Best Horace McMillon Podcasts (2024)

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Let Me Sow Love! 0:58

7h ago0:58

0:58

Let me sow love. “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” - Francis of Assisi It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the negativity around us in the world. It’s easy to fall into despair when we comprehend the scale of injustice and inequality. Too often we have a tendency to stand frozen looking for someb…

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Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! 0:58

23m ago0:58

0:58

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare “Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.” - Robert H. Schuller My father used to keep a pretty big garden, much bigger than my mother would have preferred. Because when the harvest time came, we always had way more food than we could almost give away much less eat. The harvest was pretty sp…

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Does our religion bring joy? 0:55

4h ago0:55

0:55

Does our religion bring joy? From time to time, we all need to do an alignment check. We have to ask ourselves if what we are doing is working for us both individually and collectively. When it comes to our religion and spirituality, if it’s not helping us become more loving, more patient, more peaceful, and more joyful we need to recalibrate. If o…

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Your past is not your future. 0:58

15h ago0:58

0:58

Your past is not your future. Some of us have done some things that we are really not proud of. Maybe most of us have. But who we were yesterday doesn’t have to control what we do today or who we become tomorrow. No better example of this than the Apostle Paul. Prior to his spiritual experience on the road to Damascus, his religious understanding a…

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What’s Your Vision? 0:56

1d ago0:56

0:56

What’s Your Vision? “I am not afraid... I was born to do this.” - Joan of Arc When we believe in our calling, when we believe in our purpose, when we believe in our mission, fear cannot stop us. Yesterday, I used the example of Jesus. I know some of y’all were thinking, ‘ but yeah he’s Jesus’. Joan of Arc was a 17 year old peasant girl who so belie…

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Let your purpose be bigger than your obstacles! 0:57

2d ago0:57

0:57

Let your purpose be bigger than your obstacles. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” John 12:27 Jesus faced the very troubling prospect of arrest, torture and execution. The path that he had chosen in non violently confronting corrupt and exploitative…

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Embrace Joy 0:50

4d ago0:50

0:50

Embrace Joy “It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.” - Francis of Assisi Some of the old pastors I was around growing up use to say that some folk are so heavenly bound that they ain’t no earthly good. (Old… Shucks, I’m older now than many of them were then. But I digress.) The point is that this …

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It’s who we are when we get there that matters. 0:56

5d ago0:56

0:56

It’s who we are when we get there. Amos is one of the more interesting figures in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the eyes of the world he was a regular nobody from nowhere. He tended his herds and he tended his trees. He left that behind, or at least set it aside when he felt called to deliver a sobering message to his larger society. Namely, that they …

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Believe that you are worthy! 0:58

6d ago0:58

0:58

Believe that you are worthy. “Self-worth comes from one thing - thinking that you are worthy.” - Wayne Dyer Not everyone had the type of experience I had growing up in the church or in organized religion. Growing up in the church, provided me with a sense of belonging. The teachings I heard there and at home laid the foundations for my self confide…

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Live in hope, not hurt. 0:51

10d ago0:51

0:51

Live in hope not hurt. “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” - Robert Schuller Life is hard. We have all been hurt. Some have been hurt in nearly unspeakable and sometimes unconscionable ways. Perhaps it was a family that didn’t love unconditionally and as a result neglected or abused. Perhaps it was a relationship that you hoped wou…

1
Be passionate about it! 0:56

10d ago0:56

0:56

Be passionate about it! “There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” -Norman Vincent Peale It’s nearly impossible to become really accomplished at something without being passionate about it. Effort and enthusiasm will carry us further than ability and talent. In fact ability and talent grow…

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How many apples in a seed? 0:47

11d ago0:47

0:47

How many apples in a seed? “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.” - Robert Schuller We live in a world that demands tangible, measurable results. We comfort ourselves with data and metrics. We want to know that we are doing the right things, that our efforts matter, that we are making a diff…

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Do not listen to your fears. 0:57

13d ago0:57

0:57

Don’t listen to your fears. “If you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been.” - Robert H. Schuller One of my favorite gospel songs was called, “Stir Up the Gifts”. It was based on a passage from 2 Timothy that included these words: “, “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of …

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It’s ok. Not everyone is going to like you. 0:55

14d ago0:55

0:55

It’s ok. Not everyone is going to like you. “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." - Mark 6:11 Nearly all of us have desire to be accepted, to be welcomed, to be embraced and affirmed. This is particularly true when we know that we have good…

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Surround yourself with people who believe in you. 0:47

14d ago0:47

0:47

Surround yourself with people who believe in you. “And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.” - Mark 6:5 For those of us who grew up in a traditionally Christian environment, this is one of the most shocking verses in the Bible. Jesus had returned to his home town. The people he had g…

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Yea are gods 0:59

16d ago0:59

0:59

Yea are gods “ I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” - Psalm 82:6 Some folks have had very negative experiences with organized religion and have experienced a type of spiritual trauma. They experienced a heightened sense of guilt and shame because understood their primary identity as sinners always living in fear …

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What is Faith 0:57

17d ago0:57

0:57

What is Faith? “He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." - Mark 5:34 In the story of the woman who was healed from 12 years of bleeding, Jesus told her that her faith had made her well. What was that faith? Her faith had very little if anything to do with any of the various confessions of…

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Struggle to Connect 0:54

18d ago0:54

0:54

Struggle to Connect The fifth chapter of the Gospel of Mark tells the story of a woman who had suffered from excessive bleeding for twelve years. She had tried everything. She had been to multiple doctors, endured multiple treatments and had spent everything she had and still kept getting worse. When she heard about Jesus, she knew in her heart tha…

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The Sabbath Was Made for Us… 0:55

19d ago0:55

0:55

“ The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” - Mark 27 All of our customs, and traditions, and practices were intended to benefit us. We sometimes get so legalistic and so literal in our religion that we fail to ask if what we are doing is a blessing. The audience Jesus was addressing was intent on making sure everyone was following th…

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The Boating Disciples 1:00

19d ago1:00

1:00

Support the Show.By Horace McMillon

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Soar Like Eagles 0:46

21d ago0:46

0:46

Soar Like Eagles Today, I do not write a new reflection. Instead I leave you with one of my favorite passages from Isaiah 40: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; an…

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Balancing Self Care and Generosity 0:52

22d ago0:52

0:52

Balancing Self Care and Generosity “I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need.” - 2 Corinthians 8:13 It’s easy for us to look at people who are richer than we are or who have more than we have- and tell those people what they ought t…

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Climb by yourself if you have to. 0:55

23d ago0:55

0:55

Climb by yourself if you have to. “O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.” - Psalm 30:3 The author of this Psalm had been in a really bad place. Sheol was the place of the dead and the word has sometimes been translated as hell. The author felt like they had been in a deep pit and the p…

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Avoid Extremes 0:55

24d ago0:55

0:55

Avoid Extremes “Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” - Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 One definition of zealot is a person who is fanatical and uncompromising …

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Seek Peace Over Wealth and Status 0:59

25d ago0:59

0:59

Seek Peace Over Wealth and Status “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” - Ecclesiastes 4:6 The writer of Ecclesiastes encourages us to live balanced lives. While acknowledging that “money answers all things”, the writer also declares that the person seeking silver will never be satisfied with…

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How to not lose heart 0:58

25d ago0:58

0:58

How to not lose heart “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16 I find this verse extremely difficult and simultaneously profound. In this verse Paul is describing an external circumstance or condition that he doesn’t expect to get any better. There’s n…

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Living in Harmony 0:54

27d ago0:54

0:54

Living in Harmony “ How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1 I have come to believe that we do not need to think alike, understand alike, or believe alike in order for us to love each other and live with a type of oneness or unity. Perhaps the most helpful definition of unity I’ve come across is harmony. …

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Tell Your Story of Hope 0:58

27d ago0:58

0:58

Tell Your Story of Hope “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands.” - Psalm 107:2 Another word for redeem is restore. An important part of our healing and restoration includes the sharing of our stories. Remembering where we came from helps us remember where we are going and why. Sharing our…

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Life Is Not Always Fair 0:59

28d ago0:59

0:59

Life Is Not Always Fair “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” - from Ecclesiastes 9:11 Life is not always fair. We do not always get what we deserve. Sometimes not getting what we deserve is a good thing, …

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Knowing Our Seasons 0:59

29d ago0:59

0:59

Knowing Our Seasons “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 I’ve come to embrace this wisdom as one of the central truths of my existence. It’s important for us to discern not only the whats but also the whens, wheres, and whys. In order for us to flourish and contribute our best, we mu…

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Throw Off that Yoke: A Father’s Blessing 0:57

1M ago0:57

0:57

Throw Off That Yoke: A Father’s Blessing On this particular Father’s Day, my mind goes back to the unusual blessing that Isaac gave his son Esau in Genesis 27. It’s a blessing I suspect all of us need. Listeners and readers not familiar with this story should know that the father Isaac had been fooled into giving Esau’s intended and rightful blessi…

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Eat, Drink, Be Merry, and Grateful 0:58

1M ago0:58

0:58

Eat, Drink, Be Merry, and Grateful “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” - Ecclesiastes 8:15 Our days in this life are few. Life itself can be extremely u…

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Love is its own reward! 0:56

1M ago0:56

0:56

Love is its own reward. “Living a life of love and service is its own reward.” - Horace McMillon I think it likely someone else has spoken these exact words well before me. Google offered me no answers this morning. So I’m claiming them as my own. I grew up in a faith tradition that emphasizes that the decision to follow Jesus on his way is an indi…

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What if we believed we could… 0:49

1M ago0:49

0:49

What if we believed we could… What if, for a moment, we were willing to believe that our lives have meaning and purpose? What if we were willing to believe that each of us is here in this world to be a blessing to someone in some way? “On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a…

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It’s ok to want more. 1:00

1M ago1:00

1:00

It’s ok to want more “May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans.” - Psalm 20:4 We don’t have to cut our hopes, dreams, and aspirations down to make them fit into the box of our current limitations. It’s ok for us to want more for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world. It’s ok to desire more as long as our de…

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Only God Sees What’s Inside 0:55

1M ago0:55

0:55

Only God Sees What’s Inside Us “for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7 The world looks at us with suspicion and prejudice. We, ourselves, look at others and judge them harshly. We even do the same when we look at ourselves. The trouble is that we can only see …

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What Speaks to the Heart? 0:58

1M ago0:58

0:58

What speaks to your heart? “Keep only things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.” - Marie Kondo We live in a world of limitless possibilities. There are more things to do than we have time or energy to pursue. It’s important that we become highly intentional about what we keep in our physical and mental spaces, …

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Develop a Mountain Mindset 0:59

1M ago0:59

0:59

Develop a Mountain Mindset “All battles are first won or lost, in the mind”-Joan of Arc (via Monique McMillon) One of the saddest stories in the Bible? The people of Israel had been liberated from 400 years of slavery, endured a trip through the wilderness, and were on the verge of entering the place God had for them. But they turned back because t…

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Our external circumstances need not dictate our internal state. 0:55

1M ago0:55

0:55

Our external circumstances need not dictate our internal state. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardlywe are being renewed day by day.” 1 Corinthians 4:16 Paul dealt with a lot of adversity in life. After his experience of God on the road to Damascus, and after the kindness and care he received from the …

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When you find your path, keep running. 0:54

1M ago0:54

0:54

When you find your path, keep running. “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” - Hebrews 12:1 I wish that I could tell you that the road is easy. I wish I could tell you that you will never experience setbacks, failures, and disappointments. I cannot tell you that.…

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What it means to live by faith. 0:54

1M ago0:54

0:54

What it means to live by faith. “Now the just shall live by faith.” - Hebrews 10:38 (Also see Habakkuk 2:4) I’ve come to understand that we can’t always wait to see if love is stronger than hate, and if good will prevail over evil before we decide whose side we are going to be on, before we decide how we are going to live. We can’t wait until harve…

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Called to Hope 0:59

1M ago0:59

0:59

Called to Hope “O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.” - Psalm 130:7 There are quite a number of people in my faith tradition and others who have given up all hope for this world. I understand the inclination. It’s easy to despair when we see the injustice and exploitation, whe…

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Don’t Suffer in Silence 0:50

1M ago0:50

0:50

Don’t Suffer in Silence “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.” - Psalm 130:1 We don’t have to pretend. It’s ok for us to say when we are not ok. When we are feeling afraid, or anxious, or alone we are invited to cry out and trust that there is a loving presence that hears us and understands. We are invited to believe that we are not alone and th…

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Shine Bright! Become Your Best Self 1:00

1M ago1:00

1:00

Shine Bright! Become Your Best Self. “ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” - Psalm 139:14 Do not let anyone use your past against you, or use your present circumstances to deny your future possibilities. A gold coin covered in mud is no less valuable than a shiny one. So it is wit…

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Be still. Take time to watch, wait, listen and feel. 0:56

2M ago0:56

0:56

“Be still, and know that I am God;” - from Psalm 46 Generally speaking, I emphasize how important it is for us to get up and get after it in life. That we are called to be active participants in facilitating what Jesus described as the Kingdom of God- a world where kindness and compassion reign supreme, human dignity is honored, and the least of th…

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Our Lives Have Meaning and Purpose 0:56

2M ago0:56

0:56

Our lives have meaning and purpose. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11 These words were written during extremely difficult times for audience Jeremiah was writing to. They were hard pressed by the great nations of the world and were…

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God’s Love Is Ultimate 0:56

2M ago0:56

0:56

God’s Love Is Ultimate “Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;” - from Psalm 30 I speak and write almost exclusively on God’s love for humanity and the hope, health, and wellbeing we as individuals and communities experience as we strive to live…

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Coming back from the pit. 0:53

2M ago0:53

0:53

Coming Back from the Pit “O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.” From Psalm 30 When we are going through our most difficult times, we must never give up. On our most difficult days, we must remember that the way things are - are not the way they will always be. There are no …

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Let their faith be our faith as well. 0:58

2M ago0:58

0:58

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” - Psalm 46:1-3 This is a verse many of the old timers I was around growing up use to frequently quote. …

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Put in the work! 0:27

2M ago0:27

0:27

“Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.” - Booker T. Washington I’m not sure that I need 60 Seconds for this one today. My prayer for us is that God gives us the energy and enthusiasm, the confidence and determination to put in the hard work that is required to build the future we want for ourselves and fo…

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