Two Bowls, Two Champions

Football season has come to an end and so I and many of you have an empty place within us until next fall when they tee the ol’ pigskin up again. But before we say adieu, I want to revisit the two championship games from both college and the NFL.

First let’s look at the final college game. It was the University of Florida against Oklahoma University. One of the participants was the Florida was quarterback Tim Tebow. Tim is a young man with a great deal of talent. But that’s not why I am writing about him. Talent in college football is everywhere. In a game like that, talent is shared by all. It’s not a case of who has any, only a case of how much each has. The Sooners had their own star quarterback (and Heisman Trophy winner) Sam Bradford. But Tebow stands out, not because he won the Heisman the year prior, but because of his clear and bold statements about his Christian faith. Tim is even bold enough to sport scripture on the black patches under his eyes that he wears during games. Tebow says this about his faith, “If people don’t believe it, that’s fine. There’s always going to be nay-sayers, people that are going to say it’s fake. But that’s fine, because you can’t control everybody. But I can control what I do, my attitude, how I approach the situation. How I approach the situation is I want to do everything in my power that football gives me to influence as many people as I can for the good, because that’s going to mean so much more when it’s all said and done than just playing football and winning championships.” Before last season began, Florida coach Urban Meyer was asked about his star. Meyer responded not about football, but about how Tebow has inspired the Coach to go with his own family on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. “Tim has done a lot of things that opened my eyes, and that’s one of them,” Meyer said. “To have our children experience that, with three other families, it was a life-changing experience.” What a witness for Christ!

The second player I want to highlight is none other than Kurt Warner, the star quarterback from the upstart Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were in the Super Bowl for the first time ever. But Warner had been to the big game twice before with the St. Louis Rams. He had won one and lost one. He is a guy who, after spending some time stocking grocery shelves, caught on with the Rams as a back up quarterback in 1999. When the Rams needed him, he stepped in and delivered. But, like so many other players in the NFL, his talent got him recognized, but his faith in God and willingness to speak about his faith has set him apart. Warner said, "If you ever really want to do a story about who I am, God's got to be at the center of it. Every time I hear a piece or read a story that doesn't have that, they're missing the whole lesson of who I am." In Warner’s own words, his faith defines him. No the Cardinals did not win, but that fact is irrelevant, Warner, Tebow, and anyone, including you, who witnesses about God’s love, mercy, and grace is and always will be… CHAMPIONS!

We look into the book of Acts to explain such zealous behavior by these two men. Acts 1:8 reports that Jesus promises, “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Be bold and brave! May the Holy Spirit’s power descend upon all Christians who read this message so that we too may claim the mantle of champion witnesses.