The first thing you’ll expect from any music website, or release from a renowned musician, is a cohesive musical offering. Smokie Norful is a Grammy-award winning gospel singer, and one of the most successful African-American Christian musicians of this generation.
Appealing to many with his infectious yet worshipful infusions of gospel, soul and modern R’n’B, it’s surprising to open his latest album and find, instead of the typically groovy harmonies that characterize Norful’s music, a sermon. That’s right, a sermon. Having said that, it’s less groundbreaking than it seems on first viewing; Norful is the pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center in Romeoville, and thus has released a three-part sermon series designed to offer a different tangent of his ministry. This sermon, titled “According To Your Faith”, is a rousing exhortation for a renewed belief in God, and is destined to lift your spirits to long for a greater relationship with Him.
Smokie challenges the notions of small-mindedness that has affected the Western church, challenging Christians to ask God for infinitely more than they can ever imagine; he also encourages listeners to have faith above and beyond what current society dictates. His trademark style underpins the whole delivery, and it’s an extremely encouraging message that will no doubt influence you to go deeper in your relationship with God. I encourage you to pick up the other parts of this series, as Smokie truly showcases the depth of his preaching and his commitment to closeness with God; it’s a worthy addition to any Christian devotional collection.
Rating: 4/5
Review By Josh Y