DACUSVILLE—Before Brett Turner began the 2008 season as the head coach of the Pickens High School football team, he met with his coaching staff to discuss strategies for approaching the year.

One member of the staff mentioned he like to see players who were “dog-soldiers.” The story goes back to a Native American tribe that had “dog-soldiers.” When it was time to do battle, the dog-soldier would stake himself to the ground and fight the enemy to the finish. The only ways the dog-soldier would be released from his stake, would be if he were killed in battle, the battle was won, or another dog-soldier released him and took his place, staked to the ground.

Turner liked the idea, and offered his team the opportunity to come to voluntary workouts that began at 6 a.m. He warned the players that the workouts would be difficult. The first day, about 60 players showed up. Many lost their breakfast while working out.

The second day, there were a few less players.

When it came time for the season, official practices began. Some players chose to pursue other options after a few days of practice. Others were told by Turner to pursue other options. Most of the players who stuck with the team through the season had something in common.

“Almost all of them were the ones who had volunteered for the dog-soldier workouts,” he told the congregation of Nine Forks Baptist Church in Dacusville Sunday night.

Turner was welcomed by the Rev. Jack Hester, whose grandchildren had played on Turner’s teams at Pickens.

Hester admired Turner’s character.

“Even if they had never won a game, and they won plenty of them, he won the game of life,” Hester said. “It take a big man to step away from a position like his to do the will of God.”

Turner resigned his position as the PHS football position earlier this year. He plans to pursue a career in ministry. He has been taking online courses from Liberty University, pursuing his masters degree.

“I’m still teaching, and I will probably keeping doing that, but I’ve learned that when you find God’s will, you have to make changes in your life to follow Him,” Turner said.

While he realizes he faces a difficult road ahead of him, he says God will not let him become stressed over it.

“I know it won’t be easy, but I won’t be alone,” he said.

Turner said he was looking at different possibilities to pursue a ministry, but God had put a burden on his heart for coaches and student athletes.

“We need coaches who care about the players, but who love Jesus Christ too,” Turner said.

Turner said making the move toward a ministry was difficult.

“Having the faith to step out like this was very hard, very emotional,” he said. “But when I compare that to what Christ did for me on the cross, it really isn’t that hard. Really, you have no choice when He calls.”

Turner encouraged church members to strive to become “dog-soldier” Christians, whose dedication to the work of God is like the dedication of the ancient Native American warriors to their tribe.

“There are no half-way Christians,” Turner said. “You’re either a Christian or you are not.”

Turner said that the world situation calls for total commitment from Christians in America.

“We have the answers as Christians,” he said. “People need to be able to see that in our lives.”

Turner said he had accepted Christ at an early age, but really put little effort into building his faith.

“It was easy for me to get up at 5 a.m. and work out, but it was hard for me to get up early, sit at the table and study God’s word,” Turner said. “I could make time to go fishing and hunting, but I didn’t have time to read the Bible.”

While Presbyterian College, he began to question his salvation, Turner said.

“One night I got on my knees and cried out, ‘God, why have you forsaken me?’” Turner said. “Then I heard a small voice saying, ‘I haven’t forsaken you. You have left me.’”

Turner set out to surrender his life completely to Christ. He challenged the church members to do the same.

“We used to use the word ‘surrender’ yourself to Christ,” Turner said. “Now you hear ‘recommit’ more often. We keep recommitting and recommitting, but if you truly surrender your life to Christ, there’s no need to recommit any more.”

Turner warned that accepting Christ would not mean somebody’s life would become easier. If fact, it could be the opposite.

“When you’re a sold-out dog-soldier for Christ, the heat is going to be turned up.

He related the story from the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being thrown into the furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar because they refused to bow to his Babylonian idols. The three were unharmed, and when people looked in the furnace, there was a fourth figure there.

“When the heat gets turned up, Jesus show up and be there for you,” Turner said.