Sermons on Mufti Ebrahim Smith:

The Dawn's Early Light

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 15, 2009

Just as Key saw that the darkness is intense before the dawn, that during battle we see enough to know that our freedom is won, and that we are at our best when we claim freedom for others, so also at the empty tomb we learn of our freedom from sin.

At 9 o’clock the firing from the ships anchored in the harbor slackened and then stopped. It seemed as though the siege of the city might be over for the night. But an hour or so later 20 small beats set out, under cover of darkness, with a driving rain pelting down. Their oars muffled, they ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Living At Four Corners

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 16, 2009

Rewritten for Montgomery Hills Baptist Church: a Silver Spring intersection is a metaphor for priorities in giving, teaching young people, engaging in healing, and sharing the Gospel with all.

To be a Christian is to live in tension with the world around you. You cannot live out your spiritual life in a cocoon; you live it out in the real world, in a community. Some, it is true, go to convents or monasteries; but that’s not an option for most of us, is it? To be a Christian, living ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:10-13

Denomination: Baptist

Soups, Sheets, And Socks

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 17, 2009

In support of a drive to collect items for a missions organization: genuine spiritual feeling comes when we deal with the real world and provide food, shelter, and clothing to the needy.

Let’s suppose that this is God’s issue of Time magazine. Someone has sent God a lifetime subscription to Time magazine; I guess you would have to say an eternity-time subscription. And when God’s Time magazine arrives ... by the way, do you know God’s zip code? You don’t think God has a zip code? ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Beware And Believe Series

Contributed by Duane Smith on Aug 17, 2009

This message was intended to warn us about worldly wisdom and help us to rejoice and stand firm in Christ who makes us complete.

BEWARE AND BELIEVE Colossians 2:8-10 INTRODUCTION: A. Do you remember the reason Paul was writing this letter to the Colossians? 1. As the church grew, people from walks of life were coming to salvation and entering the church 2. With such a diversity in the church some saw the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:8-10

Denomination: Baptist

Forgiving Close Ears

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 18, 2009

Deacon ordination service: deacons, like Stephen, must forgive and heal those who have chosen to close their ears to the truth.

When my son Bryan was small, sometimes he would go into a kind of daydream. He would sit there and seem to stare off into space, and if you spoke to him, he just wouldn’t hear. He would get so far into himself that we would have to wave our hands in front of his face and shout to get his ...read more

Scripture: Acts 7:54-60

Denomination: Baptist

Flesh And Spirit: Love And Self-Control Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 20, 2009

Self-control is difficult for us because we are afraid of responsibility. But to have no form of control is to choose chaos. The answer is to build a relationship with Christ so close that His will becomes ours.

Scene One: You are standing in front of your freezer. You opened the door just to explore, nothing particular in mind, just to see what’s there. In front of you is a container label1ed, "Gourmet Ice Cream: Cherry Almond Fudge". Lifting the lid, again just to explore, just to see what’s there, you ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Denomination: Baptist

Flesh And Spirit: Love And Peace Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 20, 2009

Achieving peace in the world must come from those who have achieved peace with themselves. That in turn comes from achieving peace with God. For the Day of Prayer for World Peace, for baptism, and for Communion

My mother-in-law made an arresting comment the other day. She had been reminiscing about what it was like to take care of two small children in a British bomb shelter, and then our conversation turned to the present situation with Iraq. "Oh, you men", she said. "You men, always getting us into ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Denomination: Baptist

Flesh And Spirit: Love And Gentleness Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 21, 2009

Treating others with gentleness begins with understanding that God uses gentleness with us, and then moves to our being gentle with ourselves. Gentleness does shape the behavior of others.

Why is it that some situations cause us to lose our tempers? Why do we sometimes lose all sense of reason and just get angry all over? Why is it that when we are trying to get someone else to do what we want them to do, we can barely control our rage? A few weeks ago I introduced you to our new ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Denomination: Baptist

Flesh And Spirit: Love And Joy Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 22, 2009

We cannot manufacture joy by trying to be good, nor can we survive game-playing. Joy comes from knowing that without Christ we would not be good at all, but that in Him we are freed from guilt.

The happiest people I know are not necessarily the most moral people I know. And the most unhappy people I know are among the most moral people I know. I’ll bet you didn’t follow that. Let me try again. The happiest people I know are not necessarily the most moral people I know. And the most ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Denomination: Baptist

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Series

Contributed by Duane Smith on Aug 23, 2009

This message is intended to help us understand our need for nothing but Christ for salvation, life and godliness - He accomplished all that is needed and we are complete in Him.

A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS Colossians 2:9-15 INTRODUCTION: A. Look at these pictures for a moment (SHOW PICTURES) 1. Did any one stick in your mind? 2. What did you think? 3. Pictures can bring things to light: feelings, emotions, thoughts 4. There is an old saying – quit ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:9-15

Denomination: Baptist

En Route To A Better Country

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 24, 2009

For Remembrance Sunday, celebrating the lives of those who had passed away during the previous year: We resist change because we fear failure and we fear temporariness. But faith launches us and God equips us to new things.

Why do some of us embrace change and others of us resist change? Why do some people look for new things to do, search for new things to learn? But others of us resist until our dying breath doing anything but what we’ve always done? Why is that? Why do we approach to life so very differently? ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:8-16

Denomination: Baptist

Built Up, Bound Up, Lifted Up

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 16, 2010

We are so into upward mobility; but God's version is different. It involves building us up so that the powerless have power; binding up the wounded so that they can understand brokenness; and lifting us up so that we can use our power for others.

I can remember when the word "furlough" was a happy word. It was a happy word because it meant that somebody in your family was coming home from military duty for a while. "Furlough" for me brings up a memory of standing, as a small boy, in Union Station in Louisville, waiting for the train to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 147:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 17, 2010

ASH WEDNESDAY MESSAGE: We resist the "allness" of sin. David shows us that we must acknowledge it as our own, and that it has to do with our relationship to God, not just breaking rules. We have an even greater resource for our broken hearts than he had

His words were uttered in a commanding tone. It was clear that he was displeased. And to his displeasure he added a twist, as he said to his young son, “I said shovel all the snow off all the walks. What part of ‘all’ do you not understand?” And if, as a twelve-year-old who had soon grown tired ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

But ... But ... But

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 19, 2010

Introverts do not think they are ready for ministry, but actually their personality is a resource for ministry, for they can enable God to empower them.

The way we live out our lives depends on the kind of personality we have. What we do, how we do it, the way we go about our daily tasks, the ways in which we relate to one another … all these things come out of the kind of personality we have. You can argue, if you want, that cultural ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Automatic Door Openers

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 19, 2010

For deacon ordination: God has provided the wide door through which all may come, but also the narrow gate that calls for discipline and setting boundaries.

We seem to be fast coming to the place where we will scarcely have to deal with people at all. We can just deal with computer-driven machines to get what we want. I frankly cannot remember when I have dealt with a bank teller. I just roll up to an Automatic Teller Machine, punch in a few numbers, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-14

Denomination: Baptist