Between those lines it’s a physical battle but off the field there’s an even bigger battle one that we can’t see and just like these players put on the armor to protect themselves from physical harm we must also put on the armor of God to protect ourselves from the enemy this is Faith and Footballall all right y’all welcome back to Faith and football today I have a very very very special guest that cannot go understated um I grew up watching him before school in the morning giving it to skip Bess on first take and now you can catch him on FS1 on first thanks
First giving it to Nick Wright so please please help me introduce my very first guest on this show this is the very first episode of faith and football Mr Chris bruar brother welcome thank you for doing this man man it’s great to be here and uh I’m excited about your podcast so
Uh I pray that you have great SU success and I’m glad to help out any way I can you you made me feel a little bit old talking about first take that was a long time ago but uh I do have a few years on
You so I get it yeah yeah man definitely I I would wake up that was like a routine you know wake up in the morning cut on Sports Center um even even back in the cold pizza days I remember you remember those days like way back in the
Day so yeah man I I used to grow up I’m 32 years old I just turned 32 on Wednesday so happy birthday thank you brother yours is coming up as well I saw so happy early birthday to you Saturday yes sir um man I really I want to get to these
Faith-based questions with you because I know that’s the most important thing but this is Faith in football so we got to talk about some football questions really quick um I know the NFL trade deadline is approaching in less than I think 10 days October 31st so what is a
Trade that you that you think makes sense or that you would like to see go down well look obviously the football trade deadline isn’t like the NBA you know where it’s act usually more active in the NBA um but I think I’ll just say a few teams that should be looking I think
Uh Dallas should be looking to strengthen that defensive back field and you know the question is will Denver become a seller you know um obviously they let Randy Gregory go Frank Clark’s gone Jerry Judy’s been on the trade block so you want I think Dallas might try to strengthen their defensive back field
Same with Philadelphia uh Philadelphia as good as they are they could use some help in that defensive back field too so those are teams I love Philly was my pick to win the whole thing so I love to see them go out and and strengthen their defensive back field I think that’s
Their biggest weakness um but I I’m watching like I said Denver to see if they really start selling off players and if they trade too many of their vets that really would probably be a precursor to Russell Wilson maybe being let go this summer and and then you know
They try to start all over with Shawn pyton maybe they draft the quarterback and try to have Shawn pton make something out of him but um we’ll see how that plays out but yeah I I’m looking for at those two teams Kansas City I definitely have concerns about
Their receiving core but they obviously just added m Hardman brought him back right so I you know I we’ll see if they think that’s enough for them um because their offense just hasn’t been clicking like it should be and I think the main reason is because they don’t have Top
Flight receivers or anything close so yeah those are some of the teams that I think you know that are obviously in this Championship mix need to make some moves now sequan Barkley that’s another one that you know could he be moved I mean obviously several teams could use
Him Baltimore I’d love to see him there although they’re they running backs produced but Buffalo um he would you know they Buffalo is two Josh Allen Stefan dig Centric and so if they could bring in a saquin Barkley who can not only run but catch the ball that might
Be a good move for them so those are some of the teams that I think should be active and looking to be active at the deadline for sure I’m glad you said Baltimore one do you think uh Derrick Henry gets moved this year you know he’s
Always brought up and do you think this yeah that’s a good question I mean he obviously is Tennessee’s entire offense right um and if you trade look they’re probably not going anywhere anyway but they’re still competitive um and you know they’re better that Division and and Tennessee in in general are better
Than I expected but at the end of the day they’re not getting to the Super Bowl so yeah they could move Henry I’m not sure my guess if you ask me gun to my head I would say no he doesn’t get moved but you know don’t hold me to that
Anything is possible but I think he’ll stay their their biggest problem I mean they’ve got a lot of issues but clearly they need a quarterback you know if they had a a competent quarterback just like tanah hell a couple years ago when he played well you know they were right
There in the mix uh to get out of the AFC and so that’s their biggest problem until they get that fixed they’re they’re just going to be um mediocre yeah and I know there’s a lot of teams that probably need a quarterback and there’s a few good backups that could possibly make a
Difference um I know one of the backups that come to mind is like a jamus Winston I know he’s you know he’s got experience being the lead guy and right now he’s playing behind car but that situation is kind of dicey in itself so you never know when they’re going to
Make a switch there do you think there could be a quarterback on the move and who are you looking out for there yeah I mean Winston you would would have thought the Jets might have looked at him you know he was a name that came up when when
Aaron roders went down and they obviously you know kurk cousins was another one I I thought they should have went out and got I thought they should have looked at Carson Wentz too but they they clearly are standing pack with Zach Wilson um so I don’t know where jamus
Could could end up going I mean Atlanta you know Desmond rder I don’t think he’s the answer so that’s a team that has a great run game and if they just got a quarterback they could be a team especially in that division uh the NFC South which is pretty weak uh they could
Make some noise so they could be looking to do something but yeah New Orleans you mentioned Carr and the shaky situation there I’ve really been disappointed with him um I thought he you know in in with the Raiders he always kind of had cover because they never had really good
Defenses right so people didn’t really put the blame for their lack of success on him um but now I mean they got a great defense the six ranked defense in the league in New Orleans you got a great receiving core um and even a run you
Know Alvin kamaro has a running back and cars just not holding up his end to the bargain it’s just simple as that they’re they’re terrible in the Red Zone Carr’s not throwing touchdowns I think he has seeven uh eight maybe or in seven games or something I don’t even think it’s
Eight actually I think it’s six in seven games and so um he’s just got to be much better and if he’s not like you said maybe they make a change now I think Dennis Allen is a horrible offensive coach I mean I know he’s not the offensive guy but still the defense is
Legit they gotta get somebody in there to fix that offense because they do have talent at the skilled spots and again Derek Carr is we think an above average Quarterback so they need to get somebody in there to get that righted as well yeah I agree I think we all saw that
Last Thursday against Jacksonville um they kind of they had it and then I mean they did the drop pass I don’t want to I don’t want to follow on the Foster Maro but right yeah I saw that that was that was tough to to watch on his part yeah
For sure um man kind of transitioning to more faith-based um I know you had a a close personal relationship with your dad um I lost my father in 2019 um me and him bonded over over Sports too and um you know mostly like Ranger Texas Ranger games we I’m from
Texas so Texas Rangers uh were really big in our house Cowboys um but the Rangers man uh kind of talk about your relationship with your father did y’all Bond through Sports as well or was that something that y’all shared in common yeah I mean my dad we had a great
Relationship um he was a great father and yeah Sports was definitely the um the that was just I mean in my house growing up Sports was was everything and that was before I really got serious about the Lord um but Sports was just a huge part of our
Relationship he coached me in baseball football and basketball um I was just talking with with Kevin Wilds my co-host on first things first one of them and he coaches his sons and I asked him I said when I play my dad was always harder on me than
The other players on the team which I didn’t understand as a kid and uh so we were talking about that with wild he said he’s not he’s not as hard on his kids um other coaches actually talk to his kids and he talks to the other kids
Right but um yeah it was just you know and then of course when I you know got to high school he wasn’t coaching me then but he was always very supportive he taught me how to play we watched games on Saturdays and Sundays you know he was very uh enthusiastic in watching
The games yelling at the screen and you know all this and that and so we just had a great relationship and the last year of his life he and and my mom uh they lived with me and my wife and that was great because you know generally I
Live in New Jersey they were living in Cleveland Ohio and you know I would only see them maybe three or four times a year and so having them here for that last year was definitely great it it made it even tougher when he died uh it would have been tough anyway obviously
But having you know when he was here every day you’re just seeing him all the time and you know he picked sometimes I would take the train in to the studio for the show and he always picked me up and so um yeah it was it was great
Having that time together the last year of his life and uh you know he just shaped me in so many ways taught me discipline taught me respect for Authority made sure that as important as Sports was in my life and even to him it was second to the books like he made
Sure like it was being a bad student was not a choice in my house like he I didn’t have a choice I didn’t even think about bringing home C’s and D’s like I had to bring home A’s and B’s and because of that I was a good student and
Um you know that helped lead me to where I am today in my career so yeah there’s no way I’m where I’m at without him and his just great presence and and guidance in my life absolutely man and thank you for sharing that with me uh my dad meant
A lot to me as well and they kind of sound similar my dad used to yell at the TV I could hear him yelling across the house at the rest you know everything like that and I tell people all the time uh he was very supportive of me I was
The only child so he was there for everything I don’t remember I’m sure he missed a game or two maybe but I don’t remember I I remember him being there you know I remember him being at every event driving me to it was very important I have I have three kids in
Myself I just had a son he’ll be one next month so um I definitely want to be there for all thank you so much thank you um so yeah he he had a big impact on me as well he kind of taught me how important that is I know how much it
Meant to me and I definitely want to be there for my kids as well um I have a clip I kind of want to share with you um and this happened he was in the hospital um he was on life support and I reached out to Chris Woodward of the Texas
Rangers who was manager at the time and this is what they did for for us um like I said he was on life support so obviously he wasn’t able to see it um but we didn’t know that he wasn’t going to be able to but this is what happened
Then talked to me earlier this morning morning a friend of his young man who reached out to him today Tyler Jackson and we wanted to say hi to Tyler and his dad Tommy Jackson there’s Tommy on the left it is today they’re going to be sharing their their final
Game watching experience together uh Tommy on life support and Tyler understandably emotional reached out to to Woody today and said hey man if if you guys could just say hi tonight to me and my dad watched the ball game his dad in Marlin Texas they really bonded over the years
Watching games together as so many Fathers and Sons and fathers and daughters and moms and sons do but uh Chris Woodward really metant a lot to him he really uh was uh was touched by Tyler meeting Tyler and Tommy and and from Chris Woodward and the entire Rangers organization Tommy and Tyler and
The whole family you’re all in our thoughts and our prayers and God bless you all and uh thank you for being fans and for watching wow that’s great man yeah it meant it definitely you know Chris Woodward no I didn’t I actually I just reached out to him on Instagram I was um
On my way to the hospital my wife was driving me up there and I was just you know thinking about kind of you know reminiscing a little bit uh about the games that we went to and all that so I was like man let me let me reach out and
Just let him know you know thank you I kind of just told him thank you um for the memory um and stuff like that and he kind of me he messaged me back and we kind of shared what was going on and then you know that that’s what happened so yeah
Man I just want to share that with you because I know how much your dad meant to you and and my meant so much to me as well so um I definitely understand great gesture by him you know it makes me um want to pull for the Rangers I I’ve been
Pulling for the Astros they were really so um but that man that that that’s that was great yeah and what’s crazy is I I don’t think we ever missed a a Ranger game um as long as I was living in the house with him especially um and after
He passed away I I didn’t really watch any until recently and I haven’t really sat down and watched a full game since then um obviously I think there’s a contract issue with Fox Sports and the Rangers it turned into a different company or something like that so I
Didn’t have the channel at the time anyways but um yeah it kind of it made it hard to watch for a while and we went to a game the the picture that that was shown we went to a game the month prior almost exactly a month before he passed
Away and we had tickets to go in September um to another game it was me and my wife uh ended up going to so yeah that that was really the last time I end up watching them I haven’t been to the new stadium that they opened up um and
Of course he never got to see it So eventually I plan on taking my kids so that’s something I’ll definitely start sharing with them once they get a little little older yeah that’s great man that is great that is great yeah man so um who was your who was your favorite
Player growing up who Who Made Who were you watching as a kid as you were growing up uh in football my favorite player was Lynn Swan the wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers I was a huge Steelers fan huge even though we never lived in Pittsburgh my dad that was his
Favorite team and so they became my favorite team and uh ly Swan was my favorite player um I like Franco Harris and and Terry Bradshaw and all these other guys but Swan was my favorite player um and then in basketball I I maybe people will say I was a front
Runner but I went from initially Dr J was my first favorite professional basketball player then uh I became a huge Magic Johnson fan and then Michael Jordan so I kind of I like I said I guess I went I was a front runner right um and baseball because I was really into
Baseball too um I mean I used to like the Dodgers and all their guys Dave Lopes and Steve Garvy and those guys I like the Pirates Willie starel and Dave Parker um Yankees with Thurman mson and and Ron gidry um R Karu might have been my favorite player R Karu he’s a great
Hitter um and so yeah I mean those were those were some of the guys uh that I grew up really love yeah I grew up in the in the 90s uh I think my the favorite player I grew up on first was uh griffy in baseball um I think Moss was my favorite
In football and then in basketball I kind of I kind of gravit gravitated towards later um but Allan Iverson was was kind of got me excited to watch and yeah so th those were my all and then Adrien belr when he got traded to the Rangers he instantly became uh one of my
Favorite players just his his personality and everything that that he did on the field as well but yeah that those were my guys too um now you have you have a group that that you started uh King that you’re you’re obviously wearing right now um knowledge inspiration and nurture through God what
What led to that what got you started with that well um it’s a national Christian men’s organization and I became a Christian I grew up you know Catholic in the church but really experienced a personal conversion to Jesus Christ uh my senior year in college and
So um I had I didn’t really know a lot of Bible believing Christians um at that time and so I kind of longed for that that male bonding with men who were likeminded as far as Christ I had you know I had good friends from I played basketball in college had some great
Teammates friends fraternity Brothers but as far as me other men that were really seeking Christ that I could also relate to in other ways um musically uh sportswise things like that that always I always kind of longed for that male binding so that was one of the impetuses
For me starting the king movement uh and also just um men you know I noticed a lot of men over my years as a Christian a lot of men their walk with Christ was up and down like a roller coaster and you know when you’re in one of those
Those valleys right that can depend on you know what your your life lifestyle your your the people you’re around or what you came out of even it could really damage or ruin your life you know one of those valleys maybe you if you’re married you cheat on your wife or you
Get somebody else pregnant or you know you you if you used to be on the streets you go back and start selling drugs and maybe end up in jail or you know something like that so I felt there are many reasons why men are kind of up and
Down spiritually but I felt one of them was was that a lot of them lacked that true Brotherhood with other Christ centered men um and you know guys that they could hang out with watch the games with go you know hang out with on a Friday night with um and who were going
To though encourage them in their walk with the Lord um even if you’re not talking about the Lord right but they’re just not going to be doing things that will leave need you to be tempted right to go outside of our Biblical parameters and so that was another reason for
Starting the king movement and it’s grown uh it’s been going for about 10 11 years it’s grown to 20 chapters throughout the country uh we have National events we have a national you know Summit or Men’s Conference we do every year uh this year or next year
2024 it’ll be in Cleveland Ohio in March uh we do events at the superl bow at the NBA Allstar game as you said see we’ve got paraphernalia sweatshirts hats t-shirts one of those we actually even now have a channel a uh a TV channel there’s the the new Christian app called
The glue Network GL and if you go there just download it just like Hulu or Netflix or anything else and when you go there you would see among other Ministries I think Ed Young young I think he’s in Texas uh Pastor Ed young but he has a a he has um he’s on
Glue TV but you’ll also see the king movement it it’s called King TV you’ll see my face and um you know we’ve got a lot of content up dealing with manhood and and more is coming but it’s a lot of content up there already so yeah um
Those are some of the things that we’re doing and uh God has really blessed us and we just want to keep glorifying him and trying to be a blessing to boys and men throughout the country right yeah I understand when you said people kind of going like this that was that was the
Whole reason for my Ministry it’s called stay focused because it was just telling people you know I tell myself all the time stay focused because um you know I battled a lot with alcoholism depression stuff like that and then when my dad passed I relapsed into that and it was
It was hard to break out of it but I leaned on my faith so I know how strong it is and that’s why I I do testify really hard about about the power of prayer and and my faith in in Christ in God you know because um I know I
Wouldn’t be here without that and stay focused is is something I tell myself but also try to to tell others as well I know it’s hard I know this world is a is an evil place and you can kind of do that you can kind of go like this but
Stay focused and you know focus on the Narrow Path and keep keep looking forward um no that’s great that’s great man and I’ll be in prayer for ministry as well thank you thank you so much yeah it just started I just opened I have a studio it’s a it’s a music studio um
Photography videography I’ve just started the podcasting I’ve always done music so the music side isn’t new to me but having a studio and a Ministry is so thank you for the prayers because it’s it’s definitely something I I prayed on for a long time and it took a lot but
I’m glad I took the step and to where it is now um so thank you for thank you for that um as someone who’s always been firm in your faith as yourself you you’ve taken backlash you’ve gone through the media and stuff like that what would what advice would you give
For someone who who’s maybe struggling with that who’s struggling to really stand firm and not give in to backlash or being discouraged by it yeah that’s a great uh question and um one of the things that helped me stay firm was that um you know when I became
A Christian and I really started reading a lot of African-American history and African history to be honest and uh and I saw so many great lead leaders that were or became Heroes of mine Frederick Douglas Sojourner Truth Harriet Tubman David Walker and they were so bold in their
Faith they weren’t they were fighting for the rights for African-American people right and that’s kind of what they’re known for but when you really read their works and about them you’ll see that their faith in Christ was Center and Paramount and strong and that’s where they drew the strength from to do the
Things they did and they were bold in a in a time where speaking boldly could have cost them their life they were bold and uh whether it was about Christ or race and so that led me to say man if they could be bold at that time um when
It was so much more dangerous then certainly I can be bold for Christ now um and so that that was really one of the things that sparked me to be that way um I also looked at the men in the Bible um and they were strong they
Weren’t ashamed of their faith like we we when you you are a man that walks with God when you are a man that is a praying man when you are a man that values your family and knows that leading them to the Lord is the greatest
Thing that you have to do like I always prayed for my kids and and rais them in a way where um sure I would love I love for them I wanted them to be successful in the natural realm um and what whatever they chose to do I I didn’t
Really care whether it was be a lawyer be a doctor be an accountant be a housewife be a a school teacher whatever they chose to do I was going to support it um and I gave them opportunities great schools and educational opportunities and things so that they
Could make a good choice and have options but my number one goal for them was that they grow into being women of God who really love the Lord and have a true vibrant intimate relationship with him that was my number one goal I I didn’t care what what their career was
That was their choice obviously as long as it was positive and if they’re women of God it was going to be positive but that was my main thing and when you’re that type of man uh when you live according to the principles of the Bible the teachings of Christ and you seek to
Emulate him guess what you are the prototypical man you are the ideal man when in the dictionary where it says man it should have a picture of you right and even in with all your imperfections we we’re not perfect we’re flawed we’re still human we still might
Stumble and fall but the fact that we are seeking God the fact that we’re in fellowship with God every day that’s our that’s our world viiew that’s how we live that that’s what Man was created to be absolutely and so when I realized that and I said you know what like the
The prototypical man the ideal man the real man is not the womanizer it’s not the dude sleeping with all these women it’s not the guy that’s just wealthy it’s not the guy that has all the power I mean those are not some of them are
Bad things but some of them can be good things right absolutely but the ideal man is the man of God right and so when you realize that you should walk with an authority you should walk with a confidence you should walk with an unashamed shamness um that Jesus walked with the
Bible says those that say they believe in him should walk like he walked and don’t just focus on him being sinless but he was bold he was confident he wasn’t ashamed of being a man of God so to speak you know right and so we shouldn’t either and and that
Boldness is I guess a byproduct of that this shouldn’t be your main focus but a byproduct of that is that that is attractive I don’t mean to women you know in that type of way but I mean other men will be attracted to someone that stands on his Square
Someone that’s not budging that’s not buckling especially if he’s getting a lot of heat because he won’t Buckle yes I mean you you may know the history of the church but initially the Christians were persecuted in the Roman Empire but in light and and far more than we
Obviously could even imagine right now here in America but they were persecuted to the point where it could cost them their lives and other people non-believers seeing man it must be something about this Jesus for these people to give up their lives or be willing to give give up their lives for
Him and so obviously we don’t want it to get to that point again but I’m just saying the the little bit the slights the the the funny looks the the comments people just not liking you whatever it may be we that’s nothing compared to what Christians have have undergone elsewhere and
Even today I remember I was speaking at a g to speak at a school a college and young man picked me up to take picked me up from the airport to take me to the school and he was Indian like from India and he was just
Very um impressed with me because I had you know like you said I’ve been known for being just outspoken about my faith or not shying away from it or anything like that and as we be we talked man this guy was from India in a Christian family his
Father had was a pastor a Christian pastor and the law of the land was that he couldn’t you know publicly Proclaim Christ and so on and so forth and his dad had a gun pointed at his head telling him to stop preaching the gospel and that’s why this one reason the his
Father sent his family over to America and I think his dad was still in India but I was like dude you impressed with me like right that’s nothing compared to what your dad did exactly so um yeah it’s just you know I get it I’m not
Saying it’s easy we have to be prayerful you have to get in your word and you need to be sold out for the Lord focused on the Lord um that you know I’ve said to myself man if I’m the last one standing if if if if everybody I know
Leaves Jesus I got to be like I not me like I’m staying with him yeah um and so you know and and one thing I’ll say too is you want to be spiritual and strong in your faith with the Lord but you also want to be practical and that’s a part of being
Being a Godly Man as well knowing when like Jesus if you notice he didn’t tell every single person he saw believe in me I’m the Lord and Savior you know um he wants obviously everybody to be saved but living out his life practically he just lived his life and
When it was time to say stuff like that he say it I think of you know the woman the Canaanite woman who wanted the crumbs from the table you know he didn’t just go on an Evangelistic crusade to her you know so there are times to share
Your faith there are times to just let your lifestyle be your message and be your sermon uh there are times to do your job like when you’re at work you see me on television on radio I’m not preaching about Jesus on on TV right my
Job there is to do my job and work and let my life shine like lifestyle shine let my light shine so to speak um and obviously if an opportunity comes yeah with a coor or whatever you you be ready to to share and uh Minister but you know we have to be
Practical about our faith as well and that’s not a contradiction and it’s not in Conflict to be able to live practically in this world but also have a vibrant faith in the Lord let your light shine before men that’s what he said for us to do is let your light
Shine I remember when I remember you said it um you were giv a sermon at a at an event or at a church and you said how important it is for thousands of us to be filled with that spirit that Holy Spirit and let us do what he he did but
Let us finish let us keep going keep it going keep spreading the word keep spreading truth and for me I’m not one to really be outspoken I was really um introverted I guess I was very um timid I didn’t really speak out on politics or anything like that but as soon as my
Faith changed and I got more I got stronger in it I got stronger in the word and in my faith I became more outspoken more firm and I started not caring what people thought of me because I expected it at that point because right at first when I got hate for
Whether it be music or something like that it bothered me but then I got used to that but then you know when it came to Faith it it literally tells us you will be hated for my my name’s sake so I was like okay well you know it didn’t
Bother me as much cuz I felt like I was doing I was doing the right thing in in Christ eyes and it became more about pleasing him than pleasing man and I think I used to be the guy who tried to satisfy everybody I tried to please
Everybody and now I feel like I tell people all the time that the only man I really tried to please passed away in 2019 so I’m no longer trying to please man um obviously I want to make my family proud but when it comes down to
It it’s more about you know pleasing God and doing what he would want me to do and not what others want me to do so I definitely um I definitely um love what you do what you’re about and you know you inspire me to keep going and stand
Because you obviously had a big platform um you know when you took your stand or when you you still do um but so I know how much courage that takes I know what’s on the line when you do something like that and for you to do it it just
Makes me want to go even harder so thank you for your courage and your your um motivation for that um no thank you man I appreciate that definitely and uh and stay strong that’s great to hear about your your faith increasing and it’s important for the world to
See uh people that they respect for various reasons they respect a person because he’s a great athlete uh because he’s a lawyer because she’s a doctor she’s a politician he a great father to his children whatever it may be and to see people like that and be like wow
He’s a Christian she’s a Christian you know what I mean like they respect you for something else your intelligence your wealth your success whatever it may be and then when they find out you’re a Christian yeah that’s the type of thing that may you know they that can lead
Them to want to know more about the faith it can change or erase stereotypes that they may have of the faith you know and so all of those things are important so uh so it’s great man that’s kind of what got this for the Lord that’s kind
Of what got this uh podcast started the faith in football because you look like you said you look at athletes like football players and you’re like man you know he’s a really good player and then you may go to his page or something you see him posting a Bible verse or him him
Talking about God and Christ just sharing it um you know uh consistently even and so it does mean a lot what how do you feel about players like I think most recently was like Demario Davis he had a a press conference where he was really talking about God uh and stuff
Like that how do you feel like when they just bring it up like all of a sudden in a press conference he might just ask about how the game went they just give all glory to God and kind of go about their faith how do you feel about when
Players do that does that mean a lot to you as an analyst yeah I mean look it’s great to see anytime a player stands up for the Lord Lord you know um I’m going to salute it now so a lot of times you know you might after a guy they won a
Game or something they’ll say you know they’re interviewed first I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ like I love to see that because again I know me when I was in college and didn’t want to give my life to the Lord didn’t
Want to follow the Lord but I I had been convicted of my sin so I knew that I needed to get saved but I didn’t want to I was running I didn’t want to repent and try to be different and try to serve the Lord and um seen Charlie Ward reading an article
About Charlie Ward and Sports Illustrated who was the Heisman Trophy winner and reading about how he was a Christian and reading about Evander Holyfield um as a heavyweight champ who was a Christian like men that I respected again for because they were great athletes right seeing that even seeing musicians um who were
Christians um that really all of that played a role in me eventually coming to Christ you know just seeing those examples those were little things God Ed so you never know who that might impact right um now there’s also in addition to speaking about the Lord which again is
Great and I didn’t see de Mario’s press conference okay I may go back and check it out I don’t know how extensive extensively he spoke about the Lord but um you know there there’s also a time where you just need to answer questions about football or basketball right so
You can do both you know you give your God the praise and the glory yeah and then you know all right let me answer some X and O questions but no man I I support it because um and a lot of people are hypocritical um some people in the media that will
Criticize uh a Christian athlete for speaking out about his faith but if that were a black athlete and obviously de Mario is but if it’s a black athlete that speaks out about racism then some people are going to applaud him oh he using his platform to speak out about racism and I applaud
That that’s great right but you you know don’t get mad at the guy that uses this platform to also speak about God and and I’m going to be honest and this even includes me people when it comes to athletes speaking out or even entertainers anybody a public figure I guess particularly athletes and
Entertainers when they come to them speaking out about issues we tend to like it when they’re speaking out about an issue that we support right yes but when they speak out of when they use their platform and they’re speaking out about something we don’t support yeah then I got me even I
Get bothered like man ain’t nobody trying to hear that you know I mean real real talk like and so I understand it um but I do support when Brothers speak for the Lord right or when Brothers speak out Against Racism or something like that absolutely but I I I gotta just be
Honest and and if somebody speaking really trying to use you know time to speak about a movement or something I don’t agree with yeah I I really don’t like it you know so I gotta be honest and understand it but but yeah I’m a Christian so I I support it defitely
Yeah it it was kind of it went viral a little bit I saw it got shared around a few times I think that’s how I saw it I think I saw it just shared one time um so I think it was I want to say it was
Two or three weeks ago when it happened uh it was kind of kind of a big deal for in the I saw something was he the you may not have seen this but I did see a video I think it was a guy’s wife praying with him on the sidelines before
A game I think I know what you’re talking about Mario but I’m not positive yeah his was it was after the game it was a press conference and I don’t remember what the question was I just know he gave all glory to Christ and he
Kind of went on about his faith a little bit then of course you go to his page and he’s dropping testimonies and and stuff like that so he’s somebody I would really like to talk to as well he’s someone that I can tell he’s real passionate about it and there’s a lot of
People on that team that are that are really passionate about this La I noticed that the Saints have I’m GNA be honest with you man a lot of I don’t know if the number is any more pronounced than in general Society but there are a good number of athletes
And and I think maybe more football players who are Christians right um and and a lot of ex professional athletes that you see on television yeah are Christians right A lot of them and so um yeah it’s it’s definitely uh it’s good to see and you know again we just want
To keep Brothers strong absolutely we want to keep Brothers you know um firm in their faith because that’s the thing we have to understand the world will try to tell us oh you know you going to be depressed or you GNA go through mental health issues or you you you gonna
You’re going to mess up you know and obviously we’re human and we’re not perfect but get this you can be faithful to your wife you can be a great family man husband and father you know you can not fall victim to substance abuse right you can you know not be victimized by
Various vices like that’s the promise of the word Romans 6 says that we have been set free from the power of sin that sin does not have dominion over us sin doesn’t dominate us yeah so I don’t have to like that’s the freedom Jesus said I
Came to set you free yep you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free and he came to set us free spiritually and so we have to know that and walk in that and claim that even as we battle even as we struggle even as you might
Not be have realized your freedom yet right but you’re working towards it and believing that it will come because God has put his holy spirit in you and promised you in the word that you can be free and so let’s not fall into that trap of oh I can’t speak out because I
Might fall you know I mean you might fall you know right but you don’t have to fall yeah know that you don’t have to fall and walk in that just like if you if you had the basketball ability of LeBron James I bet you walk on the court every
Day thinking man I’m about to get busy this dude he in trouble all right ain’t nobody stopping me you wouldn’t be afraid when you stepped on the court that that the other guys better than you absolutely well spiritually God has empowered us and given us the Holy
Spirit the spirit that was in Christ and and the SP he who is in US is greater than he who is in the world so whatever battle you’re facing and again I understand it can be tough but that’s why we get in our word that’s why we memorize scripture that’s
Why we pray that’s you know that’s why we do our best to walk it out that’s why we have fellowship with other believers you know because that power is in you you you are you are are a spiritual LeBron James you are a spiritual Michael Jordan and more you’re better than they
Are like in the you know like God has put his spirit in you and said no weapon formed against you will prosper he who is in you is greater than he was in the world so walk with that confidence and that Authority that’s what we are called
To do and that’s what we should be striving to do as me man put on the whole armor of God Amen put on the whole armor of God man thank you so much for doing this brother uh before I let you go do you have a particular Bible verse that you
Lean on I know um some people have that one verse that just keeps them going for me it was Matthew 24:13 which says Those Who endure Until the End shall be saved and that just that just motivated me that motivated me to just keep going and
Keep enduring I know it’s going to be tough sometimes but just keep going and that verse really stuck with me is there a particular verse that sticks with you I mean there are so many obviously verses that are key to your life and I think it goes through Seasons some
Seasons of My Life One a particular Romans 8:28 all things work together for good for them that love God was was the number one for a while uh Ephesians 3:20 uh God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think you can’t even imagine how much
God can do with you um that was big has been big for me um and 2 Corinthians 10: 4 and 5 about the weapons of our Warfare being spiritual our weapons are Mighty and God for the pulling down of strongholds and casting out imaginations right and and and every
Apprehension that would exalt itself above the knowledge of God and bringing every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ I mean think about that God has given us the spiritual power to cast out imaginations imaginations are a big part of people’s problems and obviously there’s a positive imagination right like it’s
Great to be have an imagination that leads you to be creative and there’s a positive to that but the negative is imagining I mean think of all the negative things we imagine what what will happen if I do this what will happen if I do that what are they going
To think about me what are they thinking about me now you know what what you know all types of stuff that hinders us and can can make us depressed if we play into those imaginations so knowing we have the spiritual ability to cast that stuff out is great and so those are some
Of the scriptures that you know have been played big roles in in my walk with Christ absolutely man those were all good ones and thank you so much bro for doing this man you are defin defitely an inspiration to me I I can’t put into
Words how much this meant to me for you to to respond the way you did and to to come on air and give great great answers to to these questions and just um I pray that this is able to keep going I know this is something that I’ve had in in
Mind for a while and you just brought it to life so thank you so much for that um I want to encourage everybody to go grab to share the dream um it’s it’s a study guide um I haven’t got a chance to really to really work on it but I plan
To me and my family are going to definitely work on this study guide It’s called share the dream it’s uh by Chris brussard and co-author uh Matthew Daniels so please go out and get that support his his ministry King The King movement and also be a be sure to check
Him out on his podcast The Odd Couple with Rod Parker I’m a big fan of the show I check y’all out all the time so man keep doing what you’re doing bro um in the Sports World on on the camera I would say on the field but on camera and
Off camera man you you’re definitely inspiration to us so I just want to encourage you to stay focused as well all right man I appreciate it and um look maybe you can get out to Cleveland for the uh King Summit in March man I would love to I definitely I definitely
Look into that and that that sounds amazing if you’re ever in Texas you got to let me you got to let me know too if you’re ever around here too what part of Texas are you in I’m in Temple so right by Austin about an hour north of Austin
Yeah I spoke down in uh Fort Worth a few early in the early about like in January okay yeah so um okay all right brother well look great good luck with your podcast I pray it goes well and um I enjoyed it man you did a good job thank you sir
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