April 11, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But first,
here's the message, A Winning Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
The title of today's message is a winning walk. What
time is it?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well, it probably would just take you less than a
few seconds to tell me the current time, because we're
all within inches of some kind of a time piece,
whether it is a watch on our wrist, a clock
on the wall, whether our computers or our calendars.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
In our cars, on our computers. Our lives are in
the constant rush and push of time, our schedules, our appointments.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
TikTok, TikTok. The world doesn't stop like a metra known.
The world's time is moving on. It is passing.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
It is inexorable, it is unstoppable. So it's always good,
according to Scripture, to have a grasp on the time
of our lives, so that we can use our time,
not abuse our time, but use our time to live
the best of our lives.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
So in Chapter five of Ephesians, verses fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen,
we see it there.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It says, look carefully, then, how you walk not as unwise.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
But as wise making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is. I
like the way Phillips paraphrases this passage is so good,
I'm going to share it with you.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Here it is, same passage, same scriptures.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Live life, then, in lieu of what we've already heard
about walking and love and walking and light. Live life then,
with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who
do not know the meaning and purpose.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Of life, but those as those who do. Make the
best use of your time despite all the difficulty of
these days. Don't be vague, but firmly grasp what you
know to be the will of God. Don't you love
that firmly take hold grasp of what you know to
(02:47):
be the will of God in your life.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
We don't have to sizzle an outline for this passage
of scripture. It breaks up naturally in each one of
the versus three points actually, and the first one is
if you're going to win in your walk, walk wisely.
Then number one, be careful how you walk, Be careful
(03:16):
why you walk. That's why it says look carefully then
as to how you walk verse fifteen, or live life,
then with a due sense of responsibility, the old King
James says, walk. This sounds very British circumspectlly, you walk circumspectfully,
and it actually means that that you walk carefully.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's the idea of literally looking around as you walk.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, that's the idea here in this passage, as we're walking.
If we're going to walk successfully, a winning walk, then
we should walk thoughtfully. In contrast to that, he says,
not foolishly, not thoughtlessly, not vaguely, but carefully and with precision,
(04:05):
walk your walk.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
The Christian life is a walk.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Walking with Jesus is a journey, and it is to
be with exactness and wisely, not foolishly.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Obviously. Verse fifteen is tied to the previous verse verse fourteen,
where we're told to wake up, wake up. It's time
to wake up.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
What gets you up in the morning, I hope it's
more than your alarm. I hope that what gets you
up is the call and the opportunity of the day
to get up and to walk with Christ, not sleep
walking through life, not slumbering through life. Be awake, be alert,
(04:48):
wake up, wise up and make the most of your day. Obviously,
what he's saying here is be cautious, be careful, be
thoughtful as to how you live your life. Your walk
has to do with your character and your conduct. Making
(05:10):
sure that you don't stumble or fall is key when
you walk, that you maintain your balance. And another thing
about walking is that you're walking forward. I mean, you
can walk backwards, but it's not that much fun.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Walking forward is a good thing. Proverbs four twenty six
says this, give careful thought to the paths of your feet,
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Don't walk as a simpleton, he says, foolishly, but walk
sanely with stability and strength foolishly. What does it mean
to walk foolishly in life? To live foolishly, the Bible says.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
The fool has set in his heart there is no God.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
To live foolishly is to live without God God's ways,
God's wisdom. God is the source and the course of
all wisdom in our lives.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And a fool is someone who says there is no God,
or literally no God.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Jesus spoke about this contrast of living wisely or living
foolishly at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount
when he spoke of those two men who built houses,
one on.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Sand and one on rock.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
And our Lord said, the man who built his house
on the sand without a foundation, when the storms came
and ravaged his house, it fell, and great was the
fall of it, because it had no foundation. To live
your life without a foundation is to live your life foolishly.
And when storms come, and they always come in life,
the rainfalls on the just and the unjust. When the
(06:55):
storms come against us. If your life is not built
upon the rock who is Jesus Christ, then ultimately it
will fail, it will fall, it will collapse. That's living
your life. That's walking foolishly. On the other hand, Jesus said,
you build your life upon me, my words, my truth,
(07:17):
and obedience to me. That's building on the rock. That strength,
that's stability. You will stand as others fall. Jesus spoke
about a man who was very successful in his life,
and so successful that with his crops he built barns
and more barns and more houses to contain all of
(07:39):
his goods. And Jesus said, a knock came at his
door that night. The man said, who is it? Death
came the reply, and Death.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Said, you fool, you fool this day your soul is
required of you. That's living your life foolishly. And Jesus says,
the end of that is disaster. So we are to
(08:13):
walk wisely, not foolishly. Among my favorite verses in all
the Bible, life verses, really the verses that catapulted.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Me as a young man into my call, Proverbs three
five and six posted on a little cork bulletin board
in my little room in East fort Worth from age
ten to about age eighteen. The words of Proverbs three
five and six, Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Do not lean on.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Your own understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him, Put
him first, and he will direct your paths. And when
we walk, why we are walking in truth and in
trust of God, giving him first place as he demands
(09:07):
and deserves in our lives, to seek him first, to.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Walk focused and forward.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Paul already told us in Ephesius chapter four, verse one,
that we are to walk worthy of our calling. So
to walk worthy, or to walk wisely, rather is to
walk worthy of our calling. So we're pressing on, We're persevering,
We're pressing on.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Even when the going is tough. This is the Apostle Paul.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Remember Paul wrote this letter along with other prison letters
epistles from jail. He was incarcerated, and yet he maximized
his time even here, and he wrote saying Philippians three, I.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Have not arrived. I know this. I'm not there yet.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
But this one thing I do, pressing forward, reaching ou
upward to the things that are before.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I press to the.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Mark for the prize of the high calling of God
in Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message a Winning Walk in his powerful book Ask. Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus's teaching to ask, seek, and knock. As
you follow these three simple commands, you'll completely transform how
you pray. We want to help you discover a deeper,
(10:29):
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten dollars or more. Call now to request your
copy of this powerful resource. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
(10:50):
text the word ask to five nine seven eight nine.
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
(11:10):
email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot
org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's get
back to today's message.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
This means that we walk wisely, that we walk circumspectully, carefully,
rather than living like a fool.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
We live according to God's word. How so, that's the
second verse and the second point, which is verse sixteen.
Make the most of every opportunity you see it there,
esv says, making the best use of the.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Time the time.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
There's an article there, because the days are evil. The
word time here references opportunity. Time when it is seized
equals opportunity. It can be translated as it is in
(12:07):
some versions, including King James redeem redeem the time to
buy it up, to buy in to the time that
we have been given. It can also mean to rescue
something from loss, To live according to the time that
(12:28):
God has given you. To make the most of every opportunity.
Is to live each day. Watch this with passion and purpose,
and fulfill your calling every day of your life. We
count our days, but what we really ought to be
doing is to make our days count. According to verse sixteen,
(12:54):
look at the last part of that verse. It says
because the days are evil, literally, because the days are desperate, desperate,
desperate days. Paul would later say, concerning the last days
and the last days, dangerous times, perilous times will come
evil times. There have always been evil times and evil days,
(13:17):
and therefore they still exist today, and the world is
increasingly desperate these days.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
So use your time.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Wisely, because the days are evil. Your time is your life.
If you're wasting your time, you're wasting your life.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Whatever you intend to do, do it now, whatever age
you are. And of course we never know. Life is short.
Billy Graham was once asked, what's the biggest surprise of
your life. Billy lived to be almost one hundred years
of age.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
But Billy said, the brevity of it, and I could affirm,
you know, life.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Is so it's so fast. Paced. All our days belong
to God.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
That's why the Bible says in Psalm ninety and verse
twelve teach us to number our days that we may
gain or get a heart of wisdom. I also know,
as the Scripture says in Psalm thirty four point fifteen,
the eyes of the Lord are towards the righteous, His
ears to their cry. And it goes on to say,
(14:18):
my times are in His hands. I don't worry about
what time it is, really age wise. Age is just
a number. It's just a number. What matters am I
living this day fully fulfilling the will and the purposes
(14:41):
and the plan of God for my life, because all
of our days look, I know that most of my days.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Are behave me. And therefore the days that God gives
us in front of us, all of us, whether they
are few or whether they are many, are to be
given as a stewardship and a trust. And live nowt
seize the day, redeem it.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Don't lose the time that God has given you for anything.
All of our days, not just the Sundays, all of
our times, not just sometime. Whoever came up with the
idea that you could be a part time Christian. Where
is that in the Bible.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
That you can choose certain days.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Sundays or special days or holidays, that you could choose
Sundays to worship and serve God know all days are his,
So seize the day. There are two days on God's
calendar that matter, two days. This day, Psalm one hundred
(15:57):
and eighteen, Verse twenty four. This is the day the
Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Celebrate every day.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
It's life. So this day, But there's another day you
ought to be concerned about, because you know, there's some
people who say, well, you know, I just live for today.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I don't think about too much. I don't think about
the future. I don't think about eternity. I don't think
about any of that stuff. Live for now, baby, Just
live now. Just do it now. That's foolish, because there's
another day coming. The scripture says, I know whom I
believe in, persuaded that he is able to keep what
(16:41):
I have committed unto him against what that day, that day,
that day when I stand before God, that day when
Christ comes again, that day when you will give an
account of your life before God, what you have given
(17:01):
your life to do and how you have lived your life.
There is a day of reckoning coming, So two days
on God's calendar, not yesterday and tomorrow, but this day
and that day. This day, and what you do this
day is to live with not just an earthly perspective,
but a heavenly perspective. The scripture says, and if cautions
(17:25):
three one, set your affections, your desires not on things below,
but on things above. Because of the urgency and emergency
of our times, because of the brevity of life and
the eternity of the soul.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Live every day looking upward and onward. Jesus said it.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
He said in Matthew six nineteen and twenty, don't lay
up treasures on earth, but lay up treasures in heaven.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Life is short, eternity is long.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Concentrate on the death of your life more than the
length of your life.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
What you give and how you live. Don't miss the
opportunity in these days to grow your faith, to strengthen
your prayer life, to exercise your walk in Christ, to
pursue God's plan in God's purpose for your life. To
(18:27):
love your children, your family. Well, we've been given many
of us some time that we didn't think we had
to be with our families, to be with our children,
to sit in church with our kids. So don't miss
the day.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
And one final thing, know and do the will of God.
That's verse seventeen. Therefore, do not be foolish, he says
it again. But understand what is is the will of
the Lord. Understand God's will, discern It is the idea
(19:07):
people talk about doing the will of God. Before you
can do the will of God, you are to discern
the will of God. Understand what the will of God is.
Discerning and doing is what God wants you to do
with your life.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
This is the ultimate essential. This is a winning.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Walk that God has a plan and a purpose for
every single life. As Peter said in One Peter one seven,
that we are to pass the time of our journey
our sojourney here with.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Fear, the fear of the Lord.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
So you say, well, I wish I knew what God
wants me to do. I just wish I knew I
do some great thing for God. If I just knew
what it was, I.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Would do it.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
The way to discern and to do the will of
God in the big things, to start with the little things,
loving him loving others, which are the biggest things really
in serving Him, to live holy lives, to surrender our
ways and our will to His will, to deny self
and pick up the cross and follow Christ. To say
(20:17):
with Isaiah, in the midst of another generation and desperate need.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Lord, here am I send me reporting for duty.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
And in these days, these desperate days, every one of
us who name the name of Christ and bear the
name Christian, we can say yes to the opportunity that
God has before us, to give him a check, a
(20:52):
blank check, and say, Lord, you fill in the amount.
Here's what I've learned about the will of God. It
is my alignment that gives me my assignment. If I
am in alignment.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
With the will of God, the purpose of God, the
plan of God, if I am seeking Him, surrendering to Him,
if I get my life in alignment, in obedience to Him,
then the assignment will come. The alignment brings the assignment.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So if you want to know God's will what it is,
start with Romans twelve one and two. Present your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. And
don't be ruled or conformed by the world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind resists the world.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Renew your mind. What that you may prove? What is
that good and perfect and acceptable will of God? Just
give God an unconditional yes. Christians in our generation, I
dare say, we have more opportunities than any other generation
(22:10):
of Christians previous. Wouldn't it be wonderful if.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
We got up every day and say, Lord, in alignment
with you, what is my assignment today? What is something
I can do, Something I can seize, some near edge
of a great need that I can take hold of.
Maybe is simply delivering food, but that's a big thing
to someone who's hungry.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
You say, well, I'm afraid if I say yes to God,
giv him that unconditional Yeah, then he's going to send
me to be a missionary in Mozambique or timbucktoo, or
somewhere off the map.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Well he might, but most likely he's going to send
you to be a missionary at your school. He's going
to send you to be a missionary in your neighborhood.
He's going to send you to be a missionary in
your office. He's going to send you to be a
missionary wherever you are. God will send you there when
(23:08):
you say, Lord, here am I send me? When you
live like this, it's a life without regret.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
a winning walk. Nothing lights a fire in your faith
like experiencing the power of prayer firsthand. As you begin
to see God as a personal, loving father who desires
to hear and answer your prayers, it transforms your life,
and thanks to friends like you, more people all around
(23:36):
the world are hearing about their loving God and his
son Jesus through the TV, radio and online outreach of PowerPoint.
That's why your support of this ministry is so vital.
We'll say thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more by sending you a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask.
This is a great resource to help you strengthen your
own prayer life and teach you to approach God with
(23:59):
boldness and confidence. So call now to request your copy.
When you give call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word ASK to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org, where you can
(24:20):
shop our eastore, give a gift online, or sign up
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham dot org, and also be sure to
sign up for doctor Graham's podcast Bible in a Year
pastor what is Your PowerPoint for Today?
Speaker 2 (24:39):
It has an amazing effect on people around us. When
we truly walk in live, when we walk in the
light of Jesus Christ, when we reflect the love of
God in our lives, it's going to impact. It's going
to influence everyone around us, starting with our families, our spouses,
that most important relationship with husband and wives, how important
(25:02):
it is to live that Christian life, starting in our homes,
that we exhibit godly companionship and godly character in a
relationship at home, and then obviously with our children. Our
children are looking, They're watching, and often when we don't
even think about it. I know my own children have
(25:24):
reflected back on times that I didn't even realize they
were watching. I didn't even think that they were paying attention.
But now years years later, they're still talking about that
little event, that small conversation, or that action that impacted
their lives. You never know when your children are watching
so so many kids. They see their parents at church
(25:47):
acting one way and behaving in one manner in front
of their friends outside, but then when they get home,
it's a totally different story. And that's why so many
kids are struggling with their Christian faith because they haven't
seen it lived out authentically in their homes. And then
it work. I mean people at work, sitting in the
cubicle next to you or at the desk across the hall.
(26:10):
People know that you go to church. They know that
you profess your faith in Christ. And if they know that,
does your walk and your talk match? I mean, do
people really know that not only do you say that
you're a believer, but that you are a believer. That's
what authentic Christian living is. Our witnesses depend that not
(26:31):
only upon our words, but how we live our lives.
How we use our resources, our time, our talents, our
money is a reflection of what we really believe and
how we intend to live our Christian lives. That's authentic
Christian living when we're able to put our money, if
you will, where our mouth is, and to give and
(26:51):
to invest in the Kingdom of God. So when you
give your life to Jesus Christ. That means allowing him
to be the lord of your life, and that takes
care of every compartment and every section of our lives
that we are devoted and dedicated to him. We're not
to live our lives in compartments or sections, but we're
(27:12):
to live our lives centered in Jesus Christ, with everything
under the lordship of His presence.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Ask as our thanks Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ask to five nine
(27:39):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about the keys to finding
real joy in your marriage. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministry.
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But first,
here's the message, A Winning Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
The title of today's message is a winning walk. What
time is it?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well, it probably would just take you less than a
few seconds to tell me the current time, because we're
all within inches of some kind of a time piece,
whether it is a watch on our wrist, a clock
on the wall, whether our computers or our calendars.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
In our cars, on our computers. Our lives are in
the constant rush and push of time, our schedules, our appointments.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
TikTok, TikTok. The world doesn't stop like a metra known.
The world's time is moving on. It is passing.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
It is inexorable, it is unstoppable. So it's always good,
according to Scripture, to have a grasp on the time
of our lives, so that we can use our time,
not abuse our time, but use our time to live
the best of our lives.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
So in Chapter five of Ephesians, verses fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen,
we see it there.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It says, look carefully, then, how you walk not as unwise.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
But as wise making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is. I
like the way Phillips paraphrases this passage is so good,
I'm going to share it with you.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Here it is, same passage, same scriptures.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Live life, then, in lieu of what we've already heard
about walking and love and walking and light. Live life then,
with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who
do not know the meaning and purpose.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Of life, but those as those who do. Make the
best use of your time despite all the difficulty of
these days. Don't be vague, but firmly grasp what you
know to be the will of God. Don't you love
that firmly take hold grasp of what you know to
(02:47):
be the will of God in your life.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
We don't have to sizzle an outline for this passage
of scripture. It breaks up naturally in each one of
the versus three points actually, and the first one is
if you're going to win in your walk, walk wisely.
Then number one, be careful how you walk, Be careful
(03:16):
why you walk. That's why it says look carefully then
as to how you walk verse fifteen, or live life,
then with a due sense of responsibility, the old King
James says, walk. This sounds very British circumspectlly, you walk circumspectfully,
and it actually means that that you walk carefully.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's the idea of literally looking around as you walk.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, that's the idea here in this passage, as we're walking.
If we're going to walk successfully, a winning walk, then
we should walk thoughtfully. In contrast to that, he says,
not foolishly, not thoughtlessly, not vaguely, but carefully and with precision,
(04:05):
walk your walk.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
The Christian life is a walk.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Walking with Jesus is a journey, and it is to
be with exactness and wisely, not foolishly.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Obviously. Verse fifteen is tied to the previous verse verse fourteen,
where we're told to wake up, wake up. It's time
to wake up.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
What gets you up in the morning, I hope it's
more than your alarm. I hope that what gets you
up is the call and the opportunity of the day
to get up and to walk with Christ, not sleep
walking through life, not slumbering through life. Be awake, be alert,
(04:48):
wake up, wise up and make the most of your day. Obviously,
what he's saying here is be cautious, be careful, be
thoughtful as to how you live your life. Your walk
has to do with your character and your conduct. Making
(05:10):
sure that you don't stumble or fall is key when
you walk, that you maintain your balance. And another thing
about walking is that you're walking forward. I mean, you
can walk backwards, but it's not that much fun.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Walking forward is a good thing. Proverbs four twenty six
says this, give careful thought to the paths of your feet,
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Don't walk as a simpleton, he says, foolishly, but walk
sanely with stability and strength foolishly. What does it mean
to walk foolishly in life? To live foolishly, the Bible says.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
The fool has set in his heart there is no God.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
To live foolishly is to live without God God's ways,
God's wisdom. God is the source and the course of
all wisdom in our lives.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And a fool is someone who says there is no God,
or literally no God.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Jesus spoke about this contrast of living wisely or living
foolishly at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount
when he spoke of those two men who built houses,
one on.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Sand and one on rock.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
And our Lord said, the man who built his house
on the sand without a foundation, when the storms came
and ravaged his house, it fell, and great was the
fall of it, because it had no foundation. To live
your life without a foundation is to live your life foolishly.
And when storms come, and they always come in life,
the rainfalls on the just and the unjust. When the
(06:55):
storms come against us. If your life is not built
upon the rock who is Jesus Christ, then ultimately it
will fail, it will fall, it will collapse. That's living
your life. That's walking foolishly. On the other hand, Jesus said,
you build your life upon me, my words, my truth,
(07:17):
and obedience to me. That's building on the rock. That strength,
that's stability. You will stand as others fall. Jesus spoke
about a man who was very successful in his life,
and so successful that with his crops he built barns
and more barns and more houses to contain all of
(07:39):
his goods. And Jesus said, a knock came at his
door that night. The man said, who is it? Death
came the reply, and Death.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Said, you fool, you fool this day your soul is
required of you. That's living your life foolishly. And Jesus says,
the end of that is disaster. So we are to
(08:13):
walk wisely, not foolishly. Among my favorite verses in all
the Bible, life verses, really the verses that catapulted.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Me as a young man into my call, Proverbs three
five and six posted on a little cork bulletin board
in my little room in East fort Worth from age
ten to about age eighteen. The words of Proverbs three
five and six, Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Do not lean on.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Your own understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him, Put
him first, and he will direct your paths. And when
we walk, why we are walking in truth and in
trust of God, giving him first place as he demands
(09:07):
and deserves in our lives, to seek him first, to.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Walk focused and forward.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Paul already told us in Ephesius chapter four, verse one,
that we are to walk worthy of our calling. So
to walk worthy, or to walk wisely, rather is to
walk worthy of our calling. So we're pressing on, We're persevering,
We're pressing on.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Even when the going is tough. This is the Apostle Paul.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Remember Paul wrote this letter along with other prison letters
epistles from jail. He was incarcerated, and yet he maximized
his time even here, and he wrote saying Philippians three, I.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Have not arrived. I know this. I'm not there yet.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
But this one thing I do, pressing forward, reaching ou
upward to the things that are before.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I press to the.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Mark for the prize of the high calling of God
in Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message a Winning Walk in his powerful book Ask. Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus's teaching to ask, seek, and knock. As
you follow these three simple commands, you'll completely transform how
you pray. We want to help you discover a deeper,
(10:29):
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten dollars or more. Call now to request your
copy of this powerful resource. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
(10:50):
text the word ask to five nine seven eight nine.
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
(11:10):
email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot
org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's get
back to today's message.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
This means that we walk wisely, that we walk circumspectully, carefully,
rather than living like a fool.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
We live according to God's word. How so, that's the
second verse and the second point, which is verse sixteen.
Make the most of every opportunity you see it there,
esv says, making the best use of the.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Time the time.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
There's an article there, because the days are evil. The
word time here references opportunity. Time when it is seized
equals opportunity. It can be translated as it is in
(12:07):
some versions, including King James redeem redeem the time to
buy it up, to buy in to the time that
we have been given. It can also mean to rescue
something from loss, To live according to the time that
(12:28):
God has given you. To make the most of every opportunity.
Is to live each day. Watch this with passion and purpose,
and fulfill your calling every day of your life. We
count our days, but what we really ought to be
doing is to make our days count. According to verse sixteen,
(12:54):
look at the last part of that verse. It says
because the days are evil, literally, because the days are desperate, desperate,
desperate days. Paul would later say, concerning the last days
and the last days, dangerous times, perilous times will come
evil times. There have always been evil times and evil days,
(13:17):
and therefore they still exist today, and the world is
increasingly desperate these days.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
So use your time.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Wisely, because the days are evil. Your time is your life.
If you're wasting your time, you're wasting your life.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Whatever you intend to do, do it now, whatever age
you are. And of course we never know. Life is short.
Billy Graham was once asked, what's the biggest surprise of
your life. Billy lived to be almost one hundred years
of age.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
But Billy said, the brevity of it, and I could affirm,
you know, life.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Is so it's so fast. Paced. All our days belong
to God.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
That's why the Bible says in Psalm ninety and verse
twelve teach us to number our days that we may
gain or get a heart of wisdom. I also know,
as the Scripture says in Psalm thirty four point fifteen,
the eyes of the Lord are towards the righteous, His
ears to their cry. And it goes on to say,
(14:18):
my times are in His hands. I don't worry about
what time it is, really age wise. Age is just
a number. It's just a number. What matters am I
living this day fully fulfilling the will and the purposes
(14:41):
and the plan of God for my life, because all
of our days look, I know that most of my days.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Are behave me. And therefore the days that God gives
us in front of us, all of us, whether they
are few or whether they are many, are to be
given as a stewardship and a trust. And live nowt
seize the day, redeem it.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Don't lose the time that God has given you for anything.
All of our days, not just the Sundays, all of
our times, not just sometime. Whoever came up with the
idea that you could be a part time Christian. Where
is that in the Bible.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
That you can choose certain days.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Sundays or special days or holidays, that you could choose
Sundays to worship and serve God know all days are his,
So seize the day. There are two days on God's
calendar that matter, two days. This day, Psalm one hundred
(15:57):
and eighteen, Verse twenty four. This is the day the
Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.
Celebrate every day.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
It's life. So this day, But there's another day you
ought to be concerned about, because you know, there's some
people who say, well, you know, I just live for today.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I don't think about too much. I don't think about
the future. I don't think about eternity. I don't think
about any of that stuff. Live for now, baby, Just
live now. Just do it now. That's foolish, because there's
another day coming. The scripture says, I know whom I
believe in, persuaded that he is able to keep what
(16:41):
I have committed unto him against what that day, that day,
that day when I stand before God, that day when
Christ comes again, that day when you will give an
account of your life before God, what you have given
(17:01):
your life to do and how you have lived your life.
There is a day of reckoning coming, So two days
on God's calendar, not yesterday and tomorrow, but this day
and that day. This day, and what you do this
day is to live with not just an earthly perspective,
but a heavenly perspective. The scripture says, and if cautions
(17:25):
three one, set your affections, your desires not on things below,
but on things above. Because of the urgency and emergency
of our times, because of the brevity of life and
the eternity of the soul.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Live every day looking upward and onward. Jesus said it.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
He said in Matthew six nineteen and twenty, don't lay
up treasures on earth, but lay up treasures in heaven.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Life is short, eternity is long.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Concentrate on the death of your life more than the
length of your life.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
What you give and how you live. Don't miss the
opportunity in these days to grow your faith, to strengthen
your prayer life, to exercise your walk in Christ, to
pursue God's plan in God's purpose for your life. To
(18:27):
love your children, your family. Well, we've been given many
of us some time that we didn't think we had
to be with our families, to be with our children,
to sit in church with our kids. So don't miss
the day.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
And one final thing, know and do the will of God.
That's verse seventeen. Therefore, do not be foolish, he says
it again. But understand what is is the will of
the Lord. Understand God's will, discern It is the idea
(19:07):
people talk about doing the will of God. Before you
can do the will of God, you are to discern
the will of God. Understand what the will of God is.
Discerning and doing is what God wants you to do
with your life.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
This is the ultimate essential. This is a winning.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Walk that God has a plan and a purpose for
every single life. As Peter said in One Peter one seven,
that we are to pass the time of our journey
our sojourney here with.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Fear, the fear of the Lord.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
So you say, well, I wish I knew what God
wants me to do. I just wish I knew I
do some great thing for God. If I just knew
what it was, I.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Would do it.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
The way to discern and to do the will of
God in the big things, to start with the little things,
loving him loving others, which are the biggest things really
in serving Him, to live holy lives, to surrender our
ways and our will to His will, to deny self
and pick up the cross and follow Christ. To say
(20:17):
with Isaiah, in the midst of another generation and desperate need.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Lord, here am I send me reporting for duty.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
And in these days, these desperate days, every one of
us who name the name of Christ and bear the
name Christian, we can say yes to the opportunity that
God has before us, to give him a check, a
(20:52):
blank check, and say, Lord, you fill in the amount.
Here's what I've learned about the will of God. It
is my alignment that gives me my assignment. If I
am in alignment.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
With the will of God, the purpose of God, the
plan of God, if I am seeking Him, surrendering to Him,
if I get my life in alignment, in obedience to Him,
then the assignment will come. The alignment brings the assignment.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So if you want to know God's will what it is,
start with Romans twelve one and two. Present your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. And
don't be ruled or conformed by the world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind resists the world.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Renew your mind. What that you may prove? What is
that good and perfect and acceptable will of God? Just
give God an unconditional yes. Christians in our generation, I
dare say, we have more opportunities than any other generation
(22:10):
of Christians previous. Wouldn't it be wonderful if.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
We got up every day and say, Lord, in alignment
with you, what is my assignment today? What is something
I can do, Something I can seize, some near edge
of a great need that I can take hold of.
Maybe is simply delivering food, but that's a big thing
to someone who's hungry.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
You say, well, I'm afraid if I say yes to God,
giv him that unconditional Yeah, then he's going to send
me to be a missionary in Mozambique or timbucktoo, or
somewhere off the map.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Well he might, but most likely he's going to send
you to be a missionary at your school. He's going
to send you to be a missionary in your neighborhood.
He's going to send you to be a missionary in
your office. He's going to send you to be a
missionary wherever you are. God will send you there when
(23:08):
you say, Lord, here am I send me? When you
live like this, it's a life without regret.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
a winning walk. Nothing lights a fire in your faith
like experiencing the power of prayer firsthand. As you begin
to see God as a personal, loving father who desires
to hear and answer your prayers, it transforms your life,
and thanks to friends like you, more people all around
(23:36):
the world are hearing about their loving God and his
son Jesus through the TV, radio and online outreach of PowerPoint.
That's why your support of this ministry is so vital.
We'll say thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more by sending you a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask.
This is a great resource to help you strengthen your
own prayer life and teach you to approach God with
(23:59):
boldness and confidence. So call now to request your copy.
When you give call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word ASK to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org, where you can
(24:20):
shop our eastore, give a gift online, or sign up
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham dot org, and also be sure to
sign up for doctor Graham's podcast Bible in a Year
pastor what is Your PowerPoint for Today?
Speaker 2 (24:39):
It has an amazing effect on people around us. When
we truly walk in live, when we walk in the
light of Jesus Christ, when we reflect the love of
God in our lives, it's going to impact. It's going
to influence everyone around us, starting with our families, our spouses,
that most important relationship with husband and wives, how important
(25:02):
it is to live that Christian life, starting in our homes,
that we exhibit godly companionship and godly character in a
relationship at home, and then obviously with our children. Our
children are looking, They're watching, and often when we don't
even think about it. I know my own children have
(25:24):
reflected back on times that I didn't even realize they
were watching. I didn't even think that they were paying attention.
But now years years later, they're still talking about that
little event, that small conversation, or that action that impacted
their lives. You never know when your children are watching
so so many kids. They see their parents at church
(25:47):
acting one way and behaving in one manner in front
of their friends outside, but then when they get home,
it's a totally different story. And that's why so many
kids are struggling with their Christian faith because they haven't
seen it lived out authentically in their homes. And then
it work. I mean people at work, sitting in the
cubicle next to you or at the desk across the hall.
(26:10):
People know that you go to church. They know that
you profess your faith in Christ. And if they know that,
does your walk and your talk match? I mean, do
people really know that not only do you say that
you're a believer, but that you are a believer. That's
what authentic Christian living is. Our witnesses depend that not
(26:31):
only upon our words, but how we live our lives.
How we use our resources, our time, our talents, our
money is a reflection of what we really believe and
how we intend to live our Christian lives. That's authentic
Christian living when we're able to put our money, if
you will, where our mouth is, and to give and
(26:51):
to invest in the Kingdom of God. So when you
give your life to Jesus Christ. That means allowing him
to be the lord of your life, and that takes
care of every compartment and every section of our lives
that we are devoted and dedicated to him. We're not
to live our lives in compartments or sections, but we're
(27:12):
to live our lives centered in Jesus Christ, with everything
under the lordship of His presence.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Ask as our thanks Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ask to five nine
(27:39):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about the keys to finding
real joy in your marriage. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministry.
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