Coach Rick’s Testimony Coming to Faith
You met the man behind the scenes of Saints, yet do you know how he came to Christ? How did God give him that vision? Well, this article will explore that and you will see Coach Rick’s coming to faith and being faithful to Christ while focusing on God.
Coach Rick grew up in a large family of eleven kids, all from the same mom and dad. He also was raised in a Catholic school and in his early twenties when he was a lifeguard he explained, “Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, I came to an understanding that there was more to life and God was really that answer.
“Over time there was a tugging at my heart a friend invited me to church, I went to New Covenant Church in Pompano. I don’t remember what the Pastor said, but I remember getting out of my seat to walk forward that day. It was 33 years ago, probably August of 1979 and I’m just privileged how God’s saved my life. I remember walking forward that day, and I knew He changed my heart I didn’t know all the details or what was going on.”
“Something filled my spirit within and it was the presence of God. I stood at that altar after the church emptied out. I was still standing there, I knew that I knew that I knew. It’s the real thing, it’s not Coca Cola, its Jesus who is the real thing.”
People who influenced Coach Rick
Throughout Coach Rick’s life, there were many people who contributed to his eventual coming to faith and knowledge of Christ. His parents and siblings who loved God and each other influenced him greatly. Also, one of his friends who was a lifeguard and a Christian.
“He was one of the nicest guys I knew he was one of the kindest men. I just knew he was a Christian, and the thing I saw about him was he was very real and very genuine. He was a good role model for me so when I made a decision for Christ, I eventually saw him five years later and when I ran into him again, I told him what a role model he was. Today we hope to some degree we get to show the love of Christ to these kids in a very genuine and real way here at Saints.”
Purpose is powerful Coming to Faith
Coach Rick knows he has an eternal purpose on this earth, and he was put here for a reason and a purpose. “The Bible says what we do here, we’re storing up treasures in heaven, so I realize that what we do here is not necessarily always about the here and now, but it is about the eternal. I know that I have an eternal purpose here on earth and that’s really special. It’s not about our bank account and our portfolios, but it’s about storing up treasures in heaven. There’s a beauty to that, there’s a peace and a challenge in that.”
What stood out to Coach Rick about Christians and what helped him in his coming to faith, was the fact that they were kind, gentle, and genuine. Even if they didn’t share Bible verses Coach Rick could see that their lives were different by the way they acted and lived their lives. After Coach Rick became a Christian, he got the opportunity to work for the Billy Graham Crusades.
Discipleship and sharing internationally and calling
Stephan Tchividjian discipled Coach Rick and even traveled to Scotland, England, and traveled Europe as counselors on the trip. His coming to faith was really strengthened and deepened by those types of experiences. Thirty missions’ trips later he feels as though God prepared him for Saints.
Coach Rick said that he believes, “I am living out the perfect will of God. I’m walking exactly where He created me. I’ve always had a desire to work with children, I was 10th of 11 and never had a little brother so to speak. I always wanted to be a big brother to kids, I know what that felt like. So God’s given me that opportunity, but again that eternal perspective, to share and show the love of Jesus Christ.”
Professions of Faith
There have been over 600 professions of faith with Saints. Incredible! God is using this man through the platform of sports to bring the next generation to Christ! Coach Rick also had a message for the next generation or millennials.
He said, “I would say to the next generation I would encourage them to follow Jesus. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has in store for those who love Him. He has an awesome plan for your life!!!”
Let your light shine before men: Coach Rick’s sister
Coach Rick went on to talk about his sister Ruth who also was a great influence in his life and in coming to faith, “As I was growing up, she had Multiple Sclerosis and throughout her 30’s which was my 30’s, she was bed ridden. She had children and she couldn’t walk, but she knew Jesus and she had the joy of the Lord. Looking on she had amazing joy, she could barely walk or talk, yet she had this amazing joy.”
Comparing his life to Ruth’s, Coach Rick had a lot of fun things to do. However, he didn’t have the same joy that Ruth had. He was in awe of the fact that while he was doing all these fun things and she was bed ridden she had more of a joy than he did. She just shined Jesus, “The Bible says, ‘Let your light shine before men’.”
Ruth’s joy was used by God to help change Coach Rick’s life. When Coach Rick was saved, she was the first person he called. “She was really the catalyst, because of her joy, God says He works everything together for good, she influenced my life, so I want to influence many lives in her honor.”
How do you find your calling?
A lot of people wonder what their calling in life is. Coach Rick has definitely found his calling, of working with children by creating the Saints ministry. “That’s the two questions we ask, why am I here? And where do I go when it’s over? Romans 10:9 says, ‘If you believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and if you confess with your mouth that he was raised from the dead then you will be saved.’ ”
Coach Rick went onto say that if he knew the plan that God had in mind he would have probably been petrified and wouldn’t have gone through it. He also talked about how God shows us step by step little by little over time to reveal His greater purpose.
God shows us one step at a time
“I knew that God had a call in my life to work with children, that was enough at the time, the Word of God says His word will be ‘A light unto our feet and a light unto our path’ sometimes he just shows us one step at a time. He doesn’t show us 20 miles down the road. He gives us little by little, but we are called to be faithful. I’m grateful that I took that one step of faith, another step, and another step.”
Concluding Coach Rick talked about how he wishes that he had followed Christ sooner, but how God’s timing is perfect, “At the end of the day God’s timing is best and I hope to hear one day, ‘well done my good and faithful servant.’”
I hope we can all learn from this story, what it means to come to Christ and that God’s calling on our life whether it’s big or small it has a purpose for God’s kingdom. I pray if you do not know Christ that you will consider Him after reading this story on Coach Rick’s life. If this is something you would like to do, please respond to this story and I will try to answer best I can or refer you to someone who can answer your questions.
