When Deb and I started PowerPoint Ministries 16 years ago, we didn’t know what God had in store. We just knew we wanted to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth through the broadcast ministry.
Today, at any given time, PowerPoint is proclaiming the truth of the Gospel somewhere in the world, either through radio, television or the Internet. We hear from listeners every day through phone calls and e-mails and Facebook. I recently heard that our Daily Word e-mail devotional is sent to more than 4.7 million people. It is such an incredible blessing to hear testimonies from people all over the world about how God’s Word has changed their lives.
We have an amazing staff at PowerPoint, men and women who share mine and Deb’s passion to reach the lost and the dying. I am so very grateful for their heart and commitment and dedication. (Above is a picture of some of the guys and I taking in a Rangers game recently.) They, along with our many volunteers are truly the hands and feet of this ministry.
We have a great group of volunteers, about 65 or so, who come in monthly to help get our PowerLiving newsletter out. (See photos.) They patiently stuff thousands of envelopes for us. The great thing is the camaraderie that they’ve established, the like-mind they have for not only this ministry but for God’s kingdom. I praise God for what he is doing through PowerPoint and I can’t thank Him enough for the wonderful people he’s brought alongside us in this mission to reach people with the life-changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus invites you to spend time alone in prayer, away from your worries and cares … just you and Him. Yet in today’s world, there are so many distractions around us all the time. Even when we are away from work, work has a tendency to follow us. It can be hard to unplug ... to just be a human being instead of a human doing.
Jesus invites you not only to pray, but also to draw near to Him privately in Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
When we pray, we draw near to the heart of God. We simply get to know Him better! So learn to pray with the goal of knowing God—not just presenting your requests. A simple change in how you pray will motivate you to pray more consistently. And your relationship with God will grow deeper in your prayer time.
Through prayer you will come to understand more clearly not only who you are, but what you were created for. It will change the way you view your relationships with your friends and family. And, it will change the way you steward your resources. You will grow to acknowledge that everything you have is God’s.
There is no doubt that prayer changes us from the inside out as our heartfelt desires are conformed to the will of God!
(The July issue of the PowerLivingnewsletter from PowerPoint Ministriesprovides insights on discovering the will of God through prayer.)
I’ve baptized in the River Jordan and a few other rivers here and there. But yesterday was my first time at a waterpark. Teaching Pastor Jarrett Stephens and I baptized 24 in “Lazy River” at Hawaiian Falls. It was an incredible experience, not just for me and Jarrett and the men, women and children who were baptized, but also for the more than 1,000 who came out to celebrate this special time.
We have a great relationship with Hawaiian Falls and its president, David Busch, since it opened a handful of years ago. During the summer, the park closes to the public on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. so that our members can invite guests at discount prices.
It’s been a wonderful outreach opportunity for us. The cool thing about yesterday ... not just the fact that the water was refreshing in the heat of this Texas summer ... was that we were privileged to baptize David and his 19-year-old son, Brian. How awesome is that? (Here's a photo of them being baptized.)
I was asked by a TV reporter if this was an unusual place to baptize. I said Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan not in a church. And while it’s great to baptize people in a church, the outdoors is great, too, because the message of the Good News is what baptism symbolizes, and it should be wide open. So I don’t think it could be more ideal, having it in a wide open space where more than 1,000 could witness ... and then go ride The Torpedo!
Every church should have a high school choir like we have. Every pastor should go witness what the Lord does through this next generation. While in Boston I’ve been blown away by the passion of our students and the way they have touched people they’ve ministered to not only through the concerts by their volunteer work. Last night I joined our team at a student rally at Tremont Temple Baptist Church in downtown Boston, a historic church led by my friend, Dr. Denton Lotz. I am grateful to be partnering with this great church family and with our own church plant Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge, led by Curtis Cook. (That's me and Curtis at Tremont.) I appreciate what both are doing to reach this largely unchurched region. The fields are white for harvest, indeed ... and we are so blessed to be able to walk alongside these friends in reaching the lost and the hurting.
I’m so excited about the heart of our students and young adults to share the Gospel. More than 250 of our High School Choir members and about 20 Young Singles are in the Boston area this week ministering with Hope Fellowship Church. I love the relationship we’ve built over the years with Hope Fellowship, led by dynamic young pastor Curtis Cook. I’m looking forward to joining Team Prestonwood in Boston later this week. Here’s a video from our High School Worship Ministry I think you’ll enjoy.
At one time or another, we all feel that our world is moving atMach 10 speed. It can be so overwhelming. There’s so much to do that quiet time in the Word falls by the wayside. And then we wonder why everything is so chaotic.... That special time with the Lord can only bring peace to our lives. It is the one thing that should not be viewed as optional. Pausing to spend time with our Savior, to study the Word, to pray, to seek His face is the top priority in everyday life. As we continue our 10 for 10 Faith Challenge, consider this short excerpt from my booklet PAUSE: Resting in God Instead of Stressing Out that tells us about the peace that can come only from the One who saves.
PAUSE: Resting in God Instead of Stressing Out
Being the easily disturbed creatures that they are, sheep will not drink beside a raging, rushing river. They are too afraid they might fall in, and who wouldn’t be challenged by the prospect of swimming in a wooly overcoat?
So, in deference to the sheep’s desires on this front, their good shepherd will hunt high and low for a silent, still stream. If he can’t find one, he will dip the crook of his staff into the rough water and move stones around until he forms a little dam where still waters can form. He is that committed to his sheep’s refreshment. He is that committed to their care.
You and I are just like those sheep. When life’s storms gather above us and when turbulent waters rise, we can rest in the knowledge that our Good Shepherd is working diligently to seek out a silent, still stream.
Mark 4:37–41 tells the story of a crashing storm that erupts over the boat carrying Jesus’ disciples one night. The disciples thought their earthly time was up, but Jesus knew the real score. Instead of trembling, He took charge. He looked into the ominous clouds and said simply, “Peace! Be still.” The clouds, of course, complied.
In the same way, Jesus comes to us in the midst of the turbulent times in our life with those three words that carry great comfort,
“Peace! ...........Be .................still.”
Are you facing circumstances that you can’t seem to bear?
Are you afraid you’re going under?
That you’re over your head this time?
Watch for your Shepherd, my friend, because He’s on His way. He carries a staff in His hand and promises to arrange the stones so that refreshment can be yours.
Here’s a powerful entry I thought I’d share with you from The Journals of Jim Elliot. Jim, as you know, was one of five missionaries killed in the Ecuadorian jungle by an indigenous people whom they were trying to reach with the Gospel. This is from July 7, 1948, four years before arriving in Ecuador and eight years before his death.
July 7 Psalm 104:4 “He makes his ministers a flame of fire.” Am I ignitible? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of “other things.” Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame. But flame is transient, often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul, short life? In me there dwells the Spirit of the Great Short-Lived, whose zeal for God’s house consumed Him, and He has promised baptism with the Spirit and with fire. “Make me Thy fuel, flame of God.”
As we praise God and give thanks for America on this Fourth of July weekend, it’s important that we keep in mind our responsibilities and our duties as Christian citizens.
We’ve been born into the kingdom of God by faith in Christ and, therefore, our focus both here and hereafter is unique. It is beyond the temporal—it is eternal.
We not only have a heavenly citizenship, but we also have a citizenship on earth. We have a heavenly allegiance to Christ and also a national allegiance to Christ for we’re told that while we’re on earth we are to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
We are privileged to live in our great country, and as Americans we have a sacred trust. It is our ordained responsibility to be good citizens. It was the great American Daniel Webster who said: “Whatever it is that makes men good Christians makes them good citizens as well.”
Today, we honor America—and that is appropriate and it is biblical. It is proper to wave the flag, to raise the flag, to sing patriotic hymns, and to celebrate our freedoms and liberties as a nation.
As we show our gratitude and appreciation to our country and the people who give us our earthly freedom, may we continually praise the One who gained our eternal freedom.
I was ecstatic to read in the Dallas Morning News today about a court ruling in favor of our constitutional rights and religious freedom... It’s a very timely reminder, as the Fourth of July approaches, of the incredible privilege we have as Americans and as believers to celebrate our earthly and eternal freedom. And it is also a reminder that we must stand up for what we believe ... we must fight the good fight to protect our Christian heritage and values.
Here’s what the DMN reported that happened on Wednesday. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that two principals in schools right here in Plano (Thomas Elementary and Rasor Elementary) violated the constitutional rights of students beginning back in 2001 when they confiscated candy cane pens that explained the meaning of the candy canes (we all learned this as children); and pencils that said things such as “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” The students were planning to hand out the pens and pencils at school.
The DMN reported: The principals "had fair warning that the suppression of student-to-student distribution of literature on the basis of religious viewpoint is unlawful under the First Amendment," three judges concluded in a sometimes strongly worded decision.
I am so proud of and grateful for the work of my friend, Kelly Shackelford, a local attorney and constitutional scholar who founded Liberty Institute and has protected traditional family values and constitutional freedoms for many years. Kelly represented the families behind the lawsuit and in a statement talked about the enormity of this ruling for the First Amendment. “It is truly outrageous for school officials to argue they have a right to engage in religious speech discrimination against elementary school students,” Kelly said.
So, celebrate this victory ... and be grateful for those who are defending our country, not only on the battlefields, but also in the courtrooms.
As we continue our 10 for 10 Faith Challenge as a church family here at Prestonwood, and, actually, for any believer, it’s important to be aware of our individual spiritual gifts and how to go about finding where we are best suited to make use of those gifts. In a recent interview with HomeLife Magazine, a LifeWay publication, Teaching Pastor Jarrett Stephens spoke about just that—finding and using our spiritual gifts. Below is a transcript of the questions and answers.
What are some myths that members of the body believe about gifts, passion and service to the Church?
One of the myths is that gifts and service are completely separate and distinct. I don’t believe they are separate and distinct, but rather they’re woven together. Psalm 139 says that God knit us together in our mother’s womb. He intricately designed us and I believe that in so doing, He gave us our personality; He set the course for where we would live, the family to which we would belong, the context in which we would grow up. So we have all these experiences that come along in life that make us, and I believe God sovereignly ordained it. It wouldn’t make sense for those things that make us who we are and the things that we love and enjoy doing would be completely different from how he has equipped us spiritually to help build up the body of Christ.
Another myth is that our gifts are completely separate and distinct from our vocational calling. A lot of times, people think, “Here’s what I love to do but the church doesn’t really have a place for that.” And that’s just not true. You might have a calling to the financial field where you’re dealing with numbers all day, but you have the spiritual gift of administration. So the church can find a place for you to use what you’ve been vocationally called to within service to the kingdom of God. I would even argue that it is when this combination is present that you will feel increasingly used by God and passionate about your personal ministry both in the church and in the workplace.
Is “passion” for a person’s service as vital as popular books might suggest? I don’t know if it’s as vital as popular books suggest, I’ll leave that up for debate. But, I’ll take a passionate leader using his spiritual gifts over an impassionate leader using his gifts any day. When someone is passionate about what he or she is doing, it’s contagious; you feed off that. In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul tells Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God which has been given to him. So what he’s saying is, exercise this gift; use this gift. If you don’t, the gift tends to fade. When you begin seeing God use you in ways that you can’t describe and working through you to help build up his kingdom, passion will follow the service.
I tell people all the time when they’re trying to discern their spiritual gift that taking a gift inventory may be a good tool on learning where to begin this journey of discovering your unique spiritual gift, but more than anything you just need to start serving somewhere, and when you sense the smile of God on your life, that’s where you need to stay. I think God will give you and equip you to do that which you’re passionate about. Obviously, there’s the obedience factor as well. When God tells you to do something, though you might not be very passionate about it at first, He will grow you in that area if that’s indeed your spiritual gift. 1 Corinthians 7:7 says that God has given us each our own gift—nothing can be more exciting than discovering that gift from God! 1 Peter 4:10 says we are to be good stewards of that gift, so making sure that we are operating in our spiritual strengths and using our gift is of utmost importance.
I think God will give us a passion and the opportunities to use and grow our gifts in many different ways. And that passion will grow once we see God using us…once we see God opening up doors to be used by Him in ways that we never imagined through the avenue of our spiritual gifts.
As a Pastor, what’s the one, two or three attitudes your members might exercise that would be most helpful to you in expanding the reach of Christ through your Church?
Humility is by far the No. 1 attitude as it pertains to spiritual gifts. No one gift is more important than another. A preaching gift is not more important than the gift of service. We all need one another. In Philippians 2, Christ said to consider others more important than yourself; take this mind that is in yourself, the mind of Christ Jesus, who considered himself nothing while taking on the very nature of a servant. 1 Corinthians 12 equates the gifts to a physical body and teaches us that we are to use our gifts in a way that serves one another and builds up the body of Christ into maturity. We want to see church members exercise these gifts, expanding the reach of Christ and fulfilling the mission of Christ.
Now, I don’t know if unity is an attitude as much as it is a byproduct of this. In John 17, Jesus says that the world will know that the Father sent Him when they see that we are one. When people see us working together, it’s something beautiful that will draw those who don’t know Christ to us because they see us being used in ways that are supernatural so to speak—the gift of giving, the way we show hospitality, the gift of teaching, in a way that is not seen in the natural realm. It is the supernatural element of our gifts that creates interest to draw people to the Body and ultimately to Christ Himself.
When you hear “finding your passion” in a Church context, what don’t you want people to think?
What I don’t want them to think is that their passion is the same thing as their spiritual gift, but that they are woven together. If you have a passion to coach kids, that’s not a spiritual gift. You might have the spiritual gift of leadership or administration. You might have passion to serve widows, but your spiritual gift is mercy. So there is a difference there. What we don’t want is for our people to say, “I have a passion for this so I’m using my spiritual gift.” That’s not necessarily the case. What we need is education from a theological standpoint on what the spiritual gifts are; how they’re defined; and what role they play in the body. But our passions are enhanced when we have the spiritual gifts to go alongside.
I think it’s very important that you search the Scriptures and ask the Spirit of God what your gift is. The only thing more miserable than operating outside the spiritual gifts that God has given you is not knowing what spiritual gifts God has graciously given you. I would encourage people to pray and ask God what it is and how to determine that. I’m all for an inventory tests, but I just want to stress the importance of rolling up your sleeves and getting in the game. God will make it very clear what your spiritual gift is, and chances are it will be something that requires you to step out on faith and out of your comfort zone. More often than not it will be something that stretches you a bit, that you couldn’t normally do on your own. The beauty of this paradox, though, is watching God work in and through you in big ways for His glory.
When Deb and I started PowerPoint Ministries 16 years ago, we didn’t know what God had in store. We just knew we wanted to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth through the broadcast ministry. 
group of volunteers, about 65 or so, who come in monthly to help get our PowerLiving newsletter out. (See photos.) They patiently stuff thousands of envelopes for us. The great thing is the camaraderie that they’ve established, the like-mind they have for not only this ministry but for God’s kingdom.
or the wonderful people he’s brought alongside us in this mission to reach people with the life-changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Posts
