Tag Archives: sports

Finishing Strong in the Race of Life

July 10, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

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.

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

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

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

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

Devotional

Florence Chadwick

June 27, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

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

Focused on the Goal

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

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

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

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

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

Take It to the Next Level

Lessons to be learnt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Applying it to life

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

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

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

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

Devotional

What Makes an Olympic Champion?

May 23, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

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

The Dreams of a Youth

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

He Never Stopped Dreaming

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take It to the Next Level

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

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

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

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

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

Creative Teaching Ideas

The Olympic Torch Relay

May 16, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

The Olympic Games was a significant competitive sporting event in the life and times of Jesus, carrying right on through the life of the early church and the ministry of the apostles. It’s no surprise then that the writers in the New Testamant make so many athletic references to “running races”, “training”, “prizes”, “crowns”, all of which were part of the tradition of the Games.

In a few months time, we’ll be celebrating the 2012 Olympics in London. Although the location, scale, format, participating countries, events, and well, practically everything has changed over the years, one tradition has persisted through the ages — the Olympic Torch Relay.

The traditional Lighting Ceremony recently took place on 10 May 2012 at the Temple of Hera, Olympia, home of the Ancient Olympic Games. The torch will travel around Greece, and will arrive in Athens in 2 days time and then arrive in the United Kingdom the next day.

The relay will last 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations, six Island Visits with about 8,000 people carrying the torch a total distance of about 8,000 miles (12,800 km), starting from Land’s End in Cornwall.

This year, the Olympic Torch is perforated by 8,000 circles representing the inspirational stories of the 8,000 Torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame.

Our Christian journey of faith reminds me a lot of this relay. It’s not the torch that bore the mark of their testimony, but the Bible. The writer of Hebrews in Chapter 11 talks about the many “inspirational heroes” of faith that came before us. Each of them with their own story about how God delivered them and how His promises were fulfilled in their lives through their faith in Him.

After they carried the “torch”, pressing on in spite of their struggles to take hold of what God had in store for them, they passed their legacy on to the next generation of “torchbearers” who would stand as a lighthouse and witness to the world around them. Their names are familiar to us. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The writer doesn’t always tell each of their stories but the very mention of their names makes us recall their great exploits, their journeys, their stories, and sometimes, cautionary tales.

They weren’t perfect people and the Bible did nothing to sugarcoat or hide their flaws. They were murderers, thieves, adulterers, and prostitutes. They were proud, greedy, lustful, and selfish. Yet there they are — the ones we look up to. They were human in their failings but the one common thread running through their lives was that they looked to God in faith. And that’s what set them apart from the rest. They weren’t focused on their insignificant lives, they were focused on an all-powerful God.

They finished their part of the relay and God saw that their faith in Him was well placed. And now they pass their torch to us. The writer of Hebrews says, “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.” (Heb 12:1)

They haven’t disappeared, they’re there in the stands cheering us on. Saying as it were, “This faith journey of yours is not going to be easy, it sure wasn’t for me either. But I made it. So, don’t let your sin hinder you. Keep on going. Don’t give up. You can do it.”

There’s always going to be times when we want to just give up. To say it’s too hard and drop the torch. But we’re reminded that we’re not alone in this journey of faith. All those who came before us, even God Himself is cheering us on. Our place in this journey of ours is just to keep running. To be faithful to what God has called us to do and be an example, not even a perfect one, but a very real and human hero to the next generation of believers and faithful followers of Christ!

Take It to the Next Level

What do you feel God has called you to do? It could be something that requires a lot of faith, something that you have to persevere through, it could be a struggle you have to overcome. Whatever it is, he intends to make your hopes, dreams and experiences help others find meaning through their own lives. Your big dream can ignite that same passion in others, your persistence can encourage others to find strength, and your experiences can inspire the world. God can make your story like he used the stories of the faith giants in the Bible – the good, the bad, and the ugly – to be a testimony of His grace working through our faith.

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

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

Devotional

Lin’s God We Trust

February 25, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

Description

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

Illustration

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take It to the Next Level

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

Application

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

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

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

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

Creative Teaching Ideas

Super Bowl XLVI – Indianapolis (Patriots vs Giants)

January 25, 2012 kensapp Leave a comment

February 5th is American Football’s Superbowl weekend! The Patriots and Giants will tee off for the NFL’s Super Bowl XLVI.

We’ve got a great idea for you to try out with your youth group, it’s sports-themed and perfect for tying in what’s going on in American Football on the 5th with a spiritual application. I am putting it up one week early as some churches might want to use this the week BEFORE Superbowl Sunday.

The Father’s Eyes

What to Do

Talk about their most embarrassing moment while participating in a sport.
Talk about their greatest triumph while participating in a sport.

Illustration

Bob Richards, the former pole-vault champion, shares a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved American football with all his heart.

Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere.

At all the games, this hopeful football player sat on the bench and hardly ever played.

This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him, but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn’t want to. But the young man loved football, and decided to hang in there.

He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game, but remained a bench-warmer all four years.

His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.

When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on.” Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did.

The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always put his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.

The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?” The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, “Take the rest of the week off, son. And don’t even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.”

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room, put on his football gear, and as he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. “Coach, please let me play. I’ve just got to play today,” said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game.

But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. “All right,” he said. “You can go in.”

Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard.

Finally, after the stands had emptied, and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner, all alone. The coach came to him and said, “Kid, I can’t believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?”

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?” The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!”

Take It to the Next Level

Like the athlete’s father, God is always there cheering for us. He’s always reminding us to go on. He’s even offering us His hand for He knows what is best, and is willing to give us what we need and not simply what we want.

God has never missed a single game. What a joy to know that life is meaningful if lived for the Highest. We don’t have to be the MVP, we just need to play the position God gives us. Everyone makes mistakes on the field. But God gives us the “grace” to make mistakes, while not losing sight of our goal.

There will be opposition, there will be progress and at other times we may lose ground. But we must never give up striving for the Goal God has for us. Live for HIM, for He’s watching us in the game of life!

Philip. 3:12-17
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. [13] 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, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

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Resource Reviews

Endurance

July 28, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus… if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops…” ~ 2 Timothy 1:1-7

“Athletic competition clearly displays one’s ability to endure in measurable terms. Running a marathon (26 miles, 385 yards) in a certain amount of time indicates a degree of endurance. The one who finishes with the quickest time has, among other things, a greater ability to endure. But perhaps one of the greatest examples of endurance in the world of athletic competition is long-distance professional cycling…

Without a doubt, the greatest of these cycling events in the world is the ‘Tour de France.’ This event sometimes stretches more than twenty-four days and covers over 2,500 miles. The riders follow a course outlining the country of France, from the flatlands of Brittany to the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps. Each day of competition involves from three to eight hours of racing and has its own unique course, from shortened time trials to lengthy hill climbs. This incredibly demanding event is considered by many to be the most remarkable example of physical and mental endurance in all of athletic competition.

The first American to ever win the Tour was Greg LeMond. His amazing conditioning and stamina allowed him to endure to victory in the 1986 Tour, which was considered the most demanding Tour
in recent memory.

But in 1989, LeMond demonstrated perhaps the greatest display of emotional and physical endurance when he returned to win the ‘Tour de France’ by only eight seconds over Frenchman Laurent Fignon. This race is now considered the greatest Tour ever.

After two years of recuperation from an accidental gun shot wound and an appendectomy, LeMond returned to win despite the many skeptics who claimed his riding days were over. His win put the skeptics where they belong.

Watching this race, I was reminded of the illustrations Paul used about enduring through hardships in 2 Timothy 2. There Paul described the professions of soldier, athlete and farmer. Interestingly, he does this directly after exhorting Timothy, ‘Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus’…

The Christian life is essentially warfare against the forces of evil.

If we are going to compete and endure through this warfare, we must take to heart the soldier’s example…
The athlete would not dare to enter competition without first physically and mentally preparing himself…
Through his hard work, the farmer strives ahead in his labor to harvest a successful crop.”

Source: Ronald F. Bridges- “Rediscovering Your First Love” 1990, (Here’s Life Publishers, San Bernadino, CA)

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Teaching Illustrations

Whose Hands?

February 21, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Source unknown

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Mark Mcquire's hands is worth $19 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Venus Williams' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches..
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears,
your hopes, your dreams,
your families and your relationships in God's
hands because

It depends whose hands it's in.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Christian Running Shoes for the Race

December 11, 2010 kensapp Leave a comment

Description
In I Cor. 9:24-27, Paul compares the Christian life to a race. Any runner will tell you that the most important piece of equipment for the runner is his shoes. Shoes are very personal things. You can’t run the race in someone else’s shoes. In the same way, in the body of Christ we each must run the race. Everyone needs his own set of running shoes. And while we all need shoes, our shoes will be different as we run the race ahead.

What to do

Sit the youth in a circle and ask them to remove their shoes, and place them in the middle of the circle.
Divide the group of youth into two or more teams and give each team a piece of paper with the following the following 2 tasks on them.
- List as many features as possible that the shoes in the middle of the circle have in common.
- List as many features as possible make each pair of shoes unique.
Have the teams of youth read out their lists.
Next, have everyone close their eyes and grab two shoes from the pile in the center of the circle.
Once everyone has a pair of shoes, they must put them on if possible. If their foot will not fit, just put their toes in the shoes.
Then, wearing the shoes, ask them to run a relay race to the other side of the room and touch the wall and come back.

Discussion

What was it like wearing someone else’s shoes? Do you think they helped you or hindered you in your race?
What are some of the things that we have in common as part of the body of Christ?
What are some of the things that make us unique?
When it comes to running the race of life, what lessons can we learn from this activity?

Bible Scripture References
1 Corinthians 12; I Cor. 9:24-27

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Teaching Illustrations

A Father’s Support – 1992 Barcelona Olympics

August 16, 2010 kensapp Leave a comment

I wrote this a long time ago in 2007 – “A Father’s Support”

But recently a video has been getting attention on Youtube with a similar use of the story.

Here’s my original, followed by the Youtube video.

In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona Derek Redmond of Great Britain was on the way to fulfilling his lifetime dream of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

He had earned a spot in the semifinals of the 400 meter race, and as the gun sounded to start the race, Derek got off to a great start. He was running the race of his life, and the finish line was in sight, when suddenly he felt a stab of pain in his right leg. He fell face first onto the track with a torn hamstring.

The race was over for Derek. He struggled to his feet before the medical team could reach him. Though every runner had passed him, he began hopping forward, tears of pain and disappointment streaking his face, determined to finish the race.

Suddenly, a man plowed through the security guards on the sidelines and ran onto the track. He raced up to Derek and hugged him, “You don’t have to do this,” Jim Redmond told his weeping son. “Yes I do,” Derek answered. “Well, then,” his father said, “we’re going to finish the race together.”

Derek’s father gripped his son around the shoulders, and they faced the finish line, resolutely waving off the security men who hovered around them. They limped and hopped together, Derek’s head sometimes buried in his father’s shoulder, and stayed in Derek’s lane all the way to the end.

The watching crowd gaped at first at the unusual scene. Then one by one, they rose to their feet, and began cheering and crying at the son’s determination and the father’s support.

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