From Joe White

Speaking to various NFL & Major League baseball teams over the years has always been filled with unusual stories of humble men who are hungry; really really hungry for a relationship with Christ and surprisingly interested in a close, personal intimate relationship with a father in heaven who'll always be there with unconditional love and a heart of grace. The locker room and hotel meeting rooms are often filled with tears, hugs and amazing tenderness between us.


A few years ago I was invited to speak to the Jaguars in Dallas and then a few weeks later to Green Bay to speak to the Packers who were coincidentally also playing the Cowboys.


As I prayed about what to share with these two teams the Lord met me in my sleep and gave me a picture of a chain link to take to each player who responded to the invitation to give their whole heart to Jesus. The chain link represents a bond servant .... A man who once was a slave but now had been set free.....but in this most usual relationship, the ex-slave loved his master so much he would unconditionally enslave himself back to his master saying to him "My Love for you is greater than my freedom, greater than my own priorities, greater than myself. My love for you is everything. I give you my life."


During those two pre-game chapels and dozens of professional and college chapels since, the players have streamed to the front of the room to take a chain link from my hand, and pledged their hearts to follow Jesus with their whole heart and identify themselves as bond servants of Jesus.

The players wear their links around their necks, on their shoe laces, on their watch bands and on their key chains. One man who died after receiving his link had even willed that he would be buried with the link in his hand as a symbol of his "sold out" life and death for Jesus his Savior and Lord.

When you're "SAVED" He's your Savior, but when you're CHAINED He's your Lord.
When you're "SAVED" He's resident in your heart, but when you're CHAINED He's resident of your heart.
When you're "SAVED" He's in the front seat, but when you're CHAINED He's in the driver's seat.
When you're "SAVED" the 10 Commandments are a duty, but when you're CHAINED the 10 Commandments are a delight.
When you're "SAVED" you avoid sin, but when you're CHAINED you hate sin.
When you're "SAVED" you have pardon, but when you're CHAINED you have passion.
When you're "SAVED" you sing the hymns, but when you're CHAINED you like the hymns.
When you're "SAVED" you can't give too much, but when you're CHAINED you can't give enough.
When you're "SAVED" you're a Christian, but when you're CHAINED you're a disciple.
When you're "SAVED" you have a father, but when you're CHAINED you have a dad.


At Green Bay, Reggie White was the first one up to get his chain link from me. I said, "Hey Reggie, how's your chains?" He humbly and accurately replied, "Good 'n tight Baby, Good 'n tight."


And so I ask you today, how are your chains today?
Doulos (Fellow Bondservant),

Joe White