Week: Holy Spirit Adventures
As usual, we start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
God of rescue and restoration, thank You for Your beautiful mission to save the whole world. Here we are, Lord. Fill us with Your Spirit, and send us so that we can join in with Your mission.
Eric Liddell was born in 1902 in Scotland and he was an amazing sportsman. He was good at cricket and rugby, but his best sport was running. Let’s begin by REFLECTING on a few verses from the Bible that talk about running.
Read by Annika
Hebrews 12:1
We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.
Hebrews 12:1 (NCV)
In 1924, when Eric was only 22, he was chosen to run the 100 metre sprint at the Olympic Games – the most famous athletics event in the world. But there was a problem… the qualifying race for the 100 metres was on a Sunday, and Eric always went to church to worship God on a Sunday. For Eric, going to church was even more important than winning the 100 metres at the Olympic Games, so he chose not to run. Other people thought he was crazy to give up a chance to win an Olympic gold medal, but Eric didn’t agree. ‘I have had my eyes on a different prize,’ he said. ‘You see, each one of us is in a greater race… and this race ends when God gives out the medals.’*
Eric decided to enter the 400 metre race instead, which was on a different day. It wasn’t his best event, and nobody expected him to do well, but he felt that God was with him, and… he won the race! And not only did he get the gold medal, but he smashed the Olympic and World Records as well – that day Eric Liddell became the fastest ever 400 metre runner!
Let’s pause and talk about today’s question which is: What is our favourite sport and who is our favourite sports person? What do we like about them?
Eric Liddell once said, ‘God made me fast. When I run, I feel His pleasure’**. God loves it when we enjoy doing the things that he has made us good at.
Father God, we ASK You to show us what things you’ve made us good at. Help us to use these talents well, and help us to feel your presence with us when we’re doing the things we enjoy.
Some athletes and sports stars have a lot of influence on social media and other places. Let’s ASK God to help them – especially those who are Christians – to use their influence for good.
Father God, please be with Christian athletes and sportspeople. Help them to do well and to use their influence for good too.
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, we say YES to running the race – the life – that you have given to us, in the best way that we can. Help us to keep our eyes on the prize that you give, just like Eric Liddell did.
Pause
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
*Janet and Geoff Benge, Eric Liddell: Something Greater than Gold, (YWAM Publishing, 1999).
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Annika is 10 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with her parents and older brother and sister. Annika enjoys playing Cricket and Aussie Rules Football and loves going to watch her favourite team play football. Annika also learns the drums and enjoys making up her own beats!
