Keith
Almost forty years ago, a man named Keith sat with me on a curb in Bakersfield, California and explained the grace of God to me. I took Christ at His word, believed in Him, and received Him as my Savior.
Just last Saturday, Judy and I reconnected with another couple from those Jesus Movement years in Bakersfield. Like Judy and me, Keith had touched their lives for Christ.
Since then, Judy and I have raised a Christian family and pastored three churches. God has privileged us with opportunity to equip many saints who have had worldwide impact for the Lord Jesus. The scope of our friends’ service for the Lord Jesus is enormous. Millions have been introduced to the grace of God through their ministry.
But it all started with Keith, the high school coach who found Jesus and decided to dedicate His life to telling others about Him.
Keith is in his eighties now, but he hasn’t slowed down. The last time I saw him he was excited about his recent mission trip to Africa, his ministry in his local church, the opportunities God was giving him through the Gideons, and his volunteer service every summer at a Christian Camp—as their gardener!
News in Heaven!
You may have never heard about Keith Osborn until now. He never made the nightly news on earth, but he’s been making news in heaven for forty years.
In this day when Christians are flocking to seminars and devouring books trying to find self-worth, Keith’s life reminds us of our deeper need as Christians: Life-worth!
It really doesn’t matter if you’re a corporate lawyer or a stay-at-home mom, a high school teacher or a fireman, a church deacon or a mega-church pastor, your life-worth increases every time you tell someone about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love” (Acts 20:24, New Living Translation).
