In this book I offer many stories shared with me by friends, members of our congregation, and people I’ve met around the world. I appreciate and acknowledge their contributions and support. Some of those mentioned in the book are people I have not met personally, and in a few cases, we’ve changed the names to protect the privacy of individuals. I give honor to all those to whom honor is due. As the son of a church leader and a pastor myself, I’ve listened to countless sermons and presentations, so in some cases I can’t remember the exact source of a story.
I am indebted to the amazing staff of Lakewood Church, the wonderful members of Lakewood who share their stories with me, and those around the world who generously support our ministry and make it possible to bring hope to a world in need. I am grateful to all of those who follow our services on television, the Internet, SiriusXM, and through the podcasts. You are all part of our Lakewood family.
I offer special thanks also to all the pastors across the country who are members of our Champions Network.
Once again, I am grateful for a wonderful team of professionals who helped me put this book together for you. Leading them is my FaithWords/Hachette publisher, Rolf Zettersten, along with team members Patsy Jones, Billy Clark, and Hannah Phillips. I truly appreciate the editorial contributions of wordsmith Lance Wubbels.
I am grateful also to my literary agents Jan Miller Rich and Shannon Marven at Dupree Miller & Associates.
And last but not least, thanks to my wife, Victoria, and our children, Jonathan and Alexandra, who are my sources of daily inspiration, as well as our closest family members, who serve as day-to-day leaders of our ministry, including my mother, Dodie; my brother, Paul, and his wife, Jennifer; my sister Lisa and her husband, Kevin; and my brother-in-law Don and his wife, Jackelyn.