Hope Springs Eternal

For fans of the great game of baseball, nothing matches the hope of spring, when no one languishes in last place and everybody can dream of the World Series. If you’re a fan, you know what I’m talking about and you know that today is the official start of Spring Training, when all players report. And it’s always a great day (even though the game has been tainted as of late).

No matter which team you follow, the anticipation leading up to Opening Day (47 days away) makes every fan a school kid again. And, really, baseball is a lot like life—filled with ups and downs, victories and defeats. Sometimes our hopes are swept away by a Mariano Rivera cutter and sometimes our joy soars on a Josh Hamilton walk-off homer in extra innings.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians savored the hopeful joy that baseball fans find this time of year...that they would share the Good News casually around the water cooler or with friends and family, or that they would religiously read God’s Word just as fervently as fans read boxscores? And wouldn’t it be great if Christians looked forward with a baseball fan’s zeal to the great day of salvation?

Because...after all...for a believer, the greatest Opening Day is yet to come.

Digging Deeper

One of my prayers for the people of Prestonwood is that we would grow deeper in the Word. I can’t tell you how essential it is to read the Bible, to study it, to understand it so that you will truly know what you believe and you will truly know God.

We want to complement what you are doing in your quiet time with God. And we are doing that not only in the services and Bible Fellowship on the weekends, but during the week. If you’re not attending on Wednesday nights, you’re missing out on a wonderful opportunity to go further in your spiritual walk. We have a diverse selection of classes through our Life & Leadership Institute. And we’ve embarked on The Journey ... A Spiritual Walk thru the Bible in Wednesday Night Bible Study.

Last week, Minister to Young Marrieds Chris Kouba did an excellent job guiding us through Genesis. Last night, I took a full crowd in The Chapel through Exodus. I tell you what, it’s exhilarating to have a solid hour (I could have gone two!) to just teach. I’ve put together a teaching schedule that includes many of our ministers. They are hungry for God’s Word and hungry to teach it. The question is ... are you hungry?

We’re still deep in the “Law” segment of this Bible study. And as I said last night, we don’t keep the law because we want to be saved; we keep the law because we are saved. As we continue through the Old Testament in the next few months, we’ll also delve into “History,” “Wisdom” and “Prophets.” Next up ... Leviticus.

Join us on this journey...

Live to Tell Stories, Salvations and Steroids

We experienced an amazing time at Prestonwood this past weekend! I am so grateful to my friend Greg Laurie for sharing his powerful life story with us through the documentary, Lost Boy, and through his message.

Nearly 20,000 attended services during this mini Harvest Crusade and more than 200 made decisions for Christ—including 37 students at our Freedom Weekend outreach who were baptized on Sunday. We were also blessed with a full house at Prestonwood North, our second campus in Prosper.

If you are a friend of our ministry who lives outside of the Dallas area, visit PowerPoint Ministries to view one of our Live to Tell Weekend services. To learn more about Lost Boy, the documentary and the book, check out Greg's blog. You will be blessed. And be sure to let me know about your life change. How has your life been transformed by Christ? Many of our members are sharing their stories. We all have a story to tell...so, tell it.

Which brings me to a whole other story. This week, the biggest sports story in the world has been the admission by Yankees superstar slugger Alex Rodriguez that he used banned substances while playing for the Texas Rangers. I watched his interview and a couple of things struck me (besides the fact that he wants everyone to just forget his three-year playing career in Texas ever happened). When asked if he was bitter that tests that were supposed to be confidential and should have been destroyed weren’t, his answer was: “No, I mean, God has done this for a reason.” Later, when talking about having fun again in baseball, he said, “that’s my savior, the game of baseball.”

Now, I won’t begin to assume that I know what A-Rod’s beliefs are. (Didn’t he dabble in kabbalah recently?) But he does appear to have misguided views of God. And we all know he’s not alone. This is why it’s critical that we live to tell the greatest story ever told—the story of Jesus Christ, our Lord, the true Savior of this world.

If You Invite Them ...

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this weekend. Live to Tell Weekend is an incredible outreach opportunity for our church family. We want to have as many people here as possible—especially those who need to know Christ. Have you invited a friend?

Think of this as an old-time revival—church for two days. If you’re a Sunday worshipper, invite someone to join you on Saturday ... then come back on Sunday. I know you won’t want to miss either day because our guest speaker Greg Laurie has one of the most powerful testimonies I’ve ever heard. Greg is a great friend, a true man of God with an amazing gift for preaching the Gospel in relaxed style.

He is also a wonderful writer. If you haven’t read his autobiography, Lost Boy, I highly recommend it. (He’ll sign copies both days.) His is a powerful story of faith and conversion. And we’ll watch it unfold before us on Saturday through the 55-minute documentary of the same name. On Sunday, Greg will bring the message, “My Story,” and we’ll watch a shortened version of the movie.

So don’t miss out on this chance to bring someone who doesn’t yet know the God we know. Remember the movie Field of Dreams? Being a baseball fan, of course, that’s one of my all-time-favorites. Anyway, I’m sure you recall the memorable line from the movie: If you build it, they will come. Well, I can tell you this: If you invite them, they will come to know Jesus.

Let me hear from you after the weekend ... and tell me stories of transformed lives.

HISTORIC INAUGURATION

I hope that you all had the opportunity yesterday to witness history as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of this great country. We gathered in the Worship Center with Prestonwood Christian Academy students, teachers, parents and our church staff to view the ceremony. As I said to those watching with us yesterday, it is critical that we pray for President Obama and America’s leaders during this time of transition. Please take a few moments to hear my comments regarding this monumental event.

Time With God

It is essential to spend time with God in order to fully develop as a follower of Jesus. In fact, Jesus Himself taught us to have a time alone with God in order to personally engage His presence in worship and prayer, Bible reading and study, and the contemplation of spiritual realities. He said:

“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.” —Matthew 6:6

Over the years, I have always advised believers to develop a disciplined devotional life. But how? How do you actually spend quality time with the Lord that is life-changing and God-honoring. Maybe the question of how is best answered first with the question of why … Why would we take time every day to pray, read, meditate. Not because it is an obligation, but because it is a huge opportunity. Imagine the privilege of being in God’s presence! So don’t put yourself on a guilt trip about prayer life. Instead, view this as a privilege and possibility to know God as never before.

Your devotional life should be something you enjoy, not endure. When you spend time with God you are experiencing spiritual life which is the “real world.” Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word from the mouth of God.” When you spend time with God you are nourishing your soul. You are in comfort with spiritual realities. So, every day, before the world rushes in, decide to close the door, get alone, and consider what matters most, and what really lasts. More tomorrow as I continue to talk about your time with God.

DEVOTIONAL LIFE

By now, we are full speed ahead into 2009. Tell me...how are you doing on your resolutions? With all our desires to lose weight, floss, walk the dog, get out of debt, etc., I hope we are all highly motivated to grow in our faith and obedience to our Great God. There is no greater goal, nor joy in fulfillment, than to honor Christ with a life fully devoted to Him. One of the keys to success is a daily time of prayer and Bible reading, study, and memorization. A quiet time or devotional is essential to spiritual growth and personal faith. Why not make it your holy ambition to know and grow in God's Word as never before? In the next several blogs I want to share some things I have learned about enjoying a daily time with God. In the meantime, make the Lord Jesus a promise that you will spend more time with Him and live each day in the fullness of His Spirit.