Down Gilead Lane, Season 6 | Episode 6

HOMETOWN HEROES, Part 2

Season Description

When a new star quarterback comes to town, the Richters feel threatened. What they don’t see coming is an unlikely friendship that turns the threat into answered prayer.

Today’s Story

Hometown Heroes pt.2

Cougars quarterback, Anthony Donnor is officially out of commission and there are mixed emotions about Caleb Richter filling in for the state championship game.  His parents and Tiffany see it as an opportunity to get the “Richter” name back in the spotlight; most of the people of Coleraine have serious doubts about Caleb’s ability to lead the team to victory; Caleb himself feels paralyzed with fear; and one person believes in him—Anthony!  The encouragement Anthony shows Caleb ends up having a huge impact on Caleb, the team, the fans, and maybe even the big game!

How about you…

Do you know anybody who needs encouraging today?  Can you remember a time when it seemed no one believed in you?  How did that make you feel?

Check this out…

A Bible dictionary defines encouragement this way: “strengthen or stimulate; to instill with courage”. 

When the Christian church began around 2000 years ago, life was not easy.  It was especially not easy to be a Christian.  Most of the world was subject to the corrupt and evilRoman Empire.  Most major cities worshipped false gods, and glorified very sinful lifestyles.  As people’s hearts were touched by the Good News of salvation through Jesus, and they began to turn their hearts over to Him, they were faced with many challenges.  First of all, they had to give up sinful practices that, for many, had come to be a way of life.  Then, they had to explain this new life to their families and friends, which had to be difficult in many cases.  Some of these new believers may have been community leaders or successful businessmen, but they lost everything just for turning their hearts over to Christ.  For many young churches, danger came from “false teachers” who lured them away from Jesus and back toward their old, sinful lifestyle.  The bottom line was that the early church was “beat-up”.  Who could be more in need of encouragement?  And that’s just what they got from the man who was used to start many of these churches: the missionary known as Paul. 

In one of Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church he writes:

I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that

 we would live or die with you.  I have great confidence in you;

I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our

troubles my joy knows no bounds.

Wow, that must have been just what those people needed to hear!  Encouragement: Paul did it for the Corinthians, Anthony did it for Caleb, ask God who you can do it for today!