In sports, teams often identify games within the game that, if won, can lead to increased tallies in the win column. For example, in basketball, winning the turnover battle is a consistent objective. In football, finding success in the red-zone is vital. For the Dallas Cowboys, offensive efficiency in the red-zone has been lackluster, to say the least. Accordingly, this has resulted in more losses than expected from a roster with sufficient talent. I’d like to provide some insight, with information coming from Bob Sturm's recent piece in The Athletic. Despite employing Ezekiel Elliot at running back, (a league leader in rushing yards by more than 600 yards with a total of 4,048 since 2016), as well as, dual-threat quarterback, Dak Prescott; and adding Amari Cooper to an already capable group of pass-catchers, the Dallas Cowboys finished last season 29th in red-zone efficiency. This certainly isn't good and obviously wasn’t good enough for Scott Linehan to continue in his job as Dallas’ offensive coordinator. When analyzing the film, the disappointment lies with the lack of creative schemes, but more specifically, the play calling isn't allowing Prescott to use his legs enough. Sturm sums it up well when he says, “The easiest answer is that, although he may not be the best passer, we certainly have reason to believe that Prescott’s legs are probably the best weapon this team does have inside the 20. For whatever reason, there were fewer plays called in which he played to that strength.” From 2016-2018, Dak Prescott’s 4.46 yards-per-carry in the red-zone nearly doubled the league average of 2.64, yet he has only rushed the ball 43 times. That number seems too lopsided when compared to Ezekiel Elliot’s 122 attempts in the same span. Allowing Dak Prescott to run the ball more in the red-zone will more favorably cater to the measuring stick of success in the NFL: wins. The Dallas Cowboys appear to have an obvious change to make in how they run their offense. However, it’s going to ultimately come down to their willingness to make such a change. In a similar fashion, as followers of Jesus, there are obvious changes to make in our lives as we flee sin and pursue righteousness. If we take a step back and analyze the film of our lives through prayer and talking to brothers and sisters in Christ, we are able to identify triggers that lead to sin. We know the most tempting environments. We know the people that encourage us to chase sin. But, are we willing to make the necessary changes? In Ephesians 5:3, the level of holiness that followers of Jesus are called to pursue is clearly stated: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people” (NIV). Of course, we can't do this without the graciousness of the Holy Spirit guiding us, but we are also not to be passive. Becoming more like Jesus requires making changes. It requires us to pursue environments and people that help us in our pursuit of righteousness. What we need to consider next is how far we're willing to go to flee from sin. Just like the Dallas Cowboys have an obvious change to make on their red-zone offense, we too, have changes to make in our lives that will help us become more like Jesus. Are we willing to make those changes? I’m Luke Heaton and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for graciously saving me from the penalty of my sin. I pray that You would grow in me a desire to make changes in my life that help me become more like You. Help me flee from environments that tempt me to sin. Give me the willingness to choose people and environments that help me grow in my relationship with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What are some environments and triggers that most tempt you to sin? Why is it difficult to flee that environment? Why haven’t you been willing to make a change?
How can we encourage you and hold you accountable to make necessary changes that help you grow in your relationship with Jesus?
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