D-Day and V-E Day
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:15)
During World War II, two famous days marked the defeat of Nazi Germany: D-Day and V-E Day.
D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the day Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. It was the decisive turning point of the war in Europe. From that moment on, Germany’s defeat was essentially inevitable. The power of the Nazi regime had been broken. The end of the war had been set in motion.
But the war did not end that day.
For almost another year, fighting continued. Soldiers still battled. Cities were still bombed. People still suffered. The enemy was mortally wounded, but the final surrender had not yet happened.
That final moment came on V-E Day, May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day. That was the day the war officially ended, and victory was publicly declared.
Many theologians have said that the story of the cross and resurrection works in a similar way.
At the cross and the empty tomb, Jesus won the decisive battle. Through His death and resurrection, He broke the power of sin, death, and the devil. Scripture says that through the cross, Jesus “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15). The enemy’s power was shattered. The decisive victory was won.
In that sense, the cross was D-Day… the decisive turning point in our war against sin and death.
But we are still waiting for V-E Day… the day that the war is officially ended and victory is publicly declared.
The world still feels broken. Sin still tempts us. Evil still seems active. Death still touches every family. The final victory of Jesus has not yet been fully revealed.
That day will come when Christ returns and makes all things new. On that day, every knee will finally bow in surrender, every tear will be wiped away, and the kingdom of God will be fully visible.
Until then, we live between the two victories… after D-Day, but before V-E Day.
That means something incredibly important for the Christian life. We are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory. The decisive battle has already been won by Jesus. Our task is to live in the reality of that victory, resisting evil, trusting Christ, and announcing His kingdom.
The enemy still makes noise, and he sometimes even wins battles, but his defeat is certain. Because of the cross, the end of the story has already been written. And one day, the whole world will celebrate the final Victory Day of the Kingdom of God.
Josh Rose
Family Pastor
Open the Gift
Imagine someone gives you a beautifully wrapped box. The paper is elegant, the bow carefully tied. You thank them sincerely and place it on a shelf in your home so that you can admire the beautiful box. Life moves on as the box just sits there. Then months turn into years as dust forms on the box. You always mean to open it, but you never quite get around to it.
One day, you remember the box, and curiosity gets the better of you. You open the box.
Inside is a set of keys and what looks like a legal document. You read it and quickly realize that it is the deed to a house! It turns out the giver had purchased a home for you years ago. While you’ve been scraping together rent payments, worrying about housing, and living with uncertainty, a home has been yours the whole time. The gift was real. The sacrifice was made. But until you understood what the gift actually was, it didn’t change how you lived.
In many ways, that’s what can happen with the cross. Many Christians know that Jesus died for them. We may say it, sing it, and affirm it in our hearts. But if we never take time to understand why Jesus died or what His death actually accomplished (theologians call this the study of the atonement), we can spend years living as if the gift were still unopened.
This is why studying the atonement matters.
The apostle Paul gives us a breathtaking description of what happened at the cross in Colossians 2:13-15:
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
In just a few sentences, Paul opens the gift and shows us that there is a treasure trove of great news inside. We were dead in our sins, but God made us alive with Christ. Our record of debt, which was every charge that stood against us, has been canceled and nailed to the cross. The dark powers that held humanity in bondage were disarmed and defeated. Each of these represents a different theory of the atonement, each a compelling and beautiful gift we need to open, but the beauty is that there are many more. The cross was not merely a tragic moment in history. It was the decisive victory of God. It was forgiveness purchased, debt erased, life restored, and evil defeated.
When we study the atonement, we are not simply analyzing a doctrine. We are opening the gift of the gospel. We are discovering the depth of what Jesus accomplished for us.
And when we finally see what’s inside the box, we have an opportunity to live with deeper gratitude, stronger faith, and a renewed sense of freedom.
The more clearly we understand why Jesus died, the more fully we are able to live in the life He won for us.
Josh Rose
Family Pastor
Spheres of Influence
During the FOLLOW sermon series, The Daily Fill devotional will consist of four days of the regular devotionals, and the 5th day (Fridays) will include a “practice” section to help you go a little deeper with the subject studied this past week.
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Every disciple of Jesus is sent, not someday, but today. One of the simplest ways to step into that identity is to reflect on the places and people already woven into your everyday life. You don’t have to add more activity to make disciples; you begin by paying attention to where God has already placed you.
The Spheres of Influence practice (CLICK HERE to view online) helps you name those relational spaces. These are the people you regularly interact with: family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, classmates, teammates, baristas, gym partners, and anyone else who consistently crosses your path. These relationships aren’t random; they’re part of God’s intentional design for how the kingdom spreads. As Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Light shines most naturally in the places it already lives.
This practice invites you to prayerfully map out these spheres. As you map your spheres, ask the Spirit to show you where He is already at work and how you might join Him. This isn’t about forcing conversations or creating pressure; it’s about becoming attentive, prayerful, and available. Influence grows through presence, compassion, and small acts of faithfulness over time.
The goal isn’t to “do more,” but to see differently; to recognize your everyday life as your mission field and to step into the quiet, steady work of loving people like Jesus.
(link to Spheres of Influence practice if you need it:
https://www.efcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/spheres-of-influence.pdf)
All Things New
Revelation 21:5
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new! Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
Each year in March or April, everything wakes up after a quiet winter. The birds are singing, the bulbs planted in the fall are starting to bloom, new things are being planted, the grass is greener, and we want only to be outside enjoying it all. After a winter pause, the earth seems to be renewed and growing again. It is bursting with life!
Revelation 21 describes the future establishment of a new heaven and a new earth, where the holy city of New Jerusalem descends from God to dwell with humanity. It signifies the end of the old world after final judgment, a new beginning for believers, where God directly resides with his people, and a fulfillment of the promises made throughout the Bible.
Isaiah 40:31 speaks to restoration through a promise of renewed strength for those who trust in the Lord.
"... but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”
By waiting on God, believers can exchange their exhaustion (weariness) for supernatural strength, allowing them to “mount up with wings like eagles,” a metaphor for overcoming challenges with resilience and endurance. This divine gift of renewal is rooted in hope and faith, not in our own power, leading to restored energy and a sense of purpose.
I’m a work in progress, how about you? My spiritual progress started the day I gave up control of my own life and asked Jesus to take the wheel. The process of renewal began — restoring my soul and drawing me into the presence of God through the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Son.
There are bumps, setbacks, and challenges along the way, but God never stops stretching and growing us. When we stay rooted in His presence and continue learning new things from Scripture, our spirits are renewed. His promise to “never leave or forsake us” reminds us that we always have a friend who loves us unconditionally. He grows His kingdom through us as we share his love, joy, peace, and comfort with others. We can be someone’s safe place, like Jesus is for us.
Deb Hill
EFCC Member
The Aroma of Christ
2 Corinthians 2:14-15
My dad worked just south of downtown San Diego. I remember riding in the car with my mom to bring him something at work. When we got out of the car to see him, I was overwhelmed by an amazing scent. Fresh bread was baking at the nearby Wonder Bread factory, and the aroma filled the air. The neighborhood wasn’t the nicest or the safest, but the smell of fresh bread was incredible.
Years later, as a young adult, I was driving North from my then-home in Denver, CO, to visit the Black Hills of South Dakota. On Interstate Highway 25 between Loveland and Greeley, there was a different kind of smell: cattle. For several miles and too many minutes, even with the windows rolled up, the stink of cow manure overwhelmed. I couldn’t imagine how people lived in those towns.
The sense of smell might be the least used or appreciated human sense, but it makes strong impressions and contrasts the pleasant with the unpleasant. The Apostle Paul describes the contrast of the aroma of Christ:
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)
Believers have a smell in the world. They spread “the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” It is fascinating that the aroma of Christ doesn’t change; it is not two smells, like fresh bread and cow manure. It is one smell, but people receive it differently. Like someone smelling fresh bread and saying, “I hate that,” or someone smelling cow manure and saying, “I love it!”
How can believers carry the fragrant aroma of Christ everywhere they go? According to Paul’s words, the fragrance comes from the knowledge of Christ. Believers, commissioned by God, speak in Christ. The fresh air of renewal spreads through faithful presence in the lives of the people God put around us. Wherever followers of Jesus go, they carry His fragrance — the beauty of grace in a world that often smells like decay. Renewal happens as the scent of Jesus’ love lingers in ordinary places: offices, schools, homes, and neighborhoods.
Dr. John Riley
Junior High Pastor
Riots and Renewal
Acts 19:8-41
A few years ago, we had our kitchen remodeled. If you’ve ever had that done, you know that it’s not for the faint of heart. It turns out, we use our kitchen a lot… like multiple times every day! I remember walking in during the middle of the project and seeing no cabinets on the walls, appliances pushed into the living room, and dust covering everything. It looked worse, way worse, before it looked better. And even though I knew the end goal was something good, the process was not easy. It was loud, inconvenient, and messy. There were moments when I wondered, Is this really worth it?
That’s the nature of renewal. Whether it’s a kitchen, a soul, or an entire city, transformation almost always looks chaotic in the middle. Things are being uprooted, old structures are being torn down, and the systems that benefited from the old setup push back hard.
That’s exactly what happened in Acts 19. God was moving powerfully in Ephesus. People were turning from old patterns, idols were being abandoned, and the gospel was reshaping the culture. Luke described it as “extraordinary” (v. 11) and said the word of the Lord was “prevailing mightily” (v. 20). But as revival spread, resistance also arose. The craftsmen who made their living selling idols to Artemis suddenly realized their profits were disappearing. The city’s economy started to shift, and those who benefited from the old ways felt threatened.
So what did they do? They started a riot. This shouldn’t surprise us. Renewal always disrupts something. When the kingdom advances, darkness always pushes back. When God works in people’s lives, spiritual forces of evil don’t quietly pack their bags. They resist. Sometimes loudly.
And yet, here’s the hope embedded in the passage: the resistance can’t stop the renewal. The chaos doesn’t derail God’s plans. The uproar becomes one more backdrop where the power of Jesus shines. “The word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” The remodel may look messy, but the Divine Contractor is unfazed.
Where do you see this dynamic in your own life? Are there places where God is reshaping something, and the pushback feels real? Don’t lose heart. Resistance isn’t the sign that God has left; it’s often the sign that He’s deeply at work. The Spirit who moved in Ephesus is still moving today, right in the middle of the noise, the mess, and the renovation of your life.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Let Your Light Shine
Matthew 5:14-16
Are you familiar with the words communicable and incommunicable? Communicable means shared, contagious, and transferable. Incommunicable means not shared, not contagious, not transferable.
These words might sound familiar if you’ve heard of a contagious sickness, a virus that’s communicable or not. But today, we’re talking instead about the attributes of God and the ways you and I are called to be like Him, as well as ways we can never be like Him.
God is God, and I’m not like Him in profound ways. He is infinite. My life is vapor; I might get to 100 years if I’m extremely lucky. He knows everything. I surely don’t. He’s all-powerful. I’m weak, I bleed, and I break and bruise. He can be present everywhere and throughout time. I can’t even begin to fathom that. These are incommunicable ways I’m not like Him.
But surprisingly, there are many ways He calls me to be just like Him! And by the power of his Spirit alive within me, His ways are contagious to me. I can share in His likeness; His righteousness is transferred onto me! Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.” He calls me to love as He loves — and in so doing, “all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” God calls us to live pure and holy lives, for He is pure and holy. He calls us to be gentle, kind and to do good, for He is gentle, kind, and good. He calls us to show mercy and forgive, for He has shown mercy and has forgiven us. He calls us to live like Him for an important purpose — that the world sees Him!
In John 8:12, Jesus said something that sounds incommunicable: “I am the light of the world.” As the Son of God, I guess you can say that — You are holiness in bodily form. You shine righteousness brighter than anyone who’s ever lived. But in Matthew 5:14-16, He calls His followers the same thing! “YOU are the light of the world!” This light of the world-ness is communicable, contagious, transferred from the perfect Son of God to his disciples, his imitators, his children — you and me.
God, may I live my life shining brightly. May the way I live today make the world see You!
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member
Our Mission: It Starts With Prayer
During the FOLLOW sermon series, The Daily Fill devotional will consist of four days of the regular devotionals, and the 5th day (Fridays) will include a “practice” section to help you go a little deeper with the subject studied this past week.
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What if the place you live, the job you have, and even your favorite hobbies aren’t random — but a part of God’s strategy? What if God has placed you exactly where you are because He wants to partner with you to bring renewal to every corner of the world you touch? A one-of-a-kind mission assignment that requires your exact gifts and personality, and cannot be done by anyone else.
Everywhere you go is a new opportunity to see him at work. Every day conversations take on eternal significance. Every neighbor you greet, every coworker you engage, every friend you laugh with is an opportunity to reflect the love and hope of Jesus.
Who are the people that Gof has placed in your life — where you live, work, and play? Where are they in their relationship with Jesus? How can you help them take their next step?
Make a Prayer List
It starts with prayer. Make up a prayer list. Who are 5-10 people God may be asking you to pray for? Write their names down somewhere you will see them often and be reminded to pray for them.
Take Some Next Steps
Bold Prayer: When will you pray?
Intentionally Connect: How will you grow your relationship with these people?
Genuine Love: What will you do to show God’s love?
In Community: Who will you invite to do this with you?
Not Mission Impossible
Colossians 4:5-6
The recent Mission Impossible movie series began with a television show by the same name in the 60s and 70s. Many of you may not have been around then, but I remember it well. The story followed a fictional American covert agency called the IMF—the Impossible Mission Force. Each week, the team received a seemingly impossible assignment vital to national security. The mission always came through a small tape recorder that warned the team their work could never be acknowledged and would “self-destruct in three seconds.” The team leader then gathered people with different skills—electronics, disguises, physical strength, and more—to accomplish the task. Every episode held surprising twists, clever strategies, and, of course, a successful outcome.
I was reminded of this series when I began thinking about the mission God has given us. At first, it may seem impossible, but it is not.
It can be intimidating to realize that we have a real, ongoing mission from God—to be His vessels in growing His kingdom. Yet Jesus gently reassures us in Matthew 11:30: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Our mission is not simply something we “go” on; it is something we live out day by day. It isn’t only about rare moments of courage, but about an ongoing lifestyle shaped by grace, wisdom, and attentiveness to the people God places in our path. God’s mission thrives through simple, steady faithfulness.
Scripture gives us a clear picture of what this looks like: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…” (Colossians 4:5-6).
Sometimes this looks ordinary: encouraging a weary mom with a crying child, offering a helping hand, speaking a hopeful word, or starting a simple conversation that opens the door to truth. It’s remembering that everyone is made in God’s image. When the Holy Spirit nudges you to pay for someone’s coffee, do it. A few dollars may become God’s tool in drawing someone toward Him. Sometimes it's saying thank you, offering an apology, or being honest about your own imperfections. Someone once went out of their way to bring me to Christ.
I see this mission lived out in my husband. When we moved into a senior mobile home park last April, he immediately began helping neighbors—pulling heavy trash cans (at 80!), joining neighborhood watch, and listening for needs. As conversations end, he often asks, “May I pray for you?” No one has ever refused. God placed us here on purpose, and where He has placed you is your mission field. It is not an impossible task.
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
You Will Be My Witnesses
Acts 1:8
The most credible witnesses are those who have firsthand experience, not secondhand knowledge. That’s true in a courtroom, and it’s true in the life of faith. Christianity spread across the world because ordinary men and women encountered the living God for themselves, and their lives became the evidence.
We sometimes imagine that only the first disciples were “credible witnesses” because they walked and talked with Jesus. But the story of Scripture tells us something far more astonishing: God has always been moving toward His people, making His presence known in every generation, including our own.
From the garden to the prophets, to the incarnation, the Bible is one long narrative of God drawing near. And just when the story seems to reach its natural conclusion: Jesus risen, evil defeated, eternity secured, there’s a twist. Instead of staying, Jesus returns to the Father, and the disciples are left waiting, unsure how they could possibly carry on the mission without Him.
But Jesus had already told them the truth: “Those who believe in me will do the works I have been doing-and even greater things-because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Who could have imagined that promise would be fulfilled through what happens next?
In Acts 1, the disciples gather in Jerusalem as Jesus instructed. And then comes the greatest surprise yet: God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside His people. Not beside them. Not occasionally moving among them. In them. The presence that empowered Jesus now fills His followers. His nearness is no longer limited to one place or one body—it is poured out on all who believe.
This is why Jesus can say, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you… and you will be my witnesses.” The power to live out our faith doesn’t come from trying harder but from God’s own presence living within us. Through the Spirit, we move from secondhand information about God to a firsthand encounter with Him. Through the Spirit, we become credible witnesses, people who don’t just know about Jesus, but people who know Him. And through the Spirit, we are sent into our Jerusalems, our Judeas, and to the ends of the earth.
A friend once told me, “Someone with an experience is never at the mercy of someone with an argument.”
So let me ask: Are you experiencing the presence of God in your life? He desires that for you, and through the Holy Spirit, He has made it possible.
Anna N.
Life on Mission Director
