30-Second Theology 2022

All right. Christian churches, Super Bowl

weekend. Are you ready for that?

Come on. Are you can do better than that?

Come on. Yeah, we want to welcome all of

our campuses from all over this region that are joining with us.

Let's hear it. If you're from 48th us here, 48.

Give it up for Macomb Kirksville 929, Pike County, Hannibal,

thankful for each and every one of you big, shout-out to Lima,

Mount Sterling Keokuk, Monmouth Jacksonville, those of you

inside. And of course, the thousands of

you watching online. We are so glad to be able to

hang out with you this weekend. We believe it's going to be a

wonderful time for each and every single one of you.

Yeah. So who's going to win the Super

Bowl? Let's hear it.

Everybody at Who's gonna win? Colts do anyway.

All right, well how many of you are cheering for the Bengals?

How many you doing that? How many of you are cheering for

the team that was formerly the st.

Louis Rams. But that's the real question.

How many of you are cheering for the commercials?

Praise God. I see those hands.

I see those hands or the real winner of every Super Bowl the

food. How many you have some

incredible food plans? I'm having a Regal bowl or a

bougie bowl at my house. I'm doing ribs as the appetizer

and I'm doing Beef Wellington as the main course.

All of that meat will be consumed by the end of the first

quarter. And then I'm going to get into

the sweets. How about you, become ready?

How many of you Lele. Unsurprised by Clayton talking

about the meat? I can't.

I seriously, cannot wait. I jacked this.

Yeah, we're going to get into a really, we're doing something

special. This is the law of the bigger?

Yes. Yep.

Because we've been doing something for a number of years,

we're going to change it up and I think you guys are going to be

very blessed because we did at what we're going to tell you

about that in just a little bit. But we want to make you aware of

some really awesome, incredible opportunities.

He's and the first one is that today is the first day that you

get to sign up for Camp, okay? And there's a, there's a QR code

that we're going to be putting up here and so you can get out

your phones are going to leave it up for a little bit.

All of our locations. Just get that with your camera.

This is what this is going to allow you to sign your kids up

and you'll lock in your child's spot which means you win.

That's right. You don't have to You don't have

to worry about it, it's going to be taken care of and you will

have that guaranteed for you and you don't want to miss that,

because God changes lives. That's exactly right time, it

can. So before we, before we hop off

of this, I know you can do this. You can talk to your campus

pastors or staff people and they can help you get plugged in.

If you're a grandparent, we know there are a lot of grandparents

that are making a huge Strategic investment in their kids.

A QR code. If you guys pull up your camera

on your phone, if you have one of those, there's little yellow

box. You press that and it Allow you

to actually sign your kid up for Camp the spots, go relatively

fast early bird pricing is good for at least a while, but we

want to give you guys an opportunity to get in there

right away. The second thing that we're

extremely excited about is next weekend.

We are going to start a sermon series all about the family and

we are going to be the sermon series is called better how to

win at home and we believe that everyone wants a better

relationship. What their family.

Amen. Everybody wants a better

relationship with their spouse definitely.

Amen. Yeah, well, maybe for you guys,

I mean, Jennifer's fully satisfied.

Oh god. Oh yeah, she thought what she

said? Clayton could you just tell more

people how to be like you okay? Yeah, not.

Okay, anyhow, we got a dog that proves that we have marriage

problems in how that's more of the truth than I want to admit.

Everybody wants a better relationship with their kids

better relationship with their grandkids.

But a relationship with their parents, everybody wants that,

that is a deep desire. And we believe that God and His

word have tools that will help us have the relationships that

we were designed to have. And we believe it's helpful,

it's possible with God's word and with God's presence and we

want to invite you all. And the people that you're in

relationship with, if you're going man, I've been looking for

a great sermon series to invite my friends or my neighbors, you

can just tell him, hey, for the next eight weeks, we're going to

be trying to have a better family.

Do you want a better family? Guessing the answer is, yes, I

think that if you go on this journey and commit to what we're

going to be doing, you're going to see God, take unbelievable

ground in your life from now all the way till Easter awesome.

That being said, yeah, let's go to the party.

I mean, I've already in the part, I know you're a party in

the party because I was out in the, in the lobby.

And I've already had my first dose of nachos, come on pre, and

when this service is over, I mean there's a place set for me

right there at the at the table. I've eaten Heaven.

Yeah, and I don't know, some of the other locations may be

having other things besides nachos, 48.

That's what we're having, but I don't know what it is.

How you're celebrating, probably not with chicken wings this this

year because I mean that is like like by and lobster.

But anyway, I mean as I, it's like crazy, but we are so

excited that you're here and we have this incredible treat for

you. Listen, it takes a lot.

It takes a lot for me to not put on a Colts jersey.

There's some calls today. All right.

Come on now. That's right.

Takes a lot. So what in the world would cause

me to put on a Kansas City Chiefs jersey?

I'll tell you what it is. It's a guy that we met and we

shared with just and what like, a two weeks ago, weeks ago.

Yeah, and and came here and just incredible guy.

Okay. And he is a Kansas City chief,

but he dresses out. Every not only is he dressed out

for games this guy. I plays 600 times a year yo,

because he is the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs, KC wolf, and

KC wolf, his his other name. His non costume.

Name is Dan mirrors and Dan mirrors is a believer in Jesus

Christ. He's a preacher yo, and he uses

those 600 appearances. He does it every year to tell

people about Jesus Christ. And I'll tell you what, we had

an interview time with him, but that wasn't the part that.

I mean what you're going to hear is incredible but the part that

really got to me is he put on the the the suit and he went out

there and you should have seen him with our preschoolers.

You should have seen him with people.

Coming in, doing Crossing kids, the after-school program and I

mean he was just totally invested because he was seeing

every one of those touch. Each point has an opportunity to

minister for Jesus Christ. I was so thoroughly impressed

with him. He's been doing it for 32 years.

Yeah so help me and Clayton take this break from 30.

Second theology to welcome Dan mirrors to the crossing.

Would you give them a welcome? Thank you so much.

This is so good. So good to meet you.

Oh, just what a privilege. Thank you all for having me.

So before we can get any further into the conversation, we have

to address the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the

Buffalo Bills. That happened a little bit ago.

What was that game actually? Like on the field, you know, I

knew we had it all along, every time I saw you hitting your head

and give the goalposts. I've done this for 32 years.

I don't think I've ever experienced two games like that.

My emotions were going like this, even though KC wolf has

the permanent smile. Looks like he's in complete

control under the costume. I was like this, okay?

So we're all of it, guys, 10. So it's obvious thing is.

How did you end up as KC wolf? Yeah, that's, that's the

question I get all the time. You know, as soon as people find

out, I'm a professional mascot. The question is well, there's

two number one, is that hotma costume?

Yes. Mascot, use a cologne called

Ferber, easy. But the other question I always

get is how did you get that job? Well, I started in college, I

was Truman the tiger at the University of Missouri.

Mizzou fans, your tiger Grant, but you got to pursue more years

and then I graduated and I tell people that made my parents

extremely happy because all my smart friends were graduating

Magnum. Cum Laude?

I graduated. Thanks a lot.

Yeah, I graduate you. I'd get my first job working in,

professional baseball for the st.

Louis Cardinals, guards, anybody?

If you look at this picture of Fred bird, you can tell the guy

that was the bird. Before me was a short guy, I'm

pretty tall that meant his feathers covered up a lot more

than my feathers covered up. It's running pretty high.

I'm in st. Louis, I get a call from the

Chiefs. They wanted to know if I'd be

this character, KC wolf and I thought, you know, I look I'll

look better and gray fur than yellow tights each day.

So I came to Kansas City and I've been there for 32 Seasons

now, how much loss in absolute and your the Only your, the OG

or the original KC wolf, right? Nofo G stands for original

gangster, gangster. They now, one of the things that

surprised me is how many different events you do over the

course of a year individually and then as there's a team of

you now. But talk about how many events

you do individually. And then the team does.

Yeah, there is never a shortage of appearances, for sure.

So we do birthday parties, wedding ring.

Receptions parades of grand openings School, visits Church

visits nursing home visits hospital visits.

And so personally I do about 325 to 350 appearances here.

And as a group, I'm the only full-time KC wolf but I've got a

couple of backups of help me on the weekends and last year we

did about 600 appearance. Oh my goodness, it's absolutely

incredible. What is it like working in this

Suit. I mean, I mean, you know, just

all the regalia on and we're going to talk a little bit about

some of the, some of this that you wear just explain what.

That's like, just tell you what, in the month of February, it's

not bad in August, it's not the best Line work to be in, but

yeah, so as you can imagine it gets a little warm in the

costume. I've got 23 inch tennis shoes,

KC wolf, scat 85-inch hips, he's got some good size hips on him.

And then, you know, I wear my jersey, my my sweatpants, and

then I've got the gun KC wolf head here and does.

So, yeah, most guys go to work in a suit.

The tail. I learned the suit and a tie.

I go to work in a suit today. Well, you definitely have some

lotion in your motion. Yeah.

Well, thank you. You know, you got some Glide in

your slide or slide in your Glide.

I don't know what you call it and, and over on this other

side, there's something kind of sparkly and special.

Well, tell us a little bit about That yeah after the Super Bowl,

you know you get a Super Bowl rings so we took my Super Bowl

ring took a bunch of pictures of it, sent it off to a 3D printer

and this is what came back. So this one fits Casey Wolf's

finger but it looks identical to the Superbowl ring that I was

given other than the fact that this one says KC wolf on the

side. Mine's got my last name.

How cool? Yeah.

Well it's not an easy job. Is it being the mascot?

You've risked life and limb multiple times and Come back

with most of your all of your life and most of your limbs

right. Explain a little bit about that.

Like what have you? I mean the the different stunts

and tricks that you've done. We have been doing stunts for

years and I tell folks mascot, you sis tough call to ibuprofen.

I don't know if T if preachers used as well but we use that on

a consistent basis. But yeah.

So I'm always out doing stunts and, and most of the time they

go. Well, once in a while things,

don't go as you planned. Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely incredible. You know, you have a family.

There's there's a whole wolf family who's right?

I got married to a fox about 28 years ago.

To tell you what. That's my trophy wife.

You can tell. We've been married a while.

We're start look alike after 28 years but there's old have a

smile on. Yay.

So I don't think you need a better picture of my family.

It's all. Let's together, everybody kind

of looks like in my family, and here's what we look like out of

costume right here, my wife. And I, my wife's in the red,

we've got three great kids, and I love being a dad.

That is the greatest job in the world that just in case he wolf

any day. But all three of my kids brought

me in for show-and-tell back in kindergarten and I even get to

trick-or-treat with them about 17 years ago, at Halloween.

And of course, I went as the wolf, my kids were The three

little pigs that a good time. But now my, you know, my kids

are grown and my wife, and I are now doing that empty nest thing,

and I'll be honest, that's been a lot of fun to.

We're decided we'd sell our house, and then we bought a

house on a lake. I never dreamed how much fun a

mascot could have. All the way.

Here's a, I see you're bringing up the rear and you're getting

your listing a little better. This is one of my backups here

with the glasses on. It was a pastor and how the

whole but yeah. Kind of gets my neighbor's

attention when we bring the pontoon boat out with all the

when I ride on a boat and I'm sitting on the back looks about

the same as that. Yeah, we're having a lot of fun

at the lake and it's just and you do some stunts on the way

to, you know, we never know. Then I'll go out waterskiing and

my costume, inner tubes, pretty easy.

You just sit there and they drag you around the way.

Yeah, it's so mascots like to have fun and and by the way, if

you look at that, it doesn't look like KC wolf is wearing.

A life jacket. That's because I can't get a

life jacket over my outfit but under the outfit where you can't

see, I've got two life jackets. I was gonna say that this thing

gets heavy waterlogged. This is deal, it's really heavy

and I love Jesus but that's not how I want to meet him as an

adult. You have some explaining.

Yeah. You see the wolf?

All water. Skis, trust me.

I got two life jackets on. You just can't see him at the

time. Well you said you brought it up

you said you love Jesus and what was definitely a huge.

Tries to me is not only are you KC wolf?

Not only do you love Jesus, but you're actually an ordained

pastor and have been a few. Fill the pulpit from time to

time. So talk to us a little bit about

your relationship with the Lord. Yeah, it's you know, it's lord

gave me this crazy platform is in FL mascot.

And as you said, I'm also an ordained minister.

And but, you know, it was interesting.

I worked as a men's pastor at my church for several years, and It

got to a point where I was just so busy of being, a full-time

mascot part-time Ministry, which there's no such thing as

part-time Ministry is Shiro and I was trying to be a good

husband, good. Father.

And it was just more than I could do.

And I knew that the Lord was like, okay, you're too busy.

It's time to, you know, you've got to make a choice and I

prayed about it because I'm like, okay.

Do you want me to continue on in Ministry because I was more than

willing to do that or do you want me to continue in my job as

KC wolf? And what's interesting, I get

more opportunities through this secular job of, mine is KC wolf

than I did. As a pastor at my church, not

that. That job is not important

because I know it's extremely important, but my goal is to

reach people for Christ. You know, and I've got this

crazy platform, running around in the suit for the Kansas City

Chiefs and, you know, KC wolf is just what I do.

It's not who I am, as you said. First and foremost, I'm a

follower of Christ. You know, I'm a child of God and

the Lord just opens up so many doors for me to go out and just

be able to share his love and his you know what he's done in

my life and you know he got a hold of my life.

When I was a senior in high school, I'd grown up going to

church as a kid went through the motions.

You know, every Sunday showed up at church said my prayers three

times a day, cause that's what we were expected to do before we

got to eat prayed. For bed, but it was just kind of

a routine, I followed. But my senior year of high

school, I went to a fellowship of Christian athletes, Cam, that

was held in st. Louis.

And it was at that camp where the Lord really got a hold of my

life. And I realized that I was I was

a sinner that needed a savior and and at that back in 1985 I

made a commitment to Christ at that camp and he is changed me.

Yeah. And what a plan.

What a plan, I'd who would have written that plan.

Besides God, yeah. Nothing.

I tell people. This is how I know that God has

a sense of humor, because when I was in high school, I sat on a

bench in baseball, basketball and football.

I was a three-sport benchwarmer, I was really good at it and then

God turned around. He gave me a 32-year NFL career.

I could think about that. Yeah.

Only God knows stuff like that. That's exactly right.

Well, there's a lot of families gathered in a lot of different

communities that are watching this right now.

And I know you have a big heart for families.

Your wife's involved in some of the challenges that are

affecting families, we're getting ready to church to go

into a sermon series dedicated to help making families.

Better. What would be something, a word

of encouragement you'd want to give them.

Yeah, my wife is a marriage and family therapist.

She does counseling and councils couples all the time and and it

just emotional talking about This it breaks my heart to see

some of the family situations that kids are growing up.

And now I've got a, I've got a passion for kids.

You know, I once heard if you ask a man is occupation, you

find out how he pays his bills. You ask a man has preoccupation

then you're going to discover the passion of his life.

My occupations mascot. I pay my bills in the suit but

my preoccupation what I'm passionate about for me, it's

simply three things. Number one is my faith.

Number two is my Emily. Number three is just using my

life to make a positive impact in this world, for Christ, you

know, in the back of my Bible, I've got a quote that says, God

didn't put us on this Earth to make a living.

He put us here to make an impact.

And I believe that is, it is Believers.

As followers of Christ were called, to be difference makers

in this world that we live in, were called to be Salt and

Light. And, you know, it's got to start

my own a home, you know, as a as a father as a husband.

And I want to model Christ for my kids.

I when they look back at their dad I don't want to be

remembered just as KC wolf. Yeah I want to remember my dad.

Loved Jesus. Yeah, my dad loved my mom, your

mom. My Dad loved people.

Yeah. And and I get emotional talking

about it but I'm passionate about this.

Your Christ has given me this crazy platform to go out and I

know how he's changed my life. And if he can change my life, I

know we can change your life as well.

Yeah. And I see it happen all the

time. The difference that Christ makes

Not only in someone's life, especially as a husband that

carries over into Marriage that carries over as who I am as a

father. And, you know, and the Lord is

just you walk with him. My pastor likes to say, you

never live life, OBD abundantly until you learn to live life

obediently and I've learned that is so true that in my life when

I choose to live in obedience to Christ that all these other

things come my way, love joy peace.

Kindness. Has patience goodness,

faithless. All those fruits of the spirit.

You know, there's an another big monster out there called

sinfulness, you know, it's funny.

I just watched a documentary, I think it was on the History

Channel called monsters Quest and tell you what I watch that.

And there's all these crazy monsters they talked about and I

decided I'd watch one episode because I was sitting at home, I

was bored stiff and I'm like, I'll just watch one episode.

So watch this episode on the Loch Ness monster had all these

Was it experts talking about it? And we got to the end of that

hour and I'm like at Loch Ness monster isn't real and, but I

got to thinking about it. I'm like, you know what, I've

got some monsters in my life that are real.

Okay, there's one called selfishness.

I've got the sinfulness month, you know that I can always Ness

monsters in my life. Sinfulness selfishness

pridefulness, but you know what, I've also got Another monster.

It's bigger than all those others.

It was called the for give Ness monster.

Hmm. That's what Christ.

Didn't my life. Yeah, he took a sinner and he,

he forgave my sins. Come on, I don't deserve it.

It's his grace His Amazing Grace.

And when you just get a taste of that Grace, just a little bit,

it'll change. You know, I realized I'm a

sinner saved by grace. I'm not going to get into heaven

because I was a good guy who ran around in a costume.

Made people smile visited people in hospitals.

Hugged old ladies at nursing homes, made walked women down

the aisle on their wedding day. Being Goods, not going to get me

to heaven. The only thing that's going to

get me to happen, is what Jesus Christ did for me on a cross.

My mom. And I, like I said, I gave my

life to him my senior year of high school and I'm a work in

progress, you can ask my wife, you know, I am a Work in

progress, but I am so thankful that he has taken a sinner like

me. He's forgiven me and he's given

me a new identity, you know, my identity is not KC wolf.

You know, like I said, KC wolf is just what I do.

It's not. Who I am?

Who I am. I'm a forgiving follower of

Christ. I'm a, I'm a child of God and

that identity right there. That's not going to change.

Okay, one of these days, you know, this whole body is going

to say. No, I do.

How much ibuprofen you giving me?

I'm not doing this anymore, you know, at some point, they're

probably going to come a day when I'm not going to be KC wolf

anymore, that's just going to change what I do.

That's not going to change who I am.

Yeah, who I am? I'm a follower of Jesus Christ.

And you know what I'd say it's changed me.

It's it's why I walk around with this big Goofy grin on my face,

yo, I smile. And I just because my parents

put me through braces and I got straight teeth now.

But the reason I truly smile is because Christ.

Got a hold of my life. He's changed me and he's changed

my family and When you have, when you reach a point in life,

when you're so grateful for what he's done in your life, guess

what? I don't make your eyes water.

That's right. Somebody told me once, if your

eyes don't water your head laughs, well, I think about

that. You see my eyes?

Well, it's so don't get a big head.

The truth of what you're sharing is the heartbeat of this church.

And for those of you that are watching this message right now,

I want you to hear me that truth is not.

Not just his truth. That's not just Jerry's.

Truth is Just my truth. It it is the truth and you can

have that intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today. You can experience that life

changed and we want to give our campus pastors and opportunity

to talk to you about what that looks like.

And a little bit more than you think.

Because for a lot of us, whether it's been in the past or you're

still doing it today, we put on costumes all the time, a costume

is designed to hide what's underneath or to show and hide

and cover up things. And for some of us, man, there's

a lot of stuff if you're, if you're honest with yourself,

there's a lot of things you don't want the world to see

about you. There's a lot of struggles.

There's a some sin because we all sin, we all fall short.

We all have these. These things that separate us

from God. And so, what do we do?

When we wake up in the morning, we put on this costume.

So when we go to work or we go into our schools or when we talk

with our family or friends, we don't want them to see who we

really are the Brokenness of who we are.

And so we put on a costume. And the truth of the matter is

listen when you are in Christ Jesus, when you submit to him

and you surrender your life to him and you start an intimate

personal relationship with Jesus Christ like Dan referred to

listen. You can put that costume away

and when you are united with him in the waters of baptism, it

says that you are clothed in him.

You put on these new clothes and when you go out, it doesn't

matter. What people see, people see,

Jesus through you. And listen, when you make that

decision to accept Christ as Surrender, Your Life to him, to

start that intimate personal relationship with him, it

changes everything, it changes everything.

Now, listen on Sunday when the Bangles, they scored, touchdown

people going to go crazy when the Rams when they intercept a

pass, people are going to just Hoot and Holler and they're

going to yell at the TV or they're gonna end up their

stadiums, gonna go crazy. At the end of the game.

We're going to go mad. But when one person, Who's far

from Jesus. Takes off this costume of trying

to pretend to their being someone.

They're not and they put on the clothes of Christ and they're

United in that water. They make that decision to start

that relationship. Listen, there is no greater

celebration here on Earth, or in heaven, because there is going

to be a huge Roar And for some of you you've never, you've

never experienced that you've never started that.

And so if you're watching online right now and you want to start

that relationship, you're like man I'm tired of living like

trying to be someone. I'm not I'm tired of carrying

this this, this Brokenness this sin.

I'm ready to just put on the new clothes that Christ offers me.

Listen, there's going to be a button right on your chat right

now, and Chassis Chad, host will talk with you.

What it looks like to start that relationship.

But if you're here in this, Room, I'm telling you if that's

your decision today, you get in that water.

You make a decision to live your life for Jesus.

This room's gonna go crazy and if it doesn't, I'm going to be

jumping up and down going crazy. But more important than that,

heaven will be going crazy because one sinner repented and

came to Jesus. I think that's pretty special.

And if that's you I'm going to be right over by the baptistry.

I love to help walk you through that decision.

It's the very best thing you could do tonight and this

weekend for the rest of us. In this room, those who have put

on the new clothes of Christ, we've been walking with Jesus,

There's probably two camps you're in right now if you're

honest with yourself as well. For some of you.

You've been following them for a while but for some reason that

old costume is just kind of hanging in your closet still

when you put on Christ but every once in a while that costumes

kind of peeking at you and you're like Temptations hitting

you, maybe there's some Temptation hitting you right now

and you're just like they're like come back to the old.

Listen you are a new create you are you are his child, you are

loved and maybe for you right now, the best thing you could do

tonight this weekend. This moment is a Just a little

bit, the worships going to start.

These steps are going to be open and you just come get on your

knees and say, Lord, renew this passion inside of me.

Remind me who I am and you Allow me to keep my eyes fixed on you.

Jesus, and you can do some incredible business with the

Lord tonight. but for all of us, listen, I love how Dan said, his

occupation was the chief mascot His passion.

Was it was his faith, his family, and being an example and

telling people about the good news of Jesus Christ.

And for you guys in this room, you have that one person.

You do you have that? You have that one person who has

not experienced this. This forgiveness, they've not

experienced a newness in Christ yet, and he and God has placed a

heavy burden on your heart. He wants to use your story.

He wants to use you, right? Where you're at.

So I'm going to encourage you, man.

If you have that one person, you have a couple people that just

on your heart, maybe they're even here next to you.

Listen, you can come and just bring them to the steps and just

praise God, that that they're here or pray for them.

That you would just that God would just and ignite their

hearts for him. Let's storm the Gates of Heaven

for those people that we need to reach.

But listen, he wants to use your story and he wants to use you,

right? Or you're at.

So let's be bold this week. Let the passion come outside of

you and proclaim the good news to our friends and family but

listen let's move right now. What stand to our feet?

I'm going to pray and I'm going to encourage you.

We would need to be a church of movement.

A church that gets on their knees and humble ourselves.

So heavenly father, I give you. Thanks Lord.

I love having fun. I love a gathering with our

people, but God, if we're just a church that is full of

Spectators, we miss out. So God, I just want to, I want

to be a church that engages with your word that responds to your

call. That doesn't just sit still that

moves and and changes God change us.

I pray for just the boldness of maybe just that one.

Tonight that they want to put on the new clothes of Christ that

can be United with you tonight and everything will change

because of that. God, Pray for those who don't

know, you got that, we would be a church.

That doesn't stay quiet. Now, we're a church that uses

our stories to tell people about what you've done in our life.

God give us the platform, give us the courage.

Let us be a church, that moves, we pray all this in Jesus name.

Amen.