Great Thoughts for Mother's Day

A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. Her son's memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world." The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world." Read all the Great Thoughts.

Recovering from Crushing Disappointment
by Ray Almaguer

I remember the fateful day when I had to get up in front of the church and inform them that we were pulling the plug on our building project. Talk about a crushing disappointment. It was as if there had been a death in the family. Yet, looking back on it now, I truly believe the Lord was protecting our church.  John Wooden said, "Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out."  Read the article.

New Audio Interview:
Church Security Issues

You’ve no doubt noticed an increase in violent incidents at churches in the past few years.  Because of our need to be wise and prudent about these matters, Tony recently conducted an interview with Vic Meyer (Director of Operations and Security at Grace Church in Tulsa) and Attorney Michael J. King.  These two gentlemen share excellent insights about a wide variety of issues relative to making the church a safe place.  Click here to download or listen (Free until June 15).

Sabbatical
by Pastor Sam Smucker

When your vocation is ministry to people - dealing with the problems people have day after day can have an emotional toll on you that you may not recognize until you are at a point of burnout. So Sherlyn and I took 90 days away from ministry and when we returned we were refreshed and energized and filled with new vision and purpose. After that being a positive experience for us, we established a sabbatical policy for all fulltime pastors on our staff.  Read the article.

New Videos

In June 2008, Tony appeared on "Contact" - a TV broadcast with Pastors Randy and Cherie Gilbert at Faith Landmarks Ministries in Richmond, Virginia to discuss Overcoming Storms.

Click here to view Tony on "Contact" with Pastors Randy and Cherie Gilbert.

New ORU Worship Album:
Until the Whole World Knows

Music Ministries at Oral Roberts University recently released a new worship album containing 15 original songs entitled, Until the Whole World Knows.  Tony and Lisa’s daughter, Laura, is the worship leader at Oral Roberts University.  One of the songs on the album that Laura wrote is a powerful and gripping song called “Persecution.”  It is dedicated to and written about those who have been and are being persecuted and martyred for their faith.  It is written from heaven’s perspective, and is a tremendously moving song.  Click here to learn more and to order the CD.

Read all of our quotes by visiting our Quotes Page.

TRUTH
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.”
- Aldous Huxley

DEVOTION
“Why do we seem to think we must choose between the two?  Why so many Christians live as though they’ve been told, ‘choose you this day whom you will serve: scholarship or devotion?’ I maintain that a biblically balanced Christian has both a full head and a full heart, radiating both spiritual light and heat.”
- Donald S Whitney

AMBASSADOR
“What is an ambassador? He is an authorized representative of a sovereign. He speaks not in his own name but on behalf of the ruler whose deputy he is, and his whole duty and responsibility is to interpret that ruler's mind faithfully to those to whom he is sent.”
- James Packer

HEAVEN
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
- C.S. Lewis

ORDINARY
“The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find Him at all.”
- Richard J. Foster