Winners to winners

Mike brought an inspiring message on the life God wants us to live - not in defeat but as winners. Before the sermon Debbie read a poem she wrote a few days ago that confirms a lot of what Steve taught us last week. See where we read in Ephesians that you should  "be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised".
The video/song at the end was last week's Flawless from "Welcome to the New" by MercyMe.

Genesis 1:27-31   27 So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals." 29 And God said, "Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food." And so it was. 31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day. NLT    
1 Corinthians 1:6-9   6 This shows that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Ephesians 1:2-4   2 May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. 4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
2 Corinthians 1:20-22   20 For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in him. That is why we say "Amen" when we give glory to God through Christ. 21 It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us. NLT   
Ephesians 1:3-8 3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. 4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 
Ephesians 1:13-14   13 And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God. NLT    
Ephesians 1:18-20   18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. 19 I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. NLT    
Ephesians 1:22-23   22 And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence. NLT    
Ephesians 2:4-7   4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, 5 that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus. 7 And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus. NLT    
Ephesians 2:8-10   8 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. NLT    
Ephesians 2:19-22   19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. 20 We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also joined together as part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. NLT    
Ephesians 3:16-19   16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. NLT    
Ephesians 3:20-21   20 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. 21 May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen. NLT 

Camp Despair
Poem by Debbie Sonnichsen, August 11, 2015
Trudging along, so tired,
the load cuts into my back,
sweat pours down a dusty cheek,
dead weight hangs in the pack.

Falling, heavy to my knees,
so bruised with inner pain,
as exhaustion tears my tortured soul,
thoughts race, “am I insane?”

The mountain of my worries
has grown to heights unknown,
placing a tent on uneven ground,
my lips can only moan.

Building a fire, not to eat,
just distraction for my hands,
my mind whirls in confusion,
I’ve lost the will to stand.

I camp here by this dirty stream,
and gaze up at the sky,
that mountain blocks my vision,
and my eyes begin to cry.

Don’t want to take up residence,
in this place so dark and bleak,
yet lost  and angry I’ve become,
no joy my heart does seek.

My mouth repeats a daily prayer,
“God don’t you hear my plea?”
“This worry is so hard to bear,
I’ve lost the will to see!”

Armor lays around me,
from battles I have fought,
but I cannot hear the General,
though instruction I have sought.

So tired and weary,
feel so defeated, can’t fight,
pillow feels hard beneath my head,
that mountain blocks my sight!
I lay down, the world now presses
can’t stop thoughts or close my eyes,
my heart is heavy, sinking,
Oh God please hear my cries!

Then a soft embrace enfolds me,
it’s strength raises my head,
His tender voice reaches my ear,
I hear what He has said.

“In your great weakness,
perfect strength I will give,
with comfort and peace,
I want you to live!”

As He held my hand,
we raised in the air,
above the ground,
and my tent of despair.

Up that mountain face we rose,
the rocks once hurled,
at my wounded soul,
shrunk in size as the heaven unfurled!

High above that mountain,
now looking down in awe,
rapidly it dwindled, 
as this new perspective saw.

From where God sat,
that mountain was dust,
in the height of perception,
I felt I could trust.

He held me so close,
as we looked down below,
the worries now fading,
with soft evenings glow.

I opened my eyes,
so swollen with tears,
God’s taken my hand
His voice was so clear,

Sun was shining all around,
the air was fresh and clear,
freedom reached my wounded heart,
replaced the crippling fear!

So I pulled on the armor,
and stood on my feet,
dropped that pack to the ground,
left this camp of defeat.

I cannot stay here,
while God calls me on,
I now close this tent,
see a new morning dawn!

His strength I must rest in,
when I’m feeling weak,
His promises healing,
when His presence I seek.

Hold fast, do not fear,
as you breathe out a sigh,
God hears you call,
Your redemption draws nigh!