Our Guide To Victory

0:00March 28th, our guide to victory. Have you ever tried to climb a mountain? Standing at the base, peering at the peak can feel rather overwhelming. And doubts begin to trickle in. The mountain top looks like an eternity away, but your trail guide assures you you can do this. They'll be there to help. All you have to do is follow them. So you set out step by step behind your guide as you zigzag your way up the mountain. Then you look up. While you were focused on your leader, the peak drew closer and closer. And before you know it, you've reached the summit. What an accomplishment. The destination almost scared you away until you learned to simply follow your guide. And the same can be said for us as believers. There are many things we're called to as Christians that in and of themselves will seem quite daunting. But by setting our sites

1:05firmly on Christ, we can be sure we'll obtain victory over them. Today we'll meet Doug, a man whose own discomfort nearly kept him from Christ. But he's here now to share with us his true story. On this unshackled, daily devotional. When I was a teenager, dad was badly burned on a job and while he was in the hospital, a man introduced him to Jesus. Every day they studied the Bible together and dad received Christ before he came home from the hospital. Suddenly he realized that pride is a sin. He tried to tell me about salvation, but I didn't want to let go of my cigarettes and parties. After high school, I joined the Navy, finished electrician school and was assigned to a communication ship. We sailed to the Mediterranean in 1973 where the Middle East was about to explode in war. One day, we heard the signal for general quarters and I realized that if I died, I'd go to hell. I had hardened my heart toward the Lord. I had dist-Christian music and mocked believers because I thought I'd have to preach if I got saved. That night I dreamed I

2:09went to hell and when I woke up, I was terrified. A sailor who loved the Lord explained that God had a plan for my life and preaching wasn't necessarily in store for me. There in the noisy engine room, I prayed, asking Christ to come into my heart in life. I was saved. It was easy for me to give up cigarettes and alcohol. It was also easy to tell other guys about Jesus and I'm still telling others about Christ. The author of Hebrews reminds believers in chapter 13 verse 21 that God will make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ. Friend, this is our promise. Whatever formidable task lies before us, God will equip us to achieve it. Doug rejected Christianity because he feared the call of preaching and now he finds himself eagerly sharing his faith with others because his

3:14focus has become firmly set on his guide, Jesus Christ. Will you receive this truth today? Unshackled, the longest running audio drama in history airs on over 3000 radio stations worldwide. This award-winning program grips the heart with compelling and relevant stories of transformed lives. Without Jesus Christ, we are all shackled by sin, by our wrong choices, disobedience, and selfish motives. But God is at work and the power of Christ sets us free of our bondage. Listen to a new devotional every day and don't forget to tell your friends about unshackled daily devotional.