Keynote for Heart of Saginaw

The Sacrifice is Worth It!

Acts 20:17–24 TPT

However, from Miletus Paul had sent a message to the elders of the church in Ephesus and asked them to come meet with him. When they arrived, he said to them, “All of you know how I’ve lived and conducted myself while I was with you. From the first day I set foot in western Turkey I’ve operated in God’s miracle power with great humility and served you with many tears. I’ve endured numerous ordeals because of the plots of the Jews. You know how I’ve taught you in public meetings and in your homes, and that I’ve not held anything back from you that would help you grow. I urged both Jews and non-Jews to turn from sin to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus. And now I am being compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, without really knowing what will happen to me there. Yet I know that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town, saying, ‘Chains and afflictions are prepared for you.’ “But whether I live or die is not important, for I don’t esteem my life as indispensable. It’s more important for me to fulfill my destiny and to finish the ministry my Lord Jesus has assigned to me, which is to faithfully preach the wonderful news of God’s grace.

God’s Call to All

Luke 9:23 NKJV

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Denying ourselves is about us loving someone more than ourselves.

Our Greatest Challenge is keeping ourselves focused on His purpose.

For that to happen , we have to personalize His Purpose

Parachute Factory during World War II

So many sacrificed time, energy, and resources to help me in my relationship with Christ.

-Uncle and Aunt

-Sunday School teachers

September 11

412 Emergency workers died that day.

-343 Firefighters/ 227 more from related illness

-10 EMT

-23 Police officers/ 241 total from related illness

Only 23 people were rescued at the Twin Towers

Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching.  As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”