Lesson 46 Why Make a Dedication and Get Baptized?

[Click for Transcript]|[Soccer Was My Reason for Living]
[Andrey Nesmachniy wearing a navy suit he walks into an empty soccer stadium]
Andrey: Soccer was my reason for living. I always dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player.
[Imagines an enthusiastic crowd waving flags surrounding an energic soccer game]
I thought that happiness came from fame,
[In uniform, places his foot on a soccer ball and spotlighted]
a good career,
[Actual footage of Andrey scoring a goal]
money. When I was six, my parents signed me up for soccer.
[Children playing]
I really loved playing soccer. I spent all my time at the stadium, even late into the night.
[In the ministry with his mother]
When I was 12, I learned about Jehovah from my mom. At that time, she started studying the Bible. And after about a year, I began to preach from door to door.
[Hands brochure to a woman]
When I was 17 years old, I finished school and I received an invitation from the Dynamo Soccer Club in Kiev.
[Walks through stadium]
Oh, that was unforgettable!
[A glittering trophy]
Yes, my emotions were running high because since childhood I had always dreamed of playing for Dynamo.
[Grass bursts into the air with a powerful running kick, soccer ball flies into the net, fans cheer]
From that moment on, all my energy and all my time were devoted to my career.
[Skilfully dribbles around opponent, aerial view of players and long kicks]
Every day we either trained or there was a game.
[Intense practise drills and games. A low view shows a soccer ball rolling up and a foot stopping it in place]
There was no time left for spiritual things.
[Andrey sits in a bleacher chair]
Of course, being around people like that, I became just like them.
[Wearing shades, he puts his soccer bag in the back of a sports car]
I led an immoral lifestyle because huge amounts of money opened up many opportunities.
[Peels out. Upscale club]
Going to nightclubs,
[Tall beers]
the nightlife—it was so immoral.
[Hands up dancing with girls]
Everyone wants to be your friend and to meet you. And, of course, this was tempting.
[In slow motion a group clinks glasses together. Back at the stadium Andrey stands up]
I also invested huge sums of money in real estate. I wanted to create a foundation for the future and wealth for myself, my family, and my relatives so that no one would be in need.
[Tall city buildings]
Yes, I was sure that this really was happiness. This continued for nine years. The turning point was a conversation with management when an issue came up,
[In the stadium he walks]
and they hurled insults at me.
[Picks up paper cup]
At that moment, I felt worthless, like a disposable cup that you use and then crush and throw away.
[Squeezes cup in his fist]
Besides, a new generation of soccer players was arriving, many young guys. I stopped being included in the starting lineup.
[In locker room other players leave him alone]
Also, the financial crisis began, and real estate prices fell drastically. I panicked; I didn’t know what to do. And I started to think about the meaning of life: ‘What really is the meaning of life? ‘If it’s not a career, not money, then what is it?’
[Flips through Bible]
And then I remembered everything that I learned about Jehovah when I was a teenager. I began to study the Bible again along with my wife.
[Looks in the open Bible]
After a year, I started preaching again, and in 2009, I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
[Puts on suit and tie]
And this brought me so much joy and satisfaction. These feelings can’t be compared to winning any medal or cup.
[Walks in front of soccer field]
I realized that I couldn’t slave for two masters, but I still had to play two more years for Dynamo Kyiv. Although it was a difficult time, I took advantage of this opportunity, and I am thankful to Jehovah that a good witness was given about his name.
[Shows teammate a scripture]
There were some soccer players who showed interest in the truth. In 2011 when my contract ended, I finished my professional career.
[Looking straight ahead he exits the stadium]
First Timothy chapter 6 encourages us to place [our] hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, and to be rich in fine works.
[Visits with friends in the Kingdom Hall]
People ask me: Do you regret it? Maybe you’d like to come back
[with friends]
do you miss soccer?
[He heads the ball]
And I honestly and sincerely say no.
[They laugh and smile]
I don’t miss it, and I don’t want to go back because my relationship with Jehovah, Well, it can’t be compared to anything.
[He preaches to a man in the street]
Everything that this world offers is all short-lived, and it’s only an illusion. People see only one side of the picture
[Spotlight]
—the fame and the money.
[Dancing in the club]
The other side are the injuries and disappointments.
[Grabs his face during a game]
It’s very hard psychologically and emotionally
[Squeezes paper cup]
you have no freedom. That’s why it’s better to give the very best to the One who appreciates it. What you do for Jehovah will always bring you happiness, joy, and satisfaction.
[Looking up he walks through a green wooded area]
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2019 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania) [Click to close]