Empowering Your Journey, One Story at A Time.

Grace to Overcome invites you on a spiritual and historical journey, interweaving the rich tapestry of Black history with the profound narratives of the Bible. Crafted by Pastor Bryan C. Loritts, an influential voice in multiethnic church movements, Grace to Overcome is a powerful collection of 31 devotions that bring to life the stories of both renowned and lesser-known figures who have help shaped society. From the soulful notes of Miles Davis and Billie Holiday to the groundbreaking inventions of Jerry Lawson and Alice H. Parker, each story is an inspiring testament to resilience and faith.

Through these reflections, Loritts not only shines alight on the triumphs and trials of Black history across various arenas including sports, politics, and technology, but also challenges readers to see their personal journeys within God's grand design. In a world where the importance of learning Black history often faces scrutiny, Grace to Overcome stands as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of heritage and the gospel's call to live with grace and purpose. Embark on this devotional path and discover how each story, including your own, contributes to the divine narrative.



Bryan C. Loritts (DMin, Liberty University) is teaching pastor of the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina. He has dedicated his life and ministry to seeing the multiethnic church become the new normal in our society. He is also vice presidentfor regions for the Send Network, the church planting arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, where he is responsible for training church planters in multiethnic church planting. He has been a featured speaker at the Global Leadership Summit and Catalyst. His books include Insider Outsider, The Offensive Church, and Enduring Friendship.



Charlie E. Dates (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the senior pastor of Salem and Progressive Baptist Churches of Chicago. A sought-after speaker, he is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences, and universities throughout the United States and abroad. He is an affiliate professor at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Anderson University, and Wheaton College. He is a contributing author to the Handbook of Contemporary Preaching and Letters to a Birmingham Jail. He and his wife, Kirstie, and their children, Charlie II and Claire, live in Chicago.



Foreword by Charlie Dates



Introduction: Cul-de-sacs



Day 1. Jesse Needs a Hug



Day 2. Miles's Back



Day 3. Thank God for a Praying Mama



Day 4. The Godfather of Dignity



Day 5. Olaudah "Oxymoron" Equiano



Day 6. The Dozens



Day 7. The Father of Modern Gaming



Day 8. Billie Holiday and Her "Strange Fruit"



Day 9. Not Today



Day 10. Invaluably Hidden



Day 11. Zipporah's Hot Comb



Day 12. Black Excellence



Day 13. A Moment of Silence for Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey



Day 14. Edward's Crossover



Day 15. Cookies and Caged Birds



Day 16. Michael Takes on MTV



Day 17. The Black Babe Ruth?



Day 18. Highway Dignity



Day 19. Marvin's Question



Day 20. Don't Waste Your Pain



Day 21. Obama's Crown



Day 22. 90 Seconds to Camelot



Day 23. A Warm Presence



Day 24. I Gotta Be Me



Day 25. Joe Louis . . . the Golfer?



Day 26. How Long, O Lord?



Day 27. Emmit's "Shoes"



Day 28. What's My Name?



Day 29. Whitney's Way



Day 30. The Defiant Mary Lumpkin



Day 31. Leaving Paris



Afterword: Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus



Acknowledgments



Notes



"We need these historical narratives from the experience of African American Christ-followers. After all, we have come over a way that with tears has been watered, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered. The intersection of faith and the unique African American story is perhaps the most timely message for America today. It's not just a story that we read, but a story that reads us. This is the kind of book you will want to offer to your children in years to come."



"Full of snapshots of black history, Brian Loritts's offering has given a tremendous gift to Christians who long to learn and rejoice in God's big story of grace to people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. You'll encounter a wide range of historical figures, some who will encourage you, others who will challenge you. But the story of Jesus and his saving work runs through all of it. Read and be encouraged."



"Bryan Loritts's writing is both endearing and in-depth, comprehensive and clear. His personal vulnerability, historical scholarship, and theological precision shimmer in each devotional. Every page of this work will draw the reader into the deeper story of history and the thread of God's boundless grace that runs through it. This book may help you to understand humanity more fully, but it will do something more, something better—it will invite you to see Jesus more clearly. And isn't that the point? In Bryan's writing and preaching, it always is."



"Speaking to the heart of our present moment, Bryan Loritts presents a powerfully composed amalgamation of hope and heritage that illuminates the faith, tenacity, and collective contributions of the black diaspora. Encouraged through the lens of Scripture, we are called to remember, to reckon, and to rise. Loritts lifts history from the pages of time and sets it before us as a beautiful living testament to God's sovereign hand at work. This book doesn't merely inform—it provokes, it stirs the soul, and it calls us to action. With these masterfully articulated devotions, Dr. Loritts has done it again."



"This is what Bryan Loritts does best—unearthing stories we haven't heard to reveal lessons we didn't know we needed. With a sharp eye for the overlooked and an innate gift for storytelling, he brings these moments to life in ways that challenge, inspire, and stay with you long after you've finished reading. Bryan is not just a collector of stories; he's a craftsman, weaving them into meaningful insights that resonate deeply. Grace to Overcome is Bryan doing his best work."



"Grace to Overcome is a must-read that should be in every household! Bryan Loritts does a magnificent job interweaving the story of black people throughout history with Scripture and further helps the reader develop an appreciation for black history and the deep roots of Christianity within the black community. Bryan writes in a way that engulfs the reader in story and history just as he's always done as a preacher. Bryan has been influencing the hearts of people since the beginning of his ministry, and this work only further provides the evidence of the gift he has been to many, including me!"



"Bryan Loritts invites you on a daily experience at the crossroads of the presence and power of God and the historic journey of people of color. Seldom is there such a spiritual synthesis of holy revelation and historic affirmation of the sovereign presence of God in the earthly journey of people of faith. In the tone and tenor of the sovereignty of God in the lives of the displaced and often despised heroes of Israel, Dr. Loritts has sensitively and intentionally woven the revelation of thehand of God and the history of his sons and daughters of ebony hue into a daily call to gather at the junction of the display of the love of God in the lives of those often labeled the least, the last, and the lost."



"Depth, balance, clarity, and creativity are words that come to mind when thinking of this resource. This symphonic resource merges history, story, and the Bible for the mind and the heart all in one. My dear friend Bryan Loritts has graciously kept all of us from separating our sociality from our theology; he doesn't call us to put our sociology before our theology but the other way around. Seeing the redemptive story of God in any history is amazing; however, seeing this metanarrative in black history is a gift for all of us to continue to see it in our lives today."



"I read these devotionals and remember who I am, who we are, and who God is. Grace to Overcome connects us to God's grace throughout history and proves our miracle is not over or waiting to unfold. It is now."