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Bible Lessons

For Youth -
The Olympic
Torch Relay
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Our Christian journey of faith
reminds me a lot of the
Olympic Games Relay. The
writer of Hebrews in Chapter
11 talks about the many
inspirational heroes of faith
that carried the flame of our
Christian faith before us.
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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. Its
no surprise then that the writers
in the New Testament make so
many athletic references to
running races, training,
prizes, crowns, all of which
were part of the tradition of the
Games.
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In a few months time, well 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.
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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 Lands 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.
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Our Christian journey of faith
reminds me a lot of this relay. Its
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.
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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 doesnt 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.
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They werent 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 thats what set them
apart from the rest. They werent
focused on their insignificant
lives, they were focused on an all-
powerful God.
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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 havent disappeared, theyre
there in the stands cheering us on.
Saying as it were, This faith journey
of yours is not going to be easy, it sure
wasnt for me either. But I made it. So,
dont let your sin hinder you. Keep on
going. Dont give up. You can do it.
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Theres always going to be times
when we want to just give up. To
say its too hard and drop the
torch. But were reminded that
were 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!
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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.
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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.
Creative Youth Ideas
Go for the Gold
-> Tell me about Go for the Gold
www.creativeyouthideas.com/goforthegold.html
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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.
Creative Youth Ideas
Destined to Win
->Tell me about Destined to Win
www.creativeyouthideas.com/destinedtowin.html

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