July 1, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
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.
Part two.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Our story that is 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, and she
(00:45):
lost her way. And yet another woman who found faith
and chose to live in the power and yes, in
the peace way down in the center of your life,
the peace that Jesus gives. So beginning in verse thirty
eight of Luke's Gospel and chapter ten. Now, as they
(01:07):
went on their way, Jesus entered a village, and a
woman named Martha welcomed 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
(01:29):
to serve alone? Tell her then to help me, But
the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and
troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary
has chosen the good portion which will not be taken
(01:51):
away from her. 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 and stressed out, critical and angry. On
(02:16):
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.
She had learned that being comes before doing. Now have
you discovered that the way you start your day often
(02:39):
determines how your day goes. Now, if you get up
in the morning and you're hustling around, and you're hurrying,
and you're in a bad mood, you're stressed out, you'll
spend the rest of the day on a mental edge.
But if you start rather than focusing on your problemblems
(03:00):
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
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
(03:22):
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
the first thing in the morning. The Psalmist said, early
will I seek you to give God the first part
(03:45):
of your day, before the stress and the busyness of
life come, Before you think about all the things that
you've got to do the rest of that day. You
need to take time to spend alone with God, to
be quiet and be still and know his presence, thanking
(04:05):
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 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
(04:28):
of all the things in your world, the one thing
that's really going to last 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. This is the one thing necessary. And
when you begin your day by saying, Lord, I love you, Lord,
(04:54):
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 give you my
life today. Lord, I love you, Lord, I need you.
When you begin your day like that, before anything else
(05:17):
gets started, I promise you you will experience life more abundant.
It's the one thing necessary. He say, well, how do
I do this? What are you actually talking about? Sometimes
is simply being still and quiet before the Lord. For
me is taking the scripture and reading the Word of
(05:41):
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 particular time, but
just to let God speak to me. I pray, I
meditate upon his promise promises. Like Proverbs eighteen, the path
(06:01):
of the righteous is as the light of dawn which
shines brighter and brighter under the perfect day. That means
every step we take it gets more beautiful and brighter
each step of the way. Psalm eighty four eleven. For
the Lord, our God, is a son and a shield.
He gives favor and honor, and no good thing will
be with hell from them who walk uprightly. I may
(06:22):
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 thing into
my life this day. Thank you for that promise. Or
I may quote Psalm twenty three, verse six. Surely goodness
and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
(06:43):
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Or I may quote the Apostle paul I Philippias four thirteen.
As I get ready for some particular challenge in my life,
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
You see, just taking time to listen to his words,
this fills my heart with peace. And when I do this,
(07:04):
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, I am ready for anything in
the power of Jesus Christ, who lives in me. Many
of you are mentally fatigued and emotionally drained and physically exhausted.
(07:29):
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. Therefore you're running down
the apostle. Paul tells us that the inner person, the
(07:50):
inner life, can be renewed every single day, even though
the outward man is failing. Physically, it's a fact of life.
We are deteriorating. But yet he says that the inner
man can be strengthened and renewed every day Second Corinthians
four sixteen. So we do not lose heart. Though our
(08:13):
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
(08:35):
with many things. Jesus looked at her and said, Martha Martha.
I don't know about you, but if Jesus called my
name a couple of times, I'm listening up. Martha, Martha.
Come on, you're bothered and distracted, and now you're critical
(08:59):
of your sister. Here, you're irritable, you're upset, you're agitated,
you're anxious. Come on, Martha, Martha, choose the better part.
Take time for me, get your life back in balance.
(09:21):
You don't have to live on the edge emotionally. You
don't have to be cynical and critical, exhausted, exhausted, running
through life, just knocking things over. So what I'm asking
you to do, what I'm encouraging you to do, is
to get up a little earlier in your day, to
spend time with God, to start off every day at
(09:46):
his feet and begin each day soaking up his word
and his presence. And if you will do this, you're
going to get more done in your life, not less.
You're going to be more productive, more fruitful, because you see,
you're not going to be wasting time. You're going to
(10:06):
be investing your time. You never give God something that
he doesn't give you far more back. So if you
give him some time, if you get up as a principle.
If you get up and begin your day with Him,
then He's going to give you so much more back
in your life. When we give him the control of
our day, when we begin each day worshiping Him, then
(10:30):
He's going to make sure that every step of the day,
all throughout the day, everything is going to be working
together for good. Even the bad things in life, the
tough things, the interruptions, the interchanges of life, the intersections
of life that come, all of that is working together
for good. Is Christ's really a vital, necessary part of
(10:51):
your life. The word vital means that you can't live
without him. Paul said, Christ is my life? Is he
your life? Is He vital for your life? Jesus and
John fifteen one of the most important passages for the believer.
John fifteen talks about abiding him him. He says, if
(11:14):
you abide in Me and my word abides in you,
you will bear much fruit. So abiding in Christ means
to do what Mary was doing. It means to take
time to connect with Him and to stay devoted to Him.
And the way we stay strong in life, the way
we get more done in life, the way we live
(11:34):
in joy and abundance in life is by abiding in Him.
This is why I'm saying this is the One Thing necessary.
It's what Jesus said.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
the One Thing Necessary Part two. 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 grief, loss, and
hardship to reveal spiritual treasures you'd never discover otherwise. We
(12:07):
want to send you Diamonds in the Dark as a
thanks for your gift of ten dollars or more. Call
now to request your copy. 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 five nine seven eight nine. Don't let
(12:28):
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 Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot org slash
(12:50):
stress and sign up today. Now let's get back to
today's message, the One Thing Necessary Part two.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
That's the one thing necessary. So this isn't take your
pick multiple choice. If you would like to do this,
this would be a good idea, or if you feel
like it, or if if you get the time, if
you can work it in. No. The psalm is said
(13:19):
as the deer pants for flowing streams. So my soul
pants for you, Oh God, David said, Oh God, you
are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirst
for you. My flesh thinks for you, as in a
dry and weary land where there is no water. God,
(13:41):
I'm hungry for you. I'm thirsty for you. David said.
One thing I've asked of the Lord that I will
seek after that I may dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life, and so
gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire
in his temple. No wonder. David was called a man
(14:05):
after God's own heart. Think about it. The God of
Creation invites you to spend time with him. The Almighty
invites you into his presence and if you will be
(14:30):
there at Jesus' feet, your life will be filled with
his spirit and you will find they're listening to him
and learning of him wisdom for making decisions, and strength
to overcome those trials and temptations. And you will find
forgiveness and grace for your failures in life. And all
(14:52):
you need to do is to do what Mary did,
to do the one necessary thing in your life, and
that is to sit at his feet. On a practical note,
that means you may need to make some changes in
your life and in your schedule. Could start by going
to bed earlier the night before, or setting in a
(15:14):
clock a little earlier and getting up a little early.
It may mean eliminating some things that really aren't important,
spending time or reading material that really doesn't edify you,
or or spending time on the internet or text messaging
or emailing. It may mean cutting back on some things
that you're doing that aren't important. And on a practical note,
(15:35):
find a quiet place in your house. Now. I know
that may be hard to do. Sometimes, find a quiet place.
This all may be a sacrifice, and it is a
sacrifice in one sense, but it will be worth it.
And if you are stressed out and maxed out and
burned out in life. I can tell you the reason
(15:57):
why you're not spending time with Jesus. You're not spending
time listening and learning at his feet. So don't be
surprised if you make this commitment to do this, that
is going to be difficult and sometimes even demanding people
may not understand. Artha didn't understand. Mary's commitment to be
(16:19):
at the feet of Jesus may not understand, and you'll
find all kinds of distractions and interruptions like Mary did.
Why Because Satan doesn't want you to spend time at Jesus'
feed So you start spending time, you get up, I
guarantee you the baby's gonna cry, the phone's going to ring,
(16:40):
your husband, will you know where's my shirt? All of
those sorts of things are going to happen. So you
need to be determined. You need to be disciplined to
make this the one necessary thing in your life, because
if I don't spend if you don't spend time with
the Savior, you're going to be running on empty. Your
(17:02):
life is going to be barren and stale, and I
won't be at my best for my family, for my friends,
for my job, my influence, my witness. Jesus said, you've
chosen the better portion, the good portion, one of the beatitudes,
the first among the first of the beattitudes. Jesus says,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for
(17:25):
they will be filled. Are you empty? Are you hungry
for something else, something more? In your life? It is
by seeking Him his love, his grace, his righteousness. And
when you meet him the first part of the day,
that means that you are welcoming Him into your life.
(17:49):
And then during the day when things get hectic, when
the pressure piles on, when things don't go in the
right directions, you know what you can do. You can
just take time out what I call a blessing break,
and just remember what God said to you, how God
(18:10):
spoke to you. You can acknowledge God's presence once again
in your life, trusting the Lord with all your heart,
lean not into your own understanding and all your ways.
Acknowledge Him. Sometimes it's just taking time out in the
middle of the day to acknowledge Him in his presence.
(18:32):
But this means that you must be willing to get
aside and to get alone with him. Now you may
be thinking, Hey, I'm not the meditative type. You know,
I'm more of a Martha. I'm a doer, you know.
I like to get things done. I mean, five minutes
(18:52):
by myself drives me nuts. Well, if you're like me,
a hard charging type, a kind of personality, a kind
of doer person, then you especially need to do what
I'm talking about for the sake of your body, for
(19:13):
the sake of your soul. What Jesus tells us here
is that Mary was listening to him. She wasn't doing
all the talking. She was sitting in his feet, soaking
it in, listening and learning. And sometimes the most powerful
(19:35):
times of prayer are just sitting quietly before the Lord.
The Bible says, be still and know that I am God,
and just to open His word. The Holy Spirit is
our teacher. So how do you sit? I mean, this
all sounds a little mystical to me. How do you
sit at the feet of Jesus? How do you listen
(19:57):
to Jesus today? When you quiet your soul in your
heart and you open God's word, and the Holy Spirit
will make his presence real to you. His spirit will
speak to your heart it's important that you take your
Bible and read the scriptures. Doesn't have to be a
long passage and extensive reading, but maybe you'd like to
(20:22):
take up the motto no Bible, no breakfast, and that
you would feed your soul even before you feed your body.
And you will discover. If you will spend time taking
and meditating, memorizing the scripture, thinking about the Word of
God in your life, the scripture will be a part
(20:43):
of you. God's word and God's wisdom will begin to
live in you. And then when circumstances, you turn a
corner and there's a problem, there's a situation, you need
an answer, You have questions, you're dealing with, a difficulty.
Maybe some terrible thing, maybe some tragic thing comes along
in your life. And when you do, you will discover
at that moment, many of the scriptures that you've thought about,
(21:07):
many of the scriptures that you've memorized, those that you've contemplated,
those that you've poured into your life. God will give
you those when you need them the most. Some people
wonder why, in the middle of a crisis, a critical
moment in their lives, they cry out to God and
seem to get nothing. You know why, It's because they've
(21:27):
not cultivated this relationship with Christ, and therefore God seems
far away. The Word of God the Bible is called
a seed, the seed of the Word of God. So
when you ingest the word of God, when you take
in the word of God, it is like planning a
seed in your life, and that seed will bear fruits.
(21:52):
It's the one necessary thing. And we get God's attention.
When we give him our attention, you honor him. He
will honor you. He will give you strength and blessing
and joy and honor. So what I'm asking you to
do is to develop and discipline yourself in this holy habit.
(22:19):
If you're already having a quiet time each day in
the morning with God, then continue in it. Be encouraged
in that, don't give up, don't be weary and well doing.
But if you've never done this, maybe you're a new Christian,
you're a new believer. Maybe you've just now come back
to the Lord in some way and you don't have
(22:40):
this habit in your life. I want to encourage you
to make this commitment again, preferably in the morning. You say,
can I do this another time? Yes, you can, but
I'm telling you there's something special and something strategic about
taking time early in the day. I encourage you to
(23:03):
make a definite decision to start to do the one
thing that is necessary. There are hundreds of things that
demand our time and our energies every single day, but
this is the one thing you need the most. Some
of you are like Mary. You love God, you love Jesus,
(23:26):
and you often show it by doing things for him,
working hard. But you just need to get your life
in balance here and not just do good things, but
do the best thing. And when you do, you will
(23:47):
live an abundantly.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message the One Thing Necessary Part two. Life doesn't always
unfold the way we hope. There are setbacks, losses, and
seasons that leave us asking where is God in all
of this. In his honest and encouraging book Diamonds in
the Dark, Doctor Graham shares how God is not absent
(24:11):
in our pain, He is present, and He is at work.
This powerful resource walks you through some of life's hardest
places to reveal 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. And when you give
(24:33):
a gift of ten dollars or more, we'll send you
a copy of 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 just text diamond to five nine seven eight nine,
and don't forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where
(24:54):
you can shop our East store, 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 (25:13):
Well, priorities are so very, very important, and we saw
that today in the story of Mary and Martha. Before
you can be really effective for Christ, you must make
it a practice to be still, to know that He
is God, experience his presence every day of your life.
In the story of Mary and Martha, we see two
very different responses to Jesus. While Martha is busy getting
(25:34):
the food ready, making sure the house is clean, and
so on, we find Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, listening, learning,
loving him. And as you know, this made Martha very upset.
There she was frantically preparing a meal, running around trying
to make everything perfect in our house for Jesus, while
her sister wasn't even helping well. Martha was so upset
(25:56):
that she even made a comment to Jesus about this
lack of help from her sister. But Jesus came back
at Martha with a fascinating response, a response that most
of us need to hear today. Jesus said, Martha, Martha,
you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one
thing is necessary. Note that one thing is necessary. Mary
(26:20):
has chosen the good portion which shall not be taken
away from her. What is that one thing? The one
thing that Jesus talks about here is spending time with him,
getting to know him, honoring him, loving him, spending time
at his feet, and while serving others and sharing our
faith and being active in ministry is very important to
every believer. We need to make sure that we are
(26:42):
first spending time with Jesus, that we are taking time
every day to replenish our resources and to restore our
faith and our love for Him. So let me ask
you when it comes to your walk with God, are
you a Martha running around knocking things over? Or are
you a Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, listening, learning, experiencing
(27:05):
his presence. It's my prayer that you would be a
merry kind of person, the kind of person who spends
time with the Lord every day and makes it your
number one priority.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
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. You can also text the word
(27:36):
diamond to five nine seven eight nine and join us
again next time as doctor Graham brings a message about
how Jesus can move through the common parts of your
life to do incredible things. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministry.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Say
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.
Part two.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Our story that is 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, and she
(00:45):
lost her way. And yet another woman who found faith
and chose to live in the power and yes, in
the peace way down in the center of your life,
the peace that Jesus gives. So beginning in verse thirty
eight of Luke's Gospel and chapter ten. Now, as they
(01:07):
went on their way, Jesus entered a village, and a
woman named Martha welcomed 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
(01:29):
to serve alone? Tell her then to help me, But
the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and
troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary
has chosen the good portion which will not be taken
(01:51):
away from her. 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 and stressed out, critical and angry. On
(02:16):
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.
She had learned that being comes before doing. Now have
you discovered that the way you start your day often
(02:39):
determines how your day goes. Now, if you get up
in the morning and you're hustling around, and you're hurrying,
and you're in a bad mood, you're stressed out, you'll
spend the rest of the day on a mental edge.
But if you start rather than focusing on your problemblems
(03:00):
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
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
(03:22):
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
the first thing in the morning. The Psalmist said, early
will I seek you to give God the first part
(03:45):
of your day, before the stress and the busyness of
life come, Before you think about all the things that
you've got to do the rest of that day. You
need to take time to spend alone with God, to
be quiet and be still and know his presence, thanking
(04:05):
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 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
(04:28):
of all the things in your world, the one thing
that's really going to last 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. This is the one thing necessary. And
when you begin your day by saying, Lord, I love you, Lord,
(04:54):
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 give you my
life today. Lord, I love you, Lord, I need you.
When you begin your day like that, before anything else
(05:17):
gets started, I promise you you will experience life more abundant.
It's the one thing necessary. He say, well, how do
I do this? What are you actually talking about? Sometimes
is simply being still and quiet before the Lord. For
me is taking the scripture and reading the Word of
(05:41):
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 particular time, but
just to let God speak to me. I pray, I
meditate upon his promise promises. Like Proverbs eighteen, the path
(06:01):
of the righteous is as the light of dawn which
shines brighter and brighter under the perfect day. That means
every step we take it gets more beautiful and brighter
each step of the way. Psalm eighty four eleven. For
the Lord, our God, is a son and a shield.
He gives favor and honor, and no good thing will
be with hell from them who walk uprightly. I may
(06:22):
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 thing into
my life this day. Thank you for that promise. Or
I may quote Psalm twenty three, verse six. Surely goodness
and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
(06:43):
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Or I may quote the Apostle paul I Philippias four thirteen.
As I get ready for some particular challenge in my life,
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
You see, just taking time to listen to his words,
this fills my heart with peace. And when I do this,
(07:04):
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, I am ready for anything in
the power of Jesus Christ, who lives in me. Many
of you are mentally fatigued and emotionally drained and physically exhausted.
(07:29):
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. Therefore you're running down
the apostle. Paul tells us that the inner person, the
(07:50):
inner life, can be renewed every single day, even though
the outward man is failing. Physically, it's a fact of life.
We are deteriorating. But yet he says that the inner
man can be strengthened and renewed every day Second Corinthians
four sixteen. So we do not lose heart. Though our
(08:13):
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
(08:35):
with many things. Jesus looked at her and said, Martha Martha.
I don't know about you, but if Jesus called my
name a couple of times, I'm listening up. Martha, Martha.
Come on, you're bothered and distracted, and now you're critical
(08:59):
of your sister. Here, you're irritable, you're upset, you're agitated,
you're anxious. Come on, Martha, Martha, choose the better part.
Take time for me, get your life back in balance.
(09:21):
You don't have to live on the edge emotionally. You
don't have to be cynical and critical, exhausted, exhausted, running
through life, just knocking things over. So what I'm asking
you to do, what I'm encouraging you to do, is
to get up a little earlier in your day, to
spend time with God, to start off every day at
(09:46):
his feet and begin each day soaking up his word
and his presence. And if you will do this, you're
going to get more done in your life, not less.
You're going to be more productive, more fruitful, because you see,
you're not going to be wasting time. You're going to
(10:06):
be investing your time. You never give God something that
he doesn't give you far more back. So if you
give him some time, if you get up as a principle.
If you get up and begin your day with Him,
then He's going to give you so much more back
in your life. When we give him the control of
our day, when we begin each day worshiping Him, then
(10:30):
He's going to make sure that every step of the day,
all throughout the day, everything is going to be working
together for good. Even the bad things in life, the
tough things, the interruptions, the interchanges of life, the intersections
of life that come, all of that is working together
for good. Is Christ's really a vital, necessary part of
(10:51):
your life. The word vital means that you can't live
without him. Paul said, Christ is my life? Is he
your life? Is He vital for your life? Jesus and
John fifteen one of the most important passages for the believer.
John fifteen talks about abiding him him. He says, if
(11:14):
you abide in Me and my word abides in you,
you will bear much fruit. So abiding in Christ means
to do what Mary was doing. It means to take
time to connect with Him and to stay devoted to Him.
And the way we stay strong in life, the way
we get more done in life, the way we live
(11:34):
in joy and abundance in life is by abiding in Him.
This is why I'm saying this is the One Thing necessary.
It's what Jesus said.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
the One Thing Necessary Part two. 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 grief, loss, and
hardship to reveal spiritual treasures you'd never discover otherwise. We
(12:07):
want to send you Diamonds in the Dark as a
thanks for your gift of ten dollars or more. Call
now to request your copy. 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 five nine seven eight nine. Don't let
(12:28):
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 Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot org slash
(12:50):
stress and sign up today. Now let's get back to
today's message, the One Thing Necessary Part two.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
That's the one thing necessary. So this isn't take your
pick multiple choice. If you would like to do this,
this would be a good idea, or if you feel
like it, or if if you get the time, if
you can work it in. No. The psalm is said
(13:19):
as the deer pants for flowing streams. So my soul
pants for you, Oh God, David said, Oh God, you
are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirst
for you. My flesh thinks for you, as in a
dry and weary land where there is no water. God,
(13:41):
I'm hungry for you. I'm thirsty for you. David said.
One thing I've asked of the Lord that I will
seek after that I may dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life, and so
gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire
in his temple. No wonder. David was called a man
(14:05):
after God's own heart. Think about it. The God of
Creation invites you to spend time with him. The Almighty
invites you into his presence and if you will be
(14:30):
there at Jesus' feet, your life will be filled with
his spirit and you will find they're listening to him
and learning of him wisdom for making decisions, and strength
to overcome those trials and temptations. And you will find
forgiveness and grace for your failures in life. And all
(14:52):
you need to do is to do what Mary did,
to do the one necessary thing in your life, and
that is to sit at his feet. On a practical note,
that means you may need to make some changes in
your life and in your schedule. Could start by going
to bed earlier the night before, or setting in a
(15:14):
clock a little earlier and getting up a little early.
It may mean eliminating some things that really aren't important,
spending time or reading material that really doesn't edify you,
or or spending time on the internet or text messaging
or emailing. It may mean cutting back on some things
that you're doing that aren't important. And on a practical note,
(15:35):
find a quiet place in your house. Now. I know
that may be hard to do. Sometimes, find a quiet place.
This all may be a sacrifice, and it is a
sacrifice in one sense, but it will be worth it.
And if you are stressed out and maxed out and
burned out in life. I can tell you the reason
(15:57):
why you're not spending time with Jesus. You're not spending
time listening and learning at his feet. So don't be
surprised if you make this commitment to do this, that
is going to be difficult and sometimes even demanding people
may not understand. Artha didn't understand. Mary's commitment to be
(16:19):
at the feet of Jesus may not understand, and you'll
find all kinds of distractions and interruptions like Mary did.
Why Because Satan doesn't want you to spend time at Jesus'
feed So you start spending time, you get up, I
guarantee you the baby's gonna cry, the phone's going to ring,
(16:40):
your husband, will you know where's my shirt? All of
those sorts of things are going to happen. So you
need to be determined. You need to be disciplined to
make this the one necessary thing in your life, because
if I don't spend if you don't spend time with
the Savior, you're going to be running on empty. Your
(17:02):
life is going to be barren and stale, and I
won't be at my best for my family, for my friends,
for my job, my influence, my witness. Jesus said, you've
chosen the better portion, the good portion, one of the beatitudes,
the first among the first of the beattitudes. Jesus says,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for
(17:25):
they will be filled. Are you empty? Are you hungry
for something else, something more? In your life? It is
by seeking Him his love, his grace, his righteousness. And
when you meet him the first part of the day,
that means that you are welcoming Him into your life.
(17:49):
And then during the day when things get hectic, when
the pressure piles on, when things don't go in the
right directions, you know what you can do. You can
just take time out what I call a blessing break,
and just remember what God said to you, how God
(18:10):
spoke to you. You can acknowledge God's presence once again
in your life, trusting the Lord with all your heart,
lean not into your own understanding and all your ways.
Acknowledge Him. Sometimes it's just taking time out in the
middle of the day to acknowledge Him in his presence.
(18:32):
But this means that you must be willing to get
aside and to get alone with him. Now you may
be thinking, Hey, I'm not the meditative type. You know,
I'm more of a Martha. I'm a doer, you know.
I like to get things done. I mean, five minutes
(18:52):
by myself drives me nuts. Well, if you're like me,
a hard charging type, a kind of personality, a kind
of doer person, then you especially need to do what
I'm talking about for the sake of your body, for
(19:13):
the sake of your soul. What Jesus tells us here
is that Mary was listening to him. She wasn't doing
all the talking. She was sitting in his feet, soaking
it in, listening and learning. And sometimes the most powerful
(19:35):
times of prayer are just sitting quietly before the Lord.
The Bible says, be still and know that I am God,
and just to open His word. The Holy Spirit is
our teacher. So how do you sit? I mean, this
all sounds a little mystical to me. How do you
sit at the feet of Jesus? How do you listen
(19:57):
to Jesus today? When you quiet your soul in your
heart and you open God's word, and the Holy Spirit
will make his presence real to you. His spirit will
speak to your heart it's important that you take your
Bible and read the scriptures. Doesn't have to be a
long passage and extensive reading, but maybe you'd like to
(20:22):
take up the motto no Bible, no breakfast, and that
you would feed your soul even before you feed your body.
And you will discover. If you will spend time taking
and meditating, memorizing the scripture, thinking about the Word of
God in your life, the scripture will be a part
(20:43):
of you. God's word and God's wisdom will begin to
live in you. And then when circumstances, you turn a
corner and there's a problem, there's a situation, you need
an answer, You have questions, you're dealing with, a difficulty.
Maybe some terrible thing, maybe some tragic thing comes along
in your life. And when you do, you will discover
at that moment, many of the scriptures that you've thought about,
(21:07):
many of the scriptures that you've memorized, those that you've contemplated,
those that you've poured into your life. God will give
you those when you need them the most. Some people
wonder why, in the middle of a crisis, a critical
moment in their lives, they cry out to God and
seem to get nothing. You know why, It's because they've
(21:27):
not cultivated this relationship with Christ, and therefore God seems
far away. The Word of God the Bible is called
a seed, the seed of the Word of God. So
when you ingest the word of God, when you take
in the word of God, it is like planning a
seed in your life, and that seed will bear fruits.
(21:52):
It's the one necessary thing. And we get God's attention.
When we give him our attention, you honor him. He
will honor you. He will give you strength and blessing
and joy and honor. So what I'm asking you to
do is to develop and discipline yourself in this holy habit.
(22:19):
If you're already having a quiet time each day in
the morning with God, then continue in it. Be encouraged
in that, don't give up, don't be weary and well doing.
But if you've never done this, maybe you're a new Christian,
you're a new believer. Maybe you've just now come back
to the Lord in some way and you don't have
(22:40):
this habit in your life. I want to encourage you
to make this commitment again, preferably in the morning. You say,
can I do this another time? Yes, you can, but
I'm telling you there's something special and something strategic about
taking time early in the day. I encourage you to
(23:03):
make a definite decision to start to do the one
thing that is necessary. There are hundreds of things that
demand our time and our energies every single day, but
this is the one thing you need the most. Some
of you are like Mary. You love God, you love Jesus,
(23:26):
and you often show it by doing things for him,
working hard. But you just need to get your life
in balance here and not just do good things, but
do the best thing. And when you do, you will
(23:47):
live an abundantly.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message the One Thing Necessary Part two. Life doesn't always
unfold the way we hope. There are setbacks, losses, and
seasons that leave us asking where is God in all
of this. In his honest and encouraging book Diamonds in
the Dark, Doctor Graham shares how God is not absent
(24:11):
in our pain, He is present, and He is at work.
This powerful resource walks you through some of life's hardest
places to reveal 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. And when you give
(24:33):
a gift of ten dollars or more, we'll send you
a copy of 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 just text diamond to five nine seven eight nine,
and don't forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where
(24:54):
you can shop our East store, 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 (25:13):
Well, priorities are so very, very important, and we saw
that today in the story of Mary and Martha. Before
you can be really effective for Christ, you must make
it a practice to be still, to know that He
is God, experience his presence every day of your life.
In the story of Mary and Martha, we see two
very different responses to Jesus. While Martha is busy getting
(25:34):
the food ready, making sure the house is clean, and
so on, we find Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, listening, learning,
loving him. And as you know, this made Martha very upset.
There she was frantically preparing a meal, running around trying
to make everything perfect in our house for Jesus, while
her sister wasn't even helping well. Martha was so upset
(25:56):
that she even made a comment to Jesus about this
lack of help from her sister. But Jesus came back
at Martha with a fascinating response, a response that most
of us need to hear today. Jesus said, Martha, Martha,
you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one
thing is necessary. Note that one thing is necessary. Mary
(26:20):
has chosen the good portion which shall not be taken
away from her. What is that one thing? The one
thing that Jesus talks about here is spending time with him,
getting to know him, honoring him, loving him, spending time
at his feet, and while serving others and sharing our
faith and being active in ministry is very important to
every believer. We need to make sure that we are
(26:42):
first spending time with Jesus, that we are taking time
every day to replenish our resources and to restore our
faith and our love for Him. So let me ask
you when it comes to your walk with God, are
you a Martha running around knocking things over? Or are
you a Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, listening, learning, experiencing
(27:05):
his presence. It's my prayer that you would be a
merry kind of person, the kind of person who spends
time with the Lord every day and makes it your
number one priority.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
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. You can also text the word
(27:36):
diamond to five nine seven eight nine and join us
again next time as doctor Graham brings a message about
how Jesus can move through the common parts of your
life to do incredible things. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministry.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Say
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