We made it to the last year of 2012. Praise the Lord for his faithfulness!

There were only two Sundays this year that I did not preach.  There were definite points where I needed to take a break and didn’t. But I thank God for his sustaining and strengthening grace.

I love the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church!

We have only service today, at 9 AM. It was a blessed service of worship.

Glad to have all of our guests in worship today, including Pastor Meadows of North Carolina.

I preached from Psalm 42. I entitled the message, “Overcoming Spiritual Depression.”

Sermon Point: Hope in God is the only true remedy for spiritual depression.

I divided the text along on the basis of the repeated refrain (42:5, 11):

I.     What to do when depression comes (42:1-5)

II.     What to do when depression will not leave (42:6-11)

In each of the main points, I sub divided the text in terms of the causes (vv. 1-4, 6-19) and cure (vv. 5, 11) of spiritual depression.

In a rare occurrence, I did not finish the message. I preached through point one and just stated the second point, before concluding.

I have been meditating on this psalm for months. I have been studying it for several weeks. Psalm 42 has gotten me through the past several weeks. Praise God for his word!

I highly recommend the book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Psalm 42 is the first psalm in Book II of the Psalter.

Psalm 42 is the first psalm attributed to an author other than David. It was written by the Sons of Korah (Psss. 42-49).

Psalms 42 and 43 are linked together. Scholars believe that the two psalms were originally one literary unit.

Praise God for those who were added to the church today!

I am pretty sure I will be sleep before the Cowboys-Redskins game goes final. But you already know what my prediction is: Cowboys win!

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans today, 20-38.

I am glad that the Jets will free Tebow (While there at it, they need to free Sanchez, as well). I fully expect that Tebow will be a part of the Jags next season. Will he start? That’s another question.

Andy Reid will most likely be let go as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Early reports are that he would be a leading candidate to coach the Jags, if the current coach is let go. Should be interesting.

Congratulations to Adrian Peterson! 9 yards short of the single-season rushing record. And the Vikings made the playoffs. (But I still want P. Manning to win the MVP.)

I want to congratulate my friends, Adron Robinson and Charlie Dates, on the big win today of their team, the Chicago Bears. What? Huh? The Bears still didn’t make the playoffs? I guess your Bears will be watching the playoffs from the same place as my Jaguars.

The New York Giants will not repeat as NFL champions. They will not even make it to the playoffs.

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

We had a blessed day of worship and fellowship at the Shiloh Church yesterday.

My Bible Study Fellowship group met for the last time this year. We continued out study of 1 Timothy 2:8-15. I focused on verses 13-14: “The Theological Basis of Gender Roles”

I am learning a lot from this study of 1 Timothy.

We had a Parent-Child Dedication during our 10:15 service.

I led both services. It felt like I was on my feet all day. By the time, 10:15 rolled around, I was wiped out. But the Lord gave me strength, as always. Praise God!

I preached on Matthew 1:22-23. I called it, “Immanuel: God With Us.”

I raised three implications of this glorious birth name of Jesus:

1.  Immanuel is about the Identity of Jesus
2. Immanuel is about the Disposition of God
3. Immanuel is about the Hope of Humanity

Praise God for those who were added to the church.

I am praying for the members of Shiloh that are traveling over the holidays. The Lord be with you.

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the New Orleans Saints in overtime, 31-24.

In spite of the loss, the Cowboys are not out of the playoff hunt yet. If the Cowboys win their showdown with the Redskins next weekend, we are in.

Thanks to the New York Giants for helping out our playoff chances by getting whipped by the Baltimore Ravens!

The Jacksonville Jaguars gave the Patriots a fight, but fell 16-23.

In other Jags news, ESPN reports that it is a almost a done deal that Tim Tebow will join the Jaguars in 2013. What do you think about that?

Has anyone noticed that my hometown NBA – the Los Angeles Clippers- are on a 13-game win streak?

Since we are talking the NBA, key your eyes on my Miami Heat. Coach Spoelstra has prohibited the team from talking about “repeating.” But I’ll say it, the Heat will repeat!

As far as I am concerned, the NBA preseason starts on Christmas Day. And the season doesn’t begin until after the Super Bowl!

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

Notes from Sunday is my weekly recap of my Sunday in worship and how my favorite teams and athletes did over the weekend.

Twenty-two years ago today – December 16, 1990 – I was installed as the third pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Los Angeles. It seems like yesterday. I am too young to have pastored for 22 years!

I continued my study of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 in my Bible Study Fellowship group today. We discussed the question, “May Women Teach or Lead Men in Church?” I really enjoy teaching this group.

Our BSF groups ended today for the year. However, my group will meet to finish our study of this section.

Glad to have our guests in worship today.

Praise God for the two persons who were baptized today!

Most weeks, I can’t wait to get to the pulpit. But there are some weeks I have to drag myself to the pulpit. Today was one of those days.

Please, pray for me.

I studied Psalm 42 all week. I completed a sermon skeleton, but did not feel I was ready to preach it. I think I needed Psalm 42 myself this week.

I hope to get to preach Psalm 42 soon. I want to call it, “Overcoming Spiritual Depression.”

I preached from Psalm 23:4b – “I Will Fear No Evil.”

I endeavored to make a simple point today: God can handle your fears.

The message presented three implications of this statement of confidence of God:

1. I will not fear bad circumstances.
2. I will not fear Satan.
3. I will not fear death.

I preached this sermon with a concern for the tragedy that took place in Newtown, Connecticut, this past Friday. I wanted to challenge and encourage my people to trust God with their fears.

Praise God for those who were added to the church today!

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost in a blowout to the Miami Dolphins, 3-24. But the Jags uniforms really do look nice!

UPDATE: The Dallas Cowboys won a dogfight against the Pittsburg Steelers in overtime, 27-24.

The Cowboys are now in a 3-way tie for the NFC East lead with the Giants and the Redskins. Go Cowboys!

The Cowboys honored the late Jerry Brown with a moment of silence before the game. Interestingly, Josh Brent, the driver in the alcohol-related, one-car accident that killed Brown, was on the Cowboy’s sidelines for the game.

I predict Alabama will blowout Notre Dame in the BCS Championship Game on January 7, 2013. What do you think?

Saturday night, Nonita Donaire knocked-out Jorge Arce in the third round to retain his title. Arce promptly retired after the match… in the ring!

Saturday’s fight was the last HBO Boxing telecast for longtime analysis, Larry Merchant. He has called fights as long as I have watched them. It will be weird to what fights without his colorful commentary. I nominate Max Kellerman to replace Merchant. Can I get a second?

In other boxing news, Amir Khan stopped his two-fight losing streaking Saturday night by stopping Carlos Molina in the 10^th-round.

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

It was another good day of worship at the Shiloh Church.

In my Bible Study Fellowship group, I continued my study of 1 Timothy 2:8-15. Today’s lesson addressed verses 11-12, the most controversial part of the text.

I only got through the introduction, during which I sought to make five points:

1. All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
2. Proper rules of interpretation must be employed to understand the Bible correctly.
3. Women are not inherently inferior to men.
4. Men and women share an equal standing in Christ (Gal. 3:28).
5. God designed men and women to have different roles in the home and the church (Gen. 1:27; 1 Cor. 11:3).

Glad to have all of our guests in worship today.

Our Children’s Choir sung today. Hailey did not sing. I mean, she did not  just stand there today, staring in the floor monitors. Just saying.

We baptized 7 persons today. Praise God!

I preached from 1 John 4:7-12. I called the message, “Responding to the Love of God.”

This is the point of the text I wanted my people go home with: I must love you because God loved me.

In the text, there are three reasons why we should love one another:

1. Because of God the Father (4:7-8)
2. Because of God the Son (4:9-10)
3. Because of God the Holy Spirit (4:11-12)

I plan on finishing chapter 4 – verses 13-21 – next Sunday.

For the second week in a row, a NFL team played on Sunday, hours after the death of a teammate. This time it was my Dallas Cowboys. Defensive lineman Josh Brent was arrested this weekend for intoxication manslaughter. Teammate Jerry Brown died in the car crash. Another sad story.

In the midst of all of this, The Cowboys eked out a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-19.

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the New York Jets, 10-17. No Tim Tebow. And tarp still covered seats.

Congratulations to Texas A&M quarterback, Johnny Manziel, for winning the 2012 Heisman Trophy. Johnny “Football” made history by becoming the only freshman to win this coveted award.

It is unthinkable that any sports story could trump the Heisman Trophy announcement. But that’s exactly what happened Saturday night, when Juan Manuel Marquez knocked-out Manny Pacquiao cold during the 6^th round of their 4^th fight of their classic series. Absolutely worth staying up for!

Well, there go my hopes for a Pacquiao/Mayweather fight.

Hey, the Clark Sisters will be in concert at Shiloh this coming Friday night. Can’t wait!

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? 

It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which is always an interesting Sunday. But it was a good day.

I taught on 1 Timothy 2:8-15 – “Men and Women in Worship” – in my Bible Study Fellowship. I did an overview of the passage. But I plan to spend the next several weeks going through it in more detail. It’s a controversial subject. But I am looking forward to the study.

As always, I am grateful for all the guests in worship today. It was cool to meet the family of members visiting for the holiday.

Praise God for the two brothers we baptized today. One of the men drives to our church from Miami each week. Way cool.

I preached from Psalm 100 – “A Psalm for Giving Thanks”

I argued that it is your duty to give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done.

Psalm 100 issues a twofold call to worship:

1. Be joyful (100:1-3)
2. Be thankful (100:4-5)

Praise God for those who were added to the church today.

The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans, 24-19, to pick up their first home win of the year.

So I guess Jim Harbaugh did the right thing by starting Colin Kaepernick today over Alex Smith.

After disappointing me all season, all I asked of USC was that they take down Notre Dame. Alas, USC loss 13-22.

So who do you think Notre Dame will play in the BCS Championship Game, Alabama or Georgia? Do you think Notre Dame can defeat whichever team wins the SEC Championship?

Andre Berto got beat up Saturday night by Robert “the Ghost” Guerrerro Saturday night.

Former champion Ricky Hatton was knocked-out by Manny Pacquiao in 2009. He retired afterwards. He made his return to boxing Saturday night. Well, he was knocked-out by Vyacheslav Senchenko. Afterward, he promptly retired again.

Former boxing champ, Hector “Macho” Camacho, died from gun shot wounds. He was 50-years-old.

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? 

Happy Veterans Day!

I did not write Notes from Sunday last week. Someone later tweeted that they missed my notes. Way cool.

Today marked 4 years since my installation as pastor of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Thanks, Shiloh, for the kind expressions today. It has been a very encouraging day. I praise the Lord for you and praise for many more years together as pastor and people.

Now, back to work!

Best part of my day: A sister shared with me today that it was her anniversary today, as well. She joined Shiloh when I arrived. And she has now been clean for four years. Praise God!

I am having a great time in my Bible Study Fellowship group. In finished my study of 1 Timothy 2:1-7 today – “The Prayer Ministry of the Church.” I plan on teaching from 1 Timothy 2:8-15 next week – on the roles of men and women in worship.

As always, I am grateful for the guests we had in worship today, especially the special guests we had from the Main Street Baptist Church in Lexington, KY.

Our Children Choir sang today. And, again, Hailey stared at herself in the floor monitor.

My pastor, Dr. Melvin V. Wade, Sr. preached today at Shiloh. He preached on “Hallowed be Your Name” (Matt. 6:13b) at 8 and The “Aloneness of Christ” (mark 1:35) at 10:15.

The Wade preachers (a father and two sons) are known for poetic preaching filled with “runs,” a chain of thoughts connected to one idea. It was classic Wade preaching today.

My pastor is an expert manuscript preacher. For those who have to have notes in front of you when you preach, watch and learn from one of the masters.

Praise God for those who were added to the church today.

The Dallas Cowboys beat down the Philadelphia Eagles today, 38-23.

I think we have seen the last of Michael Vick. His is finished in Philadelphia. And I doubt he will ever get another starting job in the NFL.

Keep your eye on the Denver Broncos.

The Titans whipped Miami.

Baltimore set a scoring record against the Raiders.

The Satins handed the Falcons their first loss of the season.

Seattle took down Jets. No even “Tebow Time” can help these Jets.

The Rams and 49ers ended in a 24-24 tie. Wow.

#1 Alabama was upset by the Texas A&M last night. This may be the first time in 6 years a SEC team is not in the BCS Championship game. Who do you think will win it all this year?

As I suspected, the Los Angeles Lakers are in hot pursuit of one Phil Jackson. My guess is that he will be back on the Lakers sideline soon. But it will not make a different. The Miami Heat will repeat as champions!

UPDATE: Overnight, the news broke that the Los Lakers have hired Mike D’Antoni as its new head coach. All the more assurance the Miami Heat will repeat as champions.

How was your Sunday? How did you teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comment section. 

Saturday morning, we began a new six-week Bible study for our men. 200 men showed up. Praise God!

Worship was great today. The music team did an exceptional job.

I really enjoyed teaching my Bible Study Fellowship group today. I finished my lesson, “A Defense against False Teachers,” from 1 Timothy 1:12-20. God willing, I will teach next week about the prayer ministry of the church from 1 Timothy 2:1-7.

As always, I am grateful for the guests we had in worship today, including two local high school football teams.

I preached from n interesting little passage in Mathew 17:24-27. I called it, “What Jesus Thinks about Religion.”

I love this little passage in which Jesus declares, “The sons are free,” and then performs a miracle by providing Peter’s tax money in the mouth of a fish.

I pressed three major points in the message:

I.     Followers of Christ live with kingdom rights (v. 26).

II.     Followers of Christ live with spiritual responsibilities (v. 27a).

III.     Followers of Christ live with divine resources (v. 27b).

Christians rightly desire to do great things in service to God and in service to the world. But too often Christians think such service must insure the desired outcome. We simply do not believe that we can risk fishing for a fish with a coin in its mouth. Yet no account of the Christian desire to live at peace with our neighbor, who may be also be our enemy, is intelligible if Christians no longer trust that God can and will help us catch fish with coins in their mouths. – Stanley Hauerwas

Praise God for those added to the church today.

I plan to resume my study of 1 John next week.

The USC Trojans let me down this weekend, losing to the Arizona Wildcats, 36-39.

The Dallas Cowboys put a good fight against the New York Giants, at least in the second half. But down goes the Cowboys again. I give up on our chances this season.

The Jaguars put a good fight against the Packers. But down goes the Jags again. Did we ever have a chance this season?

Does anyone – outside of people in San Francisco and Detroit – care about the World Series?

Are you ready to watch the Miami Heat to start the repeat at NBA World Champions?

I am pretty shocked that the OKC Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets this weekend. This only helps ensure that the Miami will repeat!

I haven’t really been paying attention. Can anyone tell me how the old (literally) Los Angeles Lakers did this preseason?

How was your Lord’s Day? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation n the comments section. 

I love the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church!

We had a good time in my BSF class this morning. I taught from 1 Timothy 1:12-20. I called it, “A Defense against False Teachers.” (In typical H.B. fashion, I did not finish my lesson and will have to pick it up next week.)

As always, I am excited about the guests we had in worship today.

Praise God for those who were baptized today, including a mother and her four children. I can still see the father’s excited face in the hallway before service. Wonderful!

I preached, “Having Possessions and Being Possessed,” from Matthew 6:19-21.

I explained three lessons Jesus teaches in the text about having possessions and being possessed:

I. Be careful of where your treasure resides (vv. 18-19).

II. Be committed to treasure that remains (vv. 18-19).

III. Be concerned about what your treasure reveals (v. 21).

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.

Don’t look now, but the USC Trojans are slowly creeping up the polls. They are now #8.

But will anyone, can anyone, stop Alabama (#1) and Oregon (#2)?

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Carolina Panthers, 19-14.

By the way, what’s wrong with Cam Newton?

The Jacksonville Jaguars snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory, losing to the Oakland Raiders in overtime, 23-26.Quarterback Blaine Gabbert and running back Maurice Jones-Drew both went down with injuries.RG3 is playing this year like Cam Newton played last year. The Jets are the Jets, losing again to the Patriots. We are watching the end of an era with the Ravens.

My New York Yankees were swept out of this playoffs this past week by the Detroit Tigers. As the Yankees went down, Alex Rodriquez rode the bench. I repeat: A-Rod rode the bench! Drew Brees and the Saints looked good today.

In a few weeks, the Miami Heat will begin their campaign to repeat as NBA World Champions! Don’t hate. The Packers are starting to look like the Packers again.

How far do you think the senior citizens (also known as the Los Angeles Lakers) will get this season? First round of the playoffs? No further, right?

On a personal note, thanks for praying for my writing project. I turned in my book manuscript to the publisher last week. I will let you know what’s next in the process.

How was your Lord’s Day? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section.