Faith & Purpose
African Americans celebrate Watch Night.
Don't see the audio player? Click here. During the last days of 1862, rumors circulated that Abraham Lincoln might free the slaves on January 1, 1863. While some slaves doubted, most prayed all night December 31 that Lincoln would sign the Proclamation....
The Curious Origins of Christmas
Christmas has pagan roots, but that isn’t a reason not to celebrate it, instead it gives us reason to believe all the more in the season’s power.
Talking About Race: An Interview with Bishop Kenneth Ulmer
UrbanFaith sat down with Bishop Kenneth Ulmer to discuss his most recent work to confront racism and bring people together.
“Type Faith”
A Poem: A brown man taught me how to love and He taught me about faith, too
Joyous Advent: Family Christmas Devotional Q&A
Advent is a wonderful time for reflection and devotion as believers look forward to Christmas and its significance for our faith. UrbanFaith had the opportunity to have a Q & A session with Katara Washington Patton, the author of Joyous Advent: Family Christmas...
Hospitality: What the First Century Church Teaches Us About Welcoming the Stranger
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2, NIV). Have you ever known someone who never meets a stranger? Folks who live their lives in such a way that nearly everyone they meet...
The Silver Lining of Long Goodbyes
I know that staying safely nestled in my comfort zone isn’t the goal God has for my life.
The Journey: An Interview with Dr. Tony Evans & Priscilla Shirer
UrbanFaith sat down with Dr. Tony Evans and his daughter Priscilla Shirer to discuss their documentary Journey with Jesus and their book Divine Disruption
What is Worship?
Why does God prize this quality so highly and what exactly qualifies as worship?
Podcast Short: A Vietnam War survivor promotes peace
Individuals and groups all across the world need to see models of peace and harmony among God’s people—especially in families, in churches, and between ethnic groups.
What to do when Jesus sleeps while the boat is rocking
Matthew 8:23-27 KJV 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him,...
3 Ways Going Vegan has Helped my Walk with God
Switching has made me feel like I’m treating my body as a temple for the first time in a long time.
Like Father, Like Son
What Can the Parable of the Prodigal Son teach us about forgiveness?
Why Should We Give?
Is your relationship with God a transaction? I would be lying if I didn’t say that I find myself praying more when my wallet becomes conspicuously light. Altogether, this reliance on God for support is a positive experience. This level of intimacy with our creator...
God Knows the Plans
Sometimes God places a verse of Scripture in front of us again and again — until we believe it.
How to Avoid the Box of Limitation
You have to begin investing in self-affirmation ministry to yourself and build up the confidence muscles that may be feeble in you.
Help And Hope For Haiti: An Interview with Fr. Joseph Philippe
In spite of the negative images, there is long term hope and help for Haiti. One of the people doing tremendous work not only in the aftermath of natural disasters, but daily, is Father Joseph Philippe.
A Divine Connection: A Devotional
It seems almost ironic how a technology that was supposed to connect people more effectively has, in some respect, begun tearing them apart. The bible offers keen advice for fostering not just connection, but true community.
Where is Yom Kippur In Scripture? A Devotional for Christians
Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday that is also known as the Day of Atonement. But many Christians have no idea what Yom Kippur is or where it is from in the Bible.
The Miracle Mentality
Acclaimed author and motivational speaker Tim Storey explains how miracles can help you get out of a bad situation and get you into a better place.
What are the Jewish High Holy Days? A look at Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and a month of celebrating renewal and moral responsibility
Over the next few weeks, members of the Jewish faith will observe the High Holy Days in the month of Tishrei in the Jewish calendar, usually in September and October. These holidays commemorate concepts such as renewal, forgiveness, freedom and joy.
7 Ways to Survive Seminary for Students of Color
Feel like an oddball or invisible because your experience is different from a lot of the other students? Here are 7 ways to survive seminary for students of color.
Breaking the Myth of Generational Curses
We must reject the myth of generational curses as believers. Ezekiel and Jeremiah make that clear. Jesus breaks every curse. We can put our faith in God knowing we are not being punished for the sins of our parents.
Is Your Sunday School Attendance Declining?
Some surveys in some communities suggest that Sunday school attendance is falling. In other communities, Sunday school attendance is steady and growing.
Overcomer: An Interview with Tamela Mann
UrbanFaith contributor sat down with Tamela Mann to discuss her most recent album, her career, and how her faith has led her to be an overcomer through every trial she has faced.
Seller of Purple
In her new book, Seller of Purple, Dr. Tasha M. Brown lays out a solid framework for newbie women entrepreneurs.
How Can Policy Help Us Create a Society that Reflects God’s Heart?
How can policy help us create a society that reflects God’s heart? This is a critical question that Christians from all backgrounds and denominations should be asking ourselves today. To begin answering this question, I’d like to first take a look at a passage from...
He Saw That It Was Good: An Interview with Sho Baraka
How can we hear and follow God in the midst of our fractured reality in ways that are faithful and life-giving? UrbanFaith sat down with the artist, activist, and creative Sho Baraka to talk about his new book He Saw That It Was Good, which helps us think through some of the most pressing questions in our world.
Why is Revelation Scary? (It shouldn’t be for believers!)
Why is Revelation Scary? (It shouldn’t be for believers!) There are a ton of misconceptions, misinterpretations, and misreadings of Revelation that are extremely popular, which makes it even more difficult for believers to understand what the book means and why it is...
3 Ways Comparison To Other People Robs Us
Comparison is one of those acts that can steal our own joy and appreciation for what God has done for us. Here are 3 major ways that comparison robs us
Just Pray: An Interview with Pastor John Hannah
Many of us want to pray and grow in our prayer life, but struggle to figure out how to pray. Pastor John Hannah has insight to share. UrbanFaith interviewed Pastor Hannah about his new book Just Pray: How A Life Of Prayer Grows Unshakeable Faith.
Dr. Carl Henry left a good word about social justice
Love is not some sentimental emotional feeling as the media tries to portray it. Love is an act of our will—a commitment to do no harm to other people.
Why Should Christians Have Churchwide Conferences?
We all look forward to summer vacations, summer hours, and summer…denominational general conferences? Many Christians ask, why are we having these conferences? Why are these issues being debated? Why aren’t we just doing what the Bible says?
On Solid Rock
Pastor Alvin Love III takes over as senior pastor of a church he planted with his parents, Alvin Love II and CeCe Winans.
Here are 4 Amazingly Simple Steps To Making Godly Decisions
Whether it’s the college we attend, the person we marry, the first home or car we purchase, or the city we move to, decisions are a part of our lives. And to some degree, we always feel like we have to make the right decision. But how do we know what the right decision is?
Honoring Our Heavenly And Earthly Fathers on Father’s Day
Why is it that we may struggle so much to honor fathers? The answers are unclear and varied. But if we start with figuring out how to honor God as our heavenly Father, it may help us get better at honoring our earthly fathers.
Will You Worry, Or Will You Remember?
As you lay in your bed at night, maybe you feel a sharp, persistent pain in your chest that will not leave. Or perhaps it is a sunken feeling in your stomach that feels like you swallowed a golf ball. For another person, it might be an inability to click the...
A Mom Trusting God in The Unknown
I want to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day! You are strong, resilient, appreciated and loved. I want to encourage you all to not lose hope. Keep praying, seeking, and trusting God even in the unknown. He has proven himself faithful and will continue to be faithful for generations to come!
Happy Mother’s Day! Enjoy 10 Podcast Shorts on Mothers and Motherhood
Every mom’s journey to and through motherhood is a little different. That’s the beautiful thing about motherhood — there’s no perfect way to do it, yet most moms find their way to doing the best that they can with God’s help.
Meet the ‘Successful Moms of the Bible’
Good parenting advice is hard to find. In fact, many of us have spent a lot more money than we’d like to admit on self-help books when all of the advice we’ve ever needed on being a great parent could be found right in the Bible.
Time to straighten out our Jericho Road
When Jesus wanted to teach a lawyer the universal truth about what it means to be a neighbor, He told a story about a man from one ethnic group who helped a man from another ethnic group who had been beaten and left for dead along the Jericho Road.
How to avoid the mundane and dream with purpose
You work all day, unwind at home, eat something, go to sleep, and do it all over again. Before you know it, you’re caught in this cycle and your life has become the one word childhood dreams and imaginations dread: mundane.
10 Two-Minute Podcast Shorts on Prayer
In celebration of the life of Dr. Melvin E. Banks, we’re looking back on his poignant points on prayer. Turn the ringer off on your phone, find a quiet place, be still, and listen.
What are the origins of Lent?
The 40-day Lenten season, when many Christians observe fasting, began in mid-February. But how did the practice emerge?
Mending the literacy gap with the help of a horse named Goat
Caitlin Gooch grew up loving books and horses. She wants more kids in her native North Carolina to feel the same.
Why We Celebrate Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a recognition that knowledge of Black history is worthwhile.
Reuse or recycle your Christmas tree
All kinds of factors influence choices about Christmas trees. Regardless of your choice, the key to relieving environmental angst is planning to reuse or recycle your tree.
Black pastor leads his white North Carolina church toward a fuller reckoning on race
Being a Black pastor in a predominantly white church in the age of Trump has been a challenge, but so far church members say they’ve been able to see each other as people first, not Republicans and Democrats.
‘You can’t just jump to hope’: Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on healing after the election
Curry talks about what divides the United States, what people of faith can do to help bridge those divisions and why he believes healing is possible.
Are you unsure about your life’s purpose?
Purpose is a word that is on the minds of many millennials, however, for many it seems to be that piece of the puzzle that is hidden; That needle in the haystack that you are searching for.