Just as the highest honor in sports rewards those who help others, the highest honor in heaven also goes to those who help others by sharing the gospel with them.

1. Youth Devotional -
Sports’ Highest Honor
Just as the highest honor in sports rewards
those who help others, the highest honor in
heaven also goes to those who help others by
sharing the gospel with them.
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2. A String of Ducklings
In the 1992 Olympics Henry Pearce of Australia was competing in the
single scull rowing event at the 1928 Olympics. He was leading when a
duck and her string of ducklings came into view up ahead. They were on
a collision course and Pearce reckoned that his scull would cut the
string in two and sink a few ducklings in the process, so he pulled in his
oars. When the ducks passed, Pearce again bent his back to the task.
There’s a happy ending to the story. Pearce won. Usually, acts
of sportsmanship result in defeat. Remember Leo Durocher’s
pronouncement, “Nice guys finish last”?
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3. A Broken Rudder
It happened a couple of years ago in the marathon tandem kayak
racing event at the world championships in Copenhagen. Danish paddlers
were leading when their rudder was damaged in a portage. British
paddlers, who were in second place, stopped to help the Danes fix it. The
Danes went on to defeat the British by one second in an event that lasted
nearly three hours. But there’s a happy ending to this story too. According
to The Wall Street Journal, the British kayakers won what many people
regard as the highest honor in sports. They became the winner of the
Pierre de Coubertin International Fair Play Trophy.
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4. The trophy is named for the founder of the modern Olympic
Games, and it has been awarded annually for the past 28 years
to people in sports who have demonstrated nobility of spirit. It is
big news in Europe, but it has not been given much recognition in
the United States. In the past, the trophy has gone to a Hungarian
tennis player who pleaded with officials to give his opponent more
time to recover from a cramp, and to a high school basketball
coach who forfeited the Georgia (US) state championship after he
found out that one of his players was scholastically ineligible.
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5. A Broken Bolt
The first trophy went to an Italian bobsledder named Eugenio Monti
for a gesture that exhibited a touch of class. In the two-man bobsled
event at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics, Monti was the leader after his
final run. The only one given a chance to beat him was Tony Nash of
Great Britain. As Nash and his teammate got ready for their final run,
they discovered that a critical bolt on their sled had snapped at the
last moment. Monti was informed of the problem and immediately
took the corresponding bolt from his own sled and sent it up to
Nash. Nash fixed his sled, came hurtling down the course to set a
record and won the gold medal.
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6. As a Christian, our Highest Honor is to appear
before God and have him proclaim, “Well
Done, my good and faithful servant.”
(Matthew 25:23)
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7. Other related Bible Verses
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when
he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God
has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You
have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into
the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:21)
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8. “And we know that for those who love God all things work
together for good, for those who are called according to his
purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to
be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be
the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another.” (John 13:35)
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9. 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

10. 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