IDENTITY

EP.1 | REX TONKINS AND UNABASHED PASHION

Hosted by Tyler Soulek + COLIN MCFARLAND

IN THIS EPISODE

• An early athletic start and growing up in the Tar-Heel State | 1:26
• Accepting Christ into your life WILL change everything  | 5:25
• Carrying a strong faith with you as you become a man  | 10:54
• When you’re searching for identity, and rooting yourself in Christ, seek out mentorship  | 13:02
• It’s vital that we listen to our calling, especially when it’s to vocational ministry | Finding Purpose | 14:45
• What you can learn from sports like football, to then teach those around you  | 17:46
• When we can see the finish line, our goal approaching, we tend to got more focused and hone in on what’s important  | 20:36
• It’s imperative you establish confidence in who you are, who you are in Christ  | 26:01
• Taking a peak into Rex’s Ministry | You Have a Destiny | 29:43

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | NOTHING IS EVER THE SAME AFTER

In this episode Rex talks about his upbringing and the unfortunate behavior and influences he had early on in life. It’s not something to be ashamed of or shy away from. We see through the Scriptures that Jesus doesn’t care about where you’ve been or what you’ve done, he just cares about you. When Rex made the decision to follow Christ, everything changed for him. He refers to is his Damascus Road experience! Don’t be afraid of coming to the table with your bags, Jesus wants them. He wants to lift that weight off of your shoulders and show you a new way down the path, a better way. His path.

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there, speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Paul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. | Acts 9:3–9

2 | PURSUING PASSION

We are intimately designed by a creative Father. A father who knows the number of hairs on our heads, the thoughts we have throughout the day, and where our hearts are drawn to. He has designed us to be creative and to explore those passions! Rex’s Ministry focuses on bringing The Gospel to youth through sports. He knows that by opening up and “on-ramp” to The Gospel, through something that they already love, it’s a no-brainer! God knows that we are gifted with athleticism, coaching strategies, and an urge to want to compete while doing community side-by-side. Don’t be afraid of bringing life to how you share The Gospel and how you engage with it. We all have a destiny that is outlined for us, and God wants us to seize that with joy!

3 | LESSONS FROM THE GRIDIRON

Sports is so ingrained in us today as a culture through our upbringings (almost everyone is put through youth ‘beehive’ soccer), through media, and through conversations. Athletes are well paid, well advertised and we constantly consume books put out by coaches and athletes alike. Rex takes those lessons that he learned from his playing and coaching days and applies them to Biblical truths. Christ calls us to have integrity, discipline, endurance. All of these can be seen in our great athletes, on the gridiron, and we should live them out daily. Life is tough, but we’re called to push through, never give up, and keep our eyes forward on Him. Our attention, intention, and focus intensifies as we hone in on the finish line and approach our goals! Keep that in mind when life knocks you done. He wants us focused on Him, and He’s there to pick us up. 

When you think you can’t take another step, you can go 13 more miles.

4 | RUN TO PRAYER

When the going gets tough, we should always turn to the Lord. Rex attributes the success in his marriage, on the football field, professionally, and in ministry to his time he spends (alone) with our Father. When we focus on listening to our Father, spending time alone with Him in prayer, we inevitably grow closer. We are given authority in our Father that He wants us to carry out throughout our lives. Make the time in your day, take a moment and connect with your Heavenly Father, listen in to what he’s telling you. Our first option, whether things in life are good or bad, should be to sprint towards Him in prayer. Thank Him, let Him know what you’re struggling with, ask Him to come into your life. He wants in.

SHOW NOTES

It’s finally here, our launch! We are so excited to bring you our Identity series here on the Uncharted Podcast. This series is all about how people have experienced sports, recreational activities, or the outdoors in a significant way and how it’s played a role in their faith and identity. And we’re honored to have Rex Tonkins kick things off for us.

Rex is an incredibly outspoken, vibrant, and inspiring leader from South Carolina who now resides in Colorado Springs. Rex had a tough upbringing but with the aid of some strong mentors, an unshakable faith, and a passion to stay focused on the goals laid out before him, he has been able to accomplish much through Christ. Listen in today as Rex talks about finding his savior, when he laughed at the notion of being recruited to play football, and what a strong family life has meant to him.

You can also listen in on our Women’s Podcast Channel: Anchor + Waves, as we’re currently running a sister-program on that channel for female athletes also called Identity.