Mike Slaughter - Made for a Miracle Youth Study Book: From Your Ordinary to Gods Extraordinary

MIKE SLAUGHTER

From Your Ordinary

to Gods Extraordinary

Youth Study Book
by Josh Tinley

MADE FOR A MIRACLE
FROM YOUR ORDINARY TO GODS EXTRAORDINARY
YOUTH STUDY BOOK

Copyright 2017 Abingdon Press

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, PO Box 280988, 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN 37228-0988 or e-mailed to .

This book is printed on elemental chlorine-free paper.

978-1-5018-4150-7

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Few American sportscasters are as accomplished or revered as Al Michaels. During a career that spanned more than fifty years, Michaels has done the play-by-play call for Super Bowls, World Series, and NBA Finals. Hes won five Emmy Awards and has been inducted in multiple halls of fame. Despite these unparalleled accolades and achievements, Michaels is probably best known for calling an amateur hockey game in 1980.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (or USSR, which included Russia and several surrounding countries) became obsessed with athletics and winning international competitions. From 1954 to 1980, the Soviet ice hockey team won a total of 16 World Championships and five Olympic gold medals. In the four Olympics from 1964 to 1976 they compiled an overall record of 27-1-1. Though the Olympics was an amateur competition, many of the Soviet players were veterans whod had long careers at a high level of competition. The USSR hockey team frequently won exhibition games against National Hockey League teams in the United States and Canada; theyd even defeated teams of NHL all-stars. They were the overwhelming favorites heading into the 1980 Olympic Games, and they won their first five games by large margins.

The American team, by contrast, was made up mostly of college hockey players, with an average age of twenty-one. Only one player for Team USA had any Olympic experience. The Americans had finished fifth at the 1976 Olympics and no better than sixth at any of the three World Championships leading up to the 1980 games. While the United States had a proud hockey history (and in 1980 had made it through the first round of play with four wins and one tie), the Americans were not on the same level as the Soviets, or even close to it.

When the Americans and Soviets met on the ice during the medal round at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, Team USA was a heavy underdog. The Soviets took an early lead and were up 3-2 after the second period. About halfway through the third and final period, the Americans scored two quick goals to tie and take the lead. They withstood a relentless attack from the Soviets and held on. As the clock hit zero, Michaels famously exclaimed, Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Team USA went on to defeat Finland to clinch the gold medal.

What happened in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980 is almost always referred to as the Miracle on Ice. But the result of that hockey game, though unlikely, did not defy the laws of science. There are rational explanations for how one group of humans was able to hit a small rubber disk into a net four times, while another group was able to do so only three times. But for those watching in 1980those who understood the circumstances surrounding the gameit seemed as though something impossible had happened.

Many of Scriptures most memorable stories involve miracles. As the Israelites fled slavery and oppression in Egypt, God parted the Red Sea so they could cross to the other side on dry land. When a widow in Zarephath who had assisted the prophet Elijah lost her son to illness, God worked through Elijah to bring the widows son back to life. When Jesus found himself before a crowd of thousands of hungry people with little food, he took a bit of bread and some fish and fed everyone. And frequently when he encountered someone who was suffering from a chronic illness or ailment, Jesus cured that person. These stories from Scripture show us what God is capable of and what God cares about; they show us that we have hope in otherwise hopeless situations.

But biblical miracles are not limited to incredible events that defy our understanding of medicine, physics, and geology. We also see individuals miraculously transformed; we see relationships forged between people who wouldnt normally associate with each other; we see grace and forgiveness in situations where we would expect anger and vengeance. And, throughout Scripture, God makes these miracles happen by working through people. When Saul (also known as Paul) had an experience of Christ and left behind a life of persecuting Christians, God called a disciple named Ananias to be his spiritual mentor. Even when Jesus miraculously fed the masses, he asked his followers to gather and distribute food.

This study will explore all sorts of miracles, but the emphasis will be on how Gods miraculous work requires the help of you and me. The study is made up of six sessions:

1.You Were Made for a Miracle

God created us with a purpose and calls us to be part of the miraculous work of Gods kingdom.

2.Miracles Come with a Cost

Gods miracles reveal Gods priorities, and participating in Gods miraculous work requires us to make sacrifices.

3.The Miracle of Love

Love is a miracle, and God asks us to love one another as God has loved us.

4.Activate the Power of Faith

Faith is not only belief but also a way of life that involves taking risks and gives us the strength to endure lifes storms.

5.Activate the Power of Prayer

Our prayers are powerful and can work miracles. We can think of prayer having four components: wait, obey, expect, and act.

6.Activate Health and Healing

Participating in Gods miraculous work requires us to maintain our physical and spiritual health.

Each session opens with introductory information that you should read before you meet with your group. A variety of session activities follows, including:

The group sessions in this study open with a discussion of miracles that you and other participants have witnessed during the week. This time is also set aside for following up on commitments you made during the previous session.