Running to Win - 25 Minute Edition

Many of us feel that God doesn't love us or that He's alienated from us. Although Satan is a defeated foe, he's "out on bail" for now, trying to destroy each of us. Understanding his tactics is crucial. In this message, we'll receive pastoral counsel through five truths when we face spiritual attack. If we belong to God, we are not under the curse of Satan.   Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)

We all deserve to be eternally separated from God in the lake of fire, prepared for Satan and his angels. But God sent Jesus to die on the cross in our place to redeem us. In this message, we'll celebrate five ways in which the cross defeated Satan, crushing his head. Through the cross, God not only silenced Satan but also reconciled us back to himself, securing our decisive victory and redemption...

Does Satan seem to have the upper hand personally or nationally? Satan attempted to stop Jesus in multiple ways by killing Him as a baby, corrupting Him in the desert temptation, or inciting Judas' betrayal. But the devil couldn't hinder Jesus' plan of redemption. In this message, we'll see from both Zechariah and Colossians that the serpent's doom was made certain by the sacrifice of a suffering...

What does the Bible say about good versus evil? Since the original sin in the Garden of Eden, Satan has tried to blot out the seed of God's promised Redeemer. In this message, we'll study three instances throughout Scripture where Satan has clashed with God. As we assess the far-reaching consequences of our fall, we also learn that God, from the beginning, had in mind a way to redeem us.     Click...

What does the Bible say about good versus evil? Since the original sin in the Garden of Eden, Satan has tried to blot out the seed of God's promised Redeemer. In this message, we'll study three instances throughout Scripture where Satan has clashed with God. As we assess the far-reaching consequences of our fall, we also learn that God, from the beginning, had in mind a way to redeem us.     Click...

One key difference between God and Satan is that God always speaks truth, while Satan always lies. Once Adam and Eve believed the lie and rebelled against God, there was nothing they could do. All of us since birth have been contaminated with sin. But God offers the hope of deliverance even in the destructive aftermath of sin. What's the truth that can deliver us?    Click here to listen (Duration...

Lies can be appealing when we don't believe the consequences are dangerous. Satan deceived Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, with catastrophic results. Because of this tendency to rebel against God, people have created many false religions. In this message, we catch a glimpse into how Satan's mind operates, thinks, and strategizes to catch us in his traps. False religions can seem appe...

Every one of us belongs to one kingdom or another. Since Satan's infamous start in the Garden of Eden, he's been blinding the minds of unbelievers and targeting believers through lies and intimidation. In this message, we'll discover five limitations from God that guarantee the devil's doom. How does God deal with Satan's rebellion—and ours?  Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)

You have  an  unseen  adversary. He's called the devil, the prince of darkness — with weapons of  lies and deceit .  He was  a  prominent angel in God's creation  whose  role was to deliver the praise of the angelic choir to God.   What caused his   fall from this prestigious position?   In this message,  you'll study   Lucifer's  five "I wills , "  spoken in pride.   You can  stand firm  against...

Have you ever wondered  if you possess saving faith ?  Faith in Christ i s the non-negotiable factor that transfers  people from darkness to  light and  changes their  destiny from hell to heaven.  In th e  conclusion to th is series of messages , Pastor Lutzer makes it personal from his   parent's  journey as well as his  own   story  of lacking assurance of salvation.   Are the results of  savin...

Why do genuine Christians sometimes still have doubts?   There are  those  who  should be free from  doubt ing  their salvation ,  but there are  also  those   who should examine if they are in the faith.   In this message, you'll i dentif y five  reasons  people doubt their salvation .   When you  understand why  you  have doubts about  y our salvation,  you can overcome them through faith in Chr...

The accusations you hear  don't have to have the last word.  God's love for you isn't fickle.   In the courtroom of guilt  and shame,  Christians can stand confidently against the ir a ccuser , Satan .  The  defending attorney,  Jesus, is your  A dvocate.  In this message, you'll  deepen your assurance of salvation based on three pillars from  Scripture. When you're  uncertain of your  standing wi...

What are you buil ding  your life upon— in  this life  and  the next?  Some believe  you can't be sure  of your eternal  destiny .  But  thi s is the  certainty you need to  make all the trials of life bearable, even meaningful.  In this message, you'll  build  three pillars  o n  the  bedrock  doctrine of eternal security .  From Romans 8, you'll see how your  security doesn't lie in anything  yo...

The  day   someone   is born again looks  different for everyone , but y o ur  natural spiritual condition is  hopeless without God .  W h atever  stage   you're  i n   spiritually — the midnight of confusion ,  the twilight of conviction,   or  t he sunshine of confession — it 's   God  who g rants  new life .  In this message, you'll conclude an exploration  of the characteristics of regeneratio...

No amount of effort will  take  you   an inch in heaven's direction.  It takes a work o f God to  bring you to  eternal life.  Jesus  told  Nicodemus, a religious leader,  that  you must be  " born again "  to see the kingdom of God .   In this message,  you'll   look at  the first of  three characteristics of  regeneration.   God does a miracle within  you  so that  you are   reborn  as  a  membe...

Your regret s  feel like  an irreparable , muddy  mess.   Sin   colors  everything .   It'll take an intervention from God to make it right.  In this message, you'll  identify the qualities of t he righteousness in Christ  that  assure you of your standing with God .  This unchangeable, permanent, and infinite righteousness is based on the  believer's   union with Christ.  There's  cleansing, like...

How can you know that you're right with God? Jesus, the only sinless human, became sin to bring you to God. In this message, you'll explore the truth a 16 th -century German monk, Martin Luther, found so vital: righteousness  that  comes only by faith. You'll discover  five characteristics of the righteousness of God  in  2  Corinthians  that will bless your soul  and  take you all the way to heav...

For people bent on working for everything in their life,  God's  grace is  very difficult  to  accept .  Two kinds of people   struggle with this :  1.  those who  feel  the y' re too unworthy  because of their great sin  and   2.  those who  feel they have a good shot at heaven  because of their religious deeds .  In this message, you'll  apply the  characteristics of  God's  grace   to your life...

Most Christians know the hymn "Amazing Grace" – even non-believers know it. Yet so few of us truly understand why grace is so amazing.   Let's begin looking at the 5 characteristics of God's  saving  grace   in Ephesians 2 .  T hough  no one is worthy , God  gives  this gift  freely to those who believe on His Son.   God's grace is more than sufficient to save not only a "good" person, but the mos...

How  do you avoid self-deception in your relationship with God ?  Many try to gain hea ven through their own efforts.  They think that if their good deeds outwe igh their bad, they'll make it.   Let's take another look  at those who are  shocked  they won't  enter the Kingdom of Heaven.   You'll  hear t hree explanations  of how   anyone  could be self-deceive d. You're invited to  come to the onl...

Sincerity is great, but it's not enough, especially when it comes to th is  all-important matter: the salvation of  y our soul.   In this message, you'll  identify  three false paths on th e  broad way  that many people go :  the paths of achieving good things ,  finding  God  mystic ally in yourself ,  or   trusting sacramental rituals . But in  Matthew 7 ,  Jesus makes an astounding contrast bet...

Do you wonder wha t good can come out of  your  ruined dreams?   Behind every turn in  your life,   God's hand  can be seen .  In th is   final message on Joseph's life ,  you'll  ponder crucial implications  from  th is  truth :  God is  increasing the eternal joy of the saints  even amid th e  world's evil .   God is working all His good purposes  together.  If your life seems haphazard, be enco...

Are you  striving  to accomplish a dream that seems impossible?  Much of the anxiety  can  dissolve   when  you realize that  God directs all things towards  an  appointed end in His world. If  you are God's child, you  can trust His providence .  In this message,  you'll  explore  the scope of  God's  providence  in  Joseph's life,   so you're equipped  to remain  joyful, committed,  and  free fr...

Does reconciliation feel impossible  after your dreams have been crushed by relational sin?  The story of Joseph in Egypt is very dramatic—a former slave rises to power  only to judge  the brothers who sold him into slavery years before. God's gracious plan was unfolding to save two nations.  In this message, let's  sketch  the  portrait of  Joseph's final visit with his brothers .   O nce  you  ...

Have you ever  thought ,  "Where does God  factor   in all my unfulfilled  dreams ?"  Y ou're not alone.  Joseph's  d ream seemed  destroyed —u ntil   the day he  sees his brothers for the first time  since they sold him into slavery.  In this message, you'll begin to  sketch three portraits  of  Joseph's painful encounters  with his brothers .   You'll  see how a divinely - directed famine brough...