Speaking @ Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

This Friday evening, I have the privilege of preaching at the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where my friend and brother Rev. Vincent M. Rouse is the Pastor, for their Fire-Filled Friday Service given by their Youth Department. Pastor Rouse and I go back to our days as members of the full-time staff of the New Hope Baptist Church. I have had the pleasure of watching this young giant in the ministry, blossom and grow into a dynamic preacher and a caring Pastor for the people that God has given him. This is my first time preaching at Pleasant Grove since Pastor Rouse was called their almost one year ago, and I am excited about the preaching moment. Please keep this service and the Pleasant Grove Church in your prayers as God takes them to heights never imagined in the hearts of the people.

Perfect Unity

The Lord allowed us to continue our exposition on the book of Ephesians with Chapter 4 verses 4-6. This was an enjoyable experience with both the study and the preaching of this text as the Lord blessed the entire congregation with the Word of God. Here is the sermon outline:

Thesis: if we focus on our differences,then our focus is on us, but if we focus on unity, then our focus is on God

I. We Share A Common Spirit

-verse 4

II. We Share A Common Lord

-verse 5

III. We Share A Common Father

-verse 6

United We Stand

This past Sunday, the Lord allowed us to continue our exposition of the book of Ephesians entitled The Church: The United Body of Christ. The Lord led us to look at Chapter 4 verses 1-3 entitled United We Stand. Here is an outline of the message that God gave us to be a blessing to the people of God:

Title: United We Stand

Thesis: A people that will allow themselves to be arrested by the Lord will become a people that will maintain the body of Christ through a spirit of peace

I. Unity Requires a Worthy Walk

a. verse 1 - I therefore a prisoner of the Lord, urge you that you walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called

b. worthy in the Greek means to bring up the other beam of a scale. It carries the idea of a balancing scale where on one side you have your profession of faith, and on the other side you have you walk as a Christian. The point is that your walk ought to match up with your profession that Jesus is the source of your salvation.

II. Unity Requires a Humble Heart

a. verse 2 - with all humility and gentleness

b. humility means to think lowly of yourself. It is used in secular writings of Ancient Greece to describe the status of the Nile River as it runs in its lowest point. The point is that after a sincere self examination, you will act like you truly are, meek and lowly

III. Unity Requires A Patient Personality

a. verse 2 - with patience

b. patience means to have a personality that will endure discomfort without fighting back. It carries the idea of a person who can face trials and tribulations and never loose courage

IV. Unity Requires A Loving Lifestyle

a. verse 2 - bearing one another with love

b. this type of love is agape love which is unconditional love, love that is undeserved yet it is given because as Peter said in I Peter 4:8 that love covers a multitude of sins