Tour Champion: Where Do You Need to Persevere?

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach shares the story of PGA golfer Tommy Fleetwood, who finally won his first championship after years of near-misses. Pastor Zach unpacks how Fleetwood’s perseverance mirrors the biblical call to keep going in faith, even when results don’t come right away. Drawing from Galatians 6:9, Romans 5, and 1 Peter 5:6, he reminds us that God values daily obedience over instant success.

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Creators and Guests

Host

Zach Weihrauch

Follower of Jesus who has graciously given me a wife to love, children to shepherd, and a church to pastor.

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Check out new episodes of our daily podcast, Wake Up, Look Up, with Zach Weihrauch as he interprets what's happening in our world through the lens of the gospel.

Hello everyone, thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch, and in this episode, we're talking about a Tour champion, and we're asking the question, where do you need to persevere? Now, this is prompted by an article I read in the Wall Street Journal and by a recent happening in the world of sports, golf, and particular where Tommy Fleetwood won the 2025 PGA Tour Championship. Now, here's what is interesting about Mr. Fleetwood. He is a phenomenal golfer. In fact, he's ranked number four in the world. He's the fourth best golfer in the world, consistently competing at a high level. In fact, he has won over $33 million in his career. And keep in mind, the professional golfers, they only earn what they win. They don't have guaranteed contracts. So he has performed at a high level. In fact, he started 163 tournaments in the PGA Tour. But up until this past weekend, he had never won. 44 times. He had finished in the top 10, but never one. It was a huge story in the world of golf because consistently on the final day of a tournament, you would see his name in the top 10 and you would wonder, is this going to be the time? And it never was. He was asked about it constantly. He spoke very openly and humbly about it. Everyone was kind of waiting to see if he would ever win. And win it would happen. And it did. This past weekend, in the ending tournament of the season, the Tour championship, with a $10 million prize, he finally won. Now, listen, I love sports, and you know, I love golf. So of course I wanted to talk about this, but from a pastor perspective, I wanted to talk about it in this way. It's a great example of the power of perseverance, of staying at something even if you don't yet see the results. And it might surprise you to know that the Bible has a lot to say about perseverance. And while it isn't talking about professional golf, Tommy Fleetwood's perseverance is a challenge to all of us, in whatever area we are being faithful but not yet seeing results. Galatians 6, 9, right after it tells us that God is not mocked. Whatever you sow, you're going to reap tells us in due season you will reap. It's a promise of God that if you do the right things, if you stay at the things he's calling you to, there will eventually be a payoff. In fact, we're often told that the process of pursuing that payoff leads to humility. And that humility is a prerequisite for God's elevation of someone. 1 Peter 5, 6 says, at the proper time, he will exalt you. The Bible teaches us that God humbles the proud, but lifts up the humble. And few things humble us, like working at something and not see, seeing the results. And that humility actually produces the atmosphere for learning and growth. This is why Paul says in Romans 5 that suffering produces perseverance. Suffering challenges us. It changes us. And when we think suffering, sometimes we think, uh, of being, uh, physically assaulted for our faith. We think of getting some kind of, uh, massively difficult and negative diagnosis medically. And those things for sure are suffering. But so also is working at something and not seeing results. Listen, it's a reminder that what God is calling us to is faithfulness. And faithfulness is about obedience in the day to day, not just about producing a result. That's why Matthew 25 reminds us that what we're looking for God to say on the day of judgment to us is, well done, good and faithful servant. He doesn't call us earners or producers or champions or winners. He calls us faithful servants. What God is looking for is a daily posture of surrender, a long obedience in the same direction. To use Eugene Peterson, the results will come. The results are up to him. Which is one of the reasons why we should have a culture of celebrating other people's victories, because it's a reminder that faithfulness does lead to results. Or we're celebrating you today with our eyes on the horizon to what God is going toa do in and through me or then person next to me tomorrow. That's why Romans 12:15 says to rejoice with those who rejoice. Because every time God blesses and honors obedience, it's a reminder to all of us to keep going. I'm sure that Tommy Fleetwood found himself wondering, will it ever happen? But he wondered on the way to the driving range, on the way to the golf course. He kept working at it. I wonder where you're frustrated in your parenting, in your career, in your spiritual growth. I wonder if you're wondering if a breakthrough is ever coming. Well, listen, wonder on the way to being obedient. Because what Fleetwood shows us, and the Bible tells us time and time again, is daily faithfulness will lead to eventual fruitfulness. Hang in there. Tommy Fleetwood is now a winner. And you and I will be as well, if we remain obedient to Jesus. Hey, thanks for watching this episode of Wake up, Look Up. If you enjoyed it, please help us get the word out by sharing it with someone you think might benefit from it. And while you're here, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get further content or even download the CCC app, where you'll find even more resources to help you grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Have an article you’d like Zach to discuss? Email us at [e-mail]!