Sermons on Josephs Process:

A Tale Of Three Crosses Series

Contributed by Joseph Rodgers on Apr 13, 2004

The final message in a series leading up to Easter on the Passion of Christ. This meesage focuses on the difference between the three crosses.

A Tale of Three Crosses April 11, 2004 The Passion - Luke 23:39-43 Sunday AM Intro: In reviewing the last hours of Jesus’ life, we often only see one cross dotting the Jerusalem skyline – but to the casual observer that day, the middle cross carried no special significance – just three men dying ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:38-43

Denomination: Baptist

Tomorrow Is Today

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 13, 2004

Preached at a rescue mission. Some face tomorrow in fear, some in denial. But you can face tomorrow by discovering what God is giving you today.

The other day I heard about a woman who was so upset because she was about to be forty years old that she got on an airplane, flew out over the Pacific Ocean, and crossed the International Date Line, where as you may know the calendar changes, just so that she would not actually be anywhere on the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-28

Denomination: Baptist

Judgment On Our Hearts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 17, 2004

For our Remembrance Sunday, when we recall church members deceased during the past year. Memories that are all positive or all positive leave judgment on our hearts. The gospel means that we learn and rejoice from them, but recognize that their lives we

The way in which we remember those who have gone before us can either empower us or it can disempower us. The way in which we grieve for those we have loved and lost can either enable us to greater things, or it can disable us and hold us back. It all depends on what we do with the judgment that ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 28:29-30

Denomination: Baptist

Taking Hold Of Contentment

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 28, 2004

Funeral service for Dock Burgess, whose last day of life was a time of acceptance and calm. We can take hold of contentment by learning to receive, by investing in a relationship with God, and ultimately by accepting grace for life eternal.

I am persuaded that the fundamental human problem is anxiety. I’ve watched the way we live for quite a while, and I am convinced that the most basic human issue is that we are anxious. We are fearful and afraid; we are anxious. And it is not just that we are afraid of what others may do to us. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-12

Denomination: Baptist

There Is No Substitute

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 8, 2004

Mothers’ Day sermon: We need the structure of the home, for there is no substitute for moral living, which means there is no substitute for authentic religious teaching, which in turn means there is no substitute for responsible parenting.

Lord, help the poor soul who serves as a substitute teacher. When I was a schoolboy and our teacher had to be away, we plotted what we were going to do to that substitute. There was something about the idea that we would have her for only one or two days and would likely never see her again. ...read more

Scripture: Judges 17:1-13, Judges 17:11

Denomination: Baptist

After The Cicadas

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 15, 2004

In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education: God still sees much to judge in America, and we are laid waste by lingering racism. We must recommit to justice in the nation and in the church.

I am here to announce an invasion. This land has been taken over by an alien army. The invaders are so numerous that all hope of turning them back is gone. It is useless to resist. And not only are they here in massive numbers, these invaders, but also they know no fear. They are perfectly ...read more

Scripture: Amos 2:6-8, Amos 5:24

Denomination: Baptist

Gloria In Excelsis -- Deo

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 15, 2004

Ordination of a woman named Gloria; glory not in your achievements but in helping others seek God; glory not in defending yourself against predators but in receiving God’s protection; and let yourself feel passion.

Over the years I have developed the habit of focusing on a person’s name whenever it is time to do a message that relates to that individual. For example, I have done funerals for people named James, using something from the New Testament letter of James. I did a funeral service once for a woman ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:1-36, Luke 2:8-15

Denomination: Baptist

Not Yet Perfect

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 18, 2004

Funeral sermon for Doris Reynolds Parker, veteran teacher, civil rights worker, and mother, whose spirit of determination we can complete if we commit to justice, kindness and a walk with God.

Perfection is difficult to come by! No matter how good something is, it is always possible to find flaws. It is always possible to discover imperfections. When I was in engineering school, I took a class in drafting. My professor’s claim to fame was that he could, without a compass, ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:5-8

Denomination: Baptist

What Stands In The Way?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 22, 2004

For Ascension Sunday; and in preparation for my retirement as pastor. What stands in our way? Exhaustion? Gather all, gather the marginalized, and pray. Planless? Remember our core values and do them. Lack of urgency? We are accountable to God.

When a leader and those he leads part company, we learn a whole lot about both of them. Their true values become apparent. The things they are really about become clear. There is no more game-playing when it is time for a leader and those he leads to part company. Sometimes they separate ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-14, Acts 28:23-31

Denomination: Baptist

Thy Kingdom Come: Still Blind And Mute Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 10, 2001

Praying for the Kingdom to come is an awesome responsibility, for some of us remain blind and mute despite Jesus’ healing, criticizing those who are different and causing divisions.

Our backyard is heavily populated. It is home to birds and bugs, to snails and occasional snakes, and most of all, our backyard is populated with moles. The turf is home to those burrowing creatures, moles. I have the twisted ankle to prove it, thanks to sinking in one of the burrows. Our ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:22-32

Denomination: Baptist

Thy Will Be Done: By Any Means Necessary? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 16, 2001

To pray for the will of God to be done in the aftermath of the terror of Sept. 11 is to see that the will of God and the ways of God must always be joined; to avoid sinking to the level of the terrorists; and to repent of little faith and recommmit to the

A number of years ago, a poet penned poignant words as he saw the beginning of the end for the greatest nation of his day. He saw that the far-flung influence his country had thrown over much of the world could no longer be held. The people who had felt pressed by it were demanding their own ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:14-21

Denomination: Baptist

All Is Now Yours: Giving What We Do Not Have

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 8, 2001

In uncertain times, it remains true that giving away what we cannot possess anyway is the path to fulfillment; it must, however, be a gift that refreshes the fainting.

It seems that we do not have what we think we have. Sometimes what seems to be ours is not ours at all. Buildings as sturdy as the Pentagon and as imposing as the World Trade Center can be destroyed in a moment of awful terror. Lives promising and beautiful are snuffed out, and there is little ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 16:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

For Me

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 8, 2001

Funeral message for Calvin John King, widower, father of seven, and long-term post-traumatic stress syndrome sufferer.

We have all been taught to be unselfish. “Share your toys”, we say to our children. I am pretty sure that was said in the King household, with seven pairs of hands grabbing for the same stuffed animal. “Let your brother have some of your candy bar; you must not be selfish.” All very well, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Denomination: Baptist

The Da Vinci Code: Thrilled By A Thriller Series

Contributed by Joseph Rodgers on May 17, 2006

Decontructing Brown’s conjecture to equip believer’s to share the truth.

The DaVinci Code – Fact or Fiction Thrilled by a Thriller – 1 Pt. 2:1-3 Insert: Unlocking the DaVinci Code Intro Video Clip Intro: Treachery, religious fanaticism, murder, an ancient conspiracy, secret societies, erotic spirituality and feminism are just a few of the plot lines in the 2003 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

From Crisis To Christ

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 30, 2006

Funeral sermon for Andrew Maybin, Navy veteran who had gone through a spiritual crisis about a forced retirement.

When you reach a crisis point in your life, you have only a few choices about how to respond. When those crisis moments come, all you can do in response can be boiled down to three things and three things only: either you can give up; or you can stand and fight; or you can learn something ...read more

Denomination: Baptist