Running To Win on Oneplace.com

Many who seek justice call for "a level playing field" of opportunity. There is one place where the field is level, and that is at the foot of the cross of Christ. This cross is the only basis for reconciling people of different backgrounds.

In places like the Middle East, it takes a common denominator to overcome the chaos of "us versus them." Negotiations and dialog are not enough. The cross of Christ is the only unifying link that can ever work.

Many of today's conflicts stem from deep-rooted racial or ethnic strife. It seems there is no human solution, but there is a divine solution. There is a place of common ground for those who cannot stand the sight of each other.

On the day that Jesus died just outside of Jerusalem, many people passed by, as many do even today, without realizing the eternal consequences of what was happening on that cruel Roman cross.

We can only run the race of life toward heaven because Jesus hung on a cross to bear the penalty for our rebellion. Today, we again take a look at the profound mystery of this ultimate sacrifice.

Let us never forget that mercy is not getting what you deserve. God was not obligated to save any of us, and yet He has. Today we begin to glimpse how far God went to provide redemption for a lost mankind.

God called Dwight Lyman Moody out of a successful sales business and made of him a torch that lit the world. Untold millions have felt the legacy of his life through his preaching, his schools and this church, which he founded 150 years ago this year.

What kind of a man does God use? Is He limited to the well-educated? Those with the right connections? Or could it be that His most choice servants are those whose lives are wholly dedicated to Him?

At any given moment, we may not know what God is up to. When a prayer is not answered as we would like, God may always has a higher purpose in mind. Yet one thing we do know - just as God was with Joshua, so He is with us today. His faithfulness never changes.

The Liberty Bell reminds Americans of their independence from Great Britain. For the people of Israel, stones by the Jordan River reminded them of God's faithfulness at key points in their history.

We call great moments in life "milestones." They mark out significant times and cause us to remember them. This year, The Moody Church marks a major milestone as we celebrate our 150th anniversary.

We can be sure that our faith will always lead to ultimate victory, even if we never see the rewards of that faith while still in this life. That was true for many of the heroes of faith in the Bible. One such hero was Abraham.

The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 include ordinary people like you and I. They believed God despite not seeing immediate responses to their prayers. We, too, can exhibit their kind of faith, by believing God no matter what.

Some wonder what good it is to have faith in God when He never seems to answer their prayers. Many lose what faith they had and give up on God altogether. In this message, Pastor Lutzer takes a look at the heroes of faith who believed God no matter what.

The rewards of our faith are not primarily found in this life. In the life to come, God bestows rewards for faithfulness. Like the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, we need to set our sights on heaven, realizing that, then, this life's pain will be worth it all.