Super Bowl of Preaching | 2024

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- Welcome to Crossroads and welcome to

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the 22nd Annual Super Bowl of Preaching.

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I'm Andy, Community Pastor for Crossroads Anywhere.

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And Crossroads is one church

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meeting in multiple locations, normal church buildings,

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online, in dorm rooms, bars, cafes, even prisons

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all around the nation and the world.

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And today you are tuning in for a church service

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that is unlike any other.

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Disclaimer: It has little to nothing

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to do with actual football or the Super Bowl,

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but no matter what you believe, you're going to laugh,

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no matter what you believe,

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you might be a little confused at some point,

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but I believe you will and can experience God

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and church in a fresh, new way.

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Now, you might be wondering, why on earth

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would we do something like this?

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Well, there's two answers for that.

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One, we believe that church can and should be fun.

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You're going to experience hilarious commercials

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filled with middle school humor, really great music,

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and some good old fashioned smack talk.

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But secondly, we believe that there are

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spiritual truths and realities

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that can be drawn out from sports.

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And that's what each of our teachers

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are going to be doing today.

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All right, enough with me for now.

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Let's get right in to the main event.

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- Today we're experiencing

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the 22nd Annual Super Bowl of Preaching.

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And if the last 21 years are any indication,

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today is going to be pretty special.

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I'm here alongside Cincinnati Bengals legend

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and NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz.

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- Thanks, Solomon. I'm excited to be here with you.

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And I agree, we're in for a real treat today.

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- Anthony, look, you've been to the actual Super Bowl twice.

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And I have to ask how does today's experience compare?

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- It's not even close, Solomon.

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This abomination couldn't be further from real football.

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- And whether it's real football or not,

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you're going to witness history today.

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- That's right, Solomon.

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Brian Tome and Chuck Mingo have historically been rivals.

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And today, for the first time ever,

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they will go into the game as teammates.

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They are the Spicy Casseroles

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and they'll be facing off against the Disco Gerbils.

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- All right, look, I got a chance to sit down

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with our team before the big game.

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Well, I'm here with the Spicy Casseroles,

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Brian Tome and Chuck Mingo.

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You guys were once sworn enemies.

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Now you're on the same Super Bowl team.

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How do you feel about this?

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- I feel amazing about it.

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Feel like I'm hungry, ready to chow down, go yum yum.

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Feeling like I'm with winners.

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Feeling like we're going to get something done.

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I'm feeling amazing. I'm feeling fantastic.

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Who can't be when you know

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victory is right on the edge of your tongue?

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- Solomon, I am too blessed to be stressed.

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Honestly, it doesn't matter who we play.

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I'm just happy to be in the game. Am I right?

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- Happy to be in the game? - Yeah.

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- I'm getting a little concerned, I got to tell you.

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I'd like to see a little more hunger.

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I'd like to see a little more aggression.

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- Well, you know what, Solomon?

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I'd like to see a little bit more encouragement

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from you know who, but we can't all get what we want.

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- Well, it really does sound like

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we're all going through some growing pains, right?

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- Growing pain in my a--

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- Actually, I prefer to call them

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growing opportunities, we're just figuring it out.

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- Well, when you're talking about opportunities,

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Joel, you get a great opportunity.

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You're now back after being replaced last year

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by Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson.

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You had to deal with those concussion problems.

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What does it feel like to be back?

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- Well, honestly, I don't remember last year at all.

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But from what I'm feeling, not great.

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It's kind of like, um, you know, when your wife,

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you meet her ex-boyfriend from high school

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and he's just taller and better looking

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and more handsome, and he's faster,

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and her parents like him better, you know?

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You know what I mean?

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- I literally have no idea what you're talking about,

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but go ahead.

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- Hypothetically, it doesn't matter.

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Evan, he's not here, all right?

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So we're not talking about him. We're talking about me.

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I've just got to kick my own game.

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- Well, avoiding comparisons to a professional

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like Evan McPherson is probably the wise thing to do.

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But I got to ask you, Spicy Casseroles,

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how would you compare yourself to the Disco Gerbils?

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- I don't compare myself with fictional losers

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based on a fuzzy creature I stepped on

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when I was in third grade. I don't.

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I compare myself to actual, real people who have punch,

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who have pop, like Rocky and Apollo Creed,

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like Buzz and Woody. - Yeah.

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- That's what we aspire to be.

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- Yeah, this is our year. We will win.

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- Every year is our year.

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- We've got the best teachers. - Right, yeah.

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- Evan wasn't available, so we've got the best kicker.

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We will win. - Love it, love it.

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- Tell them what we're doing, Chuck.

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Get in there, right there. Get in there, big dog. Come on.

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- Know what we're going to do today?

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We are going to respect the other team.

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That's what we're going to do.

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One of these two teams is going to win.

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Whether it's us or them, we're going to be

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good sports about it. That's right.

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Everybody gets a participation trophy

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and no matter what, we will be good sports today.

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- Ummmm.

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- Disco Gerbils, Alli and Kyle.

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You guys have been opponents every year

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going into the Super Bowl of Preaching.

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So how do you feel after being

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on the opposite sides for so long?

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- I mean, Solomon, I'm not going to lie,

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I'm feeling really good.

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I mean, I guess we're going to see.

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It's either going to be forever

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or it's going to go down in flames.

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But me personally, I don't have any problem

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walking into this match up,

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being the younger, stronger pair.

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I say, baby, let the games begin.

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- Look, I got no problems, right?

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I mean, Alli is a pro. Team Disco Gerbils,

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we've had a cruel summer of sorts, self-inflicted.

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Off season workouts is hitting the weights,

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hitting the field, hitting the track again and again.

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And we're rocking. We're rolling. You know?

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- We're consoling the Spicy Casseroles.

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The Spicy -- - What does that mean?

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- We're about to wipe the floor

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with their wildest dreams of beating us,

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because, baby, we got some bad blood.

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- Strong words.

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But how do you feel about the intimidating opponent?

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Both of these guys have been veteran champions for so long.

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You're going up against Brian and Chuck,

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for crying out loud.

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- Brian and Chuck, Brian and Chuck.

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Listen, I get it. They look good on paper.

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I mean, we can't, you know, I'm not going to lie,

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they look good on paper.

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But Kyle and I are like two blades

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of a very sharp pair of scissors.

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Do you know what scissors do to paper?

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- They cut it. - You cut it. - Cut it. - Cut it.

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See, we've got a secret weapon.

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Her name is Hannah and she's not just good

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at slicing and dicing paper.

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She's good at slicing and dicing scripture.

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And that's what she's going to do

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to the other team right there.

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- Yeah, well, Hannah, you've been up in the booth

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for the last couple of years of the Super Bowl of Preaching,

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but now you're making your way down to the field

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as the kicker?

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- You know, I've been in the booth.

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It's been a wonderful time. I mean, it was real cute.

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I had some great outfits up there.

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But I tell you what, being on the sidelines,

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it's not my style. It's time for me to get in the game.

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- So what exactly is your style?

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- Ohhhh, Obliteration.

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I mean, we are going to obliterate the other team.

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When we're done with the Spicy Casseroles,

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they are going to be the bland, unseasoned,

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frozen pot pie Trader Joe sandwiches.

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- They're going to be wishing

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they had put more paprika in their casserole.

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- Yes. - Absolutely.

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[indiscernible yelling]

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- We are going to destroy them, absolute destruction.

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- Black pepper, ground pepper, onions. Gone.

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- We're gonna, we're gonna obliterate them.

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- So there you have it, folks, obliteration is on the way.

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I'm here with today's referee

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and Dayton Community Pastor Matt Castleman.

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Matt, this is your seventh year

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refereeing the Super Bowl of Preaching.

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So how did you get started in the first place?

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- Random chance, believe it or not.

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I was literally walking home

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from a shift at Foot Locker and I decided to audition.

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So I've been waiting,

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kind of been in this role for a while,

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just hoping Taylor will catch wind.

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- Taylor? - T-Swift.

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Listen, getting my big break has taken

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a little bit longer than my mom or I expected,

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and so our new plan is to hopefully use this gig

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to try to get Tay-Tay's attention.

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I mean, she put Trevor Kelsey on the map.

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Imagine what she could do for my career.

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- So let me get this right, you're going to use

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this platform, the Super Bowl of Preaching,

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just to get the attention of Taylor Swift?

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Do you even know the rules to this game?

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- Absolutely. So glad you asked.

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I actually prepared a dramatic reading. Do you mind?

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Thank you. Okay.

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What's my motivation? - Motivation?

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Well, how about you woke up from a seven year coma?

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- Each team will preach two 7-minute quarters.

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- Your dog just died.

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- Each team will use one Bible reference.

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- She said yes to your proposal.

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- Seriously? Oh, we're doing the thing. Okay.

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Mom, yeah.

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The referee has complete jurisdiction

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over whether or not a player has met the criteria

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and will award points accordingly.

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Oh, oh, and this year, I'm making a rule change.

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- Are you allowed to do that? - Yeah, I'm the ref.

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Didn't you see the Bengals and Chiefs game?

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I can literally do whatever I want.

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Honestly, some of my favorite referee idols

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are the ones who made the biggest impact on the games.

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I always said if you're not changing the outcome

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based on your decisions, you're not reffing it right.

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- So what are the new rules?

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- I'm glad you asked.

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So we've always historically made the teachers

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use a random phrase and award three points.

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But this year...

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I'm shaking it up.

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Teachers are going to have to use a random prop

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from one of my past theatrical productions.

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- Uh-oh. - Let's see what we got here.

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Points will be awarded as follows:

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Compelling message = 6 points.

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- She cheated on you.

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- Random prop = 3 points?

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- With your best friend.

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- Extra point = 1 point.

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- You're begging for your life.

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- Penalty. Penalty. Penalty = Minus 3 points.

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End scene.

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- Can you believe that ref?

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- I can't Solomon, but I think his lack of believability

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is why he hasn't made it as an actor.

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Let's just hope he doesn't screw it up too bad today.

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- Well, after sitting down with him,

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I don't see how he doesn't screw it up.

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But it's time to find out.

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Let's head over to the booth.

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Over to you guys.

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- All right. Thanks a lot, gentlemen.

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Hey, if you're just joining the broadcast,

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Greg Mcelfresh

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alongside my esteemed colleague Paco Pancham.

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- Hey, man. Hey, I just can't unsee that pinky.

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- He should be able to have something fixed

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on that by right about now.

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Dude, I can't wait to get into today's game.

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- It's going to be a good one. We got the Disco Gerbils

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going head to head with the Spicy Casseroles.

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I expect some fireworks.

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I expect to be very explosive in here tonight.

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- I'll tell you what, when I do a spicy casserole,

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I get a little explosive myself. You know?

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- That's what that smell is. Yeah, it makes sense.

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- Yeah. Hey, we got two unbelievable teams

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on both sides of the Bible today.

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Wish we could say the same thing

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for our unfortunate referee today.

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- Unfortunate is the word that describes our referee today.

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He is definitely going to mess us up

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in some way, shape or form.

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But you know what? The game must go on.

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We got to do it. So let's get down to the field.

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- Folks, what do you say we send it down

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for our starting lineups?

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And now your 2024 Super Bowl of Preaching teams.

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First up, the Spicy Casseroles.

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- [ music: Light 'em Up, Fall Out Boy ]

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- Up next, their opponents, the Disco Gerbils!

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[ music: More (Billionaire Remix), Usher ]

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- Paco, I've seen a lot of strange things in my life.

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This has got to be at the top.

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- That is at the very top of weird things

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that I'm watching right now.

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- That's a live gerbil in that cage.

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Hey, by the way, folks, each one of our teachers

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is going to be choosing their favorite storyline

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from the NFL this year.

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Can't wait to hear about those. - That's right. Me too.

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Okay, now we've heard the rules. We've met the teams.

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Now it's only the one thing left to do,

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it's the coin toss.

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So Matt Castleman, take it away.

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- All right. Uh, I'm just going to

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call out the elephant in the room.

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I know you guys, you haven't liked my refereeing in the past.

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You don't even have to say anything.

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I've seen that same look on my dad's face,

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and so I -- I just want you to know, I've studied,

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I've rehearsed, I've watched the famous football movie,

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Remember the...

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- Titans? - No, The Walk to Remember,

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um, less football, a lot of good character development.

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Anyway, I'm ready.

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The only thing that would make today great

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is if Taylor Swift was actually in the sky box.

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Is it? Is it? - No.

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- Oh, my God. - It's actually Taylor Swift.

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Okay, okay. [laughter]

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- It's happening here. It's happening. Okay.

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Wow.

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All right. This one's for you, Taylor.

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Here we go. Brian, as senior pastor,

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you're going to call it heads or Taylors --

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Heads or tails in the air. Ready?

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Heads.

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It is heads. What would you like to do?

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We'll receive. - Receive.

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- Receive the Bible. All right.

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- Spicy Casseroles to receive.

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Patterson holds Driskill back to kick.

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We're going to get some emails. Here we go.

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- Oh, we got a scramble.

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Ranson recovers the football.

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Kyle Ranson comes up with it.

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Got it.

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Okay, that's an onside kick, baby.

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- Yeah. - Twice in two years.

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- I didn't even know we were allowed to do that.

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Okay, great. Uh, oh. You're, um. All right.

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Random prop. Kyle, your random prop

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that you have to include somehow, nunchucks.

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- Nunchucks. Ranson gets us underway.

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- Well, hey, welcome.

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First thing, most important thing,

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no matter who you are, no matter what you believe

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about God or church or any of this stuff so far,

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we're just glad that you are here.

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We say that and we mean it.

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Everything we do, everything,

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everything at Crossroads is for one reason.

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It's so that you can hear the message of Jesus

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in a language that you can actually understand.

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That's what we're after today.

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We'll do anything for that.

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We'll spend anything for that.

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In fact, during the actual Super Bowl,

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we'll see some Crossroads commercials.

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Is that crazy? It's nuts.

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Before and after got this insane deal,

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got ten little spots for a thousand bucks a spot.

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And we're like, absolutely, let's do it.

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And you might be like, "Man, why would you do that?

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Why would you spend that money?

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Why would you spend all this money and all this? Why?"

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So that you can hear the message of Jesus

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in a language you can understand

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and take a step closer to God.

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That's our hope, that's our prayer

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what happens for you today.

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Let's pray for that before you go any further.

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God, thank you for this thing.

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Thank you for fun. Thank you for laughter.

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Thank you for Your Word and Your truth.

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Take us closer to You today. Amen. Amen.

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Well, today you're going to hear from each of us

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lessons from the biggest NFL storylines of the year.

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And it's been a year, right? Crazy, crazy year.

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For the first time in 100 years,

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there was no Tom Brady in the NFL.

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That was a big story.

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I was kind of thankful for that one.

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Then there were some things I wasn't thankful for,

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like Saint Joseph of the Burrow,

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his hand exploded on live television.

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That was very sad, still kind of a painful memory.

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But if you were to ask what's

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the biggest storyline of the NFL this year,

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without a doubt, it's the fact that Taylor Swift

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bought the NFL, right? That would be it.

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She's everywhere, and I know we're sick

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of hearing about her and Travis Kelce,

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but I just want to quote a famous theologian for you

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if that's how you feel, and I quote:

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That's T.A. Swift, great theologian.

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And we do have to talk about it a little bit.

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We have to talk about it. Why?

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Well, because Travis Kelce did this one thing

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that Jesus says to do, it's actually a key.

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If you want to have a powerful and effective life,

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you have to do this thing.

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And it's the key for how he actually got

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Taylor Swift to go out with him.

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You know to know what it is okay.

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Lean in, I'm going to tell you, I'm gonna tell you

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what he did and what Jesus says to do.

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This is what he did, he asked.

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That's what he did. He asked her out.

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Okay, if you're a single guy out here,

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you need to write this down.

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He didn't have a friend to ask. It's not third grade.

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He asked, and I'm not sure that we understand

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how improbable this is.

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Travis Kelce is a 34 year old grown man who

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still proudly rocks the Instagram handle @killatrav.

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I'm pretty sure I was friends with @killatrav

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on AOL Instant Messenger back in the day.

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Anybody else? You remember the guy, right?

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This is improbable.

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And I know somebody in back row, you're like, "Okay, ask.

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Is the message, Kyle, is that if I had

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asked Taylor Swift out, I'd be dating her right now?"

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No, that's not what I'm saying.

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The point is, we'll never know because you didn't ask.

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And here's what I want you to underline.

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Here's I want you to underline.

00:18:19

What are you not asking about?

00:18:22

What are you not asking for that only God can give you?

00:18:26

What is it?

00:18:27

James says in James 4:2:

00:18:34

You don't have because you don't ask.

00:18:36

Last Saturday morning I was driving home.

00:18:37

It was dark and out of nowhere,

00:18:40

I mean literally nowhere, this deer comes sprinting

00:18:42

like Usain Bolt out of the woods,

00:18:44

and I just nailed the deer with my car.

00:18:46

Just crushed it like Elly De La Cruz

00:18:48

smashing a fastball, blew the thing up.

00:18:49

Unfortunately, it blew my car up as well.

00:18:52

This is a picture right here of my smashed up car.

00:18:54

If you zoom in,

00:18:55

you can see Bambi's fur right there, still stuck.

00:18:57

[whistle]- That's why we have Kids' Club.

00:19:01

- That is, uh, that's from soccer.

00:19:03

- I've also been watching Ted Lasso. Okay?

00:19:05

Okay.

00:19:06

Un-preacher-like conduct, roughing the Bambi.

00:19:10

- Okay. - Family friendly service.

00:19:12

Three point penalty will be assessed.

00:19:13

Okay.

00:19:15

Great. Good, good, good.

00:19:16

Now, here -- [ laughter ]

00:19:20

- I saw that. I was watching the video.

00:19:22

I saw that, I'm onto you now.

00:19:27

I talked to my insurance. I talked to the body shop.

00:19:29

The body shop says, "No worries, we can fix this thing.

00:19:31

It's going to take 2 weeks. We need your car for 2 weeks."

00:19:34

Problem is, I apparently didn't check the box

00:19:36

of my insurance that says I would like

00:19:38

rental car coverage for said situation.

00:19:41

So I was like, "Shoot, I got to get a rental car.

00:19:43

It's so expensive." I was looking up prices.

00:19:44

Now, thankfully our awesome neighbors

00:19:47

heard about this and said, "Hey, we have an extra car,

00:19:50

you can just borrow it," which is awesome, right?

00:19:53

Now, here's the amazing thing though.

00:19:54

I never once, even though I knew they had an extra car,

00:19:58

it never once occurred to me to ask. Why?

00:20:04

Because I'm an adult and us adults

00:20:06

we learn something, don't we?

00:20:08

Don't ask. Don't need help. Be self-reliant.

00:20:11

Be self-made. Be independent.

00:20:13

These are all American cultural values

00:20:15

that unfortunately go directly against

00:20:18

the advice of Jesus who said this in Luke 11:

00:20:29

For everyone, everyone, everyone, that's you.

00:20:33

It doesn't matter what you believe,

00:20:35

doesn't matter where you've been.

00:20:37

Everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;

00:20:40

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

00:20:44

Jesus says, ask, ask.

00:20:48

Now does that mean that Jesus is a magical genie?

00:20:51

Is that what it means?

00:20:52

You just ask for whatever you want

00:20:54

and God will give it to you.

00:20:55

That's a good question, right? Let's do an experiment.

00:20:57

God, I would like to be a black belt ninja right now.

00:21:00

Just do Jackie Chan stuff. - Careful, bro.

00:21:04

- Was that pretty, was that like black belt level, you think?

00:21:07

I appreciate it. I appreciate it, but it wasn't.

00:21:12

No, it's not how it works. Of course not.

00:21:14

God's not a magical genie who says,

00:21:16

"Man, whatever, whatever thing you want,

00:21:19

ask and I'll give you that thing."

00:21:20

In fact, here's some math you might not like.

00:21:23

Do you know that in the Gospels,

00:21:26

Jesus was asked 183 different questions,

00:21:30

183 different ones, that's in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

00:21:34

Guess how many of those He actually gave

00:21:36

a direct, immediate answer to? Three. Three.

00:21:42

That's a 1.6% chance of Jesus answering your question,

00:21:45

and 98.4% chance that He won't answer your question.

00:21:48

And so why would Jesus ever say

00:21:50

ask and it will be given to you.

00:21:52

Ask what? You'll be given what?

00:21:56

Some of us feel this way.

00:21:57

"I've been asking God, when,

00:21:59

when am I going to meet my spouse?

00:22:00

When am I going to get my break?"

00:22:03

See, the thing about Jesus is you ask questions,

00:22:05

He doesn't always give you the direct answer

00:22:07

you're looking for, but He always gives you a response.

00:22:10

And that response is what you actually need.

00:22:13

It's the thing that only can come from Him,

00:22:15

the thing that can only come from God.

00:22:18

See, when you ask a question, the point is that

00:22:20

this thing closes and these open.

00:22:23

A question is an invitation that you can learn,

00:22:27

that you can get knowledge and insight

00:22:29

from the person who you're asking to.

00:22:30

When you ask to God questions, you'll get things

00:22:33

that you can only get from Him.

00:22:35

Self discovery can't help you.

00:22:38

Self discovery can't give you joy if you ask it,

00:22:40

"Oh, where can I find it?

00:22:41

I'll look at the answer inside myself."

00:22:43

No, it's not there.

00:22:44

But if you ask God where can I find joy,

00:22:47

He'll give you the answer.

00:22:48

If you ask God where you can find peace,

00:22:50


00:22:51

If you ask God what's you're worth,

00:22:53


00:22:55

The answers that God can give, He will give you,

00:22:58

if, if, if, if you're willing to ask.

00:23:02

And so what happened?

00:23:03

Maybe for the first time you ask Him, "Who am I?"

00:23:06

You ask Him, "What am I worth?"

00:23:07

You ask Him, "What's my purpose?"

00:23:09

If you do, I guarantee the Creator of the universe

00:23:13

Himself will give you the answer. [whistle]

00:23:19

- Touchdown! Disco Gerbils. - Strong quarter.

00:23:24

- Ranson puts the Gerbils on the board.

00:23:26

- Kyle, you were awarded six points for a great message.

00:23:28

However, we had the three point penalty of roughing the Bambi.

00:23:31

But you did use the random prop excellently,

00:23:33

plus three, which is six points.

00:23:36

Extra Bible trivia.

00:23:37

Come on, let's go, Shep. Come on.

00:23:39

- It's in your hands.

00:23:40

- Hannah steps up for the extra point.

00:23:42

- All right.

00:23:43

- Every Bible trivia expert will know this.

00:23:44

In the Bible, Daniel finds himself in a lion's den.

00:23:50

What animal causes the most zookeeper injuries?

00:23:56

- Y'all, why you be playing with me?

00:23:58

Okay, um. Let's see.

00:24:01

Uh, I know this animal is extremely, uh, not nice,

00:24:05

so I'm going to go with --

00:24:08

Even though it's perceived to be nice. Zebra.

00:24:10

- That is correct. - What?

00:24:12

- Wow. - It is unbelievable.

00:24:16

- Resulting in an end of first quarter score:

00:24:20

Disco Gerbils 7, Spicy Casseroles 0.

00:24:24

- There you have it, folks, inspired by the ref's Jersey.

00:24:27

Paco, what a quarter.

00:24:29

We saw the only person Ranson was going to injure

00:24:31

with those nunchucks was himself.

00:24:32

Yes?

00:24:33

- What? What's up with the gold mic?

00:24:36

- Well, uh, during that quarter, someone came to me

00:24:38

and said, "This is your mic." And I said, "Okay."

00:24:41

Here we are. We're live baby. - Perfect. Lucky you.

00:24:43

Also, I don't know if you saw it,

00:24:45

during that onside kick, Tome just giving the elbow to Ranson.

00:24:50

Don't know why that happened, but it looked a little painful.

00:24:53

- There it is.

00:24:56

- Un-pastor-like conduct if you ask me.

00:24:59

Folks, we know you don't come for the teaching.

00:25:01

We got a commercial break coming right up.

00:25:03

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- We won, we won. - No, we didn't.

00:26:04

No, no, no, no. [screaming]

00:26:09

- Are you a man of few words?

00:26:12

Do you struggle to communicate?

00:26:15

- Scratch.

00:26:16

- From the maker of Fido Speaks,

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It's never been this simple to communicate.

00:26:33

- Snack. - Really?

00:26:34

- He Speaks is effective even during a crisis.

00:26:38

- Toilet paper. Toilet paper. Toilet paper.

00:26:42

Toilet. Toilet. Toilet. - Hold on.

00:26:44

Toilet. Toilet. Toilet. Toilet paper.

00:26:48

- Romote, sports.

00:26:50

- You want the remote so you can watch the game?

00:26:54

- Remote.

00:26:56

- Now introducing She Speaks,

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button communication for women.

00:27:00

- Remote, sports.

00:27:02

- Get it yourself. [grunts angrily]

00:27:08

- He Speaks, She Speaks.

00:27:10

- Sexy time?

00:27:12

- Keep talking.

00:27:16

- There's two kinds of people in the world:

00:27:17

people who've crapped their pants in public and liars.

00:27:21

New from AAA, the inventors of Roadside assistance

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comes to Loadside Assistance.

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When you get stuck in the mud in your pants.

00:27:28

This is me 20 minutes ago.

00:27:29

By the way, never trust gas station sushi.

00:27:32

That's when I went into labor with a food baby.

00:27:35

I tried to pay attention, I really did,

00:27:37

but all I could hear was my own stomach bubbling

00:27:39

like Adele was singing Hello

00:27:40

from the deep end of the pool.

00:27:43

The contractions. Oh, the contractions.

00:27:46

It was time to harvest that stink pickle.

00:27:52

I made a break for it. I almost made it.

00:27:54

This isn't the bathroom. [farting sound]

00:28:04

When I became a literal party pooper, I needed AAA.

00:28:08

- Loadside Assistance. - Bring clothes.

00:28:12

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No matter where you are, Loadside Assistance

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is your number one option for cleaning up number two.

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00:28:22

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00:28:27

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00:28:30

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for whenever you crap your pants in public.

00:28:35

- So what's your most embarrassing story?

00:28:37

- You're not gonna believe this.

00:28:48

- And we are back at the Super Bowl of Preaching.

00:28:51

Greg Mcelfresh, uh, hey, man,

00:28:54

what are you doing there? What's happening?

00:28:56

- Sweet Chuck Mingo brought me

00:28:58

a spicy casserole during the commercial break.

00:29:01

- That's so kind. Does it look --

00:29:03

It doesn't look so good, though. It looks pretty spicy.

00:29:05

You might need Roadside Assistance

00:29:07

or Loadside Assistance. What do you think?

00:29:09

I'll give them a call. Let's go to quarter 2 right now.

00:29:12

- All right, Spicy Casserole,

00:29:14

you'll have possession of the Bible.

00:29:16

All right.

00:29:17

- Chuck. - Come on, Chuck. [cheers]

00:29:23

- I say, I say, I say, this is your random prop, Chuck Mingo.

00:29:27

- You took my -- You took my idea.

00:29:31

- Plus one point for the ref. - All right.

00:29:33

- A big funny hat for Mingo. - All right.

00:29:35

Finish this phrase:

00:29:37

There are only two things certain in life, and that is:

00:29:40

death and taxes. That's right.

00:29:42

But for 30 years, NFL fans know there have been

00:29:44

three things that have been certain: death, taxes,

00:29:47

and the disappointment of Detroit Lions fans.

00:29:49

I mean, come on.

00:29:51

And that's why one of the best stories this year

00:29:53

has to be the comeback story of the Detroit Lions.

00:29:56

I've been inspired by that franchise.

00:29:58

Anybody else been inspired by what's happening in Detroit?

00:30:02

And I think there's something in there

00:30:04

that can encourage all of us.

00:30:06

And it's this: what you focus on is what grows.

00:30:10

What you focus on is what grows.

00:30:12

So I've got two words for you today,

00:30:13

two words of encouragement, and they are these: eyes up.

00:30:17

Everybody say it with me. Eyes up.

00:30:19

Say it to your neighbor. Eyes up.

00:30:22

Say it to your other neighbor. Eyes up, eyes up.

00:30:26

What blocks our blessings is where we fix our eyes.

00:30:30

I learned this in riding motorcycles.

00:30:31

This is like motorcycle 101.

00:30:34

Where your eyes go is where the bike will go.

00:30:37

And it's also true in life.

00:30:39

Where your life goes is where your eyes are going.

00:30:42

I know this because I have been, man,

00:30:44

anybody else 2024 has come in swinging.

00:30:47

Anybody else feel like that?

00:30:48

Like it's been a challenging couple of,

00:30:50

man, it's only been a month, but for me, I recognize

00:30:53

my eyes have been on my 99 problems.

00:30:56

And when my eyes are on my 99 problems,

00:30:59

I get paralyzed, I get debilitated.

00:31:01

It has not been helpful

00:31:02

and so I have needed this for myself.

00:31:04

I wonder where are you fixing your eyes?

00:31:07

Are are you looking back at your past?

00:31:09

You know what grows if you just meditate on your past?

00:31:12

It actually grows regrets and paralysis.

00:31:14

You will think

00:31:15

you can't get beyond where you've already been.

00:31:17

I wonder if your eyes are on navel gazing,

00:31:19

maybe feeling like you have to go it alone,

00:31:22

or maybe having the pride to actually think

00:31:24

you can go it alone.

00:31:25

If that's where your eyes are, that's only going

00:31:27

to keep you in a place of stagnation.

00:31:29

Maybe you're looking to the left or you're looking to the right.

00:31:32

Maybe you're stuck comparing your life to other people.

00:31:35

You're comparing somebody else's highlight reels

00:31:37

to your behind the scenes.

00:31:39

And if that's the case, you're going to be a trap,

00:31:41

you're going to be in this trap called comparison.

00:31:43

And we all know that comparison is the thief of joy.

00:31:46

And so I think there's two words of coaching

00:31:48

and encouragement that all of us need to hear,

00:31:50

no matter what 2024 has been or will be,

00:31:52

no matter what your life has been or will be.

00:31:55

And it is eyes up.

00:31:56

This is the center of the transformation

00:31:58

of the Detroit Lions, and it's the center of

00:32:00

what God wants to transform in your life and in mine.

00:32:03

Man, the Detroit woes are legendary.

00:32:06

This is a team that in 2008 went 0 and 16.

00:32:09

Can you imagine not winning a game all season long?

00:32:13

They actually had one of the best running backs

00:32:15

the game has ever produced, Barry Sanders.

00:32:17

And after years of mediocrity,

00:32:19

he retired because he was tired of losing.

00:32:22

And then they had one of the best wide receivers.

00:32:25

They called him Megatron, Calvin Johnson,

00:32:27

who retired for the same reason.

00:32:28

You want to talk about insult to injury,

00:32:30

they had a quarterback, Matthew Stafford,

00:32:32

who for many, many years toiled

00:32:34

as a Detroit Lions quarterback, but could never win.

00:32:37

He gets traded and the very next year,

00:32:40

the very next year wins the Super Bowl

00:32:41

with the Los Angeles Rams.

00:32:43

This is the team -- We remember that one

00:32:45

in Cincinnati, don't we? We remember that one.

00:32:47

That was a eyes up, eyes up Cincinnati fans, eyes up.

00:32:52

But this year that same team went 12 and 5,

00:32:55

won their first playoff game in 31 years

00:32:58

and got within one game of the Super Bowl.

00:33:00

I'm telling you, that's a transformation.

00:33:01

And at the heart of that transformation is a guy

00:33:03

who was there during the lowest of lows

00:33:05

and a guy who was there this year.

00:33:08

It's the coach, Dan Campbell.

00:33:10

And let me tell you, Dan Campbell did not make

00:33:12

a big splash when he first came on the scene as the coach.

00:33:16

In fact, people were wondering

00:33:18

what in the world is up with this guy?

00:33:19

Let's take a look at his first press conference

00:33:21

as the coach of the Detroit Lions.

00:33:25

- The city's been been down,

00:33:27

and it found a way to get up. All right?

00:33:29

It's found a way to overcome adversity. All right?

00:33:32

And so this team's going to be built on, uh,

00:33:35

we're going to kick you in the teeth, all right?

00:33:37

And when you punch us back, we're going to smile at you.

00:33:39

And when you knock us down, we're going to get up.

00:33:42

And on the way up, we're going to bite a kneecap off,

00:33:44

all right, and we're going to stand up.

00:33:45

Then it's going to take two more shots to knock us down.

00:33:48

All right?

00:33:49

And on the way up we're going to take your other kneecap.

00:33:51

And we're going to get up.

00:33:52

And then it's going to take three shots to get us down.

00:33:54

And when we do we're going to take

00:33:56

another hunk out of you before.

00:33:57

Before long we're going to be the last one standing.

00:33:59

All right? That's going to be the mentality. All right?

00:34:02

We're going to be competitive every game.

00:34:04

I can't sit up here and guarantee wins and losses,

00:34:07

and I just can't do it.

00:34:09

Um, but I'll guarantee you this, man,

00:34:10

these guys are going to fight

00:34:12

and they're going to scratch and claw,

00:34:13

and they're going to be something this city is proud of

00:34:15

because they're going to take on the identity of this city.

00:34:19

- That's right. That's right. Oh my gosh.

00:34:23

But he got so much flack: bite a kneecap off?

00:34:25

I mean people were, like, "This guy is a head coach.

00:34:28

Is he really up for this job?"

00:34:30

I want to tell you, Dan Campbell got flack

00:34:32

for what the Bible calls faith.

00:34:35

Dan Campbell had faith that the story in Detroit

00:34:37

could be different.

00:34:38

He said, "There is a new sheriff in town

00:34:40

and this sheriff has faith."

00:34:43

That's what Dan Campbell said for the city of Detroit.

00:34:46

- Unbelievable.

00:34:47

And he changed the entire franchise by doing that.

00:34:50

Look at what the Bible says faith is.

00:34:52

In Hebrews 11:1 it says:

00:35:00

Who wants to see realities in their life

00:35:02

that they've never seen?

00:35:03

That's what the Bible calls faith.

00:35:05

And so Dan Campbell was a coach that told a city

00:35:08

and a franchise, eyes up, you can have a reality

00:35:11

that you haven't yet seen.

00:35:12

And I don't know what you think about

00:35:13

when you think about Jesus.

00:35:14

Maybe you think about Jesus as a friend.

00:35:16

Maybe you think about Him as a Good Shepherd.

00:35:18

He is all of those things.

00:35:19

But I want to tell you today, Jesus is a coach

00:35:21

who is saying to you, eyes up,

00:35:23

that you can actually have faith for things

00:35:25

that you haven't yet seen in your life.

00:35:28

Jesus wants you to know, and He wants me to know

00:35:31

that this is the proof that we have of faith in Him.

00:35:34

Number one, Jesus is one who came to the earth

00:35:37

and lived the perfect life we couldn't live.

00:35:39

But then when He was crucified,

00:35:41

even death couldn't stop Him.

00:35:43

Let me tell you, I can have a lot of faith

00:35:45

in somebody who beat death, and Jesus beat death.

00:35:47

And not only did He beat death,

00:35:48

but He gives life to you and to me.

00:35:50

And so Jesus invites us to have eyes up on Him,

00:35:54

to fix our eyes on Him.

00:35:55

Hebrews 12:1-2 puts it this way, it says:

00:36:11

Let me put it to you this way.

00:36:12

If Jesus was headlining the halftime show,

00:36:14

He might sing it like this:

00:36:15

I'm trying to make you want to leave

00:36:17

the one you're with

00:36:18

and start a new relationship with me.

00:36:20

Beloved, can't you see?

00:36:21

Where are my Usher fans in the house?

00:36:23

- Usher. [cheers]

00:36:25

- Jesus is saying, "I got a better relationship for you.

00:36:27

I have something better for you."

00:36:28

And so Jesus is saying to you and to me eyes up,

00:36:31

don't look at your past because Jesus will forgive your past.

00:36:34

Eyes up, don't look and think that you have to do this alone

00:36:38

when Jesus gives you the power of His very spirit.

00:36:40

Eyes up, don't think that you can compare yourself to others.

00:36:44

Know that He has a life that is just for you. Eyes up.

00:36:48

Look at me, look at me, look at me.

00:36:49

What has your gaze? Eyes up.

00:36:53

Fix your eyes on Jesus because as faith grows in you,

00:36:57

your life will go where your focus goes. [whistle]

00:37:02

- Chuck Mingo with a strong showing.

00:37:04

- Touchdown Spicy Casseroles. - Yes.

00:37:09

- A little celebration on the field.

00:37:12

- Oh, we got a flag. Challenge flag.

00:37:14

- You dropped your flag, sir?

00:37:15

- No, I was, I was doing the Chuck said, eyes up.

00:37:17

I just looked at the scoreboard

00:37:18

and then I thought maybe I'd ask

00:37:20

and see if I could have three more points.

00:37:23

- Oh, wow. - You did what? - Is that pasta?

00:37:25

- Jesus said, ask. And Chuck said, look up, so.

00:37:27

- You did teach us to make an ask of ourselves.

00:37:30

So yeah. - Just three. - Sure. Okay.

00:37:33

Well, let's do two, just to be fair.

00:37:35

- He asked for points and he got them.

00:37:37

- Can I ask too? - No, he used all the asks.

00:37:39

All right. - Great.

00:37:41

- You have nine points. - Yep.

00:37:43

- Your question for the extra trivia point.

00:37:46

Jesus lived to be 33 years old.

00:37:49

What is the combined age of Travis Kelce,

00:37:53

Jay Z and Paul McCartney? You must be within ten years.

00:37:57

109. - 109?

00:37:59

You said that very confidently.

00:38:01

That's not right. - I figured you didn't know.

00:38:03

- It's 169. - Ah.

00:38:06

- Resulting in an end of first half score:

00:38:08

Spicy Casserole 9, Disco Gerbils 9. It's a tie game.

00:38:11

- Okay. - Good work, good work.-

00:38:13

End of the half. Tie ball game.

00:38:15

Mingo out there biting kneecaps, singing Usher.

00:38:17

Paco, what'd you see? - What a performance.

00:38:19

Look, you got to pay attention to Mingo.

00:38:20

You got to keep your eyes up.

00:38:22

Because if you didn't,

00:38:23

you would have missed this right here.

00:38:25

Let's watch some film real quick.

00:38:26

Let's see him stylin' and profilin'

00:38:29

with the cowboy hat on, doing his thing.

00:38:31

- It was meant to make him look silly. He owned it.

00:38:33

- That's right. Only he could make that look good.

00:38:35

Give it up for Chuck Mingo one more time.

00:38:39

- Well, folks, I'm excited to tell you

00:38:41

we got a half time show coming up.

00:38:43

But first, another commercial break.

00:38:44

It's kicking off with your second favorite ever

00:38:46

Super Bowl of Preaching commercial.

00:39:04

- Okay. No peeking.

00:39:05

- I hate surprises, you know I hate surprises.

00:39:08

- I know, I know. You're gonna love this. Okay, ready?

00:39:10

- Okay. - All right, open your eyes.

00:39:12

Do you love it? - Yeah. It's Peloton.

00:39:15

- It's exactly what you wanted.

00:39:16

- Woo, new year, new me. - Yeah.

00:39:19

- Guess I'll spend the whole afternoon setting it up now.

00:39:21

I'm sure there's some assembly.

00:39:29

All right. Uh, day one, new year, new me.

00:39:36

- Everybody next up, shake it out.

00:39:39

Honored to wake up and be here today, right?

00:39:41

Roll those shoulders.

00:39:55

- Honey, come in here.

00:39:56

I think I'm starting to get the hang of this thing.

00:39:59

- Babe, that is so great.

00:40:00

By the way, I found this behind the couch.

00:40:01

Did you need this?

00:40:03

- Is that a seat!?

00:40:14

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00:40:15

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00:40:18

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and we'll hook you up.

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00:42:14

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[laughing]

00:42:30

- Where's my freaking car?

00:42:32

- Hulu: We have sports.

00:42:44

- And now sponsored by AAA's Loadside Assistance,

00:42:48

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00:42:58

- Y'all ready for this?

00:42:59

- All right, I need everybody on your feet right now. Let's go.

00:43:03

- If you're online, we're about to throw a party.

00:43:06

- Everybody. Let's go.

00:43:08

[music: OMG, Usher]

00:44:22

[music: Yeah!, DJSM]

00:44:48

[music: Lil Boo Thang, Paul Russell]

00:45:10

- Get your glow sticks up high.

00:45:14

We ran about to do some rock n roll. Ya'll ready?

00:45:18

Here we go.

00:45:19

[music: Thunderstruck, Man with a Mission]

00:45:49

[music: Wrecking Ball, Miley Cyrus]

00:46:24

- Give it up for the best referee in the land.

00:46:28

Now put your cowboy hats on with me.

00:46:29

I need your help on this one.

00:46:35

[music: Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks]

00:46:48

- You sound great.

00:47:46

[music: Don't Stop Believin', Journey]

00:49:30

[music: Dance the Night, Dua Lipa]

00:50:32

- How are you going to spend your year?

00:50:36

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00:50:41

Or are you going to go on a new adventure?

00:50:44

Are you going to play it safe or take a risk?

00:50:47

What if this year you pushed yourself,

00:50:51

got outside your comfort zone,

00:50:52

helped other people,

00:50:54

went somewhere extraordinary?

00:50:57

What if you discovered what God wants for your life,

00:51:00

made new friends,

00:51:01

and laughed until you couldn't breathe?

00:51:03

There is no limit to what 2024 can look like for you.

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but that doesn't slow me down thanks to Yungagin.

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- Yungagin is a suppository treatment

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for people 40 and up who have a high risk factor for

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feeling like an outdated bag of meat just waiting to die.

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- I'm 61 years old. Shh.

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- Certain risk factors increase your chance

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- I know right? We were surprised too.

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In the event of a Sasquatch attack,

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and call your doctor.

00:53:24

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unless a Sasquatch eats you.

00:53:31

- The first half of the Super Bowl of Preaching

00:53:33

has us at a 9-9 score.

00:53:35

The Disco Gerbils and the Spicy Casseroles all tied up at 9.

00:53:41

First half has been a fun time,

00:53:43

but we have some breaking news, Greg.

00:53:44

- Yeah, Paco, some pretty earth shattering allegations

00:53:47

coming out during that halftime show. What do you got?

00:53:49

- Here it is. I just got handed this.

00:53:51

We're being told by our producers

00:53:52

that the pre-game drug test came back,

00:53:54

and somebody on the field has tested positive

00:53:57

for performance enhancing drugs.

00:53:59

- Geeze, I mean, I just can't imagine these pastors doping.

00:54:02

Actually, I can imagine one of them doping to get --

00:54:05

- Well, no, no, no, it's not -- It's not any of the pastors.

00:54:08

Indeed, it turns out referee Matt Castleman

00:54:11

did in fact take drugs to help boost his performance.

00:54:14

- Oh, okay. I've been taking --

00:54:16

I've been taking YungAgin for a long time. I suffer from --

00:54:22

- Side effects, gotta be careful.

00:54:24

- Suffer from e-ref-tile dysfunction,

00:54:26

it's a real condition affecting thousands of men.

00:54:29

So let's just get on with the game, okay?

00:54:32

- He's right. Let's get to quarter 3.

00:54:34

Alli Patterson, ladies and gentlemen.

00:54:38

- All right, come on Allicat.

00:54:39

- Alli, your random prop is an actual confetti cannon.

00:54:44

So, that's the dangerous end. - How do you use this?

00:54:47

- You twist, uh, yeah.

00:54:49

Follow the arrows and don't hit the front row.

00:54:52

- All right. - Hide your eyes, folks.

00:54:57

- Okay, the biggest story in the NFL this year

00:54:59

doesn't even have anything to do with the game of football.

00:55:02

I don't know if you've heard yet or not,

00:55:04

but Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce

00:55:07

has himself a new girlfriend, doesn't he?

00:55:10

Yes, he does, and we are obsessed

00:55:12

with talking about these two.

00:55:14

Some of you are like stop already.

00:55:16

You love them or you hate them.

00:55:18

Are they a real couple or are they a PR stunt?

00:55:21

Should we be showing Taylor in the box

00:55:24

during Chiefs games or not?

00:55:26

Is she really just a psyop to get Biden reelected this fall?

00:55:29

There's all kinds of theories out there.

00:55:32

I'm going to float a theory for you.

00:55:34

I think that we are obsessed with talking about

00:55:36

these two because a lot of us are playing a similar game.

00:55:42

We're just not as good at it.

00:55:44

Let me ask you a question. What is your end game?

00:55:48

Do you really know what your life is aimed at?

00:55:51

Do you know the highest order?

00:55:53

What are you really after in your whole lifetime?

00:55:56

Is it what the world can offer you and all the things there,

00:56:00

or is it what God can actually offer you

00:56:03

during your years here on earth?

00:56:05

See Travis and Taylor, they have

00:56:07

the best of the world, don't they?

00:56:09

And we either love them or hate them for it.

00:56:11

They really are legit. They are legit talented.

00:56:14

They're beautiful, they've got awards

00:56:17

of all different kinds, and those are real.

00:56:21

But if you're playing for your tiny little slice

00:56:25

of that pie, if that really is your end game,

00:56:28

then not only do they win and you lose,

00:56:31

but you aren't even playing the best game.

00:56:34

You are not playing the best game.

00:56:35

Now, most of us wouldn't say this, right?

00:56:37

Like we wouldn't say this out loud.

00:56:38

We wouldn't say that we have aimed our entire life

00:56:41

at trying to have more money, or more influence,

00:56:44

or more power, or more beauty in some way.

00:56:47

Those aren't very popular things to say out loud.

00:56:50

They don't sound very noble, but a lot of us

00:56:53

can look back on points in our life, like I can,

00:56:56

we can notice, oh, I really did turn my life in that direction.

00:57:00

I really did start chasing one of those things.

00:57:03

For me I look back on my time in college

00:57:06

and when I went to college, I knew what I wanted to do.

00:57:10

I wanted to be successful and I wanted to make money.

00:57:16

And so the time comes in college, sorry, guys,

00:57:19

where you have to actually pick a major.

00:57:22

So here was my thought process: I hate science,

00:57:26

I haven't been blessed with deep artistic gifts.

00:57:30

I'm really good at math,

00:57:31

and there's a lot of rich people in the business world,

00:57:34

so I think I'll go that direction.

00:57:36

And I think back on that time, and I think

00:57:38

that was one of those moments where I turned

00:57:40

the aim of my life to be toward what I thought

00:57:44

was my best chance to get a piece

00:57:46

of what the world could offer me.

00:57:48

There was a guy in the Bible who did that.

00:57:50

His name was Paul, and Paul was sort of like

00:57:54

the Taylor or Travis of ancient Judaism.

00:57:57

He had a big reputation. He had an end game.

00:58:00

And listen to what he said about his original end game.

00:58:22

I was winning. I was at the top of my game.

00:58:26

If Paul had had one of these,

00:58:27

he would have shot it off for sure.

00:58:29

Woo hoo! - Wow!

00:58:33

Made me nervous. - Good. It's very good.

00:58:35

Celebrate.

00:58:42

That was so scary.

00:58:43

- He would have had a confetti parade. He was winning.

00:58:48

I mean, who doesn't want to be circumcised

00:58:49

on the eighth day, am I right? Come on now.

00:58:52

But something happened to Paul

00:58:55

and sooner or later he started saying this:

00:59:13

Paul met Jesus.

00:59:14

Paul met Jesus, and his endgame shifted.

00:59:16

The entire aim of his life

00:59:18

started going in a new direction.

00:59:20

In just two little words he got a new end game

00:59:22

and it was know Jesus.

00:59:26

Get to know Jesus.

00:59:28

Most of us spend our life

00:59:29

actually piling up our pile of assets.

00:59:32

And do you know what Paul called his?

00:59:35

He said that they looked like a pile of dung to him.

00:59:38

Literal a pile of poop is what he called

00:59:42

everything he had aimed his life at

00:59:44

up until he met Jesus.

00:59:48

Knowing Jesus is an end game

00:59:50

that changes the entire aim of your life.

00:59:53

And he even tells us a little clue

00:59:55

as to how do we go about getting to know Jesus.

00:59:58

In the next verse he says:

01:00:05

To get to know Jesus is the same thing

01:00:08

as letting Jesus bring something back to life.

01:00:11

You walked in here with something like that,

01:00:13

something that's not working, something that's

01:00:15

dysfunctional, dead, dying, over, broken,

01:00:18

you can never see it being any different

01:00:19

from this point forward.

01:00:21

And to know Jesus is the same thing as experiencing

01:00:24

His power to bring that thing back to life.

01:00:27

Jesus wants to be your A game, your first string,

01:00:31

your end game because He wants you

01:00:34

to experience Him, to know Him, to love Him

01:00:36

for the one who has the power to bring things

01:00:39

that are dead back to life,

01:00:40

power to restore a relationship,

01:00:42

power to heal your body, power to offer you a life

01:00:46

and a future with a past like yours.

01:00:49

Power to stand up just like He did

01:00:51

out of any grave that you're standing in right now

01:00:54

and walk out.

01:00:55

Knowing the man with that kind of power in your life,

01:00:59

that is the best end game that you could have.

01:01:03

And no, you're not -- you're not Taylor

01:01:07

and you're not Travis.

01:01:08

And so we kind of get upset with ourselves

01:01:11

that we even need this power in our life

01:01:13

because they don't seem to. Right?

01:01:14

They seem like they're on top of the world.

01:01:16

And yet you and I are dragging around all of our stuff,

01:01:19

all the things that we think of as liabilities.

01:01:22

We think of those things that He can bring

01:01:25

back to life, we think that there was dragging us down.

01:01:28

But what if I told you that if your end game

01:01:31

is knowing Jesus, that those things suddenly

01:01:33

become your greatest assets in that game.

01:01:36

The best thing that you could have

01:01:39

is to need Him to bring something back to life.

01:01:42

If knowing Jesus is your end game,

01:01:44

then it flips everything on its head.

01:01:46

That means that all the things that

01:01:47

you thought were dead and broken and dying,

01:01:50

they become the stage that gets set

01:01:51

for the power of a resurrection.

01:01:54

Paul had an ongoing struggle in his life,

01:01:58

and he went to Jesus many times

01:02:00

and asked Him to take it away.

01:02:02

And Jesus had some words for him,

01:02:03

and these words are for you too today.

01:02:06

This is what he says to you. He says:

01:02:14

So please, this weekend, enjoy all the touchdowns

01:02:17

that Travis Kelce is going to catch from Mahomes.

01:02:20

Enjoy Taylor's game day fashion that someday

01:02:23

is going to get auctioned off for a million bucks.

01:02:26

But please don't mistake their beautiful, magical life

01:02:30

at the top the right aim for yours.

01:02:33

Play a better game, play the end game of knowing Jesus,

01:02:37

and leave here confident

01:02:38

that you're already set up for a win. [whistle]

01:02:42

- Strong quarter by -- - Touchdown, Disco Gerbils.

01:02:48

Alli, you were awarded -- that was spectacular.

01:02:51

6 points for a great message,

01:02:52

3 points for an excellent use of confetti cannon.

01:02:54

- It scared me.

01:02:56

- It is -- The whole front row jumped.

01:02:58

I'm so sorry. Okay.

01:03:00

Uh, your Bible trivia question.

01:03:02

- Okay, here we go.

01:03:03

- Here we go. All right.

01:03:05

Jesus's mother, Mary,

01:03:07

played a large role in the Christmas story.

01:03:12

What is the name of Travis Kelce mom?

01:03:16

- What? - Oh.

01:03:18

- I know y'all know this. - Keep it down.

01:03:22

- Three seconds. - Carla?

01:03:26

- Carla is not it? It's Donna. - Dang it.

01:03:29

- Donna Kelce. Missed the extra point,

01:03:32

resulting in an end of third quarter score,

01:03:35

Disco gerbils 18, Spicy Casseroles 9.

01:03:39

- What a momentum killer. That could really do a lot.

01:03:42

What did you see that quarter, Paco?

01:03:44

- Well, I saw that there's, uh, always surprises,

01:03:48

including if you're preaching.

01:03:49

- The confetti cannon. What I thought was interesting

01:03:51

was while she was teaching,

01:03:53

Tome was putting some finishing touches on his message.

01:03:56

That or shopping for Jeep parts.

01:03:58

I'm not sure which he was doing.

01:04:00

Let's see what he does in the fourth quarter.

01:04:03

- All right, Brian, your random prop. [laughter]

01:04:09

Slightly used.

01:04:12

- A used toilet seat. Let's see what he does.

01:04:17

- Oh, sheesh. Okay.

01:04:20

Uh, it's a pretty well known narrative in NFL circles,

01:04:25

but I've been thinking about it from a different way

01:04:27

because of something that happened

01:04:29

to me a couple of weeks ago.

01:04:30

Mr. irrelevant is playing in the Super Bowl.

01:04:33

Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant is the very last person

01:04:39

picked in the NFL draft, and I think it was 1922

01:04:41

or something like that, he was the very last person.

01:04:44

When you're the last person,

01:04:45

no one expects you to do anything.

01:04:46

You are irrelevant. So you get a trophy

01:04:48

with a guy fumbling the football,

01:04:51

and you actually also get a trip to Disney World.

01:04:55

When I was on a senior pastor retreat

01:04:57

with some other pastors around the country

01:04:59

a couple of weeks ago, I interact with a guy

01:05:00

who actually knows Brock Purdy personally.

01:05:03

And he was talking about him, and I knew that

01:05:06

he has a reputation of being a believer.

01:05:09

But as this new friend of mine was talking to me,

01:05:11

it's a real deal legitimate thing.

01:05:13

Like he actually embraces the phrase being irrelevant

01:05:20

because as a believer, he has a biblical world view,

01:05:24

and that idea of being irrelevant

01:05:26

actually becomes a source of power for him.

01:05:29

By the way, in just about any definition of irrelevant,

01:05:32

Brock Purdy is not irrelevant.

01:05:34

In fact, if you look at his statistics

01:05:36

against Mahomes this past year,

01:05:37

he outplayed Mahomes in every single category

01:05:40

except one.

01:05:41

He is an unbelievable, spooky, spooky person,

01:05:45

and I think it's because he is embracing being irrelevant.

01:05:50

Like Michael Jordan, if you know much about him,

01:05:53

he needed to always play with a chip on his shoulder.

01:05:55

He needed to always imagine some way

01:05:58

that somebody somewhere was dissing him,

01:06:00

that that gave him a little extra energy

01:06:02

and drive and anger.

01:06:05

That's not the way the Brock Purdy operates.

01:06:08

I think he's actually taken the title

01:06:09

of Mr. Irrelevant, and he's made it

01:06:11

a form of spiritual power for him.

01:06:13

Because here's what it says in the Bible, James 4:6:

01:06:21

So when you think that you are to be exalted

01:06:26

and that you are great and you are relevant,

01:06:28

and everyone should know about you,

01:06:30

and you order your life that way,

01:06:32

God does one of two things.

01:06:34

He goes, "I'm just not going to help you.

01:06:37

I'm just I'm not into your thing. I'm just --

01:06:39

Look at your life. See how you do."

01:06:41

Does that or does this.

01:06:44

"I'm going to have to bring you down now.

01:06:46

I'm going to have to bring you unique pain points

01:06:49

in your life because of your relevancy,

01:06:53

because of your pridefulness."

01:06:54

And when we are graceful, when we have humility,

01:06:59

when we're embracing being relevant, God goes,

01:07:03

"I'm going to give grace to pull you up, to lift you up."

01:07:06

So we can think of one of two things.

01:07:08

We can think of ourselves as being prideful,

01:07:10

being on our throne, doing our thing. [crowd reacts]

01:07:13

Doing our thing.

01:07:15

- He is on the throne indeed.

01:07:16

- When we do our thing, that's our thing right there.

01:07:20

And God is not impressed.

01:07:23

- On the throne.

01:07:28

- All through the Bible, God uses irrelevant people.

01:07:31

It's always the relevant, the most irrelevant,

01:07:35

that are the most powerful and valued.

01:07:36

So if you feel like you are irrelevant,

01:07:39

you might be on the verge of having massive potency.

01:07:42

Let me just go through the irrelevant people in the Bible.

01:07:45

That's the source of their strength. We have Moses.

01:07:49

Okay, in my time with God this morning

01:07:50

in my Bible reading plan, reading about Moses.

01:07:52

Moses has this call and this commission to do his thing.

01:07:55

And he says, "I can't do it.

01:07:57

I'm not a good speaker. I can't lead."

01:07:58

God says, "Okay, how about Aaron does your speaking for you?"

01:08:02

He says fine. Even after he has his brother Aaron

01:08:04

giving his speeches, he keeps saying to God,

01:08:06

"I can't, but I can't speak, I can't, I can't,

01:08:09

I can't do this leadership stuff."

01:08:11

David, when he takes on Goliath, he is the smallest.

01:08:13

We have the prophets in the Old Testament.

01:08:15

None of them had sexy jobs.

01:08:16

They had jobs like farmer, utterly low sorts of jobs

01:08:20

in the culture at that time.

01:08:22

We see Jesus himself, who when He is introduced

01:08:25

as being the Messiah, so some people say, people go,

01:08:27

"Wait, wait, where is he from again? Nazareth.

01:08:33

What comes out of -- what good comes out of Nazareth?"

01:08:35

That is utterly irrelevant. Means nothing.

01:08:39

When you feel irrelevant,

01:08:44

you may be on the verge of a breakthrough.

01:08:48

When you feel irrelevant and you have nothing to offer

01:08:51

and there's nothing special about you,

01:08:54

you may be just on the verge of having

01:08:56

another level of grace come to you,

01:08:58

another level of empowerment.

01:09:00

Because oftentimes

01:09:01

the things that we're impressed with ourselves,

01:09:03

God's just not impressed and that's not what He uses.

01:09:05

Alli already referred to it earlier.

01:09:07

The one person in the Bible who had

01:09:08

a really impressive resume, the apostle Paul,

01:09:10

who wrote most of the New Testament,

01:09:12

he said, "All that stuff that made me relevant

01:09:14

made me impressive and important, that stuff

01:09:16

means nothing in terms of my spiritual power.

01:09:19

I need to count that as nothing,

01:09:20

that needs to be rubbish to me."

01:09:22

I identify with this so much because

01:09:24

I've been irrelevant pretty much my whole life.

01:09:27

I was born and I was put up for adoption.

01:09:31

It was a wonderful, loving thing that happened to me,

01:09:33

and it told me that you're not wanted,

01:09:37

you're not wanted, and I struggle with that

01:09:40

my whole life of being wanted.

01:09:41

I still struggle with it in many ways,

01:09:43

of being relevant.

01:09:44

I go to high school and college,

01:09:46

my combined GPA in high school and college,

01:09:48

I think is 2.2 something.

01:09:51

It took seven years to get a four year degree in college.

01:09:55

Went to cemetery -- seminary, I mean went to seminary,

01:10:00

did okay there, but I had to confess

01:10:03

to cheating in a class because

01:10:04

I couldn't keep up with the reading assignments.

01:10:07

Nobody, nobody who knew me before age 30,

01:10:12

age 35, nobody would have said,

01:10:14

"Oh God might use Brian Tome in some way beyond normal."

01:10:18

No one, no one, no, I was and still am,

01:10:21

and I want to be Mr. Irrelevant.

01:10:24

Because it's not about me.

01:10:26

It's not about any accomplishments

01:10:28

that I might have done.

01:10:29

It's not about any way that God might have used me.

01:10:31

It's about God and His grace

01:10:33

and what He is doing inside of me.

01:10:36

And I like the fact that God put me in a city,

01:10:39

out of a city has started churches in Lexington

01:10:42

and Dayton and Columbus and all this stuff.

01:10:44

But it's what kind of city is it?

01:10:45

It's the city of Cincinnati, which is what kind of city?

01:10:48

An irrelevant city. It's utterly irrelevant.

01:10:52

Mark Twain, Mark Twain, he said,

01:10:55

"When the end of the world comes,

01:10:56

I want to live in Cincinnati,

01:10:58

because everything in Cincinnati

01:10:59

happens ten years after every place else.

01:11:02

It's a source of our power, actually, of our ability.

01:11:06

Here's the thing, man, God doesn't need you.

01:11:09

I'm so sorry to burst your bubble.

01:11:11

He's doing just fine without you.

01:11:14

And He's doing just fine without me.

01:11:15

He doesn't need me, but He wants me.

01:11:20

He wants me with a humble heart and a contrite spirit

01:11:24

and a feeling of being irrelevant

01:11:27

and not needing to have any accolades

01:11:30

or notoriety or relevance.

01:11:32

And if that ever comes, fine, fine, fine, fine.

01:11:35

And it may come to those who take themselves

01:11:37

as Mr. Irrelevant, as has happened with Brock Purdy,

01:11:41

because he's proven those accolades, he can handle it.

01:11:45

I wonder, do you feel irrelevant?

01:11:47

Maybe this is the twist that God wants you to have

01:11:49

to not see it as something, you're not getting ahead,

01:11:51

you're not -- you're not getting there.

01:11:53

But maybe it's the thing that God brought you here today

01:11:56

because He wants you to see that

01:11:58

this is the source of your potential power,

01:12:00

this is the missing key of your life.

01:12:03

And the key is Jesus to insert into your heart

01:12:06

and unlock that door for a new level of living.

01:12:10

If you've never had that and you'd like to have that,

01:12:12

I'll just pray for you right now because

01:12:15

as you feel irrelevant, He has you

01:12:18

where He wants you right now.

01:12:20

So if you want to pray this kind of prayer,

01:12:22

just say something like this: God, I ask You into my life.

01:12:26

Jesus. I'm sorry for the ways that I've puffed myself up.

01:12:30

Sorry for the ways that I've sinned against You.

01:12:33

I asked You in my life right now.

01:12:35

I give my life to You right now.

01:12:38

Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and I will humbly follow You

01:12:44

the best I can the rest of my life. Amen.

01:12:48

Amen means it's always over. [whistle] There you go.

01:12:52

- Touchdown! Spicy Casserole.

01:12:56

- Strong response by Tome.

01:12:58

- All right. It's a tied game, so this is for the win.

01:13:02

The big W, as they call it. - You got this, Joel.

01:13:05

- All right. - You staying up here?

01:13:07

- Come on. You got it. You got it.

01:13:08

- In 1 Corinthians 9. Don't touch.

01:13:11

Paul talks about athletes competing.

01:13:15

Name three NFL teams that have yet to win the Super Bowl.

01:13:20

- Okay. If I miss this,

01:13:22

it's because we want to be irrelevant.

01:13:24

All right.

01:13:25

Bengals. Lions. What's one more?

01:13:31

Oh, yeah, the Browns have not.

01:13:32

- That is correct, for the game.

01:13:35

- Spicy Casseroles taking home the Bible

01:13:41

amidst a flurry of confetti.

01:13:44

[music: We Are the Champions, Queen]

01:13:49

- Presentation of the Bible. Thank you.

01:13:54

- Just beautiful, folks.

01:13:55

- Hey, did we have some fun today

01:13:57

or do we have some fun today?

01:13:59

Yeah. We make no apologies for the fact

01:14:01

that we like to have fun every once in a while around here.

01:14:04

We think God has blessed us, all of us,

01:14:05

with the ability to laugh.

01:14:07

And we need to exercise that gift every once in a while.

01:14:09

So we try to have fun every weekend

01:14:11

to some degree or another.

01:14:12

But this, is your first time here,

01:14:14

this is very unusual. Very unusual.

01:14:16

But we'd love to -- we would love to have you back

01:14:20

next week or the week after that.

01:14:21

We're going to be looking at Jesus,

01:14:23

just a raw straight down the pipe,

01:14:25

who is this guy who's the most important person

01:14:27

the world has ever known as through the eyes

01:14:30

of the gospel of Mark,

01:14:31

one of the books of the New Testament.

01:14:33

It's going to be a great, great one.

01:14:34

And Firebaugh, you got a great thing coming

01:14:37

with students, tell us about that.

01:14:39

- Yeah, everyone on the stage today

01:14:40

was nowhere near an NFL player, but in two weeks,

01:14:43

if you're a middle school or high schooler,

01:14:45

we have something with NFL kicker Evan McPherson.

01:14:48

He'll be live in this room.

01:14:50

All sites are invited, but you must be

01:14:52

in middle school or high school.

01:14:54

Go to the crossroads.net/thebignight.

01:14:56

- Yeah, if you're not middle school or high school,

01:14:59

just because we don't want you,

01:15:00

you're what's called a perpetrator, so stay home.

01:15:05

- Hey, those are the final words.

01:15:06

- Final word.

01:15:08

- Hey, thanks for joining us.

01:15:09

If you've made it this far, you might be wondering,

01:15:11

what did I just watch? And what is this place?

01:15:13

Well, I'll answer real quick.

01:15:14

Crossroads is a movement of people

01:15:16

meeting all over the country and the globe,

01:15:18

seeking connect people to a God that loves them.

01:15:21

So no matter what you believe about God,

01:15:23

no matter who you are,

01:15:24

this is a church that was made for you.

01:15:25

A place no matter where you're at in life

01:15:27

or on the map, man, God is for you and you're welcome here.

01:15:30

If you have any questions or if there's anything

01:15:32

that I can be praying for you about,

01:15:33

you can shoot me an email.

01:15:35

It's my personal email at Andy.Reider@crossroads.net.

01:15:38

I'd love to connect and personally pray for you.

01:15:41

And another way that you can connect with

01:15:43

our greater and broader Crossroads Anywhere community

01:15:45

is through our connect event coming up

01:15:47

next Sunday at 12 p.m. Eastern Time,

01:15:50

hosted by my good buddy and teammate Emmanuel Montgomery.

01:15:53

To sign up for that, head to Crossroads.net/anywhere,

01:15:56

fill out a connect card and we will be in touch

01:15:58

to help get you connected to not just a church,

01:16:00

but a movement of people all over the globe.

01:16:03

Now we hope to see you back next week

01:16:05

as we dive into the book of Mark

01:16:06

and how Jesus invites us to step over the line.

01:16:08

We'll see you then.

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