New Blog Added "Live-Out Loud"

I just added a new Blog called: "Live-Out Loud." The Purpose of this blog is to address the social issues in our culture that cause for voice to speak up on. I along with others will be posting on this blog along with links to other blogs that deal with issues and concerns of interest. All matters will not be addressed, yet this will be a culmination of a variety of issues that deal with Social Justice, Compassion, Morality, Ethics. Politics, Faith, Life, Music, Arts & Culture. Please be Patient as the site is under Construction.

Not sure if that will be the pic for the Blog yet. This is just a Test Page. May switch to WORDPRESS.

Popularity Screws Over Morality!

I debated about writing this blog but than I came across a great posts on FACEBOOK by April R. Silvers thoughts on this matter and I felt that anger rise within me to say something about how that made me feel. Besides it’s my blog anyways….lol.

Last Sunday night I tuned into the 09' BET Awards after coming home late from a speaking engagement that I had to be at and so I caught the last 30 mins of the show, expecting to hear or see a final tribute to Michael Jackson. What I got was anything but a tribute to Michael Jackson but a reality check of how trashy mainstream media will go to keep their popularity alive.

Here’s what my Tweets from twitter page looked like as I was watching this garbage and conversing with some friend about what was on the screen:

@LaSportsanista why do u want 2 cancel
BET is str8 up GHETTO!10:13 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

MAXWELL is singing mine & @sharonsalas song.10:15 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

@LaSportsanista yeah I know. BET awards needs major facelift. Unfortunately the stereotypes seem to fit.10:21 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

@LaSportsanista Another perverted lil'wayne song! I don't hate him, just his message, hope some guy doesn't treat his daughter that way10:30 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

BET awards should be ashamed of themselves for that last performance..Lil'wayne trash music10:32 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

Lil'wayne just trashed women then brings his kids on stage for a song....Wow! Pray God spares HIM! God heart just broke over that stupidity!10:36 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

@waynesutton I agree!10:37 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

@mileycyrus sorry the world had to hear lil'wayne song disrespect you. Keep be'n a positive role model becuz lil'wayne isnt .10:49 PM Jun 28th from twidroid

If you didn’t have the discomfort of watching Lil’ Wayne performance then I’d advise you to search it and see why everybody is buzzing about his performance for all the wrong reason. The song “Every Girl” flat out degraded women as he rhymes (which In my opinion he sucks at) about basically having sex with almost every girl he can have sex with. You could barely hear the song because almost every other word was “Bleeped” out! Sounded more like someone trying to tune a radio and not being able to pick up a signal…It was that bad!

Worse than the bleeping, worse the performance, worse than anything was him bringing little girls, even his own daughter on stage while he was performing the song! WHAT! Are you kidding me! Yes, he’s basically pimping and treating his own flesh and blood child as one of his many HOOCHIE girls he rapping about. I decided to not post the full Lyrics because I don’t want that nonsense on my web page but here are a few bars from his song:

“for free suites I’d give Paris Hilton all-nighters,
in about 3 years holla at me Miley Cyrus”

I could only imagine what his daughter’s thought as their Idol Hannah Montana is be sexually assaulted by their father on live TV. I do apologize for the long post but I make no apologizes about the stupidity and filth people would display to demoralize women in the name of Lust! Let’s be honest, lil’ Wayne has not been the 1st to do this and will not be the last either.

The moral fabric of family values, purity, integrity, respect and Godliness has been on the decline for decades and with each foothold the enemy can influence a person to desire after their flesh will only put us in jeopardy of what’s to come. Of course it never seizes to amaze me when these artist are esteemed and honored by society they never forget to thank God for it, yet they have just wounded the heart of God!

Heartbeat of HOPE!

I have spent the last 5 days in the Minneapolis, MN area on a Church Planting retreat with a few Freedom Culture leaders, my wife, Rubin & Janyl and new Coach Ed Arroyo of C4, that was hosted by the ECC. This informative training was to better equip leaders and church planters with the tools to plant healthy, thriving churches that will lead people to a relationship to Christ through the movement of Church Planting.

It will be hard to recap all that was processed throughout the week but I will share with you some key things that really spoke to my heart about why we need to plant Freedom Culture as a Multi-ethnic, relevant church in So. Florida.

Plant a Church because........

• People are seeking community through relationships, not just through events.
• You genuinely care more about people than your social profile or ministry status or talent.
• If your not about reaching people where they are at, your not ready for the HARVEST.
• You understand that people need to BELONG before they can BELIEVE.
• The Church is about RELATIONSHIPS & PARTNERSHIPS...You need both!
• The call and mission of Christ compels you not the fall & lack of vision you've seen in others.
• With the "AL's" in Mind: Biblical, Missional, Devotional & Connectional.
• People have Agenda Harmony with you. If their a problem now, they'll kill the dream & vision in the long-run.
• Strong leadership stool sits on these three types of legs: Spirituality, Strategy & Chemistry.
• You see the Church bigger than your church planting ideas. Build the KINGDOM!

I'm sure there is a lot more information and strategic ideas I could have share but these were a few thoughts that really impacted my time out here.

Musically Declined!

"How do you like your Hip-Hop Music, some like it holy, some like it polluted"..... spits a verse off a Christian Hip-Hop artist album who has identified the cultural stance on Music as somewhat tainted to ears of the hearer's. Hip-Hop Music, along with other types of genres have changed and shaped the the minds of many people both young and old in such a way that it's more than just about making music, its about creating a world or image that's people strive to live out! For someone like myself who really has never owned nor given Country music the time of day, I have seen that sex in Music in no different in country than that of T-Pain and Jamie Foxx saying "Blame it on the aaaa-lcohol." It's just packaged & sang a little different.

Music plays a major role in the direction and cultural view in our society. we got our dance moves, fashion design, language...You name it! I recall when I was teaching abstinence education in the public Schools that I would throw out a verse of a song like.... "I don't see nothing wrong" .....Of course all the kids would say "With a little Bump & Grind"

Listen if you come across this blog and you sing, dance, or whatever it is you do...Young people are watching and they will follow whatever you allow or agree with, regardless...So get over it, we all have or create influence one way or the either...The question is what will you do with it!

Of course I'm not a music bashing and just because I'm a pastor doesn't mean that I think all music is of the Devil or evil or shouldn't be listen to because it's your choice.......as the saying goes "Garbage In, Garbage Out." I actually enjoy a lot of pop culture music and other types such as Jazz, Hip-Hop, Contemporary music and mostly Worship Music. I think as a society we have to regain a sense of respect for the art of music and not be afraid to re-learn the art of being a critical thinker to determine what's acceptable and what's not!

The issues that I have is these mega-stupid-stars...I mean Superstars who portray these false images to our culture as if what their singing, Rhyming or displaying in these raunchy videos play not role or has any affect on the listening audience.....Are you kidding me! Fine make music, but please let's make sense and try to maintain the dignity and integrity were hoping for this next generation to live by, because if we keep going this direction with pop culture of reality TV shows and American Idols (no pun intended), we will be setting up our next generation and kids for failure and false hope!

Team Blueprints

Here's a Run-Down on what I was able to take away from our weekend with Don Davenport of the ECC & Freedom Culture team members Sharon, Rubin, Janyl, Jason, Rene, Nancy, Marcos, Marcella.


A few thoughts on Team Building:

• Build the team with God leading the charge and with leadership modeling it!


• Build the team with patience, perseverance & self-sacrifice.


• Build the team with people who are sold out with you for the greater cause.


• Build the team with one person at a time, no matter how long it takes.


• Build the team with the understanding that people, leaders will fail..but God will never fail


• Build the team with the openness to allow others to lead in area's they are better in


• Build the team with the expectancy that we are about creating HOPE for people


• Build the team with confidence, motivation & encouragement...momentum is essential


• Build the team around the cause, vision & need to plant/launch Freedom Culture in So.Flo


• Build the team around relationships that create community for others to engage & connect.


• Build the team through constant prayer for God to open doors to meet the right people.


• Build the team with realistic goals and achievable benchmarks..and stick to them.


• Build the team with CRAZY-FAITH to believe that one-day it will reach it's full potential.


• Build the team with the understanding that "Your Not" the only team on the field. Learn how to Play the game w/ others!

Now if you do these things will your team succeed? Not sure, but find what works and what doesn't for your team and work it the best way you know how!

Highway 101 : FAITH

Trusting God sounds like an easy task doesn't it? Just go to church, be good and don't kill anybody, right! But I would challenge the cultural norm by saying that it's hard to trust in God in this day and age especially when we have condition ourselves to depend on what we can see not what is unseen. The scriptures reminds us in Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." and that can be the hardest thing to do! The truth is, if you can't or can see a way out or into something your probably a good candidate to utilize your faith!

Huh!!! It was your thinking right about now, Let me Explain! You have to be willing to see beyond what your seeing in order to see what you can't see! Get it! Cool. Faith is not Magic or luck as some might misinterpret it. But a trust in the nature and nurture of God's sovereign will.

Too many time we see people fabricate faith based upon emotional outburst of forcing God to do something they want, leading people astray from what faith is and can produce is our lives! James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Far to often we get upset, angry and frustrated with the process of Faith because it stretches us beyond on our own capacity that cam almost have a negative outcome if your not mature to understand God purposes. Maturity not in the sense of age, but experience in trusting God to not only take you to it but through it! Jesus was lead into His moment of Faith on the Mountain and even He has to take comfort in the Father and angels who ministered to Him.

Take time today or this week to reflect, evaluate & pray about regrading wants may be going on in your life right now that God may be using to work out your faith through & ask God what is it that He wants you to see that your not allowing Him to show you?

Blah-ging: Frustrated Church Planter

YES, I AM FRUSTRATED! Here's exactly what I mean, by definition, how I feel:

(frŭs'trāt') tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates -

• To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart:


• To cause feelings of discouragement or bafflement in.


• To make ineffectual or invalid; nullify.

Many have warned me that if you desire to plant a church be ready for the disappointments, backstabbing, broken promises, stress, anxiety and feelings of wanting to quit and were they ever right about that! Lately, we have be re-examining our approach toward building our team and realized we needed to be more about the relational building with people who we can pour into and begin to walk out life with. I mean that's what 1st Century Church planting was anyways being among the people, loving God, meeting the needs and worshipping together in community.

Of course figuring out how to effectively reach the community is the challenge and with my days being consumed at the Homeless Shelter, it's even more challenging trying to find time to effectively build into people, build a launch team and build the organization. Of course, im not trying to this by myself because we have a few folks we have asked and invited to be part of the core in helping bring to fruition what we envision Freedom Culture to be as we prepare to launch in 2010.

Why did I write this "Blah-g"...I just needed to vent! Thanks Matt for giving me an ear yesterday, I needed it!

Thinking Outside the B.O.X.

The term "think outside the BOX" never gets old, no matter how many time you use it. It's kind of like reading the Bible for someone who opens God's word and "Boom" something you read in the past leaps of the pages in a new way that you never saw before. Too, often we get stuck in the "BOX" mentality without knowing that we have been in it longer than we needed to be, until something or someone reveals that "Boom" in our lives and we see things differently.

Just take a minute to reflect on your past, not too long because some stuff is better left not to think about.....but what are those things that have had you living inside the "Box" longer than you needed to be? Relationships? Failures? Fear? Doubt? There is always something we can link back to that has shaped our thought pattern or that Box that at time keeps us safe in our comfort zone.

So what is the BOX? Or to better understand the question, what is the adopted mindset that is limiting life's opportunities for us to become revolutionary, transformational and effective to the best of our capacity? As I was talking to a friend last night back home in Chicago, I was challenging him to "think outside the Box" about his organization and to envision what they could become if they applied and implemented some new ways of thinking.

I must admit I felt kind of proud of myself because I gave him some good advice that challenged and encouraged him to think through some things. Now, isn't it weird how for some strange reason in times of discussion with other, we get these nuggets of wisdom to share that are birthed out of all the mistakes we have made in our career and lives! If I had heard myself in the third person I would have said about myself "Man this guy appears to have it all together and figured out." Yeah right, not exactly!

After I got of the phone with him, I realized that I was dealing with the same things that I was attempting to help my friend out with and was wondering why the heck am I not taking my own advice to apply the truths to build my organization, Ministry & personal life. I guess you can say I had the "BOOM" experience....Again

The word that is often used to describe the pattern or model of a person (in this case stuck in the "BOX" mentality) is the term Paradigm. Paradigms are often not bad in nature, that's unless your stuck with the inability to move forward, so here's what an actual paradigm means:

(a mental model; a way of seeing: a filter for one's perceptions: a frame of reference: a framework of thought or beliefs through which one's world or reality is interpreted)

As stated by Thomas Kuhn: Paradigm Shift as a change from one way of thinking to another. It's a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis. It just does not happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change

So here are 3 simple ways to breakout of the "BOX"

• B - Believe in a Yourself

Finding the courage within yourself to conceive a desire and achieve a goal that is not measured by people's standards but by personal conviction. Everybody is different so just be you!

• O - Other people challenging you daily

Having people holding you accountable and pouring positive things in your life that become stepping stones not stumbling blocks! The most challenging I believe because it exposes and challenges the real you!

• X - X-Ray Vision

Seeing beyond and through your past to the future God has waiting for you life. Can you see the bigger picture that lies behind all the things you are currently challenged and faced with? I challenge you to see through the lens of God, His plans and future is so much more than what we can even imagine.

Relationships: Agent of Hope

Relationships is a mountain that with time becomes a journey, that for some people may get harder to climb and conquer as life goes on. Usually when we hear about relationships we think male/female, boyfriend/girlfriend idea's but of course that's really only scratching surface on the topic and issues of relationships building that stem from our childhood, adolescent & adult stages of life. All sorts of relationships have contributed in the formation of our strengths, weaknesses, joys, experiences, downfalls or insecurities that as we get older we begin to dig up a few things that we thought were buried underneath the surface of new relationships.

As my wife and I have been journeying through are marriage for the past 1 1/2, together 4 yrs in total, we have had to confront the "GHOST" of our past that creeps up at times when something in are relationship needs to be addressed. I have learned that you can't just tell someone to get over it and expect issues to go away as a means of moving on because everybody deals with situations differently and so having the right relationships around you are essential in moving past those relationships that hold you back.

The work that God does in our lives is an amazing work because it's through these challenges that God is molding us to become relational to a culture, world and society that has been let-down, disappointed and left to play the "every man for themselves" game of life. As we think about creating community for people, it's through the relationship tools that we have learned that enables to become transparent and open to those who don't have those spiritual relationships in their lives. What would happen if "those who really".....Key word.... "THOSE WHO REALLY" love God would become more relational to their neighbors, community, culture and strangers.

It's hard to swallow the "I love everybody" pill because many times loving people requires a choice for us to be open and willing in building relationships, which often we pick and chose who want to do that with. Yet, as an Agent of Hope, people are seeking our relationships because as Christ representatives, we are to offer the Greatest love relationship ever given to mankind which is a relationship with Christ, lived out by the local church (you & I).

Decide or Discover?

I think at some point or another we have all made decision that were either premature to see the outcome or too late to change the outcome. Fact is, that when it comes to life's choices how do you know which one to choose? Do you decide before you discover or do you discover in order to decide?

The path we may be walking on at this very moment, is it what you what you have decided for yourself, or is it what you have discovered walking in the direction God has mapped out for you. Now, this may sound contradictory, but you have to decide to trust the process that God wants to take you through in order to discover all that God wants to get you too. This is not about prosperity in the form of money, but holistically taking the very essence of who you are and completely trusting in the something much greater than yourself.

So many people have truly missed out on God's plan for their lives because they have decided that Church, Religion, Christianity, Spiritual Matters, Moral Righteousness and Self-Sacrifice is not for them, but for people who are damaged, broke, poor, bad/evil, deep sinners with emotional issues. I would challenge the notion that we are all broke, homeless, emotionally wounded in some way, and in need of redemption from the bad disobedient ways that dwell within our human nature.

Yes we are all Human...I figured that out the hard way! But we are also spiritual being, created to worship a living God who has Decided for us to Discover the most amazing path life has to offer. So, The next time you get ready to forget about God, challenge yourself to discover what God has for you! The next time you get ready to quit on something you really care passionately about, challenge yourself to find another best solution! The next time you get ready to say I can't do it, challenge yourself to discover the person inside of you that says YOU CAN!