Go For Two

Once again, Sunday was filled with NFL games that came down to the final seconds. The Jacksonville Jaguars were down 27-20 in the closing minutes against the Baltimore Ravens until Trevor Lawrence led the Jags on an amazing 10-play 75-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones with 14 seconds on the clock. The Jaguars were then down 27-26 and faced the decision to either kick a high percentage extra point to tie the game and send it to overtime...or attempt a riskier two-point conversion that, if successful, would essentially win the game. Head coach, Doug Pederson, decided his team would boldly go for it and Zay Jones caught the pass for two points as the Jags pulled out a 28-27 win! During the late games, the Chargers found themselves in a similar spot when Austin Ekeler caught a touchdown pass from Justin Herbert with 15 seconds remaining, cutting the Cardinals' lead to 24-23. Los Angeles head coach, Brandon Staley, also called for his team to go for two instead of settling for the extra point and play for overtime. Herbert threw it to Gerald Everett for the two-point conversion and the 25-24 win. NFL on CBS tweeted, “Sunday was the first week since the 2-point conversion was implemented (1994) where multiple games were decided by game-winning points that came on the conversion in final 2 minutes of 4th Qtr.” Coaches show confidence in their offense when they decide to take these calculated risks, and the aggressive approach invigorates the whole team. It doesn’t mean it always works out perfectly, but the bold mentality keeps the momentum going and allows teams to win. Some coaches may view going for two at the end of the game as too risky and not worth the gamble, but oftentimes their unwillingness is because they're afraid and lack the necessary faith in their team. I love it when a team has the, “We're going for it, let’s win it now” strategy vs. the “we’ll try and win later in overtime” approach. We face similar decisions in our own lives. We either live with boldness, confidence, and faith as we make the most of our opportunities right now, or we choose to do what’s less risky because of fear and procrastination. As followers of Jesus, we know that faith is at the core of everything we believe. Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:5 (ESV) says, “So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) tell us, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” As we walk closely with God, there are key moments in our lives when we must exercise a deep faith and make choices that outsiders may view as “risky,” “not safe,” or “taking a gamble.” In these moments, we overcome fear and demonstrate our faith in God by obeying what He is leading us to do. We don’t act irrationally or unwise, but in faith, we boldly go for it. As God tells Joshua in Joshua 1:7 (AMP), “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go.” When we step out in faith, we reveal that our trust and confidence are in an all-knowing, loving, and powerful God. Often this means, we don’t delay or wait for “overtime,” but we go for the win right now. We have the conversation...we make the move...we confess...we forgive...we pray...we obey and we don’t hesitate. Today, instead of playing it safe, let’s take a faithful risk forward. Let’s choose to see what amazing things God does when we decide to really “go for it!” I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I ask that You give me a big faith. Help me have the boldness and confidence to go for it when I feel You leading me to go in a certain direction. I pray I wouldn’t let fear get in the way of taking faithful risks. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:

1. Describe a time in your life when you took a faithful risk of faith and God gave you the boldness and confidence you needed. 2. What situation do you face right now that fear and procrastination is holding you back from going for it?