Sermons on Josephs Dream:

What Stands In The Way?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 22, 2004

For Ascension Sunday; and in preparation for my retirement as pastor. What stands in our way? Exhaustion? Gather all, gather the marginalized, and pray. Planless? Remember our core values and do them. Lack of urgency? We are accountable to God.

When a leader and those he leads part company, we learn a whole lot about both of them. Their true values become apparent. The things they are really about become clear. There is no more game-playing when it is time for a leader and those he leads to part company. Sometimes they separate ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-14, Acts 28:23-31

Denomination: Baptist

Revival, Reform, Renewal

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 12, 2003

For Reformation Sunday, and a followup to a week of revival services: revival is good, reformation is better, but renewal is what God is really aiming at.

My great-uncle, Ed Weber, drove an ancient car. I doubt if you’ve ever heard of its brand name. He drove a Terraplane. Anybody remember the Terraplane? Well, dearie, if you do, then you are much older than I, because my great-uncle’s Terraplane was already ancient when I was a boy. It had been ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 23:25, Zephaniah 3:14-17

Denomination: Baptist

Only The Loved Can Love Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 11, 2003

Sermon preached to address atmosphere of crisis we experienced when our Assistant Pastor resigned after a short tenure. This sermon interprets the departure as a godsend, in that it stirs us to re-examine our stewardship, our faith, and our direction, an

Some things cannot be explained; they can only be experienced. Music, for example. How could I possibly do justice to music by talking to you about frequencies, rhythm patterns, tone qualities? I couldn’t. But I can play music for you, so that you can experience it. I can sit at the keyboard ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:1-11

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

Time For New Clothes Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 27, 2003

Midlife feels like a time for new clothes .. signs of mortality are showing up. We need new "shoes" to climb out of self-centeredness, and a new "coat" to enable us to travel out of our comfort zone.

I’ve always been glad that in this church we wear pulpit robes. I’m glad of that because pulpit robes keep you from noticing what the preacher is wearing. I don’t want you to think about what I am wearing. I don’t want you to think about my clothes because you are likely to discover that my ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 102:18-28

Denomination: Baptist

Thyatira: 'tis The Gift To Be Simple Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 3, 2003

True simplicity is a focus on the fundamentals of love, faith, service, and patient endurance. Getting caught up in theological guesses or emotional highs diverts us from "this one thing I do".

Some things are so simple they are hard to understand! Some things are so direct and obvious that we don’t want to accept them as they are. We want to make them complicated. Have you ever tried to describe to someone how to tie a shoestring? It seems simple until you start to teach it. Left ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29

Denomination: Baptist

Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 9, 2001

This sermon was done while peeling off T-shirts, one by one. The focus is that the presence of the Lord in our lives, as an active participant, drives out cynicism and preserves our joy.

I wish I had bought stock in the T-shirt industry. Of the making of souvenir T-shirts there is no end. People are using T-shirts to send all sorts of messages. Some T-shirts advertise products. Some T-shirts identify the work places. Some focus on the club memberships. And then some T-shirts ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Do I Really Have A Choice?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 4, 2000

When we are offered great choices, although we think we have no real freedom, we can choose to live emotionally, we can choose to give and affirm life for the most vulnerable in our society, and we can always choose to receive God’s gift of eternal life.

“Do I really have a choice?” That question was posed the other day by one of our teenagers. She was talking about whether she had to go to school. She felt cornered. She felt boxed in. She was speaking for a great many of us. We feel as though we really do not have any choice about many ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Denomination: Baptist

Sarah: Defeating Your Own Purpose Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 17, 2009

You can defeat what you know you want and ought to do by using immoral means or by destroying relationships to do it. But Christ is able to give us a new spirit.

The membership of this church is almost two-thirds female. That would be reason enough for us to have a series of sermons on the lessons that women can teach us. But that is not the only reason I have planned a three-part series of messages around the theme, Designing Women. I have planned this ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Praying In Frustration

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 11, 2010

Like Samuel, we are often frustrated in our intentions. But turning to prayer, as he did, will help us remove the blame from ourselves, will help us understand the motives of others, and will help us accept reality and move on toward something better.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC September 14, 1986 Some weeks ago I told you that one of my principal projects in starting my service as your pastor would have to be spending time trying to learn my way around the city of Takoma Park. DC I can handle and Silver Spring is a breeze, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

Will Anything Really Change?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 2, 2010

Revised from an earlier message for a church making a major turn in direction and leadership. Change is hard for us, for some of us fear change, some of us do not think change is real. But God is able and willing to complete what He begins among us.

Bethesda First Baptist Church, Bethesda, MD, September 19, 2004 Will anything really change? I mean, really?! So often change is only apparent, and not real. So often we tinker with things, but we do not really change them. We lack the will to change things, really. We lack the imagination ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Church Of 4-H

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Jul 29, 2010

4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands & Health, all essential ingredients in church today, EPH 4:1-16 show us how.

CHURCH OF 4-H (All my sermons use illustrations from sermoncentral.com and scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted) As we recently had our county fair, I remembered my children being a part of the 4-H and the work they did to show their animals, and the projects they were going to do, but never ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Reform, Revival, Or Renewal

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 24, 2009

(Reformation Sunday). It is good to reform how we do church, using the Bible as our basis; it is good to revive our spiritual energies. But best of all is to renew ourselves for mission.

My great-uncle, Ed Weber, drove an ancient car. I doubt if you’ve ever heard of its brand name. He drove a Terraplane. Anybody remember the Terraplane? Well, dearie, if you do, then you are much older than I, because my great-uncle’s Terraplane was already ancient when I was a boy. It had been ...read more

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-18

Denomination: Baptist

Flirting With An Old Flame

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 17, 2009

Cowardice keeps us from a relationship with God. Rekindle God’s gifts: power to make a difference, love that stays by those in need, and self-discipline to choose a lifestyle of ministry. Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD

Are you that rare person who married your first love and you are still just as much in love today as you were at first sight? If you are such a creature, I salute you, but there are not many like you. When I attended Betty Noe’s funeral here not long ago, it was said that she was Hulon’s first ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Legions Lost, Language Loosed Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 9, 2008

If we are captured by a demonic past, then we will try to break our chains and will seem to succeed. But the old demons come back to haunt us, for we have not yet turned to the One who gives permission to send them away.

She drifted into my office on a stormy afternoon, much like those we’ve just gone through. She had no appointment, nor did she even ask if I had time to talk. She just drifted in and hovered over my desk, tears in her eyes, lip quivering. I invited her to sit down and tell me what was wrong. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:1-20

Denomination: Baptist