Words of the Week – Page 7 – Los Angeles Sentinel

Words of the Week – What is a House?

Larry Buford, Contributing WriterJuly 4, 2018

When a house is not your home! What house do you love more than the House of God? Is it the house of your job; money; sex; gambling; drugs; entertainment idols? Ever been to a casino and heard the expression “the house always wins?” Regardless of whether or not you are addicted to gambling, that dwelling place called “house” could not possibly be your home – especially after you’ve lost your shirt! Sometimes we find ourselves “housed” in situations like debt, drugs, a bad relationship, a bad job – you name it; but because we’re camped there does not mean

Religion

Words of the Week – Treasure Your Uniqueness

Barbara Bryant, Contributing WriterJune 20, 2018

Are you too critical of the child that God made? Do you think God could have created you better or improved a few things better like your nose, butt, breast or lips? The answer is no. You are wonderfully complex. God never used a cookie cutter to create people. He made you from scratch. I really want you to get this – You are God’s original work. He made you once. One of you was enough for God. When you were born you came hot off the press. Like a trademark, you have been patented by God. He has exclusive

Religion

Words of the Week – Meet the Greens: Part 3

Brian W. Carter, Contributing WriterJune 13, 2018

Jealousy, the leader of the pack, the oldest of the Greens siblings, is a true monster. While Envy and Covetousness play havoc with the people around them, Jealousy sits and watches. The oldest sibling, Jealousy is devoted to doing whatever is necessary to accomplish the goal. “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”- Proverbs 27:4 One definition of the state of being jealous is described as “hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage.” “The Green-Eyed Monster” is very dangerous because it lives in blind rage. Jealousy is a subtle creature.

Religion

Words of the Week – Fake News

Rev. Dr. Kelvin T. Calloway, Contributing WriterMay 30, 2018

Scripture: Matthew 28:11-20 In the “post-truth” age in which we now find ourselves, the relevance of “fake news” has increased. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines fake news as “false stories that appear to be news usually created to influence political views.” According to Wikipedia, fake news is “journalism or propaganda that consist of deliberate misinformation with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person.” Fake news has become so prevalent in our society today that news outlets now have a segment devoted to “fact checking” and “keeping honest” who traffic in its dissemination. As

Religion

Words of the Week – The Touchstone

Larry Buford, Contributing WriterMay 16, 2018

According to the Bible, God knew us before the foundations of the earth. Now imagine if you will – you were in Heaven, and God said, “I need someone to fulfill a certain mission on planet earth.” You bowed before the throne of God and said, “send me I’ll go!” And there was much rejoicing in Heaven! Then God instructed: “You will be transformed by My mighty hand through a birth canal to take on human attributes, and you will have no recollection of where you came from; but an assigned angel will be your guide and helper. “You will

Religion

Words of the Week -Wake up, Pray!

By Rev. Carolyn Baskin-Bell, Contributing WriterMarch 28, 2018

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46 We have discovered while traveling on this faith journey as members of God’s family, we must practice prayer. As we run this race with Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we must be in constant communication with the Lord. We have also learned that prayer is a communicative process involving one individual talking to God or the corporate body/Congregation talking to God. Please don’t forget that listening is an important function of the prayer process. The Psalmist reminds us to, “Be still and know that I am God.” Obedience requires the listening prayer. This type

Religion

Words of the Week – You Matter

Barbara Bryant, Contributing WriterMarch 14, 2018

When was the last time you acknowledged and appreciated yourself? That’s right: YOU. Not your spouse, not your children, not your boss, co-workers or friends. Just YOU! Seriously, think about it. And if it’s been a long time since you last gave yourself a pat on the back, then I want you to spend the 90 days in 2018 acknowledging and appreciating yourself for everything you’ve accomplished. Ask yourself this question: How many times have I enjoyed success in the past months? The past year? The past five years? Am I able to recall my successes as easily as I do

Opinion Religion

Words of the Week – Meet the Greens: Part 2

Brian W. Carter, Staff WriterMarch 7, 2018

The Greens are a group you would do well to avoid because they cause too much trouble. They don’t bring anything positive to the table — just mess. If you’re coveting someone’s blessings, then Envy is sitting at your table, too — wanting your lunch instead their own. Envy is described as a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck. “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”- Proverbs 14:30 How many people do you know that live in a funk, obsessing over what somebody in their

Religion

Words of the Week – Meet the Greens: Part 1

Brian W. Carter, Staff WriterFebruary 28, 2018

You ever met the Greens? You know, those three siblings that crashed the party last year? I don’t know how you could forget them … they caused all that havoc and had everyone at each other’s throat — it was a mess. You still don’t remember? Well, don’t worry, odds are you will meet them again. The Greens, or as they are more commonly known by most, Jealousy, Envy and Covetousness, are bad news. There is nothing more dangerous or sinister than this triple threat. They often travel together, holding hands within the heart. Their roots go deep and

Religion

Words of the Week – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling

Rev. Dr. Kelvin T. Calloway, Contributing WriterFebruary 21, 2018

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-5 As our Church School has led us in the celebration of our heritage during February, we have been acknowledging the contributions that African Americans have made in the field of music. Music has been called the universal language because it transcends race, ethnicities and cultures. The contributions of our ancestors to the field of music – from the spirituals, to gospel, to jazz, to the blues, to rhythm and blues – are too numerous to name, but I’d like to highlight a few. The influence of African Americans can be found in all genres of music. From

Religion

Achieving Your Goals in 2018

Rev. Xavier L. Thompson, Contributing WriterJanuary 24, 2018

Your calling isn’t just a career path . . . it’s a calling from heaven! Even though our society admires exceptional achievements and inspiring success stories, we ought to value the right things. The most important aspect of our leadership journey isn’t necessarily how much we accomplish for God, but who we are becoming. As we strive to achieve our goals, we must remember these fundamental principles: * Heart attitude matters. Ultimately, leadership is an issue of the heart. As Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” The heart

Op-Ed Opinion Religion

As King Encouraged, America Must Face Her Flaws

Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith-Pollard, Contributing WriterJanuary 10, 2018

In Dr. Martin Luther King’s posthumously published essay, “A Testament of Hope,” he wrote, “It is forcing America to face all its interrelated flaws-racism, poverty, militarism and materialism”. In the past seven years, like it or not, our nation has had to face all its interrelated flaws – racism, poverty, militarism and materialism; and sexism, as represented by the wave of #’s from #TrayvonMartin to #Metoo. Those who have used their privilege to silence, repress and even oppress black and brown men and women, immigrants, LGBTQ, and other vulnerable people groups, are feeling the pinch and pressure from activists and everyday

Religion

Words of the Week – When Walking With Jesus

Rev. Michael Eagle, Contributing WriterJanuary 3, 2018

Scripture: Luke 24:13-15; 19 – 21 There are people, attending churches across America troubled about things going on in their lives and have begun to lose hope. Some tend to believe that God just doesn’t care about them. While sitting in churches, some just pretend to praise and worship, going through the motions, acting as if they believe, but deep down inside, there is a hollowness because they have begun to lose hope. The disciples listened to Jesus, followed Jesus, believed in Jesus, but saw Him dying on a cross and now, three days later, these two are distraught, scared

Religion

Words of the Week – But Be of Good Cheer!

Brian W. Carter, Staff WriterNovember 29, 2017

It’s the holiday season and this time of year evokes so many different emotions from people. For many, it’s a time for family, friends and a whole lot of good eats. For some, it’s a time of solitude and reflection on the past year and hoping for better things in the new year. For others, it’s a miserable time as many are counting the minutes when all the plastic smiles and fake tidings of joy are gone. Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, there is one thing that should make everyone happy – we have Jesus all year round!

Religion

Words of the Week – Don’t Break Character

Brian W. Carter, Staff WriterNovember 1, 2017

Many television shows and films have often included blooper reels at the end of the showing where actors have sometimes broken character. The reasons for the break in character range from forgetting lines, to co-stars mangling or over dramatizing their parts to the point of laughter. A character break in acting can be hilarious, but keeping character as a Christian is serious business. Living as Christian in a world of sin is tough, tough and then tough again — and yet tough, but we’re expected to walk in Christ. We’re to live in the Lord’s strength because our own strength