Christopher Laurie

Christopher Laurie, the 32 year old son of our dear friends Greg and Cathe Laurie died in an automobile accident July 24th in Riverside California. Deb and I are heart broken for this family and praying God’s grace and peace to be upon them in these days of incomprehensible sorrow. Christopher was a husband and the father of a beautiful 2 year old daughter, Greg and Cathe’s granddaughter, Stella. Christopher and his wife are also expecting a baby this November. This very talented young man, a graphic artist, was the art director at his Dad’s church. A statement regarding Christopher’s life and death can be found at Harvest.org.

Greg Laurie is the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. He is also an incredible evangelist, author and leader. Harvest Crusades are held worldwide including the upcoming Southern California Crusade, which is held each year in Anaheim Stadium. Upwards to 50, 000 people attend these crusades each night and thousands of people come to faith in Christ as a result. Greg’s latest book Lost Boy is the story of his life and conversion, which is a profoundly moving testimony to God’s grace in his life. Greg’s radio program, A New Beginning is a daily ministry I highly recommend.

So now, this wonderful man and his family are dealing with inexplicable grief and sadness. I know Greg, Cathe, and their family will experience the living hope we have in the Risen Christ, but it is so important that we pray for them and their church family as well. We certainly know that God is good and His grace is sufficient for every fiery trial. This is about as painful as it gets. Now it is time to lift our dear friend and brother and faithful preacher of the Gospel up in relentless prayer.


Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5 (ESV)

Jack

English Standard Version

I am often asked which translation of the Bible is the best. That is a hard question to answer since there are a number of versions that have fine qualities, including the New King James and the New International. However, 18 months ago I made the decision to choose and use the English Standard Version as my primary reading and preaching/teaching Bible. I made this decision as a result of personal study and careful evaluation. The reason for such change is the balance of accuracy, clarity and readability found in the ESV.

The ESV “seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer.” Rather than being a translation based on a “thought for thought” style, greater effort has been made to provide a translation that honors the grammar, words and sentence structures of both the original Hebrew or Greek and contemporary English languages. The result of this effort is a translation of accuracy and clarity that enhances understanding of biblical truth and honors the highest standards of biblical scholarship. I also appreciate the beauty of the text and find it readable both publicly and privately.

The ESV provides word-for-word precision and literary excellence for a biblical text that is both reliable and beautiful. If you would like to learn more about the ESV, please visit www.esv.org. You can also browse our website at www.prestonwoodbookstore.org or simply stop by one of the Prestonwood Bookstores to see and learn more about the English Standard Version.

Obviously, it is very important that you select a Bible you will use. The Word of God is our spiritual food for daily strength and the powerful testimony of God’s eternal Truth. Love it. Read it. Mark it. Memorize it. Live it. Trust it. Share it. I always encourage believers to bring their Bibles to worship services and interact with the Scripture as it is delivered from the pulpit. Large screens with Scriptural support for the message are no substitute for actually holding and handling God’s Word.

"All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever."

1 Peter 1:24-25

Books, Bibles and Baseball

This week I’ve been in Orlando, Florida for the International Christian Retailers Convention. Deb and I and our daughter Kelly enjoyed meeting Christians from around the world who manage Christian bookstores and many others who produce products and resources for believers and proclaim the Gospel to the world.

I was there to sign copies of my latest book Are You Fit For Life. We had a great group show up and I ended up signing books for two hours one day and one hour the next. It was a lot of fun to meet great people and participate in the conference. By the way, you can get information about the book at www.fitforlifebook.com.

One of our evenings was spent at a dinner with my publisher, Crossway, and the release party for the brand new English Standard Study Bible. I have been studying and preaching with the ESV for some time now and many in our church have also adopted this new, and beautifully accurate translation of God’s Word. I highly recommend it. Now the Study Bible is due to be on sale in bookstores in October. Go to www.crossway.org for more information. This will be the most comprehensive, clear and conservative Study Bible ever produced. I can’t wait to get my hands on one! Of course we will carry them in our Prestonwood Bookstores as soon as they are available.

The picture here is of me and British scholar and author Dr. J.I. Packer (on the right) and the dynamic young pastor of the amazing Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, Mark Driscoll. Dr. Packer is a theological hero for many of us and is the general editor of the ESV and chief consultant for the Study Bible. We all had a great time celebrating and anticipating the upcoming release of the Study Bible which will be a gift to the church in our generation.

Have you ever wondered if a person can really change? If you know anything about baseball you most likely follow the story of Texas Ranger outfielder, Josh Hamilton. In 1999, Josh was the #1 draft choice in major league baseball, but a series of bad choices took this straight arrow kid from North Carolina down the road of drug and alcohol addition. Like a prodigal son, he wasted everything and nearly threw his life and future away. Banned from baseball and living in desperation, there seemed to be no hope for Josh. But the faithful love of his young wife and her family and a loving confrontation with his grandmother brought Josh back from the brink - Jesus changed his life. From crack cocaine, heroin and alcohol addiction, his life was transformed. Forgiven and free in Christ he was able to conquer his addiction and was restored to his faith, family, and baseball career. With very little minor league experience, this five-tooled ballplayer made it all the way to current stardom in the Big Leagues. He is the greatest talent I have seen in a generation. He has Mantle/Mays kind of talent (that’s for all you baseball fans).

So after a great half season in Texas and being voted an American League All Star, Josh stunned the sports world with an unbelievable display of Home Run power that few have ever seen. In the historic Yankee Stadium during Monday night’s Home Run Derby, Josh captured the hearts of sports fans everywhere. Hitting ball after ball deep into the night and setting the Home Run Derby record, the “Hambino” shared the reason why he was there – God, through “His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” changed his life. A dream was now a reality – telling the world of the power of Jesus to change a life. It is an amazing story of grace and redemption.

Josh Hamilton is a witness to what Jesus can do with a life given over to Him. So Sunday, I’m going to be speaking on How A Person Can Really Change. The answer is in God’s Word found in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. If you can’t join us at Prestonwood, go to our website and watch the streaming video www.powerpoint.org of our eleven o’clock service. I can’t wait to tell this story of Jesus and His Power to save. Leave a comment and tell me how Jesus changed your life – Jack.

Making A Connection

I’ve spent the last couple of days in Cleveland/Akron Ohio visiting and speaking to our PowerPoint call center. We partner with an outstanding ministry business named Infocision in receiving the hundreds of calls each day from the messages heard on radio and television. I was very impressed with the quality of the operation and the mission focus of this group. When people call in with a prayer need, a spiritual decision, or a request for teaching resources, like CDs, DVDs, and books, they are received by dedicated Christians who personally respond to each request. These “communicators” then let us know at PowerPoint and enable us to build a relationship with people who need on-going ministry. Scott Seal, Executive Director of PowerPoint, and Josh Graham, our Director of Operations, joined me for a great time of fellowship along with a book signing of my book Life According to Jesus. It was good to connect with the people who provide invaluable assistance to our ministry as they help us talk to people one on one. PowerPoint continues to grow and is making an impact for the Kingdom.

I spoke to the group regarding our commitment to proclaiming Christ and the Gospel and teaching the Word of God effectively. Please pray with us that we will be faithful and that God will give this outreach success while bearing much fruit. PowerPoint is so named from one of my life verses.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the POWER of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

The influence of Prestonwood all starts during our weekend services and then advances through our personal and cooperative witness. I can’t wait for the opportunity at both our campuses this Saturday and Sunday as together we fulfill the mission of the church.

“Our mission at Prestonwood Baptist Church is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to as many people as possible and to develop them in Christian living using the most effective means to impact the world, making a positive difference in this generation.”

HD Vision

We just opened Prestonwood’s brand new PowerPoint studio with our first programs in full HD. High Definition television is spectacular – it looks almost three dimensional. I am very grateful for the opportunity to broadcast our services in this 21st century format. PowerPoint is seen and heard around the world and the response is growing daily. The PowerPoint production team is second to none in Christian broadcasting. Look for our new HD programs to begin appearing soon and please pray for this ministry.

From the PowerPoint studio I went to downtown urban, inner city Dallas to visit with our H.I.S. BridgeBuilders teams working to change lives every day. This ministry is led by Mike Fechner, and an incredible team of staff and volunteers is providing hope in Christ to thousands of hurting people in the inner city. We are engaging a broken world with the Gospel. BridgeBuilders supports a professional eye clinic, a dental clinic and also a computer training center. Many Prestonwood members are serving and sharing Christ up close and personal. In the streets of neighborhoods the world gave up on years ago, lives are changed daily. I walked away thinking – this is High Definition Christianity at its finest.

Touring the facilities with BridgeBuilders staff members

From a high tech studio of PowerPoint, to the high touch ministry of BridgeBuilders, I came away with tears in my eyes thanking God for the opportunity He is giving us to proclaim Christ and extend hope to countless souls locally and globally. Are you a High Definition Christian?

Happy 4th of July

The 4th of July is a day to celebrate our great nation. Enjoy the fireworks, the great food on the grill, and especially your family and friends. The life and liberties we know as Americans represent the very best nation on earth. I am proud to be an American and especially grateful for God’s blessings upon our country. Love America and be loyal to its great principles of freedom. Pray for our leaders both local and national and do not forget those who are serving in our military defending our way of life.

We all can serve our nation by giving ourselves to ministry in our neighborhoods and communities. In our church we constantly encourage one another to be salt and light. Here are just a few ways you can bless America with God’s work:

• Volunteer to work with children and teenagers
• Serve in a Crisis Pregnancy Center
• Work in a ministry with special needs persons
• Help a widow with household physical labor
• Support a single parent with encouragement and assistance with their children
• Give a gift to the poor or a food bank
• Visit a friend or neighbor in the hospital
• Assist in a program for the addicted
• Befriend and express appreciation for a teacher (both church and school teachers), and the police and firefighters
• Mentor a college student or seminarian
• Be a part of a military ministry

These are just a few ideas as to how you can be a great American by serving our citizens and influencing our culture. Can you think of, or suggest others? If so, leave a comment and let us know. There are so many ways we can make a difference for Christ. Of course, social ministries help us earn the right to speak the Gospel into people’s lives. We express our love for God by loving our neighbor.

And who is our neighbor? Anyone who has a need. Just as the Samaritan served the beaten man on the side of the road, we are to compassionately minister God’s grace and mercy to people who need Jesus. Sharing Jesus is a way of life for the spirit filled Christian. So enjoy the 4th and give thanks to the God of freedom who provides an abundant life to all who call upon His Name. Then turn your gratitude to active service in the church to advance God’s Kingdom on earth right where you live.

A Big Move

I am happy to announce a major move with PowerPoint at KCBI. Our daily program of teaching and proclaiming God’s Word is now heard Monday through Friday at 8:30am!

KCBI is a wonderful station in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and is heard throughout North Texas and beyond. Founded by Dr. W. A. Criswell and operated by the outstanding Criswell Bible Institute, KCBI is the largest non-profit Christian radio station in America.

The listenership is huge and we are very grateful to move from our former time at 12:30pm to the drive-time 8:30am slot. We will be on just before Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living and David Jeremiah with Turning Point.

It is a privilege to be a part of the Criswell radio family. Dr. W.A. Criswell was an amazing and powerful preacher of the Gospel. To be included in his legacy is an incredible privilege.

So now you can hear PowerPoint in the Metroplex at 8:00am on The WORD 100.7 and at 8:30am on KCBI 90.9. For those of you who want to find PowerPoint in your area go to www.powerpoint.org for information.

Let me hear from you if you are finding our program either on television weekly or daily on radio.

June 30, 1950

That means yesterday was my birthday! Yes, I am now 58. To me birthdays are a great time to reflect and project. To remember the past and look forward to the future.

The photo is actually me in my first year. I was born in a small town in Arkansas, 30 miles north of Little Rock, a place called Conway. The population of Conway was around 10,000 in the 1950’s. My Dad, Tom, ran a drive-in called the Dan-Dee-Dog. We served delicious corn dogs, malts, etc. Some of my happiest days early on were hanging out at the drive-in with my Dad. My mother, Emogene, was a stay at home mom so she spent a lot of time chasing me. The 1950’s were a much simpler time. I spent my days playing ball and most of the evenings catching fire flies in a jar or swinging on the front porch with my grandpa. I actually liked school and picked up a life-long habit of reading. My maternal grandfather Sims taught me…readers are leaders.

The toys were very simple…hula-hoops, slinkies, electric football, and the like. But we never lacked for fun even though there was not a lot of money. I loved being a boy growing up in very innocent times.

The most important thing that happened to me in those early years was my salvation. I believed and received Jesus into my life as a six year old attending a tent-revival with pastor/evangelist J. Harold Smith. It is the most vivid remembrance of my early life and set the course for my future. I am very grateful for a Christian home and family that made it possible to become a follower of Jesus at a young age. He truly has given me a wonderful life. So I am celebrating life in Christ today and looking forward to the days and years ahead. For the believer, the best is always yet to come!

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:17