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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for January 7, 2010
“Moving Right Along”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
The first time I met Tim I cleared a wide path.
He was coming into the weight room as I was leaving. He had long hair, huge arms, and even though he was shorter than me he was twice as wide.
And he carried the biggest gym bag. When a guy carries a massive gym bag into the weight room, it’s best to just get out of the way.
He was older, and I think he was wearing a Rambo-like head band. I was thinking, “Viet Nam vet, burning off his hostilities in the weight room, getting bigger and meaner every day.”
Now I didn’t know him. That was just my stereotype.
But he did look big and mean and I just thought, “Nothing good can come from an encounter with that guy,” so I steered clear.
What I should have done was witness to him, or at least befriend him, but, sadly and pathetically, I did not.
But someone did, and Tim became a Christian. And he ended up coming to our church, and to my Sunday school class.
God had truly saved Tim and done a wonderful work in his life. He loved the Lord and had a real passion for Bible study.
And as a Bible teacher, I loved having someone like Tim in my class, someone hungry for the Word.
When I teach, I like to get people talking. I usually build discussion questions right into the lesson. I think people tend to remember more when they actually take part in the learning.
But there are hazards when you open the floor for discussion. You never know what people are going to say, or how long they are going to say it. Sometimes they just wander off into Never Never Land, chasing rabbits and listening to themselves talk while everyone else is looking at their watches and wondering why the teacher won’t do something about it.
Well, it’s a tricky spot for a teacher. After all, you opened it up for discussion. It’s a Bible study and you want everyone there. You don’t want to offend people, so how do you rein in the compulsive rambler?
Well that’s where Tim would step in. Tim saved the class many times in situations like that, and he was able to do it without offending people. And he did it with one simple phrase.
He would simply say, “Moving right along...”
And he would hold onto the “oo” sound for just a second. “Mooving right along…”
He would say it, everyone would look at him, and he would look at me. And suddenly the class was back in my control.
I can’t count how many times Tim saved the day with his trademark phrase.
And now listen to this. I often use that phrase in my own thinking. See, sometimes your thinking can get in a rut. Maybe you get stuck thinking about the past, or thinking about things you have no control over. Or how about this – thinking about conversations you are never going to have.
It’s like your mind gets stuck in a loop, an infinite rut that leads nowhere. Some people just marinate in the past. They sit there, soaking in the negative feelings.
Well this may sound simplistic, but sometimes you just need to say yourself, “Moving right along…”
One of my all time favorite verses is Philippians 3:13. Paul said, “…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...” He said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Forgetting what is behind and pressing on toward what is ahead. That is a sound scriptural principle, and it fits nicely in the little phrase, “Moving right along…”
A great Bible example of this is found in Genesis 45. Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, but now he was a powerful man in Egypt. His brothers came asking for food, and Joseph had his chance for revenge. What did he do? Did he dwell on the past and dredge up those old sins? No he didn’t. Instead, he welcomed them with open arms. As for the past, it was forgiven and forgotten. It was as if Joseph said, “Moving right along.”
Maybe there is a sin in your past that you just can’t get over. Yes, you’ve repented, and God has forgiven you, and yet it’s still there, chewing up part of you. You think about it and all the negativity floods back.
Well the next time that old, forgiven sin tries to sneak up in your thinking, just tell yourself this, “Moving right along.” Then, like Paul, forget what is in the past and press on toward what is ahead, toward the calling God has on your life.
“But Doug, my spouse cheated on me, and I just can’t get over it. They repented, but I think I’m going to divorce them anyway. I do have biblical grounds.”
Well here is something a woman recently said. She said, “You may have biblical grounds for divorce, but you most certainly have biblical grounds for forgiveness.”
A spouse’s infidelity can haunt your mind, even drive you crazy. But the Bible tells us to forget what is in the past. Yes, we learn lessons from it. Yes, we can share those lessons with others. But the time comes when we must forget about it and press on.
And I hope this little phrase from Tim will help you do just that.
So when those old past thoughts and feelings come creeping up on you, try using these three little words.
Moving right along…
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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