Latest news with #Ephesians
Black America Web
23-05-2025
- General
- Black America Web
7 Bible Verses to Reflect On This Father's Day
7 Bible Verses to Reflect On This Father's Day Father's Day is a time to celebrate and honor the fathers, father figures, and mentors who have shaped us with love, wisdom, and faith. For generations, Scripture has served as a guide for men to lead with humility, courage, and compassion. The Bible is rich with verses that speak to the responsibility and power of fatherhood, reflecting God's love for His children. Here are seven meaningful Bible verses to reflect on the role of fathers and the strength of their spiritual legacy. As we recognize the men who lead their families in faith, let these Scriptures be a source of inspiration and gratitude — not just today, but every day. Related: 7 Bible Verses to Uplift You This Summer 7 Bible Verses to Reflect On This Father's Day was originally published on 1. Proverbs 20:7 'The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.' 2. Ephesians 6:4 'Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.' 3. Psalm 103:13 'As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.' 4. Proverbs 22:6 'Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.' 5. 1 Corinthians 16:13 'Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 6. Joshua 24:15 'But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.' 7. Colossians 3:21 'Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Letter: People shouldn't be afraid to address reality of sin
I have to admire John C. Morgan's courage in bringing up a topic that many consider a dirty word today: sin ('Exploring eternal truths about sin, virtue,' Reading Eagle, April 30). He admits that many find the concept old-fashioned, even judgmental, and raises the question that Karl Menninger in 'Whatever Became of Sin?' Menninger gives an excellent definition of what sin is: 'deliberately turn(ing) away from God and/or doing what you know to be the right and good thing.' In other words, there are sins of commission and sins of omission. Of course, the first question to ask is, if there is such a thing (and everyone, regardless of religious persuasion or philosophy thinks that certain things are right or wrong), who determines what sin is? Those, like myself, who believe the Bible, are convinced that only the one true God who is holy and who made everything there is has a right to define what is sin and what is not. According to the Bible, 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)'; not only that, but 'the wages of sin (what we deserve) is death (Romans 6:23)' and an eternal death, at that. Which raises another question: How can we escape, or be saved, from our justly deserved sentence?Romans 6:23 tells us that eternal life (in heaven forever) is a gift from God, one that is received by faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9), who died on the cross for us (Romans 5:8). Greg Wasser Colebrookdale Township
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sheila Ellyn Woeger: Erie needs a paradigm shift - a government for the people
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." Proverbs 29:2, King James Version I was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, during the era of segregation, where faith in God, the creator of heaven and earth, family and community were the crux of human existence. I attended segregated public schools until my freshman year in high school. The state of Oklahoma, adhering to Brown v. Board of Education, closed all Negro schools, while introducing busing. A new high school was erected to combine both the Negro and Caucasian schools, creating what is now known as Muskogee High School. I remember vividly the first time I was called a racial slur, and wondered where did the hate come from? When I told my grandmother about the incident, she said, "forgive them because they know not what they do. You just do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I took what she said to heart and patterned my life after those words. My first marriage ended in divorce. My second marriage ended in divorce, I believe as a result of racial slurs being hurled to my husband, and the impact it had on my young children. It was then that I came to realize, it's not about the color of one's skin but rather the evilness of one's heart. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12. The good things that came out of California were the birth of my youngest son, and my associate of arts degree in paralegal studies. I moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1996, which is where my first husband had settled. He was born and reared here. Erie reminded me of the segregated era of my childhood. I soon discovered in my search for employment that the evilness of men's heart does not discriminate. I was denied employment by as many African Americans as I was Caucasians. It is without doubt that it was my faith in God through Christ Jesus my Lord that kept me rooted and grounded, for which I will be forever grateful. After two-and-one-half years working for the Erie School District as a substitute custodian, teacher assistant and secretary, applying for over 25 positions, I was informed by an employee that a conversation was overheard. "Why should we hire her when she's the best substitute we've ever had." I didn't become bitter but better as I was comforted by words of God that were written on my heart. While waiting to meet with the late Monsignor Vincent Enright at the Erie County Courthouse in the personnel office area, I scanned the job announcements with two piquing my interest. I submitted an application for librarian assistant as well as library clerk. I was offered the librarian assistant position, where I managed the Inner-City Outreach Program. I was also a union steward AFSCME Council 13, where I fought to have a coworker's job classification upgraded and won. I left that position to work in the Erie County Voter Registration Office. It was the late Monsignor Enright who encouraged me to return to college to get my bachelor's degree. I graduated from Gannon University in 2007 with the bachelor's degree in legal studies. I was also certified as a Magisterial District Judge the same year. It was during my certification process that I discovered that the laws of the land in Pennsylvania only applies if you are a person of color. I have also earned credits towards a master's degree in public administration, with a concentration in business administration. I lost my employment with Erie County because being a county employee and running for public office was against Pennsylvania law. As a candidate for mayor, I do not bring leadership skills as warranted by the world system. I've been denied equal opportunity. What I do possess is the wisdom of God who gives to all men liberally. The love of God which makes me to even love my enemy, and gives me empathy — because I've experienced homelessness, lived in housing that should have been condemned, and as a new homeowner, went seven days without water, here in Erie. There are people in this city currently living in those conditions; I want to change that. Scripture tells us the poor you will have with you always. Scripture also tells us that when you give to the poor, you lend to the Lord. Leadership without empathy is dictatorship. Erie is in need of a paradigm shift — because we need a government for the people. Erie has the potential to be a beautiful city, every neighborhood vibrant regardless of a person's race, gender, religion, ethnicity, origin or sexual identity. "For God so loved the world…" John 3:16. Diversity, equity and inclusion all wrapped up in one. More: Who are the candidates for city of Erie, county races in the May primary? We all came to America on different ships. As an African-American, my ancestors' voyage was involuntary, but we're all in the same boat now, and the sooner we learn to row together, the better we will be as a city, a state, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all (cited from the Pledge of Allegiance). I encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote. I sincerely believe that because I put God first that day of the casting by lots in determining my spot on the ballot, by facilitating my Bible study instead as I do every Wednesday at 10 a.m., remembering that the clothes torn from Jesus' body were cast by lots, the first name to appear on the ballot for Mayor of the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, is Sheila Ellyn Woeger. Sheila Ellyn Woeger is seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 20th Erie mayoral primary. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Sheila Woeger: The education and experience to be Erie mayor | Opinion
The Independent
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Chris de Burgh ‘laughed his head off' over poll of UK's most hated songs
Chris de Burgh has said he 'laughed his head off' after he appeared in two contrasting polls about the UK's favourite and most hated songs. The British-Irish singer-songwriter, 76, is known around the world for his 1986 song 'The Lady in Red', which hit No 1 in the US and No 3 in America. However, the musician appeared to acknowledge that the song is not to everyone's taste, as he spoke of a BBC poll 'years ago' that placed 'The Lady in Red' as the nation's third most favourite song. 'It was there in Channel 4's poll of the nation's most hated songs too,' he said in a feature for The Times. 'I laughed my head off. You need a neck of brass to survive in the music industry. But it's a fantastic life. 'I've played in so many memorable places – the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and Ephesus in Turkey, where the stage was exactly where St Paul stood preaching to the Ephesians. It was an awesome feeling.' In a 2012 interview with The Independent, de Burgh said he felt the problem with 'The Lady in Red' was that it obscured much of his other work. 'One of the problems of having such a huge worldwide hit, like 'Lady in Red', which is still a hit, worldwide, is that you get pigeon-holed and so the other 250 songs you've written and recorded become irrelevant,' he said. 'I write songs about such a wide variety of topics. I don't think there are too many covering what I'm covering.' Asked whether he would 'bury' the song if he could, he responded: 'Of course not! I do diminish it slightly when performing live. I take the microphone and leave the band and walk through the audience, hugging people.' In the same Times feature, de Burgh noted that certain musicians refuse to perform their big hits because they've come to hate them, but asserted that this wasn't the case with his own work. 'People think it's soppy but it's really about a man realising he should be paying more attention to his wife,' he said. 'Is it about Diane? Well, we've been married nearly 50 years. I think our secret is laughing a lot.' Chris de Burgh is currently touring the UK and Ireland, before beginning a tour of Australia and a string of shows in Germany, a country he said is 'huge' for him.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Honoring Black History: Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church
FAIRMONT (WBOY) — At Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Fairmont, Senior Pastor Dr. Mark A. Staples says that they try to share Black history all year long, because Black history is 'all our history.' The story of Mount Zion itself is representative of African-American history. The church started in a member's basement in 1902 in the midst of segregation. They enlisted Carl E. Barnett, who was the third-ever licensed architect in West Virginia, to help complete the original church building on Cleveland Avenue in 1928—right across the street from the Dunbar School. Due to the era, Barnett struggled to find other work as an architect. Over time, Mount Zion became a pillar of the community, but it outgrew the Cleveland Avenue building and wound up moving to its current location on Maple Avenue in 1989. Joan Elaine Lacey has been a member of Mount Zion for just under 20 years. She told 12 News that she enjoys 'that we as a congregation look out for each other, we care for each other, and that's about the best thing that we can do.' Honoring Black History: JR Clifford, the first African-American lawyer in West Virginia Mount Zion remains active in the community today, offering programs for kids, premarital classes, and cooking classes for the older members. In 2022—120 years after those first basement masses—the church was offered its original building back from the people they sold it to. 'He wanted to give us back the property even though it had some damage to it as a gift under one condition – that we use it to serve the community,' Dr. Staples said. Mount Zion hopes to restore the original Cleveland Avenue Church and turn it into a community center that they will call the 'Center of Hope'. My favorite scripture is Ephesians 3:20. 'For God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we asked think or imagine according to the power that work in us.' I'm just a dreamer and I believe God has even greater things in store for Mount Zion and for the people here in Fairmont.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
