Sports

Tim Tebow is True Grit

The Broncos were 1-4 before Tim Tebow took over five weeks ago. Since Tebow has been starting, they have gone 4-1 to improve to 5-5 on the season. He’s turning their season around, but he’s not doing it with passing. He was only 9 for 20 in the air tonight for 104 yards, and yet it doesn’t seem to matter. He’s all heart and grit, and the guy just knows how to win. That game tonight—especially the finish—was just amazing. Watch the game winning touchdown above.

As I mentioned when he started this run, Tebow still has a lot of folks rooting against him. They are not simply rooting against him on the field; they are cheering for his demise as a Christian man. And it is the latter that we all should be most concerned about. Tebow has been hanging tough so far. From his work ethic and commitment to excellence to his consistent Christian testimony, he has honored Christ. I hope and pray that the Lord would sustain him in this faithfulness.

12 Comments

    • Denny Burk

      Thank you, Dr. Vines. What sickens me, though, is that so many people are pulling for Tebow to fail as a man. They want him to crash and burn not simply as a football player but as a Christian (read here). It’s a reminder that he needs our prayers.

      Great to hear from you! Thanks for the comment!

  • Mike Moulton

    He’s a winner and any team will follow a winner. The media hates him, but his team believes in what he does. He is a great witness as well, and the media (especially with all the hypocrisy it has seen lately) wants him to fail as a Christian and a football player. Or they are sick of people playing the part, but not living the life, cynicism…. Let’s pray for our dear brother, not just to win, but endure the suffering, temptations, etc., that come along with being in the lime-light and a Christian.

  • Scott

    The media does not hate Tebow. Herman Edwards was heaping praise on the man after the game. He’s an oddity – a QB that can’t throw a lick and who runs better than most TEs at the NFL level. It’s a weird combination and, strangely enough, it’s winning ball games right now. I think a lot of folks simply don’t have a great deal of experience watching NFL commentary and interpret any criticisms as attacks on his faith. That’s simply not true.

  • Chris H

    He’s not just unashamed, he’s completely, unapologetically, excited about the Gospel. He’s a testimony to other Christians to hold Christ as their treasure, and nothing less.

  • Christiane

    The ONLY reason that I can think of for some people to trash Tebow is that these people associate the ‘open’ show of faith with hypocrisy . . . Tebow is innocent of hypocrisy, but these people are identifying his behavior in openly praying with the open praying of OTHERS who have been exposed as hypocrites.

    Tebow is having to bear the persecution brought on by those who scandalized the Church by openly showing a ‘faith’ that they not only did not possess, but whose behavior eventually mocked that faith.

    Maybe Tim Tebow can make open expression of faith wholesome again in the eyes of those who now criticize him ?

    If he can do that, it is a good thing. Pray for him that he stays strong in his life against the temptations of this world that have brought so many down who were publicly devout.

    Pray for him.

  • Doug

    Dr. Burk,
    Thanks for the post. As a Florida Gators and lifelong Denver Broncos fan, I have rooted for Tebow for six years now. I admire his family and his personal testimony. I do have one concern, however, at how the Christian community often deals with high profile Christians like Tebow (especially in sports). As we hold them up in front of our congregations, and especially in front of our young people, we implicitly push this idea that if we honor God with our lives, he will make successful in our lives/careers/etc. This feeds right into the deistic moralism that is so prevalent in our churches. This idea that if I do what God wants then he has an obligation to bless me is anti-Gospel and extremely dangerous. We should be proud of Tim Tebow, and we should definitely pray that he remains faithful to God, win or lose. But we have to be careful what we do with his example, especially in front of our kids.

  • Reg Schofield

    Tebow will need our prayers no question , but we must remind people that he is a man saved by grace alone , by faith alone , in Christ alone. He has his weaknesses and will sin before the worlds watching eyes one day . We need to always remind others , that Jesus Christ is the anchor of the gospel message not our lives or Tebows life. I really hope and pray he stays strong because the pressure on him with all the world watching is crazy. But I hope we don’t parade him around as a “super apostle ” that would be very dangerous I think .

  • donsands

    I like Tebow. He’s unique to say the least. He was one great Gator.
    He will probably never be up there with Unitas, or Montana, or a couple dozen other QBs, but he is fun to watch, and a very fine athlete, and football player. He is a bolder than average Christian as well, and that’s fine with me. I’m not as bold as he is. But I would think I love my Savior in my heart of hearts. Go Tim! Sad to say, you ain’t gonna get past the Ravens though. Ravens vs 49ers this year in Super Bowl XLVI.

  • Tim Webb

    Christine, Tebow’s Christian testimony is not the only reason people can bash him. So far, he has been a terrible NFL quarterback. Yes, he is 4-1 as a starter, but even his biggest fan will admit that each game he has started where they won has had serious extenuating circumstances (Oakland was starting a QB who had just joined the team and hadn’t played in 1.5 years; the Jets this weekend had played on the road on Sunday night, then had to travel to Denver, and only had three days off; etc.) Again, even his biggest fans, if honest, will say that the defense has vastly improved (perhaps encouraged by his leadership, I’ll grant) and has had important turnovers and key plays to keep them in the game (against the Jets the defense returned an interception for a TD, or else they wouldn’t have won). The odds are _strongly_ against an option-style rushing offense working consistently in the NFL… the athletes are _much_ faster than in college, where an option game can work. I like the way Tebow plays, like a fullback.

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