Dec 3, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) takes a break during pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
He is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at North Dakota State University from 2011-2015 and was selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, the highest selection ever for an FCS player. During his time at NDSU, the team won five NCAA FCS national championships. In his first year with the Eagles, he accumulated multiple NFL and Eagles rookie records, including most pass attempts by a rookie quarterback and most pass completions by a rookie. In the 2017 season, he was crucial to the strong and powerful start which had the Eagles at an 11–2 record at the time he went down with an injury. He was 2nd in the NFL in touchdown passes with 33, as well as a media and fan favorite to win MVP but unfortunately missed the last three games of the season due to a season-ending ACL injury in his left knee. However, the Eagles would go on to win Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots 41–33, the first in franchise history, earning him a championship ring. Some credited the Eagles’ victory to a revival in the team’s locker room led by their injured quarterback. In 2017, he launched the AO1 Foundation, with AO1 standing for “Audience of One,” referring to playing for God. He also started a project in 2018 in conjunction with Mission of Hope Haiti to build a sports complex in the country using funds from his NFL contract.
They are the ultimate home improvement power couple. With her decorating skills and his handiwork, their passions have been successfully merging since they wed in Waco, TX, in 2003. Since opening their first retail store, Magnolia Market, that very same year, they have spent the past nearly two decades building an impressive home improvement empire from the ground up, which includes a restaurant, magazine, and line at Target. They are the stars of HGTV’s massive hit “Fixer Upper,” which turned them into a household name, known for their ability to transform rundown properties into beautiful homes. Since the show first aired in 2013, their flagship store, Magnolia Market, has grown into a lifestyle brand that is often credited for revitalizing the small town of Waco, Texas. In 2015, they converted an abandoned Waco site into a bustling retail marketplace, complete with a bakery, food trucks, and more. “Somehow, against every odd in the world, Waco [became] a tourist destination, a lifestyle aspiration, a relocation consideration, and it’s all because of [this couple],” Texas Monthly wrote of the duo in 2016. That same year, this husband-and-wife team published a memoir that quickly became a national best-seller. Their hard work and unique dynamic continue to propel their business to new heights even as they raise their five children. Today, they are gearing up to launch their own family-friendly TV network with Discovery.
He is a former American football center who played in the National Football League for sixteen seasons, primarily with the New York Jets, and is currently a member of the Arizona State University coaching staff. He played college football for Louisiana State University, where he was a four-year starter and was later inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL Draft, and also played for the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. Over his stellar pro-football career spanning 16 seasons, he evolved into one of the greatest centers in the league and helped set the bar for offensive linemen in the NFL.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 08: Alton Brown attends A Night With The Stars of Food Network at 79 Crosby Street on May 8, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Jude Domski/WireImage)
He is a celebrity chef, bestselling author, actor, and TV personality. He is the mastermind and host of the television show, “Good Eats” on the Food Network. He also created the mini-series, “Feasting on Asphalt” and “Feasting on Waves.” And he is the host and primary commentator on “Iron Chef America.” His dedication, enthusiasm, and knowledge of food shine through on his shows and in his books. He is the author of seven books, including: “I’m Just Here for the Food” for which he won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Cookbook in the Reference category; and “Good Eats – Volumes 1, 2, and 3” each of which made the New York Times bestseller list. He was named “Cooking Teacher of the Year” by Bon Appétit magazine in 2004. And in 2011, he won the James Beard Award for Best TV Food Personality.
She is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. In 2004, she participated on America’s Most Talented Kids and won, beating out musician Hunter Hayes. She first gained national recognition after posting videos of herself singing on YouTube as a teenager, and after appearing as a semi-finalist on the ninth season of American Idol in 2010. After signing with Capitol Records in 2013, her debut studio album Unbreakable Smile, released in 2015, peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States with its lead single, “Nobody Love”, marking her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was subsequently nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Grammy Awards, and voiced Meena in the animated film Sing. Her second studio album Hiding Place, released in 2018, peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 chart and garnered her two Grammy Awards, for Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song respectively. Though her career is still on the rise, she is already also winner of a BET Award, Billboard Music Award, Billboard Women in Music Award, Glamour Award, and GMA Dove Award among others.
He is a Serbian professional tennis player who is currently ranked the No. 1 player in the world in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). To date, he has won 75 titles, including 16 Grand Slam singles titles (a record seven Australian Open titles, five Wimbledon titles, three US Open titles and one French Open title), five ATP Finals titles, 33 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles, and 12 ATP Tour 500 titles. Following his victory at the 2016 French Open, he became only the eighth player in history to achieve the Career Grand Slam and the third man to hold all four major titles at once, the first since Rod Laver in 1969, and the first ever to do so on three different surfaces. He is the first and only male player to have won all nine of the Masters 1000 tournaments. His latest win came just last Sunday at the 2019 Wimbledon tourney in in which he successfully defended his title by defeating Roger Federer in an epic, grueling five set final that lasted four hours and fifty seven minutes, the longest in Wimbledon history. He is a six-time ITF World Champion and a five-time ATP year-end No. 1 ranked player, having held the spot for over 250 weeks. He has won numerous awards, including the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year (four times) and the 2011 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award. He serves as a Unicef ambassador for his native Serbia and has founded an eponymous foundation, which fosters education for disadvantaged children.
She is one of the best American soccer players. She is a midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women’s professional soccer in the United States, and the United States women’s national soccer team. She is a 2x FIFA Women’s World Cup champion with the U.S. Women’s National Team (2015 and 2019). She played collegiate soccer with the Santa Clara University Broncos from 2010 to 2013. Following her collegiate career, she was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NWSL Draft by the Chicago Red Stars. That same year, she was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. In 2015, at age 23, she became the second-youngest player to make the National Team. With her help, the United States went on to win the 2015 Women’s World Cup final. She played every minute of all seven games of the tournament and was subsequently named to the FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team. In 2017, she was awarded U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. She also represented the United States at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament, helping to lead the National Team to their second consecutive World Cup victory and fourth overall.
In a recent interview with Sports Spectrum, she professed to focusing on one thing in particular even more than her game: that is, her faith in Jesus Christ. “I continue to work on all things, and that goes for my relationship with Christ as well,” she said. “[My faith] gives me a bigger perspective on life and my career.” With whichever squad she’s training and competing at the time, she always engages in Bible study groups and pregame prayer huddles with some of her teammates. “I want to stay true to who I am and my beliefs,” she said. “These Bible studies really help me grow and keep me accountable. It brings me closer to my teammates; we continue to grow as players and as people.” Continue reading “Julie Ertz: 2x FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Credits Her Hugely Successful Sports Career to Her Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ (Gospel Light Minute #244)”→
He is an American songwriter and musician best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band W.A.S.P. He sang with a series of bands in the 1970s, before forming W.A.S.P. in 1981. The band, which experienced its greatest success in the 1980s, has sold over 12 million albums and continues to tour today making it one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy metal outfits. Despite the genre’s reputation, many of the band’s songs deal with religious and apocalyptic themes due to the Christian upbringing and return to the faith of its lead singer.Continue reading “Steven Edward Duren: A ‘Prodigal Son’ Finds His Way Out of Religion and Back to Jesus Christ (Gospel Light Minute #243)”→
He is an actor best known for portraying NYPD Detective Baldwin Jones on the ABC police drama “NYPD Blue” for five years, and his leading role in the CBS legal drama “Shark.” He starred alongside Queen Latifah in the action/comedy film “Taxi”; with Taraji P. Henson in “From the Rough;” opposite Robin Williams in “World’s Greatest Dad”; and with Henson again and Idris Elba in “No Good Deed.” He currently stars as Director Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie on ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”Continue reading “Henry Simmons: ‘Giving It All to God Gave My Life Clarity and Purpose’ (Gospel Light Minute #242)”→
She is a professional basketball player who plays for the Tulsa Shock of the WNBA. She was drafted 16th overall in 2006 by the San Antonio Silver Stars after completing college at the University of Tennessee. At Tennessee, she is the 9th scorer in the school’s women’s basketball history. She is also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
She said of her journey to faith in Christ, “I was raised in the great basketball state of Indiana and I began dribbling a basketball not long after I learned to walk.
“Then at the age of seven, I made the decision to become a Christian. A couple years ago something very interesting happened to me. I was going through a major slump in my game. The first half of my junior season at the University of Tennessee was the worst I have ever had as an athlete. I placed the blame on many different things, but the slump remained. God really got my attention, and I realized that I had been trying to find significance and fulfillment in my success as a basketball player instead of finding it in my relationship with Jesus Christ.
“When I got my priorities back in order and looked to Him as the ultimate Leader for my life, I began to enjoy basketball again. My life and my game are far from perfect, but I realize that Jesus is the One Who gives meaning and purpose to it all.”
She is a taekwondo competitor in the Olympics welterweight events for the United States team. She won silver in 2011 at the Pan Am Games and gold at the same games in 2015. Additionally, she represented the U.S. at the 2012 Summer Olympics and earned the bronze medal. In 2016, she was selected to represent the United States at the Summer Games in Rio.
Before the 2012 Olympic Games, she said this of her faith, “I was adopted at four days old into a Christian family and we went to church every Sunday. I really came to my own faith at age 16 in a Christian Bible camp when I began asking questions. I knew then I was ready to be part of God’s family. Since then, I have been walking by faith through all my trials.
“I began studying taekwondo after my older brother Evan, who is Korean, started taking classes; I wanted to do everything that he did. My younger sister started classes later, so it became a family thing. We mostly participated in after-school clubs and competed at state tournaments. One year I tried sparring and my coach recognized a talent there. I started training more, and sparred at the nationals, earning a medal. I made the U.S. junior team, then the senior team and the national team.
“I knew I had a God-given talent, and I have always wanted to glorify Him in any way I can through my sport. I wanted to be the one saying, “God gave me the talent. Let me see how far I can go and how I can increase it for Him.” I took my problems to God and knew He was in control. If I didn’t win, I knew it was His will, and I had that inner peace in me when I fought in tournaments.
“My faith plays a big role in my sport. Being able to trust my Lord and have faith that whatever happens is His will, gives me the inner peace that makes me ready for anything.
“A lot of athletes think the best approach is to be cocky and think you’re better than the other person. Whenever I tried to be overconfident, I didn’t win. But I know that the opponent is just as human as I am. I believe whoever the Lord wills wins, and it’s really anyone’s win on any given day.
“Growing up, my family would watch the Olympics every year together. I have always been a fan and wanted to be one of those athletes, having those special moments. One of my biggest goals was to make the 2012 Olympic team. I wanted to win it and glorify my Lord in the process. I trusted God, and I gave it my all for Him. He wants me to glorify Him whether I win a medal or win nothing, so I pray I will do that (no matter the outcome).”
He is an actor and comedian who has appeared in episodes on 45 television shows and in several films. He is best known for his roles as Buster Bluth in “Arrested Development” and as Gary Walsh in the HBO political comedy “Veep.” In 2013 and 2015, he won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
After graduating from college and pursuing an unsatisfying career in advertising in Alabama, he moved to New York and turned to his passion of acting. He started out appearing in commercials and then began to land guest appearances on shows such as “Sex and the City” and “The Sopranos.” According to Relevant Magazine, “Upon his arrival in the Big Apple, he saw a need to bring light into what can be known as a very dark and discouraging industry. He, along with ten others, founded ‘The Haven,’ a Bible study created specifically for the creative professionals of New York. Its mission is ‘to encourage and equip artistically-minded individuals to be more effective for Christ in their various areas of influence.'”
Declaring that “God is the ultimate Creator,” the actor who helped found this group says that his “faith is everything” to him. It is his way of “showing the Love of Christ wherever you are.” He told an interviewer, “In comedy, there’s a lot of cynicism because some of the really good comedy comes out of extreme brokenness. A lot of people in this industry are hurting, and you find it’s a good opportunity to show the Love of Christ to those around you.”
His name is Tony Hale.
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 Tony Hale trusted Jesus Christ as his Saviour, 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!
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
He is a former National Hockey League player who appeared in nearly 700 regular season games from 1980 to 1990. In 1980, he won gold at the Olympic Games. He is currently the head coach of the women’s ice hockey team at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (where he also attended college). Under his guidance, the team has won the NCAA national championship for 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2011. In 2001, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame and, in 2004, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
He said of his faith, “Many may think winning the gold medal as a member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team would be the greatest moment of my life. While it was an amazing experience, my most significant moment came in 1986 while playing for the New Jersey Devils. That was when I came to understand what it means to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Yes, I was a devil when I became a Christian!
He added, “I had known Christians in the past but really saw something different in teammate Chico Resch. Chico lived out his faith in a way that made me respect and trust him. The next day I asked him if he had any books on cults. He invited me and [my wife] Leslie to the team’s couples Bible study. Over the next year, Leslie and I attended the Bible study and she asked many questions. I also began meeting with Athletes in Action staff and team chaplain, Dave Bratton, for lunch each week. This was where I got my questions answered. One day, while driving home from practice, I realized I needed to make a decision. I pulled over to the side of the road and asked Jesus into my life.
“Though I’ve had many great moments as a hockey player and coach, the truth is the happiness of victories fade, but my relationship with God gets stronger. In the world’s eyes you are only as good as your last victory. I know that my value doesn’t lie in winning championships, but in who I am in Christ. God’s love for me and Jesus’ Death and Resurrection are the real miracles.”
She is an Nigerian-American comedian and actress who plays Molly in HBO’s dramedy series, Insecure. She has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in Maryland. Her parents expected her to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, or engineer, but after receiving a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University, she moved to New York to pursue a career in comedy.
While working the New York comedy circuit, the big break she was looking for didn’t come as fast as she would have liked, and the actress said she “hit the beginning stages of depression.” In an interview with the Guardian, she said that, during this time, as she was contemplating going back home in defeat, she had a conversation with the Lord which inspired her to create a web comedy about being a first-generation Nigerian. It was this comedy that caught the eye of Insecure creator Issa Rae, and the rest is history.
Though the character she plays on HBO is an often-promiscuous single woman, the actress herself is a virgin and says she will remain so until she is married. But that wasn’t always the plan. She told The Breakfast Club, “Personally, I had plans to have sex when I turned eighteen. I was dating and I had it figured out. But I got to college at seventeen in D.C., and then I got saved.” Her Salvation is working itself out in her life, and she says her goal in the entertainment industry is to ‘make God proud.’ She told another interviewer, ‘For me, there’s no separating faith and Christianity from my walk. I don’t take my Christianity off and put on my acting. I’m just me. I love being Nigerian, I love to laugh, and I love Jesus.’
He is a professional baseball player, playing the position of third baseman and as a Switch-hitter for the New York Yankees. He began playing professional baseball for the San Diego Padres in 2007. Prior to that, he played baseball in college for the Pacific Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers. In 2012, he led the National League in RBIs (runs batted in) and received the Silver Slugger Award and Golden Glove Award for his efforts.
He said of his faith, “If you put a circle that represents Christ, in the center of a pie, that represents life. Any way you slice it, the circle will always touch a part of that slice. That’s how I try to live my life. I try to have Christ touch all aspects of my life.”
His favorite Bible verse is 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
He says of this verse that it, “Encompasses what I want to do in my Christian walk. Too many times Christians are portrayed as weak, (and they think) ‘I can’t be a man anymore or I can’t stand up for myself.’ This verse says (that) through God, in Christ, I have power to stand up as a Christian, to love even when it’s hard to love the unlovable, and to have the self-discipline to resist the temptations we face daily.
“Professional athletes have a tremendous platform. I try to use that platform; I look for opportunities to speak out about my faith. Jesus has changed my life. My goal is to have Jesus be the center of everything. I can worship Jesus by the way I play baseball and in how I interact with teammates, opponents, umpires and fans. I try to let my life reflect my faith in Christ.”
The Gospel Light Minute 