I’m sure I’ve written on this before, but I thought the significance of obedience was important enough to repeat here. It occurs to me that obedience to God is, or certainly should be, an exercise in ‘want to’ as opposed to ‘have to.’

There is a perspective in our faith that I subscribe to and it is that our challenges and tests are an integral part of God’s plan to ready us for the struggle of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. 

I don’t know about you, but there have been times when I have confused being blessed with being lucky. 

There is one sure way to absolutely get the devil’s attention and that is to begin to turn one’s life to Christ. You’ve probably heard many a pastor refer to a person’s lifestyle as an open invitation for the devil to gain access to his or her world. Supposedly, as long as you engage in the …

Sometimes I have the audacity to think that I know just what it takes to guarantee salvation, only to discover with minimal soul searching how wrong I really have been. Time and time again I’m reminded that I had nothing to do with my own salvation. No matter how hard I try, I cannot earn my…

Confidence and discipline are spiritual concepts. Better yet, confidence coupled with discipline must surely be godly. This coupling should by no means be confused with arrogance and ego. Faith requires discipline and, together with spiritual confidence, the godly result is power.

Confidence and discipline are spiritual concepts. Better yet, confidence coupled with discipline must surely be godly. This coupling should by no means be confused with arrogance and ego. Faith requires discipline and, together with spiritual confidence, the godly result is power.

Have you ever gone to church expecting to hear a certain minister, only to have a substitute guest preacher in his or her place? It has happened to me on several occasions and, after my initial disappointment, I am always reminded that it really is all about the message and not necessarily t…

Have you ever gone to church expecting to hear a certain minister, only to have a substitute guest preacher in his or her place? It has happened to me on several occasions and, after my initial disappointment, I am always reminded that it really is all about the message and not necessarily t…

I heard something recently that has stayed with me and has rapidly become embedded in my spirit, so I thought it was worthy to again pass along to you: “God is not schizophrenic.” It sounds simple enough, but, at closer inspection, you might want to seriously consider it implications.

We all understand the concept of “card-carrying member.” As a matter of fact, you can be categorized by what affiliation you hold by what cards are in your purse or wallet. We’ve got card carrying Democrats and Republicans. You can get a membership card for every organization from the NAACP …

Sometimes words alone cannot convey meaning and feelings the way we’d like them to, Dallas Weekly Publisher James Washington wrote in one of his popular “Spiritually Speaking” Columns for BlackPressUSA.com.

Speed can kill, whereas a slower pace, a more deliberate pace, can be much more enlightening. At these times it is more important to be still rather than be quick to do something. Given the pace of what is going on in this world, things like prayer, peace, intimacy, personal, intimacy and ba…

At the end of the day, any day, I sometimes wonder if many of us reflect on what we could have done to support a theory, a hypothesis, a professed belief that one is a man or woman of God. I’m talking about serious reflection that requires a definitive yes or no to the question, “Was this a …

How many of you have ever been too embarrassed to pray, too afraid or really just too ashamed? Maybe you were afraid, or perhaps just feeling a little guilty. Because we claim to know Jesus, it is during very difficult times, that to kneel down before the Lord, (especially after you’ve done …

I wish I could remember where I heard this. But it is worth repeating for those of you who know what real pain feels like.

Allow me to talk about freedom. The freedom I’m talking about is the freedom afforded you when you come to Christ. There is something quite liberating when you know or realize that you’ve been, as they say, set free.

Have you ever wondered how the lawyer who knows his or her client is guilty but is able to get the person off based on a legal technicality feels? Legally, the person is innocent, but morally they are as guilty as, dare I say, sin.

For someone who grew up when and how I did, the question of Jesus continues to mystify many of my so-called friends, when it comes to my recognized newest superhero.

A minister friend of mine once told me that a person can have theology but no faith.  He told me this because at one time I was considering going to school to study the Bible.  My friend, recognizing that I was a rookie trying to crack the starting ,lineup for Christ, suggested maybe a diffe…

It is not always through guile and deceit that the devil works his evil. He can accomplish his goals if he can convince you that what is very important is of little matter and no consequence. This love thing is pretty well documented throughout the Bible and Christ certainly clarifies its im…

They say no one can ever lead a perfect life. Flaws, faults and mistakes are the unavoidable consequences of being human. God lets us know through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that how we handle our imperfections is about as important as acknowledging that we do indeed have them.

They say no one can ever lead a perfect life. Flaws, faults and mistakes are the unavoidable consequences of being human. God lets us know through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that how we handle our imperfections is about as important as acknowledging that we do indeed have them. Allow me t…

Hopefully, this a different take on a familiar subject. Scripture refers to one’s faith, “the size of a mustard seed,” as a true indicator of its power. Faith, for all we talk about it, is probably one of the more misunderstood and unappreciated concepts in Christianity. I believe this becau…

How many of you have ever been too embarrassed to pray, too afraid or really just too ashamed? It is during very difficult times that to kneel down before the Lord (especially after you’ve done exactly that thing which represents the absolute worst in you) seems impossible.

I remember as a high school senior going to a religious retreat and listening to a recording supposedly between the devil and one of his soul recruiters, who was having little to no luck at populating hell. The devil gave him one more chance to succeed before suffering the vilest of consequences.

I remember as a high school senior going to a religious retreat and listening to a recording supposedly between the devil and one of his soul recruiters, who was having little to no luck at populating hell. The devil gave him one more chance to succeed before suffering the vilest of consequences.

One of the telling things about being a Christian, no matter how new the claim might be, is a newfound understanding and appreciation of being by yourself. I don’t mean being lonely or anything. I mean being alone with the Lord.

God made a covenant with His people. He made us a promise. If you’ve lived as long as I have, you’ve had many people make promises to you that they have no intention of keeping or they failed miserably while trying to keep it. I know I’ve broken a promise or two in my day.

I saw something that literally made me stop and think: “Jesus, revolutionary!” The reason for my pause had more to do with how we define revolutionary today and its application in terms of Christ.

As I get older I have become even more fascinated with the concept of time. I’ve always found time as it is talked about in the Bible to be an awesome concept if we can just grasp it and apply time and its value to our own lives.

There is a perception (right or wrong) in our faith that our suffering is an integral part of God’s plan to ready us for the struggle of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Many believe that suffering in some ways is a prerequisite for strengthening one’s spiritual muscle. I think it is…

The bate-n-switch continues unabated in Missouri’s Republican-controlled government. In his January 16 State of the State address, Gov. Mike Parson requested a $350 million bond issue to replace or repair 250 bridges. This request is apparently in response to the smackdown delivered by taxpa…

The scant coverage by The American regarding the National Blues Museum continues, especially in the face of the recent “resignation” of Jeffery Hardin as the executive director. Although Bernie Hayes is a solid choice as interim director, I found it odd how the vitriol and controversy betwee…

With the world in such a tumultuous state, you could say that this is when faith can and is tested. For some, tragic world events just might make you question the existence of the God we profess to believe in.

As believers we really have a lot on our plates. From our perspective, however, that doesn’t mean we are challenged beyond our capacity to fulfill God’s destiny for us. It just means life still happens to us. It just does so with a purpose: God’s. The more we understand and internalize that,…

For someone who grew up when and how I did, the question of Jesus really mystified many of my so-called friends, when it came to my newest superhero.

Faith usually is a minefield to navigate. If you’re not careful, your faith will wilt from the constant barrage of just living. Be it grief, worry, betrayal or just hard times, life has a way of making you think it’s just too hard. Some things are just not worth it. The answer is simply, jus…

We live in a world, this physical one, where the devil has some sway. He even shows up at times with a little bit of swag. And if you don’t or can’t accept this, try removing the “d” and think “evil” in its place. Conceptually some might find it easier deal with the fact that we live in a wo…

I went to church intent on hearing a particular preacher, only to find him absent from the pulpit. The guest minister’s sermon on humility was a stark reminder that’s it is all about the message and never the messenger. Fortunately for me, that was one of the spiritual lessons I learned from…

I saw something the other day that made me stop and think: “Jesus, Revolutionary.”

You know life at times can appear to be just one big roller coaster, a frightening one at that. It’s full of twists and turns, people and events, ups and downs that would make anyone skeptical as to its purpose.

“Blessed and highly favored.” I don’t know where this phrase comes from. But I do understand what it means and, by uttering it, some of us accept its responsibilities and yes, even its consequences.

As I get older I have become even more fascinated with the concept of time. I’ve always found time as it is talked about in the Bible to be an awesome concept if we can just grasp it and apply time and its value to our own lives. What is time, and what are the consequences of actively experi…

Sometimes words alone cannot convey meaning and feelings the way we’d like them to. Trust, for example. The reference point for my meaning is “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all things acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.…

Every now and then I tend to focus on good and evil and its impact on my life. In doing so, the devil inevitably comes up.

As a Christian, no matter how devout, life will put you in the dumps about your particular situation or circumstance. Being a Christian does not guarantee a life void of trial and tribulation. As a matter of fact, being a Christian is tantamount to sending VIP invitations to Mr. Temptation a…

Our suffering is an integral part of God’s plan to ready us for the struggle of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Suffering in some ways is a prerequisite for strengthening one’s spiritual muscle.

My word for today is steward or stewardship. I haven’t found this very important word in the Bible yet, but I have heard many a pastor preach on it. From the pulpit I’ve heard the question asked, “Are we good stewards of our own sexuality?” 

Right before he was about to be installed as the new pastor of his own church, he said, “When Satan knocks at the door, let Jesus answer it.” I found the thought behind this saying absolutely awesome. I try to imagine actually being able to do this.