Bible Lessons For Youth - Running for the Gold

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Bible Lessons
For Youth -
Running for the
Gold
The Bible says that we also
compete, not for a medal, not
for a temporary crown of olive
leaves, not for honor and
personal glory but for a crown
that lasts forever.

We’ve come to the end of the
Olympic games. Seen the joy on
the faces of the athletes at the
closing ceremony and seen the flag
passed on to Rio, the next hosts of
the Olympics. For many of these
athletes, this would mark the end
of their career. Their last time
competing on the world’s stage. As
we recognize their achievements,
we’re reminded of the spiritual
race that still lies before us…

Running for the Gold
During the 2012 London Olympic
Games, we watched athletes who have
invested a lot of time, money, and
immense effort in order to compete
(often in a single event), hoping to
receive gold, silver and bronze medals
that will be hung on ribbons around
their necks. In the original Olympic
games the only prize the Greek
athletes received was a crown of olive
leaves cut from a sacred tree at
Olympia. There were no medals and
only the winner’s name was recorded.
There was no prize for those who
finished second or third. While today’s
Olympic medals last much longer than
a crown of olive leaves, they may not
be worth as much as you think.

Olympic gold medals only need to be
gilded with a minimum of 6 grams of
gold. The rest of the medal is silver that
is a minimum of 92.5 percent pure.
Silver medals are made entirely of at
least 92.5 percent pure silver. At
today’s prices the gold medal is only
worth around $300 and the silver
medal is worth considerably less. But
ask any athlete how much it is worth
and they are sure to tell you it is
priceless. Even so, these medals do not
last forever. Medals can tarnish, be
stolen, or even be lost. The ribbons
they hang from will rot. The athlete’s
moment of glory will one day be
forgotten. Think about it, how many
Olympic champions can you
remember? How many world record
holders can you name?

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, the apostle
Paul says, “Do you not know that in a
race all the runners run, but only one
gets the prize? Run in such a way as
to get the prize. Everyone who
competes in the games goes into
strict training. They do it to get a
crown that will not last, but we do it
to get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore I do not run like someone
running aimlessly; I do not fight like a
boxer beating the air. No, I strike a
blow to my body and make it my slave
so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize.” (NIV).

Just as the Olympic Games has
come to an end, and the athletes
have been awarded their medals,
the Olympic flame extinguished, our
life will one day come to its end. The
Bible says that we also compete, not
for a medal, not for a temporary
crown of olive leaves, not for honor
and personal glory but for a crown
that lasts forever. The opponents we
face are the enemy and his forces
and our own fleshly nature. The
glory we receive is not that one
moment on the podium but one
that endures for all eternity. God’s
crown is not for one winner, but for
all who strive for righteousness.

The crown is our reward for running
the race, for being faithful to our
calling, for enduring the struggles
and the hardships, for wrestling
with the sad events and
circumstances we cannot control
and do not understand, for finishing
the course God has set out for us.
Toward the end of his life Paul
writes: “I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Now there is in store
for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day—and
not only to me, but also to ALL who
have longed for his appearing.” (2
Timothy 4:7-8)

Take it to the Next Level
Life is like a race. Sometimes its
uphill, sometimes it’s downhill.
Sometimes you don’t know how far
you’ve come or how far you still
have to go. It’s more than simply
showing up to the starting line.
The important factor is not how
many start, but how many finish.
It’s not a half-effort attempt, but a
total commitment. It’s not taking
short cuts, but following the rules.
Only then can you win the prize.

It’s the pursuit of a goal, forgetting
about what lies behind and instead
straining toward what lies ahead,
and casting aside anything that
might hinder us. It’s the pursuit of
Godliness. It’s something you strive
for every moment of every day. We
have our coach, our guide, the Holy
Spirit and our training manual – the
Bible. Our coach makes it clear to us
what we need to work on, and the
Bible provides instruction on how to
make it happen. Both reveal areas
where we need self-control, more
discipline, and better focus. Both
guide our training in righteousness.

We must make a disciplined all out
effort to act on that instruction. And
at the end of this life, we will stand
on the victors team. Christ has
already run the race, being not only
the first, but also the last to make
sure that all of us in the middle cross
the finish line in victory. Don’t just
run. Run in such a way as to win.
When things get tough, the discipline
carries you through. When the
moments of testing come, its the
training that brings you the victory.

If you look at many of the great
Bible characters you will see a
period of training and discipline
before God places them in the
spotlight. Daniel in Captivity.
Joseph in a prison. Moses in a
desert. David as a shepherd
among the sheep. John and Peter
as Fishermen. Saul (Paul) as a
Pharisee.

All destined to be used by God, yet
all in a place of training where God
prepared them for the race that
was ahead. And God has plans for
you too. Wherever you are now,
whatever situation you are in now,
is training not only for the present,
but also for the race ahead. Maybe
God has already brought you to
the track. Maybe God is preparing
you for the track. Whatever the
case, he will work his perfect will
in your life if you have the
discipline and accept the training
he has for you now.

Scriptures Verses for Youth Bible
Study
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)
“Do you not know that in a race all the
runners run, but only one gets the
prize? Run in such a way as to get the
prize. Everyone who competes in the
games goes into strict training. They
do it to get a crown that will not last,
but we do it to get a crown that will
last forever. Therefore I do not run like
someone running aimlessly; I do not
fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I
strike a blow to my body and make it
my slave so that after I have preached
to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)
“I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the
faith. Now there is in store for me
the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day—and not
only to me, but also to ALL who have
longed for his appearing.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)
“However, as it is written: ‘No eye
has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has
prepared for those who love him’”

Questions for Youth Discussion
Rules
• What are the things we are
commanded to DO in these
Bible verses?
• What are we told to NOT DO in
these Bible verses?
• How are we to run?
• What will result in
disqualification for a Christian?
What are we disqualified for?
• What actions can cause us to
lose our rewards?
• What are the rules for Christian
living?

Discipline & Training
• What are the Christian
disciplines?
• Why did Paul live a
disciplined life?
• What is a disciplined life in
the context of living as a
Christian?
• What are some of the
Christian disciplines that
prepare us for the race?
• What are the
characteristics of our
training?

• What does it mean to run
in such a way as to get
the prize?
• What does the spiritual
athlete need to exercise?
• When have you “run
aimlessly” or “beat the
air”?
• What requires discipline
and self-control in your
life?

Goals
• What is our goal, our
purpose as a Christian?
• What can we do to ensure
we finish well?
• What is the prize for
Christians?

Application to the Lives of Youth
• What lessons can you find in
your past and present
circumstances?
• What training and discipline
has God revealed a need for in
your life?
• What are some goals that you
would like to trust God to
achieve?
• What are your plans (i.e.,
activities) to achieve these
goals?

What can you begin with today,
so that at the end, you can say
like Paul, I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith, and now
there is in heaven the crown of
Righteousness.

Creative Youth Ideas
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”
www.creativeyouthideas.com/goforthegold.html

Creative Youth Ideas
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”
www.creativeyouthideas.com/destinedtowin.html

Bible Lessons For Youth - Running for the Gold

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