This week, over 800,000 Americans will begin receiving their stimulus checks from the government.  In an effort to stabilize the economy and put more money into the pockets of the people now, the President and Congress created this stimulus package.  By the middle of July, Americans who are  qualified to received this rebate will receive their checks.

What will you do with the money you may receive? Will you save it, spend it on frivilous items, fill your vehicle with fuel, or do something special with it?

If you receive this stimulus check, let me give you some things to consider:

*Tithe it, meaning give the first-tenth to our church.

*Give a special gift beyond that, perhaps to camp scholarships, missions, or something on your heart in our church.

*Do something special with your family, something you would not be able to do otherwise.

*Eliminate some indebtedness.

*Purchase something that is a definite need in your life.

Just thoughts for your to ponder.

Have a stimulating day.

It has been grandchildren weekend at our home. Jeana is taking Reese Caroline and Meredith home today. We will miss them. We love them and wish they were with us all the time. Let me share these five pictures with you with some explanation on each of them.

Poppy and Reese Caroline on this Past Friday

Parker and Peyton Ready for Bedtime

Peyton on the day after his fall in the Parking Lot at Arvest Ballpark Going to see the Naturals Play–Ouch!

Parker, Reese, and Peyton, Ready for Bed in dress, but not in reality–they were Fired up!

Reese Caroline at 11 months old … is she not Beautiful?

This weekend has been “child full.” Children are a blast. Our three grandchildren are filling our lives with love and blessing. Even though they have not been together 24-7, when they are together, “oh my, what a full moment!”

I love the experience of being a grandparent. There is something very blessed to join their parents in their journey of parenting. You get to observe, give a word of two if asked and at times, even if not asked, then it is in their hands. They are the ultimate ones accountable for raising those children.

I enjoy the experience of observing the interaction of these children. They are so different, but yet similar in many ways. Their personalities charm me at every point. Our God is great for the way He has created each of them. What a blessing.

I thank God for this joy, this joy of grandchildren. Is God not wonderful? Is He not creative? I cannot wait to see what God does with each of them.

I join their parents in intercession for them daily.

Hey, this is one great weekend coming. Ask me, why? Why Pastor Floyd? I am so glad you asked.

First, we have Reese Caroline and Meredith with us this weekend, along with Jeana’s mom. I mean, how can you not have a great weekend with this little 11 month old queen being in your home. It will be busy and enjoyable.

Secondly, the NFL Draft is this weekend. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year, especially on Saturday. I try to watch the first day annually. Oh, how I love draft day. Go Cowboys!

Thirdly, Saturday night is the Spring football game for the University of Arkansas Football Razorbacks. How good is that? My friends, what a splendid Saturday! Football all day.

Fourthly, Sunday is coming and God is going to move! This will be one great moment of this weekend.

You can make our weekend even better: be in church this Sunday. Experience the moments with God’s people! Bring someone with you. Invite someone to come.

Let’s make this one super weekend.

I am Fort Worth, Texas this morning, scheduled to speak to the students of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I will be speaking at their Chapel service and look forward to the experience.  I graduated from this seminary with my Masters and Doctors degree.  I appreciate the heritage and the commitment this school has to training the next generation of spiritual leaders.

Under the leadership of Dr. Paige Patterson, Southwestern is advancing forward in its heritage and commitment to biblical infallibility and world evangelization. Dr. Patterson and his wife, Dr. Dorothy Patterson, are committed to equipping the next generation of Christian leaders.  Thank God for the privilege to be in such a great school today.

In January, I really believed God adjusted my life mission to influence and invest in others to win the world to Christ. This is my strong commitment at this time in my life. I want to do all I can to invest in others who can carry on the banner of the cross.

While on this brief trip, it is a joy to see Nick, Meredith, and Reese Caroline. They are a joy to our lives and any time with them is a blessing.  We miss them daily.

God bless and please pray for me today . . . I speak at 11:00 a.m.

On Wednesday, March 26th at our Quarterly Staff Meeting, we kicked off a major energy management and education effort. We have been studying and working toward this for some time. This is not the kind of program where major dollars have to be spent up front and are not realized back for a number of years. This is a proven energy management program used by universities and schools all over America, and we have now become the second church in America to use it.

Last summer while on vacation, I got a call form my friend, Dr. Jack Graham, Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. He invited me to join him in this opportunity due to his belief in this program that had proven to have great success in his church. The campus of Prestonwood has more square feet than our two campuses put together, but in the first 18 months, they have saved over $1.2 million. These are real savings that are now being spent on ministries instead of energy. At the time Dr. Graham called, they were in their ninth month of the program.

News like that obviously captivated my attention, leading to a meeting with the president of this energy management company. After some follow-up meetings with our staff team, plus securing the commitment of our Pastor’s Council and entire staff team, we entered this relationship. Dr. Bill Speer, president of this company, is a proven expert in energy management savings. Oklahoma State University named their School of Business after this gifted business leader. He is a great Christian man and an active member of Prestonwood Church in Dallas.

Projections are that our energy management program may be able to save almost $3.5 million over the next decade. Of course, we must be wise and intentional as a church to abide by the instructions and principles that guide this process. The company guarantees the savings or else they will write us a check for any investments we have made in the process.

The goal of any church would be to take the dollars saved and put them into the ministry of the church. The use of buildings is certainly a part of that ministry, but our goal is to direct as much money as possible into ministering to people.

This kind of commitment goes right along with our ministry operating at the highest level of financial integrity. This is why our ministry has a detailed Annual Financial Audit. Again this year, we received great approval on our practices from the independent auditing firm.

My goal is just to inform you today, asking you to assist in any of these processes if you are asked. Our heart is to win the world to Christ. Even energy management done successfully can help us accomplish our mission more effectively.

Last Sunday was an amazing day. We studied how the cross sets us free. Through Christ we are free positionally and free practically. This means that God sees us as free through Christ and that we no longer have to live as slaves to sin in our everyday life. We are free!

At the end of our service, each person wrote down a sin they wanted freedom from. They then literally nailed that paper with their sin to the cross. It was a powerful moment. The crosses were covered with white papers—with sin—by the end of the service.

What did you write down? Are you living like you are free from that sin? Satan might be making life horrible for you now, because you have declared freedom, but never forget that you are justified, sanctified and glorified through Christ!

This Sunday is going to be a powerful Sunday. I will be preaching the fifth message of the Come, Celebrate the Cross series entitled Reconciliation. I strongly encourage you to join us on Sunday to learn more about this great gift of reconciliation.

Last night we took Peyton and Parker, my two grandsons, to the new Arvest Ballpark. I did not get home until late, ran to prepare to take them, and we just made it to the ballpark within moments of the first pitch. Oh my, what a task to get two little guys ready, loaded in the car, get them out of the car, and then into the ballpark.

Arvest Ballpark is a super venue for baseball. It is highly impressive and whether you are a baseball fan or not, a night there at least for a few innings is a great experience. The leaders of Springdale deserve a big “great job and thank you” for this addition to Northwest Arkansas. Minor league baseball is a different experience, but one I think you would enjoy for at least a few innings or perhaps many games.

I believe in time, this new addition will be surrounded with major development and advancement. The western part of Springdale will change dramatically. Be sure at some point to at least tour the ballpark and say thanks to the leaders in Springdale for bringing this venue to our region.

Back to Peyton and Parker: Know you heard it here. I have said it before both publicly and privately: No one works harder than a stay-at-home mom of preschoolers! What a calling they have. Children are a real blessing, but they are also a real responsibility.

Be blessed my friends.

Great news, it is Monday! It is a Monday to begin the week. It is a Monday to catch up on what was not done last week. It is a Monday to readjust your attitude. It is Monday to deal with a new set of problems. Yes, it is Monday: good, bad, or ugly!

Count yourself blessed on this Monday if you have the privilege to return to your normal week. Yes, many people will not have a normal weeks. Perhaps family issues now challenge normality, financial challenges have subtracted from normality; or physical suffering has readjusted it from normality. Oh my friend, if you have the privilege of rolling out of bed, going to work, and experiencing life in your normal lane, praise the Lord! You are blessed.

If today is leading you into what you know could be or will be a bad week, how do you face it?
You face it with:
*A good attitude, willing to embrace it positively.
*A wise heart, seeing it the way God sees it.
*A hopeful spirit; perhaps it will not be as bad as you think.
*A winning hope, for your confidence is in God to see you through.

If today could be the first day of an ugly week, I mean you know bad is not coming, it is here, then how do you deal with that?
*Pray for God’s grace to see you through.
*Pray for God’s power to lift you through your circumstances.
*Pray for God to receive glory from this week, even if it really is an ugly week.

Yes, it is not easy to face some weeks, but if you get the opportunity to face it at all, then PRAISE THE LORD!
Praise is a mighty weapon in the hands of a Christ-follower. Praise Him! Perhaps you need to read Psalm 150 today and join all of creation in praise to God. Let’s . . .

Praise Him today through the good, the bad, and even the ugly.

The song of Christianity, the song of the New Testament, is the song of victory. Why? Because when Jesus died on the cross, victory occurred. When you see a cross, read about a cross, or think of a cross, I want you to think of the word, “Victory.”

What did Jesus overcome at the cross? What happened relating to Victory when Jesus died on the cross?

When Jesus went to the cross, He accomplished these three things:

1. He defeated sin. At the cross, Jesus defeated sin victoriously. The curse of sin has been broken. Jesus’ death did not occur so you could manage your sin effectively; but Jesus’ death occurred so you could overcome your sin victoriously.

2. He dethroned Satan. The very evil powers and satanic foes that Jesus encountered on this earth who had weighted Him down with temptations, He stripped of their powers and weaponry. He disarmed them completely.

3. He destroyed death. Physical death is painful because of sin. Sin leads to death spiritually and physically. Sin and death sting like a scorpion. However, due to Jesus’ triumphant death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection over death, it no longer stings! The conquering power of death has been broken! Death has been swallowed up by victory!

Never forget that the cross give you victory! You have victory over sin, Satan and death through Jesus!

Enjoy the words of the song, The Victory Song.

The Victory Song

You conquered, defeated,
Your cross has completed
The work You came to do
Sin’s curse has been broken
Your blood is my portion
Jesus I stand amazed

No longer a stranger
I’m made a partaker
In God’s redeeming plan
How can keep silent
For God has provided
I’ll lift up my voice and my hands

The victory song
Sung by the redeemed
All power and glory be unto to you
The Lamb who was slain
Once and for all
Once for all time (Jesus)
Your cross gives me reason to sing
The victory song

Exalted, triumphant
Dispelling the darkness
The Lamb has overcome
All heaven applauds Him
For He is victorious
Now seated on His throne

The saints from all ages
All tribes and all nations
Join in the victory song
In one glorious chorus
They lift up their voices
And this is what they sang

Oh what a victory
Sin has no grip on me
Once bound by sin and shame
Satan’s been overcome
By the Living One
Let hosanna’s ring