PowerPoint

Jack Graham: I want the very best for my children. Therefore, I want them to know God's wisdom. That means I have the responsibility of leading them to know and follow Christ and then to live in the wisdom and in the ways of God.

Guest (Male): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about the incredible dreams God has for your life. Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message, "The Truth About Influence."

Jack Graham: Today I want to speak to you on the truth regarding our influence. And your influence for Christ in your family is huge. Now, let me remind you, there is no substitute for the work of the father in the home, the spiritual work of the father in the home. Now, this certainly does not diminish the ministry of mothers, but men, we have been given the assignment by God himself to lead our families spiritually, to nurture our children, to train them up in the Lord and in his admonitions.

And so God has given us great help. In fact, he has given us a book in the Bible specifically written as a training manual for life, fathers speaking to sons and daughters, a training manual, if you will, and it's called the Book of Proverbs. And so I would invite you to turn with me today to the Book of Proverbs. And we're going to be looking at some truth regarding fathers and sons because there's only one manual really as to how to be a man and it is God's word and God's wisdom. And I want us to listen to the words of an ancient father by the name of Solomon and his book known as Proverbs, written from a father to his sons.

Now, in chapter four, verse seven, Solomon says wisdom is the only thing what matters most. This man is saying to his son is wisdom. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore, get wisdom. I want the very best for my children and therefore, I want them to know God's wisdom. And that means that I have the responsibility of leading them, not lecturing them, but leading them to know and follow Christ and then to live in the wisdom and in the ways of God.

Everyone influences someone. It was J. Oswald Sanders who said leadership is influence. Simply put, it's true. Leadership is influence and every day we are being influenced and we are influencing others. And yet some apparently live their entire lives and never realize their potential as influencers, never truly give their influence and live their influence for Christ. And I don't want that to happen to you because you are influencing someone and specifically dads and moms, you are influencing powerfully, persuasively, personally your children.

And so I want to give you some biblical insights right out of the book of Proverbs so that you could become a man, a woman of influence. And like men who love the remote control, moving from station to station, we're going to be moving from scripture to scripture this morning rather quickly as we talk about your influence and specifically your influence with your children.

Insight number one: wisdom is taking God and his word seriously. If you want to be a powerful influence upon people's lives, then take God and his word seriously. Proverbs 1:7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. We used to speak of God-fearing men and God-fearing women. We don't hear it much today. Why? Because we live in a generation in which God is often trivialized and marginalized and God is no longer someone to be feared.

Did you know that your children see God the Father through the lens of you, their earthly father? Now, God is a perfect Father. We know that and we are not perfect fathers, but we are pattern fathers. And by that, I mean we are to be a pattern of the heavenly Father. When we take God and his word seriously, then our children begin to follow us as we are following faithfully our God. Now, we teach our children many things as dads, but the most important thing that we can teach our children is to fear and love God. That's the most important lesson of life.

And while you think I can't do it, I'm still trying myself, you keep trying. The question today is are you growing? Are you making progress in your Christian life? Your kids are not looking for perfection, but they are looking for direction in their lives. And are you pointing them to Christ? You can't kid kids, can you? Kids recognize ambivalence when they see it. And so are you influencing your children with a passionate devotion to Christ, fearing God, loving God, laying down biblical principles and living out those principles yourself? Because remember, you, if you're going to be an influence, you can't lead someone where you have not been yourself.

And God can't work through you, do something through you until he does something to you and in you. And so it all begins with this instruction, this motivation to take God seriously, to be a muscular Christian, not just a man, but a man of God. If you want to have maximum influence and impact upon the lives of your children, then get excited about Jesus and instill that excitement and that motivation, that love for God that you have in the lives of your children. If you don't influence your children for Christ, I guarantee you others will influence them away from Christ. Take God seriously.

Secondly, insight: training in this manual of discipline tells us that we are to make wise choices daily. Now, look in Proverbs chapter two, verses 10 and 11. When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant in your soul, discretion will preserve you, understanding will keep you. Now, note that word discretion and a similar word understanding that is in this text: discernment, discretion, understanding. These are words that appear again and again in Proverbs. If you want to be a great dad, you need to be a discerning dad, a discriminating dad, a decisive dad.

He contrasts in this book of Proverbs the difference between wisdom and foolishness. And the difference between wisdom and foolishness, the difference between raising a wise son or daughter and raising a foolish son or daughter is the difference that discernment makes or discretion makes in our lives. And what areas? Well, just very quickly, in Proverbs, we see some of this discretion advised, one in our attitude. Proverbs 3:27: "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do so."

Our attitude: a man, a woman of good discretion will demonstrate care and honor and give good to others. I want my children to know Christ and then I want them to help others to know Christ. I want my children not simply to take up space on this planet, but to live out grace on this planet. And may God help every one of us to show by our example how we are to live to bring goodness and life to others.

So there's attitudes, and then spiritual discretion is devised or advised, rather, with your money. Look over in Proverbs chapter three, verses nine and 10. A man and his money: your children know what is important to you. Is it your God or is it your money? The scripture says there's a tell-tale sign as to what is most important. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase, so your increase, so your barns will be filled with plenty and our vats will overflow with new wine. Over in Proverbs 11:4: "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." Your money and the use of your money reflects the true value of your heart. And what we ought to learn and therefore live and teach and train our children to do is to make wise choices regarding money.

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "The Truth About Influence." Be sure to sign to receive Dr. Graham's daily video devotional on the "Seven Words from the Cross." This powerful study will remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made so that we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Dr. Graham will share a short devotional about the final words that Jesus spoke from the cross and what they mean to us today. To sign up, text cross to 59789. It's absolutely free to join, so text cross to 59789.

Right now, you have an incredible opportunity to help someone experience the hope and truth of Jesus Christ. And thanks to an exciting $150,000 matching grant, your gifts this month will be doubled to help proclaim God's word even farther through PowerPoint Ministries. And as our way of saying thank you, we'd love to send you Dr. Graham's book, "Help", a powerful resource showing you how Jesus meets you in your struggles with strength, comfort, and hope. Text MAR to 59789 to give today. Again, that's MAR, M-A-R, to 59789. Now, let's get back to today's message, "The Truth About Influence."

Jack Graham: If you are going to have great influence on your children, you need first of all to make wise choices concerning your attitude and then wise choices concerning your money and then wise choices concerning your marriage. Look in Proverbs 5:7-9. "Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her house," speaking of the immoral woman, "lest you give your honor to others and your years to the cruel one." There are very strict warnings in the Proverbs regarding our morality and specifically regarding our relationship with our wives.

Verse 32 of Proverbs chapter six says whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding. That's a lack of discretion. He who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get and his reproach will not be wiped away. How many families in our generation are sacrificed on the altar of some man's lust? And sons as well as daughters may take indulgence from your own immorality and daughters may take their cues from your values. So the wise instruction comes from Proverbs five, verses 15 and 18: "Drink waters from your own cistern and running water from your own well," speaking of your marriage, "and let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of your youth."

That is wisdom, men, God's wisdom, ancient words, changing me and changing you. And then we are to be wise with our words, to use discretion with our speech. There's a great deal of carelessness and callousness and crudeness in the mouths of men today. But Proverbs 10:19 says in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking. In other words, you talk enough and it is a slippery slope to sin. But he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 15:1-2 says a soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. Men, watch your language. If you want to be a man of God, let your speech reflect the grace of God in your lives because your children are watching and your children are listening.

And then in your choices, discretion is advised in your choices. We live in a world that values choice and freedom and we celebrate our freedoms here in this country and the spread of freedom throughout the earth, but freedom includes responsibility. And to make wise choices means that I will make choices reflective not only of my liberty, but of my love, not only of my rights, but of my responsibilities and of righteousness. And we're all making decisions every day that form and forge our character. In fact, you could say that your character is a series of small and singular decisions that you make day by day. Your character is the sum total of the choices that you make in life.

And so we make choices based on not just our freedom in Christ, but our responsibilities in Christ, particularly our responsibilities in leading our children. I'm often asked, "Should I drink or should I not drink?" I'm asked, "Jack, why are you a total abstainer? Why do you practice total abstinence concerning alcohol? Aren't there some scriptures that would indicate we have freedom in this area?" Well, let me just show you a couple of scriptures quickly. Proverbs 20:1, and remember this is a dad talking to a son now. "Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling." This is not just speaking of drunkenness, this is just speaking of the fact and the force of alcohol. "And whoever is led astray by it is not wise."

Remember, we're talking about making good decisions, we're talking about making wise decisions and helping our children to do this as well. So three chapters over in Proverbs 23, verses 29 to 32: "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wines or mixed drinks. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles," that is when it's intoxicating in the cup, "when it swirls around smoothly. At the last, it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper." Descriptive of the power of drugs and alcohol in people's lives. I want to live a life of discretion and discernment and make wise decisions regarding my choices. Choice and choice alone says I have a right, but love says I have a responsibility to do better, to live better, to live by higher standards and greater standards.

"What are you going to be, my boy, when you've reached manhood years? A doctor, a lawyer, or an actor great, moving throngs to laughters and tears?" But he shook his head as he gave his reply in a serious way that he had, "I don't think I'd like to be any of them. I want to be like my dad." He wants to be like his dad. You men, did you ever think as you pause at the boy who watches your every move? He is building a set of laws. He's molding a life, you're the model for, and whether it's good or bad depends upon the kind of example set to the boy who would be like his dad.

Would you have him go everywhere you go, have him do just the things you do, and see everything your eyes behold, and woo all the gods you woo? When you see the worship that shines in the eyes of your lovable little lad, could you rest content if he gets his wish and grows up just like his dad? It's a job that none but you yourself can fill. It's a charge you must answer for. It's a duty to show him the road to tread ere he reaches manhood's door. It's a debt you owe for the greatest joy on this old earth to be had, the pleasure of having a boy to raise who wants to be like his dad. So dad, make wise choices. Be a discriminating dad, a discerning dad, a decisive dad and choose the best for you and your son.

One final word, and that is live to leave a legacy. Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver or gold. And then listen to Proverbs 13:22: "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children." That's our grandkids. "And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the unjust." He's talking about the lasting legacy that we live and that we give. You can't read the Bible without discovering those genealogies and most of us just pass through them very quickly when we're reading through the Bible, but it is descriptive these genealogies of the importance of families and the legacy of faith that is being passed on from generation to generation.

And to live a legacy, to live a life so that your children and your grandchildren and beyond that, your family to come will live in faith. My grandfather was a godly, dedicated man. I absolutely adored him. We lived with my grandfather whose wife had died and so I had the privilege every evening when I was a little boy of sitting in his lap in his rocking chair in his room. I know this sounds like a fairy tale, but it's true, of living with my grandfather at hand and every evening I would crawl in his lap and he would read stories to me of all kinds, but ultimately he would read the story, the Word of God. We would read Hurlbut's Stories of the Bible, specifically. And he would tell me the great stories of faith.

And though he has been in heaven many years, the legacy of his life lives on. I am forever grateful. The legacy of his faith lives on in my family. You cannot underestimate the influence of your life. And when you think about it, the only thing we're going to take to heaven with us from this earth will be our children, our family, our friends that we have led to Christ. That's the only thing we're taking with us. And so may God help us to so love, to so live that our legacy will last in the lives of those boys and girls and those families and generations to come because a dad today decided not to be a delegating dad or a disconnected dad, but a devoted dad, following Christ and saying, "Follow me as I follow him."

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "The Truth About Influence." I want you to know that right now, your support goes even farther to help share the hope of Jesus with people around the world. Thanks to a generous $150,000 matching grant, every gift this month will be doubled to help proclaim God's word through PowerPoint Ministry. That means you'll help reach even more people who desperately need truth, encouragement, and the gospel. And as a heartfelt thank you for your generous gift this month, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, "Help", to remind you that you are not alone, your pain is not unseen, and God's peace is real. Text MAR to 59789 to have your gift doubled and request your copy today. Again, text MAR, M-A-R, to 59789.

Be sure to sign to receive Dr. Graham's daily video devotional on the "Seven Words from the Cross." This powerful study will remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made so that we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Dr. Graham will share a short devotional about the final words that Jesus spoke from the cross and what they mean to us today. To sign up, just text cross to 59789. It's absolutely free to join, so text cross to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?

Jack Graham: Proverbs 4:7 says, "Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding." I hope today's message helps you gain new wisdom, insight as to how you can be a strong and godly influence on those around you. You know, my parents' and grandparents' dedication to Christ still has tremendous influence on my life today and they've given me such a rich spiritual inheritance. So if you're a parent out there listening to me, you need to know or be reminded that your children are depending on you to lead them in the right direction. And if you've got a friend who's heading in the wrong direction, they need you to help show them the way to find forgiveness, truth in Jesus Christ.

Wouldn't it be a tragedy if your family, if your friends, if your loved ones missed out on heaven because you never used your influence directly or even indirectly with them? Wouldn't it be a tragedy if because of your negative influence, someone stepped into eternity without God? You are salt and you are light. One day we're going to stand before Christ in eternity and give an account for our influence. I pray that none of us will go home without taking someone with us. I want to ask you today, are you passing a godly influence to others? Are you leaving behind stepping stones or stumbling blocks to those who are looking to you and expecting your guidance? I really hope you'll take what you've learned today from today's message and apply it to your life so you too can impart a spiritual legacy to those around you. God bless you as you take your influence seriously and maximize your life and witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, "Help". Just text MAR to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how to make your God-given dreams come true. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.