Three young men, Billy Graham, Chuck Templeton, and Bron Cliffort, launched successful Christian ministries in 1945. However, by 1950 Templeton had left ministry to become a radio announcer and atheist. By 1954, Cliffort had lost his family, ministry, health, and died of alcoholism in a rundown hotel at age 35. In contrast, Billy Graham continued his successful Christian ministry. The document warns that in Christian life, it is important how you finish, not just how you start.

1. Youth Devotional - Finishing
Strong in the Race of Life
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2. 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.
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3. 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
Organization. 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.”
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4. 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
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5. “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.
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6. 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.
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7. 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.
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8. 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.
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9. 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?
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10. 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.”
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11. 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.
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12. www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com
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

13. www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com
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