God is at work in powerful ways in all corners of the sports world, and that includes the sport of disc golf through the Eagles Wings Disc Golf ministry.
The man who has won the last two Professional Disc Golf Association world championships, Isaac Robinson, has grown tremendously in his courage to witness to the grace of God in his life through Eagles Wings.
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Following his wire-to-wire title-winning performance at Ivy Hill in Lynchburg, Virginia, last month, Eagles Wings released a video on Wednesday spotlighting Robinson and his involvement with the ministry.
“It can be scary kind of sharing your faith, and I guess just talking about the Lord,” Robinson said in the video. “Sometimes, Eagles Wings has kind of given me the courage that encouraged me to be courageous and kind of step out and be a light to those around me and to share the Gospel with others.”
Robinson, an Atlanta native now the No. 4 disc golfer in the world, often felt lonely in his first couple of years as a part of the PDGA. But through the ministry of Eagles Wings, he’s found his anchor in Christ. Although Sunday mornings are often busy with disc golf, Robinson still communes with God in Wednesday night Bible studies and Thursday night chapels.
He has a special place in his heart for those who are new to the PDGA and are experiencing loneliness just like he did, so he reaches out with the good news of the Gospel whenever he can.
“I think that’s one of the best ways that I can show the love of Christ to nonbelievers and people out on the road,” Robinson said in the video. “… I plan to glorify the Lord with everything I do and everything I say for as long as He has me in disc golf. That’s part of the big reason I’m out here; it’s just being a witness for Him. I’m super thankful that He has me in disc golf.”
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Robinson is far from the only pro disc golfer who has been impacted by Eagles Wings. The ministry lists more than 20 other pro men’s and women’s disc golfers who are also involved, including the men’s No. 1-ranked player, Gannon Buhr, and the No. 22-ranked player, Evan Smith.
Last month, Eagles Wings also released a video spotlighting Smith, who actively participates in “Circle One” groups to worship Jesus, learn about Him, and spur fellow disc golfers on into greater faith.
Smith declares in the video that “Jesus died to save me. … I know that my identity, my worth, and my value isn’t in how I’m performing, but I know that it’s in Jesus and God, and that I’m made in His image.”
“The only thing that’s worth doing in life is to glorify God,” Smith continued. “And so you should be the best at whatever it is that God’s given you to do. Whatever your talents are, use them to glorify Him in order to make much of His name, not much of your name.”
Smith said he hears often that following the Lord seems constricting, but he knows that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“True freedom is found through submission to Christ,” he said. “Yes, you have to still take the consequence of your actions here, but you don’t have to take the eternal consequence of your actions.”
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Eagles Wings provides chapel services and an annual weekend-long Unchained Conference. Last year, more than 150 disc golfers attended. It also ministers in schools, hosts camps, and has even reached as far as the continent of Africa.
The name for Eagles Wings was inspired by the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The ministry exists “to share the love of Jesus Christ by serving the disc golf community and helping people into a growing relationship with Him.”
God never ceases to work miracles in the lives of His people — like Robinson and Smith and countless others — and call them out of darkness into His glorious light. By His sovereign grace, one of the ways He’s done just that is through Eagles Wings and the sport of disc golf.
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