One Play Can Change Everything: Why Following Jesus Is the Ultimate Game Changer

Sep 7

What if one decision could change everything? In football, it only takes one play — a fumble, a sack, an interception — to completely flip the outcome of a game. The same is true in life. And over the next few weeks, we're taking a deep dive into what is often called the heart of the Gospel, working through Romans 8, and discovering that following Jesus truly is a Game Changer.

But before we get there, let's talk about the questions that might be holding you back.

This Message Is for You

Today's message is really for two groups of people. First, it's a reminder for Jesus-followers — a reminder that following Jesus has changed your life. Yes, life is still sometimes bumpy, but you know that you are never alone.

And if you aren't quite sure, if you've been looking for a reason to try Jesus out, if you're curious, if you're tired — what you will see today is that Jesus offers something that no one else and nothing else can. Following Jesus means your past doesn't define you. It means you don't have to pretend to have it all together. And it offers you power to actually change your life.

Maybe today is the day you say yes to him.

The Questions We All Ask

Romans 8 is ultimately an encouragement, a word of hope. Paul — the author of Romans, a first-century church leader who wrote much of the New Testament — addresses the reasons we have for failing to turn our lives over to Jesus. People in the first century weren't that different from me and you. They were busy, their lives were full, they were searching for meaning.

So let's think through three really personal questions — objections — that you may have about faith.

Question #1: What About My Past?

You know what you've done. You know your failures and shortcomings — better than anyone else, you know. In fact, they are likely on repeat at the most inconvenient times. I can't be trusted. I'm not good enough. I'll just mess it up again.

We live in a world that doesn't forget. And we assume that our failures just follow us around. But what if that's not true?

Here's how Romans 8 begins, in Romans 8:1 (NLT): "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

Your past, Paul says, doesn't matter. He says there is "no condemnation." This is a legal term. Paul says there is no sentence for you when you belong to Jesus. To be free of condemnation means to be acquitted — set free. All of your missteps, unkindness, all of your sin is swept away when you belong to Christ Jesus.

David, one of the greatest sinners in the Bible and the ancient king of Israel, puts it this way in Psalm 103:11-12 (NLT): "For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west."

Following Jesus means we forgive ourselves because God has already forgiven us.

Question #2: What If People Knew the Real Me?

What if my thoughts were made public? What if everyone knew what I was really like? Have you ever thought, "I feel like a fraud because I know me"?

Here's how Paul addresses it in Romans 8:5 (NLT): "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit."

There is a constant battle between good and evil, and it's raging inside you — selfishness vs. selflessness, comfort vs. growth, my desire vs. God's plan. That tension is real, and you are not alone in feeling it.

Question #3: What If I Mess Up?

Let's just get this out of the way real quick. You will. You have and you will. But I do get the sentiment. What if I find forgiveness and keep messing up? What if I can't seem to get a grip on the patterns and addictions that have a stranglehold on me?

Here's what you need to know: you never will — not on your own. Willpower and discipline will never be enough. There is only one way: it's the power of the Spirit working in you. Here's what Paul says in Romans 8:9-11 (NLT):

"But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you...The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."

The Holy Spirit is the power and presence of God living inside you. This is exactly what Jesus promised — that he would leave the earth and that his followers would receive a helper to live the kind of life he lived. It's real power to live differently.

Putting It Into Practice

This is the Game Changer. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive and at work in you. And that means you don't have to become a better version of yourself through sheer determination. You don't have to grit your teeth, try harder, and hope that somehow this time you finally get it right.

Living in the power of the Spirit is less about trying and more about yielding.

Think about a yield sign — it means to slow down, recognize that someone else has the right of way, and adjust what you're doing because of it. That's a pretty good picture of life with the Spirit. There are moments every day when what I want and where the Spirit is leading are headed in different directions.

I want to say my piece. And the Spirit zips my lips.
I want it done my way. And the Spirit nudges me to serve others.
I want it to be faster. And the Spirit reminds me that my timing is not God's timing.

When your inclination is in conflict with God, what do you do?

Living in the Spirit isn't an emotional high, and it isn't a 12-step program. It's simply giving up the exhaustion of trying to fix yourself, and letting God actually run your day-to-day life.

The questions we face — What about my past? What if people knew the real me? What if I mess up? — these aren't a reason to avoid Jesus. They are the very reason we run to him. Because try as we might, we will never be able to do it on our own.

The Gospel is the story of Jesus, promising a new way for us — a way that is hopeful and grace-filled. And when we follow Jesus, what we will find is that he is truly a Game Changer.

Ryan Schreckenghaust

My name is Ryan Schreckenghaust and I’m the Lead Pastor at The Summit Church. Lee’s Summit is my hometown and I love connecting with people to tell them about who Jesus is.

I am a graduate of William Jewell College and, after changing my major countless times, felt God’s nudge to invest my life in the work of the local church. I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Psychology. I then attended Rockbridge Seminary where I earned the Master of Ministry Leadership degree.

I was licensed to the Gospel Ministry in 2003, ordained as a Pastor/Elder in 2013, licensed as Local Church Pastor in the United Methodist Church in 2019, and completed the United Methodist Course of Study in 2021.

I have worked at several churches over the last 20 years where I served in roles such as Student Ministry Pastor, Creative Arts Pastor, and Executive Pastor. I’ve also worked professionally as a social media strategist in the marketing department at a Fortune 500 company.

I’ve been married to my wife Rebekah for more than 20 years. Rebekah is a school counselor at a local middle school. Together we have two boys, Jackson and Camden, and a Weimaraner named Poppy. I love time with my family, reading and watching my favorite sports teams!