Listen to Running to Win online

The Jesus of the Seminar: Away With the Manger? #3

Wed, Dec 3

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Rumors About Jesus Some scholars say that the Bibles' record of Christ's teachings is mostly an embellished myth from the imaginations of men. Let's take a break from the race of life and focus on this: if what Jesus said can't be trusted, your soul is in eternal jeopardy. So-called scholars aside, today we'll learn that the accuracy of the written scriptures is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit of God Himself.

The Jesus of the Seminar: Away With the Manger? #2

Tue, Dec 2

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Rumors About Jesus Where would life be without Post-It notes: those yellow squares that keep us on track with all the things we have to take care of? Reminders are good things, since by nature we tend to forget. The Apostle Peter wanted to remind his readers about some key truths regarding the person of Jesus Christ. In an age where Jesus is being discredited by scholars, we need these reminders.

The Jesus of the Seminar: Away With the Manger? #1

Mon, Dec 1

Monday, December 1, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Rumors About Jesus It's the height of intellectual arrogance: scholars around a table decide what sayings of Jesus they think are genuine. It's called the Jesus Seminar, where so-called experts try to demystify Jesus by voting on which of His teachings square with their preconceived notions of what He would or would not say. Today: we'll look at a blatant attempt to discredit the real Christ.

Let's Experience the Power of Prayer #3 of 3

Fri, Nov 28

Friday, November 28, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Some Bible promises were for certain people, while others apply to all believers. Keeping this straight solves many problems. Just because Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still doesn't mean we can. It just isn't true that "every promise in the book is mine." But there are powerful Bible promises we can and should stake our lives on. To learn how to discern what they are, stay with us.

Let's Experience the Power of Prayer #2 of 3

Thu, Nov 27

Thursday, November 27, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Fireworks can briefly bring the light of the sun to the night sky. But when Joshua needed more daylight for battle, he just prayed. The Bible says the sun stood still in the Valley of Ajilon, as God fought for Israel. Of course, a scientist would scoff at the idea of the sun actually standing still. So what really happened on that fateful day? Stay with us, as we consider the options.

Let's Experience the Power of Prayer #1 of 3

Wed, Nov 26

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Many of us pray for little things, where there isn't much risk. Then there's Joshua, who prayed for big things...I mean really big things. He needed more daylight to defeat an enemy, so he asked God to make the sun stand still. Now that's faith. Today: lessons we can learn from an event that seems to defy the rules of nature. Stay with us, as we pay a visit to the Valley of Ajilon.

Let's Make the Best of a Bad Decision #3 of 3

Tue, Nov 25

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right God in His grace has a way of turning our lemons into lemonade. He can make good come even out of our bad decisions. Joshua cut a bad deal with the Gibeonites, but God used it for the long-term benefit of His people. And guess what...He can use your bad calls to work out His ultimate purposes. Today: insights on what can come from your bad decisions.

Let's Make the Best of a Bad Decision #2 of 3

Mon, Nov 24

Monday, November 24, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right All of us have made promises we wish we didn't have to keep...promises made in haste, promises made without the Lord's counsel. But Joshua shows us what to do once we've made a promise: and that is to keep it. Living with the consequences reminds us to not make future choices without consulting the Lord. Today: more insights on how to handle your bad decisions.

Let's Make the Best of a Bad Decision #1 of 3

Fri, Nov 21

Friday, November 21, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right It happens to all of us. Despite our best intentions, we make poor decisions, and then have to live with the consequences. Part of running life's race is dealing with those bad decisions. Are you stuck with the after-effects of a bad move you've made? Joshua made a poor call during his conquest of Canaan, and how he dealt with it can help us deal with our bad choices. Want to know more?

Let's Calculate the Cost of Hidden Sin #3 of 3

Thu, Nov 20

Thursday, November 20, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right It's sad, but it's true. Many believers attempt to manage their sins rather than to confess and forsake them. They think they can control their lives and keep a lid on the infection eating them up inside. They're sure they can contain the damage, and keep their sins a secret. But the story of Achan proves otherwise. Today: the sober conclusions you and I must understand.

Let's Calculate the Cost of Hidden Sin #2 of 3

Wed, Nov 19

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Every time you cheat or steal, remember the story of Achan. No sin remains undiscovered. God is watching. Many believers are tripped up in life's race by what they may think is only a little sin. They fail to understand that all sin deeply offends a holy God. Joshua's defeat at Ai teaches us that sin infects others, and must be dealt with severely.

Let's Calculate the Cost of Hidden Sin #1 of 3

Tue, Nov 18

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Spiritual mountaintops can be followed by deep valleys, especially when we allow sin to remain hidden in our lives. Joshua learned this the hard way after his humiliating defeat at Ai. After all, they had taken Jericho! A self-assured Israeli army was stunned by their loss at an insignificant village. Today: a sober lesson on how seriously God takes sin.

Let the Walls Fall #3 of 3

Mon, Nov 17

Monday, November 17, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right The conquest of Jericho began with a miracle and ended with a slaughter. Every man, woman and child was put to death. No one doubts that God gave Israel a great victory at Jericho. But in hindsight, many people today see the hand of a vengeful God, unlike the God of the New Testament. On this broadcast, we'll face the tough issue of why Israel was told to put Jericho to the sword.

Let the Walls Fall #2 of 3

Fri, Nov 14

Friday, November 14, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Modern armies don't conduct warfare the way ancient Israel took Jericho. You don't march around and shout...you attack. But march and shout they did, because God's purpose was to prove to them that He and only He was the reason for their victory. As Zechariah would later write: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord."

Let the Walls Fall #1 of 3

Thu, Nov 13

Thursday, November 13, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right The enemy had it all: a walled city, superior arms. But Israel had God...Jericho didn't stand a chance. At Gilgal, God through Joshua prepared His people for a great day of victory yet to come. Sometimes life's race brings us to pivotal points of proving God's faithfulness. For Joshua, that point was a seemingly impregnable city, and that day was now.

Let's Get Ready for Battle #3 of 3

Wed, Nov 12

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Some believers never run life's race. They sit by the side of the road, feeling left out of what God had for them. This is a mistake. Being morose is no fun. Our attitude makes a big difference, and it's something we can change. The book of Joshua teaches us to get up and get going: there is a future, and there is a hope. Today: more lessons from a place called Gilgal.

Let's Get Ready for Battle #2 of 3

Tue, Nov 11

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right On the racetrack of life, many of us get weary, needing renewal during our desert times. Only then can we run again. We don't know what's ahead around the next bend in the road. But God does: He knows what we need before we get there. At Gilgal, God taught Joshua and his people some crucial lessons: lessons we need to hear today to face the challenges of tomorrow.

Let's Get Ready for Battle #1 of 3

Mon, Nov 10

Monday, November 10, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Are you in the wilderness, spiritually? Has your vision of God dimmed? You need to stay tuned for a way out of the desert. Joshua needed a fresh cleansing from God, and a fresh vision of God, before the battles in Canaan could begin. Do you face tough times in the days ahead? Like Joshua, you can face them with a clean heart and a renewed sense of God's presence.

Let's Revise Our Priorities #3 of 3

Fri, Nov 7

Friday, November 7, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right The race of life is a struggle from the first sprint to the last lap. Each of us needs the word of God for strength to face the battle. And that means meditation and study in the Scriptures each and every day. That was the first step Joshua took before conquering Canaan, and, it's how we can conquer the challenges God has set before us. To learn more: stay with us.

Let's Revise Our Priorities #2 of 3

Thu, Nov 6

Thursday, November 6, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Most of us know that life's not a bed of roses. We face conflict and struggle every step of the way toward the goal line. Ancient Israel: they didn't find life a picnic either. Joshua's conquest of Canaan, city by city, took time and effort. For us to see God's intentions for our lives come to pass: that takes time and effort as well. And it's vital to "get started right."

Let's Revise Our Priorities #1 of 3

Wed, Nov 5

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Getting Started Right Any sprinter knows that getting a good jump off the starting blocks is key to winning a race. That's true in life as well. For believers on the racetrack of life, there is no substitute for a good beginning. No matter what the task or opportunity, how we begin sets the tone for how we'll end up. And the series that begins today has one purpose: to get you started right.

The Cross: Our Challenge Before a Watching World 4

Tue, Nov 4

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why The Cross Can Do What Politics Can't Jesus said, "I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you abide in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit...." As we run the race of life, let's not forget that the world sees the fruit, not the branches. In order to win people to Jesus, we must be fruit-bearing Christians, or else the cross will be of no effect. It's not what we say, or who we vote for, it's what we do.

The Cross: Our Challenge Before a Watching World 3

Mon, Nov 3

Monday, November 3, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why The Cross Can Do What Politics Can't If you ask most Christians, "Do you want to be like Jesus?" they'd probably say "of course." Until they find out what that really means. Jesus renounced His privileges and humbled Himself to the point of permitting His own death. Unless we do the same, we will never reach the lost floating on the sea of relativism around us. Today: more about what it means to take the cross into the world.

The Cross: Our Challenge Before a Watching World 2

Fri, Oct 31

Friday, October 31, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't The blinding glory of God was encased in the human flesh of Jesus. But He chose to contain that glory and limit His options. And that emptying of Himself is the key to how we can bring His message to lost mankind. As we learn more about why the cross can do what politics can't, today we'll find out how to effectively take the cross into the world.

The Cross: Our Challenge Before a Watching World 1

Thu, Oct 30

Thursday, October 30, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't There's a basic problem in evangelism: the world thinks the cross we preach about is foolish, but to us, it's the power of God. As we run the race of life as believers in Christ, how do we bring the message of the cross to a rejecting world? Today: some answers on how to have a real impact on those around us.

The Cross: The Basis for Morality #4 of 4

Wed, Oct 29

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't There's a true story about a pilot who decided to not believe his instruments, and flew his plane over a thousand miles in the wrong direction. No frequent flyer miles here... that man had a compass, and rejected it. Today's common philosophy is "if it feels good, do it." But believers know that the cross is a potent reminder of the price of wrong moral choices. Today: why the cross is the...

The Cross: The Basis for Morality #3 of 4

Tue, Oct 28

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't Americans are adrift in a sea of moral relativism. These days, what's wrong is now right; what was right is now wrong. At a time of same-sex marriage and rampant abortion, we need a moral compass - a fixed point of reference. The cross of Christ is that point, that basis for morality. And the church must live by that basis if our culture is to avoid total decay.

The Cross: The Basis for Morality #2 of 4

Mon, Oct 27

Monday, October 27, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't Moral schizophrenia: in our society it's OK to kill a baby right before birth, but it's murder to kill one after birth. That's what happens when moral choices are set by the will of the majority. Confusion reigns....and the price tag is devastating. We can keep eating the bitter fruit of rebelling against God, or we can turn to Him in faith, and adopt His standards for behavior.

The Cross: The Basis for Morality #1 of 4

Fri, Oct 24

Friday, October 24, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't Without a ruler, you can't measure how long something is. And without some kind of moral compass, you can't tell right from wrong. And as we'll learn today, a culture that rejects Christ is a culture that sets up itself as the yardstick for moral choices. And those choices lead to polling place choices that help determine a nation's destiny. So where does true morality come from?

The Cross: The Basis for Reconciliation #4 of 4

Thu, Oct 23

Thursday, October 23, 2008 Host: Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Series: Why the Cross Can Do What Politics Can't One day there will be no more racial or ethnic divisions. One day, redeemed humanity will glory only in the cross...that's the picture the Bible paints in the book of Revelation. Their races of life long past, numberless saints from every nation will exalt the Lamb of God. Now here's some good news: it's possible for the church to mirror that future reality today.

Running to Win (Christian)