He is a professional major league baseball player. He plays right field for the Detroit Tigers. Before that, he played for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is a five-time All-Star. He won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder and has won two Silver Slugger Awards.
As a child, he grew up in a neighborhood of crime, poverty, drugs, and gangs. His father was addicted to crack cocaine most of his life and his brother joined a gang. However, he found safety and hope in church due to the influence of his mother and grandmother. This early instillation of faith propelled him to find strength and hope in Jesus Christ and through the Bible.
In an interview with Sports Spectrum, he said of the difficult time he faced growing up that, “The Holy Spirit always was with me and helped me make the right decisions. Sometimes, I’d do some stupid stuff, anyway, and I always paid the consequences. I wasn’t always right. But the more I went through, the closer I got to Him, and the stronger I got to survive in that city.”
He went on to say, “Without Jesus, I promise you, I couldn’t do anything. In everything I do, I ask Him to guide me. Some guys who really don’t have faith actually feel like they want to commit suicide. My faith allows me to go on, day to day, and not worry about what’s on and off the field.”
He currently serves as a mentor to young people and other young baseball players trying to make it to the major leagues. He said, “Anytime I receive something, I try to give it back. That is a blessing, to be a giver. Some people are just takers. I want to be a giver and not a receiver. It’s just about passing the torch. That’s what I want to do.”
She is an actress best known for her TV roles including her portrayal of Maxie Jones on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital” from 2011 to 2012. In 2013, she joined the cast of “Days of Our Lives” as Theresa Donovan, and starred in “The Book of Esther” portraying the biblical character. Her other film and television credits include “Revelation Road,” “Crossing Streets,” “Criminal Minds,” and “iCarly” among others.
In an interview with the Christian Post, she spoke about leaving “General Hospital” and how her faith in God guides her to make the right decisions. About leaving General Hospital, she said, “It was definitely a really scary and challenging experience…[However] At the end of the day we know that our battle is not against flesh and blood. You have to hold your head high and have grace…. I’m actually really excited to be off of ‘General Hospital’ because I know God orders my steps, and this only means He has a new adventure for me. I pursue God on a daily basis, I’m not stepping into oblivion.
On turning down a role in a major motion picture, she said, “I remember reading the script and being like, ‘I can’t do this as a Christian for a lot of reasons. One being that it is a horror movie. I like psychological thrillers but when it’s demonic, there’s no uplifting message. The first person (in the script) to die was a child. I’m a huge advocate of children’s rights. They kept saying God is dead, God doesn’t exist. I would rather not be an actor and be in God’s will.”
As a child, she witnessed her mother pray for Jesus to heal her brother from a debilitating disease while he was still in her womb. Though he was delivered still-born and had stopped breathing for a few minutes, she maintains that her mother’s prayers and laying hands on him brought him back to life. She said, “Regardless of whether I can prove it, I can’t deny the power of Jesus Christ. I can’t deny he raised my brother from the dead. I can’t deny when you say things in the name of Jesus, things happen.”
She is the first African American woman to be recruited and to receive a scholarship for the gymnastics team at UCLA. At UCLA, she was a six-time All American and a four-time national champion. In 2000, she was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame. She competed with the U.S. National Team from 1984 to 1986 and together, they won the South African cup. She, along with her husband, served as chaplains to the Miami Dolphins and their wives.
As a child, she grew up on the rough side of Richmond, VA with a loving mother and a drug-dealing father. Throughout her teenager years, she struggled to gain acceptance and approval from her father who was in and out of her life. It wasn’t until she got to college at UCLA when her life began to change. The man who would become her husband, shared the Gospel with her during her sophomore year and she asked Jesus Christ into her heart.
She said of that time in her life and her faith in God, “I met someone who explained to me that there indeed is so much more to life than I had been experiencing. He shared with me that God loves me, has a plan for my life, and that I can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That’s what I had been missing. That’s what I had been searching for. I asked Jesus to enter my life and make me the person He wanted me to be. Since then, my life and attitude have changed. No longer do I look to the opinions of others, or my own accomplishments, to give me value. Now I look to the unconditional love of God, knowing that He created me as a unique individual with a very special purpose. The change didn’t take place over night. But the more I experience the love of God, the more I realize how much worth and value I have. My search for a sense of worth and value is over. I found it in the unconditional love of God. And His love will never leave me nor change.”
He is a former major league baseball relief pitcher. Nicknamed “Billy the Kid”, he pitched for the Houston Astros from 1995 to 2003, the Philadelphia Phillies from 2004 to 2005, the New York Mets from 2006 to 2009, the Boston Red Sox in 2009, and the Atlanta Braves in 2010. He is one of the few relief pitchers with a total of 400 saves in his career. In 2012, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Seven times he was selected to All-Star teams, and in 2003, he pitched a combined no-hitter.
Though he was born right-handed, after breaking his right arm twice in accidents as a child, he taught himself to throw baseballs using his left arm. Raised in his grandparent’s Christian home, he accepted Jesus Christ into his life at age 12. In an interview with CBN, he said, “I was saved when I was, I believe I was 12 years old. My grandparents had that kind of work ethic and religion and faith that kinda kept me on track.”
When he began playing with his left arm, he said, “God has given me a left arm that has given me a pedestal to be someone that can help [people] better themselves in the faith. Being a Christian I’ve been able to sit there and say [that] this is a learning experience. I said some things when I was out on the mound, I acted in a way when I was out on the mound that is not what God had wanted, but being able to be forgiven and to repent shows that that is what being a Christian is all about.”
“Baseball is just fantasy. It’s a short-lived life, and I have a long life with God. That’s most important, and if I take that for granted, everything that He has graced me with, He can take away. God wants you to be competitive for Him too, so being competitive is the easy part. It’s the balance of knowing who you are and what you want to be. Once I realized as an athlete what was important and what wasn’t, then, I think you’re able to sell out to God.”
He went on to say, “I live a very blessed and graced life with what He’s blessed me to have. So when I think of my career I think solely of what God has given me and blessed me with, and know that [while I’m retired now] I get to go home and live a second chapter that is blessed. My biggest goal and what I want people to see in me is that I love the Lord and He’s the answer. He’s the way, and He’s the rock. All you have to do is lean on Him and know you don’t have to worry. He’s gonna give you that peace.”
She is a stuntwoman, jet-ski world record holder, life coach, wife, and mother. She has appeared in several movies including: “Evan Almighty”, “Titanic”, and “Waterworld”. She also worked on the hit TV series, “24”, for which she won the 2008 Screen Actor’s Guild award for “Best Stunt Ensemble.”
Growing up in a broken home, her perception of life and who she was, was tainted by feelings of being unloved, alcoholism, and abuse. After high school, she became a drug addict and fought that battle for over seven years. Her drug use led her to get involved in an argument with her boyfriend that almost led to her death. After she was released from the hospital she went to church that following Sunday and that is when her life began to turn around.
In an interview with CBN, she said, “I accepted the Lord in my heart and I believed that it was true, because I had just had this experience. When you are living such a dark lifestyle and you do experience the Lord’s grace and peace for the first time, it’s different. Something changes. The relationship I first thought of is ‘God is so far away, how could He have time for me’ to the relationship that I understand now is that He is very interested in me. He’s invested a lot in everyone of us. That was the amazing part.”
She went on to say, “To be a Christian in Hollywood, the cool part of it is there is no compromise. Because I kneel and bow to the Father, I don’t have to kneel and bow to man in the sense of I just know who I am. It’s really important that you know who you are when you step into Hollywood or there’s a cookie cutter that comes on you, and it will shape you.”
He is a line backer for North Carolina State University. In high school, he was team captain and team MVP. In the Shrine Bowl, he also won defensive MVP honors after recording 8 tackles. And after his senior year, he was named an all-state, all-region, and all-area top player.
In an interview with Beyond the Ultimate, he spoke about growing up in church and how he came to know Jesus Christ. He said, “I grew up in the church my grandmother pastored. I always heard that Jesus died for our sins, but I didn’t fully grasp that Jesus was beaten and hung on a cross in our place, even when He did not deserve it, for our eternal life.
“After my grandmother died, I stopped going to church. A few years later, my family and I joined another church and I began to once again pursue Christ. When I got to college, I began doing what most students do: living the party lifestyle. I was still a believer but did not always show it, and I wasn’t bold about my faith. I basically put God on a shelf.
“Now, I understand how important it is to be plugged into a church or spiritual community to help you grow in your faith and keep you accountable. Athletes in Action provided that outlet for me. A teammate invited me to the meetings, and they talked about your identity not being in your sport, which appealed to me. I kept going back, and began really growing in my Christian walk.
“When you truly follow Christ, you find peace in knowing that whatever you go through, the Lord is able to get you through. Once I suffered a knee injury and had to sit out the season. I believe that God allowed this experience to draw me closer to Him. I realize that football does not define me as a person, but it had become an idol in my life.
“I am first and foremost a man of God, and football is just one of the many platforms that God has given me to bring Him glory. I am not perfect, and I fall short on many occasions, but I am standing here today by the grace of God, and I am going to do everything I can to fulfill God’s will for my life.”
She is an actress, television presenter, talk show host, dancer, singer, and songwriter. In 2004, she made her acting debut in the film “Barbershop 2: Back in Business.” She also starred in the movies: “Akeelah and the Bee” and “Madea’s Family Reunion” in 2006; “The Longshots” in 2008; and “Shrink” in 2009. In 2012, she returned to acting, starring in four films: “Joyful Noise”, “Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom”, “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, and “Virgin Mary”.
Alongside acting in movies, she has had numerous television roles including: “True Jackson, VP”, Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” and “Just Jordan.” In 2007, she released her debut album “So Uncool”. In 2012, she released a self-titled mixtape which received over 35,000 downloads. In 2013, she portrayed Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas in the TLC VH1-biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.” She has also won the “NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Series or Special” six times. In 2010, she won the BET YoungStars Award.
In 2014, she made history as the youngest talk show host ever, at 20 years old. She is the host of the daytime talk show on BET, “Just Keke.” In September 2014, she will be the first African-American to portray Cinderella on Broadway.
She grew up in a Christian home near Chicago and sang in her church’s choir. During that time, she developed a relationship with God apart from her parents. In an interview with The Christian Post, she said, “I think that’s the whole point to Christianity… you have to live your life in order to understand God. It’s not about walking around trying to be perfect or going by a rule book. That’s how unbelievable the level of God’s love is for us. It’s that he’s willing to allow us to go our whole life in darkness because in the end we turn back to Him anyway.”
In an interview with EEW Magazine, she said: “My father’s a Deacon, my mother’s a choir director, so I grew up in the church, singing in the choir, and begging my mom if I could have a solo. That’s all very close to home for me… Real faith is when you believe in something that you can’t see. When things are going really bad and you can still get up and say I believe that they’re gonna get better, that there’s a higher lesson to what I’m going through. It can be hard sometimes, and to turn it around like that, that’s true faith.”
In an interview with Madame Noire, she answered the question of how she stays grounded in the entertainment industry. She said, “I stay close to my family, friends and God. I always make sure I am prayed up. My focus is not on the materialistic things around me. I never wanted to get caught up in the Hollywood stuff because that is not what matters. What matters is my purpose and spreading God’s love around the world.”
Her name is Keke Palmer.
This is the “Chief of Sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, reminding you of what the Bible says, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” like you and me. Just as Keke Palmer gave her life to Christ, may I encourage you to do the same. Here is how:
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In fact, I am the chief of sinners, so don’t think that you’re alone.
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Remember, friend, Believe by faith. Share the faith. and Keep the faith!
He is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2004 and played for them through 2009. He also played for the Cleveland Browns from 2010 to 2012. He played college football at Duke University and the University of Georgia. He and his team, the New England Patriots, won Super Bowl 39 in 2005, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles. He helped the New England Patriots win two AFC championships in 2004 and 2007.
Growing up in a Christian home, his earliest memories are of going to church with his parents, attending Christian school, and participating in summer camps with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His father who is a pastor led him to the Lord when he was a young child.
In an interview with Beyond the Ultimate, he said, “One night…Daddy and I knelt down to pray before bed and he asked me this question, “If you died tonight do you know what would happen to you?” I replied “no,” and Daddy proceeded to tell me about John 3:16 from the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Daddy explained to me that I was born a sinful person and that because God loves me, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty of death that I deserved. All I had to do was receive the free gift of salvation that I could never earn on my own. Right then and there we prayed and I received that gift and made Jesus Lord of my life.”
He went on to say, “My life since that day has been an incredible journey. I have learned more and more what it means to live in the power and freedom that life in Christ brings. More importantly I’ve started to exercise and apply that knowledge in my everyday life. Through high school and college at the University of Georgia I stayed involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a local church, but it wasn’t without struggles and temptations. I can remember asking God for forgiveness a number of times, and I can say He forgave me every one of them. I always feel God’s presence, and my desire is to please Him. I do not always please Him but I know that in Him I am a conqueror and He has freed me from the guilt of past failures.”
“The number one thing He has taught me and continues to teach me is that it is not about me. God has a plan that sometimes doesn’t match up to my plan. But I put my faith and trust in Him that he has my best interest at heart and all things will work together for His glory. It is a great comfort for me to know that my job is to be obedient to Him and the rest is in His hands. One of my favorite verses is Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as unto the Lord, not for men.” Whether I’m playing football, being a husband to my wife, being a teammate, working out, studying or one day being a parent, this verse challenges me to do it all to the glory of God.”
He is a British adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild. He is a part of a number of television series in the United Kingdom and the United States on the theme of survival in the wild. In 1997, he became the youngest Briton to climb Ama Dablam in the Himalayas. And in 1998, he became one of the youngest people ever to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. In July 2009, he was appointed the youngest-ever Chief Scout at the age of 35.
In an interview with Relevant Magazine, he said of his faith: “I had a very natural faith as a kid. As a really young kid, I never questioned God. I just knew God existed and it felt like He was my friend. Faith has been and is the backbone of my life.”
“I remember having one moment when some really good friends turned their back on me in a really nasty way. And I remember praying a simple prayer up a tree one evening and saying, ‘God, if you’re like I knew you as a kid, would you be that friend again?’ And it was no more complicated than that. And actually the amazing thing is that all God asks is that we sort of open the door and He’ll do the rest. So often we kinda hide behind our yearning for love and acceptance with loads of complicated theological questions, and actually once that’s stripped away what we really are is just somebody who wants to have that relationship with your Father.”
“Jesus never said, ‘I’ve come so you can feel smart and proper and smiley and religious.’ [Faith] is about finding life and joy and peace. I am not at church a lot because I’m away a lot, so I kind of cling to the simple things, like, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ and ‘I’m holding you by your right hand.’ The simple things are what I try to keep my faith like. Jesus is unchanging and we are forgiven.”
“Sometimes it’s hard for us to believe, really believe, that God cares and wants good things for us and doesn’t just want us to go off and give everything up and become missionaries in Burundi. And some people are just scared, and they go, ‘Oh, God just wants me to be religious,’ but actually He just loves us. He just wants us to be with Him, and that’s been a journey to discover that. That’s one of the big questions I asked: ‘If you do exist, are you cozy? Are you what my heart really aches for?’”
“Christianity is not about religion. It’s about faith, about being held, about being forgiven. It’s about finding joy and finding home. We all want that, but nobody wants religion. Why do people turn away from faith? They’re not, they’re turning away from religion most of the time. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want to be forgiven or held or find peace or joy in their life. We try loads of other stuff—we think booze or foxy women or whatever will fill it—but it doesn’t fill the hole [like Jesus].”
She played college volleyball at UCLA, starting for three seasons and serving as captain for two seasons. While at UCLA, she earned All-American honors. In 1996, she started her pro beach volleyball career and competed for two seasons on the four-person circuit. She helped her team to win the title in the 1997 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Los Angeles. In 1999, she won the silver medal at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Marseille (Mar-sa). She also partnered with Annett Davis on two-person events and the pair qualified for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and placed fifth at the games. Throughout her athletic career, she has finished first 10 times in the U.S. and 2 times internationally, including 7 times on the AVP tour. In 2002, she was honored with the AVP Special Achievement Award. In 2004, she and Davis became the U.S. team with most career tournaments played together. Together with her husband, they work with Athletes in Action’s pro ministry.
In a testimony for BeyondtheUltimate.org, she said of her faith, “Everyone has something they are passionate about and for me it has always been sports. I can remember even at a very young age loving to compete, and when I was introduced to the game of volleyball in 7th grade I was hooked. Yet as great as this passion was, I became even more passionate about something else during my sophomore year in college.”
“During that time I developed a passion for knowing who God really is. I used to think that God was a God of ‘do’s and don’ts,’ but I learned that He is a God of love and that He loves me unconditionally. He loves me so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to this earth so that I could have a relationship with Him. By committing my life to Christ, I know that I have been forgiven of my sins, have entered into a personal relationship with Him, and will spend eternity with God.”
“My passion for sports has provided many great experiences. I have been privileged to compete for three national titles in college, professionally on the beach and represent the United States in the Olympic Games. It has also taught me many valuable life lessons about integrity, hard work and perseverance. But my athletic experiences and lessons learned pale in comparison to my greatest passion, living a life committed to the person of Jesus Christ.”
He is a professional basketball player who played college basketball at Texas A&M University. He played for the San Antonio Spurs in the Summer of 2010 before signing with a Polish team for the rest of the season. During this same year, he was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team as well as the All-Big 12 Third Team. In 2011, he signed with the GasTerra Flames of the Netherlands and was named a PLK All-Star. From 2012 to 2013, he played for teams in the Ukraine, China, and South Korea. In 2014, he signed with the Wellington Saints in New Zealand and was named a New Zealand National Basketball League champion.
He said of his faith, “There have been times in my life that I was told that I could not achieve something, and at those times I have looked to my favorite lifeline from the Bible: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ This promise from Philippians 4:13 has guided me and energized me. It reminds me that I can face any life challenge with Jesus Christ. Therefore, to have a relationship with Christ is to have enough. I attribute my success to my faith in God and our relationship, and my strong family values [from the Bible]. And I always hold close to this folk proverb: The smarter a man is, the more he needs God to protect him from thinking he knows everything.”
He is a professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was picked first overall in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. Before the Dodgers, he played for the Texas Rangers from 2004-2005, the San Diego Padres from 2006-2010, and the Boston Red Sox from 2011-2012. He was named Most Valuable Player four times in 2008-2011. He won the Silver Slugger Award in 2011 and the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2008, 2009, and 2011. Together with his wife, they created a Foundation, which is focused on empowering underprivileged youth in areas of athletics, education and health.
In an interview with BeyondtheUltimate.org, he said of his faith, “I grew up going to church two to three times a month, but never really got to know the [Bible] or have a relationship with Christ. In 2003, just being around a bunch of guys who are [Christians] on the team, and going to baseball chapels and Bible studies off the field, I really started wanting that relationship and started trying to understand what it was about. My wife, Betsy, had a strong relationship [with Christ] at the time, so as a married couple we decided we should have our relationship with the Lord be the foundation of our marriage. Since [Betsy and I] have been in baseball, we put ourselves around people who will help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. It’s in the Bible that belief in Christ is what you are searching for and need. For us, Christ really has transformed our lives and we couldn’t be any happier, we are content with whatever happens. We look toward Christ to fulfill us.”
He went further to say, “[Christ has given me] a different perspective in life – in my marriage, in my attitude on the field, and in everything else, including [trying to be] the best husband to my wife as possible and striving to be the best person I can be. You see yourself in a different position. You don’t put yourself first, you put yourself last. That’s [something] I never thought I could do until I became a [Christian]. Now I try to live [as God would have me to live] every day and to let others see [that] so others can come to Christ. Anytime I can share in public, I try to take advantage of that as Christ would want me to do. I try to do what I can to lead others to Christ. I have success in baseball, but I know that is because of the Lord. I know my preparing and my hard work definitely play a part, but it would not be done without Christ.”
He is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Before that, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and served as the Eagles special teams coach for nine years. While leading the Ravens to 71 wins since 2008, he is considered one of the best head coaches currently in the NFL. His 9 playoff wins are the most by any head coach in the NFL since 2008. He led the Baltimore Ravens to win Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans in 2013.
In an article for BeyondtheUltimate.org, he said of his faith: “I had always been more fascinated by church history than the Bible itself. When I arrived at Miami University (Ohio) as a freshman defensive back, two teammates invited me to a Bible study. I was intrigued by the Bible’s logic. Things started clicking about God, the universe, sin and Christ’s death on the cross. Before long, I surrendered myself to Christ. I remember walking home thinking, ‘If I fall on the ground and die right now, I’m right with God.’ I felt a real freedom.”
He went on to say, “My Christian faith brings me peace. It brings a certain peace that surpasses all understanding. I think if you have that, it gives you a chance to accomplish whatever it is you are supposed to accomplish. I think it’s critical to make time for God; it’s a way to honor and praise God. You just humble yourself before God and let Him know that these things that we do are for Him. The biggest thing I’ve learned faith-wise is that God is in the driver’s seat. That is what faith is. It’s the belief in the things that are unseen. It’s a certain trust in life and in God, our Creator.”
“More than anything else, I want God to stay close to me so I don’t get caught up in myself and basically embarrass myself. I used to pray for other reasons, and every now and then I’d pray for a turnover. But that’s selfish behavior. When you make yourself small and raise up the other people around you, that’s the Christian message.”
He is a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was signed by the Jaguars in 2012. He played college football at Liberty University, where he played quarterback. In 2011, he was named the Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and named to the Big South Preseason All-Conference. While at Liberty, his team, the Liberty Flames, won four straight Big South Conference championships between 2007 and 2010.
After being overlooked in the 2012 NFL draft and overcoming a back injury in 2013, he has been committed to his faith in Jesus Christ, which he said has given him peace in times of uncertainty. He said, “I have no idea how people deal with (the pressures of this job) without a relationship with God. I can sit back, and I can trust in Him and know that no matter what, He has my back. At the end of the day, whatever He has planned for me is going to happen.”
He is an American soccer goalkeeper with English club Everton and the United States national team. His U.S. nationals team played in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and even though the team lost to Belgium, he is considered by many to be a winner with a record 16 saves.
He also played with the North Jersey Imperials, the MetroStars, and Manchester United. On January 4, 2012, he scored a goal, his first as a professional player. This made him only the fourth goalkeeper to score a goal in a Premier League match. With Manchester United, his team won the Football League Cup in 2005-2006 and the FA Community Shield in 2003. Personally, he was named Major League Soccer Humanitarian of the Year and Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year in 2001. He was also named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Award in 2008, and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2013.
In an article for Athletes in Action, he wrote of his battle with Tourette’s Syndrome and how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He wrote: “Having spent the first 10 years of my life with an undiagnosed case of Tourette’s syndrome — a neurological disorder characterized by physical and verbal tics — I did not experience a lot of peace. But even though my life often seemed chaotic, I knew I could always count on at least one person to provide calm and stability: my grandmother. Nana’s sense of peace was so powerful because it came from her faith in the Lord. Through her, God revealed His love for me as well. It wasn’t long before I was following in her footsteps. I wanted the same kind of faith and peace she had, and that is exactly what God gave me.”
He went on to say, “Living with Tourette’s is not easy. But God has blessed me with the gift of athleticism as well. He has done some powerful things in my life through the combination of these two gifts. He also has shown me ways to use my position as a professional athlete to encourage others with Tourette’s syndrome. Today, I am blessed to be living a dream. And yet, if it all went away tomorrow, I know I would still have peace. That probably sounds crazy to most people, but that’s the kind of peace Christ gives. It is rooted in His love, and it surpasses all understanding. You can experience this same sense of love and peace, too. All you have to do is ask for it.”
The Gospel Light Minute 