Tim Tebow is coming to Georgetown!

I think my jaw hit the floor last Sunday morning when our pastor announced that Tim Tebow will be our guest speaker Easter Sunday! Our pastor, Joe Champion of Celebration Church, Georgetown, Texas is quite the jokester, so it took me a few seconds of "Is he kidding? Surely he's kidding! NO! He isn't kidding!" before I practically squealed right there in church!

TIM TEBOW IS COMING TO MY CHURCH ON EASTER SUNDAY!!! WHOOP!!!

Now that I've had a few days to process the excitement, I thought I'd share some thoughts about it all. Already I've read negative comments about Tim, Celebration Church, and Tim's coming on Easter. "I've had enough of this show-boat," one man wrote on a local news station's Facebook page. A woman wrote, "I'd rather attend a church where the focus is the risen Lord and not a quarterback." Some question Celebration Church's motives, hinting that money and numbers are the goal. On and on. People choosing to be Negative Nanny's, as I like to say.

But let's get a few things straight!

Celebration Church is NOT bringing in Tim Tebow to replace Jesus!! Tim, like the rest of us, will be celebrating and worshipping the Risen Lord, not trying to outdo or outshine the amazing reason for Easter, which is JESUS!! Jesus rose from the dead all those many Easter Sunday's ago. Nothing and no one---I don't care how famous!---could ever be bigger than Jesus on Easter! Not even the Easter Bunny, although some merchandisers are trying their best to make him as big as Santa Claus at Christmas.

But there is simply no denying the fact that Tim Tebow has been given a huge, world-wide platform through football. I would venture to say that Tim is probably the most talked about Christian in the world at this particular moment in time. After the Denver Broncos won against the Steelers in a spectacularly dramatic overtime (says the Denver Broncos fan with a grin!) people all around the world were talking about Tim Tebow. Millions across the globe did Internet searches for John 3:16 and Tim Tebow.

So who better to come to our church on Easter Sunday morning to help us spread the Good News about Jesus Christ?! We are expecting between 20,000 and 50,000 people!! Which is totally mind-boggling yet incredibly thrilling all at the same time! How many of those people might never go to church, even on Easter, but will come anyway just to hear Tim Tebow? A lot, I imagine. How many will hear this godly young man share about Faith and come into a relationship with Jesus Christ for the first time? A lot, I pray!

One negative commenter said Tim Tebow should stick to playing football and leave the preaching to the preachers. Wow! Do you really want to put people in a small, confining box like that?! Think about it. What would have happened if these people had never stepped out of the neat little box the world put them in?

• Jesus was a carpenter.
• Peter and John were fishermen.
• Matthew was a tax collector.
• Paul was a Pharisee. 
• David was a shepherd.

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus told all of us to "go and make disciples of all nations." That command isn't just for preachers. Football is the catalyst that propelled Tim Tebow into the international spotlight, but football doesn't have to be the only thing Tim is allowed to care about. The only thing he's allowed to talk about. Like the rest of us, Tim has been given more than one gift, more than one passion, more than one interest. He is running a race just like you and me. A race that was planned in advance for him to run!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

If you are interested in coming to celebrate Easter with us and Tim Tebow, go to www.EasterontheHill.com for all the details (parking, time, what to bring, what not to bring, etc). It's going to be an amazing, Jesus-blessed day!!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, United Kingdom, India, Ecuador, Venezuela, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Russia