The Gospel In The Game Sports Podcast
Conversation and stories about real athletes and the journey thru sport, faith and life.
Connecting athletes, sports families and the church. Build bridges and telling real stories to help repair, build and grow people.
Hosts Dan Dromarsky and Dave Dawson
The Gospel In The Game Sports Podcast
Testimony
As we wrap up our first season, we reflect on how shared dialogues create bonds and spark connections.
We then shift our focus to the heart of Christian faith: the power of testimony. What makes a testimony different from a simple story? We explore how personal accounts of faith journeys—whether marked by dramatic transformations or steady, steadfast walks with God—can deeply resonate with others. By drawing on real-life stories, including those from the world of sports, we illustrate the transformative journey from spiritual emptiness to fulfillment through Christ. Highlighting the importance of sharing these journeys with gentleness and respect, we delve into how testimonies—big or small—hold intrinsic value and can inspire profound change.
As we conclude season one, we celebrate the incredible impact of sharing our testimonies and the changes God has orchestrated in our lives. We express our gratitude for your support and encourage you to reach out with your own stories, which could inspire future content. With humor and heartfelt reflection, we eagerly anticipate the next chapter of our journey together, filled with more stories, more connections, and hopefully, a few snowy adventures. Thank you for being part of this journey, and we look forward to what's next!
in the last 48 hours we've had a temperature degree change of 35 degrees. How does that make you feel?
Speaker 2:um, yeah it uh. I I feel like I have a lot of emotions. I think that snow, uh, in a lot of respects, is fun. I I've thrown. People have really been sidetracked when I say this comment that I like driving in the snow. It's weird. Like, yes, went from super, super cold of like minus 30 to 20 to it's going to be above zero this week, and where we live in Celsius to qualify that for our American listeners and viewers. Well, I guess, listeners, you could view it if you want, if it's on your TV, but you don't see us. But yeah, those are my thoughts. I like driving in the snow.
Speaker 1:Really I I usually say when people have comments about the weather, I say I'm okay with snow from December 24th until January 8th, and then as soon as Christmas is over Ukrainian Christmas is over, that's fine. It can be green grass for the rest of the year.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, tremendous. Yeah, there are parts of the world where that does exist. Rest of the year, okay, okay, tremendous. Yeah, there are parts of the world where that does exist. Um, even parts of canada maybe that do. But I, I don't, I don't mind it. I don't mind snow. I mean I, I don't like skiing or snowboarding or whatever, but it's just, it's part of the. You know, you need the moisture for the farmers, and so canada doesn't burn down with fires and and it's fun. It's fun to drive in the snow. It's fun to drive in the snow up until march.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is no should melt I'll tell you the reason why I'm not as an overly fan of snow. Even talking about this conversation of snow, you know like when someone like rubs a balloon or scratches a chalkboard or plays with styrofoam, the crunching snow does that for me.
Speaker 2:I literally am sitting here with goosebumps, okay, yeah, interesting.
Speaker 1:Everyone's got the radiosyncrasies, okay, well, and that's yeah, and everyone probably has a story about the first time that they've seen snow or the things that they enjoy in snow or never seeing snow. But that's my thing. That's my thing that I don't like about snow. So when someone mentions the weather, I usually mention the, the period of time. I'm okay with snow and the fact that I do not like walking in it. It's like makes me cold even just thinking of it okay.
Speaker 2:So I'm the opposite when it comes to making accounts of remembering snow. Growing up, I loved making snowmen, loved having snowball fights, um, loved driving in the snow, even in the like the frustrating times. I can think of one time in the city that I grew up in there was such a large snowstorm. There were vehicles like on the middle of a busy street covered in drifts of snow like five feet high. Um, I have a lot of great memories for snow, like when I see snow, it's like yeah, it's christmas, but then again, well, yeah, when it gets to March, like nope, I'm done with snow. And then it's sometimes it sticks around until May. I'm like that's no, I'm done.
Speaker 1:You know, the first time I visited your home city, from what you're talking about, it was minus 50 for the whole time I was there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Good story, no thanks. That's the weather, that's the weather portion, the weather drop. I can do without snow, you know, yeah, minus 10, it's great. It's like the extreme heat. You're a big fan of the plus 40s and the dripping sweat and you know the lungs not filling properly. I'll do 20 degrees Celsius and I'm good. Don't need the plus forties.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm okay with minus 40. And here's the reason why I opened up with the idea of weather. When you think of something that you can, that most people talk about when they meet each other or greet each other, one of the things that they start off with is the weather. Hmm, nice weather we're having to hear today. Oh man, I can't believe how much snow is on. Oh, I can't believe how much rain is falling. It's usually it's a conversation starter, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It is a conversation starter, so that's how we're going to start this conversation. I'm Dave. That's Dan. This is the Gospel in the Game, episode number. What are we on now? 18?, 19?
Speaker 1:19. 19 episode 19 19 episodes in what a year, yeah, and here's kind of what it is. It's technically Episode 20, the Interview with Nicole Hensley. We didn't number, so it kind of sneaks In there. So we're kind of going to say this one, this one is officially 19, but at the same time it's kind of 20.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's fair. Yeah, it was a flashback to no-transcript 2019, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. Well, that's cool. It's been a good 2024. This, I guess the season wrap-up I want to call it the end of our 2024 run into the Christmas season Conversation starters. It's kind of the theme for tonight, as you're right. Whether is that thing? You're in the elevator with a total stranger. You're at a bus stop, you're standing in line, whatever it is. Whether you know your clerk is running your items through the grocery line? Um, whether is the first thing that usually comes out and I don't know why that is it's a common ground thing, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly in the same way. It's like it's one of those safe things to talk about where you know you're in the airport, you don't bring up certain subjects, You're in a, in a bank, you don't, you don't say certain things and like it's it's a conversation starter. Anyway, it isn't a and it's a safe thing to talk about.
Speaker 2:For sure Most of the time, whether it's a safe thing to talk about.
Speaker 1:Well, it's funny with that Most of the time. My sister lives up in Alaska and usually it's like, uh, telling stories of minus 50 for weeks on end and nothing is alive or breathing. It seems like, and I'm just like, no, no, I'm, I'm taught. Stop talking about the weather, let's talk about a different subject. Talk about something else. Let's talk about politics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, and so it's interesting because whether, like you mentioned, is like a common ground, a United ground area, no matter where you're from, no matter what background you have, everybody understands the terminology of weather. So in Christianity we have some words that a friend of mine, a pastor, used to call them Christianese right, so it's certain words that only Christians would understand, and one of the words that often gets thrown around in Christian circles and, you know, sometimes outside of it people are familiar with this word, but it's more kind of more of a Christian word. It's testimony. That's the theme for episode 2019, whatever you want to call it is testimony today and it's really. Testimony can mean a lot of things, but it's somewhat an account of your faith and being able to share that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I actually add a word onto it. When someone talks about testimony, I say like someone can bear testimony, or someone tells of a testimony and, as I had mentioned to you before we started recording this, the word story. Sometimes I think story just doesn't cut it, because when you say, well, tell me your story. We live in a world of well fantasy and fiction and the dynamics of a story, a testimony, is real. It relies on reality, reality, something that happened. You're telling something truthful that happened from your own personal experience. That's probably one of the best descriptions of it. At the same time, it's not something that's just a fable or, uh, something passed on.
Speaker 2:that that's a story yeah, it's a bearing testimony. It's almost like a reflection, a personal reflection, a personal account, or yeah, testimony is the best way to wrap it up in in christian words. So the uh, the verse, theme verse for today's comes from first peter in the new testament, chapter 3, verse 15. But in your hearts, revere christ as lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and there's a lot of things to unpack in that verse. It's a deep verse. It goes back to what is the heart and purpose of the story. Oh, there we go. I used that S word again. That story. What's the heart and purpose behind the testimony in which why you're telling it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I, you know, often when I think of you know you and I met a little while ago and talked about you know if you, if you're growing up in the church, you're listening to this and you know you and I met a little while ago and talked about you know if you, if you grown up in the church, you're listening to this and you know you grew up in the church. When you think of testimony, you know, often you hear you know when someone's getting baptized they go through. We just did our baptism Sunday again last Sunday at church and you know some of the testimonies, stories, faith reflections, journeys, um, where, where you know, hey, I grew up in christian home, non-christian home. This happened when I was three and this one I was nine, you know. And then you know someone who's an adult, kind of going through their whole faith journey and reflecting on how they got to where they are today.
Speaker 2:The journey, right, um, you and I talked about the concept of you know, because through that the reflection, the goal is to take someone along the journey of you know, his.
Speaker 2:Through that the reflection, the goal is to take someone along the journey of your life and reveal, you know, the magnitude of where God was able to transform you. And when I think of testimony, you know, transformation to me and testimony kind of go hand in hand. The two are closely tied together because if someone, if I'm giving personally reflection of my life, the goal is to describe transformation. I want to show and talk about transformation. So you and I talked about this concept of, yes, there's, you know, there's, there's testimony to the whole journey, but also there's like the truncated version of, you know, personal reflection and and, um, how to deliver? That, well, I think, is a key component, because you're not yeah, you're not telling a story, so to speak, but you know, how do we, as christians and especially, of course, this being the gospel in the game podcast so, according to sport, how how can you, in sport, deliver and pack up your story, your, your journey, your testimony, well, yeah, and it's not always about the delivery of it either.
Speaker 1:Some people think that if they're going to share something that's powerful or something that's impactful, it's got to be like a big, a big event, and it's it's how it's delivered, or it's the circumstances or the size of the circumstances. And I've even been to places like camps and weekends and people someone shares about something like huge that they've overcome, and that part of the story is like I was here and it was a horrible, wretched, terrible place and they could probably spend days telling about all the horrible circumstances and things happening and how God rescued them from. That is part of the transformation story as you shared.
Speaker 1:I love how you phrased it that way and I think sometimes people discount well, do I really have a testimony? Do I really have something to share? Maybe it's's too simple, but I think the the thing that's really important to kind of um unpackage with that is the fact that anyone who comes from a position of being absolutely bankrupt spiritually, morally and having like without christ, you have nothing, to knowing and understanding the gospel, the message of salvation, that you have everything. So both came, both, no matter what, how terrible the circumstances came from a position of loss, and when you have found a relationship with christ through forgiveness that he offers on the cross, you have absolute gain.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's. I love what you said there because, you know, often when we think of someone sharing a testimony, you think of those things and we sometimes as christians can gravitate towards that and go well, yeah, I don't really have anything like that and I remember it was a few years ago. I was at a retreat with a couple of buddies kind of a christian men's event and we're sitting in a hot tub late at night and there were two, myself and and one friend shared kind of a similar journey when it came to, you know, large transformation and things we've come through from addiction to getting freed from those things and we were kind of bonding over that. And the other guy, you know, I kind of just walked a really great life and has you been able to navigate through and have a family and everything was. You know, he hasn't really had any large calamities and he was kind of wrestling with.
Speaker 2:Well, is my testimony valid? And it really made me think like, yeah, of course it is, you know, and I think of the scripture. There's so much scripture that can point us towards just the practicality of living a god-centered life. That's just as powerful doesn't need to be this sensational thing that has happened. When you're someone's asking you about your journey or looking at your life, you don't. You know that's, I think in christian circles. That's sometimes where we trip up a little bit and think, well, maybe like I don't have anything large, so does god really? Am I a christian like? Is my faith genuine? I haven't had these crazy things happen to me well, and even part of that verse is.
Speaker 1:It says always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you. You never know when someone's going to ask you. Is it dave? Why are you so happy all the time? Or all of a sudden, something comes up that is relatable with the person and you're not even aware that it's relatable to the person. All of a sudden maybe they came from a certain set of circumstances or habits or other things that all of a sudden, now you have an opportunity in order to share how God changed your life and your perspective based on those things, and you can think of so many different.
Speaker 1:We can think of so many different things, and sometimes it's not even like, well, you can, people can label things. Well, okay, someone was an alcoholic and God saved them from that need, and that desperate need to have alcohol, and so they can relate to that. But sometimes it's the strangest things that you wouldn't even think of need and that desperate need to have that have alcohol, and so they can relate to that. But sometimes it's the the strangest things that you wouldn't even think of, where it's like oh, wow, hey, I was. You know what? I was a liar and like boy. Someone talks about having struggle telling the truth all the time, it's like wow, who can't relate to that?
Speaker 2:yeah, and I I love the way you said that because I I want to share a story and a reflection about our friendship and our relationship and what you've meant to me over the years. And there was, you know, a number of years back. You and I were working in a job together during, you know, the time when the world was shut down for a little while there, four or five years ago, during COVID, and there was some things in my life that I was wrestling through. There was a lot of unhealth in some areas and I'd been really struggling with the difficulty of seeing the destruction that had been happening in my life because of this sort of behavior. And it was, yeah, I just I had this tendency to kind of overreact pretty quickly and not have the ability just to calmly analyze a situation.
Speaker 2:When it happened, I would just think of the worst and then, right away, just kind of deep dive into that. And it had been something that had been rearing its ugly head up for you know, a couple of years, and I had just gotten sick of it. I thought I want to get rid of this. So, you know, a couple of years and I I just gotten sick of it. I thought I want to get rid of this. So you know, we, we were just working together for a couple of months there and there were times that you know, by your grace, I would call you and just kind of blow up and just vent my frustrations of the work day. And you constantly have this ability, you know, just to listen and go.
Speaker 1:Hmm.
Speaker 2:And then you looking for some profound answer, and you'd say you know what, let's pray about it and I'll chat with you tomorrow. And you did that three or four times and I just thought to myself that's such a profound. How is he not frustrated, how is he not wrestling with the injustice of the situation? He just has this ability to just calmly say you know what, let's pray about it, so right away, leave it with the Lord. He just has this ability to just calmly say you know what, let's pray about it, so right away, leave it with the Lord, and then we'll come back tomorrow.
Speaker 2:And then I found that so unique and it was something that I thought you know, and maybe, when you look at your life, you never I don't know if you ever thought that's something that you were going to be able to use as a way to witness another christian word, to witness and show love through to someone else.
Speaker 2:But that was something that changed my life and that was a large um kind of turning point to where I really started to experience a lot of freedom in my life and realizing, wow, you know what like, rather than overreacting, I can calmly look at this and you know, I can, I can leave it to the Lord. And then, less than six months later, there were large situations in my life that I was starting to be that person, other people who are like, well, you've changed. And then that just kind of found its way to cycle through. And I just thought that was so cool, because when you talk about the gravitation to the sensational things and don't discount the ability for the smallest little behaviors to be powerful, you're so right like you never know what that can be yeah, and I thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 1:Again, it's a good reminder to me, dave.
Speaker 1:I sometimes I forget about stuff like that and, um, it's a good reminder not to for beat my drum or anything like that, but I think it's a good reminder that the little things do matter and it's not just a dependency on God or like the gigantic things, and it's so often the little things. My youngest son, we would do the same thing. We would pray over the smallest thing. I'd be like missing my keys and I'd stop and be like, okay, I gotta pray and I pray, where are my keys? And all of a sudden, like my wife from the other room would be like found them and all my kid would like look at me like what? And uh, I remember we were praying one time we had gotten an amber alert and uh, all of a sudden I'm like, okay, stop, we gotta pray during this situation and we prayed for this little boy to be found and within like a couple minutes there's a response number alert that this kid was found and just blew my kid's mind and I was like he was just like, see, as soon as the Amber Alert would go on, the kids would go dad, dad, dad, you got to pray, you got to pray, you got to pray. And I would have to remind them too.
Speaker 1:It's like the importance of praying, but it's not because I'm praying and it's I'm not saying I don't have like a magic wand and also I'm changing the world because I'm praying. But here's the thing, though I think it's important for us to almost think that way, because when you look at the book of Acts and there is an event where the, the, the disciples, are going around doing things, and this guy, jason, goes and his wife, he says we have to stop these guys, we have to stop these guys from spreading the gospel and telling people. And she goes you're no, yeah, they're changing, they're turning the world upside down, is the phrase that's used. They're changing, they're turning the world upside down, is the phrase that's used. And the response was nothing you can do is going to like, literally stop this. It's going to happen and it's like, but to be called like the fact, like, if they're for God, you can't stop it. And it's like this thought process.
Speaker 1:I think we almost have to have in our heads that, like, lord, I'm going to take this to you and because I'm supposed to petition to you. And even in the book of Daniel and scripture, when the angel Michael comes and says I have come because of your prayer, and you're like what, what, what Like is he at his command? He's not. No, god sent him and told him to come. This guy's praying. Now you have to go and you have to give this to him.
Speaker 1:And so it's like almost like this like relationship, where you're like you're calling from the basement, that you're calling for someone to get someone's attention, and then you're surprised that someone's heard you because it was so far away. And that's the wonderful thing about testimony is you don't quite understand the reach of it. That's kind of how I want to tie that together is like I thought where it's like oh, here, who's this guy praying in a house where no one can hear, somewhere in the world, and also some kid thousand miles away gets found. It's like, no god, god's reach is not limited and the smallest things aren't so small. He's the God of the small things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he wants to be involved in those things. And I think the important thing that I've learned through just the ability to submit myself through prayer, testimony, story making, accounts, things like that, reading the Bible is that all of it is geared towards submission, right? So, like putting yourself in a spot where you go. I can't control this, right.
Speaker 2:And we talked about the theme of anxiety, I think, uh, quite a few episodes ago, where you know, I like to call it it's just the fear of the absence of the power of control, right, like you, just, you don't have control, you don't have the power of control. So that's where I'm not downplaying it, and there are a lot of people who have anxiety, but I'm letting you know rather than putting it on a pedestal. You can take that to the Lord and say I'm just afraid of losing control on this. Um, so then, when praying and reading the word and submitting yourself, you're now going. I'm leaving this at your feet, like those situations when I would call you really uptight, really frustrated about these wrongs, these injustices, and you are empathizing with me going.
Speaker 2:Yes, these are horrible. However, rather than feed it and encourage you and validate your thoughts, I'm just going to leave this at the lord's feet and say we can't control this. So therefore, now it's at his feet, let's go live our life. Not that we're not worrying about it yeah, it's not in our minds still but in the habit of that, continually submits ourself, you know, at the feet of the lord and go I'm free now, yeah, and then when you watch those things work, then you can make, you can counter that and isn't that one of the best feelings?
Speaker 1:like all of a sudden something's happening and you've given it to god, and all of a sudden the next, whether it's the next hour or the next day or the next month or down the road but all of a sudden you're like, huh, that's not even a worry anymore or a concern, and just like how freeing that is, knowing that God's taking care of it or he's in control of it and that you've given up on it.
Speaker 2:I want to go back to something you said when you were talking about. You never know when, sometimes the littlest things you can have connection with somebody or you can relate to or they'll see something and you're like, that makes a difference.
Speaker 2:So, you know, applying this to sport, whatever sport you're playing, you'll have a lot of similarities, right? You can bond through, you know, maybe I just encountered a couple of athletes who, on one hockey team, each had diabetes. So they've been able to build a relationship through that. So you have equity, you can speak into each other based on your experiences, right, or whatever that might be. You know, just by living a great life, someone can look at your life, and just the simplest things that might be you being on time for meetings, like how are you on time for meetings? Like I've tried my whole life, I just can't make it there and just being able to share the reflection of, oh, you know what? There was this one time when I couldn't do it.
Speaker 2:And then you know, I've really started to submit that to the Lord and he helped me reprioritize my schedule, like by by doing these things, you now have an artillery of consistent good, good habits or good accounts of interactions with the Lord, especially when you don't downplay the little things. Like you talked about. I lost my keys this one time. The Lord found to help me find them. Oh, really, but like remembering that as like, okay, that's a gift from God. Right, you can look at them as coincidences if you want, but I believe the Lord really wants us to make account of those things. So, when the time comes, he's just making a directory for you of great ways to encourage people to help share joy and truth in their life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and sometimes it can be just like even a little thing like that you just do. That's visual. I know one of my boys has like a scripture reference, just like the address on the back of his mask that he usually put, and one time one of his players was like what's Jer 2-9-1-1? Like it was like some sort of code or something. And so he just said the verse For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, not to harm you, but to prosper you and to give you hope. And the guy looked at him, he goes cool, and I was like whoa. And then all of a sudden another kid asked him is that a Bible verse? And he ended up giving one of the kids a Bible on his team, a hockey Bible out of it.
Speaker 1:And it was just interesting, just like a little reference, just like he didn't even have to say anything. It was just interesting, just like a little reference, just like he didn't even have to say anything. It was just there and you mentioned something really good. Sometimes it's the things that, like you, would do normally on time for practice Put a little extra effort in, just yeah, some sort of dedication or willingness to do something willing to clean up. You wouldn't help clean the locker room without being asked Like why would you do something like that?
Speaker 1:and I think it's sometimes it's not even the things that we do on purpose to be noticed that are really the standout things.
Speaker 2:It's the things that wow you might.
Speaker 1:There's got to be.
Speaker 2:There's something different about you yeah, it's not always serving the homeless or doing whatever right, it could just be the the little little things in your life. And I, yeah, I love that, and you and I talked about this concept. I teased it earlier in the show. I really love and this is a great exercise as well. You know, if you're, you know, an athletic Christian on a team and you're looking for opportunities to, you know, engage in conversation, and you know, I think one of the exercises I love and you know, in Christianese you know we talk about I use this like, hey, give me your testimony, but only go back 72 hours, right, so one way you could do that on your team. Hey, is there something really great that's happened in your life, like something you've wanted, you were hoping for, or something you've really enjoyed in your life in the last 72 hours, and like that can plant a seed for someone you know what. No, actually last three days have been really terrible for me. Or you know, no, last three days have been whatever.
Speaker 2:And then that's an opportunity to say you know what, hey, is there anything I can pray for you, for what's interesting that I found about relationships in general and I've seen fruit in this in my life recently that you know people. You stop someone on the street. You say, hey, can I share jesus with you? They'd be like, uh, no, weirdo. Um, hey, can I give you a bible? Uh, no, weirdo. Hey, you know what? Is there something in your life that I can pray for you, for that you're struggling with nine times out of 10, someone's going to go yeah, okay, like, if they don't believe in God, they're like okay, whatever, you're closing your eyes, talking to yourself, like who cares, but if, like, they believe in God, they'll look at it as an opportunity to go. You know what Like this?
Speaker 1:And it's also the same time. It's like if you don't believe in God, it's just words.
Speaker 2:It's just words to you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and, but at the same time, if you do believe in God, it's the greatest power on earth. It is yeah, and, and I think that's important too. It's like, um, there's words that we can have in order to share testimony and, as we touched on too, there's actions. Lots of times, it's our actions that we, just, like you're, you're talking to the person out of love. That's an act of love to ask to pray for someone, and I think often we don't see it as that. It's like you know what? I'm trying to find a way, way to to love someone.
Speaker 2:Well, you don't pray for them when it says in revelation to the scripture that I I was gonna put in earlier, but the time is perfect right now. Revelation, chapter 12, verse 11, they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. So evil they overcame evil by the blood of the lamb. So Jesus dying on the cross, the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony, which is an account of your life, like things in your life that have gone right, like those are the most two powerful entities you have in sharing. Your faith is the one that jesus died and rose again, and here's what he's done in my life. There's.
Speaker 2:The bible says that those are your two greatest weapons. So you know you don't need to. There are opportunities for you to gravitate to hey, here's where this happened. But sometimes just make an account, for here's how God's transformed my life. He's made me joyful and you know, I know I have a future and plans. As you talked about Jeremiah 29, 11,. You know there's so many ways in sport that don't discount your journey and the impact it can have on others, because in the world we live in now, as we become more digital, more technological, more interpersonal the one thing that people crave more than anything on the planet is authenticity. Scripture has predicted that right. It's the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.
Speaker 1:Those are the two things that're going to change the world yeah, and when you have an authentic testimony, there's power, and that power comes from christ and we and we. When we know that too, it's like I haven't touched on this when I was speaking on sunday, like if I just say something, it's just words, but if it comes from and glorifies Christ and it's scripture, there's power behind it. There's absolute power behind it. It's a total game changer and, as believers, I think there's something to keep in mind is that we have the ability to share hope. We really do, and I think you and I, in discussing in preparation for the next season of this is what is the Lord going to have in store?
Speaker 1:Not something for us to pray about? And if you're listening to us, pray with us about it. And one of the things that is on both of our hearts is this active testimony, because I think testimony is so important, this active testimony, because I think testimony is so important and God's done so much stuff. I think that's why we have eternity, because even with eternity, there's still not enough time to share all the wonderful things that Christ has done in all of our lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and if you're on a team and you feel isolated and alone and maybe you're the only believer that you know and it's been a difficult journey you know again, continuing to pray and the ability to listen to other athletes' testimonies that we want to start showcasing in the next season we hope will encourage you and let you know that, hey, you're not the only one going through that. There have been other athletes who are by themselves as believers on the team, and then you never know when a life transformation is happening behind the scenes. You never know what role you can play on a team by being the Christian that can be there to, you know, to help show Christ to someone who needs it desperately. So, yeah, we've loved this 2024 season. It's been great to get it going and it's you know I was joking with Dan today that I've selfishly enjoyed the time for him and I to work and build in our relationship and our friendship, but also, just this is something I know that's on both of our hearts.
Speaker 2:So me and I have each walked different journeys, yet intersected at the same time, and we've made a lot of relationships with athletes over the years. We want to start sharing some of those in this next season. As this concludes this episode, it's going to kind of end of season one, I suppose, because it's kind of the best way to wrap it up, I say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and if you've been listening to this, or maybe you're going to stumble upon it as we take a little bit of a break here before the next season, and maybe there's something wonderful that God's done in your life that you can bear testimony of, reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you, we'd love to hear all the exciting things that God is doing, and it might even like spur some ideas for us in order to how to better share some of these testimonies and maybe even have you part of it with us. And I think that's one of the reasons why we want you to share and to follow and to do these things with us is because this is a journey and this is a testimony in itself the gospel and the game that we've been able to be blessed to put together in order to bear testimony of the wonderful things that Christ is doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Jesus is the one who gets all the glory and he's the one who's put the pieces together for it, and he's the author of life change, and we'd love for you to share your stories and connect with us on social media Instagram and Twitter, as well, as you can send us a contact card through email and and give us an account of your story and what you've liked and what you'd love to see in the future. You can download us where all podcasts are found and any great Christmas plans, I guess. As we're hitting the Christmas season now, I guess you're not going to be crunching in the snow, are you?
Speaker 1:No, I'm not. In fact, we've got a couple of hockey tournaments coming up, but one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas holidays is a wonderful collection of naps.
Speaker 2:Wonderful. Well, as you're napping, you'll see me ripping around on the highway in the snow.
Speaker 1:Dreaming of you, not phoning me because you've hit the ditch Again. Thanks for following us. Gospel in the Game, season 1.
