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

LYFE Young Adult May 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is…

May 2021

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

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

This week’s devotional is taken from Max Lucado’s book, Pocket Prayers: 40 Simple Prayers that Bring Peace and Rest.^[1]

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

Scripture: Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6 (NIV)

Prayer: Abba, thank you for sending a helper to direct my steps.  You know everything and will guide me in your will.  Help me to know your will.  Keep me on the path that you have set for me.  Give me the desire to stay true to that path, and forgive me for the times I have already strayed from you.  Be with my family and friends who are at a crossroads and don’t know what to do next.  May your spirit guide them and make the best decision clear.  Thank you for caring about the details of my life, for not believing any request is too small.

I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

GOD bless and love you all!

^[1] Lucado, Max. Pocket Prayers: 40 Simple Prayers that Bring Peace and Rest. Wheaton, IL: Thomas Nelson, 2014.

LYFE Young Adult April 2021 Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is…

My Purpose is Too Great to Hate!

Rev. Jeremy McCants

April 2021

            I attended a Youth Town Hall on Violence Prevention within Oakland during the latter part of May. Youth from around the city were galvanized on this call to speak their truth to the people directly tasked to create a more perfect union for them. A union brimming with life, liberty and the opportunity to pursue happiness in whatever way happiness made sense to them, as long as it does not hinder the human flourishing of others.

            Moreover, I attended this Youth Town Hall eager to hear the voices of our Youth. The meeting starts and without hesitation, we are placed in Breakout Rooms and the foundational question is raised, how can Oakland help Youth feel safe, seen and heard? Hands are raised. Conversation ensues. Chat blows up. I’m navigating both, playing a virtual Double-Dutch between listening and reading comprehension. A moment of pause, I glance at the chat and I read, from a Youth, “I want adults who ask what happened to you, and not what’s wrong with you?” I whisper to myself, “Wow.”

            I know I have been guilty of this. I sit with it and reflect on it all day. It also dawns on me that the first Sunday of this month, April 2021, was indeed Maundy Thursday. A day that we reflect as Jesus’ illuminates how to serve one another by washing the feet of his Disciples, but also a day where we learn about betrayal. And as Millennials we are now responsible for the next generation and we are ultimately embracing a generation that feels betrayed. That some of the same generational curses that we have had to fight and reckon with are now manifesting themselves in different ways and instead of us seeking to understand, we place blame.

SCRIPTURE TEXT: John 13:21 MSG

After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. “One of you is going to betray me.”

We are all, as Jesus, visibly upset. As we are living in a culture where we witness the brutality and the snatching away of BLACK LIVES almost every day by people who consider what is wrong with us over what is continually happening to us. My charge to you LYFE ministry, as well as to myself, as we shift our thinking and how we approach not only our lives, but the lives of the generations coming after us, is that we must do and teach 3 things:

1. Detach yourself from people who don’t believe in your Mission

2. Declare your Mission and Purpose

3. Disrupt the Hate & Display Love

God said, in my humanity as Jesus Christ, I could not allow hate to become my disposition because of Judas’ betrayal. I could not allow hate to become my burden when I was already preparing to carry all of the weight of the world on my shoulders. My purpose was too great for me to hate. Your purpose is too great to hate. Our purpose is too great to hate. And if we want to see a generation of Youth who could so easily choose hate, we have to sow love. We have to detach ourselves from toxic people and spaces. We must declare our mission and purpose that only God can reveal to us. And lastly, we must continually disrupt and agitate this empire so that justice will be served and that both justice and love will roll down like a mighty stream.

PRAYER: “To the God that knows all too well what betrayal feels like, help us not to betray one another; but help us to listen, to discern and to love one another as we turn our anger into righteous indignation and create a better world for us and future generations. Amen.”

LYFE Young Adult March 2021 Lenten Devotional

L.Y.F.E. is………

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

This month, “L.Y.F.E. is…” shifts its focus on Lent. Lent is a season of preparation, self-examination, and repentance as we Journey to the Cross with Christ. This time period begins on Ash Wednesday (February 17th and ends on April 3^rd (Saturday) leading up to Resurrection Sunday. During this 40 day journey, we prepare our hearts and reflect upon God’s love and God’s gift of salvation by God’s grace.

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

We Do Not Lose Heart!

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 (NIV)

Devotional: Our Lenten Devotional takes us to 2 Corinthians, Chapter 4, where we find the Apostle Paul writing his 2^nd letter to the church at Corinth. The church at Corinth is a church in which Paul founded during his missionary journey to Corinth (Acts 18) and now the church is struggling and experiencing some difficulties. As our beloved Pastor Jackie has ministered and taught us, “there are no perfect churches because there are no perfect people”; yet Paul writes to the Corinthians and encourages them~ “we do not lose heart.”(v.1)

Who knew struggle and affliction better than Paul? Life has been difficult for Paul as he writes this letter. Up to this point, the apostle had suffered many beatings, arrests, several imprisonments, shipwrecked three times, and even bitten by a poisonous snake; Paul had plenty of reasons to lose heart. He had many reasons to be discouraged. But Paul also had many reasons to remain inspired and hopeful which he provides in this particular passage of scripture. (v. 2-15)

The Apostle Paul provides further consolation by declaring that our inner person is being renewed daily (v.16); our present afflictions are “light” and “momentary” in comparison to eternity (v.17); and to keep our focus on things eternal. (v.18)

Just as Paul encouraged the hearts of the Corinthians then; he is also inspiring us today. ~“we do not lose heart.”

The Lenten Season is a time of self-examination, repentance, and spiritual renewal. Lent is a time dedicated to prayer, almsgiving, and self-denial; where we often give up something as we seek to follow Jesus. It is a time where we too Journey to the Cross with Christ in preparation of being renewed, restored, and rejuvenated in the Resurrected Jesus.

Some of us may be losing heart during this Lenten Season. While we’re not in the exact same place where we were last year when the pandemic began; we’re not totally “out of the woods” yet, either. This Lenten Season has been characterized as an “in between time and in between space” for all of us. Perhaps you may be suffering from pandemic fatigue. Or maybe Zoom tiredness. Or perhaps you are still processing the events from last year such as the loss of a family member or loved one. Whatever your current affliction, situation, or difficulty~We Do Not Lose Heart!

It is easy for us to become discouraged, disheartened, and disappointed. But God promised to never leave us nor forsake us. (Deut. 31:6) God promised to always take care of us. (1 Peter 5:7)

We do not lose heart is our declaration today to say like Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:” (Job 13:15) by it our hearts are resuscitated, our hope is restored, and our strength is renewed.

This Lenten Devotional is about not losing our heart in this “in between space” in our Journey to the Cross with Christ-not “throwing in the towel”, not quitting, and not giving up on God. Remember through it all, God never gave up on us!

Be encouraged and don’t lose heart in this in between time and Lenten Season!

Let us pray.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Parent, we ask that You help us as our bodies age. When life becomes difficult, may Your Holy Spirit be with us as our inner selves are renewed by Your grace. Now God, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and uplift our spirits so that we do not lose heart during this in between time and in our current situations. This we ask in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus the Christ, Our LORD and Saviour. Amen and amen.

GOD bless and love you all!

Reverend Will Brown

LYFE Young Adult January 2021 Devotional

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

Welcome to our first publication of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

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

Hit the ‘Reset’ Button (Called to Renewal)

Scripture: (Isaiah 58, Romans 12:1, 2)

Devotional: At the beginning of this year, our beloved Pastor, Pastor Jackie ministered to us our church theme ‘Called to Renewal: Rebuilding. Restoring. Repairing.’(Isaiah 58, Romans 12:1, 2) As a result of God’s call to renewal, we are required to commit to rebuilding, restoring, and repairing the areas of our lives that need attention. We can ‘Hit the Reset Button’ in our peer groups, amongst our colleagues, in our ‘Zoom’ meetings, with our own families and friends, and in various networks, etc, even in this “sit still” period.

What an opportunity for all of us to pause during this season of pandemic and shutdown to correct some things that were going down the wrong path! What an opportunity to draw closer to God as God draws closer to us! And what an opportunity to serve God by serving others in our communities in some new and creative ways!

Remember God is the author of redeeming, restoring, reviving, resuscitating, revitalizing, rejuvenating, and yes RESURRECTING what was once dead. It is the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that conquered death, hell, and the grave. Hallelujah! (1 Corinthians 15:54-55) And it is that same resurrection power of Jesus that empowers us to take on the things that God is calling us to restore, repair, rebuild, and hit the ‘Reset’ button in order for us to move forward.

Let us pray.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for the blessings of a New Year and new season where we have been ‘Called to Renewal’. LORD, You are the author and finisher of our faith and we ask that Your Holy Spirit breathe new life in us. Help us to ‘Hit the Reset Button’ in our faith, in our relationships, in our communities, and in our worship. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

GOD bless and love you all!

Reverend Will Brown

L.Y.F.E. is… Devotional Series: The History of Juneteenth

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!

The History of Juneteenth

Scripture: “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”

Psalm 103:6 (NIV)

By God’s grace, it’s June! And can you believe that we are halfway through the year?? This is often a busy month. A month that is earmarked for remembering ‘Dads and Grads’; a month where we applaud graduates on all educational levels for their hard work and commitment; a month where the seasons change from Spring to Summer; and a month where we have historically celebrated the end of slavery of people of African descent, known as Juneteenth.

The story of Juneteenth, aka “Freedom Day” or “Liberation Day” begins on June 19^th, 1865; nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. While the Emancipation Proclamation legally ended slavery in the United States; there were several thousand African Americans and people of African descent who did not know that they were free. But freedom finally came on June 19^th, 1865 when Union Major General Gordon Granger and some 2,000 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that all enslaved Black people were free by executive order and decree. The former slaves began to immediately celebrate with food, song, dance, and prayer. To date, Juneteenth celebrations across the nation have included prayer and religious services, speeches, picnics, family gatherings, song and dance. And on June 17^th, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Juneteenth stands to remind us that though the African American experience includes the brutal chains of slavery, inhumane treatment, and historic injustice; emancipation did come, and it broke those physical shackles of slavery.

In our scripture text, David declares that the LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. God cares for the oppressed, the hurting, and the abused. We learn from David that God performs righteous deeds and justice. God’s grace and mercy toward the oppressed is shown in Biblical examples, from when God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Judges 6:7-9) to the treatment of Greek widows (Acts 6:1-7). And God’s grace and mercy, as seen through the liberation of slaves on Juneteenth, is one of the many modern day acts of righteousness and justice God worked for His children, African Americans in this country. God gave the world His Son, Jesus, the Eternal Emancipator and Liberator so that we would be spiritually free from the bondage of sin and free from the physical chains of slavery. We serve a God that is a God of the left out, locked out, locked down, left behind, looked down upon, the lowly, the lost and the lonely.

It is because of this celebration of Juneteenth that we find hope in times of uncertainty and strength in times of weakness. For it is Our God who will always perform righteousness and it is Our God who will see that justice is done to the oppressed.

Thus, we celebrate this act of righteousness and justice!

Let us pray.

Prayer: Dear LORD, we thank YOU for performing righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. GOD, You(LORD) gave this world Your Son Jesus, Our Emancipator and Liberator to free us from the spiritual bondage of sin and to free us from the physical, economic, social, emotional, psycho-emotional, and mental chains of today’s society. We have hope today because You, O GOD will see to it that Your justice is done to the oppressed. In JESUS’ name. Amen.

GOD bless and love you all!

Reverend Will Brown

Health Education Ministry - National and State COVID Services

Health Education Ministry - Childrens Resources