TO THE ENTIRE GRAHAM FAMILY AND ORGANIZATION.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF BILLY GRAHAM.

WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR HIS BOLDNESS IN DECLARING THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST ALL OVER THE WORLD.

HIS LIFE, HIS INFLUENCE IS A TESTIMONY TO THE GRACE OF GOD,

AND TODAY, AS A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND INFLUENCE OF BILLY GRAHAM,

WE OFFER THIS ENCORE PRESENTATION OF BILLY GRAHAM'S LIFE STORY:

"LORD, I'M YOURS."

WINTLEY PHIPPS: EVERY LIFE ECHOES THE ORDINARY, THE SIMPLE BEGINNINGS OF A COMMON JOURNEY.

FOR SOME, THAT JOURNEY LEADS TO EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

FOR OTHERS, THE JOURNEY IS FAR LESS EPIC, BUT NO LESS IMPORTANT.

THEIR INFLUENCE MAY NOT BE GLOBAL AND ONLY STRETCH ACROSS THE STREET OR TO A SMALL CHILD,

BUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT IS THERE FOR EVERYONE.

CAN ONE PERSON REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

CAN ONE PERSON INDEED MAKE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT...

THAT THE WORLD AROUND THEM IS AFFECTED IN SOME WAY?

THE ANSWER: YES.

HISTORY IS FULL OF EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE...

THAT IT WOULD AFFECT HOW WE LIVE.

NAMES MANY OF US WOULD RECOGNIZE, FROM BEETHOVEN TO THE BEATLES,

WHO INFLUENCED OUR CULTURE, MUSIC, FASHION AND ART.

FROM EINSTEIN TO BILL GATES, PIONEERS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THEN THERE ARE THE EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE IT WOULD AFFECT...

WHO WE ARE.

THEY CHANGED HOW WE THINK AND ACT. THEY EVEN CHANGED LIVES:

ROSA PARKS,

MOTHER TERESA,

ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

EVEN BILLY GRAHAM.

WE'RE HERE AT THE BILLY GRAHAM LIBRARY IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA,

AND IN THIS REPLICA OF THE FAMILY HOME.

BOTH STAND AS AN INSPIRATIONAL REMINDER TO THE EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS...

GOD CAN ACHIEVE WITH ONE ORDINARY PERSON WHO IS TRULY DEVOTED TO HIM.

HE WAS BORN IN A FARM IN CHARLOTTE,

AND LIVED THE LIFE OF A FARMER'S BOY...

WHO WAS EXPECTED TO MILK HIS SHARE OF THE COW HERD,

AND TO HANDLE THE DAIRY BUSINESS,

AND TO WORK AROUND THE FARM AS MUCH AS HE COULD WITH HIS BROTHER.

AND HIS FOLKS WERE VERY COMMON BUT VERY GOD-FEARING PEOPLE,

AND THEY HAD DEVOTIONS AND THEY WERE EXPECTED TO ATTEND CHURCH,

JUST VERY SPECIAL.

HE WASN'T BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN HIS MOUTH.

HE HAD A... JUST A LOVE FOR PEOPLE, A LOVE FOR THE LAND,

AND A LOVE TO JUST BE BILL, JUST PLAIN BILL.

BILLY'S MOTHER: WE HAD THE DAIRY BARN AND WE HAD TWO LARGE SILOS.

THE FARM CONSISTED OF ABOUT 200 ACRES OR A LITTLE MORE.

WE WERE JUST ORDINARY COUNTRY PEOPLE, AND WE HAD VERY FEW NEIGHBORS ON PARK ROAD.

ABOUT THREE OTHER FAMILIES, REALLY, WERE NEIGHBORS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME,

BECAUSE IT WAS REAL COUNTRY.

HE NEVER HAS LOST TOUCH WITH THE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS,

LIVING IN A... IN A... JUST A SIMPLE HOME,

GROWING UP AND WORKING IN A FARM,

IN A BARN MILKING COWS BEFORE HE WENT TO SCHOOL.

THAT'S JUST, THAT'S STILL PART OF HIS LIFE.

HE'S PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HE'S A FARMER'S... A FARMER'S SON.

WINTLEY: WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT A COUNTRY BOY FROM NORTH CAROLINA...

WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUALS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY?

AND HIS JOURNEY WOULD START ONE LATE FALL EVENING BY RELUCTANTLY ATTENDING...

AN EVANGELISTIC MEETING HELD BY A BAPTIST PREACHER NAMED MORDECAI HAM.

IN 1934, WILLIAM GRAHAM WALKED OUT THAT DOOR, AND WOULD NEVER RETURN THE SAME.

A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY WOULD HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH TRUTH THAT WOULD SET HIM ON A LIFE-LONG JOURNEY.

I CAN THINK OF MR. GRAHAM'S LIFE, SEVERAL MOMENTS OF TRUTH.

ONE WAS WHEN HE MET THE LORD JESUS FACE TO FACE AT A MORDECAI HAM MEETING HERE IN CHARLOTTE.

HE HEARD HIM PREACH AND AS A 16-YEAR-OLD STUDENT,

HE HAD TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THE FACT...

THAT EITHER JESUS CHRIST WAS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE,

OR ELSE HE WAS A FRAUD, A CHARLATAN, A LIAR.

AND HE SAID, "I JUST DECIDED TO TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD AND I TRUSTED HIM."

AND THAT WAS A GREAT MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR BILLY.

WHILE MOST OF THE WORLD WOULD COME TO KNOW THE NAME OF THIS TEENAGE BOY,

FEW WOULD REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO WAS INSPIRATIONAL IN STARTING HIS JOURNEY.

HISTORY HOLDS WITHIN ITS SHADOWS ANOTHER TYPE OF INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

THE PERSON OF MORDECAI HAM, WHO WAS MERELY USED TO PLANT A SEED.

THE MESSAGE OF MORDECAI HAM WAS THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS,

THE LOVE AND FORGIVENESS OF JESUS CHRIST.

FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS HOW THE JOURNEY TO EXTRAORDINARY BEGINS.

AND IT DOESN'T REQUIRE MONEY, STATUS, EDUCATION OR PRIVILEGES.

BUT IT DOES REQUIRE OBEDIENCE.

NOW, MY FATHER HAD NO IDEA WHAT GOD HAD PLANNED FOR HIM,

BUT HE JUST SAID, "LORD I'M YOURS."

AND HE DID IT PUBLICLY AND THE NEXT YEAR... OR THE NEXT DAY HE WENT TO SCHOOL,

AND HE WAS KIND OF RIDICULED.

SOMEBODY SAW HIM DOWN THERE AND CALLED HIM PREACHER GRAHAM AND TRIED TO EMBARRASS HIM.

BUT MY FATHER JUST SAID, "LORD, HERE'S MY LIFE AND I'M YOURS."

AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, GOD TOOK MY FATHER,

AND TOOK THAT BOY OFF THE FARM AND USED HIM IN A REMARKABLE WAY,

BUT YOU SEE, GOD CAN DO THAT FOR ANYBODY THAT SAYS YES TO HIM,

AND WHO'S OBEDIENT TO HIM.

WHEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR LIFE TO GOD AND RECEIVE CHRIST BY FAITH,

HE BEGINS THE PROCESS OF DOING THE EXTRAORDINARY WITHIN THE ORDINARY.

IT IS THEN HE IS ABLE TO DO AN INCREDIBLE WORK IN YOU, WITH YOU AND THROUGH YOU.

AS BILLY GRAHAM WOULD READ AND STUDY HIS BIBLE,

NOT ONLY DID HE LEARN ABOUT GOD AND GROW IN HIS FAITH,

BUT HE ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST HAD TO BE SHARED.

HE WAS COMMITTED TO THE TRUTH, AND WILLING TO DO WHATEVER GOD PROMPTED.

IN THE FALL OF 1949, LOS ANGELES AREA CHURCHES WOULD INVITE BILLY GRAHAM...

TO COME TO LOS ANGELES TO HOLD A REVIVAL TENT MEETING.

AFTER TWO WEEKS OF MEDIOCRE ATTENDANCE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO CALL IT QUITS.

HOWEVER, BILLY GRAHAM REMAINED FAITHFUL TO HIS CALL OF PREACHING THE WORD,

NO MATTER WHO WAS LISTENING.

WHAT APPEARED TO BE A STRUGGLING EVANGELISTIC MEETING WOULD SOON EXPLODE...

INTO AN EIGHT WEEK CRUSADE, PREACHING TO MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE,

AND WOULD LAUNCH BILLY GRAHAM INTO THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT.

IT WOULD ALSO BECOME ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES TO WHAT WE KNOW AS THE BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADES.

AFTER LOS ANGELES IT SEEMED LIKE THE CROWDS INCREASED,

BUT THE THING THAT... I LIKE TO SAY THAT...

WE WHO SAW THIS HAPPEN,

THERE WAS SOMETHING EXCITING ABOUT IT, BUT IT DROVE US TO OUR KNEES.

WE CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN UNLESS THE LORD PERVADES AND SATURATES AND IS WITH US, HIS SPIRIT.

AND BILLY WOULD REMIND US OF THAT.

THIS WAS A TASTE OF GOD DOING SOMETHING FAR GREATER...

THAN THIS YOUNG PREACHER COULD ASK OR EVEN THINK.

EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.

BUT THAT MEETING WAS MORE THAN JUST BILLY GRAHAM.

IT WAS ALSO A COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF MANY ORDINARY PEOPLE IN THE SHADOWS,

PEOPLE WHO HELPED ORGANIZE THE EVENT, DRIVE IN THE TENT PEGS, SET UP CHAIRS.

THEY ALL SHARED IN SOMETHING INCREDIBLE: GOD AT WORK!

BILLY WAS ALWAYS REMINDING US AS A TEAM...

THAT IT WAS GOD WHO SHOULD BE GIVEN THE GLORY.

"LET'S REMEMBER, MEN, THAT WE..."

HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, "WE'RE NOT BOYS ANYMORE."

WE WERE TRAVELING IN YOUTH FOR CHRIST, THAT'S HOW WE BEGAN,

AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE LARGER CROWDS STARTED,

AND THOSE SATURDAY NIGHT RALLIES,

BUT HE'D ALWAYS REMIND US, IF THERE WAS A PARTICULAR...

GREAT RESPONSE OR A LARGE CROWD, "THIS ISN'T OUR DOING.

"IT'S GOD'S DOING."

I BELIEVE THAT IF THIS IS MY HOUR TO PREACH, GOD WILL GIVE ME THE STRENGTH.

I FEEL AS THOUGH I AM A SPECTATOR,

WITNESSING SOMETHING THAT GOD IS DOING. IT'S BEYOND ME.

I'VE NEVER ONCE HEARD HIM SAY, "WELL, WASN'T THAT HUGE?" NEVER.

AND I'VE BEEN WITH HIM IN STADIUMS WHERE THEY WERE PACKED JAMFUL,

AND TWO WEEKS LATER WE'D BE IN ANOTHER STADIUM AND IT WAS HALF FULL.

I DON'T THINK MY FATHER EVER LOOKED AT THE SIZE OF THE CROWD, HE JUST...

REALIZED THAT THERE WERE LOST PEOPLE IN FRONT OF HIM,

AND HE WAS GOING TO DELIVER THE SAME GOSPEL MESSAGE REGARDLESS,

WHETHER IT WAS A BIG CROWD, SMALL CROWD,

WHETHER IT WAS RAINING, SNOWING,

HE WAS GOING TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.

BUT DOWN UNDERNEATH ALL OF IT...

IS THE PEACE AND THE JOY THAT CHRIST CAN BRING,

THE SENSE OF FORGIVENESS,

THE KNOWING THAT IF YOU DIED, YOU'D GO TO HEAVEN.

I WOULDN'T TAKE ALL THE MONEY IN ALL THE WORLD FOR THE KNOWLEDGE...

THAT IF I DIED RIGHT THIS MINUTE, THE NEXT MOMENT I WOULD BE IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST.

YOU CAN KNOW THAT TONIGHT.

NOW, WILL YOU AND I EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND IN FRONT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS?

FOR MOST OF US, PROBABLY NOT.

HOWEVER, WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN PERSONAL CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE,

AN AUDIENCE THAT SURROUNDS US AT WORK, AT CHURCH, EVEN AT HOME.

IF WE SAY, "YES, GOD, USE ME,"

HE WILL CREATE THE ARENA.

HE WILL DEFINE THE EXTRAORDINARY.

WE JUST NEED TO BE FAITHFUL.

THE WORLD LOOKS AT...

NORMALLY, THEY WILL LOOK AT NUMBERS TO MEASURE SUCCESS.

IF SOMETHING IS BIG, THEN THAT MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN BLESSED BY THE LORD.

IF IT WAS SMALL, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.

GOD DOESN'T LOOK, I DON'T THINK... HE LOOKS AT EACH INDIVIDUAL HEART,

AND SOMETIMES I'VE SEEN THE SMALLER MEETINGS...

HAVE HAD THE LARGEST IMPACT SPIRITUALLY,

AND SOMETIMES THE BIGGER MEETINGS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE GREAT AND ALL THAT,

BUT THE SPIRITUAL IMPACT MAY HAVE BEEN SMALLER.

USUALLY, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT GOD USES AS HIS BAROMETER.

REMEMBER, HE SEES THE HEART.

GOD'S NOT IMPRESSED BY HEADLINES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, OR WHAT USA TODAY SAYS.

GOD LOOKS AT OUR HEARTS, AND ARE WE FAITHFUL TO HIM, ARE WE OBEDIENT TO HIM?

ARE WE WILLING TO SURRENDER ALL FOR HIS GLORY?

HE WANTS 100 PERCENT OF US, NOT 99.9. HE WANTS 100 PERCENT, PERIOD.

FOR BILLY GRAHAM, THAT ARENA WOULD EXPAND INTO SOMETHING BIGGER...

THAN HE EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.

GOD WOULD LAY OUT A PATH THAT WOULD EXTEND BEYOND HIS PHYSICAL REACH,

AND ENABLE HIM TO SHARE THE MESSAGE OF GOD'S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS TO MILLIONS,

THROUGH THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY.

BUT AS BILLY GRAHAM WOULD BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME,

OUR NATION WAS ON THE BRINK OF A VIOLENT CULTURAL SHIFT.

SOCIAL ISSUES WOULD RISE UP AND PIT BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER, NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR.

THROUGH POLITICAL, SOCIAL, EVEN PERSONAL UPHEAVAL, A VOICE OF HOPE IS NEEDED.

AND GOD WILL WORK THROUGH THIS HOPE WITH WILLING INDIVIDUALS, WITH YOU, ME, BILLY GRAHAM,

TO BE AN ANCHOR OF TRUTH IN A SEA OF UNCERTAINTY AND TURMOIL.

IN DOING SO, GOD WILL PUT US IN PLACES WE NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE,

AND GIVE US OPPORTUNITIES WE NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE WORLD HASN'T CHANGED MUCH.

IT'S STILL A TERRIFYING PLACE, CRYING OUT FOR HOPE.

SURROUNDED BY SO MUCH NEED,

JUST THE THOUGHT OF TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE CAN SEEM OVERWHELMING.

HOW DO WE BEGIN?

DO WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT US.

GOD DESIRES TO SHOW HIMSELF STRONG ON OUR BEHALF, AND SPEAK THROUGH US.

IT IS A PRIVILEGE FOR HIM TO WANT TO USE US,

AND TO BE USED BY GOD, TO BE SPENT BY GOD,

FOR OUR VERY LIFE BREATH TO BE FOR HIS PLEASURE, WOW!

THAT'S... I MEAN, THAT'S EXCITING. IT'S....

IT JUST GIVES ME CHILLS TO THINK ABOUT IT.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU CAN DO, IT'S WHAT HE CAN DO FOR YOU,

AND THROUGH YOU, MANIFEST HIMSELF.

IT MAY BE IN THE SIMPLEST ACT.

IT MAY BE IN THE SIMPLEST KINDNESS SHOWN.

YOU KNOW, "CHRIST HAS NO HANDS BUT OUR HANDS TO DO HIS WORK TODAY.

"HE HAS NO FEET BUT MY FEET TO LEAD MEN IN THE WAY.

"HE HAS NO TONGUE BUT MY TONGUE TO TELL MEN HOW HE DIED.

"HE HAS NO HELP BUT MY HELP TO LEAD THEM TO HIS SIDE."

A VERY FAMOUS TRUTH THAT'S BEEN EXPRESSED SO BEAUTIFULLY,

BUT HE IS LIVING HIS LIFE, HE WILL LIVE YOUR LIFE THROUGH YOU.

"IT'S NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME,"

AND IF YOU JUST TRUST HIM DAY BY DAY AND THEN YOU GET...

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU'RE HOME,

PRAY BACK THROUGH THE DAY AND THANK THE LORD FOR WHAT'S HAPPENED THAT DAY,

AND YOU'LL FIND SOME UNBELIEVABLE THINGS.

MAYBE IT WAS HELPING SOMEBODY ACROSS THE STREET,