Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Blind Focus – Im Dong-Hyun

August 8, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

The athletic feats of the Olympics continue to astound us. The excellent displays of speed, strength, agility, and determination continue to inspire us. But there are few who are as amazing and inspirational as the less-than-perfect Olympians. We thought we’ve seen it all. A leg-less runner pretty much topped the list. Until we heard of a blind archer. Read on…

Blind Focus

On 27 July 2012 at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London a new world record score of 699 in archery was set. World records are broken all the time at the Olympics. But what makes this world record unique is that it was set by someone who is legally blind – Im Dong-Hyun from South Korea.

He has only 10 percent of normal vision in his left eye and slightly more at 20 percent in his right which makes him legally blind. In competition, he refuses to wear corrective lenses while shooting, because they make him uncomfortable. Instead he relies on his muscle memory and a slight difference in color in his blurred vision. At 70 meters, he sees only a blurred yellow blob, but says he has grown used to seeing the target that way. Dong-Hyun describes what he sees as being similar to different colored paints being dropped in water. The colors are not very distinct and the boundaries between them are blurred.

In spite of his less than perfect vision, he more than proved his ability to hit his target. Dong-Hyun’s sight may be impaired, but his vision is crystal clear – to win the gold at the Olympics.

Take it to the Next Level

The great men of faith in the Bible didn’t have perfect vision either; far from it. They were blinded and misled by lust, fear, greed, pride and jealousy. They were murderers, thieves, liars, adulterers, vengeful and power-hungry. They were pretty much as bad as the next person. Interestingly, the word “Sin” is actually a term from archery. When it says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” it means to “miss the mark,” to miss the target. Like these great men of faith, we were given one shot and we all missed by a mile.

We fell short of God’s plan for our lives, we missed the target, we sinned. But can draw inspiration from Dong-Hyun who overcame his physical imperfection to win his prize. He was blind but he didn’t let his condition control his destiny. Though it certainly took courage and perseverance, what I believe are two keys to his success are:
1. Focus – He doesn’t focus on his limitations, but on his target.
2. Reliance – he relies on the feel of the bow, a steady hand, and past experience.

Focus

Like Dong-Hyun, we can choose to overcome our spiritual imperfection. As Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14, to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. If we want to lay hold of all that God as in store for us, we need to shift our focus away from our sinful “disability” and focus on God’s supernatural ability.

But what made these men of faith great, what set them apart from the rest was their focus on God. Their sights were set on Him. Like them we must keep focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith and act, trusting that God will guide us to His intended target for our lives.

Reliance

In our attempt to live godly lives, we often depend on our own strength. We tend to rationalize, depend on conventional wisdom, try it on our own for a while and when everything falls apart, God becomes our “Plan B”. Dong-Hyun could have used corrective lenses. That would have been the logical, smart thing to do to overcome his “disability”. He might even have done better. But would his life have been as much of an inspiration if he did? We often wonder why God places limitations on us. Why do we still have to deal with sin even though Christ won us the ultimate victory, why do we still struggle with it?

God certainly isn’t a fan of doing things the conventional way. If He did, none of us would ever make the cut. We’re not perfect, we’re not the best of the best of the best. The irony is God very often chooses the weak, humble, and foolish things to show His glory through them. After all, if God always chose the “perfect people,” others would just as easily attribute their successes to their natural ability; nothing to do with what God has done.

So even though these men of faith led seriously messed up lives, once they trusted God enough to make Him the center, the bulls-eye of their lives, they accomplished amazing things. “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

Scriptures Verses for Youth Bible Study

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)
“However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'”

Phil 3:13-14 (NIV)
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Questions for Youth Discussion

Have you ever seen those circus sideshows where they try to hit a target blindfolded? How do you believe they do it?
Have you ever tried shooting at targets yourself? Basketball? Golf? Soccer? Archery? The rubbish bin? How good are you at hitting the target?
Why is it that God allows us to struggle with sin?
What are some common struggles that youth face? Christians in general?
What famous personalities do you know about that have had some pretty serious struggles?What was their story? Was it a triumph or defeat? Who did they turn to for help? What are some things they learned through their experiences?
Who are some of the Bible personalities who had some serious struggles? What were their stories? Was it a triumph or defeat? Who did they turn to for help? What are some things they learned through their experiences?

Application to the Lives of Youth

What are some struggles you have faced personally?
Who did you depend on in the midst of your struggle?
Did you overcome your struggles? Or are you still working through them?
Will you do anything differently, knowing what you’ve learned today?

If we’re willing to say, “God I know I’m not perfect but here I am, with all my imperfections, ready and available to allow you to work through me;” if we’re willing to make God our focus and depend on Him, willing to see beyond our past and fix our eyes on Jesus, the arrow of our lives will fly surely enough to hit God’s intended target and destiny for us. And we’ll leave our mark and legacy on the pages of history.

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”

Teaching Illustrations

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Never Give Up

August 7, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

Runner’s World (8/91), told the story of Beth Anne DeCiantis’s attempt to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon. A female runner must complete the 27-mile, 385-yard race in less than two hours, forty-five minutes to compete at the Olympic Trials.

Beth started strong but began having trouble around mile 23. She reached the final straightaway at 243, with just two minutes left to qualify. Two hundred yards from the finish, she stumbled and fell. Dazed, she stayed down for twenty seconds. The crowd was ticking—2:44, less than a minute to go.

Beth Anne staggered to her feet and began walking. Five yards short of the finish, with ten seconds to go, she fell again. She began to crawl, the crowd cheering her on, and crossed the finish line on her hands and knees. Her time? Two hours, 44 minutes, 57 seconds.

Hebrews 12:1 Reminds us to run our race with perseverance and never give up.

Source: Terry Fisher, San Mateo, California, quoted in Preaching Resources, Spring 1996, p. 69.

Devotional

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Downhill from Here

August 6, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

Downhill from Here

Jean-Claude Killy, the French ski champion, did more than work hard at his sport.

When he made his nation’s ski team in the early 1960s, he was determined to be the best. He decided vigorous training was the key. Up at dawn each day, he ran up mountains with his skis on – a very painful activity. Weight training, sprinting…Killy was determined to do whatever it took to reach peak physical condition.

Other team members were working just as hard, and in the end it was a change in style, not conditioning, that set Killy apart.

The goal in ski racing is to ski down a prescribed mountain course faster than anyone else. Killy began experimenting to see if he could pare any seconds off his time. He found that if he skied with his legs apart, he had better balance. He also found that if he sat back on his skis when executing a turn, instead of leaning forward as was customary, he had better control, which also resulted in faster times. Rather than regarding his ski poles as an accessory for balance, Killy tried using them to propel him forward.

Killy’s style was unorthodox. But when he won most of the major ski events in 1966 and 1967, including 3 gold medals at the Winter Olympics, skiers around the world took notice. Today, the Killy style is norm among downhill and slalom racers. Any other “style” would be considered odd.

As Christians we are not called to conform to the world’s standards, but to God’s standards. Our lifestyle should challenge people to come to Jesus Christ and live according to His higher ways and purposes. The Christian “style” may seem odd to the unbeliever, but in the end, it is the style that will previal!

Don’t be afraid to be a little “unusual” today in the eyes of those who observe you. Your example may help win them over to a championship lifestyle.

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: 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?

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

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”?

Game Ideas

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Victorious in the Challenges of Life

July 24, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

When you think about the Olympics, you can’t help but think about the challenges the athletes face in pursuit of the gold, bronze, and silver medals. Many of the athletes have faced tremendous personal challenges simple to be at the Olympic games. They will be challenged by the best athletes in the world. They will be challenged by world records. They will be challenged by their own limitations. As Dorothy Stuart Hamill, an American figure skater and the 1976 Olympic champion once said, “I wouldn’t say that there’s ever been an Olympic champion that didn’t deserve to win an Olympic Gold Medal.”

Wacky Challenges

Bubble blowing contest – who can blow the biggest soap bubbleCoin toss – toss the coin closest to the wall
Thumb wrestling
Finger wrap – Give youth a length of string and have them race to wrap the strong around their finger.
Toilet Paper Roll – They must race to roll a roll of toilet paper along the ground until all the toilet paper is off the roll.
Marshmallow balance: see who can balance the highest number of marshmallows or candy pieces on his/her nose.
Porcupine Relay
Balloon Popping – Whose the fastest at blowing up a balloon until it pops
Peel an orange – Who can peel an orange the fastes

Make up your own wacky challenges
Also check out Tiny Olympics

Take It to the Next Level

Have the youth make a list of challenges that today’s teens face. What are the struggles, the difficulties, the tests that today’s teens face?
After youth have listed their challenges on a large sheet of paper, ask:
* What makes these things challenging?
* How have you been able to overcome such challenges in the past?
* How does experience with God change the way a person faces challenges from day to day?
* How could your relationship with God help you deal with the challenges you listed?

Scriptures Verses for Youth Bible Study

Isaiah 40:29-31
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Philippians 3:12-14
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Applying Scripture to Life

What promises do these verses hold for us when we face life’s challenges?

Ask volunteers to share personal testimonies of how God has given them strength along the way to get to this point in their lives. As a group, discuss how God can help youth face challenges during the year ahead. Close with a time of personal prayer and recommitment for youth to follow God as they begin a new phase in their lives.

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”?

Teaching Illustrations

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Go for the Gold, Go for God

July 20, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

“…I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me. Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:12-14

Going for the Gold!

That is the aim and aspiration of the vast company of athletes who assemble every four years from all over the world to take part in the Olympic Games. For them, to stand on the winner’s podium, be hailed as a hero, with the strains of their home country’s national anthem ringing in their ears, emotion etched on their tear stained faces, would make all the sacrifice and strenuous effort worthwhile.

You know, the Christian life is no different. Paul sees it as a race! It is not a 100 yard dash. It is a marathon cross-country. Of necessity, we are to abandon our own selfish ambitions so that we may wholeheartedly pursue the goal that is set before us. Nothing must hinder or hamper our steady progress. It is not a spectator sport but one of active participation by all. Down the straight, round the bend, over the hurdle, in the final analysis, consistency is what really matters.

There will be frustration as we strive to attain spiritual fitness. Many tears may be shed as we county the cost of getting rid of the excess baggage. The pain barrier must be broken if we are to keep on going. But, even though we may not all be winners by nature, with the spiritual instincts of the new man reigning within, we can conquer all and cross the finishing line in triumph.

Awaiting us is Christ, the One who has gone on before. No greater incentive can be given; no other motivation should be required. That’s why we pull out all the stops, with every fibre of our being, stretching all the sinews, as we keep the end in view. What an exhilarating prospect.

Let’s go for the gold…and go for God!

This was Paul’s thinking. It was his game plan. And, he stuck rigidly to it. Like him, we want to be there at the end. Paul shows us how to do it in Philippians 3:12-16. He leaves us a few tips that are designed to enhance our performance in the race ahead:

Be realistic – know where you are at
Be single minded – learn the art of concentration
Be forward looking – resist the temptation to look back
Be a plodder – don’t be a dropout on the last lap
Be sensible – know the rules and stick to them

Winning moves. Yes! Absorb them and get yourself down to the track!

Author: Sam Gordon

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”?

Teaching Illustrations

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Running by Faith

July 18, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

Olympic Marathon Runner Ryan Hall

I read an article today in the New York Times about an exceptional runner. His name is Ryan Hall. You’ve got to read it to believe it.

At the 2011 Boston Marathon, Ryan Hall ran a personal best of 2 hours 4 minutes 58 seconds. No other American has run faster. What’s more surprising is the fact that he coaches himself, running alone instead of with an elite training group in Northern California. Well, he’s not necessarily alone.

You see, after finishing second at the 2011 United States half-marathon championships, Hall went to drug testing, a standard procedure. Asked on a form to list his coach, he wrote: God.

“You have to list the name of a real person,” a doping official said. “He is a real person,” Hall responded.

2008 Beijing Olympics

Just a couple years earlier on August 24, 2008, Hall reached the starting line of the Olympic marathon in Beijing. Hall was considered a medal candidate. But he felt sluggish and when the gun sounded, his race plan crumbled. Dejected, Hall finished 10th in 2:12:33. He was unable to watch a replay of the race for three years. Emotionally scarring, he called it.

Eventually, that defeat in Beijing changed from deflating to liberating for Hall. He embraced risk and lost his fear of failure.

“I don’t see failure as a negative thing at all anymore, which is a huge shift for me,” he said. “I just see that as part of my training, my process, learning, experimenting, getting it wrong so that I can get it right.”

“Sometimes, you have to fail your way to the top,” Hall said in his open, easy manner in March. “Thomas Edison found a thousand ways not to make a light bulb before he got it right.”

2012 London Olympics

And he’s well on his way. Of the 29 fastest marathon performances in 2011, Hall’s was the only one by a runner from a country other than Kenya or Ethiopia. His next marathon will come August 12th at the London Olympics. Hall firmly believes he could challenge the East Africans for a gold medal.

“It’s going to take a special day,” Hall said of his gold medal chances. “But I feel like I went for it, regardless of how the race goes. I’ll always look back on this as a season of joy. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s part of the fun of life, taking some chances and seeing what happens.”

Faith Based Training

Some elite runners seem taken aback by Hall’s faith-based training.

“So he really thinks God is saying, ‘Run 10 times 1,200 meters today,’ or ‘Take tomorrow off’?’ ” said Dathan Ritzenhein, who finished ninth in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, one spot ahead of his countryman Hall. “Wow.”

Take It to the Next Level

It’s uncanny that Ryan chose the marathon as his sport of choice. It’s very much like our walk with Christ. We’re not meant to be fireworks, putting on a big show, burning bright in a blaze of glory then fizzling out. We’re meant to be lamps, being consistent, burning slowly so that we can light the world for generations to see. Are we burning out in our zeal for God? Or are we pacing ourselves for the spiritual journey ahead? In this race, we’ll experience disappointments, failure, uneven roads, missed opportunities and losses. God is not asking us to be perfect right away. It’s part of the journey. It’s only when we’re authentic Christians that we can be great witnesses for God. When we can be real with God in our struggles and real with the people around us that we can be true witnesses for Christ.

Failure

What we don’t often realize is that failure is part of our Christian walk. In stumbling and failing we do grow strong. We become the kind of person God wants us to be. That’s where true victory lies. Not in winning, but in the building of our character. That’s what God is more concerned about. When we fall, we get tired, and feel like giving up because we failed or felt we failed God through our own weakness, that’s when we need to come to Him even more. Rather than blame God for “failing us” or when things don’t always go our way, we need to pause and look at the bigger picture from God’s perspective. Instead of asking, “Why God?” We need to ask, “What do you want me to learn through this?” It’s okay to not understand what God wants to show us. We don’t need to have it all figured out. All we need to do is trust Him. That in his divine, big picture plan for us, failure is necessary. It’s okay to be disappointed, to be real with God. But let’s not stay in that place and wallow forever. We have a God we can draw strength from. To hope in. To wait upon. And he’s always willing to renew us and give us what we need to push on to the next leg of our spiritual race.

“Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:27-31 (NIV)

Witnesses

People see the power of our God working through us, in our character, in our speech, conduct, integrity, wisdom, perseverance, kindness, and faithfulness. How can we be a great witness for God is we behave no differently from the standards of the world? We need to set ourselves apart. To be in the world, but not of it – participating in the affairs of the world, but not sticking to what the world believes is “right”. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard – the standard of the cross. We have to be Christians “where we live”, in our offices, schools, bands, sports, squads, homes, and community. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, whether we’re running, playing football, studying, working. Our lives have to reflect God’s character in this world. That’s really what’s going to make people who don’t have a personal relationship with God sit up and go, “Wow. I want me some of that!”

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

Scripture Verses for Bible Study

Isaiah 40:27-31
Matthew 5:14-16

Discussion

Think about a time when you failed. How did you feel?
Looking back at that failure, did you come out of the situation bitter or better?
What are some of the lessons you have learned from failures in your own life?
What are some important Biblical lessons to remember when you face future failures?
What words might come to mind if people were to describe you?
How would others describe the role of God in your life?
How can you reflects Christ’s character in your family, among your friends, in your school, to the world?
How can you be a more authentic Christian among those around you?

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”?

Teaching Illustrations

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Determination

July 16, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

Johnny Fulton was run over by a car at the age of three. He suffered crushed hips, broken ribs, a fractured skull, and compound fractures in his legs. It did not look as if he would live. But he would not give up. In fact, he later ran the half- mile in less than two minutes.

Walt Davis was totally paralyzed by polio when he was nine years old, but he did not give up. He became the Olympic high jump champion in 1952.

Shelly Mann was paralyzed by polio when she was five years old, but she would not give up. She eventually claimed eight different swimming records for the U.S. and won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1938, Karoly Takacs, a member of Hungary’s world-champion pistol shooting team and sergeant in the army, lost his right hand when a grenade he was holding exploded. But Takacs did not give. up. He learned to shoot left-handed and won gold medals in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.

Source: SermonIllustrations.com, February 2000

God has called each of us to fulfill a purpose in life. Whatever tragedy you have gone through, whatever trial you have faced, whatever obstacles have stood in your way, the key to moving ahead is to never give up. God has not called you to something he will not equip you to accomplish. God has not called us to fail, but to trust in Him for victory. You cannot fail if you are fulfilling God’s will for your life. God doesn’t call us to results, but to obedience to the tasks he has set before us.

“One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:1-21)

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”?

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