#578 - This is your life - Robert Schuller

from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove California we welcome you to Robert Schuler with The Hour of Power thousands of people have gathered here for one of America's most positive and inspirational worship services [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] rejoice [Music] this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it [Applause] Dr Schuler on my way to Dodger Stadium I thought I would stop by and wish you a very very happy birthday come on [Applause] but most important of all I would like you to meet someone very very special I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine by the name of Ralph Edwards hello Dr Schuller this is not what you just call a casual drop-in for today Dr Robert Harold Schuler senior pastor of This Magnificent Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power television Ministry worldwide today this is your life [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Tommy lasarda thank you very much for taking time out from this busy day of yours to come up and help surprise us for remarkable man thank you Charlie very much come on Dr Schuler here we go we go down here to the circle of Honor now many many times almost every Sunday you have talked to the famous and non-famous about their lives but today you'll meet your life that began on your parents Farm September 16 1926 in Alton Iowa hang on Dr Schuler this is your life [Music] you're the youngest of five children five children all born on the Iowa farm there two boys three girls I was 10 years old when Bob was born he was always all fishing or something at your time I said better learn to make a living with your mouth because you sure aren't going to do it this way from the farm in Alton Iowa your brother Henry [Applause] well what about this man here Henry well Ralph I'm gonna use just a young kid he already started preaching to the cows to the cows to the cows Bob I think the one thing you had in mind was to become a minister that was his dream from the very beginning it wasn't it I can only vote for that by the time I was back from China for a term of service Bob had converted all the whole Barnyard and that Dr Schuler is your and Henry's Uncle also a Henry also a minister Uncle Henry beltman sir come right on up here you're on the ministerial staff here too aren't you Dr Bill that's right I'm in charge of the teenagers that those are the kids you know that are over 60 years of age yes and you're the youngest of the bunch I think of that how old was little Bob here when you first saw him Uncle Henry he was five years old when I came back from China and uh I looked at him and I had an inspiration and I said I tousled his hair and I said you're going to be a missionary one of these days a minister and take my place when I retire and I think the prediction has come true Ralph I think so now Bob Schuler you can't expect to have a surprise visit from your brother Henry back here without your two sisters tagging along here from Orange City Iowa your sisters Margaret and VI [Applause] your third sister Jess has passed away thank you all for getting little brother Bob off to a good start on this is your life Robert Harrell Schuler school days for young Bob Schuler where did you attend grammar school Bob Floyd Independent School it was a rural School a rural school yes sir how many rooms one room and you went there until two bathrooms Outdoors you went through to the eighth grade there did you yes in this one room right school house uh how about Newkirk Iowa high school activities Oh that was a great high school we had 74 in the High School 14 in the graduating class what about your uh extracurricular activities there uh Sports uh debating and that sort of thing I went in for Dramatics had parts and plays uh-huh what are you all laughing about just because he comes out once in a half while and pulls his hand up like this the young Iowa farm boy is maturing though [Music] [Music] although in high school you probably have not fully identified your theme of possibility thinking turn your scars into Stars you're concerned and dedicated enough to want to go on a freshman at 16 to Hope College in Holland Michigan and God willing further foreign [Music] [Applause] it's 1947 now you graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hope College and Uncle Henry beltman's prediction about you begins to have meaning you enroll at Western Theological Seminary in Holland Michigan on the final road to a life in the ministry as usual you're into everything all right boys one two Do Lord oh Do Lord oh do remember me to Lord oh to Lord wait wait wait wait wait wait wait a minute guys we're a quartet we're only three that's right we can't sing with only three fellas I wonder where old bullshoulder is I I wonder let's see if we can find them bullshuler here are the three other members of your 1949 Arcadian quartet here is Warren heat Brink pastor of The Thorn Creek Reformed Church South Holland Illinois Bill niedema pastor of El Dorado Park Community Church in Long Beach California and Ken liesma pastor of the New Life Community Church in Artesia California well you fellas have fun on the road as well as all that work I'll tell you what we went on the road for a number of weeks we went through about nine states touring setting up appointments and singing with congregations and as I remember one time it was rather humorous we came back to Lincoln Nebraska and we went into a motel and made reservations I had just eight dollars left I was treasurous see of this whole thing eight dollars left and we had five of us and there was only room for four so um we did the biblical thing we cast lots who lost bill yeah guess who lost he slept in the car all night bless his heart the rest of us had beds yeah where did Bob Schuler get the name bull well it had to do with his singing when he would sing he had put his head down and just go right to it right well you have your fourth member now let's hear how The Arcadian four really sounds here get around this microphone fellas [Music] [Music] the blue [Applause] thank you Arcadian for thank you for a very happy page and this is your life Bob Schuler well now we come to the Romantic pages of this is your life Dr Robert Schuler up to now the only females we heard of were your sisters and the cows you preached to in the in the pasture there [Music] foreign [Music] 1948 you are on the list of Supply ministers and you're assigned to student preach at a church one Sunday well the minister was away but the beautiful young organist wasn't and as I was practicing in walk this handsome young man the young organist herself your bride of 32 years our Villa Schuler [Applause] [Applause] so a woman can't keep a secret eh hey you know between your wife and your secretary Marjorie Kelly you could start a a your own detective agency around here I think Dr Schuler arvella I thought those kind of romantic meetings that brought you and Bob together only happened in in soap operas well I think back then uh Ralph that the good Lord was playing Cupid and I had my own dreams but this man could talk faster than I could play in Oregon and he convinced me that if I married him I could be his organist for life now tell me the truth arvella do you ever sneak back up over to that organ here in the great Crystal Cathedral and play it a little bit no I let Richard on free do that well let's hear it now Richard the bridal chorus please [Music] all right [Music] shortest wedding on record how you doing there Bob Julie you're holding up all right I I think it's a dream yeah I can't believe it's real but well it may be a part of your dream certainly everything is a kind of a dream with you but one that really took hold was back there on one big memorable few days in 1950 three major events right I bet what were they they were first of all graduation from Seminary right my marriage yes and my ordination at the uh of the Reformed Church in America there where was your first church doctor Ivanhoe Reformed Church is suburb of Chicago Illinois yes words soon spread in Ivanhoe of the new preacher that came to town and our little Church of 38 soon began growing and in five years it grew to 400 membership but uh everything was not all that easy those first years and I remember one time when there was no money and there was no milk for the baby and Bob searched through his desk drawers for postage stamps to go get some milk from the store what what happened there Dr Schuler well I took the postage stamps to the post office and I found out they didn't return your money I was going to cash in the stamps to buy milk so you came on back home you prayed a little I hope that I had enough money and the money came out your mom my mother yes five and that baby I guess I'm the baby who needed the milk Ralph I only gave Mother and Daddy 10 months to get situated before I moved in you know Dad he's not one to wait around your first child Sheila now Mrs James Coleman wife with one of your key Associates in your ministry dad loves a challenge Ralph and a Monumental one came to him in 1955 in Ivanhoe from the Reformed Church Board of missions to start a congregation in Garden Grove here in Orange County California so mother and dad and Sheila and I hit off for the sunshine of Garden Grove all dad had was a stake of five hundred dollars from the missions board and a real good organist my mother your second of five children Dr Schuler Reformed Church of America minister at San Juan Capistrano California Robert a Schuler [Applause] [Music] [Applause] well the first thing dad did Ralph was going by two manual electric organ for the super organist mom and bought it on credit I think absolutely where did they hold Services Robert well he looked everywhere for a service for a place to hold the services and he finally found the orange drive-in theater March 27 1955 the day of the first open air service at the orange Drive-In church so what happened there I climbed her from trailer where the organ was and began playing the opening hymn and as she played up there on the trailer you came on the roof of the snack bar and declared to your congregation of cars below say it oh this is I wondered about yeah this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it [Music] so many times [Applause] three more daughters are to bless the Schuler home here are two of them Genie who we hear on your televised services and Gretchen your youngest there's Genie and here's [Music] [Applause] [Music] Genie is it always smooth sailing in the Schuler family well we have our share of pranks and good times but well we've had some deeper trials too mother underweight cancer surgery in 1979 but her recovery has made her even more energetic than ever so and Dad will tell you that Mom is still his greatest support editing his books and directing The Hour of Power telecast her greatest priorities like dads or her marriage as kids and our grandchildren thank you Sheila Robert Jeannie and Gretchen our Villa take your brood back there but don't go far we're going to need you again okay we'll meet the fifth preacher's kid Carol in a few minutes and find how she brought you Dr Robert Schuler your greatest test of strength oh what came next doorbell ringing [Music] building a mailing list all those things all this had a profound effect on your style of ministry you said you changed from preaching to witnessing was that because of all the people you met there and all that yes I was I came out of a church and I was trained to be a preacher yes a preacher is somebody who Gets In a Pulpit delivers a sermon careful expository exposition of the Sacred Scriptures but when I called on the church unchurched people I found out they didn't know the difference between the Old Testament the New Testament and there you go thank you arvella says be sure to put a hand out of your pocket he's going to need it so I found out that the only church people that I knew belonged to churches and so the unchurched people would come and they didn't know the Bible and I had to try to speak to their needs where they were indeed that's the impossibility of thinking possibility thinking that was inspired in you years ago has brought amazing results for many of your worldwide congregation Dr Schuler one of your most Ardent television parishioners was the late Senator Hubert Humphrey here's his son skip a state senator from Minneapolis Minnesota skip Humphrey [Music] Dr Schuler in my father's final days he listened to you regularly and you know he called you on the phone and your words gave him so much encouragement he'd leave with those telephone conversations Spirits uplifted his courage strengthened and we just want to thank you for coming to Minneapolis and helping us with his funeral my mother thanks you my sister thanks you my brothers thank you and I know my father thanks you thank you thank you I'm so honored to have you thank you Senator skip home thanks here's another witness to your talks as you call your ministry Dr Schuler it was September 4th of last year I unlocked the door of the restaurant where I was a bookkeeper and let the Janet in he had a gun he slapped me around then he forced me to open the safe he took me into the employee's bathroom Dr Schuler this is a young lady you know who survived by remembering what she heard you say many many times hear from Dallas Texas is Carol Lovell here's Carol [Applause] Carol after this man slapped you around and forced you to open the safe what happened raped me and then shot me twice in the head once here and once in the side and I knew at that time that I was going to die because of the injuries I reached out to my Jesus and I prayed Lord teach me to die because I don't know how to do this and I haven't been the Christian you've wanted me to be I had an overwhelming desire after giving up my life to live and he gave me energy to get up on my feet and run to two different phones and made the phone call to get that help that I needed I had met you in March as a matter of fact that spring my sister said you're going to hear this man he's fantastic I said yeah I'm sure he is you know you go and I'll wait but actually I went they came and got me and I went and I was just really blessed by the anointing on your life and you touched my heart then and I got your tapes and we all began to practice your positive thinking based on the scriptures and with Jesus involved totally and uh in the Intensive Care Unit they read to me your books your tapes and even as I was unconscious all of these things helped me to become healed inside and I continued to progress girl you're terrific I know you thank him yes I thank you for God's use of you thank you the mighty instrument of his love thank you Carol level thank you very much [Music] foreign Dr Schuler in 1956 you expand to a walk-in Church a chapel but still keep your drive in church only a couple of miles away because you want to continue to minister to this new type of congregation in automobiles but this means you have to race between two churches to solve that Sunday morning Marathon you decide to build one big church the walk-ins could see out of and the drive-ins could see into your vision a sweeping glass Church accommodating about 2 000 worshipers inside and out the great architect Richard Neutra designs it he also designs your Tower of Hope office building Rising 14 stories and topped by a 90-foot neon cross a Beacon of Hope visible for miles Beacon that carries your hopes too your Impossible Dream Robert Harrell Schuler for when the Richard Neutra design church is completed just beyond where we are now you know in your heart it will not accommodate your fullest dream for by then with your television program The Hour of Power your congregation really explodes the crowd sitting out in the rain unable to get in worry your Impossible Dream is beginning to form it's a dream for a still larger house of worship and it's heading toward reality when you commission architect Philip Johnson to design it ten thousand Windows of tempered silver colored glass 90-foot tall doors that open to welcome your loyal Drive-In worshipers finally on September 14 1980 your dream becomes a reality one of the most remarkable religious structures in the world is Crystal Cathedral dedicated to the glory of man for the greater glory of God thank you [Applause] no need to tell you who's great piano Artistry that was Dr Schuler your good friend Roger Williams hey this is your life a lovely thank you [Applause] and The Hour of Power acquired directed by James Woodward and organist Richard unfreed aren't they really wonderful many of your viewers have had their moments of Despair Dr Schuler you and our Vela had yours when a telephone call to you in Seoul Korea brought you news that tore at your heart made you and our Vella search for the kind of positive thinking you had preached to so many others your fourth child 13 year old Carol had injured her leg in an accident so severely it had to be amputated just below the knee it was my own fault I had coaxed my cousin in Iowa to give me a ride on his motorcycle before I left for home in California no doubt whose that is Dr Schuler one of the most courageous girls you've ever known your daughter now 17 Carol Pierce [Applause] you're doing okay I think you're gonna make it I think he's gonna make it well Carol you and Gretchen were staying with your Uncle Norm and your aunt Marge on their Farm in Iowa while your mother and father here we're on a three-week Ministry in the Orient it's 1978. you're only 13 but you finally coaxed your cousin Mark to take you for a ride on his motorcycle yes it was dark and it was on an old deserted Country Road and a car suddenly stopped in front of us and we had to Swerve onto the opposite side of the road to avoid hitting it and meanwhile another car was coming towards us and hit us alongside crushing the motorcycle along with my left leg and both my cousin and I were thrown into a ditch 80 feet away you lay there in the ditch for over 20 minutes Carol finally the ambulance takes you to St Joseph's Hospital in Sioux City a broken swollen body no blood pressure no pulse the doctors have to face the decision to amputate just below the need at the same time you Dr Schuler and our fella in Seoul Korea are being told by telephone the tragic news by your hour of power producer Michael Nason in California Carol you're in surgery as you're grief stricken and fearfully anxious parents begin the long lonely flight to your bedside there's nothing to do but pray and cry possibility thinking Dr Schuler tested as never before right sir right it was there were there was a moment on the Korean Airlines that was significant I believe yeah I I reached a point where I knew I was going to ball the difference between cry crying is when the tears flow silently like they are with me at times this morning but bawling is when the emotion builds up and a huge volume has to vomit out and so I went to the laboratory and started emitting that mournful sound and decided to vocalize it and shape it into the words alleluia alleluia alleluia Hallelujah and I think you it finally came to you if she's alive at least you know play it down that's right play it down and pray it up at Los Angeles airport Michael Mason is waiting he escorts you immediately to a Lear jet made available by your dear friend athlete Clark and as you head down in the still dark sky toward the Sioux City Airport the runway lights on the Airfield below intersect forming a perfect cross your Tower of Hope waiting for you on the Iowa Airfield also embracing you there is Sheila I said you can't imagine how tremendously strong and brave and positive your 13 year old is you're going to be so very proud of her how did Carol look to you arvella her spirits were great but as a mother looks at her little girl there were tubes her body was so broken that I had to be content instead of just hugging her just to caress her cheek with my finger Dr Schuler do you recall what Carol said immediately to you about her special Ministry in light of her accident yes because the thing that I was most fearful of is what would my opening line be to her and when I stepped in the hospital door and saw her she solved the problem by speaking first she said I know why it happened I said why and she said God has a special Ministry for my life to help people who've been hurt like I've been hurt did any of your dad's slogans heard on his Hour of Power help you Carol yes especially the one which says to accept which cannot change and I felt really blessed because I was given so much blood in the hospital about 17 pints and and all of it was donated by somebody else I know it's just a special feeling that people would do that for me but you're in your family's optimism didn't last long Carol the doctors felt they would have to take your knee and hip Dr Vanden Norte who agrees to fly into Sioux City immediately on an ambulance jet with a special intensive care nurse and prepare Carol for the flight and it flew you all out immediately to the Orange County airport there an ambulance took Carol directly to Children's Hospital in Orange County and Carol's doctors said after examining her the doctors in Sioux City did a heroic job in Saving her life that's right when we arrived here at Orange County Children's Hospital the doctors were quick to say this that they really saved her life after six surgeries and loss of the lower part of the knee and with ongoing therapy you've stepped out to meet the challenge Carol your faith and the god-given skills of the doctors prevailed Walking is Still not easy no not quite but I've learned that it's not how you walk two walks with you and who you walk with that is most important and I still I ski and I play softball and I ride horseback along with many other Active Sports Carol thank you for the inspiration you radiate to all of us well I want to thank [Music] my Jesus Christ who never left my side for one moment and that was the most important Medicine of all thank you very [Applause] much well now here's another good friend who has been a continuing inspiration to you Dr Schuler he called you and Carol at the hospital in Iowa in those Darkest Hours world-renowned dean of evangelists speaking from Washington D.C Dr Billy Graham thank you Ralph and it's a great privilege for me to participate in this program today I wish that I could be there in person there's no one in all the world that I love in Christ more than I do Bob Shula I have known him for many years and have admired the tremendous Ministry that God has given him he has done some of the greatest things for the kingdom of God of any man in our generation but one of the greatest things that he has contributed has been this marvelous dedicated family which is an example to so many throughout the world [Applause] thank you Dr Billy Graham another this is your life alumnus when your life wouldn't be complete Dr Robert Schuler without your grandchildren here are Sheila and Jim Coleman's Jason two years and Christopher John one month old there's Grandpa and Grandma and here's Jim [Music] one of your Associates here and Robert's wife Linda with Angie for and Robert III Bobby down here the Robert a family look give Grandpa a big hug Angie all right and from Iowa your brother Henry's wife Alberta and Vai and Margaret's husband Henry Mao and Arthur rakers come on in here Henry and Arthur foreign [Music] [Applause] the Iowa farm boy who began his life of positive Ministry by preaching to the cows in his daddy's pasture land followed his faith to the roof of a snack bar in a drive-in theater-converted church with his beloved our Villa at the electric organ and continues today a dynamic mission of self-esteem to millions of worshipers worldwide by television and other thousands who fill this Crystal Cathedral and automobile Sanctuary weekly Dr Robert Harrell Schuler this is your life [Applause] [Applause] [Music] this is foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] welcome we're so happy you've joined us today for a special surprise this is your life for Dr Schuler I'm sure you joined with me when I say thanks to Ralph Edwards for the generous giving of his time and tremendous talents in making this morning's program possible and now while the Crystal Cathedral congregation joyfully gives God their ties and offerings we want you to know that you can share in the support of this exciting Ministry too remember that like the Christmas star over Bethlehem two thousand years ago The Hour of Power shines today as a bright star in the night bringing hope faith and love to countless individuals in America and in our world write Dr Schuler today and express your support write Robert Schuler Garden Grove California that's Robert Schuler Garden Grove California as you write you'll want to request the special gift Dr Schuler has for you sparkling and mirrored ornament for your Christmas tree collecting The Hour of Power Christmas tree ornaments is a popular tradition enjoyed by many of our viewers you'll want to add this year's snowflake to your collection on one side of the glistening surface are the positive words Christmas means you are special a delicate snowflake design enhances the other side of this unique Christmas ornament right today so this ornament can add its inspiring quality to your tree and lift the hearts of those who see it in the approaching holiday season to receive yours write to Robert Schuler Garden Grove California that's Robert Schuler Garden Grove California in Canada the address is Robert Schuler box 3 4212 postal station d Vancouver British Columbia in Australia your letter should be sent to Robert Schuler GPO double five seven Sydney New South Wales later in our program we'll tell you how to receive your own printed copy of the this is your life portion of today's program it's exciting to read and reread and it's filled with pictures too but for now let's return to the surface thank you [Music] us [Music] wake up [Applause] [Music] we all prayed forever [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] God's grace [Music] [Music] [Applause] come on [Music] [Applause] will you believe this he is speechless well regardless he is and I've been reading scripture here for for uh some time and an hour of power for many years and I want to read a little scripture passage which sums up your life Dan and it's very simple Jesus says and he asks his disciples who do men say that the son of man is and they said some say John the Baptist another is Elijah and others Jeremiah and one of the prophets and Jesus said to them but who do you say that I am and Simon Peter replied you are the Christ the son of the Living God and Jesus answered him and said blessed are you Simon bear Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father who is in heaven and I tell you you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the powers of death shall not Prevail against it I have been very fortunate to be able to lead several tours to the Holy Land I've taken hundreds of people from Hour of Power there and quite often we go through uh Jordan and when you go to Jordan you must go take the long bus ride down to the southern end of that beautiful country for there as you drive down the King's Highway you will come to a place called Petra and Petra is a city which is uh over 2 000 years old it's hard for us to comprehend the beauty of this city but it is astonishing in order to get to it you first get off the bus and you go and you look for something and there's nothing there all there are a bunch of Nomads and some horses so you climb on the horse and pretty soon you start going through a small little Cavern and as you go through the cavern it's literally hundreds of feet high and at some points it becomes so narrow that you can literally touch both ends of the cliffs it's astonishing and you go through this Cavern for about two miles until finally the City of Petra opens up and it's probably the most gorgeous ancient city I've seen in my entire life for the whole thing is carved out of one piece of solid rock it's carved out of the sides of the Hills of this area it's all out of sandstone can you imagine a city carved out of the side of the Grand Canyon with its own particular unique architecture nabity and architecture which is a mixture of of Greek and Roman and and Egyptian and Persian Arc and influence that's the way this city was and it reminded me of my father for my father too has his own unique Style it's a mixture maybe of Norman peel and Billy Graham and some of the other men who have definitely influenced your life like Fulton Sheen and Hubert Humphrey but it's his own style and it's solid it's a solid as rock and it's going to stand for centuries for it proclaims to us as individuals the foundation of his of his faith and that is Jesus Christ it was often that I would ride home from from church with my dad as a child and the first thing he'd always ask me is Bob how is your sermon how was my sermon and being a young boy I would say whatever I thought would come to mind and occasionally he'd be happy and occasionally he wouldn't and if I didn't say the right thing it was rather devastating to him at times and by the time we got home he had turned around and he said well I know I did one thing I preached Jesus Christ I gave people the gospel message and the good news that Jesus Christ is alive at least I did that and that is the foundation of his life and that's why he has been a success and why he's been able to build this church and as I reflect upon this passage which I read to you earlier I'm reminded of three things which Christ said the first thing he said was who do men say that I am and in that day it was the rumors were going around already that Christ was possibly Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets and today there's still rumors of who Christ is today we have some people saying that Jesus Christ is just a figment of our imagination that the historical reality of Jesus Christ never existed then we have those who take another turn of events and say that Jesus Christ was nothing more than a prophet the Muslims agree that Jesus Christ lived that he existed that he was a good man but he was nothing more than a prophet and then there are those who say that Jesus Christ is nothing more than a great teacher for he did have tremendous teachings we read the sermon on the mountain we read the beautiful Beatitudes that he has presented that we have as as rules and regulations in our lives and we see this as a as a guiding point for success and we say yes Jesus Christ was a tremendous teacher but then Jesus Christ that's the second question he asked the question not Guru others say I am but he asked the question which is far more important to us here today who do you say that I am and he says it directly to Peter but you know he could have said it to any one of us and I believe he's saying it to each and every single one of us right now as he has to my father when he was a young boy he says who do you say that I am and with that we got the response do you call what Peter said he said you are the Christ you are the Christ the son of the Living God and what does that mean to us in our life you are the Christ Jesus Christ is the one who breaches the gap between us and our God it is Jesus Christ who brings us in Union with our creator and that's what the word Christ means that's what Christ meant to Peter what is your answer today Christ is asking you this question right now who do you say that I am Peter said you're the Christ the son of the Living God and immediately Christ turned to Peter and he said blessed are you Simon bear Jonah he used his proper name and that's good for us to realize for in that recognition we can insert any single name in this room and I know it's being said right now and blessed are you Robert Schuler blessed are you Robert Schuler for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but the father who is in heaven and I tell you you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the powers of Death Shall Not Prevail against it Peter the word Peter in Greek stands for Rock and all of us as a believer in Jesus Christ becomes Rock and the proclamation is there and it is extended to every single one who answers this question you are the Christ we receive the exact same answer fill in your name blessed are you fill in your name blessed are you for I tell you you are rock and Upon This Rock I will build my church says the Lord and the church is being built today not upon one individual named Robert Schuler but upon hundreds and thousands and literally millions of people who are proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord of their life and that's why this church is a success that's why this church is meeting the needs of people that's why this church exists today because Christ is the foundation how do you answer that question who do you say I am let us pray dear heavenly father we thank you for the joy we have and knowing you is our personal Lord and savior and we thank you Lord for calling Robert Schuler into this ministry for calling him to come here to Southern California to start this church and Lord we pray that you will continue to direct him and to guide him in your way that this church will continue to grow upon the foundation with which it was started the foundation of your son Jesus Christ now we thank you Lord and we praise your name amen Robert you couldn't depict a better message because when it was focused on on a human being like it was on me so much the right thing had to be said and that is that Christ is the center of our life he's the center of this place and if you came to church this morning expecting a regular church service I have I cannot apologize for what happened I had no part of the decision but I didn't have a terrific sermon plaid but I frankly forgot it but it wasn't better than yours because you can't top any message that asks people to accept Jesus Christ as personal Lord and savior and I can tell you at any point in time in life an idea comes through and you can say yes to that idea or no to it and my son Robert has asked you what you think of Jesus this morning and you can either say yes or no all I can say is I said yes thank God I did I don't know what I'd have been if he hadn't been my savior and Lord so say yes to him now and now may the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and may God grant unto you his peace and you're going out and in your coming in in your lying down and in your rising up in your labor and in your leisure in your laughter and in your tears until you come to stand before Jesus in that day in which there is no Sunset and no Dawning amen hi I'm Jenny Schuler to commemorate the special morning we've had printed this is your life scrapbook it includes the entire script of today's program with Tommy Lasorda Billy Graham Senator Humphrey Dr Schuler's family and of course Mr Ralph Edwards it's complete with pictures and my brother's morning message foundation for fulfillment to receive your scrapbook simply write Robert Schuler Garden Grove California that's Robert Schuler Garden Grove California this inspiring service has been made possible because of the generous support of people like you if my father had known what was going to happen this morning he would have said I've really done nothing in my life God has done it all using wonderful people who never get the credit only through your support has this ministry been possible today as we draw near to the end of 1982 Dr Schuler need your help to keep this ministry alive as costs continue to rise and many people find themselves unemployed we're trusting God that new friends will come forth to keep this ministry going we know that for many people this ministry of positive thinking is the only bright star in their week won't you write Dr Schuler today to thank you for your help he's designed this beautiful Christmas ornament for you hang it on your Christmas tree or use it in your holiday decorations the 1982 Christmas ornament has a mirror on the front and a sparkling snowflake on the back etched on the mirror other words Christmas means you are special it'll remind you that just as no two snowflakes are alike neither are two people alike you're special even as our power is special God has a special plan for you just as he has a special plan for this ministry right today for your Christmas tree ornament the supply is necessarily Limited will you join me now in the final surprise that this is your life let's make this a record-breaking week of letters sent to Dr Schuler I'd love to place your letter and your support before my father it'll be an inspiring conclusion of today's This is Your Life program write Dr Schuler today and when you do be sure to request your Christmas tree ornament send your letter to Robert Schuler Garden Grove California that's Robert Schuler Garden Grove California in Canada the address is Robert Schuler box 3 4212 postal station d Vancouver British Columbia and in Australia the address is GPO box double five seven Sydney New South Wales if you need someone to talk to or about a problem or concern that you may have call the 24-hour New Hope telephone Counseling Center simply dial area code 714 and the words New Hope that's 714 and the letters n-e-w-h-o-p-e and now from all of us at the Crystal Cathedral have a great week and remember God loves you and so do we next week be with us again for another powerful Hour of Power Dr Schuler's guest will be Kansas Senator Robert Dole [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you foreign 1981 in the Crystal Cathedral saw the birth of a new Christmas tradition the glory of Christmas a living nativity this year Dr Schuler invites you your family and friends to join the thousands who will experience the glory of Christmas a cast of beautifully costumed performers also musicians and live animals including camels all create a beautiful reenactment of the birth of Christ the largest living nativity in the world set inside the Crystal Cathedral the glory of Christmas will bring the holiday spirit in over 40 performances December 3rd through the 18th if you're unable to attend this holiday pageant why not give your Southern California friends and family the gift of the glory of Christmas or reservations call area code 714-971-4011 at 714-971-4011 the glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral a tradition you won't want to miss call today tickets are also available at Ticketron there are only four weeks left until this glorious event began news

Channel: Hour of Power Classics

Views: 3,498

Keywords:

Id: jaq8sPmgzgo

Length: 58min 30sec (3510 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 27 2023