June 29, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
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 Diamonds in
the Dark. But first, here's the message. The one thing necessary.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Worship is always powerful and spending time honoring and worshiping
the Lord Jesus Christ is the one thing necessary in
our lives. That's what I want to talk to you
about today, the one thing necessary. We all know what
it is to rush through life high adrenaline, frantic, frenzied, frasles,
(00:43):
stressed out, and all the while finding our lives seemingly
empty or maybe feeling overworked and overwhelmed, living without focus.
The fact is we're all speeding through life and the
pace of life, the pressure of life, the problems of
life are putting undue strain upon each one of us.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
And that is why the one.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Thing necessary what we're going to see in the message,
The one thing necessary is vital, not just incidental, but
vital to our physical health, our emotional well being, and
certainly our spiritual relationship with God. Our story that is
(01:31):
found in Luke's Gospel, Chapter ten, is a story that
concerns two women one by the name of Martha, another
by the name of Mary, one who lost focus and
balance in her life, and was therefore filled with anxiety
and distraction and trouble.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And she lost her way.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And yet another woman who found faith and chose to
live in the power and yes in the peace that
Jesus gives. So beginning in verse thirty eight of Luke's
Gospel and chapter ten. Now, as they went on their way,
Jesus entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed
(02:17):
him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary,
who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.
But Martha was distracted with much survy, and she went
up to him and said, Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell
her then to help me. But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha,
(02:41):
you are anxious and troubled about many things, But one
thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which
will not be taken away from her. Martha and their
brother Lazarus were good friends of the Lord Jesus. Jesus
(03:07):
had certain friends that were intimates among those that knew
him and heard him, and Mary and Martha their brother Lazarus,
were among the inner circle of.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
The Lord Jesus.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Jesus enjoyed their home and their hospitality. But in this case, Martha,
who was a woman given to activity, no doubt talented
and devoted to Christ herself, Yet she chose activity and
work over worship, and as a result she became frustrated
(03:45):
and stressed out, critical and angry. On the other hand,
her sister Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus,
chose the one thing necessary, and in this conversation with
our Lord Jesus commended her commitment to him.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
She had learned that.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Being comes before doing. Mary quietly sat at the feet
of Jesus, listened to him speak, soaked in his words,
and nourished her soul. Interesting isn't it that Martha invited
Jesus into her home and then proceeded to neglect him
(04:29):
with activity. And while she no doubt loved the Lord
and was seeking to bless the Lord in his presence,
there with her activity, she failed to remember the one
thing that is necessary, that doing good things is never
a substitute for our soul's worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
And so often in the rush and in the push of.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Our daily lives, we need to slow down and to
be still, and to be refueled and refilled with the
fullness and the freshness of His presence, to enjoy his
love and to experience his peace. And as you meet
(05:16):
Christ each day in the light of the morning, and
when you turn to him in the adrenaline rush of
the day, as you sit at his feet and be
still and know that He is God, you will discover
there his joy and his presence the psalm Ist set
in Psalm sixteen eleven. In your presence is fullness of joy.
(05:39):
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. And your bowed
head and your humble heart and your attentive spirit to
the Lord opens the windows of heaven to bless you.
And in the pace of our lives, we need to
slow down, really, folks, we need to slow down.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
And to sit at his feet.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
And I pray that after you hear this message, you
will have a deeper desire to personally, devotionally spend time
getting to know your Lord even better, listening to him,
loving him, longing for him. That you will spend time
retreating into the presence of God. Because at his feet.
(06:27):
You will find joy in the wonder of this presence.
You will discover an inner peace that you never thought possible.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
You will be more.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Devoted to Christ than ever, and more connected to your
family and friends that you thought possible. You will be
more focused and determine and more effective in your work.
You will be energized by the power of faith, and
you will share Christ as never before in the joy
of His love. You will make a bigger difference in
(06:59):
the world when you understand this one thing necessary in
your life. Now have you discovered that the way you
start your day often determines how your day goes. Now,
if you get up in the morning and you're hustling
around and you're in a bad mood, you're stressed out,
(07:19):
you'll spend the rest of the day on a mental edge.
But if you start rather than focusing on your problems
and your situations, rather than complaining and dwelling on what's
wrong in your life, if you will start rather looking
to the Lord and finding his grace, finding his peace,
you will discover that your day is going to go
(07:42):
according to God's way. And what we do at the
beginning of the day certainly impacts and influences how we
spend the rest of the day. And if you are
going to live an abundant life, I mean an abundant
life rather than an overwhelmed life, an overloaded life, but
rather an overflowing life, then you need to seek God
(08:04):
the first thing in the morning. The Psalmist said, early
will I seek you to give God the first part
of your day, before the stress and the busyness of
life come.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
You need to take time to.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Spend alone with God, to be quiet and be still
and know his presence, thanking Him for his goodness in
your life, thinking about his love and his grace, meditating
upon his word, and building your faith. And when you
do that, you are doing what Mary did, and that
(08:44):
is choosing the good part of life, the good portion
of life. You are doing the one thing that is
necessary and the one thing of all the things in
your world, the one thing that's really going to last.
Isaiah forty in verse three thirty one is an important
verse to me, has been hanging in my study for
(09:04):
a long time. In a scripture portrait, they that wait
upon the Lord, in other words, those who hope in
the Lord, those who look to the Lord, those who
sit at the Lord's feet.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Those who wait upon.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
The Lord shall renew their strength, which literally means shall
exchange their weakness for his strength, shall renew their strength.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
They shall mount up.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
With wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary.
They will walk and not faint. And just as the
physical body needs rest, your spiritual person, the inner man,
the inner woman, needs to be restored. And remember Jesus said,
come to me, all you that labor are heavy laden,
(09:48):
and I will give you rest. So the way to
refresh your spirit and to restore your body and to
restrengthen your life.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Is to spend time with God. I mean, think about it.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
We spend time getting ready physically every morning, as much
as thirty forty forty five minutes getting dressed for the day,
getting prepared for the day, blow drying our hair, and
all the rest trying to be presentable to the world.
We spend all of that time getting ready physically for
the day, But how much time are you spending to
(10:25):
get ready for the day spiritually?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
We spend all of.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
This time getting ready on the outside and spend very
little at any time getting ready on the inside. And
therefore that's why we're running on empty, and we're tired,
and we're often irritable and cynical and frustrated and vulnerable
to mistakes in our lives. Like Martha, who was so
anxious and upset. She, according to Jesus, was distracted by
(10:51):
many things.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
It was a.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Whirlwind of activity around her, and yet because she wasn't
doing the one thing necessary, she missed an opportunity to
grow in her faith. It's no wonder with all the
pressures of life, the stress of life, you know. Stress
is when the demands of our day and even the
(11:13):
desires of our lives exceed our ability to respond. We're
just overwhelmed with the demands of the desires, the things
we have to do, the things we must do, the things.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
That we want to do.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So if we are going to respond to all the
challenges of life and the opportunities of life as well
as the responsibilities.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Of life, we need to take time to sit at Jesus'
feet to listen to him.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
the one thing necessary if you're walking through a tough season,
Diamonds in the Dark is a message you need to
hear in this honest and hope filled book, Doctor Graham
shows you how God uses green, loss and hardship to
reveal spiritual treasures. We want to send you diamonds in
(12:05):
the dark as a thanks for your gift of ten
dollars or more, and this is the last day to
have your gift doubled by a generous matching grant. So
call today. Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four
six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven, or text the word diamond to
(12:26):
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 email updates from PowerPoint. Just
(12:48):
go to PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign up today.
Now let's get back to today's message, the One Thing Necessary.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
All through the scriptures, we are reminded of the principle
of first things first. For example, if you give the
first part of your income to God as the Bible
commands us, if you give off the top the first
tenth of your income, you will discover that the rest
of your income will last longer and go farther. It's
(13:22):
God's principle, It's God's plan for economy in your life.
If you honor God with the first fruits of your substance,
then He will honor you in return. If you give
God the first part of the week in worship.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
God blesses us when we give him the first.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
And if you honor Him by showing up and worshiping him,
and truly not just out of roat or routine, but
truly to honor him and worship him by attending church
and investing your life, then you will find the rest
of your week will be impacted and influenced.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And empowered to live a better life.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Certainly true that if you will give God the first
part of your day, then the rest of your day
is going to be blessed. When you take time to
honor Him, to worship him, to tell him that you
love him, to sing a song of praise, to open
the word, to build your faith, to contemplate and meditate
(14:24):
upon His principles and promises in his word. You'll find
that your schedule will go better, that your relationships will
grow stronger, that you will be more effective. Your mind,
your body is going to be relaxed. You're going to
get more done, You're going to be more creative. You're
going to enjoy your life. Doors are going to open
(14:44):
all because you put Jesus first in your life. Jesus
himself said in Matthew six point thirty three. Seek first
the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of
these things will be added unto you.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
This is the one thing necessary.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
And when you begin your day by saying, Lord, I
love you, Lord, I worship you, Lord, I praise you, Lord,
I thank you. Thank you for being a gracious God
to me. Thank you for being such a good God,
and for all of the blessings of life. Lord, I
(15:25):
give you my life today. Lord, I love you, Lord,
I need you. When you begin your day like that,
before anything else gets started, I promise you you will
experience life more abundant.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
You know, there really is.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Something special about the morning, isn't there The stillness of
the morning before the day rushes in, to be still
and to know that I am God. You say, well, Jack,
this really is than all that practical for me. My
life is too hectic, my life is too stressful.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I don't have time to be still.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Well, if that's your attitude, you're only hurting yourself and
you're only holding yourself back because I assure you, just
like a pressure cooker, some of us remember the old
days of our mother's cooking with pressure cookers and when
the pressure is on and the heat rises. I was
(16:32):
in my bedroom one day and studying. I think I
probably was studying. I'm sure I was.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Kids.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
I studied real hard every afternoon, and my mother was
cooking dinner. And the next thing I know, I heard
this explosion, and my mother screamed, and I walked into
the kitchen and there were green beans all over the
ceiling because that pressure cooker had just literally exploded in
the kitchen.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Too much pressure.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
That is why you need to take time and make
time to replenish your soul and to do it every day.
You can't do this by just coming to church once
a week anymore than you could survive on one meal
(17:21):
a week physically. But rather you should feed your soul
and nourish your inner life every day, preferably in the morning.
It's the one thing necessary. He said, Well, how do
I do this? What are you actually talking about? Sometimes
(17:41):
is simply being still and quiet before the Lord. For me,
is taking the scripture and reading the Word of God
and digesting it and ingesting it, or just underlining it
or reading a passage of scripture. Not typically long links
or passages of scripture at this at this particular time,
but just to let God speak to me. I pray,
(18:04):
I meditate upon his promise. And I don't always feel
like doing this. There are times when we all wake
up tired and depressed in the mornings, we don't always
feel like spending time with God. But I've learned over
the years it's especially at those times when I don't
(18:25):
feel like it, that I need to faith it out
and live it out. And that's when I can renew
my faith and restore my joy, and rest and relax
my body and replenish my soul, all at the feet
of Jesus, doing what Mary did, choosing the good portion
and before the activity starts, before the action begins of
(18:49):
my day, to spend time listening to Him, just loving him.
I often read God's promises and claim those promises and
confess those promises for my life, promises like Proverbs four eighteen,
the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter under the perfect day. That
(19:12):
means every step we take it gets more beautiful and
brighter each step of the way.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Psalm eighty four eleven. For the Lord, our God, is
a son and a shield.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
He gives favor and honor, and no good thing will
be with hell from them who walk uprightly. I may
just take that promise and say, Lord, you are my son,
you are my shield. You have given me grace, you
have given me favor, you have given honor, and I
know that you want to give every good.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Thing into my life this day. Thank you for that promise.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Or I may quote Psalm twenty.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Three, verse six.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever. Or I may quote the apostle
Paul if Philippias four thirteen. As I get ready for
some particular challenge in my life, I can do all
things through.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Christ, who strengthens me. You see, just taking.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Time to listen to his word, this fills my heart
with peace. And when I do this, my attitude changes,
my body recharges, my faith is strengthened, and I'm ready
to take on anything that day with enthusiasm and power.
One translation, the Phillips Translation of Philippians four point thirteen says,
(20:24):
I am ready for anything in the.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Power of Jesus Christ, who lives in me.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
It is infending time with God that we meet him.
We find the fullness and freshness for each day. And
if you will do this, you will have more life
to live and more life to give. If you will
take time out, you will discover early in the morning,
if you will give your time to God, that ordinary
(20:52):
days will become extraordinary days, days that are filled with creativity,
days that are filled with wonder day that will be
filled with productivity. You will give yourself to others, including
your family and your friends. And this is especially needed
in our lives are when we are particularly busy. If
(21:14):
you don't take time to spend it with God, spend
time with God before you take on the day, you
will find your life bearing so, especially if you've been
working extra hours or working hard, or traveling and giving
out and working especially hard. You need to take time
(21:36):
to take in. Some of you are running on empty
every single day. I think about some of you young
mothers with small children. You have so many responsibilities to
take care of those children, or to take care of
your responsibilities, take care of your family, and if you're
(21:57):
not careful, you will spend time takking care of everyone
but yourself. And self care. Taking care of yourself before
God should be not just a priority, but a necessity
in your life. I've discovered that if I try to
be available all the time, soon I'm not available any
(22:21):
of the time. Many of you are mentally fatigued and
emotionally drained and physically exhausted. Why because you're not choosing
the better part. You're not putting Christ first in your day.
You're not getting up and meeting Him in the morning,
(22:42):
and therefore you're running down the apostle. Paul tells us
that the inner person, the inner life, can be renewed
every single day, even though the outward man is failing physically.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
It's a fact of life. We are deteriorating.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
But yet he says that the inner man can be
strengthened and renewed every day Second Corinthians four sixteen.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
So we do not lose heart.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature
is being renewed day by day. So you know what
some of you need to do is to get your
life back in balance. You're more like Martha than Mary.
You're distracted with many things. Jesus looked at her and said, Martha, Martha.
(23:37):
I don't know about you, but if Jesus called my
name a couple of times, I'm listening up.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Martha, Martha.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Come on, you're bothered and distracted, and now you're critical
of your sister here. You're irritable, you're upset, you're agitated,
you're anxious.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Come on, Mark, Mark, choose the better pot take time
for me.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message the one thing necessary Today we will close our
books on another year of ministry, and it's critical we
end strong. That's why generous friends have stepped forward with
a two hundred thousand dollars matching grant, which means every
dollar you give today will be doubled. Your gift to
help meet this grant in full is so important. We'll
(24:30):
send you doctor Graham's powerful book Diamonds in the Dark
as our special thanks. This powerful resource walks you through
some of life's hardest places to reveal the spiritual treasures
God plants along the way. If you or someone you
love is facing grief, fear, or uncertainty, this message will
help you find strength, clarity, and hope right where you are.
(24:53):
Request your copy when you call and give today 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 diamond to five nine
seven eight nine, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham
dot org where you can shop our East store, give
(25:14):
a gift online, or sign up for doctor Graham's free
daily email devotional. Our website again is Jack Graham dot org.
Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 2 (25:26):
One of the very best ways you can start off
your day is to spend time with God. With as
much as you've got going on these days, work, school kids,
all the extracurricular activities, those few precious moments in the
morning can mean all the difference in the world and
set the tone and the temperature for the rest of
your day. So I want to encourage you to begin
(25:46):
each day with God the first thing in the morning,
open his word, speak to him in prayer, sing songs
of praise to him. There are so many instances in
the Bible where godly people awoke early to spend time
with God. In fact, in the scripture, we're told, awake,
o sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine
(26:07):
on you. One of the great benefits of coming to
the Lord in the morning is that he prepares you
for the challenges of the day and puts you in
the right frame of mind for whatever you face. By
spending time in God's word, you refresh your spirit, you
replenish your soul, and you refuel your body. You will
be better prepared for whatever happens in your day.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Now.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I don't know if you're a morning person or not,
and I realize we all have various kinds of schedules,
but I want to challenge you to get up earlier
each day and spend time with God, because as you do,
you will begin living in the fullness and the freshness
of His presence in your life each day. The best
part is you will have more to give. Ordinary days
will become extraordinary days, Boring days will become exciting days,
(26:54):
and you will be ready to give more of yourself
to your family and to your friends. It's my prayer
that you will become diligent about spending time with God
each and every day. Start your morning at the feet
of Jesus. Make it your priority to spend time alone
with Him and come into his presence, because I promise
you there's no better place on earth.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you doctor Graham's book Diamonds in the Dark 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, Or you can also text the
word diamond to five nine seven eight nine and join
(27:40):
us again next time as doctor Graham brings a message
about three steps you must take to live in the
power and presence of Jesus. That's next time on power
Point 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 Diamonds in
the Dark. But first, here's the message. The one thing necessary.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Worship is always powerful and spending time honoring and worshiping
the Lord Jesus Christ is the one thing necessary in
our lives. That's what I want to talk to you
about today, the one thing necessary. We all know what
it is to rush through life high adrenaline, frantic, frenzied, frasles,
(00:43):
stressed out, and all the while finding our lives seemingly
empty or maybe feeling overworked and overwhelmed, living without focus.
The fact is we're all speeding through life and the
pace of life, the pressure of life, the problems of
life are putting undue strain upon each one of us.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
And that is why the one.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Thing necessary what we're going to see in the message,
The one thing necessary is vital, not just incidental, but
vital to our physical health, our emotional well being, and
certainly our spiritual relationship with God. Our story that is
(01:31):
found in Luke's Gospel, Chapter ten, is a story that
concerns two women one by the name of Martha, another
by the name of Mary, one who lost focus and
balance in her life, and was therefore filled with anxiety
and distraction and trouble.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And she lost her way.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And yet another woman who found faith and chose to
live in the power and yes in the peace that
Jesus gives. So beginning in verse thirty eight of Luke's
Gospel and chapter ten. Now, as they went on their way,
Jesus entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed
(02:17):
him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary,
who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.
But Martha was distracted with much survy, and she went
up to him and said, Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell
her then to help me. But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha,
(02:41):
you are anxious and troubled about many things, But one
thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which
will not be taken away from her. Martha and their
brother Lazarus were good friends of the Lord Jesus. Jesus
(03:07):
had certain friends that were intimates among those that knew
him and heard him, and Mary and Martha their brother Lazarus,
were among the inner circle of.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
The Lord Jesus.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Jesus enjoyed their home and their hospitality. But in this case, Martha,
who was a woman given to activity, no doubt talented
and devoted to Christ herself, Yet she chose activity and
work over worship, and as a result she became frustrated
(03:45):
and stressed out, critical and angry. On the other hand,
her sister Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus,
chose the one thing necessary, and in this conversation with
our Lord Jesus commended her commitment to him.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
She had learned that.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Being comes before doing. Mary quietly sat at the feet
of Jesus, listened to him speak, soaked in his words,
and nourished her soul. Interesting isn't it that Martha invited
Jesus into her home and then proceeded to neglect him
(04:29):
with activity. And while she no doubt loved the Lord
and was seeking to bless the Lord in his presence,
there with her activity, she failed to remember the one
thing that is necessary, that doing good things is never
a substitute for our soul's worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
And so often in the rush and in the push of.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Our daily lives, we need to slow down and to
be still, and to be refueled and refilled with the
fullness and the freshness of His presence, to enjoy his
love and to experience his peace. And as you meet
(05:16):
Christ each day in the light of the morning, and
when you turn to him in the adrenaline rush of
the day, as you sit at his feet and be
still and know that He is God, you will discover
there his joy and his presence the psalm Ist set
in Psalm sixteen eleven. In your presence is fullness of joy.
(05:39):
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. And your bowed
head and your humble heart and your attentive spirit to
the Lord opens the windows of heaven to bless you.
And in the pace of our lives, we need to
slow down, really, folks, we need to slow down.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
And to sit at his feet.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
And I pray that after you hear this message, you
will have a deeper desire to personally, devotionally spend time
getting to know your Lord even better, listening to him,
loving him, longing for him. That you will spend time
retreating into the presence of God. Because at his feet.
(06:27):
You will find joy in the wonder of this presence.
You will discover an inner peace that you never thought possible.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
You will be more.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Devoted to Christ than ever, and more connected to your
family and friends that you thought possible. You will be
more focused and determine and more effective in your work.
You will be energized by the power of faith, and
you will share Christ as never before in the joy
of His love. You will make a bigger difference in
(06:59):
the world when you understand this one thing necessary in
your life. Now have you discovered that the way you
start your day often determines how your day goes. Now,
if you get up in the morning and you're hustling
around and you're in a bad mood, you're stressed out,
(07:19):
you'll spend the rest of the day on a mental edge.
But if you start rather than focusing on your problems
and your situations, rather than complaining and dwelling on what's
wrong in your life, if you will start rather looking
to the Lord and finding his grace, finding his peace,
you will discover that your day is going to go
(07:42):
according to God's way. And what we do at the
beginning of the day certainly impacts and influences how we
spend the rest of the day. And if you are
going to live an abundant life, I mean an abundant
life rather than an overwhelmed life, an overloaded life, but
rather an overflowing life, then you need to seek God
(08:04):
the first thing in the morning. The Psalmist said, early
will I seek you to give God the first part
of your day, before the stress and the busyness of
life come.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
You need to take time to.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Spend alone with God, to be quiet and be still
and know his presence, thanking Him for his goodness in
your life, thinking about his love and his grace, meditating
upon his word, and building your faith. And when you
do that, you are doing what Mary did, and that
(08:44):
is choosing the good part of life, the good portion
of life. You are doing the one thing that is
necessary and the one thing of all the things in
your world, the one thing that's really going to last.
Isaiah forty in verse three thirty one is an important
verse to me, has been hanging in my study for
(09:04):
a long time. In a scripture portrait, they that wait
upon the Lord, in other words, those who hope in
the Lord, those who look to the Lord, those who
sit at the Lord's feet.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Those who wait upon.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
The Lord shall renew their strength, which literally means shall
exchange their weakness for his strength, shall renew their strength.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
They shall mount up.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
With wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary.
They will walk and not faint. And just as the
physical body needs rest, your spiritual person, the inner man,
the inner woman, needs to be restored. And remember Jesus said,
come to me, all you that labor are heavy laden,
(09:48):
and I will give you rest. So the way to
refresh your spirit and to restore your body and to
restrengthen your life.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Is to spend time with God. I mean, think about it.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
We spend time getting ready physically every morning, as much
as thirty forty forty five minutes getting dressed for the day,
getting prepared for the day, blow drying our hair, and
all the rest trying to be presentable to the world.
We spend all of that time getting ready physically for
the day, But how much time are you spending to
(10:25):
get ready for the day spiritually?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
We spend all of.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
This time getting ready on the outside and spend very
little at any time getting ready on the inside. And
therefore that's why we're running on empty, and we're tired,
and we're often irritable and cynical and frustrated and vulnerable
to mistakes in our lives. Like Martha, who was so
anxious and upset. She, according to Jesus, was distracted by
(10:51):
many things.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
It was a.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Whirlwind of activity around her, and yet because she wasn't
doing the one thing necessary, she missed an opportunity to
grow in her faith. It's no wonder with all the
pressures of life, the stress of life, you know. Stress
is when the demands of our day and even the
(11:13):
desires of our lives exceed our ability to respond. We're
just overwhelmed with the demands of the desires, the things
we have to do, the things we must do, the things.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
That we want to do.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So if we are going to respond to all the
challenges of life and the opportunities of life as well
as the responsibilities.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Of life, we need to take time to sit at Jesus'
feet to listen to him.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
the one thing necessary if you're walking through a tough season,
Diamonds in the Dark is a message you need to
hear in this honest and hope filled book, Doctor Graham
shows you how God uses green, loss and hardship to
reveal spiritual treasures. We want to send you diamonds in
(12:05):
the dark as a thanks for your gift of ten
dollars or more, and this is the last day to
have your gift doubled by a generous matching grant. So
call today. Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four
six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven, or text the word diamond to
(12:26):
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 email updates from PowerPoint. Just
(12:48):
go to PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign up today.
Now let's get back to today's message, the One Thing Necessary.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
All through the scriptures, we are reminded of the principle
of first things first. For example, if you give the
first part of your income to God as the Bible
commands us, if you give off the top the first
tenth of your income, you will discover that the rest
of your income will last longer and go farther. It's
(13:22):
God's principle, It's God's plan for economy in your life.
If you honor God with the first fruits of your substance,
then He will honor you in return. If you give
God the first part of the week in worship.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
God blesses us when we give him the first.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
And if you honor Him by showing up and worshiping him,
and truly not just out of roat or routine, but
truly to honor him and worship him by attending church
and investing your life, then you will find the rest
of your week will be impacted and influenced.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And empowered to live a better life.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Certainly true that if you will give God the first
part of your day, then the rest of your day
is going to be blessed. When you take time to
honor Him, to worship him, to tell him that you
love him, to sing a song of praise, to open
the word, to build your faith, to contemplate and meditate
(14:24):
upon His principles and promises in his word. You'll find
that your schedule will go better, that your relationships will
grow stronger, that you will be more effective. Your mind,
your body is going to be relaxed. You're going to
get more done, You're going to be more creative. You're
going to enjoy your life. Doors are going to open
(14:44):
all because you put Jesus first in your life. Jesus
himself said in Matthew six point thirty three. Seek first
the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of
these things will be added unto you.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
This is the one thing necessary.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
And when you begin your day by saying, Lord, I
love you, Lord, I worship you, Lord, I praise you, Lord,
I thank you. Thank you for being a gracious God
to me. Thank you for being such a good God,
and for all of the blessings of life. Lord, I
(15:25):
give you my life today. Lord, I love you, Lord,
I need you. When you begin your day like that,
before anything else gets started, I promise you you will
experience life more abundant.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
You know, there really is.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Something special about the morning, isn't there The stillness of
the morning before the day rushes in, to be still
and to know that I am God. You say, well, Jack,
this really is than all that practical for me. My
life is too hectic, my life is too stressful.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I don't have time to be still.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Well, if that's your attitude, you're only hurting yourself and
you're only holding yourself back because I assure you, just
like a pressure cooker, some of us remember the old
days of our mother's cooking with pressure cookers and when
the pressure is on and the heat rises. I was
(16:32):
in my bedroom one day and studying. I think I
probably was studying. I'm sure I was.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Kids.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
I studied real hard every afternoon, and my mother was
cooking dinner. And the next thing I know, I heard
this explosion, and my mother screamed, and I walked into
the kitchen and there were green beans all over the
ceiling because that pressure cooker had just literally exploded in
the kitchen.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Too much pressure.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
That is why you need to take time and make
time to replenish your soul and to do it every day.
You can't do this by just coming to church once
a week anymore than you could survive on one meal
(17:21):
a week physically. But rather you should feed your soul
and nourish your inner life every day, preferably in the morning.
It's the one thing necessary. He said, Well, how do
I do this? What are you actually talking about? Sometimes
(17:41):
is simply being still and quiet before the Lord. For me,
is taking the scripture and reading the Word of God
and digesting it and ingesting it, or just underlining it
or reading a passage of scripture. Not typically long links
or passages of scripture at this at this particular time,
but just to let God speak to me. I pray,
(18:04):
I meditate upon his promise. And I don't always feel
like doing this. There are times when we all wake
up tired and depressed in the mornings, we don't always
feel like spending time with God. But I've learned over
the years it's especially at those times when I don't
(18:25):
feel like it, that I need to faith it out
and live it out. And that's when I can renew
my faith and restore my joy, and rest and relax
my body and replenish my soul, all at the feet
of Jesus, doing what Mary did, choosing the good portion
and before the activity starts, before the action begins of
(18:49):
my day, to spend time listening to Him, just loving him.
I often read God's promises and claim those promises and
confess those promises for my life, promises like Proverbs four eighteen,
the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter under the perfect day. That
(19:12):
means every step we take it gets more beautiful and
brighter each step of the way.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Psalm eighty four eleven. For the Lord, our God, is
a son and a shield.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
He gives favor and honor, and no good thing will
be with hell from them who walk uprightly. I may
just take that promise and say, Lord, you are my son,
you are my shield. You have given me grace, you
have given me favor, you have given honor, and I
know that you want to give every good.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Thing into my life this day. Thank you for that promise.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Or I may quote Psalm twenty.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Three, verse six.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever. Or I may quote the apostle
Paul if Philippias four thirteen. As I get ready for
some particular challenge in my life, I can do all
things through.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Christ, who strengthens me. You see, just taking.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Time to listen to his word, this fills my heart
with peace. And when I do this, my attitude changes,
my body recharges, my faith is strengthened, and I'm ready
to take on anything that day with enthusiasm and power.
One translation, the Phillips Translation of Philippians four point thirteen says,
(20:24):
I am ready for anything in the.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Power of Jesus Christ, who lives in me.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
It is infending time with God that we meet him.
We find the fullness and freshness for each day. And
if you will do this, you will have more life
to live and more life to give. If you will
take time out, you will discover early in the morning,
if you will give your time to God, that ordinary
(20:52):
days will become extraordinary days, days that are filled with creativity,
days that are filled with wonder day that will be
filled with productivity. You will give yourself to others, including
your family and your friends. And this is especially needed
in our lives are when we are particularly busy. If
(21:14):
you don't take time to spend it with God, spend
time with God before you take on the day, you
will find your life bearing so, especially if you've been
working extra hours or working hard, or traveling and giving
out and working especially hard. You need to take time
(21:36):
to take in. Some of you are running on empty
every single day. I think about some of you young
mothers with small children. You have so many responsibilities to
take care of those children, or to take care of
your responsibilities, take care of your family, and if you're
(21:57):
not careful, you will spend time takking care of everyone
but yourself. And self care. Taking care of yourself before
God should be not just a priority, but a necessity
in your life. I've discovered that if I try to
be available all the time, soon I'm not available any
(22:21):
of the time. Many of you are mentally fatigued and
emotionally drained and physically exhausted. Why because you're not choosing
the better part. You're not putting Christ first in your day.
You're not getting up and meeting Him in the morning,
(22:42):
and therefore you're running down the apostle. Paul tells us
that the inner person, the inner life, can be renewed
every single day, even though the outward man is failing physically.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
It's a fact of life. We are deteriorating.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
But yet he says that the inner man can be
strengthened and renewed every day Second Corinthians four sixteen.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
So we do not lose heart.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature
is being renewed day by day. So you know what
some of you need to do is to get your
life back in balance. You're more like Martha than Mary.
You're distracted with many things. Jesus looked at her and said, Martha, Martha.
(23:37):
I don't know about you, but if Jesus called my
name a couple of times, I'm listening up.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Martha, Martha.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Come on, you're bothered and distracted, and now you're critical
of your sister here. You're irritable, you're upset, you're agitated,
you're anxious.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Come on, Mark, Mark, choose the better pot take time
for me.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message the one thing necessary Today we will close our
books on another year of ministry, and it's critical we
end strong. That's why generous friends have stepped forward with
a two hundred thousand dollars matching grant, which means every
dollar you give today will be doubled. Your gift to
help meet this grant in full is so important. We'll
(24:30):
send you doctor Graham's powerful book Diamonds in the Dark
as our special thanks. This powerful resource walks you through
some of life's hardest places to reveal the spiritual treasures
God plants along the way. If you or someone you
love is facing grief, fear, or uncertainty, this message will
help you find strength, clarity, and hope right where you are.
(24:53):
Request your copy when you call and give today 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 diamond to five nine
seven eight nine, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham
dot org where you can shop our East store, give
(25:14):
a gift online, or sign up for doctor Graham's free
daily email devotional. Our website again is Jack Graham dot org.
Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 2 (25:26):
One of the very best ways you can start off
your day is to spend time with God. With as
much as you've got going on these days, work, school kids,
all the extracurricular activities, those few precious moments in the
morning can mean all the difference in the world and
set the tone and the temperature for the rest of
your day. So I want to encourage you to begin
(25:46):
each day with God the first thing in the morning,
open his word, speak to him in prayer, sing songs
of praise to him. There are so many instances in
the Bible where godly people awoke early to spend time
with God. In fact, in the scripture, we're told, awake,
o sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine
(26:07):
on you. One of the great benefits of coming to
the Lord in the morning is that he prepares you
for the challenges of the day and puts you in
the right frame of mind for whatever you face. By
spending time in God's word, you refresh your spirit, you
replenish your soul, and you refuel your body. You will
be better prepared for whatever happens in your day.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Now.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I don't know if you're a morning person or not,
and I realize we all have various kinds of schedules,
but I want to challenge you to get up earlier
each day and spend time with God, because as you do,
you will begin living in the fullness and the freshness
of His presence in your life each day. The best
part is you will have more to give. Ordinary days
will become extraordinary days, Boring days will become exciting days,
(26:54):
and you will be ready to give more of yourself
to your family and to your friends. It's my prayer
that you will become diligent about spending time with God
each and every day. Start your morning at the feet
of Jesus. Make it your priority to spend time alone
with Him and come into his presence, because I promise
you there's no better place on earth.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you doctor Graham's book Diamonds in the Dark 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, Or you can also text the
word diamond to five nine seven eight nine and join
(27:40):
us again next time as doctor Graham brings a message
about three steps you must take to live in the
power and presence of Jesus. That's next time on power
Point with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored
by PowerPoint Ministry.
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