Zera Today With Pastor Lorenzo Neal

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 5813: Diversified religious experiences of blacks that originally aired on May 8, 2013. Blacks across the African diaspora experience wonderful spiritual experiences that should be acknowledged. Let Pastor Neal know that you're enjoying Zera Today. Visit his website www.lorenzotneal.com and order your copy of "A Breach in the Family" on Amazon and all other online retailers.

On Sunday, November 5, 2017, a small Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, TX was disrupted with gun violence leading to the deaths of 26 of God's children and the injuring and emotional trauma of dozens more. As a country we have seen our share of tragic gun violence in sacred spaces including churches, mosques, synagogues, and Sikh temples. From these incidents of violence, the question of church security has once again come to the forefront of the American tapestry. Should churches provide temporal armed security teams for worship services? Are we seeing a trend that is possibly demonically inspired? Join Pastor Neal to discuss this highly controversial topic and other news of the day

Recently the headlines have been full of news about POTUS Trump and his less than eloquent and empathetic conversation with the widow of a fallen soldier. POTUS Trump has taken time to undermine any efforts of the truth coming to light regarding his comments. While this is nothing new for POTUS Trump, it does beg to question when will those Christian leaders who support him speak up and demand truth from him.Also in the news, political commentator Bill O'Reilly made remarks regarding him being mad at God for not protecting him from his sexual predatory behavior. You can read more about that here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oreilly-im-mad-at-god-over-allegations-of-sexual-harassment/ar-AAtXStu?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp. I am committed to sharing the truth of the gospel and the truth of life and I invite you to do the same by taking the Pro Truth Pledge.  You can learn more about that at www.protruthpledge.org. Join Pastor Neal for these and other topics on Zera Today        

This is a rebroadccast of a show that originally aired on 11-11-15 discussing why some Christians are notorious for protesting over what could be considered as petty things. Feel free to share any comments on the Zera Network Facebook page! Pastor Neal will return next week ready to talk about issues and stories that matter to Christian believers.

On Sunday, October 1, 2017 the US witnessed the worse mass shooting of 2017 and of recent history as a lone gunman killed at least 59 people and injured hundreds more during a concert on the Las Vegas Strip. Just a few weeks ago, Florida, Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana and US Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were devastated by dangerous hurricanes. This comes amidst threats of attacks from North Korea and incindiary remarks from POTUS Trump regarding NFL athletes protests. Are these warnig signs for something worse or better? Join Pastor Neal for a discussion on this and other topics of the day.

In the wake of white supremacists and neo-nazis marching in support of confederate heritages over the weekend, POTUS Trump gave statements that seemingly reinforce his bigotry. White Evangelical Christians overwhelmingly voted for him in spite of his open bigotry, misogeny, and xenophobia.Will those pastors and leaders speak out against what happened or will they continue to defend POTUS over principles? Will the Black pastors who supported POTUS speak out? Tune in to this and other topics on Zera Today with Pastor Neal

This is a rebroadcast of Zera Today Episode originally aired on 11/2/2014 titled "Ministry Succession". Please enjoy the broadcast.

Music has always played an integral part in religious traditions. Much of what is now considered classical musical was composed by musicians in the employ of the church. With the introduction of gospel music in the early 20th century, the argument for the sacred over the secular has been a sharp dissonance in the church. There have been a number of crossover artists from the sacred to the secular and vice versa. Bishop Marvin Sapp and Snoop Dogg have made headlines with posts about this great issue. Is there a true divide between the sacred and the secular and if so how should it be managed? Join Pastor Neal for this and other topics on Zera Today.

America is the land of the free and for many Christians, this means that we can do just about anything we want and still be considered Christian. Paul seems to promote restricted freedoms in some of his letters to believers while at the same time not discouraging people to live their lives in the newness of Christ. Do we as believers have restricted freedom or are we graciously allowed to live abundantly? Join Pastor Neal for this and other topics on Zera Today

This week people across the nation remember tragic acts of violence committed against other humans in Orlando, FL and Charleston, SC. At the Pulse Nightclub, nearly 50 people were killed, mostly homosexuals, by a person who was apparently struggling with sexual orientation issues. At Mother Emanuel AME Church, 9 persons were killed after a bible study because of a young deranged man using race as a motive to commit such a crime. The chuch universal is affected whenever violence occurs because the church is made of people. Is it the church's responsibility to raise awareness of these hate crimes? How can the church create one voice to speak directly to those who have hate in their hearts towards their fellow humans? Join Pastor Neal for this and other topics on Zera Today

This is a previously recorded episode of Zera Today discussing the problem of Christian protests. Please enjoy the broadcast. Pastor Neal will return next week with another exciting broadcast with great guests and topics.

Last week I celebrated 25 years in ministry. I've learned a lot and have had great opportunities since.Research shows that many leave the ministry within ten years of entering it.Research also shows that most who enter ministry and begin pastoring last on average about seven years. This is my time to reflect on those years and express expectations and roles in future ministry. Join me as I do so as well as discuss other topics

With a single stroke of his pen, President Donald Trump signed an executive order guaranteeing more religious freedom stating that the federal government will not punish individuals for their respective religious beliefs. In the last few years, several states have passed laws under the cloak of religious freedom and liberty that have been denounced as discriminating. What should religious liberty laws look like and how should the church engage in government while promoting the faith of Christ? Join Pastor Neal for this and other topics on Zera Today

In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no man can come to the Father except by him. Does that mean Christian exclusivity to heaven or was it a broader message of redemption and reconciliation to believers of his message? Recently, Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas and Trump supporter, stated that Ghandi and others like him are destined for hell because of non-faith in Jesus Christ. Is Christian faith required to spend an eternity in heaven or hell? What role does good works play in the faith of Christian believers? Join Pastor Neal for these and other topics on Zera Today

A day after the shooting in Charleston, SC, the families of the nine victims stood before a judge and expressed forgiveness towards the killer. Sunday after a man killed their 74 year old father, the family expressed forgiveness towards his killer. When is the right time to forgive someone who has committed a crime against you or someone you love? Is forgiveness required and what should it look like? Join Pastor Neal for this and other topics on Zera Today

In 2016, the prestigious Oxford Dictionary's word of the year was "post-truth." This word is defined as "relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief." It appears this is the poor state of contemporary political and religious landscapes. Dr. Gleb, Tsipursky, noted scholar, author, coach, and social entreprenuer joins Pastor Neal to discuss meaning and purpose, and effective decision making and goal setting in an environment where truth is seemingly relative. To learn more about Dr. Tsipursky and his mission visit www.intentionalinsights.org 

Lent for many people is the short period of time to give up something sacrificially as a religious exercise. Lent for me is becoming more about reflecting and wellness in my relationship with others and Christ. Drawing from Greg Anderson and Marjorie Thompson's books on spirituality and wellness, I'll help you develop tools to benefit your spiritual journey leading up to the celebration of the Resurrected Christ. Join me as I share Lenten reflections and observations 

With March celebrating Women's History month, many issues regarding women still need to be addressed. Life Coach and Relationship Expert Rachel G joins Pastor Neal to discuss ways of empowering and healing women. Relationship Coach Rachel G is a love advocate that has made it her goal to see everyone successfully happy by providing solutions and tools to help people all over the world find their purpose in life, as well as love. Brought up in the church, as a Pastor's daughter, with strictly forced family values, Rachel G still decided to go astray from the way she was raised. She lived the lifestyle she thought she needed, only to learn to later appreciate her upbringing. She has Survived domestic violence, bullying, betrayal in her marital affair, and divorce. She has taken her process in life, by using what she has been through to help others. Many of her services include Life coaching, relationship coaching, and women empowerment. She also uses her tools to mentor young girls and women nationwide. Rachel

Has anything changed in the last two years? This rebroadcast of a show from 2105 shows that something needs to change to empower our people spiritually, economically, and politically.

Once again the Black church is finding itself in a quagmire with celebrated gospel artists who are not what they claim to be. Gospel Artist Vicki Yohe, is white but her music ministry is largely catered to black churches posted a meme of a white male dressed as Jesus with suitcases and the words "On my way back to the White House". After realizing how offensive her post was, she posted an apology but was still denigrated by  BLM activist Shaun King who shared with her the reality of President Trump's campaign rhetoric. Has the black church lost all credibility with the gospel music industry? Also is the Trump presidential term an opportunity for the black church to lead in economic and political solidarity for black communities? Join Pastor Neal for this and other great topics of discussion.