Last Saturday in college football, there was more upheaval and new possibilities for who ends up in this year’s College Football Playoff. Following Clemson’s loss to Notre Dame, LSU’s win over Alabama, and Tennessee’s loss to Georgia, there are changes at the top of the rankings.

Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and TCU are now ranked 1-4 with Tennessee, Oregon, LSU, and USC ranked 5-8. All eight teams still have a chance to get into the Playoff by the end of the year, but with plenty of obstacles in front of them.

So what stands in the way of each team moving ahead in the rankings or remaining where they need to be?

Georgia will have to battle complacency at the top since they will be favored in each game the rest of the way. Will they take their opponents lightly and trip up?

Ohio State and Michigan’s biggest obstacle is each other as they face their familiar foe on November 26th with only the winner expected to be selected for the Playoff.

TCU has to overcome Texas on Saturday to remain undefeated, while their biggest obstacle continues to be their first-half deficits in games forcing them to consistently dig themselves out of a hole. Will they be able to continue making comebacks or will that hole be too big against one of their opponents coming up?

LSU has the obstacle of having two losses on their resume from earlier this season while Tennessee and Oregon both have one loss on the season against the same opponent, Georgia.

Each of these teams has a chance to make it to the top, remain in the right spot, and continue to thrive, but as ESPN.com writer, Bill Connelly, once wrote, “A title run features all sorts of obstacles both foreseen and unforeseen, and the biggest questions facing each team at the moment are a mix of the two.”

The teams that find a way to overcome their opponents, injuries, previous losses, and other obstacles, and break through them on their way to the College Football Playoff, will be the ones standing in the end.

The question for each of us to unpack today is what is the biggest obstacle that gets in the way of remaining in or getting to the spot we need to be, which is ultimately living a thriving and surrendered life, standing in the end with Jesus?

We all face obstacles that are out of our control and unforeseen, but we also deal with obstacles we’ve allowed in our lives that we need God to help us overcome, so we can embrace Him for Who He is and the life He’s invited us into.

Is pride the obstacle preventing us from fully surrendering to Jesus?

Are worry and fear the obstacles getting in the way of our peace?

Is complacency an obstacle to our spiritual growth?

What familiar foe continues to be a barrier to where we need to be?

What holes do we continue to have to dig ourselves out of?

Is our lack of Biblical understanding the obstacle limiting our character development?

Is anger an obstacle to our joy?

Is the enticement of sin our biggest obstacle to obedience?

Is our lack of fellowship with other believers the biggest obstacle to having consistent faith?

We need to pray through and ask God to reveal and remove the obstacles that are in the way of us experiencing the abundant life He makes available for us to have in Him. We need to ask Him to show us how to break through the obstacles and provide the strength to do so.

Let’s declare what it says in the following verses:

“The one true God gives me strength; He removes the obstacles in my way” (Psalm 18:32; NET).

“The one true God is my mighty refuge; He removes the obstacles in my way” (2 Samuel 22:33; NET).

“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And, let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1; NLT).

Today, as we desire to remain on the path of a Christ-centered and thriving life, let’s put our trust and confidence in God to help us remove our obstacles and get us where we need to go.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please show me the obstacles that prevent me from experiencing the life You desire for me. I need Your strength to overcome them and I pray You’d remove anything that is holding me back from fully surrendering to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.