The NFL season started on Sunday with some surprising wins by Washington and Arizona, and impressive performances by Buffalo, Seattle, and Green Bay.

Cam Newton had a strong debut in New England, while Tom Brady’s first outing with Tampa Bay didn’t turn out as well as he had hoped.

The three teams I want to focus on today are the ones that made significant changes in the offseason, yet seemed to go back to their old ways in week one.

First, the Dallas Cowboys finally brought in a new head coach with the hiring of Mike McCarthy. Last season under Jason Garrett, the team went 1-6 in games decided by one possession. Instead of starting the 2020 season by learning from last year and overcoming the mistakes in tight games, they lost to the Rams 17-20.

The Cleveland Browns are loaded with talent (especially on offense), and after a disappointing 2019 season where they underperformed and finished 6-10, they fired head coach Freddie Kitchens and brought in Kevin Stefanski.

As they debuted their 2020 team with a new coaching staff, the offense struggled just like previous years while they only scored six points.

Lastly, quarterback Philip Rivers developed a bad reputation for throwing costly interceptions at inopportune times while playing for the Chargers. But with a fresh start in Indy, there was hope for things to be different.

Unfortunately, in his first game with the Colts, he went back to his old ways. With 4:30 left in the 4th quarter, he was picked off while the Colts were trying to overcome the four-point deficit against the Jaguars.

I’m not saying it’s all doom and gloom for these three teams, but if they’re going to move forward with success this season, they have to learn from their past mistakes, overcome previous mindsets, and believe they’ve been given a fresh start.

After the week one slip up, they must realize their old ways are going to try and creep back in, so they must adjust, not look back, and stop repeating the same pattern.

We may be quick to criticize these teams for their “same ‘ole, same ‘ole” performance yesterday, but I want to challenge us to address the areas of our lives that we find ourselves going back to our old ways.

Proverbs 26:11 (ESV) is a great reminder to learn from our previous mistakes instead of repeating them: “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”

As followers of Jesus, we’ve been made new in Christ and have been given a completely new outlook on life. Unfortunately, some of our old ways and previous mindsets can creep in and entice us to do what we used to do. We face a battle between our sinful nature vs. God’s Spirit that’s within us.

By God’s grace through Jesus, we are ultimately victorious over the power of sin, and thankfully, He gives us the ability to combat the temptations to go back to our old ways.

Paul encourages us in Galatians 5:16 (AMP): “But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].”

It’s also important for us to remember what it says in Romans 6:6-11 (NLT): “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

“And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him.

“When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

While continuing to follow Jesus, let’s confidently know we don’t have to repeat “last season’s mistakes,” but by His strength and Spirit, we can thrive in our new lives.

Even on the weeks when our past sucks us in and we throw the costly interception because we reverted to our old ways, His grace covers us.

Today, let’s remember that when we pursue Christ, He grows us and changes us so we’re no longer who we used to be…and we can leave the “same ole, same ole” behind.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I’m grateful for the new life You’ve given me in Christ. Help me not to be distracted by the past or allow old mindsets to take me off course. Thank you that I no longer have to be enslaved to sin and I’ve been set free. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Discussion Questions for PACKS:

1. What aspects of your former life creep in and tempt you?

2. How would you describe your battle between following the Spirit and the flesh?