Will You Shout?

In preparing my Easter message, I remembered a story I heard long ago that speaks so clearly to every believer. It’s an incredible testimony I wanted to share with you.

William Sangster, one of the great preachers of the 20th century, suffered from muscular atrophy and began losing muscle control. In his final days, he was unable to speak. On his last Easter, he wrote a letter to his daughter:

“It is terrible to wake up on Easter morning and have no voice with which to shout, ‘He is risen!’ ... But it would be still more terrible to have a voice and not want to shout.”

God has given us a voice, and as long as I have life and breath and strength, I intend to shout, “Jesus is alive!” Not just on Easter, every day.

How about you ... will you shout?

What If ...

What if there were no Easter? Can you imagine that? Think about the difference historically. Think about the difference in your own personal history ...

What if is an incredible question. What if there was no Resurrection of Jesus Christ? What if Easter is a myth? What if Christ is still in the grave? What if the disciples deceived us and made the whole thing up?

These are questions that the Apostle Paul himself offers in 1 Corinthians 15 and in offering these questions, he leads us to an honest examination of our faith and comes to a glorious conclusion:

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The ONLY Reason

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, consider that from the dawn of that first Easter morning, when Christ came out of the grave, we have been celebrating His love, His life ... and Easter became Easter every day for the child of God because we have been given Easter Life.

Easter Life is eternal life ... and that life is in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. What matters most in life is the Resurrection of Christ. There are many reasons why people will be going to church on Easter ... but the only reason that really matters is the Resurrection—the reality of the Resurrection.

The Resurrection is not peripheral ... it is central ... it is essential ... it is vital to our faith. Remove the Resurrection from our faith and Christianity collapses completely; there is nothing left. The message of Jesus to the world is the message of life:

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25).

Real People...Real Stories...Real Faith...

For the past 10 weeks, the Preaching Team and I have been exploring Hebrews 11 for the message series Real People...Real Stories...Real Faith. We’ve been studying God’s Hall of Faith, the Hall of Champions ... the great stories of remarkable biblical heroes. And the amazing thing is that these were real people, each one of them ... Abraham and Moses and Gideon and Samson and so on...

The Scripture says these things were written unto us as examples to encourage us, and these wonderful stories ... stories that inspired me when I was a child still inspire me today. The common thread has been by faith. We’ve seen these heroes of the faith fight the good fight by faith.

This weekend we’ll close the series with the message “Enduring Faith.” And as we observe Palm Sunday ... the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days leading up to the Crucifixion and Resurrection ... this passage from Hebrews 12:1–3 is powerful in how it speaks to us in such a time as this:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

"Holy of Holies"

This song really blessed me on Sunday. I hope it blesses you as well...(We're led in worship here by the wonderful Prestonwood Choir & Orchestra and Jarrod Monk, one of the young men on our Praise Team.)

Giving it All

In these days, as we approach the holiest time in the Christian calendar, our focus should be like that of Mary of Bethany. She sat at the feet of Jesus, contemplating the greatness of her Savior and her love for Him. What could she possibly do to return her love for what He had done in her family? After all, Jesus had raised from the dead her beloved brother Lazarus.

Mary took the most valuable item she owned, perfume, and she poured the precious ointment on the feet of Jesus. She wiped His feet with her hair, anointing the Son of God as a sacrifice of her love and devotion to Him. So I ask, how would we describe the devotion we have for Jesus, our Savior who gave it all, who died on the Cross for our sins and rose victorious from the grave?

As we prepare for Easter, we shouldn’t give our Lord just part of our life. I don’t want to give God just a portion, but the very best that I have. Mary gave her very best and she gave it all. She didn’t hold back.

Let’s not hold back. Let’s rejoice in our Lord and Savior as Mary did and let’s give it all. What Mary did—something so simple and yet so powerful—lasted from then to now and into eternity. What we can do for our Lord is to leave a legacy by sharing with as many people as possible the greatest Good News that the world has ever heard ... Jesus lives.

Please pray about whom you know who needs to hear the Easter Story and invite that person to join us here at Prestonwood (or wherever your church home may be) for Worship Services in the coming weeks.

"DAY 77"

I was reading this in the A Daily Encounter with God devotional that I wrote last year, and I can honestly say that “Day 77” certainly is a devo I could pass along day after day after day...

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. —Hebrews 4:12

God’s Word is an amazing gift He has given to each of us. Yet so many times, we don’t study, read, meditate, and live out God’s Word like we should!

The Bible is the most important tool a believer can have on this earth and it serves specific and strategic purposes in every believer’s life.

First, God’s Word gives us spiritual counsel. There are so many decisions in life to make, some big and some small. And the Bible is there to give us guidance on these decisions.

Do you want to know God’s will for your life? Then get into His Word. Psalm 119:105 promises us that God will guide us every step of the way. You can learn and live the will of God for your life through the promises and principles found in His Word.

God’s Word also offers us spiritual correction. Perhaps you have fallen off the path God has for you and you want to get going in the right direction. Well, God’s Word is there to lead you back.

Third, God’s Word is there to enable us to face spiritual conflict. Satan and his team of evil forces are working all around us, all the time. And it’s crucial that you be armed with the knowledge, truth, and power found in God’s Word. The Bible enables us to conquer our spiritual problems as well as face the daily burdens that we all have in life!

And finally, God’s Word offers us spiritual communion with God. When we study the Word of God, we get to know God’s character. It’s not just an ancient book, irrelevant to today’s culture. God’s Word is alive and it is there to change your life!

It’s my prayer that as you faithfully read, study, memorize, meditate, obey, and share God’s Word, your life will never be the same!

THE BIBLE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A BELIEVER CAN HAVE ON THIS EARTH.

Saint Patrick's Day

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, here’s a little background on Saint Patrick himself ... and below, please take a moment to read a prayer attributed to him long ago, but still so relevant today...

At the age of 16, Saint Patrick, a Briton, was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland where he became a slave to the chieftain of Ulster. One night, after six years of slavery, Saint Patrick heard a voice, "Behold, thy ship is ready." He traveled two hundred miles on foot to a place where he knew no one and had never been. He wrote in his autobiographical account, "After this, I took flight and left the man with whom I had been six years; and I came in the strength of the Lord, who directed my way for good; and I feared nothing until I arrived at the ship. And on that same day on which I arrived, the ship moved out of its place."

Patrick made his way back to Britain, found his family, and could have lived out the rest of his life in relative comfort in the land of freedom. But in 432 AD, he had another vision. He saw a man coming to him from Ireland carrying innumerable letters. "And I read the beginning of the letter containing 'The voice of the Irish.' And while I was reading aloud the beginning of the letters, I myself thought indeed in my mind that I heard the voice of those who were near the wood of Foclut, which is close by the Western Sea. And they cried out thus as if with one voice, "We entreat thee, holy youth, that thou come, and henceforth walk among us." And I was deeply moved in my heart, and could read no further; and so I woke."

Saint Patrick went back to Ireland as a missionary. No outside religion had penetrated Ireland in a thousand years. Saint Patrick founded more than 300 churches and baptized more than 120,000 people. His ministry was so influential that he came to be known as the one who "found Ireland all heathen and left it all Christian."
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I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me… Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

Christ shield me today against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today through the mighty strength… of the Creator of Creation.

In the Valley of the Sun

Having a great time in the Phoenix area...The short video will tell you a little bit more about what I've been up to while here...And as you can tell by the photo below, it also involved taking in Spring Training...and talking a little baseball with one of my favorite Texas Rangers, my friend and Prestonwood's own, outfielder David Murphy.

My Mentors – Part II

I’m in Arizona this week for some PowerPoint Ministries speaking engagements and it got me to thinking about my heroes in the faith ... the men who have made a lasting impression in my life and ministry.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the great Charles Haddon Spurgeon... Today, I look at the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody.

Dwight L. Moody

Moody is a mentor for every person who has the heart of an evangelist, including myself. He is the 19th century version of Billy Graham. As a young minister, I read biographies on Moody, which inspired me to share Christ faithfully.

The secret of his life was surrender. Though uneducated formally, he was an avid student of the Scriptures and a self-taught proclaimer of the Gospel. Led to Christ by a shoe salesman, the Chicago native preached revival meetings across America and in Europe, shaking two continents for Christ.

He personally shared Jesus on a daily basis and refused to go to bed until he had witnessed to at least one person. He also founded the famous and biblically conservative Moody Bible Institute, which has trained thousands of ministers, missionaries, and servants of Christ.

Moody’s portrait and a personal letter can be viewed (as seen here) in my library as a reminder to always possess the heart of an evangelist. His witness endures through the generations.

PowerPoint on TBN

I’m always humbled and thrilled to see what the Lord is doing with PowerPoint Ministries. When my wife, Deb, and I started this ministry more than 15 years ago, we wanted to take the message preached in the Prestonwood pulpit beyond the walls of the church ... we wanted to proclaim the truth of God’s Word wherever He would lead us.

It is amazing to see where He has led us as we consider now that we broadcast in about 80 countries and more than 600 stations throughout the world. We’re blessed to be in nearly all top 10 radio markets in the country ... and, we are grateful to now be broadcasting on Trinity Broadcasting Network. We are excited about extending our reach to millions, the saved and the unsaved, with the life-transforming message of our Lord—making an eternal difference in people’s lives.

PowerPoint is on at noon (CST) following a couple of great programs, Love Worth Finding with one of my heroes in the ministry, Dr. Adrian Rogers, at 11:00 a.m., and In Touch Ministries with Dr. Charles Stanley, at 11:30 a.m.

So tell your friends to tell their friends... PowerPoint @ Noon (CST) Sundays on TBN.

Julius on ESPN Top Freshmen List

Julius Randle, our 6’7, 215 pound power forward at PCA, has been named among the top freshmen basketball players in the country by ESPN Recruiting.

Here’s what they said about Julius, who helped the Lions win the state championship just last week:

Julius Randle, PF (Dallas/Prestonwood Christian):
Standing at 6-7, 225 pounds, Randle is a very athletic and powerful low-post player.

He is a lefty who has developing post moves. Randle is reminiscent of a young Chris Webber at the same stage. He has limited range on his shot right now but he scores well inside 10 feet, mostly on dunks.

Reaching London through Premier

I had a great time at lunch today with our friend Peter Kerridge, Chief Executive of Premier Christian Radio in London. It’s been a privilege to be on the radio daily there for the past four years, reaching millions of people who don’t know Christ. In my last blog I wrote about one of my heroes in the faith, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It’s distressing to see a place like London, the home of one of the best preachers who ever lived, come to this point ... increasingly unchurched and increasingly Islamic.

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Premier ... to be there as a light with the Gospel, to reach those who maybe have never set foot in a church, and to disciple believers who sometimes feel alone there.

Here’s a testimony we received not long ago from a gentleman in London that truly touched me:

“Every week day morning my devotion starts at 5:30 a.m. with Jack Graham on Premier with PowerPoint. I only discovered this radio station about six months ago and I can truly say that it's changed my life. I no longer wake up to the local news station bearing bad news; I now wake up to hear a clear message from God’s devoted servant speaking directly to my circumstances and touching my heart ... this preparing me in the Word for my day at work as a Prison Correction Officer. I go to work each morning wearing God’s Armor, protected by His sword and covered with His precious blood. I am sincerely grateful that I can look forward to each day knowing that God’s love is so rich, so pure, so measureless and strong. Keep up God’s work as I continue to pray for the Graham family here in London, England.”