Dr. King uses the Exodus story to describe the evil that was present in the Old Testament and the evil that is present modern society. Dr. King emphatically proclaims that, “Evil in the form of injustice and exploitation cannot survive.”
The Black Church
Race Soil
Rev. Reverdy C. Ransom
In this lecture sermon series, Rev. Ransom preaches on the status of the African American in society. He proclaims that, “the morning stars are paling, because the moral, intellectual, and spiritual night of the Negro is passing away.”
Why Are You Offended?
Dr. Frank A. Thomas
Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas speaking at McCarty Memorial Christian Church speaks to how offense can lead to horrible emotions that can range from gossip to murder. “Offended people produce hurt, anger, outrage, jealously, resentment, strife, hatred and envy”. Pushing back on the realities of a dying church Dr. Wright calls for us to tackle now only the offense but also to tackle what causes us to be offended.
Drunk on the Eve of the Reconstruction
Dr. Charles G. Adams
Dr. Adams preaches on Genesis 9:20-21 and discusses how we become drunk on many things besides wine, like preoccupation with self. We may be physically sober but morally woozy.
Transfigured Moments
Vernon Johns
This sermon by Vernon Johns is the first published sermon by an African American preacher to appear in Joseph Fort Newton’s “The Best Sermons of the Year,” in 1926. In this sermon, Johns challenges the listener to embrace truth and use that truth as a tool for liberation and leadership.
The Good Shepherd
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright
Using Zacchaeus, Dr. Wright speaks to restorative Justice that we see in the narrative to illustrate rich points that every believer should consider.
Jesus and the Disinherited
Howard Thurman
Thurman states that the family is an even better place to find the means to build personal and spiritual dignity and understand the common dignity of others. The whole human race is the family of God and wealth, status, health did not matter to Jesus. When the Gospel of Jesus is preached to all people it becomes a vehicle for social change.
The Sun Do Move
John Jasper
John Jasper, prominent slave preacher and founder of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Richmond, gave this sermon in 1878. The dialect representations are part of the 1882 publication. This sermon was one of his landmark sermons. It is celebrated as one of the more powerful sermons in the early foundation of the Black Church in the American context.
A Knock at Midnight
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermon “A Knock at Midnight” addresses the need for all Christians to align their hearts to the work of God. The message from this sermon left many Christians living in America asking themselves about the purpose of religion in their everyday lives.
The Significance of Shadows
Rev. Dr. Neichelle Guidry Guidry
Speaking to the idea of God using shadows to dwell with us, Dr. Neichelle Guidry challenges the notion that shadows are only meant to oppress but God can use them to groom you and protect you. Dr. Guidry delivers a powerful sermon of affirmation to the oppressed speakers of the cloth and challenges those that stand in the way rather than gives a hand of support. Speaking for the voices who are hidden behind the shadow, Dr. Guidry’s sermon gives us an understanding that the shadow is not necessarily a negative idea because God works in the shadows. Sermon given on October 8, 2017 at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.