Biggest Loser a Big Winner

OK, I’ll admit I do like some reality shows. My family and I particularly like to watch The Biggest Loser. Besides the amazing weight loss by the group of people competing to win what I think is one of the best titles on TV, there are also some incredibly moving storylines. Michelle Aguilar’s story is one of those.

Yesterday I got to interview Michelle at PowerLunch the noontime gathering we host every Tuesday at Prestonwood featuring guest speakers. Michelle is a Dallas-area young woman who won Season 6 of The Biggest Loser: Families. I was touched by Michelle’s story of restoration. Yes, she shed 110 pounds, but at the same time, she gained so much more than just the title and the prize money.

During the taping of the show, Michelle’s relationship with her estranged mother (who was on the show with her) was restored, and she learned to trust God more. She told me and the 600 or so others at PowerLunch that she was ready to quit many times...until she prayed, “OK, God, I get it. If you can use me in my pain and my depression, if you’ve got me here for a bigger purpose, I’ll stay.”

She gave God control for the first time and she said the weight fell off and the stress fell away.

Listen to Michelle tell her story on iamsecond.com.

Clinging to God's Promises

Are you praying for America? Every day? You should be. We are living in increasingly volatile times. The news we learned of Thursday about foiled terrorist attacks, including one right here in Downtown Dallas, is daunting.

A 19-year-old Jordanian man was arrested for trying to bomb Fountain Place, a 60-story office tower on Ross Avenue. He told FBI undercover agents that he came to America to wage jihad, or holy war, according to reports. Also on Thursday, federal authorities in Brooklyn charged a 24-year-old native of Afghanistan with preparing explosive materials like those used in the mass transit bombings in London four years ago.

It’s a scary world. But we have a big God. I recently started a message series touching on the promises of God. And one of the great promises of God tells us that He has given us a future and a hope; plans for our good ... our welfare ... our blessing. I love what the great Bible teacher and author Warren Wiersbe said about God’s promises: “We do not live by explanations; we live by promises.”

Pray for our country, and cling to those promises.

If you don’t know Jesus, run to Him right now. To whom shall you go if you don’t know Jesus? Pray a prayer like this: Lord Jesus, I do turn to You. From my sins I turn to You and trust in You. And, right now, I receive You as my Lord and my Savior.

I promise you, He will forgive your sins; He will live in your life; and He will prepare a place in heaven for you so that you can be with Him forever.

What You Won’t Find on TV

With the new TV season comes great expectation and excitement. Every network and cable channel touts some new characters along with some old favorites. (For Deb and me, the new season doesn’t really begin until January, when Jack Bauer returns for Season 8.)

But my all-time favorite characters come right out of the Bible. Flip through and pick a book. Heroes of the faith—Abraham, David, Paul, Isaiah and Elijah—are all great men, all flawed…like any good character. And God uses these men, with all their faults, to do incredible things. Storylines you’ll only find in the Bible.

So before you check out the lineup on television today, pick up your Bible. Revisit your favorite stories. Discover someone new. Fall in love with Jesus all over again…

It’s not called The Greatest Story Ever Told for nothing.

Praying Like Jesus Prayed

I can never say or write enough about prayer. This is the Daily Word devotional that we sent out today. You can subscribe to this free devotional at powerpoint.org. Type in your e-mail address under “Daily Devotional.”

I pray you’ll take it to heart.

“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

Many people have prayed all their lives but feel they have somehow missed the target. They don’t find their prayer life very rewarding.

So let me tell you something about prayer: It is a skill and a discipline you need to practice. And if you want to improve your prayer skills, you can start today.

In fact, I want to give you a little acrostic based on the word pray that will help you pray the way Jesus prayed:

P stands for PRAISE. God is worthy of all our praise… all the time… and in every situation that touches our lives.
R stands for REPENTANCE. When you and I pray in humility, remembering our own need to be forgiven, we are able to forgive others.
A stands for ASK. We are to ask our heavenly Father for our daily bread, that is, our daily substance, sustenance, and satisfaction.
Y stands for YIELD. Prayer is not changing God’s mind to our will, but finding his mind and doing his will.

John told us that when we come before the Lord in confidence and pray according to God’s will, he will hear us. Never doubt God’s desire to reward you with answered prayer!

PRAYER IS NOT CHANGING GOD’S MIND; IT’S FINDING GOD’S MIND AND DOING HIS WILL.

Jack is Back!

This Sunday will be my first time in the pulpit in since early June. And I’m telling you ... I’m thrilled to be back in the lineup! Twelve weeks on the DL is an awfully long time for a preacher.

I missed dearly standing and preaching God’s Word before our church family and the thousands more of you who live stream the message from places near and far. It’s all I know how to do. It’s all I want to do.

This journey my family and I have been on since April has not been easy. Unfortunately, as so many of you can attest, cancer never is. But God has been faithful through it all. And I can honestly say I am returning a better man ... a better pastor ... a better man of God.

Thank you, friends, for all your prayers. Deb and I so appreciate it and have leaned on them.

I was told that a little friend of mine, Delaney, who has been praying for my healing like so many of you, tacked this on to her prayer just the other night: “And, Lord, please let Jack is Back Day be the best weekend ever!”

That’s what I’m counting on!

THE HEART OF A LION

When the Prestonwood Christian Academy Lions kick off their football season tomorrow, they’ll do so with the memory of a little boy with "the heart of a lion." This season, the players will sport gold “CC” on the back of their blue helmets in honor of my little friend, Connor Cruse, who went to be with the Lord on July 10. Connor battled cancer for four years, fighting valiantly to the very end. As words of encouragement to others fighting cancer, Connor once said: “Have courage and believe in Jesus.” A wonderful testimony for us all...

PowerPoint On The Air

Ever since I was called to the ministry as a teenage boy, there’s nothing I love more than sharing the Gospel. I like to say I get to preach in the greatest church in the world—Prestonwood. And, thanks to the support of our PowerPoint partners, that transforming message of the Gospel goes way beyond the Prestonwood walls. Just this week, PowerPoint moved into three dynamic new radio markets:

• WYLL (1160 AM) Chicago, 8:00 p.m. (CST)
• WNIV (970 AM) Atlanta, 6:30 p.m. (EST)
• KPXQ (1360 AM) Phoenix, 4:00 p.m. (MST)

It’s exciting to be joining so many other great preachers and Christian leaders on these fine stations. Thanks to all our supporters who have made this possible! If you live in those areas, I hope you’ll tune in soon...

P.S... Click here to listen to a recent interview I did with WYLL.