Sermons on Joseph:

Does America Still Trust In God?

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Jul 7, 2010

Great 4th of July sermon posing a challenge to Christians to set an example of TRUST

Does America Still Trust in God? (All my sermons use illustrations from sermoncentral.com and use the NIV unless otherwise noted) (This sermon was inspired partly by the lyrics from Diamond Rio’s song “In God We Still Trust”) In the world of country music, there is a group ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

May Day Mayday

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 11, 2010

We are called to turn the world upside down, as revolutionaries. But our energies dissipate and we become frightened. Let us look to the one who did not flinch from His mission.

The winter of 1780 and 1781 had looked bleak indeed for the American cause. If the English control of the seas continued; if the French did not move more decisively to help; if the supply arsenals could not be stocked and if the men did not keep their courage, all would be lost. Even General ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-9

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

A Humble Walk

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 25, 2010

FBC Gaithersburg: funeral for Julia McNeely Vance, centenarian, physician, daughter of Irish Baptists. Text and poem requested by family. Julia's commitments, nurtured early, brought her into an unusual life. Not delivered by me because of illness.

That classically Irish face looks out at me from the printed page, and I wonder what it must have been like for Julia McNeely, born a century ago, to have grown up and to have followed her calling. On one side were all the customs and expectations of her day and time … that women would live ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

Denomination: Baptist

How To Tell The Truth

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 25, 2010

Monologue, as if the speaker were James, illustrating points by incidents in the life of Jesus. Truth comes with compassion, it does its own convicting, and must be backed with a life of integrity.

One of the peculiarities of the letter of James is that it has so very little direct reference to the life of Jesus. If it was written, as has traditionally been believed, by the James who was the brother of our Lord and who became prominent in the Jerusalem church, then it does seem odd that he ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Abused And Used But Not Used Up

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 3, 2010

We must determine that the children with whom we are surrounded are God’s gift and God’s assignment for us, no matter how difficult or inconvenient they are.

I received a letter the other day from someone very close to me. His letter was written hurriedly, because I had written him asking some questions. He felt he needed to answer those right away. He had a conviction he wanted me to hear immediately. I had asked him if he was going to leave his ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:17-22

Denomination: Baptist

A Deadly Virus

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 3, 2010

Sin is not excused by good works, and unrepentant self-indulgence is destructive. Sexual integrity is not just a private matter; how we handle it will determine what happens with our church.

This has the potential for being the shortest sermon I’ve ever done. At first glance, it seems all I need to do with this text is to praise the church for doing so well, declare myself to be against sin, and wrap it up. The shortest sermon I’ve ever done, and maybe the shortest on record! Anybody ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29

Denomination: Baptist

Every Barrier Down: Mary Magdalene

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 6, 2010

Commitment to the living Christ will let Him break down circumstantial, cultural, and spiritual barriers to our success. Illustrated with the story of Marian Anderson.

I think it was John Lennon, one of the Beatles, who once observed, "Life is what happens while you are making other plans." That really is the issue, isn't it? Getting a fix on our lives. Getting hold of life. Being able to make it go the way you want it to go. And the trouble is that life just ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

Every Mother's Child Matters

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 7, 2010

Sarah's me-ism blinded her to Ishmael's value; Abraham's comfort blinded him to how best to support Hagar and Ishmael; Hagar, like many of our mothers, had to trust God in the desert. We today must support the Hagars of this world.

The barren landscape seemed to dance before her eyes, as she looked toward a horizon littered with debris, strewn with the rubbish of thousands of careless people who had gone this way. Filthy and dirty as it was, though, it seemed to dance before her eyes, for the sun was high above and hot; the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 21:8-20

Denomination: Baptist

Eyewitnesses Of Majesty

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 8, 2010

We tend to see only what we expect to see, and thus at Christmas we do not see the glory and majesty of the Christ child in the homeless, the downtrodden, the ashamed.

They say that "seeing is believing". Well, that depends. That depends on whether you can trust your eyesight. And it depends on whether you have decided to see what is really there or just what you think is there. "Seeing is believing." It depends on whether you can trust your eyesight. My ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-19

Denomination: Baptist

Doing More With Less

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 9, 2010

In times of scarcity or stress, two personalities respond: fear, the cup half empty; and faith, the cup half full.

A few moments ago we sang, "Drop Thy still dews of quietness, Till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress, And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of Thy peace." Those are beautiful words; they are lofty sentiments. But how? How can such things happen? In an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

Doubt, Dignity, And Discovery

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 10, 2010

Often we are not credible because we do not accept others’ doubt as real, nor do we permit them to retain their dignity. We are called simply to invite them on a voyage of discovery where they will find that their hurts are healed.

What do you do when you try to help, and those you are helping are not sure they want that help? What do you say when someone has a need, you propose an answer to that need, but they don’t believe that what you want to give will really do any good? How do you help people who are not sure they ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:18-23

Denomination: Baptist

Driving Under The Influence

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 11, 2010

Energy and passion in worship are fine, but they must push us toward authentic living and toward dedicated mission, else they will be destructive.

I could not help noticing this car that morning. It was a tiny little car, one of those that looks like a sardine can on wheels. The rust spots and the dents suggested that it had survived more than its share of bumps and bruises. But that was not all that made me notice this little puddle ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20

Denomination: Baptist

To An Unknown God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 15, 2010

Our world is incurably religious and is filled with people on a spiritual search. We find it easy to talk religion, but our calling is to share our relationship with the living Christ.

We are incurably religious! Wherever you go, you will find that people are religious. We are groping for something we never quite find. Ride with me up and down Sixteenth Street, here in the city, or out New Hampshire Avenue, past Colesville. The architecture is ample proof that people are ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:16-33

Denomination: Baptist

Anticipating Grief

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 18, 2010

A grief anticipating what will happen is difficult, but can be handled if we ask and accept forgiveness. When the grief is fulfilled, then we are ready to do what our hearts tell us. God suffered anticipating grief and so understands.

Only someone who has done some grieving can help those who now grieve. A hundred "I’m sorries" and a thousand "I know how you feels" are worthless when you feel profound grief. You need at your side someone who has been through loss. And if yours is anticipating grief; that is, if yours is the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:13-25

Denomination: Baptist