Topic: There Is More to Your Story [RICK WARREN Devotional 13 December 2024]

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There Is More to Your Story

by Rick Warren — December 13, 2024

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

Romans 8:11 (NLT)

As believers, we have hope because we’re going to live forever in heaven with God. Death is not the end. There is more to the story!

One day your heart will stop beating, and that will be the end of your body. But it’s not going to be the end of you. You were made in God’s image. You were made to last forever. This life is not all there is.

That’s a reason to have hope! Because no matter how bad it seems on earth, it’s just for a while. When you have faith in Jesus, you know you’re going to spend trillions of years on the other side of eternity with no more sorrow, no more sadness, no more sickness, and no more suffering.

The Bible says in Romans 8:11, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (NLT).

As a pastor, I’ve stood at the graveside with hundreds of families, and I know the difference between people with hope and those without. You can see it in their eyes. I’ve seen the terror in the eyes of people without hope. They’re thinking, “This is all I have. It’s over. I will never see this person again. It’s done. That’s all there is to life.”

I compare that to the thousands of people I’ve seen at the funerals of believers. They know this is just a transition step. Their loved one is entering real life! They’re going to be with God for eternity. There is grief, of course, but also hope, because they know they will be reunited one day with their loved one who followed Jesus. For a believer, death is not leaving home—it’s going home.

Do you have that hope, knowing you’ll spend eternity with Jesus Christ? If not, don’t delay. Make this important decision today. I tell you how to do that at the end of this devotional.

Talk It Over

• Salvation in Jesus Christ makes all the difference in eternity. But how does it affect how you live your life on earth too?
• How has your salvation set you free from things in this life as well?
• Who can you share with today about the hope you have through Christ?

How you can be sure of your eternity

Once you trust in Jesus, you can be absolutely certain that you’ll spend eternity with him. If you’re ready to take that step, then pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are God, my Savior. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today, I’m turning every part of my life over to you. I want to follow you and do what you tell me to do.

“Jesus, I am grateful for your love and your sacrifice that makes it possible for me to join you in heaven. I know I don’t deserve it. And I thank you that I don’t have to earn or work for my salvation, because I know that is impossible. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you, and I ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

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