Many Experts Believed

MANY EXPERTS BELIEVED NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer didn’t have the skills to take a team to the top. For six years he labored with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, until they turned him loose.

But in Super Bowl XXXV, Dilfer returned to Tampa and proved he was a winner.

Before the 2001 season, Dilfer signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens. Led by a defense that allowed the fewest points ever in a 16-game season, the Ravens faced the New York Giants for NFL supremacy at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

Midway through the first quarter, Dilfer opened the scoring by connecting with Brandon Stokley for a 38-yard touchdown pass. In the second period, the Raven signal caller hit a second long pass—a 44-yarder to Qadry Ismail—setting up a 47-yard field goal. With the two scores, Baltimore led New York 10–0 at the half.

The Ravens broke open the contest in the third quarter when Duane Starks intercepted a Kerry Collins pass and bolted 49 yards for a score. On the ensuing kickoff, New York’s Ron Dixon scampered 97 yards for a touchdown, but seconds later Baltimore’s Jermaine Lewis matched the scoring effort with an 84-yard return.

While holding the Giants to 149 yards total offense, the Ravens scored another touchdown and field goal for a 34–7 victory.

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POINT Trent Dilfer probably felt comfortable in Tampa and the stadium he had played in for so many years. He knew the locker room. His familiarity extended to every inch of the turf. Fans who loved him as a Buccaneer welcomed him home as a Raven.

Sometimes Christians face uncertainty about how they will be received when they tell their family and friends about God. We find witnessing to strangers far easier than to our “home team.”

But Jesus commands us to go home and tell all he has done for us. God wants our earthly homecomings to be times we spread his love and share about the blessings he has brought to our lives.

GOAL! Think about how far you would travel to tell a family member or friend what Christ has done for you. Will you be a witness for him, especially to those closest to you? God is right there to help you.