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...