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Testimonies
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"Beyond All Limits is not so much the excitement of running out and building
buildings. Beyond All Limits is a passion for people who are lost. There are so
many people who are beyond our walls who need
hope. The easy thing would be to just sit here and
enjoy what God has given us. I don’t want to stay
in neutral. I want to drive ahead. I know that’s
where Jesus is and I want to take as many people
with us as possible."
—Johnson Ellis and wife, Beth
Prestonwood members for 20 years |
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"Having a special needs child is very hard on a parent. And to see that the church sees these precious people and sees their
needs, from a parent's perspective whose heart is already broken... to see that the church loves your child so much to care for
them in that way is a blessing."
—Derrick and Meg Almon |
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Bob Palencia surrendered his life to full-time ministry after hearing Pastor Graham's message, "The Glory of the Cross."
A longtime employee at JCPenney, Bob felt called to "give God more." He was certain that God was calling him to act on his
desire to go into full-time ministry during this season of prayer of Beyond All Limits.
—Bob and Sue Palencia |
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Yvonne Lindsey, a member for 20 years, has taken to heart Pastor Graham’s message that from the widow’s mite to the
millionaire’s millions, we are called to give proportionately: “I’m not counting on somebody to give $1 million to Beyond
All Limits. I’m counting on myself to come up with what He has called me to give. It is exciting to pray about and say, ‘Lord, are you
sure you want me to do this much?’ And then watch Him do the work. It’s going to be thrilling!”
—Yvonne Lindsey |
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| “While praying and fasting, I was reading one of
my favorite Scriptures in Haggai where God said
to His people: ‘My house first.’ For some time,
I have been preparing to buy a house. This is a
dream I have nurtured for a while and one that
has given me something to look forward to, and
according to my timetable, the time was now.
But Jesus is my first love, and in obedience to
Him I have delayed purchasing that home for
three years and will instead use the ‘mortgage
payment’ toward advancing His Kingdom
through Beyond All Limits. God’s house first!
His Kingdom first! His work first!”
—A Prestonwood Member |
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| “As Mike and I discussed and prayed about
what the Lord’s will is for us, I had begun
thinking about telephone and cable services
that we could live without over the next three
years. I am embarrassed at how small my faith
was working after Mike said he was thinking
much bigger— he was thinking about my salary.
It wasn’t until he said he was thinking so much
bigger that I realized how much I was holding
back. And the Lord emphasized that to me the
following morning as I read Isaiah 54:2: ‘Do not
hold back.’ Although his is only a temporary
job, Mike is sure that the Lord will provide. So,
we will give my salary for one year to Beyond
All Limits.”
—Kim and Mike Markuly |
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Sisters Cori Brooke, 9, and Cassidy
Calvert, 7, and cousin Dottie Murph, 3,
combined their seed bag money to buy
supplies and have been making greeting
cards and selling them. So far, the girls
have made more than $110.
Cori Brooke, Cassidy and Dottie are
selling Christmas postcards and autumnthemed
“Thank you” cards. They are also making bookmarks that people
can use to invite friends or neighbors to the three Christmas events at
Prestonwood: Gloria—A Thousand Voices Sing Christmas, Prestonwood Lights
and Prestonwood Christmas Pops!
“We hope that you will consider purchasing our creations,” the girls have
written on the e-mail they’ve sent out to friends and family. “We want to
give back way more than we were given!” |
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Logan and Reagan Rice
wanted to do something
that wouldn’t
cost too much money
to make. When their
mom suggested
making bread, they
liked the idea. Logan, 8,
and Reagan, 6, began
baking pumpkin,
banana nut and other
breads and selling loaves for $5. So far,
they have sold 10 loaves and have orders
for a dozen more.
“I like adding money to our seedbag,”
Logan said. |
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| We are not by any means a “rich” family in the ways of the world, but when we walk
into the halls of Prestonwood we feel special and a part of something “big.” We have
always been tithers and given out of obedience to Christ and seen the blessings of
giving. Now we feel even stronger about supporting Beyond All Limits. We had a
family meeting and have chosen to give up going out to eat on Friday nights and
Sunday after church in order to meet our pledge to double our giving.
Our children—15, 13 and 12—now, more than ever, need to see our family come
together and have a goal.
We believe it is not about equal giving but equal sacrifice. Our small gift will make a
big difference.
—Darrell and Tami Gardner |
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| As we began praying about our commitment, I thought that
giving God one week’s pay would be great. I began to feel
God pulling hard at my heart. God is the one paying me in
the first place.
How selfish to only give a week’s pay right back to Him! He
wants half of my pay, and He deserves nothing less. I am
more than content knowing that He allows me to keep
the rest.
My heart feels the Holy Spirit’s joy as I did listen to the
desires of God and His will for Beyond All Limits.
—Sundee and Jay Corley |
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Brittney Matthews had just
completed the New Christians
Class when she received her $5
seed money, so she decided to
make Eternity Bracelets to sell
to her friends and family at $3
a bracelet. The 6-year-old girl
started making the bracelets
while visiting her grandparents
and cousins in East Texas, and pretty soon, they
were all helping her make the bracelets. In one
weekend, she went from the $5 she was given to
$55. Brittney has now raised $150. |
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Five boys, Cole and Nolan
Goode, Brian Benson,
Sam Franklin and Michael
Pendley received permission
to sell refreshments
and snacks to those
attending PSO soccer and football games last Saturday.
Riding in a golf cart provided by one of the fathers, the boys
stopped near each field selling Krispy Kreme donuts, water, juice
and other drinks. Before beginning their afternoon shift on Saturday,
the boys prayed that they would be able to “sell a lot to give
to Beyond All Limits.” By the end of the day, they’d made $203. |
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Four-year-old
neighbors Callie
Crane and Blake
Jefferson used the
money from their
seed bags to have
a “Lemonade and
Treat Stand.” They
made $46 for
Beyond All Limits.
“We are making money so a lot more people can learn
about Jesus,” Blake said. |
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Cate Truett and Blakely Leonard,
5-year-old friends, woke up early
last Saturday morning to bake
cookies and brownies, and then
set up a stand at the neighborhood
entrance where they sold
their baked goods and lemonade.
Business was slow until they
bowed their heads in prayer. In
less than two hours, they made
$110. Thrilled with what God had
accomplished through them, Cate and Blakely decided to continue baking
and have pledged $1,000 to the campaign over the next year. |
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| Testimonies From Our Student Ministry
Mitchell Miller, grade 10: selling his drum set and
giving one month’s allowance
Alex Gullatt, grade 11: giving half of her paycheck
Tanner Cobbs, grade 10: selling his iPod
Thomas Neff, grade 10: giving money earned by
helping move his aunt and uncle
Mary Lacey Thomson, grade 9: giving all of her
allowance
Austin Elkins, grade 10: giving money earned by
working for his dad
Thomas Gallatin, grade 8: giving all of his allowance
Tyler Kirkindoll, grade 8: selling his football cards |
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Six-year-old Madison Phillips held a garage sale, selling many of her toys, clothes and stuffed animals to raise money for Beyond All Limits. Madison had a great time raising the money! (She especially enjoyed selling her little brother's things!) She raised $140 from the sale. |
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Sisters Natalie, 7, and Madeline Phipps, 3, combined their seed money to make a dry Russian tea mix to sell in ceramic tea cups wrapped so they can be given as gifts. The girls chose Russian tea because they were both adopted from Russia and this pulls together their culture and learning how to be servants for the Lord. The girls sold the cups for $5 and made about $180. Natalie said they decided to do this "to build more buildings, so more people will come to hear about Jesus." |
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‘God Spoke to My Heart’
“We’ve been members for six years and having the privilege
of being a member of Prestonwood still seems too good to be
true sometimes. God touches me every week through Pastor
Graham’s messages and the worship, and God really spoke to
my heart in an especially powerful way last week. The Bible Fellowship
lesson last week on giving was instrumental in moving
my heart to decide to give double what I had come to church
planning on giving that day to Beyond All Limits.”
—Tom Fox |
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‘Giving Up Something You Love for ‘Someone’ We Love More’
“A few weeks ago we put our home on the market with the intent
to sell and move to a less expensive neighborhood. When
God sells our home we plan to give some of the money from
the sale of the home to Beyond All Limits. But, still, we know
that this would not be giving sacrificially. So we will give up our
country club membership, and we will also have a substantial
savings of HOA dues. We are now excited that not only are we
blessed to be a part of a church that is expecting great things
from God, but a church which encourages us to step up and
get out of our comfort zone. The sentence that really kept
coming to mind was: ‘Sacrifice is giving up something you love
for Someone we love more.’”
—Randy and Trudy Cox |
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| “When we began talking about Beyond All Limits, our thoughts
were truly not God-focused. For weeks God let us drift in our
self-centered thoughts and prayers until we finally allowed Him
to change our hearts. We began to listen and obey what He was
asking us to do. Stepping out in faith with our commitment became
an act of obedience and thankfulness that was easy to do.
Once we let go of what isn’t really ours in the first place, we literally
witnessed God begin to miraculously provide in our business
beyond what He asked us to give.
Our family has been richly blessed through the ministries of
Prestonwood. God is now allowing us to be part of future
generations, which will include our grandbaby, and impact lives
beyond our walls.”
— Jim & Lynn Pokorny |
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| “When we prayed about what God wanted for us, we couldn’t figure
out how it could work because, with two awesome kids, we are in a
phase of life that includes braces, tutoring and things that we didn’t
know to budget for.
One Saturday, going home from church, our car died in the parking lot.
We had no idea how we’d get back and forth and be able to do ministry.
The next day we received a call from a neighbor who said, ‘I have
been thinking and praying, and my wife and I want to give you a new
car.’ We were overwhelmed by the good news and the mercy of God.
We were excited to be able to give our commitment. We are so glad
our kids get to be a part of what God is doing at our church and see
the testimony of His providence. It will be a testimony that will last a
lifetime.”
—Charles and Diana Pendley |
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| "It was easy to get excited about the new offices, and it’s
also comforting to have our church staff accessible. Prosper
and the surrounding communities now have a place to
attend various Bible studies and experience fellowship. Our
first Engage class was so full of anticipation, especially as
the Machens opened with worship. We were excited about
the teaching and about seeing wonderful friends and meeting
new people. God has given us the privilege of embracing
the overflowing joy that the early church experienced. As a
bonus, we can purchase books, gifts and study materials at
our on-site bookstore."
—Dennis and Magye Starnes, Savannah, Texas |
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| "Before the North Campus opened, I was taking my kids to
the Plano campus, and my husband, Chris, wasn’t going to
church at all. After he suffered a stroke last April, someone
put us on the prayer list and almost every day after that,
a deacon came to the hospital and visited him, and he was
led to the Lord. It was amazing to see men come and spend
time with Chris—checking on him and praying with him.
When he got out of the hospital, the North Campus opened and our family
immediately got plugged in. Few witness God’s mighty hand in a situation such as
Chris’s stroke. We are so blessed to be a part of obedient believers that step out
daily for the cause of witnessing to, praying with, and believing for His great purpose."
—Chris and Karen Anderson |
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| “Last May, God opened an incredible door of opportunity
for PowerPoint Ministries with a time slot on Premier
Christian Radio in London. Premier not only reaches across
Greater London, it broadcasts on satellite and cable systems
throughout the United Kingdom with a listenership of
nearly 500,000 people. The response has been phenomenal
with many lives being impacted, like Ailson De Moraes, of
the United Kingdom, who writes: ‘Your words have touched
me and I just thank God for that.’”
—Scott Seal, Executive Director of PowerPoint Ministries |
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| “As a part of the Beyond All Limits campaign, the Saunders Children’s
Building will include an area devoted to special needs. This means a lot
to us because we have a daughter who has Down Syndrome. The facilities
are so important for kids with special needs because the
atmosphere and equipment helps the kids to experience God’s love.
Parents of special needs children also need to know that there is a safe
environment where they can feel comfortable leaving their child while
they attend the worship service. Kids have a hard time expressing
themselves so having a safe environment where they can feel comfortable
while their parents are in the church service is crucial.”
—Temple and Jennifer Weiss |
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| “When the North campus was introduced,
it hadn’t crossed my mind that we would go
there. But God looks at our hearts to see if
our faith is ready to do even greater things.
We had been praying, ‘God, how can we
be available to love your church?’ Within
six months of moving closer to the Plano
Campus, God called us to be part of the
ministry in Prosper! It took a step of faith,
but we followed Him. With Beyond All
Limits, I felt God saying: ‘This is it. This is the
opportunity for you to show your faith
and trust in Me. I’ll use you in ways you
have not planned, dreamed, or imagined.’”
—Jon Cunningham |
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| “We’re in Prosper because of a postcard. We’d been in Arizona
for 10 years, but we weren’t happy with the way things were
going. Then a postcard came in the mail about Prosper, and
for some reason my husband didn’t throw it away. We kept
looking at it, and after much prayer, we flew out to Prosper
and God just told us that this was where we needed to be.
After we moved, I saw an ad in the paper for Prestonwood
North. We visited, and the people were amazing! We’d been
to many churches in Arizona, but there was just something
missing. Our whole lives have been transformed since we’ve
been here. On Easter Sunday, my husband, three of our kids,
and I were baptized. Our hearts are completely different since
we’ve joined Prestonwood.”
—Randy and Laura Farrow |
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| “The reputation of the Children’s Ministry drew us to
Prestonwood… We knew there would be something
for us as adults, but we came here for our children…
These kids are our future, and whatever we embed in
them now is how they’ll live.”
—Spencer and Debbie Stovall |
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| “I watched Pastor Graham for the first
time tonight on television in Salt Lake City.
It’s most refreshing to see obvious, true
belief in what he was preaching. Humility,
too, and no staged antics or gimmicks…
just the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
—Clinton Day, Salt Lake City, Utah |
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| “I thank God with all my heart for what He
is doing at the North Campus, and I know
that when the new facilities are up and
running, things that are happening here
now will be accelerated to an entirely new
level for His praise and glory.”
—Michael Brady |
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| "This past Sunday we were blessed to participate in the baby dedication ceremony with our son, Blake. We are so excited that he is here and that he will have the opportunity to participate in all the wonderful children’s programs, and that we know there is a safe and loving place for him on Sunday morning. Thank you, Prestonwood, for your commitment to our son and all the children in the ministry—they are indeed a blessing and a heritage from the Lord. They are our future!"
—Doug and Kelly Blankenship |
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| "When we moved from Lubbock, we were looking for a church home, and we got a postcard from Prestonwood North. It was a true ‘God thing.’ We started attending a Home Bible Study and then volunteering. Prestonwood North has had a tremendous impact on our lives.... We were looking for friends to share life with, and the relationships that have been developed have been amazing. But most of all, we are growing in the Lord."
—Ben and Jennifer Hangartner |
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| "I am serving in Iraq with the U.S. Army and State Department on reconstruction efforts. I do not have a place for corporate worship here so listening to your service (PowerPoint through On Demand) was a real blessing. Thank you for giving me a place to worship corporately today!"
—Art Bennett (Basrah, Iraq) |
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