The Parable of the Bicycle Part 2 - WWTS DAILY - EP 30

What if grace works a lot like buying a bicycle?

In this powerful Walking With the Savior Daily episode, John Kirkman shares Stephen Robinson's beloved Parable of the Bicycle, a story that beautifully illustrates the relationship between our efforts and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. A little girl works tirelessly to save enough money for the bicycle of her dreams, only to discover that she could never afford it on her own. That's when her father lovingly says, "You pay what you can, and I'll pay the rest."

Through this unforgettable parable, John explores a life-changing truth: the gospel was never about earning God's love or proving our worthiness through flawless performance. Instead, it's about partnering with Jesus Christ, who makes up the difference where our efforts fall short. Our prayers, repentance, obedience, and sincere striving matter—not because they purchase salvation, but because they help transform us as we walk with Him.

John also highlights a beautiful insight from the video version of the story: the father is helping the child the entire time. Just like the Savior, who never leaves us alone to figure things out. He strengthens us, provides for us, teaches us, and walks beside us every step of the way. If you've ever felt spiritually inadequate or wondered if you're doing enough, this episode is a powerful reminder that grace isn't the reward for the journey—it's the companion that walks with you through it.

Parable of the Bicycle Video:
https://youtu.be/Icun4cBuRVc?si=fRcJjqg8EtMEiAbg

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Transcript

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In the previous episode of Parable of the Bicycle, it reminded me of another Parable of the Bicycle. This is John Merrill Kirkman with Walkin' with the Savior Podcast Daily episode. There's a story shared by Stephen Robinson that has helped thousands of people better understand grace, effort, and the love of Jesus Christ. It goes something like this. Now, before we get going, get ready for a wild ride. Training wheels are optional. Imagine a little girl who wants to bicycle more than anything in the world. She sees it in the store window every time she walks by with her father. It's beautiful, shiny, perfect. The kind of bike that prackly begs you to ring the little bell and zoom around like a superhero on snack patrol. But it costs far more than she has. Still, she decides she's going to do everything she can to earn it. So she starts saving pennies in a piggy bank, coins in a couch cushions, and maybe even a few sneaky raids on her family's spare change jar, don't tell Dad. She does chores, she cleans, she works hard, she gathers pennies, nickels, and dollar bills, plus one mysterious Canadian coin that somehow snuck in. Week after week she saves every cent she can. Finally, one day she comes to her father with a jar full of money and says, Dad, I'm ready. I want to buy that bicycle. Together they count. And of course, it's nowhere enough. Not even close. Like you'd need a million lemonade stands, not enough. Not even close. The little girl's face fails. She realizes that despite all her efforts, she could never afford a bike on her own. And then her father smiles. The kind of smile that says, I got a surprise up my sleeve, or maybe in my wallet. He says, You pay what you can and I'll pay the rest. I love this story because it teaches something powerful about Jesus Christ. Sometimes we misunderstand the gospel. We think the Savior stands at the finish line with crossed arms, waiting to see whether we can become perfect all by ourselves. But that's not the message of Christ. The message of Christ is that he helps us become what we could never become alone. Now notice something important in the story. The father didn't say you need to try harder. He didn't say your effort means nothing. He didn't say you don't need to try. A little girl's contribution mattered deeply. It changed her. It taught her sacrifice, discipline, gratitude, and desire. But her effort was never supposed to replace her father's help. And in the same way, our obedience, repentance, and striving matter. We pray, we try, we grow, we keep commandments, we get back up after mistakes. But salvation was never meant to be a solo project. We're not trying to earn heaven. That's why we need Jesus Christ. Sometimes people quietly carry the exhausting belief that they are never good enough for God. They think if I could just do more, if I could just finally become perfect on my own, maybe then God would love me. For Christ's love is not something we purchase, it's something we receive. The Savior already knew we couldn't pay the full price ourselves, that's why he came. Through his atonement, Jesus pays what we cannot pay. He makes weak people stronger. He forgives sinners. He heals broken hearts. He gives hope to discouraged disciples trying their best. And I think one of the most beautiful parts of the bicycle story is imagining the Father's joy. Picture him doing a happy dance, maybe even a moonwalk in the living room. He's not frustrated by the little girl's small contribution. He treasures it. And the same way, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are not waiting for flawless performance before they care about us. They rejoice in sincere effort. Every prayer matters. Every act of repentance matters. Every attempt to walk with Christ matters. Even when our offering feels small. So if you're discouraged lately, if you feel spiritually inadequate, remember the bicycle. Yes, God asks us to give our hearts, our effort, and our willingness. But the miracle of the gospel is this Jesus Christ makes all the difference. Always, always, always. P.S. Now I'm going to put a link in the show notes, and this link in the show notes is to a video that is about five minutes on that shows the story of this parable. And if you watch the story in the video, you will see that as the child goes to work, the father is constantly there helping her. She decides to mow the lawn. Well, while mowing the lawn, the father's there pushing the lawn most of the time. She sets up a lemonade stand. Well, where'd she get the lemonade? From her parents. Where'd she get the stand and all the things necessary for a lemonade stand from her parents? She washes the dog to earn some money. Who pays her for that m her parents. And what I learned by watching the video version is sometimes we think we have to do all these things alone. And the Savior isn't asking us to do them all alone, he's asking us to do them with him. And when we do those things with him, it changes us. We start to feel his power, we start to feel his love. We just need to be aware that he's there the whole time, and he's not leaving us all alone to see if we can earn his love. We already have that. So act from a place of love, trusting. His grace makes up for our failures and our mistakes. But out of love, we keep moving forward. Thanks for checking out Walking with the Savior Podcast daily. Be sure to check out my full-length episodes where I interview guests on their walk with the savior. These shorter daily episodes are designed for a quick boost of spiritual adrenaline to help you on your daily walk with the savior. If you like the show, be sure to leave us a like, a rating, a review, a comment, maybe a share with a friend. We'd really appreciate that. We'll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your walk with the savior today. And remember, you're awesome. Your future is bright when you walk with Christ.