Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
Donuts and 300 Pushups
Have you ever witnessed a classroom lesson so powerful it left students in tears? Today's episode of Starting Right shares a remarkable story that will transform how you understand sacrifice and grace.
Danny Mac tells "The Parable of the Donuts," where a religion professor orchestrates an unforgettable demonstration. Steve, a freshman football player, agrees to perform push-ups so his classmates can enjoy donuts. As each student receives their treat, Steve must complete ten push-ups—regardless of whether students want the donut or not.
This powerful illustration challenges us to recognize the tremendous gift we've been offered and the foolishness of leaving such a precious gift unclaimed. As the professor wisely notes, "Not all sermons are preached in words." Some spiritual truths can only be truly understood through experience rather than explanation.
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Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mac and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right Now. Before I begin, I need to warn you that normally, our podcasts run between five and six minutes in length. Today is almost double that. So I ask for your patience and your understanding, and I ask that you stick with it. Listen to the very end and I know that you will be blessed. We all know that one of Jesus' favorite ways of teaching was in parables. Well, I have a parable for you this morning. It's called the Parable of the Donuts.
Speaker 1:See, there was a professor of religion named Dr Christensen who taught the required survey course in Christianity at a small college in the western US. Every student was required to take his course, regardless of what their major might be, and, despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously. Well, this year he decided to try something different. In his class was a student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well-liked, he was a big, strong guy. He was the starting center on the school football team and was the best student in the professor's class on the school football team and was the best student in the professor's class. One day Dr Christensen overheard Steve saying that he did 200 push-ups every day. Dr Christensen asked him do you think you could do 300? Steve replied I don't know. I've never done 300 at a time. Well, can you do 300 in sets of 10, said the professor, I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of 10. For, said the professor, I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of 10 for this to work. Steve said yeah, well, I think I can. Yeah, I can do that. Dr Christensen said good, I need you to do this on Friday. Here let me tell you what I have in mind.
Speaker 1:When the class started on Friday, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. These were the big, fancy kind, the kind with cream centers and frosty swirls, and everyone in the class was pretty excited because it was Friday. This was the last class of the day and they were going to start the weekend early with a party. In Dr Christensen's class the professor went to the first girl in the first row and said Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts? Cynthia said yes. Dr Christensen then turned to Steve and said Steve, would you do 10 push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut? Sure, steve jumped down from his desk and did a quick 10. Dr Christensen put a donut on Cynthia's desk. The professor then went to Joe, the next person, and asked Joe, do you want a donut? And Joe said yes. The professor asked Steve one more time will you do 10 push-ups so Joe can have a donut? And Steve did 10 push-ups and Joe got a donut. And so it went down the first aisle.
Speaker 1:Steve did 10 push-ups for every person before they got their donut, and on down the second aisle until Dr Christensen came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team and he was as physically fit as Steve, and when the professor asked Scott, do you want a donut? Scott replied I can do my own push-ups. No, said the professor, steve has to do them. Scott said well then, I don't want one. The professor shrugged, turned to Steve and said Steve, would you do 10 push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want? Steve started to do the 10 push-ups and Scott yelled hey. I said I didn't want one. And Dr Christensen said look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it. And he put a donut in Scott's desk.
Speaker 1:By this time Steve had begun to slow down. He just stayed on the floor and rested between sets and he was noticeably sweating as Dr Christensen started on the third row. Seeing the strain on Steve, some of the students were now beginning to get a little angry. Dr Christensen asked Jenny, jenny, do you want a donut? Jenny said no, steve, would you do 10 more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want? Steve did 10, and Jenny got a donut.
Speaker 1:By now this sense of unease was growing in the room. The students were beginning to say no and there were a lot of uneaten donuts on desks. As Steve paid for each one with push-ups, there began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath Steve's face. His arms and his brow were getting red because of the physical effort involved. The professor went on to the next person and the next and the next, and near the end of that row Steve was really having a tough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set and a few moments later Jason, a recent transfer student, was about to come into the room when all the students yelled out no, don't come in, stay out. Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said no, let him come. The professor said you realize that if Jason comes in, you have to do 10 push-ups for him. Steve said yes, let him come in, give him a donut. So Dr Christensen said okay, steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut? Jason knew the room, hardly knew what was going on. Yes, he said give me a donut. Steve, will you do 10 push-ups so that Jason can have a donut? Steve did 10 push-ups, very slowly and with great effort. Jason, kind of bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Speaker 1:Dr Christensen finished the fourth row and Steve was sweating profusely, struggling with each push-up in obvious agony. The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders. Dr Christensen went to Linda, the second to last and asked Linda, do you want a donut? Linda said very sadly, no, thank you. The professor quietly asked Steve, would you do 10 push-ups so that Linda can have a donut? She doesn't want Grunting from the effort.
Speaker 1:Steve did 10 very slow push-ups for Linda. Then the professor turned to the last girl Susan, do you want a donut? Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. Dr Christensen, why can't I help him?
Speaker 1:Dr Christensen, with tears of his own, said no, steve has to do it alone. I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has the opportunity for a donut, whether they want it or not. You see, when I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at the grades and the work done and Steve was the only one who had completed his assignments and done the work. I talked to Steve and he told me that when a player messes up in football practice he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes, steve, would you do 10 push-ups so Susan can have a donut?
Speaker 1:As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done over 300 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor. The professor turned to the room and said and so it was. With our Savior Jesus Christ on the cross, he pled to the Father Into thy hands. I commend my spirit With the understanding that he had done everything that was required of him. He yielded up his life and, like some of those in this room, many of us leave his gift on the desk uneaten. Two students helped Steve up off the floor. He was physically exhausted but wearing a thin smile. Well done, good and faithful servants, said the professor.
Speaker 1:Not all sermons are preached in words. Turning to his class, the professor said my wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for us all, now and forever. Whether or not you chose to accept his gift to us, the price has been paid. Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it laying on the desk? Have a great day, my friends. We'll talk again. Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac.
