IRVING – The Rev. Billy Graham likes to say that when he starts preaching, he receives strength that can come only from God.
On a cool Thursday evening, before about 37,000 people at Texas Stadium, the strength he speaks of was easy to see. Although helped to the lectern by his son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, the 83-year-old evangelist stood on his own for about 35 minutes delivering his message. He held on to the lectern for a few minutes but mostly used his hands to make his points.
And his points were the same as they've been throughout his ministry, which has spanned about 60 years: God has the answer to all the turmoil in the world, God is love, and salvation comes through Jesus Christ.
"God had a son, and he sent him to rescue us, to save us," he said. "I remember one time, I was walking with one of my sons. We stepped on an anthill and some of the ants were dying and some were wounded. ... And I said, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could go down there and help those ants and tell them that we didn't mean to do that.'
"And my son said: 'Dad, we can't. We're too big. They're too little.' And I said, 'That's exactly what God was.' God became man."
Mr. Graham has known every president since Dwight Eisenhower, and on Thursday, one of them welcomed the evangelist back to Texas for his first mission in 31 years.
Former President George Bush, who met Mr. Graham through his father, Prescott Bush, introduced his longtime friend.
"A lot of wonderful things happen to you when you become a former president," Mr. Bush said after a standing ovation. "And for me, today is one of the nicest, indeed one of the best honors to have this opportunity to speak with each of you about a genuine American hero."
He called Mr. Graham the "personal pastor to America's first family for as long as I can remember."
He said his family respects, cherishes and loves Mr. Graham. And he said his son, President Bush, shares those feelings.
Mr. Bush also made a point of saying that his son would seek a peaceful resolution to the situation in Iraq before going to war.
People came from all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area to hear Mr. Graham launch the four-day mission. Traffic kept many of them outside Texas Stadium until just before he spoke.
Security also slowed people down as they were checked with metal detectors and their bags were examined.
About 80 yards from the stage, Ruby Kendrick sat in one of the many seats on the field for the elderly and disabled. The 60-year-old Fort Worth woman said she had waited more than 30 years to see Mr. Graham, so she wasn't about to be late. She and her companions arrived about 4:45 p.m. and were perfectly happy to wait.
"His faith, his trust, his belief have never been questioned," Mrs. Kendrick said. "Here he is at 80 still trying to make people see this wonderful thing he found as a teenager. And that's just through God's power."
Mr. Graham, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and other ailments, spoke for about 35 minutes, as expected. He then gave his trademark invitation.
He asked people to make a public commitment or recommitment to Christ.
"You may be confirmed or baptized, but you're not sure," he said. "You want to be sure. You might be a Sunday school teacher, even. You say, 'Well, Billy, it's so far down.' I know it will take two or three minutes, but we're going to wait. Right now, we're going to wait. You come from up there in the top ... you come."
He told people that God will wipe the slate clean.
"You can start over, right here, tonight," he said.
After his speech, thousands made their way down, filling about 80 yards of the field.
"I saw on TV that Billy Graham was coming, and I decided I needed to come out and see if I could make a change in my life," said Warren Haskins, 32, of Lewisville. "I've been doing a lot of things lately ... and I just felt like I needed to make a change. I feel good."
Betsy Hightower of Henderson, Texas, said she has lung cancer and doesn't feel as if she's getting better.
"So I decided to come here," she said. "I never smoked or nothing. But I decided I'd ask ... [God] to heal me if it's his will."
Mr. Graham tried to make sure people understood what their decisions meant.
"Tonight you've come, not to Billy Graham, you've come to Christ," he said.