Israel Temple CME Church

10/21/2026

MOTIVATIONAL MOMENT:
'TIS THE SEASON FOR SHEDDING!

Welp, fall has officially made its presence felt and known! The temperatures are falling, the leaves are flying, the grass is dying, and your heating bill is about to start rising!

But as we enter this familiar season of climatic change, perhaps nature is teaching us something about life: Sometimes, before you can embrace a new season, you must be willing to shed what belonged to the old one.

Can I encourage somebody this morning?

It's time to take inventory of the weight you've been carrying—mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Think about it. Physical weight can strain your body. Mental weight can cloud your judgment. Emotional weight can steal your peace. And spiritual weight can distract you from your purpose.

Yet, we continue carrying things that were never ours to carry indefinitely.

Here's what I'm learning: Everything you've carried into this season doesn't deserve to accompany you into the next one! As a matter of fact, there are some things in this season from last season that need to be discarded.

May I press upon you that trees don't shed their leaves because they've stopped growing, they shed as part of preparing for what's next!

So beloved, stop confusing shedding with losing, separation with failure, and releasing with giving up. Sometimes what looks like loss is actually preparation for greater growth.

So as the leaves fall, let some things fall from your life too.

Shed the fear. Release the resentment. Reevaluate the relationships. Establish the boundaries. Reclaim your peace!

Because everything attached to you was not necessarily assigned to you!!!

'TIS THE SEASON FOR SHEDDING!

-Rev. Makenzie McDaniel

10/17/2026

MOTIVATIONAL MOMENT:

I've come to realize that loyalty looks different depending on the lens through which it is viewed. What some perceive as loyalty, others may recognize as control, compliance, or simply convenience.

Can we have a delicate conversation this morning?

It amazes me how some people expect loyalty at the expense of your health, peace, integrity, work ethic, and personal convictions. Somewhere along the way, we've allowed loyalty to become synonymous with sacrificing who we are to satisfy who somebody else wants us to be.

Too often, we're subtly expected to suppress ourselves to elevate others. Dim our light so theirs can shine. Silence our voices to protect their comfort. Compromise our principles to prove our allegiance.

DON'T YOU DARE!

Because suppression, when left unchecked, can become oppression. And prolonged oppression can lead to emotional exhaustion, discouragement, and even depression.

Here's what I've learned: True loyalty should never require you to lose yourself in the process of supporting somebody else.

You can be loyal without being controlled. You can be respectful without being silent. You can be committed without compromising your character. And sometimes, the greatest demonstration of loyalty is having the courage to speak the truth when silence would be more convenient.

So stop confusing loyalty with blind allegiance, silence with respect, and personal sacrifice with commitment.

Because if your loyalty requires you to abandon the very person God created you to be, perhaps it's not loyalty they're seeking—it's control.

10/15/2026

MOTIVATIONAL MOMENT: TAKE A CHANCE ON YOU!!

I've recently gained a greater understanding of what it truly means to "take a chance on myself! To chart my own path, embrace uncertainty, and recognize that my purpose, potential, and possibilities should never be held hostage by someone else's plans, expectations, or limitations.

I've heard people talk about making "faith moves", but I never fully understood what that meant until this very moment. Sometimes God brings you to a place where you must decide whether to remain comfortable within someone else's vision or have enough faith to pursue the vision He placed inside of you.

Can I encourage somebody today? STOP DEFERRING YOUR DREAMS!

Stop allowing your aspirations to become stagnant because somebody else cannot see your potential. Stop shrinking your possibilities to accommodate somebody else's comfort. And stop waiting for people to give you permission to become who God has already called you to be!

Dr. King had a dream that challenged a nation. Joseph had a dream that carried him from the pit to the palace. David had a God-given destiny that moved him from the pasture to the palace.

BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR DREAM?

What about that business you've been afraid to start? That opportunity you've been hesitant to pursue? That vision you've postponed because the timing wasn't right or the support wasn't there?

Here's what I'm learning: Sometimes the greatest risk isn't taking a chance on yourself. It's spending your life wondering what could have happened if you had!

So make the move. Pursue the opportunity. Start the business. Walk through the door. And if the door hasn't opened, perhaps it's time to build one!

Your dream deserves more than your imagination. It deserves your ACTION!

10/14/2026

All roads lead to South River this Sunday afternoon.

Come and fellowship with us as we celebrate 128 years of service by the South River Baptist Church to the greater Butts County community.

10/11/2026

10/05/2026

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Thank you Rev. McDaniel for all that you do.

10/05/2026

Good evening. I hope all is well. The video for this past Sunday didn't work but here's a recap of the sermon.

This past Sunday and this week have taught me a lot about “Joseph moments.” I didn’t fully recognize it until the sermon was preached. Joseph wasn’t targeted simply because of what was "on him", but because of what was "in him". Joseph was a dreamer—and I’ve come to realize that people may try to get the dreamer, discredit the dreamer, or even destroy the dreamer, but "they cannot destroy a dream they did not create".

Through the sabotage, the pit, Potiphar’s house, the prison, and ultimately the palace, Joseph’s journey reminds us that "painful processes do not cancel God’s promises". But perhaps the greatest lesson comes when Joseph finally has the power to treat others the way they treated him—and chooses grace over revenge, God over evil.

Genesis 50:20 says it best: “You meant evil against me; but God meant it unto good.”

Some lessons are preached before you realize you’re living them.

Be blessed.

10/04/2026

Sermon Topic: "When Life Doesn't Look Like What You Prayed For"
Primary Text: Genesis 37:23--28 , 50: 20
Spoken Word: Rev. McDaniel

09/29/2026

We will be rescheduling our Community Yard Sale. Stay tuned for the date!

09/29/2026

🗣🗣 Alright the 1st Daughter of Israel needs your Vote. Her band is trying to get Band of the Year. We need your Vote. It only takes 2 seconds. Click the link below and find Dutchtown High School tap and submit at the bottom.

Thank you in advance.

Manage your marching band, events, adjudication, and more with Elysian Marching.