Royal Rangers Devotion | Commander John Rubinow

The sermon draws a powerful parallel between the principles of soapbox derby racing and living a victorious Christian life, focusing on the biblical motivation to "run that you might win" (1 Corinthians 9:24). Commander John emphasizes that life's spiritual race requires discipline, commitment, and purposeful effort, akin to building and racing a soapbox derby car with a winning attitude. Central to this message is the importance of running the race God has personally assigned to each believer, whether in a leadership position or a supportive role. The sermon stresses that works complement faith; faith alone is not sufficient, as supported by biblical references including James 2:24 and Revelation 3:2.

Commander John highlights three critical aspects to succeed in both racing and spiritual life: maintaining a proper attitude, choosing the right vision or finish line, and ensuring alignment—symbolized by the “try” or wheel alignment on a derby car, representing unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Without alignment with God’s will, believers will falter, just as a car with misaligned wheels struggles on the track. The message concludes with an invitation for listeners to commit or recommit their lives to Jesus through a simple prayer, underscoring the transformational impact of surrendering to Christ as the way to realignment and victory in life’s race. The sermon encourages persistence, unity, and faithfulness in whatever “chair” or position God has assigned, affirming that every role is valuable in God’s kingdom.

 Highlights  

- 🏁 Christian life paralleled with soapbox derby racing to illustrate spiritual principles.  

- 🙌 “Run that you might win” from 1 Corinthians 9:24 as the central motivational scripture.  

- 💪 Faith and works both essential—works demonstrate true faith (James 2:24).  

- 🎯 Importance of vision: focusing on the spiritual finish line like a racer picking their line.  

- 🔧 Spiritual alignment with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is as critical as proper car alignment.  

- 🌟 Value in all roles: leaders and supporters are equally vital to the race’s outcome.  

- 🙏 Invitation to pray for realignment with God through the “sinner’s prayer” and commitment to Christ.

 Key Insights  

- 🏆 Spiritual race as a deliberate pursuit of victory: The sermon frames the Christian life as an intentional race where the objective is to “win,” not just participate. It challenges a complacent faith and calls believers to run with purpose and discipline, paralleling the intensity and focus required in competitive racing. This encourages a proactive, goal-oriented approach to faith that engages effort and endurance.

- 🧭 Choosing your race and running your lane: Just as a soapbox derby driver must select a specific line down the track and focus on the finish, Christians are called to identify and pursue the unique path God has assigned them. This underscores the importance of personal calling and vision, urging believers to avoid distraction and press forward with clarity and determination toward their individual spiritual goals.

- 🔄 Works validate faith; faith without action is incomplete: Drawing on James 2:24 and Revelation 3:2, the message highlights that faith must be complemented by works to be genuine. The analogy stresses that a strong faith manifests in consistent effort and responsibility, which equates to “running the race” well. Spiritual success involves both inner belief and outward demonstration.

- 🔧 Alignment symbolizes spiritual harmony with God: The technical explanation of derby car wheel alignment serves as a metaphor for the believer’s relationship with the Trinity. Just as misaligned wheels cause a car to veer off course and slow down, a life out of sync with God leads to spiritual struggle and stagnation. The call to “fix your try” is an urging to develop intimate fellowship and obedience with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for optimal spiritual progress.

- 🤝 The importance of supporting roles in spiritual leadership: The sermon emphasizes that not everyone is called to be a first chair leader; spiritual success depends on faithful followers—“Barnabases,” “Aarons,” and “Calebs”—who support and reinforce leaders. This insight addresses the value of teamwork, humility, and cooperation within faith communities, affirming that all roles contribute to God’s kingdom purposes.

- 💡 Attitude determines potential for spiritual success: Referencing the emphasis on a racer’s attitude as a key to winning, the message highlights the power of mindset and thought life in spiritual victory. Scriptures like Romans 12:1-2 and Proverbs 23:7 underscore the transformative effect of renewing the mind and maintaining a positive, aligned heart and attitude toward God’s will.

- 🙏 The sinner’s prayer as life realignment and spiritual rebirth: Closing with an invitation to pray and invite Christ into one’s life grounds the entire message in the practical step of salvation. This moment reaffirms that the race toward spiritual maturity and victory begins with a realignment of one’s heart with God through Christ, marking a new start and ongoing journey in faith.

In summary, this sermon uses the metaphor of soapbox derby racing to richly illustrate essential dynamics of the Christian spiritual journey. It calls believers to discipline, clarity of vision, faithful service, proper attitude, and most importantly, unity with God through Christ. By doing so, believers can “run that they might win” not only in their earthly race but in their eternal walk with God.