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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 27, 2009
“Build on a Layer of Sacrifice”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.
Last week I dropped by the Medart Assembly of God. Right there in the tiny community of Medart, Florida they are building a sanctuary to seat 500 people.
Yes, at a time in the economy when many churches are shrinking back, the Medart Assembly is moving forward.
Have you ever been part of a church building program? If so, you know there is one word you hear a lot: sacrifice.
In one campaign I was a part of we used this phrase, “Not equal giving, but equal sacrifice.”
No, everyone can’t give the same amount, but everyone can sacrifice to the same degree.
If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.
That’s the way our country was built. The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew about sacrifice. The end of the Declaration says, “…we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
They were willing to sacrifice their fortunes and even their very lives. Why? Because that’s what it took to build this great nation.
That’s how a great marriage is built. On your wedding day you make great vows and pledges. “For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; until death do us part.”
That is a great layer of sacrifice, and on that layer you can build a great marriage.
Have you ever started your own business? That requires a great amount of sacrifice.
Do you think you are going to start a great business without a layer of sacrifice?
Well I guess that is human nature. We want things handed to us. We want great things to happen without the sacrifice.
But that’s just not the way things work. If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.
Do you want to build a healthy body? Then you must have a layer of sacrifice. You have to sacrifice certain foods. You have to sacrifice to exercise.
Do you want to be smarter? Then you must sacrifice time and money and energy to learn.
Do you want to grow spiritually? Then there is a layer of sacrifice that includes prayer and fasting and Bible study and obedience.
Recently I started playing some tennis, something I haven’t really done since high school. And I can tell you right now that I’m not going to grow much in my tennis skills.
Why not? Because I have no plans to lay down a layer of sacrifice. I’m not going to get lessons. I’m not going to hire a coach. I’m not even going to play very much.
With no layer of sacrifice, I’ll build nothing great.
Think of the early church. Yes, they spread the Gospel and changed the world. But it was built on a layer of sacrifice. Many of them sacrificed their lives. They sacrificed positions in society and reputations. Some sacrificed family relationships. They sacrificed many worldly opportunities for the greater cause of Christ.
Have you ever met a physician? That is a position no one reaches without building on a layer of sacrifice.
Recently I saw together in one orchestra both Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma. Now sometimes we think guys like that were just born great.
Yes, I’m sure they are gifted, but look at the grueling hours of training and practice. Both were taught at the Juilliard School, and that is no playground.
They both built great musical legacies, and they built them on a layer of sacrifice.
The Bible is full of examples of people who did great things, and built them on a layer of sacrifice.
So what great thing do you want to do? Do you want to start a business? Build a church? Raise a family? Do you want to be a doctor? An athlete? A musician?
If so, don’t think someone is going to just come along and hand you these things. That’s not the way it works.
This is how it works.
If you want to build something great, you have to build on a layer of sacrifice.
So prepare yourself and be ready to do it. For every great thing you want to do, be ready to lay down a great layer of sacrifice.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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