Michael Franzese: A Mafia Boss Turns to the Messiah (Gospel Light Minute #79)

He is a former New York mobster with the Colombo crime family who was heavily involved in the gasoline tax rackets in the 1980s. In the mid-1980s, Fortune Magazine listed him as number 18 on its list of the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses” According to a Federal report, he made more money for a crime family than anyone since Chicago boss Al Capone. As the former “Prince of the Mafia,” he faced dozens of grand jury appearances, three major racketeering indictments, five criminal trials, seven years in prison and a Mafia death sentence.

However, in 1987, while in prison, he made a decision to walk away from the Colombo family and organized crime. Crediting the prayers of his Christian wife, Cammy, her family, and her church, he left the world of crime and became a born again Christian. He said, “If it had not been for my wife’s prayers, I wouldn’t be alive. There’s no question that I’d either be dead or in prison for the rest of my life. And that’s not even a guess. That’s absolute.”

Today, he is a follower of Jesus Christ and a man on a mission. He often describes his very own Damascus Road experience, from his early days in the Mob and its rise to power to God leading him to do the unthinkable: quit the Mob and follow Jesus. Since his conversion, he has created a foundation called the Breaking Out Foundation to educate, empower, and equip youth to face life’s challenges.

He has become a motivational speaker to churches, corporate events, schools, and Christian conferences. And he shares his compelling story in two books, “Blood Covenant” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Forgiven”. His theme always hits home with audiences around the world: “You can’t escape the long arm of the law—and you sure can’t escape the longer arm of the Lord.” His name is Michael Franzese.

Sheila E. says All she Needed in Life was God (Gospel Light Minute #78)

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She is an outstanding American musician. She is best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr. As a child and teenager, she frequently performed with her father who was also a percussionist. By her early twenties she had already played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross. She joined Prince on several Purple Rain recording sessions and served as a writer and musician on many of his records as well. In her own right, she scored hits with “The Glamorous Life” and “The Belle of St. Mark”. She was nominated for an American Music Award and a Grammy for “The Glamorous Life”.

She says of her faith, “I was raised Catholic and only went to church because I had to. But I actually gave my heart to the Lord for the first time when I was 18. I was playing in George Duke’s band and one of the singers was driving me to a meeting and I was crying, just stressed out. There was a bunch of stuff going on and I said, ‘You know what? This is crazy.’ She said, ‘Look, if you just give your heart to the Lord, everything will be fine.’ And I thought, ‘You know, it’s not that easy.’ She said, ‘No, really, really it is.’ So we prayed in the car and I accepted Christ right then.”

As her popularity increased, she felt something was missing in her life. The abuse that she had suffered as a child and the immediate pressure to always perform took a toll on her physically and mentally. She soon became very sick and was admitted to the hospital with a collapsed lung. She was bedridden for weeks, lost a lot of weight, and could barely eat. It was at this point that she felt she was about to die and she cried out to God for help. She said of this time, “It was then that I decided, ‘You know what, Lord? If you just give me another chance, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.’ I got the Bible and I started reading and I kept it on my chest. I slept with it and never took it out of my hand for weeks.”

After being in the house for weeks, she finally walked outside for the first time in a month. She said of this time, “As soon as I walked outside, I saw this crack on the ground and I bent over and touched it. I just cried. Then I went over and I touched the grass. I looked up at the sky and it was so blue. I laid on the grass and said, ‘Lord, look at all these wonderful things you’ve given us that we just take for granted. I thought that I needed this and I needed that, but I only need you.’ That was the turning point.”

Today, she uses her talent for God and is dedicated to serving the Kingdom through her music and her foundation for children. She says, “God has given me a gift and the energy in performing comes from just loving so much what we get to do and being able to share that gift with people.” Her name is Sheila E.

Michael Vick says he is ‘Determined to Leave his Life in God’s Hands’ (Gospel Light Minute #74)

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He is an NFL quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. After playing college football at Virginia Tech, he was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. He became the first African-American quarterback to be selected first overall in an NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, he gained wide popularity for his performance on the field, and led the Falcons to the playoffs twice. He ranks first among quarterbacks in career rushing yards. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times. He won the Ed Block Courage Award in 2009 and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010.

While growing up in a Virginia public housing project that was consumed with constant violence, poverty, and low finances, he often dreamed of playing sports. His father taught him and his brother the fundamentals of football and he often says that sports kept him off the streets during those difficult years. He excelled in football in high school, college, and in the NFL. In 2007, he was charged with funding and participating in an illegal dog fighting operation and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and three years probation. He was released from prison in 2009.

He became a Christian in high school in Virginia and began reading his Bible, but the more success he achieved on the football field, the less he thought he needed God. He said, “I was so self-centered, I forgot about the Lord.” However, after going to jail for dogfighting, he realized how much he needed the Lord back in his life. He said of that time, “”I got back to my roots. The only thing I could do in prison was fall back on God. I wanted to do things right, that I didn’t do the first time.” In the final months of his prison term, Tony Dungy stepped into his life and helped him put his life back together and restore his walk with God. He says, “I thought the transition [from prison to the NFL] would be easy, but it was hard for me. I did things I never thought I would do, like studying and working by myself. I stayed close to my faith, constant in prayer and close to Tony’s calls and texts.” He goes further to say, “I am determined to leave my life in God’s hands and leave the results up to Him. The main thing is I don’t want to disappoint God…God has blessed with a second chance and that is something I will value forever. I don’t want to let Him down.” His name is Michael Vick.

Blair Underwood says he Doesn’t Have All the Answers, So he Turns Things Over to God (Gospel Light Minute #72)

He is an American television, film, and stage actor and director who is perhaps best known for his seven-year-long role as Jonathan Rollins from the NBC legal drama L.A. Law. He has gained critical acclaim throughout his career, receiving numerous Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards, and one Grammy Award. He has starred in 27 movies and has appeared in 26 television series. He was voted as one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” in 2000, and one of TV Guide ‘s “Most Influential Faces of the 90s”. He played the role of Jesus Christ in the Bible Experience audio Bible dramatization.

He says his relationship with God is “very much like a healthy, childlike connection to a father who is loving, who is giving, who is consistent, who is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.” When asked how he personally deals with the stress that comes with his career, he said, “the bigger issue is to go to your faith. What works for me is to know that all of this is preordained. I am a Christian. I believe God has a plan. I believe he is not going to leave us hanging. As a man, in our society, I don’t have all the answers. Being able to turn matters over to a higher power works for me.” He says his faith gives him the ability to say, “You know what? I’ll understand what I can understand, and then God will give me the direction to go where I need to go from there.” His name is Blair Underwood.

Jayson Williams: How he Learned What it Means to Hold On to God (Gospel Light Minute #69)

He is a former American professional basketball player. Standing 6 feet, 10 inches tall, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets of the NBA. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round as the 21st pick of the 1990 NBA Draft. He was traded to the New Jersey Nets for conditional draft choices in 1992. While with the Nets, he only earned 12 starts in his first three seasons with the team before finally earning a full-time starting position in the 1996–97 NBA season. In the following season, he had a career year, leading the league in offensive rebounds and offensive rebound percentage while also finishing the season in the top five in total rebounds, rebounds per game, total rebound percentage and offensive rating. He also received his first and only All-Star game selection, playing in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game.

After becoming a superstar basketball player and making millions of dollars in contracts and endorsements, his life took a drastic turn for the worst in 2002. He was charged with the shooting death of a chauffeur and in 2010, he pled guilty and served an 18 month prison sentence. Between that time, his wife filed for divorce. His best friend, his father, died. And he became involved with drugs and alcohol, which only made matters worse.

It wasn’t until he walked into his cell at Mid-State Correctional Facility when he quickly began to realize his need for Jesus Christ and he accepted Jesus Christ into his heart. Though he grew up in a Catholic family and he always went to church twice on Sundays, a personal relationship with God never entered his mind until he walked into his cell for the first time and saw the Bible turned to Proverbs 30:8-9 – “Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

He said, “I always knew the Lord, and he tried to deal with me so many times privately. wouldn’t listen, so he had to deal with me publicly. That bought me 26 months of isolation time with just me and Jesus Christ. That changed my life forever. After reading Proverbs 30:8-9, I knew exactly what it meant. My daddy used to say, ‘Jay, hold onto the railing of the stairs when you’re going up them.’ In life, when you’re walking up the stairs, you very rarely hold the rail, the rail being God. My dad told me, ‘You’ve got money, you’ve got gifts, you’ve got fame and you’re not holding on to God.’ Any time I thought I was doing something that was not God-like, I would just donate a lot of money to some charity or some cause, depending on how bad the sin was. It came to me while I was in prison that it wasn’t my money anyway. It was God’s money. I saw what God was trying to tell me. I told Him, ‘Don’t give me riches because I will deny you are Lord. Don’t give me poverty because I will steal and desecrate your holy name.’ That’s how I live now. When I wake up in the morning, I go wherever God leads me.” His name is Jayson Williams.

Brady Ellison: The Right Aim in Life (Gospel Light Minute #68)

He is an athlete from the United States who competes in team and individual archery. In 2007 and 2011, he won gold in the Pan American Games. In 2010, he won gold in the Archery World Cup. And in 2009 and 2011, he won gold in the World Indoor Archery Championships. He led the United States archery team in the London 2012 Olympics to a silver medal in the team archery competition.

He accepted Jesus Christ into his heart when he was a child, but at the time, he said, “I never knew what that meant. I believe that God saved me from dying in a horrible car accident in Vermont, and from there I started to take my faith a little more seriously. I met a man named Jansen Asbill and he really opened my eyes to the Lord. And then my wonderful girlfriend and family helped change me for the better.”

Regarding how his faith impacts his sport, he says, “Once I put winning in God’s hands, I stopped worrying about that. I just went to tournaments and shot with no fear, doing only the best I can do and leaving the rest up to God.” His name is Brady Ellison.

Francena McCorory: ‘No Matter How Fast I Run, it’s Important to Not Get Ahead of God in Life’ (Gospel Light Minute #67)

She is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 meters. She is the NCAA and American indoor record holder in that event. She was also a United States representative to the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and she anchored Team USA to a gold medal in the 4 x 400-meter relay at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea. She was a part of the U.S. Women’s Track & Field team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She and her team won gold in the 4 × 400 meter relay competition.

Before she left for the 2012 Olympics in London, she said of the race, “I want to win for Jesus Christ. It’s a tough race, but if you have faith in God and faith in yourself and just faith in your training and what you’ve been working towards, it can be fun. It’s all about your mindset.” She says of her faith, “I tell my friends and family all the time, ‘Jesus is the one who gave me this ability.’ I can’t get out here and run on the track by myself. It’s all Him. He blessed me with this talent, and I just want to use it to glorify Him. No matter how fast I run, it’s important to not get ahead of God. I make sure He is leading the way on and off the track.” Her name is Francena McCorory.

Sanya Richards-Ross: A Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Who Gives her Best for God (Gospel Light Minute #66)

She is a track and field athlete who was born in Kingston, Jamaica and competes internationally for the United States. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She also won an individual bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics for the 400 meters. In 2009, she became World Champion, winning a gold medal in the 400 meter race at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Most recently, she won the gold medal in the 400 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

She said of her faith in Christ, “I became a Christian when I was 12 years old. It was when I moved to Florida and started going to church consistently. Prior to moving to the States, I wasn’t exposed to Christianity much. But as soon as I got involved, I gave my life to Christ. I now go to church every Sunday that I am not traveling or competing.” On her life Bible verse, she said, “There are so many meaningful verses to me in the Bible, but I guess the one I say to myself most often is, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ That’s my favorite because on the track, I am usually trying to do things that have rarely been done before. I know that it’s only God that gives me the strength to accomplish these things. ”

She went on to say of her faith, “My faith keeps me grounded. People always ask me how come I’m so good, and even though I try never to overwhelm people with my faith, I always think to myself, how come God is so good. My faith also encourages me to give my best. I know that my talent is God’s gift to me, and how I use it is my gift to him.” She often encourages people by saying, “Continue believing and trusting in Christ. He will never leave or forsake you!” She openly gives God all of the credit for granting her the strength to attain amazing accomplishments as a Christian athlete. Her name is Sanya Richards-Ross.

Giants’ and Patriots’ Players say their Relationship With God is More Important than the Super Bowl (Gospel Light Minute #38)

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The New York Giants and the New England Patriots will meet today in Indianapolis for Super Bowl 46. And for so many Americans, this is the biggest event of the year. But some of the men who play on the field will be quick to tell you that football — even the Super Bowl — is not the main thing in life.

Devin Thomas, a wide receiver for the New York Giants who was a decisive player in the NFC Championship Game that sent the Giants to the Super Bowl says, “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I put Him first. He’s given me this opportunity to showcase on a large scale about the work He has done in my life.”

Danny Woodhead, running back for the New England Patriots and two time Harlon Hill Trophy Winner, says “Without my relationship with Christ nothing else really matters. This is obviously the greatest situation to be in in football and in my athletic career but my faith comes first.”

Prince Amukamara, cornerback for the New York Giants, says “My faith has helped me because I know it’s an audience of one and that I’m just performing for Jesus.”

Matthew Slater, wide receiver and special teams captain for the New England Patriots, says, “I’m a true believer that God is in control. You know, Romans 8:28 says that God is going to work everything together for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. So, you have to at the end of the day just trust the plan. And trust that we don’t always know what the plan is but it’s not up to us to know what the plan is. It’s God’s plan.”

Hakeem Nix, wide receiver for the New York Giants and one time NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month, says “I’m all in. I’m all in with Christ … He put me here to exalt Him and humble myself.”

Deion Branch, wide receiver for the New England Patriots, two time Super Bowl Champion, and one-time Super Bowl MVP, says “Life is bigger than football. You can’t do this forever. What I’m going to be is a God-fearing Christian.”

Cam Newton: “It’s Just a God Thing” (Gospel Light Minute #32)

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He is the quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft, becoming the third player to win the Heisman Trophy, a national championship, and be the first overall pick in the NFL draft all in the same one-year span.

He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. He became just the third player in major college football history to both rush and pass for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season. His performance earned him the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player, and he led Auburn to their second national championship in school history. In his NFL debut, he became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for 400 yards in his NFL regular-season opener, breaking Peyton Manning’s rookie record.

He stood tall on and off the field in victory, after overcoming hurdles during the regular season that included an NCAA investigation. After winning the national championship in college football, he was quick to offer praise to God. “It’s just a God thing,” he told a crush of reporters as he stood on the field. “I thank God every single day. I’m just His instrument and He’s using me on a consistent basis daily.”

In his remarks after the game, he continued to marvel at the ways God is using him. “He’s using me to extend his Word and I’m a prime example of how God could turn something that was bad into something that was very great.” “If God is with me who can be against me.” His name is Cam Newton.

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.

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.

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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George Foreman: Once Fighting for the World, Now Fighting in God’s Army (Gospel Light Minute #13)

He is a two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur. He is known as one of the hardest hitters in boxing history. His most notable fights were his knockout against Joe Frazier in 1973 and his loss to Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire, Africa in 1974. He went on to become the oldest man ever to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world at age 45 after he came back to the ring from retirement to raise money for his foundation. He has been named one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time by Ring Magazine, having won 76 of his 81 fights. After retiring from boxing for a second time, he became a successful businessman, promoting healthy eating and fat-reduction. He is also known for raising 10 children—five boys and five girls.

After his loss to Jimmy Young on March 17, 1977, he entered his dressing room and began pacing back and forth, thinking about his future, his death, and his relationship with God. He had always prayed to God and believed that as long as he treated people right, he was okay. But this inner conflict and turmoil began to bother him so much so that he found himself lying on the floor having a vision and an out of body experience with God. He was taken to what seemed like hell, and he saw death and other religions. God told him in this vision, “I don’t want your money, I want you!”

He says of this experience, “I had never believed in Jesus before and I wasn’t going to go for it. I never would have, but let me tell you, Jesus is alive…There’s a lot of people who think for sure, and some think maybe, or maybe not. But I know [that Jesus is alive]. Since then I’ve been telling everybody about Jesus! Why God did this to me, I don’t know; but I just praise Him every day. I dropped everything I was doing to tell the whole world that Jesus Christ is alive. God took me all over the world fighting, and I was just trying to exalt myself. Now I’m going all over the world to try and tell them about Jesus.” The man who said these words is George Foreman.

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Condoleezza Rice, a Powerful and Accomplished Woman, has a ‘Deep and Abiding Faith in God’ (Gospel Light Minute #10)

While on the world stage, for eight years in a row, she was considered by many to be the most powerful woman in the world. She served as the Secretary of State for the United States of America under President George W. Bush. She was the first African-American woman secretary of state. She graduated with honors from the University of Denver and from the University of Notre Dame. She was a professor of political science at Stanford University where she served as Provost from 1993 to 1999. She is an accomplished pianist and has performed in public since she was a young girl. She credits her parents with instilling in her a strong faith in God and said of her faith, “The one thing that both of my parents had that I’m grateful to have is a deep and abiding faith in God. There’s no greater gift parents can give their kids than that.” Her name is Condoleezza Rice.

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