Chris Grainger: 1:38

Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leaders God intends you to be. I'm your host, chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, fellas, it is meet episode time. Let's get right into it, okay. So the scripture of the week this week is in the book of Zechariah, chapter 4, the 10th verse. It says Do not despair these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Love that verse, fellas. Take some time. If you listen, if you can go back and listen to the spiritual kickoff if you happen to miss it. That's where we take the time to try to simplify and apply that one verse to our life. And, as a reminder, we do that every day, monday through Friday, within our Lion Within us community, thelionwithinus. Go, start your free, daily spiritual kickoff experience, or jump into our community or apply for our leadership masterminds and I bring that up because we're talking to a true leader today Pretty honored to have Mr Don Beebe, former NFL wide receiver.

Chris Grainger: 2:37

You guys probably recognize his name Blazing speed, unbelievable work ethic and that never-give-up play, way back in the Super Bowl where he ran down Leon Lett from the Dallas Cowboys and took the ball out of his hand right at the goal line. Absolutely just an incredible story. Now we don't talk a lot about the NFL. Just going to be honest with you, we talk a little bit. It's not like we don't talk a lot about the NFL, just going to be honest with you, we talk a little bit. It's not like we don't talk anything about the NFL.

Chris Grainger: 3:03

We spent most of our time talking about his faith journey and how he, as a Christian man, has taken what God's called him to do and applied that wherever he found himself, whether it's in a Buffalo Bill uniform, whether it's in a coaching uniform, whether it's leaving his wife, whether it's taking care of his kids, wherever it's at. How that has just been a core part of his identity. And I'm telling you, it's a great conversation, tons of energy. It's just tons of just great stories. You're just going to love the stories. Don's kind of a natural storyteller as well, so hopefully you enjoy this one. Sit back and just listen to my friend, mr Don Beebe. Well, don, welcome to the Lion Within Us. How are you doing today?

Don Beebe: 3:49

Doing great. Chris, Appreciate you having me on your show. I always enjoy doing these.

Chris Grainger: 3:53

Oh yeah, Looking forward to connecting with you and hearing your story. Lots of people may know you already, but before we go to that, share something fun about you that maybe not many people know about.

Don Beebe: 4:08

That's a good one to start. I never really thought about things that people don't know about me. I'm pretty transparent. I don't have a whole lot to. I guess that if somebody was to want to know me, that doesn't know me on this show or whatever. It's a question that I ask every recruit that comes in my office. To be honest with you, I always my question is always name to me the top most important things in your life, in order top three, One of three. That tells me all I need to know really. Um, but if they were asking me that question, no question, it would be my faith in christ.

Don Beebe: 4:49

I've known nothing but my faith my whole life. I grew up in a christian home and and I knew who jesus was at seven and I knew I wanted to live for him and play sports, and that was kind of my mission in life and God just kind of opened the doors on that. So you know I'm a family man. Uh, my family comes second my wife and then my kids and then my extended family, which is huge We'll talk about a little bit more later but I come from a very big family, Right, and so I'm not. I'm not very complicated, I'm a pretty simple guy. I like the simple things in life and computers are not one of them. I struggle with computers, but that's okay. But yeah, I'm I, I, I, me. I just pray for three things every morning as I drive over to work. You know, I pray for wisdom and discernment and humility, and I just pray that God just fills me with those three things for the rest of my life, however long that is. Amen to that brother Amen.

Chris Grainger: 5:54

Well, you mentioned you know at age seven you came to Christ. It sounds like that was a pretty big part of your home life. Can you share what that was like? Was your dad and your mom? Were they primary drivers in pointing you towards the faith?

Don Beebe: 6:08

Yep, my dad is a living Abraham. You know he grew up in a very abusive home, to the point when he would tell the story. When he was 10, grandma and grandpa, his mom, mom and dad, got in this argument over the three boys, um, and the dad grandpa, said that he no longer wanted to be around the boys. They lived in the same house when my dad was 10 to 18. When he left the house at 18 and my dad, my grandpa, never said one word to my dad, um, and there's other things that went on in that home that was just abusive and it was this bad. But my dad got saved by a Gideon Bible reading a Gideon Bible, um, that was given to him one time and he just started reading it at 10 and he would tell you that he he kind of the prayer then that he wanted to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior, john 3.3. But he went through with no mentorship at anything and the home was awful. And then he was 24, and Beth, the oldest child. There's five kids. Beth's the oldest, my sister. Beth, the oldest child, there's five kids. Beth's the oldest, my sister.

Don Beebe: 7:25

When she came along, he just rededicated his life through a friend of his at the Northern Illinois Gas Company here in Illinois. He just rededicated his life. During that time he prayed a prayer that he was going to change the legacy of the BB name. He was not going to raise his kids up the way he was raised. He made a commitment to God that he was going to raise his kids up the way he was raised. He made a commitment to god that he was to take his kids to church.

Don Beebe: 7:44

Uh, every sunday, every wednesday, every sunday night, uh, we were going to church and um, and so, through that, just growing up in that atmosphere, I I didn't know anything other than jesus. At very young age we prayed together as a family. We went to church every Sunday and at seven you know, I grew up Pentecostal, so we had altar calls all the time back in those days in the seventies. And, um, I was just sitting there one Sunday night service and I was I'm a. I was a very introverted kid, very shy, didn't talk a lot. I was a very introverted kid, very shy, didn't talk a lot, especially when it came to public things.

Don Beebe: 8:23

It was very hard for me, but I knew I wanted Jesus. I knew I wanted to live for him. I knew I wanted to accept him as my personal Lord and Savior. So I went to the altar but I had to go with my Aunt Marian because she was one sitting next to me. I couldn't go by myself. Marian just took my hand and carried my hand up to you know, walked me up to the altar and I knew exactly what it was and I'll never forget it. My Aunt Marian just asked is there anything other that you want to ask God? And I said man, I would love to do or be something special in sports.

Don Beebe: 8:56

And it's just ironic how God has continued, even today, at 60 years old, keeps answering that calling. I tell people all the time, chris, I didn't play in the NFL because of me. I didn't play in the NFL because I had the talent. I played in the NFL because of my calling. God called me to play in the NFL and I just walked through the doors that he opened. So very simple life but yet a lot of trials, a lot of of ups and downs. God never promises it was gonna be hucky dory, uh. But just to end the, the family thing with my dad and why I call him the living abraham is his. His family now is extended from the five kids to 62.

Don Beebe: 9:41

Um, and when I was five, 1969, we start, we start taking this fishing trip up to Northern Minnesota. Okay, well, chris, this will be our 55th year. We leave this Saturday, june 7th. Uh, this would be our 55th year. Nobody's ever missed, except my dad. When he got COVID coveted 2020. We thought we're gonna lose him, but god said no, he's gonna live through it. And we, we thought he's gonna die, but he made it. And mom and dad are still alive, 87 and 86 years old, and they'll be making the trip again this year. And, uh, it's in every, every person that understands salvation in christ. Romans 10, nine. Every has a relationship with Jesus Christ, except one right now is struggling and, you know, is not living for the Lord. That's only one, um, but we're we're working on him Right, so, but that's a. That's just an amazing, a test, a testament to my father, um, and that's exactly what Abraham did, we to my father, and that's exactly what Abraham did. He was a man of faith.

Chris Grainger: 10:41

Wow, what a story. So 55 years, what a tradition. I can only imagine the things, the memories you guys have.

Chris Grainger: 10:48

Looking back from year one to where it is now. Yeah, yeah, it's pretty cool. That is awesome. That is awesome. Well, I mean sounds like obviously big impact on you and your family and the entire family, and the ripple effect is just huge, particularly when a man decides to lean in and lead his family well, the way your father has and the way you have as well. I'm also curious so you pray for that sports. Obviously, it came to fruition. When did you start thinking that this was going to actually be a thing you know, because everybody says I want to go pro, but there's a very small percentage that actually sees you know that to fulfillment. So when did it start becoming like a reality for you? Wow?

Don Beebe: 11:31

Good question. You know it's funny. I never talked about it to anybody. I knew it was late on my heart to play sports. That I did know, whether you know. Initially middle school and grade school, middle school I was a basketball junkie. I wanted to be the next Pete Maravich so I thought it would be basketball.

Chris Grainger: 11:51

Basketball okay.

Don Beebe: 11:52

Yeah, I didn't even like football. Matter of fact, football was horrible in our high school that I went to no tradition at all Great basketball school, track school. So I did all the sports, but going in, literally going into my junior year and senior year, both I just told my dad I didn't want to go off football. And my dad, as any wise man would and he's still one of the wisest men I've ever met said son, if you're not going out for football, you're going off across country, but you're not going to come home and not be in a sport. God's given you too much talent not to be in a sport. Yeah Well, he recognized that. And so I was forced my junior and senior year to go off for football. Praise God for good dads. That little push, yeah, you know, but he was. He was one that wasn't like you would think of a dad today. I never heard my dad say, hey, did you get your workout in? Hey, let's go. You know none of it. It was always centered on God and what is your calling and the talents that you have to use to glorify him. And that's what I knew. That's the atmosphere I grew up in.

Don Beebe: 12:53

So it was my senior year, chris, that a guy by the name of Coach Joe Thorgenson came into Caneland High School and became my high school coach my senior year and it changed everything and I saw how important a coach was and that's probably why I got into coaching now. But I just fell in love with it my senior year. We really had probably the best year in Caneland history up until that point, because they won state championships later on and it was just so enjoyable. I just knew at that point that I really wanted to play football. Now, did I know it would go to the NFL? No, gosh, no. Was it a dream to do that? Sure, sure. Even as a young boy growing up in the backyard, I used to love the Bears, chicago Bears and the Super Bowl. I mean it was a spectacle, I mean it was awesome, but it wasn't really, like you said, fruition. It didn't really come into fruition to me until literally after I'd played my two years of college football one at Western Illinois and one at Chadronron State, which was a really small NAI school in Nowhere Nebraska that a guy by the name of Bill Giles came through Nebraska Shadron State to tie me and work me out. Now Bill Giles was a combine scout, okay, okay, and what his job was was to go find the top 300 players in all the college all around the country and he was a Midwest scout and get them to the big show in Indianapolis. Well, think about this for a second how in the world is the guy from Shadron State, nai, division two, going to get invited to the top 300 college football players? Only Jesus Christ can do that 100%. So to his dying day, he never told me what I ran the 40 but he did tell me it was the greatest workout he's ever put a guy through and at that point time he had been doing it like 31 years. So I left a real impression on that guy, to point to the point that he gave me his highest recommendation of any other player that he ever scouted. And I got invited. I got invited to the combine, which was crazy.

Don Beebe: 15:02

And through those three days of the combine, chris, my life changed. Um, I went there complete unknown, had no agent, didn't even know what an agent was, didn't know I needed an agent. Uh, all I had was my old ASIC running or fishing shoes from high school. Uh, that were sold that. The right sole of the shoe was unglued when I walked, walked it flopped and that's all. I had to run the 40 in. I didn't have track spikes or anything like that. And um, and when I ran, I broke the all-time record in the 40 hour dash. I ran a 425 and a flopping fishing shoe yeah, it was the same, the same time that Deion Sanders ran that year. We both came out the same year, 1989. He ran a 45 and that record stood for 18 or 19 years.

Don Beebe: 15:46

Well, I don't say that to brag. I say that because that's what God does. God does amazing things to amazing people that are that will be obedient and listen. And I just I still didn't really realize what was happening. And then I got, I flew back to Chadron and the LA Raiders at that time they were LA and the Green Bay Packers were literally on my doorstep of the house that I was, or the little house that I was living in and I was like man, how'd you guys get here? You beat me back. I had to do 21,. There were 28 teams in the NFL that year. I had to do 21 personal workouts for 21 different teams over the course of the next month and a half and then I was landed up being the Bills' first pick in the third round. They didn't have first or second round that year, so I was the Bills' first pick in the 1989 draft.

Don Beebe: 16:34

And when I tell people that they're like that's crazy, it is crazy, god's crazy, it is crazy, god's crazy. I always say to kids there are no odds with God. So don't look at odds, don't even really set goals to a certain degree, because I think it limits you, it limits God. So I don't set goals. Whatever, the ultimate goal is that God has in store. That's the goal I want to do, that's the one I'm striving. So, um, I guess I just my story is very crazy, um, but unique and always, as much as I could, uh, centered it on him and I should never play in the nfl. And now that you kind of know just a brief, brief glimpse of the story, you understand, you get a little brief understanding why I love it.

Chris Grainger: 17:17

I love it guys, we're gonna take our first break and we're gonna dig into this a little brief understanding why I love it. I love it. Guys, we're going to take our first break and we're going to dig into this a little bit more. I've got something big to share. We're making a major shift because we know the battle is real and it's time more men had access to the support they need.

Chris Grainger: 17:34

For too long, guys have been trying to carry the weight alone pressure at work, tension at home, wounds from the past and a world that demands strength but offers no place to rest. We see it, we've lived it, and that's exactly why we built our community. It's a stronghold, a place where warriors can find rest, truth and a band of brothers standing beside them. And starting now, we're making it easier than ever to step in. We've lowered the barrier to just $15.99 a month. That means, for less than the cost of a drive-thru lunch, you can join a brotherhood that's centered on Christ and built for growth. Inside you'll find access to our daily spiritual kickoffs every Monday through Friday our Lion Lunches, our Bible Studies, our Friday Forge Gatherings all that and so much more. Every man needs a stronghold, and you don't have to fight alone If you've been waiting for the right time to jump in. This is it. Go to thelionwithinus and join the community and see for yourself what happens when iron truly sharpens iron.

Chris Grainger: 18:36

So, don, I'm super curious because you mentioned those three days at the combine changed everything and lots of guys. I think they would just focus on you know what. The result of the 425 and some old shoes. That's crazy, but speak to the guys out there. There was a. I can only imagine the level of intensity and work ethic that you had before. That that led up so that when those three days when God was ready to show up and show out and show you the path, you were ready to do what he called you to do. So maybe speak to that, because I'm sure there weren't. You know you didn't have big crowds when you were in the gym early in the morning or on the track or wherever you find yourself working out, but that's where the reps are put in so that you can show up when he, when he, calls you.

Don Beebe: 19:25

Yeah, I tell, I've trained athletes for a long time now and coach for 27 years, and the two biggest reasons why people don't make it boys or girls in sports or anybody in life in general but that's not even we don't even really have to talk about sports, but certainly in sports, because the pressure to perform in sports is it's just crazy, and mostly pressure, to be honest with you, sadly comes from parents, um and um. And so I always tell young the two biggest reasons why you won't achieve what you want to achieve is one you don't think you can. You've got to believe that you can and if you are fit and if you are saved, you have just trust that God has your back and and fully will open those doors and close those doors and thank God for unanswered prayers sometimes. And then to your work ethic has to be second to absolutely nobody. Okay, I mean you have to every day wake up with the passion to be better at whatever that is you want to be better at.

Don Beebe: 20:31

Right, I have this saying, chris, that I've kind of lived by. It's not that hard, but it won't be easy. You know it's not that hard to be a Christian man, but it won't be easy. Just get up every day and open your word, open the playbook to life, you know. But you know what we fail. We fail miserably all the time. But yet you just got to never give up. You got to keep going. You got to believe that you can and keep your work ethic going and your obedience going. God knows, you're going to fail, it's okay. Don't put the pressure on God, because Satan's going to put guilt in your heart and your mind that you can't do this. See, you failed again. See, don, you don't measure up. That's just not from God at all, that's straight from the pits of hell, right. So I've learned to stop being so guilty, and I know I'm getting a little off the beat, where I want to go with this, but this resonates so well because, you know, king David's story is just so powerful in this sense that here you see how much of a failure David was. He was a premeditated, an adulterous murderer, and yet he was a man after God's own heart. In Samuel I'm like, wait a minute, this that doesn't measure up, my, my mind, right? But yet you read Psalms 51 and it was very clear why he was a man after God's own heart. He just poured his heart out to God and said he was sorry and he was remorseful.

Don Beebe: 21:59

And so I always tell people that what's most important is your heart. Don't follow your heart, because your heart is evil. But God knows your heart. If you really really love him at the end of the day, you know you can't fool God. You can fool a lot of people In your small circles. You can fool them too, but you can't fool God. God knows your heart. Do you really love him when you wake up? Do you really love him when you go to bed? Do you really love them During the course of the day, when you're having a great day or you're having a really bad day? Do you really love them? And through all that, you got to love them. God knows your heart.

Don Beebe: 22:33

And King David really resonated that to me, because, you know, I thought of that. First. I was like, well, I'm better than King David. I mean, good night, this guy killed people. He's adulterous. Well, no, I'm just as miserable as David is Changed a lot of different ways. I'm just as miserable as he is, but yet I want to be that. I want to be a man after God's own heart. Man, that's who I want to be. I mean, what a powerful part of that story.

Don Beebe: 22:57

So, going back to the original question is I just tell athletes that if you're a Christian, first of all just trust in him. You know, my favorite verse throughout my whole life is Proverbs 3, 5 and 6. Trust the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he'll set your path straight. And boy, I look back on my story and I was like man, that's my whole story. You know, just trust in Christ.

Don Beebe: 23:22

And there's many times I could have gave up. I really believe God gave me the Leon Lett story, the Leon Lett play, because my whole life is that. I mean so many times I could have just gave up my whole story. I just could have gave up, but I, for some reason God wouldn't let me Right, and um and I would, and I wouldn't let myself because of that, because of his strength, not mine and um, and I just got through those tough days, because tough days are coming to everybody. Nobody's immune to tough days. They're coming. So the question is and I always say that you really find out the true character of a person and the true faith of a person when they go through those tough times. How deep is your faith? Because you're going to experience some tough times, man and boy, have I experienced them. But man, through them all, just trusted Christ, had faith that God was going to get me through it. And you know what he has every single time. Not one time, not one time has he ever failed.

Chris Grainger: 24:19

Amen to that. I am curious too, because when you look at the world, it has a very easy way of pulling us and making us drift. You get to an organization like the NFL and very secular, dominated by a lot of money, got a lot of women, got a lot of opportunities for stumbling blocks for men. For you as a Christian going into that environment, did you find it difficult to maintain your walk? I mean, how did you put? What boundaries did you put in place? Because we're talking about NFL, but it could be a corporate job. You know it's the same. You have the same type of stumbling blocks and opportunities the evil ones everywhere. So I'm just curious from your experience, what did you do to maintain that walk?

Don Beebe: 25:09

Well, I was very fortunate to meet my wife in kindergarten. Okay, so we were born in the same hospital. Eight months apart, we met in kindergarten. She's the only girl I ever dated. We started dating when I turned 16, when I was allowed to, which was going into my junior year in high school, dated seven years, we got married and so having a partner like her and I'll never forget this at our first um and she grew up in the church, Um, but she didn't know, she didn't know Christ was, you know, she knew who you know God was and that Jesus was just the son of God, and but she didn't have a relationship with Jesus.

Don Beebe: 25:50

And I remember our first date. I'm 16 years old, we're going to Pizza Hut for three hours and 15 minutes and really the whole conversation centered around my faith in Christ and I could never get serious. I really like you, but I could never get serious with somebody that didn't love Jesus more than me. And I was looking for somebody that really loved the Lord first. You know you have to be attracted and I was very attracted to her. She's a gorgeous woman, but that's just only skin deep, man, and that's only gonna last very short. You gotta know the depth of the person. The depth of the person is who they are, in their inner spirit, their being. And I wanted somebody that loved Jesus and so I started taking her to church and that was our dates for the time being.

Don Beebe: 26:32

And it wasn't long after that, Chris, she got saved and it was, oh gosh, it was a 10-9 moment. I mean, the second part of 10-9 is so powerful for me because I think people, if you confess with your mouth, I think a lot of people do, but the second part of that verse is the most critical part of that verse. You believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross and if you do, you shall be saved. That it just has to. Again comes to the heart. It's a heart issue, it's not a mind, it's not a feelings. Oh, I feel like I'm saved. No, no, I know that I am Right. Scripture says that you'll know and I knew you could just see the fruits. You know the spirit in her and Galatians. You know that she just exemplified everything I wanted in a, in a woman. And seven years later we got married. And now we've been married 37 years, five, four kids, five grandkids, and life is good. Life is good. So, um, I think she kept me centered all that.

Don Beebe: 27:33

I'll be honest with you, Chris, I never had an issue. I never the thought of the thought of even going to a bar to meet another girl or have you know, answer, uh, answer, See, we didn't have phones back then or in early my career, Right At the end of See, we didn't have phones back then or in early in my career, Right At toward the end of my career, we start having phones, but you know, to text somebody or to email somebody or something like that wasn't even. I mean, you literally would have had to write a letter to this person. Um, that that thought never crossed my mind. Um, yeah, so you know.

Don Beebe: 28:03

But I tell kids all the time you know I'm coaching college kids right now that's their main struggle is pornography and women and just the abuse of sexual immorality, and I try to walk them through what to do. And you have to set your standards and limits. You can't be alone in a house with a girlfriend, with the parents aren't around, or in your dorm room. You know you have to have covenant eyes on your phone and have somebody else that's holding you accountable another Christian brother. We talk about that quite often in our Bible studies and limit yourself. Learn to bounce your eyes when you walk in the hallways. You know, you just have to, Because those are things that Satan puts in your way and Satan tempting you is not sinning.

Don Beebe: 28:59

Acting on those temptations is where you start to sin. Right, so, you know, because they get tempted and automatically they just throw in the towel. No, you're okay, Just don't act on it. You know, because they they get tempted and automatically they just throw in the towel. No, you're, you're OK, it's just don't act on it. You know so because when you, you know, and I fell in this trap, man, when I was young Christian, my son fell into it too.

Don Beebe: 29:16

I wanted to be perfect. You know, I never wanted to sin and when I did, I was like how can I just keep calm? I can't be. This, you know, goes back to the david story. So, um, I just I never struggled in that area. I've had my struggles, certainly still have struggles. That was not an area I had struggle. Um, yeah, I never looked at myself. I knew exactly how I got to the nfl. Oh, yeah, um, was there prideful moments when I scored touchdown or when the press or the media would say you're so whatever. Sure, you get puffed up into it sometimes and, and being on the teams that I was fortunate to be on. But as soon as I prayed about it and yeah, God humbled me, humbled my spirit, Uh, and I knew exactly why I was there. I was there because God opened those doors. It was my plan, uh, his plan for my life, and I just followed it.

Chris Grainger: 30:13

That's awesome. I'm curious. Obviously such a strong man of faith, you had a lot of attention. Any stories come to mind where you were able to share the good news of the gospel or to bring fellow players to come and know Christ because they're seeing the fruit in your walk. I'm just I'm always intrigued by that, because you had a lot of influence, I'm sure. So I'm just curious how did the Spirit use that to potentially bring others into?

Don Beebe: 30:41

Oh, man, whew, almost well every week, for sure. I mean, I kind of made a mission January 2010. I just had a calling in my life that I would make a commitment to every person that God put in my path that I would just share the gospel with them. And so you know, have I missed some? Sure I have. I try not to. That's kind of my wife's calling too. Uh, we're both on a mission to just tell people about jesus as much as possible. Um, I, I've been studying eschatology since january 2010. So I'm just a. I love eschatology.

Don Beebe: 31:21

One-third roughly of the bible talks about eschatology. So why? Why not study it? So I did, I have been and I have not stopped studying it. I love it. It's a passion of mine. I have this yearning desire in me the imminent return of christ. Yep, I just wish people could truly understand how close we are, how, how close they are, whether you're going to live 40 more years or Christ takes us today in a twinkling of an eye. It's what scripture says. And there's so many views on eschatology. I mean, good night, you can get so many Bible experts, let's say, sit around the same table and talk about these things, and I'm like, how do you come up with all these different types of views? Is it really important? No, he's coming back eventually. I mean he's going to come back. He said he was and it's going to be. Why not now? Right, I mean, why not now? But I'm, but in January 10, okay, 2010,.

Don Beebe: 32:46

He woke me up early in the morning, 3, 27 AM, which is always my favorite time to get woken up, by the way, by the Holy spirit, because it's so quiet. I just went into my den and and God just started talking with me. I just started praying first and I started reading and I started worshiping and I started praying or worshiping Next thing. I know it's lunch. I was in there all morning and um came out, talked to my wife a little bit, went back in and I was right back into it till roughly about 9 pm. The whole day I just spent time with God, just because it was heavy. It was heavy.

Don Beebe: 33:21

I've never you know there's been many times I've felt the presence of the Lord. I've never felt it like this. When I shut that door of my den, chris, I tell some people that kind of scares them. They're like, oh man, this guy's weird. No, I'm not weird, I'm not of this world. I can tell you that that may sound weird to a lot of people. Scripture tells me I'm not of this world, I'm of God's world, I'm of god's kingdom and I'm gonna go home one day, soon, soon.

Don Beebe: 33:47

So I wrote these words down that I'll never forget. Uh, this is the latter part of that day. It was in matthew 24. Just started reading it through 24. What a great scripture. And it's where the disciples are talking to jesus, you know when you come back, and all about the end times, right, and I wrote the words down and god literally laid it on my heart to write these. And it says I'm coming back, tell the people. And I'm like, you know, I'm like 40 years old at this time. Right, I was like, okay, I knew you. I grew up pentecostal, so I knew god was coming back. I mean, it's just, that was just kind of the way of it, church then. But I said, okay, you know what? If this is the case, I'll start reading.

Don Beebe: 34:34

The first book I went to is Revelation. And to start diving into Revelation, I've read it, I can't tell you, over 100 times, easy, okay, the book of Revelation, that is the most marked up book in my Bible. Oh, by the the way, it's the only book of the bible, of the 66, that god promises you will be blessed if you read it and understand it and obey it. Yeah, when I read that, I was like, yeah, I think I'm gonna read this and I'm all bad, I want to be blessed by god, you know. So I started on this mission of just deep diving into scripture and finding out. You know, going back, it's just amazing to me. It's just amazing to me, chris, how the, how the old testament predestined and spoke and prophesied the new testament. I mean, yeah, this christ himself.

Don Beebe: 35:18

This was talked about hundreds of years ago, for he would come on a sunday, right there, uh, and there it is, on the very day that that it was talked about in the old testament yeah he, he walked in on a, on a naki, or drove in or rode in, however you want to look at it, um, and and there's so many other things and and what's happening in israel and what's going on right now is just unfolding right before our eyes and, and so many people, way more people, have their head in the sand, okay, and not studying this. Why it's not talked at the pulpits right now more than ever? I don't understand why not. I just don't understand it. Because it's coming. Christ is coming and again, whether you are a pre-millennialist rapture type person or you're not, or you're midterm or post, it doesn't matter. I mean, he's still coming, right, you're still gonna die, okay, so you should be preaching, you should be telling people you know that the imminent return of christ is coming. That's throughout scripture the imminent return of christ and um, and that's how I want to live my life and people always.

Don Beebe: 36:29

You know some people would say, you know, well, you know, I don't understand. I don't understand why you're doing this. You're just you know and I'm like no, you know what it's done. More than anything, it's given me this urgency to study more. It's given this urgency to share the gospel more. It's given the urgency to share the gospel more. It's given the urgency to grow in my faith more. If it does that, I think I want to keep doing that. A hundred percent man. I want to keep doing that. I don't want to be lukewarm. You know, I don't want to be the Laodicea church in Revelations 3. I don't want to be that guy. I don't want to be a part of that church either. I want to be the one that's on fire, preaching the gospel and leading people to Jesus' kingdom.

Chris Grainger: 37:09

Done. That's where I want to be 100%. 100%, guys. We're going to take our next break. We'll be right back. We're making a big change that I think you're really going to enjoy.

Chris Grainger: 37:22

I spend a lot of time thinking about our spiritual kickoffs and, honestly, I love doing them each week, so much so we started doing them live every Monday through Friday inside our exclusive platform, and here's the best part we decided to give full access, completely free, so now you can join our daily spiritual kickoff space at no cost. Now you can join our daily spiritual kickoff space at no cost. Every day, we go live to read the word, to encourage each other and find simple and powerful ways to apply God's truth to our lives. You'll even have the chance to engage with me directly, and if you missed a live stream, don't worry. The videos are posted the same day so you can catch up whenever it works for you. This is exclusive behind-the-scenes content that is not available anywhere else, and now we've removed every excuse. So if you're ready to get started, head over to thelionwithinus and grab your free access today.

Chris Grainger: 38:24

Let's grow together. Free access today. Let's grow together. I am I'm super curious. Obviously, the Lord laid that on your heart in 2010. So walk us through practically. Obviously a lot of study there, but what does that look like so far as how you're reaching out, Because so many guys get intimidated just by the thought of sharing their gospel or even their testimony. So I'm always looking for practical tips from experts like yourself on how do we actually put these wheels into motion and get over those first initial hurdles of getting a little inertia going here, Sure.

Don Beebe: 38:59

Well, the first thing, the very first thing, is it can't start with us. Okay, so I pray every morning on my drive over here God, bring the right guys here. Bring the right guys here, I don't care if they're a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Christian or Jewish, it doesn't matter. If they're supposed to be here, bring them here. If they're not, don't let them come Right. Okay, so it has to be his calling first. It has to be his, and then know full well that I'm never going to push my faith on someone, because then it becomes about my timing. No, are they going to know where Coach stands? Absolutely, are we going to quote scriptures team every day? Are we going to pray together every day? Do we have a Bible study every week? Do we have a spiritual leadership council led by players? Absolutely, we have all that. I mean the structure is all there for somebody to come find Jesus. No doubt. Do we have baptisms? Yes, we have.

Don Beebe: 39:53

The first Sunday in camp is Salvation Sunday. I explained to them exactly what salvation means. He had 82 people there, 82 football players at that first one last year and then two weeks after that is Baptism Sunday. Okay, for the ones that got saved, which last year there was 20 that got saved. 16 of them wanted to get baptized. Two weeks later let's go, and I mean so we go down to the river, the local river here, and the pastor of my church, pastor Pauline Scott, comes down with me. We baptize these players in the river. I mean, it's just phenomenal, and a lot of the team is on the shore just giving them, you know, clapping when they come up out of the water. Amazing, it's amazing.

Don Beebe: 40:37

So every player that's on this team, they know, they know where Christ they're, uh, they know that Christ is centered on this team. They know where coach is in this. Um, I don't allow cussing. I don't allow, you know, crazy music being played over practice. I just don't allow those things. The culture, okay, is very important. It could be toxic or it could be spiritual. Matter of fact, chris, you'll enjoy this. Thursdays is we play worship music on Thursday during practice. Really, who does that at football practice? Well, we do. And you know what, even the guys that don't even know who Jesus is or are very immature in their walk, they don't care, they actually enjoy it. You know, it's kind of fun. So when it all centers on Christ first and it's all about Christ and Christ initiates all these things. It's good They've learned.

Don Beebe: 41:25

When I try to do it on my own and I got this figured out, god it doesn't work out so well. So as I've grown in that as a coach and as a person, I've tried my hardest to just keep depending more on okay, what do you want to do? I was smart enough to put it in my contract that I can't get fired on my faith. But they knew that from the very first thing I said when we sat down to talk about if I was going to be the next coach. Very first thing I said to the athletic director and the vice president I said I'm a man of faith, I'm going to, I'm going to lead the Bible studies. We're going to pray together as a team. I will never force my faith on any kid. I just want you to know that I won't. I'll give you that. I said. But they're going to all know where I stand and we're going to have the all these things that we're going to pray together. We're going to pray for the game. We're going to pray every practice, every practice. We pray every practice. I tell every player I love every practice and they tell me it back. And I said are you okay with that? And they said we would love it. And I said well, just in case, I will put it in my contract. Be okay with that? And they were great about it.

Don Beebe: 42:29

And I've never had issues has there been drawbacks from people on campus and stuff like that. It's all, of course it is. Listen, if there's not, you're probably doing something wrong, right? Maybe it's too watered down there Because Satan hates it. Oh, satan hates it and I love it.

Don Beebe: 42:48

I have this thing to just a side note here. I have this thing, when I get up in the morning, that when my feet hit the ground and I'm going, you know, I don't need an alarm clock, don't set alarm clocks, I just go, whatever time that is, and I just think, oh, that Satan just said to himself oh crap, he's up. Oh, bb's up, that's great, here we go. So I want him to hate me, I don't want him to be comfortable, you know, because as soon as he is, then he's probably got you. So, with that said, to set those standards of how you do the program, it has to be centered on Christ first. It has to be led by Christ first. You have to find those really solid guys that are really that love the Lord. And boy, I'm telling you that's growing immensely on college campuses. It's been amazing. Last year was the best year by far. It was incredible.

Don Beebe: 43:38

Okay, and I'm not even talking about football. I care less about football Really. In reality, I'm a competitive guy and I want to win the football games, but that does not outweigh who I am in God first and who I am in Christ. So, but I just believe if you do it the right way, you're going to win more anyway. Because the answer that people want to listen to a winner Right, this is where we live in. They don't want to listen to a loser, they want to listen to a winner. And whatever winner has to say they think oh well, whatever they're doing, I want to do it Well, they're going to know full well where we stand in every interview that I do. God gets all the glory.

Don Beebe: 44:12

Certainly not me, oh gosh, no. And so I think I have. Here's another thing that I've done, Chris, and I've done this for the last few years actually, and it's worked out great. I have this Google doc that my staff just so you know, my staff did. I didn't know how to do a google doc, but my staff did a google doc for me that a play we call it the power hour that a player can sign up for one hour, you know, 9 to 10 am, let's say, on this coming thursday, and they can come in and talk about anything they want to about life, and and always it centers around, typically around faith.

Don Beebe: 44:48

Okay, they're struggling their faith or they don't know anything about faith. Uh, matter of fact, I had an atheist. We had great conversations with the atheist. That was very entertaining for me. Agnostic, I've had that as well, and um, uh, but if they talk about football, the conversation is over and they got to leave. They know that. So football never comes up, okay, it always has to center around their life and it's called the power hour and I get guys that sign up for that throughout the year and it's really cool. It's really cool, that's awesome, I'm super.

Chris Grainger: 45:20

I guess I'm just intrigued because the school that you're coaching at is in Illinois, correct? Yeah, rural Illinois. The school that you're coaching at is in Illinois, correct? Yeah, rural Illinois. So you're not in the Bible Belt. If you were at Liberty University getting approval like that, that's a different. You should get the nod there. But you're in a secular school in Illinois and got the approval. I mean, but God moment, right there, just for you to have the support from the administration. It sounds like.

Don Beebe: 45:45

Yeah, yeah, and the two presidents I've had since I've been here have been great, both women of faith. Our AD is a man of faith and so, but it's a school that was founded by the Advent Christian way back in the late 1800s, early 1900s. But they got away from that very quickly and it's certainly not a school of faith at all, but that's okay. There's a lot of kids on this campus that go to. We have, oh my gosh, we're a school of about 4,500. And I know of at least four off the top of my head of different. You know there's an encounter group FCA crew. I mean we have a lot of different. Uh, you know there's an encounter group fca crew. I mean we have a lot of different groups that meet in one of them. Uh, does they all do really well?

Don Beebe: 46:34

But the one of them just explode last year just exploded, and it's led by a former player of the 2019 our first year here who was very dark, oh man, he was very dark, but he just had a 180 transformation on a christian retreat in colorado and he gave his heart to christ and when he came back and told me his story, I mean, I it's been very rare that I've seen such a transformation of a 180, so dark, so light. It was so evident. Galatians 522. I was just like boom, there he is, man, it was, and he's leading that uh group called encounter and it's amazing. Um, so you saw a lot on on college campuses last year, I mean ohio state and notre dame even. I mean I mean just so many things going on these college campuses of revival. Well, there's a reason for that, just just, I believe there's a reason for that.

Chris Grainger: 47:28

Um, going back to what we talked about earlier god's moving, holy spirit's moving, he and he is I'm curious though because you to your point, because that's something that's come to my attention several times over the last couple years is the, the interest, the, the fire that that seems like there's just a craving and a desire. Like, for instance, I'm on the Bible app and I'm an author on the Bible app and they're getting ready to pass one billion downloads of that app with a B billion, and there's a fire for God's word and for the truth, and I think people, particularly in that generation that you're coaching, and I think people particularly in that generation that you're coaching, they're searching for something that's firm, that's true, that can't be refuted, and it sounds like so many are turning to God's word. I'm just curious. It sounds like you're seeing that even more and more with your players and the kids you're interacting with, I have you know.

Don Beebe: 48:24

You know, chris, it's, it's. You've hit a very important thing that's going on in our country today, in our world, really, um is, you know, since COVID? Okay, um, you know and I'm not going to get political here, but, but I will say this that college campuses are tired of the lack of truth, they're tired of being lied to, um, and they want to know the truth. Well, the only truth is the bible. Yeah, plain and simple. I mean, there is no other truth like the bible. There isn't. And they're finding that out.

Don Beebe: 48:58

Um, to the extent you know it's, it's literally going back to the tent meetings in the 60s and 70s, really, with Billy Graham, you know, crusades and what Laurie was doing, greg and out there, all the baptisms that were going on during that time. Oh, yeah, it's starting to get back to that, because people are wanting the truth, kids especially. That generation is wanting the truth. And boy, what a big open door for me to speak the truth. And then I talk about the. You know, if this Bible that we read isn't true, well, they're more all duped, right, okay, um, but it is true. And then I go through a short little sermon to why it is true, true. And then I go through a short little sermon to why it is true. And you know, more than a carpenter is a great book by Josh McDowell and um, and he, he has some great stuff in there that talks about the history of the Bible and, historically, why it is true. And if you go over the period of 1500, written by 42 authors, and they're all saying the same message, I mean, my goodness, and just start there, you know, know, how is that impossible without, without the holy spirit and um, and and all the things that were prophesied that have come true? Uh, never. I mean, just think about this logically. I mean we all got common sense in some form of logic to us right that over thousands of years, all the people that have tried to prove the Bible wrong have not found one thing wrong. As a matter of fact, most of them got saved. You know Case of Christ there, just to start with that movie, you know, and Lee Strobel, that was a devout atheist and his wife was saved, and the whole story. I mean what a great movie and story. Oh, yeah, yeah, and atheist and his wife was saved in the whole story. I mean what a great movie and story, yeah, and then lee lands up getting saved.

Don Beebe: 50:50

Josh mcdowell was an atheist and he was just like he has set out on a mission. He was going to prove to everybody that he talked about jesus, that they were wrong, they're crazy and everything like that, and he came away saved. I mean just powerful statements like that and just the disciples alone. You're telling me that they met this guy, knew him for a few years on earth and then all of a sudden, they're gonna die for him. That's right. I mean, come on, man, no, nobody does that. That doesn't even. That doesn't even form any kind of logic or common sense.

Don Beebe: 51:18

Okay, but when you really deep dive into it, and then you, then, when you accept him and see the transformation that happens in your, in, in you as a person, oh my, and then you keep digging, you keep digging and you keep digging, and I'm never gonna stop digging until he takes me. I'm not going to stop digging, I just want to know more. I can't get enough of it, you know. So you keep digging and and you're finding out more truths and more spiritual things and you feel so much at peace and joy that so many people try to find in this world that they never can get. Sports is not going to give you a Super Bowl championship. Not going to give you $10 million a year. It's not going to give you three gorgeous women as wives. They're not going to give it to you. It's not going to happen. You're never going to find it anywhere in this world. So stop trying. Get going to happen. You're never going to find it anywhere in this world. So stop trying. Right, get on your knees, accept Jesus Christ, your personal Lord Savior, and watch how he works in your life, and then you'll start to find that true peace and joy. Wow, man, that's where I want to be, you know.

Don Beebe: 52:17

So, anyway, it's just, I know what my mission is. I love that I got into coaching because I think it's a tremendous profession to share the gospel. Oh, man, every day I got a new team. Or every year I got a new team. Oh yeah, there's going to be 70 new freshmen coming on our campus here in August 70. That's 70 new kids I got to talk to Jesus about.

Don Beebe: 52:39

Right, I always envision this and this is the last thing I'll say until you know your next question, or whatever. This and this is the last thing I'll say until you know your next question or whatever, but I always envision this that what's all sudden done and I'm in heaven, right, or I'm, I believe in the millennial, so I believe in the thousand millennial here on earth. Okay, uh, without doing a deep dive into that, then I'm just walking here with, with, with the lord, me and jesus, just walking along, and all of a sudden someone comes up the other, come on that path that I'm walking or wherever I'm at, and says two words and says thank you. Looks at me. I mean, obviously, if I'm with Jesus, I got to talk to him first.

Don Beebe: 53:15

But if I'm just by myself, let's say they say thank you, and I don't even know that guy. I don't know that woman, I don't know that kid, that child, I don't know that kid, that child I don't know. And, uh, but they heard me speak at some place, or you know, I was a coach for them at one time, or whatever, I don't know, I was on. They heard this podcast, you know, and they accepted christ as their savior and I met him in heaven. Their family, their family, and that drives me, doesn't scare me, it drives. Yeah, what a cool thing. That'll be.

Chris Grainger: 53:45

What a cool thing for sure. What a testimony don. This is incredible. It's like you're just making such a massive impact. What do you think god's calling you to next? As you, as you, you're coaching, where do you think that he's? He's, what direction is he having you?

Don Beebe: 54:01

on. Yeah, um, the mission is still the same since january 10. I don't think that's going to change. Tell as many people as I can. I can't tell them more than God wants me to. I don't want to fall into that. I got to keep doing this and keep doing this and then I get so busy that I neglect my wife or my grandkids. No, that is my first responsibility as my wife, and then my kids, and then my grandkids. Those are my first responsibilities, so I don't want to neglect that. So those are what pastors do. Pastors do this a lot. They take on so much they forget their own family. Right, and that's why you see so many PKs so messed up. Yeah, you know, I don't want to be that either. That's the flip side of it. So I'm just in the sense of I don't want to do more than God has me to do, but I certainly don't want to do any less too. You know. So my mission is God always put the people that you would want me to share the gospel with. Today, this is being one of them. By the way, this podcast here that we're doing today is one of those avenues, and you know, just praying before we come on to this, that God would use this to just be an impact for his kingdom. That is my only mission.

Don Beebe: 55:10

Listen, you know, when it comes to football, and do I want to do? I want to win the national title, sure, but I want to do it all for his glory, right? You know the self-indulgence of Super Bowl, rings and money and NFL. I never really got caught up into that. To be honest with you, I got six rings, just so you know. You get one.

Don Beebe: 55:33

If you win or lose, you get a ring. And if you saw all six of them together, you think you couldn't pick out which one was the world champion one, because they're all gaudy. Okay, they sit in a box in my basement and collect dust. Now I don't say that it was a great time and I loved it and I loved the organization and the fans and the guys that we did it with. It was a phenomenal time. I mean awesome. But I truly understand what's important and it ain't those rings. It ain't those rings. And you know, to be honest with you, I wanted to sell the rings because they weren't doing anything for me. I wanted to sell the rings for my wife and my kids saying no, so I'm going to I'll hand them down to the kids and grandkids, if it gets to that, which is fine.

Chris Grainger: 56:17

There, you go. There you go. Well, this has been great. Before we wrap up, we love to do a little lightning round at the end, just to have a little fun before we call it a day.

Don Beebe: 56:26

Yep Love it.

Chris Grainger: 56:27

So what do you enjoy doing for fun, any hobbies that you have? Obviously, football is pretty high on this, but what else?

Don Beebe: 56:34

I enjoy fishing Lakes, I'm assuming lake fishing. Okay, lake fishing, yes, definitely lake fishing. My favorite time hands down is those two weeks in Minnesota with the family, and at five in morning. I go out at five in the morning every morning, before the sun comes up. The sun comes up at about five, 15 in Northern Minnesota. That's time of year, okay, I'm always in my boat, Don't even take my gear, I just go out there and it's just me in this boat and it's quiet, and I start praying and I start worshiping. I'll cry there and it's quiet and I start praying and I start worshiping. I'll cry. There's be times, chris, that I'll be standing in the middle of a boat in the middle of the lake, just my arms raised up, just worshiping, and people probably think I'm crazy when they're having their cup of joe on their deck at their cabins and I'm out in the lake with music worship, just going crazy. Michael W Smith is my favorite by far. So you know those are my favorite times. That's what I love to do. I love to go fishing with my family and the kids and grandkids now, and just that. That's good. I love doing that.

Don Beebe: 57:33

I love to golf. Just grew up golfing, you know, when I wasn't much of a golfer until I made professional and those guys, that's all they did and it's it's a lot of fun. We had a good group of you know, eight guys or so that would play. So it just brings good times of camaraderie and I got some really good friends. We just did a father-son retreat this past Memorial Day. We've been doing it for years, so my son, chad, who lives in Nashville, he drives up, and my brother and his son and two of our friends and their sons, and we do a four-day golf event and just have a great time with each other.

Don Beebe: 58:10

Uh, you know, over the holiday weekend at his cabin up in michigan, and so it's just. You know, those are, those are the times. Anything that's centered around family and close friends is what I want to do. Yeah, you know, I love the teams that I coach. Um, they're my, they're my extended family as well. Um, I hope they know that and I think they do. There you go, but that's you know. And other than that, I mean spend time of lord. There ain't much more time in the day for me there you go yeah what uh?

Chris Grainger: 58:39

so what nfl team were you pulling for? Now you still pulling for the bull, the bills yeah, yeah, good question.

Don Beebe: 58:45

I always say this is that if Green Bay was playing Buffalo in the Super Bowl, I'm pulling for Buffalo because Green Bay's won it four times. Buffalo never has and Buffalo's been so close so many times. I want it for Western New York people. Every Bills fan in the country deserves a Super Bowl championship Right. And so not that I'm not a Green Bay fan because I am. I love Green Bay, I love the fans there as well and had a great time. I'm pulling for Buffalo to win a Super Bowl.

Chris Grainger: 59:13

There you go. When he chased down Litt, was that one of the memory?

Don Beebe: 59:21

the core memories from the NFL that you always look back on. You know, for me it didn't mean a whole lot when it happened, but I always say this, and this is the story I always tell when I because here we are, 31, 32 years later and somebody sends me a letter at least one letter a day, or multiple usually, or I'm talking about this play every single day for 32 years. I'm not sure I can remember a day that that hasn't happened. But that's God. That's God Because an hour before that game, chris, I went out. I had most of my game uniform on game pants, game shoes and my shirt that I was wearing my pads, his game, his paying your gain shirt. And I remember this prayer, like it was yesterday. My prayer was very simple and I always pray before every game, but this one meant something, and now I know why, but I didn't at the time. As I said, lord, today, unlike any other day in my whole career, let today be the day that I glorify your name more than ever. I'm on the biggest stage possible in sports. Let today, let me be used today to glorify you. Now, honestly, selfishly speaking, chris, I got up and I thought there was no. This is the third soup bowl now on the road for buffalo. Yeah, and there was no doubt in my mind I was going to catch the touchdown, to win the soup bowl. I mean, I felt so good that I was going to catch the touchdown. I would have been a hero in western new york, right? No, god gave me the outlet in a blowout game.

Don Beebe: 1:00:45

But I always say this how many people on this podcast or in the stages or the audiences that I speak can relate to scoring a touchdown in a Super Bowl? Nobody, all right. How many people can relate to never giving up? Everybody in that audience, everybody, everybody listening today, can relate to never giving up, and my encouragement to every person is get on your knees. When you're going to go through tough times, the very first thing to do. Don't get angry, don't get upset, don't point fingers. Get on your knees and start praying God. Why is this happening? Help me to understand God. What is going on, right? Help me to get through this Lord. Get on your knees and start praying fervently.

Don Beebe: 1:01:22

First Thessalonians 5.17,. Pray without ceasing. Pray, pray, pray. It's our first opportunity to fight Satan is prayer, and so do it. And so God gave me that. And you know what, as I look back on this and not every Bills fan that's going to listen to this is going to be happy with what I'm going to say, but I'm going to say it anyway If I was to go back in time and had the opportunity to score the touchdown, to win it, as opposed to the Leon Lett play, which one would I take? I'd take the Leon Lett play all day, and why? Because of the big picture. See, the small pictures are here now. The glory and the success and the feelings that we get today is fleeting. It's gone in a vapor, but the leon, let play is forever, it's eternity.

Don Beebe: 1:02:09

It's the big picture that's what my focus is on.

Chris Grainger: 1:02:11

I'll take it all day. Amen, amen. What do you think about god don? What's your favorite thing about him? About?

Don Beebe: 1:02:16

god, yeah, just his love. I mean, god is love, but god is also righteous, you know, um, and so my thing is I don't want to disappoint him. I know that I do, and so my heart is it's like your own dad, when you do something wrong and he has to spank you. You know you feel bad that you disappointed your dad. Well, that's God's my father, and so I don't, I don't want to disappoint him. Yeah, okay, and that's how't want to disappoint him? Yeah, okay. And that's how I, because I know he loves me. Whether I do bad or good, he loves me anyway.

Don Beebe: 1:02:52

I don't understand that, and hopefully he can, you know, explain that to me one day. I mean, I get it to a certain degree, but not to his level, I don't. And but it has taught me, though, chris, to love others that I don't want to. But it has taught me, though, chris, to love others that I don't want to. Amen. You know that have hurt me deeply, and I've always said this, and I tell this to my wife all the time the greatest love that you can show somebody is when you know they don't deserve it. But, most importantly, they know they don't deserve it, but you give it to them anyway. Right, that's exactly what Jesus did for us, and that's what I want to do, and that's what I want to do and that's what I want to think of my father is. I try hard not to disappoint him.

Chris Grainger: 1:03:27

Love it, love it. What about the evil one? What's your least favorite thing about him?

Don Beebe: 1:03:31

I laugh at him. You know, my least favorite is that he could care less about me. He could care less about me and because of that I got no patience. No, you know, know, I don't want to let him win on one thing. Even though he does one day, he won't. Oh, there's going to come a day he's going to lose big time, right, you know? Um, but he wins sometimes in the battles, but he's not going to win the war. That's the way I look at things. He'll win a battle here and there. He'll get me right. I'll do something stupid or say something dumb or think something stupid, and you know, but he's not going to win that war, not going to win it. So I laugh at him and, to be honest with you, I feel sorry for him. You know, I feel sorry for him that he was that prideful that he had to walk out on God and that very smart move, you know, and pride got him Pride got him, pride got him, and I don't want pride to get me.

Chris Grainger: 1:04:31

Well, don, what do you remember? Last question for you what do you hope that the listeners remember the most from our conversation today.

Don Beebe: 1:04:36

Well, that you know. It's not about Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. It's not about Aurora University or Aurora Christian, where I coached in high school. It's not about the championships. It's not about Aurora University or Aurora Christian, where I coached in high school. It's not about the championships. It's not about fame.

Don Beebe: 1:04:49

I tell people all the time when I first take the mic and I stand in front of people listen, look at me as just a man like you. I'm a common guy. I'm not complex at all. I'm not the NFL player. That's not who I am. That's what I did. Who I am is a man of Christ and uh.

Don Beebe: 1:05:06

So I just want people, I want to bring myself down to their level of thinking that I'm just a common guy, right, you know? Um, I'm not. I'm not what people put people on top of. I I don't. You know, I've met Michael Jordan. I've met a lot of different people like that. I'll be honest, it was just another guy. Yeah, hey, mike, how you doing it was great. I just never have gotten caught up into what the world thinks is important and I hope I never do Right when it comes to money and stuff like that God blesses me, no doubt, and I thank him all the time for that. But I want to give him all the glory for it. So when people are listening to it, I hope they take away that it's not that hard, but it won't be easy.

Chris Grainger: 1:05:50

Amen brother, whatever that is. Well, where do you guys go to connect with you? Obviously, you have books and things. Where do you want them to go to learn more about those resources?

Don Beebe: 1:06:00

Really, the only place is DonBeebycom they go to DonBeebycom place is donbbcom they go to donbbcom. Um, you know I do have three books that one I was uh co-authored, which is the biography on my life story. That's turned into a movie, run for glory. Now that comes out at the end of uh 2026, early 2027, I can make the announcement that my son agreed to play me in the movie and it just got confirmed yesterday, wow, which is pretty cool. So this is the first publication that that has been known. Uh, out there that chad will play me very good, uh.

Don Beebe: 1:06:32

And then two other books that I was inspired to write this past year. Uh, the first one is never give up. It's about, uh, it's centered around things that have happened in my athletic career as a player, uh, but it could apply to anybody in life. And the first one is what we talked about, the Leon Leppley never giving up. How did I use that time period to grow for one and affect other people? And then the other book I wrote was in his image, a Father's Devotional about what did I go through as a father? Some very hard times as a dad, but how God had got you through it scripturally and how sovereignty just was amazing. I mean, I just still stand in awe sometimes how he does things, you know, but he always does, he never, fails never.

Don Beebe: 1:07:22

And people will say, well, you know, because I do this sermon, uh, during the course of the year too. Why do bad things happen to good people? That's a great sermon. And then I mean, just why do bad things happen to good people? First off, we've got to believe that we're not. Are we good people? Right?

Chris Grainger: 1:07:35

That's where I always go.

Don Beebe: 1:07:36

That's what's the definition of a good person. Um, because I Christ they are. They got to believe that with Christ they are good, you know. And so, um, you know, I wrote that book and they've. It's just been. It's been great to be able to share the gospel and share, help people through these and just hear the testimonials and people emailing and feedbacks on that is just it's, it's great, you know, and it just shows that it's it was worth to write and do.

Chris Grainger: 1:08:09

Amen, amen. Well, don, this has been an absolute honor. Make sure to go check out that. Link out, fellas. Anything else you'd like to share today, sir?

Don Beebe: 1:08:15

No, I just appreciate, chris. Uh, just keep spreading the gospel, I'm sure we'll see each other soon in heaven. Okay, whenever that is Um and about, because we're going to have the rest of our lives to do it, isn't that great. What an awesome time that's going to be Amen to that.

Chris Grainger: 1:08:31

Well, thank you so much sir, thanks, chris.

Chris Grainger: 1:08:37

Most men are fighting battles. No one sees Strange marriages, silent wounds, pressure to lead without a place to rest. That's why we created our community to help build, strength, sharpen and support brothers just like you. And now it's even easier to join than ever. We've lowered access to just $15.99 a month. Immediately, you'll get our daily spiritual kickoffs, our Bible studies, lion Lunches, friday Forge and so much more. Every man needs a stronghold and you don't have to fight alone.

Chris Grainger: 1:09:11

Join today at thelionwithinus that's thelionwithinus and get started today. All right, guys, I told you that was going to be a good one, don, what an incredible testimony. His wall kind of just. He was so humble before we recorded, even after we recorded, just wanted to make sure we did all we could, all he could, rather to just glorify God and hopefully enjoyed listening to his stories. Wow, what a testimony.

Chris Grainger: 1:09:39

So the question of the week this week has been where have you let fear of insignificance keep you from obedience? And that fear, fellas, that can hold us back. It can be a really a stumbling block for us. So if that's a big part of where you're at right now, you need support, you need help. Reach out. Even if you don't reach out to the lion, reach out to someone and let's talk about this. Let's just go ahead and flush out all the lies and start walking in the truth. So hopefully you guys enjoy this stuff.

Chris Grainger: 1:10:10

Look, come back on Friday. We'll have our fun Friday episode. Connect with us at the lion, within that us, where you find our Bible studies from you version, you can find our daily spiritual kickoff, you can find our community, you can find our leadership mastermind, all the different ways that we serve fellas all at the lion within dot us. If you want to give us a rating and review, that helps. If you want to be a donor of the show, you can go to the line within dot us, slash donate. You can connect with us right there and just be a. Maybe you want to set up as a monthly contributor to what we're doing. If we're encouraging you and you're walking your testimony and you want to support us, that would be amazing. So all those resources are found at thelionwithinus. All right, guys, get after it, have a great one. We'll see you back on Friday and just keep unleashing the lion within.