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Press play to listen to
"Because He Lives"
The
Willing
Heart
Here
is
a
true
story
about
a
nine
year
old
boy
who
lived
in
a
rural
town
in
Tennessee.
His
house
was
in
a
poor
area
of
the
community.
A
church
there
had
a
bus
ministry
that
came
knocking
on
his
door
one
Saturday
afternoon.
The
kid
came
to
answer
the
door
and
greeted
the
bus
pastor.
The
bus
pastor
asked
if
his
parents
were
home
and
the
small
boy
told
him
that
his
parents
take
off
every
weekend
and
leave
him
at
home
to
take
care
of
his
little
brother.
The
bus
pastor
couldn't
believe
what
the
kid
said
and
asked
him
to
repeat
it.
The
youngster
gave
the
same
answer
and
the
bus
pastor
asked
to
come
in
and
talk
with
him.
They
went
into
the
living
room
and
sat
down
on
an
old
couch
with
the
foam
and
springs
exposed.
The
bus
pastor
asked
the
kid,
"Where
do
you
go
to
church?"
The
young
boy
surprised
the
visitor
by
replying,
"I've
never
been
to
church
in
my
whole
life."
The
bus
pastor
thought
to
himself
about
the
fact
that
his
church
was
less
than
three
miles
from
the
child's
house.
"Are
you
sure
you
have
never
been
to
church?"
he
asked
again.
"I
sure
haven't,"
came
his
answer.
Then
the
bus
pastor
said,
"Well,
son,
more
important
than
going
to
church,
have
you
ever
heard
the
greatest
love
story
ever
told?"
and
then
he
proceeded
to
share
the
Gospel
with
this
little
nine
year
old
boy.
The
young
lad's
heart
began
to
be
tenderized
and
at
the
end
of
the
bus
pastor's
story
the
bus
pastor
asked
if
the
boy
wanted
to
receive
this
free
gift
from
God.
The
youngster
exclaimed,
"You
betcha!"
The
kid
and
the
bus
pastor
got
on
their
knees
and
the
lad
invited
Jesus
into
his
little
heart
and
received
the
free
gift
of
salvation.
They
both
stood
up
and
the
bus
pastor
asked
if
he
could
pick
the
kid
up
for
church
the
next
morning.
"Sure,"
the
nine
old
replied.
The
bus
pastor
got
to
the
house
early
the
next
morning
and
found
the
lights
off.
He
let
himself
in
and
snaked
his
way
through
the
house
and
found
the
little
boy
asleep
in
his
bed.
He
woke
up
the
little
boy
and
his
brother
and
helped
get
them
dressed.
They
got
on
the
bus
and
ate
a
doughnut
for
breakfast
on
their
way
to
church.
Keep
in
mind
that
this
boy
had
never
been
to
church
before.
The
church
was
a
real
big
one.
The
little
kid
just
sat
there,
clueless
of
what
was
going
on.
A
few
minutes
into
the
service
these
tall
unhappy
guys
walked
down
to
the
front
and
picked
up
some
wooden
plates.
One
of
the
men
prayed
and
the
kid
with
utter
fascination
watched
them
walk
up
and
down
the
aisles.
He
still
didn't
know
what
was
going
on.
All
of
a
sudden
like
a
bolt
of
lightning
it
hit
the
kid
what
was
taking
place.
These
people
must
be
giving
money
to
Jesus.
He
then
reflected
on
the
free
gift
of
life
he
had
received
just
twenty-four
hours
earlier.
He
immediately
searched
his
pockets,
front
and
back,
and
couldn't
find
a
thing
to
give
Jesus.
By
this
time
the
offering
plate
was
being
passed
down
his
aisle
and
with
a
broken
heart
he
just
grabbed
the
plate
and
held
on
to
it.
He
finally
let
go
and
watched
it
pass
on
down
the
aisle.
He
turned
around
to
see
it
passed
down
the
aisle
behind
him.
And
then
his
eyes
remained
glued
on
the
plate
as
it
was
passed
back
and
forth,
back
and
forth
all
the
way
to
the
rear
of
the
sanctuary.
Then
he
had
an
idea.
This
little
nine
year
old
boy,
in
front
of
God
and
everybody,
got
up
out
of
his
seat.
He
walked
about
eight
rows
back,
grabbed
the
usher
by
the
coat
and
asked
to
hold
the
plate
one
more
time.
Then
he
did
the
most
astounding
thing
I
have
ever
heard
of.
He
took
the
plate,
set
it
on
the
carpeted
church
floor
and
stepped
into
the
center
of
it.
As
he
stood
there,
he
lifted
his
little
head
up
and
said,
"Jesus,
I
don't
have
anything
to
give
you
today,
but
just
me.
I
give
you
me!"
Do
you
have
a
willing
heart...willing
enough
to
give
Jesus
EVERYTHING...
anywhere,
anytime,
any
place...your
whole
self?
Author
Unknown
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