Can you believe what God is doing: We have 820 men registered for our Men’s Conference already and the number is growing! Praise the Lord! God is doing some kind of great miracle of assembling these men to His glory. Why? What is God up to? This is probably the largest gathering of men of our church in our history, gathered for a conference.

There is still time for other men to sign up. You can register online by Friday at Noon. While online registration has a cut-off, you can also show up at 6:00 Friday night at our Pinnacle Hills campus and register, have a quick dinner, and be ready for a 6:30 worship service. Dinner begins being served at 5:45 p.m. and is served until 6:25 p.m.

Every age group is represented strongly at this conference. It is not a gathering of old men, nor a young man’s deal. All men of all ages are coming. Again, I am amazed at the balance of the breakdown by age group. Both campuses are flooding to this event.

Ladies, I need you to become intercessors for this unprecedented moment. Please participate in some kind of prayer gathering or create one with ladies on the phone or ichat or in your home or somewhere. Gather somehow and pray on Friday night and Saturday morning. This event can change this region.

One more time, please notice below our line-up! It will be one great event so keep all of this before you in prayer and participation. SUNDAY WILL BE INCREDIBLE! Do not miss it. One more time, look and pray for the following.

This week has really been busy. From the time I have gotten up to the time I have gone to bed, it has been really busy.  Even right now, I am blogging after 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday night.  The pressure has been pretty intense.

We tried to keep the boys for Josh and Kate tonight. They were to spend the night, but Parker just could not go down.  He was hyped up beyond belief.  Peyton looked at Jeana and said, “This is just not working tonight.”  The end result was that just after 10:00 p.m., Josh and Kate came to get them.  They had both just gotten home themselves, Josh from a missions trip planning night and Kate from a small group Bible Study.  Hey, you know, sometimes it just does not work!  Peyton is right.  They will probably be asleep in the car by the time they get out of our subdivision!

Continue to pray for our Men’s Conference. The numbers have now escalated up to 657 registrants and will grow over the next two days.  We could see between 700-800 men.  What an event.  What a spiritual moment.  We must pray and seek the Lord over this opportunity.

Please pray for me this week.

I have a huge week as I speak 8 times in 8 days. With Sunday and Monday gone, I now have four of those behind me and four in front of me. I spoke three times on Sunday at all of our services and yesterday morning to a wonderful group of pastors in the Northwest Baptist Association.

I speak twice at our Men’s Conference on Friday night and Saturday morning, then wrap up on Sunday morning at all of our services. This has really been an enormous challenge to prepare for, but it is always a joy to communicate the Word of God. Preparation is so important, and it seems I spend so much of my life committed to the principle of preparation.

I appeal to you to pray for me. I have much before me this week. Our Men’s Conference is closing in on 600 men with several days left to sign up. We need to pray for a mighty moving of God. Please join me in this endeavor.

As I go 8 in 8, please stand in the gap praying for me.

In the days we are living in, there is a great need for fearless men. I want to personally invite you to join me for the NWA Men Conference on February 27–28 at our Pinnacle Hills campus. We already have over 500 men registered for this event, and we are expecting many more to register in the next few days. I pray you will register, invite other men you know to join you, and even consider bringing your own son or grandson to this conference. Let’s join together to see a movement of men become fearless for God throughout Northwest Arkansas. You can register at www.nwamensconference.com.

You can also post the information to your Facebook profile, or invite other men via our eVite system.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Today at our Business Persons Summit we are having Gus Malzahn, Offensive Coordinator of Auburn University. Gus has been a High School Football Championship Coach, Offensive Coordinator at University of Arkansas and at the University of Tulsa.  His career has been incredible and today I will lead an in-depth interview with Gus Malzahn.  Our crowd will be way over 500 and may climb into 600 or above, but there is still room for you.  Come and enjoy.  Tickets should be available for that luncheon at Pinnacle Hills.

Our Men’s Conference is almost to 500 men registered and we are still nine days away from its beginning. There is no telling where this number could go.  We want you to come and bring a friend.  Let’s do all we can to keep on engaging men to be a part of this conference.  It will be full of fun, teaching, and worship.

Sunday continues to be a growing experience at both of our campuses.  Yes, God is growing His church here. We are seeing lives changed and people discipled to the glory of God.  Do not miss any Sunday. We are in our final two weeks of our series on the Family, so stay with us to the end.

Do your day good today:  Read PSALM 91.
Oh, by the way, please consider coming to Springdale on Sunday night at 6:00 as I wrap up Psalm 91, plus Bluegrass Gospel Music!

Make this weekend count!

I have a friend who tells me from time to time, “Ronnie, you are going to die in a meeting.”
Now I have been in some meetings that I thought I was dying and others that I thought I was
dead! Meetings are a necessity from time to time; however, sometimes they are just part
of the day and seemingly unnecessary.

Yesterday was one of those days when my meetings were all filled with meaning and were
of value to the church and me.  It is a blessing to meet with fellow men of God, charting a
future together from the planning of a service to a conference to launching a new ministry.  When
days like yesterday come around, it reminds me that I am a very blessed man.  Yes, my day was
filled with a whole lot, from study time to a television shoot for the entire family series to a
luncheon meeting with four meetings following.  Yet, the day was productive and the meetings
were a blessing.

Proper leadership usually determine how successful a meeting is. An orderly agenda, a
sense of urgency while conducting the meeting, and an awareness that each meeting while must
be an asset to the whole are all important. One thing I tell my guys often is:  “Every meeting you have, you need to calculate how much money is sitting around the table.  In other words, how much does that meeting cost per minute once you add up the salaries of those people attending?”  That leads you to insure that only the right and needed people are in the meeting and makes you very conscientious
as to the length of the meeting itself.

If you have responsibility in ever leading meetings, perhaps something mentioned today will
encourage you.  Have a great day of meetings.

My sweet wife, Jeana, has made me a Red Velvet Cake for Valentines Day for many years. She even makes it in the shape of a heart. There is nothing like it folks. I like it cold in the refrigerator accompanied with a cold glass of milk. Wow!

This year, Jeana and I have been very diligent to go to a local fitness center in our region in order to work out and train. Even though I have been running about 3 miles a day five days a week, I needed to add some resistance training, plus vary my workouts. So now, we have been going to a RPM (Spinning) class two days a week. Therefore, I am running three days a week, doing RPM two of the other days, and doing resistance training a couple of those days.

Why am I telling you this? Well, we have done so good until this past weekend. The Red Velvet Cake got me. It always does! Yet, I was back at it even on Sunday morning running and yesterday carrying on my schedule for fitness. The Red Velvet Cake was gone by Sunday night and thank God! Now, I will just deal with the normal temptations before me in food. Those I can handle most of the time.

So, I must get ready now for my birthday on November 11 . . . another Red Velvet Cake may be coming. Therefore, it is imperative for me to seize the moment for these next few months trying to restrain myself from eating wrongly too much, and at the same time, working towards better health and fitness.

I am often asked, “Ronnie, do you like to do all of that?” My response is simple, “No.” Yet, it is a necessity. It helps me physically and mentally, which also makes me handle matters better emotionally and spiritually. My God has blessed me so much with great health and I am so very grateful to Him for it.

I am grateful not only for my Red Velvet Cake, but most of all, for my health.

Northwest Arkansas and America are undergoing a major change. The seismic shift occurring is unlike anything we have been through in our generation.  From one day to the next, we see lives affected by this change.  From loss of jobs to fear of the future, yes, change is in the air.

This is why we need Jesus, the Word of God, and the church. All of these represent TRUTH that will help keep us balanced and peaceful.  We can go through a lot in life as long as we have a personal peace in our lives.  This peace can generate Christ-like confidence.  May you walk in peace today.

While these changes occur, please be faithful in your walk and commitment. What happens in the world should not alter our faith and practice.  In fact, it ought to call us up to new levels in personal devotion, commitment to service, and financial support.  This is the time to stand strong on God and His Word.  When we abide in Jesus we realize, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Yesterday, we welcomed Ryan Blackwell to our Springdale Ministry Team as our Minister of Young Married Adults. Since Clint Smith took over as the leader for our entire Spiritual Development Ministry, we have not filled this place on our team.  Because of its strategic viability for now and the future, we are ready to do that.  Ryan and Rachel are from Northwest Arkansas, and we congratulate them not only for joining our team, but also because they have discovered they are going to have their first child. Much great leadership has been injected into Ryan from here, from other churches, as well as from the academic institutions from which he has graduated.  I am so excited about this couple.  God will use them greatly.

Also, yesterday we honored Jamie and Lisa Lantzsch for their five years of service on our team as Minister of Children at The Church at Pinnacle Hills. This family is a joy!  Jamie’s commitment to working for Jesus is incredible.  His passion for children and families is evidenced through his high achievements on our team.  Jamie is a phenomenal encourager and blessing to our entire church.  Jamie, Lisa, Jordan, Jared, Joshua, and Jentry, we love you and thank God for you.

One of the greatest days I have ever experienced as a pastor happened on February 11, 2001.  It was on that day that our Springdale location embraced 100% the vision and strategy to begin The Church at Pinnacle Hills.  When that was approved, very little was located within that square mile.  Village on the Creek existed, the tower at Pinnacle Point, and the Market building which has now changed tenants.  Today, it is remarkable what has occurred.

Within that square mile today is so much in retail, office space, and medical facilities.  In fact, the list of what is there goes on and on.  The result is that God supernaturally placed us as a spiritual oasis in that region of Northwest Arkansas.  It is one of the most amazing stories of God’s power I have ever experienced.

The First Baptist Church of Springdale is an amazing church.  Their vision and commitment to our missional vision was personified in this decision.  As this campus sacrificed in so many ways, God began to raise up this church at Pinnacle Hills.  It has been a long, but rewarding, journey for all of us.

On the third Sunday of August in 2001, The Church at Pinnacle Hills began.  What began as a vision, with a group of 350 of our people helping us initially, has turned into one of the great God-stories of our day.  Now, thousands are engaged in that ministry in all kinds of ways, seven days a week.  It is quite a glory to God.

In this ministry-changing decision, both of our campuses are now growing and thriving to God’s glory.  We are seeing many super things happen weekly.  Our future is so bright on both of our campuses through each one of our ministries to people.  Therefore, celebrate with me about what God has done.  Sometimes we run so fast we do not rejoice or reflect on God’s work.

Eight years ago yesterday, a visionary and strategic decision was made that has resulted in changed lives.  To God’s glory, we rejoice before Him.  We give Him all the glory.

What ministry-changing decision awaits us?  In time, we will see what God is calling us to do.  I can hardly wait!

Well, the stock market continues to go up and down. Without question, it is going more down than up.  With it closing 381 points down yesterday, the uncertainty continues.  I really believe that the up and down nature right now just keeps the uncertainty going in America.  Yet, in reality, it has always gone up and down some; in fact, history still is on its side as the great investment for our future.

I am a Pastor, not an economist; however, I work with economics in all kinds of ways every day. As the leader of a non-profit ministry, I have the challenge of encouraging dollars to be given weekly.  Additionally, I have the oversight of a very large budget which is comprised of numerous smaller budgets for missions and ministry. While my perspective comes from what I do, I know that so many people are really engrossed in the challenge before us.

What is the answer?  The answer is with the Lord alone. That is right.  Yes, that is an easy simple answer, but this is one time, only the Lord knows.  Until a human figure or a collection of human beings is raised up to provide correct answers and meaningful solutions, we have no other alternative than to trust the Lord alone.  Do you think God is speaking to us? Oh yes, He is, and it is time we approach Him continually.  He is our only answer.

Amen folks, trust Him, NOT the stock market.