Jerry Dale Speaks

I was trying to do the wrong thing the right way.

That is a dangerous place to be.

I have learned that I can be disciplined and still be disobedient.
I can be successful and still be surrendered to the wrong thing.
I can be building something God never told me to build.

That is why the sovereignty of God is not just theology to me — it is my foundation.

Because when God steps in, He does not just clean up my behavior.
He redirects my life.

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”
— Proverbs 16:9, NKJV

I thought I was in control.
But God was sovereign even over my wrong turns, my misplaced ambition, and my broken direction.

Only God is Sovereign.

And by His grace, now I am trying to do the right thing, the right way.

Discernment Reveals It. Wisdom Responds to It. God Governs It.

Over the years, I’ve heard many Christians use the words discernment and wisdom interchangeably. While they are deeply connected, my study of Scripture has shown me that they are not the same thing.

Discernment is the God-given ability to recognize truth from error, good from evil, and the voice of God from the noise of the world.

Wisdom is the God-given ability to respond correctly to what discernment reveals.

In other words, discernment helps me see clearly. Wisdom helps me act rightly.

Discernment answers the question, “What is really happening here?”

Wisdom answers the question, “What should I do about it?”

The more I study Scripture, the more convinced I become that neither discernment nor wisdom can be properly understood apart from the sovereignty of God.

Why?

Because if God is not sovereign, then discernment becomes nothing more than human observation, and wisdom becomes nothing more than human opinion.

But God is sovereign.

He rules over every circumstance, every trial, every blessing, every decision, and every detail of life. Therefore, true discernment and true wisdom begin with Him and end with Him.

Scripture tells us:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” — Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)

Notice that wisdom does not begin with intelligence. It does not begin with education. It does not begin with experience.

It begins with God.

When I think about discernment, I think about the ability to see what God is revealing through His Word, His Spirit, and His providence. Discernment allows me to recognize truth even when deception is popular.

When I think about wisdom, I think about applying God’s truth in a way that glorifies Him and reflects obedience to His will.

King Solomon understood the need for both.

God said to him:

“Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart…” — 1 Kings 3:12 (NKJV)

Solomon needed discernment to understand the situation before him. He needed wisdom to respond to it correctly. Yet both came from the sovereign hand of God.

This is why I believe mature Christians should ask more than, “What do I think?”

We should ask:

“What is God saying?”

“What is God doing?”

“What does God’s Word teach?”

“How can I glorify Christ in my response?”

Hebrews 5:14 reminds us that spiritual maturity includes the ability to discern both good and evil.

James 1:5 reminds us that wisdom is a gift that God generously gives to those who ask.

As I continue growing in Christ, I realize that discernment without wisdom can lead to pride, and wisdom without discernment can lead to compromise.

But when both are submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and grounded in the sovereignty of God, they produce spiritual maturity, faithful obedience, and a life that honors God.

For me, the relationship is simple:

Discernment reveals it.

Wisdom responds to it.

God governs it.



“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” — Romans 11:36 (NKJV)

EPISODE ALERT

What’s it really like growing up bi-racial in today’s world?
In this powerful episode of The No Suga Coatin’ Show, we have a real, raw, and honest conversation about identity, culture, family, acceptance, struggles, and purpose. No filters. No sugar coating. Just truth.

Hosted by Jerry Dale, this interview dives deep into personal experiences and conversations that many people think about—but few are willing to openly discuss.

As always, we approach every conversation knowing that true identity, value, and purpose are ultimately found in God—not in the labels the world places on us.

If you’ve ever wrestled with where you belong, how society sees you, or how culture shapes identity, this episode is for you.

Watch now at: https://youtu.be/A4Wsup5-H6Q?si=hhM2oZMmzjXxNbt5

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Join the conversation

PONDER THIS.

Why do so many call Him “Lord”…
yet refuse to submit to His authority?

The sovereignty of God is not a suggestion.
It is reality.

Take a moment today and read:
LUKE 6:46

Then ask yourself honestly:
Is He truly Lord over my life… or just my vocabulary?

— Jerry Dale Speaks

When God Reveals It Spiritually, Don’t Handle It Carnally…..

While having my morning tea, I began to ponder the difference between discernment and wisdom. As I sat quietly before the Lord, I realized something that humbled me deeply. I already “knew” the definitions of both, but I had unknowingly been mixing and matching them — both biblically and secularly.

God, in His sovereignty, will often allow me to discern something spiritually or biblically. He opens my eyes to see what is beneath the surface. He reveals motives, dangers, patterns, or truths that cannot be understood by flesh alone. That is discernment.

But where I have sometimes failed is this: after receiving biblical discernment from God, I would respond with human wisdom instead of godly wisdom. I would recognize something spiritually, but then handle it emotionally, intellectually, or even ego-driven rather than prayerfully and biblically.

The Lord showed me that discernment and wisdom absolutely go together — but they must both come from Him.

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” — Proverbs 2:6 (NKJV)

Discernment helps us see correctly.
Wisdom helps us respond correctly.

But if the response is rooted in pride, hurt, control, fear, or worldly thinking, then our flesh has hijacked what God intended for His glory.

Too often we use spiritual eyes to identify something, then use secular methods to manage it. That mixture can create confusion, division, and unnecessary pain. If God reveals something spiritually, then we should seek Him spiritually on how to walk it out.

This was a reminder to me that not every revelation requires a reaction from the flesh. Sometimes the most powerful response is prayer, patience, humility, and obedience.

James 3:17 says:
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

That verse alone exposes the difference between wisdom from Heaven and wisdom from ego.

I’ll do another post later breaking down the deeper differences between discernment and wisdom, but for now, I simply want to encourage you with this:

When God allows you to see something spiritually, make sure you also handle it spiritually.

Do not let ego guide what only the Holy Spirit should govern.

Only God is Sovereign.

Ponder This… Two Things That Don’t Go Together… Actually Do.

Palm Trees & Mountains

You don’t usually see them together.

Palm trees belong to warmth, breeze, and coastline.
Mountains belong to elevation, weight, and endurance.

Two different environments.
Two distinct expressions of beauty.

Yet… in places like LA, they stand in the same frame.

And for a moment—you realize something deeper:

What looks separate… was never meant to be divided.

⸻

Now Ponder This…

There are two realities many Christians keep in separate categories:

God’s Love
God’s Justice (Wrath)

We embrace one…
and quietly avoid the other.

We celebrate His love—
but grow uncomfortable with His holiness.

⸻

But Scripture refuses to separate them.

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.” — Psalm 145:17

“God is love.” — 1 John 4:8

“Our God is a consuming fire.” — Hebrews 12:29

⸻

Here’s the truth most overlook:

God’s Holiness demands Justice.
And His Justice is not separate from His Love.

It is because He loves what is good…
that He must judge what is evil.

It is because He is holy…
that sin cannot stand in His presence.

⸻

We tend to say: “God is love.”

And that is true.

But we must also understand:

God’s love is not soft.
It is sovereign.
It is holy.
It is just.

⸻

The Cross is where both stand together.

At the cross:

* God’s Love was fully displayed
* God’s Wrath was fully satisfied

Not divided.
Not competing.

Perfectly united under the Sovereignty of God.

⸻

So before you move on… Ponder This:

Have you reduced God to what feels comfortable…
or do you worship Him for who He truly is?

⸻

Final Word

Palm trees and mountains…
Love and justice…

They don’t cancel each other out.

They reveal the fullness of God.

“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” — Psalm 85:10

⸻

Thank God for His Mercy.
Stand in awe of His Holiness.
Rest in His Sovereignty.

PONDER THIS: Saving a Life Could Mean Saving a Soul

What if the moment you stepped in to save a life…
was actually a moment God had already written—
not just to preserve breath,
but to pursue a soul?

⸻

This trip to Los Angeles wasn’t just another visit.
It was a return—but not to who I was.

It was my first time back since God pulled me out of the darkness of the music business and the p**n industry…
since redemption…
since the sanctifying work began.

And when God changes you,
you don’t just see life differently—
you discern it differently.

⸻

I was there to support someone that I love and her son—
a 24-year-old young man who has been giving blood since high school—
now stepping into something even greater:
donating bone marrow to save the life of a 3-month-old baby.

Let that sit with you.

A young man…
a baby…
a match made before either of them ever took their first breath.

⸻

Scripture says:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”
— Jeremiah 17:9

Yet somehow…
God, in His sovereignty, gives people the desire to give life to others.

That’s not human nature.
That’s divine intervention.

⸻

And then it hit me…

God already knew.

Before this young man was born…
Before that baby entered the world…
Before any diagnosis, any hospital room, any decision—

God had already ordained this moment.

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written…”
— Psalm 139:16

A 24-year gap…
bridged by the sovereign hand of God.

⸻

So here’s the deeper question:

What if saving a physical life…
is part of God’s greater plan to save a soul?

What if this act of giving—this sacrifice—
becomes a testimony, a turning point,
a divine encounter years down the road?

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…”
— Romans 8:28

⸻

This wasn’t random.
This wasn’t coincidence.
This was God’s sovereignty on display.

A young man moved to give.
A baby positioned to receive.
A story being written for God’s glory.

⸻

Ponder this:

When God uses you to save a life…
you may be stepping into something far greater than you can see.

You might not just be preserving breath—
you might be participating in eternity.

Because in the hands of a sovereign God…

Saving a life could mean saving a soul.

Convicted Until Convicted

Ponder this:

What if the discomfort in your soul is not punishment, but mercy?
What if the weight you feel is God, in His sovereignty, refusing to leave you where sin has left you?

Scripture says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” and “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10, 18, NKJV). Before we are transformed, we stand convicted by sin before a holy God.

But the sovereign God who exposes our condition is the same God who, by His Spirit, convicts us unto change. He does not merely reveal what is wrong. He calls us higher. He reshapes the heart. He renews the mind. He teaches us to “abhor what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9, NKJV).

So here is the thought:
We are convicted by sin until we are convicted by the Holy Spirit.

And when God truly does that work in us, the evidence begins to show. Love changes. Desires change. Conduct changes. Peace matters. Humility grows. Prayer deepens. The life that once resisted God begins, by His grace, to reflect Him. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18, NKJV).

Ponder that today.
The conviction of the Holy Spirit is not meant to destroy you. It is one of the mercies of a sovereign God drawing you closer to Christ.

Sermon link: https://youtu.be/SZKs0eVMPcc?si=BymXzGvo_ZWvqWL0

Jerry Dale Convicted until Convicted

God is still sovereign. God is still speaking. And His Word still changes lives.

I just posted my latest sermon on YouTube, and I believe this message will encourage, challenge, and strengthen everyone who listens with an open heart.

Click the link, watch the message, and share it with someone who needs to hear the truth of God today.

Watch now: https://youtu.be/J-XT1N-uBIA?si=49rI8xRhr4MS1FD8

Relevance or Reverence

The Church must answer a hard question: are we pursuing relevance or are we walking in reverence?

I remember when I was young, going to church meant something. We wore our Sunday best. We carried ourselves with honor. We were taught to respect God, the pastor, the saints, the church building, and the Word of God. There was an understanding that when you came before the Lord, you did not come casually. You came consciously.

Why? Because God is sovereign, holy, and set apart.

When God spoke to Moses, He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5, NKJV). That was not just about dirt and geography. That was about the majesty of God. His presence makes the ordinary holy, and His holiness demands reverence.

From the Pentateuch, God made it clear who He is and how His people are to approach Him. He is not common. He is not casual. He is not to be handled like culture handles everything else. “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44, NKJV).

Let us be clear: a holy God does not adjust Himself to the spirit of the age. The sovereign God calls His people to adjust to Him.

Then God, in His mercy, sent Jesus Christ to atone for our sins. The cross was not casual. Calvary was not common. The blood of Jesus was not spilled so the Church could become entertainment-driven, man-centered, and obsessed with fitting in. It was shed to reconcile sinful man to a holy God. “Therefore let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28–29, NKJV).

And yet today, too many pastors, too many professing Christians, and too many churches seem more committed to relevance than reverence. We have traded awe for applause. We have traded holiness for comfort. We have traded the fear of the Lord for the approval of people.

That is not leadership. That is compromise.

When preachers in the 90s said, “Come as you are,” the message was never, “Stay casual before a holy God.” It meant that no matter your pain, your sin, your struggle, or your brokenness, you could come to Christ and be received by grace. It did not mean that the Church should stop honoring the sacredness of approaching God.

Yes, come as you are. But come with humility. Come with honor. Come with the understanding that you are not approaching a celebrity, a brand, or a stage. You are approaching the sovereign Lord of glory.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV).

The Church has a choice to make: impress people or honor God.
I choose reverence.
I choose holiness.
I choose the fear of the Lord.
Because no trend, no culture shift, and no attempt at relevance will ever outrank the sovereignty of God.

Only God is sovereign.