Another State Title

Congratulations to the Prestonwood Christian Academy Boys Basketball Team for winning the TAPPS 5A state title today!

The growing rivalry between PCA and Trinity Christian has the makings of a great one. Last year, it was TCA’s turn, and this time, PCA came from behind to win 50-45... One of the best high school basketball games I’ve ever seen.

I’ve always thought high school sports are a wonderful way to build teamwork and lasting friendships and to learn valuable life lessons... You don’t always win, but you play hard and you play fair and you never, ever give up.

We saw that in today’s game ... fine young men (many of whom are members of Prestonwood ...from both schools) led by great coaches playing the game the right way, and giving all the honor and glory to God when it was done. PCA won this time, the school’s third state championship (football and boys soccer) this year plus a national cheerleading title.

The Lions were the winners ... but there were no losers.

My Mentors - Part 1

I am often asked about mentors in my life … pastors and preachers who shaped my thinking, preaching, and leadership. This weekend I’m celebrating my 40^th anniversary in the ministry. (I can’t believe it’s been 40 years since I was ordained.) I thought this would be a good time to pay tribute to the men who have greatly impacted my ministry.

So, over the next few blogs, I want to mention the men who have influenced me.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

He is known as the “Prince of Preachers.” He was Pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London from 1853–1891. He published a legion of books of sermons and established a school for preachers. Lectures to My Students is on my must-read list for ministers.

I am grateful for his conservative, biblical faith, his brilliance and intelligence, and his heart for evangelism. After all these years, his work is perhaps even more critical now. It still speaks. His daily devotions, morning and evening, are powerful. Read Spurgeon. His life and faith will amaze you.

(The photos show the “Spurgeon Corner” in my library.)

Random Greatness

About 1,500 of us had an incredible time at our annual Men’s Conference this morning and last night. If you’ve never heard John Tolson talk about discipleship, you’re missing a lot… Here’s what he left us with: If 1,000 men from Prestonwood discipled two men each year, and those men did the same, and so on and so on, at the end of 10 years, 59 million men would be discipled.

Prestonwood Christian Academy captured another state title… (I’m beginning to lose count!) Today it was the PCA soccer team that brought home the TAPPS Division II Boys Soccer State Championship. Congratulations, Lions! Just waiting on our boys basketball to do the same soon…

Been enjoying the XXI Winter Olympics and the ridiculously great performance by the Americans so far. The speed skating, downhill skiing and snowboarding are always cool to watch (not so much with the ice skating or dancing or whatever it is)…Going to miss it when it’s over…

Talk about greatness—opening the Dallas Morning News and seeing a full page of Texas Rangers coverage each morning… Nothing like the start of Spring Training…

The Speech That Could Save Tiger Woods

As the world awaits word from the fallen Tiger Woods tomorrow in what could be the most anticipated 5-minute press conference in sports history, I wanted to share with you this excellent piece written by my good friend Mark DeMoss that says everything I think we all pray will come from the mouth of Tiger...


The Speech That Could Save Tiger Woods
After months of anticipation, Tiger puts the finishing touches on what will likely be the most scrutinized remarks of his life. A PR exec drafts the speech that could save him.

I'm here to say I'm sorry. I have been blessed beyond measure but have made a mess of my life, squandering the trust and support so many have placed in me throughout my young career. I blame myself for my troubles and now want to apologize to a number of people, starting with my wife. Elin, I'm sorry for embarrassing and hurting and betraying you and our precious little girl and boy. You deserve so much better.

I'm also sorry for bringing reproach to the game of golf. For centuries golf has been universally considered a "gentlemen's game," and I have behaved in a most ungentlemanly way in recent years. I'm sorry for setting a horrible example to the thousands of kids the Tiger Woods Foundation has worked with and I'm sorry for embarrassing the sponsors who lent their good names to me - and paid me handsomely for the association.

Then, I want to apologize to the "good guys" on tour, for living so recklessly as to cause many people to assume all professional athletes conduct their personal lives like I was. I've been fortunate to play alongside countless men who are faithful to their wives, their values and convictions, and I'm sorry I didn't follow their examples.

I don't blame anyone for my recent problems but myself. I appreciate that some have tried to defend me by attributing my moral failures to the pressures of being the top-ranked golfer, or losing my father, living in the spotlight and so on. They should stop deflecting and place the blame where it belongs - squarely on my shoulders.

There has been much debate in recent weeks about privacy and how much of it celebrities are entitled to. I can't speak for other celebrities but I will tell you this: as much as I cherish privacy, I don't deserve it and certainly don't consider myself entitled to it. I forfeited any benefit of doubt and privacy by my terrible actions and must now suffer the consequences. I can't expect the same media that reports my professional successes to people around the globe (which helped me earn a lot of money) to now ignore my personal failures. I understand and accept that - and could have controlled it by my own actions.

Now, since there has been so much speculation about what I'm going to do next, I thought I would tell you myself.

1. I will not play any of golf's four major tournaments in 2010. These majors are sacred in our sport and they don't deserve to be tarnished by my behavior off the course. If this self-imposed sabbatical keeps me from catching Jack Nicklaus's career record for major victories, so be it - he deserves the record.
2. I will not play any tournament until I determine whether or not my marriage can be salvaged. No trophy or prize money is more important than my relationship with Elin and our two children. I am working hard to regain their respect before I try to win yours.
3. I have asked a special group of men - Jack Nicklaus, Tony Dungy and a pastor of their choosing - to mentor me and hold me accountable for my behavior for at least two years. I will tell them where I'm going, what I'm doing, who I'm with and will invite any question about anything in my life from any of them at any time. I am humbly and wholeheartedly submitting to them for my personal rehabilitation and restoration.
4. I have written my remaining sponsors asking to be released from all current agreements. It has not been fair for the companies who have invested so much in me to have to make decisions about whether or not to continue these relationships, so I want to make the decision for them. In time I will begin working to rebuild the trust these people have placed in me. In the meantime, I will earn nothing from sponsors and will contribute a tithe of all they paid me last year to each company's foundation to further the charitable work of their choosing.

Finally, I am asking God and Elin for a second chance. I know God offers this, but I could not expect Elin to. If she does I will be getting a life-saving mulligan I don't deserve. Either way, I ask forgiveness and commit to do better. I was wrong. I'm sorry.

Mark DeMoss is president of The DeMoss Group, an Atlanta-based public relations firm, and frequently provides crisis management counsel. He is author of The Little Red Book of Wisdom (Nelson Business, 2007).

Touring and Sharing

A few times a week, we have seminary and church groups from all over the country and the world coming to Prestonwood for tours and to visit with staff about our ministries.

We had a group of about a dozen today from Bujeon Church in Busan, South Korea, the second largest city in the country with 3.6 million people. With our weekly PowerLunch going on today, they were also able to enjoy a meal and hear a powerful message from guest speaker Chad Hennings, former U.S. Air Force pilot and three-time Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys.

Many times, while I’m out and about on the campus, I’ll run into these groups, and I’ll tell you, it’s a privilege and an honor to have them here. Just a few weeks ago I met a group of about 30 students (in the photo) from Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Seoul. They were headed to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and were also going to tour churches in California, Massachusetts and New York.

To be able to share information about what we do here and how we do, anything that can help them reach the millions in their home country who do not yet know Christ, is indeed a blessing.

Haiti Post Script

God is moving in Haiti. Christian groups truly have been the hands and feet of God since the earthquake struck the island country. I read this morning a story about religious leaders uniting in Port-Au-Prince yesterday for a national day of mourning on the one month anniversary of the earthquake...The awesome element was not that voodoo priests and Catholics and Protestant ministers came together...The final two paragraphs in the story are what moved me:

Since the quake, some voodoo followers have converted to Christianity.

"The earthquake scared me," said Veronique Malot, 24, who joined an evangelical church two weeks ago. "Voodoo has been in my family, but the government isn't helping us. The only people giving aid are the Christian churches."

NBA All-Star Game Chapel

When Cowboys Stadium hosts the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, it will be the largest gathering ever for a basketball game. More than 90,000 are expected. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a crowd like that for an event where God is the focus?

I’ll be there on Sunday ... not for a revival ... but I will be leading Chapel for general managers, coaches and their invited guests. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the Word of God with people who will have the largest platform (figuratively and literally since Cowboys Stadium is a jaw-dropping 3 million square feet!) in the world on Sunday night.

Please pray that the message I bring will touch the hearts and lives of those who will be attending...

"White As Snow"

It’s snowing again ... and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a more beautiful snowfall in the Dallas area since I’ve been here.

I drove onto the campus this morning and saw the unbridled joy of our Prestonwood Christian Academy students playing in the snow. And then, while studying, I looked out my office window (photo above) at the beautiful snowfall and started to think about how God’s grace and mercy remove all sin and guilt and cleanse us "white as snow."

What an incredible image! Standing outside as the snow blankets us, renewing us...And what a powerful message! We are washed and removed of our sin and shame. That is a message we simply can’t share enough.

I truly believe God has blessed this church because we have been faithful in sharing the Gospel, whether here or abroad.

Since I arrived here at Prestonwood in 1989, I have leaned on Ephesians 3:20–21: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.

He has done exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think...And His mercy and grace continue to rain down on us like gorgeous snow...

A Heart for Haiti

I wrote earlier about various ministries we’re supporting that are helping the people of Haiti recover from the earthquake. I mentioned Samaritan’s Purse, the international Christian relief organization led by my good friend (or cousin, as we call each other) Franklin Graham.

I’ve traveled with Franklin before for Operation Christmas Child and I can tell you God truly has given him a heart for the hurting, the poorest of the poor. I am so grateful for what Samaritan’s Purse does in times of need. And the need is still dire in Haiti. (As the photo from Samaritan's Purse illustrates.) More than 200,000 are dead and about 300,000 were injured, and countless are homeless and sick from diseases that have come as a result of the earthquake.

Samaritan’s Purse is still on the grounds, not only tending to the physical and medical needs of the people, but the spiritual as well...You can help, through prayer and by donating money to help fund their ministry work.

Here's a great video from Franklin that I think says it all...

There's an App for That...

You know you’ve arrived (technologically speaking) when you are an app. So, go to your friendly App Store on your iPhone today and you’ll find there’s an app for PowerPoint Ministries and an app for Prestonwood.

It doesn’t get much easier than that... Seriously, can you believe how easy our lives have become? The world is literally at our fingertips.

Now, that can be good and not so good...We choose to use it for good. Our mission at Prestonwood 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.” If we aren’t taking advantage of the technology that our culture relies on today, we’re missing an incredible opportunity to reach countless all over the world with the transforming message of the Gospel.

Audio and video messages from the Prestonwood pulpit are easily accessible now no matter where you are. Most importantly, you can share it with those who don’t yet know our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resolution Solutions: A Healthier You in 2010

Today, the PowerLunch crowd here at Prestonwood heard from a panel about the importance of beginning a new journey to become healthy and fit in this new decade. I’ve joked that for many of us, resolutions seem to be forgotten by Groundhog’s Day (today!) So we had two personal trainers certified by the Cooper Clinic, my daughter-in-law Toby Graham, and Matt Brady, and Mike Maack, our Director of Sports Outreach here at the church...

They provided great information, like making fitness a lifestyle and a journey, not a destination that you stop working on when you reach a specific goal ... about doing simple things like finding a parking space farther away than usual and taking the stairs instead of the elevator ... about keeping cravings in check by finding out just how many calories a piece of chocolate cake has and what it will take to burn it off – before you eat it!

All this got me thinking about the benefits of exercise and some great information that Dr. Ken Cooper, a longtime Prestonwood member and founder of Cooper Clinic, has provided... Check it out below. I know it’ll challenge you to forget the resolutions and just make it your life’s journey to stay fit and healthy.

The Benefits of Exercise

Exercise:
• Makes rest and relaxation much easier
• Helps the lungs function more efficiently,

making breathing easier
• Increases the efficiency of the heart
• Lowers resting heart rate
• Helps the heart pump more blood with less effort
• Raises metabolism
• Increases muscle mass
• Reduces fat
• Increases bone density
• Delays or prevents osteoporosis
• Increases circulation
• Decreases the likelihood of peptic ulcers and esophageal reflux
• Strengthens the immune system
• Lowers risk of strokes
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Lowers the risk of breast cancer
• Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s
• Increases life expectancy up to10 years
• Improves the memory and cognitive ability of the brain
• Increases performance and production at work
• Improves attitude at home and at work due to the release of endorphins
• Makes you feel better
• Makes you look younger
• Helps you become a better role model and leader
• Positively affects your witness for Christ as your body is God’s temple

Exercise Decreases:
• Fatigue
• Snoring
• Heartburn
• Lower back pain
• Chronic joint or muscle pain
• Headaches
• Sleeping difficulty
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Upper respiratory infections and colds
• Likelihood of diabetes
• Body weight, which greatly impacts health
• Brain fatigue
• Absenteeism
• Cost of health care
• Your portion of health insurance costs

Healthy Eating and Good Nutrition:
• Help control your body weight
• Increase energy
• Keep you in a better mood
• Promote healthier pregnancies and babies
• Improve bodily functions
• Help you sleep better and feel more rested
• Make you feel better
• Cause you to look younger
• Help you manage your weight
• Lead to better skin tone
• Keep bones healthy
• Prevent dementia
• Prevent headaches
• Prevent depression
• Prevent arthritis
• Make hair and nails shinier and healthy
• Slow aging process

Help Avoid:
• Heart trouble
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Osteoporosis

Lower the Risk of Chronic Diseases As Well As the Top Three Causes of Death
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke