From the football field to the classroom, Mike Harris shares his incredible journey of faith, competition, and self-discovery. Discover how a former professional footballer found his true calling and learned to embrace God's unconditional love. Tune in to hear how he tackled life's challenges head-on and found freedom beyond the football pitch. Don't miss this inspiring story of transformation and faith!
Here’s a summary of this week’s story:
- Mike Harris grew up in a Christian family and was one of five children. He was heavily involved in sports, particularly football, and church activities. He played football professionally for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.
- He left home at 16 to pursue his football career, which was a challenging time for him. He felt a lot of pressure to succeed and to not disappoint his family and coach.
- After his football career, he struggled with accepting God's unconditional love for him due to his competitive background. He had to learn that God's love was not dependent on his achievements or success.
- He returned to football at a lower level after feeling that God wanted him to do so. He played for several clubs but realized he needed to make a decision about his future as he wouldn't make enough money from football alone.
- He decided to go into PE teaching and completed a degree. He also speaks about the importance of understanding God's unconditional love and how it has given him the freedom to accept his journey, including the end of his football career. He believes that understanding God's love would have made him a better footballer as it would have allowed him to play with more freedom and joy.
ABOUT MIKE
Once a professional footballer who kicked the ball around for teams like Blackburn and Newcastle United, he's now scoring goals as a PE teacher in lively Liverpool! When he's not inspiring the next generation of sports stars, he's having a ball with his incredible wife, Debbie, and their two amazing little teammates. Mike's life is definitely a home run!
