Words of the Week: Stay Home for the Holidays
November 26, 2020
Words of the Week
Breaking News
- LACMA Showcases ‘Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st-Century Art and Poetics’ Exhibit
- Sheenway School and Culture Center — Educating Youth to Lead the Future Over 50 Years
- Record-Breaking Hate Crimes Against Black Angelenos on the Rise
- Los Angeles Rams and LAPD Spread Holiday Cheer with Annual Sleigh Ride
- Heather Hutt Sworn-in as Councilwoman for L.A.’s 10th District
- Visit Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza for Holiday Photos with Santa
- Homeless and Their Advocates Speak Out in New Film, ‘WE, the Vulnerable of LA’
- The Congressman Wore Sneakers: An Evening With Hakeem Jeffries
- Brotherhood Crusade Honors SEIU President April Verrett at 2024 Pioneer of African American Achievement Award Dinner
- Chargers Thwart Divisional Foe on Thursday Night
- No. 18 UCLA Men’s Basketball Defeats Prairie View A&M 111-75
- Athletes in $2.8 billion college lawsuit tell judge they want to create a players’ association
- Cal, UNLV Inspire La Tijera Students at Day of Play
Words of the Week
Words of the Week
November 19, 2020
The Voice of The Lord
Words of the Week: Where is the Vision?
July 16, 2020
A vision helps you determine how you can get what you want, when you want, how you want.
Words of the Week – Hope When Life Seems Dark
April 29, 2020
Scripture: Psalm 42:1-5 Psalm 42 was written while David was in exile. He had been forced to flee Jerusalem because of the rebellion of his son, Absalom, who had declared himself king and was marching with an army on Jerusalem. (see II Samuel, Chapters 15-18.) David chose to flee with his household and followers for a number of reasons: He did not wish to be in a civil war, he wanted to reconcile with his son, it was too late to fortify the city and the city did not have enough food and water to sustain a siege. Also, these
Words of the Week – Shelter in Place
April 22, 2020
Scripture: John 20:1; 11-18, NIV The U.S. government said that the week of April 5 would be the toughest week of the coronavirus pandemic! That week was Holy Week. It commemorated Jesus’ toughest week! On Sunday, Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt. The crowd shouted, “Hosanna!” and waved palm branches. By Thursday, Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples. He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and dragged from one kangaroo court to another. The same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” on Sunday cried “Crucify Him!” on Thursday. On Friday, following betrayal, arrest, desertion, false trials,
Words of the Week – This Crisis Is Better Than Christmas!
April 15, 2020
Let me explain. Christmas is a time when we scuttle about trying to buy presents for one another. All the thought, energy and scurrying about comes to a crescendo on December 25, which was not the actual date Jesus was born. It’s similar to the Easter holiday, which was born out of a pagan tradition. But, we should celebrate, acknowledge and declare Jesus’ birth, death, burial and resurrection any day that we can. These calendared holidays last for a day, then they fade away. What we’re seeing now, during this COVID-19 crisis, is a continued outpouring of love and compassion
Words of the Week – The Resurrection Hope
April 8, 2020
Scripture: 1 Cor. 15:12-22 While pastoring in Kansas City some years ago, I served as co-chair of what became a nationally acclaimed End of Life program entitled “Compassion Sabbath.” The program was sponsored by the Center for Practical Bioethics aimed at increasing the quality of spiritual care provided by faith leaders to their congregants at the end of their lives. We were successful in bringing together over 300 faith leaders to share ways that they could be more effective in their end of life ministry. One of the conversations surrounding our work was that of “realistic versus unrealistic hope.” When
Words of the Week – Go Home
March 25, 2020
Scripture: Isaiah 26:20-21 I know many of you are asking, “Why has God allowed the coronavirus to ravish the world?” You are wondering, “Why am I confined in my house?” “Why does God allow houses of worship to be impacted?” If you’re not asking these questions, I am asking them for you. I don’t claim to know the answers to these questions. In my search for answers to these questions, I did find it on television. The CNN pundits didn’t know the answers. I didn’t hear it on the radio. The answers were not found in astrology. In my opinion,
Words of the Week – Use This Time to Seek Him
March 18, 2020
There are times when we’re allowed to go through great trials and tribulations — not to bring harm or kill us, but to edify. The coronavirus has thrown the world into a tense ball of fear and if you are listening to or watching popular media, it isn’t ending any time soon. This has put us all in an uncomfortable place of being confined at home. Our lives have been disrupted in a huge way like never before — no work, no play, no socializing. We live in a culture that thrives on the very things we can’t do right
Words of the Week – The Whole Duty of Man
March 11, 2020
I was recently listening to a popular pastor tell the story of when he first started in ministry, he kept a whole lot of notes with him that he could reference during his sermons. Then, suddenly one night as he was about to deliver his message, there was a blackout. He said he asked God, “What do I tell them now?” and God revealed to him to just tell them about Jesus. So, what about Jesus do we tell? Well, we can start with, “In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God,
Boundless Forgiveness? Stop in the Name of Love!
February 26, 2020
Have you ever forgiven someone who has yet to own up to their offense; who have never apologized? That can be a hard pill to swallow! I have heard many commentaries and discussions about forgiveness. The Bible records in Matthew 18:22 that Jesus instructed the church to forgive “seventy times seven.” Scholars say this is the symbol of boundlessness. However, if some people continue to offend time after time, what are we to do? Well, I’ll say it this way, if you continue to stand in the middle of the road shouting “stop in the name of love” to some
Words of the Week – Make a Difference Through Compassion, Positive Actions
February 12, 2020
Hello, friends. If you’re a Christian, I’d like to talk to you a bit about being a “living epistle to be read of men,” as the scriptures reference. In other words, I’d like to encourage you to let your daily actions cause others who may not know Jesus as Lord see Him through you. Even if you’re not a Christian, something written in this column can still influence you to conscientiously impact someone else’s life through positive action. When you purpose in your heart to brighten someone else’s day, especially when they’ve had a “this is the last straw” kind
Words of the Week – The Power of Healing
February 5, 2020
To the youth readers: I’m back! I pray you’re all well. I have a great story to share with you. As you know writing for me is therapy. I found comfort in Psalm 73:26, “…as the word of God share my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” I fell and broke both of my wrists. I knew what time it was. I needed to be still. God wanted me to rest in Him. When you have a personal relationship with God, you’re able to understand why things happen
Words of the Week – Wake Up Call
January 29, 2020
Death can come swiftly leaving no goodbyes to those left behind. On Sunday, Jan. 26, nine people left this world in a freak helicopter crash. Among the nine was NBA icon and athlete, Kobe Bryant, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. The rest of the passengers included: John Altobelli, Kerri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and pilot, Ara Zobayan. These moments leave many with grief and questions that sometimes go unanswered. Why did this happen? Why did they have to die? These are questions countless that people ask around the world every day as people do die
2020 Vision: Fear Not!
January 2, 2020
When I was about three or four-years-old, we lived on Goddard Road, on the north end of Detroit. We had two apple trees and a grapevine in the backyard, and another apple tree in the front. My father had once told me never to eat the apples that had fallen to the ground because there may be a worm in them. To show me, he picked one up from the ground, so I could actually see a worm hole in it. One morning, I bolted out the front door, down the gangway to the backyard and I saw this bright