Podcasts about deliverer

God, forgive me for words that hurt the heart of another. Keywords: Words; forgiveness; Deliverer; Rock; Redeemer; wisdom. Scripture: Psalm 19:14

Just as eyewitnesses may see any event from different perspectives and recall different details, each of the Gospel writers has a slightly different focus in the information he presents.  Matthew's record focuses on the death of Christ and spilling of blood that would fulfill the shadows and types of the Old Testament sacrifices, presenting Christ as Deliverer and Reconciler for both Jews and Gentiles.  Our only choice is to either wholly accept or wholly reject him. VF-2179 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2026 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

Exodus 3:13-22

Acts Series  Message: 23 Episode: 3 of 3 Broadcast: February 11, 2026 Key Verses: Acts 12 In this episode of Walk in Truth, Pastor Michael Lantz teaches through Acts 12 in a powerful message titled "Our Powerful Deliverer," revealing God's unstoppable power to rescue, protect, and advance His purposes even in the darkest circumstances. From Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison to the bold faith of a praying church, this teaching reminds us that God is always at work behind the scenes, sovereign over rulers, fear, and opposition. You'll be encouraged to trust God in trials, deepen your prayer life, and walk with confidence knowing that the same God who delivered the early church is faithful to deliver His people today. This message will equip you with biblical truth and practical hope to live out your faith with courage, trust, and perseverance in everyday life. Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture.  Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com

Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast

Acts Series  Message: 23 Episode: 2 of 3 Broadcast: February 10, 2026 Key Verses: Acts 12 In this episode of Walk in Truth, Pastor Michael Lantz teaches through Acts 12 in a powerful message titled "Our Powerful Deliverer," revealing God's unstoppable power to rescue, protect, and advance His purposes even in the darkest circumstances. From Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison to the bold faith of a praying church, this teaching reminds us that God is always at work behind the scenes, sovereign over rulers, fear, and opposition. You'll be encouraged to trust God in trials, deepen your prayer life, and walk with confidence knowing that the same God who delivered the early church is faithful to deliver His people today. This message will equip you with biblical truth and practical hope to live out your faith with courage, trust, and perseverance in everyday life. Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture.  Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com

Exodus 2:11-22One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast

Acts Series  Message: 23 Episode: 1 of 3 Broadcast: February 09, 2026 Key Verses: Acts 12 In this episode of Walk in Truth, Pastor Michael Lantz teaches through Acts 12 in a powerful message titled "Our Powerful Deliverer," revealing God's unstoppable power to rescue, protect, and advance His purposes even in the darkest circumstances. From Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison to the bold faith of a praying church, this teaching reminds us that God is always at work behind the scenes, sovereign over rulers, fear, and opposition. You'll be encouraged to trust God in trials, deepen your prayer life, and walk with confidence knowing that the same God who delivered the early church is faithful to deliver His people today. This message will equip you with biblical truth and practical hope to live out your faith with courage, trust, and perseverance in everyday life. Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture.  Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com

Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast

Encountering the Divine Deliverer Part 2 - Mark 5:14-20 - Ace Davis

Sunday Evening Service, February 8, 2026

Romans 7 gets real fast.

The judges of Israel delivered the people time and again from wicked foreign rulers. But Christ is a better deliverer because He saves us from sin and the evil one.

February 6, 2026Today's Reading: Job 3:11-26Daily Lectionary: John 1:35-51“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.” (Job 3:26)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Everyone has a bad day. Some days are worse than others. In fact, some are downright terrible. Job had one of these terrible times. He was robbed of his children, his possessions, even his health. The book of Job is often hard to read. He is utterly miserable, even longing for death. This is not easy stuff for us to hear or think about. And while preachers and teachers often hold up Job as a model of steadfast faith amid hardship, we should not overlook the depth of his despair.Statistically speaking, many today feel just like Job. Anxiety and depression, even to the point of wishing for death, are increasingly common. Chances are, everyone reading this either knows someone who suffers from these afflictions or has struggled with them personally. What makes this kind of suffering so difficult is that it is not visible like a physical wound. There is no easy bandage or quick remedy for the grief of the heart and the anguish of the soul.But the book of Job does not leave him wallowing in the dust. His friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to sit with him. They did not get everything right; they even made some things worse with their advice. But they came. They showed up. They sat in silence for seven days. And even in their imperfection, they remind us what Christian compassion can look like. We may not be able to fix a given situation or explain it, but we can show up.Most importantly, God did not abandon Job. Though Job struggled, he never cursed God, because he knew, somehow, that God was still his Redeemer. And Job was right. In chapter 19, Job makes a bold confession: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.” He believed in the resurrection. He trusted in a Deliverer.God does not promise us a life without suffering. In fact, He prepares us to expect it. But He does give us something even greater: Jesus Christ, who suffered in our place, endured the cross, and rose again. He meets us in our darkest days and leads us through death and despair to resurrection and life everlasting.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.When in the hour of deepest need we know not where to look for aid; when days and nights of anxious thought no help or counsel yet have brought, then is our comfort this alone that we may meet before Your throne; to You, O faithful God, we cry for rescue in our misery. For You have promised, Lord, to heed Your children's cries in time of need through Him whose name alone is great, our Savior and our advocate. Amen. (LSB 615:1-3)Rev. Christopher Brademeyer, St. John's Lutheran Church in Oakes, NDAudio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.

Exodus 3:1-12

February 1, 2026   In this episode the speaker offers a sermon-style, verse-by-verse exploration of the book of Exodus, arguing that the whole book is designed to reveal who God truly is. Using the recurring phrase "so that they may know that I am the Lord," the message traces how God introduces himself to both Israel and Egypt through deliverance, mighty signs, provision, and dwelling among his people. The talk is grounded in specific Exodus passages (including chapters 6–17, 25–40) and connects Old Testament events to New Testament fulfilment and Christian experience. Topics covered include God as Deliverer (the Exodus rescue and its theological implications), demonstrations of divine Power and Mighty Works (the plagues, the Red Sea, and the role of miracles), Gods removal of Calamity (the frogs episode and the distinction between signs and true authority), and Sanctification (how God sets his people apart). The episode also treats the importance of Remembering and Teaching Gods acts to future generations, Gods Provision in the wilderness (manna and water from the rock), Gods dwelling with his people (the tabernacle and the promise of Emmanuel), and the gift of Rest (the Sabbath and the rest found in Christ). Hiram draws on a wide range of biblical cross-references and examples — including Job, the Psalms, Isaiah, the Gospels, Acts, Paul's testimony, Peter's deliverance, and the healing in John 9 — to show continuity between Exodus and the whole biblical story. Contemporary illustrations and testimonies appear as well: John Newtons conversion at sea, Tilly Smiths tsunami warning, and modern reflections on providence, evangelism, and perseverance in faith. Key takeaways emphasize that Exodus is more than history or national origin: it is theological and transformational. Listeners will hear seven major ways the episode argues we know God is Lord — he delivers, displays power, removes calamity, sanctifies his people, commands remembrance, provides for needs, dwells with his people, and offers rest — and how each of these motifs applies to Christian life today, including the assurance of salvation, baptismal invitation, and the call to tell others. The tone is pastoral and invitational. The speaker repeatedly connects ancient narratives to present-day faith practice (noting relevance even for listeners in 2026), encourages the hearing of Scripture as a means of transformation rather than mere information, and closes with an invitation for listeners to respond: to confess faith, be baptized, request prayer, or pursue further study with the church. Expect a clear, sermon-driven exposition that blends careful biblical reading, applied theology, memorable illustrations, and practical next steps for faith: how Gods acts in Exodus point us to Jesus, assure us of Gods ongoing presence, and invite us into rest and mission.   Handout:  How We Know He is the LORD — Hiram Kemp    1. He _________________ His _________________ (Exodus 6:6-7, 7:5)    2.   His ___________________ & ____________________ Works (Exodus 7:17)    3.   He ____________________ ___________________ (Exodus 8:8-10)    4.   He ______________ His _______________ (Exodus 8:22, 11:7)    5.   His _______________ must be ______________ & _____________ (Exodus 10:1-2)    6.   He ______________ for _______________ (Exodus 16:4-6, 16:12)    7.   He ______________ with His _____________ (Exodus 29:45-46)    8.   He ____________ Us _____________ (Exodus 31:12-13)   Duration 38:10

In this Holy Habits message from Deuteronomy 5, the focus is Sabbath rest—not laziness, but a God-designed rhythm to stop striving and be restored. It challenges our hustle culture, calls us to trust God as Lord, Deliverer, and Provider, and shows how real rest renews us personally, relationally, and spiritually so we can keep walking with Jesus without burning out.

Encountering the Divine Deliverer - Mark 5:1-20 - Ace Davis

Genesis 3 - In the garden the serpent spoke and used some of God's words to deceive Eve. Join Pastor G as he continues this sermon series to shine a light on the deception that is cleverly infiltrating the thoughts of God's people.

Sunday Evening Service, February 1st, 2026

Sermon Text: Exodus 2

The Lord is not a rock only in theory.Reading Plan: Worship - Psalm 18:1-12Wisdom - Proverbs 3:19-20Witness - Exodus 20-22Visit https://www.revivalfromthebible.com/ for more information.

“A Promised Deliverer” (Exodus 2:1-10)Need Prayer? Email us at roseburgfcc@gmail.com Connect with us on social at www.facebook.com/roseburgfccTo support the ministry of First Christian Church go to www.roseburgfcc.org/giving

From Israel's deliverance in Egypt to Christ's redemptive work on the cross, these passages trace God's rescue plan — fulfilled in Jesus, the true Deliverer who brings redemption, freedom from sin, and welcomes us into His kingdom through grace. The post Deliverance with Jesus appeared first on Preachers Corner.

Check out the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@perceptualpneumaministries2837If you would like to join us for bible study, bible study is on Friday nights from 7:30pm - 9pm CST. To get the link, please feel free to message us at perceptualpneumaministries@gmail.com.

❖ Today's Bible reading is Psalm 40: www.ESV.org/Psalm40 ❖ To read along with the podcast, grab a print copy of the devotional: www.crossway.org/books/in-the-lord-i-take-refuge-hcj/ ❖ Browse other resources from Dane Ortlund: www.crossway.org/authors/dane-c-ortlund/

Sermon Text: Exodus 1

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Thirty Five

This sermon centers on the transformative power of encountering God's personal presence through the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that biblical truth alone is insufficient without spiritual renewal and heartfelt worship. Drawing from Psalm 40, it calls believers to move beyond intellectual knowledge to a life of genuine rejoicing, magnifying God's salvation, embracing spiritual need with humility, and advancing in faith to overcome spiritual opposition. The preacher passionately advocates for authentic expressions of love, gratitude, and worship—both privately and corporately—urging the congregation to let the Holy Spirit lead their emotions, relationships, and spiritual priorities. With a tone that is deeply pastoral, convicting, and hopeful, the message challenges the church to be a living, breathing community where God's presence is palpable, relationships are restored, and the gospel is lived out in tangible, Spirit-led ways.

Exodus is more than a story of escape—it is a revelation of Jesus.In this powerful message from the series Jesus Revealed in Every Book of the Bible, we uncover how Christ is revealed throughout the book of Exodus as the Deliverer, the Passover Lamb, the daily Provider, and the God who dwells with His people.In “Delivered by the Blood: Jesus Revealed in Exodus,” we trace the scarlet thread of redemption from the blood on the doorposts to the cross of Christ. Deliverance was never about worthiness—it was always about obedience and the blood. When God saw the blood, judgment passed over, and freedom began.This message reveals that Jesus doesn't just bring us out of bondage—He brings us into freedom, abundance, and identity. Just as Israel was delivered from Egypt, Jesus still delivers us today from modern forms of bondage such as fear, old identities, emotional wounds, religious striving, people-pleasing, scarcity thinking, and self-reliance.We also see Jesus revealed in the burning bush—meeting Moses in hidden places with holy purpose—and in the manna from heaven, teaching us daily dependence. Finally, Exodus points us to God's deepest desire: to dwell with His people, a promise fully fulfilled in Christ.Rooted in Exodus 3:7–8, this message reminds us that God sees our affliction, hears our cry, knows our pain, and comes down to deliver us—not into survival, but into a spacious place of freedom and abundance.The same Jesus who delivered then is still delivering today.In 2026, we walk redeemed, free, nourished by heaven, and aware of His presence—because we are delivered by the blood.

January 11, 2026 Jonathan Shold

The sermon centers on the exclusive, complete, and efficacious salvation offered through Jesus Christ, rooted in the prophetic vision of Isaiah 59, where humanity's sin is depicted as a profound rupture with God, marked by moral corruption, spiritual blindness, and divine abandonment. It emphasizes that salvation is not a human effort or a shared achievement but solely the work of God, who, seeing no intercessor, acts through His own arm to bring redemption, putting on righteousness and vengeance as armor to deliver His people. The message is both convicting and comforting: while human nature is incapable of cleansing its own sin or bridging the chasm with God, Jesus is the only Savior, fully sufficient and sovereignly effective, offering salvation from sin, not merely from its consequences. The sermon warns against any notion that salvation can not be found through other means, whether through saints, self-effort, or moral striving, and affirms that true faith is marked by genuine repentance, sorrow for sin, and a desperate reliance on Christ alone, which is itself a divine work of election and grace. 1. Complete 2. Effective 3. Our

Got a question? Let us know!Made for Mondays | StepsThe Problem: I Can'tThis week on Made for Mondays, Heather sits down with Joe and Adrienne to kick off a brand-new year—and a brand-new series—Steps. Together, they unpack Sunday's message that reframes “new year, new you” away from willpower and toward Jesus as our Deliverer.After catching up on Christmas break and introducing The Year of Practice Bible Reading Challenge, the conversation turns honest and deeply relatable: Why do so many of us want to change… and still feel stuck?The group explores how the patterns we struggle with run deeper than discipline and why real change begins not with trying harder, but with bringing our basement places into the light within safe, honest community.Here's what they dig into:• Resolutions, reality, and starting the year honestly From half-kept resolutions to abandoned goals, the group talks candidly about how the pressure to “fix ourselves” often sets us up for discouragement—and why this year is about practice, not perfection.• “I can't” statements and the power of naming reality Jamey reflects on the opening pages of Steps and the familiar “I can't” statements that resonate so deeply. The team shares what emotions surface when we admit our limits—and why that admission is actually the starting point for transformation.• Romans 7 and the struggle we all recognize “I do what I do not want to do.” The conversation unpacks Paul's letter to the church in Rome, exploring what “the Law” means, how it still enslaves us today, and why awareness without deliverance only deepens frustration.• Discipline as a response, not a replacement In a Year of Practice, how do we pursue discipline as a way of responding to Jesus rather than trying to substitute discipline for Jesus? The group talks about rhythms, grace-filled practices, and why effort alone can't heal what's broken.• What the church can learn from recovery spaces Jamey shares wisdom from time spent at AA meetings with his mom—including the powerful idea that while churches often celebrate miracles upstairs, the real miracles happen in the basement. This leads to a raw conversation about sanitized faith, hidden struggles, confession, and what it would look like to build communities where honesty is safe and transformation is real.• A radical Big Idea “With Jesus, the worse your story, the warmer your welcome.” The group discusses how churches can embody that truth—not just say it—and what guardrails help keep stories centered on Jesus instead of self-promotion.• Sitting at a different table Looking at Jesus calling Levi in Mark 2, the conversation explores what it means to practice grace like Jesus did—intentionally moving toward people others avoid—without confusing grace with enabling.• Practicing community, not just talking about it Before wrapping up Sunday's service, the church practiced being in groups. The team reflects on why that mattered and how getting connected to a Steps group is a vital next step for anyone ready to pursue real change this year.Join Us This SundayWe're continuing Steps by diving into Step One: The ProbleStay Connected Website: https://believerschurch.org/ Bible Reading Plan: https://believerschurch.org/bible-reading-plan/ Believers Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/believerschurch.va/ Believers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believers_church/ Subscribe to The Outlet: https://believerschurch.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=66f00f86238de86688d2480e6&id=729c3f381f

From the opening chapters of Scripture, the narrative of humanity is marked by the presence of a tree. At the heart of Eden stood two trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life offered the promise of ongoing life, while the other was strictly off limits, carrying the warning that eating its fruit would bring death. When the first humans chose to take what God had forbidden, they inherited not blessing but a cursebanishment from paradise and the inheritance of death. Since that fateful day in Eden, we have lived beneath the shadow of that curse outside of Eden, our lives marked by its consequences. Throughout this series,The Tree, we have traced Gods answer to the problem introduced in Eden. We have seen a promised Seed spoken of in the garden (Gen. 3:15), a promise preserved through judgment in the days of Noah (Gen. 69), narrowed through Abrahams only son (Gen. 22), carried forward through broken families and deeply flawed people, guarded through exile and deliverance, and entrusted to kings who both reflected Gods purposes and failed to live up to them. Again and again, the message has been unmistakable: Gods promise advances not because His people are faithful, but because He is. And then, in the fullness of time, the promise took on flesh (Gal. 4:4-7). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). God did not merely speak againHe stepped into the story Himself (Heb. 1:1-2).Yet Luke 4 marks a decisive moment. Jesus is no longer simply the child of promise or the quiet presence of Immanuel. In Luke 4, Jesus stands up, opens the Scriptures, and for the first time publicly declares who He is and why He has come. It is no mystery that we humans are a mess. Scripture does not flatter us, and history confirms the diagnosis. We are fallen creatures living under the curse of sin. We are born spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), enslaved to desires we cannot master (Rom. 6:16), inclined to distort what God has called good (Rom. 1:2125), and we live beneath the shadow of deathboth physical and spiritual (Rom. 5:12). Though humanity still bears the image of God (Gen. 1:2627), that image is no longer reflected as it once was. Our thinking is darkened, our lives disordered, and our relationships fractured. We were made for communion with God, yet we live far from Him. This brokenness did not occur in a vacuum. Scripture is equally clear that there is an enemy in the storyreal, personal, and malicious. Satan is the great antagonist of redemptive history, a murderer from the beginning who traffics in lies and delights in death. Jesus said of him,He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him for he is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44). Yet even in judgment, God spoke hope. To the serpent and the woman He declared that a descendant would comeOne who would be wounded, yet in being wounded would crush the serpents head (Gen. 3:15). Death would strike, but it would not have the final word. From that moment forward, the Scriptures move with expectation. God promised His people a Deliverersomeone greater than Moses (Deut. 18:15; Heb. 3:16), someone greater than David who would reign with justice and peace forever (2 Sam. 7:1216; Ezek. 37:2428), someone who would not merely rule but redeem. Through the prophets, God revealed that peace would come through suffering, that the One who would heal the world would first bear the curse Himself. Isaiah saw it clearly:But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings and by His wounds we are healed(Isa. 53:5). This is why the announcement of Jesus birth was not sentimental but staggering. When angels appeared to shepherds living in darkness, they did not proclaim a teacher or a moral example, but a Savior:For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord(Luke 2:11). As the apostle Paul later wrote,For all the promises of God are Yes in Christ(2 Cor. 1:20; BSB). Jesus is not one promise among manyHe is the fulfillment of them all. It is against this backdrop that Luke 4 unfolds. Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, enters the synagogue, and is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He reads words every faithful Jew knew well: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:1819; Isa. 61:12). After reading, Jesus sat down and declared,Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing(Luke 4:21). We are then told that the immediate response of those in the synagogue that day was that of admiration: And all the people were speaking well of Him, and admiring the gracious words which were coming from His lips; and yet they were saying, Is this not Josephs son? (v. 22). Now listen (or read) what Jesus said next: And He said to them, No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me: Physician, heal yourself! All the miracles that we heard were done in Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. But He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a severe famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. (vv. 23-27) Jesus mentioned two different people who had no biological connection to Abraham nor were they Jewish. A prophet called to speak on behalf of God by the name of Elijah went to Zarephath under the direction of Yahweh, to a town full of Gentiles during a time that a famine also affected Israel, and yet Elijah went to a Gentile widow who God miraculously fed and protected during that famine (see 1 Kings 17:824). Listen, the point Jesus was making is this: The widow of Zarephath was a Gentile outsiderpoor, desperate, and forgottenyet she received the mercy Israel assumed belonged to them alone. A second example Jesus gave was that of Naaman the Syrian who served as a commander of the enemies of Israel. Jesus said, And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian (v. 27). Listen to what we are told concerning Naaman in 2 Kings 5, Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy (v. 1). And yet, God healed him! How was Naaman healed? He was only healed after he humbled himself in obedience to the word of God delivered by Elisha the prophet (see 2 Kings 5:1-14). What was Jesus main point? He was showing that the promise of a Deliverer and redemption was never exclusive to Israel, but it was intended for all nations. When Jesus read from Isaiah and proclaimed, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21), He wasnt simply interpreting the passageHe was revealing Himself as its fulfillment. In that moment, Jesus was announcing His mission, His authority, and the inclusive nature of His kingdom. He declared Himself as the promised Delivererthe greater Adam, the greater Abraham, the true Israeland made clear that through Him, blessing would extend to every nation, not just one people. In Luke 4:2527, Jesus reminds His hometown that God sent Elijah to a Gentile widow in Zarephath and healed Naaman the Syrianan enemy commandermaking clear that Gods mercy is received through Jesus by faith to all who will receive it, not where privilege assumes it. There are four facets of Jesus ministry that is described in these verses: Jesus Came as Good News to the Poor for All People Jesus clarifies the kind of poverty He has in view when He says,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven(Matt. 5:3). This poverty is not merely economic. Scripture and experience alike tell us that not all who are materially poor long for God. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before Himthose who know they have nothing to offer God but their need. Jesus is good news to such people precisely because it is only through Jesus that one can have God. Those who believe themselves rich in righteousness will feel no need for a Savior, but those who know they are empty will discover that Christ is everything. Jesus Came to Set Captives Free Out from the Nations Scripture declares,For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23). Every human being is born enslaved to sinany violation of Gods holy standard. Human experience confirms what Scripture teaches:The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?(Jer. 17:9). Apart from Christ, every one of us stands under judgment (Rev. 20:1115). This is why Jesus came. As John the Baptist proclaimed,Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!(John 1:29). When Jesus read Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, His hearers assumed He was announcing political liberation and national restoration. What they did not understand was that their deepest captivity was not Roman oppression but spiritual bondage. Jesus came to proclaim liberty to captives whose chains were forged by sin. Jesus Came to Give Sight to the Blind Who Make Up All Humanity While Jesus healed physical blindness throughout His ministry, His greater work was opening spiritually blind eyes. This blindness is not learnedit is native to us. Scripture teaches,The hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts while they live, and afterward they go to the dead(Eccl. 9:3). Like a blind man standing in bright sunlight, the human heart may sense that something is there yet remain unable to see it. The apostle Paul explains this condition plainly:But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned(1 Cor. 2:14). Only Jesus can open blind hearts to see the truth and beauty of God. Jesus Came to Bring Salvation and Redemption as Far as the Curse is Found Isaiah 61 was understood as a promise of a new agean age in which broken people and a broken creation would be restored, an age without tyranny, injustice, suffering, or death (Isa. 11:69; 65:1725). When Jesus read that passage, He claimed to be the One who would inaugurate that renewal. His miracleshealing the sick, restoring the lame, opening blind eyes, and raising the deadwere not merely acts of compassion; they were signs pointing to a greater restoration still to come (Matt. 11:45). Jesus redemption is both spiritual and physical. Though believers continue to struggle with sin and weakness in this life, there is coming a day when resurrection will make us whole:For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality(1 Cor. 15:53), whenwhat is mortal will be swallowed up by life(2 Cor. 5:4). How far reaching is the salvation and redemption Jesus was born to bring? Oh, let the anthem of Isaac Watts great hymn ring true in your heart: No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found How far Christian? As far as the curse is found! Far as, far as the curse is found This is the gospel Jesus declared in Nazareth. It is comprehensive, gracious, and costly. It confronts sin, heals blindness, breaks chains, and promises restoration. And yet Luke tells us that this announcement did not lead to repentanceit led to rejection (Luke 4:2830). What Jesus proclaimed as good news, His hometown soon heard as an offense. They wanted a Messiah of their own making, not one who exposed their sin and need of a redeemer! They wanted deliverance on their terms, not salvation on Gods terms. And when Jesus made clear that Gods grace could not be claimed or secured by their religious deeds alone, admiration turned to rejection. Luke 4 reminds us that the greatest danger is not rejecting Jesus outright but rejecting Him after we think we know Him. The Promised One stood before them, opened the Scriptures, and declared fulfillmentand they refused Him. And that leaves us with the same question this passage presses upon every hearer: Will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He refuses to be the Savior we want Him to be? He is still good news to the poor, freedom for the captive, sight for the blind, and restoration for the brokenbut only for those willing to receive Him on His terms. The people rejected Jesus because He did not fit their mold of what the Messiah should be. He was not the Savior they wanted, even though He was exactly the Savior they needed. Jesus fulfilled Gods promises, but He refused to conform to human expectations. And Luke 4 presses the same question upon us today: will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He will not become the Messiah we want Him to be?

From the opening chapters of Scripture, the narrative of humanity is marked by the presence of a tree. At the heart of Eden stood two trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life offered the promise of ongoing life, while the other was strictly off limits, carrying the warning that eating its fruit would bring death. When the first humans chose to take what God had forbidden, they inherited not blessing but a cursebanishment from paradise and the inheritance of death. Since that fateful day in Eden, we have lived beneath the shadow of that curse outside of Eden, our lives marked by its consequences. Throughout this series,The Tree, we have traced Gods answer to the problem introduced in Eden. We have seen a promised Seed spoken of in the garden (Gen. 3:15), a promise preserved through judgment in the days of Noah (Gen. 69), narrowed through Abrahams only son (Gen. 22), carried forward through broken families and deeply flawed people, guarded through exile and deliverance, and entrusted to kings who both reflected Gods purposes and failed to live up to them. Again and again, the message has been unmistakable: Gods promise advances not because His people are faithful, but because He is. And then, in the fullness of time, the promise took on flesh (Gal. 4:4-7). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). God did not merely speak againHe stepped into the story Himself (Heb. 1:1-2).Yet Luke 4 marks a decisive moment. Jesus is no longer simply the child of promise or the quiet presence of Immanuel. In Luke 4, Jesus stands up, opens the Scriptures, and for the first time publicly declares who He is and why He has come. It is no mystery that we humans are a mess. Scripture does not flatter us, and history confirms the diagnosis. We are fallen creatures living under the curse of sin. We are born spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), enslaved to desires we cannot master (Rom. 6:16), inclined to distort what God has called good (Rom. 1:2125), and we live beneath the shadow of deathboth physical and spiritual (Rom. 5:12). Though humanity still bears the image of God (Gen. 1:2627), that image is no longer reflected as it once was. Our thinking is darkened, our lives disordered, and our relationships fractured. We were made for communion with God, yet we live far from Him. This brokenness did not occur in a vacuum. Scripture is equally clear that there is an enemy in the storyreal, personal, and malicious. Satan is the great antagonist of redemptive history, a murderer from the beginning who traffics in lies and delights in death. Jesus said of him,He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him for he is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44). Yet even in judgment, God spoke hope. To the serpent and the woman He declared that a descendant would comeOne who would be wounded, yet in being wounded would crush the serpents head (Gen. 3:15). Death would strike, but it would not have the final word. From that moment forward, the Scriptures move with expectation. God promised His people a Deliverersomeone greater than Moses (Deut. 18:15; Heb. 3:16), someone greater than David who would reign with justice and peace forever (2 Sam. 7:1216; Ezek. 37:2428), someone who would not merely rule but redeem. Through the prophets, God revealed that peace would come through suffering, that the One who would heal the world would first bear the curse Himself. Isaiah saw it clearly:But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings and by His wounds we are healed(Isa. 53:5). This is why the announcement of Jesus birth was not sentimental but staggering. When angels appeared to shepherds living in darkness, they did not proclaim a teacher or a moral example, but a Savior:For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord(Luke 2:11). As the apostle Paul later wrote,For all the promises of God are Yes in Christ(2 Cor. 1:20; BSB). Jesus is not one promise among manyHe is the fulfillment of them all. It is against this backdrop that Luke 4 unfolds. Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, enters the synagogue, and is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He reads words every faithful Jew knew well: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:1819; Isa. 61:12). After reading, Jesus sat down and declared,Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing(Luke 4:21). We are then told that the immediate response of those in the synagogue that day was that of admiration: And all the people were speaking well of Him, and admiring the gracious words which were coming from His lips; and yet they were saying, Is this not Josephs son? (v. 22). Now listen (or read) what Jesus said next: And He said to them, No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me: Physician, heal yourself! All the miracles that we heard were done in Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. But He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a severe famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. (vv. 23-27) Jesus mentioned two different people who had no biological connection to Abraham nor were they Jewish. A prophet called to speak on behalf of God by the name of Elijah went to Zarephath under the direction of Yahweh, to a town full of Gentiles during a time that a famine also affected Israel, and yet Elijah went to a Gentile widow who God miraculously fed and protected during that famine (see 1 Kings 17:824). Listen, the point Jesus was making is this: The widow of Zarephath was a Gentile outsiderpoor, desperate, and forgottenyet she received the mercy Israel assumed belonged to them alone. A second example Jesus gave was that of Naaman the Syrian who served as a commander of the enemies of Israel. Jesus said, And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian (v. 27). Listen to what we are told concerning Naaman in 2 Kings 5, Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy (v. 1). And yet, God healed him! How was Naaman healed? He was only healed after he humbled himself in obedience to the word of God delivered by Elisha the prophet (see 2 Kings 5:1-14). What was Jesus main point? He was showing that the promise of a Deliverer and redemption was never exclusive to Israel, but it was intended for all nations. When Jesus read from Isaiah and proclaimed, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21), He wasnt simply interpreting the passageHe was revealing Himself as its fulfillment. In that moment, Jesus was announcing His mission, His authority, and the inclusive nature of His kingdom. He declared Himself as the promised Delivererthe greater Adam, the greater Abraham, the true Israeland made clear that through Him, blessing would extend to every nation, not just one people. In Luke 4:2527, Jesus reminds His hometown that God sent Elijah to a Gentile widow in Zarephath and healed Naaman the Syrianan enemy commandermaking clear that Gods mercy is received through Jesus by faith to all who will receive it, not where privilege assumes it. There are four facets of Jesus ministry that is described in these verses: Jesus Came as Good News to the Poor for All People Jesus clarifies the kind of poverty He has in view when He says,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven(Matt. 5:3). This poverty is not merely economic. Scripture and experience alike tell us that not all who are materially poor long for God. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before Himthose who know they have nothing to offer God but their need. Jesus is good news to such people precisely because it is only through Jesus that one can have God. Those who believe themselves rich in righteousness will feel no need for a Savior, but those who know they are empty will discover that Christ is everything. Jesus Came to Set Captives Free Out from the Nations Scripture declares,For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23). Every human being is born enslaved to sinany violation of Gods holy standard. Human experience confirms what Scripture teaches:The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?(Jer. 17:9). Apart from Christ, every one of us stands under judgment (Rev. 20:1115). This is why Jesus came. As John the Baptist proclaimed,Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!(John 1:29). When Jesus read Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, His hearers assumed He was announcing political liberation and national restoration. What they did not understand was that their deepest captivity was not Roman oppression but spiritual bondage. Jesus came to proclaim liberty to captives whose chains were forged by sin. Jesus Came to Give Sight to the Blind Who Make Up All Humanity While Jesus healed physical blindness throughout His ministry, His greater work was opening spiritually blind eyes. This blindness is not learnedit is native to us. Scripture teaches,The hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts while they live, and afterward they go to the dead(Eccl. 9:3). Like a blind man standing in bright sunlight, the human heart may sense that something is there yet remain unable to see it. The apostle Paul explains this condition plainly:But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned(1 Cor. 2:14). Only Jesus can open blind hearts to see the truth and beauty of God. Jesus Came to Bring Salvation and Redemption as Far as the Curse is Found Isaiah 61 was understood as a promise of a new agean age in which broken people and a broken creation would be restored, an age without tyranny, injustice, suffering, or death (Isa. 11:69; 65:1725). When Jesus read that passage, He claimed to be the One who would inaugurate that renewal. His miracleshealing the sick, restoring the lame, opening blind eyes, and raising the deadwere not merely acts of compassion; they were signs pointing to a greater restoration still to come (Matt. 11:45). Jesus redemption is both spiritual and physical. Though believers continue to struggle with sin and weakness in this life, there is coming a day when resurrection will make us whole:For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality(1 Cor. 15:53), whenwhat is mortal will be swallowed up by life(2 Cor. 5:4). How far reaching is the salvation and redemption Jesus was born to bring? Oh, let the anthem of Isaac Watts great hymn ring true in your heart: No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found How far Christian? As far as the curse is found! Far as, far as the curse is found This is the gospel Jesus declared in Nazareth. It is comprehensive, gracious, and costly. It confronts sin, heals blindness, breaks chains, and promises restoration. And yet Luke tells us that this announcement did not lead to repentanceit led to rejection (Luke 4:2830). What Jesus proclaimed as good news, His hometown soon heard as an offense. They wanted a Messiah of their own making, not one who exposed their sin and need of a redeemer! They wanted deliverance on their terms, not salvation on Gods terms. And when Jesus made clear that Gods grace could not be claimed or secured by their religious deeds alone, admiration turned to rejection. Luke 4 reminds us that the greatest danger is not rejecting Jesus outright but rejecting Him after we think we know Him. The Promised One stood before them, opened the Scriptures, and declared fulfillmentand they refused Him. And that leaves us with the same question this passage presses upon every hearer: Will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He refuses to be the Savior we want Him to be? He is still good news to the poor, freedom for the captive, sight for the blind, and restoration for the brokenbut only for those willing to receive Him on His terms. The people rejected Jesus because He did not fit their mold of what the Messiah should be. He was not the Savior they wanted, even though He was exactly the Savior they needed. Jesus fulfilled Gods promises, but He refused to conform to human expectations. And Luke 4 presses the same question upon us today: will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He will not become the Messiah we want Him to be?

Many in Jesus' day believed He would fulfill the prophecies by delivering them from Roman rule. But Jesus had a far greater deliverance to carry out. In this message, Pastor Lutzer shares two life-changing takeaways about Jesus' deliverance. In the end, God's people continue to carry on Jesus' work until He returns.  To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29?v=20251111

Many in Jesus' day believed He would fulfill the prophecies by delivering them from Roman rule. But Jesus had a far greater deliverance to carry out. In this message, Pastor Lutzer shares two life-changing takeaways about Jesus' deliverance. In the end, God's people continue to carry on Jesus' work until He returns.  This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.  Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.  Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.    SUPPORT:  Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/  Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/    SUBSCRIBE:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia  Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/ 

Isaiah predicted a deliverer would come who would proclaim good news to the poor and set the captives free. Jesus had come to deliver those who needed it most—including the Gentiles. In this message from Isaiah 61, Pastor Lutzer draws the direct line to Jesus' fulfillment in Luke 4. In God's Church, we must carry on Christ's work. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29?v=20251111

Isaiah predicted a deliverer would come who would proclaim good news to the poor and set the captives free. Jesus had come to deliver those who needed it most—including the Gentiles. In this message from Isaiah 61, Pastor Lutzer draws the direct line to Jesus' fulfillment in Luke 4. In God's Church, we must carry on Christ's work. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.  Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.  Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.    SUPPORT:  Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/  Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/    SUBSCRIBE:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia  Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/ 

Even in this fallen, mysterious, often painful world, by God's design and at God's hand, there is serious joy for us to experience throughout all life. Experiencing that joy looks a bit different when we're old than when we're young, but it's there for us all, all along. So rejoice in whatever good things God gives us, throughout whatever life God gives us.

The peace on earth spoken of in the Christmas story will not happen until Jesus sets up his kingdom on earth. But when He first came to live among us, few understood that. In this message, Pastor Lutzer shares two life-changing takeaways about Jesus' deliverance. In God's Church, we carry on Christ's work until He returns. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

Share a commentA birth announcement shook the night sky and reset history: a child in Bethlehem who is Savior, Messiah, and Lord. We walk through Gabriel's lightning-fast message, the sheer scope of the angelic host, and the quiet courage of a young woman who said yes to God, even when it meant being misunderstood for life. Along the way, we connect the temple, the throne of David, and the promise of a kingdom without end to the gritty, hopeful ground of daily faith.We start with the contrast between human breakthroughs in communication and a form of delivery that never fails—messages sent by angels. From there, we linger with Mary as Gabriel speaks two powerful currents into her life: grace and greatness. Grace means undeserved favor; greatness means God's unstoppable plan. Mary's honest question about how a virgin can conceive meets a temple-shaped answer: the Spirit will overshadow her, as glory once filled the Holy of Holies. That image reframes us, too—believers become living temples who carry Christ into ordinary spaces with purpose and humility.Then the fields around Bethlehem come alive. Likely temple shepherds, charged with raising lambs for sacrifice yet barred from worship as unclean, hear first. Gabriel's announcement is precise and bold: the Deliverer has come, the Anointed King stands in David's line, and this child is God incarnate. Born for you. Not for angels—for people on the margins, for the devout in the temple, for anyone ready to receive grace. The Creator who once wrapped the universe in darkness now lies wrapped in swaddling clothes, and the Father fills the sky with a choir no earthly parent could hire.The closing challenge lands close to home: angels announced, but now we advance. If we carry Christ, then we carry his message—clearly, kindly, and courageously. Listen, reflect, and share the hope: Jesus is Savior, Messiah, and Lord. If this moved you, follow the show, leave a review, and send the episode to someone who needs good news today.Support the showStephen's latest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback

Share a commentA birth announcement shook the night sky and reset history: a child in Bethlehem who is Savior, Messiah, and Lord. We walk through Gabriel's lightning-fast message, the sheer scope of the angelic host, and the quiet courage of a young woman who said yes to God, even when it meant being misunderstood for life. Along the way, we connect the temple, the throne of David, and the promise of a kingdom without end to the gritty, hopeful ground of daily faith.We start with the contrast between human breakthroughs in communication and a form of delivery that never fails—messages sent by angels. From there, we linger with Mary as Gabriel speaks two powerful currents into her life: grace and greatness. Grace means undeserved favor; greatness means God's unstoppable plan. Mary's honest question about how a virgin can conceive meets a temple-shaped answer: the Spirit will overshadow her, as glory once filled the Holy of Holies. That image reframes us, too—believers become living temples who carry Christ into ordinary spaces with purpose and humility.Then the fields around Bethlehem come alive. Likely temple shepherds, charged with raising lambs for sacrifice yet barred from worship as unclean, hear first. Gabriel's announcement is precise and bold: the Deliverer has come, the Anointed King stands in David's line, and this child is God incarnate. Born for you. Not for angels—for people on the margins, for the devout in the temple, for anyone ready to receive grace. The Creator who once wrapped the universe in darkness now lies wrapped in swaddling clothes, and the Father fills the sky with a choir no earthly parent could hire.The closing challenge lands close to home: angels announced, but now we advance. If we carry Christ, then we carry his message—clearly, kindly, and courageously. Listen, reflect, and share the hope: Jesus is Savior, Messiah, and Lord. If this moved you, follow the show, leave a review, and send the episode to someone who needs good news today.Support the showStephen's latest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback

The people of Jesus' day were ruled by the Roman Empire. Some saw in Jesus the political deliverer that had been foretold. In this message from Isaiah 61, Pastor Lutzer celebrates why Jesus had come to deliver those who needed it most—including the Gentiles. His deliverance is from the very power of sin. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

Isaiah predicted a deliverer would come who would proclaim good news to the poor and set the captives free. In a Nazareth synagogue, Jesus opened and read the same prophecy to describe His coming. In this message from Luke 4, Pastor Lutzer draws the direct line to Jesus' fulfillment of Isaiah 61. Only the Son of God could say that. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

1. A Savior Was Born2. A Message of Good News3. A Treasured MomentMay this message finds you blessed and filled with the joy of Christmas. Let us take a moment to reflect on the powerful truths we explored together on Christmas Eve.Today's sermon explored the true meaning of Christmas in a world that Charles Dickens aptly described as "the best of times and the worst of times." While we live in an age of technological advancement and convenience, we also face increasing challenges—crime, fraud, and a culture consumed by busyness. Yet Christmas remains the greatest holiday in human history, not because of lights, decorations, or gifts from stores, but because of one Person: Jesus Christ. We cannot have Christmas without Christ. He is the reason for the season, the source of true peace, hope, and joy. Through examining Luke 2, we discovered that 2,000 years ago, a Savior was born—not just a baby, but Immanuel, God with us—who came to deliver humanity from sin and separation from God.Takeaways:- A Savior Was Born for All People: Jesus wasn't just another baby born in Bethlehem. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy—the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace wrapped in human flesh. The infinite, eternal God entered our world through natural birth to look at us with human eyes, touch us with human hands, and fully understand our pain.- Good News of Great Joy: The angels proclaimed a message that still echoes today—there is hope for ruined humanity. We cannot save ourselves through good works or personal effort. Jesus came as the only Savior, the Deliverer who is God, offering forgiveness and freedom from everything that weighs us down. True peace comes not from what we buy or achieve, but from glorifying God and receiving His gift.- Treasure This Moment: Like Mary, who pondered and treasured these things in her heart, we must not lose sight of the real Christmas. The manger and the cross are inseparable—Jesus was born to die for us. His birth at Bethlehem points directly to His sacrifice at Golgotha. This Christmas, let us embrace God's greatest gift and make room in our busy lives for Jesus.As we celebrate this season, may we rediscover that Christmas truly means "a little bit more" than what comes from a store. The Creator became a baby in a stable so that thirty years later He could hang on a cross for you and me. That is the greatest gift ever given.Merry Christmas and may God's peace fill your heart!

1. A Savior Was Born2. A Message of Good News3. A Treasured MomentMay this message finds you blessed and filled with the joy of Christmas. Let us take a moment to reflect on the powerful truths we explored together on Christmas Eve.Today's sermon explored the true meaning of Christmas in a world that Charles Dickens aptly described as "the best of times and the worst of times." While we live in an age of technological advancement and convenience, we also face increasing challenges—crime, fraud, and a culture consumed by busyness. Yet Christmas remains the greatest holiday in human history, not because of lights, decorations, or gifts from stores, but because of one Person: Jesus Christ. We cannot have Christmas without Christ. He is the reason for the season, the source of true peace, hope, and joy. Through examining Luke 2, we discovered that 2,000 years ago, a Savior was born—not just a baby, but Immanuel, God with us—who came to deliver humanity from sin and separation from God.Takeaways:- A Savior Was Born for All People: Jesus wasn't just another baby born in Bethlehem. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy—the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace wrapped in human flesh. The infinite, eternal God entered our world through natural birth to look at us with human eyes, touch us with human hands, and fully understand our pain.- Good News of Great Joy: The angels proclaimed a message that still echoes today—there is hope for ruined humanity. We cannot save ourselves through good works or personal effort. Jesus came as the only Savior, the Deliverer who is God, offering forgiveness and freedom from everything that weighs us down. True peace comes not from what we buy or achieve, but from glorifying God and receiving His gift.- Treasure This Moment: Like Mary, who pondered and treasured these things in her heart, we must not lose sight of the real Christmas. The manger and the cross are inseparable—Jesus was born to die for us. His birth at Bethlehem points directly to His sacrifice at Golgotha. This Christmas, let us embrace God's greatest gift and make room in our busy lives for Jesus.As we celebrate this season, may we rediscover that Christmas truly means "a little bit more" than what comes from a store. The Creator became a baby in a stable so that thirty years later He could hang on a cross for you and me. That is the greatest gift ever given.Merry Christmas and may God's peace fill your heart!

She was born in Rome to a wealthy and prominent family. Though her father Pretexatus was a pagan, her mother Fausta instructed her in the things of God. Her father married her against her will to Publius, a prodigal and impious man lacking in Christian or pagan virtue. Anastasia was in the custom of dressing herself as a poor working woman and going out by night to visit and comfort the many Christians in prison (this was the time of Diocletian's persecution). When Publius discovered this, he was furious that his wife was demeaning herself by consorting with the despised Christians, and had his wife locked in the house with so little food that she came close to death by starvation. She was able to get a letter to her spiritual father Chrysogonus, who was also in prison, and their correspondence helped to sustain her through her ordeal. After three months her husband died in a shipwreck and she regained her freedom. Immediately she redoubled her work for the suffering Christians and their families, devoting all her time and wealth to their comfort and care.   One day Diocletian declared that all Christians in his prisons should be slain, and his command was carried out in one night. The next day Anastasia came to visit her beloved companions and, learning that all were dead, fell sobbing by the gate, no longer caring to conceal her Christian faith from anyone. Almost immediately she was arrested and brought before the authorities, who subjected her to every form of abuse. One prefect offered to marry her if she would bow to the idols, but to have her tortured to death if she would not. When she was unmoved, he attempted to rape her, but was struck blind and died miserably. She then briefly escaped to Nicaea and found refuge with the pious St Theodota, but was seized again along with Theodota and her children. After further trials and torments Anastasia, Theodota and her children, and others who had been converted to Christ through Anastasia's example, were executed.   Saint Anastasia's relics were taken to Rome, where a church was built in her honor. The relics were later translated to Constantinople and placed in another church bearing her name, where they worked many miracles. Because she has healed many through her prayers from the effects of poisons and potions, she is called Pharmocolytria, "Deliverer from Potions."