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Reaching Student Athletes For Christ!

Truth Talk / Stu Epperson
The Cross Radio
December 4, 2021 1:00 am

Reaching Student Athletes For Christ!

Truth Talk / Stu Epperson

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December 4, 2021 1:00 am

Stu interviews former basketball superstar, Wayne Robinson, about his testimony and impact for Christ with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

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This is the Truth Network to 6'9" tall, 285 pounds pure muscle size 17 shoes in the NBA Virginia Tech. The first graduating class agrees Rudy's school.

He is Wayne Robinson.

You sit right next to me. Good having on the radio. You got great radio voice to all, thank you so much that we really appreciated the privileges certainly all in God's hands have a chance to come and speak to you about FCA well and that the FCA is really your heart ministries, even to the ministry for 30 years is need to see if you don't know what FCA is the stance for the Fellowship of Christian athletes when given a mission and then I want to be terrible but I grotesquely give the mission of FCA, what drives out whole ministry. No, for us to be able to be a part of a ministry that clearly identifies the fact that we want coaches and athletes to have a mature personal relationship with the Lord we know it is through the coaches that the lives of student athletes can change it really encapsulates what FCA is all about.

So we just know that as long as we continue to stay true to what God is saying that we should do with that. They will see the last of coaches and athletes change thousands of coaches. What was that quote from Billy Graham about coaches assist that gets me every time, but the influence of one coach can have one coach can influence in the course of the year more than athletes and coaches than any parent or any coach could possibly all living to say this way.

Many people try to influence the lives of young people, but coaches have more influence over them to just about anyone. So there you were a freshman in Blacksburg Virginia and Virginia Tech. The hoagies and you're gonna play some basketball for them and you're in a dorm and a knock came at the door to take us back to that. You must amend what 17, 18 years old 18 years old 1976 to FCA leaders come to our athletic blowback. Then all the aptly stated norms and so was easy for the coach to keep up with us and we let the lizard for their Virginia Tech and that they were committed to try to build relationships with student athletes and so long to hold others even got a knock at the door back on those days were all rotary phones.

All the players were calling each other say don't open the doors.

These FCA guys. They didn't even know what FCA meant that I was the only one on the floor that opened the door they came in they identify the fact that I had a Bible that had not opened a graduation present graduation present for my grandmother and lo and behold, within the course of about 15 minutes they let me in the prayer of salvation. I was in tears.

I knew well, I had to change it did change that night and from that point forward, God had a plan and he began to open my eyes and ears of my heart to see the plan unfold take us through your journey little bit. Wayne Robinson you your name a lot of folks know you is a you playing basketball in the in the now course, your USENET platform for the kingdom of God. Just as it's amazing and we just talked about the legacy of Tom Landry, you have a guy who's a coach who could easily plan his name to make tons of money into all kinds of things, but how many will come to Christ because he's been a part of FCA.

He's been a part of someone invited him to a Bible study and the baby in the 60s writing everything changed that day. That's exactly right.

And you never know what you have to trust God is going to open doors for you to know Megan open and when he closes doors should look back now, as a former athlete, professional athlete, thinking that the world was my staging that I could do anything and everything I wanted to do. It took a mighty hand of God, a mighty move for me to begin to see that I no longer needed to identify myself with material things such I didn't have to go around looking for public opinion. I needed to follow God's plan was to learn more about him through the words and then to commit myself to walking that lifestyle. Each and every day.

So from one day to the next, from one year to the next. I began to see more God and less of me in the midst still enjoy my life. Family children but knowing that there were new, new territories that I had to explore because he was leaving me in a path that he wanted so that I could help him advance the kingdom of God.

Now look at your life and I think about like you you you did really well with basketball. God really blessed you gave your talent course. Not many people are built in 02 85 6 foot nine and muscular began 1770. I thought my 40s Ridge.

I saw your 70s right there. Those are serious within.

But you know Wayne, I just it's it's kind, encouraging to me to see a man who you're not spinning consumed with going to find the next Tesla going with Jason. The little white ball going trying to get it all back. You know showing up at all events during the years doing basketball evil. Christ in your pouring your heart and soul 24 seven end of the Fellowship of Christian ethics to to get coaches. I love what you said tell coaches and athletes. No and grow back to think of a better mission and that's what you know. So I see what you are you nuts Wayne Bart you trade on your big name in your illustrious career and got there and get some more money, but your pouring into helping athletes and coaches know and grow. What would you say that Stewart comes down to relationship and once an individual makes the true decision to become a part of God's plan to grow in their vertical alignment is what I call it with God you begin to see the world differently and once that begins to happen then those things which motivated you in the past, though they still have importance don't necessarily motivate you for what I believe that as God opened my mind and my heart to know his plans. I had to begin to make a decision.

It was such that I saw evidence that children as well as adults came into a new relationship call someone to make thought was iconic at a level was willing to tell them about what the truth really is.

From that we begin to see change.

You know the Bible says that you will know a tree by its fruit good trees go to produce good fruit and when a person makes a decision for the Lord you will become a good trees. Now you gotta produce and to produce means you gotta get out here and share and begin to look at your priorities and help other people understand how to seek kingdom first. Matthew 633 says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and and everything else you desire will be added unto you all. God is saying is, he can help us change our priorities if we trust them enough and allow him to leave us voice Elaine Robinson with FCA Fellowship of Christian athletes. One of the main leaders here in North Carolina course you guys are nationwide worldwide really evolve the camps of Johnny Evans, a course in Raleigh, head of the state FCA famous world-renowned football player Nancy Stayton and just using that platform to share Jesus all your guys are in upper Chandra unit area guy here and in just a great team.

We are at Forsyth country club in Winston-Salem.

She might hear little bit of noise with this cavity place to do an interview and I don't know what I'm saying were part of country club Christianity Wayne, but it's fun to do and it is it is and I just can't say enough about Jean Thompson and his efforts early-morning foresight as those counties.

He's a young man was on fire for God. He's building relationships. He's beginning to understand the culture here because is not from this area and God is opening up doors for him because he's giving them favor when you have favor from God. It is not as difficult as you think the trying to build relationships with people that you don't know.

So we see evidence right now.

Today was one example is a ghost of the schools is another example is a ghost of charges and talks to pastor another example and all of a sudden we begin to see a network forming is going to hopefully and prayerfully and we believe this to be true to see Forsyth's Stokes County which are his two areas turn into a very vibrant community where astute nappies and coaches can really grow and see their lives change and hopefully change the lives of nonathletes because FCA wants to do that as well. Want to coaches. These are psychopaths and we ran an ad for FCA's recited said FCA you're invited.

If you're not a Christian and you nonathletes are still invited. They had a kid, one is saved in and noticing story after story of athletes that got there they got it they get the big shot. They made that they got the big scholarship they got to the NBA evening we had Russell ruin here in this meeting skip around, but they found there something missing and that Miss thing missing was Jesus Christ and give us a quick snapshot. We left you in Blacksburg.

Your freshman you yet led to Christ by these FCA guys you going guy that opened the door.

They led you to Jesus tells what happened. Briefly give us a quick synopsis of your grade played in office. Your college years at Virginia Tech to great there. Then off a little bit MBA into give us a quick just a blow-by-blow of where God took you what he did in your life to those those years of plant surely also blessed to be a part of the Virginia Tech community and gave me a chance to graduate in four years my degrees in finance and accounting. I have no idea stew that office could be drafted as high as I was, and during that time, 250 players were drafted 10 rows back in 25 players per around the 30th pick in the draft in 1980, first draft choice of Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to play there for a short stand before was traded to the Detroit Pistons play therefore couple years at boy when we were bad because we want that good and they were bad, but I had a chance to play just a phenomenal time spent a couple years and ABA had a chance to go to your Italy for couple years played in Spain a play for the world-famous real Madrid basketball team traveled all over the world played against every Western European B and the rest of Czechoslovakia, Poland and all of those wonderful countries. A great experience retired from basketball at the age of 32 but not for life because doing that time. This was before ESPN and this is before collective bargaining guys will make a ton of money but my wife and I were good stewards and we were able to take advantage of that opportunity and come home and did have choices as to what we were going to do still and know God was called into the ministry, but lo and behold I had that experience likes only have that kind of epiphany would guys is this not need you to start working with young people. We opened up an afterschool and summer enrichment program right there in the heart of Grange girl right in the inner-city death. Eight years hundreds of kids came through was a program called the Center for champions writing the drug infested area of southeast Greensboro but yet God protected those students and they were coming for more than 20 different schools that set the stage for me to really understand the importance of evangelism outreach ministry, ministering the parents learning more about the challenges that they had and from there, God called me into ministry full-time.

I became a youth pastor, the very large church was there for six or seven years became a capacitive Christian education and is subsequently lost a ministry the new millennium Christmas in Iraq and the senior pastor there for 17 years, you're still pastoring right now still passing thought about Abed Bob vocational so long I don't know what is like did not have a single thing will focus but is great. The ministry is going well, but my passion is certainly recently for the Lord and FCA is a vital part of that is also thanks for sharing that. What a blessing FCA ego using Google website Google Wayne Robinson looks for some little highlights right bring it up with those guys that was that.

I mean I was magic and bird. Those are some Norman Owsley, Norm Nixon was still with the Lakers when you write, you know there was some good guys and and you met another fellow Christian who actually play ball with your listener. Gears of last the best actually play pickup with Bobby Jones and want to treat to see Amanda love Jesus but all world All-American guy with a 76 but you can around with guys like that and got to see them both then and now in the faith in Christ. They have that's exactly Bobby Jones Kate Benson goes these guys were true in this examples of what it meant to be a true Christian athlete at the professional level and even to this day.

Bobby was in tremendous things down and that of the Charlotte greater Charlotte area.

So that's a great great experience for anybody who wants to know people like that Army would guys sold me to guys even during the times in which we bring in special speakers. I mean we could go to a laundry list of men and women coaches and athletes. All are committed now more so than ever devil's lien is a perfect example of that. Someone who is thing you know what I'm paid to football coach and I got a lot of responsibilities but I love the Lord and he is first and I just think that when you have people like him and others that come along side we see that FCA is not going anywhere. The gospel is not going anywhere that would be here long after many of these other organizations pass away, and I don't mean that in a negative way, but because God is in the midst because FCA was founded on the word is going to survive. Thank you for using your platform of all the things you talk is guy about he could brag about NBA by all the stuff of the last the least thing you talk about just now in our meeting you talk about Jesus and helping coaches. Student athletes know Christ grow in Christ reaches over the gospel. So thanks for using your platform and as a got here challenge everyone. I was a need to do with their platform what God's given them any be a gifted builder. There may be a gifted musician how to use their platform to the glory God will have much time left to a brother recently.

Note in the wind uppercut prep prognosticating were not trying to bring forth the prophetic utterance. What we want people to know is that the times indicate that we need to reassess what we are and if we are willing to trust God enough to ask him about us as we ask and we can receive we seek we can find.

If we knocked the door shall be open.

Let's let God show us exactly what to do and how to do it and will see changes that we know will affect our lives and families lives and maybe a generation or generations to come. This is the Truth Network