Sermons on Josephs Dreams:

Standing On The Rubbishes Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 17, 2004

For our Annual Theme focus: all that we have accomplished as a church, fine as it is, is flawed. Much remains to be done, but it requires different leadership. This pastor’s departure, however, will not diminish the bond of love.

Some things end, but are not completed. Other things are completed, but do not end. There is a world of difference between the two. Some things end, but are not completed. Some things stop, unfinished. The tragic accident out on I-95 the other day is a reminder of this. Several lives ended ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Knee Bowed And Body Bent Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 19, 2000

Since body language communicates our real feelings, we must pay attention to how we present our bodies to God -- in the words of James Weldon Johnson, "knee-bowed", ready to submit our wills to His; and "body-bent", ready to work for things that matter.

You may not speak a great many foreign languages, but there is one language other than English at which most of us are proficient. That is body language. Whether our mouths can pronounce strange sounds or whether our eyes can make any sense out of different alphabets, we can see body language. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Immediately Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 5, 2001

This was done as a dramatic monologue, as if I were Mark; and costumed according to Mark 14:51-52! It makes use of one of Mark’s favorite words, "immediately", and argues that Jesus expects immediate response to His call.

What’s happening? What’s going on here? I came as quickly as I could. If you linger, you will miss Him. He waits for no one. He acts immediately. He is the most urgent person I’ve ever known. He just does not wait for anything. He acts immediately. So, again, what’s happening here? What ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-12, Mark 14:51-52

Denomination: Baptist

The Land Of The Midnight Sun Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 1, 2009

Our culture has lived in sheer optimism, but that time is fading. We must seize the opportunity to minister while it is here; and if we do so, we will see bountiful rewards.

My besetting sin, if you must know, is procrastination. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow, for somehow tomorrow always seems to be even more than only a day away. It seems to be an eternity away, and so what if I do not do today what my To-Do list says I am to do? Who will know ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

The River Jordan: How We Got Over Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 3, 2009

Many things look impossible, particularly if we are worn down by the "too much" of survival. But there are those who go before us and test the waters and make a way for us. We need to do the same for others. Black History Month

Have you enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics? Isn’t it amazing what those skaters and the skiers can do? Isn’t it astounding that human bodies can plummet down slopes and whiz through channels at what seems like supersonic speed? I’ve only seen snatches of the Olympics, but I’ve thoroughly ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 3:7-16

Denomination: Baptist

If You Want Joy

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 13, 2010

Genuine joy comes after we do what Christ bids us do, and is grounded in our relationship to Him. In fact, the real issue is not our joy but His.

If you want joy! What a ridiculous premise! Of course you want joy. Of course we want to be happy. Of course all of us want to feel deep satisfaction with life. We want joy. That's just self-evident. The trouble is, we don't know how to get that joy. We don't understand where joy comes from, how ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Dynamic Tension Body Building Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 18, 2010

Montgomery Hills Baptist Church: As the old Charles Atlas method used muscle against muscle to build young bodies, so the church may use its forces against the values of the world to build itself. Inclusion rather than clannishness, love rather than comp

If you are male and of a certain age, you will remember the little cartoon stories that ran in every comic book or came wrapped around your Bazooka bubble gum – stories about a 97-pound weakling who was always about to approach a curvaceous bathing beauty but was invariably upstaged by a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:7-21

Denomination: Baptist

We The People, Breaking Bondages Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 15, 2010

God does not want merely personal religion; He desires our investment in breaking the bondages that imprison others. America post-Vietnam is strikingly similar to Judah post-Exile. Neither can afford to retreat into comfortable religion.

A great nation had been humiliated by something they had never supposed could happen. Because they saw themselves as the people of God, chosen by him for a special role in the world's history, they had imagined themselves invulnerable. God would never desert his people, they believed. God would not ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

What Do You Say To A Hungry World?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 2, 2011

The clear demand of Jesus, seen against the spread of hunger in our time, is that we make lifestyle changes and that we understand that the Gospel calls for outward obedience as well as inner faith.

First Baptist Church, Gaithersburg, MD, March 9, 1980; with minor alterations at WHBC radio, June 28, 1981; Calverton Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, Oct. 10, 1982; First Baptist Church, Camp Springs, MD, March 11, 1984; Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC, Oct. 13, 1985) If today is an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Denomination: Baptist

To The Out Of Control: Son Of God Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 26, 2009

Christmas Eve 1989: The strong Son of God is what we need when we are out of control in terms of life direction, life circumstances, or sin.

May God help you if you are going shopping this afternoon! And may God forgive you if you woke up this morning and said, "I guess it’s about time I thought of something for her. “ The trouble is, most of us mere males are reduced to jelly by the trauma of shopping. In the first place, we don’t ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Sun Do Move

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 5, 2009

Dramatic monologue as if Joshua were speaking: we are to be courageous, for God is with us when we do battle for Him. The ultimate victory will come because Joshua/Jesus has won it for us.

"We are soldiers, in the army; we are soldiers, in the army; and we have to fight; and we have to fight". We have indeed had to fight. We have fought long and hard. We have fought our way against scores of chieftains and their armies; we have fought our way against scorching heat, fearful hearts, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 10:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Facing The Consequences Of Mistakes: Thrashing Threshing Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 6, 2007

All have sinned; that holds back from being what we could be. Admit that sin is real; acknowledge responsbility for its consequences; see that always there is a price to be paid for sin, but Jesus paid it all. Montgomery Hills Baptist Church

The longer we live, the more we have to be thankful for. Isn’t that true? The longer we live, the more blessings we receive, and therefore the more we have to be thankful for. If you are thirty years old, you can count your blessings, name them one by one. If you are fifty years old, you can ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:10-25

Denomination: Baptist

Getting Real With Your Self Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 19, 2007

We all wear masks, which puts us in danger of losing our real selves. Jesus shows us how to be real as He deals with threatening people, hostile people, and those whose hearts are full of pain. Montgomery Hills Baptist Church

When you wear a mask – not a Halloween costume mask, but a personality mask, a way-of-being mask – when you wear a mask, you not only hide from others, but you also hide from yourself. You lose your real self. And that is a huge loss. It is crucial to get real with yourself. The poet Paul ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:3-9

Denomination: Baptist

Living Faith Series

Contributed by Joseph Rodgers on Jan 17, 2007

A series in James about possessing a foolproof faith. This message focuses on faith that lives what it says it believes.

Foolproof – A Study of James January 14, 2007 LIVING Faith – James 2:11-26 Sunday AM Recap: We’re in a series in James about how to have a foolproof faith so that we won’t be fooled into thinking we have genuine faith when we’re only religious and so we can’t be fooled into ...read more

Scripture: James 2:11-26

Denomination: Baptist

Our Family Series

Contributed by Joseph Rodgers on Jul 18, 2007

The call to imitate Christ as children and as parents. Children are called to honor and obey and parents are called to not exasperate and to encourage.

Live Out Loud – Our CHILDREN Ephesians 6:1-4 Intro: A group of expectant fathers were talking in the waiting room as their wives were delivering. The nurse entered and told the 1st man his wife had just delivered twins. “That’s a coincidence I play for the Minnesota Twins.” A few ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-5

Denomination: Baptist