A SPECIAL WEEKEND AHEAD ...

PRAYERS & OUTREACH FOR JAPAN

The people of Prestonwood have a heart for the hurting, whether locally or across the world. Our heart aches for the people of Japan who have experienced unfathomable devastation from not only the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, but also from the ongoing nuclear crisis.

We have been praying fervently as a church family. This weekend we will receive an offering during all six of our worship services to provide assistance. Our Victim Relief Team will soon travel to Japan to help with the physical and spiritual needs of the people. And we will continue to support Southern Baptist missionaries in Japan and their ongoing presence in the nation. As a church, we are committed to short-term and long-term assistance to this country where only two percent of the people are Christ followers.

The images we have seen will forever be embedded in our minds and serve as a stark reminder of the many souls lost because they’d never heard the Gospel message. We long to provide physical assistance and, most importantly, the hope and salvation that is found only in Jesus.

PCA STUDENTS ON MISSION

More than 300 of our Prestonwood Christian Academy students have been ministering this week from Bonton in South Dallas to Abilene to the Amazon to Africa. They’ve actually been in six countries on three continents. Over the past few days, I’ve loved hearing about how this has really ministered to them. Our church has a heart for missions and Dr. Larry Taylor, the Head of School, has done a wonderful job of integrating that DNA at PCA.

I was able to meet earlier this week with the PCA Baseball Team. Coach Mike Maack and the boys had just ministered for three days in the Bonton community. It was great to hear their hearts and to see how God had done a work in them through this ministry opportunity in the inner city.

Our students participated in prayer walks and fed the homeless in Bonton, made quilts for a women's shelter, witnessed the dedication of a water well provided by our church in the Amazon and helped dispense eyeglasses to people in villages, shared Christ’s love with orphans in various locations, helped in schools and so much more. It’s been a minimester they’ll never forget.

Cali Kinder, one of our students on mission in Uganda, wrote these powerful words:

My translator, Charles, and I were talking to three different women and one of them was already born again and the other two decided to make professions of faith. Praise God! The born again woman decided to take us to the public school where she teaches and the headmaster allowed us to share with about 80 fourth through seventh grade students the Hope and EvangeCube. After sharing, every kid raised their hand to accept Christ. While we do not know for sure who truly meant it, we have planted a seed in their hearts to seek the one true God... God is doing amazing things here and we are making a difference for Christ in these villages that have never had a group like us.

That day in Uganda, our students and staff and adult chaperones presented the Gospel to more than 230 people and 67 accepted Christ.

To God be the glory!

ERIC METAXAS AT POWERLUNCH ON TUESDAY

Just three weeks into the spring season of PowerLunch at Prestonwood, we’re already off to an incredible start. I’ve been saying this is one of our finest lineups ever, and it’s evident by our guest speaker tomorrow—Eric Metaxas.

Eric is a brilliant writer who has masterfully documented the story of the German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the New York Times Best-Seller Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. It’s a powerful story of martyrdom that you won’t want to miss.

Last week, Carrie McDonnall shared a modern day story of martyrdom. Carrie and her husband, David, along with three other missionaries, were ambushed by terrorists in Iraq in 2004. Carrie was shot 22 times and suffered major injuries. But she says she found God was with her through “the valley of the shadow of death.”

Watch this video.




If you live in the area, come join us tomorrow at noon in the Student Ministry Building. And click here to check out our schedule of speakers.

MEN'S CONFERENCE ON WEBSITE & iPHONE APP

Our Men's Conference is online and on the Prestonwood iPhone app!

I tweeted on Saturday night that this conference was one of the best things we've ever done at Prestonwood. To God be the glory! It was an incredible 8 hours...God moved powerfully and lives were changed! It was a beautiful sight to see more than 3,000 men worshipping and so many making decisions for Christ.

If you attended, be sure to share this link with friends who weren't able to make it. If you didn't attend, I encourage you to view it today.

Check out the website at:
prestonwoodmensconference.org.

Download the free iPhone app at:
tiny.cc/pbcapp

• Tap the "Free Download" button (upper right corner).
• Tap "Install."
• Sign in to your account.
• Tap "OK."

Spring Training ... at Friday Morning Men's Bible Study

I’m excited about the Men’s Conference beginning tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. And I hope you’ve registered to join us. Learn more here.

But before we get to that, we’re starting a new series Spring Training at Friday Morning Men’s Bible Study tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. Men, this will help prepare us for the Men’s Conference as Jeff Young talks to us about “Fundamentals.”

We’re bringing out the big bats for this. Chris Kouba teaches March 11 on "Signals" ... Jarrett Stephens teaches "Roster" on March 18 ... and I'm batting cleanup on March 25, teaching on "Winning."

Get in the game! Join us at 6:30 a.m. in the Student Ministry Building.