The Worlds Okayest Pastor
Faith. Life. Real Talk.
I’m a pastor with a deep passion for teaching God’s Word and helping people discover a meaningful relationship with Christ. But I’m also human—living in the same world you do, facing the same ups and downs.
This space is where faith meets everyday life. I don’t want to ignore the struggles we all face—whether spiritual, emotional, or practical. My hope is to walk alongside you, offering truth, grace, and guidance for both this life and the one to come.
Let’s grow together.
The Worlds Okayest Pastor
Inheriting Eternity: Why How We Live Matters
The end of the world remains one of Christianity's most misunderstood and contested theological points. In this revealing exploration of Daniel's final prophetic vision, we challenge the popular but unbiblical notion of a pre-tribulation rapture - that believers will be whisked away to heaven while others endure terrible suffering before Christ's return.
Scripture paints a different picture: when Jesus returns, it's for final judgment. No temporary escape, no second chance during tribulation. And why does this theological distinction matter? Because our understanding of the end deeply influences how we live today. If we truly believe Jesus could return at any moment bringing final judgment, shouldn't that create greater urgency in how we share His message of hope?
Every generation throughout history has believed they were living in the end times. From the early disciples to those who lived through world wars, each was convinced the world's end was imminent. But the true purpose of apocalyptic literature like Daniel and Revelation isn't to provide precise timelines - it's to assure us that God remains sovereign over human history, regardless of how chaotic our world becomes.
Our world suffers not because God actively punishes us, but because sin has distorted creation from its intended design. Cancer, natural disasters, broken relationships - these weren't part of the original plan. Creation itself "waits in eager expectation" to be liberated from decay and brought into freedom, as Paul writes in Romans 8. When God makes all things new, there will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain."
Rather than obsessing over when the world might end, we're called to live with eternity in mind - focusing on building God's kingdom, loving His creation, and sharing the hope only Jesus offers. Political powers rise and fall, but God's kingdom endures forever. The only thing worth giving people is knowledge of who He is, because everything else will eventually pass away.
Join us in exploring what it truly means to live ready for Christ's return - not through fear or complicated prophetic calculations, but through faithful living that brings glimpses of God's coming kingdom into our broken world today.
So I've been kind of wrestling with this all week. So I'm going to take a minute. I'm going to clarify something. I'm about to say something that I believe is true of Scripture, and it's a highly debated topic. You might find yourself not agreeing with me, that's okay. I don't do this too often from a pulpit. You might find yourself not agreeing with me, that's okay. I don't do this too often from a public. I think these kind of conversations are best one-on-one, but I think this one's necessary, considering the book that we're in considering kind of the future of the world and the state that it is. So again, I'm going to ask you to, I'm going to say what I'm going to say and I'm going to ask you to argue with me in your head for now, and you and I can get together and talk about it, and I can give you all the resources and all the stuff that I've looked into and the things that I've studied and we can talk about it. But I don't want you to stay there and get stuck on it, and I say that because I don't want you to get stuck on this divisive topic just to miss the rest of it. So here's what I'm going to say the idea of a biblical rapture, the idea that we most commonly see right. And so when I say rapture, I'm referring to this idea that was made popular by the Left Behind series and actually that dates back to the year 1830 is when it first came about the idea of what's known as a pre-tribulation rapture, which means that you and I are going to be taken into heaven, stay there with God while everyone goes through the tribulations and suffers. That idea is unbiblical. There is no scripture that points to it. Again, I say this fully aware of what I'm saying there's no scripture that says that you and I are going to escape the world for a little bit of time, where everyone else stays behind and suffers, and then we're going to come back for the second coming. The word rapture is actually a Greek word that's found in Paul's letter to Thessalonians, and it's this idea of rising to meet Jesus in the air that's biblical. That's a statement that I think is true. I don't know what that's going to look like, but at the end, when Jesus comes back but the idea that he's going to come back, leave and leave everyone else here to suffer and then come back again, is not scriptural. Scripture actually teaches in the end that Jesus comes back the next time. That's it. Final judgment comes with him. That is in Scripture. Again, you're going to argue with me in your head. That's it. Final judgment comes with him. That is in Scripture. Again, you're going to argue with me in your head. That's okay, I'm going to give you a minute to argue with me in your head, okay, you guys? Good, you know what your email is going to say to me this week.
Speaker 1:When you write it Now, you might say to yourself well, it doesn't really matter. I think it does, actually, because I think how you understand the end of the world and how you understand the end of creation is significant, because I think it informs how you live now. So it does matter. And I was the person a couple years ago. I said well, when the end happens, it's not really going to matter because Jesus knows and there's a part of that, that's true but I think how you understand the end of the world and how you understand the end of creation matters, because I think it informs how you live here and now. So we're going to get into Daniel, chapter 12.
Speaker 1:Daniel wraps up the book, his own book, with a dream of the end of the ends. We've seen a lot of prophecies and we saw a lot of that fulfilled after his lifetime. But real quick, let's recap Daniel chapter 10 and Daniel chapter 11 and then we'll hop into chapter 12. So Daniel, chapter 10 a heavenly messenger appears. So Daniel receives a troubling vision and leaves him mourning and fasting for three weeks. At the end of that time, a glorious angelic being appears to him. The angel reveals that he was delayed by spiritual warfare, specifically a battle with the prince of Persia. Angelic being appears to him. The angel reveals that he was delayed by spiritual warfare, specifically a battle with the prince of Persia, and so the archangel Michael came to help. This chapter pulls back the curtain on cosmic battle between angelic and demonic forces influencing earthly kingdoms. It shows that prayer, though seemingly silent, impacts real spiritual conflict in the unseen realm. So Daniel in chapter 10 sees what we already know that there's a battle going on spiritually for us constantly. There's a war being waged to the end of time.
Speaker 1:So we get into Daniel chapter 11. It says that Daniel chapter 11 is a prophetic outline of future world events. This is given to Daniel by the angel who appeared in chapter 10. It describes a detailed succession of kings and wars, particularly focused on the conflict between the king of the north and the king of the south. So these prophecies accurately predict political events spanning centuries. By the way, one of the reasons why I think Scripture is so unique not only unique but trustworthy is because you look back on the prophecies and you can actually see these fulfilled in real time historically. So Daniel has a vision it's disturbing in chapter 10. It's an angel who reveals to him that there's a spiritual war that's going on, and he gives great detail actually about what this world is going to look like. And then in chapter 11, he foreshadows and speaks of a coming Antichrist, one who's going to completely oppose God to his face.
Speaker 1:And then we get to Daniel, chapter 12, verses 1 through 13,. Starting in verse 1, it says At that time, michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress, just as has happened from the beginning of nations until then, but at that time your people, everyone whose name is found written in the book, will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake. Now I'm going to stop here real quick, because this is another thing that I think we find in Scripture.
Speaker 1:I believe that I think Scripture teaches that those who have died previously are asleep. I think Scripture teaches that those who have died previously are asleep. They've not yet risen to the full extent because there's not a new heaven or a new earth yet they're asleep Now. It's going to seem like an instant to them, because when you're asleep, time passes differently. But I do think the Scripture backs this idea that those that have gone before are waiting for the end.
Speaker 1:Continuing in verse 3, it says those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars, forever and ever. But you, daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll. Until the time of the end, many will go here and there to increase knowledge. Then I, daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on the bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river how long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled? The man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying it will be for a half a time, times and a half a time I don't know if you've ever done math, but that doesn't add up Be for a time, times and half a time, when the power of the holy people was finally broken. All things will be completed. I heard, but I did not understand, so I asked my. I heard, but I did not understand, so I asked my Lord what would the outcome of all of this be? He replied Go your way, daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. As for you, go your way to the end. You will rest and at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.
Speaker 1:So again, when we're talking about the book of Daniel, it's really easy to get caught up in trying to figure out when is the world going to end? 1,290 days, it's been a lot more than 1,290 days since Daniel had this prophecy. It's been a lot more than 1,335 days. So what does this mean? Right? How do we wrestle with this? How do we look at this? Is the purpose of Daniel to give you an exact timeline of when the world will end? Is the book of Revelation designed to give you a timeline of when the world will end? I would state no. I don't think. That's the point of why they were written, mainly because Daniel asks a question and the angel says nope, that's going to be held a mystery until the end. He says Daniel, go your way, and I even like what he says at the end of the book. He says as for you, go your way till the end. You will rest and then, at the end of the days, you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance. That, to me, sums up the book of Daniel. The angel says don't worry about the time. Instead, live your life the way you're supposed to. The way you're supposed to, you will find rest and when all of it comes to an end, you will receive your allotted inheritance. I think that's the point. It's not so we can mathematically figure out when the world's going to end.
Speaker 1:I love the conversation of end times because people are like do you think we're in the end? I don't know, Do you? Well, all this is going on. You realize we're not the only generation that's thought we're in the end times. Right, world War I thought they were in the end times. World War II, cold War, all the nuclear stuff Every generation before us has thought it was going to. Even going back to the disciples. They thought Jesus was coming in their lifetime. That's not new. When we look at the world and it's chaotic and we think, oh, it's going to end someday, well, it's so much worse than it ever has been, I don't know. I think media and social media makes it feel that way. I think it's because we weren't aware of all this chaos. I mean, how many of you were aware of how impoverished Africa was 30 years ago? Probably no one, because we didn't get to see all the chaos. And now there's riots in LA and they're burning down. It's the end of the world. There were riots a couple years ago. There were riots decades ago.
Speaker 1:Again, I don't think that the purpose of these books is to give us specific dates and times of when the world's going to end. I don't even think that's the point of Daniel. The point of Daniel is, in a nutshell, in the point of revelation. In a nutshell is God is sovereign over human history, which means that it doesn't matter how good or how bad something is, god is ultimately in control, always, forever. There is no other kingdom, there is no one else who will have eternal existence like his kingdom, and you and I get to experience that if we go our way and we stay faithful to what God has called us. That's the point. I realize that's a simple answer, but when it comes down to why it's important to understand how the world ends, but when it comes down to why it's important to understand how the world ends at the end of it, god's in charge At the end of it. If we're faithful to him and what he's calling us to do, we get to inherit our reward with him. So the question is why does it matter how I believe the world ends? Because I think your theology influences how you live.
Speaker 1:Now. If I believe that Jesus can come back at any moment and I do I think scripture teaches this like a thief in the night. If I believe that Jesus can come back at any moment and that judgment is coming with him, those who follow him will find redemption and grace and those who are wicked will be cast away into lakes of fire. If I believe that, theologically, that puts an urgency in my step to tell people about Jesus, because I don't want anyone to experience the lake of fire. I don't want anyone to go to hell ever. That is never my goal. And if I believe that Jesus will come back tonight to experience the lake of fire. I don't want anyone to go to hell Ever. That is never my goal. And if I believe that Jesus will come back tonight, the question I have to ask myself is am I ready? Are my friends ready? Are my neighbors ready? What am I doing to witness to people, to tell people, to help people understand why this is so important?
Speaker 1:Now, not everyone, but people who believe in the rapture theology. I feel like the people that I've come across are less on a mission to evangelize because in their mind, well, I'm going to go to heaven and wait it out in greatness, and these people will figure it out as the world burns. They're going to have a second chance, they'll be okay, it's all right. Again, not biblical, and I think that that theology can influence how you live. Daniel is coming to all of this and all of his exile and all of the, everything he's seen, and at the very end the angel says if you stay true to God, you will inherit your reward.
Speaker 1:Paul talks about it like this in Romans 8, 19-21. He says For the creation waits an eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed, for the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, and hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. The creation you and I live in is longing for the day when it gets restored. Like I tell this to my kids all the time and it's such an interesting conversation because little kids, the way they think about stuff, is neat, but it's also challenging.
Speaker 1:Griffin asks me some of the greatest questions. I'd run a lot of my thoughts by him, believe it or not, when I write sermons, because I'm like, is he going to understand this? Because he might understand this and if not. He's going to ask me questions later, right, and so one of the things that we often talk about is sickness and brokenness. And why are people like this? And the truth is it's because the world's broken Creation has been distorted. Adam and Eve messed it up. They wanted to be like God. They ate the fruit. Man, I always want to say apple, don't say it's an apple, they ate the fruit. And it messed everything up. They distorted it. So cancer, brokenness, broken marriages, divorce all of these things you and I weren't you realize, we weren't meant to experience this right. So creation is waiting. It's longing for the day when it finally gets restored. You and I are waiting for the same thing.
Speaker 1:The loss of my two kids was because of the brokenness of this world. All of the pain and the problems and the struggle that came with that were not part of the original plan. I don't even think those things happened to us because of us. People say and Jesus actually addresses this on the Gospels but what sin did you commit to cause that to happen? I mean, I'm a sinner, but I don't think God punished me by taking two of my kids because I'm a sinner. I think Danny lost two babies because the world's broken, because sin has ruined everything. I think kids get diagnosed with cancer because the world's broken. I think people do evil and wicked things because the world's broken. Sin has distorted everything. And it's interesting because we really like to blame God for those problems. But it wasn't God who did it, it was us. Adam and Eve introduced it all.
Speaker 1:But you and I are in this moment where, in our faith, we're waiting to the end. I always think about the difference between, during the funeral of someone who has faith and someone who doesn't, during the funeral of someone who has faith and someone who doesn't. I've done a couple funerals for people that don't believe in Jesus and let me tell you that's a hard funeral. It's hard to offer hope and you do and you say things and you try to encourage them and you hope that maybe somewhere along the line they made a choice. But when you get to the funeral of someone who's followed God, that's a celebration Because we know what's coming for them. We know that all of the pain and the brokenness of this world, all of the sickness, all of the stuff they struggle with is no longer part of their life.
Speaker 1:Nt Wright is a scholar who I follow a lot and if I had to kind of gravitate towards anyone who, I think, understands and has a good knowledge of how the world comes to an end, he believes in the idea that and I agree with him, and I think Scripture teaches us that there's coming a day when all of this is going to be restored, everything's going to be made new. The idea of a new heaven and a new earth I don't think is like a new in the sense that it's brand new, but I think it's the idea that all of this is going to be restored to the place where it's supposed. New, but I think it's the idea that all of this is going to be restored to the place where it's supposed to be. Some of you know Jonathan Absher, some of you don't, and him and I were having a conversation about this one time and I was like how do you explain that idea? He's like, well, I imagine, when everything's restored, that I'm going to be driving in my car down the road and someone's going to cut me off and I'm not even going to get mad about it Because I'm just going to think you know what? They're probably in a hurry and that's okay. He's like that's how I envision it. It's going to be this peace. It's going to be worshiping God all the time, but there's going to be this restoration of everything no more pain, no more suffering, no more hurting. All of that will be gone and instead we'll sit in the presence of God and worship Him and live in creation as it was intended A garden of Eden of sorts. That everything will be provided.
Speaker 1:And the question for you and I is why does that matter? Why does it matter? Why does that matter? Why does it matter? I think the answer is because it's the only hope we can offer people. I live in the same world that you do, and it's rough Bringing kids into this world. Man, that scares me. I don't know what my kids are going to be going through when they're older. I don't know what's coming. I don't know what the world's going to look like, but I know that I can give them the one who offers restoration. I can teach my kids how to follow Jesus, to be like Jesus. And every time that you and I do something like God, every time we love someone, every time we show grace, every time we show mercy, every time we help the neighbor in need, every time we strengthen our marriage, we strengthen our families. Every time we do these things, we're bringing a little bit of the kingdom here.
Speaker 1:People always talk about this utopia, and I've heard it said that if we could just get rid of religion, the world would be at peace. I don't think that's true. If not religion, we're going to fight about something, and to an extent maybe there's a truth to that, because this idea of religion gets caught up in being focused on what man thinks is right all the time. But what if we all started to live like Jesus? What if we had grace and mercy? We took care of the widows, we took care of the poor and the children. What if we chose to live like that? Now? That's what Jesus ushered in. He came into this world. He showed that it's possible. He loved people where they were. He met their needs, he took care of them. He spoke truth. He told them what they needed to hear.
Speaker 1:Listen the sermon on the mount.
Speaker 1:It's tough to hear.
Speaker 1:There's a.
Speaker 1:The Sermon on the Mount is tough to hear. Man. There's a lot of statements in there that are challenging, but Jesus modeled for us what it would be to live like him. And then those who chose to follow him, those who have made that decision, he said now go and do the same thing, live like me, be like me, teach people about my hope, teach people that their life can be restored, that it can be changed, not just in the future, but here and now. And I think that's important, because so often, when we follow Jesus, it's because we don't want to go to hell. But Jesus says listen, I can save you from that, but here, now, in this place, I can give you a life that changes you. I can bring transformation into your life. The Spirit that came upon us on the day of Pentecost will give us everything we need to live for him, to break free from addictions, to overcome adversity. These are things that are promised for us now, as we eagerly wait for the end. So why does it matter? Because this world needs hope, and the only place they're going to find it is here. Nothing else can save, nothing else can restore.
Speaker 1:Revelation 21, verses 1 through 8. Nothing else can promise this. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city of the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband, and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Look, god's dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning, or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Speaker 1:He who is seated on the throne said I am making everything new. And he said write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all of this and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderous, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars, they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Speaker 1:This is the second death. This is a revelation that comes. God comes and he says I am making all things new, those who are my children will inherit all of this, and those who are not will be cast away from me. There's consequences to the life that we live. There's consequences to the choices we live. We either serve the eternal kingdom or we serve a faulty one. Daniel understood throughout the entire 12 chapters of this book that all those kingdoms he served were temporary. The only one who was eternal was God. God reminded him again and again and again, and he showed his power as he wiped out nation after nation after nation. God reminded Daniel stay true to me, follow me, because your inheritance is coming. So I do think it matters how we understand the end of the world, because I think that you and I can sit all day and we could do this. We could do a class and we could debate for hours about how the world's going to end. You can watch someone on TikTok predict that it's going to happen tomorrow at 12.02 pm.
Speaker 1:Told you a couple years ago, there's a guy that spent a ton of money. By the way, he took a bunch of money from people of a church that he belonged to Put all this propaganda out there. The world didn't end. He disappeared and all of them left broke Just saying. People use this kind of theology. When we were in Africa, we actually ran into this. There was a guy who took advantage of a bunch of people and he went to this church and collected about a half a million dollars and said, listen, I'm going to take all this money and all of your prayers. He had them write down prayers and put them all over this suitcase. He's like I'm going to take all this money and I'm going to take all your prayers and I'm going to go to the city of Israel and I'm going to lay this at the feet of the temple and we're going to pray and all these things are going to come true and I'm going to come back and I'm going to tell you what happened. And he took the money and they never saw him again.
Speaker 1:Because people use this kind of stuff to discredit or they manipulate or they try to scare people. I think that's silly. I think trying to predict the end of the world is a waste of time, because if I'm living like it could happen tonight, I'm not worried about when it's going to happen. If I'm living my life and I'm committing my life to following Jesus, to being like Jesus, to building his kingdom to sharing hope with other people, to tell other people about Jesus. If I live that way 24-7, I'm not worried about when the end comes, because I know that I'm ready.
Speaker 1:And if we believe that it's going to happen sooner than later, then why aren't we doing more? Why is this place not full? How many people do you know they don't know Jesus? Why aren't they here? Listen, I hope you take that a little personal. I do, because if you really believe that Jesus is the only way, why are not more people here? Why are you not inviting more people to know Jesus? Are you afraid that they're going to shun you? Are you afraid that, well, I don't want to ruin their relationship that I have with them, or they're going to shun you? Are you afraid that? Well, I don't want to ruin the relationship that I have with them, or they're just not? Why, if you really believe that those who follow God inherit eternity and those who don't find themselves in a lake of sulfur, why are we not eagerly out there more, spreading the gospel, telling people about Jesus? Why are we not helping people follow Him?
Speaker 1:If we believe that he offers transformation here and now, in this place, why are we so okay with letting the world end. Why do we spend so much time talking about the end of it, but we don't spend more time talking about the one who's eternal? I'm not worried when the world's going to end, because Jesus doesn't. God is sovereign. God is in charge of everything. I'm not worried who's in power politically, because God is sovereign. I'm not. I'm not worried about it. We pray about it. I'm not worried about it.
Speaker 1:The book of Daniel reminds us that God is in charge, always, forever. The only thing worth giving people is the knowledge of who he is. Everything else will pass away, but not him. So when I say we have to live with eternity in mind, that's what I mean. If we believe that Jesus is coming back and that all those who follow him will inherit his kingdom and those who don't won't, then we need to focus on building his kingdom, loving his creation and sharing the hope that only he offers. Nothing else matters. But it also means you have to ask yourself that question is if God came back, if Jesus came back right now, am I ready for that? Have I accepted his grace and his mercy? Have I accepted his grace and his mercy? Have I accepted his sacrifice on the cross. Have I given my life over to him? Have I made that decision to follow him? And we talk about this a lot but have we made that decision to not only follow him, repent and confess, but be baptized into him? That's what he tells us to do. Those who are obedient will do these things. Have I given my life to Jesus so that, at the end of it all, I know where I'm going? For those of us who follow Jesus, daniel's a book of hope, because we know that God's sovereign over all and he is all and he is all things we may know. For those of us who don't, it's a warning you will bow to Him one day, whether you want to or not. That's who he is. But the beautiful thing is is he's done all the work for you. He sent Jesus. He offered a way for restoration to be found. He's offering to make all things new, to take all of those things away. All he asks is that you're willing to give your life to him.
Speaker 1:24 years ago, I was a 15-year-old kid sitting in a church not much bigger than this one. I started going to church because of a kid named Ryan Witkowski, a really good friend of mine. We were in math class together and he used to invite me to church all the time and I thought it was silly because you know, I didn't do that I was 15. I was so busy with everything else 15-year-olds had going on. But I remember one Wednesday night he invited me to come out and check out his youth group and I'm like, yeah, I'll go. I got nothing else going on and I know I've shared this story before. But I went there and there's this really pretty girl there named Jody and I kept going back because Jody was there and I was hoping that Jody would date me. She didn't. But my intention was wrong and I'll be honest about that. But my intention was wrong and I'll be honest about that.
Speaker 1:But the more I sat there and the more I listened to the lessons and the more that I read, started to read my Bible, I realized that my life had a purpose. I realized that there's a God who loves me more than anything I could ever imagine, that there's a Father in heaven who's perfect and in his perfectness he looks at me, he sees my brokenness and he says listen, don't worry about it, I've got it. I never understood that until I had kids. You know I give Miles a bad rap, and I don't mean to. Miles is crazy. It's my youngest, he's nuts. He drives me up a wall a lot of times, but I love him so much I would do anything to protect him. I could not imagine my life without him. I could not imagine my life without Him. And if I can love in my imperfectness, if I can love someone like that, how much more can a perfect God love me? Because, for all I know, in God's family, I'm Miles, I'm his Miles, I'm the kid that he goes. I don't know what he's doing this morning. I don't know why he's doing that. I think about when I was 15. I was definitely that kid, but God looked at me and said I love him just the same and I'm going to send my son to die for him too. I never appreciated that until I became a dad, and here's what I know.
Speaker 1:I don't know your story. I don't know the mistakes you've made. I don't even know what you're struggling with right now, but 24 years ago I found out that there's someone who loves me in spite of me, and there's a God who loves you in spite of your mess. There's a God who looks at you and sees redemption. There's a God who looks at you and sees hope. There's a God who looks at you and sees future, and there's eternity. There's a plan for your life. There's a God who looks at you in your mess and says don't worry, I've got this, I've got this. That's who Jesus is. We can get caught up all day about how the world's going to end. I don't care. All I care about is whether or not you know that you're loved. You know that Jesus died for you and you made the decision to follow him. It's not about being perfect. It's about letting God restore what sin broke. All right, let's pray.