MEN’S MINISTRY GOLF TOURNAMENT
This spring’s golf tournament will be held Friday, May 18, at Twin Creeks Golf Club in Allen. The 4-man scramble will begin at 8:00 AM. Cost is $50 and includes driving range, bag service, green fee, cart with GPS, lunch and prizes afterwards. Registration forms are available at the Yes! Table at the Men’s Ministry area.

MEN’S COLORADO ADVENTURE
PTCC Men are invited to Durango, Colorado July 30-August 3 for an outdoor adventure. Pick up a registration packet at the Yes! Table at the Men’s Ministry area for further details.

CHILD DEDICATION
Child Dedication is parental recognition of a solemn responsibility and trust - a responsibility to raise your child in the nurture and instruction of the Lord. The Child Dedication Ceremony provides you, as a parent, an opportunity to make this commitment public before God, your friends, and family. On May 13th, we will have a Child Dedication ceremony during both the 9:30 and 11:00 services. If you would like to participate or if you would like more information about Child Dedication, please sign up today in the atrium.

PARTNERSHIP
Take the next step in your commitment to God and to PTCC by becoming a partner, our membership program. Partnership focuses on five biblical principles that we call the 5Gs: Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts and Good Stewardship. You may complete the self-directed Bible Study found on our website or you may attend our next partnership class on Sunday, April 29th from 9:30 AM - Noon at the PTCC building. Sign up at the Yes! Table today!

MEN'S MINISTRY
PTCC has a new and exciting men’s ministry designed to help men build strong friendships with other Christian men, become better husbands and/or fathers, and grow closer to God. Sign-ups already have exceeded expectations but there's still time to get involved. The schedule and details are on the website. Email Matt Moss for more information.

ONLINE GIVING
Make your life simpler by automating your giving. Follow the easy directions at www.prestontrail.org to setup for debit or credit card for regular giving and dream big donations. All transactions are secure and will appear on your regular statement.

LIFE GROUPS
Sign up at the Information Table or email info@prestontrail.org and get involved in a group!

“A World of Lies”

We live in a world of lies. They are all around us, inviting us daily to disbelieve the truth and follow fabrications. Sometimes we resist, at other times we surrender. We can all identify with Fleetwood Mac: “Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.”

Jesus is not surprised. He knows the source of all untruth: Satan. Jesus once said, “There is no truth in the devil. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) And the church should not be surprised either. In his last years the Apostle Paul predicted that lies would infiltrate society and even the church. He wrote: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

There’s only one way for a church to deal with lies – and that’s to tell the truth!

At Preston Trail, we place a high value on truth-telling. You can see that in several places right now …

1. Consider our current series of messages entitled “Exposé.” It is our way of alerting you as Christ-followers that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear or read. This Sunday Jim will be taking on the hugely popular new religious movement that has received Oprah’s seal of approval: “The Secret.” It sounds so new, but it’s actually just old lies packaged in new forms. Don’t miss Jim’s treatment of this fast-growing phenomenon. Do you have a friend who needs to join you on Sunday?
2. The following Sunday, April 29, we will look at “The Prosperity Gospel.” It’s a teaching prevalent in many churches that says all Christians should be healthy and wealthy at all times – no exceptions allowed. Really?
3. Our teenagers hear a different kind of lie. They are told, “The better you are, the more God loves you” or “Popularity pays off” or “What I look like on the outside is more important that what’s on the inside.” Ryan Hairston, our director of student ministries, is taking on each of these myths and exposing teenagers to God’s truth at 11:00 each Sunday morning. His series of messages is entitled “Mythbusters.” Do you know a teenager who could benefit from Ryan’s teaching?
4. One last area may surprise you, but it’s just as important – how we communicate our church’s identity to guests. From the very beginning Jim and I agreed that we would practice truth in advertising. That is, we would tell people exactly what our church is like, and let the chips fall where they may. Some have liked our vision and stayed with us, others have not agreed with it and left. But we’ve never been sorry we made that decision. We get to practice telling the truth about PTCC every time we hold a Discover Preston Trail class – that’s when we tell how our church began, what kind of church we are, why we do what we do, and how we go about doing it. If you want to know the truth about our church, our next Discover Preston Trail is this Sunday April 22. Join me in the Corner Office at either 9:30 or 11:00. If you want to sign up, email us at info@prestontrail.org.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) I pray that many of us will be liberated from lies to truth in the days to come.

Seriously,

Paul Basden, senior pastor

Read previous Trail Notes here

LISTEN! Preston Trail Podcast
PTCC worship messages are available by subscription to our podcast or for listening on our website. So, if you missed a service, or want to share one with a friend go here and take a listen.
You will have the option of downloading and listening to them on your computer or even subscribe here (or press the iTunes image on the right) to have them come to your computer automatically each time one is added - then play them on your computer or your iPod while you're exercising or driving.

Calendar at a glance...

April 22 Discover Preston Trail 11:00 - Noon

April 29 Partnership 9:30 AM - Noon

May 13 Child Dedication

May 18 Men's Ministry Golf Tournament

May 20 Baptism 5:00 PM

May 28 - June 2 Youth Camp 2007, Florida

June 11 - 15 Adventure Camp

July 30 - Aug. 3 Men's Colorado Adventure