CHARGER NATION,

I want to congratulate our JV for winning a very tough game at Rockdale County last night.  They won 12-6 and it was a war. It was fun to watch. I want to thank our JV coaches for the tremendous job they do. Joe Bryan, Clayton McClure, Stanley Zephir and Ray Walters: those guys sacrifice a lot of time to invest in those boys. If you see them make sure you let them know you are thankful for them. I have a little boy and I know that to have someone invest in your son to teach them how to compete is important. I pray God put men in my son’s life that will demand excellence from him. 

When I sit down and get ready to write these game day devotionals I feel like I say the same thing each time. I also feel the same way when I pray. Life is a battle and a war each and every day. We have the same struggles each and every day. We are making the same mistakes each day even though we do not want to make the same mistakes each day. But this is life. For those who want to grow and be successful, we struggle mightily with overcoming ourselves.

We call Wednesday practices “Game Day Wednesday.” We want to run every play we might run Friday night on Wednesday. We want to defend every play we think they will run. We want it perfect because to us it is the game. It is ELCA vs ELCA. In life, rarely does our opponent line up and beat us, we find ways to beat ourselves. The mistakes we make get us in huge trouble. So, on Wednesday, we are making sure ELCA does not make mistakes that gets itself in trouble Friday night. As a coach, I want the same sense of urgency and focus that would come on Friday night. I want the scout offenses to run as many plays as fast as possible and our defense to react with precision. Every play I want perfect effort and I want 0 missed assignments. I get myself all worked up with these demands. We are simulating the game and in my head, we are winning or losing on Wednesday.

I want it perfect and those are my expectations. I always go to practice and as I walk to practice I tell myself I’m going to be nice and I’m not going to say mean things. But then we start practice and I get very intense. I want perfection and then a kid blows an assignment. All of a sudden, I’m not nice and I’m saying mean things. But honestly, sometime the boys make mistakes that blow my mind. When you have rep’d something 100 times and they have watched film of themselves at practice and then they still mess up I just lose it. And even when I am losing it I’m trying to not lose it too bad.  I like Coach Collier’s quote from Wednesday: “You guys are really about to make me cuss.”

You see, we don’t want to get mad at the boys. We want them to perform well and do everything right. We are for them to do well. Coach Collier was being patient. He was trying not to get mad. We both are striving to coach with love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Then they do the dumbest things. And seriously, we don’t want to cuss and we don’t—no coach has ever coached at any of our boys ever in the 13 years I’ve been here—but their dumb mistakes are driving us close to sinning.

I do not apologize to the boys for having the highest of standards. I want everything perfect and I’m going to coach that way. If it isn’t perfect then it is wrong and we will do it again…and again…and again. (I seriously wish we could get done with practice in 2 hours and that is my plan…but I didn’t account for having to run the same play 10 times…but I’m not going to leave it wrong on the field. When we practice for longer than 2 hours it is your sons fault J) I get on the boys and I yell when they drive me to the point of yelling (even though I am doing a very good job this year of not losing it…kind of…).

I also tell the boys that the intensity I have at practice stops when I leave the field. I don’t treat them the same way off the field as I do on it. But I do not apologize for wanting every little inch perfect while I’m out there on the field. I tell them: “When we watch film and we practice I’m the guy that demands perfection. But when we are not doing those things I’m back to having a good time with them. We have to be able to transition our focus and the intensity with which we relate to each other. Just because I got mad at you on the field or in film, when we are away from those things, I am not still mad at you.” They know my love for them is unconditional from their performance on the field. 

Ok, hopefully you get the point of what Wednesday are like and then we call Thursday’s “Fix-It Thursday.” All the mistakes we made on Wednesday we are going to fix and try to make perfect on Thursday. It is the constant chasing of perfection that is unattainable. But we are trying.  **If only Adam and Eve would not have eaten that fruit…but here we are in the midst of the curse…the toil is real:

“Because you have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19

So, if you ever wonder why life is so hard, just go read Genesis 1-4.

I want to share with you my conviction Thursday morning after Wednesday’s practice. The Holy Spirit whispers to my soul through prayer and reading his word. If God were talking to me he would have said this:

Jonathan, I demand perfection at a much higher standard than you do. I demand it every day. You fail every day. I have laws and commands that you know backwards and forwards and I demand you obey them perfectly.  You fail daily. So, when you get mad at your players for failing to do something that you think they should know how to do, just remember my patience with you as you fail to do the things that you know I command. Life on earth is a daily struggle against sin and temptation. **Make sure you do not fall in love with this present world but long to be with me in heaven (Colossians 3).** Even though you know the right way to do things and you have a desire to serve me and live for me, you are at war with your flesh and evil. Your biggest opponent is yourself and your ability to remain in me the entire day. For by yourself you can do nothing and you will fail miserably. Then, there is evil forces (Satan and his army) lurking to cause you to sin and entice you towards evil. As soon as you lose focus on me and fail to abide in me by allowing my Holy Spirit to dwell in you richly, you make mistakes that are ridiculous. For the things you know not to do you do anyway. You get angry at your players mistakes, but remember, I watch you make the worst of mistakes daily. But take heart, my love is patient and steadfast. Just as your players heart’s desire to do well on the field, I know your desire is to be my servant. Do not give up; do not give in. Be strong in your spirit:

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Just as I love you and I am patient with you, you are to love the boys and be patient with them. You are to show them the love of Christ daily. You are to never give up on them. That doesn’t mean do not demand excellence. Be fanatical in demanding excellence, but when they fail, do not give up on them and lift them up. Encourage them, love them, and motivate them. Show the love of Jesus Christ daily as you interact with these young men I have put in your presence. It will be hard and a grueling process. The toil is fierce. Just as I do not give up on you, do not give up on them. Continue to demand excellence, but do so with grace and love.  When you fail to show them grace and love, make sure you apologize. Because of sin, the toil is fierce, but do not lose heart….

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

All the toil and struggle of practice…now it is time to go and see the final product. I am excited for tonight. We have worked hard. We have been diligent in preparation…

“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

I want to congratulate our middle school and JV for their wins yesterday. I appreciate all the hard work the coaches put into preparing our boys to play the game. People don’t really understand the time coaches put into managing and preparing the boys to play the game. I do and I am very thankful for these coaches.

Tonight the Varsity plays Heritage High School our of Conyers. I hope you come check it out if you are in the area!

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”   Proverbs 22:29

As I watched film of Wednesday’s practice that verse kept coming to my mind. As the boys came in to watch film Thursday morning this was the first thing they heard out of me. There were countless examples in practice where players were doing the right thing the wrong way. It drives me insane. I want our boys to be consumed with the details and master the technique required on each play. I kept telling them: “Guys, a man skillful in his work will stand before kings, but a man who is not skillful in his work will be fired and be living with his mom the rest of his life.”

You know it and I know it: People who are successful in what they do are extremely consumed with the details and the process in which the details are perfected. I always think it’s funny when I talk to people and they refer to someone as a visionary. They will say something like he isn’t good at the details but he has great vision. Having great vision gets you nowhere.  I would say everyone on the planet has great vision. Sitting around and dreaming stuff up is something everyone does. The “visionary” who is successful is the one who follows through with his vision and refines the process through developing great skill. Great skill results in great execution.

As I met with the seniors last night (Thursday night), I continued to harp on Proverbs 22:29. I asked them some questions: “What is skill? Is talent skill? Is hard work skill? What is skill and how should we define it and how is developed?” Talent is not skill. Talent only means you have the ability to do something. It does not mean you have done it. In order to be called skillful one must work with great ferocity to maximize his or her talent. One must be consumed with the fine details of what they do to bring precision to their talent. Hard work by itself can be a waste of time. Talent undeveloped is useless. What we want is skill and skill is the culmination of a lot of hard work doing the right thing and talent.

So why was I aggravated watching film? I was watching some talented kids not focusing on the fine points of their technique. The boys were working but they weren’t working hard. They were just working to get through the day. They were not working to win the day and perfecting their job. How useless it is to work all day but not get better all because we were too lazy to focus our minds on all the details.

The thing about skill is it is easy to talk about but hard to develop. You can’t develop skill by just working, you must work very intently. Intensity is focused effort. Lots of people can give effort, but few can give focused effort. For whatever reason, when you are consumed with the fine details of what you do, it is exhausting. When you lock your mind in on perfecting the execution you start to exert serious energy both mentally and physically. The common man can really focus in for about 5 minutes. The common football player, on a script of 70 plays, can focus in for about 10 plays. You can’t develop skill in 10 plays or five minutes. I honestly believe perfect technique or great skill is developed on the ten thousandth focused rep, not just the ten thousandth rep. As I told the boys you can do the wrong thing over and over and become great at doing the wrong thing. The ten thousandth focused rep. That is where skill comes.

Now, most people can’t get off the couch to do one rep. Most people are dreamers and have great ideas and plans but are too lazy to ever do anything. Many are highly motivated in their mind to do something but lack the ability to discipline themselves and focus to get it done. Many get started and perform 100 focused reps (on whatever it is you do) but quit because they have not developed the skill or mastery they so desire. They are not seeing the fruit they want to see so they quit. They are not having as much success as they want, so they quit. But then you have the uncommon man, the one who understands that if he just keeps working, if he just keeps chopping away with great focus and diligence, he will get better. He knows the process to develop skill is long and arduous, but he enters in with a never quit attitude and laser focus to perfect the details. No matter how hard it gets he does not quit. He is consumed with perfecting the technique of his work. He is consumed, no matter the level of his talent, with maximizing his ability and making every single detail of his work sharp. It is this man or this woman, who will become skillful and shall “stand before kings.”

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” 1 Corinthians 9:25

Now, all this king talk is fine. What I have been referring to is doing a great job here on this earth to stand before earthly kings. In today’s world in America that is being recognized by legislators or highly successful people. Bottom line, if you are good at what you do the world will take notice. But, there is a perfect King we should be longing to stand before. There is a perfect King to whom we should be striving to bring glory and honor. There is a perfect King for whom we were made and for his glory we must be consumed in becoming skillful ambassadors for his Kingdom. His name is Jesus and at his name “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10, ESV

When our time is done here on earth, may we not stand before the Lord with only an account of personal and worldly success. On that day of judgment, may we not stand before the Lord as men and women who were not skillful in the Lord’s work. May we not stand before the Lord and see that all the running and chasing for glory of this world was in vain. May we not stand before the Lord in judgement helpless and hopeless, but may we run on this earth in such a way which will bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ, so on that day when we stand before the King of Kings, we will be judged skillful in Christ. And may we understand, it is only through the righteous blood of Jesus Christ that we will be able to stand at all before the Father.

May we pursue the crown that will last forever!

I’m fired up and excited to play tonight! 

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

Lord, give us a spirit to work hard and develop the skill with the talents you have given us. May we do this for your glory and not our own. Give us great attitudes. May we be respectful and thankful. Keep us safe and in your care. May our lives shine as a light for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess

Chargers Nation

I’m excited….wish we could play right now! 

“Your brand is not what you say it is, but what you deliver day in and day out.”

-Nick Westbrook – Owner/Operator Chic Fil A

Last Spring, I started the DEMAND EXCELLENCE podcast. I have actually really enjoyed it as I get to interview great coaches and leaders. I have learned so much by talking with different people. One of my favorite interviews was with Nick Westbrook who is an Owner/Operator of a Chic Fil A. (You can listen to the Podcast if you click this link) I have always been intrigued by the success of Chic Fil A and I read about them as much as possible because they are one of the most successful service businesses in the world. You might argue with me that they are not in the service industry as they deliver a physical product. But when you study Chic Fil A, you will find out they pride themselves on their service to the customer and the community. Nick said many profound things on that podcast, but this is what has been ringing in my ears all summer: “your brand is not what you say it is, but what you deliver day in and day out.”

We live in an era where kids can proclaim all types of nonsense on multiple social media outlets. Through Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platform, we all can create a fake reality; we can make ourselves look like something we are not. However, even though we are not what we say we are or what we portray ourselves to be, we actually start to believe the lie that we have created as our fake reality. 

For example, you may be a very miserable person, but you portray yourself as happy. You may portray yourself as the perfect husband, but in reality, your addicted to lust and unfaithfulness. You may portray yourself as confident and strong, but you are actually very insecure. Or my favorite, you might portray yourself as a winner and a hard worker, but I see you get beat every single day at practice. 

One particular young man came to practice this week and one of the assistant coaches was giving him a hard time because he never stops running his mouth and he picks at people. I happen to like the kid so I told him: “I don’t care what you say or how much you run your mouth because I don’t hear any of it. I hear with my eyes.” Now, he knows where I stand on his picking at people and I don’t commend it. This kid is smart and he has heard me say many times: “Your actions speak so much louder than your words.” He instantly got what I was saying. The kid busts his tail at practice. He does whatever I ask him to do. We can run him into the dirt and he keeps on going. He has gone from just a soft wimpy kid when I met him in the 8thgrade, to one of the strongest kids on our team and a relentless worker.  (He is not the best football player yet and not a good leader yet, but he potentially will be one day.)

 So, for me, all of this kid’s obnoxious character traits don’t bother me a bit, because, for one, he is 16 and then each day he delivers from a work ethic standpoint. He gives his all each and every day in the weight room and on the field. Yes, he has some pride issues he needs to kill and some other character traits that the Holy Spirit needs to reform (I’m not sure if the Holy Spirit is working in him yet), but as a football coach I have great respect for his tenacity. Is he the perfect football player? No. He has attention to detail issues but they aren’t intentional. His effort is there and his desire is there. From an effort standpoint, this young man delivers day in and day out. I can work with this.

 Now, a few of my players are the opposite. I believe they have a desire to be great and they will tell me they want to be great. They say they want to be great but I do not equate them with young men that truly desire to become their absolute best. They want to create an illusion of hard work and discipline with their mouths, but all I know is what I see; their brand is not what they say it is. They aren’t workers. They cannot discipline themselves in adverse situations and push through. They sit back and allow life to happen instead of taking ownership in the pain and sacrifice required to become our absolute best.  I am here to help them through this and hold them accountable to actually deliver on their proclamations. I think they despise me for it but I can’t give in. 

 As Christians, we are the exact same. You can post a Bible verse on your Facebook or twitter, you can go to church every time the doors are open, but your relationship with Christ is not what you say it is, it is what you deliver on a day in and day out basis. I talk with many coaches and they seem to say the same thing a lot of times: “I need to be a better Christian.” Well, be one!  If one of my players came up to me and said they aren’t giving their best effort and they need to do better, it would enrage me. Of course, they would never say that to me because I would have already seen it and be yelling at them, but why is our pursuit of Jesus Christ less than our pursuit of winning or success in this world? Good coaches don’t sit around and fret over not working hard enough as a coach. Good coaches work. That’s true for anyone who desires excellence in any profession. 

 As a football coach, every day is an opportunity. Every day is a chance to improve upon our mistakes from yesterday. If we want to win, each day has its own sense of urgency towards improvement. If we look the same as a football team at the end of the year as we do right now then we are horrible coaches. Let me ask you this…let me ask myself this: “Why do we not live with this same sense of urgency as Christians?” 

 When God called you to surrender your life to himself, when he opened your eyes to the truth of God as Creator, Sustainer, and Savior, your brand changed. You were once a brand of the world. Our father was Satan and we served and worshiped self and the things of this world. We looked and acted like the world. Our mouths were full of filth because our minds were full of filth. Our actions were disgusting because our thoughts were disgusting. Our brand maybe was appealing to the world but despised and hated by God. But, when Christ called us, we became sons and heirs to the eternal Kingdom of God: 

 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, the heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:16-17

 So now, as Sons and heirs, we are to be transformed in the image of God: 

 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

 Before Christ, even though we were blind to our reality, our brand was sinning against the Almighty God. Our brand was rejecting the commands and laws of God. Our brand was self-righteousness, pride, envy, greed, covetousness, jealousy, anger, wrath, etc. Our brand was disgusting. But now, in Christ, we belong to the best brand: Christ. And we are to put on Christ and we are to work hard to represent Christ in the right way. I challenge us all: To be diligent and faithful workers for the Kingdom of God. To be men and women who strive daily to be the best ambassadors for Jesus Christ. To be men and women who strive daily to get into God’s word and pray. To be men and women full of love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness. To be men and women who are humble and count themselves as insignificant. To men and women who do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. To be man and women who count others as more important than themselves. To be men and women who are faithful to our husbands or wives, our families, and service to the community. What a beautiful brand this would be: “Your brand is not what you say it is, but what you deliver day in and day out.” Make no mistake, this brand I just discussed only comes from a diligent pursuit of Jesus Christ through his Word, Prayer, and the power of his Holy Spirit working in our hearts. 

 Me to players: Quit sitting around and talking about being a great football player---BE ONE!

 God to me:  Don’t sit around and proclaim to “want to be a better Christian.” BE ONE!

Fired up and ready to play tonight!!!!

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

Proverbs 21:31

Lord, Sovereign God of all things, Creator, Sustainer, and Savior: May we represent you and bring your name honor. May we give our very best effort and play to the best of our ability. Give us great attitudes, a spirit to work, and may you protect us. Your will be done. Amen.

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess

Jonathan Gess

Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy sent a message Friday night, and it was not subtle.

The Chargers, the four-time defending Class A private school champions, put the state on notice that they are still the best bet to win another title in December, as they rolled over Pace Academy, ranked No. 6 in Class AAA, 49-0.

While it was far from a perfect game for ELCA – the Chargers committed 14 penalties – it was nonetheless a dominant win over a sure playoff contender two classifications higher. 

A brief stretch in the second quarter summed up Pace’s night. Midway through the second quarter with ELCA already up 14-0 after two short touchdown runs by seniors Keaton Mitchell and Gabe Wright in the first quarter, ELCA appeared to snuff out its own scoring drive by committing consecutive false start penalties on third-and-2 near midfield. Now facing third-and-12 from Wright lofted a pass down the near sideline and Justin Robinson outfought two Pace defenders for a 35-yard gain to the Knights’ 24-yard line. Three plays later, Mitchell scored on a 5-yard run to boost the lead to 21-0.

Pace’s next drive showed promise, as junior WR/DB Jayden Thomas returned a short kickoff to the ELCA 23-yard line. But the Knights had to settle for a 37-yard field goal attempt, which fell well short.

ELCA tacked on another touchdown at the end of the half, after blocking a punt at the Pace 12-yard line. On third-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Wright hit Robinson in the front corner of the end zone on the near side, to make it 28-0 at halftime.

Pace failed to score in the first half of last year’s battle with ELCA, trailing 16-0 going into the third quarter. The Knights locked down on defense and battled back for a 17-16 win. 

But this year’s deficit was too much to overcome, and Mitchell made that clear when fielded the second half kickoff at his goal line and found a seam in the middle of the Knights’ coverage team. He darted through it, bounced out to the near sideline and outran the rest of the Pace defenders for a 100-yard touchdown return to increase the ELCA lead to 35-0. 

It was the last time Mitchell would touch the ball on the night, after increasing his touchdown total to five in two games. Junior Josh Rogers took over and added a 1-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter to make it 42-0.

Pace put together its most consistent scoring drive of the game on its next possession moving from its 29-yard line to the ELCA 37. But after gaining six yards on first down, an incomplete pass, a sack and another incomplete pass on fourth down ended the drive at the Chargers’ 33 yard line.

Massengale came in for Wright to run the Charger offense with the clock running in the fourth quarter. The junior added a 21-yard touchdown run for the final points of the night.

McDONOUGH - Eagle's Landing Christian Academy opened up their season in traditional fashion unique to their program.

A dominating 55-13 victory over Morrow High School came with the program scoring 35 points in the first half against the Mustangs' six. Morrow added another touchdown in the third quarter but ELCA carried on to the 55-13 victory with another 18 points in the final half.

"It went good," ELCA head coach Jonathan Gess said about the game. "Our kids played good but we have to clean up mistakes. We struggled with Morrows athleticism."

In the victory for ELCA Gabe Wright was 16/20 for 230 yads and four passing touchdowns. Wright also carried eight times for 83 yards. Keaton Mitchell was limited to just 13 carries for 145 yards. Devon Dorsey had two receiving touchdowns on the night while Justin Robinson and Trent Hosford each had one.

ELCA hosts Pace Academy at home next Friday while Morrow High travels to face Forest Park High at Tara Stadium.

Chargers Nation

I’m excited….wish we could play right now! 

“Your brand is not what you say it is, but what you deliver day in and day out.”

-Nick Westbrook – Owner/Operator Chic Fil A

Last Spring, I started the DEMAND EXCELLENCE podcast. I have actually really enjoyed it as I get to interview great coaches and leaders. I have learned so much by talking with different people. One of my favorite interviews was with Nick Westbrook who is an Owner/Operator of a Chic Fil A. (You can listen to the Podcast if you click this link) I have always been intrigued by the success of Chic Fil A and I read about them as much as possible because they are one of the most successful service businesses in the world. You might argue with me that they are not in the service industry as they deliver a physical product. But when you study Chic Fil A, you will find out they pride themselves on their service to the customer and the community. Nick said many profound things on that podcast, but this is what has been ringing in my ears all summer: “your brand is not what you say it is, but what you deliver day in and day out.”

We live in an era where kids can proclaim all types of nonsense on multiple social media outlets. Through Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platform, we all can create a fake reality; we can make ourselves look like something we are not. However, even though we are not what we say we are or what we portray ourselves to be, we actually start to believe the lie that we have created as our fake reality. 

For example, you may be a very miserable person, but you portray yourself as happy. You may portray yourself as the perfect husband, but in reality, your addicted to lust and unfaithfulness. You may portray yourself as confident and strong, but you are actually very insecure. Or my favorite, you might portray yourself as a winner and a hard worker, but I see you get beat every single day at practice. 

One particular young man came to practice this week and one of the assistant coaches was giving him a hard time because he never stops running his mouth and he picks at people. I happen to like the kid so I told him: “I don’t care what you say or how much you run your mouth because I don’t hear any of it. I hear with my eyes.” Now, he knows where I stand on his picking at people and I don’t commend it. This kid is smart and he has heard me say many times: “Your actions speak so much louder than your words.” He instantly got what I was saying. The kid busts his tail at practice. He does whatever I ask him to do. We can run him into the dirt and he keeps on going. He has gone from just a soft wimpy kid when I met him in the 8thgrade, to one of the strongest kids on our team and a relentless worker.  (He is not the best football player yet and not a good leader yet, but he potentially will be one day.)

 So, for me, all of this kid’s obnoxious character traits don’t bother me a bit, because, for one, he is 16 and then each day he delivers from a work ethic standpoint. He gives his all each and every day in the weight room and on the field. Yes, he has some pride issues he needs to kill and some other character traits that the Holy Spirit needs to reform (I’m not sure if the Holy Spirit is working in him yet), but as a football coach I have great respect for his tenacity. Is he the perfect football player? No. He has attention to detail issues but they aren’t intentional. His effort is there and his desire is there. From an effort standpoint, this young man delivers day in and day out. I can work with this.

 Now, a few of my players are the opposite. I believe they have a desire to be great and they will tell me they want to be great. They say they want to be great but I do not equate them with young men that truly desire to become their absolute best. They want to create an illusion of hard work and discipline with their mouths, but all I know is what I see; their brand is not what they say it is. They aren’t workers. They cannot discipline themselves in adverse situations and push through. They sit back and allow life to happen instead of taking ownership in the pain and sacrifice required to become our absolute best.  I am here to help them through this and hold them accountable to actually deliver on their proclamations. I think they despise me for it but I can’t give in. 

 As Christians, we are the exact same. You can post a Bible verse on your Facebook or twitter, you can go to church every time the doors are open, but your relationship with Christ is not what you say it is, it is what you deliver on a day in and day out basis. I talk with many coaches and they seem to say the same thing a lot of times: “I need to be a better Christian.” Well, be one!  If one of my players came up to me and said they aren’t giving their best effort and they need to do better, it would enrage me. Of course, they would never say that to me because I would have already seen it and be yelling at them, but why is our pursuit of Jesus Christ less than our pursuit of winning or success in this world? Good coaches don’t sit around and fret over not working hard enough as a coach. Good coaches work. That’s true for anyone who desires excellence in any profession. 

 As a football coach, every day is an opportunity. Every day is a chance to improve upon our mistakes from yesterday. If we want to win, each day has its own sense of urgency towards improvement. If we look the same as a football team at the end of the year as we do right now then we are horrible coaches. Let me ask you this…let me ask myself this: “Why do we not live with this same sense of urgency as Christians?” 

 When God called you to surrender your life to himself, when he opened your eyes to the truth of God as Creator, Sustainer, and Savior, your brand changed. You were once a brand of the world. Our father was Satan and we served and worshiped self and the things of this world. We looked and acted like the world. Our mouths were full of filth because our minds were full of filth. Our actions were disgusting because our thoughts were disgusting. Our brand maybe was appealing to the world but despised and hated by God. But, when Christ called us, we became sons and heirs to the eternal Kingdom of God: 

 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, the heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:16-17

 So now, as Sons and heirs, we are to be transformed in the image of God: 

 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

 Before Christ, even though we were blind to our reality, our brand was sinning against the Almighty God. Our brand was rejecting the commands and laws of God. Our brand was self-righteousness, pride, envy, greed, covetousness, jealousy, anger, wrath, etc. Our brand was disgusting. But now, in Christ, we belong to the best brand: Christ. And we are to put on Christ and we are to work hard to represent Christ in the right way. I challenge us all: To be diligent and faithful workers for the Kingdom of God. To be men and women who strive daily to be the best ambassadors for Jesus Christ. To be men and women who strive daily to get into God’s word and pray. To be men and women full of love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness. To be men and women who are humble and count themselves as insignificant. To men and women who do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. To be man and women who count others as more important than themselves. To be men and women who are faithful to our husbands or wives, our families, and service to the community. What a beautiful brand this would be: “Your brand is not what you say it is, but what you deliver day in and day out.” Make no mistake, this brand I just discussed only comes from a diligent pursuit of Jesus Christ through his Word, Prayer, and the power of his Holy Spirit working in our hearts. 

 Me to players: Quit sitting around and talking about being a great football player---BE ONE!

 God to me:  Don’t sit around and proclaim to “want to be a better Christian.” BE ONE!

Fired up and ready to play tonight!!!!

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

Proverbs 21:31

Lord, Sovereign God of all things, Creator, Sustainer, and Savior: May we represent you and bring your name honor. May we give our very best effort and play to the best of our ability. Give us great attitudes, a spirit to work, and may you protect us. Your will be done. Amen.

Wholly for Christ,

Coach Gess

Jonathan Gess

McDONOUGH — Where many teams took time out to get their preseason scrimmage out of the way and set a tone for their final week of preseason practice, state championship program Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy took a different route.

With a program that’s set the tone in Class A-Private with four straight state titles and a tradition to drool over, head coach Jonathan Gess hasn’t changed much for 2019. The Chargers began their work at the start of August, a simple timeframe of two weeks to get a program ready for the season. There was no film study either that went into the past week following their opponents’ scrimmages.

“I didn’t watch anybody’s scrimmage,” Gess said. “We always practice for two weeks and then scrimmage so that’s the way we do that. Some people, scrimmage and want two weeks to prepare for an opponent but we’re excited to scrimmage this week.”

There will be some things to watch out for though in this weeks scrimmage. It’s known that the Chargers had to search for a new quarterback but there are more positions open than just the signal caller role. Gess believes his offensive line will be as loaded as ever behind Bryson Estes and Sherick Rhodes.

The running back corps is, of course, led by Keaton Mitchell with the wide receivers being led by Justin Robinson and Devon Dorsey. Their slot receiver position is also back with Josh Rogers tasked to take over the position leaving Gess with a lot of good vibes on the offensive side.

It’s the defensive side of the ball that may be under a closer magnifying glass. Outside of the front three returning and led by Marquis Black, the Chargers are strong in the secondary. So the group that is under the eyes of Gess and company would be the linebackers, five of them to be exact.

“What we’re replacing are five guys,” Gess said. “We’re just looking to go out there play and hit against somebody else and just start the process. You get better after every single game that you play.”

Once the whistle blows at the end of the Friday night scrimmage the Chargers have set up, the talk of the expectations surrounding them will begin to swirl once again. It’s something that comes with the territory of winning a state title, or in ELCA’s case, four of them in a row.

Gess says that the biggest battle his program faces is right now.

“The kids might think one way or the other but to me, the battle that we have this week is right now,” Gess said.

“I don’t think about winning on Friday night or how the season is going to go, I just think about this day here and we have to get better today. If you get better each day, you’ll become your best no matter what that is and if it’s a state champion then it is, if it’s not then it’s not. The goal is just to maximize your ability and get better each day.”