Podcast Summary: "Message | We Have the Victory"

River Valley Church
Date: August 17, 2025
Speaker: Pastor Rob Ketterling

Main Theme & Purpose

In this fifth and final message on 1 John, Pastor Rob Ketterling focuses on chapter five, emphasizing the biblical theme of victory—specifically, the victory believers have through faith, love, and obedience to Christ. Despite challenges posed by the world and spiritual struggles, Pastor Rob encourages the congregation to recognize, claim, and live out the victory that is theirs as children of God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Recurring Themes in 1 John (00:40)

• Faith, Love, Obedience:
  Pastor Rob recaps that the repeated message throughout 1 John is the call to faith, love, and obedience. John, as an older spiritual leader, is urging his spiritual children to not just believe, but to love deeply and obey God's commands.

  "He's like, I want you to have faith, I want you to have love, and I want you to be obedient children." (00:40)

• The progression in 1 John leads up to victory, which is the central focus of chapter five.

2. Victory over the World (02:50)

• Definition of “the World”:
  The “world” refers to a system opposed to God—one that pressures believers to conform, compromise, and settle for less than God’s blessing and calling.

• Spiritual Battle:
  Pastor Rob stresses that after accepting Jesus, believers still face a spiritual battle as the world continually tries to steal faith, joy, and victory.

  "The world is fighting against you, saying, conform, give in, go with the flow. It’s trying to steal your faith, your joy, your victory." (03:40)

• Call to Persistence:
  Even if knocked down, get up and claim victory because Jesus has already secured it.

3. God's Commands Are Not a Burden (04:55)

• Obedience as Proof of Love:
  Loving God is evidenced by obedience, not mere words.

• Counteracting Worldly Narratives:
  The world (and sadly, sometimes even the church) portrays God's commands as restrictive or burdensome.

• God's Best:
  God's boundaries and commands lead to blessing, not misery.

  "God's blessings are when you stay in his boundaries. That’s where his blessings are." (08:40)

• Notable Story (07:00):
  Pastor Rob recounts visiting another church where a popular pastor downplayed purity, and he reaffirms that God, not culture or even prominent church leaders, determines what’s best.

4. God's Strength and Presence in Obedience (11:20)

• The Marshmallow Test Illustration:
  Pastor Rob uses a humorous anecdote from church Christmas videos to illustrate temptation and discipline, emphasizing that Christ is always present to encourage and strengthen believers—not leaving them alone in their struggle.

  "Jesus is right there with you in the room, and he’s telling you, don't fall for that temptation. Obey my command. Oh, I know it's hard to forgive, but my hand is on your shoulder. Forgive them. I’m right here." (13:00)

• Delighting in God's Commands:
  True love for God turns obedience from obligation to joyful surrender.

  "If you love God, his commands are not a burden. Like, you want to please him. You want to do what's right." (15:35)

  Quoting Rabbi Moshe in Jerusalem:
  "I delight to do your will, O my God. Your law is within my heart... Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it." (17:20)

• Elizabeth Elliot’s “Glad Surrender”:
  Obedience is framed as a joyful, not reluctant, choice.

5. The Reality and Assurance of Victory (18:40)

• What It Means to Be Born of God:
  Evidence includes a changed life: keeping God’s commands, loving others, rejecting worldly values, and practicing righteousness (referencing summary scriptures in 1 John).

• Living From Victory, Not For Victory:

  "The Christian is not fighting for victory, but from victory. The battle has already been won." (22:20, citing Warren Wiersbe)

• Identity as Overcomers:
  Believers' present reality is victory—like a main character in a movie, we know the outcome is assured, so we can act confidently.

  "I'm not a victim. I'm a victor... It's a finished fact. It's done." (24:10)

• The Word “Victory” (Nikao/Nike):
  The Greek word for victory (‘nikao’) implies conquering “like an athlete that has gained mastery over their competition”—not because of our effort, but Christ’s work.

6. The Key to Victory: Faith in Jesus (28:05)

• Foundation of Victory:
  Belief “that Jesus is the Son of God” is central to overcoming the world.

• Implications of Faith:

  • God cares deeply for believers.

  • Jesus is always present (“I’ll never leave you nor forsake you”).

  • Jesus faced every struggle and overcame, modeling that believers can too.

  • If Jesus won, believers share in his victory.

    "He won, I win. I can live as a victor in this life." (33:30)

• Encouragement for Challenging Seasons:
  If life feels like “Friday” (referring to the crucifixion), remember that “Sunday’s coming”—resurrection and victory are assured.

  "It may look like Friday in your spiritual walk right now, but Sunday's coming. You need to realize you have the victory. You are an overcomer in Jesus Christ." (34:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Delighting in God's Commands:

  "I wanna love whatever [God has] clarified is the best way to live... They’re not a burden to me." (18:12)

• Warren Wiersbe on Christian Victory:

  "The Christian is not fighting for victory, but from victory. The battle has already been won." (22:20)

• On Obedience and Victory:

  "We're overcomers and we should live that way...I wanna align with who you say I am and what your word for says I am." (25:20)

• Closing Encouragement:

  "Leave church today saying, victory is mine. Victory is Mine. I can live in victory. I have faith. I have love. I have obedience. And guess what? It's all pointing to victory. Victory in Jesus name." (36:10)

Important Timestamps

• 00:40: Main themes of 1 John: faith, love, obedience
• 03:40: The world’s opposition and spiritual battle
• 07:00: Example of mischaracterizing God’s commands in church culture
• 13:00: Marshmallow test illustration—Jesus empowers us from within
• 15:35: Delighting in God’s commands
• 17:20: Rabbi Moshe’s delight in obedience
• 22:20: Living from victory, not for victory (Wiersbe quote)
• 24:10: Our identity as victors, not victims
• 28:05: The foundation of faith for victory
• 33:30: “He won, I win”—victory in Christ
• 34:10: “Friday but Sunday’s coming”—hope through trials
• 36:10: Charge to the congregation—claim and live in victory

Tone & Language

The tone is uplifting, encouraging, and personal, blending biblical teaching with humor and everyday stories. Pastor Rob’s style is relatable and passionate, urging listeners to claim their identity in Christ and walk confidently in victory, not defeat.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a motivating deep dive into 1 John 5, reminding Christians that through faith in Jesus, they’ve already received victory over sin, the world, and the devil. Far from being a heavy burden, God’s commands lead to joy, blessing, and empowerment—making obedience an act of love, not drudgery. The key takeaway: because of Christ’s work, believers are overcomers, secure in victory, and called to live boldly in faith, love, and obedience.