget about others in our need to do what we want, and it means we are tempted to abandon God’s way. The model is Jesus, whose obedience gave Him the ultimate accomplishment.

God must have a sense of humor, don’t you think? God must do some things just because they are fun to do! Several years ago, I thought I saw God’s funny bone at work overtime. Margaret and J were members of Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church in Silver Spring, and I was serving as the chairman ...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

God's Indescribable Abundance Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 23, 2008

How can one describe what God has given in this church, with the successes of the past year? How describe human needs, especially for the Gospel? And how describe the opportunities for inclusive worship, honest learning, and artistic expression?

Once upon a time a certain church was in an uproar. Some said that the pastor was not performing according to expectations. And so complaints were brought to the deacons, who met to consider the issue, and asked those who were grumbling, “What is the problem with the pastor?” One disaffected ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

About To Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 21, 2008

If God is about to create a new world, it needs to be one that realizes His promises of fulfillment, reconciliation, and peace. In the babe of Bethlehem those promises, though not yet complete, have come to be.

When I was a boy, my brother and I slept in an upstairs bedroom, and always, on Christmas morning, the door at the bottom of the steps would be shut tight. Normally it was kept open, but on Christmas morning, not so. Things were happening on the other side of that door, things we were not to see ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25

Denomination: Baptist

Earthen Vessel, Feet Of Clay

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 29, 2009

Ordination of Troy L. Dixon, Nov. 1989: We pursue the trappings of religion instead of what is truly value. As a common clay vessel, be wary of power games, know that your foundation can crumble, focus on the treasure of the Gospel.

Somehow in men’s minds the paraphernalia of religion get to be more important than the faith itself. It is one of the enduring problems of religious life, how it is that we get far more caught up and invested in the trappings of religion than in the faith itself. In your average church, you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5-18

Denomination: Baptist

Shaping The Clay Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 24, 2008

For Memorial Day/Christian Legacy Sunday: We must not protect the vessel in which the Gospel is carried more than the Gospel itself. The Gospel is power; the vessel must be impervious to popularity, a good transporter. Legacy giving encouraged.

I am not much of a gardener. The Scripture says that there is a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, but I must tell you that I don’t know the difference. I pluck up only what I am told to pluck up, because I don’t know a weed from a willow. However, the mistress of our little ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

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

People Like Us Can See The Unseen Series

Contributed by Dave Mason on Sep 29, 2004

Real faith is not just for "super saints." When we use the eyes of faith we can see the unseen.

Introduction Today we continue our series called people like us. The theme verse for the “People Like Us” series actually comes from the New Testament book of James. I want to invite you to read this together with me as we begin the message today. James 5:17-18 Elijah was a man just like us. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 6:8-22

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Ignorant Errors, Careless Mistakes, Or Plain Old Sin

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 9, 2004

Message on the First Word from the Cross, for a Good Friday Seven Last Words service. Jesus prays for forgiveness for the anonymous "they" who permit a society to be valueless, for those who profit from the misery of others, for those who pride themselve

One of life’s scariest moments comes when, two or three days after you have taken an exam at school, the teacher shows up ready to pass out the results. Maybe you sit poised on the edge of your chair, if you think you’ve done well; or you slump down in the seat, trying to look as though you’re ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:32-37

Denomination: Baptist

An Officer Who Cared

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 14, 2002

Message for the funeral of Carroll A. Reed, Major, U. S. Army, Ret.; combat veteran of WW II, Korea, and Vietnam; deacon

This past summer I did a series of sermons based on Romans, chapter 12, and Paul’s admonition that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. I built the sermons around various parts of the body, and suggested how we might present our eyes, our ears, our hands, our mouths, and our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Imperfect People In God's Perfect Plan: Judah PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 15, 2025

God’s grace redeems even our deepest failures, transforming broken stories and flawed families through repentance, mercy, and the faithfulness of Jesus, the Lion of Judah.

Have you ever thought your past placed you on the bench forever? Have you ever carried a family story that felt too messy to mention in church? Take a breath. God writes grace into pages we might have thrown away. He stitches hope through flawed hearts and complicated homes. He meets us in the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 49:8-12, Revelation 5:5

Topics: Grace

Potiphar's Wife Series

Contributed by Neil Partington on Jul 23, 2007

There are many women in the Bible who have integrity and faith, but not all women. Today we are going to look at a woman of trickery and shame.

Just off the shore of North Carolina on the island of Cape Hatteras is a village known as Nag’s Head, a small shoreline town where, back in the 1800’s, the “wreckers” lived. These “wreckers” made their living gathering up parts and cargo from ships that had run aground in the night. But these ships ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 39:1-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Don't Let Your Dreams Die Series

Contributed by Larry Thompson on Feb 16, 2003

Every leader knows that there will be challenges to the dreams God has given. Sometimes the attack is so great we live in danger of the dream dying. This message deals with this issue.

LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP – PART THREE “DON’T LET YOUR DREAMS DIE” GENESIS 37:2-11 ©Larry L. Thompson (2003 INTRODUCTION Illustration of Frederick Nolan. Nolan was fleeing from his enemies during a time of persecution in North Africa. One night he fell exhausted, into a wayside cave, fully expecting ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:2-11

Denomination: Baptist