Kirsten and I are honored to be a part of this year’s Football Sunday. It’s not just a video, it’s something that has grown over the last two years and has the power to reach a lot people for Christ through the avenue of sport.

The Super Bowl is obviously something that a lot of people pay attention to. I remember even before I played football, I’d see people in church on Super Bowl Sunday wearing their jerseys and even leaving early to go to the game. That’s why I love Football Sunday, it’s about holding the importance of Sunday—which is the Lord’s Day—while also recognizing that, culturally, this is a big day in the sports world. God gave us sports to enjoy, but we still want to honor Him with our time so this is a great marriage of the two.

This video will everyone sitting in their church chairs on Sunday that there are men and women in the NFL who are believers. The storyline is about the faith, failures, redemption, and growth of these men and their wives. It’s important for people to see that they go through many of the same struggles that everyone else goes through. We all need to rely on the Lord for our strength.

Last year’s Football Sunday really impacted me. As I heard other players in the league tell their stories, I was struck by the honesty and vulnerability that they shared. I had never heard the details of these men’s stories before. As they opened up to us, we were able to catch a glimpse of their hearts.

People are often scared or hesitant to share their pain and hurt—they don’t want to relive it or talk about it with others—but I know for a fact that many were ministered to by the players’ obedience and willingness to share their stories last year. We can see how God is still using their testimonies to reach others as well as bring continued healing the players themselves.

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit.” —Psalm 103:2-4

Our ultimate mission is to spread the Gospel. We aim to do that by utilizing the talents and vision that God has gifted us with. For Kirsten and I, being involved in Football Sunday is about giving others the chance to hear how they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ and someday enter into eternity with the God that created them. We want this video to be an avenue for pastors and youth leaders to reach others with the Gospel, but this is also for the person watching at home on YouTube. We want this to be a tool that the Holy Spirit uses to draw people to know Jesus Christ for the first time and encourage believers in their faith. Every believer needs encouragement often—I know that I do. I need to be reaffirmed in my faith; I need to hear from people who are like-minded—who are going through real struggles and need Christ. I believe that Football Sunday will inspire believers to continue being ambassadors for Christ, telling their coworkers, family, friends, and anyone else who will listen, about the love that God has for us all.

—Benjamin Watson

Benjamin Watson is a regular contributor to The Increase and will be providing monthly articles and opinions.

Check out Benjamin’s Increase profile here: http://theincrease.com/author/benjaminwatson/   
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