Sermons on Josephs Process:

Out Of The Overflow

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 17, 2007

At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke out of the overflow of His heart, which had been building toward this moment.

Do you know what it is to overflow? When you overflow, maybe you say more than you intended to say. Your feelings ran ahead of your thoughts, and blam! There it is, you said it. And you can’t take it back. You spoke out of the overflow. Or maybe when you overflow, you say less than you ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:66-72

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

Certainly -- At A Distance

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 18, 2003

For Good Friday: sometimes we no longer see things because we are too close to them. The disciples saw the cross "at a distance", but the centurion saw it through his callousness, cynicism, and skepticism, and affirmed, "Certainly".

Sometimes when you are too close to something you cannot see it. Or at least you cannot recognize what it is. You can be so close that you do not know what you are looking at. You need somebody else to give you a fresh perspective. My wife and I buy grocery items when they are on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:44-49

Denomination: Baptist

Nailprints Don't Lie

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 19, 2003

Thomas dealt with his loss by postponing his choices and by absenting himself from the community. We do the same; but the nailprints of our shame and our guilt tell the truth about us.

 We respond to loss in a variety of ways. There is no predicting how people will act when they lose something they cherish. I have seen everything from screaming and wailing to solid stoicism to outright laughter. I have conducted funerals where people have wept openly, and others ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-29

Denomination: Baptist

It Would Have Been Enough

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 3, 2003

Memorial service sermon for Lillie Mae Scales Fontaine, who died on Easter Sunday

Lillie Mae Scales Fontaine went through an open door on Easter Sunday morning. I cannot imagine a better time to die than that day, can you? Just imagine – on the very day when much of the Christian world is focused on an empty tomb and on the promise of life everlasting, Lillie Fontaine ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 11:21-23

Denomination: Baptist

"Endless Love" Is Not A Maudlin Song Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 4, 2003

Radical discipleship is self-giving for the sake of the world, and not self-satisfaction nor giving only to those who please us.

When you learn to sing, you must learn to sing scales. Scales start with “do” on the low end and you step up until you get to “do” again, where the frequency exactly doubles the one where you started. That’s a scale. The syllables that you sing come from a medieval Spanish ballad. “Do re mi ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:9-21

Denomination: Baptist

An End To Childish Ways Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 4, 2003

(For Senior Adult Sunday) Children ask for things for themselves, think in limited terms, and believe they can escape responsbility. Mature people think in terms of love.

“If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” And if I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:11

Denomination: Baptist

Another Day, Another Millennium

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 4, 2003

If the Lord were to ask what we have done with the last millennium, we would have to report that we never learned peace instead of war or love instead of hate. Our agenda for the new millennium needs to be justice, peace, and mission.

Here it comes again, the end of another year! How soon it gets here after Christmas! Isn’t it astonishing? Don’t you wish they could throw in another week or two before the end of the year? We need to get over the rush of Christmas before we have to face the year’s end? I know the Post Office ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1-12, 1 Peter 3:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

At The Last He Will Stand Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 8, 2003

We search for permanence through accomplishments, wealth, legacies; but Job discovered that he needed a Redeemer who would stand in his place and bring him a lasting relationship with God.

Have you discovered that nothing which you call permanent really is permanent? Lots of things are called permanent, many things are described as lasting, but they aren’t. Not really. Not long ago I wanted to mark two plastic containers so that I could be sure they would stay permanently ...read more

Scripture: Job 19:7-27

Denomination: Baptist

Blessed Ignorance, Jesus Is Mine Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 9, 2003

We claim to know too much, as we want to make ourselves elite, we want to close off new ideas. Know nothing but the servant heart (a sermon for deacon ordination).

The psalmist says, “He has put a new song in my mouth.” And so I took that very literally and composed a new song for church today. Do you want to hear me sing it? It’s called, “Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine” You say you don’t think you know that one? You say you think I got that wrong? ...read more

Scripture: John 7:45-52

Denomination: Baptist

Bridges Swamped, Swamps Bridged

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 10, 2003

In times like these the very things we have created to solve human problems are easily swamped; but God wants His people to flourish and will build bridges over the difficulties.

In June of 1972 I was standing in the middle of Colesville Road, not far from my home. I was standing safely in the middle of the road because no traffic was coming through. Why not? Hurricane Agnes had done. Remember Agnes? We’ve had a lot of storms around here, but not many that did as much ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Can The World Take Me Away? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 12, 2003

So much in our lives seems temporary; but God can give us a fresh start, can transform our incompleteness, and can give us hope.

Somebody asked me, when I was getting ready to take study leave, “Why are you doing this? Are you going for another degree? Are you preparing to take another job? And did the deacons make you do this?” Well, I said, I’m taking the study leave because I don’t get much reading time under normal ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Can't Shake Off Mom's Voice

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 14, 2003

Mothers (or parents) communicate an atmosphere as much as they communicate specific ideas; we as children cannot rid ourselves of that atmosphere, good or bad. But faith in God can lift us to a new self-esteem.

Just about everybody has a story that involves Mom’s voice. Just about anyone can tell you something distinctive about the things Mother used to say. We can remember not only what she said, but also the way she said it, the tone of voice she used. It’s surprising how many of us can remember ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Channeling Anger Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 14, 2003

Dramatic monologue: Jonah analyzes the sources of his anger, but prays that God will use all of his misdirected energy for Kingdom purposes.

Hmmph! Blah! Of all the fool things! Repent and be saved! Who would have thought it? Why in the world? I am angry. Yes, I don’t dispute it. I am angry. And why wouldn’t I be, after all I have gone through? I am angry. And with good reason. I went through hell and back, and with what ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Taking God At His Word

Contributed by Dieuner Joseph on May 1, 2007

This sermon is designed to encourage believers to trust in God’s word and promises.

Scripture: 1 John 5:1-13 Subject: Taking God At His Word These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. —1 John 5:13 INTRODUCTION There are some things that one can wonder about, others that one can question. There are ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:1-13

Denomination: Baptist