During the first service at the new Liquid Church in Parsippany, New Jersey, Christian celebrity Tim Tebow spoke about God calling him to minister God’s love in a surprising place. Tebow described how he had felt compelled to speak about God’s love in an airport early in November. The man who inspired this desire to minister was walking with a limp. Tebow, however, was battling strep throat and decided against speaking to the limping man. Tebow later felt guilty for skipping the opportunity to tell someone about God’s love. He felt he had used his physical health as an excuse to not listen to God’s call and regretted not speaking to the man. Tebow said he should have told the man with the limp that God loved him, and the celebrity athlete prayed that God would give him another chance to show His love to someone who needed it.

It was in another airport that God gave Tebow a new chance to spread His love. The former football player saw a veteran with prosthetic legs, and Tebow approached the man and thanked him for his service. While the two were talking, Tebow learned that he and the veteran were on the same flight. When the man and Tebow finished their conversation, Tebow asked a flight attendant to give his first class seat to the veteran. Tebow then took the veteran’s seat in coach.

To the more than 1,000 people at Liquid Church, Tebow admitted that he would have enjoyed the solitude of flying first class, so when he gave up his seat and flew coach, he just wanted to put on his headphones and get some rest. Unfortunately for him, the rest of the passengers around him recognized the famous athlete and wanted to speak to him. Tebow told the crowd at Liquid Church that God had plans for Tebow to minister to some of the other passengers on the plane, such as a woman who was dealing with martial issues. She needed comfort and unburdened her heart to Tebow. The Christian celebrity used his airport anecdote to illustrate that people’s lives can be touched by generosity even when the circumstances around them are uncomfortable or awkward.

Tebow’s impromptu airport ministry is hardly the first time he has put his faith on display. The former Bronco’s quarterback made headlines and captured the hearts of millions in 2011 when he knelt down to pray on the sidelines of the football field. His praying posture, down on one knee with a hand on his head, became famous almost overnight. The practice of imitating Tebow’s praying posture was dubbed “Tebowing” and became a position taken as a part of both heartfelt prayer and scathing mockery.

Tebow has since left the football field behind and written two books, Through My Eyes and Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms. He also organized the Tim Tebow Foundation in 2010. The Tim Tebow Foundation has stated that their mission is to “bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” and Tebow has worked with Liquid Church before through the foundation. The Tim Tebow Foundation and Liquid Church are planning to partner once more in February 2018 for Night to Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation’s prom designed for teenagers and adults with special needs.