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Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Frozen Chosen?

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Youth Ideas - Frozen

Beat the hot days of summer with a frozen T-shirt contest for your youth. The objective is simple – Unfold a frozen t-shirt and wear it. But it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. It can be played as a team effort or you can have one frozen tee for each youth. Add a few additional ice games to get things moving before you have the final T-shirt thaw.

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Games Using Ice

  • Back to Back Ice Relay – Split the youth into two teams. Freeze a water balloon for each team and just before the game starts, remove the balloon so you are left with a ball of ice. The first two people in line on each team have to put the ball of ice between both of their backs and walk to a designated finish line and then back to the team. If they drop it, they must go back to the beginning and start over again. First team to complete the relay wins.
  • Build with Ice – Freeze and pop out a bunch of ice cubes. Use hot water to make clearer ice. Shake a little salt on the ice to act as glue as the salt melts the ice a little to help the cold cubes stick to one another. Construct creations by salting and adding cubes to create ice people, igloos, and other shapes.
  • Cold Head – Place one ice cube on your head and the other on a competitors head. No hands allowed. First youth to drop the ice cube is eliminated. Continue until you have one champion. Variation – place the ice cube on the back of their necks.
  • Ice Cube Melt – In this game, the objective is for the youth to fill a glass with water to the top using only the dropping water from melted ice. They may only use their hands to melt the ice. Only one ice cube can be melted at a time.
  • Ice Cube Melt Relay – One Large ice cube per team (the ice cubes should be the same size). Divide the youth into two equal teams. Give each team an ice cube. The first player on each team holds and rubs the ice cube until their hands get too cold. Then they pass it to the next person on their team, and so on, until the ice cube is completely melted. The first team to completely melt their ice cube wins the game.
  • Ice Cube Melting Race – Give each child an ice cube and see who can get it to melt the fastest in their hands. Working in pairs or teams is best, so when a child’s hands get too cold, they can pass the ice cube off to a teammate.
  • Ice Cube Melting Race – Give each youth an ice cube and see who can get it to melt the fastest in their hands. Working in pairs or teams is best, so when someone’s hands get too cold, they can pass the ice cube off to a teammate.
  • Ice Cube Transfers – Fill a bucket with water and lots of ice cubes. Teams try to remove ice cubes from the bucket using only their feet. Make it more challenging by putting on a blind fold.
  • Ice Puzzles – Get some small lego sets with the instructions to create the object. Freeze all the pieces individually in ice cubes (It’s ok if longer pieces stick out of the ice cube). First team to thaw the pieces and follow the instruction to create the lego set wins.
  • Marbles in Ice – Place a marble into each one of your ice cube trays’ sections. Fill with water as usual and freeze. Repeat this process until you have anywhere between 30 and 100 marbles. The more marbles you have, the longer the game will last and the more fun it will be. Give each youth an equal-sized cup and tell them that whomever fills their cup full of marbles first wins the game. Alternately, you can deem the youth with the highest number of marbles the winner. Then, let the youth decide how to melt the ice cubes and retrieve the frozen marble.
  • Musical Ice Pass – This is a variation of musical chairs, with players passing an ice cube to music. When the music stops whoever is holding the ice cube is eliminated. Make it more fun by freezing a giant water balloon to replace the ice cubes. As a variation, give those eliminated a small ice cube. If any youth who was eliminated can use their hands to get the ice to melt before the game finishes they can join back into the game.
  • Pick up ice cubes – Fill a paddling pool up with water and add ice cubes. Each person has to try and remove the ice cubes using their feet. Count out how many ice cubes each team/person is able to remove.
  • Thaw it – Freeze a coin or any other small item in a block of ice. First team to unthaw the item without putting it in their mouth or hitting it with another object is the winner.
  • Thread the Spoon – The day before the game, cut some yarn or string into long segments, allowing about 4 feet of yarn per team member. If in doubt, always make your yarn longer than necessary. Tie one end of one piece of yarn to the end of one spoon. Do this for each team. Put the spoons (with the yarn attached) in the FREEZER to freeze. For even more fun, run the string through one or more ice cube trays so that there are ice cubes froozen along the string as well. You may want to dip the spoons in water a few times to add a little ice build-up. When you’re ready to play, divide the youth into equal size teams. Hand the spoon to the first player and instruct them to put the spoon down their shirt, through pants legs (or skirts) and out by their feet. The fact that the spoons are cold will be apparent very quickly. The first person should also be instructed to hold the end of the yarn while the rest of the team repeats the threading process. NOTE: the spoon does not, and should not, go in undergarments; only inside of shirts, slacks, etc. The object of the game is to see which team can “thread the spoon” from the first person to the last. When done, the entire team will be stitched together!

Main Teaching Game – Frozen T-shirts

RESOURCES

  • Gallon Freezer Bags
  • You’ll need one t-shirt for each team or participant. Larger shirts are best and if possible you want them all to be the same size. Sometimes t-Shirts can be torn or stretched in the process.
  • Water
  • Freezer

PREPARATION

  • Soak each t-shirt in about 2 cups of water then wring it out. If there is too much water it will take too long to thaw.
  • Once the shirt has been wrung out, nicely fold each one into a square that will fit inside the freezer bag. Once you have folded it flat, press it down again to try to remove even more water.
  • Seal each bag, and place each t-shirt in the freezer so that each lies flat.
  • Let them freeze for a couple of days for best results.
  • If you need to transport the shirts to another venue, place them in a cooler filled with ice so they stay frozen.

WHAT TO DO

  • Tell the youth you are going to have a real icebreaker game.
  • If you play by teams, don’t tell the youth what you are going to do and instead ask for a volunteer from each team. (You don’t want more than 4 or 5 on a team or it gets too crowded and some youth end up sitting on the sideline and watching.)
  • Give each youth (or team) a frozen tee.
  • The objective is to use whatever means possible to thaw the t-shirt enough so that it they can put it on. (They’ll sit on them like hatching an egg, throw them on the ground, rub them with hands, roll them, stick them on bare arms and legs to use their body heat to warm them up enough to unfold them and put them on.) They’ll be worn out trying to get them unfolded enough to wear.
  • The first person to get the t-shirt on wins! Heads and arms must be completely in the t-shirt for normal wear to be declared the winner.

RULES OF THE GAME

  • You might want to set some rules such as:
  • You cannot place the t-shirt in water or any other liquids
  • You cannot microwave it or use any appliance or machinery to heat it up.
  • You cannot leave the game area
  • You are not allowed to use any sharp object on the t-shirt

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Like many things in life, this game takes a lot of effort. It’s the same with building relationships. If you want to have relationships that aren’t so cold and are more warm and friendly, it takes work. “Cold hearted” and “Hard – hearted” are terms we commonly use to describe how youth relate to others. We also often talk about the warmth of friendship.

  • What happened during the game?
  • What were the difficulties encountered?
  • What made these tasks difficult?
  • How difficult was it to melt the ice?
  • What did you try that didn’t work so well?
  • Did you get frustrated? Why or why not?
  • What was the most effective strategy?
  • What could you do differently to be more successful if you played again?
  • Did you ever feel like giving up? What are some things that you have tried to do that ended up being so difficult that you gave up?
  • What is something that was difficult but you kept at it until you got it done?
  • What happened as a result?
  • What lesson did you learn?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • How is following God like playing this game?
  • When we become Christians, are we able to put on holiness right away?
  • Do you ever get frustrated thinking God isn’t working fast enough for you?
  • How do you respond to God when He isn’t working fast enough?
  • Have you ever gotten so frustrated with God, and impatient that you tried to rush things in your own way? What happened?

In the Bible, Cold and Hot are used to describe the relationship of a person with God. But God’s greatest criticism is not to a person is either hot or cold, but to someone that is lukewarm. In Revelation, God refers to the church of Laodicia in the same terms.
“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot”. “Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

Laodicia had no water supply of its own, so an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. By the time the water reached Laodicia is was neither therapeutically hot nor refreshingly cold. And because of it, one of the strongest words in Revelation is used, emesai, meaning to vomit.

  • What actions of a Christian might be described as Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?
  • How does a lukewarm Christian behave?
  • Why is lukewarm worse than being either hot or cold?
  • What is an area of your devotion to God that could be described as Lukewarm?
  • If we are cold or lukewarm, how can we become “On Fire” in our devotion for God?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What can you do this week to become more fired up about your relationship with God?
  • What can you do this week to share the warmth of Christ with someone?

SCRIPTURE

  • Revelation 3:15-16 – “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot”. “Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth”
  • 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

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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.

Learn More…

Game Ideas

Bandana Games

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Bandana’s are one of those multipurpose items that should be in every youth minister’s tool kit. They can be used as blindfolds, to replace a short length of rope, as flags and to identify teams. They can be bought in bulk relatively cheaply or if you have someone in your church with a sewing machine and a little time they can be made from a few yards of cloth or even cheap sheets. If you can’t find bandanas, you can always substitute cloth handkerchiefs, washcloths, or cloth napkins. Get enough for your entire youth group to have one each, and in different colors so they can easily be used to identify different teams.

Youth Bandana Games

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Games using Bandanas

  • Dragon’s Tail – Split the youth into several teams of approximate equal number. Each team links together into a chain by lining up one behind the other and placing their hands on the waist of the person in front of them. You can also simply have them link hands or elbows. The last person on each team is given a bandana to hang from his or her pocket as the dragon’s tail. Teams must work together to chase and capture the tails from other dragons. Only the person at the front of the chain can grab a bandana from another team. They team can twist around to try to protect their own dragon’s tail but they are not allowed to disconnect. Once a team’s bandana has been taken or they disconnect, their dragon is dead and the team is out. The last team standing or the team with the most bandanas wins. If you are adverse to the idea of a dragon, you can also call it lizard’s tail.
  • Capture the flag – Divide the youth into two teams, each with its own territory. Each team will have a bandana – a flag, which must be guarded by some team members while others try to grab the opponent’s flag. If an opponent is in your territory, you can tag them and send them to jail – a designated area where prisoners are kept. Players must stay in jail until one of their own team can run in and tag them to free them. (Only one prisoner can be rescued at a time.) A team wins the game by capturing the other flag and bearing it back to their home territory.
  • Barnyard – Divide the youth into two or more teams and assign an animal to each team (ie: pig, cat, cow, dog, duck, horse, monkey, owl, rooster, sheep, snake, etc.) Blindfold one youth from each team and have them stand in the center of the room. Send each team into a different corner or area of the room. On your signal each team makes the sound of its animal and the youth in the center must find their team. First to do so wins. Or, give everyone a blindfold and a pice of paper with an animal. On your signal they must group themselves together by team using only the sounds of their animals. DEBRIEF: How did you recognise your group? In what ways do others recognise us as Christians?
  • Foxtails – Each youth is given a bandana (a foxtail) that must be put in his or her back pocket (or sticking out of their pants). At least 2/3 of the bandana must be sticking out and no knots can be tied in the bandana. The play area can be marked off or can simply be a room and when someone is eliminated that must stay touching the wall of the room at all times. Each player’s goal is to grab as many other foxtails from other youth as possible without losing his or her own foxtail. You aren’t allowed to guard your foxtail or otherwise use your hands to keep people from grabbing your foxtail. Turning and twisting your body is allowed and of course running away. If a player’s foxtail is taken, that player must then go to the sidelines. S/he may stand on the sidelines and grab foxtails as players run by, but may not step back into the game. The last person still standing in with their foxtail intact is the winner. Variation: Instead of going to the sidelines, players must immediately stop and place the foxtail on the ground and place a foot on it. They can keep playing, but must keep their foot on the foxtail at all times – only pivoting in a circle.
  • Bandana Relay – For this game you’ll not only need a bandana for each team (4-10 persons on a team), but also a marble and paper cup for each team as well. Each person on the team must hold onto the bandana with both hands. The bandana must be held out straight and flat forming a makeshift tabletop. The paper cup is then balanced upside down on the bandana and a marble is perched on top of the cup. Most paper cups will have a small rim around the bottom so the marble won’t simply roll off. The objective is for a team to work together to move the marble from one point to another, navigating any obstacles along the way, without dropping the marble. If marble rolls off the cup, the team must start over. First team to the goal line wins. Variations: Place obstacles in the path of the groups such as a tables or chairs, force them to go through doorways, up stairs, or under a table.
  • Blind Lineup – Give each youth a bandana to use as a blindfold, and then ask the group to put order themselves from the the shortest to the tallest in order fo height.
  • Sherpa Walk – In this game, youth are paired up and one person is blindfolded and led to a previously designated location. The focus is not on speed but on trust and safety. The guide cannot touch the blindfolded person but must lead them using only verbal commands. As a variation you can also require three tasks along the way such as to smell something, to touch something, to identify an object, to eat something, etc. DEBRIEF: What spiritual truths are illustrated by the way we have to watch what each person is doing so that we can warn them about things in their path or compensate for them as they go through their journey. Sometimes they may not even see what lies before them? How can we help them navigate life?
  • Knots with bandanas – In the normal game of knots, people simply hold hands, but in this variation they will hold on to a bandana between each person. The easiest way to set up this game is to use a series of instructions: 1. Everyone stand in a circle holding hands. Drop your hands and then extend your right hand into the circle holding your bandana. Reach into the circle with your left hand and grab the bandana of another person. You may not grab the bandana of someone who is already holding your bandana nor can it be the person on your left or right. Now get untangled without letting go of the Bandanas you are holding. It’s Ok if some end up facing outward and sometimes you may end up with more than one circle. Variation: Complete the task without talking. DEBRIEF: Sometimes in life things get a little tangled, a little confused. Sometimes we need to straighten things out before we can move forward. What are some lessons we can learn from this game when we find life a and circumstances a bit complicated?
  • Flag Football – Play a game of flag football using bandanas as the flags. The same rules of football apply, however there is no tackling allowed. To stop the ball moving forward a player removes another players bandana from their back pocket.
  • Blindfold Challenge: Challenge the youth to compete a difficult task while blindfolded. This could be to wrap a gift, build the tallest tower, or to put a small puzzle together. Allow the team to help the blindfolded person with verbal instructions only.

A Game with a Lesson
This game is similar to foxtails, but with a twist. If you use this game, you may not want to use the foxtails game. The only difference is that instead of calling it a foxtail, you say only the following: “This bandana represents everything you need to live in the world (Food, shelter, love, safety, etc.) If your bandana is taken away, you die instantly and are out of the game.” Without any further explanation, the leader says, “On your marks, get set, go.” Usually, the youth will all run around and take each others bandanas. When only one person is left alive, ask what happened, repeat the rules, and start another round. Keep the rounds going. Someone will pick up on the idea that they don’t need to die and that they cannot use more than what they already have. Soon the idea catches on. Some participants may even form alliances to protect one another. Follow-up discussion can center on themes of greed, persecution, wise use of what we are given, social justice, God’s provision, evil in the world, the garden of Eden, etc.

A Game with a Lesson
This game is basically the same as the Bandana Relay but with an added twist. If you use this game, you may not want to use the Bandana Relay game. The main difference is that you now inform the youth that the marble is a vary valuable but very toxic substance that can cure many of the world’s diseases when processed correctly. But in its raw form it will kill anyone who touches it. People are dying and if you can deliver this successfully you will save millions. You set up the bandanas on a table in advance with the cup and marble on top. Ready to Go. You can also replace the marble with a cup full of water or one full of beans. Everyone must hold the platform with both hands. The platform must remain flat and stretched tight at all times. Follow up discussion can be about sin and the cost to Christ to save the world, bringing the gospel to the world, obstacles to the gospel, helping those in need, and communication. DEBRIEF: What could the cup full of vaccine be a symbol of? It makes a nice picture of the gospel. What could the obstacles be? What things cause us to not get the gospel to the people who are dying without it? What kinds of things do we need to communicate as a body of believers so that the gospel isn’t hindered?

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Regardless of the games you use, you can talk about faith, trust, communication, and working together.

Here are some General Debrief Questions

  • LEARNING FROM OTHERS – Some of you observed what other groups were doing and learned from them. What advantage do you have in learning from others that go before you? Spiritually who has gone before us? How can we learn from them?
  • TEAMWORK – In many of these games, you had to work together to accomplish the given task. How does this related to the church, the youth group and to spiritual issues?
  • COMMUNICATION – Communication was an essential ingredient. Sometimes communication was limited which hindered you in accomplishing the task. How does communication or lack of it affect our efforts in spiritual matters and in helping others? Why is it important to communicate our needs and also listen to the communication of others?
  • BALANCE – Some of the games involved balance. What made moving and balancing difficult? How is that like life?
  • PERSEVERANCE – When you faced challenges, how did your group persevere and solve the problem? Are perseverance and patience essential skills in solving the problems in our youth group, the church, and in the world today?
  • RULES – There were rules we needed to follow. What is the purpose of the rules? What is the result of not listening or learning the rules, or of breaking the rules? How does this relate to the Word of God?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some lessons and truths we learned from today’s games?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • How can you apply these lessons and truths in your walk with Christ and in serving others this week?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE VERSES

  • 2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (See Also Hebrews 12:1-13)
  • Ephesians 5:15 – “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”
  • 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
  • Colossians 3:16-17 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
  • Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Timothy 4:16 – “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
  • Romans 5:3-8 – “Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
  • Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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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.

Learn More…

Object Lessons

Marshmallow Olympics

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Marshmallow Olympics
Use marshmallows as an object lesson and tie it in to a well known Harvard study on delayed gratification and success. Waiting on God is a Biblical concept and something all youth need to learn. Patience in relationships, in sexuality, in simply growing up.

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Make Marshmallow shooters

What You Need

  • 9 oz plastic cups
  • 12 inch balloons
  • LOTS OF marshmallows
  • scissors
  • Duct Tape

Preparation

  1. Place two plastic cups together, one inside of the other, and then use a piece of duct tape around the top opening to secure them together and fold over the edge. Cut off the bottom one third so that both ends are now open. You might want to use the tape to also fold over the bottom end and secure the cups together. (You can also use empty yogurt containers instead of plastic cups)
  2. Tie off one uninflated balloon and cut off a strip from the opposite end.
  3. Stretch the balloon over the bigger end of the cup.
  4. Place a marshmallow inside the cup on the knotted center, pull back on the outer knot, and the marshmallow flies out of the end in the direction you aim it.

Caution – Do this outdoors or in an uncluttered room where it is easy to locate all the marshmallows otherwise they can attract unwanted crawly critters.

What to do

With the marshmallow launcher you can:

  • See who can launch a marshmallow the farthest
  • Try to launch them into the mouth of a teammate across the room
  • Play target practice with a stack of marshmallows
  • Launch a marshmallow up in the air while a teammate runs around and tries to catch it in a bucket
  • launch marshmallows into a trash can or bonfire.
  • Play a game of dodgeball with marshmallow launchers

Other marshmallow games

  • Long-Distance Marshmallow Toss – Youth face a partner and then toss a marshmallow to the partner. With every successful catch they both take a step backwards and try again. If dropped the pair is removed. Continue until one pair survives the toss for the longest distance.
  • MarshmallowShotput – Who can toss a marshmallow the longest distance.
  • Marshmallow Juggle – See which youth can successfully juggle the most marshmallows
  • Marshmallow Lick – Each youth on a team licks a marshmallow, sticks it to their forehead, and run to the finish line and back, to tag the next person until everyone on the team has done it. If the marshmallow falls they must stop, lick it and stick it back on, before continuing.
  • Marshmallow Mind Meld – Put a marshmallow between two people’s foreheads and race to the finish line.
  • Marshmallow Porcupines – Each youth holds a toothpick in their teeth and they must stab a marshmallow with the toothpick and pass it down the row of youth leaving the toothpicks stuck in the marshmallow as it moves to the end of the line. First team to pass the marshmallow to the end wins. No hands allowed. Alternatively the marshmallow with the most toothpicks in it at the end wins.
  • Marshmallow Pyramid – Build the highest pyramid of marshmallows. Make it tougher by having them build it on a teen’s forehead. Who can balance the most marshmallows on nose?
  • Marshmallow Vacuum – Using straws teams of youth must suck up the most marshmallows and place them in cups. No hands allowed.
  • Marshmallow Walk – Youth balance a marshmallow on top of their head, tongue or nose, as they walk to a finish line and back. (If tongue have some replacements available in case they drop)
  • Tallest Marshmallow Tower – Marshmallows must be stacked one on top of the other – straight up without it falling over. Each marshmallow may rest on only one marshmallow below it.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

 

More than fifty years ago, researchers at Stanford University conducted a study on preschoolers commonly known as the “Marshmallow test.” They were taken into a room and given a marshmallow and told that if they could wait 15 minutes, they would get a second marshmallow. If they ate the marshmallow, they would not get the second one. They then left the child alone in the room with a marshmallow and a hidden camera and waited. Only about 1/3 were willing to wait. In the following years they checked up on the kids as the became adults and progressed in life. Those that were able to wait, that were able to “delay gratification” were on a whole also able to be much more successful in life.

There are quite a few repeats of the experiment on youtube. Here is one of them:
Continue reading Marshmallow Olympics →

Teaching Illustrations

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Never Give Up

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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.

Teaching Illustrations

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Running by Faith

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Ryan Hall - Running by FaithOlympic 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

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

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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”

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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: Determination

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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)

Get "Go for the Gold" Youth Bible Study SeriesGo 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”

Get "Destined to Win" Youth Bible Study SeriesDestined 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

Finishing Strong in the Race of Life

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Billy Graham, Chuck Templeton and Bron Cliffort launched out of the starting block like Olympic gold medalists in 1945. Why haven’t you heard of Chuck Templeton and Bron Cliffort? The answer may surprise you.

Chuck Templeton

All three of these young men rose to prominence in their middle twenties. One seminary president after hearing Chuck Templeton, a brilliant, dynamic preacher – called him the most gifted, talented young preacher in America. Templeton and Graham became very close friends and preached together with the Youth for Christ Organisation. Most observers thought that Templeton would be the one to go to the top. One magazine wrote a feature article calling Templeton the “Babe Ruth of evangelism.”

Bron Cliffort

Bron Cliffort was another gifted, young fireball evangelist. Many believed that Cliffort was the most gifted, powerful preacher to come up in the church for many centuries. People lined up for hours to hear him preach. When he went to Baylor University to give a discourse, they actually cut the ropes of the bells of the tower. They wanted nothing to interfere with his preaching. For two and half hours the students of Baylor sat on the edges of their seat as he gave a dissertation on “Christ and the Philosopher’s stone” At the the age of twenty-five, Cliffort touched more lives, influenced more leaders, and set more attendance records than other clergyman in American history. National leaders yielded for his attention. He was tall, handsome, dashing, intelligent and sophisticated. Hollywood actually tried to cast him in the role for the famous movie, THE ROBE. He seemed to have everything.

What happened?

By 1950, Templeton had left the ministry. He pursued a radio career. He became an announcer and a newscaster, telling the world that he no longer believed Jesus Christ was the son of God. He became an atheist. By 1950, this future Babe Ruth of preaching was not even in the ball game.

By 1954, Cliffort had lost his family, ministry and health. Eventually he lost his life because of his addiction to alcohol. Financial irresponsibility left his wife and their two Downs-syndrome children penniless. This once famous preacher died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of thirty-five in a rundown hotel on the edge on Amarillo. He died unwept, unhonored, and unsung. Some of the pastors from Amarillo, Texas, got together and collected enough money to buy a cheap casket. They shipped his body back to the east coast, where he was buried in a pauper’s cemetery.

In 1945 all three of these young men with extraordinary gifts were preaching for the purpose of multiplying the church by thousands of people. But within ten years only one of them was still on track for Christ.

In the CHRISTIAN Life it’s not how you start as a youth but it’s how you finish.

* Will you finish strong for Christ?
* Will you be a multiplier for Him throughout your life?
* What will keep you from being one who leaves the race?

Joshua 24:15
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

2 Timothy 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
For more information on FINISHING STRONG, read the book by the same title by Steve Farrar.

Get "Go for the Gold" Youth Bible Study SeriesGo 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”

Get "Destined to Win" Youth Bible Study SeriesDestined 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

Lin’s God We Trust

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Jeremy_Lin_with_the_Knicks_and_reporters.jpg

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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.

 

Get "Destined to Win" Youth Bible Study SeriesDestined 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”