WEDNESDAY'S WORD- DEVOTION - Sadell Bradley - 04/02/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD DEVOTION 04/02/2025 "If nations perish, it is not because of their devotion to liberty, but for their disregard of its requirements." — William Lloyd Garrison CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20 Growing up my mother used to read and distribute Our Daily Bread devotionals. She would religiously ingest the excerpts and stories of faith, study the Scripture on the topic, and pray the enclosed prayer. Then she would become a courier for the small booklet, handing it out or sending it to friends and family by mail. She would say, "I have to go upstairs and 'do my devotions.'" In this instance, DEVOTIONS are the prayers or religious worship or observances one practices on a regular basis. Devotion is also love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. You can be a devoted athlete, collector, or member of a particular club. We can be devoted to a charity, an ideology, or a purpose. William Lloyd Garrison, the Boston journalist quoted above, was part of the Abolitionist Movement to free enslaved Africans here in the US. Garrison published a newspaper called "The Liberator" for 35 years from January 1, 1831 to December 29, 1965, advocating for the immediate emancipation of slaves. William Lloyd Garrison was devoted to seeing his cause through to the end. The last edition of "The Liberator" was released in the same month as the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the constitution, abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude in America. DEVOTION means giving all or a large part of one's time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause). The Latin devovere means to ‘consecrate,’ or to formerly vow. Devotion is revealed in the vows married couples make to live together through better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others...to pledge their faithfulness to each other. These solemn promises reflect the love that Christ has for His bride, the Church, and the devotion He invites us to in return. The LORD desires our full devotion to be displayed in the free offering of our time, treasure, and talent to the purpose of Christ and His Kingdom. What barriers keep you from being fully devoted to Jesus? He spoke to His disciples about one idol/obstacle: the love of money: 24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. (Matt. 6:24, AMP) If you want to see a person's priority and devotion...or their vice, idolatry, or corruption...follow the money tree. An individual's budget and bank statements will reveal what or who is really important to them. This is even true for Believers who have been summoned to a devoted lifestyle of giving to the things of God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income); Then your barns will be abundantly filled and your vats will overflow with new wine." Similarly, a person's calendar will show where they have devoted their time, and a weekly planner might show where their talents and service are allocated. To what or whom are you really devoted? Does work, entertainment, recreational pursuits, children's activities, scrolling, take up more time and resource than the purposes of God? Maybe it's time to do a devotion check. CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - LIGHT - Sadell Bradley - 03/26/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD LIGHT 03/26/2025   "Light is not heavy. Be light. Share light. Light is not heavy."  — Phylicia Rashad, American Actress

CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20

"Give light and people will find the way." —Ella Baker, American Activist The Cosby Show is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. Despite the improprieties of its creator and star, it remains one of the wittiest, most wholesome, and inspiring television experiences of my youth. This wealthy African-American family led by a doctor and lawyer living in a beautiful brownstone in New York, was never- before-seen TV. It was something for us to aspire to. This gift was so impactful and precious in part because of the genius acting of Phylicia Rashad, who played the beautiful and indomitable Clair Huxtable, Esquire. Rashad's portrayal was full of wisdom, sophistication, and a witty repartee that rivaled the best of them. In a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, the now 76- year-old actress was asked if it was difficult for her to carry the weight of being a role model not just to Black women, but to women across the country and around the world. She gracefully replied, "No, because light is not heavy. Be light. Share Light. Light is not heavy." The hosts of the show let out a reflective sigh as if to say, "That's right...light is not heavy!" Jesus called us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, in Matthew 5. Salt was not just for flavoring in Biblical times, it was a preservative because there was not refrigeration. However, to change or improve taste, one doesn't need an overpowering amount of salt...just a little. One small candle, can light up the darkness! 13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery]. 14“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.(Matthew 5:13-16, AMP) "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Those words were profound at a time when bigotry, racism, and hatred were prevalent and being displayed in the most awful ways: assaults, guns, lynchings, cursing, bombings, fire hoses and dogs used even on children. I wondered how the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and those who followed them were able to reserve vengeance and retaliation and respond with love and light. Light seemed heavy when I considered them...and even Jesus' love and light ultimately ending betrayal and the brutality of the Cross. Still, Jesus says that for true Christ-followers light is not just something we wield...but who we ARE in the world. Phylicia Rashad declares that light...is not heavy to hold. Jesus knows everything about being The Light. After forgiving the woman caught in adultery and dispelling all of her accusers,"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12) John 1 testifies to this: 4In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. 6There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John. 7This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him. 8John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light. 9There it was--the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. 10He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.  While on the earth, Christ was the light in the world. He transferred the responsibility of being a light to disciples who learn from and follow Him. Jesus warned us in Matthew 6:22-23 that,“The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness! We are called to be the light in the world...light is not heavy...unless it's not really light, but darkness.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - SUCCESS - Sadell Bradley - 03/19/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD SUCCESS 03/19/2025 "Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." — John Wooden, American Basketball Coach CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20     "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." —Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister At work I was asked by one of my reports for one word to describe what I'd like to see in our Department. I thought about words like: clarity, communication, connection, order, structure, results... Then I considered one our CEO has mentioned several times—success. I figured if we were successful, all the other words would be fulfilled. SUCCESS means the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; the good outcome of an undertaking. The Latin succedere means 'to come close after.' In non-profit circles, we employ 'success measures,' the specific, quantifiable metrics used to assess whether goals or objectives have been achieved, often referred to as Key Performance Indicators (KPI's). In life and in business these markers are often tied to numbers, relationships, achievements, or feelings of satisfaction. They say, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." What do you believe makes your life successful? your career? your money or net worth? an academic degree? the neighborhood in which you live? Whatever the markers...we live in a world that seems to always be striving for and anxious about success. Perhaps that's because SUCCESS is also defined as the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status. We love those attributes more than virtues. I rarely hear us depict success as John Wooden did—peace of mind because you've become the best version of yourself. I'm not sure we'd even care about a quote from him if he hadn't won 10 NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years at UCLA with the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton...it's funny how that works. Though I've generally shied away from the pursuit of success; I'm intrigued that the Bible does not. God was not shy about proclaiming that Abraham and his descendants would be materially blessed and have notoriety in their context. (Gen. 12:1-3) According to the Lexicon, the Hebrew word gadal means to grow, to become great, to magnify, or to promote. It is used to describe physical growth, such as a child's development, as well as metaphorical growth, such as the increase in power or influence of a person or nation. The Jews believed the idea of becoming great or being magnified was associated with Divine favor and covenantal promises. Success was directly tied to one's relationship with Yahweh. This was emphasized when Moses' successor Joshua lead the Children of Israel into a fight for their promised land at age 85. He told them: 7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7-9) Sometimes we struggle with success because we're not confident about ourselves (impostor syndrome). Perhaps we've been unsure whether God really wants us to succeed, or maybe we know ourselves too well and are concerned about falling into pride—getting a bad case of the big head. Whatever the case...success isn't a bad thing if we're obtaining it God's way, and we've prepared spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally for what comes with that success. CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - HOPE - 03/12/2025 - Sadell Bradley

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD HOPE 03/12/2025   "Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." — John Wayne, American Actor CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20         "I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death...I think...peace and tranquility will return again."—Anne Frank, German Diarist   Do you recall reading The Diary of Anne Frank in school? I do, and it was one of the most poignant books I've ever read. Poignant means evoking a keenly felt sense of emotion, especially of bittersweet sadness or regret. This Jewish family caught in the midst of the rise of Hitler in Nazi Germany hid in plain sight for years until their abduction and transfer to the concentration camps of the Holocaust. It was a fascinating, but hard read. I recall applauding Anne's eloquence at story-telling. Even more, I admired her sense of hope amidst the most devastating of circumstances. HOPE is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. It is also a person or thing that may help or save someone;  grounds for believing that something good may happen; or a feeling of trust. I remember as I read hoping against hope that some other outcome would be granted, that the Frank family would be rescued and delivered to safety. Of course we were reading decades after their fate had been sealed. I marveled at Anne's expressions of love, laughter, and peace in the middle of the trial—how she held onto life's daily blessings despite the possibility of capture at any moment. Anne seemed to believe that everything would work out someday...even it it was not today. What she displayed was more than a teenager's naïveté; it was a lively hope. Hope seems to be getting hard to hold onto for lots of folks these days. Things are turbulent, if not chaotic. Many are wondering what will befall us...not just here in the US but all around the world. In times like these I am reminded that this earth is not my home, that I am a citizen of Heaven (Phil. 3:20), a stranger and a pilgrim passing through.(Heb. 11:13) This Heavenly vision for Christ followers is written about by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8: 18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope". —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   The writer of Hebrews also encourages our hope in the redemption and atonement found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, "Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls..." (Hebrews 6:18b-19a). The soul includes our mind, emotions/feelings, our will, and choices, An anchor provides stability and confidence for the ship of our soul, even when the storm is raging and the waves are crashing around us. The Rev. Desmond Tutu said, 'Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." Hold on to hope. CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20