There's a saying in football that goes like this, the eye in the sky don't lie. Everything you did in the NFL was filmed. Every game, every rep in practice. even your walkthroughs. You were constantly being evaluated. As an NFL player, you know what it's like to experience the pressure of everything you do being watched.
I know what it's like to be defined by your performance in a world that says you're only as good as your last play. Now, you guys aren't in the NFL, but let me ask you, you ever feel a weight? Being evaluated. Expectations to live up to. Maybe you feel anxiety or pressure to perform in your sport, in school, on social media. to have it all together, to meet these expectations, try to prove yourself. And at the end of the day, it's like a constant game of, do I measure up?
But this performance-based identity is not how God intended us to live, guys. In him, the weight, the pressure's been lifted. I know from personal experience what it's like to build your life on what you do. on your performance, on success, on the approval of others. And it's like building your life on sand. And sometimes even as believers, we can kind of pursue things outside of God's plan.
And we miss the freedom and the confidence that Christ gives us living in him. And when the storms of life come, our lives can start to crumble. Jesus says this at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7, 24 through 27. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built this house on the rock.
And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house. But it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock. And anyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them. will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
So what are you building your foundation on? Is it built on how others see you? Is it built on your performance? Or is it built on the truth of who Christ says you are? As a long snapper, I had very little room for error. I only got about 10 plays a game, and so I needed to hit the target on each of them. And so for me to perform consistently at a high level when the pressure's on...
It started with the foundation of a good stance. So my feet had to be slightly wider than shoulder width. My knees were spread. My back was flat. My arms straight. My lats engaged. The ball had to be aimed perfectly at my target. If I was off even by an inch, I was going to miss the mark. In the NFL, a bad snap could cost your team the game, or it could cost you your job. And the same is true in life.
As men and women of God, we need a solid foundation to live the life that God has called us to live. Without a right foundation, you're going to miss the mark on being the people God has called you to be. And it's not going to be just you who feels the impact. It's going to be everyone counting on you. For most of my life, guys, I built a life that looked great on the outside. I had the NFL, had the success, the approval of others.
everything i thought i needed but when the storms of life came my life started to crumble and so everyone in here is building a foundation my question for you today is what are you building your foundation on Does it look great now, but later in life you're going to realize it was actually sand? And if you're in Christ, you have that solid foundation. Are you living in light of that?
or are you still being shaped by the world's pressures? For most guys, our foundation, our identity, it's in what we do. It comes from performance. It comes from... Maybe the money we make or the respect something garners us. For ladies, it tends to be a little more relational. Do I feel valued? Do I have worth? Am I loved? But the problem here, guys, is that when things are going well,
It can go to our head. We can become prideful or arrogant. You guys ever know a NFL player that's ever come off as prideful or arrogant? But a more subtle one is when everything is going well. and we become self-sufficient because we say, oh, I got this. And in essence, we go, I don't really need you, God. But what happens on the flip side when things aren't going well?
You get cut from the team. You're not making the grades. You lose a relationship. You're not getting approval of others. Guys, now we can take it to heart. And now we think we're less than or not worthy without those things. And so we can feel the pressure of that and we feel like we're never going to measure up. But in Romans 1.25 it says, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served what had been created rather than the creator.
So the lie is that we think we need something outside of Christ to make us happy, to validate us, to give us our worth. For me, it was football, the approval of others. What is it that thing for you that you think you need to have to make you whole? Because here's the thing I know firsthand, that those things will never truly fulfill you.
And at some point, they will let you down. I spent so much of my life, guys, believing the lie, that I only had value and worth when. When I was an NFL player, when I was playing well, when I was getting the approval of others. I still have to remind myself today, like even given this message, like I want you to like it. I want to provide value for you. But at the end of the day, I can't get my identity from that approval.
Guys, I didn't grow up in the church. I didn't come to faith until my ninth season in the NFL. I simply didn't know any other way to live. But guess what? There is a better way to live. A way of resting in the sufficiency of Christ. rather than striving for something that will never satisfy. Because I have so many examples of not just me, of buddies in the NFL, guys who even won Super Bowls. And it was quickly, I'm talking like the night after the Super Bowl. Go on.
Best night of my life to going, is this it? I thought I would feel different. I thought I would feel different. Man, did I chase the wrong thing. So our natural instinct. It's to build an identity that doesn't last. Is there one that actually does? And here's the good news. Jesus offers you something better. So in a world that says perform first and then you get the verdicts, play well, keep your spot, do well in school, you make the grade, mess up, suffer the consequences.
That's how the world works. But Jesus flips the scripts, guys. He says, you don't have to perform for me. I've already done it for you. Now, the Bible tells us in Romans 3.23. that all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. That's bad news. In Romans 6.23, it says, for the wages of our sin is death. That means the penalty of our sin, that's the penalty we deserve for our sin. That's worse news. But here's where Jesus changes everything.
Jesus didn't just come to teach us morals and be an example for us. He came to perform on our behalf. So Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn't live. He never failed. He never sinned. He never had a bad snap like me. And yet on the cross, he took our place. He died the death we deserve. but he conquered death and race three days later. And the Bible says, for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Guys, that means that Jesus took your failures, your sin, and in exchange, when you turn from your ways and you trust in him, he gives you his perfect record. Guys, this is amazing news. That means the work is done and the verdict is in, and in Christ, you are forgiven, accepted, loved, and set free. That's the good news of the gospel.
Jesus alone is our foundation. Guys, we don't have to live under the weight of our performance anymore. Jesus, enough is for us. And Monday was film day in the NFL. And this is where that eye in the sky didn't lie. We would have a meeting, all 53 players, all the coaching staff, and we'd have a giant screen at least this size. And in this Monday meeting...
Coach was sharing some positives, but mostly he was pointing out all the negatives. And one coach had this red laser dot pointer, and he would point it on you. And he'd point out your mistakes. And one of the worst things coach would do was actually when he said nothing at all. And he would play your play and rewind it. Play the play and rewind it. Play it again.
and rewind it for everyone to see your mistakes. Guys, that's a heavy feeling. And maybe some of you out there doing the exact same thing. You've got a red dot on yourself. And you're replaying your mistakes, your past, and your sins over and over and over again. But guys, in the NFL, after Monday, we quit watching film of the...
of last week, we focus on the next team. And the night before the game, coach shows a highlight film of all our best plays. And to the believer in the room, Romans 8, 1 says, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. So any of those past sins, your mistakes, your failures, an addiction, a failed relationship. That red dot you have on yourself? Jesus washed it. On the cross, he said, Tetelestai, it is finished, paid in full.
Right now, I want you guys to do something. I want you to clench out your fists like this. Hold them out. I want you to hold it tight. And I want that fist to represent everything you've been holding on to. All your sin. All the pressure, the anxiety, anything past holding you down, the exhaustion of you trying to do it in your own strength, the weight you've been feeling.
And when you're ready to say, Jesus, I'm going to surrender it. Jesus alone, you are my foundation. I want you just to open your hands and just let it go. Guys, because once you see your foundation. once you see your new identity, once you realize that you stand on Christ alone, guys, you can walk in the freedom that Christ offers you. You can live in that identity and not for one.
And you can walk out the calling on your life that God has for you on confidence and freedom. In football, you can only wear one team's jersey. You can't wear two. In the same way, guys, we can't have two identities. You're either in Christ. Or were not? Paul in 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come.
You see, Paul doesn't tell them to become someone new. He tells them to become who they are, a new creation. Guys, we're not the image we make ourselves into. You are the image you are. We're made in. Guys, I want you to see who you are in Christ so you can find your satisfaction in him. And then you're going to be free to truly go love others and walk this out. When you put your faith in Christ, listen to this. This is who he says you are. You are a child of God.
a new creation, made righteous. You're an ambassador for Christ. You're a temple of the Holy Spirit. You're God's workmanship. You're a citizen of heaven. You are victorious in Christ. You were created for good works. You are more precious than gold. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are an overcomer. You are not who the world says you are.
You are who Christ says you are. Oh, if I could get you to see yourself as Jesus does, how it would change everything about everything. Because when you embrace that identity, you will finally have the foundation that will never crumble, no matter your circumstance in life. Guys, my hope for you is that your foundation becomes so strong that you can stand unwavering on who God says you are.
that you let go of that old identity and you can build your life on the rock of Christ and who he says you are. And you guys, you'll be able to walk out that calling with confidence and freedom he offers you. Amen. Amen. Guys, I'm going to introduce my brother in Christ, Mr. Steve Connor. He has so faithfully lived out this identity in his life. I'm excited and encouraged for you to be encouraged by his message.
And here's a short video before he comes up. Thank you, guys. I showed that one. I showed that one to my kids. Sent it out to them. Hey. What did you think? And they're like, oh, Dad, you really got to work on your dance moves, man. Thanks. Thanks a lot.
You guys, it's great to be here. It's great to be part of it. I've heard of this university. I've never been here before. And, you know, it's beautiful, gorgeous. Buildings are beautiful. Landscaping is beautiful. But that doesn't make a university, does it? It's the people.
And you guys have been so friendly and so welcoming. Just thank you. We are so excited to be here. Thank you, Norm, for having us. Thank you, Coach Jerry, for introducing us. We are excited to be here. I'm going to wrap this up pretty quick. Not only have I been to, I was a missionary in the United Kingdom for 15 years. Nine years I was at Oxford University, and then six years I was up in Scotland.
Oxford University for nine years. While I'm there, it's funny because they'd say, Stephen, do speak English, please. Funny. I'd say, but while I was there, at the beginning, I was really intimidated. It was kind of scary. You know, you'd be there, and you'd be speaking to this group, and every time I went into the building, every time I went into the room, I was the dumbest guy there.
I mean, these are world-class brains. I work with a lot of Olympic athletes. I'm always the slowest, the oldest, the fattest. I work with NFL players. I'm the same. And when I worked at Oxford, I was really nervous. And so there was a little bit of pride coming in. And how should I handle this? And it doesn't happen to me very often, but maybe twice in my life. And this is one of them.
God came up, and I was ready to speak at a chapel, you know, academic gown, black shoes, very smart people in the audience, and God punched me in the gut. I could just almost feel it. And he said, are you trying to impress them with you or with me? And at the same time, the chaplain said to me, he said, Steve, I can tell you're a little nervous. You're speaking, but they may be smart. But you've got the truth. And as Jesus said in John 8, the truth will set you free. It'll set them free.
Brad and I have both been gravitating towards this foundational thing, identity, very big with sports people because they lose their identity once their sport's over. They lose their identity because that sport can't be there anymore. And of course it's the wrong thing to have your identity in. And so I ask people all the time, how do you build?
how do you build a firm foundation or how do you become a wise man? And they'll say, build your house on the rock. I'll say, no, no, no, you didn't read it right. You didn't listen to Brad. It says, a wise man. will take my words and put them into action. It's like a man that builds his house on a rock because he takes my words and put them into action. And that's where the wisdom comes from.
That can be hard to do. I remember thinking about it, going into Oxford, talking to these athletes and talking to the students, and I realized they didn't have the truth. And so I'd go, who is the greatest leader? Who was the greatest leader that ever lived? And obviously, if they're a good historian, they have to say Jesus Christ. There was nobody there. Lincoln, Churchill. No, no, no. It's got to be Jesus Christ.
And then they'd say, okay, what's the greatest speech? What's the greatest speech that's ever been given in the world? And if they're a good historian, they'll look at me with a smile and they'll say, okay, you got me. Because the greatest speech in the world was the Sermon on the Mount.
And all you guys probably had to take a speech class to be in here. Most of you did, I can imagine. And you know that in your speech class, you've got your introduction, you've got your main body, and then you've got to land it. And you've got to land it hard. And so I wanted to see how did Jesus land, the greatest leader lands the greatest speech in the world, and he did it with a firm foundation. A wise man will take my words.
And put him into action. Then he'll be like a man that built his house on the rock. And then, don't get me wrong, right there, he promises us when the winds come. When the floods come, when the winds blow, you will stand. But when those winds come, they blow and the river rises. You will fall if you built your house by not listening to my words. Taking my words and putting them into action. 75% of pro athletes, five years after they've done...
playing, end up divorced, unemployed, or bankrupt. They can be really great in one area of their life, but my job as a chaplain is to help them into other areas of life, to be really good. I want to see first class like Brad. I want to see... champion fathers. I want to see champion mothers. I want them to see taking God's words and putting them into action. Making a difference from that.
For me, it was a night of champions. It was a camp. 1976. Went to this camp, and it was my coach that led me to Christ at this camp. And he said to me, he said, Steve, you're going to be a good Christian. I'm like, oh, I'm going to be a terrible Christian. What are you talking about? No, no, no. See, you're a sports guy. And you can take instruction and put it into action. And I'm looking around at you and the gifts and abilities that all you guys have. Oh, man. It's amazing.
and what you know and the knowledge that you have, and that you will be taking those things and putting them into action to glorify our Savior. It's not easy to do, though, is it? In closing, I tell you what, it was probably the toughest thing I ever had to do. I thought Christianity was for wimps. This was the manliest thing. I had my buddy Mark. He's still my best friend.
He was my best man at my wedding. Went to different colleges, went to high school together. Still close. He was one of those guys that confronts, but he hates it. Some guys wake up and go, I can't wait to confront somebody. But this guy was like, I don't want to do this, but I got to tell Steve something. I was in college at the time. My family was divorced.
hated my dad's guts. He could see it, and he could see it eating me up, and I couldn't see because I was blind, because I was using that hatred and anger to work in my heart. That's what motivated me. Was I standing on the rock?
No, I was standing in hell. I was standing in the sand and I was sinking. And Mark could see it. He doesn't like, he is not a confronter type. He didn't wake up in the morning and go, I want to do this. But he had to do it. He goes, Steve, I just got to tell you something, man. He's sweating. He's nervous. He said, Steve, you've got to tell your dad. You've got to tell your dad that you love him.
Probably swore at that time and, you know, said, forget you. You know, he doesn't love me. He's not a Christian, so I don't have to look like that really matters. Or he'd say, no, no, it's a commandment. It's one of the top ten commandments. Honor your mother and father. You've got to do that, man. It's good. for you i said no way i hate my dad's guts and i'm gonna live for that took me about a year uh hearing god's word and not doing it
being sucked in the sand, sucked down, getting deeper and deeper and dying. I knew the truth, and I was not turning it into action. It took about a year. Oh, man. I used to think Christianity was for wimps. Manliest thing I ever did. I had to drive home from university, drive up to the driveway, see my dad. You could see the body language. Yeah, what is it? What is it, Stevie?
I said, Dad, I just got to tell you, it's been so hard, man. He was living with his girlfriend at the time, and she went in the other room, and she's looking out the window. And I said, Dad, I just wanted to tell you. I love you, man. Oh, that was so hard to do. Why is the truth hard? But man, did it release me. Freedom. Taking God's words and putting it into action. He looked at me, well, Stevie, that's cool.
Stevie, that's cool. I love you too, man. The mile-high wall of ice started to melt. And my relationship with God started to be real. Why? Because I was taking God's word. And I was putting it into action. I was starting to become a wise man. Be careful with speakers. You know, sometimes in timelines, they like to make everything a fairy tale and everything's easy and great.
Let me close with saying that things got better. It wasn't perfect. No, things got better. A year later, I remember calling him. And I didn't know what team I was going to be picked up by, but I knew I was going to play in the NFL. And I was excited, and he was excited. And then for me to come back to Chicago, oh, man, would that have been cool. And I'm talking to him on the phone, and just before I hang up, I go, Dad, I, uh, uh-oh.
I love you, man. He goes, well, Stevie, that's cool. Love you, too. Boom. And that's the last thing he ever said. Three days later, he was killed at work. Killed in a construction accident in Chicago. God's word turned into action is life. It's not just a head knowledge thing. It's taken into action. It's life, and we stand firm.
Not any foundation that we can build, but on God. And he looks at us and says, I designed you. I made you. Oh, and I love you. Follow my word, the word of truth, the word of life. Find your identity in me, and you will live, and you will be wise. They say if you want to touch the past, touch a rock. Plenty of rocks here in Simpson. Nice landscape.
They say if you want to touch the present, touch a flower. But they say if you want to touch the future, touch a life. Maybe there's somebody out there today, you just need to turn that word of God into action. Tell somebody that you love them. Maybe it's Jesus Christ. Pray with me. Our gracious and heavenly Father, we thank you for the words of truth that come down upon us. Help us to take these words and put them into our life, that it be real into every area of our life, every area of action.
And yes, Father, I pray that you would be real to us and that you would be our foundation. And that first step that we need to take is say, yes, Father, I want to come to you. I want to become a Christian. And Father, I know that there's people out there like me that are just in pain because of painful parents. I pray that you would bless them and comfort them and guide them and give them supernatural strength. And I pray that they would break cycles and create new cultures of love for you.
Gracious Father, thank you for being a loving God, a forgiving God, an almighty, and thank you for your word to give us truth in life. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you.