Truett Cathy: Glorifying God in Business (Gospel Light Minute #30)

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Armed with a keen business sense, a work ethic forged during the Depression, and a personal and business philosophy based on biblical principles, he took a tiny Atlanta diner, originally called the Dwarf Grill, and transformed it into Chick-fil-A, the nation’s second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain with more than $3.5 billion in sales in 2010 and nearly 1,500 locations.

Chick-fil-A is known for promoting biblical principles and Christian values in the workplace. His tremendous business success allowed him to pursue other passions – most notably his interest in the development of young people through his many philanthropic endeavours.

He trusted Jesus Christ as his Saviour many years ago, and he is a member of the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Georgia. He has taught Sunday School there for over 50 years. He has testified that the Bible is his guide-book for life. As an extension of his convictions, all of the company’s locations are closed on Sundays — a rare policy within the food-service industry — to allow its employees to attend church and spend time with their families. This is a policy that began when he was working 6 days a week, multiple shifts. He decided to close on Sundays to relax and recharge, as well as to honor God. The policy remains intact today as the restaurants are closed on Sunday. He says his ultimate goal and the goal of Chick-fil-A is, “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us; and, to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” His name is Truett Cathy.

Tom Landry: Because of Jesus He Didn’t Worry About Tomorrow (Gospel Light Minute #29)

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He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in NFL history. He invented the now popular 4-3 defense, and the “flex defense” system made famous by the “Doomsday Defense” squads he created during his 29 year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys.

He won two Super Bowl titles (Superbowl 6 and Superbowl 12), 5 NFC titles, 13 Divisional titles, and compiled a 270-178-6 record, the 3rd most wins of all time for an NFL coach. His 20 career playoff victories are the most of any coach in NFL history. He was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1966 and the NFC Coach of the Year in 1975. His most impressive professional accomplishment is his 20 consecutive winning seasons (1966–1985), an NFL record that remains unbroken and unchallenged. It remains one of the longest winning streaks in all of professional sports history.

He recalled his spiritual journey of attending church with his parents as a child. But as he climbed through the ranks of football, he experienced a “restlessness and emptiness” on the inside. As he neared the top of his profession, he wondered why his happiness at his achievements didn’t seem to last. Two years later, he shared his restlessness with a friend who invited him to church. At 35 years of age and having attended church all of his life, he had never entered into a personal relationship with Christ. After attending this church service, he gave his heart to Jesus Christ. He said of his faith, “I’ve often said that if they would have told me you’re saved by grace, it would have saved me a lot of time. It took me a while to get through all the facts to really understand the Bible and what the gospel of Jesus Christ was all about…I believed my destiny always had been controlled by a power greater than the Cowboys’ ability to win football games. As a Christian, I know my life is in God’s hands. He has a plan for me. Therefore, I never worry about tomorrow or never worry about winning or losing football games. That knowledge gives me a lot of composure in tough situations.” His name is Tom Landry.

I thank God for the life of Tim Tebow, however we need to remember today that there is a long line of Christian men who represented Jesus Christ on the gridiron, and the most distinguished gentleman of all time, and my personal favorite, is none other than Tom Landry. Tim Tebow is continuing that long tradition of men who use the football stage as a platform to share the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reggie White: Living for the Cause of Christ (Gospel Light Minute #28)

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He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history. He helped his team, the Green Bay Packers, win Super Bowl 31 in 1997. The 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 13-time Pro Bowl and 12-time All-Pro selection holds 2nd place all-time amongst career sack leaders with 198. He was selected to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team and the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team. During his professional career, he became famous not only for his outstanding play, but also for his Christian ministry as an ordained Evangelical minister. This led to his nickname, “The Minister of Defense”. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, two years after his death in 2004.

He said of his faith, “I always believed, since I was a kid, that God was going to allow me to play professional football to use it as a platform to proclaim and to live out the name of Jesus, and that is the most exciting part about my life…If we continue to back down from the truth, we’ll never mean anything to the kingdom. Dr. King once said before he died, ‘If you don’t have a cause to die for, you have nothing to live for.’ Jesus is our cause, so we should be willing to sacrifice our lives for Him and others.” Before there was Tim Tebow, there was Reggie White, representing for Jesus Christ on and off the football field.

reggie white, football, green bay packers, minister of defense, Jesus, gospel, daniel whyte iii

Drew Brees: ‘Everything is in God’s Hands’

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He led his team, the New Orleans Saints, to a Superbowl Victory in 2010. He was also MVP of Super Bowl 44. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career – with the Chargers in 2004 and the Saints in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010. He was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2004 and the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008. He was also selected by voters to appear on the cover of Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL 11. Sports Illustrated named him as its 2010 Sportsman of the Year. He and his wife founded, the Brees Dream Foundation to advance research in the fight against cancer and to help rebuild what was lost in Hurricane Katrina. In his book, Coming Back Stronger, he chronicles his journey with the underlying message of never giving up and following God’s plan.

He says of His faith, “I live for God, for the faith that I have in Him. Knowing the sacrifices that Jesus Christ made on the cross for me and feeling like it’s in God’s hands, all I have to do is just give my best, commit the rest to Him. Everything else is taken care of. That takes the weight off anybody’s shoulders. It’s to give you confidence to know that you’ve got somebody looking out for you.” His name is Drew Brees.

Albert Pujols: ‘100% Committed to Jesus Christ’ (Gospel Light Minute #25)

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He is one of the top players in Major League Baseball. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2001, has since been selected as an All-Star nine times, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award three times. He has also twice won the National League Hank Aaron Award. ESPN.com selected him as the greatest player of the decade for 2000 to 2009. As a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, in the 2011 World Series, he established a new record with 14 total bases and he became one of the only three players to hit three home runs in a World Series game.

Despite all of his success, he says, “What has not changed is my love for Jesus Christ. In the spring of 1998, my soon to be wife began sharing with me the love of Jesus. My most exciting moment came when I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. If it weren’t for Jesus, I would not be where I am today and my life would be without purpose. I’ve heard kids say they want to be just like me when they grow up. They should know I want to be just like Jesus.” He also said, “My life’s goal is to bring glory to Jesus. My life is not mostly dedicated to the Lord, it is 100% committed to Jesus Christ and His will. God has given me the ability to succeed in the game of baseball. But baseball is not the end; baseball is the means by which my wife and I glorify God. Baseball is simply my platform to elevate Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.” His name is Albert Pujols.

Allyson Felix: “Running for God’s Glory” (Gospel Light Minute #23)

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She is a track and field athlete, who competes internationally for the United States of America. She is an Olympic gold medalist, winning gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics as a member of the United States’ Women’s 4 x 400 meters team. She is also a two-time Olympic silver medalist at 200 meters, as well as the only woman ever to be a three-time Athletics World Championship gold medalist for that distance. She is also a member of President Barack Obama’s Council for Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.

Raised in a Christian home in Southern California where her father was an ordained minister and New Testament professor, she sees her running ability as a gift from God. She says of her faith, “My faith is the reason I run – it calms my heart and makes everything feel like a lift. My speed is definitely a gift from Him, and I run for His glory. Whatever I do, He allows me to do it.” Her name is Allyson Felix.

Billy Blanks Found Success and Satisfaction When he Gave his Life to Christ (Gospel Light Minute #22)

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His Tae Bo fitness system has helped millions of people around the world get in shape and feel great. In 1975 he became the first Amateur Athletic Union champion, a title he won five times. The AAU is a multi-sport organization that is dedicated to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. By age 16, he had earned a black belt in karate and went on to earn a spot on the U.S. Karate team which won 36 gold medals in international competition. He became the captain of that karate team in 1980. A seventh-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, the dominant Korean version of karate, he holds black belts in five other forms of martial arts. He also became the 1984 Massachusetts Golden Gloves Champion and the Tri-State Golden Gloves Champion of Champions.

In 1988 and 1989, while pursuing a career in acting he felt that something was missing in his life. As he continued to become more successful, he said “I was always searching” for something else.

One day a friend suddenly invited him to church. They went together and he was so impacted by the Lord that he “received Jesus the same day.” When his wife, Gayle, saw the change in him over a period of months, she gave her life to Christ, too and their children soon followed. When people ask him his secret to success, he says that it was when he dedicated his life to the Lord that his career took off. His name is Billy Blanks.

Former Drug Dealer and Adulterer Meets Jesus Christ and is Now Winning Souls and Taking Names in the Sudan as the “Machine Gun Preacher” (Gospel Light Minute #21)

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By his early teens, he was constantly in fist fights, selling hard drugs and sleeping with married women. He continued to slide deeper into a life of violence and crime until he became a Shotgunner – an armed guard for drug dealers. His father, a former marine, grew fond of saying “Boy, somebody’s gonna kill you one of these days!”

Haunted by his father’s words, he became increasingly concerned that he was going to be killed because of drugs and slowly began to distance himself from his former life. Soon, his wife, Lynn, accepted Jesus Christ and helped bring him to Christ as well. After committing his life to Jesus, he kicked his drug addiction, built a church, became its preacher and managed a thriving construction business in Pennsylvania.

But in 1998, he went to Uganda as a volunteer for a construction project. That one trip, which was supposed to last only a few weeks, drastically changed the course of his life, his family and of hundreds of children in southern Sudan. Since 1998, he has spent his time in Africa rescuing children from being recruited as child soldiers or being forced into sex trafficking. He also runs an orphanage in Southern Sudan. His name is Sam Childers, and he is now known as the “Machine Gun Preacher.”

Emmitt Smith: Faith, Success and a Strong Belief in God (Gospel Light Minute #20)

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Beyond his stellar college football career with the University of Florida, he played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He is the winner of 4 NFL rushing titles, and is the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons. In 2002, he surpassed Walter Payton’s All-Time Leading Rushing Record of 16,726 yards to become the NFL’s All-Time Leading Rusher. During his career, he led the NFL in rushing 4 times, won 3 Super Bowl Titles, League MVP honors in 1993, the Super Bowl MVP Award (in Super Bowl 28), and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 8 times. He is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season in 1993. He finished his career with a total of 18,355 yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and is the first player from the 1990 NFL Draft to be inducted.

A devout Christian and family man, he shows his strong belief in God in his daily life and in projects that he uses to help others such as the Charities for Underserved Children which he heads with his wife. He urges Christians to pursue their God-given dreams and to combine persistence, humility, determination, courage and faith to be a winner in their calling. His name is Emmitt Smith.

A.C. Green Decided to ‘Trust Jesus and Live by His Standards Instead of Being a People Pleaser’ (Gospel Light Minute #19)

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He is a former NBA basketball star who played in more consecutive games than any other player in NBA and ABA history. With 1,192 straight games played, he earned the nickname “Iron Man”. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. He is a three time NBA champion in 1987, 1988, and 2000. He was an NBA All-Star in 1990 and Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1984. At the 2011 All Star Breakfast, he was awarded the Bobby Jones Award for character, leadership, and faith in the world of basketball at home and in the community. He is also well-known for beginning and ending his NBA career as a virgin. Currently, he runs youth camps through his foundation promoting abstinence until marriage.

While growing up in a very religious home, he did not accept Jesus Christ into His life until he was on his way to college with a full-ride basketball scholarship. Being an All-American player, and being very popular, he says of his salvation experience, “I had a lot of things going for me but at the same time I was very empty on the inside. Something was wrong. I finally decided that the most important thing for me to do was to find out what it took to go to heaven and understand more about this Jesus person that I have heard so much about.” He goes on to say, “I was at a church in Hermanston, Oregon and the amazing thing was that God really spoke through the Minister. He had a sermon that day, in which he asked, ‘do you want to go to heaven or do you want to go to hell?’ He spoke from what I now know as the gospel. I had to make a decision whether I wanted to trust Jesus and live by the standards that He set or be someone who seeks to please man.” Out of his ten friends that were with him that day, he was the only one to go to the altar that Sunday morning and accept Jesus Christ into his life. He said, “I learned that it wasn’t important to be a people pleaser, but to be a man who pleases his Lord and Savior…Now, I put everything on the line for Jesus.” His name is A.C. Green.

James Brown said, ‘Even Though I Was Successful, I Felt a “Distinct Emptiness” in My Life’ But he Turned to the Lord and Jesus Christ Filled that Emptiness and He Can do the Same for You (Gospel Light Minute #18)

He was an All-Metropolitan and All-American basketball player in high school. He graduated from Harvard University and received All-Ivy League honors and also became captain of his team in his senior year. After being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s, but falling short of making the roster, he was offered a position as a sports broadcaster for the Washington Bullets. He later moved on to the anchor position at WDVM-TV in Washington, DC and soon began working at CBS. While at CBS Sports, he worked as a play by play announcer for NFL telecasts and major events such as the NBA finals and the Winter Olympic Games. In 1994, he accepted the position of host of the NFL on Fox pregame show. He is the current host of The NFL Today on CBS and Inside the NFL on Showtime.

He says of his faith, ‘when I worked in the corporate world I was considered a success by the world, because of the good money I made, and the Corvette I owned, but I felt a “distinct emptiness” in my life. I knew the reason was because I wasn’t walking with God, and I turned my life back over to the Savior. I prayed that God would help me walk uprightly before Him, and now my life is ‘wonderful.” He challenges young people by saying, ‘ all other success in life, apart from believing and trusting Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and living for him, is “short-term success.” Knowing Christ brings peace. His name is James Brown.

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Todd Beamer, the Man Who Said “Let’s Roll” on Flight 93, Knew he Was Going to Heaven When he Died on 9/11. How About You? (Gospel Light Minute #17)

Let’s Roll!

He is recognized as a hero for his actions aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. After United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked, he and other passengers communicated with people on the ground via in-plane and cell phones, and learned that the World Trade Center had been attacked using hijacked airplanes. Trying to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of a plane seat, he was routed to GTE supervisor Lisa Jefferson. He reported that one passenger was killed and, later, that a flight attendant had told him the pilot and co-pilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded. He was also on the phone when the plane made its turn in a southeasterly direction. He later informed Lisa Jefferson that some of the plane’s passengers were planning to “jump on” the hijackers and fly the plane into the ground before the hijackers’ plan could be followed through. Before ending the phone call, he recited The Lord’s Prayer with Jefferson, and his reported last audible words were, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.” He and his wife taught Sunday School at their church for six years, and he is known today as a man of faith, selflessness, and courage. He was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2002. His name is Todd Beamer.

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Vivian Stringer Found the Strength she Needed to Go On in Life through Jesus Christ (Gospel Light Minute #16)

She is a prominent women’s college basketball coach, with one of the best records in the history of women’s basketball. Known for her grace, class, strength, perseverance, and winning spirit, she holds the distinction of being the first coach in NCAA history to lead three different women’s programs to the NCAA Final Four: Rutgers in 2000 and 2007, the University of Iowa in 1993, and Cheyney State College (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania) in 1982. She is the third winningest coach in women’s basketball history, and she is the third women’s basketball coach to win 800 career games. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2009. She is currently the head coach of the Rutgers University women’s basketball team.

After watching her daughter fight for her life with spinal meningitis and watching her husband die from a massive heart attack, she says of those experiences, “I looked back on my life and just reflected and I thought, ‘I can’t go on. I can’t make it.’ The only way I could have gotten through these events is with confidence, trust, and faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” She says of her faith today, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior. And He’s my refuge. He’s the person that I can always count on, the person who I quietly talk to when no one else is there — the person who will give me strength to handle the most difficult of situations. And that I know is championing me to be able to speak to others.” Her name is Vivian Stringer.

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Smokey Robinson: Jesus Christ is the ‘Way Out of this Havoc and the Way Into Paradise’ (Gospel Light Minute #15)

He is known as one of the primary figures associated with the great days of Motown hits, second only to the company’s founder, Berry Gordy. His consistent commercial success and creative contributions earned him the title “King of Motown”. As an original member of Motown Records’ first vocal group “The Miracles” and as a solo artist, he delivered many US and UK Top 40 hits for Motown between 1960 and 1987. Besides recording and singing, he also wrote hit songs such as “My Guy”, “The Way You Do the Things You Do”, “My Girl”, and “Get Ready”. His 1960 single “Shop Around” was Motown’s first number one hit on the R&B singles chart and its first million-selling hit single. He has won many awards for his work including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and the National Medal of Arts in 2002.

One day while visiting a local minister’s home, he accepted Jesus Christ into his life by praying what is called the sinner’s prayer. He says of his faith in God, “I know the strength that Christ gives me. I know what He did for me. I know that He is my way out and my way in.
He’s my way out of all this havoc and my way into paradise. He suffered for me and for everybody. It’s so simple. God loves us so much. He said, “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to make it real simple for you. I’m going to send my Son, Jesus Christ. He’s going to take on all your iniquities and all your sins. He’s gonna die in your place so you can have everlasting life. All you’ve got to do is accept Him as your Saviour.” The gentleman who gave this testimony is Smokey Robinson.

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Angela Bassett Realized God’s Amazing Love for Her (Gospel Light Minute #14)

She is one of the most powerful and respected female actors of all time. She has won numerous awards including a Golden Globe and the NAACP Image Award. Her film credits include starring as Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, as Betty Shabazz in “Malcolm X” and “Panther”, as Rosa Parks in “The Rosa Parks Story”, as Katherine Jackson in the miniseries “The Jacksons: An American Dream” and as Voletta Wallace in the film “Notorious”. She graduated from Yale University with a BA in African-American Studies and with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. Like Denzel Washington, she is a longtime worshipper at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in California. She said of her faith, “When you realize that every breath is a gift from God. When you realize how small you are, but how much He loved you. That He, Jesus, would die, the son of God himself on earth, then you just weep.” Her name is Angela Bassett.

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