22 Aug, 2006

A Perfect Student

Imagine getting perfect scores on both the SAT and ACT tests!

Wichita youngster aces the SAT and ACT

A teenager who may someday call Notre Dame's campus home has pulled off a very rare academic feat.

Jakub Voboril aced the SAT, and he got a perfect score on the ACT.

Jakub Voboril lives in Wichita, Kansas.

Last month he learned he was one of only two people in the whole state to ace the ACT. A few weeks later, the news got better. He found out he got a perfect 2400 on the SAT.

Jakub says there's no secret formula, “I think that the most important thing that I did was just get used to the type of questions that they ask by doing the SAT question of the day off the SAT website and taking lots of practice tests and just getting in the frame of mind for the type of things that they'll ask on the test."

Good study habits run in Jakub's family, both of his sisters were their high school's valedictorians.

photo & story courtesy wndu.com/news, 8/18/06

Philippians 3:9-14

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

What does today's God's Story teach us about being perfect?

Paul says that we will never be perfect until we are in Heaven. The amazing truth about God's grace is that when we receive Christ's forgiveness, God views us as perfect!

Paul's goal was to know Christ more and more. He was driven to be like Jesus and to become all that Christ wanted him to be. His eyes were on the prize - perfect like Christ - in the presence of God forever.

Is this your goal? Are you focused on becoming like Christ?

The Kansas kid who got perfect scores on the SAT and ACT tests has a mind that blows my mind! Makes you wonder if he ever got anything wrong during pre-school coloring through his senior year?

No matter how little wrong or how much right we do in this test of earthly living, we can't meet God's test requirement to get into Heaven.

Thankfully, Jesus already aced it for us by dying for our sins and rising from the dead so that we will experience perfection some day!

How can we connect today's God's Story to our lives?

  • Thank God that He sees you through the blood given by His Son on the cross for you. Ask His Spirit to help you understand His perfecting work in your life. Claim His power to focus on the privilege you have of abiding in Christ every day.
  • Memorize Philippians 3:12 or post it where you will see it every day.
  • Take a few minutes to identify anything in your life that is harmful or distracting to your spiritual growth. Keep these issues on your prayer list every day until you experience the changes needed in the goal of becoming more like Jesus.
  • Look for 3 examples of perfection this week. This will remind you to be grateful for Christ's perfecting work in your life.

How can you connect today's story, God's Story and your story to others?

  • Pray every day for the reality of Jesus in your life to be evident to others.
  • Especially with school starting up again and tests becoming the norm, use today's story about the perfect ACT and SAT scores as a conversation starter to learn the stories of others as you share how Jesus is changing your story.
  • Be very quick and genuine to admit your lack of perfection to others. Remember, followers of Jesus are far from perfect, but completely forgiven!
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God's Story is brought to you by Youth for Christ. YFC works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been with YFC for over 30 years and has served as Campus Life Staff, in leadership for DCLA, and as an author and speaker. Byron is available for speaking at youth or adult events and conferences. For booking, write to byron@3Story.org.

Byron and his wife Linda live in Minnesota and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, a grandaughter, and a daughter in college. He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.