Tim Tebow
Appearances
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
and to name that baby Timothy, which means honoring God. And so he finishes preaching and goes home. And he says, hey, to my mom, God put it on my heart that we need to have another baby. And she's like, they already had four. And my mom's like, well, God didn't put it on my heart. So I don't know. But she decided she's going to start praying about it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I think our biggest heart as a ministry, as a foundation, as a team, like we would call ourselves a family, is trying to go to dark places to bring light, trying to go to places of crisis, chaos, and conflict, and bring light to go to the hurting. We know that our God is near to the brokenhearted. That's what Scripture says.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Don't know exactly what that means, but I know if God's near to the brokenhearted, man, I want to be too. I want to be too. I want to be near and with the hurting so that we could share faith, hope, and love. We could protect them. We could defend them. We could stand up for them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And in this fight for the MVP, in this fight against trafficking and exploitation, it's, in my opinion, one of the greatest evils in the world, or maybe a better way to say it, one of the worst evils in the world. But specifically, our heart is to get to as many and leverage anything and everything we can so that they can get out of this evil.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And as I mentioned earlier, you think so much is done by all these groups and gangs. And yes, that does take place in a lot of areas.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
but man it's overwhelming when you think how much is done by families by friends by those in the trusted circle and especially when we talk about the fight against child exploitation and child sexual abuse it's it's off the charts of what is being done in the families and you know it's the
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I don't know if I want to say most disappointing, but maybe one of the most heartbreaking, is do you know the number one offender? Biological fathers. And it's not going to make your day, but I brought a map to share with you. Is this the map? Every red dot on that, so first of all, that is a DOJ law enforcement map. It's called the Red Dot Map.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
This is over the last 30 days, and every red dot on that map is at least one unique IP address of individuals downloading, sharing, distributing child abuse and rape images under the age of 12. And there's over 111,000 of them just in the US of the last 30 days. And I just, I wanted to bring that because I think it brings to life so much of the evil that we're trying to face.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And people will say, well, that's just over there. And it's in those countries. And it's all of those places. And it's not. Sean, it's right here in our backyard. It is right here. And out of everyone, and some people will say, OK, well, they're just downloading and sharing it and distributing it. But they're not. 55% to 85% are also hands-on offenders.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And your average offender has 13 victims in their lifetime. 13 victims. Every one of those red dots is there's a boy or girl that is suffering on the other end of what they're sharing, downloading, or distributing. And I wanted to share that with you because I know that your heart breaks for them. And I think that map brings to life the evil that we're trying to fight.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that's why one of our hearts is to get the Renewed Hope Act passed through Congress because it takes The law enforcement officers right now and victim identification officers at C3, and they're amazing. Some of my favorite people in the world. But there's seven of them right now at C3. There's how many? Seven. Seven people to come out? Yes, and also ICACs are working on that.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And not long after, she started praying about it. Not long after that, God put it on her heart, too. that they needed to have another baby and at least try. Not long after that, she became pregnant.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We love ICAC, and we need to enhance their funding because they desperately need it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
um internet crimes against children and they're awesome 62 locations around the country but primarily the ones that are also working on this are at c3 and we want to get the renewed hope pass because it would take it from seven to 200 and now we have a much greater chance if we have all of those officers that are trained and equipped to be fighting against this evil and again that's the last 30 days
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that's not getting into live streaming or sextortion or grooming or so many of the other issues we're fighting. That is just in peer-to-peer networks of them sharing and distributing child rape images under the age of 12. This is 12 and under.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And some people will say, well, that's just, you know, they're just downloading it and they're just sharing it. And no. it's not just that easy. You have to go in, you have to download it, just, you know, appear to appear, and then you have to be able to download all of these images, and then you're sharing them. It's not like this just happens by accident.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so if you say what's on our heart, man, these are boys and girls that can't fight for themselves. They can't defend themselves. And yet so many of us, myself for so long, did nothing to defend or stand up for them. And it is our heart that we would rally an army. And maybe we would even declare a national emergency to fight this evil. This is happening in our backyard.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And out of all those that have been rescued from, or out of all those that have been safeguarded and rescued from Renewed Hope 1, 2, and 3, More than half of those boys and girls have been right here in the US. So we think it's over there, it's over there, it's over there. No, yes, it is happening in other places.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, we're trying to do it in every area in every way possible, whether that's with partnerships and nonprofits and law enforcement and rallying and task forces and legislation and lobbying, trying to get them to enhance the army, per se, in fighting this. And that's really what the Renewed Hope Act is for. But it's also getting the Renewed Hope operations more and more and more and
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we're having more and more every day. But it's also creating awareness. And I hate to use awareness because people say it all the time. And I don't want awareness for awareness sake. I want people to be aware so we act to do something. I think we really have to change laws and legislation. And I believe there's a lot of people in Congress and in DC that want to change it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But we have to get it done. We have to protect these boys and girls. And I know we have to figure out budgets and balances and all these important things. But what does it matter if we figure out a budget but our boys and girls in our backyard are being raped and abused? Like, let's make the main thing the main thing. This should be a main thing. Like, this has to be a main thing.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
it's hard to know. And by the way, this is only one database and there are multiple databases. So it's not like this is all of them, but it's hard to know every life on the back end. But that's why we try to find as many studies and stats and databases to find it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But the clearest one we can go to is if you look at this over 111,000, and then you know that 55 to 85% of these are hands-on offenders and your average offender has 13. Now you add that up. 13 offenders in their life. How many boys and girls is that? So every time we take one of those offenders and we take them off the streets, how many boys and girls did we protect?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
How many boys and girls did we safeguard? One of the... That's like... It's a lot. Over 1.5 million. It's a lot. In one of the operations, one of the doors that got knocked down and... And men that got taken away actually led to 30 other children that he had been abusing. And I want to say this, and I think it's important. The number one offender type is biological fathers.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But by far, it is being done by middle-aged Caucasian men. Many, over half of them, college graduates. Many of them are educated, good jobs. This isn't just who we're thinking about. They're technical savvy. And I think that it is time that we call them out. We can't stand by and stand back. We have to stand up and say, not only are we not doing our job as men, it's actually the opposite.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Instead of being defenders and protectors of our families, we're hurting and abusing. We were in the office last week, and we were talking with someone that's amazing in this space. And we're going through a case to try to learn from this and do some more stuff. The guy that has already been put away and convicted of his crime was abusing an 18-month-old, his 18-month-old, and his 9-month-old.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I was sitting there in just horror, right? But then we're looking at what he was doing it on, and he was doing it on a Florida Gator blanket. And I was thinking, man, this is probably someone that was rooting for the Gators. Probably someone that maybe is a fan or likes the Gators, likes when I played. But no, how personal this is.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Maybe it's someone that's in the stadium watching us play, right? Like this isn't far off or far across around the world because we always think, and even sometimes members of Congress will say to us, but we've got to worry about our backyard. No, we're talking about our backyard. This is our backyard. This is right here.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I could tell you so many stories of our backyard in Jacksonville or in Florida or around our country. There was an operation last year that a multidisciplinary task force came together in Jacksonville that were luring men that wanted to sleep with, I believe it was eight and 13-year-olds and lured him.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And 27 men showed up and got arrested because they had the goal of sleeping with an eight-year-old or a 13-year-old. And so many of them work in places with kids. One of them was a former professional athlete. A couple of them were tied to law enforcement or part of law enforcement. This isn't just over there. It's here. It's our backyard. And we have to stand up for these boys and girls.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we've got to change laws and legislation. We've got to build a bigger army. We've got to be able to create awareness, know what families can do, protect your kids. Also, at the same time, when your kids go onto the internet, they have to know that they are getting lured, groomed, stalked by people with intent to do evil. And people with a goal to do good have to work better.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I was telling you earlier when we were downstairs when there was a dark web site that was taken down, and before it was, one of the last messages that was sent out was a message you had thought would have been coming from a pulpit. hey, I just want you all to know that I believe in you. Stay strong. Stay vigilant. Stay alert. We can get through this together. We can do this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it was a place where so many men were joining it so that they could view the rape of boys and girls, be a part of this terrible evil. And yet they're working together many times better than people with the goal to do good. Why? It's because so many times We're more worried about the credit than we are about the mission. And what does the credit matter? Who cares about the credit?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It doesn't matter. Like, we don't care. Anybody, take it. We just want these kids to be out of harm's way.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, I think there's quite a few things to that, I feel like, because it's very complicated. I feel like it's complicated to be able to understand and discern the problem that there's peer-to-peer networks, but then there's live streaming, but then there's grooming, but then there's extortion, but then there's also trafficking and they get merged to all look Like, you know, it's the same thing.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So people just sort of be like, oh, it's trafficking. Well, no, it's not the same. There are differences. There's overlap between sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. There is some that happen in all three, but there is also some that is just exploitation, some that is sexual abuse, and some that is trafficking. But it's such a complicated nuance, something that honestly for...
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I'm still trying to learn every day to just learn and understand as much of it as possible so we can know how to best strategize. And we try to find so many wise people. And our team is full of people that are smarter than me and trying to learn and understand. And we can understand the problem so we could try to have solutions.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But I think one of it is we just don't fully understand all of the issues. And we just think it's over there or we just think it's border. And there are issues at the border. There's no doubt there is trafficking there. But one of the things that we have to understand is it's not just there on the border. It's not just overseas. It is here in our backyards.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we could go into that, but I think that's one of the bigger issues.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
issues it's nuance it's hard to understand it's hard to grasp it's hard to figure out it's then you try to understand the why and then um and that's difficult i just think in other areas maybe it's like okay you know selling drugs this is it you know and there's just little lanes that are maybe a little bit less nuanced and this is very complicated and it is um and honestly there's just
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
There's even differencing of opinions on it. There's difference of approaches to it. But I feel like that's why we just have to get so many of the right players in the room set out on a course and fight together, not against each other, on the same team and create strategies to defend our boys and girls here.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Oh, thank you for saying that. I genuinely really mean it. I know sometimes those that have served here at different places could take it as, oh, it's just a catchphrase we're supposed to say. I hope you know how much it means to me and so many people. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, we're grateful.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
That's the story I was telling you earlier? Yeah. Yeah, that was just of a... That was a story of a friend of ours that fights in this space maybe three, four weeks ago was telling us. And this is a story from Texas. And it was a 13-year-old girl that was being raped while someone would stand there and read the Bible to her.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then they would rotate, and someone else would come in, read the Bible while she would be going through this horrible evil. And part of the reason that it was believed that they were doing this is so that the worst moment of her life would be associated with God's Word. And that's a lot of evil. Yeah. You might know what these type of conversations and stuff are sharing too.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
You want to read some? It's okay to share those. Okay. I can. You want me to do it?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's what we're facing in our backyard. There's a lot of things that are hurtful and disturbing about it. One of the things that we're seeing grow bit by bit is offenders that are saying instead of finding their next victim, some of them are saying, let's just grow our next victim. Meaning, have a child and grow them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, I would say we get to work with some experts and some expert psychologists that we think are some of the best in the world. And some of what we have been able to learn from them is that some of these offenders, yes, that's part of it. But part of it is they actually enjoy the pain that's being displayed and shown.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
One story, I hate to even say it, but it was by one of the top psychologists that he shared with us. One offender went to a playground, and he watched all of the boys and girls. And he picked a certain one. And so when the psychologist, after he gets called, is talking to him, he said, why did you pick that one? What's the reason why you did it? Why did you select that person? Is it height?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Is it weight? Is it size? Is it color? Is it background? And he went, no, no, no, no, no. He said, no, I waited and I watched and I tried to find the happiest kid so that I could steal her soul. And I just, I hate even sharing that, but there unfortunately are people that have the goal of hurting people so badly that that would be their intent.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
That's also why I believe God has created some of us to put us here so we could stand in the gap between them, between that boy or girl, so that they would know that some people love them enough, but more importantly, that Heavenly Father loves them enough that it's already stood in the gap for them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
First, I would say be careful about what they go on and what they look at. And so I give a little background to that. So one thing we haven't touched on is it ties to this is the sextortion and how many places around the world are trying that literally have organized groups that are trying to sextort
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
boys and girls even boys more than girls right now there have been over 30 right here in the states that have committed suicide from it and they're trying to become a best friend trying to act like they're a young girl and they're getting boys to send them a photo and then they're trying to take everything from them and ultimately it's leading to to so many suicides and last year and i believe it was 2024 meta took down 63 000 um
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
accounts from, I believe, mostly in Nigeria of accounts that were just trying to sextort people here. Like if you think, oh, it's one or two people, it's not. It's at a mass number. So when you hand the phone to your kid, know that the world and people with bad intentions are trying to lure them into something. whether that's to groom them, to sextort them, to try to lure them into something.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Unfortunately, I hate to be always a person trying to talk gloom. I'm not trying to be doom and gloom. I'm trying to say that we can have hope even in the midst of it because of Jesus, but we got to protect them. We have to protect them so that they are in a safe place. And it's also where we
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
preparewithshawn.com At least they thought she was pregnant. But then some of the doctors were saying that it's not even a baby. It might be a mass of fetal tissue. It might be a tumor. And so actually... Shawn, my first nickname was Timmy the Tumor. So try getting rid of that one from four older siblings.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We work with so many different companies and technology that are trying to find all ways to fight the trafficking and exploitation and the sextortion and all of them. Because just like there's this... all this social and technology being used for bad, we have to also fight it for good.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And there is a lot of great companies that are trying to create products to fight it for good, whether that's on phones, whether that's on devices, whether that's to keep kids safe. And so there are a lot of people that are fighting back against this, and they're trying to step up and stand up the right technologies, the right teams, the right companies.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But we have to know that it is even a battle. That if you just say, here's the phone, go do what you want, So I'll give you an example. We're having several years, maybe it's four or five years ago now, we're having a meeting at the offices, and one of the best trackers of finding missing people is sharing stuff. And he's saying, this is how so many of the boys and girls are getting lured in.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And they're so good at their phrases and their sentences, and they use the same ones, and they copy-paste all of these kids. They work the same phrases, and they build relationships. And so he's going over some of these phrases. And one of our team members goes home, and she has two daughters. And she said, y'all ever seen some of these phrases? And they go, yeah, I got some today.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
The exact same words said the same way, same phrases. Like, this is absolutely a, it's real and terrifying. And if you just think, oh, well, it's people with the, you know, with good intentions or it's just the internet. No, there are people that are using that with a goal to do evil and they want to be able to get access, to get in, to build a relationship.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
for something that is not a good reason. And I just, I don't want to be doom and gloom, but I just want to tell parents, please be the protector that you're called to be. And sometimes maybe if that means that you're the bad guy and you don't give them the same access, but would you please look into some of the more improving devices to help keep kids safe, to get them on safer platforms.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I do feel like, I don't feel like this, I really believe that it is a terrible evil that we have to fight back against. And that has to be as a whole.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But they said, hey, with all of these issues, and there were so many issues that she was having, they said, you need to have an abortion because she had amoeba dysentery. The placenta wasn't properly attached. She even went into a coma in a certain time of the pregnancy. And they said, you need to have an abortion. It'll cost you your life. It'll cost you your baby's life.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, I think pray. Talk with their families. Protect their kids. Protect their neighbors' kids. Look out for each other. Be a protector. I believe that's one of the greatest forms of love. 1 Corinthians 13, 7, love always protects, always believes, always hopes, always endures. And as a community, we need to protect. Protect one another. We need to protect the most vulnerable.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Everyone has a different skill set, resource, ability. Use it. Use it for good. Step up. That doesn't mean you have to stand with us, but stand for good. Stand for the most vulnerable. If there's some specific ways they want to be involved with us, I think one of them could just be call your local congressman or woman and say, hey, pass the Renewed Hope Act and protect our children.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
You can go to our website, temptuafoundation.org, and there will be links on there to figure out right ways that you can connect with your local congressman and step up and stand up and not just make your voice heard, because that's said a lot, but just make it heard to the right people to know that there is an army of people right here in the States that are going to fight back against those that want to hurt and abuse our kids.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And with her faith and my dad and all the people praying for him, she had the courage to say, no, we're going to trust God. And I'm so grateful that she did. And months later, the doctor that was helping my mom deliver me was a doctor that had done I helped thousands of women. And when I was finally born and he handed me to my mom, he said, I have no idea how your baby boy survived.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we have a daughter on the way, so we haven't shared the name of our little girl yet. But her middle name is actually named, inspired by and named after one of the youngest girls we've ever been able to bring out of this evil and care for. And she was rescued at 25 days old. And she just captured my wife's heart and my heart. And so our little girl's middle name is named after her. 25 days old.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
All of these kids are so special, made in God's image. And so many times, we treat them as if they're trash when they're really God's treasure. And if all of this, if we could take all of these lives that have gone through such torture, but they can know how treasured they are by God, that would be everything. They would know and experience that, go from torture to treasure.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And wouldn't that be everything? Yeah. I hope one day she wouldn't just say, hey, my dad's a good dad, but my dad's a protector. My dad wants to stand in the gap between people with a goal to hurt me and he's going to stand in the way because he won't let them get to me. And I know I'll be very flawed and fallen in that goal, but I hope that's something she would say one day.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But I can tell you our Heavenly Father, He stood in the gap for us. He stood in the way. When the enemy says, no, they're mine, He said, no, no, no, no. I'm going to take their place. I'm the ransom. That's me. I'll take the penalty. That's what love looks like. And as a community, we as a family, as a nation, we have to stand in the gap.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Not only do we have to protect, but man, we're also causing so much of this pain here in the States and around the world. Do you know the country I was born in that I love very much in the Philippines? Do you know how many times we have seen the airports be flooded with Americans flying in? Do you know how many of them? You look and you say, man, what are they going to do?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And do you know the number one buyer of children in the Philippines paying for their rape and abuse. Middle-aged Caucasian men right here. So not only have to stand up against them, but we have to stand up against the pain that they're causing here in the States and around the world. This is our problem. It is our calling, and we can't look away.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We can't just have the bystander effect, think someone else is going to do it. Because it's our fault. And it's only growing. All of these issues of live streaming, of CSAM, child sexual abuse material, sextortion, grooming, runaways, all of it, it is growing. We aren't winning. We're losing every day until enough people stand on the line to say together, We're going to fight this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We're going to call it out. We're going to stand on the line. They're worth it. They were worth it to King Jesus to die for. They're worth it for us to fight for.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Oh, man. Good and gracious Heavenly Father, we just love you so much. We thank you that you first loved us. We thank you, your love for every person that you didn't just tell us about it, but you demonstrated it with your life for every person. We pray that we would demonstrate that love for people, just like you stood in the gap for us, that we would stand in the gap for humanity.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We thank you for your love for them, that you created them in your image with infinite value and worth. We pray that we would see that true worth, that infinite value and worth, that worth that you are willing to go to the cross for. We pray that we would see that in them and we would act on their behalf and we would be protectors. We wouldn't be bystanders.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We wouldn't stand to the back or stand to the side, but we'd stand in the gap. We pray that
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
that you do something so special in our nation for the next generation in protecting them and loving them and having a real identity of who they are and whose they are, that they would know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, that they would know and be firm and secure in the hope that you have given them of your promises, that they wouldn't just think, I need to change.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's the greatest miracle I've ever seen. I don't know how he got the nutrients. I don't know how he's alive. The placenta only has a tiny bit that's attached. All of these issues, I just don't know how he survived. And I was malnourished, and so my family continued to send out prayer requests to people around the world. And so many people were praying for me. when I was a baby.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I need to conform. I need to be different. I need to compare. No, but they would be filled with you, with your love, with the Holy Spirit. We thank you for the cross, because it's the only thing that changes everything about everything. And we pray that so many people that are starving for hope right now, that they would find the one true hope in the cross.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Wow, we're getting deep from the start. I like it. That verse means to me, it's if you were going to sum up the love of the gospel, which I really believe when we talk about the gospel,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We know that you are near to the brokenhearted, and we pray we would be that too, that we would stand with them and for them. We pray that you'd do something so special in our nation. We thank you for letting us be a part of that. As flawed and fallen as we are, you still allow us to be a part of your team on your mission.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We pray that you would let us get to many lives that are hurting so they could experience true faith, hope, and love that only comes through you. Thank you that you love us and you don't leave us or forsake us. We give all these things to you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It was. Thank you. It's an honor for me. Thank you. Thanks for what you're doing. Thanks for shining a light. Thank you. You gave us the chance to share. God bless, brother.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I was malnourished, but I tried to make up for it quickly. I'm just so grateful that I could be here even sitting with you today because my mom trusted God and gave me a chance and my parents' faithfulness and all the people that prayed for me because I do believe prayer is powerful. Yesterday we were just in D.C. celebrating the National Day of Prayer.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
There was over 70,000 groups around America that were praying together yesterday. There is power in prayer, and I'm just so grateful that God answered that prayer to give me a chance. Wow.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Yeah, not as much from when we were living there because we moved back when I was about five. So I don't remember a little bit of it, glimpses of it, but then we went back so many times because we moved back to the States, to the west side of Jacksonville, Florida, but my dad would be gone about half of the year over there.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so many times I got to go with him and siblings and we would get to go back and we spent a lot of summers going back with him. to be able to do mission work with them. So I remember more of that than I do from when I was young. How do you, was it dangerous at all? My parents would try to keep the kids in some of the areas that were safer.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But my parents went through a lot of areas that were dangerous. My dad in certain of the countries that he went into to share the gospel got put in jail. My dad got told to leave so many times. My dad, multiple times they told him, hey, if you stand up and share the gospel, we're going to kill you. Are you serious?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And he would stand up and he would tell them, but I just want to tell you how much God loves you. And he would share his heart. And one time specifically that I can remember, a man showed up and he was in the back of the...
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
that it is the greatest love story rescue mission of all time, is that there's a God that loves us so much that He sent His Son to put on flesh to live a life we couldn't live, but choose to die a death that we deserve to die. as a ransom for us, as the propitiation, meaning the payment that satisfies. And that payment was His life.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
the audience and he showed up with a machete and as he starts making his way forward and my dad says something his heart is pricking him telling him to start talking about forgiveness and he does and this man's making his way closer and closer and he finally gets and stands right in front of my dad and he just says um i was sent here to kill you but i heard you talking about forgiveness and i just want to ask if you would forgive me and um
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Just so grateful for my parents' faith and not just the faith like, oh, Sunday in church, but the faith in the hard moments and say yes to God because I got to see that so many times. I got to see my dad say to my mom when we had such little money, hey, it's okay. Give the rest away. I got to see that multiple times in my life. My mom gave the rest away.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And both times people came over that evening for dinner and said, we don't know why we're supposed to do this. We just knew we were supposed to give you, bring dinner to you guys. And it was just like a God wink moment, as my wife loves to say, of like, you know, God saw that faithfulness. So, so many times I got to see that. And, you know, one of the things that
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
that I think when I even start to regurgitate some of these stories, and there's so many more, I got to see so much of that and still see God's faithfulness and His hand work in my parents' life and in the life of so much of the ministry, and still so many times I would just fall short and screw up from it. And, you know, it's something that
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I know I've been convicted about so many times because I've seen God at work and I've seen God do incredible things. And it's so easy for me to lose sight of that and to veer off of the path and off of the track. And then I see so many other lives that haven't had the same parents like me and haven't been able to see that. And yet I see their faith and it's so strong. I think, man, you know,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
God's had to remind me so many times because my faith has been so weak. My trust has been so weak, and I've seen it. And then I see so many lives that have come through such harder situations, and their faith is so strong, and it's something that's so convicting to me.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
with my actions, with my words, with my thoughts. Make a long story short, there's many times when I first got a platform that God had given me. So I shouldn't even say my platform, the platform God's let me steward for a little bit. People would say, hey, Timmy, I want you to know you're our son's role model. You're our daughter's role model.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I would start to think, no, not if you knew me on my worst day, I wouldn't be their role model. Not if you knew my worst thoughts, my worst words, my worst actions. But God had to work in me with that because, Actually, it's just with a band yesterday called Casting Crowns. And they're a Christian band. It's been around for a long time. And they had a song.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
They still have the song called Voice of Truth. And it'll say, the voice of truth tells me a different story. The voice of truth says, do not be afraid. The voice of truth says, this is for my glory. Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And there are so many times that I would hear the voice of shame and guilt and doubt, and you're not enough, and you have this platform. But if they really knew your worst actions, your worst thoughts, your worst days, your worst moments,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
and the feeling of you're not enough, you're not equipped, all of this, and I would have to listen to that song and get in God's word because he would remind me, no, that's the voice of the enemy, but what does God say? You see, the enemy calls you by your sin, God calls you by your name. The enemy calls you a mistake, God calls you a masterpiece.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
The enemy says that you should be afraid, and God says, I didn't give you a spirit of fear. The enemy says you're alone, but God says, I will never leave you and forsake you. And so that's why it's so important to have a renewing of your mind in God's word, in scripture, in prayer, and with other people around you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And when we look at John 3, 16, for God so loved the world, He gave. because He loved us so much with this love that, honestly, it's hard to even fathom. But when we talk about that love, in the Greek, they have four types of love. But the most admirable form of love, that love, is agape love.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because when we get isolated, when we get alone, all of those voices from the enemy start to leak in, and they start to creep, and they start to say, and they start to point out all of those flaws. But then you have to get back to scripture because God's saying, no, no, no, no, no. You're missing the mark because you're missing the point.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Yes, you have scars and you have flaws, but you're not defined by your scars. You're defined by mine. That's the gospel. That's the cross. We couldn't do anything about it, but yet his scars are what define us now as believers. That's what we're defined as.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so when we're going through this journey and we start to look at all of our flaws and all of this, it's like, wait a second, but God still used flawed, fallen people. When we look at scripture, that's who he uses. And it just, I'm so grateful because then I'm like, oh yes, it's encouraging because I'm not disqualified.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But it's so important that those voices aren't the voices that lead us, that we would have a renewing of our mind in scripture with the promise of the gospel, the hope of the gospel, that we would be able to live in that of what God has done. And yes, I'm a screw up, but he's not. And he's the savior. And now I'm a child of God. I'm a son of the king, the king of the world, who will forever reign.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
That's my identity now. And one of the things that I sometimes love to challenge, especially young people, is, hey, when you pull out your ID and you look at it, my ID would say Timothy Richard Tebow, Jacksonville, Florida. It would have my birth date, and it would have all of these things on it. But my spiritual ID, that's not what it says.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It says, son of the king, king of the world who will forever reign. And guess what? On my spiritual ID, there's no expiration date. And it doesn't say, my spiritual ID doesn't say Florida. It says heaven. Because we're citizens of heaven because of what Jesus has done. And we have to remember that. Because when we fall, we have pride and ego and mistakes and selfishness and all of this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Then it's so important to, yes, to adjust and change course. But then also remember, that's not what defines me. That's not my identity. That is no longer who I am or whose I am. Mm-hmm.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, the special thing about the Philippines is they were so receptive to the gospel. They're so hungry for it. But I think the first answer to that would be, for my parents, it would be, it's where God called you. just where did God called you? And you say yes to that. And it doesn't always have to be a logical thing. It's a spiritual thing. Did God called you to go there?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And the best definition of agape love is to choose the best interests of another person and act on their behalf. And Jesus chose our best interests. And He acted on our behalf. And He went to the cross. not just for us, but instead of us. And he loved us so much that he gave his one and only son that whosoever would believe in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And one of the things that my dad would always tell me, and I'm so grateful for it, he would say, Timmy, if If you just want to go because you have compassion, which is a great thing, or you have empathy, which is a really good thing, or you have a heart for the people, that's very special. But if you go and you're going to get knocked down, you're going to get a bloody nose.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
You'd say, but if you get a bloody nose and you don't know you're called there, then you will start looking for every reason to go back. And you'll start trying to find out all the logical reasons. Well, we need to go do this. But if God calls you and you get a bloody nose, because you will, you know this is still exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that was what I also got to see in my parents was knowing this is where God wanted them. And the assurance and the confidence you can live in when you really believe you are standing in part of the reason why God created you was for this moment, for this place, was for these people to stand and to be able to share and love this. This is where God has called you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so I think that would be a... part of the first answer to that question. And then it's now, how strategically can we love, and we share, and can we do all of that? And that was a process my parents went through of figuring that out. And they did it in so many different ways, whether that was in basketball games, because people love basketball there, and they'd come to the games.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Or it was in film showings. They would show a film, and the whole villages would show up, and dad would share the gospel. Or schools, marketplaces, prisons, hospitals, all of the above. But it was a process my parents went on for a long time.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And man, it was fun as part of it, but also an outsider, just being able to watch them, to see the confidence they had, because they knew it's where God wanted them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
With the people specifically growing up on the mission field?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Some. So the Philippines is made up of just over 7,200 islands. So the main islands, yes, there will be churches. They will know. But some of the remote islands, I have personally been to quite a few remote islands where they have said to us, in their words, you're the first visitors we've ever had. And they had never heard of the name of Jesus. They had never heard of the gospel.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So in a country where the people are so incredibly amazing and loving, and I mean this literally, they will give you the shirt off their back. They love visitors. Still, the older ones, especially when I was young, they would still say, hey, Joe, for the G.I. Joes that came in World War II. Wow. Like, it's so cool.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Especially when I was young, the older ones, now that's, you know, it's getting less and less as time's getting further away. So there was, they loved visitors. They loved Americans. But there was such a separation between what the people in the bigger cities were experiencing versus the remote islands. And I've gotten a chance to go to many remote islands and
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Many of them was where my life has really changed. But getting to share the good news of the gospel with people that have never heard it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
any of it i mean where do you start start by talking about who god is and what god has done and in creation and all of this and how much god loves us and always lead with love because god is love and then to be able to talk about love and how much god loves you and how much god loves every person i'm talking to and and really paint that picture and that's why we're here because we want to tell you how much god loves you and then after i paint that picture then it's to say but we have a problem
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that problem is sin. You see, sin separates us from God because God is a holy, just God. But it doesn't end with the problem. God created a solution to our problem. That solution to our problem was His Son, Jesus.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And you go through the life of Jesus and the life and the death and the burial and the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus Christ and the story of Jesus, not just the story but the gift of Jesus to all of us, that he's offering us a free gift of eternal life.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Man, I know we put it on bumper stickers and eye blacks and on signs and games and everything, but we can't lose the essence in the heart of what that means, that there's a God that created all of this and spoke it into existence like this. And yet that God, with all knowledge and all power, would say, I love you so much.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that would be a big part of how we would walk people through and then invite them if they believe in what Jesus has done and accounted for them to say yes to it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Some parts of the ministry, yeah, you start a relationship. And some parts of the ministry, you're trying to get to as many places as you possibly can to be able to share with as many people. So you try to bring big groups together. But for the sake of getting to as many, You don't always get to build as deep a relationship as you want.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But we always try to have follow up, to have pastors come and follow up, to share and disciple and build churches. And many times those churches are house churches, not churches that we think of, just people that are gathering together. Because ultimately, that's what the church is. The ecclesia, the church, it wasn't like, oh, on Sunday, there's this building we go to and has a steeple.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
No, it was bodies of believers coming together to... to sharpen each other, to be in the presence of the Lord and with each other and do life and ministry and everything together as the body of believers. That's more of the church than, hey, we just show up and there's this, we just sing and then someone shares and then we go have lunch and we leave.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so, yes, we do have a lot of follow-up and we always try to, but it was also many times just getting to the heart of it. Hey, this is why we're here. And I say, why would you come all this way? Why would you leave America? Why would you leave Florida? Why would you come here? And we want you to know the greatest thing we've ever found.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so many times my dad, I watched him in so many places around the world, marketplaces especially, flea markets, villages, because so many people around the world, different places, they show up to marketplaces to trade. And they, you know, pesos for good, for rice, whatever they do, build, you know, go sell, and so they exchange, right? And so it's a place of trade.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so many times I got to watch my dad walk into villages, marketplaces, and he'd find maybe something to stand on or just on his tippy toes. And he would say, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, everyone, I want to tell you about the greatest trade in the history of the world.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And every time that I can remember, everyone stopped because they want to find out what's the greatest trade in the history of the world. Like, it gets people's attention. And he'll go on to say, the greatest trait in the history of the world is that the God of this universe wants to trade you of your sin, all of your wrong, and give you righteousness.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
He wants to take your sin and give you righteousness. That's the gospel. He takes your sin and he gives you righteousness. He makes you right with his dad. the greatest trade in the history of the world. And I just love being able to watch my dad do that. And still sometimes I love getting to talk about the greatest trade. And they're immediately receptive.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
um not everywhere not everywhere sometimes they're uh certain places they're very not receptive some places they i've seen them run him off i've seen him them argue but also i've seen um people that you would have never thought respond respond weeping. So no, it's not always receptive. And I could tell you that many countries where it was the exact opposite of receptive.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
that I'm going to give what's so precious for me and my son, and I'm going to give him in exchange for you because I love you that much. So when you think about John 3.16, there's no greater love.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But you could even see in some of those times how God would start to work in the hard places and the people that are even resistant to it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So I grew up just with just the best parents and four older siblings that were amazing. And we grew up going to church all the time, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. Did a couple of Bible studies in between. And over and over again, my parents, especially my dad, would say, hey, you heard the pastor talking about Jesus and that free gift. Do you want to say yes to Jesus today?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And over and over, I'd say, no, Dad, I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. Go to my parents' room and say, hey, you heard the sermon today, or you heard me preach. What do you think? Do you want to say? I'd say, no, Dad, I'm good. Until one night, I was lying in my bed late in the evening, And I knew that I knew that I knew that I was a sinner that desperately needed a savior.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida, we got on our knees on a blue couch, and I asked Jesus to come into my heart, and He did. And He forgave me of my sin. And one of the things that my parents did that was so special They wanted us to remember that moment and how special it was. So even a family that didn't have a lot of money and was always strapped to do a lot of things.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
My mom set up a trip for us to go to Orlando and go to Epcot to celebrate my spiritual birthday. my family always made a bigger deal of our spiritual birthday than they did our earthly birthday and um my mom still every year will call me tell me it's your spiritual birthday you know it's so that's really cool I've not heard of that yeah and
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, I had first answer by saying maybe I'm not a very good Christian, but God's never audibly spoke to me. And I do believe that it does for some people, but never with me. But I feel like in how God usually speaks to me or people is in God's word, is time in prayer, and it's also through a lot of people. Wise counsel.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's so important to us that are literally our second core value for our foundation, our family, myself, all of us is that we value and seek wise counsel. Because man, God uses people to speak into you. But then I would also say, one of the ways I like to talk about it is the pricking of your heart, like this nudging of your heart.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then when I accepted Christ as a boy, still learning and figuring out so much of what that means. But really, the first time I would say I felt called to something specifically was when I was 15. And I met a boy in the jungles of the Philippines who was born with his feet on backwards. And because of that,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
He was treated and viewed as less than, insignificant, throwaway, and many viewed him as cursed because they believed that he had special needs. His feet were on backwards. He's less than. The gods have cursed him. And so he was treated as an outcast, as less than. And man, I just... fell in love with that boy. I knew that he wasn't an outcast. He wasn't cursed.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But I also knew, Sean, it's hard to even say like, this is all just, you're trying to figure out what does that even mean? But almost if I could put it into a sentence, which I couldn't, then it was the thought of Yeah, Timmy, you might know He's not cursed, but what are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do? You might have this thought or this feeling, but what are you gonna do?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I've shown you how much I love Him. I demonstrated my love for you and for Him on the cross. But how much will you love Him?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I don't know if I could even fully articulate that. And I even came back to the States, and I shared that testimony of some people. And you're trying to articulate, all I knew is somehow
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
God was challenging me and convicting me to fight for those that couldn't fight for themselves, to stand up and speak for those that didn't have a voice, to not just feel something or think something, but do something. And I didn't know. I was like, God, but what do you want me to do? I don't know what to do. But it was that on my heart, and God started to let it grow and grow and grow.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then we kept going back and forth to the Philippines throughout all my summer and even into college. And so when I'm in college, we're starting to, you know, then you didn't have NIL or you didn't have the opportunity to have a foundation. So we tried to use the rules, the ways to make impact and difference.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But then the first thing I did when I graduated from Florida is start the Tim Tebow Foundation. In all honesty, I know this doesn't sound good, But not knowing exactly what that meant, I just knew we were called to fight for people that couldn't fight for themselves. And so I wrote the mission statement. And it was the only really place early on of clarity was the mission statement.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I don't know why God let me have peace on that, but I did. And I remember I was right here in Nashville when I was writing it, because I was training for the NFL draft over at D1. And I wrote the mission statement, to bring faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need, to sum it up, to fight for people that couldn't fight for themselves.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so it started with orphan care and special needs care. And then very quickly, we got into starting to plan for our first hospital and to support strong families. And so it was just this... this uncertainty of how, but this belief in why, if that makes sense. I don't know strategically what this means. I just know that we are called to fight for people that can't fight for themselves.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Now we call that the MVP, the most vulnerable people. And I would also say that God's challenged me a lot in my life of really, in a sense, saying, Timmy, you care and cared so much about winning. And I loved, I love winning. I hated losing even more and insanely competitive. I love the drive. I love the challenge. I love the chase. I want to win. I really do.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But several years ago, we were having a night to shine in Vatican City and in Rome. And the pope... invited us over to say hello and talk a little bit about Night to Shine. And so we're showing him videos of Night to Shine and serving all of the kings and queens at Night to Shine. And so my wife's showing him some of the videos. that I'm sharing.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And everything that I do, I really love the pursuit of trying to be my best. And every now and then you get to be the best. And when you're the best in something, you win a championship or maybe sometimes you would win an MVP as most valuable player.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But then along the way, God started to break my heart saying, you care so much about championships or MVPs, but I have a more important MVP for you to chase. It's not the most valuable player. It's the most vulnerable people. But which one will you care about more?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I really believe in my life there has been many days I've missed the mark because I could have said the right thing, but I knew deep down in my heart, man, I want to win. Man, I want to make that team. Man, I want to do this. And it's not that all of those things are wrong, but when you're putting them in the place of what God has called you to and you're putting them, what is it so high?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It becomes ego. It becomes pride. And you're putting it on an altar. and you're making it the priority, when it's fine if it's a goal, just not your biggest priority, just not in the place of where God and what He's called you to should sit.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And too many days of my life, I know I've missed the mark, even though I've known that in my heart and in my head, and I probably would have gave you a good answer, but I knew I put that here. I knew I put it too high. Well, maybe not always when I was doing it, but many times convicted afterwards. Oh, man.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I would have said the right thing, but you know what, this last season, that definitely took the place of God. My identity was there. My focus was there. Who and whose I was was there, not in my relationship with Christ.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
platform that you have today. I think there's a lot to that. I think that God works all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Even disappointments, frustration, selfishness, ego, somehow we have sort of a God that works all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So I believe that God can do all sorts of stuff with that. But it's not that chasing those things is wrong. Please don't... hear that. It's not that they're wrong. I do think, I think it's a good thing. I should, I think believers should compete to win. I really do. Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all of your might, like do it as unto the Lord.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Like, no, I don't think God's saying, hey, be last. In service he is, but not in sports or in life or in all this stuff. No, no. He's, what I'm saying is If I said it was my faith, family, loving people, all of this, and football, people would say that, faith, family, football. Too many times it would have actually, if you really weighed my heart, it would have been football, faith, family.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
That's what I'm saying. I let the priorities get out of whack too many times. And it's not competing or winning is wrong. I don't think that whatsoever. I believe that as believers, we should strive to win. We should be good. And we should try to use all of that to honor the Lord with it and love people and help people and make a difference in people's lives. It's just...
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We can't let that striving be in the place where Jesus should be. And I think I let that happen too many times. So it was tough to navigate the ego.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then one of our awesome team leads for ministry, she is just a rock star. And so then he starts asking her a question and she responds, it is just our greatest joy. And we love getting the chance to fight people with special needs. And his interpreter is like, Do you want me to? And she's like, no, no. I mean, fight for people with special needs. Fight for.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
That's a really good question. A lot of times I would try to figure that out. A lot of time in prayer, discernment, wise counsel. But one of the ways that we would talk about it is that we try to gain clarity. What has God pricked your heart for? And what has God opened your eyes to? And if so, he's probably saying, go meet that need.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So he pricked my heart and opened my eyes to meet Sherwin in the Philippines, the boy with his feet on backwards. And I believe he was saying it, I'm letting you see him and I'm letting you feel for him because I want you to care for him. And then along the way, it was more orphans and special needs and thrown away.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then a couple years later from that, it led into the fight against trafficking and exploitation. because my dad was in an underground pastors conference in a country where faith isn't really allowed. And so he's meeting with these pastors underground so they don't get arrested and they can go back to their communities and minister.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And in that underground location, men came in with four little girls and started to auction off these four little girls to all of the men that are in this place. And one of the reasons why my dad's one of my greatest heroes and role models, he just can't look the other way. And he didn't have a seven-step plan of what to do. He didn't have a plan of action, a strategic thought.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
He just was, no, no. Those girls are priceless to God. I got to do whatever I can. He took out all the money in his wallet, which was $1,250 for the rest of his trip and to get home. And he purchased the freedom of those four girls. And he called me afterwards and said, I said, hey, Dad, how's the trip going? How you doing? And he said, I'm doing OK. I was like, what are you up to?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And he said, I just purchased the freedom of four girls. I'm like, what are you talking about, Dad? He goes on to tell me the story. And I just knew in that conversation, and I don't know, Sean, it's hard to explain. I just knew this. is also part of what we were called to do, meaning at TTF. And not long after, I got to fly to that location.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And you show up, and you're thinking all these thoughts like, oh, this is like Taken and Liam Neeson, and this is cartels, and it's crime families and all of this. And by that time, we even had more kids. And by that time, when I got there, you realize most of these children were sold by their family. One of the first girls that I got to meet, she didn't make enough money one day.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so when she got home, her mom, in such a place of desperation, took her and boiled out her eye. Boiled out her eye? Boiled out her eye. And I just knew God let me see. God let me see for a reason. God let me feel for a reason. Not so that I can just create awareness or not so I can just tell a story because he's saying, I let you see. I let you feel.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I let you be here because I want you to do something about it. Because I want you to stand up and fight for her because she doesn't have a voice. And all of these other boys and girls, they don't have a voice and no one's standing for them. Will you? And that was the start of it for us. And man, when we got into it, we had just no idea what we were doing. I mean, no idea.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Just trying to learn and figure it out. And I also want to mention one thing about that story with my dad before we move on is, who is my dad sitting with? A group of pastors. Do you know how many of those pastors Sean said, hey, Mr. Tebow, let me go find him dinner. And Mr. Tebow, let me go find him a night stay. Mr. Tebow, let me go figure out food for tomorrow or all of this stuff.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Not one of them. Why? Because they all had really good excuses. Like, well, Mr. Tebow, you know, those people that you're giving that money to, they're going to go do something else bad with it. And yes, Sean, it's probably true. But go say it to those four girls.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I'm not saying that my dad had a perfect strategy in all of this, but man, he just knew the true infinite worth and value of those boys and girls, and he was willing to do whatever he could for them. And so many times we look and we try to weigh and judge in all of this, and sometimes God's saying, I want you to step in and I want you to be a warrior for them. I want you to fight for them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Don't you just talk on the peripheral or share? No. I want you to get in the fight for them. And I was also so convicted when my dad told me, when I asked about what the pastors did, and he told me, because I started to think how many times in my life have I just made really good excuses? Because we can't. It's easy. Well, we're doing this, and one day I'm going to do that.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
One day we're going to figure it out. I'm going to go on a mission trip, and I'm going to do these things. And we spend so much time making really good excuses. And I don't even think we always realize we're making good excuses. But so many times, I look back and I say, no, to me, that's a really good excuse. It's a really good excuse. And honestly, we can fool ourselves and we can fool others.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But I would challenge us, and I've challenged myself a lot, are you really just saying, oh, you're tired, or you have to do this, or you have to do this, or I've got to provide here, or I've got to do this, but I've got to go train, but I've got to go do this? Or are you really just making a good excuse to avoid saying yes to something God's calling you to?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, because he's bringing all the pastors from local area. And many of these pastors in this country had been thrown in prison for being pastors, for being Christians. Many had been persecuted.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
some worse and um and so it's an area where they thought they could meet and and um and so they're looking for places to you know these men were looking for places to sell and i i honestly would even take it farther i believe that it was a that God used that time for my dad and some of those other pastors that have been very influential to me as a special moment.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Sometimes we say ordained moments or stuff, and I don't know, but just a moment where it was going to open his eyes so that he would open mine.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Sean, it's such a good question, and I wish there was a perfect answer I could give, but I'm also looking for that myself. And I work with so many friends, mentors, and pastors of trying to discern. and figure that out. And I spend time in prayer, in God's Word, and with wise counsel. And I'll always go back to those three because that is in Scripture. We need to spend time with them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We need to spend time in prayer. We need to spend time with wise counsel. All are so vital to life in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. But I would also add to that. that when you say your gut or I say, you know, God pricks my heart and opens my eyes, we need to take that back to God's word. Does it match up? Is my gut or my heart matching with God's word?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And if it's matching with God's word and there's something I can do about it, I always want to lean towards, yes, we do it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
If we can make a difference in humanity or for a hurting person, and also why it's so important to go back to God's word, because if it matches up with God's word and meaning something like the fight against trafficking or exploitation or the valuing of humanity and special needs or orphan care, like all of those things we have been told in scripture, Defend the weak and the fatherless.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Stand up for the orphan and the widow. Just over and over and over again. So yes, we've already been told to do that. Like, that's already a yes. It's already. So when we're saying, hey, should I get into this? Well, maybe it's not my long-term calling. But yeah, if we're doing it, I can make a difference. Yeah, do it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I also encourage, because so many people ask me, Tammy, how do I know my purpose? And I'll first say, I don't know. I'm not God, and I don't understand the Bible perfectly. I'm just a sinner saved by grace that's kind of trying to figure it out along the way.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But man, if your eyes have been opened to a problem, if your heart has been pricked, or your gut is saying something, and you know it is in Scripture, it matches Scripture, and you can do something about it, yeah. Let's err on the side of doing something. How do you know if it aligns with scripture? I think that's where it's so important to get into God's word and to know what God's word says.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's the love letter manual for our lives. And sometimes we look at it as a chore. And I tell you, so many times I've looked at a chore. Oh, man, I know I got to get in God's word. Like, I have to do this versus I get to do this versus, man, I get to get in God's love letter.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And yes, there are some areas that are so complicated and trying to go back to the original language and understanding Old Testament, New Testament. But it's something that is so real and alive. And man, when you get into it and you study with friends and fellowship in it, I also believe God does something with it and in you with it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so it's important to know when I say go back to scripture and like referring to the story with dad and like, God, my dad knew that because he already knew scripture. He knew that every one of those girls are fearfully and wonderfully made, that they are one of one created in love, by love and for love, on purpose and for a purpose. And that ain't the purpose.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so he already knows, I got to stand up for them. And ultimately, that's not necessarily, let's say, he's calling all the time. Dad's biggest calling is he's an evangelist, right? But in that moment, I'm here. I can do something about it. I have to do something about it. And I love that about him so much.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then you're called? I felt many times I was figuring out God's plan. I think there's so much time in sports that's trying to figure it out.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I can take some of those one by one. What's that? I can take some of them one by one because they're all different stories of how we got into them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And sometimes it is like, sometimes maybe too much. Sometimes maybe I've known, but I'm trying to deliberate and figure out and discern and do all this. And sometimes maybe I just hang on it too much rather than trust. And I'm trying to ask God for clarity. And he's like, I gave you clarity. Go do it. And so I feel like I've made that mistake a lot as well. But there's been some times.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So for the example of Night to Shine, we were getting ready to celebrate our fifth year anniversary as a foundation. And our president at the time came to me and he said, hey, there's these two churches that we know of that have something called like a Jesus prom, where they celebrate individuals with special needs.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Love to. Let's pray. Good and gracious Heavenly Father, we love you so much. We love you because you first loved us. We love you because you gave your all and you gave your best for us. And we're just so undeserving and unworthy. And I am so undeserving and so unworthy and just failed you so many times. And yet...
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And at that time, we already served individuals with special needs in multiple countries around the world in different ways. And he said, so since we have such a heart for them and we serve them, what if we, as a five-year anniversary, what if we did something instead of just like having a banquet or something, what if we did something to celebrate them and how special would that be?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I said, I love it. He said, awesome. Where do you want to have it? Do you want to have it like in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, New York? Do you want to have it in Guatemala, Brazil, Philippines? Like where should we have it at the places we serve? And I said, yeah. Just my first gut or heart response was, I think we need to have it everywhere. And he says, what do you mean?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I said, I don't know. I just know that every boy and girl, man or woman with special needs has been treated as less than. They're not. We need all of them to know their true worth and value and their families to know their true worth and value. And I think we need to have it everywhere. And he's like, bro, what are you talking about? No, it's what I'm talking about.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I don't think he was very happy with me at the time. And it's just one of those moments. And then we went back, and we talked to our team, and we talked to our board. And I just felt compelled. No, we need to try to have this everywhere.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
and so our team and board started to talk about what that would look like and we thought well what's the greatest way to do this partner with the church it's an army that's mostly unmobilized around the world and so we're okay we came up with the 72 page manual for the first year of all the ways we're going to do it and then try to fund it and partner with churches to put it on and because we also want what's hopefully the best night of every king and queen's life
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
to be at a church so they would come back on Sunday and be loved, so they would know they're part of a family, that this isn't a one-time thing. This is an everyday thing. You are loved this way every day of your life. This is not a one night. And I tell them that every single year, that they are told over and over and over again, we do this because
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
This is how the God of this universe sees you every day of your life, as a king or a queen. And so we were just praying that first year, please, we hope churches would partner with us. And that first year, we had just over 40 churches partner with us in 26 states and three countries. And we were like, yes, yes. God, you're so big. Thank you so much. It's awesome.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We're just so grateful and humbled. And we flew to the, so that night, the first year, we're like, okay, we're going to go to one in North Carolina. And then because South Carolina is close, we're going to fly to South Carolina so we can get to two. So we flew to North Carolina for the first one. And just as we got there, there's some of the kings and queens walking down the red carpet.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I told some of the team, I said, wait, back here. I just want to watch it from about 30, 40 yards away. And I started to watch the first couple of kings and queens go down the aisle and to watch them be celebrated in their glow and watch their parents watch them. And... I thought, man, this is special.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then when we went to South Carolina for that one, as we're walking in the arena where it was held, one of the moms runs up to me and she grabs, I mean, grabs me. She pulls me to the side and it's mama bear force, right? And she's holding me, squeezing my hands and then squeezing my shirt. And she's just, you could tell she wants to get this out so bad.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
you still love us and you still want to be in relationship with us and you forgive us and you reconcile us and you bring us into your family and we can't even fully comprehend your love for us but we just say thank you so much and we're so humbled and we also ask that that love that you have bestowed on us would also be a love that we would bring to the world that we would share with the world that we would choose the world's best interest
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And she said, hey, my daughter, my daughter, she will never have kids. She will never get married. But tonight, she felt like a princess. And I just, I don't need to hear anything else. And then we got back more of the testimonies from the first year and hearing from people in some of the places that we serve driving for hours and some of them walking for hours.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we thought, man, maybe this is something God wants us to do. And that next year, we decided we're going to do this until God tells us no. And so the next year, we did it again and had 201 locations. And then the next year, 375, and then on and on and on. And then even through COVID, we were able to do it through shine-ons and adjust a little bit, but still have it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Now this last year we had over 820 locations in 64 nations in all 50 states. Eight hundred and how many? Over 820 locations around the world. And maybe 186 something thousand volunteers celebrating well over 100,000 kings and queens. And we got to be a part of some of those in Vietnam and And my wife was in South Africa, and we were in Thailand, and we're getting to see them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And now I've been able to experience Night of Shines in, I don't know, maybe over 20 countries now. And I can't speak most of the languages. I can barely speak English. But Sean, it doesn't change. It doesn't change based on the country. Yes, culturally we change because we want to be culturally relevant and appropriate.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But the feel of the night doesn't change because it's not about English or Spanish or French or Tagalog or whatever language. It's a different language. It's a language on God's love, His worth, and His value for humanity. And that's why when we're in Thailand and Vietnam and All of these countries or we're right here, the feel of the night is one of hopefully of agape love.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
One of my pastors, Pastor Joby Martin in Jacksonville, Florida, one of the kindest compliments he gave our team is he said, it smells like Jesus. Oh, man. And it's our favorite night of the year. And honestly, through that, God has opened more doors through that than anything else that I've ever experienced.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We have had heads of states, prime ministers that have had family members, daughters, cousins, relatives that have attended. We have had the daughters of crime families attend, and just testimony. Because so much of them, where does some of their family go? They want to be loved. Some of them love their daughters and families. And just crazy testimonies that we've been able to experience.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Families that have been walking or carrying their kids for 20 hours to get there. Like, here in America specifically, we don't always know or really understand the honor and shame culture. But I know you've traveled and been places, and we've been able to see a lot of countries around the world. Most countries are an honor-shame culture around the world. There's a lot of them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so many times, they believe that this boy or girl bring shame to their family. So many, so many. I could tell you story after story of story of kids that have been chained up, kept in the basement because they brought shame to their family. Kids that were told by their community told them, you need to drown your child, or you need to suffocate your child. Your child is not worth living.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Your child brings shame to your family. And so when you're dealing with
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
and act on their behalf, that when we would see the world, we wouldn't see people through the differences, but we would see them for what we have in common. And what we have in common most is that when you went to the cross, it counted for all of us. Now, I thank you for this time together. Thank you for Sean and and the impact that he is making.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
in honor and shame cultures where they have been told over and over again there's many countries that we serve in that they will say if you say how many kids do you have sean they will say i have three and then i have one disabled they won't even put them in the same category they won't count them but what we have seen when the biggest night in their community the biggest celebration is held for what some of you call the throwaway or the less than
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
or the ones that brought shame, but now they're bringing honor to your family. They're the head of the table. They're on the red carpet, which signifies VIP, very important people. That's who they are, and we celebrate them. It's not just, yes, it is for them, and we would do it just for them, but it's also in the community. It's also in their families.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's also to be able to share with the family, this is how we see your boy or girl. This is how we see your family member, because this is how we believe God sees your family member. And it has opened so many doors all over the world in serving the most vulnerable. And they say, man, if you love that boy or girl, would you want to come do this ministry?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Would you want to fight this way in our country with our people? Because it's helped us earn so much trust in so many places. And I could tell you story after story after testimony after testimony. And another one of my favorites is actually in a roundabout way through Night to Shine is also how I met my wife as well.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And you connect the church and that community. And it's one of the easiest ways that we have found for churches to invite people to be a part of it. And they can invite and volunteer. Hey, do you want to come to this celebration or prom night feel? And you want to share on the red carpet? Do you want to be a buddy? And they have this amazing night. And they fall in love.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then when you leave, it's like, dang, I fell in love with that young man. I fell in love with that young girl. I love them so much. Now how can I walk by them on Monday? How can I view them less than on Tuesday? And it's just something about when you experience that, the next day, wait a second, I can't just act like I didn't experience that.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And God does something in our heart and softens our heart and softens our eyes to then say, man, I... God's love isn't just for me. It's for everyone. It's for all of them. And I got to see it, and I got to experience it. And I really believe individuals with special needs, one of the biggest ways they impact our communities is that, man, they are such joy bringers. And they bring such joy.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I wish and pray so many times I could have the joy of so many of the kings and queens that we get to serve.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I thank you for the platform that he has and the stories that he tells and the heart that he has. I ask that you would put a wall of protection around him, around his body, his mind, his future, and that he would continue to influence people to to love, to good deeds, to ministry, to things that are going to last.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Thank you for His service for our country, that His service for the most vulnerable to protect and defend and secure. And we're just so grateful. And we know that There's no greater love than those that would lay down their life for a friend. And so we thank you for him. We thank you for his team. We ask you to bless them and put a wall of protection around them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And once again, we say thank you for who you are and what you've done. We love you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So then what would you do with it? Is there any process you try to take it through? Like, hey, I got a team of mentors and wise counsel I bring it to. Or is there any, it's just, hey, when it hits my gut three times, I go with it. Yep.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Thank you for sharing that with me. I so appreciate hearing your heart and perspective of what you've been through and the signs that you feel like of how God's speaking to you. Can I ask you a question on that? Absolutely. You mentioned, this is how I knew that God's got me. And you knew the gut feeling's not going to come up.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Do you think God's got you any less if something did pop up on the screening?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
can i just throw out one one thought of just listening to you in your your heart of and i couldn't be totally out of line with it but i'm listening to your heart and from the start of hey you're saying i'm a truth teller and i want to tell the truth and i'll tell people stories because i want to help them and along the way and then you uh you meet the king and through all of these things and god's doing this work in you
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it's hard for me not to think, well, you're telling these stories of truth, and it's leading you all the way to the truth. And now you're still a truth teller. You just get to tell the truth as well. And now it's a whole framing. I love that because I think sometimes God creates us in a certain way, and we use that the way we think so, but then He's like, hey, I want you to use that this way.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it's not that He necessarily doesn't. I think He gives you those drives for a reason, just to steer it the right way. And I just love it. I think it's so cool. I couldn't help it. I was just starting thinking of as a truth teller, trying, hey, I want to tell these stories. I want the people to know the truth. I want to uncover it. I want them to see.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And there is a lot of our world that needs to see. They need to see certain things. They need to be aware. There is evils that we got to fight back again. There is good things that aren't getting promoted, aren't getting the praise or the recognition.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And ultimately, you get to share, and you do it, and God's taking on a journey, and you're getting to show that journey to the world of that story of figuring out the truth. And so it's just cool. I love hearing it, because it's an encouragement to me. Thank you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that's part of our mission statement. There's some other swag in there. And it's a part of our mission statement to bring faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, thank you for carrying the burden of it, because it's so important. One of our core values is that we embrace the joy and the burden of the calling. and it's not enough just to do the joy. And sometimes that's more fun times, but there's also a burden with it. But I actually believe
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We have a burden because of the kindness of God, that He would let our lives and our choices and the impact that comes from that, that we would care enough about it, that we would be burdened for something, that you would be burdened to tell these stories, that we would be burdened enough to care for the MVP to do whatever and leverage everything so that they could experience freedom and faith, hope, and love.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Burden, while it comes across as a negative connotation, I don't view it that way. It's heavy and it's hard, but it's worth it. And if you didn't have a burden, why would we do it? And I actually really believe, and this is a journey for me over probably the course of the last three years, that, man, we're so burdened for something or someone that, why? Because we care.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because there's something deep in our heart that has moved us, that stirred us to that, that we believe we can move the needle, make an impact, change a life. And we are so burdened to do so. And so I just encourage you that when you say you're burdened, I think you can also view a burden as a blessing.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's a blessing that God would give me a burden to tell these stories, to try to tell the truth, to try to shine the light. I'm burdened to do so because of the kindness of God. He would give me this platform or let me borrow this platform. And then you mentioned stewardship on that. Stewardship is a fascinating concept that gets thrown out all the time.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But in the Greek, it goes back to the Greek word oikonomia, which just means a house manager. Because it's not my home, I'm just taking care of it till the owner comes back. And that's, in my opinion, how we should try to use our lives, our platforms, our bodies, our energy, our mindset. It's not even mine. God just let me borrow it for a little bit.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But when the owner comes back, is everything in order?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
That's such a good way to say that. And I'll get fired up about this because sometimes it, to be honest, sometimes it really bothers me when people will talk about it. in such negative ways or say, no, I don't want to be burdened by that.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Or I will have some people, like I'll be in certain groups and someone in that group might ask me, if it's a small group, they'll say, hey, can you tell me about some of the fight against trafficking or exploitation? Can you tell me some stories or some of the, and you'll start to tell. And then you'll have other people that, and this isn't rare, this happens quite often.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
They'll say, no, no, don't tell me because it reminds me of my kids. Don't tell me because I don't want to know that. Don't tell me because I don't want to hear that. And one time, I was with a small group at a fundraiser on a golf course, and I was asked by one of the guys, and the other guy, a couple other guys said, no, no, don't tell me.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Very, very successful, powerful, could help a lot of people. And I was so burdened by them saying, no, I don't want to know. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to have those thoughts because it will remind me of my kids.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I probably shouldn't have responded this way, but out of a little bit of maybe temper or irritation, I responded and I said, if the boys and girls that are going through this evil could hear you right now, what hope do you think they would have? Wow. And maybe it was disrespectful. What did they say to that? Nothing for a few minutes.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it maybe was disrespectful, and I maybe could have coded it nicer. But it was like, yes, there are burdens, and there is evil. If we don't stand up and do anything, who's going to do it? You think it's somebody else's responsibility? Yeah. I mean, this is literally going back to Kitty Genovese, and I think it's 1963 or 61 or something like that.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it's the story that led to the bystander effect, where Kitty Genovese is walking home late at night and she gets attacked and stabbed four times or something like that. And the lights turn on from the apartment complex where she's walking into and the attacker runs away and hides behind a car.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And she gets up and stumbles into the hallway of the apartment complex and he sees no one goes to aid. And so he comes all the way back and attacks her again. I think stabs her maybe eight more times. I think steals $49. I believe he also rapes her. And supposedly over 30 people saw some of this or some most of it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it's even reported that one of the guys in the hallway opened the door and looked out, but nobody came to her aid. Nobody came to her aid. And so anyways, to make a longer story short, she died on the way to the hospital. And it was a big story. And everybody's writing and talking about it. And they started studying this case.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it was where the bystander effect came from, that the more people are present, the less likely someone is to do something, because they all feel like it's somebody else's job. And this is also the start of where the 911 call came from. It was from this night in New York City of Kitty Genovese losing her life.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And there's some controversy of how many people actually saw, how many people didn't see. But the point is there were a lot of people that saw, that knew something bad was happening, but they all thought somebody else is going to call, going to go, going to do. We just, as people in society, as believers in church and ministry and just life, we can't think somebody else is going to go.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's not somebody else's job. It's my job. And we talk about that with our team all the time. You can't think this is somebody. This is our job. Regardless of what somebody else does, it's our job. So the definition we use for calling is an urgent and divine invitation to to accept responsibility for a particular task. If God is calling you, it doesn't matter what anybody else does.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Will you believe it's divine and that it's urgent? And will you accept responsibility? Regardless of what anybody else says. Yes, we want to rally people to the fight. 100% is part of our goal. We got to do that. But regardless if anybody else does it, will you do it if you know you're called? And I think there's part of the bystander effect, which is so real for all of us, at least I know me.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, is anybody else doing it? No, but what does that matter? Is it right? And will I do it?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's a disruption in their life, absolutely.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And comfort is a whole other conversation.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's a deep question. I would encourage them and challenge them to not just don't think about it showing up as an opposition, show up thinking as a ministry. This is also their mission field. One of the things my dad always encouraged me when I was young, and I know I ignored it many times, was nobody is too young for God to use them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, you have a platform that has a chance to expose, to share, to build someone up. And it's what a blessing that is.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And for those young boys and girls that are going to school, this is an opportunity for them to stand up for their classmates, to love their classmates. Those that are being bullied, invite them to sit at their table. Those that are hurting, show them how much you care about them. You don't have to wait one day till you grow up and you go on a mission trip or you do all these other things.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Thank you for sharing all that with me. That's a lot to take and digest, and I'm sure it was so much for you. My first thought is that because of the hope that we have in Jesus, it's not a never-ending battle. It is a battle that will end. And it's a battle we already know who won. That because of the cross, we already know that we've won because he won for us.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But one of the things that I think the enemy wants to do is, what we know his tactic, it is to steal, kill, and destroy, right? He's the father of lies. And as he's doing it, stealing, killing, and destroying, and... But yet, even in the midst of that, we get to have this hope. What does that even mean?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
This is a chance for you. School can be an amazing place. It can also be a hard place. School can be a place of learning and discipleship and growing and a renewing of your mind, but it can also be a place where people experience a lot of hardship, being left out and being bullied and being treated as less than. And this is so many of their opportunities to say, no, no, you're not less than.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
When we say we have this hope, this hope that we know is an anchor for our soul, firm and secure, this hope that we have in Jesus, that we have this hope that brings us joy and fulfillment, that we have this hope in all of it. I think some of the best definitions, or the best definition that I've heard of, the biblical form of hope.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Not the hope we use in flipping a coin and hoping it lands on heads. Not the, I hope Florida beats Georgia next year. Not that type of hope, but the biblical form of hope. I believe one of the best definitions is to look forward with confidence. Expectation and anticipation. To look forward with confidence. Why? Because we've already won. Because God won for us. Anticipation. Why?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because we know God's still at work, that He's working in us and through us, even in our flaws and failures. God's still working. He's using screw-ups to impact the world, but then also expectation. And one of my favorite things to think about of expectation is heaven. because we know our best days ahead of us because heaven is ahead of us.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So we get to look forward with confidence, expectation, anticipation, and we know that we have won. But what the enemy wants to do is he wants to diminish that. And he wants to say, is it really? One's question, is a counterfeit, counterfeit everything that God said. Is it, did you really win? Is it, do you really want to believe? Do you really want to give your life for him?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Do you really want to serve people? Or you just want to feel good about yourself? Or, you know, you need this, you need this. And so I believe a lot of the spiritual warfare is about the renewing of our mind. Which voice are we going to listen to? Are we going to listen to the voice of the enemy that's putting all of these thoughts with the goal to kill, steal, and destroy?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Or are we going to listen to God's voice and the voice of truth of what he's done, what he's doing, and what he's going to do? Ultimately, how we win. And I really feel like it's a battle of the mind and a battle of the heart. And it goes together because our heart, if we don't stay soft to things, our heart hardens.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
our heart gets less and less tender to the things of God and the things of good and the compassion for other people. Because compassion is not a comfortable thing. And we talked about comfort for just a second. Compassion actually goes back to the Greek word splanchnizomai, which means to be moved from your most inward parts. It is not comfortable. It is a painful thing.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I believe it's used 12 times in the New Testament, eight times to refer to Jesus, this word splanchnizomai, to be moved from your most inward parts But so many times after, it says that Jesus had compassion, moved from his most inward parts, and he met their needs. He healed them. He cared for them. And I think that's so important for us to understand because it's not comfortable.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It can even be painful to have compassion. But compassion isn't a distance thing. It's not an empathy or sympathy. Compassion is very up close and personal. But when our heart gets hardened, We are less compassionate. We are less caring. We are less thoughtful. All of these things. And it ties hand in hand, I believe, with our head and our thoughts.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's why we're told so much in Scripture to consider one another as more important than yourself. Not that they are more important. consider them as more important, right? So our thoughts are on other people. Our thoughts are on ourselves. But the enemy wants to say, no, no, no, Sean, you just think about you. Think about what's best for your show. You don't need to tell that story.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Hey, come hang with me. Come stand with me. I'm going to be your friend. I'm going to stand with you. I'm going to stand for you. And maybe they have chances to share their faith verbally, but they always have chances to share their faith with their kindness and their love and their compassion and the hope that they bring every day.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
You don't need to tell hard stories, right? And it's going to lie to you about all of these things. And so we could dive into that really deep in a lot of things, but I feel like it is about keeping our hearts soft, keeping our mind clear, or maybe a better way to say it, not clear, but focus on the truth. Focus on the words of scripture. Focus on the truth so that we're not listening to the lie.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I tell you, I really believe that. I had those thoughts that I know that aren't from God, and I didn't get rid of them quickly. I didn't go back to God's word. I didn't go back to scripture. I didn't go back to truth. I didn't, at certain times, have the people around me where I could say, hey, we got to flesh this out. We got to talk. I need wise counsel. I need mentors in this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I really believe that's a really big part of fighting it, is getting in God's Word, putting on the armor of God, knowing what His Word says, and through that, the renewing of our mind so that we're not listening to the wrong voices, listening to the lies of the enemy, because we know what His goal is. It's been clear for a long time.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And He is sly, and He is cunning, and He is the father of lies. And we have to be able to know the truth so that we can also know when the lie shows up. Spring is here.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so instead of looking at it as, hey, man, this is an opposition. No, this is an opportunity. There's a big difference. This is an opportunity for me to win over classmates, to love them, to care for them, even teachers, faculty. If it's a place that says, why do you believe in that? Why do you do this? Well, then I get to show you not just with my words, but I get to show you with my actions.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's to kill, steal, and destroy. His goal for humanity is to kill, steal, and destroy. And I love it because scripture tells us his goal is to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came to give life and life abundantly. You have it right there. It's right here. The enemy's goal, the devil's goal, and King Jesus' goal is to give life and life abundantly.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And when we look at that, I think that's true in a lot of senses. True in the purpose and meaning and significance of life, but also life abundantly in heaven, life in eternity. There's so much to that. But ultimately, this is the balance of which voice are we going to listen to? We know the enemy's... his goal from scripture.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We know our God's heart for humanity and what he did for humanity and what his goal is. It is so that we would have life and have life abundantly, that we would have peace and not just peace, but his peace. He said, peace I give to you, my peace I give to you. How do we have that peace? Well, the promises of God, the truth of scripture, a relationship with Christ. And
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So that's not diving into as much of spiritual warfare, but it's how do we counteract that? How do we fight that? How do we, the first stand against that is by knowing the truth. Because if not, if we don't know the truth and we're not renewing our mind in knowing God's word, well, how do we even know the truth? How do we know the difference between the truth and the lie, right?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And that's why it's so important in God's word, in time of prayer and wise counsel. I know I've said it multiple times, but I just believe it's so important. So I would even go back to the wise counsel part with, um, In Proverbs, it's a book about wisdom.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So many times in Proverbs, I believe it's almost 30 times in Proverbs, Solomon is pleading with his sons, and all of us, but I also believe he's pleading with his sons to be Musar-driven. Musar is a Hebrew word, my favorite Hebrew words, because it means instruction, discipline, correction, or teaching. And he's saying, be Musar-driven. Seek these things. Be open to these things.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Instruction, discipline, correction, teaching. But when we first hear that, like, We flinch. We don't want it. I don't want instruction. I definitely don't want discipline, like correction. No, who wants that? And teaching, like, yeah, it sounds a little bit better. But we don't crave those things. We don't want it. But he's pleading. One of the wisest men of all time is saying, please,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Be Musar-driven. Seek these things. Have wise counsel, wise people around you. Seek it. Be a lifelong learner. Be in God's word. Be listening to people. Because it's so easy, any of us, at any time, start listening to the wrong voices. And you let a lie creep in. And it starts to fester. And you don't get rid of it. And it starts to go from here to here. Starts to harden your heart.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And now all of a sudden, I'm going down a path that I thought I would never go down. And I'm having thoughts I thought I would never have. And I just think that is so important. And then we see Solomon's son takes over the kingdom. And his first big decision, he chooses to listen to his friends over the elders and destroys the kingdom.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And one of the quotes that I love is, every day we share the gospel, but every now and then we use words. And I would encourage these boys and girls that they're not too young for God to use you. We look at scripture, and we see God using young people all of the time. And sometimes they feel like they had a lot, and sometimes they feel like they had a little.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because instead of listening to wise counsel, to elders, to getting advice and wisdom, he's listening to the, you know, not that your friends can't also be wise counsel, but, you know, he's choosing his friends over godly wisdom. And he makes a terrible decision. And I just couldn't help but think of that as we're talking about that. And how do we fight this? I believe those are some of the steps.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Some of the steps that I haven't always, you know, done well. And I'm, you know, part of that I'm preaching to myself on.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Oh, I don't even know how to answer that. Can you ask me in a different way?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, truth by definition is exclusive. So when people will even say, well, my truth and your truth, well, they really probably should say it's my opinion and your opinion. But there's only one truth in a situation. There's only one truth of what happened. And when we talk about the truth, the way and the life, it's exclusive by definition. I think we have to understand it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But God doesn't need us to have a lot or have a little. He just needs us to say, hey, this is what you've let me borrow for a little bit. Hey, God, would you just use it? I want to be used. I want to show up. Here you go. Please use it. Take my loaves and my fish and multiply it. Wow.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But when you asked that question, my heart went to... I do believe that there are so many lies that are being told to us, especially to the next generation. And I look at that 12% of our daily thoughts are spent in some form of comparison. Like, it's crazy. When I first heard that stat, I thought, what? 12% of our daily thoughts. So what are we saying by that?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
What we're saying is, 12% of my day is thinking I need to be more like him. I need to look like her. I need to act like that. Because we're telling the next generation, who you are isn't enough. You need to change so you're more valuable. Instead of saying, no, no, you're so valuable to God. Look what he did for you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we just tweak it so much that there's a little bit of truth in there, but a lot of lies. And that's, you know, the greatest form of lies has a tiny bit of truth in it, but it's masqueraded with a whole lot of lies. And then you look at, with young people, the loneliness epidemic. I mean, it's off the charts.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Here and around the world, you look at the suicide rate and you look at, especially for young girls, and the rate at which they're considering suicide, it's off of the charts. And you have to say it's because we're We're telling them so many of the wrong things, but they're also flooded with so many voices. And you get your phone, and you look at it, and they're on this all time.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And they think I'm surrounded by a community and fellowship, but it's not. They're looking at other people's fake best days. And they're comparing it with their own worst days. And they're saying, OK, because of this, I need to change. I need to adapt. I need to look like her. I need to have the surgery. I need to have this change. I need to make that team. Or I'm not worth it. I'm not this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I'm not that. And all of that, instead of saying, no, no, no. When God made you, he made you one of one. In love, by love, and for love. On purpose, for a purpose. Fearfully and wonderfully made. And we say that in so many people in church. Fearfully and wonderfully made. What does that even mean? Fearfully in context and culture just means awesome. And wonderfully means unique and set apart.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I have been so blessed to see some of the different wonders of the world. natural wonders, ancient wonders. And I feel like they're coming up with more wonders just so they can sell more stuff. But you see some of the wonders of the world and you get there and sometimes you're like, dang, this is really cool. Like it is really wonderful to see this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And sometimes you're like, dang, this is just really overrated. But man, I feel like a few times I've been able to see a wonder of the world. And I've been so encouraged because I thought, man, as cool as this is and as wonderful as this is, It doesn't compare to how wonderful God created every man, woman, boy and girl.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So when he says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, we are more one of one, unique and set apart and more wonderful than any of the wonders of the world. But yet we say all the time, Oh my gosh, could you just imagine seeing that? Could you go to this place and see this beauty and see this thing? And they are awesome. That part of God's creation is awesome.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It just pales in comparison to you and to me and every member of society. So we think those things are so beautiful, and they are. They just don't compare to God's greatest creation, which is you and me. Share a story to explain that. Last year, I don't know, near this time, we were in The Hague for an operation there in the fight against live streaming abuse. The where?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
The Hague, just outside of Amsterdam. Okay. And so the day before it started, me and my wife got in early, and my wife really wanted to go see the Anne Frank Museum there. And then we are going to go to the Rake Museum. So we go see the Anne Frank Museum. And we're out. It's super impactful and very heavy and deep. And we leave.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we go to the Rake Museum, which is a museum of just masterpiece art. Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh, all of these just incredible portraits. And hundreds of people, if not thousands of people, were in there that day. And we're in there and we're looking at all this art and incredible art. And it's beautiful. And I got to be honest, I'm a homeschool lefty dyslexic kid from Jacksonville, Florida.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Art doesn't mean as much to me as maybe it should or it does to my wife. She really loves it. And so we're going through and we're looking at all of this beautiful art. And she just definitely appreciates it more than me. And my whole time, I'm thinking about some other things that I'm trying to appreciate, but spend time with my wife. And we get to one of the portraits.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I think it's, if I remember correctly, I believe it's a Rembrandt. And I believe it's also called the Standard Bear. And it's this beautiful portrait that I think they just purchased a few years ago for $191.3 million, if I remember correctly. And we're looking at it. And there's all these people that are looking at it. and everyone's taking pictures and video of it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And you could hear the oohing and aah, it's so beautiful and blah, blah, blah. And I'm standing kind of to the side and I'm looking at it, but then I'm looking at all these people and I get so sad, so convicted and so sad and burdened watching it, because I'm watching all of these people film and video this. And they're looking at that portrait as so much more valuable than they are.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I just was so sad. I was remembering what we're going to do tomorrow and the next few days and all of these lives that are literally being purchased to be abused and rape. And I'm thinking, no, we're looking at this and what they're going through. And we're saying, this is the masterpiece? And I'm not trying to knock art. I'm just trying to say that pales in comparison to every one of you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I wish I could have told him, hey, take your phone, flip it to selfie, and you'll see something more wonderful than that portrait will ever, ever, ever be. And that's part of the lie that we're trying to uncover in ourselves and people is we think, wow, this is so beautiful because it's all this money. It's beautiful because it's called a masterpiece. No, no, no. You are more wonderful.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
more fearfully made, that that masterpiece of a painting will ever be. There's no comparison. But we put this value on societal things and temporal things, and we just think they're everything. when they're not. And I think that's another one of the biggest lies that we have to fight, because it is something that challenges us every day. But if I have that, then I'll be more valuable.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Well, my dad started BTA, Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association, and to be able to share the gospel with every man, woman, boy, and girl in the country of the Philippines. And because of Dad's faithfulness, millions of people have heard the gospel. And over 30 million people have indicated that they have put their faith in Jesus because of him and his amazing ministry.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
If I have that, I'll feel more valuable. No, no, no. That's not going to fill you. That hole that you're chasing is only a place that God can fill.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So as Night to Shine was expanding, we had our first Night to Shine in South Africa. And that's when my wife is from South Africa. And she had a little sister with severe special needs. And so I heard her share a testimony about her sister. And so I told the team, hey, invite her and her family to be a part of Night to Shine. Can we welcome and celebrate them?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And ultimately through that, her sister was too sick to be able to attend. But through that, she had heard about it. And then we sent the invitation, but she couldn't make it. And they responded. And I just, even in response, I thought, man, she's so special. And I responded again saying, but if there's any way we can serve y'all,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And partially because we really wanted to, but I got a bit, I had ulterior motives. I was like, she just seems so incredible. And she responded and we went back and forth on email for a little bit. And she said, I would love to learn more about what y'all are doing. And maybe we can set up a phone call.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So after a bunch of emails back and forth, we set up a phone call and it was supposed to just be, I literally think of the emails like, well, five minute phone call to hear more about
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
you know the in supporting people with special needs and so I said of course and we set up the phone call and that phone call instead of being five minutes was two hours 24 minutes and six seconds Wow and sounds weird but I gotta tell you on that call I had a good feeling I was gonna marry this girl I'd never met beautiful yeah because I
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Even on that phone call, we both knew we have almost nothing in common. Her first language is Afrikaans. I can barely speak English. All of her favorite artists or movies, I've never heard of. All of her favorite songs, I have no idea. She had never seen a baseball, basketball, or football game in her life. She had never seen my favorite movie, Braveheart. There's nothing in common.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But we had everything in purpose. And we had a heart for people with special needs, and her sister was special needs. And we had a heart for fighting against the evil of trafficking, exploitation, and she was carjacked at gunpoint by armed men, and who knows what they wanted to do to her. So she had a...
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
feeling like she would say probably responsibility to try to step into that fight after that happened. And so those type of things were what connected us of something on such a deeper level. And I was playing baseball at the time, and it was just, I don't know, it felt so clear. I was like, man, I want someone that I, you know, come home and I'm like, hey, I went one for three with a walk.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Like, who cares? You know, like, what does that matter? One day, is that where we're going to... The special and all the deeper things, the meaningful things, the challenging of our heart, who we want to be, the pursuit of God in our life, the trying to take screw-ups and tests and turn it into testimonies, that's where we connected.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So she was Miss South Africa and then Miss Universe at the time. And I was also like, I never got to meet her in person. So she was getting ready to go on a seven-week, seven-country tour and all of this. And I was like, man, she's going to go in all these countries. We haven't gone on a date. And I was like, some freaking Prince of Wales is going to meet her and is going to woo her.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we lived there for five years. And I was so privileged to be born there in a country that I love so much and is so near and dear to my heart.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I'm not going to have a chance. And I was like, oh, we've got to find a way to go on a date before she goes on this. So we ended up finding a way to go on our first date. Where'd you go? It was over. It was just we were playing baseball. And it was in Erie, Pennsylvania. And we had a few of our friends that were with us and could be a part of it, because we had never met in person.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But the day before, literally on the phone, she goes, hey, by the way, something's going to have to really go wrong for this not to work out. We knew. We had really good assumptions. I don't want to say knew, but we really believed that we were probably going to get married. And then we went on the first date, and we never stopped talking. How did you propose?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I proposed at my parents' farm, the place we moved back. We moved back from the Philippines. I just I wanted to do it so different and special. And so how can you have a special surprise? You base it all in lies. And that's what I did. And I had everyone in on it. And I wanted it to be so special. So we we had been gone in South Africa for Christmas and then doing football commentary stuff.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I was in South Africa to ask her family for a hand, and we got back. And I had to do that before I did. I just really wanted to do it that way. And so we are at our house for celebrating Christmas, even though it's in January, and our family's together. And I gave her a ring.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
for christmas just to throw her off so she wouldn't think that the ring was coming and so we we set up all these lies my whole family was in on it her family was in on it and i i told um uh i told her that we you know for every christmas celebration we have a big dinner at my parents house total life we don't um but because she knew she had always told me hey when you propose i would i would you know love to be dressed up but the only thing is i really want is i want my nails done and
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
but when my parents decided to move there um god called them there and actually my dad was driving from a conference i believe it was in alabama my mom was in jacksonville florida and my dad's driving with my oldest sister christie in the car and he knew that god called him at that moment while he was driving he just knew and he you know trying to make excuses but then he knew god called him again
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so my sister took her out, because they were a big dinner, so they were just naturally bringing up nails and did all their nails and dressed up. And then to throw her off the scent even more, I had one of our friends that has a car dealership to let me borrow a brand new truck, because I told her I was going to give the truck to my dad for Christmas.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because if she's thinking, hey, Timmy's giving this truck to his dad for Christmas, definitely not proposing. Oh, wow.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So we... So we get in that truck, and we drive it to my parents' house. And what she didn't know was all of my family was already in the house, and she didn't know her family had secretly flown in from South Africa. But before we walk into the house, I said, hey, you can walk out to the pond. That was very meaningful to me. It's where I just prayed many times.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's where I decided to try to figure out where I was going to go play college football. It's where we buried our dogs. It was just where it's a meaningful place. And I had an arch built there. And I had flowers all around it. And I had a bench made. for us there and flowers on the way out. So we're walking out to it and about halfway there, she knew what was about to happen.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so we get there and I get on my knees and I propose to her, but I was just trying to find other ways for it to be special. And one of the things, she just loves her family, wants them to be a part of it. Well, she didn't know that in the hay bales that were all around, I had microphones that were planted in there. And so her family could hear the whole conversation.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I guess it could have gone bad. And my family could hear. And so I proposed to her. And then I get my phone, and I turn on our favorite song, which is by an artist called Matthew Moll from South Africa. And it's called The Wedding Song. It's her favorite song. So it quickly became my favorite song. And we're dancing to it from my phone. But then as we're dancing, I had turned her.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then Matthew Mole had flown in from South Africa and was walking out. And so then turned her. And Matthew Mole is playing her favorite song. No way. And so she's like, oh my gosh. And then we keep dancing to it. And I turn her again. But I had a sign. And so she didn't know her family was there. And then all four of her parents, because they got divorced when she was like one.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And they remarried. So all four of them are amazing. And they're all in her life. So then she turned around. And there was her four parents. And she's thinking they're in South Africa. And they're there. And so she's crying. And they're all celebrating. And then we're all hugging. And then when her back was turned again, I had several of her best friends that had flown in. She turned around.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And there's some of her best friends. Oh, man. And she's freaking out. And there's my family. And then so we just had an awesome celebration. And yeah. And then she's so funny. So then my dad's there, and she's like, so wait, is that truck really for your dad? And I was like, no, it was just to throw you off the scent.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
She goes up to my dad, and she's like, Mr. T, I'm so sorry that you're not getting a new truck, but you are getting a new daughter.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
in the car while he's driving. And he's, OK, I got to surrender. And he said, OK, God, I'll go. I'll go. And he got home, and he saw my mom. And he said to my mom, God called me to the Philippines. And she said, I know, because he called me too. Wow. And they were separated. Not like separated in their marriage, just separated because he's at the conference.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
added up to 316 during that game yeah the playoff game uh well if i can't back it up for just a second give a little context when i uh when i wore it for the national championship honestly i i just put it under my eyes and i didn't really think about it i was just so focused on trying to win the championship and after the game i um
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We finish and we win, and two days after the game, I'm sitting in Ballyhoo Restaurant in Gainesville, Florida, with my mom and my dad and Coach Meyer, and we're having dinner. And I even think I was eating a piece of grouper at the time. Just that moment, and Coach Meyer gets a call, and he answers it, and it's Steve McClain, our PR guy. And Coach Meyer's always so intense.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
He's like, uh-huh, what? What do you mean? And you know this? Really? Okay, bye. And I said, who's that? What's all it about? He said, this is the D. McClain RPR guy. I said, what did he say? He said, Tim, he just got the numbers back from the game. And he said, during the game, 94 million people Googled John 316. And I remember sitting there and just being so overwhelmed.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I guess on one hand, I was like, how the heck did 94 million people not know John 3.16? But the other one is I was just thinking, man, what a big God we serve. When I first started putting the eye blacks in the beginning of the year, I thought maybe someone with binoculars might see one. And it wasn't a a big step of courage or faith. It was tiny, tiny. It's nothing.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It was just putting a little eye black because I saw some of my teammates, you know, writing their area code or their mom's name on their eye black. And I thought maybe, you know, someone might be encouraged. And I even thought about putting God bless under my eyes, but I was like, oh, it might be too cheesy. So I did Philippians 4.13 and then I switched to John 3.16 and, and
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then I was just sitting there overwhelmed by what a big God we serve. And then I think it was the next day or something, another Sports Illustrated come out. And the focal point is John 3.16. And you're like, oh my goodness, God, you're such a big God. Well, that game, that national championship game was on January 8th of 2009. And exactly three years later,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
To the date I wore it, I was playing for the Denver Broncos, and we were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL playoffs. And it was on January 8 of 2012, exactly three years later. I had no idea. Honestly, I really feel like there was so much of me that was just selfish in that moment. not all in the worst way, but some of it of just, man, I wanted to prove the doubters wrong.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I wanted to show them we could do this. I wanted to make a statement. I wanted to win for my team and the fans, my family, and all of this. And again, that's all wrong. But there was a piece of it that was just selfish for me. And I had no idea it was three years later from the day. play this game and we win in overtime. I still think it's the fastest overtime in NFL history and we win.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
It's a real moment and it's just like, it's unbelievable and the crowd stays for well over an hour after the game going crazy and going to the locker room and I I change, and I got to go talk to the media, and I don't really want to. And right before I walk in this big room packed full of media, there's all these curtains out front.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And then they start talking about, hey, well, when did you feel that in your heart? And when do you feel that nudge? And as they're talking about it, they were looking, they're like, we think he called us at the exact same time. Wow. And so they decided. So he goes to his board and he's like, hey, God called me to the Philippines. OK, let's go.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I'm standing in front, and Patrick, our PR guy, there steps in front of me. He said, Timmy, do you realize what happened? And I'm like, yeah. We just beat the Steelers. We're going to play the Patriots. He's like, yeah, I know what happened, dude. Like, why did you ask me such a silly question? And he goes, no. Do you know what happened? And I'm like, I thought I did. Patrick, what happened?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because you could just see this different demeanor. And he said, Timmy, no, you don't know what happened. Timmy, it's exactly three years from the night that you wore John 3.16 under your eyes. And I'm like, oh, wow, that's awesome. That's so cool. And he said, no, no, no, you don't realize it. Timmy, during the game, you threw for 316 yards. And I'm like, what?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And he said, Timmy, during the game, your yards per rush were 3.16. Your yards per completion were 31.6. The ratings for the night were 31.6. And the time of possession was 31.6. And during the night over 90 million people have Googled John 316. It's the number one trending thing all over.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I think he even mentioned something about there were so many people tweeting about it that like Twitter even froze or something like that. At least that was what I was told. And I was standing in that hallway And I don't think I had the reaction that a lot of people think I did. Because I went from a high and a celebration and a joy to a conviction and a disappointment. Why?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Because when he was telling me that, I knew that God was convicting me, saying, Timmy, you thought tonight was about a game. You thought it was about all of these things. It's never just about a game. I didn't die for a game. And I was so convicted, still grateful that God would use something, but convicted, man, my eyes were on the wrong thing. My heart was in the wrong place. I knew you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I knew what you'd done. But still, my heart was here and my eyes were here. I knew the truth. I just wasn't focused on it. I was having all of these selfish ambitions and goals. And it was also this reminder, but I can even use it when your heart's not right. I can even use you.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I can use something that you did three years ago and started three and a half years ago, and you didn't even know that I was doing something. Because I honestly thought after three years, the first time, I just thought, man, well, that's cool. But you also think, that's cool, God, but it's done. And he's like, no, you have no idea what I'm doing. You have no idea. And I was just so convicted.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I didn't even want to walk into the media. Not that I really wanted to anyways. And then I go in there, and I'm answering questions. that so many of them, they want to ask me about it because it's buzzing. You can hear them even talking, but some of them kind of ask me to the side. They're like, oh, all of these, you know, numbers adding to three, one, six, three, one, six, three, one, six.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
We got to go raise money and we got to go to send you guys off. And what are you thinking? You know, six months or a year from now, you're going to leave. And he said, no, God called me. We have to go. And so they literally packed everything up and within days left and took four kids to the Philippines.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And a few of them to the side, they're like, oh, that's a big coincidence. Like they don't even want to ask in the microphone, you know? And, uh, and they're like, wow, what a, what a big coincidence, something like that to me. Coincidence? Yeah. And I said, that's what they call it. A few of them on like the side, cause they don't even ask it. And I said, uh,
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
well, we could believe it's a really big coincidence, or we could believe that we serve a really big God. And, um, just one of those, um, moments for me, and I think God used it for a lot of people, but I also think he was trying to teach me something too. And, um, That one, we have no idea what he's doing. But even when we know the truth, how easy our eyes and our heart can leave it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it was very humbling for me. And even going back and celebrating with my family and friends, and we had so many that were in town, it was a celebration with also a conviction that makes sense at the same time. And God's done so much of that. Even when I've told the story a few times on some different shows, it's gone viral on that.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And one of the first things that people mention when I'm in South Africa with my wife, John 3.16. And it's just so humbling that I could just be a part of it. But there's a piece of me that feels unequipped and like unworthy, that God would do some of that with it. I would say that the more I've been out of process, the more I could say, man, I'm so grateful and celebrate it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
But I never want to get to that place again where I think, God, you did something, but you're done. Because we have no idea what he's doing and how he's using it. And I just don't want to put God in a box. And I feel like so many times I've had. And we have no idea what he's doing. And do you know all the things that had to happen at the end of that game for all of that to change?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I mean, the fastest overtime in NFL history, one play, 80 yards in the exact amount of time. And one of those things go off, all of them go off. Like, and yet, just, it's what our God does just more than we could ask, think, or imagine. And definitely because we don't deserve it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it's just such an example of one of the reasons why my parents are just some of my biggest heroes, because their willingness to say yes when God calls, they've said yes. And so we are in the Philippines and living, and my dad is before I was born and my dad is in a very remote island.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Pretty amazing. Tell us something else that's cool about the 316. So several years ago, Camille was sitting in our office when she joined the team. And I said, Camille, what breaks your heart the most? And she said, she wrote down the number 20,000. I said, 20,000, what does that mean?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And she said, it's the boys and girls that law enforcement can see their rape and abuse images, but they have yet to be identified. And they're all sitting in the ICSA database, which is at Interpol. And it's the database from 68 countries that house all this material. We believe there's about that many, and we talk, and we know we have to do something, and she's just a force for it.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
So we convene a meeting in Lyon, France, with so many of the major players in this space to find out what is the ground truth for this, right? What is the number? And it wasn't 20,000. It was closer to 57,000 boys and girls that law enforcement can see their rape and abuse images but have yet to identify them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And so we come up with a plan and through with partnerships and especially with HSI and C3 and they're just the tip of the spear when it comes to this and partnerships with countries all over the world and that leads to Operation Renewed Hope 1 led by C3, but with a lot of countries, and Interpol, and NCMEC, and Europol, and Google, and so many people that were part of this.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And he almost couldn't tell me. He was so blown away when he was telling me that. And we were... And I don't know if that's a God week moment, but it was a special moment. And then I want to share something I've never shared before. Can you ask Kevin to bring my phone up, if he has it? I'll need my phone to share something that I've never shared before, but I think this would be a cool time. Wow.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
No, no. I'm sorry, Kevin. I should have had my phone. Um... So then Operation Renewed Hope One was really groundbreaking in this space, and it just changed so much of the game. And so all the partners led by C3, the Cybercrime Center, and DC, and HSI, you know, we got to replicate this again.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
Philippines is made up of thousands of islands and he's in a remote island and he's getting ready to preach and he just starts weeping uncontrollably for all of the, God puts on his heart, all the babies that are being aborted around the world, but specifically in America. And as he's just weeping, God puts it on his heart to have another baby.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And it's a really cool model of all these countries coming together to be able to identify as many and then to go rescue them.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
and so then we have operation renewed hope too and um when that finishes we're actually in a lot of our team and and law enforcement partners are in romania doing a special training there and um in a whole lot of areas against this and we're at dinner after that's finishing and we're in this like um romanian type tavern and with all these law enforcement that are just heroes i mean just been battling the worst evils right
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And we're sitting with all of them. And so one who's come to become a friend of mine, he's been dealing with this a long time, faced a lot of evil in the world, gone through a lot because of it. And he's sitting across from me. And he's like, man, I got to tell you, when I saw the John 3.16 story, and when I realized that it was 316 after Renewed Hope. It's blown away.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I couldn't, it's just, almost I couldn't handle it. And he said, so now Operation Renewed Hope 2 just finished and we identified 417 and we're sitting in Romania. And he said, so what does 417 mean? And I said, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what that means. And he said, well, look it up. Like, go to the Bible. What is it? And I'm like, which 417 do I go to? You know?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And he's like, just pick one. And so there's like 25 people sitting there. And we're all sitting there. And I don't know. And so I go, yeah. Let's go to 1 Corinthians. I don't know. And he goes, okay, tell me what 1 Corinthians 4.17 is. And again, I just say this in all humility of maybe a God thing, but it also broke my heart. And so he goes, okay, read 1 Corinthians 4.17.
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
And I didn't know 1 Corinthians 4.17. And so the whole table gets quiet, and I read it, and this is what it says. For this reason, I have sent you, Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everyone in every church. And he goes, you have got to be something else kidding me. And I was like, what?
Shawn Ryan Show
#199 Tim Tebow - Fighting For Our Children
I didn't know that. And so it was just a moment where it has nothing to do with me, but maybe one of those moments where it's just a God wink moment. Wow. And still to this day, this officer will put a lot of text and stuff as 316 slash 417.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And then another one did it, another one, but still some would back off. Like we're not still sure. And then team saying, we gotta go. So we walk over to the Jeep and I set Sherwin down. I put his arms around his two friends and I get on my knees and I pray with these three boys.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I tell him, I don't know when I'm gonna get to see you again, if I'm gonna get to see you again in the Philippines or if you'll get to see me in America, but I totally believe. One day I'll be able to see you in heaven. And Sherwin looks at me and says, which means brother, I can't wait to run with you in heaven. And it's a boy who's never walked a day in his life.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
But somehow the first thought he had was, I can't wait to run with you in heaven.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I don't know. I so wish we would have been able to get back to that island and that village and meet him. But I do know now that many boys and girls in the Philippines, because of our amazing team and partners, that there's a hospital that cares for boys and girls just like him, that we bring them in from all over the country.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And many times they're wheeled in or carried in, but they get to walk out. And they get to be loved and cared for along the way. And I'm so grateful because that happened because of Sherwin.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
To sum it up, it's the fight for people that can't fight for themselves and competitiveness is not the problem. It's where you steer it. So you saw a lot of people who were suffering, and you knew that that was wrong. I see the boy laying on the cot. I see his legs. I see they're on backwards. And so I get a little bit emotional, but I hold it back.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I believe wholeheartedly that competitiveness is not the problem. It's where you steer it. Now, if that competitiveness is steered with the ultimate goal of just win or success or a game or championship, then you're missing the mark. And I don't even think those things are wrong. It's not that they're wrong, but are those first place in your mind and in your heart?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Can I back it up even to my birth? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Start at the beginning. I think that plays a lot into it. When in 1986, my dad was preaching in a remote village in the Philippines. And before he went on stage to preach, he just started to weep for all of the babies that were being aborted around the world. And just this almost uncontrollable weeping.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And my mom and dad had four kids at the time living in the Philippines. And as he was weeping, he felt God put it on his heart to have another child. And if it was a boy that God put on his heart, his name would be Timothy. which means honoring God. And he went home and told my mom that God had put this on his heart.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
My mom's like, well, God didn't put it on my heart, so I don't know what you wanna do. But she started- Seems like she's really involved in the whole deal. She started to pray about it. And not long after, God put it on her heart. And not long after that, she became pregnant. At least they thought she was pregnant. But then some of the doctors said, no, it's not a baby, it's a tumor.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It's a massive fetal tissue. And then they found out, long story made short, it was a baby and they wanted her to have an abortion or it'll cost her her life and my life. And I'm just so grateful for my mom and my dad because in the middle of this, they trusted God and loved me and gave me a chance. And there was issues with the entire pregnancy. The placenta wasn't properly attached.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
She had amoeba dysentery. She went into a coma, all sorts of different things in the pregnancy. And the doctor who finally helped my mom give birth had done this for thousands and thousands of women. And he looked at my parents and said, I don't know how your baby boy is alive because the placenta is barely attached. All of these issues. It's the greatest miracle that I've ever seen.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I was malnourished, but I did make up for it pretty quickly. How old was your mom when you were born? Oh my goodness. It's probably closer to 40. No, no, no. Probably a little bit younger than that, but she wasn't older. I was a baby of five, so probably around 35 maybe. Okay, okay.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I think that was very impactful for me, not just for that time as a baby, but then growing up, my parents would say to me almost every night, Timmy up. we want you to know God spared you for a reason. You were a miracle baby, and God's got a special plan for your life. Do you know what happens when you hear that over and over and over again? You start to believe it.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
That you're not here by happenstance, that you're not here by accident, that you're here on purpose, for a purpose, with a purpose.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Yes. And I've also fell in love with sports at a very early age. My whole family, insanely competitive. Like, you would love them. They're awesome people. Like, my parents are two of my biggest heroes. But like, if we all... sat down and played like Monopoly or Risk, you would think we hate each other. We're so competitive. But it's just our whole family's that way.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And when we moved back from the States, we moved right here to Jacksonville, Florida. And they were like, we got to sign him up for sports. So they signed me up for T-ball at Normandy Baseball Park. And I was so excited. I show up to the first game on the White Sox and number 35, just like my favorite player, Frank Thomas.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And Coach Langley gathers us together before we take the field for the first inning. He says, okay, guys, Now it doesn't matter whether you win or lose. It's only about having fun. I gotta be honest, we've only been in America for a little bit. And I'm thinking, is this what America is about? Is this sucks? And I say, you ain't kinda sure. And I say, no coach, you're wrong.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It's only about winning. That's when you have fun.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
You're not going to pick the worst ones.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
That's right. Even when they say don't keep score, every kid still keeps score in their head. Yeah. Like...
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Agreed. And I think one of the interesting things that I believe the story touches on is then he doesn't understand me. Let's the rest of the kids go to their places. And he says, well, you wait right here. And he walks down the first baseline to where my dad is. And he says, Mr. Tebow, you come in here. My dad walks down and he said, Mr. Tebow, I think we have a problem with your son.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And he said, oh, what's the problem? And he said, he's overly competitive. Right, so that was your first day. That's my first day. Oh, great. And so my dad comes walking around the chain link fence, you know, and I'm thinking, oh, no, like, I just screwed up. I'm about to get in trouble. Yeah. And I look at my dad and I see he's got a belt on. Yeah.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I'm like, oh, no, I'm about to get a spanking on first base.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
This is not a good day. Like, to me, it's a World Series Super Bowl all mixed into one.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
He opens the chain link fence. He comes walking over. He's got, my dad, especially then was a pretty stern looking, intimidating looking guy. And he walks over, he leans over and he looks me in the eye and he says, Timmy, it's okay. He just doesn't understand. Oh boy. He doesn't get it. And I was like, yes, that's good.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Yes. But I want to add to that because I think it makes a powerful point. So that game we play and ultimately, I mean, we have... teammates that are in the outfield looking for four leaf clovers and half the kids just care about what color snow cone they get after the game. And they find out I'm a decent athlete.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
They didn't know because we were overseas, but they find out I'm decent at the game and I did pretty good. But my parents also found out how easy it was for me to become extremely arrogant and proud.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
because that's on a saturday and the first thing i want to do after the first game is tell everybody how i did hey guess what i had this many hits i had this many home runs i made this many plays and i wanted to tell everybody and so the first thing my parents did was instill a rule for me and my siblings but specifically really for me yeah that before we were allowed to play a sporting activity we would have to memorize scripture verses but specifically on humility and um and
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I'm so grateful, even though I couldn't understand a lot of them at the time or maybe what they all meant. And I'm still maybe don't always understand what they mean. But they started to instill that, not just about the balance of competition, but no, be competitive, go win. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. But... It's not everything.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I remember the first verse I had to memorize, the greatest among you will be a servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. So they were teaching me to go compete or allowing me to go compete and supporting me. But then they would say, winning at this isn't everything. And then try to use that as an example. Yeah.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I mean, you said- No, my dad would not be someone that was soft. My dad is one of the most courageous people I've ever met in my life. If one day I could ever get to a tenth of his courage, it would be a good day.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I think his belief, his faith in Christ, and that propels him, and the confidence and the hope that it gives him.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
and my mom both of them were willing to go to the mission field with four kids have one more while they're there right um go to really hard places my dad was put into jail multiple times in different countries when he would go and share and i think one of the greatest things i could say about my dad is he gave the majority of his his adult life to help people that could never do anything for him.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And my mom was there to support and handle and love so much while he's gone. And because they knew they were called to do that. What I mean courage is that my dad would go into places and they would say, hey, if you share, then we want you to know we'll kill you. And he would get up and still tell people how much God loves them.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And one time there's a guy that shows up to where my dad's preaching and he has a machete and he walks from the back to the front. And my dad just starts feeling compelled to talk about forgiveness. And by the time he gets to the front, he says, Mr. Tebow, I want to ask for your forgiveness because I was sent here to kill you. I wanted to ask if you would forgive me.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And two times in my young life overseas, I got to see my mom say to my dad, we only have a couple of dollars left. And my dad says, it's okay, give it away. And they give it away.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And both times we had neighbors that felt compelled, didn't know anything, but both times come over, knock on the door and say, hey, we don't know why, we just felt like we were compelled to bring you guys dinner tonight. And as my wife says, it's just a God wink moment. And you'll be able to see that faithfulness. So your parents were willing to live on the edge.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
They were willing to live out that faith in a way that I've never had to. I never have. They've done it with such courage and conviction that it's why they're such heroes to me. It's so grateful.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It's insane how fast you become arrogant, especially as a kid.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
trying to figure out what to do about that so you keep the competitive edge without becoming narcissistic that i was also a terrible teammate ah i was a terrible teammate because i thought winning was just about my performance and how good i could do for the team and i didn't realize it's also about building everyone up so it would be better as a team yeah it was the frustration wire you know
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Why do some of the kids care just about finding a four-leaf clover, don't understand the rules? Why do you care about a snow cone? And my parents really did a good job. Well, to me, not everybody's competitive as you. Not everybody cares as much about the game as you. But one of the things that I would always, always, always share, to me, that doesn't mean they're any less valuable.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It doesn't mean any of them are any less. They just care about it a little less. They're not less. Right.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
But their value doesn't come from how you do in a game. Your value comes from being made in the image of God and the worth and the value all humanity has. That's a hard thing to figure out when you're eight. That's right. You might be disappointed in how someone plays, but you can't be disappointed in who somebody is. There's a difference. And it's always trying to keep that in mind.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Something that's so easy for me as a competitor is, to lose sight of is the balance between those two.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
No, I don't believe so.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I think because it was too much about me. And I was thinking, well, how can I go win the game versus how can I be a better teammate and believe and uplift and encourage others, even when I may be frustrated because they're not paying attention or they're doing something else. But if I really want to give our team the best chance to win, then I need to build them up, not tear them down.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I need to be able to encourage them. I need to try to put myself in their shoes. I need to try to understand. I need to find a way to actually pull us together versus just try a little bit harder.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And did you learn that? I think I learned it, but I think just when you learn something doesn't mean you do it well. And so it's constantly trying to practice that.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And grow and improve. And then still sometimes I feel like I would take steps back in it. And as I grew up and... and playing so many different sports and leagues and championships and everything that there were, I think, highs and lows that came with that.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Because then I got to play on other LMS teams when I was young and we would compete for championships, like national championships in baseball and in football and some very competitive teams in basketball as well. And so then everybody was all in, it was win at all costs type, even from a very young age.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Three. Baseball, basketball, football.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
When I was young, probably. And then as I grew, probably got slightly better in football and baseball than in basketball.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I think still at a pretty young age, but that's not because you're a good leader. It's just because as a better player or a competent player, people would look to you. And so I think at an early age, but I still don't believe that I led in a really good way many times.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
They played such a pivotal role in it, conversations with my mom and my dad about it, trying to learn, learn from failure, talking through it afterwards with my dad, talking through it with my mom, trying to be patient, trying to be understanding.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Yes, and I would say one of the most special things is the whole time they're always reminding me, but it's not the end of the world. It's not everything. And there was always that balance that to me sometimes where I would fail or I still fail is when it becomes everything. then it's not in its proper place.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Yeah. Right. And so how to deal with it.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And so that's a great victory. And it's one of your greatest motivators. Those scars from losses are also... some of the things that motivate you the most. When I look back on my career, especially in college, like it's hard for me. So for example, we had 12 rivalry games in my four years at Florida. We went 11 and one. I think about that one.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Well, I think I'd probably go back to the first time I was inspired that I really felt like I was called to start a foundation or be involved. And I wouldn't even say I even knew it was a foundation, but that's when I was 15 years old. And I was on a mission trip to the Philippines. And as a country that I love very much, I was actually born there, lived the first five years of my life there.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
uh so three biggest rivalries for us is florida versus georgia florida versus tennessee and florida versus another team in the state florida state i hate even saying their name right so these are high stakes games on a reputational level and your fans have a lot at stake yes um and we went 11-1 in those games and i think about the one more than i think about the 11 combined
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And Sherwin is the name of the boy who looks at me and said, I've been told my whole life that I'm not impressive.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And because it makes a mark and it gave such a weight to me, I was so hurt and sad, not just for me, but for my family and for my team and for my teammates, for my teammates family, because it mattered that much. And I think that scar can either cripple you or propel you.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It can cripple you by just sitting and saying, what a terrible loss, or it can propel you and say, I never wanna go through this again. What I'm representing, who I get to represent, my teammates, my care for them, my coaches, my family, all of that. I never wanna go through this again. So now I'm gonna double down on my work.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna do it again, because I don't wanna go through this again. I don't want my teammates to go through this again. I don't want my family to look at me like that again with the sadness on their eyes because they know that I'm hurting. Like all of that can propel you if you let it, if you use it as fuel.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And one of the things I like to encourage young people is you either win or you learn.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It wasn't a rivalry game.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
No, but it was a... But it was a shocking loss. That was my junior year at the University of Florida, and we lost to Ole Miss, a team that has so much respect for them, but we just shouldn't have lost to them.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
After the game, I felt such shame and disappointment. Not because we lost the game, Dr. Peterson, but because I knew it was my fault. It was my fault as a leader. It was my fault as a captain. It was my fault in the way I played, in the focus. What do you think you did wrong? Or what did you think you did wrong?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I think that, you know, we throw around phrases like you're all in or being locked in or focused or all these things. And I think that there was a tiny bit, just a tiny bit that I thought today we could just go through the motions a little bit.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And then went back with my dad and a group of people to the Philippines. And on this trip, we got to do a lot of amazing things. One of the islands I got to visit was a very remote island. Philippines is made up of over 7,200 islands and many of them are extremely remote. And I got to go to an extremely remote island. And on this island, we get to share our faith and encourage the people.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Rather than being all in. And the whole time we thought, well, we'll still win. We'll still win. We were behind and we come from behind and we're down a touchdown. But it's like, it's okay. We're still good. And we drive down the field, we score a touchdown and then supposed to kick the extra point and tie the game. They blocked the extra point.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
But then our defense goes out there and does an unbelievable job, gets a three and out. We get the ball back and we have a chance to score and win the game. And it's a fourth and one. And we call 96 Q Mickey, which is a Q power play. It's a, I carry the ball, it's downhill running. And very few times, it would be like our identity play. Very few times. that I can remember.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I'm sure there's some times we got stopped on it, but very few in four years, very few. If there was, I mean, if there was one play you said, we are getting this. It's I'm running behind some of our best offensive linemen, the pouncies and some amazing guys, and I'm running right behind them. And we're like, we get this. This is what we do. Like, this is what we train for. And I get stopped.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
and we lose and just the disappointment the shame and it's not just because we lose it's how we love right and knowing that i should have done something different i could have done something different i just wasn't as focused or willing to as i should have right so that is that a pride error is that because you said i think it's a pride i think it's a lackadaisical i think it's a um
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
taking it for granted. And after the game, I'm sitting in the locker for a while, probably over an hour, and I have to go do the press conference, talk to the media. And I just don't know what to say. I know that what I did was wrong. I just really believe that.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
But one of the things that radically impacted my life was I had the privilege of meeting a boy who was born with his feet on backwards. And because he was born this way, he was treated as less than insignificant and cursed. And he was a throwaway to the people there. And my heart broke for him.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Well, I also believe that's even scripture too. Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
So we also get to consider it joy when we go through trials, knowing that it's building, it's doing, it's working, God's working in us and through us, that it's not just a negative, it is a growing. Like we also think about when you wanna get stronger, what do you do? You literally tear down your muscles and they come back stronger. There is also such a fear for us about discomfort.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
We want to be comfortable. We want to find areas of comfortable. I want to work hard enough so we can have a retirement so that one day we can be comfortable, right?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Terrible goal, by the way.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I knew he wasn't a throwaway to God, but I just felt like God was pricking my heart saying, okay, then what are you gonna do about it? If you know he's not a throwaway to me and you know he's not cursed, you know that he's actually fearfully and wonderfully made, you know that he's one of one, he's loved, what are you gonna do about it? And I didn't know what that meant.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Because when we seek comfort, I really believe that we miss so much of other purpose and meaning and significance when we just seek comfort.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
That's right, they will not be satisfied.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I didn't know what that looked like in a practical. I just knew going down that mountain that day and leaving that island that I was somehow supposed to fight for boys and girls, to fight for people that couldn't fight for themselves. And I'm only, was it maybe finishing my sophomore year of high school. And I'm trying to figure that out. What does that look like?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I love that so much because it reminds me of one thing I love to say is we get the choice of living a have to or a get to life. Yeah, right. Like even for sports that you could see certain teammates, people I play with or against, their joy might be taken at times because they would feel like, man, I have to.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I have to get up early and you could see burnout versus those that, man, their mentality, even though it could get hard and disappointing and frustrating and there's trials and tribulations, but I get to do this. There's a difference. And in this faith journey, it's not a have to, it's a get to. And it totally changes the mindset. It changes the joy in it.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
The difference between, man, I have to go do this every day or I get to go do this.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Oh, so many. The one I just mentioned, the greatest among you will be a servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. That was one of the first verses I had to memorize. But then we started going through a lot of Proverbs that my dad really... believes in Proverbs and he would press it into us to the extent I'm so grateful.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I get through high school and college and we were involved in different ministries and orphan care. And my dad's a missionary. And so I got to grow up on mission field and seeing a lot of that. But the first thing I did when I graduated from the University of Florida was start the foundation.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Now randomly I'll be reading the Bible or I'll be with teammates or friends and we'll be looking at it and I'll be like, I didn't memorize this. And all of a sudden, because I had to memorize it to play games, even though I didn't want to, I had to to play and I would be willing to do whatever it took to play. And now I'll be like, wait a second, I memorized this.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Like it just, you know, the other day we were reading in Proverbs 5 or 6 and I'm sitting there and I'm like, wait, I know so much of this because I had to memorize it. Like, you know, go to the end, O slugger, observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief officer or ruler prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
O slugger, a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding your hands and rest and your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man. And you could keep going. And I don't even remember.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Let's see. Go to the aunt, O slugger, observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O slugger? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little floating of hands to rest, and your poverty will come like a vagabond or need like an armed man.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
A worthless person, a wicked man, is one who walks with a false mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals his feet, who with perverseness heart devises evil continually, and one who spreads strife. Therefore, his calamity will come suddenly, instantly, and there will be no healing. There are six things that the Lord hates, yet seven are abomination to him.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that win rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies." Okay, so that's a very interesting. I say that it's not because I wanted to memorize that. It's because my parents kept putting that in my head over and over and over again.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
So that specifically, you know, in this Proverbs, because my dad didn't want us to be lazy. Yeah. Go to the aunt of sluggards.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
For ways to be wise. And then you get to closer to the end of the chapter and you're saying, man, these are the things that the Lord hates. And so there was such a plan, my parents, in putting these thoughts in our head so that you would meditate on them, even though we didn't want to. But eventually when it's in your head and it's in your heart, God can bring it to your memory.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
with the mission statement to bring faith, hope, and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. When I wrote that, all I did was think about that boy, where he was in his life and what he needed to bring faith, hope, and love to someone in their darkest hour of need. To sum it up, it's to fight for people that can't fight for themselves.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
So it had some utility right away. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, if I treat someone a certain way that is wrong or mean or unkind, you know, that is, it's bad. I missed the mark on it. Like you don't like kids know the difference between right and wrong in a lot of ways that we have to sometimes feel like we teach them, but they know that, you know, that bullying is, is wrong.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Like at a very young age, you know that. You know being mean, you know pushing someone is wrong. But then there's other things that constantly work through or think about, or in meditation, you would think it would one day click. But that was one of my parents' hopes is that there would be the scripture put in your head and put in your heart, whether you wanted to or not, it was irrelevant.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
You were gonna memorize it if you wanted to play on the weekend.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
We would have to memorize before most games for a long time. And sometimes we did not always like it. We did not always want to. But it really made an impact to where now I'll be reading and I'll be like, oh, I remember that. I remember I had to memorize that. I'm so grateful to my parents. So, so like beyond grateful because I'm like, sometimes those... different scripture will pop in my heart.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Can I back it up even to my birth? There was issues with the entire pregnancy. The placenta wasn't properly attached. She had amoeba dysentery. She went into a coma. The doctor who had finally helped my mom give birth, he looked at my parents and said, I don't know how your baby boy is alive. And God's got a special plan for your life.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I would be playing a game and let another praise you and not your own mouth, a stranger and not your lips. Oh my gosh. And there would be so- That's a good one. Yeah, it's a good one. And there would be so much of scripture that would pop in my head and my heart, not as... less so after wins, even more so after losses.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And so many times I would also hear my mom's voice in my head, because my mom would also put scripture to tune and sing to us as we'd go to sleep.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And when we presented this and when we launched the foundation, there were some people that wanted to be supportive, like, oh, that's a good heart. Thank you, good intentions. But there are a lot of people that said, it's too broad. You won't be successful.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
My mom would always say, what's put in tune is remembered long or something.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It's a tool. It's a tool in that moment. And it's a truth in that moment that I can rely on. I get to remember my worth wasn't dependent on this game. My value is not dependent on this game. That in the highs, when everybody is saying, oh, congratulations, Timmy, that doesn't change my worth. But in the lows, when everybody is saying, Tebow, you suck, it also doesn't change my worth.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Like my identity. So your eyes are set on something above the game. Trying, trying. Trying to, trying to. Which is very hard. I remember at the University of Florida, it started out, we were doing really well my freshman year. I was getting to play, we were being successful. And one of my favorite parts was the gator walk.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
You would drive the bus up there and you'd get out and you'd walk and there'd be thousands of fans cheering for you. And as you'd walk through, it's awesome way to get ready for a game.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
All these people are going crazy as you walk into the stadium. But one of the things that started to happen to me was I would have all of these thoughts. I would even say like voices, like walking in, I would hear, I'd see people wearing my jersey And I would have these thoughts of arrogance, like, man, like you are somebody now. Yeah, right.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And then you keep walking and a mom or dad would say, hey, Timmy, just want you to know you're our son's role model. Right. Or you're our daughter's role model. And then I would have these other voices, these other thoughts. and really a shame of no, not if you knew me on my worst day, I wouldn't be their role model.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
You can't do all the things we were talking about because it started in orphan care and then a hospital and special needs and wish granting organization. And that's kind of how it started. And so many people, I even remember at our first press conference to say, this is our heart and our starting. And this is what we're calling the foundation. This is our mission statement.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Not if you knew my worst words, my worst actions, my worst thoughts, I wouldn't be their role model.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And how much you've missed the mark. And then you'd have thoughts of other teams and anger and pride. And then there always be near the end, always the cameras as you'd walk into a stadium, right? And even though they're not supposed to be there and they'd ask you these macro questions. Are you ready for the day? Are you ready for the world?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Whatever, you know, these big... And you would think, man, in the next three hours, I'm gonna be viewed and evaluated by most of the country. And it'll either be way too many people praising me for something I don't deserve or a whole lot of criticism. And you would have feeling like I'm not enough. I'm not prepared for that. I don't want to handle nor do I like that. And...
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I started with the old iPod thing back in the day. And I started putting on a song every time I'd get off the bus by a group called Casting Crowns. It's a song called The Voice of Truth. And as I would get ready to walk through the Gator Walk, I would hit play on The Voice of Truth. And it would say to the extent of the voice of truth tells me a different story.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
The voice of truth says, do not be afraid. The voice of truth says, this is for my glory. Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth. The voice of truth that I'm not defined by this game, good or bad. The voice of truth that I'm not defined by my sin. I'm not defined by my scars. I'm defined by his scars.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
The voice of truth says, this is just a game. You can compete. The voice of truth says, all of these things, and I'll make a list of God's promises and the truth so that when all of these things are calling out to me and I'll fail at a lot of them,
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I get to go back and remember the voice of truth, that I'm not defined by this game, that I was created in love, by love, and for love, that God has a purpose and a plan. That's not just something we put on bumper stickers as a catchphrase, but that I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. And you would go over all of these truths so you could remember that this doesn't get to define me.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
It's not earned or right or the ability to define me. King Jesus did that on the cross. That's what I'm defined. That's where I get to listen to the voice of truth. And it's so hard in life because we let so many things define us. And I feel like for me, I probably do that more than most because I'm naturally a people pleaser. baby of five.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I just, I always wanted my parents and my siblings to like me. I want people to like me. I would always be so like, my dad, he is just this courage. I'd be like, it's crazy. But so many people disliked him for it. And I remember early on at Florida, I was getting criticized by a lot of people. At least it was a lot to me. And I was reading a book, a lot about Winston Churchill.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And one of the first questions, but don't you think it's too broad?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And he had a quote in there where he said, if you have enemies, good. It means you stood for something at least once in your life. And I thought, what? How could it be good to have enemies? Like that didn't make sense to me. But you see, one of the things he understood in that moment was sometimes other people might not get it at the moment.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
They might not, but he cared more about doing what was right and living by his convictions and standing for what he believed was right than giving in so that he would be liked. And now you look at how people talk or the reverence or the honor they talk about Winston Churchill.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And that was so convicting and multiple things were convicting to me where it was trying to make the choice, okay, am I gonna choose? Am I gonna strive to choose my convictions or strive to choose what's right over strive to be liked? And it's still something I battle, but I work on daily because I need to, because I know that's an area where I fall short.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I think so. And my response to it was, this is what I feel like we're called to do. And every door that God opens that He wants us to run down, I don't wanna say, oh no, because we wanna be successful, we're only gonna go down this. No, we wanna get to as many hurting people as possible.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Thank you, brother.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And one of the ways that I like to share it is I knew when I got to that island and I met that boy that I love sports. I loved the game. I love baseball, basketball, and football. I love competing. I loved winning. I hated losing even more. I was nth degree competitive. And I had the chance to be somewhat successful at sports and win some championships and even MVP sometimes.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And one of the things that I really felt like was pricked on my heart and I don't even know Dr. Peterson if I could have explained it verbally then as much as it was just in my heart. But now the way I'd explain it was I was chasing trying to be my best and every now and then being the best and you could say chasing an MVP of most valuable player.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
But God pricked my heart that day and said, I have a more important MVP for you to chase. It's not the most valuable player. It's the most vulnerable people. Because they're worth far more than some other MVP.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
Do you know what happens when you hear that over and over and over again? You start to believe it.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
They're great questions. I would start with... My opinion on probably why they believed he was cursed in last thing is because that's what they had been told for a long time. That's what they had believed, that because he was born this way, he was cursed. And it was a belief that... that he was less than.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And actually to tell more of the story, when we got there and we gathered all the people to share with them, to share our faith, it was my opportunity to share. And I think it was probably around 1200 people was total in the whole village. And I actually saw three boys leaving. And you gotta understand, this is weird because the Filipinos love Americans.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
I mean, they were fighting to get as close to us as possible. They're so excited. They have visitors. Many would say, tell us that we're the first visitors that they had ever seen in their entire life. And so they're so excited. And I see these three middle school age boys leaving. And it just caught my eye. I'm like, why?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
People are, I mean, they're literally as close to us as possible as we're sharing. And I finished and I just had it on my heart. I want to go see about these three boys. Why did they leave? And to make a long story short, I walked around the corner and one of the boys came, was walking up to me and...
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
he grabs me by two of my fingers and I try to say hey to him, he says nothing, he just grabs me and he pulls me back to this tiny little bamboo hut and he walks in there and then I get on my knees and I crawl in there and I see the other two boys and one of them's sitting there holding a boy's hand like this and the other one's laying on the cot and it looks like everything's fine but then I see the boy laying on the cot, I see his legs, I see they're on backwards.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And it was really the first time I'd ever seen anything like this that close and personal. And so I get a little bit emotional, but I hold it back and I'm sitting there and I'm talking with these three boys and I'm sharing why we're there and God's heart and love for them.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And the whole time I just had to ask though, I don't know why, I just felt like I had to ask, why did you leave when everybody was so excited to see the Americans? why did you leave? And Sherwin is the name of the boy with his feet on backward and looks at me and said, because our principal really wants to make a good impression and impress the Americans.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I've been told my whole life that I'm not impressive. And I just knew that I was here now for a reason.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
They were. And I would say Sherwin radically impacted my life. But I also want to mention these two boys radically impacted my life too, because they weren't told to leave. They left because they were not going to leave Sherwin. So he didn't get to come to the group meeting. So he didn't get to come. He was shunned. He was there and they said, you need to leave so you don't disgrace everyone.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And they left too with him. And so then when I'm with them, our team comes and they've been looking for me. They found me in this bamboo hut. And they're like, Timmy, we gotta go. And I'm like, no, I'm never leaving. They're like, yes, you are. Let's go. And so as I'm getting ready to walk out, Sherwin says with such hesitation, but Timmy, would you carry me?
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I'm thinking like, dude, of course, like, yes, like no problem. So I pick him up. When I pick him up, one of his friends grabs a hand and the other grabs one of his feet and they hold onto him. They're so close. It made such a mark on me. And we walk out of the bamboo hut and there was some of our team and then some of the Filipinos.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And when I step outside carrying him, you could literally hear an audible gasp. And at first I'm thinking, what? Like looking around, but then I realized they were gasping because I was carrying the curse boy. And that's how they were still hearing, even though they'd also just heard the good news of the gospel, that God loves everyone. that every single one is fearfully and wonderfully made.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
540. Former NFL Player on Masculinity | Tim Tebow
And I'm carrying him through some of the crowd and you could see some of the people like almost watch them contemplating, wait a second, is he cursed or is he loved and valuable as the Americans were telling us? And you see some don't know, but then finally one of the elders of the village as we're walking by walks up and puts her hand on his shoulder as to say sort of, you're now welcome here.