Tim Tebow shares message of faith to Bayside Community Church

Former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow shared his message of faith to different groups of Bayside Community Church members recently.

Bayside Community Church spokeswoman Angela Moore said the former NFL sensation talked about the message of faith three times on Sunday, the Bradenton Herald reports.

Although Tebow has not been active within the NFL since 2013, he is still as popular and influential as ever with his fans, according to NJ.com.

In a Public Policy Polling survey conducted in February, Tebow ranked fifth among the favorite quarterbacks among football fans. He scored seven percent, which is not a bad number considering he last played football in 2013, the report details.

For 18-year-old Mariah Radabaugh, who joined the 4,000-strong Bayside Community Church crowd to hear Tebow speak, said it does not matter that the quarterback is no longer active in the NFL. She still thinks of Tebow as a superstar because of the way he stands up for his faith despite outside pressures, the report relays.

"He doesn't let the world push him around," said Radabaugh. "He keeps trying. God shines through him. He's really inspiring."

Chris Foster, Radabaugh's friend, said he admires Tebow for how he works with special needs people. He thinks the former NFL star is a "great role model for everyone."

Tebow told the crowd about a time he visited a prisoner who was put on suicide watch and had killed an inmate. After Tebow told the prisoner how much God loves him despite his sins and how he could be forgiven, the two of them were moved to tears. The prisoner said he had hit the bottom rock and had asked God to show him that He cared for him, and Tebow showed up a few minutes later.

Rev. Burnard Scott of Bayside Community Church's East Campus commended Tim Tebow for being primarily a man of faith, as well as an athlete who cares enough to reach out to people who need God in their lives.