You Don’t Win By Trying

Stop Trying, Start Training

Scripture References

• 1 Corinthians 9
• 1 Timothy 4:7

Overview

Real and lasting change is never accomplished by “trying harder.” From 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 4, Pastor Craig shows that disciples are called to “run to win” by trading a half-hearted theology of trying for the focused lifestyle of training. Like an athlete who prepares for a race, followers of Jesus pursue spiritual transformation with clear identity, purpose, habits, and discipline. The sermon adds a fifth building block—our spiritual ​how—answering the question: “Based on who God wants you to become, how will you train?”

Main Points

1. Run to Win (1 Corinthians 9)

• Paul’s language is competitive: everyone runs, but only one wins—so run to win.
• The Corinthian audience understood athletic imagery (Olympic & Isthmian Games).
• Modern parallel: many believers treat spiritual life like a participation trophy instead of a race to be won.

“Run to win.”

2. Why Trying Fails

• “Trying” = an attempt to change with minimal commitment and a built-in excuse clause (“I’m trying to pray… I’m trying to eat better…”).
• It produces cycles of two steps forward, three steps back in finances, relationships, thought life, and spiritual growth.
• For many, the frustration is not lack of desire but relying on the wrong strategy.

3. Training Mind-Set (1 Timothy 4:7)

• Scripture never tells us to try to be godly; it commands us to “train yourself to be godly.”
• Training = wholehearted commitment to achieve a specific result.
• Two marks of true training:
  1. Get the gear – invest tangibly (running shoes, planner, Bible app, journal, etc.).
  2. Create a game plan – scheduled practices, coaching, resources, measurable steps.

• Illustration: Ancient athletes endured 10-month regimens, strict diets, and sometimes wrestled in extreme temperatures—even against bulls or lions.
• Illustration: Pastor Craig’s own jiu-jitsu journey—rash guard, coaches Tyler and Andrew, thousands of taps, and cauliflower ear—shows the difference between showing up and preparing.

“I’m not trying. I’m in training.”

4. Linking the Five Spiritual Building Blocks

1. Spiritual WHO – Identity in Christ determines behavior.
2. Spiritual WHY – God-honoring motive behind the goal.
3. Spiritual WHAT – One habit to start.
4. Spiritual WHAT NOT – One habit to break.
5. Spiritual HOW – The training plan that turns intention into transformation.

• Training refuses to act only when feelings are favorable; it acts according to commitment.
• Even missed days don’t cancel the race—you show back up because you’re in training.

5. Application Questions

• Based on WHO you want to become, HOW will you train?
  • What gear (tools, environments, relationships) will you secure?
  • What specific plan (schedule, coaching, accountability) will you follow?
• Examples:
  • A “great marriage in training” schedules counseling, prayer, service, even matching T-shirts.
  • A “godly influence in training” curates a worship playlist, serves weekly, studies Scripture daily.

6. Gospel Invitation

• God didn’t merely try to love us; He demonstrated love through Jesus’ sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection.
• Anyone who calls on Jesus is forgiven and made new—entering a lifetime of Spirit-empowered training in righteousness.

Key Truths

• You do what you do because of what you think of you; identity drives behavior.
• Trying relies on willpower; training relies on purposeful preparation and the power of God.
• Physical training has value, but training for godliness benefits both this life and eternity.
• A black belt is simply a white belt that never stopped training—perseverance wins the race.
• Real change is spiritual transformation, not behavior modification.

Response

• Define plainly who God is calling you to be.
• Draft a training plan: daily practices, weekly rhythms, long-term milestones.
• Acquire the necessary gear—Bible app, journal, book, mentor, class—this week.
• Eliminate the “try” vocabulary; speak and act as someone “in training.”
• Show up tomorrow even if you stumbled today.

Closing

Pastor Craig challenged every hearer to cross a decisive line: abandon the theology of trying and embrace the lifestyle of training. Winning isn’t postponed until a future milestone; winning happens each day you show up with purpose in every step.

“Stop trying and start training.”

Prayer

The congregation prayed for fresh commitment: gratitude for Christ’s finished work, confession of past half-hearted attempts, and a plea for the Holy Spirit to empower deliberate training in godliness.

Resources

• The Power to Change (book) – Craig Groeschel
• YouVersion Bible App