TALK TO ME TUESDAYS!!! with NFL Veteran Ricky Sapp

I always told my athletes that I love them, and they are stuck with me for life. I would text them in a group chat or contact certain ones over the phone. Recently one of my former players from high school gut punched me. I have been giving them surface level love when God has called me to give them more than that. I know my calling and along this journey God continues to show me things I need to be doing. This moment was one of them. The surface level of love is not enough. The job is never finished when working with the youth.

Change can be so many things. One thing that most people say about change is that it's hard. I will have to disagree, I think change is a challenge sent from God to help us get to a new season in our life. Most people get stuck in their bubble because it's comfortable and safe. When God is trying to tell you that it's time to make a change so you can move up to the next level in your life. You can't be afraid of change. Take the challenge head on.

The saying common sense is not so common use to be a running joke. Today, that joke is not running. It's standing still because it's true. It takes nothing to be kind to someone, but as a society we have made being kind hard. The next thing is competition, this generation is so afraid of competition. Nobody is willing to compete the right way. The right way is standing toe to toe and saying, "I will beat you" Instead we have people that will go behind your back and try and beat you the wrong way. Common sense is not so common.

I struggled with opening up to people in my life and allowing them to see all of me. It was because I thought if I allowed them to see all of me, they would leave. I lived with this fear for a long time, and I realized that I had to let the world see all of me so I can help heal or help someone. I have missed out on opportunities because I wasn't willing to open up and let people in and try new things. You will never know where you are supposed to be or who you are supposed to help if you are not willing to open up and try new things.

The bible talks about two types of passions. Your passion that is on path with your purpose, and your passion that is of the world. It's so easy to get off track and follow what the world is doing but that's when you have to remember your purpose. You have to remember the true desires of your heart. You must make sure that your passion is in alignment with God's purpose for you.

1 peter 5:7 says cast all your worries on God and he will carry them for you. What a GOD?!! I know that's easier said than done because most times we pray and we expect God to move right away. That's when our faith has to kick in and we have to believe that once we give God our worries, it's already fixed, but we have to move and think as if it's already done.

It's one word that I love in the definition for choices. POWER... We all have the power to choose, but most times we make decisions based off of other influences. Rather you have made a bad or good choice, you can still learn and move on to the next choice knowing that you will never be perfect, but you can always use your power to make the best choice

Growing up and playing sports, one of the things my coach would always say is "you got more in you". As a coach it's their job to push you to your limit. It's their job to get as much of hard work out of you as possible. Well in life it's the same way. At times we get tired and we want to stop, but God says he is in us and the more that we need is him. When we get tired, we have to rely on him and know that he will supply us with more than enough to not only get by but win and dominate.

I heard someone say you never truly heal. I disagree; I think they are many different types of healings. You have physical, mental and many more, but I think allowing yourself to heal is a choice. You have to want to heal and give yourself that peace. I also think happiness is tied to healing. Doing the things that make you happy can help you heal and forgiving someone and then moving on and not allowing them in your space is healing. You forgive but you never forget. When you forgive you release that power that someone have over you.

Daily gratitude will always open up the door for more blessings. I believe it's true what they say, daily gratitude is important. Having a mindset of lack with keep you thinking you don't have enough, but when you practice gratitude, you develop a mindset of always having more than what you need.

Ephesians 4 talks about unity in the body. It goes on to explain how there is one Lord, one faith and God are the father of ALL. It also talks about how we need to be humble and have patience with each other and show love. These are all things that seem to be a struggle when you look out into the world today. I think if we were willing to show each other kindness and love that the world would look and feel different, but of course if we all learned more about God and his word, we would have a different world full of love and patience. Together we are stronger.

Proverbs 23.7 as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Often tines we forget a key component to that. That out of the heart flows your true intentions and who you are. So, while you are thinking and believing who you are you better make sure your heart and mind are in agreement with who you are. Also, the thoughts of yourself require you to do one thing and that apply action.

Sometimes God will ask us to press the restart button and start over. Often times we look at that as a failure, so instead of starting over we try and patch up the holes. Sometimes and most times we need that fresh start to look at what we did in the past and make the changes we need to go forward. We can't let our pride and ego stop us from understanding that we are human and we will always fall short at some point in our lives.

We were put here to be used but not misused. I think one of the reasons most people don't give their gift to the world is because they have been mistreated by many people. God talks about not taking this in your own hands but letting him handle anyone that mistreats you. Easier said than done, but that's where faith and patience in God comes into play. We should never let anyone bring us down or stop us from letting our light shine. The worlds need our God given gifts.

God put favor on all of use when he made us, but he didn't make us wear it. I pride myself and knowing that I am favored and that I will always step outside and tell the world. Activating your favor starts with you believing in your mind, heart and soul that God has favor on your life. It's time you believe and go out and get what God already has for you.

Life is going to bring tough times, but tough times brings opportunity to grow. Most times as humans we don't think that way. We will run away from pain and failure thinking that we will win that race. News flash, that is a race we will never ever be able to win. In tough times we have to remember that self-talk is important and when we pray or complain, God is listening. I think when we are able to talk positive over our lives, that shows our faith and understanding that God is with us always and he will see us through anything.

Words carry weight and can bring positive or negative experiences in your life. The bible talks about how small the tongue is but how powerful it is. So, as we are in a new year, it's important that we remember to speak positive words over our life. Take a listen to this podcast and speak the 5 things over your life.

As a new year approaches, it's important to think about what kind of seeds you want to plant. God tell us that we will always reap what we sow. I think the farmer is a great example of what it looks like to sow a seed and have patience to watch it grow, not knowing how or when but believing that it will grow into something beautiful. Here is your chance to plant your good seeds and believe that it is going to GROW.

We not only fight against our flesh and blood, but we are fighting demonic forces. The bible says that we can combat that by submitting to God, scripture and prayer. It's so important that we are always self-aware and read the room. We have to go where we are celebrated and not tolerated. The enemy has his team, and we have to be sure we are around the right people that will go to war with us when it's time to pray and speak scripture towards the enemy.

I believe that my prayers are heard right away when I pray. God said he will never forsake us. That means that he will always be there and listening. The key to activating that promise is our belief. Our belief is what will get us that promise that God gave us. God said it many times in the bible, whatever you ask for and believe that is yours. It will be given to you. Keep praying and believing friends.

Coach Swinney use to always say, what you do in the dark will come to light. I always thought he was looking right at me and I thought to myself I wasn't doing anything wrong. What I learned soon was that it's easy to do the right things when people are looking. The hard thing is to do it when no one is looking. The one thing I know about life is that you can talk about who you are and what you have been doing, but eventually the world will bring you to the front of everyone and you will have to show what you have been doing.

In a time of lack, the one we can always turn to is God. Most times we are getting pulled in so many different directions and we get lost in the crowd. God is always there with us and waiting for us to come to him and seek him. He already knows what we lack and need, but we have to be willing to seek him. I want you to always remember that he gave so we should be willing to give to others.

I was reading John 11 verse 9 and 10. It talks about how Jesus spoke on walking in the daytime and being in the light. I was playing football, and I thought I was Ricky Sapp the football player. What I learned eventually was that football wasn't my purpose and football wasn't the light God wanted me to shine. He revealed to me what my true purpose was and now I try to walk in that light daily.

The simple things that bring us joy is what we often times forget. We all have to remember that we have a choice every day to be happy or sad. The choice is yours. It's important that we fill our cup up daily by doing the things that brings us pure joy. Whatever that simple thing is, I encourage you to never forget and do it often. Your happiness depends on it.

I believe healing and change starts with being real with yourself and knowing what you need to fix. The one question that I can remember being asked is who are you? I think now more then ever I can answer that question. I am more self aware and I know what I need to get up everyday and work on. I understand that if I am going to continue to walk in the purpose God place on my life, then I have to make sure I am working towards being the best version of myself. I can't change the world until I change myself.

We are in times right now where God needs us the most. If you are a believer, God need us to let our light shine for the good and to bring more people to him. We have an opportunity help save this world and I am praying that you will feel more confident when you step out into the world and spread the gospel about God. James 3:5-6 says the tongue is a small member and can set the forest on fire. Use your words to help put positivity in this world.

Did you know that you have favor over your life? Psalm 90:17 says that favor and God is upon us and God wants us to use it to do good in the world. Not to be prideful and self-centered, but to wear that favor and let your light shine through God. Most people are afraid to wear that favor because of what they think others will say. The ones that are willing to wear that favorite and tell people about it are the one's God adds more favorite to.

The ultimate creator is God, and he made us in his image. Which means that we have so much creativity in us and we can use that to bring different opportunities in our life. We also have gifts in us, and I believe that with the creativity and gifts, God intended for us to put out good in the world and fix any issue the world may present.

We hear the question all the time. Is the cup half full or half empty? I think we have been asking the wrong question. We should be asking do we have all that we need. Often times we get caught up looking at what others have, and we forget to be thankful for what we have. God loves when we show gratitude and when we do that, he will multiply and give us more. I challenge you to take a look at your life and ask the question. Do I have all that I need at this very moment.

God says not to compare yourself to others because it is unwise, leads to pride or bitterness, and distracts from your true purpose. Instead, focus on your unique work, acknowledge your divine gifts, and find contentment in Christ, who provides all you need. Comparing yourself to others is a spiritually unhealthy practice that keeps you from appreciating your individual path and God's purpose for you.

Most people are not willing to live within their purpose. I think most people fear what they can become, but they also fear what comes with the journey. The pain, and frustration is all a part of the journey towards living in your purpose and you have to be willing to stay the course and believe. At the right moment you can reach your ultimate goal.

In a world where we have so many options to pull from. We often times forget that we should be confident in ourselves. We are capable of making our own decisions. We don't have to get validation from anyone else. Ask God and go with your gut feeling. I know we all have friends that we depend on for certain advice, but I want you to be confident in seeing things your way and taking the risk and going for it.

Recently I fell off and was unorganized. I got frustrated and wanted to quit, but I know that all I have to do is give myself grace and take a deep breath and get back on track. In life we are all either going into a storm, coming out of a storm or we are in one right now. The most important thing is that we have to know that we are not perfect and that we can and we will get back on track. Don't quit keep going.

We have made the easiest thing in the world the hardest thing in the world. Kindness: It takes nothing to be kind to someone, but unfortunately, many people are not willing to do be kind. There are many different ways to be kind, the first thing we all should do is be kind to ourselves first. We can't expect to give something to others that we are not willing to give to ourselves. Right now, more than ever we need to spread kindness.

Football was my identity from about middle school all the way to the NFL. It wasn't until I left the NFL that I figured out who I was and what I was put here to do. It's so important that we help our kids now figure out who they are and what they are passionate about besides sports. Parents I pray this podcast helps you.

How Does God speak to you? He always use other people to delivery a message to me, but its up to me to hear it and then make a move. As you listen to this podcast I want you to be still and think about what you need right now in your life. Then take a look around and see if God is already doing it for you. Isaiah 43:19

As a young motivational speaker, I was telling people stuff that I wasn't doing. I remember speaking to my first group of adults and they were pastors. After the speech, one of the pastors came up to me and said, "great speech, but make sure you believe what you're saying and make sure you are doing what you say". Today I always think about moments like that, and I will be the number 1 motivational speaker in the world, but I will have to make sure I change me before I try and change the world.

Distractions can come in many different forms, but when they come, they are the most beautiful thing you have ever see. Somethings it can be something simple because the enemy knows what we like or love. A simple thing can throw us off our path to success. So how do we combat a distraction? by not letting anything come into our lives that don't align with our goals.

The greatest creation God ever made was the human being. Not to sound cocky, but I truly believe he made us and gave us a gift and purpose. With those two things, we are supposed to build an empire and then leave that to our kids to let them continue to build on to that. The key is we have to build and use what God put in us when he made us.

They say the wolf at the bottom of the hill is hungrier than the wolf at the top of the hill. Most people think that when you get to the top, when you get to success that there is nowhere else to go. I believe that when you truly live in your gift that it will take you higher than you expect. Your gift will always make room for me.

The journey to success is not always roses and rainbows, but on that journey is where you find out you are and what you are made of. I think there are certain things that can help you stay the course while you are on your journey, but you have to be willing to them daily.

I think the greatest creation that God ever made was the human being and I also think he intended for us to work together as a team when needed. Unfortunately, as human beings we are not willing to come together and use our gifts to fix any and every issue the world has presented to us. One of the things I believe in when it comes to being a team is, you have to believe in each other and prove that you can be trusted and that you will be ready to go to war when its time. We can come together as a team and defeat anything, but we have to be willing to come together.

What happens in your mind is what will happen in your life. I believe that the greatest gift gave us was our mind. With our mind we can determine who we are and where we go. The key is, are you willing to hold on to that thought and then go and work for it daily. Even when it requires you to go alone.

Being forgiving allows you to take back the power of others having control over you, your emotions, your feelings and your life. No one deserves to have that kind of power over you. There is power in being willing to forgive someone. Always forgive but never forget.

I think there is a reason God gave us two eyes, two ears and one mouth. He wanted us to listen more, see more and talk less. When you say these simple words "I'm proud of you" you hear that and it means more when you tell yourself that. Often times we will look for others to celebrate us, but I think it's important to celebrate yourself. You deserve to be celebrated, and you don't have to wait for anyone to do that for you.

We are all running a race, but most times we get sidetracked by looking at someone else run. They call it "trying to keep up with the joneses". 6 billion people in the world and no one has your fingerprint. That alone should motivate you to stay in your lane and run your race to victory. God has something special for all of us, but we have to be willing to stay the course and run our own race until we reach our end.

Two small town kids that made it to the highest level of football. They called us the Bamberg bookends at Clemson University. I had the opportunity to interview the other bookend, Da'quan Bowers. Take a listen as he talks about his story on becoming one of the best to ever play the game. Listen as he talks about his family and how playing music was his first love. Bamberg bookends for life.

Gratitude is saying this simple phase, thank you. In a world where we have so many things coming at us from every angle. It's so important to stop and notice what you smell, taste, see and feel. Days are long and years are short and with that so many up and downs come. So, it's important we stop and show some gratitude for everything daily.

Ricky take care of yourself is what I heard God tell me. Self -care is one of the most important things that we can do for ourselves daily. I think it's 3 things that we can do to take care of self. Mentally, physically and spiritually. When you do those things for yourself first, the people that come into your life will act accordingly.

I think the one thing we can all agree on is that, eventually, pain must be felt. Mentally or physically, we will all feel pain. I have been through both and one of the hardest things was to stay positive and believe that it was going to leave and be replaced with something. I think that something depends on our mindset. Thinking positive will always help you stay strong through any pain mentally and physically.