Yesterday was a long, busy, and exciting day. I laid down Saturday night to sleep for a couple of hours, planning to get up and tighten up my message. I had been working all week on an exposition of Psalm 23. However, when I woke up early Sunday morning, the message that I intended to preach at our first Tuesday night service tomorrow was on my heart and mind. So that’s what I preached – a message on 2 Kings 6:1-7 that I called “Losing Your Cutting Edge.” I was quite shocked that I shifted directions so sharply in just...

Tonight we will have our annual “Vision Night” service at MSMBC. This is what we call our first midweek service each year. We worship God together in songs of praise. We spend an extended and focused time in prayer for our health, mission, and development of our church. And I usually give a “State of the Church Address.” These meetings have been a special time in the life over the years. And I expect tonight’s meeting to be no different. May God smile on our time together tonight.

Yesterday, I preached my final sermon for 2007 to be beloved congregation, Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. I wavered between several things during the week, trying to find determine what to preach. I was praying for something that would challenge our congregation to examine themselves and renew their personal devotion to the Lord before the new year. I landed on one verse: 1 John 1:9. I preached an exposition on that verse and challenged the congregation to be honest with God about their sins and trust God’s promises to forgive their sins and cleanse their own unrighteousness. My congregation endured...

Happy New Year! May God's rich blessings of spiritual growth and fruitfulness be yours in 2008. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your on understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

We have never had a "Watchnight Service" at MSMBC during my pastorate. However, we do participate in a special service at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on the first day of the year that is called "The Prayer Bowl." Every year, Pastor Melvin Wade invites various preachers from across the Los Angeles area to participate in this marathon service of prayer, praise, and the preaching of the word of God. The service is typically full throughout the whole day. And it is usually an encouraging and fruitful meeting. I have had the privilege of preaching in this meeting for at...

This past Sunday, I preached from Proverbs 30:7-9. It is a prayer of a man named Agur (Prov. 30:1) - the only prayer recorded in the book of Proverbs. The prayer of Agur is the counterpart to the prayer of Jabez (1 Chron. 4:9-10). Here is the sermon skeleton: TITLE: “The Wise Prayer of a Weak Man” TEXT: Proverbs 30:7-9 THEME: A prayer for a Godward lifePOINT: Wise people confront their spiritual weaknesses through prayer. Introductory points: There are several lessons we can learn from the way in which Agur prayed: 1. The manner of our prayers should honor God....

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. - Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)From my family to yours, merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday!!!

Crystal and I are celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary today. It was a quiet and slow day. No agenda. Just hanging out. Several long, leisurely meals together. A few long walks. Much window shopping. It was a great day. Now I can't wait for our tenth wedding anniversary. And our fiftieth! Happy anniversary, Crystal!

Here are some pictures from this past weekend. Clint, Ronald, H.B., Barry, Reginald.H.B. and Natalie H.B. (III) and NatalieH.B. and Dr. John A. Reed, Jr. H.B. (III), Natalie, H.B., Crystal (and the one in the "oven")

This past weekend, we celebrated my seventeenth pastoral anniversary at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. It was a wonderfully encouraging weekend, for which I am deeply grateful. On Friday night, the sons of MSMBC worshiped with us. And Pastor Ronald Saunders of the Rhema Community Church in La Puente (CA) brought the message. On Sunday morning, my “Pop”, Dr. John A. Reed of the Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, brought the message. And on Sunday afternoon, my pastor, Dr. Melvin Wade of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, brought the message. I am grateful for all of my colleagues, friends,...

In other important weekend news, the Dallas Cowboys performed some second-half heroics to the defeat Detroit "Whachumacallem's" 28-27. By the way, did any of you boxing fans see Floyd Mayweather knock out Ricky Hatton Saturday night? Wow!