What’s In Your Cup?

What’s In Your Cup?

by | Mar 19, 2026 | Sunday School

Many believers are drinking from the cup of bitterness and it’s of their own doing. David prayed in Psalm 51:10 for the Lord to restore unto Him the joy of the Lord’s salvation. He obviously lost the joy after sinning with Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah murdered. When he was confronted by Nathan, he wasted little time repenting and asking the Lord to forgive him. In this lesson, we take a look at our lives to ask the Lord to fill our cups with his joy again and to turn from the things that empty God’s joy from our lives. The cup of salvation (Psalm 116:13) is a cup of joy, what’s in your cup?

Don’t Waste Your Wait!

Don’t Waste Your Wait!

by | Mar 19, 2026 | Sunday School

You ever get tired of waiting? In this lesson, we review the promise of God to the people of Israel who, after experiencing Babylonian captivity would live in the promise. When? This is the rub for us as it was for them. The chapter closes with this word from the Lord, “when the time is right, I the Lord will make it happen.” This is not limited to the Israelites and is true for us today, as well. When God is ready, He will move. It’s as simple as that. You might even look at as, when you are ready, God will move.

Some of the reasons we don’t yet have what God has promised us is because we are not yet who we need to be to receive it or steward it well! Be encouraged by this lesson as we wait on the manifestation of the promise of God in our lives.

Do You Know How Blessed You Really Are?

Do You Know How Blessed You Really Are?

by | Jun 1, 2024 | The Weekly Word

Monday night was a late night because I started cooking late. I really hope to do better with dinner next school year, because this year was not my best. Exasperated from a long day and dinner preparation, I found myself complaining that the kitchen was always in need of cleaning. Then the Lord made me think of why the kitchen needed cleaning. We are blessed to eat at home, every night! This started the wheels of thought in motion.

You have a home to eat in, food to eat each night, and even dishwashing liquid or dishwasher packs to use in the dishwasher. Immediately, I repented for complaining. How could I be complaining about a blessing? We don’t have the budget to eat out each night, but we have food in the freezer, pantry, and refrigerator. We even have leftovers most nights. So, what is there to complain about? Absolutely nothing at all!

Sometimes, we become so complacent with God’s blessings that we allow ourselves to fall into ungratefulness. Putting gas in the car, going grocery shopping, and paying rent/mortgage are necessities many Americans don’t have the luxury to afford. I’m grateful that even with the changes we’ve dealt with in the last month, God has blessed us to stay afloat. I’m grateful that God has kept us healthy so that we can go to work. I’m grateful that He has kept us from car accidents to and from work. I’m grateful that we are in good health and can enjoy our time at work, school, and home.

As Paul Morton said, I’ve got so much to thank God for!” Truth be told, there’s too much for me to even name, but I’m thankful for it all! Of course, there’s a song for everything I experience. The song that came to mind as I stood in my kitchen was “I’m Blessed” by the late Rev. Clay Evans. In his introduction of the song, Rev. Evans spoke about the person complaining with a loaf of bread under their arm. How could we dare complain when even the little we have is more than what others have? I’ll never complain again. In that moment of prayer, I asked the Lord for wisdom. “Lord, help us to manage all that we have.” You see, even what we perceive as not enough or inadequate is more than others have and just what someone else may be praying for. 

Sometimes we overspend when we should be saving. Sometimes we don’t set money aside and overexert our spending to make up for it. Sometimes, we eat out when we should be frugal and eat at home. Sometimes the money we’re looking for has already been frivolously spent. “Lord, help us to do better and appreciate every blessing with the godly wisdom and divinely guided stewardship.” Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow with it. As I appreciate every blessing, I won’t dare complain about anything the Lord has blessed me with ever again!

Let Them Hear You

Let Them Hear You

by | May 21, 2024 | The Weekly Word

I learned a lot the last time I released an edition of The Weekly/Weekend Word. I use a very popular email blast server and have since I began. Since my “audience” is varied with each company, I have different blasts that go out to the varied audiences. Lately, I’ve combined the audiences to share the stories and lessons with a single audience. This has always been a point of pain for me though because seemingly with each blast, there are people who unsubscribe. 

What stings the most is that I know each person who unsubscribes. We have some kind of relationship yet, when it comes to them receiving this email, they’re not interested. I’ll never forget the man and former church member who would take time each day to send us a song and a story. He was so diligent, I didn’t even have time to open many of the emails. Yet, when I returned the favor with either an email from The SMG Report or news about a book release, he wasn’t interested. Or what about the pastor whose sound system I helped set up. We talk on Facebook all the time but for some reason, he didn’t care to indulge this email.

I try not to take these things personally. Truth is, I shouldn’t and that analytics are the worst thing that could have ever have happened to us. Without fail, we restructure everything to fit the analytics and refine our practices to doing what works best. In the process, we sometimes lose what works best for us. I find myself saying this often, but this email always brings it back to me. Something else happened the last time I sent one of these out, though. In the closing of his message a few weeks ago, Dr. Alvin Pope referenced one of the entries. 

He sure did and it was at the closing of service when there’s really the greatest impact (if you ask me). What that did for me, affirmed this in a way that was so needed. I can see who opens, reads and even clicks, but by Sunday, I was no longer checking. So, to see that someone had actually read it and gleaned something from it did my heart good. Here’s the lesson, we are never unseen or unheard. 

What you release may not garner the response you hoped it would, but in all you do, give people a chance to hear you and experience what you have to offer! There’s a song that says when people won’t listen, ‘make them hear you.’ I agree with that but it’s as simple as not canceling yourself because of who you think won’t hear you. It’s as simple as showing up in the world, regardless of who shows up to see you, they hear you! And finally, get this, God has wasted nothing in creating the majesty of who you are! The people you want may never acknowledge it, but for the world in search of you, let them hear you! Why deprive those who need what you have because those you want to have it don’t want it? This is part of the revelation of Romans 8:28, those who didn’t want God made way for those He hadn’t been available to and when those reject Him, He will again be the God of those He originally appeared to. In this, everybody will have had access to the grace and goodness of God. It all works out anyway, so let the world hear you! 

Get Someone Else to do it!

Get Someone Else to do it!

by | May 21, 2024 | The Weekly Word

In his iconic line from “Boomerang,” John Witherspoon etched himself into the lexicon of movie lovers and ultimately African-American vernacular when he said, “you got to co-ordinate!” He was well coordinated, down to his belt and the lining of his blazer. 

I want to share a similar message with creatives and leaders reading this: COLLABORATE! When I heard the Lord about my song in February, I knew that I couldn’t finish it on my own. When I originally recorded it, only I and my wife were on the song. I knew that if it were to come to fruition and reach the people we’re called to reach, I would need to bring some other people aboard. 

Initially, I handled everything in house because of budget constraints. I knew that I couldn’t remain limited to only what I could do if this song were to ever emerge from the storage on my hard drive. I want to share this with you, that amid all of your frustrations, limitations and other complications, try the solution of collaboration!

There is a social media meme that says, “get somebody else to do it” referencing a job or task that is unbearable or unwanted. And while many times, what has confounded the work is possible by our hands, intellect and expertise, that may be just what we need to do. By finding someone else to do even what you could do will free up your time and could even broaden your vision for the uncompleted project.

Who can do what you need done? If you can do it, but haven’t done it, will it ever get done? This was the question I had to ask myself and really be sober about the answer. So, I called a few friends and let them do what they do well. By allowing them to do what they do so well, I was free to do what I do best and in this instance, it was making, recording and editing music. 

I don’t know what collaboration will solve for you, but I share this in hopes of alleviating the stressors that lead to and keep you bound in cycles of procrastination and stagnation. As the year began, I heard “collaboration” so strongly. I asked this about myself and my companies but the Lord showed me that I would be coming along to join others’ efforts. Understand that the concept of collaboration is involves and includes you as a solution but be willing and open to those will be that for you, as well! 

As many of you, I completed a song earlier this year. I knew that I couldn’t do it alone so I want to introduce you to the people who helped me reach the finish line!

Sanesia Tillman (Sanesia’s Sound Studio)- Background Vocals

Devin Renee- Featured Vocals

Patrick Dudley- Drums

Sanesia Tillman is an amazing singer. I can’t remember how we met but I knew that I would need her services sooner than later, once I knew of her. She gladly and efficiently took my work request and transformed the song into what I could only dream of. “You Showed Me Love” is the third song that we have worked on together and I saw her gift blossom as we collaborated this time around. As a writer and musician with no regular group, having singers can stifle all motion and momentum. Sanesia is a more than a life saver, she’s a song saver and I’m glad to have her work as a part of the team. 

Devin Renee is a young lady whose gift I have admired for years. As I re-visited the song, I felt there was a specific voice that I needed to take the bridge and vamp of the song further than I could. She was the perfect choice and though we still haven’t began work on the song I initially purposed for her years ago, I’m glad that we could come together for this song at this time! 

I met Patrick Dudley when he subbed for our drummer at church years ago. Because I work in radio when he told me about the group he played for, I asked for their music.  We have remained in touch since then and when he moved to DFW, I told him that I would reach out to him once I got some music going. Patrick was a Godsend to this project because he literally saved the session! I couldn’t get anything going on my equipment or software so we used his interface and recorded to his computer! We wouldn’t have made it without him! Additionally, he caught the groove I was going for with ease which made the session even better!