Whenever athletes testify publicly about their faith in Jesus - I personally love it. I realize that not everyone loves it and in fact you could find some Christians who don't care for it for varying reasons.After his last second win verses Ohio State, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy's first post game words were, "I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." I've also noticed that several Ohio State stars like James Laurinaitis and Terrelle Pryor were proclaiming their faith as well by putting Bible verses on their eye black. Tim Tebow, quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida (pictured) is another athlete who is unashamed of his relationship with Jesus Christ.
It's not that I think God cares about football or even helps decide the outcome of the game (although He could if He so desired), I just love it when the genuinely saved give glory to the One who gave us breath in a public forum where it's considered 'taboo' to ever say the name Jesus - particularly when it's not being used as a swear word.
This weekend we have an opportunity to watch one of the NFL's best quarterbacks and most radical Christians play - Arizona Cardinal quarterback, Kurt Warner. Warner already has a Super Bowl ring and two NFL MVP's in his resume - but more than that Kurt is the genuine article when it comes to being a servant of Christ. He was raised Catholic but he gave his life to Jesus in 1996.
When he played for the Rams, and after he received a huge signing bonus of 40 plus million dollars, he immediately visited his pastor (Assembly of God church, BTW) and dropped off his tithe check.Recently after a practice he was asked by a reporter if he thought his faith gave him an advantage on the field to which Kurt replied: "I walk by faith and not by sight. I walk according to what I believe, and what I believe the power of God is, as opposed to what the world tells us, or what circumstances appear to be." He went on to say: "So much of this business is 'Me, me me,'...My faith has allowed me to step back from that and say, 'Hey, this isn't about me.'"
EDIT: Tim Tebow is pictured above on the night that his Florida Gators won the National Championship. The next day the number one Google search was: John 3:16.
I like Kurt Warner too, and find myself hoping he does well, but if the Cardinals face the Steelers in the big dance, all bets are off! ;-)
ReplyDeleteLet's go STEELERS!!!!!
ReplyDelete*waves Terrible Towel*
gotta say, as a life long steelers fan, i'm pulling for them too.
ReplyDeletebut warner has shown, in victory (and probably more importantly) in adversity that his faith is real.
something else cool about the osu-texas game. after the game, in the osu press conference, they asked laurinaitis about mccoy. laurinaitis did not answer about colt's strength or football instincts or anything about him from the field...he spoke about how colt was a real man of faith and was a genuine man of character.
i thought that was a pretty cool statement about both men.
"as a life long steelers fan"
ReplyDeleteLord help us ;^)