‘Faith, Family and Football’ changed lives

I had the opportunity to attend the community’s Faith, Family and Football meeting sponsored by local businesses and the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.

If you will allow me (thank you in advance) I’d like to share some highlights in a way that won’t make the newspaper story. 

Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek spoke first and shared his testimony of salvation and making his experience public by following in believer’s baptism. He spoke about the ‘football’ aspect first and encouraged people to “Do what you love, and love what you do.” He truly believes God called him to U of A to give student athletes the opportunity for success in their life.  Hunter mentioned that the average grade point of his student athletes is 3.27 and 98% of the athletes earn a degree. Of course he didn’t leave out that the UofA has 18 SEC championships. He feels his passion for athletics has been passed on to others —  and the passion continues.

Then he mentioned his wife of 29 years and his passion for sports became her passion, too. Then he talked about the most important passion —  that of his faith in Jesus Christ, which also became the passion of his wife and three sons.

When Coach Yurachek said that was all the “preaching” he could do after sharing his story. He asked for the crowd’s help with this week’s game. The crowd willingly stood and “called the hogs.”

Robby Gallaty was the keynote speaker, who also accepted Christ as an adult after being addicted to prescription drugs which led to his downward spiral. 

Before he gave his story, he shared the scriptures and story of Blind Bartimaeus. I learned so much from his explanation of the cloak that Bartimaeus held on to for dear life and all that it meant to him as a beggar. He used it for shade during the day, and warmth in the evening. He also used it to protect the money he had collected as the day progressed. The color of the cloak was a sign he was a legal, registered beggar with the township.

In the early morning hours as he heard the city come to life, he heard a lot more than the normal size crowd coming into the city. He heard that Jesus and his disciples were headed to the city and he cried out to him.

Robby said we should always be willing to take a stand for Jesus. Then he dissected what Bartimaeus said in that one phrase, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Then many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out again. 

Jesus heard his cry even though the Bible says it was a “great crowd.” We can have confidence that when we cry out to Jesus,  He is always tuned in to us and hears our words as well as understands our heart.

Robby explained the difference between grace and mercy. Jesus knew who he was and his situation. Mercy is when God is holding back giving us what we deserve. (Condemnation because of our sin nature.) Grace is God giving us something we don’t deserve — which is salvation.

Here’s another Robby quote, “The good we do and live by is all because of Jesus and what He has done in our life.” We should boldly proclaim we love the unlovely because we (should) have the heart of Jesus. We are kind because of Jesus. We are givers — because of Jesus.

Maybe someday you’ll earn the right with a friend, co-worker or neighbor to explain what God has done in your life that causes you to live the way you do. So Christians, we need to take a stand. 

Bartimaeus knew of Jesus of Nazareth and believed He was the Son of God. He wasn’t about to let this God of miracles pass him by without asking for his own miracle.

Robby also pointed out, “We serve a God who isn’t too busy to stop and listen.” He mentioned the fact that God has His own timetable and most of the time our clock is a lot faster than His. He mentioned God is never in a hurry. Sometimes I think I miss what God wants me to say or do, because I’m in such a hurry to mark it off my list. 

Then he asked the crowd if we knew of the one time in scripture where God was in a hurry. Of course the room was quiet. 

The answer is in the parable of the Prodigal Son as the father (representing God) runs to the son when he sees him returning home.

I’ve got to wrap this up, but God is just as anxious to receive you into His arms, too. The last point was about the cloak, in which all of Bartimaeus’s future lay. He tossed that cloak aside and left it to go “see” Jesus —  which he did with his new eye sight.

He concluded by asking the question, “What’s the cloak in your life that is holding you back? The story begins at Mark 10:46. Remember Jesus has time for you — no matter what condition you are in.