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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 9, 2009
“The National Bible Bee”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
The grand prize winner took home $100,000.
No, I’m not talking about a lottery winner or a race winner. I’m talking about the winner of the National Bible Bee, which wrapped up Friday in Washington, D.C.
In all, over a quarter million dollars in prize money was handed out by the Shelby Kennedy Foundation.
No, that isn’t your average little Bible quizzing contest!
Why are they giving away so much money?
Well the goal is to motivate kids to learn the Word of God. Then, once inside them, the Word will go to work, building godly character.
What is the Shelby Kennedy Foundation?
It’s a nonprofit ministry named after a young woman who died when she was 23 after an intense struggle with cancer – but to the end she loved memorizing the Bible. In her honor, the foundation was formed with the purpose of producing the National Bible Bee.
Maybe you’ve never heard of the National Bible Bee, which is understandable, since this was the first year. However, they still had over 17 thousand contestants from 49 states, and 300 made it to last week’s finals in Washington.
And the grand prize winner? It was Daniel Staddon of Salem, West Virginia.
Now you might think, “Well, Daniel Staddon, he’s probably some genius Einstein kid with Harvard parents and nothing to do but sit around and memorize the Bible. That’s great for him. But me? No way. Why even try?”
Well listen to what Daniel said in an interview after he won. He said, “If I can win, anybody can win. I’m just one of those people hidden in the hills of West Virginia who thought, ‘Well, it’s a chance, it’s a possibility!’”
Before the National Bible Bee came around, Daniel’s parents had encouraged him to memorize scripture, but just a few verses a week, he said – nothing compared to what he did to prepare for the contest.
And now listen to what Daniel said. Before the contest he had just memorized a few scriptures. To prepare for the contest he started memorizing tons of scripture, and what did he say? Listen to this.
“I didn’t know this was possible.”
Did you get that? Before, he didn’t know it was possible, but now he has done it. What a great example for all of us!
Some people give up things before they even start. They look at it, declare it to be impossible, and proceed to do nothing extraordinary.
I’m so glad Daniel Staddon was not one of those people. And that goes for those other 300 finalists. Maybe they didn’t bring home the top prize, but I bet they, too, ended up learning a ton more scripture than they thought possible.
But now they know they can do it. They pushed themselves and they’ve seen the possibilities.
When we think about possibilities, here are some scriptures to keep in mind.
In Matthew 19:26 Jesus said, “…with God all things are possible.”
In Mark 9:23 Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
In Mark 14:36 Jesus said, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for You.”
And don’t forget Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Believe me, you can do things that right now don’t seem possible. You can push past your current boundaries. The mountain may look mighty high, but you can climb it!
And now let me appeal to the young people. Seriously consider signing up for next year’s National Bible Bee. There are three separate categories for kids seven through eighteen years old, and you can find all the information online at www.biblebee.org.
Parents, encourage your children to participate. And you might consider organizing a local Bible Bee for the preliminary round. Again, you’ll find all the information on their website, BibleBee.org.
Do something extraordinary! And do something that will change these kids forever as they plant the Word of God deep in their hearts and minds.
Get involved with the National Bible Bee.
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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1 comment:
Great article, Doug! That is quite an inspiration. I'm Daniel's brother and I can verify that everything you said is very true. With God, all things are possible!
By the way, when Daniel first decided to enter the Bible Bee back in April, he wrote this powerful article on how much more valuable wisdom is than money: http://staddonfamily.com/2009/04/14/100000-really/ I love his conclusion: "Studying God’s Word and getting to know Him on a deeper personal level will yield a lifetime of rewards and benefits far more valuable and precious than any amount of money!" Amen!
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