Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

The 28th Olympiad has just begun, and this year marks the return of the Olympic Games to the land of their birth, Greece. Throughout these games, the core values of the Olympics are being highlighted, values such as tolerance, solidarity, peace and friendship.

To this list, we might add faith, because faith is what allows each of us, in a well-conditioned body of Christ, to run with perseverance "the race that is set before us."

The letter to the Hebrews was written to a Jewish-Christian community that both knew and experienced the toughness of life. The Hebrews were experiencing real struggle and loneliness, and their strength had been sapped. Some were tempted to abandon the faith or to leave the community completely. In responding to this situation, the writer of the letter speaks like a motivating coach at a sporting event . His concern is to help the Hebrews deal with the "game of life" as it actually is, even though there is no clear-cut playbook or explanation of the game. The writer simply urges the Hebrews on.

Hebrews tells us that faith is what enabled the people of God to pass through the Red Sea, take down the walls of Jericho, conquer kingdoms, administer justice, obtain promises, shut the mouths of lions, quench raging fire, escape the edge a the sword, and put foreign armies to flight

We're talking Olympic Faith. Faith that can help us to press on toward "the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Faith that can propel us upward when life pulls us downward; faith that helps us move forward, when stress and conflict threaten to pull us backward.

When we crash headfirst into hardship, it's important to remember that we're not alone. Just look at the field of athletes in Athens - there's not an Olympian today who hasn't overcome obstacles in order to make it into the Games. They have faced injuries and personal failures, mental and physical challenges, financial and emotional stresses. Having been faithful, now they are sitting victorious, among the world's finest athletes from 202 countries around the globe.

They are surrounded by "so great a cloud of witnesses" - a field of fellow champions, past and present. Today's competitors are moved and motivated by the athletes all around them, as well as by the spirit of the Olympics, which has inspired people for thousands of years.

That's the challenge for us, as we focus on Olympic Faith: to return to our roots, to embrace the people of faith who have gone before us, and to carry forward the tradition of record-breaking reliance on God. In order to achieve our personal best, we have to reach beyond ourselves.

Olympic athletes are constantly looking beyond themselves to gain motivation, insight and ideas from their colleagues and competitors. In the same way, we are inspired by the faith of God's people in every time and place, and we can learn from the way in which our fellow believers have dealt with hardship and suffering.

Are your enemies pursuing you? Learn from the Israelites at the Red Sea.
Have you run into a brick wall? Look to the Israelites at Jericho.

Are you feeling mocked, abused, unfairly convicted and even crucified? Reach for Jesus, "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith", who endured the cross before experiencing resurrection glory.

Far too often, we allow ourselves to be frustrated by failure, and hamstrung by hardship. We fail to grasp that even when the race is tough, our bodies are aching, and everything seems to be falling apart, there is still something within us that is strengthening us, encouraging us, and calling us to persevere.

We tap into this power by faith, by a willingness to rely on God through every failure, disappointment personal hardship or disaster. We gain access to God's strength, encouragement, and perseverance by looking beyond ourselves, by learning from the stories of faithful people, and by trusting God to help us to complete our race.

This faith propels us upward when the agonies of life threaten to pull us down.
This faith promotes our personal best by keeping our focus outside of ourselves
This faith draws us closer to Christ and to our fellow believers, and gives us the strength we need to run the race that is set before us.
This faith attemps to glorify God with every step that is taken.

And this can be our faith..... Regardless of our place in the race.