PowerPoint

Announcer (Male): Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham.

Jack Graham: What is revival? We talk about it, we sing about it, we pray for revival. But what is it? To revive, vive is to live, so it is to live again. To thank God that you've got breath, that you're alive.

Announcer (Female): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about what it will take for a national revival. Now here's Dr. Graham with his message, Lord Do It Again.

Jack Graham: I want to speak on this theme, Lord Do It Again. Lord do it again, because we are praying and asking God to send a great spiritual awakening, a revival to his people, to the church, and a spiritual national revival that could sweep the nation and we pray the world before Christ comes again. Lord do it again.

This year 2026, we are celebrating with our nation the 250th birthday of our country. That's cause for celebration. We're so grateful for the faith and freedom and the foundations upon which our nation was built. And so we're going to take time throughout the preaching of God's word and the ministry of this church to pray prayers of faith and courage and conviction, calling this little miniseries in the whole series of this time of preaching God's word, Patriot Prayers. Real patriots pray.

America 250 years ago was born in the fires of revival. Even before the American Revolution, a revival came. It was called the First Great Awakening. And it was a powerful, miraculous movement of God across the people who had immigrated here from Europe, primarily England. And there was a great need for spiritual fervor and fire to be upon the people as they anticipated seeking their freedom and the revolution that would come.

So what did God do? He certainly raised up the founders, the great men and women of the earliest days of America, but he also raised up some preachers. One of the preachers who was a catalyst for the First Great Awakening was a man by the name of George Whitfield. And Whitfield was a powerful preacher of God's word. He was an intellect, and he traveled around over horseback 5,000 miles and would preach to crowds, open-air crowds of 10 to 20 to 30,000 people.

As he preached, many conversions took place. And not only conversions, but social reform and the mighty move of God within the church of that generation. Historians agree that the Great Awakening produced the soil for the American Revolution and the birth of freedom. What happened in the First Great Awakening set the stage for what would happen in the revolution. It was the preaching of pastors and the rise of churches to stand up to tyranny. That was Whitfield.

There was another preacher of that era by the name of Jonathan Edwards. He also was a powerful preacher who preached all over New England. One of the things that the revival taking place in America did was it coalesced and united the colonies in faith. And so Jonathan Edwards, preaching throughout New England, and there was overwhelming conviction and repentance everywhere he preached.

The spirit of God moved. He had a historic sermon that you can read to this very day called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. And he spoke of judgment and of hell and the need to convert and to put faith and trust in Christ. When he would preach, many would pass out of fear. It was as though they said that all of hell was reaching out to suck them in, but Jonathan Edwards preached them into heaven.

So God brought about social reform and the birth of the evangelical church under these two men and that era. Then came the revolution and the winning of freedom and the founders and the constitution and the Declaration of Independence. And at that point, however, after war and after the struggle, the spiritual condition of America was in tough shape.

Churches were empty. There was a moral collapse going on among the people. There was drunkenness and violence in the streets and immorality and lawlessness. The frontier was opening from the colonies now spreading westward and the west was wild. But in the Second Great Awakening led by a man by the name of Charles G. Finney, who was a revivalist who preached and traveled and sent circuit-riding preachers out across America, across the frontier.

One historian wrote that Christianity was all but dead in much of America after the revolution. So what did God do? Because God had his hand upon the founding of America, he not only raised up these great politicians and leaders and statesmen, but he raised up the word of God and preachers. And this revival, the Second Great Awakening that took place from 1795 to approximately 1840, brought about the starting of churches all across the wilderness, all across the frontier.

It was the beginnings of the abolition of slavery in America as the Bible was taught. There was care for the poor, women's education, Bible and missionary societies began in the Second Great Awakening. And guess what else started? The Sunday school started in churches. It was primarily for children but of course expanded to Bible teaching for adults. Again, a great historian said the Second Great Awakening shaped the soul of the nation.

So two great revivals to begin America. And then in the late 1960s and early 1970s, America was also in need of a fresh awakening, a spiritual revival. The sexual revolution was on. We were in the throes of Vietnam War. There was violence in the streets. There was racial hatred and division. That was all going on in America in the '60s.

And so what did God do? He sent a Jesus revolution. The Jesus movement that started on the West Coast, and it started among primarily the hippies. Some of you were a hippie in the '60s and maybe early '70s. And yet God loved the young people of that era and that generation and raised up a new generation. Many of you sitting in this room were a part of the Jesus movement. And many were called to preach as I was called to preach in that era.

The fruit of the Jesus movement, the lasting fruit of the Jesus movement, I believe was the fact that so many young people were called to serve Christ in the church, including hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of preachers of the gospel. We've not had a great revival since then. But we're praying, Lord do it again. Because I believe God is willing and we know he is able to intervene and to give us the awakening we need.

So what is revival? We talk about it, we sing about it, we pray for revival. But what is it? To revive, vive is to live, so it is to live again. Breathing in the air, it's to live again. To thank God that you've got breath, that you're alive. And so when revival comes, we are alive again. We are breathing again. Spiritual breath back into our hearts and back into cold and lifeless and lethargic churches and Christians.

And when this revival comes, nothing is the same. My prayer is when you walk out of this room today, you will not walk out the same way you came in. But that your own heart would be revived or seeking the revival that God wants to give. Psalm 85 says this in verse 6, "Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you?" That's a question. And that's the question that we ought to be asking.

Will you not, O God, revive us again that we may rejoice in you? And we know he will because, "Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation or your deliverance." God is willing if we are willing, if we will pray and seek the God of heaven. And as we think about revival over these next two weeks, I want to remind you, in fact Charles Finney gave us this definition of revival. It's a simple one. It's one I embrace. Revival is a new beginning of obedience to God.

And at the outset of this year, may God give me, may God give you a renewed, a new beginning of obedience to God. You've heard me say often that the Christian life is a series of new beginnings. And so let the new beginning come, the rekindling again. Lord do it again and again.

Announcer (Female): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, Lord Do It Again. We are excited to share that we have a new way to connect with us. It's our texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here at PowerPoint. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content. To join, start a new text conversation by texting the word CONNECT to 59789. Again, text CONNECT to 59789.

Every gift given to PowerPoint Ministries before June 30th will be doubled through a $200,000 matching grant. This is a crucial moment as we close out the financial year because your support helps ensure that the truth of Jesus continues reaching people who are searching for something real they can trust. We'll send you The Jesus Discoveries by Dr. Jeremiah Johnston. It's our way of saying thanks for your gift of $10 or more. Please limit one per household.

A resource designed to strengthen your confidence in the truth of the gospel. To give your gift and request your copy, text JUNE to 59789. That's JUNE to 59789. And thank you for helping share the truth of Jesus with a searching world. Now, let's get back to today's message, Lord Do It Again.

Jack Graham: We're seeing signs of this revival, signals that something is happening. We can see it, we can feel it. And it's happening among young people and incredibly throughout history, including the Old Testament and New Testament, the great revivals that would take place took place among young people. The revivals in America, the founding of America, these were young men who were the founders and the patriarchs of our country and the preachers of our country.

And the Jesus revolution, it was young people that shook the place up when the churches were stale and old and dying. Young people came along, and so young people are rising up again today. Especially young men that we're seeing come back to church, back to the faith. We have seen a 12% rise in the last two years of church attendance among young people. That's good. In America and even other places across the world, Bible sales are up 42%.

There's a famine in the land for the word of God. And so Bible sales are increasing and not just Bible sales, but Bible engagement. People are actually reading their Bibles. And again, it starts so often with young people. 45,000 young professionals, college students and high school students gathered at Globe Life Field to pray for revival, to worship. 45,000. This wasn't a World Series, it wasn't the Super Bowl. It was young people crying out to God for their generation and ours.

So Bible sales are up since 2022, Bible sales are up by 42%. Christian music streams, up since 2019, 50%. When I say Christian music streams, music on the airwaves, online and otherwise, that often is crossing over into the main charts of music. And more and more Christians are listening to some of the new music that's coming out and worshiping.

Elvis Andrus, former shortstop for the Rangers, Mr. Ranger in many ways, came to faith in Christ in our church about three years ago. And I was with him the other day and he was playing Christian music and he said, "Before I never played Christian music. I didn't even know there was Christian music. I didn't even know about Christian music. And he said, "That's now all I play." We were actually in a golf cart and we were playing Christian music all over the golf cart.

I tell you that story just to say when revival comes to the heart, when the spirit of God moves in your life, then the worship is on. And so what's happening with young people as well as adults is all these streaming platforms where there's Christian music is phenomenal.

And then here's another one. Spiritual apps, faith apps, downloads have increased by 80% since 2019. So people are, whether it is the YouVersion or the Bible, great app, or whether it is Bible in a Year with over 100 million downloads and growing, all these apps now and people are engaging and that's not just because technology is new and the technology is there. This is because God is moving in the hearts of people. It is.

So that's all good, very good. But not all is well in the church and in the country in these days. We know that. Along with the spiritual impact of what's going on with our young people, there is among young people a higher, massive mental health crisis. A massive mental health crisis. Suicides are up among young people as well as adults. And the spiritual condition of the nation is not well.

Christians and churches are compromised as they've turned away from truth into progressivism and liberalism, others lukewarm and lethargic. And the ongoing spiritual conflict that's going on, which is a battle for the soul of our nation. In 2000, 74% of Christians said that faith was central to their lives. 74% 25 years ago. Now today, that number is 54%.

Only 54% of professing Christians—now not all of these are real Christians—but people who say they're Christians, only 54% say that faith is at the center of their lives. This means, just add it up, this means that nearly one half, 46% of professing Christians, now qualify as non-practicing Christians. And of that number, only 24% of Christians who were surveyed say they actively pursue their faith.

So while there is revival going on among some, there is retreat going on among many. And the spiritual condition of America is in need of revival. And so that's why the question comes today from the psalmist, "Will you not, O Lord, revive us again?" Second Chronicles 7:14 and Second Chronicles chapter seven records God's response after Solomon dedicated the temple. The glory of God filled the temple. The people worshipped God.

And so God showed up and gave them a promise. And that promise is, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land." And while this is a scriptural and a specific promise that was given to Israel in the Old Testament, it's certainly a promise that Christians can claim, those of us who name the name of Jesus and who pray in the name of the Lord our God.

That we can claim this promise as well and say, "Lord, do it again." Because we know as Proverbs 14:34 says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Nations rise when they are righteous. They fall when they are unrighteous. If my people. If my people. Not if the politicians, not if the pagans or unbelievers, not if the culture, not if the media, not if the pornographers, not if anybody else. But if my people who are called by my name, that's you and me. God calls out his people to pray and to plead for revival.

And not only on a national level, but on a personal level. If we can't have worldwide revival, if we can't have national spiritual revival, if we can't have revival in the Southwest, if we can't have it in North Texas, if we can't have revival in Plano, if we can't have revival on our street, we can have it in our house. We can have it in our church. We can have it in our lives.

Revival happens on a personal level when you simply draw a circle, if you will, around your own life and get on your knees and stay there and pray there until there's renewed obedience to the word of God and the will of God in our lives. Until Jesus is exalted and given his rightful place of preeminence, not just a place or even prominence. Because revival can never come apart from the lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives.

So start with your own family and your own church and your own life. He said, "Humble yourself and pray." Revival begins where pride ends. Revival begins where pride ends. You cannot experience a spiritual breakthrough in your life if you're living for self. Spiritual breakthroughs take place, you come alive again, God breathes on you and your spiritual life again when you humble yourself before him and surrender your life to him.

Announcer (Female): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, Lord Do It Again. When you support PowerPoint Ministries, you help share God's word with people around the world through programs just like this one. We'll send you Dr. Jeremiah Johnston's book, The Jesus Discoveries as our thanks for your gift of $10 or more. This powerful resource walks through real historical evidence that points directly to Jesus, helping strengthen your faith and giving you confidence in the truth of God's word.

So that everyone has a chance to receive this helpful resource, please limit one per household. And right now, every gift given before June 30th will be doubled through a $200,000 matching grant. This is a crucial moment as we close out the financial year because your support helps ensure that PowerPoint Ministries continues reaching people with the gospel in the months ahead. To give your gift and request your copy, text JUNE to 59789. That's JUNE to 59789.

And thank you for helping share the truth of Jesus with a searching world. We are excited to share that we have a new way to connect with us. It's our texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here at PowerPoint. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content. To join, start a new text conversation by texting the word CONNECT to 59789. Again, text CONNECT to 59789.

Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?

Jack Graham: History records what God has done. Whitfield preaching to thousands in open fields. Edwards calling the lost to repentance. Finney walking into cold churches and watching them catch fire. A generation of young people on the West Coast finding Jesus in the middle of a revolution that had no answers. God did it again and again. He revived his people and he healed a land.

But revival is not a museum piece. It is not something we read about in old books and admire from a distance. The psalmist didn't say, "Remember when you revived us?" He said, "Will you not revive us again?" That prayer is still on the lips of God's people. And the answer hasn't changed. The condition is not complicated. It doesn't begin in Washington. It doesn't begin with the culture. It begins here. If my people. That's you. That's me.

The invitation is always first to the people who carry his name. So the question isn't whether God is willing to do it again. He is. The question is whether you are willing, willing to draw a circle around your own life, get on your knees inside it and say, "Lord, let it start here. Let it start now. Let it start in me."

Announcer (Female): And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Jeremiah Johnston's book, The Jesus Discoveries. Just text JUNE to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how true revival can come back to America. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.