Think Eternity News

Twenty Twenty-Five was both tumultuous and glorious at the same time. Triumphs and tragedies abound. So much of the year didn’t make sense. A troubled world continued to rumble downwards while many leaned on Jesus for salvation and hope.

Good News came from colleges, incredible testimonies from the well-known and not, and a story of bold forgiveness from a wife whose husband was murdered just days prior.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

Below are those top stories from Think Eternity News.

Jesus Movement: Are We Seeing Signs of Revival Inside College Football?

There were early signs that something different might be happening during the college football season in 2024. In late summer, Jesus Christ was about to be proclaimed boldly and often.

The weekend before their first game, a group of seniors at Ohio State hosted an on-campus faith event. Receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson, tight end Gee Scott and defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau teamed with a couple former teammates — Kamryn Babb and Master Teague — to share their testimonies and message about the saving grace of God. More than 2,000 people attended the event. As Sports Spectrum reports, the night ended with the players handing out Bibles and helping those who chose to get baptized.

What happened at Ohio State with players from its football team last year is only one example. Stories of players at other colleges declaring a relationship with Jesus and getting baptized as a profession of their faith were coupled with live, on-air shout-outs to God during interviews broadcast to national audiences.

Sometimes, and perhaps more often than ever seen or heard before, players opened their remarks with God first before answering the interviewer’s first question.

By the time it was time for the college playoffs, the shout-outs to Jesus became almost commonplace (although it never gets old).

As Tré Goins-Phillips reported for CBN News: “In the world of collegiate football, it appears Jesus is going on a blitz.”

Boise State Broncos defensive end Ahmed Hassanein offered “perhaps the most powerful testimony after his team’s loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions,” Goins-Phillips stated.

“First, I want to start off and say, all glory to Jesus Christ,” he said. “He’s the true champion.” Hassanein then turned to head coach Spencer Danielson, telling him, “Coach D, you changed my life. … I did not know God until I got to Boise State.” He told reporters at the press conference that “Jesus Christ is the only true God,” who “died and rose from the dead three days later.”

“That’s the champion that I serve,” he added, teary-eyed.

On Boise State’s team, words of praise for Jesus during sportscast interviews did not only come from Hassanein, but from its head coach, Danielson, and Heisman trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty — and they came often.

A pastor in the Boise area close to the coach said that during the season, up to 40 players, “half the team,” were baptized. The pastor also said during a midweek church service at Idaho’s Boise State Capitol building, that “we are seeing revival” inside college football. He wasn’t joking, pointing to other players involved on other playoff teams that spoke boldly and freely of Jesus during telecasts.

Although we may be seeing an increased intensity among Christians sharing the Gospel on other cultural platforms to some degree as well, can we see evidence of true revival through what’s coming out of college football?

Are we in revival?

I asked social influencer and national prayer leader Malachi O’Brien, who has been tracking and reporting on movements throughout the nation, if he sees what’s happening in college football as revival.

“At the end of the Asbury Revival in 2023 the President of Asbury said that what God began there at the university would spread, and it certainly has spread,” he said. “In the history of revival, no two revivals have ever looked the same. God is always doing something new. He never repeats. He often moves in unconventional and unorthodox ways. I believe we are seeing the mercy drops of revival in culture we never could have imagined. The greater downpour is very near.”

“When people ask what revival looks like, the answer is simple. It looks like Jesus.”

*Evangelist Will Graham delivers the Good News on tour in Florida. PHOTO:* *BGEA*

In His ‘Granddady’s’ Footsteps, Will Graham Delivers the Good News in Florida

Fresh off the Sunshine State Good News Tour, Will Graham said he was given an ongoing sense of pride for his grandfather and continued hope for America during the outreach events held at the four cities in Florida.

Throughout the tour (Oct. 26 - Nov. 1), led by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Graham said he was able to share with the BGEA team the cherished history of his grandfather’s early life and ministry which happened in Florida. During the tour, he also witnessed the hope of an ongoing revival in America.

Billy Graham was not only ordained in Florida, but it is where he received his formal education, was baptized, where he first spoke on the radio, and where he preached his first official sermon. Source: The Good News (Florida).

During time off from the tour, Graham took the BGEA team to the former site of Trinity College. “We actually went by his old campus in Temple Terrace where he was going to school, and where he fell in love with God's word. I was able to see a lot of my granddaddy from a historical perspective. And for me, as his grandson, that was special.”

In this same interview with Think Eternity News, Graham addressed the current spiritual climate in the U.S. and the death of Charlie Kirk. He believes that the revival he sees happening now began nearly three years ago at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky.

“God has used the death of Charlie Kirk but that was not the start of the revival,” Graham said. “The revival has been going on since Asbury, and it's been showing up in all these different pockets. However, it went full flame since Kirk's death. What God started a number of years ago in Asbury is still going. It's still moving. It's still burning in people's hearts. Also, God still uses tragedy to further the kingdom of God. I’m not surprised.”

More than 10,000 people attended the Sunshine State Good News Tour in the cities of Tallahassee, Gainesville, Sarasota, and Pompano Beach. Nearly 500 people made decisions for Christ.

Graham said that he opened and closed his evangelistic messages by talking about John 3:16. “My first message and my last message (on tour) was just one verse, John 3:16, because this verse is the essence of the good news: that we're sinners, that Christ died in our place, and that He gives us forgiveness if we believe in Him. I gave that simple message really quick. In a sense, it doesn't take long to preach John 3:16 and we saw a number of people come to know Christ.”

“There is good news, but it doesn't come from the government. Good news doesn't come from other people. Good news comes from God,” Graham said. “And that's the ultimate good news: that God loves sinners, that Jesus died in the sinners’ place, and for whoever believes in that, puts their faith in Jesus Christ, He's willing to forgive them of their sin and give a new start, a fresh beginning, and where they can spend eternity in heaven.”

He adds, “And so that's the best deal yet, because He’s given the costliest gift in the world, that which we can't afford. But yet, God paid it all for us. All we have to do is receive it as a free gift by faith, and that's how we get it. And it's free for anybody. It doesn't matter if you're educated, what color your skin is, what you know, or what economic status you're in. It doesn't matter. God gives you this gift freely, He gives His only begotten Son, but yet he gives it to us freely, if we just accept it. So, it's a wonderful deal. It's the best news that anybody can hear.”

Read more about the Sunshine State Good News tour on the BGEA website.

‘Duck Dynasty’ Star Phil Robertson Took Unwavering Stand on God’s Word

Praise for "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Roberton’s unashamed love for Jesus continued to pour on Memorial Day, the day after his passing was announced.

“So grateful for the unwavering stand Phil Robertson consistently took on God’s Word and his faithfulness to share it,” posted Washington Watch show host Tony Perkins on X. “He knew every word was true because God personally transformed his life. His legacy of living unashamed carries on in his family and countless others who have taken up the cause of Christ. Praying for Miss Kay and the family in the days ahead.”

Perkins also included scripture with his post:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” — Romans 1:16

Robertson, who was 79, was struggling with Alzheimer's disease and blood disorder, according to reports.

“He was a giant of the faith who overcame so much, changed his life, accepted Christ, and spent the bulk of his existence trying to get others to embrace the Gospel,” Billy Hallowell, who is a journalist and host with CBN News and Faithwire, stated to Think Eternity News. “His passing is a major loss to us all, but he is now with the Lord. And his legacy will live on through his wonderful family and the countless lives he’s turned toward Christ.”

Hallowell, as well as other journalists and Christian leaders, describe Robertson as not only a “favorite” to interview but someone who is leaving a legacy.

“Phil was on fire for his faith,” author and apologist Lee Strobel shared with Think Eternity. “He was passionate about sharing Jesus with others. I admired him for that and I'm thrilled that his faith has now become sight [stet]. Our family is praying today for our friends Willie, Jase, and the rest of Phil's family. And thanking God for the legacy he is leaving.”

Praise after praise report about Robertson, included his stance on the Word of God, including from Franklin Graham, who is President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

“I always appreciated that Phil stood firm with the Word of God and took every opportunity to talk about his faith in Jesus Christ,” Graham posted on X. “There’s no question, he will be greatly missed. May God especially comfort all of the family during this time.”

Evangelist and Harvest Fellowship Pastor Greg Laurie shared on X: “From the moment I met him, I found Phil to be one of a kind—colorful, authentic, and deeply passionate about his faith in Jesus Christ. He was as surprised as anyone by the success of Duck Dynasty and the celebrity that followed. But Phil didn’t chase fame—he used it as a platform for the Gospel.”

Statement from evangelist and Think Eternity founder Matt Brown:

I’m sorry to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty. He truly left a spiritual dynasty and legacy from his own life and all of his amazing children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I’ve had the privilege of spending time with and connecting with some of his family as they’ve been on the podcast and spoken at our outreaches over the years, and they all love the Lord so much.

Phil and his family are a great example of using whatever you do (ie duck hunting) for the glory of God.

Every time we see a famous person in the news that has died, it is a good reminder that we will all die one day and God will ask us, what did you do with my Jesus?

Say yes to God’s grace for your life today.

Say yes to the cross.

Lola Sheen Googled ‘How to Give My Life to Jesus’ After Encounter with Him

The daughter of Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, Lola Sheen, said she struggled with anxiety and depression so much so that, at the age of 18, she thought she was going to die from the thoughts that plagued her. However, she shares that a social influencer on TikTok helped lift her up and point her to Jesus Christ.

“This one night, it was during a really bad season of depression, and it's so crazy because the thought of Jesus never was in my mind,” Sheen, who is now 20, said as a guest on the Think Eternity with Matt Brown podcast (below) earlier this year. “I did not think I was going make it to 19. I thought that I would die from anxiety or depression. I couldn’t see life past this depression.”

She said that the thoughts and events of that night led up to how she was saved and now grateful.

While scrolling on TikTok, Christian podcaster Ally Yost “came up on my ‘For You’ page,” Sheen said. “This video first came up, and she was speaking to the camera, and she was like, ‘hey, just hold on a little bit more’ and ‘don't give up’ and ‘God has so much planned for you.’ And I was like, Oh my gosh, I've never thought about God.”

Sheen shares that she “ended up going to bed thinking about the video she just watched and Jesus.” Late, the next night, after scrolling through more of Yost’s content, something amazing happened.

“I was getting ready for bed. I was facing the window, and I felt this overwhelming presence come into my room. There's a Holy Spirit, of course. I couldn't deny the feeling. I've never felt anything like it before. It felt like He literally took my hand to say, ‘You know, I'm going to rescue you. You're going to be okay.’”

“And then, the next morning, I was like, okay, ‘I know I just met you, Jesus.’ I've never felt anything like that before. And I looked up (searched) ‘how to give my life to Him’ [on Google]. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew what I felt was real. It was the most beautiful thing ever. And so, I gave my life to Him.”

When asked about what she would say to someone who's struggling with anxiety or depression, or something similar, Sheen said, “I always felt like there wasn't a way out. You know, I would say just, it [sounds] so cliche, but it's truly ‘don't give up,’ because you never know what God has for you. And to give Jesus a chance. We give all these other things a chance. We give therapy and all these other things a chance. Why not try Jesus? You never know how it could change your life. There's nothing to be afraid of. Sometimes people think of God as a God who judges them, and/or they may have had trauma from religions or what people have told them, but He wants to set you free.”

Sheen said she still struggles with anxiety but knows that God could remove any ailments with the “snap of His fingers if He wanted to” and that there’s a reason for everything.

“I never knew about ‘speaking scripture’ out loud over things like anxiety or depression. I always thought anxiety owned me, like I thought that's just who I was. I thought I was just like a depressed, anxious person. God has allowed me to still feel these feelings to show me how to come out of agreement with (this self-diagnosis) and teach me how to use my sword, like my Bible to speak against it. It's made me stronger in my faith. When those feelings of anxiety come I get to see the power of Jesus in those moments.”

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” — Philippians 4:6

THINK ETERNITY WITH MATT BROWN PODCAST: AccessMore: Ep. 203: Lola Sheen shares her testimony of faith in Jesus

IMAGE: *My Bible Thoughts With Pastor Rich*

Erika Kirk: ‘I Forgive Him’

By Rich Bitterman

The stadium is packed. Under the bright floodlights, sweat and dust stick to tongues. The roar of the crowd dies as the pulpit’s microphone cracks.

Erika Kirk stands at center stage, body trembling. The memorial hangs in the air like a dark cloud. Her husband Charlie’s name is on every pair of lips. She lifts her eyes, the hush pressing against her as if the wind itself is waiting.

And she says, firm yet fragile, “I forgive him.”

The words fall like stones. They scatter something inside the crowd. They echo off steel beams, bounce from seats. The scent of hot concrete and thousands of hearts pounding together mix in the heat: grief. Rage. Compassion. All braided together.

She could have left the anger alive, let it coil like a serpent around her spine. Her retribution register ringing.

She could have let the fire burn until her own skin was scorched. Many would. Many do. But there beneath the stadium lights, she trades rage for mercy. She trades shouts for words.

She trades debt for grace.

Jesus walked into a synagogue once. He saw a man who could not use his hand, withered. He felt the weight of that man’s pain. He glared into the hardness of surrounding hearts and did not retreat. In Mark, his anger was holy because it was born of love. He reached out. He healed.

Erika’s anger lives, but it is not in charge.

Something else carries her forward. Because forgiveness does not erase the wound. It does not silence the ache. But it pulls the poison out of blood, even if the scar burns.

In forgiving, she does not pretend justice does not matter. She assumes it does. She rests it in a larger story.

Peter asked Jesus: How many times must I forgive? Seven? Jesus said seventy times seven. It is a refusal to count offenses. Not a scoreboard. A surrender.

In the parable: a debt so monstrous that the figure collapses. From being kissed by grace to choking a man over coins. He demands payment. The King, seeing all, rages. Because if you have known mercy, how do you refuse it?

That gives shape to what’s happening tonight.

This forgiveness is not soft. It is a weapon drawn in surrender. It bears the mark of the cross. There is blood. There is blight. Charlie is gone. Yet forgiveness declares that even death does not have the final word.

In my living room watching, you can feel it. The hush presses into rib‑cages. Someone swallows. Someone weeps. A thousand hearts tremble. Some faces are pale. Some eyes shine with tears.

The crowd leans in. As if hearing the Gospel not in pat theology, but latched to bone. As if seeing the shape of love in her silhouette under light.

Christ commanded: “Be angry, sin not.”

Do not sleep angry. Let no sunset tug bitterness into your soul. Let anger die with the day. Do not feed resentment with memory. Do not fashion a coffin for hope with your own hands.

Resentment tells you things about yourself. That the gospel may still lie distant in your bones. That you have tasted forgiveness and not swallowed it. That your heart, soft at times, is edged with cold.

That you need again to look to Calvary. See the nails. Feel the crown. See the Innocent bleeding.

Hear him cry: “Father, forgive them.”

Erika is not acted by sentiment. She is acted upon by gospel. The weight of her grief hammered into something incomprehensible: courage. Love. Mercy.

She is the echo of that cross‑cry. She took the stones of grief and set them down.

There is sorrow here that demands voice. There is longing that resists easy comfort. There is the justice system turning its gears. There is the possibility: forgiveness may take time to root. May ache in the earth before blooming. But under stadium lights she plants it.

She tastes hot metal in her throat when she says “I forgive him.” Her hands tremble. Her heart wants to recoil, wants to scream…tears fall.

But she bows instead. She opens the door of her heart. She trusts something greater.

And you: who reads this. Who carries your own wound. Who corners yourself with memory.

You are invited: come take your feet out of the gravel. Shake them. Feel ground under skin. Let forgiveness be your step forward, not your burden.

So here is my challenge: in your darkest room, when your voice is raw, say the name. Speak it. Whisper: “I forgive you.” Let the air charge. Let the weight crack. Be afraid, tremble. But step anyway.

Because of what Erika did, we see the cross awkwardly alive.

Because of what Christ endured, we understand forgiveness is not retreat. It is surrender. It is facing hell and singing resurrection. It is taking loss and playing it into melody.

It is the bravest love.

We were not made for bitterness. We were made for forgiveness. Taste it. Say it. Live in it. Tonight.

Introduction and first four stories by Alex Murashko. Fifth story by Rich Bitterman.

Think Eternity News Top Stories in 2025 Highlight Growing Revival and a Bold Forgiveness