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Not too long ago, I ran into an acquaintance at a restaurant who I hadn’t seen in a while. We caught up for a few minutes during which he introduced me to the friends he was sitting with, one of which was a pastor. Saying goodbye, I grabbed a table on the restaurant’s patio with the group I came with. After having talked at our table for a couple of hours, we were awkwardly approached by my acquaintance’s friend. The pastor. We began to talk about ministry and uniting the body of Christ. We talked about how Christians of different denominations tend to focus on their differences and treasure the doctrines that set them apart from other Christians. In the midst of this, for some unknown reason, the pastor decided it was prime time to do exactly what we were speaking against…point out our differences! It became clear that this pastor wasn’t trying to get to know us, to fellowship with us or to edify us. He wanted to “witness” to us and he wasn’t doing a good job of it.

When we witness to others, we’re simply showing others who God is. Now, doctrines have there place and yes they are important but, in them is no power. In them I can’t place my faith. They won’t come to my rescue. They can’t forgive me. They don’t love me unconditionally. They can’t even change my heart. The law exist to show me how far from Christ I truly am. To draw me to Christ. (Romans 7) Why first point someone to a tool? First point them to the source. To the only One who can save. To the Redeemer. When we first point others to rules, or heaven and the wrath of God like Harold Camping and his prediction of judgment day on May 21st , we give the false impression that God is in the business of modifying behavior through rewards and punishments. We misrepresent God. God is in the business of changing hearts. He is love and redemption. You see Christianity isn’t about making it to heaven, or being blessed during our time in this world. It’s about experiencing Christ. 

What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said,  "You shall not covet."...Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
Romans 7:7,13 NIV

- Sydney Henry


Sydney is an independent artist in Detroit, MI. She's passionate about young adult ministry and faith based nonprofits. Find her music at www.sydneyandpaige.com or search "Sydney & Paige Henry" on Facebook.

    Growing up, I could not imagine what a life absent of attending church for regular service, bible study and prayer would be like.  Like many of us who grew up in the church, I really had no choice. You could count on me to be present every time the doors of the church were opened.  It seemed as if every time my mother thought about church, we were there!  I recall a conversation with my mother where I questioned the point of attending church as often as we did. What else could the pastor possibly say every Sunday that he had not said before?

      When I found out that I was with child, I was full of mixed emotions. Knowing that my life was about to change, I was highly dissapointed in myself.  I never wanted to bring a child into this world unmarried and without proper planning.  I was smart and I knew what the consequences would be, yet I found myself in this situation.  I felt an overwhelming sense of self-condemnation, doubt and fear.  I no longer saw myself as the vibrant, smart, and intelligent young lady full of potential.  I painted a very negative image of myself and somehow I was convinced that I identified more with those who never dreamed. My low self-esteem led me to believe that I could no longer dream, and that it was selfish of me to do so considering the fact that I was unpreparred for the child I was carrying inside of me.  I had the support of an amazing friend during this time, however I was in a very dark place on the inside.  No matter how much anyone did to try to show me that I was still the same person and that I would be ok, I had given up. My dreams of becoming a professional singer were replaced with nightmares of how I would live downtrotted for the rest of my life, and for a while I would not sing, not even to myself.

       So, what did I do? Who did I turn to? What could lift my soul from the pit of condemnation? Where did I go to find myself again? I returned to that same word of God that I had read about all of those years. I returned to my foundation and God began to strengthen my broken heart.  It has not been an overnight process, but healing began to take place when I decided to believe in the God of my salvation.  I knew that in him I could be redeemed. Looking back, I realize that the word of God that was repeated over and over in my youth was for now.  I required that foundation because I would not know that God was for me and that he would never leave or forsake me. I would not know about the Love of God and how he says in Rom. 8 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

      Now I stand from a place of victory. I love my healthy, smart, intelligent and amazing son who's birth gave new life to me! I know about God's love for myself and it's what I sing about everyday!

-Colandra McDowell



Colandra is an independent artist in Raleigh, NC. Follow her on twitter: @colamcdowell
Check out her music ministry at www.colandramcdowell.com

    At times, my patience can be as long as a preemie's pinky toe.  Things get to me and get the best, rather the worst of me.  Whether it be misplacing things or driving behind someone going 5 miles below the speed limit in the express lane, things get to me. 

    Just the other day, as a matter of fact just yesterday, I had something happen to me and I learned a valuable lesson.  I had purchased an air mattress and bed sheets and other things to accommodate a friend who was coming to my place for the weekend.  It all amounted to $99 and some odd change in all – basically $100.  He was going to be the guest speaker for youth day at my church and I was really excited about him coming and so were the church folk.  Well, due to circumstances out of our hands he had to cancel. 

    Needless to say, here I had about $100’s worth of stuff that I didn’t particularly need just sitting around.  And they were all still freshly packed and unopened.  I could even make the case that for immediate purposes, the stuff was holding up funds that could be put to better use for something else.  And so like any average Wal-Mart customer, I made up my mind to return the stuff and get my money back.  I got my receipt and put it in my pocket and headed out the door to Wally World.

    On my way out of my apartment, I was engaged in a phone conversation with my dad.  And before I got to my car, a neighbor asked if I had some tools that he could use to change a belt on his car.  I turned around and went back into my apartment and retrieved my toolbox and gave it to him while still on the phone with my dad.  Finally I got into my car and headed for Wal-Mart.  Upon arriving at Wal-Mart, I got out of the car ready to get the merchandise.  I went into my pockets, no receipt.  I searched my car, underneath and between the seats, the merchandise bags and all that, but came up with nothing. Went back to my apartment, saw my neighbor still working on his car, I asked him if I’d handed him a receipt, he replied, “No.”  I searched around our lot, I retraced my steps, I searched my apartment, no receipt.  By now half an hour had gone by and I was in a storm.  Finally I resolved to just return the stuff and take store credit instead of cash back or having the funds returned to my bank card.  I got out of the car at Wally World and searched my car again but changed my mind and returned to my apartment.  I couldn’t see the purpose of a $100 Wally World card.  And believed against hope that I would somehow find my receipt.

    Upon returning to my apartment and searching my car and my apartment one more time, I turned up with nothing.  My resolve was all but broken.  It had been hours now and now it was nighttime.  Later on, I decided to go to a friend’s house to watch the NBA Playoffs and I got an epiphany, if I can call it that.  I was heading to my door to step out and the receipt randomly came to mind.  Almost as if it was in panoramic view, the events surrounding my first trip to Wal-Mart came to view.  I saw myself getting into my car after getting distracted by my neighbor.  And I saw myself take the receipt out of my pocket and pin it with the sun visor above my head.  I saw the receipt in my mind pinned there before I even stepped out.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  “All you had to do was look up!”  Upon getting to my car, indeed there was the said receipt, pinned to the ceiling of my car by the sun visor.  All I had to do was look up!

    Often in life, we carry around unnecessary stuff.  We long to get rid of it but distractions take away our mindfulness and we forget the process of how to get rid of all the unnecessary baggage and sin in our lives.  People distract us, our mindlessness distracts us, and we lose our way.  We search and search but we find nothing and come up empty.  We get impatient and angry and all bent out of shape in our quest, but still come up empty.  Then finally it hits us, “Look up!”  If we would look up, we would see a receipt of heavenly proportions that would enable us to get rid of that stuff we don’t need, that stuff that’s depleting our spiritual bank, that stuff that's taking up space in our souls, that stuff that has no practical spiritual use for us!  If we looked up more often we would see Jesus!  Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!  Look up!  Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14).  He said again, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28) and again, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32).  Because He was lifted up on that old rugged cross, I am free!  Because He was lifted up on that old rugged cross, I am without debt to sin!  Because He was lifted up on that old rugged cross, I can look and live!  If only I would look up!

-Samuel Jeudin 

Originally from Philadelphia, PA Sam pastors the Soso and Macedonia SDA Churches in Soso and Laurel, Mississippi.
Hobbies:  Reading (especially Black History), Barbering, Bass, Baking, Collecting Bow ties...Soon Photography
He is passionate about music, worship and people.

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it".
1 Corinthians 10:12,13 NIV
            
             Perhaps for you these verses have been a source of comfort. For me they've been a source of confusion. I remember clearly my Mother explaining to me as a child that I would never be tempted more than I could bear, that God would always provide a way out, that I never had to sin...and I believed her. I lived my life embracing this promise until one day I encountered sins I could not overcome. It did not take me long to realize that I was not in control. The more I tried to overcome these flaws the worse I became. In fact, I picked up new problems along the way. I began to feel as though I had no choice but, to indulge in sin. I questioned why God would require of me something he knew I could not do. It seemed as though God himself was sabotaging every attempt I made to do right. I was desperate to please God and yet that was not enough. Certainly, it could not be true that God would not tempt me beyond what I could bear, for this was too much. Where was my way out? How was God fair?

- Sydney Henry

Sydney is an independent artist in Detroit, MI. She's passionate about young adult ministry and faith based nonprofits. Find her music at www.sydneyandpaige.com or search "Sydney & Paige Henry" on Facebook.