Bible Lessons

For Youth -
Blade Runner
God reveals his
strength in our
weakness
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The Olympic Games celebrates
the athlete at their best. It is
the pinnacle of human sporting
achievement and youre likely
to see every Olympian striving
to give their most perfect
performances, many after years
of challenging training. But
today, our focus shifts to one
particular athlete that has
caught our attention. One that
isnt quite so picture perfect.
We want to introduce you to
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The Blade Runner
South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius,
also known as the Blade Runner, was
born in 1986 in Johannesburg.
Oscar is like most runners competing in
the 2012 London Olympic games.
Theres only one difference. He has no
legs. Born with a congenital absence of
the calf bone in both legs, he had to
have them amputated between the
ankle and knee at the age of 11 months.
Ironically, this record breaking
Paralympians only obstacle is the
controversy he faces over his prosthetic
limbs, as some critics have claimed
gives him an advantage over able-
bodied athletes.
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In 2007 the International
Association of Athletics Federations
conducted research on Oscars
prosthetic legs and found that it
gave him certain advantages
against able-bodied athletes. They
claimed his prosthetics were lighter
and had more spring than normal
legs. Although he won the appeal,
he did not qualify for the 2008
Beijing Olympics. However, he
performed exceptionally well at the
2008 Summer Paralympics: he won
gold in the 100m, 200m, and 400m
events, completing the 400m race
in a world-record time of 47.49
seconds
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In 2012, he will be competing in
the 400-m and the 4 x 400m
relay events, being the first
double amputee runner at the
Olympic games. In response to
being admitted to the Olympic
team, Oscar said, Today is truly
on of the proudest days of my
life. To have been selected to
represent Team South Africa at
the London 2012 Olympic
Games is a real honor and I
am pleased that years of hard
work, determination and
sacrifice have all come
together.
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Oscars story of determination and
perseverance in spite of his
condition inspires us. He wasnt
born perfect, he had his struggles,
but he chose not to dwell on the
things he could not do, but kept
his focus on that he could
accomplish.
We have all been called to some
great purpose. And there are times
we may feel our past experiences,
our failures, our lack of spiritual
maturity, our lack of talent or skill
disqualify us from partnering
with God to fulfill that purpose.
We feel handicapped and
inadequate; that our weaknesses
far outweigh our strengths.
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Take It to the Next Level
Paul was a spiritual giant in his own
right. He was an apostle, much of the
New Testament are his inspired
writings. He had performed
numerous miracles in the name of
Jesus, he had led thousands to God.
But he had a thorn in his flesh. The
Bible never explains to us exactly
what it is in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, but
its often implied to be a physical
weakness. He asked God to remove it.
Not once, but three times. God
responded to him, pretty much the
same way He refers to our own
weaknesses, My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect
in weakness.
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Just like Oscar whose disability
strangely perceived to give him
advantages over other able-bodied
runners, Gods power is perfected
in us, not in spite of, but because
of our weaknesses. Pauls
response? Therefore I will boast
all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christs power
may rest on me. That is why, for
Christs sake, I delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong. We COULD ask
God to remove our weaknesses.
Why not? He has the power to do it
doesnt He?
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The funny thing is, if God
really did that, whats going to
stop us from depending on
our own abilities, on our own
strength? Whats going to stop
us in boasting about what WE
have accomplished?
Take a good look, friends, at
who you were when you got
called into this life. I dont see
many of the brightest and
the best among you, not
many influential, not many
from high-society families.
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Isnt it obvious that God
deliberately chose men and
women that the culture
overlooks and exploits and
abuses, chose these nobodies
to expose the hollow pretensions
of the some bodies? That
makes it quite clear that none of
you can get by with blowing your
own horn before God. Everything
that we have right thinking and
right living, a clean slate and a
fresh start comes from God by
way of Jesus Christ. Thats why
we have the saying, If youre
going to blow a horn, blow a
trumpet for God. 1 Cor 26:31
(MSG)
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So, lets not go around tooting our
own horns. Lets not hide behind
our weaknesses any longer. Let us
trumpet out loud that all we have
comes from God. The weak, the
insecure, the inadequate, we are
everything God made us to be.
Victorious in our weaknesses,
triumphant because of His grace
working through us that comes
through our relationship with
Jesus Christ.
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Dont feel like youre worthless
before God you actually are! BUT
our worth doesnt come from
what youve done, what you do, or
what you will accomplish. Your
worth comes because the creator
of the universe chose YOU. Chose
to die for YOU. Chose to work
through YOU as His instrument on
this earth. Chose YOU to be His
heir and spend eternity with.
Thats exactly how much YOU are
worth.
We are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. Rom
8:37b (NIV)
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Scriptures Verses for Youth Bible
Study
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
But he said to me, My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.
Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so
that Christs power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christs sake, I
delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.
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1 Cor 26:31 (MSG)
Take a good look, friends, at who
you were when you got called into
this life. I dont see many of the
brightest and the best among
you, not many influential, not
many from high-society families.
Isnt it obvious that God
deliberately chose men and
women that the culture overlooks
and exploits and abuses, chose
these nobodies to expose the
hollow pretensions of the some
bodies?
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That makes it quite clear that
none of you can get by with
blowing your own horn before
God. Everything that we have
right thinking and right living, a
clean slate and a fresh start
comes from God by way of
Jesus Christ. Thats why we
have the saying, If youre
going to blow a horn, blow a
trumpet for God.
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Romans 8:35, 37-39 (NIV)
Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who
loved us. For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons,[b] neither the
present nor the future, nor any
powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
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Questions for Youth Discussion
[Teacher's Note: We often learn
more about a person's true
character through their weaknesses
rather than their strengths. The
power that youth would like to have
often reveals an area where they
are feeling weak.]
Who is your favorite superhero?
Why? What is that superheros
weakness? Why is it that every
superhero has a weakness? If you
could have one supernatural power,
what would it be? Why?
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Why is it that God allows
weakness in our lives?
Whos your favorite Athlete?
Why?
As a society we are more likely
to look up to weakness than
strength. Why?
What are some of the things
that our society defines as a
strength? As a weakness?
In what ways have you seen a
weakness become a strength?
Why are youth more likely to
boast of strengths rather than
weaknesses?
How does Pauls view of
power and weakness differ
from that of the world?
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What are some of the
weaknesses that youth have
to deal with?
What understanding, or
insights have you learned
from your own experiences
regarding weaknesses and
struggles?
How have you seen God work
in your own life during times
of weakness?
How have you seen God work
through you in times of
weakness?
In what experiences have you
seen God turn a weakness
into a strength?
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Application to the Lives of Youth
In what areas of your life are
you more likely to rely on
your strength rather than
Gods strength?
What weaknesses, struggles,
or constraints in your life
might God be able to use?
What is an area where you
will commit to trust God this
week, even though you might
feel weak or inadequate in
that area? What step of faith
will you take in spite of your
perceived weakness?
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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.
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Go for the Gold
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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.
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Destined to Win
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