Sermons on Moments Joseph:

God's Nobodies

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 20, 2011

We as the church, facing today's challenges, think of ourselves as nobodies. But we are God's kind of nobodies, those in whom He has been at work to make changes, and we are needed by the world around us.

(Originally preached at Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church, Silver Spring, MD, Aug. 12, 1973; subsequently, with variations, at Woodbrook Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD, Aug. 19, 1973; Viers Mill Baptist Church, Rockville, MD, Sept. 9, 1973; Bethesda First Baptist Church, Bethesda, MD, Oct. 14, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

Laborers Together With God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 11, 2010

Annual sermon, D. C. Baptist Convention. Clergy and laity will be in conflict, but it can be creative when we recognize our humanness, turn our competitiveness in productivity, and learn to identify where God is already at work.

I've done a little work through the years in helping ministers get positions on church staffs. Every Baptist minister, I guess, has done that. Where are the bishops when you really need them? But it's been fun to help young ministers, particularly those who were students of mine from my campus ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

When Life Turns Sour Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 15, 2009

When life turns sour, tell yourself the truth, complain to God, and He will deliver. Message focuses on Dylan Thomas’ poem, "Do not go gentle into that good night; rage, rage against the dying of the light."

On a warm spring evening in 1952, at his home in Swansea in Wales, David John Thomas lay on his deathbed. Once a soldier who had fought in the Second World War, later an English teacher, Thomas had become very frail in his later years. There was no doubt that he would die soon. There was no ...read more

Scripture: Job 10:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

Seeing Through The Darkness Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 22, 2009

This is a time of profound darkness, when many things we have depended on fail. We may be among the curious crowd or the concerned companions, but we will eventually see. Who will be the next converted centurion?

When you are suddenly plunged into darkness, that darkness is profound, and you cannot see anything. But wait a while, let your eyes adjust, and if there is a glimmer of light anywhere, you will begin to see and you will make your way through. The darkness will not be quite as dismal as you first ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:44-49

Denomination: Baptist

What It Takes To Be Heard By God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 5, 2009

If you want to be heard by God, make sure God and not others are your audience, make sure that it is really you who is speaking, and make sure to forgive and to receive forgiveness.

The morning worship service had reached an emotional climax during the pastor’s fervent prayer. He had carefully crafted it with fine liturgical phrases, hallowed by centuries of use. It was backed up by a throbbing organ, playing a hymn that gently drew worshipers back to thoughts of that amazing ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

How To Drive Your Mother Crazy

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 3, 2009

Know your own self, do what is right whether you like it or not, and go beyond the norm. It will drive your mother crazy and will call from your Father, "Well done".

Our relationship with our mothers is at once the most wonderful and yet the most difficult of all our relationships. We love them deeply, and we get so upset with them we almost hate them. Few of us are neutral about our mothers; we hold them close and then push them away forcefully. We get ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-12

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

Judas Iscariot: Stuck In Frustration Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 8, 2009

Frustration means that we forget about others in our need to do what we want, and it means we are tempted to abandon God’s way. The model is Jesus, whose obedience gave Him the ultimate accomplishment.

God must have a sense of humor, don’t you think? God must do some things just because they are fun to do! Several years ago, I thought I saw God’s funny bone at work overtime. Margaret and J were members of Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church in Silver Spring, and I was serving as the chairman ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

How To Age With Grace

Contributed by Errol Joseph on Jul 15, 2001

Gives some guidelines for aging gracefully from the examples of Simeon and Anna.

DATE: July 15, 2001 TEXT: Luke 2:21-38 THEME: "How to Age With Grace" INTRODUCTION “There is something happening to every one of you this very moment as you sit here in church. Imperceptibly, but relentlessly. You are getting older - aging. The causes are uncertain, probably because our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:21-38

Denomination: Pentecostal

Becoming

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 17, 2010

The popular notion of "the spirit of Christmas" does not recognize that pain and suffering are involved. But the coming of Christ foreshadows His cross.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC December 2, 1984 Here it is only the second day of December, and already we are bombarded with Christmas carols in the stores. Already the annual countdown of only so many more shopping days until Christmas has taken on an urgent tone, and some of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Hard Times

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jun 1, 2022

Life is full of ups and downs. God wants us to always stay focused on Him when times or good or bad. Don’t give up on God, but don’t forget about Him either.

For the past few weeks we've been talking about things like betrayal, temptation, and the injustices in our lives. Today I want to group all of that together and just talk a little bit about hard times in general. Life is full of ups and downs. A star quarterback throws a game-winning ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 41:28-54

Denomination: Baptist

The Road God Chose

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 3, 2025

XMAS - God chose a humble, dusty road to Bethlehem to show He walks our hardest roads today—carrying us as we carry His grace.

Introduction — The Road No One Would Have Chosen There are certain roads in life that none of us would choose. Some roads are too hard… too lonely… too costly… too uncertain… And yet, strangely, these are often the very roads where God chooses to walk with us most closely. When we think of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-8, Luke 2:1-7, Galatians 4:4, Isaiah 7:14

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

My Crazy Mixed Family #2 Series

Contributed by Robert Butler on Nov 1, 2019

God remains committed and faithful when things go from bad to worse. Restoration matters to God.

We put the fun in dysfunctional. We’re probably a lot like you in that we have struggled in coming to understand why God created us and then placed us in such crazy mixed up families. Can I get a witness? The good news this morning is that we are not alone. Throughout the ages, people have ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 39:2, Joshua 1:5, 2 Corinthians 4:17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have A Merry Christmas! Series

Contributed by Jeff Armbrester on Dec 22, 2004

The theme will be relationships. This worship experience will focus on our relationships with family and friends. The challenge will be to move from merely going through the activities of Christmas with our family and friends to knowing those we love on a

Last week we learned that the spirit of Christmas is relationships, beginning with our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Today we see that to have a merry Christmas involves relationships with people. It seems that God screams this message to us every year through the writers of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Denomination: Methodist

P-A-W-B-A Genesis 48 Series

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Aug 17, 2009

P-A-W-B-A: Proclaim God Almighty, Acknowledge God’s Gifts, Worship Jesus, Bless OTHERS, Affirm God’s Word!

There will be times in our lives when we have to separate from our loved ones for a while. Is there a godly way of doing that? Jacob, who God called Israel, knew that his time on earth would be ending soon. Jacob knew that he would soon be separated from his loved ones. Were there any ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 48:1-22

Denomination: Independent/Bible