[audio https://gospellightminute.buzzsprout.com/3192/129012-russell-okung-never-knew-his-father-but-says-the-heavenly-father-has-always-been-present-gospel-light-minute-123.mp3]
Russell Okung
He is an offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks who was drafted as the 6th overall pick in 2010. He played college football for Oklahoma State University. While there, he was twice recognized as an All-American.
Raised in a single-parent household, he never met his father. However, he learned at an early age to focus on God and allow God’s peace to rule his life. He said of his faith, “My father passed when I was a very young boy. I have never had my father in my life, but my heavenly Father has always been present. The Lord has placed plenty of outstanding mentors in my life to help facilitate my walk. I’m blessed enough to have God fearing men of great valor and integrity to help me. My faith is important to me because I realize that I’m not in this world by accident. My faith speaks to my heart. It gives me confidence, strength, and renews me each day. Though I don’t physically see my faith, I see it manifested through my life, with my platform, off and on the field as well as my personal life. My faith is my rock!”
He is a defensive tackle and is considered by some to be the ‘best defensive lineman in the NFL.’ He was described by Yahoo Sports as ‘the best #6 overall draft pick of all time.’ He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2001 and played with the team until 2008. He then played for the Oakland Raiders from 2009–2012. He played college football for the University of Georgia. He was selected seven times to the Pro Bowl and five times to the All-Pro team. He is a three time Super Bowl champion winning games 36, 38, and 39 with the Patriots. His team was also the AFC Champions four times.
He said of his faith, “I have three Super Bowl rings, but nothing compares to knowing Jesus Christ. I first became a Christian at a young age, but for all the wrong reasons. I was afraid and did not want to go to hell. I did not fully understand the love of God. I went to church, but only because I had to. I knew right from wrong, and felt guilty when doing wrong, but I did not follow Jesus wholeheartedly. It wasn’t until I was married with kids that I made the decision to change my relationship with Him. The challenges of being a husband and father, plus the tragedy of losing my own father, caused me to realize that I need Christ’s help and strength to be the man I need to be. I am not perfect, but Jesus says He will erase my mistakes and make me pure and clean. Today, I still experience ups and downs in life, but in Christ I have peace, joy and true happiness.”
He is a Nigerian-Canadian defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2003. The Chicago Bears obtained him the following year and he played with the team from 2004–2012. He led the NFL in blocked punts/fields goals in 2005, 2006, 2007. His team, the Chicago Bears, were the NFC champions in 2006. And he won the Ed Block Courage Award in 2009. In 2007, he established the Israel Idonije Foundation which “is committed to impacting under-served communities by providing programs focused on social and emotional life skills.” In 2009, he started a company called Blessed Communion which manufactures pre-filled Communion cups for individuals, churches and other religious organizations. On June 10, 2013, he was awarded the “Humanitarian Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy” by All Sports United, which recognizes one athlete per year that demonstrates exceptional commitment to public service.
Raised in church all of his life, he said of his faith, “Just because you go to church doesn’t mean you’re a Christian. Christianity isn’t about religion; it’s about your personal relationship with the Lord. It’s no different than football. Everyone can hope and wish the best for everyone, but ultimately your own actions will determine the result. You have to walk the walk every day. You have to live your life as a Christian, not just go to church once a week and assume you’re Christian.”
He is a defensive end for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted in the sixth round in the 2006 NFL Draft as a defensive tackle. He played college football at the University of Georgia.
During his senior year in high school, he got into a bad car accident where he flipped his truck 5 times and got thrown out of the truck which resulted in a broken leg and a staph infection in his lungs. For him, his chances at playing football in college or the NFL were over. For an All-American, this accident was devastating. However, he immediately went into rehab and by God’s grace he was still offered a scholarship to play college football.
During college, football trumped his faith. He said, “I tell people all the time, I got to college and just lost my mind. I thought I was a Christian because I said the prayer. I said I was a Christian. I knew Jesus but wasn’t serving Him whole heartedly. I felt as long as I went to church on Sunday, and said my prayers, I’d be just fine. I knew mamma was at home praying for me. So I thought that was all that mattered.”
In 2002, he helped the Georgia Bulldogs win their first SEC Championship in 20 years. Everything seemed to be going well. But over the next three seasons, he faced multiple injuries, and his football career again hung in the balance. He was not only brought to a halt physically, but spiritually as well. He said, “I just really got tired of playing the one step forward and five steps back game. And (I was) kind of using God as a good luck charm and not really allowing Him to be the head of my life, as my Lord and Savior.”
After completely turning his life over to Christ and asking him for guidance, his football career got back on track. He continued to play for Georgia until he was drafted by the Redskins. He said of his faith, “[When I made the decision to give my life to Christ,] everything changed. I’d done it my way. I tried to be successful my way. I’ve always been a hard worker, somebody that always did everything right and things never really worked out the way I thought they should. So I got tired of fighting that fight and I realized that I can place my burdens on Him. And all I really need to do is serve Him and glorify Him because that’s what I was created to do…He’s my Lord and my Savior. I count it all joy that He came into this world as a man. (He) dealt with all the things that I dealt with and died on the cross for my sins. So, I’m going to serve Him because He’s my Savior. He’s my Lord. He’s the head of my life. I’m going to honor Him with all that I do. He loves us more than anything. He wants us to have that relationship with Him so that we can be in heaven with Him. Things are going to happen in this world that are going to be hard. Every day is not going to be a cakewalk. But trust in Him and know that the battle is already won. Every situation is different, but there’s always a fork in the road; you can choose the world’s way or you can choose God’s way.”
[audio http://www.buzzsprout.com/3192/121226-dallas-clark-how-the-death-of-his-mother-moved-him-closer-to-god-gospel-light-minute-119.mp3]
Dallas Clark
He is a tight end for the Baltimore Ravens. Before signing with the Ravens, he played with the Indianapolis Colts from 2003−2011 with whom he won Super Bowl 41. He also played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. During his college career at the University of Iowa, he earned All-American honors, and was recognized as the top college tight end in the nation. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2009. And his team was twice named AFC Champions in 2006 and in 2009.
He says of his faith that his mother’s death before his high school graduation pushed him toward God. He said, “Graduating from high school is supposed to be one of the greatest moments of your life. You’re looking forward to college; feeling like you’re on top of the world, all set to run off and explore everything life has in store for you. Four days before my graduation, that’s exactly how I felt. But then something happened that changed things in a hurry: My mother passed away. Suddenly, my entire future looked a lot different. I had every reason to sink down into the dumps at that point, to be bitter at the world and everyone in it. But my mother’s death actually pushed me in the opposite direction instead. It helped to strengthen my belief that God is in control of things, and that even though bad things happen, they happen for a reason. In my mom’s case, even though I thought she was the best person in the world, I really feel that her time here was done. She got me through high school, and now it’s my turn to go out and use what she taught me to make the world a better place. You may be going through a similar loss right now. If so, I feel for you. But I encourage you not to get stuck there. Bring it to God, and ask Him to help you make sense of things. Speaking from experience, I realize such events can feel like the end. But if you give them over to God, He can show you how to make them a new beginning.”
He is a NFL football player who plays safety for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He is a two-time Pro Bowl-er and, twice, he has been the league leader in interceptions.
He played football at the University of Oregon. In his freshman year, he was an All-American second-team selection and the Pac-10 co-freshman player of the year. As a sophomore, he was an All-Pac 10 conference honorable mention. And as a junior, he was an all-Pac 10 first-team selection and the defensive MVP of the 2008 Holiday Bowl.
With all of his success thus far, there’s a lot of pressure and unknowns in the NFL. In fact, when he faced the possibility of being traded during offseason, he said it’s times like that where his relationship with Jesus Christ helps him through life.
He said, “I went to a Christian school growing up, and at 9 (years old) I accepted Christ in my life… The biggest thing in the world that comes to mind [about this relationship] is peace. When you’re in this profession and you get to this level, it’s your job and there’s a lot of pressure from outside people. But that relationship just gives you peace. Peace that comes with being in a relationship with Jesus is mind blowing. The things that people think that matter — money and fame — are short lived. You know people say “NFL” stands for ‘Not For Long.’ This game could be over in a minute. So what do you have as your foundation? If you build football as your foundation, it could be gone just like that. So, you’ve got to make sure your foundation is built on something that’s going to last. And [a relationship with Jesus] is something that will last forever.”
He says, every time he takes the field he wants fans to see more than just interceptions, tackles, and big hits. He said, “I just want them to see a passion, first and foremost. When they see me on the field, I want them to see someone in worship to God; whatever I have, whatever you see me doing, it’s an act of worship.”
He is a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2003, he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2010. After helping the Ravens win Super Bowl 47, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times in 2003, 2006, and 2008. His other records include: most receptions in a rookie season, most receiving yards in a first career game, and most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career, among others.
He said of his Christian faith: “That’s just who I am; that’s just my faith. No matter what goes on in my life; surgeries, injuries, hard times or whatever, I’m a man of faith and I believe that’s one of the reasons I’m here today. Faith is what keeps me grounded; it’s what keeps me focused. Through life you are going to go through some ups and downs, you are going to go through some hardships, but me being grounded in my faith I think truly is the reason that I’m here.”
He is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1998, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2001. During his time there, he led the Seahawks to six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl appearance.
After ten seasons with the Seahawks, he joined the Tennessee Titans for a brief period in 2011. After being released, he signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts in 2013. He was selected to three Pro Bowls in 2003, 2005, and 2007 and to the All-Pro in 2005.
When he was in the first grade, his parents came to Christ. He said, “I grew up in a great church with parents who were great role models.” He personally gave his life to Christ at Vacation Bible School in Boston at the age of 11. While at Boston College, he got involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He credits God with the success he has experienced in football and seeks to glorify Him in all that He does. He said, “God doesn’t need my ability. He just needs my availability. That’s my approach to life.” He and his wife and children frequently team up with Compassion International because they want to see more children reach their full potential.
He was drafted in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams and played with the team until 2010. In 2011, he played for the Washington Redskins. And in 2012, he played with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Stanford University. In 2007, he was the NFC Interceptions leader, and in 2008, he was awarded the MVP award by the St. Louis Rams.
Born in Canada with Nigerian heritage, he said that as a child, his parents taught him about Jesus and he understood the basic Christian holidays, but it wasn’t until he was a freshman at Stanford University that he came to know Jesus Christ personally and he chose to commit his life to serving him. He joined a group called Cardinal Life, a Christian athlete ministry for all the sports teams at Stanford, and through their activities he saw that there was a better way to live.
As the son-in-law of NFL coach and former Chicago Bears middle linebacker, Mike Singletary, he is known to deliver hard hits. When asked whether there was a conflict in aspiring to be a good Christian and the violence inherent in the game of football, he said, “As long as I’m playing by the rules I’m governed by, then God will be pleased with me. As long as I’m hitting them where I’m allowed to hit them, it’s fair game. Everybody agreed to the rules. If he is hurt, you pray for him. He’s in God’s hands. You don’t want to seriously harm anybody. I don’t’ believe that is in the heart of a Christian. We are here to love each other and build them up. God wouldn’t be OK with me trying to hurt someone because we are putting the sport above the lives of the people He created. But He has called us to play this game 100 percent without fear or hesitation to His glory, and as long as we do that within the rules, I believe that in His eyes He is pleased with what we are doing.
He is a defensive end for the New York Giants. He played college football for the University of Notre Dame. And was picked in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice in 2008 and 2010 and twice to the All-Pro in 2008 and 2010. He and his team won Super Bowl 42 in 2008 and Super Bowl 46 in 2012. He has also been voted defensive team captain by his teammates for the past 3 years. His commitment to serving others inspired him to create the “R.U.S.H. for Literacy Program” which seeks to encourage children to Read, Understand, Succeed, and Hope.
He said of his faith, “For me, it started with my upbringing. My mother and father raised us in the church. I know a lot of times you hear about people going to church every day, but I can honestly say that I went to church…just about EVERY DAY. It was this lifestyle of constant worship that was embedded at an early age. I truly believe that I have been blessed to have this platform as an NFL player in one of the biggest markets in America for a reason. That reason is to spread how good God has been to me and to let his light shine through me…Faith is tremendously important in my family and it’s been essential to my development.”
On the impact of Bible study with his teammates, he said, “For our team dynamic, I feel that bible study serves as another way of helping guys stay faithful to God. In the locker room it can be very hard sometimes because you don’t always have guys that are necessarily living for God, so sometimes you need to see a face or hear a voice from guys that are trying to walk in that way. I think it’s been really beneficial for our locker room because it’s brought a lot of guys closer in their faith and closer to each other. It’s really helped us.”
He encourages young people and student athletes to place their faith in Jesus Christ as well. He said, “When I started being recognized as an athlete, it was hard to prioritize my faith. I tried to play both sides of the fence. When I was around people that were Christians, I tried to act like them. Then when I would get around guys that wanted to go out in the club and party I tried to put on that front. If I could offer any advice from the mistakes that I’ve made, I would say: Don’t try to fight it, and don’t try to impress everyone. Live your life the way that you know you’re supposed to, which is living for God. Don’t worry about what people might say or think…You’re not going to make everyone happy so you might as well do what you know is right. Be who you are and that’s good enough. There will be a lot of pressure that will come your way. However, I’ve found out that by being who you are, a child of God, you have all the defense that you’ll need in life.”
She is a comedian, actress, and television personality. She is one of the co-hosts on the daytime talk show, “The View”. She and her co-hosts were chosen as part of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time magazine while Forbes ranked The View hosts #11 among “30 of the Most Influential Women in Media.” She also hosts the “Newlywed Game” and has a role on the NBC series “30 Rock”.
She also stars in her own sitcom “Sherri: on Lifetime. Her film roles include: “Beauty Shop”, “Madea Goes to Jail”, “Precious”, and Think Like a Man” among many others. Her television roles include: “Less than Perfect”, “The Wedding Bells”, “Entertainment Tonight”, and “Dancing With The Stars” among many others. She was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Talk Show Host of The View” in 2009 and an NAACP award in 2009 and 2011.
She grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness. Striving to follow the many rules, she often fell short and seriously disagreed with the strict regulations of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. One rule she disagreed with was when the church elders told her to stop talking to her father because he began to doubt some of the things they believed. She refused to do this and turned her back on the religion. After several failed relationships, abortions, and career mishaps, she decided that she needed something more. In 1993, she gave her life to Jesus Christ.
She said of her faith in Jesus Christ and her continuous success, “I let people know I’m a Christian. It comes up naturally when I do things. If they say you did a great job, I go: ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I do not mind saying: ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ because I’m not that good. When people hear that, they go: ‘She’s thanking Jesus a lot!’ [When I autograph] my scripts, I’ll write ‘God bless you.’ Before we go on to tape a show, I just ask people if we can say a little prayer. I’m not trying to force it on you, but I like to pray so God can make everything smooth.”
She credits the Lord for teaching her about her worth and value in Him. She said, “If I didn’t have God, I would have been dead. My faith [in God] means everything to me. God and I talk constantly. I realized that God gave me this special gift and I have to believe it.”
She is a professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. After graduating from high school where she was named a WBCA All-American, she became one of the star athletes at the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team. In 2001, she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. In 2002, she had an all-star rookie season. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. She is a six-time WNBA All-Star Selection, made the All-WNBA Team six times, and was the 2011 WNBA MVP. In 2004, 2008, and 2012, she helped lead her team to Gold in the Olympic Games. She currently serves as President of the WNBA Players Association.
Though she grew up in the church, her faith only became real to her in her senior year at the University of Tennessee when she suffered a season ending injury just months before the WNBA draft. When she realized all she had was God at that point, she says God gave her the peace and the strength to make it through. Though her injury kept her from playing her first year at Indiana, she gained a new perspective on faith, basketball, and God.
She said, “Peace definitely came from God. It came from realizing I needed to remove my focus from basketball back to God. It seems like every single time I have been hurt it has been the same thing. It’s been that you get so caught up in what you are doing that you forget to give Him the glory. It is hard to be a Christian in the WNBA; and I think it is because of so many different stereotypes. Just trying to walk with Him and not be pulled by all the negative forces from the outside. I think that what I do with my platform is that I live my life as Christlike as I can. [Jesus] is definitely my Savior. He’s the one that walks beside me through my ups and downs and the one that keeps me focused on where I am going in life. He protects me. He provides for me. He guides me and he leads me.”
He is known as “Uncle Si” on the A&E TV hit, Duck Dynasty. Along with his show, he is a backwoodsman, duck hunter, and philosopher. He is the brother of Duck Commander founder Phil Robertson and uncle to Willie, Jase and Jep, his show co-stars. On the show, he has a penchant for telling stories that have been stretched with fiction. Growing up in Louisiana with six other brothers and sisters, his family lived in a small log cabin and were very poor. However, his older brothers fed the family by hunting and that is how the family tradition of hunting started. He has been married for over 40 years and has two children and seven grandchildren.
In an interview with LifeWay Christian Resources, he said this about his faith in God and the success of Duck Dynasty, “A lot of people say, ‘Hey, God doesn’t have a sense of humor.’ Yes, He does. God has a great sense of humor. Look at me. Look at Phil. Look at Willie. Look at Jase. God has taken four guys that look like five miles of muddy road and made them famous in the TV world. [People] ask us all the time, ‘How did you become so successful?’ That would be one answer: The Almighty is the one who has made this a success.”
While he has experienced success, he also credits God for being there for him in the difficult times. He said, “I wonder when people run into bad times, when they go to the doctor and they find out, ‘I’m dying of cancer,’ and they don’t believe in God, who do they turn to? We are all mortal. We are all going in that grave. There ain’t but one way you gonna beat it. If you’ve got something to offer me better than [Christ], I’m all ears. [Jesus] beat the grave and He promises you that since He beat it, if you believe in Him, He’ll make you beat it.” He offers his own apologetic for why he believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he said, “In the winter, things are dead and dull, but then there is an explosion of life. That’s what He promises people who believe in His Son. That’s what all the Robertsons are banking on.”
He is an American musician best known as the former guitarist and co-founder of the nu metal band Korn. He is ranked at No. 26 of Guitar World’s 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time and his work has resulted in over 50 million albums sold. By 1995, his band was earning $25 million in royalties and performing in sold out arenas. By 2003, he had become addicted to drugs and would prepare for tours by stashing as much methamphetamine as he could in vitamin capsules, deodorant containers, and his clothes. His life began to spin out of control when his wife, who was also on drugs, left him taking their daughter with her.
One day, two Christian business partners sent him an e-mail with a single verse that said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and I will give you rest.” Eventually, he went to church with these partners and then started to read the Bible for himself while still doing drugs. He searched for answers and cried out to God. One day he woke up and had the feeling to go to his Bible. He opened it up and the first verse he read said, “the soul who sins is the soul who dies.” He said, “To me, right then, it was like God told me ‘I revealed myself to you. It’s time for you to stop the drugs. It’s time for you to be done.’ And I was consumed with fear and I went and grabbed all my drugs and threw them in the toilet and I said, ‘I’m done God. I’m yours now. I’m yours.’ That’s the last time I did drugs.”
Now, he says, “God put me on Earth to have fellowship and intimacy with Him. And I’m going to spend as much time as I can possibly spend getting to know Him everyday. I don’t want to waste any more time. I have to let Him fill me with His spirit so He can do the work by bringing people into the Kingdom….This band stuff, the stardom, I mean everything, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s God. He’s so real.” His name is Brian Welch.
She is the New York Times bestselling author of “Divergent” and “Insurgent”. Over 4 million copies of the novels have been sold. The first book in the Divergent series spent over 50 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List and is currently being made into a film by Summit Entertainment. She is also the recipient of the Goodreads Favorite Book of 2011 award and the 2012 Goodreads winner for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. The “Divergent” trilogy will conclude with the third book, “Allegiant”, which will be released on October 22, 2013.
She is a Christian who seeks to provide a role model through her books to many young girls “who are growing up and trying to figure out what it means to be female/feminist in a post-feminist world.” Even though she writes for a broad audience, she has never hidden the fact that she is a follower of Jesus Christ. And she often includes questions about faith in her characters’ lives in her books.
In a post on her blog, she wrote: “You can summarize Christian teachings in two parts: crucifixion and resurrection. Brokenness and mending. My concern with many Christians is their refusal to acknowledge brokenness. It’s all fine and good to walk around thinking “I’ve been saved!”, but seriously: saved from what? Sometimes I wonder if they even know, or if it’s too uncomfortable to think about.
“I believe the resurrection has little significance unless you understand the crucifixion — and vice versa. We Christians need to understand both to the best of our abilities. And our belief is that the crucifixion happened because of sin — everyone’s. I try to think primarily of my own sin, because it reminds me not to get self-righteous. My sin. Mine. Just as much as anyone else’s.
“The world is broken. No matter how much time you spend covering your eyes, and covering your children’s eyes, the world will still be broken when you uncover them. And when I say the world is broken, I mean that bad crap is happening to people everywhere and people are doing terrible things everywhere. Do you want your kids to understand just how beautiful the grace of God is? Then they have to understand how crappy the world is. It’s not just ‘a good idea.’ It’s necessary.
“The world is broken, and we need to know that. We need to understand how damaging sin is or we’ll never understand why we need to turn away from it, and fight against it with everything we have… We can talk about how sometimes the world is broken but we believe in a God who wants to mend it, and we are His hands and feet; we get to help.”
The Gospel Light Minute 