The Huddle: Where Faith and Sports Meet - Nobles Darby IV

Join Nobles C. Darby IV, Metro Cleveland Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Chaplain for the Cleveland Browns, as well as Co-Chaplain for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Charge (Cavs G-League Affiliate), as he shares his powerful testimony and explores the intersection of faith and sports. In his role, Nobles mentors coaches and athletes at all levels, oversees ministry initiatives, leads sports camps, and ministers directly to professional players and coaching staff—helping individuals grow both on and off the field.

Through candid conversations with athletes, coaches, and faith leaders, Kingdom Athletes dives into the challenges and triumphs of walking in God’s purpose in sports and life. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or someone seeking inspiration, this podcast will encourage you to pursue God’s will and live out your calling with boldness.

Transcript

Israel Caminero: 0:04

Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I'm grateful for your support and for being part of this community. If you've been enjoying the podcast so far, I'd love it if you could take a minute to leave a review. Your feedback helps me reach more people and share these inspiring stories with others. Let's spread the word. Please share this podcast with your friends and family. And if you haven't already, be sure to like and subscribe for new episodes. To stay connected and up to date on all the latest news, updates, and exclusive content, head over to my Facebook page, Living Testimonies. While you're there, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. The link is on the page. Thanks again for listening and I'll catch you in the next episode. Welcome to Living Testimony, Stories of Faith and Redemption. I'm your host, Israel Camanero, and I hope everyone that's listening is blessed and doing well. With me today, I have my brother in Christ, and his name is Nobles Darby. Can you introduce yourself to everyone, Nobles?

Nobles Darby IV: 1:27

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Uh it's good to be with you, man, and your audience. I was uh honored to be able to ask, to be asked to be invited to come on and share uh my testimony and what God has done in my life. But uh my name again is Nobles Darby IV. Um there's a few more that have come before me. Uh, so I always like to make that distinction, but I'm blessed to serve in a few different ways, man. I'm the Metro Cleveland director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which is an international sports ministry organization that's about 70 years old. So blessed to be leading our efforts right here in Cuyahoga County. Uh, and then I'm also blessed to serve as chaplain to both the Cleveland Browns and co-chaplain to our Cleveland Cavaliers from the city of Cleveland as well. So nothing better than being able to serve the Lord in your own hometown. So again, it's an honor to be on with you, brother, and looking forward to this conversation. That's great.

Israel Caminero: 2:22

I I met him at a big game breakfast men's conference, and he shared his testimony there, and I just knew I had to have him on here. And I went up to him and talked to him and said, Hey, can I give you my email? And he graciously said, How about I just give you my number and you get a hold of me that way? So he was gracious enough to be on here and bless everyone, and he has a good testimony, but before he shares that, I'd like to pray over us, and I'd like to say, Heavenly Father, we come before you with gratitude for this opportunity to glorify your name through testimony. Lord, we lift up nobles Darby as he prepares to share his story. Thank you for the calling you have placed in his life and for the work he's doing as a chaplain for the Cleveland Browns and co-chaplain for the Cavaliers. Holy Spirit, guide his word so that it may bring encouragement, healing, and transformation to those who hear it. May his testimony be a reflection of your faithfulness, grace, and power at work in his life. Let every word spoken point back to you, drawing hearts closer to your truth. We ask for your anointing over this podcast that it may reach those who need to hear it, break chains, restore hope, and ignite faith in those listening. Cover Nobles, his ministry, and his family with your protection and blessings. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. So nobles, uh, thank you for being here first of all and taking the time to share your testimony with my audience. And I just want to start from the very beginning. You know, can you share a little bit about your background on how you came to know Christ?

Nobles Darby IV: 3:59

Yeah, absolutely. So my testimony is this. So growing up, I had a best friend. Uh, this guy and I did everything together. Um, literally everywhere you saw him, you saw me, everywhere you saw me, you saw him. Uh, we finished each other's sentences. We were just that connected. And uh his grandfather was a pastor, and so always was giving us a tremendous amount of wisdom. And we had one dream uh to be able to go to the same college, play college football together, and eventually make it to the NFL, play for the Cleveland Browns, and be able to uh put our families, you know, in good positions from playing professional ball. And so uh right before we were getting ready to go off to college, my friend's grandfather set us down, and he basically said, Hey, you know, guys, in order to be successful, there's two things that you're gonna need. Um, three things you're gonna need. Uh one, you're gonna need God to make it through life, you're gonna need God to make it through college, and Jesus is gonna have to be your foundation. Um, little did we know this will be the last conversation we had uh with my guy's grandfather because two weeks into our freshman semester, he passes away and dies of a heart attack. And so, you know, my guy grew up in church, you know, very strong Christian household and uh great upbringing and the great upbringing in the faith, and me just trying to be a good friend to support him and encourage him is just reminding him of the last three things that his grandfather shared was that in order to make it through life, we were gonna need God. Uh we're gonna need God to make it through college, and Jesus would have to be our foundation. Uh well, instead of leaning into, you know, the Christian morals and principles that we have been raised upon, uh, my guy ultimately turned to alcohol. And as a result, the full scholarship that he was on was now in jeopardy of being taken away. And so uh he fights with the admissions office and uh does different appeals and things of that nature, and the scholarship is reinstated. And so we come back home in the summer of 2006, and I'm reminding him again of the three things his grandfather said that we would need God to make it through life, we would need God to make it through college, and Jesus would have to be our foundation. And so I'm just encouraging him, letting him know, man, we got to finish where we started, do this to honor the legacy of your grandfather, and we work out all over that summer, get back on campus, and against my guy's better judgment, he goes to a big party on campus, and that just begins a downward spiral. Um, loses complete focus, gets completely distracted and caught up with the affairs of the world, um, drinking, partying, um, trying to get with as many females as possible on campus. And reality hit home in December of 2006, where he gets a letter in the mail that he had a 1.06 GPA. Um, so he was now suspended from Bowling Green State University. Uh, the dream of getting a college degree was gone. The dream of possibly playing in the NFL was now gone, and now he's back home in Cleveland, Ohio. So he's dealing with a serious bout of depression. He's having suicidal thoughts, and one day he's in the bathroom of his parents' home and he's thinking about ending his life, and he hears the voice of his grandfather come back to him and reminds him hey, you need God to make it through life, you need God to make it through college, and Jesus has to be a foundation. And in that moment, I remember my friend said that uh it was raining hard outside, the wind was beating up on the bathroom window, the skies were gray and cloudy, uh, but he just cried out to the Lord. He repented of his sins, and with tears falling down his face, he asked the Lord to give him one more chance. And he rededicated his life to the Lord right there on the floor of that bathroom in his parents' home. And so, what he does after that moment, because he felt as though the Lord had given him a second chance, at that moment the rain outside stopped and the sun came beaming into the bathroom window, and he knew God had given him a second chance. And so he enrolls at a community college to get his grades back up. He then transfers to a four-year university, Cleveland State. He walks the stage, and as he does this, he points his finger to the sky as a reminder of what his grandfather told him that he was needing God to make it through college, make it through life, and Jesus would have to be his foundation. Now, although my guy never played another down of football, he asked the Lord to give him an opportunity to use his testimony to inspire coaches and athletes all over this country. And to this day, uh my guy is using his testimony to do that. And I would love to uh just add that the friend that I'm referring to in this story is the man that you are listening to right now. Um I am the guy that had the good Christian household, the great faith upbringing, was raised in the church, um, didn't just love the Lord because my family loved the Lord. I love the Lord genuinely on my own. Um, but it was my first time away from home. You know, being a preacher's kid, I grew up in a very strict Christian home. And so being my first time away from uh from Cleveland, I kind of wanted to spread my wings a little bit and do my own thing. Um but I tell people all the time, Israel, it's the best thing that, you know, happened to me, not making it to the NFL the way I thought that I would is the best thing that happened because, you know, when you hit rock bottom, uh that's a great place to learn that if Christ is not your foundation, then the foundation you've built for yourself is sure to fall. And the foundation I had built for my life at that point, you know, was not something that was going to sustain me, um, but it was through Christ humbling me, right, and gracefully breaking me in order for me to have an encounter with him where my life would be rededicated to him, and then my life would be recommitted to him for his glory and for his purposes. And as a result, again, even though I never played a down of football in the NFL, the Lord, through his divine favor, you know, has gifted giving me this incredible opportunity to speak into the lives of professional athletes each and every day to let them know your mistakes don't have to define you, but through Christ, they can help define who you become. And that's my story, brother.

Israel Caminero: 10:12

Amen. Amen. I'd like to get in a little bit in more into that as the chaplain of the Cleveland Browns and the co-chaplain of the Cavaliers. What's your journey been like ministering to them?

Nobles Darby IV: 10:27

Yeah, yeah. You know, one of the things that I think the the just the everyday fan, you know, loses sight of is that, you know, because prior to me being in these positions, I've been with the Cavs. Now I'm in my fourth season. Um this will be my uh second season coming up with the Browns. Um so, you know, I I've been a lifelong fan, you know, of sports specifically, you know, our Cleveland teams. Um, but something that you can easily lose sight of the fact is that these are still everyday people with everyday problems, and they are in need of a savior, and they are in need of the word of God. And so, you know, I'm just one of those guys, man, that believes before I can speak life into someone, I need to do life with someone. And so, you know, it's been incredible for me because I come into any of I I've come I've came into both situations, you know, not as a chaplain, but just as a brother, you know, somebody that I wanted these guys to look at and see, man, that that's a that's a guy I can identify with, that's a guy I can relate with. You know, I always uh uh tell guys, you know, when I'm coming in is that, you know, I'm the biggest, I'm the biggest sneaker head in this organization. Like I don't care how much money you guys make, I guarantee your sneaker collection is not top of mine. And so it it gives me so much credibility, you know, with guys as I'm coming in. And I'll tell you, Israel, you know, one of the things, and I've I've referenced this on so many other podcasts I've done, you know, for me, sneakers are what I like to call gentile bait, right? And so it's it's enough, it's a good hook, you know, that if a guy is never engaged with a chaplain or is never engaged with faith, you know, um, and they may not even have a relationship with the Lord, they're going to see something they can connect and identify with that over time, and after building relationship with a guy, I have to believe that the Lord is gonna open up an opportunity for a seed of faith to be planted in that man's life that will not only change his life, but it will also transform the community he's connected to as well. So, you know, with that type of mindset and that approach, understanding these are not athletes only, but these are men, these are husbands, these are fathers, these are, you know, men who are dealing with issues away from the game. You know, how can I just build relationship, credibility, and trust with them to the point that whether they are a believer in Christ or they are not, you know, there's a window and there's space and there's margin that's created in order for me to speak into their life according to scripture and begin to see the word of God transform their lives from the inside out. So it's been a blessing, man. Shout outs to both the Cavs and Browns organizations who have welcomed me with open arms and just given me complete uh freedom, you know, to be able to be myself, um, but to also shine the light of Christ, you know, in into into the lives of these coaches and athletes. So it's been a blessing.

Israel Caminero: 13:21

I bet. You know, and and that comes with a lot of pressure. I mean, these athletes they have big challenges, you know, when it comes to what they're doing. You know, they have the fame, the money, the the females are everywhere. My question to you is how do you help them stay spiritually grounded in this high pressure world of professional sports?

Nobles Darby IV: 13:42

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, it goes to my my testimony, you know, when my grandfather told me that I would need Jesus to be my foundation, you know, I love the parable that we see in scripture in Matthew 7, um, 24 through 26, where Jesus talks about, you know, the two houses, uh, the house that's built on solid rock versus the house that's built on sand. And, you know, when I'm I'm I'm speaking into the lives of these athletes to your point, you know, they're making millions of dollars, you know. For some of them, it's it's generational money. They'll never have to work another day in their life. But when we think about a foundation and how critical a foundation is, you know, no matter how secure you think your foundation is, right? If our foundation is the contract extensions and the endorsement deals and the amount of women we are able to be with, the amount of things we're able to buy, well, what happens when those things are taken away? Right? Well, what what happens if an injury, you know, derails your plans that you had for your career, and now your career, as you know it, is in jeopardy. And so one of the things that I just challenge these guys on is that again, no matter how secure you think you are, no matter how secure these contracts make you feel, no matter how secure these relationships and these opportunities make you feel, if you are not standing on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, you will fall. Right. And so for these guys, man, I just make it a point to help them to understand that, you know, God didn't make a mistake in gifting them the ability, you know, to play professional ball. Right? The the the Bible even talks about the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable and without repentance. So God is not going to change his mind about what he gave to us, right? And so in understanding that, God, the the gifts that we have are God's gift to us. How we utilize them is our gift back to him. So how are we utilizing the platforms that he's given us in order to honor him? Because for me, man, it's it's it's not enough to you know have a guy having his Instagram bio or a caption under a picture for God's glory when the lifestyle doesn't match, you know, God's glory. Right. Right? We know God's glory to be the manifestation of his character and his attributes. So if God is loving, if he's merciful, if he's humble, if he's patient, if he's kind, then our lives also have to match that claim if we are saying that what we are doing is to bring God glory. And so I think, man, for me, at a foundational level, it just has to start with is Christ the foundation of your life? Because 1 Corinthians 3 and 11 makes a very clear statement. It says, For there is no other foundation that can be laid than that which is Jesus Christ. So if the foundation of these athletes' lives and coaches is not Jesus Christ, well, let's start there. Let's start by uprooting or detaching ourselves from foundations that we've built, which like the Tower of Babel, are going to fall, right? Because God doesn't want us to build monuments to ourselves. He wants us to build monuments for his glory to be revealed. And so, in that vein, you know, as an athlete, every single Sunday, if you're an NFL player or every single uh other night of the week, if you play basketball, God is giving you an opportunity to play on the biggest stage there is to make sure your glory is revealed through him. But it has to start with Christ being the foundation. And so for me, Israel, like it's all about discipleship, man. It's all about understanding where these guys are in their faith. Has the seed of faith already been planted? And is God giving me an opportunity to water it? Is this an opportunity where there's no seed? And the the the their um their lives just need to be cultivated in order to receive the seed of the gospel, right? Because at the end of the day, we all have an obligation to the seed, whether it is there or it needs to be planted. That's right. We just have to discern from the Lord, God, what is my responsibility with this soul you've placed in front of me, and it's no different in an in an MBA or NFL locker room. That's right.

Israel Caminero: 17:50

Since you've done this for so long, have you witnessed any powerful moments of transformation among the players or staff while you've been doing this?

Nobles Darby IV: 17:58

Oh, 100%. I mean, you know, so many stories I could share with you, but I would share this one in particular. Um there was a guy on the team on the Browns roster when I first came in. Uh, because when I first came in, I was serving as uh co-chaplain. Um and so when I first came in during that season, you know, this guy and I would never talk about faith. Um none, nothing about religion would ever come up. We would talk about fashion, we talked about music, we talked about places he wanted to travel to, food he was, you know, a fan of, all these different things. Faith never came up at any one point. Because again, what did I share before at the top of this interview? Before I speak life into a guy, I gotta do life with a guy. And so faith never came up. He never came to Bible study, he never came to a chapel, you know, but it was always love when I seen him in the building. Well, fast forward the story to this past season. When the off-season program began in April, this guy was one of the first athletes in the building to be in our player Bible study. He would stay after, he would begin to ask questions. And on the first uh chapel of the regular season before we played the Dallas Cowboys, um, I felt led to do a call to salvation, and that brother gave his life to Christ that night. And so, you know, no credit to me whatsoever, but it's a testament to, again, you know, the Bible teaches us one plants, one waters, God gives the increase. A seed had been planted, the Lord ultimately allowed that seed to be watered, and God was in full control and determination of when that seed was going to bloom. And so, I mean, that was awesome. And in that same chapel, uh, one of our rookies got invited by one of our veterans on the team because I even challenged our veterans according to the Great Commission, Matthew 20, 18 through 20, right? Go ye therefore into the locker room of the Cleveland Browns and make and make disciples. Make disciples. Like, how can you go to war? You know, with these men that you call your brothers every single day and you don't and you don't care about their souls. And so I challenged our veterans, hey man, listen, if the game of life ended tonight, would your teammates be winners? And if the answer to those questions are no, then we have great opportunities to minister to every single man in this locker room. And as a result of our veterans taking on that challenge, a rookie that was on our team last year came to that same chapel and he gave his life to Christ as well. And so me and Israel, those are two testimonies of many that I can share. But again, the transformation that we see happening in the lives of these individuals is solely contingent upon our obedience to just be faithful to whatever relationship God wants us to have with the seed that either needs to be planted or the seed that needs to be cultivated. Because at the end of the day, the Bible says this if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto myself. And so it's been really cool to see that those type of transformations happen within uh the lives of these guys, man.

Israel Caminero: 21:03

That's right. I like that. I I and you see all over how these athletes are coming in on TV now and just proclaiming their Christianity, and I love it, you know. That's how it's that's how it should be.

Nobles Darby IV: 21:19

It's revival.

Israel Caminero: 21:20

Exactly. But now I I want to go back to you and I I want to thank you for pouring into these athletes because that's what they need. And you know, they could get lost with this money, fame, and women, like I said, but that's what you're there for to pour Christ into them and be their friend and have a sneaker competition.

Nobles Darby IV: 21:44

Wow. Absolutely. Humbly speaking, if you ask me, it ain't much of a competition, bro. But yeah, no, it's a blessing, man. You know, there there are, and I I say this as many times as I can, there are, you know, we see them as fans on Sundays, Monday night, Thursday night, um, you know, whenever they play, we see them, you know, through a name and through a jersey number. You know, God sees them as so much more. And I think it's through connecting them to the reality of how Christ sees them that really unlocks them uh to be, you know, who it is God called them to be. And so there are tremendous men throughout Cleveland on these sports teams who are doing the best they can with the Holy Spirit living within them uh to be Christ-loving men, um, to be loving husbands, loving fathers. And I'm just blessed to be able to come alongside them in that regard. So, you know, God is doing something tangible and supernatural in our Cleveland sports teams as it pertains to where these guys are going to spend eternity. So that's the real win.

Israel Caminero: 22:53

That's right. And there was one specific guy that's no longer with us that I would love every time he got interviewed. And you could just see it in his eyes, how he would share Christ on TV. And there was one. Yeah.

Nobles Darby IV: 23:09

Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, we've had some good ones over the years for sure. Yeah.

Israel Caminero: 23:15

But like I said, I want to go back to you now and and ask you if there's a personal testimony of how God worked in your life as of recently.

Nobles Darby IV: 23:25

Absolutely. So um, you know, this is this is out there because I I shared it on social media, but a very influential uh person in my life, uh, my father, you know, my father um was so much more than a father. To me, he was a spiritual giant in the kingdom. You know, he played such a major role and just my upbringing and um the faith that I live and operate in now, I first saw modeled and demonstrated through him. Um so we recently lost my father uh this year on uh March 19th. And uh during that whole time, you know, when he was sick and um, you know, going through all of that, hospital visits, so on and so forth. Um and even now, you know, being a few weeks removed from, you know, uh having his home going service, I've seen just the strength of the Lord revealed in new ways. Um, you know, literally, my my father passes on a Wednesday, um, that Sunday, um, I'm in the pulpit uh preaching at a church. Yeah, and uh and I remember the pastor reaching out to me, hey man, do you want to reschedule? And I just felt committed, you know, to still doing it. And I felt like the Lord wanted me to be there because if it's one thing I observed from my father, is even in the midst of his own challenges and the pain and suffering he was experiencing, um, as long as the Lord had given him breath in his body, he was still standing in the gap to serve God's people. And so for me, man, just being able to honor the legacy of my father in that way, you know, I still committed to showing up and serving, you know, and it was so awesome because in that service, um, what I shared that day through conversations I had with several individuals after the service, that word was confirmation, um, not even just for them, but people that they were connected to in their lives that they were trying to lead to the Lord as well. And so it's like, man, even in, you know, my father's passing, I still felt his presence. I still felt his strength, and I still saw the Lord at work, you know, even in that moment. And then that following Sunday, you know, the Cavs uh in FCA, we've been blessed to partner and do a faith and family night event together these last three seasons. Um, so the literally the very next day after my father's service, I speak at this event um inside of Rocket Arena. And as a result of, you know, me just being obedient to being where I felt the Lord wanting me to be, um, there was a soul that got saved literally right before uh the Cavs played the LA Clippers on March 30th. And so again, you know, it's it's just a testament to what can happen when even in the midst of our pain, our suffering, Lord, what is your will concerning my life in this moment? You know, would you still have me show up? And one of the examples I always point to, man, by no means am I comparing myself to him, but in his humanity, we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in the night he's getting ready to be taken captive to be crucified, right? The Bible says he was sweating so hard, blood was literally coming out of him, you know, and he prays this prayer. He says, Lord, if there's any other way this can happen, let this cup pass. But the most powerful uh word in this phrase that he says is nevertheless. Nevertheless. And so, you know, if we are to be Christ-like, then I believe, man, we have to grow and mature to a place spiritually, you know, where we can arrive at a nevertheless moment. And that's what I saw God do for me. I said, Lord, I'm grieving right now, I'm hurting. I lost one of my guys, my dog, my best friend. But Lord, nevertheless, not about how I'm feeling, but Lord, let your will be done. And as a result, lives were touched, you know, because I went in the Lord's strength and in his grace. So lost someone, obviously super close to me, but as a result, some souls came into the kingdom. And so if you ask me, man, that's a that's that's a pretty significant exchange. So God is good.

Israel Caminero: 27:31

God definitely is good. And that word you brought that day at the church was fire. I was there. Amen. Praise God. And I witnessed how God was working through you and your father was smiling down on you.

Nobles Darby IV: 27:47

Praise God, yes, sir.

Israel Caminero: 27:49

That's right. And you know, sometimes it's hard when we lose a family like that, but without God, it would be even harder.

Nobles Darby IV: 27:58

No, a thousand percent harder. Absolutely. I would rather, I say this all the time, man. I would rather have God on my worst days than be on my best day without him.

Israel Caminero: 28:09

That's right.

Nobles Darby IV: 28:11

Yep.

Israel Caminero: 28:12

That's right. Nobles, you're so humble on everything you say, man. I love it.

Nobles Darby IV: 28:18

Hey, it's it's a testament to the men that have gone before me and really just the Holy Spirit at work within me, man. At the end of the day, when people look at any of our lives, you know, I think we should all just want them to say, man, that's a man or that's a woman who was led and loved by Jesus and it was displayed in everything that they said and did. So I think if that's the posture of our hearts, you know, that's how God can do significant things. Um, at the end of the day, man, you know, it never ceases to amaze me, Israel, um, that God uses imperfect people like us, you know, to accomplish his perfect will and point people to a perfect Savior. You know, so when we are willing to acknowledge, you know, how uh flawed and um you know fallible we are, you know, we are able to point people to a Christ who is everything we aspire to be. And that's that's such a huge testament in and of itself. Amen.

Israel Caminero: 29:19

Now I know you gave three foundations that your grandfather gave you earlier. Would you still use those three foundations on someone struggling with their faith or purpose right now?

Nobles Darby IV: 29:29

Oh, a hundred percent. You know, and insert whatever your challenge is and adopt that same philosophy. You're gonna need God to make it through life. Um, that's a given, you know, because it's for as long as he has us here, you know, I'm reminded of uh Philippians 1 and 6, right? And I remain confident that he who began a good work in you, him being the Lord, right, will see it through to the day of Christ's return. And so if if that's a promise that we are holding on to, then we're gonna need God to continue to make it through whatever it is he's called us to do. Second thing, again, you know, for me, it was school at the moment. For you listening, it may be your career, it may be your marriage, it may be a relationship with a significant other, a husband, a wife, a child, a grandchild, a niece, a nephew, a brother, a sister, right? Whatever that thing is, you're gonna need God in that situation. But here's the promise Romans 8.28. We know, we can remain confident that God will cause all things to work together for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose. And so if you know that you are loved by God, if you know you are called by God, and if you know there's a significant purpose he has for your life, you can encounter any test, trial, tribulation, or challenge with the promise that God is gonna work all things together for the good. It ain't gonna feel good right now. And most times it won't look good, right? But you can be confident that it's working for your good. And the last thing, man, you know, again, Christ has to be our foundation. So long as our lives are built on him. They say there's three things that's true about life: that either you're in a storm, you're coming out of a storm, or you're headed into a storm. But if we look at Matthew 7, 24 through 26, Jesus said, if you listen to me and follow my teachings, right? That's our responsibility, right? Jesus promises that we'll still be standing, like that house built on solid rock. But what are the conditions of that promise that have to be met? We have to not only listen to what he says, but we have to be willing to follow it. When we adopt those three principles, it doesn't matter what storm, what test, what trial, what challenge, so long as Christ is the foundation, I can guarantee you'll be standing. I love the song from Maverick City, right? Rain came and wind blew, but my life was built on you. Right. When our lives are built on Jesus Christ, let the winds blow, let the storms come, right? We are still going to remain standing because we are standing on Jesus Christ. Amen. That's so true.

Israel Caminero: 32:06

That's so true. Now we have to pray for the Browns win this year.

Nobles Darby IV: 32:20

Right? Right. Yeah.

Israel Caminero: 32:23

That was a total joke.

Nobles Darby IV: 32:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. No, I I get it, man. You you know, I hear it week in and week out. Man, we gotta pray for the bride. I'm like, man, listen, you know, the the wins and losses are gonna be what they're gonna be. And of course, as fans, we want to see them perform better, right? No one wants to continue to live under, you know, uh uh unrealistic or unserved expectations, you know, of any sports franchise. You know, but at the end of the day, from from my seat, and this is me taking my fan hat off, where these guys spend eternity, you know, is always gonna be the most important thing, you know. But I in saying that, Israel, I wouldn't mind a Super Bowl ring while I'm alive either. So let me let me be clear about that. Two things can be true, right? I can want to I can want to see them come to know Jesus, and I want to see us win. So that's right.

Israel Caminero: 33:20

And eternity and eternity would be the better ring for all them players, you know.

Nobles Darby IV: 33:25

Oh, 100%. 100%. Yes, sir.

Israel Caminero: 33:28

I want to thank you, Darby, for taking the time to be here. But I have a couple more questions. I know you're a busy man, so I don't want to keep you too long. Um, let's do it, man. My question for you is is there a scripture or a Bible verse that stuck with you throughout your life, even when you were going through your hard times back in college, that you could always go back to? I know you shared quite a few of them, but is there one that you always go to that's like your go-to verse, your life verse? Which what's that verse and what does it mean to you?

Nobles Darby IV: 34:02

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Um, so you know, I've got you ever meet me in in person, anyone that's listening, you know, I've I'm I'm I got quite a few tattoos, and uh one of my favorite scriptures is actually tattooed on me, it's Isaiah 54 and 17, uh, which simply says, No weapon formed against me shall prosper. And that's a scripture I remember, you know, reading it as a kid, and it immediately like just resonated with me, especially being an athlete, right? Because we understand you're going up against an enemy, an opponent, but the same is true just every day in the life of a believer, right? You're you're going against, you know, um the devil, right? He's after your thoughts, he's after uh your family, he's after, you know, um a number of different things, right? But we have to understand that even though the weapons will form, right, they will form, right? The attacks will come, the darts will fly, but we need to remain confident that so long as, again, going back to what I've been sharing the duration of this interview, as long as Christ is our foundation, as long as Christ is our foundation, it doesn't matter what weapon is formed, it doesn't matter what attack is waged on our lives, they will not be able to prosper. It will not be able to prosper. And so for me, that's a promise that I hold on to that no matter what life is presenting me with, tests, trials, challenges, you know, weapons are gonna form, right? Christ even tells us if we're gonna share in his glory, we also got to share in his suffering. So there are going to be things that we deal with, but be encouraged that if the weapon of the cross was formed, yet did not prosper, and Christ says we have the we have the power of the Holy Spirit alive within us, then man, it don't matter what we go through. Defeat does not exist in the life of the believer at all. Amen.

Israel Caminero: 35:47

Amen. Thank you for that. You know, no one said becoming a Christian was gonna be easy. There's uh there's a not at all. There's someone out there that's always trying to destroy the good.

Nobles Darby IV: 36:01

100%, 100%. Yes, sir, yes, sir. But victory is ours through Christ Jesus. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. So we just gotta hold on to these promises in those pages.

Israel Caminero: 36:15

Amen. Like I said, like I said, your story, his glory. Amen. Amen. Yes, sir. Now we're going to my back to the past section of the podcast. Okay. And what my back to the past section is, is the Darby from today can go back and talk to the younger Darby and let him know things that he doesn't know of back then that he knows today. It's kind of a riddle. Yeah. What would you say to him and why?

Nobles Darby IV: 36:47

Man, I would tell him something that uh my father, you know, would tell me, you know, how you do anything is how you do everything. Right? You know, so at the end of the day, you don't want to just do well in certain things and and lack in other areas or be lax and comfortable in other areas, right? You know, there's a level of consistency that has to be displayed across the board, you know, and so how you show up on time, you know, ultimately shows, uh ultimately impacts how you show up, you know, in moments with your family, right? How you show up in in uh in your time with the Lord. You know, are you locked in? Are you focused, or is your mind all over the place and it's wandering and you're distracted? Well, that's gonna naturally determine how you show up when you're in appointments with other people, right? Because as the spirit man goes, so does the natural, right? And so spiritually, if I'm off, things naturally in my life are gonna be off as well. So I would tell my younger self, man, you know, lock in on the details, right? Lock in on doing everything through the power of the Holy Spirit well, right, so that that also is demonstrated and displayed in other key areas of your life as well. Like that's that that's wisdom that served me in my adult years. But if I could, you know, give that to my younger self, which in a way I can, you know, because I got noble C Darby V at home. So, you know, I'm able to deposit everything into him that I didn't know or didn't have. But, you know, that's that would definitely be the wisdom I give myself for sure. Amen. So there's five of you now. It's five of us, man. So that you know, we're carrying that legacy on at least one more generation. And I, you know, I told my wife and I tell others that you know I won't tell my son he has if he has a child or he has a boy, he doesn't have to name him nobles. But I would pray that I live in front of him in such a way as my dad and my grandfather lived in front of me that would at least force him to consider it. So we'll see. We'll see.

Israel Caminero: 38:48

That's good.

Nobles Darby IV: 38:49

Well, we five strong right now.

Israel Caminero: 38:51

That's good. But I just want to thank you, nobles, for being here, taking the time out of your busy schedule to just share your testimony. Is there anything that you might want to say or share before we close?

Nobles Darby IV: 39:04

Yeah, I I was I would say one, you know, again, thank you, brother, for the opportunity. Thank you for having this platform, you know, for individuals like myself to just come on and just share our testimony because, again, the lives that we live are not for us, they are merely vessels and tools and instruments that God desires to use to point other people towards him. Um, so I would just say this in closing, man. And again, it was just an honor to be able to be considered to be brought on for this conversation. It was definitely a pleasure. I would just say this you know, all of us have you know unique callings, we have unique assignments, um, we're all unique as Christ created us, but there's one common mission and common goal that we in the body of Christ all have, and that is according to Matthew twenty eight and eighteen, to go therefore and make disciples of all men, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And so So to you that are a believer that is listening to this message, and I shared this in a message that I preached in the service you were at Israel. As believers, we were not called to be flashlights in the sun, but we were called to shine the light of Christ in the dark. We are living in a dark world. We've been in the end times, and it's only going to continue to get darker. But for those of us that have the light of Christ shining within us, this great treasure that 2 Corinthians 4 talks about, this great treasure that we contain in these fragile clay jars called life, it's a reminder that the power that we have is not from us, but it belongs to the Lord. And we should be using this power to point other people towards him. So on your job, in your community, in your homes, wherever it is that you are, use your light to point other people to Christ so that when Christ comes back, it's not just us that we're uh hoping to go home, but those that we've been able to have an impact and influence on as well. So let's go shine that light in this dark world and point people to Jesus.

Israel Caminero: 41:04

That's so true. You know, I remember when you said that, and it's so true. You know, some people want to shine their light to people that are shining already.

Nobles Darby IV: 41:14

Right. Exactly. Light, light can't dispel light.

Israel Caminero: 41:19

Right. Yeah. Oh man. Well once again, I'm just gonna thank you for being here. And before we close out, do you think you could pray over us?

Nobles Darby IV: 41:29

Absolutely. We'd love to. We'd love to. Yes, sir. Well, Heavenly Father, I just want to thank you for my brother Israel, Lord, and for his heart and his obedience to creating a platform that would give believers like myself an opportunity to just testify to the goodness of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for uh what you've done in both of our lives, God, because Scripture tells us, Lord, we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Lord, our testimonies have power. And I pray, God, that whomever listens and tunes into this podcast episode, Lord, I pray it would go far beyond the traditional reach, God. Um, but let it reach, Lord, places and countries and areas in this world, God, where the gospel needs to be heard, where someone needs to hear, God, that no matter how broken up and destroyed they feel their life may be in, God, that there's a man named Jesus that died on the cross for their sins, loves them, and desires to be in relationship with them. So would you use this podcast, would you use this episode, would you use this platform and would you use Israel to continue to shine the light of Christ in this dark and dying world, Lord, so that we can point more people towards the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and to influence them on where they'll spend eternity. So, Lord, we pray, Lord, your blessings and your will to come from this conversation. And we just ask, Lord, that you would continue to use our lives to point people towards you. We will be forever grateful and honored, Lord, that you use imperfect people like us to point people to a perfect Savior. So we pray for all those that listen to this episode. Even if someone listening to this episode is unsaved, let them do, Lord, according to Romans 10 9. Pray God that they would confess with their mouth, believe in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead so that they might be saved. And so, Lord, would you continue to use this great platform that you've entrusted to my brother to be a great instrument and a great vehicle, Lord, of evangelism and outreach? And we give thanks in advance for the souls, the harvest of souls that you will produce from my brother's ministry. In Jesus' name we pray and thank you. Amen.

Israel Caminero: 43:36

Amen. Amen. Thank you for that prayer. And yes, sir. I think I've said it 5,000 times already. Thank you for being here once more.

Nobles Darby IV: 43:45

Oh man, it's an honor, brother. It was a pleasure. Great conversation. Pre-appreciate the great questions you asked. Uh, I just pray this episode is a blessing to all those that are here, and I certainly pray the Lord's continued blessings and hand of favor upon your life and your ministry as well, my guy.

Israel Caminero: 44:01

Amen. I appreciate that. Like I said, I'm just a pawn that God's using in this. It's reaching different places that I wouldn't even know. And it's all his work and it's your testimony, nobles. But it's all to glorify God while we're doing this.

Nobles Darby IV: 44:17

100%. So I just want to be the glory.

Israel Caminero: 44:20

Amen. God be the glory. Like I said earlier, your story, his glory. Amen. Amen. To all my supporters and listeners, I just wanted to take the moment to thank each and every one of you for the love and support you've shown my podcast. It means the world to me. If you're a first-time listener, welcome. I'm so glad you're here. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider liking, subscribing, and following me on your favorite podcast platform. And if you really loved it, I'd be forever grateful if you could leave me a five-star review. Here's the thing: reviews are a huge deal for a podcaster like me. They help me get discovered by new listeners, and they also help me understand what you're loving about the show. When you leave a review, you're not just giving me a virtual high five, you're also helping me create content that resonates with you and the rest of the community. So thank you again for being an amazing listener, and I'll catch you in the next episode. And until next time, God blessed it.