18 Aug, 2008

Going for God's Gold

For this athlete bronze was not good enough.

GRECO-Roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian has refused to receive his Olympic bronze medal because he thought he'd been dudded.

The Swede, who won the silver in the Athens Olympics, grudgingly climbed the podium but stormed off in a huff after receiving his prize, which he left at the centre of the competition mat before stalking off the stage with a raised clenched right fist.

Abrahamian thought he had beaten Andrea Minguzzi, the eventual gold medallist in the 84kg division in the semi-finals, which would have earned him the right to compete for gold.

But the match was awarded to the Italian and Abrahamian came back strongly in the repechages to claim one of the two bronzes alongside Turkey's Nazmi Avluca.

The rejected medal was returned to the sport's governing body.

story & picture courtesy news.com 8/14/08

Philippians 3:8-14 (NLT)

8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal 12I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about living like Christ?

WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN PAUL'S LIFE?

Paul wrote that he wanted to know Christ more than anything else! This is the passion that God gave him - so that he would become more like Jesus Christ!

WHAT DOES PAUL SAY IS THE WAY TO REACH THIS GOAL?

FAITH! Paul says that the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, is what energized him to live his life with the goal of knowing Him!

HOW MOTIVATED ARE YOU TO KNOW CHRIST AND BECOME LIKE HIM?

This goal sounds impossible because we know how often we fall down as we run toward the finish line. But, we can experience Christ's resurrection power to get us through the suffering of this earthly "run".

And look at God's gold medal that awaits us! We become like Jesus and live with Him forever in Heaven!

How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?

Thank God for sending Jesus to die for your sins and rise from the dead so that you can experience hope now and forever! Ask His Holy Spirit to remind you every day of the goal to become more like Jesus Christ. Pray for the Spirit to energize you with the same daily passion that Paul had for running God's race.

  • Memorize Philippians 3:12 as a reminder of your goal in the Christian life.
  • Write down a "Top Ten" list of what in your world gets you off track in becoming more like Jesus. Place this in your Bible or on your mirror as a reminder to depend on Christ's resurrection power to leave these distractions behind as you pursue the goal of becoming like Jesus.
  • Sit down with an older believer and ask their advice on staying motivated to run toward the goal of being like Jesus.

How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?

  • Pray for friends and family who need Jesus to see His Truth lived out in your life.
  • Use today's DAILYBIDE as a topic for discussion in your youth group or small group.
  • Use today's Olympic story to share the race you are running, being open with how you may fall but still get up.
comments

Ornament

The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

YFC works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.