If you get tackled, get back up
If you get tackled, get back up
If you get tackled, get back up
February 2026 SCRIPTURE: “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Proverbs 24:16
Introduction
Have you ever noticed how the crowd cheers louder after a hard hit than after an easy run? On Super Bowl Sunday, millions of folks sit in front of big screens with wings on the table and jerseys on their backs. We celebrate touchdowns; we praise speed; we admire strength. Still, anybody who has ever played the game knows something simple and true: football is not about avoiding tackles. Football is about surviving them.
In the world of professional sports, the statistics tell a story of inevitable contact. If you are a wide receiver, you aren't just running; you are a target. Data shows that elite receivers often face upwards of 100 to 150 tackles in a single season. Think about that. That means nearly every time they touch the "blessing" of the ball, a 250-pound man is committed to driving them into the dirt. Every great receiver knows he’s going to get hit. Linebackers are waiting. Safeties are watching. The moment that ball touches his hands, somebody is aiming to knock him down. Getting tackled is not a surprise; it’s part of the job description.
Now, there is a curious distinction in the game. We have the Quarterbacks, the "protected class." They wear the red jerseys in practice. The referees hover over them like nervous hens. If a defender breathes on them too hard after the ball is gone, a yellow flag hits the turf. But the receivers, the running backs, the ones carrying the weight of the drive—they expect the collision. They don’t have a "no-contact" rule.
Life works the same way. Many of us come to God thinking we’re going to get the "Quarterback Treatment." We think because we pay our tithes and sit in the pews, God is going to put a red jersey on us and tell the devil, "Don't you touch my child." But beloved, life is a contact sport. Bills tackle you. Doctor reports tackle you....
The full sermon has 2,170 words