5 Minutes with Pastor Lutzer

If Christians aren't noticed or saved by our good deeds, why should we do them? When the King returns, everyone will receive what's due for their deeds done in the body. Pastor Lutzer focuses on what Jesus looks for at the judgment seat. Even deeds done in obscurity can be an investment for eternity.

Forgiven Christians will be judged for their deeds—whether good or evil. As we stand before Jesus' Bema seat, what will last? Pastor Lutzer shows five types of deeds that survive, depicted as "gold, silver, and precious stones." Our eternal rewards are all meant for Jesus.

Christians are forgiven people. But are believers going to see their sins at the judgment seat of Christ? Because Jesus will be thorough, Pastor Lutzer emphasizes the magnitude of grace as well as the fear of the Lord. With eternity in mind, we can be ready for our first one-on-one with Jesus.

Comparing our life events with someone else's often keeps us from facing our own reality. At the judgment seat, will Jesus grade our lives on a curve? Pastor Lutzer articulates key characteristics of Jesus' judgment and reward for each believer. Nothing else matters except what Jesus thinks.

All believers will be held accountable for our works, even if it leads to tears of regret. We are saved by grace, not by good works, but we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Pastor Lutzer poses the question: "Is it selfish to live for rewards in heaven?" Imagine stepping into heaven knowing you've faithfully laid up treasures where it matters.

Most apocalyptic accounts are dreadful. Yet for believers, Jesus' appearing at any moment is our "blessed hope." Pastor Lutzer reflects on the wonders of that day, both physically and metaphysically. It's impossible to fully imagine our transformation. But in the twinkling of the eye, it will be glorious!

Jesus is coming soon. Who will be there when He returns? Pastor Lutzer introduces us to the delegation of angels and the humans at the Second Coming. As you enjoy today, are you prepared to meet the coming King face to face?

We all want a long, healthy life. But physical challenges and our own mortality eventually catch up with us. Pastor Lutzer provides clarity and comfort from Christ's return and the hope of the resurrection. There's nothing we're enduring physically today, that the resurrection won't fix.

Is end-times prophesy useful despite so many false predictions or controversial interpretations? Pastor Lutzer addresses this in a new series on ten prophetic events that will change our future and comfort us today. Let's love Christ more, living holy and godly lives in light of His return.

In the aftermath of devastation, how can we have hope when we don't understand why God let something happen? Pastor Lutzer guides us through some of the most comforting passages in the Bible. We learn that Jesus says to us: "I am not only your refuge and strength, I am your forerunner through all suffering and uncertainty." He has been there before and He says to us, "Follow me." Originally Published: Apr 5, 2021

We don't have to look very far to see the terrible effects of sin around us. The natural world can be beautiful one day and wreak havoc and terror the next. Pastor Lutzer guides us through Romans 8, where we learn why creation groans, longing to be rescued from its sin-cursed state. Don't lower your expectations, put them in the right place. Originally Published: Feb 22, 2021

From our standpoint, natural disasters happen randomly. Even if someone or someplace doesn't seem to deserve disaster, it's still bound to happen. But even when every disaster isn't a direct judgment, what if God speaks clearly through unexpected chaos? Pastor Lutzer looks at two more key lessons from Scripture that God wants to teach us in a time of crisis. Originally Published: Feb 8, 2021

When we are hit with a crisis, it can turn our lives upside down. Suddenly we discover that the things we prioritize under normal circumstances have no real value in the light of eternity. Pastor Lutzer explores how God can use crises to get His message across to us and to help us see what lasts. Originally Published: Feb 1, 2021

Do you believe accidents are outside the providence of God? Pastor Lutzer discusses the mystery of the will of God in light of natural disasters—gleaning wisdom from the book of Job. In today's episode, Pastor shares the testimony of a modern-day "Job"—a true story of a Christian couple thrown into unspeakable grief and how they offered up praise to God through it all. Originally Published: Jan 25, 2021

When crisis strikes, from personal suffering to devastating earthquakes, some fall back on the notions that God may not be all-powerful or that the devil freely did it. Pastor Lutzer offers true comfort found in this truth: God is in charge. Do you believe that no disaster can befall us without God's express permission? Originally Published: Jan 18, 2021

Are you burdened by the distress all around you in the culture? COVID-19. Racial tensions. Polarization. Inflation. Pastor Lutzer shares his heart from God's Word and offers practical insight on how to carry the burden—together. God is the One who preserves your life amid all the stress. Is it well with your soul?

Are you trying to read God's mind? Pastor Lutzer suggests 3 principles to further align with God's Will in your decision-making: 1.) Don't follow your heart, 2.) Don't sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate, and 3.) Don't make quick decisions about important matters. If you do the will of God as revealed in the Bible, He'll guide you in the unclear matters.

Are you hiding the impurities and struggles of your life? Even though none of us gravitate towards purity, Pastor Lutzer helps you discover God's will for your sexuality and thought patterns. When you know God's will, your heart won't have to give up the fight.

It's hard to focus on what matters when you struggle with people-pleasing. You can know what God's will is, even in a difficult position like the slaves who were Christians in biblical times. Whatever God has given you to do or whoever's approval you seek, Pastor Lutzer zeroes in on God's will from the heart. Pleasing the Lord is what really matters.

Whether you're making college, career, or legacy decisions, you've probably asked, "What's God's will for me?" If you're afraid God will ask you to do something hard or distasteful, Pastor Lutzer directs you to 3 principles of God's will from Romans 12. It all begins with your willingness to obey what He explicitly says.

As you run the race of life, are you coasting or truly in the game? Pastor Lutzer coaches you from God's Word to face the agony and run with discipline. You can start and finish the New Year well if you stay focused on your one purpose and one forerunner: Jesus.

What do you wish you had done differently this past year? Pastor Lutzer provides 3 rules from Hebrews 12 for successfully starting the new year: 1. Keep your "weight" down, 2. Keep your feet free, and 3. Keep the goal in mind. You can finish 2022 focused on Jesus!

The angels didn't stop singing after the first Christmas. They are undoubtedly all around you, ministering to believers today. Why do they have reason to rejoice, even now? You'll learn how special your salvation is—to heavenly angels!

At the first Christmas, God sent angelic beings with a song about the wonder of Jesus' coming in the flesh. Pastor Lutzer recognizes that God sends you too. Where are you going with His message?

It's never too late to make a God-honoring decision about your past. Pastor Lutzer guides you towards restoration for that irreconcilable relationship. What are you willing to do to be fully right with God and others?

You're constantly looked over or treated unfairly at work. Is all that time and work in a difficult workplace wasted? Pastor Lutzer prompts you to change your attitude and to change your ultimate employer.

If thanksgiving is God's will for you, does that mean you should be grateful for difficult circumstances? Pastor Lutzer unpacks how you can truly give thanks…starting today! Don't give thanks for everything but in everything.

Are you bored or overqualified for a job that was clearly a bad decision? In Exodus, Moses worked an abominable job for 40 years but he learned trust and obedience. Pastor Lutzer guides you to receive everything you can from God as you live out your calling.

You're in a wilderness of debt and financial stress. You feel anxious and all alone. Pastor Lutzer encourages you with practical instructions and hope from God's Word. In the midst of your financial desert, God's hidden stream of wisdom and grace will sustain you.

How do you get oriented after a bad financial decision? Pastor Lutzer provides practical guidance to repent and recover with contentment. God is interested in our lives, particularly related to money. He hasn't forsaken you despite your losses and mistakes.

Could God just forgive your horribly wrong decisions? Would He still allow the full effects of a fallout? Pastor Lutzer identifies 3 more lessons from David's great sin that reveal God's perspective of your moral failure. Right where you are in your brokenness, God is with you.

In the wake of immoral decisions like murder or adultery, you see all kinds of devastation. Only by God's grace can you prevent or recover from a disastrous moral failure. Pastor Lutzer discerns 3 lessons from the great sin of King David that show our need for God's grace.

Breaking a moral boundary is a downward spiral. Whether you've failed sexually, relationally, or ethically, Pastor Lutzer addresses the dangers of covering up your sin like King David attempted to do. It doesn't work. But you can find God's grace even in the midst of your greatest moral failure.

Is it hard to say 'no' when your spouse is crossing the line? In this bonus episode on marriage, Pastor Lutzer counsels you how to establish godly, loving boundaries. When you value the sacredness of your covenant, use wise confrontation, and communicate clear consequences, even bad marriages can experience hope and reconciliation.

In the fifth of this mini-series (Eps. 138-142), Pastor Lutzer prays specifically for you from three Psalms: 32, 40, and 147.

In the fourth of this mini-series (Eps. 138-142), Pastor Lutzer identifies 4 principles for managing conflict in a God-honoring marriage.

In the third of this mini-series (Eps. 138-142), Pastor Lutzer exposes 3 modern myths about marriage that keep us from seeing eternity's perspective.

In the second of this mini-series (Eps. 138-142), discover why we can be sure that God doesn't leave us alone even after an impulsive decision.

Have you ever felt trapped in the consequences of someone else's bad decision? Joshua and Caleb spent an additional 38 years in the wilderness because they were outnumbered by their faithless peers. What hope is there for us when we must reap what we did not sow? Join us for today's episode as we bring these difficult questions under the light of God's Word.

The people of ancient Israel were first-hand witnesses of their own divine rescue every step of the way. Regardless, when they arrived at the promised land, they responded with unbelief. God's discipline meant that entire generation would live out the rest of their lives in the wilderness. Was God finished with them? Would he forsake His wayward people and "start fresh" with the new generation? The answer we find in today's episode should leave us astounded with the grace of God. Join us.

Have you ever settled with a choice that was second-best? Perhaps you felt cornered and took "the easy way out." In today's episode we learn that even when we make second-best decisions, messes of our own making, and choices we wish we could take back, God still extends a loving hand to us in our neediness, offering to make our crooked path straight.

In this episode of "Making the Best of a Bad Decision," we draw a final lesson from Adam and Eve's terrible decision to rebel. We learn that we can never truly predict or control the consequences of our sin, but we are also confronted with the unthinkable depth of God's grace. He is always willing to redeem a bad decision that is surrendered to Him.

From the beginning, the inclination of sinful humanity has been to hide from God. When Adam and Eve realized their sin, the last thing they wanted was to be in God's righteous presence. But He was the only one who could address their shame and provide an ultimate solution, a promised descendant who would crush the enemy of their souls forever. Do you need to come out of hiding today and face the God who offers, in Himself, the solution to your greatest problem?

Today in our series, Pastor Lutzer examines what he calls "the anatomy of a bad decision" from the story of the fall in Genesis 3. From Adam and Eve's terrible choice to rebel against God, we learn much about our own hearts, and we learn how to apply this insight to escape destructive cycles of our own making.

These days we often talk about "pivoting" when the unexpected occurs. But is God subject to such a necessity? When He found Adam and Eve in the garden after their sin, did He have to pivot and rearrange His plans to account for it? In today's episode, Pastor Lutzer discusses the implications of our limited control over circumstances in light of God's limitless sovereignty.

Do you struggle to accept God's help when you feel that your problems are your own fault? Today, Pastor Lutzer starts a new series, entitled, "Making the Best of a Bad Decision." In it we learn that a bad decision, by God's grace, doesn't have to be the end of the story and no matter how many wrong paths you have taken, there is still a right one just up ahead.

In this last episode of the series, "When You've Been Wronged," we are considering "the why" behind Joseph's seemingly astonishing decision to forgive. Why would he forgive his brothers after they had caused him so much turmoil? The answer is this: Joseph was able to step back and see the bigger picture. He knew that God had been there all along and that He was able to make every wrong right and orchestrate everything to His divine purposes. In this way, Joseph foreshadowed another to come, one who faced the greatest injustice imaginable and yet "entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."

Born into disfunction, mercilessly betrayed by his own, and wrongly condemned to prison — there seemed to be countless reasons for Joseph to choose resentment and retaliation. Are you and I prone to cling to our wrongs, or can we say with Joseph: "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction?"

Since God always foresees the end of the story, we may never know why He chose to favor King Saul with the blessings and the position that He did. What we can know, however, is that God can use circumstances in our lives to purge each of us of the "King Saul" in our hearts. Are you ready to relinquish your little "kingdom" to God today?

King Saul didn't take it well when God said He was going to give His kingdom to someone else. Saul believed the kingdom was his, not God's – and he was going to hold onto "his" throne at any cost. In today's episode, Pastor Lutzer outlines the characteristics of a "spear-thrower" and how to react to them.