Bill Glass Champions For Life

Chris Moody - 2011 Beaumont Weekend Spiritual Enrichment

2011-12-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

Chris Moody, pastor of First Baptist Church Beaumont, speaking at the Beaumont Weekend of Champions Spiritual Enrichment session.

Bill Glass - 2011 Orlando Weekend Spiritual Enrichment

2011-09-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ministry founder, Bill Glass, speaking at the Orlando, FL Weekend of Champions Spiritual Enrichment session.

C.F. Hazlewood - 2011 Huntsville Weekend Spiritual Enrichment

2011-04-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

C.F. Hazlewood, pastor of Fellowship of Huntsville and Director of Agribusiness for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, gives the message at the 2011 Huntsville Weekend of Champions Spiritual Enrichment.

Fading Glory or Eternal Glory - Encouragment on the Run! by Bill Glass

2011-02-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, as I watched Green Bay win the Super Bowl and receive the Lombardi trophy, I was reminded of when I was fortunate enough to be on a team that won the World Championship in 1964. The celebration of the Packers players after the game brought back fond memories of my experience with Cleveland over four decades ago.

One of my good friends and teammates on that special day was Paul Wiggin. In that championship game, Paul played left defensive end, and I played right defensive end. Paul had a great game that day, and over his career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl twice, and played 11 years with the Browns. He spent a lifetime around football. After he retired as a player, he had a successful career in coaching, including Head Coaching jobs at his alma mater, Stanford University, and also with the Kansas City Chiefs. And after he left coaching, he began to work for the front office for the Minnesota Vikings. You could say that Paul knew as much about football as anyone. And yet, that Championship game in 1964 stands out as the greatest memory in his life. Terry Pluto (Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter with the Cleveland plain dealer), in his book Browns Town 1964, quotes Paul as saying:

“If you were to ask me what was the greatest feeling in my life, it was winning the championship. I don’t wear jewelry. I don’t even wear my wedding ring. But for years, I wore that championship ring. My wife asked me why, and I tried to tell her that for one moment in my life, nothing has ever meant that much to me as that championship. It only lasted a short time, but to have that feeling about being the best in the world...” Reflecting on that day, Wiggins continued, “As I walked out of the Stadium that day, there was a telephone pole. I wanted to climb that pole and just yell to the whole city of Cleveland that I was part of the best football team in the world—and I know that the city would have understood what I was talking about. We had a group of guys from Georgia, California—you name it. White guys, black guys, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except on that one day, we came together and did something very special. I have spent the rest of my life in pro football trying to duplicate that feeling, and I never have."

Paul was normally much too sophisticated for anyone to even imagine him climbing a pole, and shouting from the top. But, on that day, if he had asked me, I would have joined him, and climbed that pole with him. Like Paul, that World Championship was certainly the highlight of my years in pro ball as well.

However, as wonderful as that day was, I am also reminded that the glory of that day was temporary and fleeting. In fact, if you watched any of the post game interviews after the Super Bowl this year, you may remember hearing the broadcasters already talking about next year.

The Romans seem to have understood this as well. Military historians tell us that when Roman generals came home from victory in battle, there was always a huge parade of celebration. Marching in the parade were the cavalry, foot soldiers, conquered slaves carrying the spoils of war, and then came the victorious general in a golden chariot in full parade battle dress, preceded by trumpeters bugling his triumphant return. But historians tell us, that a slave would ride behind the general in his chariot and repeat over and over again, “All glory is fading!”

I have a whole room full of trophies and memorabilia from my college and pro career. But I’m quite sure that after I die, you will be able to pick them up cheap in a garage sale. “All glory is fading,” except the glory that comes from the Lord (II Corinthians 3:6). As great as the World Championship was, and all my trophies and accolades, in the end, it is all simply “fading glory.” Peter says it this way, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall” (1 Peter 1:24).

God has so much more in store for you and me than the earthly glory that this world offers. Paul tells us that God has a glory for us that is not fading, but ever-increasing (2 Cor 3:18). Peter talks a lot about glory as well. He says that “the Spirit of glory and of God” rests on us, and that we have been called to “His eternal glory” that will “never fade away.”

I am so blessed that God has given me the privilege of spending most of my life in pursuit of His eternal glory, and not my own fading glory. As Paul tells us, God is passionate about “bringing many sons to glory.” God loves people, and He says that the fields are ripe for harvest, and He is calling for laborers to His harvest. Thank you for your part in this great harvest of souls. As you continue to dedicate your life to His glory, you can be assured that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pet 5:4).

Love, Bill