PODCAST: Third Down in Life is Analogous to Tried and True (God Receives Glory Even From Football #7)

My name is Daniel Whyte III, and welcome to the God Receives Glory Even From Football podcast. This podcast is based off of my new book of the same name. I wrote the book because I believe out of all the national sports God has received more glory and praise from American football over the past one hundred years than all of the other sports combined. This episode is chapter six of the book, titled “Third Down in Life is Analogous to Tried and True.”

Vince Lombardi said “Some people try to find things in this game that don’t exist but football is only two things – blocking and tackling.”

Deuteronomy 30:19 says “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”

In football, third down conversions into first downs is the difference between winning and losing. In football, you really do not want to get to a third down situation. You want to convert to first downs on the first downs or at least on the second downs. The reason for this is once you get to third down it raises the pressure level on everybody on the team including the coaches. Even though it is not a do-or-die situation, it is a do-or-punt situation in most cases. One of the main ideas of football is not to give the enemy or the opposing team the ball because that reduces the opportunity for them to score. Therefore, there are a set of plays in the playbook that are called “sugar stick” plays or tried-and-true plays that the players can do blindfolded and that have a higher percentage rate of converting to first downs. Oftentimes in life, to get to the next level or to win the daily game of life, you have to go to your sugar stick plays or your tried-and-true plays that you know will work. By the way, as it is in football so it is in the game of life. You don’t win games with flea flickers or reverses, but the tried-and-true plays are what win the day.

Now, the only way you can give God the glory through football is to be saved by believing in Jesus. Here is how:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I hope that this podcast will remind you to give glory to God throughout this year’s football season.