Faith and Football 10 WINNING TIPS FOR FOLLOWING JESUS

BY , , , , JORDAN KICKS, , JORDAN MATTHEWS, , SCOTT HANSON, AND PAUL DAVID TRIPP Professional football players enjoy fame, money, and a lifestyle that most of us can only dream about. They could have anything the world has to offer, but some choose to live with a radically different purpose – to live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

I asked a few of my football friends to share why they choose to love and serve God above all else at the height of their worldly fame. I hope their answers will inspire you to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and look for ways to glorify the Lord every day!

- Paul David Tripp, pastor and best-selling author.

www.paultripp.com

/pdtripp

@paultripp

@paultrippquotes Zach Ertz,

@ZERTZ_86

@zachertz

Let God Define You

ootball was always the thing that I viewed as mine. Football F meant everything to me. I would lie in bed at night and if I had a good game, I'd be like, “I was great.” If I had a bad game, I would lay in bed over-analyzing everything I could have done better. There was just no internal peace.

So I'm done trying to control everything. This is not healthy for me. This is not what I'm called to be. I said, “God I'm dedicating everything to you. You can have it all. I'm trusting you no matter what's to come.” And from that moment on I have an inner peace. I find so much more joy in life now because I know that a play in a football game isn’t going to be what defines me. Those moments aren’t going to define who I am as a person on this earth in God's eyes. Trey Burton, Tight End

@treyburton8

@treyburton8

Don’t Keep One Foot In The World

've always loved God. I always wanted to know Jesus more and I more. But I had one foot on that side and the other foot on the worldly side. I wanted to do things that athletes do. A lot of athletes go out and are the life of the party. I had that personality and wanted to pursue those things.

It wasn’t until my junior year in college when God shook my world up. I was going to Bible study, I was going to church, I loved him and wanted to know more about him, but I just wasn’t ready to give that side of my life up. And so I remember I walked into my girlfriend’s apartment and she's in her room crying. She handed me a pregnancy test and she says, “I'm pregnant.” That was, in a sense, rock bottom for me spiritually because I was talking the talk but I wasn't really walking the walk. From then on, my wife and I made a commitment to each other and to the Lord that we were going to live this thing out together and do it the right way. , Linebacker

@jordanhicks

@jhicks_3

Stay Connected To The Spirit Daily

y journey has not been easy. I grew up in a single parent M home, was really good at sports, and that was my way out. But along the way I was so unfulfilled, over and over and over again. I found the one thing that is ultimately fulfilling, and it is a relation- ship with Jesus Christ. My life hasn't necessarily gotten easier, but through the highs and the lows, being on the mountaintops and in the valleys, there's a steadiness and a fulfillment and a purpose.

The answer is to stay connected to the Holy Spirit. I'm not saying there's not times where it's tough, because it is, and it's hard to always keep that perspective. But for me it's just the constant daily grind of choosing to make sure that we’re seeking Christ first and making sure that he's the focal point of our life. Stefen Wisniewski, Offensive Lineman

@stefenwiz61

Converse With God Through Prayer

ltimately I pray because I need God, and prayer is just a con- U versation with God. I always try to incorporate four things when I pray:

1. Adoration - just worshipping God for who he is. He’s the God of the universe; He’s big - let’s adore him. 2. Confession - confessing my sins, my shortcomings, asking God to forgive me and wash me clean. 3. Thanksgiving - thank God for all he’s done in my life. 4. Supplication - asking God to help me with things I need, and to help with others around me and what they need.

It's interesting to think about because God already knows my needs, so why do I have to tell him? It's for me to realize that I'm needy, and to bow before God in humility and say, “God I need you.” It's about transformation in my heart and submitting my life to God and saying that I need him and asking him to guide me and move me forward in my life. Chris Maragos, Special Teams

@chrismaragos

@chrismaragos42

Live Uniquely Intertwined With A Church Body

he things of this world are constantly competing for our T attention. They're constantly trying to lead our hearts. And quite frankly, my flesh is drawn to those things. The importance for church for me is to be connected with a body of believers who are committed to Jesus - learning, growing, and investing in each other's lives, who would be the guidance that I need in my life when the world is pressing on me in all those different ways.

The heart of what God has called us to as believers is to be unique- ly intertwined with his church body and to be fed and grow within a community of people. Church is where the substance of who I am grows; it's where my heart is filled; it’s where I'm encouraged by the Holy Spirit. To be involved with the body of Christ and to see the giftings of so many people, it can encourage you and stretch you in your faith and in your walk. There are so many different facets of what the body of Christ does for me as a believer, and it's just the most important thing as a believer to be plugged into. Jordan Matthews,

@jmattjmattjmatt

See People And Serve People

herever I go, I speak in some high schools and middle W schools, usually wherever I’m training, and the first thing I’ll tell them is, “I have a fast car, I can get fast money, and there’s a lot of fast women who probably want to talk to me. There’s only one reason why I’m here with you 12-year-old kids right now. And it’s because of what Jesus Christ has done in my life.”

I would say the biggest thing that has changed in my life is I see people. When I didn’t have a full grasp of what God was doing and who He was, I did not see people. If I met somebody, I would think how is this person going to help me get to where I need to be.

You’ll see stuff like, “If that person isn’t making you better, don’t be friends with that person.” Maybe in some cases, but sometimes you just need to befriend somebody so you can help them out. They might need to see Christ and you might have to be that vessel. It can be a random guy that hasn’t had a “hello” that day. When I look at people now, I don’t look at them as coach, player, doctor, mom, boss, dad. It’s, “Is this person saved or are they unsaved, and how do I be Christ to that person?” Carson Wentz,

@cj_wentz

@cj_wentz11

Trust That God Is In Control

'm a planner. I like to be in control, to know what's going on. I And in these tough times, God is saying, “Just remember - I'm in control. I got this.” The Bible says his ways are above my ways, and in their hearts humans plan their course but it is God who establishes their steps. The Bible always talks about going through the fire and being refined through the fire just like gold is. That's how God views us - he views us like gold, and the more fire you're going through, the more Christ-like you're going to get.

At the end of the day, there's the flesh that wants to take over. But if you just let God work and surrender it all to him - easier said than done some days - you'll see the fruit of it and God will always keep being faithful and show up through those hard times. Nick Foles, Quarterback

@nickfoles

@nickfoles

Glorify God In Whatever You Do

ife as a pro athlete can be tough because there’s so much of L your identity in the game. You're waiting until you get cut; you’re trying not to get cut. You’re always trying to please people; you’re judged on your statistics. You’re judged on your last game you played. I can tell the difference from when I throw three in a game or if I throw four . You’re treated differently by your actions, and that’s tough from a human perspective.

You look through Scripture and see Jesus - he flips everything on its head. Everyone on earth wants to prosper, wants to succeed, wants to have wealth, wants to have material items. But you don't see that in Jesus - you see a servant. He sacrificed himself for us.

Though winning MVP is a great thing to do and be a part of, it wasn’t something that was going to define me. That had already been defined by my faith in Jesus. But more than that, I knew going on that stage that God was presenting a platform or responsibility to share our faith. I can step off the stage right now and if my career is over, I'll be grateful for it. But I'll live to glorify God in whatever I do. Scott Hanson, Sports Broadcaster

@scotthanson

@scotthanson1

Live In Light Of Eternity

ou don't need to be a person of faith at all to understand Y you’ve got maybe 80, 90 years on this earth … if you're lucky. So it's a race against time and time doesn't stop for anyone. Even people that don't have any faith at all would agree, “Yeah, I'm going to die someday and the clock's going to run out.” And it could happen tonight for you or for me.

I know I'm going to live for eternity in his presence in heaven in paradise. Jesus died for my sins - he took the place that I rightly deserved, to have eternity without him. And he would take that upon himself to give me salvation, not because of anything good Scott Hanson has ever done in his life, but because of what Jesus did for me.

Living in light of eternity changes everything of what my 80 or 90 years here on this earth could be. Compared to what my existence will be in the scope of eternity, it radically transforms how I spend my time, how I invest money, how I think about relationships, and living my life. Paul David Tripp

Be Mastered By The Word Of God

ne of the things that all my friends shared with me is their O passion to study the Bible. In their own words, they communicated how the Word of God was their source of identity, direction, comfort, and hope. If you want to love the Lord and serve him every day, the central occupation of your spiritual life must allow the Scriptures to be your master.

I’m not talking about mastering theology. That's different than being mastered by the Word of God. Reading the Bible must not be an intellectual pursuit. Biblical literacy and theological knowledge were never intended to be in and of themselves. They are a means to an end, and the end is a transformed life.

Isaiah 55:13 talks about this transformation using a bizarre metaphor: "Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." You don't need to be an expert botanist to know that rain gives growth to whatever already exists. So in this metaphor, the rain should create a bigger thorn bush, not a cypress tree. But the Word of God has transforming power.

The Bible has the unparalleled ability to grip us at our roots and transform us into an entirely different person. You need to read the Bible to experience change. You simply can't experience spiritual growth without the transforming power of the Word of God. The football players featured want to encourage you to consider supporting:

Audience of One Ertz Family Foundation

“Uplifting individuals and “Empower others by sharing faith, communities around the world by learning through sports and advancing demonstrating God's love for His education to build supportive people.” communities.”

AO1Foundation.org ErtzFamilyFoundation.org

International Justice FCA Philly Mission “To see the world transformed “Rescue thousands. Protect by Jesus Christ through the millions. Prove that justice for influence of athletes and the poor is possible.” coaches.”

IJM.org PhillyFCA.org