Pastor Odie Kennedy's Pearls

When I think about the goodness of Jesus, I am amazed! I'm amazed by his grace and mercy when I allow my head to lead me instead of my heart.  Have you ever had to battle the voices between your mind and your spirit? The bible account of God sending Samuel to anoint David king shows us that we can be misled by our minds.  When Samuel went to the house of Jesse and laid eyes on Eliab, he was sure that he had found God's choice for king.  God quickly admonished Samuel to see beyond his preconceived notions and intellectual deductions.  In other words, God wanted Samuel to look at the heart of Jesse's son and not his appearance.  Have you ever been fooled by the way a person looks?  When you first saw them, you sized them up by the designer shoes, tailored outfit, and perfectly groomed hair.  Right away, you knew he was a preacher, a lawyer, or simply a good person.  You didn't look for any signs of compassion, sensitivity, or ambition.  Af...

"If you want to change the world, go home and love your family" -- Mother Teresa Love. Its foundation is often rooted in family ties.  We love as we have learned to love.  We either model what we have seen or we decidedly choose to give what we've never had. When we talk about love, we must go beyond the sentiment of love.  We must go deeper than the mushy warm feelings.  Love is about the action we take on behalf of others.  It comes in many forms. Some parents show their love with hugs and kisses, work hard to provide, and words of adoration.  My mother prayed for me.   She spoke into me with the scriptures.  Prayer became the greatest act of love in my home. No family is perfect.  Every family has differences, disagreements, and trials, but does that mean there is no love?  Absolutely not!  As long as you can still pray, you can love. When we pray, God does more than change the situation.  He changes us.  He ch...

As I stood in the pulpit on Sunday, I looked at all the people sitting in expectation.  They had not come to church out of ritual, but they were led there by the spiritual revelation that there is a great God!   We cannot afford to walk this life without recognition and revelation.  What do I mean?  This sinful word demands that we recognize our need for God.  Despite our education, we aren't intelligent enough to survive without God.  Despite our assets or assignments, we cannot effectively do battle in warfare on our own.  We must recognize our need for God and his power.  He has to be the head of our lives.  His direction must be the roadmap we follow.  His word must be our word! When we take inventory of all God has done just this morning, we can't help but come to the spiritual revelation that there is a great God! He woke you up this morning without any assistance.  He was the alarm before there was an alarm....

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  Psalm 139:14 I remember a time when it was not "saint-appropriate" to look at yourself and say that God did a good thing when he made you.  It was considered arrogant and puffed up.  Well, today I want to talk to the women who are dealing with low self-esteem.  It is not arrogant to believe what God says about you. When I was younger, people used to call me ugly.  I don't think they realized how painful that was or how it would affect the way I saw myself.  Because I bought into their opinion, I accepted mistreatment and belittlement. They made me feel I didn't measure up to those around me.  I didn't know that God had not created me to be measured against anyone.  He fearfully and carefully crafted every feature on my face.  He took his time when he made me.  He made a Godly woman! There are so many traps...

We are living in some of the darkest days I have ever seen! Every day brings news of personal tragedies and community pain.  Even our congregations are touched by senseless and unbelievable acts of hatred.  Nevertheless, we have help and we have hope! God is so good to us.  He gives us peace in the midst of chaos and a song in the midnight.  He pours out his Spirit on us when we worship him, and we should never take that for granted! You may feel bombarded by the cares of this life, and even buried by it all, but remember your light.  Remember that you are created in the very image of God.  You are related to the light of the world!  If Jesus is light, then how can you not be?  Remember that your light illuminates the dark for those trying to find their way through their struggles.  Has anyone ever told you, "There's something different about you"? When you walk in the Spirit of God, you walk in his light!   This doesn't mean ...

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.  John 14:16 Pentecost Sunday was a glorious time at my church! We prayed throughout the week that God would pour out his spirit on us, and he did just that.  At Unity Pentecostal Temple, we often seek God for unusual service.  We just want God to have his way.  We want the HOLY GHOST to take over! In the scripture, Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure and the arrival of the Holy Ghost.  He wanted them to know that hard days were coming but they would not be alone.  They would have help to guide them and comfort them. Don't we need that help today?  I think many people are as victorious as they could be because they don't understand the Holy Ghost. Have you ever heard someone say, "Something told me to do this or that"? Or "I felt IT"?  That's the first misunderstanding.  The Holy Ghost is a supernatural being....

I love church! I know that's what most people expect to hear from pastors, but I really mean it.  I love to be in fellowship with the saints, and I enjoy every opportunity I have to lift up the name of Jesus!  There's something about the excitement I feel when I see the people of God praising him for all that he's done.  When I think about what he has done for me, thanksgiving flows out of my heart and praise out of my mouth.  I've met some people who can't praise God because life has not gone the way they wanted. They don't have everything they think they should.  Some have lost loved ones.  Some have faced personal tragedies.  It makes me sad to know that there are people who don't know the pleasure of praise. People seek pleasure (enjoyment) from their jobs, relationships, and success, but there is a greater pleasure.  It comes from knowing the one who is greater ! It comes from a relationship with the Almighty God.  I know ...