Sermons on Joseph Smith: showing 511-525 of 26,424

Night Visits

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 17, 2002

Sermon for Black History Month, incorporating the poetry of recently deceased African poet and statesman Leopold Senghor; focus on imprisonment, liberation, empowerment, and forgiveness.

It was night. Nothing else need be said. That short and simple phrase says it all. It was night. It was night when they visited my bedroom, when I was a child of six, to tell me that my mother would not be coming home for a long time. The stress of giving birth to my brother had been too much; ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 8:2-5

Denomination: Baptist

I Know History; I Do Not Know Myself Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 4, 2002

It is one thing to know history and theology; it is another entirely to understand our own hearts. Job’s pilgrimage into self-understanding led to self-hatred, but in Christ that can be redeemed.

I’ll ask you to repeat with me this wonderful, ringing affirmation from the New Testament: But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. I know. I know the one in whom I have put my trust. ...read more

Scripture: Job 9:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

I Know You Are Watching Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 10, 2002

When we consider that God is watching us, we may ask, as Job did, whether He is watching us to hurt us, to humiliate us, or to rescue us. Actually He is watching us in love to empower us.

“I can’t let you out of my sight for one minute.” How many parents here have ever said that? “I can’t let you out of my sight for one minute.” How many have said it at least a thousand times? You said it to a small child, bent on doing something that would hurt. You said it to an older ...read more

Scripture: Job 10:1-22, 2 Timothy 1:12

Denomination: Baptist

Never Abandoned Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 19, 2002

Sermon for Pentecost Sunday, intended as the first of three on the Trinity, all based on John 14. The Holy Spirit does not abandon His church, but if we are not obedient before claiming His support, we may forfeit His power. And if we do not acknowledge

If you believe you’ve been abandoned, you have two choices: either you can indulge in something that may soothe you temporarily, or you can watch for the power that will lead you out to success. If someone that matters to you has walked off and abandoned you, you can either pretend ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-17, John 14:25-27

Denomination: Baptist

A Prevailing Church: Loosing Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 20, 2002

A prevailing church is one which lives like those persons others thought Jesus might be -- like John the Baptist, loosing himself from tradition; like Elijah, living out of grace; like Jeremiah, let loose in the world.

I walked into the Baptist Student Center at the University of Kentucky, about to take over as chaplain. My predecessor was still on the scene, filling up garbage cans with files. In those pre-Watergate days, nobody had thought of shredders, I guess. He was throwing away every record, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Never Powerless Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 26, 2002

We are powerless to change things only because we give power away and do not know how to reclaim it. We can do so first by affirming that change comes only through Jesus Christ, and then by believing that He partners with us when we pray. To do any less

We are never powerless. We think we are. We think we cannot change the things that trouble us. But in fact we are never powerless. We just give away our power. We give away our power and do not know how to claim it again. Those who have power over us have it only because we let them ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-12, John 14:28-31

Denomination: Baptist

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

Getting It Right

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 17, 2002

Pulpit monologue-drama, in which "Solomon" describes how his father’s example influenced him negatively, but his father’s repentance redeemed him.

“A wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother’s grief.” Would you agree? I wrote that, you know. “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” Ah, but how do we train them? That is the question. Just by commands? Or do we train them by ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Some Assembly Required

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 1, 2002

Designed for a day devoted to reclaiming inactive members, this sermon argues that the spiritual life is like a piece of equipment: unpack, read the instructions, assemble, plug in the power.

Nothing you purchase comes ready to go. You can’t buy anything ready to use. Everything takes finishing and finagling before you can use it. You would think that when you have paid good money for your purchase, it would be ready. But not so. Something else always has to be done. You ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25

Denomination: Baptist

Entering The Joy: A Five Talent Man

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 7, 2002

Funeral service for Robert Cecil White, poet, jazz musician, self-professed prodigal.

It’s hard to believe that it was only a few months ago when onto the scene, here at this church, there burst like a blaze of light a small intense man, dressed in a loose-flowing shirt, speaking up frequently. People took to him immediately; he was so open and so outgoing, and we at Takoma ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Windows Blown Out Or Open? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 8, 2002

God’s mercy is available to us, whether we call on Him in disasters only or whether we are constantly in His presence. But how much more ready we would be for disaster if we cultivated His presence. A sermon for the 9/11 anniversary.

(Singing): “Sitting by the window praying, waiting for the break of day; sitting by the window praying, hearing what God might say.” (Repeat) Of all the images which linger, a year later, of the events of last September 11, none is more haunting than the picture of people falling from the ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

All Your Diseases

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 12, 2002

Funeral sermon for Melvia Jean Harrison, victim of interstitial lung disease.

“Bless the Lord ... who heals all your diseases.” What an astounding claim! What an extravagant promise! The Lord heals all your diseases. Not some of them, not most of them, but all of them. Do we believe that? Do we think that is true? Then, if the Lord heals all our diseases, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

Window Of Opportunity Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 15, 2002

Through prayer, God will open a window of opportunity for us to work past our stresses, our conflicted feelings, and even our sins and shortcomings.

Life is tough. Am I going to get any argument about that? The philosopher Thomas Hobbes said that human life was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Wow! Not the kind of stuff we expect on Sunday morning. Supposed to be all, “Praise the Lord”! But deep down, lots of people do ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:21-33, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Denomination: Baptist

Babel And Bubbles, Babies And Beginnings

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 6, 2002

God gives confusion when we act out of pride; but He wants in His church to reconcile all of us to one another, and does so through the model of the Christ of the cross.

I am becoming an expert in baby talk. Thanks to two young granddaughters, I am learning all over again the special language of infants. What their tiny mouths utter is not nonsense. They have their own language. Just because I have become accustomed to the language of the adult world – ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Revived In God's Love: Revisioning

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 20, 2002

Post-revival sermon, calling us to see in our midst the possibilities of the new Jerusalem -- a church/community built on the basis of the old one, where all persons of all backgrounds are invited by our people and where those with challenges are given he

My mother had the habit of walking with her eyes fixed on the ground. Wherever we would go, my father and my brother and I would be looking all around, enjoying what there was to see, but mother would be plodding along behind us, looking at the ground. We used to tell her, “You’re missing ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:9-27

Denomination: Baptist