CHARGER NATION: GAME #9

Game #9 is here.   Tonight, our varsity and JV travel up to North Atlanta to play Mt. Vernon.  Mt. Vernon is a team in our region that has gotten better each and every year.  They are 6-2 and have some great athletes at the skill position.  We have prepared diligently for them and our boys are ready!

Last night or JV had an impressive win verse Heritage High School.  We scheduled a game late verse them this week and played them last night.  Our boys fought through adversity and pulled out the win.  That puts them at 5-1 for the year with the only loss coming to Buford.  We have one more big game for them against Stockbridge.  I appreciate our parents being supportive.  I believe playing games and competition is critical to improvement.   If your son is not seeing much playing time please be encouraged, about 75% of the boys starting on our JV team this year did not play much as 9^th graders last year.  

After the JV game last night I was trying to encourage some of the players who did not get to play.  I told them to keep working and to not give up, to not quit.  I then said, “I would feel sorry for you but I don’t because I spent two years in college on the scout team with no hope of seeing the field come game time. “  The truth of the matter is I do feel sorry for the boys that don’t play.  But I also don’t.  It is part of the process.  The worse thing in my life was sitting on that scout team for two years and with no hope of playing.  Probably one of the best learning experiences I had in my life was playing scout team for two years and then being able to start the next year. 

So what did I learn?  Don’t Quit.  Don’t give up.  I tell the boys sometimes: “the darkest part of the night is right before sunrise.”  So many people stop too soon.  So many people give up to soon.  There wasn’t one day during my sophomore year when I was on the scout team that I didn’t think about quitting.  I really have no idea why I continued to play when it seemed like there was 0 hope I would ever see the field.  Something inside of me did not let me quit.  My third year (I was red shirted so my sophomore year or eligibility) football started off bad again.  I was way down on the depth chart and I figured I’d never play.  Then an injury happened and the coach moved the starting center to tackle and I got my opportunity.  From there I started the rest of that year and the next two years. 

I tell this story not to boast of anything.  I got to play because I didn’t quit.  I persevered.  In our ELCA Win the Day philosophy we have 5 key character traits:  Commitment, Consistency, Intensity, Execution, and Perseverance.  To be successful in this life all character traits are of great value.  However, if you lack one of them then you will not become all that God created you to be.  But the one that separates highly successful people from unsuccessful people is the ability to persevere. 

Academically students perform poorly not because they don’t have a desire to do well.  I think most students want to do well.  But it is the ability to day in and day out take academics seriously.  It’s not that the students don’t have the ability to be committed, to be consistent, to focus in class (intensity), and then execute when they need to.  But it is the ability to do this day in and day out that they lack.  They lack the ability to handle failure or success and move forward.  All of this is perseverance.  Perseverance is the ability to day in and day out carry out the first four Win the Day character traits: Commitment, Consistency, Intensity, and Execution.  Perseverance is doing those day in and day out in spite of failure or success. 

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9

The great lessons of perseverance that the Lord has shown me in my life mean so much more to me as a Christian.  For me as a Christian, the five character traits in our Win the Day philosophy have very little to do with football and everything to do with living our lives daily for Jesus Christ.  But what I love about this game is it teaches those character traits to young boys who are learning to be men. 

Many times in my life when I am exhausted and tired I hear God whispering “Press On.”  I understand: Win the Day. Don’t give up.  Don’t grow weary.  For whatever it is that I may be battling spiritually in that season of my life, the Lord promises that if I do not give up, “in due season I will reap.”  Whatever it is that you may be facing today.  Whatever challenges you might be having that are causing you to want to give up and quit.  Take it before the Lord and hand it over to him.  He will strengthen you.  He will lead you and guide you.  He will be your strength through perseverance.  He will help you endure to the end.  And the promise is that in due season you will reap.  He doesn’t tell us what the reaping is.  But he says don’t quit and in due time we will reap.  The Lord will be your strength.  Trust in him!

Beat Mt. Vernon!

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. Proverbs 21:31

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess 

CHARGER NATION: GAME #8

            Game #8 is upon us.  I am grateful because it finally feels like fall (barely) as we approach the last part of our football season.  Tonight is homecoming.  There are a lot of things happening tonight but we have one focus in our minds: Winning a football game!   The boys have had a great week of practice this week.  They have responded to our challenges.  They have improved.  Our JV had a huge win over Mays last night.  I am excited to watch our boys play tonight.  They are ready.

            This week I read an article or a blog called Glory Thief. (I have it linked at the bottom if you would like to read it.)  The article discusses how we as Christians steal the glory that belongs to God.  We have been made in the image of God for God’s glory:  God has crafted everything about us.  Any talents or abilities we have we did not create.  We may have developed or cultivated these abilities, but we did not create them.  In any success we have we are to instantly thank God and point everyone back to him.  If we are good at anything, it is because God has given us the ability. 

            I instantly thought of the farmer who works very hard at producing a great crop.  He has a great year and he goes and boasts of how smart he is in his preparation of the crops.  He tells everyone of his insatiable work ethic and that is why he has success.  What a fool.  Did he make the rain?  Did he create the dirt?  Did he give himself the ability to work hard?  For what if it didn’t rain?  What if he was born with a disability not allowing him to work 20 hours a day?  What if you bought a piece of property that was not fertile?

            I think about the Surgeon.  They tell us how hard the worked in medical school.  Then all the hours they worked in their residency.   They boast of all their hard work and their diligence.  Now they are just reaping from all of their hard work.  You fool.  God gave you that amazing mind!  Yes you studied hard but you were born with above average intelligence and God gave you that. 

            I think about LeBron James.  I like him.  He seems like an awesome guy.  They call him King James.  He very much is a King in our world.  He has more influence than anyone I am sure.  But King James.  Did you make yourself 6’9”?  When you were in the womb did you decide to give yourself athleticism that is second to none?  Yes you worked hard to cultivate your abilities, but you were touched from birth by God.  And had you been born in any other country chances are you wouldn’t be a big hit because only in America do we idolize football and basketball.  Your abilities and skills are just what the American people crave.  But God gave you those things and God had you born right here right now. 

            I give these examples for myself.  Because I am the chief of glory thieves.  Sometimes my flesh and Satan roar: “Look at what you have done!”  But the Holy Spirit living inside of me quietly resets my focus: “No!  Look at what I have done.  Do not take what is mine.”  Yes Lord.  Forgive me.  Forgive me for trying to rob you of your glory.  All things are made by you, through you, and for you.  Yes you command us to work hard and maximize the ability that you have given us.  But we are not to do it so that we can be exalted.  We are to do it so that we can glorify our Father in Heaven:  “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

            There is freedom in giving everything to God.  First of all it’s his to begin with.  But when we become glory thieves we will find that we can never get enough.  We will be enslaved to the praise and approval of man.  It will drive us.  We might during a season of our lives get the glory from man.  It will never be enough.  We will chase it more and more but it will be just for a season and it will pass.  Then what?  We will still be enslaved to glory.  We will desperately continue to chase it.  We will do anything to get it. 

            There is hope.  Lay down your life at the feet of Jesus Christ.  I am yours Lord.  I acknowledge that you have created all of me and if I am good at anything it is for your glory.  I am to work hard at developing the talents you have given me but I am never to own them.  My talents are yours.  You gave them to me.  Now I am free Lord.  As I lay down my life at your feet and surrender all to you I know that you are sovereign and are in control of all of my life.  I can have peace and rest because I am living to please the Almighty God of the universe.  And as long as I do my very best and glorify Jesus Christ with my actions and my lips God is pleased.  And this is all that matters in life.  Man’s praise is fleeting.  God’s satisfaction is what I crave.  It is eternal.  It is never ending.  We can have all of it right now.  I find it through Jesus Christ. 

Beat Strong Rock!!

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”

Proverbs 21:31 ESV

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess

GLORY THIEF

https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/thabitianyabwile/2017/10/17/glory-thief/

CHARGER NATION: GAME #7

Charger Nation,

Game #7 has arrived.  Tonight we play Our Lady of Mercy.  Mercy doesn’t have many players on their team but they always have 4-6 guys that are very good athletes and football players.  They don’t have quantity but they have quality.  They are coming off a big win verse Landmark so they will come in with plenty of confidence.  From a speed standpoint, this probably will be the team that matches up with our speed better than anyone else.  We have had a good week of practice and I believe our boys are ready to go.  Now all that is left is to come out and do it! 

One of the most important qualities of a Christian is the ability to plod.  This word means a slow heavy walk.  In life we all get consumed with the next big event and we set our minds on it and we live for that day.  We don’t even work hard during the days leading to that event because we are so consumed with that event we are so excited about.  We crave pleasure and relaxation.  There is no doubt there is a time to relax but it certainly is not a regular basis.  There is work to be done before the vacation.  There is work to be done before the weekend.  We must embrace the hard work and move forward.

One of the hardest things to teach a young man is to take Winning the Day seriously.  Monday is critical and being focused on Monday could determine winning or losing Friday.  With this team I coach they have big goals.  They want to go undefeated.  They want to win the state championship.  And these goals are good.  But if I have these goals but fail to have a greater goal in being my best today those long term goals may never happen.  It’s like the young man that wants to make an A but doesn’t pay attention in class.  What a dumb goal; he isn’t doing the things necessary to reach the goal.

This is where the great skill of plodding comes in.  The boys might just think going to the state championship is a lock.  They might just think a Friday night win is a lock.  With this thinking they get excited about Friday night and 9 weeks from now.  The danger in all of that is failing to consider this day is important.  Yes, there is nothing fun about Monday’s practice.  Nothing exciting.  BUT—it is vital they work hard and get better.  Football season is a journey and everyday matters.  You have to plod.  You have to put one foot in front of the other.  For when you stop, you lose.  When you fail to win the day you are in reality failing in the pursuit of your long term dreams.  It’s good to have goals, but I must wake up daily with the short term goal of giving my best today.

You’re hot, you’re tired, you’re bored—PLOD!  Keep putting one foot in front of the other and getting better.  Keep improving.  Make today the only day that matters.  Have your long term goals but realize those are just dreams without winning this day!  It is the teams that continue to put one foot in front of the other during this middle season stretch that get better and put themselves in a favorable position for the post season.  Dreaming is not a skill or even that important.  Everyone has dreams.  Everyone has goals.  It is the ability to plod that separates the dreamers from the doers!

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12-14

The Christian man and woman is a plodder.  This world is hard and it is a grind.  Living for Christ is hard.  Dying to the flesh and living in Jesus Chris is easier said than done.  Not only do we war against the flesh but also against the evil forces that exist in this world through Satan and his army of evil.  I feel like all Christians can fall into the same trap the football players fall into.  They just want Friday nights.  They don’t want the grind of the week. (**NOTE-they are doing a good job of working!) Christians want to go to church on Sunday and get an emotional rush and feel good about themselves but they do not embrace the weekly grind of pursuing Christ, putting on Christ and fighting sin and temptation.  We want the pregame speech but we don’t want the practices.  We want godliness but we don’t want the practice of godliness.  We lack the ability to plod.  And just as football teams who want Friday but not the practice end up getting beat, so it is for us as Christians, we end up falling away from Christ. 

As Paul says, we must press on.  We must strain forward.  These are plodding words.  Pressing on is hard.  Straining forward is hard.  But to become the man and woman of God you were created to be it requires a daily pressing on and straining forward.  It requires an intense focus of putting our eyes on Christ and dying to the flesh and this world.  Just as I teach the boys they can’t just look forward to Friday night, they must diligently prepare and work Monday-Thursday.  They must press on each day.  They must strain forward each day.  So it is so much more important for us a Christians.  Sunday won’t carry us through the week.  The great Bible study won’t carry us through the next day.  We must press on each day in our pursuit of Jesus Christ: Growing in him and living for him.  May we PRESS ON!

Beat Our Lady of Mercy!

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess