There was a time when we all had a spring in our step and bounced into action when a spiritual goal was placed before us. But something has changed.

1. Youth Devotional - Slow
Leaks
There was a time when we all had a spring in our
step and bounced into action when a spiritual goal
was placed before us. But something has changed.
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

2. So many of the sports we play today involve little round objects
which we hit, kick, drive or dribble toward a goal. We have
basketballs, golf balls, tennis balls, and soccer balls, just to name a
few.
Many men my age prefer golf. With golf, the objective is to a hit a
little ball into a little hole from half-way around the world.
Personally I find golf more an exercise in frustration rather than
enjoyable recreation.
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

3. I have a preference for basketball. With basketball you can take a
much bigger ball, get as close as you want to the hole, and jam it
down the hole if you have the vertical leap to do so.
While golf requires expensive club memberships, green fees and a
heavy collection of golf clubs, all I need is a basketball and a short trip
to the nearest basketball court – which happens to be free.
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4. Unfortunately my basketball has developed a little bit of a
problem. It doesn’t quite bounce like it once did. Instead of
bouncing into action as it once did, it generally hits the ground
with a dull thud. Without a forceful push from an outside force, it
is perfectly content to just sit there. And even when pushed , It
seems tends to roll off the court and spend the day simply lying
around.
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5. You can’t tell by looking at it, but over time my basketball has gone flat. I
can’t point to a specific point in time when it lost its bounce. I can’t find
any from the neighborhood dog or punctures from angry players. The
real problem is that the basketball leaks!
Yet now that I have discovered the problem, the solution is quite simple.
I take out my trusty air pump and give it a periodic refill.
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com

6. Yet what is true of my basketball is also true of us as Christians.
There was a time when we all had a spring in our step and
bounced into action when a spiritual goal was placed before us.
But something has changed. We probably can’t point to a specific
event that took the air out of our Christianity, but our spiritual life
is now flat. We have the same problem as my basketball– we leak!
Mediocrity is rarely the result of a blowout, but more often the
result of a slow leak.
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7. So how do we get that bounce back in our step? How do we change
that dull thud into high flying goals? Instead of rolling away from
His heavenly court and sitting in spiritual stagnation, we draw near
to God and let him fill us with his presence. “Be ye continually
being filled.” (Eph 5:18b)
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8. 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

9. 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