SportsReach Netball League 2017/18

With the courts at Ripley being out of action due to the heavy rain over the previous 24 hours, fixtures had to be hurriedly re-located to Lancaster and Morecambe College last night and thankfully 5 matches were still able to go ahead.  In Division 3 new team Eaglewrays certainly hadn’t allowed the rain to dampen their feathers and they flew out of the blocks in fine style to score 14 goals over STY:LE in the first quarter of their game!  STY:LE then rallied and came back strongly producing the form which has seen them sitting at the top of Division 3 so far, but Eaglewrays weren’t going to let the win slip through their fingers (or should we say talons?) and clung on to record their first actual win.  Both Lancaster teams – Royals and Roses were in winning form with Royals overcoming Stingwrays to record their 2nd win and also move above Stingwrays into 3rd in Division 1. Roses took their first win with a close victory over Heysham Harriers in Division 2, while Rubies overcame a very valiant Pantherwrays to move into 2nd place, just behind fellow Quernmore team, Jets.  Diamonds shone in their game as they overcame Swallows in the other Division 1 game.

In one of the messages shared in between the matches we heard how no matter how alone we feel, God is always there and because of His love for us, if we trust Jesus, nothing can ever separate us from Him or His love.  Players were encouraged to turn to Jesus and receive Him as their Saviour and Lord.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8: 31-39