CRESTVIEW — Though the front of Woodlawn Baptist Church’s sanctuary may look like a construction zone lately, the impression doesn’t last long.
Each night since Wednesday, stacks of cinderblocks, bricks and lumber are reduced to rubble at the hands — literally — of The Strength Team.
Led by former Seattle Seahawks football player Mike Hagen, the trio of body builders combines feats of brute strength with inspirational messages.
The construction materials and assorted common household goods “are all just tools to share the greatest love story that ever existed,” former Cleveland Browns running back William Green said.
With Zeb Bishop, a 6-foot, 5-inch tall, 310-pound former track and field athlete, Green and Hagen brave fire, smash bricks, roll up frying pans, bend rebar into loops, lift audience members and twist horseshoes backward to form heart shapes.
“The heart represents the love Christ has for you,” Hagen said. “Open up your heart and let Christ in.”
HEAVENLY AWARDS CEREMONY
Hagen and his teammates have had their share of accolades on the athletic field, but there’s one prize they have yet to win, he said.
“When you stand before the Lord, it’s going to be a great awards ceremony for believers,” Hagen said. “But when the unbelievers stand before the God, there will be no lawyers jockeying for position. There will be no settlement out of court.”
The team’s demonstrations and spirited evangelism enthuse their audiences, inspiring people to come forward and profess their faith, and reinforcing the faith of many others.
“I thought it was pretty great,” church youth member Wesley Barrow said. “I definitely felt a little inadequate, though.”
The Strength Team performs two more 6 p.m. shows tonight and Sunday at Woodlawn Baptist Church.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT:Presentation by The Strength Team
WHEN:6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
WHERE:Woodlawn Baptist Church, 824 Ferdon Blvd. N.
COST:Free admission; a love offering will be received to support The Strength Team’s mission work in Haiti and elsewhere.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Evangelical bodybuilders demonstrate strength of faith