Category Archives: Devotional

A youth devotion is an opportunity to plumb the depths of a deeper spiritual life by using a story, illustration, or real life experience to illustrate a Bible principle and entice the reader to apply it in a very personal way.

Devotional

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Bringing Home the Gold

August 5, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

The Dream of a Lifetime

Canoe racing was added to the Olympics at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

At that time, ocean going ships were the primary means of travel between the United States and France. Athletes couldn’t hop on a jet and be there in a matter of hours like they do today. This presented a dilemma for one member of the United States four man canoe team who were expected to win the gold medal.

Bill Havens’ wife was expecting, and if he made the long journey there was a good chance he wouldn’t make it back in time for the birth of his first child. While his wife insisted he should compete, he struggled with the decision. If he stayed, it would mean setting aside his life long dream he had spent years working towards. If he went, his wife would give birth without him at her side.

His eventually decided to withdraw from the Olympics and stay behind with his wife because he considered being with her more important than pursuing his life-long dream in the Olympics.

The United States four man team won the gold in canoe racing without him. And Bill’s wife gave birth so late, that had he left and competed in the Olympics he could have still returned home without missing the birth of his son. While the world saw it as a missed opportunity, Bill Havens had no regrets. His commitment to someone he loved dearly was more important to him than a Gold medal around his neck.

But this story doesn’t end there…

28 years later, in 1952, Bill Havens received a cablegram from Frank, the son he stayed behind to seen born. The cablegram was Helsinki, Finland, the venue for the 1952 Olympic Games:

“Dad, I won. I’m bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born.”

Frank Havens won the gold medal for the United States in the canoe-racing event. He won the Gold medal that his father had sacrificed 28 years earlier to be with his mother while he was born.

As Christians, we also make a commitment to someone we love that is more important to us than anything the world could offer. And at the end of this race called life, we also will receive a reward we have dreamed of getting, but did not earn. This reward was not earned by our son, as was the case of Bill Havens, but by the Son of God. And he does not bring it home to us, but brings us home to receive it in Heaven.

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

Take It to the Next Level

What dilemma’s do Christians face as they live out their commitment to Christ, to the one they love? What struggles do you face? What struggles have you face?
Bill Havens sacrificed the Gold, and never expected that his son would one day receive it. As Christians we know that our sacrifices here on earth will be honored in heaven. Do we live for the rewards or do we live the way we do because of our commitment to the one we love? What’s the difference?
How does knowing that God will honor our sacrifices, give us strength to make the difficult choices in life?
What is a commitment you need to make out of your love for Christ this week, knowing that God will honor that commitment?
How can you make that commitment a reality?

Go for the Gold
Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

What is salvation all about? What does it mean to be saved? This sports themed Bible Study / Camp Curriculum uses the Olympic Flag to introduce the concepts of sin (black circle), forgiveness (red circle), purity (white background), spiritual growth (green circle), heaven (Yellow Circle) and (Baptism) blue circle.
-> Tell me about “Go for the Gold”

Destined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

The race as a metaphor for the Christian life is used in several places in the Bible. This series is a great follow up for new Christians or to re-emphasize the basics of our spiritual Journey in the Faith. This Bible Study / Camp Curriculum has a sports theme and is great for athletes as well as a tie in to the youth Olympic Games.
->Tell me about “Destined to Win”

Devotional

Run with Perseverance

August 4, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Hebrews 12:1

There is no better feeling in the world than the joy of winning a race you were never expected to win!

Just ask Jenny Spangler. She won the women’s marathon at the U.S. Olympic Trials in February 1996, earning the right to compete at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

At the time of the trials, Spangler was qualifier number 61, which meant that 60 runners had entered the race with faster times than hers. No one had ever heard of her – and no one thought she could maintain a winning pace when she passed the leaders at the 16-mile mark.

Spangler had few successes to her credit. She had set an American junior record in the marathon during college, but then she left the sports scene after a stress fracture dashed her hopes in the Olympic Trials of 1984. Abandoning the sport after she ran poorly in 1988, she returned to school and earned a master’s degree in business administration. She ran only two marathons between 1988 and 1996.

At the marathon trials, she was such an unknown that the second and third place finishers asked each other, “Who is she?” after she took the lead and held on to it.

The favorites in February’s race expected Spangler to fade, but she never did. Somewhere inside herself, she found the courage and stamina to finish strong. Not only did she make the Olympic team, but she took home first prize – $45,000.

Does the day ahead of you look as grueling as a marathon? Keep Jenny Spangler in mind as you jog through your various commitments and responsibilities. Believe you can get the job done. Run the race God has marked out before you. Keep moving!

You can end each day with the satisfaction of knowing you are that much closer to the goal!

This devotion is from “Breakfast with God.”

Go for the Gold
Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

Destined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

Devotional

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Blade Runner

August 1, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

The Olympic Games celebrates the athlete at their best. It is the pinnacle of human sporting achievement and you’re likely to see every Olympian striving to give their most perfect performances, many after years of challenging training. But today, our focus shifts to one particular athlete that has caught our attention. One that isn’t quite so picture perfect. We want to introduce you to…

The Blade Runner

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, also known as the “Blade Runner,” was born in 1986 in Johannesburg.

Oscar is like most runners competing in the 2012 London Olympic games. There’s only one difference. He has no legs. Born with a congenital absence of the calf bone in both legs, he had to have them amputated between the ankle and knee at the age of 11 months.

Ironically, this record breaking Paralympian’s only obstacle is the controversy he faces over his prosthetic limbs, as some critics have claimed gives him an advantage over able-bodied athletes.

In 2007 the International Association of Athletics Federations conducted research on Oscar’s prosthetic legs and found that it gave him certain advantages against able-bodied athletes. They claimed his prosthetics were lighter and had more “spring” than normal legs. Although he won the appeal, he did not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, he performed exceptionally well at the 2008 Summer Paralympics: he won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 400m events, completing the 400m race in a world-record time of 47.49 seconds.

In 2012, he will be competing in the 400-m and the 4 x 400m relay events, being the first double amputee runner at the Olympic games. In response to being admitted to the Olympic team, Oscar said, “Today is truly on of the proudest days of my life. To have been selected to represent Team South Africa at the London 2012 Olympic Games… is a real honor and I am pleased that years of hard work, determination and sacrifice have all come together.”

Oscar’s story of determination and perseverance in spite of his condition inspires us. He wasn’t born perfect, he had his struggles, but he chose not to dwell on the things he could not do, but kept his focus on that he could accomplish.

We have all been called to some great purpose. And there are times we may feel our past experiences, our failures, our lack of spiritual maturity, our lack of talent or skill “disqualify” us from partnering with God to fulfill that purpose. We feel “handicapped” and inadequate; that our weaknesses far outweigh our strengths.

Take It to the Next Level

Paul was a spiritual giant in his own right. He was an apostle, much of the New Testament are his inspired writings. He had performed numerous miracles in the name of Jesus, he had led thousands to God. But he had a “thorn in his flesh”. The Bible never explains to us exactly what it is in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, but it’s often implied to be a physical weakness. He asked God to remove it. Not once, but three times. God responded to him, pretty much the same way He refers to our own weaknesses, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Just like Oscar whose disability strangely perceived to give him advantages over other able-bodied runners, God’s power is perfected in us, not “in spite of,” but “because of” our weaknesses. Paul’s response? “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” We COULD ask God to remove our weaknesses. Why not? He has the power to do it doesn’t He?

The funny thing is, if God really did that, what’s going to stop us from depending on our own abilities, on our own strength? What’s going to stop us in boasting about what WE have accomplished?

“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we haveright thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh startcomes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.” 1 Cor 26:31 (MSG)

So, let’s not go around tooting our own horns. Let’s not hide behind our weaknesses any longer. Let us trumpet out loud that all we have comes from God. The weak, the insecure, the inadequate, we are everything God made us to be. Victorious in our weaknesses, triumphant because of His grace working through us that comes through our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Don’t feel like you’re worthless before God – you actually are! BUT our worth doesn’t come from what you’ve done, what you do, or what you will accomplish. Your worth comes because the creator of the universe chose YOU. Chose to die for YOU. Chose to work through YOU as His instrument on this earth. Chose YOU to be His heir and spend eternity with. That’s exactly how much YOU are worth.

“We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Rom 8:37b (NIV)

Scriptures Verses for Youth Bible Study

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

1 Cor 26:31 (MSG)
“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we haveright thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh startcomes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”

Romans 8:35, 37-39 (NIV)
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Questions for Youth Discussion

[Teacher’s Note: We often learn more about a person’s true character through their weaknesses rather than their strengths. The power that youth would like to have often reveals an area where they are feeling weak.]
Who is your favorite superhero? Why? What is that superhero’s weakness? Why is it that every superhero has a weakness? If you could have one supernatural power, what would it be? Why?

Why is it that God allows weakness in our lives?
Who’s your favorite Athlete? Why?
As a society we are more likely to look up to weakness than strength. Why?
What are some of the things that our society defines as a strength? As a weakness?
In what ways have you seen a weakness become a strength?
Why are youth more likely to boast of strengths rather than weaknesses?
How does Paul’s view of power and weakness differ from that of the world?
What are some of the weaknesses that youth have to deal with?
What understanding, or insights have you learned from your own experiences regarding weaknesses and struggles?
How have you seen God work in your own life during times of weakness?
How have you seen God work through you in times of weakness?
In what experiences have you seen God turn a weakness into a strength?

Application to the Lives of Youth

In what areas of your life are you more likely to rely on your strength rather than God’s strength?
What weaknesses, struggles, or constraints in your life might God be able to use?
What is an area where you will commit to trust God this week, even though you might feel weak or inadequate in that area? What step of faith will you take in spite of your perceived weakness?

Go for the Gold
Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

Destined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

Devotional

Florence Chadwick

June 27, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

This coming 4th of July, we want to remember Florence Chadwick and celebrate her determination some 60 years before. It wasn’t the day of her greatest triumph, it wasn’t her most glorious moment. It was the time of her greatest defeat. It was also the time she decided never to give up ever again. As we celebrate Independence Day, let us also remember our independence from a life of sin and to never lose sight of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Focused on the Goal

Her goal was the California coastline a 34 km swim from Catalina Island. It was no more distant than the width of the English Channel, a goal she had already conquered as the first woman to swim it from both directions. Although she was a seasoned long-distance swimmer with incredible stamina, she trained arduously to prepare herself to achieve her goal.

July 4th, 1952
Millions watched on national television, as 34 year old Florence Chadwick began her swim. The water was icy cold; the fog so thick she could hardly see the support boats alongside her. As the hours passed, she was repeatedly stung by jellyfish. Sharks had to be driven away with rifles. Yet she pressed on, determined to achieve her goal.

15 hours later
Numbed with the cold, she was ready to give up. Her mother and her trainer were in a boat at her side. “Florence. You are almost there. Don’t give up now.” Encouraged by her mother’s admonition, she continued to swim.

Failure
Fifteen hours and fifty minutes after she began her swim, the support team reluctantly agreed to pull Florence from the water. Several hours later, after she warmed up, she realized she had given up only a few hundred meters from her goal! If she had continued just a little while longer, the waves would have carried her to the beach. “If I could have just seen the land for myself, I would have made it!”. She told reporters it was not the sharks, the fatigue, or even the cold water that defeated her. She had been defeated by the fog alone. It had obscured her goal and blinded her reason, her eyes and her heart.

Never give in to defeat.
1952 was the only time Florence Chadwick ever quit. Two months later she swam that same channel. The water was still ice cold and still inhabited with sharks. Once again fog obscured her view. But this time she pressed on, BELIEVING that somewhere beyond that fog, her goal would be reached. Not only was she the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, but she beat the men’s record by two hours!

Take It to the Next Level

Lessons to be learnt

The Journey
In every race there are stages. In the beginning there is anticipation, excitement, eagerness to get started. Adrenaline and energy are high. Then there is the routine. A pace is set. Things proceed as expected. Practiced experience, skill, and training prevail. Then there is the struggle, the time when you hit the proverbial wall, when there is the urge to quit and only discipline and tenacity carry you through. Finally there is the finish. The moment when the goal is within your sight and grasp, that last rush, that knowing that the end is near if you just press on a little bit more. And ultimately, there is the joy, the satisfaction that comes when you have completed that which you set out to do. The same is true of our spiritual lives. The Christian life is a journey. We’ve each been called to a journey “And let us run with endurance the race that God has SET BEFORE US” (Hebrews 12:1) And what do you do when you’ve lost your direction, when the journey is confusing? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2)

Training
Training is essential to success. Training is not a single event, completed and done. Training is not something done once-in-a-while, when time allows. And training certainly isn’t something that is only done when you feel like it. Talk to any successful athlete in any sport and they will tell you of their discipline of training to reach “a goal”. Goals are a key aspect of training. Training always has a goal, an objective in mind. And depending on that goal, your training will be different. Swimmer, runners, and various athletes train differently. Each needs a different set of muscles, a different set of skills. Consistent training builds the muscles, the stamina, the skills to reach the goal ahead. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8; See also 1 Corinthians 9:24-27) And what do we do when our discipline is lacking? When the training has been neglected? When we simply don’t feel like it? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”

Purpose
We each have a goal. Even Christ had a goal set before him and a journey to get there. That purpose for us is to bring glory to God. It is to do what he created us to do. We are each here for a reason. We each have a place in God’s divine scheme of things. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16) What do we do when we have lost our purpose? Or never found it in the first place? When we are clueless and lost? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”

Endurance
Endurance comes only when you’re willing to press on through the routine, the struggles, the urge to give up, and the pain knowing that at the end there will be joy. It’s a choice to not merely start, but to finish. It is something that is developed by constantly pushing your limits. “Run in such a way to get the prize I train my body and make it my slave” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) What do we do when we it seems that we simply cannot go on? When our strength is failing? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”

Focus
It’s not enough to know that life is a journey toward a goal, to fulfill a purpose. It’s easy to get distracted, to give up, to lose the will to move ahead. We must look to Jesus, hear His words of encouragement, and follow in his footsteps. The likelihood of failure is great when we lose sight of Jesus. When the risks, the dangers, the people around us cloud our view, what do we do? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”

Failure
All of us find ourselves in situations in life where we seem to be in over our heads, when we’re being tested or tried beyond our capabilities, where we’re overwhelmed, where we don’t think we can do it, when we feel like we can’t go on. Whether it’s a relationship, a course in school, a job, a health issue, overcoming a fear, or recovering from a mistake/ failure, God is there with you in your situation. We all go through times when things seem beyond our ability to cope, when we have been doing the best that we can, but it just doesn’t seem like it will be good enough and we are afraid of drowning. There’s solid ground ahead. The Rock of Ages will be there for you to stand upon. Failure is not the end. It’s an opportunity to begin again with greater clarity, with more experience, with renewed determination to finish the course. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6b NAS) How do we go on? Where do we find the endurance to stay on the course set before us? “Keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

Witnesses
We are not alone. Crowds of winners, of finishers, have gone on before us and showed us the way. (Hebrews 12:1) There are people alongside, with you to support you now. There will be others to follow behind you. Press on for all of them. Don’t let them down. Set the pace for others to follow so that you can say as Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1) Most importantly, press on for Christ. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) How can we be a testimony to those around us? “Keeping your eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

Applying it to life

What is God’s purpose for your life? What is your goal? How can you find it?
Where are you in your Christian journey?
To what purpose are you training? What training do you need? How will you get it?
Have you lost sight of your goal?
Have you failed, been distracted, given up?
How can you start again, resting in Christ’s grace, and depending on his guidance and strength?
How can you stay focused on God’s calling for your life?
Find someone who has gone before you to be a guide. Find someone to press on alongside you, to be accountability partners in your journey. Reach out to someone you can guide, that you can encourage and support in their own journey of faith.

Scripture Reference
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” – Hebrews 12:2

Go for the Gold
Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

Destined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

Devotional

What Makes an Olympic Champion?

May 23, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

You may never have heard of Kieran Behan before. In fact, if you don’t follow gymnastics, you probably wouldn’t know he won a few medals in gymnastics last year. You may not even think his performance was all that special in the field of competitive sports. Yet, what is truly remarkable about Kieran isn’t his achievements – it’s the story behind the man and the size of his dream.

The Dreams of a Youth

While other boys his age dreamed of soccer and playing in the big leagues, Kieran dreamed of gymnastics. Strange dream for someone coming from Ireland to have. After all, it’s not exactly known for the sport. But that never stopped him from dreaming.

He Never Stopped Dreaming

At 10, a tumour was discovered in his left thigh. What was to be a routine surgery took a disastrous turn for the worst when the operation messed up big time. He woke screaming in excruciating pain from the catastrophic nerve damage he suffered. To this day, he still experiences limited feeling in one foot. He was wheelchair-bound for 15 months. And he recounts, “The doctors said ‘you’ll never walk again’ and I had to see a psychiatrist who said you have to accept the worst. But that just drove me on; I wanted to prove them wrong. They were saying it was over but I wasn’t having it.” He never stopped dreaming. He made tremendous progress in his physiotherapy and before long was back in the gym.

Who knew, tragedy would strike twice. Within a few months, he slipped from the high bar and smashed his head, suffering severe damage to the part of his brain that controls balance. The slightest wrong movement would make him pass out. For the second time in his childhood, Kieran was back in a wheelchair, this time not just having to learn how to walk again but how to eat and make the simplest movements.

Again, the doctors said ‘it’s the end’; again, he went back to the gym. Only this time, just to spend hour upon hour trying to retrain his brain doing simple exercises like throwing a ball against a wall and catching the rebound. Some days, he could not even manage that.

He was out of school for a year and when he finally returned with a walking stick, he was ridiculed and taunted mercilessly. In spite of it all, he persisted. Through the hard work and determination, it took him three whole years to again become the athlete he was before the accident. All that time, he never stopped dreaming.

But that’s not all. In the relentless pursuit of his dream, he suffered a broken arm, a fractured wrist, and a torn ligament in one knee. And two years ago, just after he qualified to make his debut professionally at the European Championships, the ligament in his other knee snapped. “It was the nearest I ever came to quitting,” Kieran admits. “Sheer despair really but I’d been through a lot worse and knew that, whatever happened, I could always come back.” And he did. He never stopped dreaming and now represents Ireland as its first Olympic gymnast for 16 years.

The challenges didn’t just begin and end with the physical as if that wasn’t bad enough. He received no funding for his training. He worked at his father’s building site or cleaned the gym where he trained in the mornings and then flipped and jumped in that same gym in the afternoon. Thankfully, he wasn’t all alone in this. His parents and community rallied to raise the £12,000 a year he needed. Car washes, cake sales, collection jars; you name it, he and his friends organized it. A few months ago, he finally said goodbye to the times he had to carry a jar full of coins to the bank hoping there would be enough to cover the airfare to an overseas competition.

His father fondly recalls his son’s tenacity, “Through all this, he’s been the one who’s had the determination, belief and heart. We’ve all just been swept along on his wave. He’s guided us all the way. We believed every day because he believed, because he told us everything would be all right.”

And he’s still got that Olympic dream on his mind.

Take It to the Next Level

Nothing is impossible to Him who believes. God has an amazing calling and destiny for every one of us. Are there dreams we have given up on because they seemed too hard? Too out of reach? Surrounded by insurmountable circumstances? The problem isn’t that our dream is too big, too audacious. Joseph had a big dream himself and the road that took him to that dream was full of obstacles. Sold as a slave by his own brothers, framed for an indiscretion he didn’t commit, left to rot in jail. Yet in all those dark moments, he clung to his dream and the God that birthed it in him. He believed, just like Kieran did. And it was God that met Joseph’s belief and faith with His power.

But God goes one giant step further. He not only loves us, but also believes in us. He cheers us on when we’re at our weakest and most broken. He gives us the supernatural ability to believe in Him and the dreams He gives us. It is through Him, we can do what the world says is impossible. And that’s why we testify of His goodness and faithfulness, giving Him the glory for all He’s able to do. If Kieran’s earthly parents loved him so much that they would support him in his dream no matter what, how much more will God, our heavenly Father do for us?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21)

Go for the Gold
Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

Destined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

Devotional

Lin’s God We Trust

February 25, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

Description

Jeremy Lin became an inspiration to many youth and adults when he took the New York Knicks to several impressive victories after previously sitting on the bench for most of his career. When sidelined and with him now in the spotlight, he has in both instances professed his praise and dependance on God, through the good and bad, the failures and successes – testifying that it is God who works all things for the good of those who love Him.

Illustration

He’s been called “the most surprising story in the NBA”, appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated with the headline “Against All Odds” and the New York Times called, “the greatest tribute”, mentioned by Hall of Fame players, featured in Time Magazine and Forbes, which wrote, “Congratulations Jeremy. You have now made the cover of Time the same number of times as Michael Jordan. Linsanity reigns on.”You probably wouldn’t have thought much of him if you saw him down the street before his meteoric rise to fame. Don’t feel bad, you’re not alone. He’s been mistaken for a water boy, a team trainer, stereotypical Asian volleyball player, and perhaps much worse. At games he would hear jeers thrown at him such as “Wonton soup”, “Sweet and sour pork”, “Open your eyes!”, “Go back to China”, “Orchestra is on the other side of campus”, or in fake Chinese gibberish. Lin later says this occurred at most if not all Ivy League gyms. He does not react to it, “I expect it, I’m used to it, it is what it is.”

His coach in the Knicks didn’t take notice of him at first either. No one knows why, but he remained stuck on the bench and crashing on friends’ couches, with not much hope of it getting any better. After injuries to teammates, though, Lin was placed into the starting lineup. The Knicks promptly won six straight games, one of which ended in true edge-of-your-seat fashion; with Lin nailing the winning 3-point shot right on the buzzer.

Six straight wins later, he scored 89, 109, and 136 points in his first three, four, and five career starts, respectively, all three of which are the most by any player since 1976-77. Lin was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals in those four starts with the Knicks going undefeated. NBCNewYork.com noted that “no one… in the history of basketball has done in their first four starts what Lin pulled off for the Knicks last week.”

Despite achieving the near Linpossible, he credits his parents with teaching him to play “godly basketball,” which measures success by sportsmanship, not stats. That means putting teammates first and showing respect to opponents and referees. He thanked God for the opportunities he was given and speaking about his successes, he says “I’ve surrendered that to God. I’m not in a battle with what everybody else thinks anymore.”

Has success changed him? Well, his former Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart stated, “I knew [Lin] before he was Linmania. He’s still the same humble guy. The guy has not changed a bit, which is real special for a young man.”

Lin has spoken of his dependence and faith in God that helped to help carry him through the highs and lows of his sports career, “I’m just thankful to God for everything,” Lin said in a post-game interview. “Like the Bible says, ‘God works in all things for the good of those who love him.'”

Take It to the Next Level

How do you feel about the way Jeremy Lin has been public about his faith?
As a youth, do you sometimes feel like you have to hide your faith from your friends?
How often do we attribute our successes to God?
When all we see are failures and disappointments, how do we respond to God?
How can youth remain humble through their successes?

Application

It’s easy to blame God when we’re stuck in a rut and experience failure, disappointment, or just feeling sidelined in our lives. It’s easy to pray, to cry out to God to save us. But when we finally do experience a breakthrough, it’s just as easy to forget the One who brought us through.We’re not all that different from the Israelites: They called out to God, He delivered them from slavery, and once they were free, He provided for them, saw to their every need, and blessed them with a land to call their own. Sadly, they didn’t heed Moses’ warning to remember their God who gave them all these good things in the first place. Once they were prosperous, they grew proud and thought they were the ones responsible for their success. (Deut. 8:2-18).

I hope that Jeremy Lin is an inspiration to all of us, youth and adults, to live lives that are consistent in our praise and dependance on God, through the good and bad, the failures and successes – testifying that it is God who works all things for the good of those who love Him. The same God of Israel – the One that we read about in the Bible – is the same awesome and powerful God that does the Linpossible. And He’s the same God that we worship. Our God.

Destined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

Our “Destined to Win” series is a great follow up for youth who are new Christians or to emphasize the basics of our spiritual Journey in the Faith. This Bible Study / Camp Curriculum / Small Group Study has a sports theme and is great for athletes and works well as a tie in to what’s going on in the NBA and the current Linsanity.
->Tell me about “Destined to Win”

Devotional

The Heel Grabber

August 7, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Scripture: Jacob – Genesis 32

As a youth, you probably remember the story of Jacob’s ladder many times.

Jacob was sneaky. Deceitful. Conniving. Crafty. Dishonest. Selfish. His name means “Heel Grabber.” He came out of the womb wanting that which did not belong to him, holding onto his brother Esau’s heel.

Esau was rough and tough. An outdoorsman. A hunter. The “woodsy” type. His name meant “Red” and “Hairy.” Genesis 25:25 – “His whole body was like a hairy garment.” Sexy, Huh? The guy was a human “Orangutan.”

So you had “Big Red”, Esau the Ape Man and in contrast, Jacob was a spoiled smooth-skinned “mamma’s boy” who ran around hanging onto mom’s coat tails all the time. He was a “wimp.” I’ll bet he was a “tattle-tale” too! I can just hear him: “Mom, Esau hit me!” “Mom, Esau snuck some candy out of the pantry before dinner.” “Mom, Esau called me a dirty name.” “Mom, Esau shot the neighbor’s cat with his bow and arrow.”

One day, Jacob deceived his blind father (with his mother’s help). They covered his smooth body with goatskins so he felt (and “smelt”) like his hairy brother and he stole Esau’s birthright and blessing. Made “Big Red” so mad that he vowed to kill Jacob as soon as his father died. Jacob had to run for his life and the momma’s boy never saw his mother again.

But later he would wrestle with God and walk away not only with his name changed to Israel, but also his character changed. The heel grabber grabbed for God instead.

From a Sermon by Wayde Wilson

What changes have taken place in your own life through an encounter with God?
In what ways has your character changed since you became a Christian?
What things are still being worked on by God in your life?

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Devotional

Kampung Living?

August 5, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

A Typical Kampung House

During the early days of Singapore, the headman of a “kampung” (a small cluster of houses akin to a small village) lived in a nice house with his children. He and his family were happy, with many nearby neighbors who were true “friends.”

One day, as the headman sat on his front porch, a stranger arrived at the kampung from the jungle. The traveler was looking for a new place to live, so he asked the headman, “What kind of neighbors do you have?” The headman answered with a question of his own: “What kind of neighbors did you have at the last place you lived? “They were cranky, unfriendly, and cantankerous,” the traveler replied. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll find the same kind of neighbors here,” the headman told the traveler. So the man moved on, looking for a better place to live. The next day another man stopped at the headman’s home. That traveler also was looking for a place to live. He too asked about the residents in the kampung. The headman asked him the same question, “What kind of neighbors did you have at the last place you lived?” “My neighbors were the nicest and friendliest neighbors in the world,” the traveler replied. “Well, you’ll find the same kind of neighbors here, too,” the headman said.

So the second traveler decided to stay, and he found great neighbors. The first traveler settled a day’s journey away, and rumor has it that eventually he became involved in a feud with his neighbors. The headman knew that if the first traveler became his neighbor, trouble was likely because the traveler had a history of problems with neighbors. On the other hand, he knew that the second traveler was more likely to be a good neighbor since he had a history of positive relationships. Events proved him right.

What was the difference? The difference was in the two travelers. One was neighborly, and one was not.

A Chinese proverb says, “Do not remove a fly from your friend’s forehead with a hatchet.” The saying points out that we can say and do things in ways that harm our relationships with others. And, when people react to us in a negative manner, we blame them. But the problem originated with us. We are commanded “To love your neighbor as yourself” We each have a personal responsibility for establishing and maintaining healthy relationships.

Which traveler reflects you in the story?

A letter from your Church.

I am your church. Make of me what you will. I shall reflect you as clearly as a mirror. If outwardly my appearance is pleasing and inviting, it is because you have made me so. If you find my spiritual atmosphere to be kindly yet earnest, reverent yet friendly, worshipful yet sincere, sympathetic yet strong, divine yet humanly expressed, it is but the manifestation of the spirits of those who constitute my membership. But if you should by chance find me a bit cold and dull, I beg of you not to condemn me, for I show forth the only kind of life I shall receive from you. I have no life or spirit apart from you. Of this may you always be assured: I will respond instantly to your every wish, practically expressed, for I am the reflected image of your own soul. Make of me what you will.

Food for thought

What are some of the characteristics of the ideal church? The ideal Youth Group?
What is the current environment or atmosphere of our church?
In what practical ways can a person make our church, one of care and concern? The youth group?
What are you personally doing to make this happen?
Through which activities/ programs can you show this care and concern?
In what ways do you need to change in order to make your church one that cares?

Scripture
Read through the 7 churches at the beginning of the book of Revelation.

What were some of the characteristics, affirmations, and criticisms of those churches?
Which church is most like ours?
What are some things we can learn to make our church one of which Christ would be pleased?

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Devotional

A Hole in your Sock?

July 24, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

We are all too familiar with getting a hole in a sock. It’s common to children, youth, and even adults. It’s part of the journey of life along with the missing sock that gets sucked into the black hole of the washing machine, leaving behind an unwanted orphaned sock, forever abandoned. At least we can mend the hole in a sock and look forward to another cozy day together. But what do we do when we get a hole in our spirit?

Have a Hole in your Sock?

Often the first hole in a sock appears at the big toe. It’s an annoying trait of socks that holes eventually appear — usually at the most unfortunate or embarrassing times. Visit a friend and remove your shoes to enter his/her house and somehow your toe seems to know that now is a great time to break free. Whether at school gym class, or after a hard day at work, our socks get worn and soon a hole appears. We are then reminded that it is time to buy a new pair or a whole package of socks.

Have a Hole in your Spirit?

But what happens to you when you get a hole worn in your spirit? Do you go out and purchase a new spirit? Can you mend it with your sewing kit? Whatever you do, the holes continue to appear.

Often we look at external forces that are causing our spirit to get worn down when, perhaps, it might be more beneficial to look at how your own spirit might be causing the holes.

Take a hearty look at your “spiritual feet.” Take some time to wiggle your toes in the sand of God’s love and Christ’s salvation. Make sure that what you stand on will support you and not wear you down.

How does a spirit get worn down?

Many parts of our lives drain us when they could be filling us up. For a youth what could be called the prime of life can often be tumultuous as studies, relationships, and the struggles of growing up often wear at our spirit. Serving in a position in the church could be uplifting when sometimes it is not. Participating in athletics can help both spirit and body. But often the requirements for sports consume a large portion of a youth’s time. For adults, work could be edifying when often it is tedious, hectic work. Parenting, household chores, and taking care of the family can be wearing on both body and spirit. Both youth and adults go to bed, knowing that they have to wake up the next morning just to do it all over again.

Every time you make a commitment, some of your free time is going to vanish. And if you wear many hats, you will end up simply trying to get by.

Find Focus to reduce the Wear

Stop this madness. It’s time to sit down and set your focus. Our focus will determine our priorities and the manner in which we accomplish those things which are necessary. Often it is not the bad things that wear holes in our soul, but doing too many good things instead of focusing on the best. We need to recognize that some things we do have greater significance than others.

Are there any activities you could do without? What activities are using a lot of time and are not very productive in fulfilling God’s will for your life? These activities are wearing holes in your spiritual socks.

You can replace your spiritual socks by regaining focus. You can repair them by losing what is simply time consuming. Remember to walk closely with God. God will make sure that your spiritual socks are always in good repair.

Our walk with God is commonly known as discipleship. Unfortunately some of us have allowed our ourselves to become spiritually worn out and sidelined.

What things have you allowed to wear you down spiritually that you need to remove from your life?
What holes have been left in your soul that need to be mended?
What can be done to help you regain your spiritual focus?
How can you return to your Christian walk, to discipleship in your life?
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Romans 12: 1-2 for more ideas on mending the holes in your soul.

Look to the cross to mend your soul

Maybe the best place to look in mending the holes in your spirit is to the cross. At the cross Jesus became very well acquainted with holes:

A crown of thorns was placed upon his head, the sharp thorns puncturing holes in his scalp and brow.
There were holes in his hands and feet where the soldiers nailed him to the cross.
A hole in his side spewed blood and water when the soldier speared him.

But it was the hole in his heart that was the biggest – a heartbroken by the sin of you and me. It was the reason he came to us, to mend the hole created by sin. Jesus died on that cross to mend our soul and spirit wounded by sin, but that wasn’t the last hole. You see, there was one more hole that Christ faced that would change everything.

They took his body down from the cross and it was placed in a borrowed hole, a tomb, by Joseph of Arimathea. Three days later Jesus left the hole and was alive. And with the conquering of the grave he proved that there was no hole too big, too deep, too painful, too dark, too impossible to overcome, that God cannot heal.

So look to the cross. Look to Jesus, for the mending of your soul. Look to him for His priorities for your life. Not only will you find healing, but also renewal. You’ll be able to move from a life of holes and a worn out spirit to a holy life filled with his joy and strength for each new day.

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Devotional

Need a change of perspective?

July 19, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

A change of planes in LA, a stopover in Japan, and the tourist arrived in Singapore, like thousands before him. The flight was smooth, but the next part of the journey was a bit of a shock. “Marina Sands” the tourist requested. The taxi driver, accelerated into traffic, driving on a different side of the road behind a steering wheel positioned on a different side of the car. It seemed that drivers enjoyed honking horns incessantly and careening around corners. To the big visitor, jammed into a small back seat, the ride seemed chaotic and dangerous. A couple of times he felt he was going to die in a head-on collision.

To his relief, the wild ride brought him safely to the Marina Sands. Easing out of the cab on wobbly legs, he paid the driver and headed inside Singapore’s world famous resort. He endured a long elevator ride before reaching the top and the observation deck high above the city. Dazzled by the expansive view from the deck, he paused to take in the view. He looked straight down to the city streets from which he had just come. To his amazement he saw order and design where, only a few minutes before, he had feared for his life. Dozens of yellow and blue taxis moved together, stopping at red lights and going at green ones. What once seemed very threatening now seemed very small and insignificant. He could hear no horns at all. It all looked so safe.

To travel to any destination is an adventure. We choose a final destination and appropriate modes of travel in order to reach it. Our goal may be east, but at times we may need to travel north, south, or even west to get there. Yet in the end we arrive someplace East of the starting point. There will always be changes, stopovers, and transitions. Immersed in the traffic jam of life you have one view. But looking down from above you have another. What seemed chaos a few moments before suddenly makes sense.

The same is also true of life. As Christians we are also on a journey. As the church we are on a mission. At times the journey may not make sense. But when we see things from God’s perspective everything will fall into place.

The story of Job illustrates this point. Job lost his possessions, most of his family, and his health. Job’s wife confronted him and said, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job strongly rebuked his wife, and affirmed his faith in God. Job was later blessed with twice as much as he had before. Our perspective is very much a reflection of how near we are to God. Job lost everything, but rather than complaining, cursing or losing his temper, Job bowed down and humbly worshiped God. To the apostle Paul, John Mark was a liability, a man who could not be counted on, and thus a man who should not be taken along on a missionary journey. To Barnabas, whose gift was encouragement, Mark was an opportunity and a challenge. Whatever happens in life, look at things from God’s perspective and everything else will fall into place.

Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

Whether you are a youth or an adult, the various areas of your life are greatly affected by your perspective:

How you see yourself?
How you see your circumstances?
How you see God?
How you see the church?
How do you see the future?
How you see others?

How might your views change if you were to try seeing these areas from God’s perspective?

~Ken

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