I wrote last week about my friend who died. It was a rough week. We held a “Celebration of Life” service for my friend yesterday. He had asked me a month ago if I would conduct the service. How could I say no? It was amusing to see the look on some people’s faces when they saw me get up on stage to do a “funeral” service. “I thought you were a football coach??!” they said. “I was… but I am also an ordained pastor!” I replied. I could see the cognitive dissonance all over their faces!
How about you? What are you “known for” or “known as” in your community? We get pidgeon-holed at times. Be sure, as the Bible says, to let your light shine.
I want to talk about HOPE today. When people gather at a funeral, their immortality comes right to the forefront. We don’t like to think about death and eternity. Funerals cause us to actually face it. It’s uncomfortable. Why? Cuz we’re not PROPERLY prepared to face it!
You know if you’re read a lot of my posts that “The 5 P’s of Success” concept is pretty much the foundation of anything I talk about when it comes to coaching, parenting, teaching and/or life in general. The same thing holds true with death. But I have some good news for you today. You CAN know in advance where you’re going when you die! There is hope!!!
Most of us live UNprepared to die… even though it’s inevitable. I am prepared to die! I’m not ready to die but I am prepared. What prepared me? A relationship with Jesus Christ. John 3:16 is not only one of the most famous verses in the Bible, it is also one of the most important! To paraphrase it, it tells us: “God loves each of us so much! that He let his Son die on a bloody Cross. If you believe in Him, you can have eternal life in heaven.
Jesus offers to everyone the gift of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life with Him! This gift is called grace and, yes, it is AMAZING! (Just like the song says!) If you’ve never accepted this offer of salvation and eternal life with Jesus… then I want you to know that God invites you to come! As a follower of Jesus, I invite you to come.
Seeing what happened to my friend last week (he was only 58), I think it’s important that we all understand that our lives on this earth can end without warning! I shared with the people in attendance at the celebration service yesterday the following words: If my friend Earle (and because I’m writing this… so I’ll say me too!) could share one thing with you, it would be THIS:
Make peace with the God who created you! Don’t reject Jesus’ love. There is no one who will ever love you more than Jesus! His love is sufficient to meet ALL of your needs!
Write me if you’d like to know more about this. In Jesus’ love, Lew
