Basie Skanks preaches an unpopular sermon, and calls out Calvary Fellowship.
The episode opens up with Pastor Skanks with a sermon about homosexuality. Pastor Skanks is very clear on his message: love the gays.
He uses scriptures to say no one sin is greater than the other.
“If we try to ban everyone who does not follow every biblical law from entering that church, none of us would be sitting here right now.” – Pastor Skanks
Although his congregation at his church was with him for most of the sermon, he seems to lose them when he welcomes homosexuals in the church.
“Amen. So I say to the homosexual community, there is a place for you among us here for all of us that are living under God’s grace. Amen.” – Pastor Skanks
Basie then takes shots at Calvary Fellowship, alluding that they are not accepting of the LGBT community.
“It’s time to get specific. It’s time to say God loves gays. Its time to take a stand.”- Pastor Skanks
In the back of the church, Darius is taking notes for a story, jotting down the pastor’s quotes.
James and Mae recap Basie’s recent sermon and newspaper interview.
James and Mae are talking about Pastor Skanks’ sermon and interview with the Tennessee Statesman newspaper. Mae and James believe the sermon and interview are on the front page because Basie also called out the city for a bathroom bill it tried to put into law.
Grace joins James, Mae and Charity for breakfast and they tell her about the article. James asks her if she knew if Darius was working on the article, and she says she knew about it.
Mae thinks Darius interviewed Carlton, who she fired for openly showing his relationship at the church, however, Charity says he never said anything to her.
Grace says she will talk to Darius about the article. When she leaves, James gives Grace his thoughts on Basie.
“See, he doesn’t inspire me, the way he inspires you.” – James
When Grace leaves, Mae tells James that Basie is working to tear their family apart.
James agrees and says he should pay a visit to Skanks.
Jacob and Kerissa argue about finances, and Kerissa tells Jacob to get a job.
Meanwhile, Jacob and Kerissa are struggling with the wiring of their home. Jacob impresses himself about temporarily getting the breakers back on-line. But, Kerissa doesn’t agree. In fact, Kerissa thinks they need to use the Go Fund Me funds to fix up the house.
Kerissa begins nagging him about taking the land from Basie, just to hide Basie’s troubles.
When Jacob scoffs at using the Go Fund Me funds, Kerissa suggests Jacob get a job. However, he balks at that notion and tells her to patient because God will work things out.
Grace discovers shocking information about Kevin’s homosexual support group.
At Calvary, Grace gets there, and has Kevin’s old files hauled to her office. It’s mentioned she’s the new Outreach Pastor. Darlene helps gather the files for Grace, and asks if she is going to preach again.
Grace mentions she doesn’t know if she will again, citing her new role and that she doesn’t feel like she fits in.
Darlene tells her that it’s okay not to fit in.
James walks into Basie’s office, and witnesses a burly man demanding $50,000 from him. Basie tells him that he’ll have it in two weeks. When Basie notices James, he excuses the other gentlemen out of the office.
When he leaves, James tells him to ever mention him or Calvary in his sermons or interviews ever again.
Basie scoffs at this, and James leaves the office with a stern warning if he doesn’t leave Grace alone.
“I promise you, I won’t part with her easily. You said, ‘The judgment is coming.’ It is. It’s coming for you.” – James
James headed back to Calvary and talks to Mae in his office about his meeting with Basie. Mae thinks that something happened with Basie and Jacob parting ways and Jacob knows more about Basie than he is letting on.
James suggests they head over to his home and ask.
Rochelle Cross calls while they are talking, and James takes the call.
Mae heads out to speak to Jacinta. Meanwhile, Grace is going through Kevin’s files, only to discover the flyers from his gay help group.
James is shown the flyers by Grace and taken aback. However, he still doesn’t want to do anything to make Calvary more welcoming towards gays.
Grace feels this is why Basie is right, but James demonstrates that this is a fight he isn’t ready to take on.
Grace isn’t accepting his answer of patience, in the plight for the LGBT community.
Mae learns more about Rochelle.
Meanwhile, Jabari stops by Calvary to see Charity. He needs help laying down a demo for a gospel singer and brings equipment for Charity to record the demos.
Charity thinks he doesn’t want her coming to Nashville to record. However, he reassures her that her notion is far from the truth.
Mae meets with Jacinta, and Mae brings up Rochelle Cross. Jacinta mentions Rochelle has been handling her finances for years. Mae tells Jacinta that Rochelle is looking for a new church home, and says didn’t have a good experience at Greater Redeemer.
However, Jacinta insinuates that Rochelle had an affair with someone at the church. She then tells Mae not to tell Rochelle she knows about that, and Mae agrees.
Isaiah gets kicked out by Jacob.
Isaiah and Zora are in her room studying. He tries to start making out with her but Jacob comes home early. Zora hears this and Jacob sees Isaiah in her room.
Isaiah is then excused by Jacob out of the home, but not before Jacob reminds him about the rules of the house.
“Now, you know you’re not supposed to be in Zora’s room with the door closed, don’t you? Think about being respectful under a roof that doesn’t belong to you. Think about being mindful of the rules her mother and I set in place. And think about leaving the door open, or think about not coming back!”” – Jacob
When Isaiah leaves, Jacob tells Zora, “And you know better.”
Rochelle joins the church.
Rochelle is in James’ office, talking about Basie’s sermon. Both of them agree that he is taking things too far, and he recaps what he told Basie.
Rochelle then tells James that she is going to join the church.
Chasity heads over to Grace’s office, to vent about not having anyone babysit Nathan. Grace volunteers to do it, despite the 6:30 reservation she has with Darius, so Charity can join Jabari for dinner.
Jacob and Kerissa host James and Mae for dinner. James tells them about the jobs he held when he first started preaching. This includes selling bibles, hosting bible study and working part-time at a funeral home.
The conversation then jumps to Basie. Kerissa mentions that he may lose the church “too,” and James asks if they know about he burly guy that he saw in Basie’s office.
Jacob mentions he has to keep his word between him and Basie, quoting 1 John, verses 2 and 5, to validate his oath.
“Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is protected.” – Jacob
James and Mae back off, despite Kerissa itching to tell them about the gambling debts Basie has.
Darius and Grace face growing pains in their relationship.
Darius stops by Grace’s office to pick her up for their date. She tells him that she will babysit Nathan for Charity instead. Darius seems cool, going along with it.
Sophia and Zora are on their way to the cotillion dinner, and Zora is busy texting Isaiah. Sophia mentions that they’ll have to turn off their phones. Zora, tells Sophia that she is texting Isaiah to mend everything with Isaiah after he was kicked out of the house by Jacob.
After dinner, Charity drops off Jabari at his hotel. Jabari and Charity have a bit of awkward small talk at the end. He then says goodbye, and kisses Charity on the cheek. When he leaves, Charity scoffs in frustration.
Grace and Darius are at her home. As they are eating takeout, she asks him about the story. Darius brings up the pact they have about writing stories about the Church.
This frustrates Darius who says that they should stop seeing each other.
“Whenever we find reasons to be more than study partners, you find a reason to pull away.” – Darius.
Grace then brings up the job offer in New York, and the fact he never told her why he doesn’t go to church.
Darius then gets up and leaves.
Darius reveals his secret to Grace, and Isaiah gives Zora the cold shoulder, and Kerissa tells Basie’s secret.
Charity gets home and asks about the baby. She then tells Grace her frustration with Jabari. She thinks that Jabari may be gay.
Jacob and Kerissa are escorting Mae and James to the door. Kerissa tells James and Mae about the electrical issue, and Jacob stops her. When they leave, Jacob asks why she did that.
“A woman attempts to take care of the home she raises her children in.” – Kerissa
This starts an argument between them, about bringing money into the home. She is still insistent about Jacob getting a job.
Jacob refutes this, and tells her that he “has the moral authority,” he claims she wanted him to have.
He then tells her to pay some more attention to Zora.
Meanwhile, Zora is getting ready for bed and calls Isaiah. She tells him that she couldn’t text because she was at her dinner and they took their phones. Apparently he didn’t like that answer, because he hung up on her.
Darius stops by to see Grace and tells her the reason why he doesn’t go to church. He reveals that his wife died in a car accident, and his old pastor didn’t give him the support he needed.
“I asked the pastor if he could help me understand, and he said, ‘It’s best to not question God.’ So I haven’t been back, except as a reporter.” – Darius
Grace then asks if she will see him again, and he replies, “You tell me.”
“God, I hope so.” – Grace
They then share a kiss and Darius says he will make sure she seems him again.
At the church the next day, Kerissa meets with James and Mae and tells them how she and Jacob got the land. She also tells them about Basie’s gambling debts. She also tells them that he owes over $250,000 in gambling debts.
She then has them swear not to tell Jacob she told them.
Mae and James promise not to tell Jacob she spilled the beans, but both are thrilled to finally have what they need to take down Basie.
What are your thoughts on the episode?
Why do I find myself rooting for Basie?