LYFE Young Adult February 2022 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is………

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: The Unsung Sheroes/Heroes of Black History Month

Scripture: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Can you believe it’s already February and Black History Month?! Black History Month, formerly Negro History Week thanks to the “Father of Black History Month” Dr. Carter G. Woodson is a time in which we celebrate and lift up the achievements of African Americans. It is also a time in which we remain consistent and persistent in our fight and struggle against historical inequalities that still exist today.

When it comes to Black History Month, pioneers in African American history such as Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Madam CJ Walker, James Baldwin, and Mohammad Ali, and many others often come to mind-and rightfully so. But there are several, in fact too many to name here; that deserve the spotlight in Black History.

This month’s “LYFE is….” devotional focuses its efforts on recognizing the “hidden figures” of Black History month who deserve to be celebrated for their contributions as well their impact outside Black History.

~Shirley Chisolm-became the first Black woman elected to Congress during the racially contentious period of the late 1960s.

~Bayard Rustin-Dr. King is usually credited for the March on Washington in 1963 but it was Bayard Rustin who organized and strategized in the shadows.

~Claudette Colvin-before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, there was a brave 15 year old who refused to sit at the back of the bus. She was the first young lady to be detained for her resistance. Colvin’s story isn’t nearly as well-known as Rosa Parks.

~Annie Lee Cooper-this Selma, Alabama native played a crucial role in the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement. She is lauded for punching Alabama Sheriff Jim Clark in the face but she deserves credit and to be celebrated for fighting to protect and restore voting rights.

~Bessie Coleman-was the first licensed Black pilot in the world and paved the way for a new generation of new fliers such as the Tuskegee Airman, the Blackbirds, and the Flying Hobos.

~Ethel Waters-was the first African American to star in her own T.V. show in 1939, The Ethel Waters Show. She was nominated for her first Emmy in 1962.

~Bill Russell-was the first Black player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. Bill Russell was also the first Black coach in North American professional sports and the first to win a championship. He has paved and trail blazed the way for other African Americans to not only become coaches but team owners as well.

~Reverend Drs J. Alfred Smith, Sr. and J. Alfred Smith, Jr.-this father and son Pastoral “tag team” has served as the 5^th and 6^th Senior Pastors of the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, CA. Dr. Smith, Sr. and Dr. Smith, Jr. have combined for over 40 years of unbroken, pastoral ministry at Allen Temple Baptist Church. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr. retired as Senior Pastor of Allen Temple in 2009 and was voted to serve as Pastor Emeritus.  Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr. retired from pastoral ministry on January 31, 2019.

~Barack H. Obama-was the 44^th President of the United States and made history as the first African American President of the United States. He served two terms, 2008 and 2012.

~Reverend Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson-made history in March 2010 as the first woman to be installed as the Assistant Pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, CA. On April 7^th, 2019, Dr. Jacqueline Thompson was elected to be the first woman Senior Pastor of the historic Allen Temple Baptist Church by a resounding majority. “Pastor Jackie” as she is known, is the 7^th and current Pastor of the historic Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, CA.

~Kamala D. Harris-made history in November 2020 when she was elected as the first female, first African American female of Asian descent Vice President. She is the 49^th and current Vice President of the United States. Madam Vice President Kamala Harris is also the first female Vice President and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history.

While the contributions, achievements, and continued struggle for human rights remain the focus of Black History Month; none is more important than the role of God in it. We must never forget that God, Our Liberator brings freedom to the oppressed and enslaved; it is God, Our Liberator who sent His Son Jesus Christ to deliver us from all forms of injustice and inequalities. And it was God, Our Liberator who called these and many others to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God so that they could be used as an instrument of change.

These Black pioneering figures and so many more deserve to be celebrated.

Thus, we honor Black History past, Black History in the making, and Black History future!

Let us reverence Our Black History Sheroes/Heroes with a Prayer for Black History.

LYFE Young Adult January 2022 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is………

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: Strengthening Our Connection to God, Each Other, and the World

Scripture: John 15:4-8 (NRSV)

At the beginning of this year, our beloved Pastor, Pastor Jackie ministered to us our church theme ‘Strengthening Our Connection to God, Each Other, and the World.’(John 15:4-8)

If we are going to be successful in this year, we are going to need to manage our connections. This connection includes God but also includes those around us for the next phase of the journey and walk of faith. Our ability to be successful, effective, achieve our goals and objectives; more importantly our ability to produce fruit, will be dependent on the strength of our connections. God is calling us to produce fruit in this year.

This is different than our church theme last year where we were ‘Called to Renewal.’ Last year, we were called to restore, rebuild, repair, and hit the ‘Reset’ button on things in our lives that were going down the wrong path. In ‘Called to Renewal’, we were blessed with the opportunity to draw closer to God as God draws closer to us in order to move forward. But this year we are being summoned to ‘Strengthen Our Connection to God, Each Other, and the World.’

In our sacred text, John 15:4-8, here Jesus is with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. Jesus is teaching and preaching to His disciples and preparing them for His soon departure. Jesus is following God’s will. Jesus first tells His disciples, “that He(Jesus) is the vine and we are the branches. And if we remain in Christ and Christ in us then we will bear much fruit.” Jesus goes on to further teach that if we do not remain in Him then we are like the branch that is thrown away and withers. In this last night teaching, Jesus is telling His disciples that they need to remain in Him because with Him we can do all things; without Christ we can do nothing. We are called to bear fruit. This spiritual life is not our own nor is the fruit that we bear. It is a direct result of God’s work in us; through us; about us; and around us.

Some ways in which we can strengthen our connection with God is through prayer and fasting, studying God’s Word, and spending time in the presence of God and only focusing on God. We can strengthen our connection with others and the world by showing both random and intentional acts of kindness; showing compassion and mercy to one another; forgiving one another as well as ourselves; and by answering God’s call to serve Him by serving others. We give our time, talent, and treasure for the edification and building of God’s kingdom but we are also simultaneously building our relationship with God and others in the process.

If we can be honest with ourselves, we all have areas of our lives that could use some strengthening. Some of us need to pray more; some of us need to be more patient; some of us need to exercise more restraint and be less judgmental; and some of us need show more compassion, kindness, and mercy-just as God has shown us.

There are several ways in which we can strengthen our connection to God, others, and the world. One of the ways in which we strengthen our connection is through praise and worship God together; through the observance of disciplines such as Lent with one another; through partaking of Communion with God together; through corporate prayer and fasting; and through purposeful and intentional study of God’s Word together. 

Let us pray.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for Your sustaining grace and Your tender mercy that has afforded us the opportunity to see a New Year and new season where we have been called to ‘Strengthen our connection to You(GOD), to each other, and to the world. We thank You for being the True Vine and may we remain in You so that we bear much fruit for Your glory! In the name of Jesus we pray. Thank God! Amen.

GOD bless and love you all!

LYFE Young Adult December 2021 Devotional

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: The Beautiful Meaning and Purpose of Advent

Scripture: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

It’s December and most of us can agree the first thing that comes to mind about this month is Christmas. When you think about December, many things come to mind like shopping, cold weather, traveling, and wrapping up of the past year and preparing for a new year. There are festive activities and celebrations around Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in December as well. While there are so many things that come to mind when thinking about the last month of the year; we must not forget the real “reason for the season.” And the real “reason for the season” is the anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ.

We celebrate the expectation of the birth of Christ during the season of Advent. Advent season is a special time of year that sometimes gets lost in the bright lights of the Christmas season it precedes. Advent is the preparation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The origin of “advent” comes from the Latin word meaning adventus which simply translates “coming” or “arrival.” Not only is this “coming” or “arrival” in preparation for Christ’s birth but also to celebrate the new life and coming of Jesus when someone accepts Christ as their personal LORD and Savior, and lastly, the anticipation when Jesus Christ returns again. Accordingly, we have 3 expectations of Jesus’ “coming” or “arrival.”

Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas with a different emphasis for each week. The first Sunday focuses on hope; the second Sunday focuses on peace; the third Sunday focuses on joy; and the fourth Sunday focuses on love. God’s greatest gift to humanity offered hope, peace, joy, and love to the world through the birth and life of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

The Advent season invites us to step away from the “hustle and bustle” of the holidays, shopping and crowded malls to focus on how we commemorate the birth of Jesus. It is an opportunity for someone to accept Christ into their lives and also invites us to meditate on Christ’s return.

We reflect on God’s unbroken promises of hope, peace, joy, and love to the world through Jesus Christ not just during the Advent season but every day of the year. 

Advent Prayer: Spirit of the True and Living God, fall fresh on us today. Thank You(God) for the gift of Jesus, Our Emmanuel and the Word made flesh. Thank You for bringing hope, peace, joy, and love into the whole world. We not only need Your promises today O God but LORD, we crave them. We are grateful because when the world around us spins out of control and goes its own way; Father, we can focus on You. And we rejoice in each and every blessing. We celebrate You as LORD-not just at Advent-but every day of every year. In Your Wonderful Name we pray. Amen.

LYFE Young Adult November 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is………

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: There’s Always Something To Be Grateful For!

Scripture: “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever.” Psalm 118:1 (KJV)

No matter how bad things get in life; there’s always something to be grateful for!

Giving thanks should be an everyday thing, but every once and while there are times when we reach places in life where we really don’t feel like giving thanks. It’s not that you don’t believe in God. It’s not that you don’t have faith. It’s not even that you don’t believe God deserves the glory. Let’s keep it real! Everybody reaches a place where it’s hard to say “Thank You Jesus!”(Including myself) Giving thanks unto God is not easy from the hard places!

The last 20 months has certainly been a hard place for some of us. This has been a time of pandemics (global health pandemic, economic pandemic, environmental pandemic, social injustice pandemic, heightened racial tension pandemic, etc.) Some of us may be facing unexpected health challenges while others are at a loss of a family member, dear friend or loved one. These are bittersweet days for some us. But we can still be thankful to God even in our loss. We can be thankful for our loved one’s lives; their legacies; the time we spend with them; even their contributions and influence in our lives. There’s always something to be grateful for!

The problem is that we condition our thanks and praise to God based on our places in life! It’s easy to give thanks and bless God when our bills are paid; when we’re in good health and strength; when there’s money in the bank; and when life seems to be going our way. Our thanks unto the LORD should not be predicated on our happenstance or situation. We owe praise and thanks to the LORD because Emmanuel (God with us) is ever so present and has the power to bring us through no matter what life harsh reality is.

The psalmist in our text tells us to “O give thanks unto the LORD” for two reasons: 1).because God is good; and 2).because His mercy endureth forever. God’s goodness is in God’s nature and essence. God’s goodness is not what God does but it’s who God is. It’s a never changing, everlasting, infallible, unaltered characteristic of our God. So God is good not because God makes things feel or even seem good when they happen in our lives but because God is ever so present in those “not so good situations” and works them out for our good. We thank God for being good to us.

Next, the psalmist tells us to “O give thanks unto the LORD” because His mercy endureth forever. God’s mercy is part of God’s goodness. The Bible teaches us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet God extends to us God’s mercy and spares us from the punishment we really deserve. Even when justice demands it. God forgives us of our sins and gives us a second chance at getting it right with God. The Bible teaches us that God’s tender mercies are new everyday. We thank God for His mercy endureth forever!

Our scripture text instructs us to thank God because God is good and because His mercy endureth forever. We don’t need a particular place or a special occasion to thank God. We can thank and praise God every day, any time of the day, throughout the day. Simply because God is good and He’s good all the time.

Memory verse: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

LYFE Young Adult October 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is…

Title: “Getting Back to God”

By: Jeremy McCants

            One of my favorite movies is Forrest Gump. Yes, Forrest Gump. A movie chronicling the life of a gullible, Southern White gentleman who has no real plan for his life but ends up shifting with the seasons, if you will. Forrest Gump, who perhaps may not be as intelligent as most would think but would find himself in some of the most historic moments in American History; yet his true love, Jenny, eludes him. 

            We’ll get back to Jenny later, but one of my favorite lines in the movie is when he says, “Mama told me that life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”  And I think that this line resonates with most, if not all of us, who have been given this gift of life. After all, life is a gift. But sometimes we never know what life is going to throw us or better yet, we never know what God is doing. Just as that box of chocolate, we all come into different situations, scenarios and can become products of our environment; yet are expected to become modeled American citizens.   

Here in Ecclesiastes, we note that the author is wrestling with this thing called life and the many seasons we face in life, both good and seemingly bad. Some seasons of sunshine and some seasons of rain, and yes, even some seasons of life and prosperity but also seasons of loss and lack. Everything has a time to be.

            Why is this the case? Why do we have to take the good with the bad? Such a good question, I’m so glad you asked. Howard Thurman says in his book Jesus and the Disinherited that “Life is alive” and it is always seeking growth. Thurman continues by saying, “when a seed is planted in the soil, if the seed is healthy and the conditions of the soil and climate generally satisfactory, then it sprouts.” 

Even seed need balance. Too much of any one thing can be detrimental to the growth of the seed. Too much sun and no water, will kill the seed has no nourishment. Too much water and no sun will do the same because the seed won’t have any light to reach up to or grow towards. The same goes for the people who are in your life. Too many good people, who are always affirming you but never tell you the truth. Somebody knows what I’m talking about. Or on the other hand, people who are always telling you the hard truth but never gives you the positive affirmation.

            Mama said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. 

And you know one thing struck me when I finally realized Forrest Gump’s life. That as he was going through these seasons and thriving, Forrest but it was the love for and of Jenny that kept from really recognize the accomplishments he was achieving. Why is that? No matter what Forrest was going through, he knew that he had to get back to Jenny. Y’all missed it.

Gump was so focused on getting to Jenny, the love of his life, that regardless of what season he was in, winning or losing, he was still certain about one thing, and that was to get to Jenny.

Now, what if we operated like that, but substituted Jenny for God. That no matter what we may be going through, we know for certain that we must get back to God. This is does not mean that we will not have seasons where we worry, cry or get weary about their situation but our FAITH will overcome that FEAR. The faith that God will make everything all right in the end and that if we cannot get back to God, God will meet us where we are.

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven”

LYFE Young Adult July 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is…

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: Don’t Let Go Of Your Hope!

Scripture: ROMANS 8:22-25 (NIV)

Undoubtedly, we live in an evil, mean, and harsh world. The Corona virus and its variants; blatant, overt racism and sexism; an unstable economy; and continued police brutality and state-approved murder of unarmed Black people-are just some of the harsh realities of the last 18 months. And to make matters worse, we have our own personal issues as well. These troubling times make it really hard to hope in God.

The enemy wants to rob us of our hope, but God assures us in God’s Word that we have hope for the present and for the future. No matter what’s going on around us; we have hope in God.

Hope, Christian hope can only come from God. Christian hope isn’t an escape or denial of life’s harsh realities nor is it wishful or positive thinking. This hope, Divine Hope, is the confident expectation of something good from God. Hope is the blessed assurance that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do for us in the future. Christian hope helps us to endure even the most hopeless situations to wait on God to move in our circumstances.

It is because of the life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ that we have hope, Resurrection hope for today. This Resurrection hope is not just good for eternal purposes but also life’s present day challenges. We have Resurrection hope because of God’s grace through Jesus Christ and because of Christ’s finished work on the Cross and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

In our scripture text, Paul writes that hope that is seen is not hope at all. Paul tells us this is because if we already possession something; there can be no expectation and no anticipation in something we already have. And we struggle with hope today because we have put our hope and trust in things that we can readily feel, see, and touch. This is not hope at all.

Hope stays the course and keeps the goal in sight no matter how bad our situation looks on the outside; the God we love and serve tells us there’s hope, even if we don’t see it.

Hope calls us all into action and compels us to move forward pressing toward the mark when there is no proof or evidence of physical, seeing, or hearing. This is faith. Faith and hope go together and work hand-in-hand. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Hope believes with confident expectation for something good while trusting in all of God’s promises. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

In his book, Dare We Speak of Hope?^[1], Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak who has preached many times at Allen Temple Baptist Church says that, “hope is not barren. Hope does not stand alone and aloof. Hope is not a shimmering mirage in the heat of the desert. Hope is not unreal or unattainable.”

Hope is real. Hope is alive today. We all need hope! We all need to put our hope and faith in God through Christ Jesus!

Memory gives us hope.

Don’t be discouraged! Take HOPE!

No matter how hard the test; no matter how long the trial; no matter how bad it seems; no matter how worse it gets-DON’T LET GO OF YOUR HOPE!

Our hope tells us:

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

Hallelujah LORD!

^[1] Boesak, Allan Aubrey. Dare We Speak of Hope? William B. Eerdsman Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, Michigan. 2014

LYFE Young Adult September 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is…

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: Finding Something to Praise God For

Scripture: “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 59:16 (NIV)

Our devotional this month takes us to Psalm 59, where we find David giving God praise for delivering him from the evil hand of Saul and his men. Saul was very jealous and angry at David because of God’s anointing on David’s life. Due to no fault of David’s own, Saul sent men to David’s house to lie and wait and attempt to kill David. But God protected David and allowed David to escape so that Saul and his men would not harm him. David declares that he will sing of God’s strength and in the morning sing of God’s love.

David’s praise focuses on what God did for him. David’s praise focused on his unshakable trust in the LORD, our fortress and refuge in our time of trouble.

Often times in life, we find ourselves in not-so-good situations that we did not create. But God protects us, shields us from any hurt, harm, or danger and delivers us from the evil one. Sometimes we complain about things we don’t have but God has provided for our every need. It’s easy to complain about life but like David, we too, should praise God for being our strength in our times of weakness. We should bless God for God’s unconditional love and for first loving us when we didn’t love ourselves. We should give God all the glory for being our fortress and refuge when we face danger and our time of trouble.

So the next time we feel down, depressed, and defeated; let us remember the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us. We need to count our many blessings and name them one by one.

There is plenty to give God praise for: the breathe of life; our health and strength; the activity of our limbs; the fact that we are reading this and still alive; providing for our every need; for God’s new mercies everyday; the times that God healed our minds and bodies; forgiving us of our sins; and we praise God for saving us from our sins and ourselves by sending His only Son, Jesus to our rescue.

We receive all of these things and so much more without deserving them from God through Christ Jesus.

We praise God for what God has done! We praise God for what God is doing! We praise God for what God will do! And we praise God for being God all by Godself!

No matter how difficult life gets; there’s always something to praise God for!

Hallelujah is the highest praise! God is worthy of the highest praise.

Memory verse: I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 (KJV)

LYFE Young Adult August 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is…

August 2021

Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: Wisdom is the Principal Thing^[1]

Scripture: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)

God is the sole source of wisdom. Wisdom does not come from science, technology, philosophy, mathematics or the arts.

Wisdom only comes from God and is the choice to walk in the way of the LORD. In contrast, human wisdom is frail, fallible, and flawed. The Bible teaches us that if anyone lacks wisdom, let them ask of God. (James 1:5)

A wise person is sensitive and obedient to God, submits to God’s will and not their own, and applies God’s direction in decision making. The person who is wise seeks God’s guidance when faced with daily choices and is willing to do what God directs rather than “going one’s own way.” Wisdom is consistently and continuously operating in God’s will.

God’s wisdom is not only needed in our everyday lives for decision making but it is not hidden from us. God’s wisdom is displayed wherever we look. It is seen through the details of God’s creation from the creation of light to the creation of humanity. Only an all-wise, all-knowing God could have designed the complexities of this world on such a large scale.

Additionally, God’s wisdom is also readily accessible to us in the now. The wisdom we desperately need from God today is the answer for our sins-forgiveness bought and paid for by the Blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Only True Sacrifice for the world today. God’s wisdom revealed God’s salvation plan for the world through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah. This divine wisdom is made plain and available to us. Those who choose to receive it, by faith, have chosen to walk in God’s wisdom and not their own.

Let us pray.

Prayer: All wise and eternal God, thank You for being a good and righteous God. LORD, help us to always seek Your wisdom and not our own in every decision we must make. And God, may every word we speak and may every step we take reflect Your wisdom and our trust in You. In the mighty name of JESUS. We thank thee. Amen.

^[1] Christian Publishing Company, LLC. Wisdom is the Principal Thing. San Leandro, CA: Christian Publishing Company, LLC, 2012. Print