The Cleveland Browns once again had an offseason that included adding significant players through free agency and changing their head coach.

There is cautious hype, but since we’ve been here before wondering if this is the year the team finally turns the corner, these questions are still being asked:

• Will the Browns have a repeat performance of underachieving with a talented roster?
• Will Baker Mayfield be like the QBs before him or does he truly have what it takes to be a legitimate franchise quarterback?
• Will Odell Beckham Jr. be a good teammate or a distraction like he once was?
• Is Kevin Stefanski going to be any more successful than the previous head coaches in Cleveland?

Although there appears to be a good level of hope that things will be different this year, many of us still think they could easily repeat their past failures just because they’re the Cleveland Browns.

We’ve seen the same situation over and over again with Cleveland hiring an “up and coming” head coach who quickly fizzles out just like the one before him. Knowing this history, it’s hard not to believe it will repeat itself with first-time head coach, Kevin Stefanski.

The truth is, however, that Stefanski isn’t Freddie Kitchens, Rob Chudzinski, or Mike Pettine and he doesn’t have to end up with the same results. He may have the same Browns name on his hat, but he’s his own man with an opportunity to do things better.

In our own lives, we can fall into the trap of thinking we have no choice but to repeat our failures or go down the same path as our parents. If we aren’t careful, we can buy the lies that we’re destined to be an alcoholic or struggle financially or divorce our spouse – just because that was our family experience.

But we must accept the fact that we aren’t our parents and when we receive new life in Christ, we’re no longer the person we used to be. We don’t have to have the same results or repeat a pattern of sin because we’ve been given the power through Christ to do things differently.

Just like Browns’ fans have to believe Mayfield can be their franchise QB of the future (regardless of past QB failures) and Kevin Stefanski can be a reliable head coach, we have to believe failures from our past don’t have to lead to failures in our future.

As followers of Jesus, we’re given a whole new outlook on life and are empowered to be better than who we used to be or who we thought we were destined to become based on past circumstances.

Today, let’s embrace the powerful hope and assurance the Bible gives us in 2 Peter 1:4-9 (NLT):

“And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

“The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray I wouldn’t buy the lies that I have to fall into the same failures as I did in the past or struggle the same way my family did. I place my hope and trust in You and know I can live a holy life as I follow You and rely on Your power. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

1. What patterns of sin has Jesus helped you break free from?

2. What failures have you tended to repeat that you need to rely on God to help you change moving forward?