A young man kid named Billy who was in 8th grade. He was incredibly intelligent. He was in a math class whom the teacher was a coach as well. The teacher was a little rough. Billy come up to the front and solve this problem. As he walked up to the chalk board, he solved it in his mind on his way up. So he writes the math equation turns around and sits back in his seat. The teacher said, “Billy, that is wrong” He knew it was correct so he said, “No that’s right.” The teacher said, “Yes it’s right but you have to show your work.” He talked back to the teacher and said, “It doesn’t matter because I got it right.” Now, he should not have talked back to the teacher. It made the teacher so mad that he told little Billy, “Hornsby you’ll never amount to anything.” After that day, he checked out. He continued to go to school but he was checked out.
At the age of 15 he would sneak out of the house to make money and playing music in the bars. He ended up dropping out of school. At 17 years of age he has child. In his early 20s he now has 3 girls, doesn’t know God, He was living a life that is going downhill fast.
He decided to get a job, so he went to an Exxon to fill in an application to see if he can get some kind of job there. As he is filling out the exam, he felt that he was not doing well because he didn’t really pay attention in school. After he hands them his test he says, ‘Don’t even bother calling me, I know I didn’t do well.” They call him back the next day and say, “Mr. Hornsby, we need you to come in and talk to you about this exam.” He said, “Don’t disappoint me in the office, just tell me know I didn’t get the job.” “Sir if you don’t mind, we would like you to come on in to Exxon.” They said. He replied, “ok.” When he got to their office they told him, “Sir, we’ve never had any score any higher on this test than you.” The examiner said, “You know, if you put your mind to it, you’ll really amount to something one day!” This sentence was almost the opposite of what the teacher had told him years ago.
Later that year he would give his life to Jesus. Billy Hornsby would end up planting churches all over Europe, he founded an organization called the Arc which has planted 900 churches across America! I think he has amounted to something today.
Pastor Chris Hodges once shared this incredible story at the Bethany Conference. To me when I think about this story, I see how it relates to how we see ourselves. Do we see ourselves the way the world does, or do we see ourselves the way God does? You see God doesn’t just see you where you are, He see you were you can be. God sees your potential. I’m believing that with God by your side, you will amount to something!