Okay I'll start this blog by saying this so many people think sports draw us farther away from Christ. That we get so wrapped up in when is the next game and what was that score that we forget that we do not live by sports alone! Okay so while sometimes if you've ever watched a football game with me you know I'm a HUGEEEE ravens fan....lemme explain i love the ravens I've been to many games....and I'm here to say one thing.....i love the ravens because of this...
- These four "Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee,and Gooden pray holding hands in a circle before every game...
(this picture was taken at a ravens vs. panthers game that i went to, i actually sat close enough to get a picture of it!)
- Also from that game Jordan Senn for the panthers got injuredI took a moment during the injury to pray for him........(he's a man he deserves prayer too yes he plays football and there are a select few that look to him as a hero because he plays in the NFL and he makes millions or whatever but no i care more about his health. Injuries suck no one wants em, when he was injuried the ravens were already winning and ravens went on to win 37-13 but that didn't stop me from praying for Senn when he got hurt even tho he was not on my team! think about that, he's a man whether he is on my favorite team or not his health matters, period!!)
- After we beat the Jets in week 1 our head coach John Harbaugh stated this...
"Rex Ryan was talking about the Super Bowl after the match up, Marvez was able to witness behind closed doors a reserved Harbaugh give a post game speech to his team that was inspired by a biblical verse from Corinthians I.
“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
The lesson Harbaugh hoped his players would learn is that the Lord has a way of rewarding the humble and punishing the arrogant"
- Source: http://blogs.baltimoreravens.com/2010/09/14/late-for-work-914-lewis-ryan-didnt-talk-after-game/
Last year to our head coach John Harbaugh decided to inspire our team and we got a new jersey patch for our practice jerseys from the book of Nehemiah with the ravens shield in the middle and a shovel and sword crossed behind it like an "X" couldn't find a picture on google of it but here's the article talking about it....
(click on the word article to view the article)
Okay so everything I've said to this point gives you an idea of why the Ravens are a Christian football team that seem to put God first in their way of the sport of football, not themselves. Now I'm going to change directions and tell you why I Adam Bryant personally love my team the Baltimore ravens....
Often i hear this (people care more about what the score for the game was last night than waking up for Church tomorrow, football is your God because it's what you care about the most, Sports draw you farther from God because when people feel that they don't when they feel like sports draw them closer to God it's because they're praying for their team to win, when we put put sports and sports figures first they become our god and we will be disappointed)
Okay some people when they find out I'm a ravens fan they remember the "ravens player" ray lewis trial a decade ago.........okay yes i'm a ravens fan but as a man "ravens fan aside" i've met him, seen ray lewis preach, i've seen the way he carries hisself and lives his life and ray lewis did NOT commit the murder he was accused for...... watch this video and then we'll talk
(click on the word video to view a ray lewis interview on his experience through this)
So finally we're getting to why am i a baltimore ravens fan!!!! I am a baltimore ravens fan because when i think of the ravens, i think a good group of men that love Jesus, i am a football fan because i feel i am closest to God and have some of the DEEPEST prayers when a football player gets injured on the field....
FOR INSTANCE.....yesterday i watched the ravens defeat the tampa bay buccaneers 17-10 however while doing so there were four injuries three injuries to the baltimore ravens and one for tampa bay...
* Cody Grimm (He hurt his left ankle 1st halfi spent about half the 1st half of this game praying for this guy, and he was not even on the team that i was pulling for like i'm talking like Lord please help him get over his injury so he can play the game, we're talking deep prayer about Cody Grimm a man that Jesus loves and wants a relationship with, yeah he plays football but what about life after football??)
- Baltimore Ravens
* Le'Ron McClain
- (He sprained his ankle as well in the 2nd half of the game, wow this one looked pretty bad....and do i pray for him because he's on my favorite team? no i pray for him because injuries are no fun been there done that, i pray for him because some injuries are not only season ending but career ending and paralyzing injuries are no fun.....we want Le'Ron to not only have that personal relationship with Jesus but also to have the ability to move the muscles God has given him in life!)
* Michael Oher
- (The Blind Side Celebrity, hmm Michael Oher i've prayed for many times because of his testimony being homeless for a HUGE portion of his life now playing for the nfl, however yesterday he got a sprained knee and didn't look good at all in fact watching the injury i was thanking God that his leg didn't just fall off it looked brutal in the pile up.....i couldn't get a picture of him on the internet from the injury but those of you watching the game know what i'm talking about.....pray for Michael as he heals his knee not so he can play football more or better but so he can use those muscles God has given him!)
* Dawan Landry
(wow this collison was pretty brutal, he's actually had a neck injury before but yesterday he got a concussion and he was just laid out, it was bad......pray that Landry has a quick recovery...concussion's are no fun and can hurt you forever if bad enough...pray not that Landry can be a good football player even after this injury but that he will use his head to listen to the Lord and follow his path for his life, not that of his own....)
So why may you ask do i feel that football makes me closer to God in my spiritual walk with Christ, i believe this is because i've always had a huge love for people. I love sports and i love sports because it gives you a group of people in one central area, lifes always about more than what sport they play or even how good they are at it.....it's about where their heart is.....so to end this blog i challenge all you sports fans, try this one day......when any player not just a player from your favorite team goes down with an injury pray for them..not just for the injury though that should be part of the prayer but for their lives and see where God may work in your heart like he has and does in mine!
Thank you all for reading and following my blogs, hope you all have a great night...
God Bless,
Psalms 37:4
- Adam Bryant
(click on the word video to view a ray lewis interview on his experience through this)
So finally we're getting to why am i a baltimore ravens fan!!!! I am a baltimore ravens fan because when i think of the ravens, i think a good group of men that love Jesus, i am a football fan because i feel i am closest to God and have some of the DEEPEST prayers when a football player gets injured on the field....
FOR INSTANCE.....yesterday i watched the ravens defeat the tampa bay buccaneers 17-10 however while doing so there were four injuries three injuries to the baltimore ravens and one for tampa bay...
11/28/2011 Baltimore Ravens vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Injuries:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Cody Grimm (He hurt his left ankle 1st halfi spent about half the 1st half of this game praying for this guy, and he was not even on the team that i was pulling for like i'm talking like Lord please help him get over his injury so he can play the game, we're talking deep prayer about Cody Grimm a man that Jesus loves and wants a relationship with, yeah he plays football but what about life after football??)
- Baltimore Ravens
* Le'Ron McClain
- (He sprained his ankle as well in the 2nd half of the game, wow this one looked pretty bad....and do i pray for him because he's on my favorite team? no i pray for him because injuries are no fun been there done that, i pray for him because some injuries are not only season ending but career ending and paralyzing injuries are no fun.....we want Le'Ron to not only have that personal relationship with Jesus but also to have the ability to move the muscles God has given him in life!)
* Michael Oher
- (The Blind Side Celebrity, hmm Michael Oher i've prayed for many times because of his testimony being homeless for a HUGE portion of his life now playing for the nfl, however yesterday he got a sprained knee and didn't look good at all in fact watching the injury i was thanking God that his leg didn't just fall off it looked brutal in the pile up.....i couldn't get a picture of him on the internet from the injury but those of you watching the game know what i'm talking about.....pray for Michael as he heals his knee not so he can play football more or better but so he can use those muscles God has given him!)
* Dawan Landry
(wow this collison was pretty brutal, he's actually had a neck injury before but yesterday he got a concussion and he was just laid out, it was bad......pray that Landry has a quick recovery...concussion's are no fun and can hurt you forever if bad enough...pray not that Landry can be a good football player even after this injury but that he will use his head to listen to the Lord and follow his path for his life, not that of his own....)
So why may you ask do i feel that football makes me closer to God in my spiritual walk with Christ, i believe this is because i've always had a huge love for people. I love sports and i love sports because it gives you a group of people in one central area, lifes always about more than what sport they play or even how good they are at it.....it's about where their heart is.....so to end this blog i challenge all you sports fans, try this one day......when any player not just a player from your favorite team goes down with an injury pray for them..not just for the injury though that should be part of the prayer but for their lives and see where God may work in your heart like he has and does in mine!
Thank you all for reading and following my blogs, hope you all have a great night...
God Bless,
Psalms 37:4
- Adam Bryant
