_small.jpg) Joe
Jackson grew up in Cincinnati Ohio. As a youngster
he accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of 12
and grew up in a family with good Christian values
and influence.
However, as a youngster he also suffered with a
serious lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem.
When he was in the sixth grade, he had already grown
to a height of almost 6 feet tall and weighed over
170 pounds. He towered over his classmates and
became an oddity to his peers. In his biography
Jackson said this made him feel odd, weird, and he
was clumsy.
As Jackson entered into his teen years, he began
looking for acceptance among his peers in the wrong
way. Jackson admits he made some very poor choices,
and he soon found himself in a lot of trouble. He
spent time in juvenile detention and was headed for
something much more serious.
The one dream he had for his
life was of being a professional football player,
but the route he was taking was leading him away
from that dream at an alarming pace. At the same
time, he also came to realize that his lifestyle was
a huge disappointment to his Christian parents. It
was then that he realized he needed to make a change
in his life. His earlier commitment to God had not
been what it should have been. He needed to get back
to the person he was as a child; he needed to get
back to God.
God began quietly and graciously working in
Jackson's life, and in his freshman year at New
Mexico State University, he gave his full heart to
Christ. Thanks to the organization Campus Crusade
for Christ and others such as The Navigators and the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Jackson's life
changed radically.
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In
his athletic career, Jackson played football for New Mexico State
and was honored to become a member of that school's Hall of Fame. In
1972 he was a fifth-round pick for the New York Jets. He played for
that team through 1975, then went to the Minnesota Vikings. In 1977
he played in the Super Bowl with the Vikings against the Oakland
Raiders.
In 1978 Jackson spent one year playing
for the Canadian Edmonton Eskimos, a consistent Gray Cup-winning
team.
Today, Jackson is no longer playing football, but he is still
involved in athletics through evangelism. He is currently the pro
director of the Athletes International Ministries.
Jackson also travels as a gospel singer and youth evangelist. He has
spoken at over 3,000 high schools worldwide. His ministry includes
preaching and singing at youth rallies, high school and junior high
school assemblies, men's ministries, prison outreach, and whatever
other opportunity he feels God is opening the door for. In addition
he is a church evangelist at Phoenix First Assembly of God Church in
Arizona, where he lives.
Jackson says his passion in life is to reach out to people who are
hurting, who have made poor choices in life, and to encourage them
to fan the flame of the gifts God has given them. He wants everyone
to see that they are a treasure to God.
Jackson will be the special speaker on Easter Sunday at LifePointe.
For that day the services will begin at 10 a.m., one hour earlier
than normal. Everyone is invited to join the congregation of
LifePointe and receive a blessing from this special man on this
special day. LifePointe Church of God is located at 601
Pulaski Street in the former
Courier Building.
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