Sermons on Joseph Smith: showing 421-435 of 26,423

Enron, Easter, And Eternity

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 8, 2002

Our church uses the Sunday after Easter for Remembrance, honoring those of our church deceased in the previous year. This sermon mines eternal values from each of their lives.

We are ready to fight for security. The one thing we all want, whether we be aggressive and hostile and always ready to strike out, or whether we be quiet and retiring and always ready to run – the one thing we all are ready to fight for is security. We need to know that our futures are ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Denomination: Baptist

A Prevailing Church: Binding Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 21, 2002

The guesses of the people about Jesus’ identity give us clues about their perception of His character. Jesus used their grasp of His similarity to John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah to focus on the authority to bind and loose. They, and He, bound rel

Have you ever needed to find out what somebody else really thought of you? Do you know what it is like to ask someone what their opinion is of you – and then you wait for what seems like an eternity for the answer, and when it comes, you are still not sure if it is good or bad? Do you ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Denomination: Baptist

The Power Of A Wind-Driven Fire

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 5, 2001

The Spirit comes to the church as fire, passion, energy, but He comes as energy to follow the Lord’s directions, not merely as excess motion.

My grandfather’s workshop held an item that was of special interest to me when I was a boy. Sitting off to the side of his cluttered workbench was a wonderful object – a model railroad locomotive. It was black with silver markings painted on it, dusty and dull by now, but obviously once shiny and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-11

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

Presenting Arms: Embrace For Life Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 1, 2001

Incredible numbers of people are falling, and we have contributed by pushing them to the edge and failing to listen. But at the Lord’s Table we see the embracing arms of Christ and are empowered to lift the fallen and give them life.

Those of you who were in my Vacation Bible School class know what happened – the class was supposed to run from 7:15 until 9:00 each night. At 8:57, what did I say? Something like: I know you have to go, but there are just a couple more points I want to make. And so, at a few minutes after 9, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:7-12

Denomination: Baptist

Prayer, Power, Politics, And Plagues

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 1, 2001

Election eve sermon -- there are plagues in the body politic, created by inauthentic leadership; the best gift we can give to our national leadership is prayer, though we will likely see the haughtiness of politicians and smell the stench of plagues again.

He sat on his elegant furniture, in his fabulous house, surrounded by the glories of a wealthy nation, attended by efficient servants, powerful enough to command just about anything. But today he was miserable, miserable beyond words, because everywhere he looked they were there. In his way, ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 8:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

A House Is Not A Home

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

Christ comes to dwell in our messy, imperfect homes, just as they are, to build love, not a museum-like perfection.

A house is not a home. A house is not a home. A house is a house, and it may be lovely to look at and fine to visit, but a house, by itself, is not a home. What is the difference? Let me tell you a tale of two houses. These are the best of houses, these are the worst of houses. See if you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-17, John 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

A King In The Gate

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

David’s emergence from grief over Absalom was marked by his "sitting in the gate" -- a sign of healthy recovery in that he had begun to care for others more than for his own wounds, he had returned to the work of justice, he faced vulnerability, he resumed leadership, he could face his own grief.

I This day the noise of battle, the next the victory’s won. Or so the king hoped. Much was at stake. His own future was uncertain; the nation’s stability was shaky; the confidence of those around him was low; and, most of all, his relationship with his son was in jeopardy. There had been a ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Denomination: Baptist

Ambassadors With Contradictions

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

We live with contradictory feelings about many things, including our church. We do not get the gift of reconciliation fully until there is conflict, but God wants to give the gift of reconciliation now, if we will accept it.

Church, some say, should be a place of peace. Church should be a place where we can come after a week of dealing with conflicts, fears, and doubts, and find peace. I was told we don’t want conflict at church. And I do understand. I do understand why, when we come to the hour of worship, we want ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, 2 Corinthians 6:2-10

Denomination: Baptist

Ambassadors With Wide Open Hearts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2001

The cross teaches us to allow ourselves to be misused in the name of giving so that others might find salvation; the alternative is to hoard and thus to lose.

The woman answered a knock on her door, and found there a homeless man who said that he was looking for odd jobs to do so that he could earn a little money. “Well,” she said, “around the back of my house I do have a porch that needs painting. Can you handle a paint brush?” He said that he could, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Presenting Eyes And Ears: Vantage Point From The Hiding Place Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 7, 2001

When we are overwhelmed, in our panic we do not see what is before us, nor can we hear any word of counsel; someone -- innocent, devoted to us -- needs to create a stable point, a hiding place for us. Ultimately that is what Jesus Christ in His cross does.

We have abilities that we barely even use. Our senses are capable of doing much more than we allow them to do. I want to try a short experiment with you. I want to test your eyes and your ears. First, I am going to give you thirty seconds to look around this room and take it all in. Many of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 32:1-8

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

Presenting Hands: Taking, Working, Giving Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 15, 2001

Follow the hands of Jacob, as they are involved in taking (because of his insecurity), in working for that which does not satisfy, but finally, in giving, as a result of their having wrestled with God. An appeal to struggle with God’s will.

Last week I began by giving you an eye test and an ear test. I wanted to help you discover that sometimes we don’t see what there is to see and we don’t hear what there is to hear. But God provides us vision and offers His word to help us with the “too much” in our world. Today I want to examine ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Now That's Living!

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 17, 2001

Funeral service for Margaret Waddy, retired social worker and community ministry volunteer who, in dementia, became concerned about the depletion of her finances.

I don’t know anybody who has all they really want. Not really. Not everything. Oh, some of you will piously pretend to be satisfied, but, in my experience, all of us fantasize about having more. Occasionally I watch “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” and I will shout answers at a deaf TV screen, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11-19

Denomination: Baptist

Presenting Our Mouths: Swallowing, Spitting, Speaking Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 23, 2001

In order to be effective witnesses, we must first be knowledgeable -- swallowing God’s word; must then be cleansed spiritually -- spitting out whatever is no longer appropriate; and then speak with confidence and passion. Mini-messages with props.

Our mouths get us into trouble. One of you said that to me the other day. You had opened your mouth to voice an opinion about something that should be done in the community where you live, and before you knew it, you were chairing the committee to get it done. Nobody had even noticed you were in ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8, Ezekiel 3:1-11

Denomination: Baptist