Passion 2022: Tim Tebow opens up about the day he found his 'micro-mission' from God
Former NFL star Tim Tebow said at the annual Passion Conference that all Christians have the same macro-mission to “love God and love others,” but every believer has a different “micro-purpose” specifically designed for them to do good works.
Thousands gathered at the Atlanta-based Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Passion 2022 on Jan. 2-3, hosted by Passion City Church. Tebow, a sought-after speaker and author, spoke during the young adult conference’s Jan. 2 session.
In a speech titled “Mission Possible: Go Create a Life that Counts for Jesus,” the 34-year-old athlete told the crowd that the conference isn’t about Passion City Church, but about “teaching people to have passion for Jesus.”
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“Every single one of us has been given a mission by God, for God, and that mission is possible,” Tebow shared.
“You see on the macro, I believe every single one of us has the same mission: To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. … But, I also believe that every single one of us, we have a micro-mission — something that God has designed exactly for you,” he continued.
The former University of Florida standout cited Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship (or masterpieces), created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared before for us to walk in.”
“We have a micro-purpose, something designed exactly for you, that is only for you because before you were ever born, the God of this universe wrote a poem that in Christ Jesus is a masterpiece for good things for you to do,” he said. “And guess what, your poem is just for you. It’s only for you. There is something so unique and special that is just for you. In Christ Jesus, you’re a masterpiece.”
Tebow recalled how, when he was 15, he discovered his mission during a trip to the jungles of the Philippines. There, he met a young boy born with his feet backward. Because of his deformity, the boy was looked on as “cursed and significant” by his village.
“God opened my eyes and touched my heart, and I believe on that day, God gave me a micro-mission to fight for every little boy and girl around the world like him, to fight for every single person that the world has looked past, to fight for every single person that other people say, ‘They don’t matter.’ Because to God, everyone matters,” Tebow declared.
Tebow has engaged in various charitable efforts through his Tim Tebow Foundation, including partnering with CURE International to build the Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City, Philippines. The hospital specializes in helping children with clubfoot, bowed legs, cleft palate and other abnormalities commonly treated in the Western world. The hospital opened in 2015.
The Tim Tebow Foundation also has programs that benefit children with special needs and advocates against human trafficking.
The athlete read Mark 4:35-39, where Jesus fell asleep while in a boat with His disciples when a storm hit. Scared, the disciples asked Jesus, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus awakened and calmed the wind and sea. The disciples then said, “Who then is this that even the wind and seas obey Him?”
Tebow said he was struck that the disciples asked Jesus if He cared instead of asking Him for help out of the situation.
“I think in life when we are going through great storms, we don’t always question the power of God — we question the love of God,” Tebow said. “‘Does He really love me enough to get me out of this storm?’ Most of us would say: ‘Yeah, He can get me out, but does He love me enough to get me out?’”
But as Jesus demonstrated on the cross, He cares for “every single [one] of us,” the former minor league baseball player stressed.
Even after the calm, the disciples had “great fear,” Tebow said, and asked, “Who then is this that the wind and seas obey Him? Who is this?”
Religions worldwide have sought to answer that question, the speaker and author said.
“Some say He’s a respected rabbi and teacher, a revered prophet, one of many gods, or a great example for mankind, a wise and light man, a mere mortal moral teacher, a dead man and remains dead. But you see, as Christians, we believe what John said: ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,’” Tebow contended.
But Jesus is “not just a moral teacher” or “prophet” — He’s “our rescuer.”
“He’s our Savior. He’s our Peace. He’s our Ransom. He’s our Mediator. He’s our Forerunner. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life,” Tebow said.
“Who is He to you?” he asked. “I believe there are some people here where you haven’t answered the great question: Which Savior? But, maybe tonight is that moment.”
The two-time national champion shared his own conversion experience. He recalled how, as a boy, he would go to church and participate in Bible studies. But it wasn’t until he realized that he wasn’t “good” that he realized his need for a Savior.
“I couldn’t sleep. I woke up early the next morning and I ran to my mom and I said: ‘Mom, I got to ask Jesus into my heart,’” he recounted. “And she said: ‘OK, let me go get your dad.’ And I said, ‘No, we don’t have time.’ So, my mom got on her knees right beside me in the westside of Jacksonville, Florida, and I asked Jesus to come into my heart. And He did.”
At that moment, the son of missionaries said he went from darkness to light and was adopted into the family of God.
“He rescued me and I have a home in Heaven where I will live forever one day,” he said. “The Church is not a museum for good people; it’s a hospital for the broken. And I was broken and I needed a Savior. I needed a Healer. I needed a Rescuer. Jesus came through.”
Tebow encouraged his audience to say “yes” to Jesus, adding: “God’s plan is so much better than our plan.”
“Go home to tell your friends, tell them how much the Lord has done for you,” Tebow urged.
“When you understand the gravity of what you’re saved from, you also understand the depth of the love of God for you,” he added.
Not everyone will “be amazed” by the Gospel, Tebow warned, adding: “Probably, there’s going to be some people that don’t like you or despise you. That’s not the point. The point is, how will you respond?”
“As long as you have breath, you have purpose. As long as you have breath, you have a mission. ... I believe He’s got a special mission in store for you. How will you respond when He opens your eyes?”
Since the first Passion Conference in 1997, the ministry has encountered millions of students. Other speakers at this year’s two-day event included Louie Giglio, David Platt, Jackie Hill-Perry, Christine Caine and others.
Ahead of Tebow’s message, Brooke Ligertwood, Cody Carnes and Passion Music led audiences in worship. Pastor Levi Lusko also spoke during the session.
