Happy Birthday Erwin Lutzer
I have been very blessed to have had meaningful and rewarding jobs where I worked somewhat unusual hours. In each of the last three roles, my commute to work went from at best 20 minutes, to today’s almost 2 hours. For various reasons, I travelled to these jobs at very early morning times, which quite frankly works very well for me, but is seen as quite odd by most. One of the true blessings for me, turns out to be a missed gem to most others, and that is the jewel of getting to hear Radio Evangelists, which I wrote about a few weeks ago. It’s a shame that most of these great messages and Christian programs, are always broadcast at odd and seldom listened to times, but for my past 25 years, hearing these shows has been a very real and welcomed blessing.
Driving to and from United Airlines, I had the real pleasure of listening to Indianapolis’ own Jeffrey Johnson. Today as I drive to GE Aviation, I get to hear Focus on the Family, and while driving to Rolls-Royce, I got the true treat of hearing sermons from today’s feature, Erwin Lutzer. Dr. Lutzer turned 80 years old just a few weeks ago (October 3rd), and his sermons broadcast on Moody Radio, were always very inspiring to me and gave my day the perfect start, in an always challenging and difficult business world.
A brilliant orator, church leader, and author, Lutzer has made me truly think about and study my own Christian life style, and commitment, while also truly inspiring me and helping me keep a Jesus focus while battling the business world. Currently, I’m reading his 1998/2008 book “Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust The Bible,” which is a great read for those challenged with Christian apologetics or those just wanting to better relate to the historical facts of the Bible.
Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Lutzer became a born-again Christian at age 14. In 1962, he graduated from Winnipeg Bible Institute (now Providence University College and Theological Seminary) with a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Education. He served as senior pastor of Edgewater Baptist Church, Chicago, from 1971 to 1977. During that time, he completed an M.A. in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. Previously he had earned the Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1967. In subsequent years, Lutzer has received an LL.D. from Simon Greenleaf School of Law and a Doctor of Divinity from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.
In January 1980, Lutzer became the senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The church and its ministries grew significantly under his leadership, leading to the construction of a new Christian Life Center to complement the existing 75-year-old building.
Lutzer is also the speaker on three radio broadcasts: "Songs in the Night," "Running to Win", and "The Moody Church Hour." These broadcasts are heard on radio stations across the U.S., including Moody Radio and the Bible Broadcasting Network, and streamed worldwide on the internet. Lutzer speaks internationally at churches, conferences, and retreats, such as the Word of Life Conference Center in Hudson, Florida.
On November 10, 2018, his television production of A Call for Freedom, tracing the Protestant Reformation from the time of Martin Luther, and shot on location in Germany, won three regional Emmy Awards.
Dr. Lutzer has also authored more than 50 books, including Hitler’s Cross, which won a Gold Medallion award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and the bestselling One Minute After You Die: A Preview of Your Final Destination. His book critiquing Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, entitled The Da Vinci Deception, was featured on national broadcasts in both secular and Christian markets.
On January 4, 2016, at a Sunday sermon, Lutzer announced that he would be retiring, after 36 years, from his senior pastor position at The Moody Church. He said he would retain the position until a new senior pastor was chosen, and afterward would consider himself to be the church's "Pastor Emeritus," His hopes were to "assume a wider role" by continuing his radio show "Running to Win" as well as "speaking at media rallies, conducting seminars, and writing books" in the future. On the Sunday morning of May 22, 2016, Lutzer preached his last sermon as senior pastor of The Moody Church and officially stepped down from the position. Dr. Lutzer and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.
I very much enjoyed spending my morning drives listening to Erwin Lutzer. In fact, I would plan those drives around his sermon times and remain in my car, after arriving at the Rolls-Royce parking garage, just to hear every last moment of his messages. He was, and is, a brilliant and clear expositor of the Bible. His messages make you think, challenge the norm, and truly help you understand Jesus and God’s teachings in a common man’s view, while countering the so-called norms of the world.
Unfortunately, Moody Radio changed their local broadcast time to late afternoons, and thus during my last year at Rolls-Royce, I was unable to hear Dr. Lutzer’s powerful messages. It was a challenging year for me, and while I don’t think I can draw the correlation that I chose to leave Rolls-Royce because my days no longer started so positive with Dr. Lutzer’s messages. I do feel that if I had heard those riveting sermons, to start off each day on positive footing, I certainly would not have felt so challenged and disappointed with that particular, soon to be EX, employer.
However, as I mentioned I have discovered his books, which are all worth a read. He can also be found broadcasting great Christian messages throughout the United States and across the globe. But you don’t have to scan through the radio dial to hear Dr. Lutzer, because you can find every archived message of his, on the Moody Church Media Archive (linked Here.) But if you’re lucky enough to find a station broadcasting Dr. Lutzer sermons, I suggest you make every effort to sit back and enjoy how he will bring you closer to Jesus and God, and refresh your day, and more importantly, refresh or restart your life!
So, the next time you need a lift, or you need grounded in God’s Word, you can always count on an Erwin Lutzer message to help you through. I would start each day, either in the Bible, or listening to Dr. Lutzer, or better yet in both. You cannot lose either way and I think you might just find, that your day will be a little better, your step a little lighter, and the problems of this world, not so challenging. Because the Bible, and people like Erwin Lutzer, will always be there to help us along.
Happy 80th Birthday, Dr. Erwin Lutzer – Thank You and God Bless You!!!
