5 Reasons Why You Need TAWG

July 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

TAWG is the difference between spiritual strength and weakness.  TAWG can take a good preacher/teacher and make him something much more.  TAWG will largely determine whether you succeed or fail in ministry.  You can learn every preparation and preaching technique ever devised by man but if you ignore TAWG, you just failed.  Prepare both the message AND the man!  You prepare the message through study.  You prepare the man through “Time Alone With God.”

While in seminary, I attended a fellowship led by a very high profile pastor.  He was nationally known.  Though noted for his incredible preaching style and dynamic delivery, it soon became obvious that genuine TAWG was lacking.  I admit that I was caught up in that electrified environment.  For a time, it was an incredible place to be!  However, the height of excitement plummeted into sickening scandal.  That’s the thing about TAWG; you can come clean before Him, or you can be exposed by Him.

Allow me to suggest a few reasons why you should stop everything else you are doing and make whatever adjustments are necessary to incorporate TAWG into every single day. (Go ahead, retrieve your copy of God’s word and look up the passages indicated.  It will be a good start!)

1.  God is calling, “Where are you?”

Are you too busy for him?  Are you hiding from him?  Genesis 3:9-10

2.  God is the source of a Believer’s power.

If you are not living plugged-in to God, who is your power source?  Isaiah 40:31

3.  God is in control of your ministry, not you.

Can you reasonably ask his blessing on your ministry when your heart is far from him?  Acts 8:18-22

4.  God has established the laws of sowing and reaping.

You are included.     Galatians 6:7

5.  God has a habit of pulling back the curtain on your life.

It did not do the Wizard of Oz any good to say, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”  It won’t do you any good either.  Luke 12:1-3

 

Are there other reasons that come to your mind?  I’d love to hear them!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Preparing

My First Choice for Graphic Support

June 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Preparing to preach and/or teach is time and labor intensive.  In between time for prayer, personal ministry, and meetings there just is not much left.  However, in order to be the best communicator that I can be, I have accepted that the preparation of high quality graphics is a crucial part of the process.

If you are already using MS PowerPoint, you understand the basics of building a presentation.  So how do you take it to the next level and give your slides an eye-popping, customized look?  Graceway Media, formerly known as Powerpointsermons.com, does most of the work for you!

 

Graceway Media has a huge online library of PowerPoint template sets, worship loops, full motion backgrounds, splash screens, countdown clocks, and specialty graphics for most any holiday or church occasion. All still graphics come in a variety of pre-produced PowerPoint template formats and in basic jpeg image packs.

The motion graphics are produced in both Quicktime (mov) and Windows (mpeg-1) formats. Recently, Graceway introduced HD quality motions in 720p widescreen, to accompany the standard line of graphics featured in 480p resolution.  Nearly all of the newer motions and loops are included in both 480p and 720p.

In addition to the downloadable products, GraceWay Media also offers to customize any set of slides to your specs or redesign your church logo.  These premium services are available for an additional charge.

I use the free version of Windows Live Movie Maker to edit the graphics together into an announcement reel that is output into HD wmv format. These announcements run before church services begin. For teaching graphics, I use the Image Packs and add/edit the text within the PowerPoint environment. The result is graphic support that is rich and memorable.

I am no genius when it comes to this computer stuff, so the fact that I can do it ought to tell you something. The price point for Graceway Media pretty much eliminates the hobbyist, but if you are a pastor, teacher, or are responsible for the graphic presentations at your church, it is a sound annual investment.

I’d love to hear what you use and why you use it!

Filed Under: Preparing Tagged With: ,