Resources by Smith, William H.

The New Testament uses the experiences of Israel in the New Testament to teach the Church important lessons about itself. It uses what Israel experienced, not just as illustrations, but as experiences God’s people have had before, which can occur again in different historical circumstances. See, for example, the use made of Israel’s idolatry in […]

Church growth experts tell us that Christmas Eve surpasses Easter as the time when people are most likely to go to church. It’s a recent development but should not be surprising. Religious practices have caught up to cultural preferences. Santa Claus has always won out over the Easter Bunny. It’s an important piece of information […]

Even in the midst of temporal troubles, there is always something to be thankful for. Thanks-giving isn’t easy. Two things make it difficult. (1) Our sinful natures act like a ship’s anchor let down at sea. When we try to stir ourselves to give thanks, we find our souls are ‘dragging anchor.’ In the Bible, […]

When I was a young minister, a man who never attended church (though formally a member) died unexpectedly. Some time later I was visiting with one of his sons and the son’s wife. During our conversation the young man said to me, ‘My Daddy believed that the Second Coming was near and would occur, if […]

The word reveal means ‘to uncover.’ Suppose there is a plate of cookies on the table covered by a towel. When the towel is removed, then you can see what’s there – a plate and cookies. You see what you could not see before. When we use the word revelation in theology, we are talking […]

The Son of God came into the world to do the will of God. He did nothing but the will of God. He did all the will of God. His life perfectly conformed to God’s will. Those who follow him will want to know the will of God, and they will want to know it […]

All of us know the experience of reality not matching expectations. Sometimes the problem is with the reality. We buy a cruise on the internet. But, when we take the cruise we find that it falls far short of what was advertised. Other times the problem is with expectations. We get married expecting we are […]

(A sermon preached at the Memorial Service for Donna Cunningham, a single sister in Christ who died of cancer at age 58, and who served the kingdom unselfishly and sacrificially, especially in the education of church at Grace Christian School. She was also a faithful member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Louisville, MS, who endured in […]

The Worship of God (Christian Focus Publications) is a collection of lectures and sermons, most of them given at the 2003 Spring Theology Conference at Greenville Theological Seminary. Like most collections the quality of chapters is uneven, but overall all it is a helpful contribution in defense of historic Presbyterian worship which is centered on […]

(Note: What follows is not a sermon manuscript or transcript, but notes made in preparation for preaching.) Gospel Reading: Luke 10: 38-42 We live in an age of busyness: Families: Work, school, housekeeping, shopping, and cooking, soccer, baseball, music lessons, youth group, church committees, and, of course, a little time has to be found for […]

(Note: What follows below is not a sermon manuscript but sermon notes and worked out thoughts for preaching. Gospel Reading: Matthew 28: 16-20 On the first Easter morning two women, both bearing the name Mary, but neither the mother of our Lord, went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. To their surprise they […]

Historic evangelicalism has taken its cue on the needs of humans from the Philippian jailer whose question it assumed to be universal: “What must I do to be saved?” It has followed the lead of the Apostle Paul in proclaiming “how to be saved”: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you […]

Gospel Reading: Mark 2:23 – 3:6 I read this past week about an interesting decision of an Appeals Court in Mississippi. A man, his girlfriend, and family members were having a barbeque at a cabin in the woods. All were drinking alcoholic beverages. The man’s girlfriend became violently ill. They called 911, but after waiting […]

Gospel Reading and Text: Mark 3:22-30Epistle Reading: Hebrews 6:1-9If you blaspheme my name, you may irritate me or may make me depressed. But you probably won’t provoke a full-fledged counterattack to defend myself. If you slander my friend, or my relatives, or my children, you will probably get a somewhat stronger reaction from me. When […]

I join the many who are thanking God and congratulating you on eightieth birthday. Our Lord has been most gracious to you and to His Church in sparing you these many years. Your service as Professor of Theology in two seminaries, as Stated Clerk and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in […]