Winners vs. Champions

Yesterday I was privileged to minister a message for our church's Youth Sunday. I spoke on how we can choose to just be a Winner, or we can upgrade to Champion status.

As Christians, our faith in God has automatically granted us the name of a Winner through Christ's death and resurrection. We don't have to fear death because we know that we will live eternally with Christ.

However, a lot of us miss out on the chance to be victorious in every situation, not just our spiritual redemption.

A Champion is one who has overcome every opponent. They are undefeated. Every challenge they have faced, they have won. Every winner can't say that they're a Champion.

As believers, God has promised us that we can be Champions too! 1 John 5:4 states: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. If you have been born of God, you can overcome the world!

Yet, so many times we let situations and circumstances tell us that we are going to lose. We believe the lie of the enemy and give up the fight - or, even worse, we do not fight at all. We settle to just be winners over those things that we believe we can do when we can be Champions over it all.

Don't let the world talk you out of your fight. Ignore the circumstances that tell you that you don't have the strength, the money, the connections, the health... whatever it is that they say you need. You have everything you need in Christ Jesus!

Greater is He that is in you than the he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4) And the He that is in you has told you that you can overcome the world!

So, don't choose to lose! Stand and fight. Keep pressing. Keep believing. Keep your faith strong. In the end: YOU WIN! You are a CHAMPION!

Verse of the Day: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

You Win!

It’s like the scene in The Lion King when Scar had Simba hanging over a cliff. Or the one in The Matrix when Neo appeared to be dead. We can even take it back to when Sho ‘Nuff held Leroy’s head under water in The Last Dragon.

All of these characters were at their breaking point. They were fighting their ultimate enemy and seemingly failing.

Right now you are in a battle. Maybe it feels like the ultimate fight. You are facing your greatest trial, and it seems like it’s going to win. Before you give in, let me remind you: You are more than a conqueror!

You are a child of the Great God! You were made in His image and likeness. He gave you the keys to the kingdom. He gave you power over the enemy. Use it!

Don’t believe the hype! Don’t believe the lies the devil’s whispering. If you have to close your eyes to how it looks, shut them tight! Hang in there! If God is for you, who can be against you?

You have to believe God’s Word and stand firm.

Grit your teeth and remember that at your greatest point of pressure, you are about to receive your greatest breakthrough. If you give in, you’ll never taste the thrill of victory and will have to settle for defeat. Why settle when God has already told you that you’re going to win?

So, jump back over the cliff like Simba, find a way to breathe again like Neo, and put on your spiritual “glow” like Leroy. Keep on fighting! You’re the hero in the story of your life! You Will Win!

Verse of the Day: …in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Btw: I know I have to get some better movie examples. But it's the point that's important, people. The point!

You Are Great...Believe It!

Good Morning, Everyone! Still happy to be in the land of the living!


You know I couldn’t let the State of the Union pass without giving my observations, right?

I was pleased that all of the attendees chose to mix up their seating in a show of an effort to change their ways and show a greater sense of unity. However, I hope they don’t just make moves in appearances alone but actually choose to change the way they interact on a regular basis.

What really stuck out to me was President Obama’s call for more American innovation and global leadership. Contrary to popular belief, we do have the biggest economy, we do have the best colleges and universities, we have produced some of the most impactful inventions and processes that have revolutionized how we live (Facebook, anyone?).

Despite the hardships our nation is currently going through, we are a nation of greatness. We hold the keys that the rest of the world wants. We set the trends that the rest of the world follows. We are still a world leader!

We just have to believe in ourselves again. I’m so grateful the President reminded us of this fact.

The devil likes to trick us into doubtful thinking every chance he can get. We go through trials or periods of difficulty, and we start looking at the doubts and indecision the devil holds up in our view.

Why should we continue to trust in God? Why should we keep working towards the goal? If God was really with us, wouldn’t we be overcoming not failing?

The devil is one crafty serpent. Yet, we must keep remembering who we are in God. We must keep His words of promise before us always. God never fails, it’s up to us to continue to believe on Him.

So, don’t let difficulty steer you off course or deter you from pressing forward. You are still great because the great One lives in you! You can still reach your goals in God!

Verse of the Day: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

Open the Door Already!

Right now I am attending school online to obtain my Masters Degree in Christian Leadership. I am enjoying the classes, but I have been praying and believing God for the finances to pay for it all. I don’t want to drain my savings, and I would appreciate not adding on to my student loans.

This morning in my regular internet reading, I came across an opportunity to win a scholarship. All I have to do is upload a picture of myself and write a short essay. Easy as pie, right?

I sat and looked through some of the entries already posted and started downgrading myself right on the spot. I went from “Oh, this is an easy $20 grand to win!” to “Well, the runners up get $2,500…” There are some really beautiful women in the running.

I looked at the situation with my natural eyes and automatically told myself I couldn’t win. I almost talked myself out of even entering. Ain’t that something?

Yet, as I looked at the contest rules I remembered my prayers for funding. Who’s to say that God can’t move on my behalf even when it’s partly based on a beauty contest? I may not consider myself a model, but God did create me!

Often we pass up opportunities for God to bless us or our prayers to be answered simply because we don’t see how it could work. Some of us even sit down with, talk to, and get to know our answer, yet we still let it slip by out of our own disbelief that it’s for us!

God is holding the answer to many of our prayers and knocking on our doors... Let’s let Him in already!

There’s a reason why you got that bright idea. God allowed you to meet that particular person. It’s no coincidence you ran across that information. That dream keeps coming in the night on purpose.

God’s knocking. Open up the door, and position yourself for the blessing of answered prayer!

Now, I’m not saying that this contest is the answer to my prayers, but I’m certainly not going to let it pass by without putting my name in the running. That action of faith could be all God needs to bring about my answer.

Verse of the Day: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

You Are A Champion!

This morning I woke up to Darwin Hobbs’ song Champion ringing in my spirit. I had a smile on my face and joy in my heart as I got up and prepared for the day.

It’s so good to know that we are winners! No matter how the situation may look, because we have Jesus Christ on the inside of us, we are already assured of victory. All we have to do is stand strong and fight. We are Champions!

The Holy Spirit has been revealing to me some projects and programs that I need to take on. The Old Me would be a bit apprehensive about starting down some of these paths. They are bigger, more involved, and seem more intricate than anything that I have ever organized before.

However, the New Me is Excited! I know that God won’t put anything on me that I can’t bear. And any opposition or need is already taken care of by God’s strength. I’m an Overcomer marching toward my fulfilled destiny in God.

Today, get the outlook of a Champion. Champions don’t hesitate to get back in the ring. They’ve already won! They know they can win again. Champions aren’t afraid of their competitors; they crush them. Losing is never an option.

You too have already won when Jesus died and rose again. He defeated death so that you can reign victorious in life. So, stop talking yourself out of the victory you already have. You’re a Champion! Act like it!

Verse of the Day: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. I John 5:4