The great racehorse Native Dancer won every race he ever entered except one. That was a race on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, KY, called the Kentucky Derby! The one his owners wanted most to win is the one he lost. Many people succeed in almost everything except the one thing in which they wish the most to succeed. Like King David, who succeeded in everything except parenting.

-Michael Shannon, Preaching January/February 2004


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The
great racehorse Native Dancer won every race he ever entered except one. That
was a race on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, KY, called the Kentucky
Derby! The one his owners wanted most to win is the one he lost. Many people
succeed in almost everything except the one thing in which they wish the most
to succeed. Like King David, who succeeded in everything except parenting.

_______________
J.
Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati,
OH.


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Some Christians
are so afraid of failure that they become reserved, overly cautious, and uninvolved
in life. They follow a policy of guarded living, holding back time, talents,
and treasure from God’s service. Their motto is: To keep from failing – don’t
try! On the other hand, those who are willing to make mistakes and risk failure
are the ones who ultimately achieve great things. Instead of being filled with
fear, they go forward in faith. Problems are challenges. While they may not
all be solved, these courageous people would rather live with that reality than
have a clean record of no failures and no accomplishments. Benjamin Franklin
said one time, “The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never
makes the biggest mistake of all – doing nothing.”

_____________________

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