What If?: My Story of Believing God for More. Always More

by Tommy Barnett

Overview

Find a need…  We need great stories to inspire us, and this is certainly one of them. From crusade tents to “Johnny Cash and The World’s Biggest Sunday School” to 400,000 at an evangelistic event in Bangalore, India, to Dream Centers being established all over the world, Tommy Barnett has seen God do amazing things. Tommy’s God-given passion is to find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it. In this book, he looks back over a lifetime of walking with God, being directed by the Spirit, and boldly taking risks to reach more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he has built great churches and organizations to meet the crushing needs of broken people and restore those who have strayed far from God. Every moment of every day, Tommy has always been ready to share the love of Jesus. This is his amazing story.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642960143
Publisher:	ARC Resources
Publication date:	02/04/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	552,543
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Tommy Barnett is the Senior Pastor-of Phoenix First Assembly of God, in Phoenix, Arizona, a soulwinning church-committed to reaching the city for God. Phoenix First Assembly, with an average weekly attendance of over 14,000, has been listed as one of the three largest churches in America, and is known as "The Church with A Heart" because it operates 202 outreach ministries. On many occasions, attendance at special services has soared to as many as 25,0001 Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, 1996, in multiple services, the church reached over 150,000. 

The Church moved into a multi-million dollar complex in 1985, occupying 75 acres on Shadow Mountain. The first building completed was the 6,500-seat auditorium, one of the largest sanctuaries in America. In recent years, three additional buildings have been completed - administration, education, and gymnasium. 

Phoenix First Assembly is noted nationwide for several outstanding assets introduced by Pastor Barnett: Spectacular events at Easter. Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. A great soulwinning Bus Ministry. gained soulwinners. Strong discipleship training. Hundreds of lay people overseeing the follow-up and care of attendees, visitors, and new converts. 

These assets have contributed to the impressive growth of First Assembly under Pastor Barnett's leadership. 

When the Church called him as pastor in December 1979, the average attendance was 250. Attendance continued to spiral upward, spurred by these major events. In 1981, and again in 1982, the magnificent Singing Christmas Tree services at Phoenix Symphony Hall brought turn-away crowds to the 3,000-seat Hall, In 1982, more than 18,000 attended Easter services and the giant Independence Day rally moved to a city stadium. The 1983 Easter services broke all records for the denomination, attracting 25,000; the Living Mag on July 4th filled the stadium with 15,000 spectators; and the Thanksgiving Dinner was the largest in the city, serving almost 12.000. 

Breaking records again - Easter, 1989, saw crowds of 100.000 in one weekend. This included four Celebration of Easter musical drama productions at the new large church auditorium as well as the 14 outdoor children's rallies that were held all over the city. Celebration of Easter presentations are repeated 12 times throughout Easter Week. A total attendance of 150,000 people are now a part of that phenomenal week at Phoenix First Assembly. The Christmas production attracts over 100,000 in one week. 

The Bus Ministry was born in 1980 with five buses. In 1981, a nationwide poll of all denominations named Phoenix First Assembly with the fastest growing Bus Ministry in America. Serving more than 4,000 riders a week in 1996, our fleet of buses includes nine wheelchair vehicles.

Table of Contents

Foreword 17

Prologue Find a Need and Fill It 21

1 Genesis 31

2 Faith and Reason 41

3 Rattlesnakes and Watermelons 47

4 Midnight Encounter 55

5 The Flying Parson 61

6 Time to Start Preaching 67

7 Tempted by Success 75

8 Sandstorm 85

9 Learning from the Best 89

10 Off to School, Out of School 97

11 Marja 101

12 "We Do!" 107

13 Honeymoon Safari 113

14 The Right Decision Followed by a Crisis 121

15 A Church in My Heart 129

16 Old Buses, New Believers 139

17 Popsicles and Porn 149

18 Johnny Cash Comes to Sunday School 159

19 Three Movements 167

20 "Lord, I Don't Want to Go There!" 175

21 Changing Clothes, Changing Lives 185

22 Growing Pains 193

23 Never Dash a Dream 203

24 You Can't Fight Love 211

25 Provision for the Vision 225

26 Old Friend, New Calling 241

27 The Restoration of Jim Bakker 249

28 The Forty-Year-Old Promise 257

29 Our Secret Burden 265

30 Going Public 273

31 Renewing the Vision 277

31 Running Far, Running Over 283

33 Team Tommy 291

34 No Regrets? 299

35 The Center of My Dreams 307

Epilogue "You Can Do More!" 319

Acknowledgments 325

"Just as I Am" 327

About the Author 329

About ARC 332

About Southeastern University 333

About Dream Centers 334

Resources 335

Editorial Reviews

Tommy Barnett is my Pastor and an amazing man of God. He knows the true meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has lived it to the fullest. His example has impacted my life personally, helping me pursue God’s purpose for believers in Christ to, as he says, “find a need and fill it…find a hurt and heal it.” I believe every person who reads WHAT IF? will become more convinced of God’s love and desire to do more than they can ask or imagine in their lives!”   —Joyce Meyer, Bible Teacher and Best-selling Author.      

 “I’ve known Tommy for many years, and I’ve had the privilege of watching God use him in countless ways. His energy is boundless . . . and so is his faith. He has always been willing to take huge risks to see what God might do. Tommy has lived without a safety net. No, that’s not true. God has always been there to lead him, empower him, and bless people through him.”-John C Maxwell, Best-Selling Author, Speaker and Founder of The John Maxwell Co.
 
“Among a handful of key people God has used to inspire me, I am blessed to count my friend Tommy Barnett among them. I know I’m not the only one, and now in What If? Tommy shares his life story so others can grow closer in their relationship with God as they serve according to His purposes. With wisdom, encouragement, and insight on leadership, Tommy’s heart for loving others reveals a contagious example of what it means to follow Jesus. Be warned—don’t read What If? unless you’re prepared to let God answer that question in your own life!”-Chris Hodges, Senior Pastor, Church of the Highlands (Birmingham, AL) Author of The Daniel Dilemma and What’s Next?
 
“Today more than ever, we need spiritual fathers to show us how to live, serve, and lead. More than anyone I know, Tommy Barnett has stepped up to be that model for countless pastors like me. From the first day I heard about him years ago to the many times I’ve had the privilege to interact with him, I’ve seen his huge heart . . . for Jesus, for the lost, for the hurting, and for pastors who are following God’s call. There haven’t been many leaders like Tommy, but he has left his imprint on me and many others. This book is the story of his life, but more than that, it points us to the One he has followed so passionately his whole life.”-Rob Ketterling, Lead Pastor, River Valley Church (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN)
 
“Pastor Tommy Barnett is one of the select few generational leaders of our time. His life of faithfulness and ministry longevity have impacted millions of people, inspiring them to dream bigger and to accomplish more for God’s Kingdom. I honor and thank Pastor Tommy Barnett for his imprint in my life and the world.”-Herbert Cooper, Senior Pastor, People’s Church (Oklahoma City, OK)
 
“Tommy Barnett is without any doubt one of the greatest voices of our time. It is a voice of a life that gushes passion for Jesus and reaching the lost no matter what it takes. What he has done to awaken the Church to the importance of focusing on the poor and the hurting has inspired me over and over.”-Dino Rizzo, Executive Director, ARC (Association of Related Churches) Associate Pastor, Church of the Highlands
 
“In his own words, Pastor Tommy Barnett says his autobiography “What If” “...is all about a great and mighty God who is able to use flawed but willing man to bring glory to the name of Jesus.”  It’s for us to dream, he urges; after that, God makes provision for the vision.  And, Tommy Barnett has dreamed big: building mega churches with hundreds of community missions, bringing thousands upon thousands of people to Christ, and creating incredible Dream Centers to serve the forgotten and disadvantaged.  In our more than three decades of friendship, I’ve witnessed all of this, and I’ve never failed to be inspired by his dreams and heart for helping the lost.”-Jon Kyl, Former US Senator from Arizona
 
“Why read this biography of Tommy Barnett?  Because it will make you a better follower of Jesus!  Because it will enlarge your vision and inspire your faith and passion to do great things for God and for people! Because it communicates authenticity, courage and vulnerability as indispensable ingredients for life and ministry!”-Dr. George O. Wood, Chairman, World AG Fellowship, The General Council of the Assemblies of God (Springfield, MO)
                                                                                                                   

From the Publisher