Emunah (Hebrew for faith, belief)

First-time author Diane Pierce talks with Emunah hosts Tamara and Charisse about the journey she traveled in the nation's capital to write the book, "God is in the Details."

Diane is a retired government employee with more than 30 years of experience in the Washington, D.C. area. She also served as secretary to the pastor of her church, First Baptist Church of Highland Park, Landover, Maryland. She says on her book cover that she is "a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and daughter."

Diane's daughter-in-law, Dr. LaTonya Pierce, encouraged her to write the book. Dr. Pierce and her husband, Diane's son John joined her on the podcast.

In the podcast Diane tells us: "God can save you at anytime, no matter what you're going through."

The book can be purchased on Amazon.

Women of the Word encourages Emunah listeners to provide feedback, comments and testimonies. The website is https://wordconsultingllc.com.

Pastor Ronnie D. Simmons of the House of Faith Christian Center in Smyrna, Tennessee takes a unique approach to witnessing to family.

He reviews the ABCs of Salvation (found on page 55 of his book, "3 Bs That Do Not Sting! The 3-Step Process to Christian Discipleship)":

Step A - Admit that you are a sinner and that you deserve to die for your sins. "You are a sinner, not because you sin, but you sin, because you are a sinner."

Step B - Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and now you are willing to repent of all your sins.

Step C - Confess Jesus as your Lord.

Pastor Simmons stresses the necessity of telling family about Jesus, saying "It's important and we have to do it. It is not the church's responsibility to witness to the family; it's the family's responsibility to witness to the family."

He says there are three roadblocks or hinderances to sharing the Good News of Christ with family:

1. Some people don't want to talk about it and try to bypass the situation altogether.

2. Some people attempt to talk about Jesus with family but the information they have is incorrect. Often, these people talk about feelings or what they heard. Their perception of God is incorrect and they give out misinformation.

3. Some people have incomplete information and in sharing leave out key or essential facts, leaving the family frustrated or discouraged.

His advice is to get to know Jesus first by reading what He says in the Bible, what he taught, commanded and promised. This information will give clarity to who God is. He concludes that when we "come to Jesus, hear what he has to say and then go do it" our paths become straight, our concerns and problems dissolve.

"When Jesus says something in the Bible, that's His faith. Every time He speaks He's speaking His faith. When I say what Jesus says, now it becomes my faith," said Pastor Simmons.

Scriptures to review:

John 1:17; 14: 4-9; 17:25-26

Matthew 11:27-28

Colossians 1: 15

Acts 10

Romans 10: 9-10, 17

Hosea 4:6

Find the book: "3 Bs That Do Not Sting!" at Amazon or contact: Ronnie Simmons Ministries, P.O. Box 985, Smyrna, Tennessee 37167.

wwwhouseoffaithchristiancenter.org (615) 223-0420

Follow him on Facebook at House of Faith Christian Center Smyrna

Visit Women of the Word website: https://wordconsultingllc.com or email us your feedback, comments, reactions at wordconsultingllc@gmail.com.

Two Christian young people, Bianca Shante and Dominic Lyon talk with Emunah hosts Tamara and Charisse about a myriad of concerns, ranging from mental health and seeing Results in their Christian walk to various ways to avoid compromise in this age of multiple temptations.

"There's a sense of urgency and a level of demand that society puts on us: where we should be in life; what we should have accomplished; and, a lot of the times our lives don't reflect that," Bianca said. Dominic said: "When folk try to do things for the love of money, they can slip into a depression."

See what else these two young people have to say.

We also encourage you to visit earlier episodes of Millennial Minute. The first episode on December 8, 2023 featured Bianca. The second Millennial Minute featured Dominic on Jan. 9, 2024.

Most of the research about Millennials came from The Pew Research Center: pewresearch.org. The organization provides periodic reports on generations and offers Millennial publications from 2021 to the present.

We welcome feedback, comments, suggestions. Our email is wordconsultingllc@gmail.com. Check out our website: https://wordconsultingllc.com.

Continuing the poignant discussion that began in Part I, Bro. D and Min. Eugene Howie of First Baptist Church of Glenarden International consider what forgiveness is not. When you forgive, are you to gloss over or deny the seriousness of an offense against You? Though you can help repair a damaged relationship, does it obligate you to reconcile with the person who harmed you?

Other questions are: Why must we forgive? How do we forgive?

Bro. D. and Min. Howie share their favorite Bible verses about forgiveness and reasons why they were selected.

Here are other applicable Bible verses:

-We forgive as the Lord forgave us: Colossians 3:13 amplified - "bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive."

-We forgive by faith, out of obedience (feelings have little to do with it): Hebrews 11:1 NLT - "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for: it is the evidence of things we cannot see."

-Our decision to forgive must include a change of heart: Philippians 1:6 NLT - "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

-We can pray and ask God to deal with the injustices. We can trust God to judge that person's life, and then we ought to leave that prayer at the altar: Luke 6: 37 NIV - "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

As you know listeners, the goal of Emunah is to help believers live lives that honor God. We hope that you meditate on the scriptures and advice of these two God-anointed disciples of Christ. Application is key; pray about the ways God is leading you to forgive and then take small steps toward resolution.

Share your testimony on our Women of the Word website: https://wordconsultingllc.com. Or, send us an email with comments about the podcast: wordconsultingllc@gmail.com.

Emunah Podcast hosts Tamara and Charisse were invited by Elder Jean Hopper King of Oliver Spring, TN and Apostle Victoria Lockhart of Jersey City, N.J. to present a Bible lesson for their group, Restore, Refocus and Refresh. RR&R is another way to refer to their monthly 12-day Bible Study. The March theme was mentoring - or how older believers must prepare the youth for the future. We hope you enjoy our teaching and find one or two valuable nuggets.

Of the many barriers between the young and old today, Charisse and I selected "conflicting agendas" and reviewed the Bible lesson in 1 Kings 12. King Solomon is dead and his son Rehoboam is ready to take over the throne. He consults both his father's elderly advisers and his own young counselors. Whose advise do you think he took?

Here are two points that were made:

1. Wisdom is essential when addressing the needs of the youth and the elderly.

2. Both the elderly and young must discard agendas and look only to God for answers.

RR&R meets each month for the first 12 days at 6 a.m. The Dial In # is 774-267-7513. Elder King and Apostle Lockhart were guests of Emunah on Feb. 23, 2024. They talked about the importance of Bible Study and why the unique approach of RR&R works.

We encourage feedback. Our email is wordconsultingllc@gmail.com. You also can post your testimony on our website: https://wordconsultingllc.com.

We'd love to hear from you.

In the first book for Pastor Simmons, he talks about the three-step process to successful Christian Discipleship WITHOUT loading it with indecipherable religious lingo. Instead, he challenges simple ideas and statements we often make, like: ”I’m a good person, and I believe in God, therefore I hope to go to heaven when I die.” He says we all must become a BE-liever, a Be-longer and a Be-comer.

Both in his book and in this podcast, Pastor Ronnie explains the processes in depth.

The book can be found on Amazon and through Ronnie Simmons Ministries (RSM), which is the outreach of the church he co-founded with his wife Terrie. The House of Faith Christian Center in Smyrna, TN, began in 1992, about 12 years after he began his journey in the ministry.

To send prayer requests, praise reports or testimonies of how the book impacted your life, contact RSM at P.O. Box 985, Smyrna, Tennessee 37167 or www.houseoffaithchristiancenter.org. Telephone: 615- 223-0420.

You can follow him on Facebook at House of Faith Christian Center Smyrna.

Listeners can also add their testimony to the Women of the Word website at https://Wordconsultingllc.com. Email us at wordconsultingllc@gmail.com

Stay Woke is an episode that challenges statistics that show Millennials have abandoned their Christian faith. Tiffany and Bianca discuss how their faith in Christ has helped them but drill down on the things traditional Christianity lacks. Tune in. See if you agree.

Both Bianca and Tiffany are residents of the Washington, D.C. area, popularly known as theDMV, (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia).

They debunk statistics that show people between the ages of 27 and 34 are considerably less religious than older Americans. One survey adds: 44% say religion is important to them; 37% say it is not. So that also means millennials are less attached to organized religion. Both young women tell how their faith in Christ helped them as millennials. Tiffany has been a believer – meaning that she has accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior – for about 10 years.

Bianca says she recommitted her life to Christ in February 2023.

“I look at my faith in Christ as my anchor,” Bianca says. “So as life gets deep, there are storms… Christ is my anchor through it all. … I realize that social media are huge temptations to have us compare our lives. But in Christ, I recognize His plan (for us) doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s plan.”

Both addressed the question: “What do you see traditional Christianity lacking?

“I think Christianity or the church as a whole is missing RESULTS,” Tiffany said. “I’m looking at it from the angle that we have so many lowercase “g” gods in this world and that we have silenced the Holy Ghost. We have quenched the Holy Spirit. We have not allowed Him to freely flow as He once did. And so, I think, because we have done that, we are not really seeing the power of God move.”

The episode ends with the women reacting to comments actor Denzel Washington made during a commencement speech at Dillard University about six years ago. Listen in and be blessed.

Tell us what you think about this first episode of Millennial Minute. Email us at wordconsultingllc@gmail.com.

Ask the Girls! is a series that started in Season 1. In this new season 2, Oklahoma sisters Yasmine and Jazlyn discuss their relationship with God in fun and interactive conversations, including giving a Christian perspective of the popular Barbie Movie.

Yasmine is a high school student and her sister, Jazlyn, is in middle school in Oklahoma City, OK. In the podcast, they share favorite Scriptures that have helped them through tough times in school and with friends. They have special segments, including “Ya or Nay”, “What would you do?” or “If I were in your shoes,” that explore ways to operate in situations like dating, telling the truth and showing honesty.

Here is Jazlyn’s take on the Barbie Movie:

“What Barbie really says is you gotta take power in your own self and tell yourself that you’re good enough.… You gotta find your own self. Don’t try to fit in with a group. Just really be yourself.”

And in a more controversial topic, the girls look at racism.

“There are people who claim they are Children of God and call you the N word in the same sentence,” Yasmine said.

Want to laugh, have some fun while exploring relevant topics and issues?

Join Ask The Girls.

We encourage listeners to add to our list of scenarios for the girls. What topics would you like them to discuss? Let us know at wordconsultingllc@gmail.com.

Season 2 of Emunah opens with a powerful discussion with the Rev. Dr. Eric Redmond of The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Redmond tells how his commentary on Judges and Ruth reveals who God is and how Jesus is exalted.

Judges speaks to today because in the past and today “everyone did whatever seemed right to him” or her. Ruth’s story shows how a sovereign God loves his own by means of tragedy.

The complete title of Redmond’s book is Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Judges and Ruth.

“I want you to fall in love with God as he reveals himself in the pages of

Scripture,” Redmond says in the preface of his book. “Therefore, I must allow each text to tell us what its central idea is and how that idea is meaningful to the obedient walk of believers individually and corporately. As we let each text show us what it is saying, we will be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained in the righteousness that pleases the Lord with respect to the central idea in each passage.”

Join us as he takes us along a spirited route through his commentary that can be found at The Moody Bible Institute bookstore, Christianbook.com and, or course, Amazon.

Two earlier Emunah podcast episodes focus on his books “Say It?” on June 9, 2023 in episode 8 and “Where are all the brothers?”, episode 9 on June 16. Rev. Redmond is professor of Bible at the Moody Bible Institute, and associate pastor of Preaching, Teaching and Care at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois. He and his wife, Pamela, live in Winfield, IL. Redmond also is a Teaching Fellow for the C.S. Lewis Institute-Chicago, and a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians..

We welcome feedback and comments. Let us know your thoughts. Our email is: wordconsultingllc@gmail.com. Our website is: https://wordconsultingllc.com.

Please share your testimony on our website.

Co-hosts Tamara and Charisse briefly review many of the 20 episodes that made up Season One, noting how each tackled the goal of developing Christian lifestyles and deepening our relationship with God. Season 2 begins November 17.

Dr. Richard and Iva Presberry have operated a Christian organization called Hope for Caribbeans Kids, Inc. for about 24 years. Their main project is a school in Haiti. The couple talk about the school, the requirements of missions work and their plans to retire once they find a God-fearing, spirit-led replacement.

Oklahoma sisters Yasman and Jazlyn elevate their focus on living a Christian life with provocative discussions about loyalty, wisdom and decision-making. This series also delve into the Christian perspective of two movies: "Missing" and "The End of the Road."

Trailers for both movies can be found on the Women of the Word website: https://wordconsultingllc.com.

Elder Simone Green is an instructor at Calvary Bible Institute where she teaches biblical characters. She is a member of the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church.

The Bible - reading it, understanding it and knowing it - is essential in our efforts to develop a Christian lifestyle. So, hosts Tamara and Charisse Henry invited Jacqueline Williams Adewole, the dynamic host and producer behind the captivating Bible Basics Podcast, to discuss the Bible and its importance in our Christian journey.

Yasmine and Jazlyn are two Oklahoma City sisters who discuss their unique relationship with God and his son Jesus. They share favorite Bible verses and how they use them throughout their busy lives. Through movie reviews, the girls point out Kingdom Principles. And they wade through various scenarios to point our good or poor choices.

Want to know what's on the minds of our youth? Then, listen to "Ask the Girls." Yasmine Vick, 15, and Jazlyn Stripling, 11, are two Christian, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma sisters who keep it real about the lives of teenagers - the struggles they face and the unique ways they depend on God in their daily lives.

Drop comments, responses or your own struggles on wordconsultingllc@gmail.com

Sisters Marilyn Dunston and Paula Vineyard, Sunday School teachers at First Baptist Church of Glenarden, wrap up their discussion on SALVATION. They talk about "once saved always saved," difficulties of accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior and other concerns folk tend to have about "What it means to be saved."

Sisters Marilyn Dunston and Paula Vineyard, two adult Sunday School teachers at First Baptist Church of Glenarden International, energetically tackle this often misunderstood topic that is essential to the Christian walk. Please join the discussion. Leave comments, critiques and testimonies at https://wordconsultingllc.com.

Rev. Lillie Holman and Ms. Stephanie Campbell, a dynamic mother, daughter team, discuss service in the spiritual sense. Love and service are dichotomy, they say.

In their search for key words that describe the Christian life, Tamara and Charisse focus on BELIEF and how it relates to FAITH and CONFIDENCE.

The Rev. Dr. Eric Redmond dusts off a book he wrote in 2008 and discusses key features that are still relevant today. "Where are all the brothers?" asks poignant questions that get at the reasons why church attendance is dropping, particularly among African American men. Join the chat.

The Rev. Dr. Eric Redmond of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago discusses his latest book about the African American teaching tradition. He answers in the discussion questions about the significance of preaching in the lives of folk struggling to develop a Christian lifestyle.

Zereta Young, known throughout the church community as Mother Z, and Cynthia Howie, an educator and advocate, give their perspectives on prayer. They first tackle the question, "Why pray?"

Co-hosts Tamara and Charisse wade into more controversial territory by candidly discussing prayer: Who do you pray to? Who needs to pray? Why should we pray? When and where to pray? They even look at whether people who pray believe in answered prayer. Join them!!

Rev. Dorsey is the perfect person to discuss this topic. Besides being part of a close-knit family that requires some caretaking duties, she also is an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College and Family Life Director where she supervises 11 ministries at Union Baptist Church in White Plains, N.Y. Rev. Dorsey and co-hosts Tamara and Charisse Henry are joined in the discussion by Minister Kendall McFarlane. Listen to how she was able to draw her daughters into worship and meditation sessions with her.

Minister Eugene Howie joins the host and co-host of Emunah to discuss the background and impetus for his first book, "The Awakening." He says if you follow the 29 days of devotions outlined in his book, you will be forced to reexamine your life and learn to approach each day differently. Howie is a native Washingtonian, a licensed Minister for more than 10 years and a Sunday School teacher at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Upper Marlboro, MD.

Mrs. Laverdia Roach from the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA discusses the answers to the question, using scriptures and her own personal experiences. Before her retirement, she was acting executive director of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. She was a professional public servant for more than 40 years, serving in the administration of eight presidents. She is a teacher in one of Alfred Street's Adult Sunday School classes and is a member of the Theological Overview Committee. You can't miss this episode of Emunah!!!!

Pastor Ronnie D. Simmons of the nondenominational House of Faith Christian Center in Smyrna, Tennessee gives practical, Holy-Spirit led advice on what it means to depend on God. He says there are six things we need to believe about Jesus. Grab your Bibles and tune in. Share comments, reactions, testimonies at wordconsultingllc@gmail.com or Wordconsultingllc.com.

Co-hosts Tamara and Charisse introduce themselves, explain the purpose of Emunah and launch into a discussion about the Identity Crisis many African Americans have when it comes to the Bible.

During the period of American slavery, the Bible was used as a weapon to justify the cruel facts of selling and abusing Africans brought to U.S. shores illegally. Christian slaveholders nitpicked through more than three quarters of a million words in the Bible to justify their illegal acts.

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass said: “Between the Christianity of this land and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked.

The Emunah co-hosts encourage a mind reset in this first episode so listeners can enjoy all the wonderful promises embedded in God’s Holy word.

This is a personal invitation to listeners to join the Emunah podcast audience when it is launched in April. 

This Preview episode sets the tone for the entire first season. When we accept Christ, often we are not certain of the next steps to take to build a close relationship with our Lord and Savior. The purpose of the podcast is to spark lively discussions about the Christian Lifestyle. Co-hosts Tamara and Charisse Henry first deal with "So Now What?" and the reasons we must deal with this issue. Also, the listeners will understand the reasons for starting Emunah.