Last night, the New England Patriots shut out the Atlanta Falcons with a 25-0 win. When these two teams face off, it’s hard not to think back to Super Bowl LI when the Patriots came back to win as the Falcons let a 28-3 lead slip away.
Instead of writing about last night's boring game, let's unpack the Super Bowl matchup.
The Atlanta Falcons must have been feeling confident when they took a 21-point lead over the New England Patriots in the first half of the Super Bowl. Everything was clicking as their offense scored a rushing and receiving touchdown…and even their defense got into the end zone.
They extended their lead to 25 points in the 3rd quarter, and all they had to do was finish strong to become the champs.
As everyone still tries to figure out how they allowed the Patriots to come back, it’s clear that the Falcons couldn’t handle playing with the lead. Instead of being wise and calling the correct run plays, the Falcons foolishly put Matt Ryan in positions causing regrettable mistakes.
There was a key 3rd-and-1 situation where the Falcons attempted to throw the ball and Ryan was strip-sacked. Although the Falcons had countless opportunities to keep the lead, they carelessly allowed their opponent back in the game.
The big takeaway from this is that the Falcons were in a tremendous situation, yet they didn’t understand how to play with the lead and finish strong.
They may have been playing too stiff or afraid of messing up, which caused them to mess up anyway. Or perhaps they were too comfortable and complacent with their big lead, so they got sloppy. Or maybe they weren’t willing to adjust, so ended up being stubborn and foolish.
In our own lives, as we follow Jesus, we know what it’s like “playing with the lead.” When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are given eternal life and covered in God’s grace.
This incredible gift allows us to live victoriously in this world or “play with the lead.” But even though we're already victorious as true believers and won’t lose our salvation, we must finish this life strong.
Colossians 2:6 (NLT) tells us, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.”
While "playing with the lead" and enjoying the blessings of our life in Christ, we must also be aware of our opponent and the temptations to be disobedient, foolish, sloppy, or complacent.
God’s grace doesn't give us an excuse to sin or let our guard down. Rather, it ignites a desire to keep growing, persevering, and obeying. We don't want to take "the lead" for granted, live carelessly, unwise, or stubbornly, and let our opponent “back in the game.”
Galatians 5:13 (NLT) reminds us, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”
We also shouldn’t be so concerned about "turnovers" or tripping up that we become too rigid, legalistic, or prideful and miss out on the freedom of experiencing Christ and the fullness of life He gives us.
Galatians 5:1 (NLT) explains, “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
In John 10:10 (ESV) Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
As followers of Jesus, we are filled with His power, joy, and peace. The abundant life is found in Him now and for eternity. We are in a tremendous situation as we get to "play with the lead" every single day, but we must rely on Him to help us fight our enemy and the complacency and carelessness that can creep in.
Blessings and favor are found in Him, and as we depend on Him we can finish strong and keep the lead so we can declare as the apostle Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV): “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the abundant life that is found in Jesus. I pray that I would rest in Your grace and favor, and finish my life in this world strong. Please help me fight against complacency, legalism, and abusing the freedom I have because of Christ. Thank you for the joy and peace You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
Are you more likely to abuse the freedom and grace Jesus offers or more likely to get caught up in legalism and worry too much about making mistakes?
In what ways do you need to change your approach to “playing with the lead” so you can live with confidence, freedom, and a desire to finish strong?
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