Summary of "Honor’s Reward" by Pastor Bryan Hudson, DMin

Mark 6:1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief.

Bryan Hudson's talk, Honor’s Reward, draws from Mark 6:1–6, where Jesus is dishonored in His hometown and thus unable to perform many miracles. Hudson highlights that it wasn't Jesus’ unwillingness but the people's lack of honor that restrained His power. He explains that honor means to value, appreciate, and respect, whereas dishonor is treating something or someone as common or ordinary.

Because the people saw Jesus only as “Mary’s son” and not as the Messiah, they failed to receive the fullness of what He came to offer. Hudson connects this principle to daily life: you can only receive to the extent that you are willing to honor—whether it's God, people, or opportunities. He warns that like the Pharisees, people can honor God with their lips but remain far from Him in heart, missing out on His blessings.

The key takeaway: Honor unlocks potential and blessing; dishonor shuts it down. Let honor be both heartfelt and practical to experience God’s best.

Summary of “Legacy of Love” (Generated by OpenAI)

by Pastor Bryan Hudson, DMin, New Covenant Church

In his message “Legacy of Love,” Dr. Bryan Hudson explores the biblical and personal dimensions of legacy, emphasizing that true legacy is not about fame, wealth, or status, but about love, service, and influence. Centering on 1 Corinthians 16:13–14, he urges listeners to be vigilant, courageous, strong, and above all, to do everything with love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14, (NLT), Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

Key Themes:

1. Definition of Legacy Legacy is what we leave behind—not only after death, but also while living. It includes tangible things like wealth or memorials, but more importantly, spiritual, moral, and relational influence—values passed on to others.
2. Legacy in Action Dr. Hudson shares a clip from the late Congressman John Lewis, who framed legacy as living boldly, pursuing justice, and building a beloved community. Lewis modeled how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of love and nonviolence shaped future generations.
3. Legacy as Service and Sacrifice Using Matthew 20:20–23, Hudson contrasts selfish ambition with Christ’s model of servant leadership. The disciples' mother sought honor for her sons, but Jesus taught that legacy comes through drinking the “cup” of sacrifice—suffering for love’s sake, not seeking positions of prestige.
4. Understanding Suffering Suffering, in biblical terms, is not just physical pain but includes:

• • Resisting temptations we've been delivered from.
  • Maintaining integrity under pressure.
  • Loving and serving others even when it’s difficult.

1. Hudson teaches that suffering refines us—perfecting, establishing, strengthening, and settling us (1 Peter 5:10).
2. Personal Testimony and Media Camp He recounts how his Media Camp for youth, launched in 2000, began as a response to a complaint about negative media. God challenged him: “What are you going to do about it?” That led to years of impact, mentoring youth in media and life.
3. Legacy of Family and Example Dr. Hudson honors the legacy of his father and his wife’s father, noting how they passed down a life of service. He likens legacy to footprints in the sand—temporary, but they reveal a path for others to follow. Even when the prints fade, the direction remains.
4. Living the Legacy He concludes by encouraging everyone—especially fathers and father-figures—to live out a legacy of love. This legacy isn’t self-manufactured; it’s manifested by walking in God's light. We don’t have to strive for greatness—we need only walk in love and obedience.

Confession of Faith:

By the grace of God, I will stand firm in the faith, I will be courageous and strong. But most of all, everything I do will be done through Love. No self service, no selfish ambition, only God's purposes fulfilled by Grace.

Whatever my station in life, may the Lord continue to let my feet be planted in his path. I will live the legacy, my father, mother, grandparents, and all the people in my family and in life have helped to show me the way forward.

I'll take nothing for granted and never fail to give praise to God and thanks to people.

Christ has brought me into a place of undeserved privilege where I now stand, and I will confidently joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory with others.

Conclusion: Legacy of Love challenges us to live intentionally, to love sacrificially, and to serve faithfully. It’s not about being remembered, but about leaving a meaningful path others can follow—empowered by God’s grace and rooted in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14, (NKJV) Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.

Dr. Bryan Hudson reflects on 1 Corinthians 16:13–14, urging listeners to live out the biblical call to “be brave, be strong,” and to do all things in love. He explains that the phrase “quit you like men” in the King James Version means to act courageously and maturely, not to quit.

Dr. Hudson critiques modern cultural shifts that swing between idolizing and dismissing fatherhood, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy and affirming view of fathers and men. Drawing from personal experience as caregiver to his 88-year-old father with dementia, he honors the enduring strength, love, and consistency of his father.

He addresses a common misconception—that affirming the strength of fathers somehow diminishes women—calling it a false dichotomy. Instead, he encourages a culture that affirms bravery and strength in both men and women, especially as Father’s Day approaches.

The message highlights the biblical grammar of “be brave” and “be strong” as middle voice verbs, meaning we act and are acted upon—like David who encouraged himself in the Lord. Ultimately, Hudson calls on listeners to embrace courage, pass on values to future generations, and act in love.

Psalm 23:5–6 (NKJV)

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;  You anoint my head with oil;  My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me  All the days of my life;  And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Bryan Hudson, DMin. hosts an insightful conversation with Denell Howard on Conversations In Focus.

Pastor Howard is the founder and director of Evolve International, Inc. The letters E.V.O.L.V.E stands for "Educating for Victory Offering Leadership Vision & Empowerment."

Evolve International Inc. is an organization developed solely to grow and develop leaders. Our goal is to inspire African American males to intentionally lead in areas of education, entrepreneurship, civics, and mentoring. The challenges within the Black community are vast and multifaceted, yet we believe we can articulate the solution in one word: leadership. Their work of Evolve International is to engage in the development of the next generation and to empower leaders to evolve by creating supportive environments through the five "C's" of Coaches, Conferences, Clubs, Camps, and The Evolve Education Center.

Denell Howard is also Pastor of the Hovey Street church of Christ in Indianapolis, IN. He and his wife, Keisha, have three children and reside in Indianapolis.

What I find remarkable and refreshing about Pastor Howard is his authenticity, consistency, and clarity of purpose. He is a man who does not compromise concerning the assignment the Lord has giving him, maintaining a laser focus on empowering young black men, and bringing people from all walks of life together to fulfill that purpose.

Learn more about Evolve at www.evolveleaders.org

DOWNLOAD KEYNOTE SLIDES

Sermon Summary: "Live in the House of Wisdom" by Dr. Bryan Hudson

Pastor Bryan Hudson delivers a powerful and practical message rooted in the wisdom literature of Scripture, particularly the book of Proverbs. The central theme of the sermon is an invitation not merely to admire or visit wisdom, but to live in the house of wisdom—to make it our dwelling place and guiding principle.

Purpose of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:1–3)

• Proverbs is given to teach wisdom and discipline, to understand wise insights, and to help people do what is right, just, and fair.

• Discipline is emphasized—it's not what others do for you, but what you choose for yourself.

• Discipline leads to order, consistency, and purposeful living.

The Structure of Wisdom (Proverbs 24:3–4)

• Wisdom builds the house

• Understanding establishes it

• Knowledge furnishes it with pleasant and precious things This creates a metaphorical structure: Wisdom = the house, Understanding = the foundation, Knowledge = the furniture.

• This priority counters worldly assumptions—knowledge is not enough; it must be applied through wisdom and guided by understanding.

Illustration of Wisdom with Cooking

• Knowledge is like having the recipe and ingredients.

• Understanding is knowing how to use them.

• Wisdom is putting it all together effectively and appropriately.

Path Principle and Decision-Making

• Proverbs teaches to ponder the path of your feet (Proverbs 4:26).

• Life is about the paths we walk, not merely our intentions.

• Just as walking on a moving walkway takes you in a fixed direction, so do life choices—you arrive where the path leads, regardless of your good intentions.

Living in God’s Wisdom vs. Worldly Lack

• There is both abundance and lack in the world—not only materially but spiritually.

• There’s a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord (Amos 8:11), despite abundance all around.

• True abundance is not material wealth, but spiritual richness, rooted in wisdom and relationship with God.

Warnings and Encouragement

• Covetousness is a danger—desiring something just because someone else has it.

• Jesus was not poor, but He lived simply. True wealth is in wisdom and purpose, not possessions.

• Don't lower yourself or dilute your wisdom to fit in—let others rise to the level of truth and light.

Mind of Christ

• God’s ways and thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:8–9), but they are not unattainable—we must rise to them.

• Believers have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), giving access to divine wisdom.

Final Call: Choose Wisdom Daily

• God's wisdom is a path, not just an idea.

• Living wisely leads to stability, fulfillment, and God-directed success.

• Don’t just visit the house of wisdom—live there.

Closing Prayer Dr. Hudson ends with a prayer of thanksgiving, asking God to help believers live in the house of wisdom and guide others into the same.

Summary Phrase: "Let’s not just visit the house of wisdom—let’s live in it."

This message is both instructional and deeply spiritual, calling believers to a lifestyle rooted in God’s wisdom, discernment, and understanding.

God Bless and be encouraged! ~ Bryan Hudson, DMin

"The Path Principle" Bryan Hudson, DMin

I want to talk to you briefly about gun violence and something called "The Path Principle."

This morning on May 20, I received an email from Anthony Beverly who is the founder and director of Stop the Violence Indianapolis. In this message, he communicated the tragic story of a 17 year old young man who died of gun violence at 29th and Dearborn here in my city of Indianapolis. First of all, I grew up six blocks from 29th in Dearborn. I'm in this neighborhood almost every day as my 88-year-old father lives in the vicinity of 34th and Dearborn.

The tragedy of the young man who died of gun violence is a story that we've heard before, but it's very important that we do not become desensitized to hearing the stories. Because each young person who dies of gun violence is a person who will not get to fulfill his or her purpose in life.

As someone who with my wife raised four children, including two sons, have worked with youth over the course of 46 years of ministry, including running a Media Camp each summer for 20 years, these stories of tragedy always strike me as being close to home. While gun violence has not touched my family directly, like you, I know someone who has been touched by it.

The first thing I want to say is do not make the mistake of painting all young people, particularly young, black men, with the same broad brush. The vast majority of young people want to do the right thing, and are doing right things. I don't think of young people as being “at risk,” I think of young people as being “at promise.” This was the case with the young man whom Anthony Beverly highlighted in his communication. May and June should be a season of commencement, not a season of tragic conclusions and death.

I don't know all the circumstances surrounding the death of a young man, but we do know he was attending a party.

Let me talk about "The Path Principle.”

There is a story in Proverbs 7:7-15 that you can read later. It starts this way, and I will paraphrase it:

“At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment He was going down the street near a corner, walking along in the direction of a house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. Then out came a person to meet him, and took hold of the youth and said, So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!’

Trouble is literally looking for all of us, but especially young people because their whole life is ahead of them.

Here is the Path Principle: It doesn't matter what your intentions are, it doesn't matter what you say you want to do, it only matters what path you are on. You might say that you want to go to Cincinnati, but if you're on the path of I-65 north or 1-70 west, and not I-74 east, you're not going to get to Cincinnati. Your intentions do not matter, it only matters what path you're actually on.

Anthony Beverly and Stop the Violence Indianapolis has many programs to empower young people. I know many others who have programs and opportunities for young people. Many churches, including our church, New Covenant has done a lot of work to empower young people. I have supported organizations like Children's Policy and Law Initiative, Evolve with Pastor Denell Howard. Three of my children are alumni of The Center for Leadership Development, which was led in the beginning by the late Henry Bundles, Jr. and currently by Dennis E. Bland, esq..

All these are not simply programs. These are paths.

Let me say this, a party is also a path. Simply “hanging out” is a path. Too many young people have lost their lives while attending a party or hanging around. No one intended to go to a party and get shot or die from gun violence. Not all parties end in violence, but youth need to consider their path.

This problem of gun violence is persistent and there's not one solution. But let me offer this one insight to parents, youth, and anyone listening:

It is always your direction that ultimately determines your destination.—it is not your intentions, not your hopes, not your dreams, not your prayers, not your beliefs.

Every path leads somewhere. Your path determines your destination.

Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.