Episode 4: Finding Identity Beyond Football

What if the trophy you’re chasing can’t carry the weight of your heart?

That’s the question Gee Scott Jr. had to face when the spotlight got bright—and the joy ran thin.

Four-star recruit. Ohio State national champion. NFL wideout.

And still… thirsty.

In this conversation, Gee opens up about the moment he realized winning wasn’t enough. How lifting the trophy felt incredible—and two days later, empty. From Seattle dreams to the Buckeye brotherhood, he shares a raw story of identity, surrender, and the unexpected freedom that came when Jesus became the treasure instead of football.

We talk locker-room fellowship that actually changed lives, pregame Bible studies that prayed for more than wins, and the quiet conviction that reshaped everyday habits—right down to the words he spoke. Gee also gets real about engagement and marriage, rejecting cultural scripts for Christlike leadership—not dominance, but daily sacrifice. Two becoming one on mission.

If you’ve ever tied your worth to a scoreboard, a job title, or a perfectly laid plan—this episode offers a better way. We unpack abiding in Christ, surrendering outcomes, and why the NFL is an assignment, not an identity.

🎧 New episode out now on the Markus McFolling Podcast.

If this hit home, follow the show, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a quick review—it helps more people find stories of faith and real transformation.

Transcript

From Seattle Dreams To Buckeye Life

SPEAKER_00 0:09

What's going on everybody? Welcome back to the podcast. I have an incredible guest with me today. He's in much better shape than I than I am. He's taller than I am. His hair is way better. He is a mighty man of God, man. We've got G Scott Jr. from the Ohio State University national champion with us today. How are you feeling today, bro?

SPEAKER_02 0:31

I'm feeling blessed, brother. Thank you. Thank you for having me on the platform. I appreciate the opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

I just honor you, man. Just knowing you a little over a year, man, and just watching what God has done in and through your life has blessed me as somebody who's, you know, older than you, just to see that God is bringing people from the West, you know, because we're both from the West, bringing us to the Midwest, man, and just watching how God has just breathed on your life has been so incredible, man. So I would love for you to just talk, you know, tell us a little bit about who you are, where you're from, talk to us about your journey growing up, man, to how you got here today.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Yeah. Like you mentioned, uh born and raised in the West Coast, uh, Seattle, Washington. Um, came over here, came to committed to Ohio State uh in 2018. Um, excited to be a Buckeye, had dreams of aspirate as aspirations of I'm gonna use this place to go to the NFL. I'm gonna be in and out. I remember thinking, like, man, Ohio, like I got I'm gonna have to use this place and get in and out for sure. Um just, you know, 30,000 foot level, but to then come here and radically encounter the gospel message of Jesus Christ and be made brand new by the washing of his blood, you know what I'm saying? Being and being made new. And so um, yeah, man, I enjoyed, I've spent five years at Ohio State. It was arguably the best five years of my life for me. Were the whole things, was everything that happened throughout my journey enjoyable? Of course not. Actually, funny enough, some of the worst moments of my entire life were in those five years. Um, you know, things I had trials, the tribulations, the losses in family, the things that took place in my life were very challenging during that time. But I'll ultimately look back and say those five years, that fire that I went through made me come out on the other side, um, uh, you know, not even just a better man, but like a man of God. And so um, it was just such an awesome foundation to build the rest of my life off of. Come on, man.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

So we we grew up probably in similar situations, maybe not exactly, but we both grew up as young kids in the West Coast that wanted to make it into the NFL. So having that as a foundation, and then you had massive success. Like I believe you're a four-star recruit in high school. I did my research um and and killing it as a wide receiver ranked, I forget what your ranking was, but I know that you're up there, obviously

Identity Tied To Football Unravels

SPEAKER_00 2:44

committing to the Ohio State. So, what was that like growing up with so many eyes on you at a young age?

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Yeah, it was, dude, it was it was rough, man. And I think I not that it was rough in the moment, but the older I get, the more wise that I get. There were things that I look back and realized that the more you start to gain worldly that success, the more yes, man, that started growing in my circle and everything. I was getting away with things that I probably shouldn't have gotten away with. And um, more than anything, I'd say this game of football began a transition from what I do to who I am. Yeah. And it was the it would my identity was wrapped in it. When you said G Scott Jr., you associated it with a football player for sure. And that's just what I did. And so I sold out for the football thing. And I would never have called it then, um, called it this back then, but football was my God. Yeah. It says in Joshua uh 24, it says, if you choose not to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve. So something will be your God. I guess the question is, is what is your God? And you know, gods may look a whole lot different depending on you know where you are, what you are in life. Um, but you know, I think at that time in my life, football definitely I served football as my God. And I think the reason that became such a problem is that when it was stripped from me, when it was when it was troublesome throughout college, I felt a sense of lost identity and and brokenness. So um what actually started as feeling like the treasure of my life turned into an unbearing burden that I just couldn't shake.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

And um and I just imagine just the pressure, right? So you having, you know, I don't know how big your city is that you grew up in, but having this pressure, everybody's watching you, you're the next big thing coming from your city, and then coming to obviously the Ohio State University had to be somewhat of a culture shock. But what was it like, you know, what was your faith journey like growing up? Did you grow up in the church? Did not grow up in the church, like what was your foundation like prior to you obviously having a genuine encounter with Jesus?

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Yeah, yeah. So I never I didn't grow up in the church at all. Um, you know, neither my parents they weren't really churchgoers. Yeah. And so what I call it, I I always said I've had I had like this third-party relationship with God. I knew who God was through what everyone else had to say about God. Yeah, it was an under, it was like this confusing um, I call it like you know what gumbo is, like pot of gumbo. It's like all them ingredients in there and the the seafoods, and it's like all these ingredients, and I think I had this big gumbo pot like faith where it was an accumulation of all these things, and it was kind of I had a morphed, confused idea of who God was. Right. And so I believe maybe I would call myself

From Confusion To A Personal Faith

SPEAKER_02 5:21

agnostic rather than atheist. I wasn't a diehard atheist. I definitely believed that there was a God, um, but I had no relationship with myself. And so um, fast forward, I think one of the big things that kicked me into a genuine faith is when I took all of this and I said, I'm tired of being confused about God, I tossed this big pot out and I said, God, if you're there, I want a relationship with you. And so I started a this genuine seek in the in like January of 2023 of like trying to seek him. But actually started a little bit before that. Sure.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Um but Was there any big moment where you're like, hey man, like I this isn't even gumbo anymore. It's just a bunch of individual ingredients. Let me get rid of this stuff. So like was there any particular event or what made you get to that moment where you had that like aha with God?

SPEAKER_02 6:07

It was like a, it was a it was a it was honestly, I would call it like a cry for help. It was like a it was like a sincere, utter desperation for something because growing up I never drank, I never smoked, I never did any of those things because I was so interested in the football thing, I was trying to make it for sure, right? And then as a result of that ultimately being my heartbreak and football not going the way that I anticipated it, um, I eventually tried to fit into social crowds and started, I started drinking um and started trying these different kinds of things to trying to find joy. That's all, I mean, that's all I really wanted was to be happy. Yeah, and I couldn't find it in those things. And um, and I and I remember actually like a I don't really talk about this very much, but like a year before I came to Christ, I was actually just starting to get curious about like different kinds of mediums and like chakras. I don't know if you ever heard about chakras and energies. I was just kind of doing research on these things, like this curious, like man, deep down, and I and I probably wouldn't have articulated it like this then, but I just see I just see the young version of myself just trying to fit in and be happy. I just want joy. And so um it was, I would honestly say Jesus was just another thing that I was trying for myself on this journey trying to be happy. Come on. And the thing about Jesus is it it hit me in a way that nothing else could. Um, money couldn't, touchdowns couldn't, no other thing that I was researching could. Um, and it did something in me, and I, you know, I haven't looked back since.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

I love that, man. So you've had a genuine encounter with God, obviously, played at Ohio State, um, the greatest university in the world. Come on. Um yeah, I said it, somebody just got mad, but the greatest university in the world. Uh so what was it like being, you know, obviously from the West Coast, coming on scholarship to Ohio, playing football there, like with all the different temptations and struggles that present itself, um, what was it like having an encounter with Jesus and then wanting to live set apart within that culture and that environment?

SPEAKER_02 7:58

Yeah. Um, well, I mean, there's like it depends on what part of my walk that we're talking about. I think early on, I think one thing that kept me actually from wanting to fully surrender to Jesus was my heart on wanting to fit in with my brothers on my football team. For sure. To live. I mean, I'm seeing the things that everyone's doing and I'm seeing the word that I'm reading and everything, and a lot of the things are directly contrary to the way Christ is calling us to live. Sure. And so the idea to be different kind of would have made me, I was kind of scared of that that I'd kind of be shunned from my friends. Like they were like, He's weird or whatever the case may be. But what began to happen is this is where, you know, we were talking about this a moment ago, but this is where things started to change, is when my desires began to change

Living Set Apart In A Locker Room

SPEAKER_02 8:38

as a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Like, I no longer desire the things that I once desired. Um, I'll never forget June of 2023. I remember I got this strong conviction conviction about cursing. Like, and I, and this is just one example of many different things. Um, but I I felt this strong conviction, like I I gotta stop doing this. It doesn't fit, it's just every time I do it, it doesn't feel right. And um it got to a point where, and again, this isn't I I I can't take any credit for it because I've tried my and you know, you go on those like little phases of trying to stop cussing throughout your life, you last one week, and then you're like, dang, I'm right back into it. You know, you try that.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

Letting it fly, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

But but dude, it it was like supernaturally since I decided to stop on that day, yeah. Not even not a slip, not an act, not a stub toe cuss. It's like it's been snatched. And so there was like a genuine, what started to happen, there was a genuine turn of desires. And again, that's none, it's none of my own work. It's all of you know, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the changing of desires. And so I would say it was challenging being in secular environments, but what started there was a burden of my heart to want to um to shine this light to my my brothers and sisters. It's like imagine you, you know, someone you know how to, you know, you maybe you had a someone had a terminal illness and they they received this medicine that can cure the terminal endless. What would be the urgency and the efficiency to go and say, hey, I have the potion for this guys, take it, take it. Like look what this healed me. Look at me. I don't look the same. Come on, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:08

And um, I think I mean it's John Ford, it's it's the the woman at the well, she had an encounter with Jesus, man, and she couldn't keep it to herself. She goes into the city and tells everybody about the man who knew everything about her, and it's exactly what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Come on. And I think it was especially um powerful to the people that were on my team at that time. I think sometimes when I come across people now, or even when I got in the NFL locker rooms and I was doing the same things, um sometimes I can just kind of look like the like a preacher's kid, like this guy, man, this guy just been this guy, man. Yeah, I get it, bro. You're the Christian guy. But for people on my team at the time, they were like, yo, what's going on with G? For sure. Like, this ain't even a G I've known for the last, you know, couple years. What's going on? That's how they knew it was real. Yeah, because I was like especially an outcast. Like I was like the class clown, and I was and then something started taking place. So I think the testimony was even more powerful. The witness was even more powerful. And I always say the greatest sermon you can ever preach is the life you live. The life you live. It was it's better than any words I can sit on a podcast and say, it's better than anything I can put together and and and smash together in a sermon, but the witness of your life.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

Well, there has to be people in your life that knew you back when you were in Washington, they're like, wait a minute, like no, no, no. That's the real deal because I remember what it was like. And that has to not only encourage you, but in the same token, there's always people who remembered who we were and they try to hold us to our testimony. Yeah. Yeah. That's who I used to be. Yep. I I don't pop pills anymore. I'm not that person anymore. And so, how have you navigated that where you've had a genuine encounter with God? You know that it's genuine, you're living this thing out, but maybe people in your life maybe don't think it's as genuine. Yeah. How have you navigated that within your own heart?

SPEAKER_02 11:47

I mean, I think going back, understanding that it would, it's never it was never about that anyway. Come on. It was never about proving myself right to anyone. It was about a true um growth and proximity with this Lord that I serve. And so I guess under and this is kind of like a um, I don't want to say a secular viewpoint, but this is something that I've always stood on my whole life, is like I feel like no matter what you do, if you try to please people, it's going to still, you're someone's still not gonna like you. Sure. So if you do what you're passionate about and you're true to who you are, yeah, um, people are they're not gonna like you on

Proving Nothing, Pursuing Jesus

SPEAKER_02 12:20

both sides. Like no matter what you do. So I always just thought in my mind, I'm like, why wouldn't I just be, why don't I just be myself? And just and let those, you know, and it just accept the people that are gonna come with it. I'd rather have people not like me and me just be myself than people not like me and I'm still trying to fit in with them. Come on. So I'm like, I guess, you know, for me and where I'm at now, it's just like I guess uh I guess that's not even part of my heart. And I guess I I I I hope that I it can be like a just watch and see that I'm gonna serve this gospel for the rest of my life, and maybe they'll come around and understand like this guy wasn't playing. Absolutely and the God in him must be real.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

And I love how you've just lived the life consistently. Yeah. And since I've known you over a year and a half, you've lived this life consistently, and I've watched you go from last year when you preached for us to just, and that was before you were a national champion. And one of the things that stood out to me uh when I would talk to you is you never made it about football. Ever. I mean, you're in the biggest this this was last year. This is right before you guys go into the playoffs and beat the brakes off everybody. Yeah, you never made it about football. None of our conversations were ever really about football, it's always been about God and about what God is doing in your life. And I love that because for years my identity was rooted in the game. It was NFL or bust, and I've watched how even talking to you um when you were preparing for the, you know, for the draft and never making it about you're like, yeah, man, you're you gave it your all, but you never made it about um the wrong thing. How do you do that? Yeah, how do you because there's a lot of people that are gonna hear this where their whole life is rooted in a game, whether it's football, basketball, whatever it is, how do you not make it about the wrong thing? How can you make football it's what you do, it's not who you are?

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Yeah. And I like I'm sorry if this isn't even like the most profound thing ever, but like I can't, it's and I don't know of what how this may come across, but it's just truly like the treasure. I would say it's kind of like the point I was just making, but the treasure of my heart has changed. So like football is no longer the treasure of my life. It's like the man who finds his treasure and he goes and he sells everything, right? And buys his land and he digs it, and he, you know what I'm saying? And the the the parable. And um, that's that's kind of how I feel about this gospel message. Like he's come on, it's like in comparison to the goodness of this gospel, he's made everything on earth meaningless. For sure. Now, not that I I go about life and that things are meaningless here on earth, but I'm just saying in comparison to the goodness of this gospel that I've encountered, it it's it's all meaningless. And then and then going back and understanding, I think this is where people may struggle a little bit with the with this understanding of the nature of God, is it takes a true surrender. And I think that's a hard thing, especially the older you get, and especially in this society that we live in, that's so countercultural for sure. To surrender your own destiny, this this world doesn't teach that. This world teaches manifestation. This world teaches if you you need to you're not up early enough, you need to work, you need to work, you need to work. Um, but I I I and I don't know, I know everyone won't won't agree with this, but I I just take a complete different approach. I surrender it. I've actually surrendered outcomes in my life, and I've grown to be very process driven, to like love the process of growing in life and having the and it's not even just it doesn't have to be a secular, that's not secular. I let the Lord reign through everything that I do, whether I'm at the gym, whether I'm with my wife, whatever, who whatever I'm doing, I let like Colossians 3.23, whatever I do, doing it wholeheartedly unto the Lord rather than for men. And so I'm doing these things unto the Lord, and I really trust that Matthew 6.33 that all else will be added unto me. For sure. Right. And so that's what it is, is getting to a point where I can surrender that outcome. And I and again, that's not easy. And I know that's the reason I say it's not the most profound thing, because someone can listening, or it's it's easy

Trophy In Hand, Heart Still Thirsty

SPEAKER_02 16:05

to hear that and be like, oh, thanks, G. Just surrender the outcome. That's not just that's not easy, but I believe that that is a result of a true surrender to Christ.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Yeah, well, the gospel, if it's complex, it's not the gospel. And newsflash. Hey, there she is.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

Hold on. Sorry. Are you good? We're good. We'll clip that.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

That was the blooper. That was the blooper. Um, but that's the gospel. That's the essence of the gospel. If it's prof, if it's like this profound thing where super complex, it's not the gospel. The gospel is simple. So the truth that you share is it is one of the most foundational things for the believer. If you want your life to change, if you want your life to not be about the wrong thing, learn what it means to surrender and trust that he is who he says he is. Man, you've tasted and seen that he's good. Same way me eight years ago, I tasted and saw that God was good and nothing else satisfied. I'm like, forget football. Come on. Not in a bad way. Right, right. But it's like, man, I we now have an eternal perspective because I'm 37 years old, 38 years old. I I could potentially be halfway there. I could be halfway there. I could literally be halfway done with my life. And so I'm going to live for eternity. Come on. I want to take as many people with me as possible. Like, forget the stuff that I can get from this world. And yes, I give my all to everything, but ultimately, like, I want to see the name of Jesus glorified and lifted high through the things in which he's given me, man. And I watch you do the same. So you have uh you you went from obviously Washington, came out here, played ball, had an encounter with Jesus, crazy things happened on the football team. Like, talk a little bit about that shift where Jesus becomes a central focus in a lot of ways about what was happening on the Ohio State football team.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Yeah. I think, I mean, it started with this um this great idea of fellowship. I think there was a great amount of fellowshipping that was happening on this team. And then as a result, there was a true um coming to repentance in a lot of people's lives. And I think still, I mean, even right now, I mean, I think you see a turn of heart and externally people have been able to see that on the team. Oh, yeah. But I think there's still brothers on the team who the seed has been so heavily planted in their heart and that it didn't even sprout yet. And they don't even know, but it's gonna take maybe four, maybe five years, maybe it's gonna take a breakup one day where they realize, man, there was something different about those guys. Let me give this God thing a try. Right. And so it's not even about this. When I was younger in my faith, what I desire to do is if I I wanted to tear down bad theology, I wanted to plant the gospel, I wanted to see it grow right before my eyes right now. Um, but I think, you know, being faithful to stewarding the gifts that God has given you, um, even if you're not able to see, you know, all of the rewards of it. And I know that, I mean, and we were able to see that in Ohio State, but I still have faith that there's more guys on the team that in due time will continue to repent as a result of what they witnessed through this team. Because we I we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and a word of our testimony, come on, right? And so they've been able to see the testimony of Christ's work. And so I think it was a as a result of that, I think people came and I saw men on the team be provoked into curiosity. And I think curiosity is a great place to get somebody for sure. It's when they true grow a sincere curiosity for what this thing is, and I believe that's the start of a true and sincere faith.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Yeah, because Jesus responds to genuine hunger. Bible says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled. Yes. And whenever you can provoke somebody to to curiosity, Jesus responds to that in such a beautiful way. Come on. And I think it takes a very mature person to like you know that it's real. Yeah. You know that he's real. Yeah. Like you've completely changed, you know, God's completely changed who you are. And so it takes a it takes a certain person to know the truth and know that they need the truth and to live this thing out consistently. And like you're talking about planting seeds and like not, you know, I used to be the same way. When I had an encounter, I'm like, everybody needs to know the Lord. Right. Like there, there's this is non-negotiable. You need to give your life to Jesus right now. You need to repent. Say this prayer. And the Lord's like, no, Marcus, like just trust the process. Right. Let me do what I can do. I'm God. You're not. Plant seeds and water. Yes. Plant seeds and water. And I love how you're planting seeds and watering consistently. And so I love to ask you, man, how you know, I remember uh a lot of people we remember watching like your journey and watching how God moved and you know, you guys going through

NFL Opportunity As Divine Assignment

SPEAKER_00 20:30

this incredible playoff run, probably the greatest run in college football history. And then I watch how you guys host hosted that trophy up. What was that feeling like for you? Because as a young kid, man, this is it's it's a dream for all of us, man. We wanted to be able to be on that stage in that moment. What was that like?

SPEAKER_02 20:46

Dude, it was absolutely awesome. It was so awesome, bro. Um I think after we lost to the team of North at the end of November, um we got together and you know, we had this team meeting where guys were going at each other. Um, I don't know if you know that story, but guys are going back and forth, and then we concluded that meeting with a prayer all together as a it was a player-led meeting where we all led in a prayer. And um I remember just praying, Lord, if we can just get the opportunity to get onto that stage, we'd give you all the glory. And I it was so awesome to get to that moment and and be able to do that. Another thing that we did throughout the whole playoff run, we would ho we uh you know, we'd do Bible studies every every week before game day before a game. And one thing that we prayed, and I and I very rarely do this, yeah, um, but I was telling the guys and encouraging guys, we're not gonna be afraid to pray for victory. Come on. And I don't usually tend to do that, but um, we did. And there's this uh Greek word um called uh dunamis, yeah, meaning God's power and ability. Yeah, right. And so we prayed God's dunamis. We would listen to this worship song called Dunamis by Mercy Culture at every Bible study, and we would pray. I told I encourage guys not only you know cover yourself in prayer and ask God for your person um for him to personally pour out his power unto you, and then um secondly pray for those on this team who aren't surrendered to Christ and and ask Lord, grace them, yeah, grace them although they're underserving. Lord, we ask for your power and your ability with hopes to be able to give you glory on that stage. That's all we wanted to do. That's at least the group of guys that were you know attending these Bible studies constantly, we wanted to be able to win this thing and point all the glory um to the Lord. And it was just so awesome. I remember times in the playoff run. If you watch, you know, those games, those weren't very close games. We were like, we were delivering people like that Oregon game was like 31-0 at the end of the second quarter. And and yeah, man, and uh I remember guys on this island would run up to me and be like, geez, God's doing this. Come on, come on, and I was I thought that was so funny, but um, it was just so cool to get to that point and then um the aftermath really being able to give him glory. But another thing I want to emphasize on the other side of this thing, man, is is it it goes what I'm about to say right now goes to show that this thing can't fill the God size hole in your heart. Because I remember waking up two days later after that game and I woke up and I was like, dang, like that's it. That's it. Like now, like I remember in a like we had a team meeting coming up, and like another, because we went so late in the season, like they got they push everything back. They start workouts like the next week, sure, and it's like they go back at it, and that's like, man, that's it. Like, imagine if that was the treasure of your life the whole time. And you got it, and you were like, dang, that was it. There's this interview of Tom Brady, and I talk about it all the time, dude, because it just blows my mind. Yes, man. He he just had won his third Super Bowl and he's asked him, you know, how does it feel to win your third Super Bowl in an interview? And Tom Brady goes, Um, you know, I you know, if it feels awesome, but he, you know, he he says the quote, um, this is it. This is it. Like there has to be more than this. And the guy goes, What is it? And he goes, I don't know, man. I'm trying to find it out myself. Yeah. This is Tom Brady. And with, you know, with all due respect to the people listening and to you and myself, but how many of us are going to reach this the status, the worldly status at least, of what Tom Brady was able to reach with the millions? He wants a private

Marriage, Sacrifice, And Real Leadership

SPEAKER_02 24:12

jet, he's gonna fly it. He wants the car, he's gonna get it, whatever he wants, the financial, the Super Bowl ring, the highest level, the hall of fame, everything. And he's all everything. To get to the other side of that and say there has to be more than this. Come on. How is that not a wake-up call? Like and we're stuck in this, because there's this, there's this idea that we have, and I think it's natural human nature, yeah, that we think on the other side of getting this thing, I'll find what I'm looking for. And I would argue to say it's a God-sized hole in our heart that we attempt to fill with things of this world, and then when we fill it, we get confused because why am I still hungry for more? And that's and going back to the woman at the well, but he also tells her, he says, anyone who continues to drink the water of this world will continue to thirst. But anyone who drinks of the water that I shall give them will never thirst again. Come on. I mean, I just got to chill through my whole body. Like, come on. If you come to the gospel, he says that you'll never thirst again. And it's just, I think I've been able to, why is that such a deep sentiment to my heart? It's because I've been able to witness that. Yeah. I don't, I I, and again, words are just words, man. I'm this is from the heart. I don't have a dying passion and desire for more and more and more like I once did in my life. It's I feel like I found the treasure. Now everything that I do in life is just overflow. I'm enjoying it. And not that I don't have emotion, not that things don't upset me, that things don't make me happy. That I know I feel things as I go through this thing called life, yeah, but I've found the treasure and it's found in Jesus. And, you know, I guess an encouragement to anyone watching this would be um to not take my word for it. Don't don't say, don't believe it because G said it. Go find this Jesus yourself. Try him and try him yourself. So good. He's a one size fits all.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

I love one size fits all. Put that on a teacher. Go on, one size fits all. So you've, you know, obviously won a national title, man, and you've, you know, got a chance to play in the NFL, man. I remember watching that journey and texting, and I just I just think what's so cool about it is you all throughout this journey, it was always about Jesus. I'm like, bro, this like this is all and I love like obviously a priest of gospel. I try to do it, but you you love the Lord. Right. Like it's so genuine, and that's like what's encouraged me the most. It's like there's a young man who's on fire for Jesus, and it's so genuine. Going through that process and preparing for the draft and all these different things, and then obviously, you know, getting that call and signing with the New England Patriots, like what was that journey like for you? Yeah, knowing like who you are in God, yeah. Because like the Lord loves us, like you know, Matthew 6, 33, like you delighted yourself in him. Yeah, and he obviously wants to raise your voice up, do what he's doing in your life so that you can continue to give him glory on the highest stages. What was that whole journey like for you?

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Yeah, man, it was it was super exciting. I mean, obviously, living like a dream come true. That's something that I've worked for for so many years to be able to get to the opportunity where I'm putting on an NFL uniform was something that I dreamed of forever. But I also seen it as um assignment, yeah, right. And that's the intentionality that I that I'm being sent. And when I say this, man, and and you know, does that mean everything that I do, like my praise and worship might look a little bit different when I'm in church and I'm my hands are lifted and I'm worshiping, it might look a little different there than when I'm in the than when I'm on the football field or when I'm under the 225 bench press bar. My worship may look different, but I think one thing that's so important is and the reason why I try to make it like like that is because I think it's so important that we're not compartmentalizing God to one part of our life. And so I feel like the I feel like me being selected to the NFL and being able to go play for the New England Patriots can all can also be a great um obviously a blessing, a worldly blessing. You could say it's the NFL, and I'm super excited about it, but I also see it as a divine assignment that I'm being sent on. And Lord, how do you how do you want to use me um in this? And I think just the experience was um really, really cool. I was able to learn a lot of things.

Plans Surrendered, Calling Obeyed

SPEAKER_00 28:12

And for anybody that's listening to what he just said, like I think sometimes we we can easily gloss over that. Like, of course, like you're saying it's a divine assignment or whatever, yada yada yada. But I'm just gonna tell a quick story that you probably would never tell anybody. But I remember um I I got a call from an incredible organization and they're like, hey man, we you know would love to have G come in and speak, and they wanted you to come in to do some prison ministries. And and I just remember like your response to that, because we were talking about it because you were trained, I think, in Florida for the NFL getting ready for the draft and stuff. And I remember you were like, Because it was it was almost like this crossroads. You're like, man, but the most important thing that I'm called to is I'm called to be a minister of the gospel, come on, more than any opportunity to do anything. Yes. And I was like, dang. Yes. My dude, he real like, he's really about that life. So it's cemented in my heart. I'm like, yo, he's really the real deal when he talks about you know him really wanting to pursue Jesus more than anything else. But I'm sorry to keep not going to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 29:10

No, man, I I I appreciate that's that's real, man. I had somebody yesterday um ask me a question that I thought was really awesome. And I think I feel like the Lord kind of graced me with a response to that to this question. He asked me, he was like, you know, I do these, you know, the he's a he's an evangelist. He goes out and he evangelizes and he's and he's preaching the word, but he was feeling a conviction with his like his close friends and his buddies that aren't saved, and how he kind of just feels neutral and not explicitly sharing the gospel enough with them. And one thing I encouraged him was to not to give himself give himself a little bit more grace and credit. Yeah. Because like I I'm kind of gonna reiterate what I was saying earlier and re-emphasize it is sometimes we limit ministry to the podcast to encourage. We limit ministry to church on Sunday, we limit ministry to Bible study. And so when I'm doing the church thing, uh it's time for church. And then when I go and I'm with my friends, it's time to do the friends thing. And I think just because it's not explicitly being spoken about, I say this with my buddy Xavier all the time. We we we talk all the time, but if our conversations aren't, you know, maybe 30% of our conversation is explicitly about Jesus, the other 70 isn't explicitly about him, but he gets glory through it. He's glorified in all that we talk about. And so I think just the witness of our life sometimes can sometimes be enough. You can be doing something that actually may not explicitly represent the gospel in that moment, but the way in which you carry yourself is complete evidence of his goodness. And so I say that as just encouragement to if you're maybe feeling like, you know, I don't have a platform, I don't I don't go and I don't evangelize, I don't do these things. Like I said earlier, the life that you live, people witness that. Great, right? And another piece of encouragement is somebody watching this right now, yeah, they are the closest thing to a Bible that maybe anyone in their family has ever been to, close

Abiding, Sanctification, And Childlike Faith

SPEAKER_02 31:10

to. For sure. Maybe every will. And so not to put an unhealthy pressure on anyone, yeah, but to encourage people to be sincere and serious about the way they carry their cross and all the things that they do.

SPEAKER_00 31:22

Because people are watching, everybody is, you know, there's a lot of people looking at your life that you may not fully realize. And what's the story that your life is telling? Come on. Is it a story? Because I mean, especially as someone who who travels and speaks on stages, because essentially we're God's spokesman here in the earth. Like we get a chance to communicate the truth of who he is to people that don't know him, but I realize that the the truest times are not on stage. Come on. It's when I'm in the grocery store and I see somebody that's hurt, or I see somebody that's hurting, or I see somebody that simply needs help with something. It's not always I don't explicitly preach the God. Like I wish I listen, I'm gonna be I wish I did. There's times where I'm afraid to be if I'm being completely honest. Sometimes I'm like, you know, I'm about to get on this plane. Right. Whoever's sitting next to me, they're gonna get the full gospel. When I get on the plane, I'm like, Lord, yes, you're right. Oh Lord, I need the spirit of boldness. Oh, thank you for that one of my life. And it's like, man, there's this like unrealistic pressure we put on ourselves sometimes. But I do think the life that we live consistently in, you know, the secret place, man, it it speaks louder than anything that we can ever communicate. And there are gonna be times where we get up because there's times to preach, there's times to pray, there's times to prophesy. Yes, but all the time is time to live. Come on, to live that life unto the Lord, man. And I just have seen how you've done that. I've seen um how you've allowed the Lord to get the full glory. And I I love that because whenever we don't touch his glory, he pours out more and more and more because we're not making it about ourselves. Come on. We're simply uh a mirror of who we worship. Yeah, we reflect the one that we worship. So you end up with a national title, playing in the league, you get engaged. Yep. Come on, talk a little bit about your lady, man.

SPEAKER_02 33:00

Yeah, man. It's it's it's been a true, true blessing. I met her actually at Ohio State when I was um a young knucklehead. Come on. And uh, and you know, it's been really cool coming to learn the gospel and love her the way that Christ has called me to love her. Come on. And learning what true love really looks like. And let me just tell you, in my own vulnerability, I I have to keep learning. Like I have a lot to learn. There's a lot of things of this world that I've been taught by nature that I have to continuously unlearn. For sure. And I think I see it so often. There's a lot of misconception of what it looks like to love, especially your wife. For sure. I mean, you know, especially in America, in the English language, we have the same word. Oftentimes it's hard to even decipher between when someone says, I love yogurt and I love my wife. Yeah. Like the we use the same word. For sure. Right? We use the same exact word. I mean, they mean two totally different things, right? And so I think I'm just continuing to gr learn and grow um of reflecting, like the more I hold up a mirror of Christ's love for the bride and I look at my love for my wife, I guess that's just my measuring stick. And so that's when I'm that's why I say, like, I got so far to go, and I'll never reach Christ. But like I the goal is to fight my butt off to be the best that I can be and learn true sacrificial love.

SPEAKER_00 34:22

That's so healthy because you're saying that your view um because some people will get into the comparison game. That's just what we do as humans, but but you're saying I'm

Invitation To Seek Jesus & Prayer

SPEAKER_00 34:30

comparing myself to how Christ loved the church. Yes. I've never heard that before in my life. That's fire, right?

SPEAKER_02 34:35

Because we all we glorify like men being like the leaders, right? In which we are the leaders. Yeah. But when we say that, sometimes in in a worldly way we can see it as an unhealthy thing, but like what is that? What is leader being, what is a leader of your relationship look like for sure in a marriage? Come on. It actually looks a little bit different. It actually looks like because Christ being the leader of us, Christ being the, you know, the head of his bride, how did he lead us? Come on. He actually sacrificed his own life. So he actually took the humble pos Philippians two, he took the humble position of a slave and died a death we deserve. So not that I'm necessarily gonna need to die a death for my wife, but it's a sacrificial love on the daily basis. Honey, can you go to the store and get this? I'd be like, man, Jesus would do it for me.

SPEAKER_00 35:22

Oh, Chelsea, I'll get you a spray guitar.

SPEAKER_02 35:25

I'll be like, man, but it's it's just constantly growing and learning. Um, I've been really fascinated. I've it's really been the last you know four or five months um growing to learn, um, viewing, kind of holding up this mirror to myself, yeah. Um, of my you know, relationship with my wife to the way Christ loves the church. And it's been it's been humbling to say the least, but it's made it's been exciting. It's just I get a lifelong journey of just trying to be a better husband. And I'm I'm prayerful that that will translate to me being a great father as well. And so um, yeah, it's been it's been an awesome journey.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

That's so exciting for you, man, just to see how you've you know embraced the journey with the Lord. Yeah. Because we're always growing. If we're listening, he's always speaking, he's always teaching us, he's always inviting us to die. And one of my prayers I always pray is God help me see her the way that you see her. Because it takes the focus off of maybe preference. Yes. And it puts it back as my role as a husband. Like there's a way that God has called me to lead and call me to love and call me to die. Yes. And I and I try to do that, man, as as often as I as it comes to mind, man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Because I think love, I think love is so often limited to people thinking, I love you as much as you're able to do for me. Yeah. And the reason why I'm getting messed up off holding this mirror, yeah, like I can't, it's so hard. And the reason I say I'm so far, because if I never did one more thing for the rest of my life for Jesus, he would still love me.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

Dude, if my wife didn't do another thing for me, I'd probably last two weeks. And I'd be about done. Like I it'd be hard, man. And so, and and and not the, you know, and that's just that's just the strive of my heart. It's just to that's my measuring point. That's where I want to strive to be. And I think, you know, yeah, just getting a an accurate understanding of what love truly looks like. And it's not, you know, my love is not withheld when I don't have the fuzzy feeling to go and love. Love actually might feel like when you don't feel like loving, it's actually not bound to a feeling. That's right. Right. In the times where it's it's it doesn't feel good, it's not, it's not the most fun. Um, it's a duty to be the leader. You know, I think we we only we love one part of being a leader is I get to be talking about it. But I think if you talk about the whole entire world of what it really looks like to be a leader, yeah, um, I don't think people really want to bear that all the time. The the true the fullness of what it's like to really be a leader to your wife.

SPEAKER_00 37:41

Yeah, man. And I think what I've learned with my wife in particular is God has really blessed me with somebody that makes me better. Come on. She makes me a better communicator, she makes me a better leader, she makes me a better father, she definitely makes me a better dresser. And I I love how I've had to learn to lean into that because as I've gotten in ministry, we live in a world that tries to separate us from our wives. Yeah. It says, Well, you go and do your thing and she just needs to be at home. Well, no, I do this with my wife. Come on. Because, and and in all actuality, for those that know about Reach One, Reach One is not what Reach One is if I don't actually allow and let my wife lead it. And and I've seen the beauty in two becoming one, and it's best expressed through my wife and I, the things in which we put our hands to when she says yes to something, and her and I agree, there's not a devil in hell that's gonna stop that thing from happening, man. And I've loved how um you found your rib. Yeah, you know, my wife hates when I say that. She's like, I'm more than a rip. I'm like, for sure. But like, you know, I I just love how God has blessed you with that, man. I'm super, I'm looking forward to meeting her one of these days. So, in in this thing, you know, you're you're still a young man, you're figuring out, still in incredible shape, clearly. Um, what what does the future look like for G Scott Jr.?

SPEAKER_02 38:48

Yeah, dude, I would love, I would have loved to answer that question. And hey, I got this list here. I'm about to do this, I'm about to do this. My brother to answer that question, bro. Like, I'm I'm trying to make it through today. You know what I'm saying? I don't and I and I can give you just a rough, dude. I'm gonna be, I'm gonna serve this gospel. That's right. I don't know how that looks. For sure. I don't know what it practically looks like. I don't know where I'm gonna be, I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I'm gonna be faithful to this word and to for the rest of my life. Yeah, you know, it's it's a such a transitional season of my life because I could get a phone call right now and be playing for an NFL team. For sure. Um, and so it's really um man, serving this gospel wherever, wherever I'm led to to do it. And I think that's a you know, there's many facets that I feel called in different directions. Yeah, yeah. Um, you know, I may potentially you take my ministry to coaching football. I feel called into to maybe coach or um to even go full time ministry or whatever it is. I I I just wish I could answer that question and tell you, but I don't even know um exactly what the day next day looks like. I don't know what tomorrow's at all. Exactly. But Jesus tells us that you know t to today has enough troubles. You know, today has enough that we can that we can you know continue to work through and I think surrendering tomorrow. tomorrow to him to it to accept this day or you know my daily bread yeah and uh like enjoying this moment not to not to over spiritualize it because somebody else probably does have their ducks in a row I and and what exactly to do and I don't think there's a problem with that. I just think uh I just don't I don't want to give you a phony answer.

SPEAKER_00 40:17

I don't I don't want to well and you write your plans down and you write them down in pencil and it's good. It's like the Lord whatever you want to do. But in closing man I would love for us to you know kind of hit on a topic of of sanctification because I love how you know we can give our lives to Jesus and you didn't stop at that. You didn't stop at having this encounter with God and then just kind of remaining a baby Christian. I've watched I mean I clearly anybody that's listened to this you're a man that's full of the word you're quoting the word of God you're growing in your relationship with Jesus you're going from milk to meat. Talk a little bit about man um especially speak to your generation and people that obviously know about your journey talk to uh about the importance of that and just your own individual take on it.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Yeah man I think I mean I'd say the most important thing is this idea of abiding in Christ and that any wisdom or anything that comes out on the other side of this thing um should be a place from a place of overflow of the time that you've spent um in the secret place. For sure. And I I wish I knew exactly how the complete sanctification process worked and how he started working these things um into my heart. But I I believe it that's everything that it is is a result of you know spending time with the Lord. And I think um I think that's someone that's would be my encouragement for a young believer is just to to continue to abide in him. I think in a world where we especially even as Christians we see see things externally and we get so frustrated at sin and we get we we like throw stones at the sin when the sin isn't even the problem. The sin and the the problem is that they're not even pursuing Jesus that the way that they should to even get over this sin or to be made new. And so it's like a it's like a tree that bears fruit and as believers we want to cut off the bad fruit off of people and we we cut it off and we're like we're trying to cut off this bad fruit and not even realize that they're rooted though their lifestyle is sin. The problem isn't even that and so like what we try to do is or even another metaphor is like you know like those big like settings gears if you turn one gear they all start to turn for sure it's like we sometimes we try to turn down this the gear of sin but that it it it doesn't stay. When you let it go it kind of goes right back. Absolutely but if you start turning up the gear of growing in proximity with Jesus it changes everything. That's so good. So I guess my encouragement more than everything is is that going back to Matthew 633 is seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all else will be added unto you. The fruit of the Spirit is a result of coming to Christ. Good fruit is a result of coming to Christ in the same way that taking um a a headache being relieved is a result of taking ibuprofen you're not responsible for the headache and the migraine going away. You are responsible for your yes and consumption in the consumption but the migraine going away is just a result of ibuprofen's goodness metaphorically speaking but but when you come to Jesus and you give it to him the the migraine of your life the the heartache of your life being resolved is a result of Jesus. That's to the young believer I do want to something to the older believer too to you know someone who's maybe been walking for you know 20 or 10, 20 even 30 years is, and not that I can say this from experience that I've experienced it myself, but something I feel like the Lord's just really pressing in my heart is the importance of remaining like a child is remembering and even for myself I mean I've been walking for a couple of years now I've been able to speak in some cool places but constantly reminding myself that you never graduate past being that child and remembering the simplicity of the gospel of his goodness. And sometimes we get into these big high theologies which I think there absolutely is a time and a place to go deep. True going deep is important. I think it reveals the nature and the character the true character of God. But then always being able to come back and remind yourself of the simplicity of Christ and of his goodness. And I think there's just something so awesome about that. And I think you know the scripture talks about somewhere in there that making yourself foolish is actually wise. Yeah man being able to like strip yourself of of pride and knowing and say Lord I know nothing. For sure like Lord I'm not I'm I'm not very great at this I need you I need you to grace me right and then surrounding yourself with people that encourage you and push you in that direction I think is very important. But I think rem and I another way to say all that is to remain low before the Lord and just continue just to come right to his feet. Right.

SPEAKER_00 44:42

And so um yeah I guess that would be some encouragement I forgot even what the initial environment that's great because it's important for us to remember to remain dependent upon the one who saved us. Yes. Never forget where you came from not saying live in the past and live in your old sin and live in the thoughts and the trauma but just remember how you were once dead in your sin. But Jesus rescued you come on he rescued us and I never want to take that for granted and I want to always value um just the even the meaning of the cross and what it means. It's not just a cool thing that I wear on my neck. Come on the cross Jesus reveals who I am and his value and how much he saw like the Bible says in Hebrews 12 too is the joy that was set before him that he endured the cross. He despised the shame he had us in mind when he went to the cross and I love how he did that. And so I I never want to forget the value of the cross and the weight of my sin. Not that I live in this perpetual cycle of remembering how I'm a sinner. No I'm actually saved by grace through faith. Like I'm redeemed okay I'm not in recovery I'm redeemed I'm restored I'm delivered but I'm also dependent on him. I need him every single day I need him every single moment and I I believe as your generation of leaders man as you guys continue to to pursue the things of God as long as you stay in that place we are going to see a revival that hits this wall like never before bro and I I love how God has raised up men like you and your wife because he's brought you guys together because she's everything you're not and I cannot wait to just see how um God blesses the ministry of your guys' lives. Yeah. I'd love for you man just um you know in closing there might be a young person listening to this maybe they're a football player. Maybe they're in Washington at the same high school that you went to and you know they've been looking up to you from afar. Maybe they um don't even know who Jesus is or haven't given their life to Jesus one, I would love for you just to give them some encouragement or give them some last words. Yeah and I'd love for you to pray for us.

SPEAKER_02 46:45

Yes, yes. I the encouragement that is put on my heart as I already I alluded to it a little bit earlier um but I would encourage to not take my word for it is that if anything that was said throughout the duration of this podcast or in general in life that maybe they've heard in the last little bit has provoked any kind of curiosity like like even cut the podcast off yeah and and go dive into your word and go seek this Jesus for yourself. Take that big pot of confusing theology like I don't know it's this either this confusing big God I don't understand it. Who's Jesus? Who is all this? Go find out for yourself. And I believe the Bible teaches that the Spirit of God leads to all truth. So good. And so um I guess that that would be my encouragement is to seek this Jesus um and if you knock the door shall be opened. He won't leave you standing there. That's a bar I'll I'll pray it's out um dear Lord Jesus Heavenly Father I just again I just come before today thankful Lord I thank you for what you're continuously doing um in our hearts Lord. I just pray for even you know whoever may be on the other side of this screen Lord that whatever they may be going through Lord that they can just turn to you and come to the throne boldly and be reminded that they can be washed clean from their sins, Lord, in the same way that the Passover came and it passed over the houses that were covered in the blood, that they can be washed and covered in the blood, that when the judgment of God comes, that it could pass directly over them over them because they are covered in you. Remind them that they can turn straight to you for forgiveness, that they don't need to go through anyone else they don't need to go to a podcast. They don't need to go anywhere else but they can go directly to you for your word says in 1 Timothy 25 for that there is one mediator between Christ and men. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. One mediator so they can turn right to you and come to you boldly like your word teaches us Lord. And so Lord wherever they may be this is just a prayer right now for them in the name of Jesus I just ask right now that you just may meet them right where they are meet them even in this moment Lord and that after this moment they may um that you may continue to uh provoke curiosity in their heart that they may take steps um towards you and then just for me and my brother Marcus Lord I just pray that you just may keep us low um keep us dependent on you like little babies for you say the kingdom of God will be like this little child that was that was there standing next to you, Lord and just remind us um just to stay low and be like little children. In the same way, Lord, a little child can't make it from one side of a room to the other side of the room without their parent carrying them. Lord let us have that same heart metaphorically Lord that I can't even make it back home today without you Lord. And um and that we may grow closer to a place where we can actually pray without ceasing and actually Lord by your spirit reveal to us what that means is how can we stay in prayer with you? How can we stay in commune with you as we go through our entire day and stay in close proximity and let you be the leader of our life. The last thing I want to pray Lord is um for our close family members Lord who may be distant but they see it all over us and they know something's different, Lord, I pray that you may continue just to meet them right where they're at Lord and draw them unto you. And as we continue to plant and as we continue to water faithfully as we know we will we will carry out this great commission but but we know that you're the one who gives it increase. You're the one who gives it increase not us. So Lord I just ask that you may grace their hearts draw them near to you we love you Lord we thank you and we give you all the praise it's in Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 50:26

Amen bro appreciate you appreciate you honor your life man and uh just super excited man to see what God does in it through your yes bro. Yes sir thank you brother God bless you bro yes sir