Thank you for tuning in as I get into my message Sunday night a thousand tomorrows out of James chapter 4 verses 13 and 14 Welcome to service for Christ Hear how we were inspired by this Christian romance novel written by Karen Kingsbury Here's September the 14th 20,025 on the 21st of Dulu, 5785 of the Hebrew calendar. Stay tuned now as we get into the wonderful word of God and how God inspired us to write this message that would help someone going through similar circumstances and stories of their life. I dedicate this to my wife, Lita. Amen. You know, here a thousand tomorrows We step into a story of love and loss and the fragile beauty of life, a story that reminds us just how fleeting tomorrow truly is. I was inspired by Karen Kingsbury's novel A Thousand Tomorrows and the movie adaptation. As I watched, I saw more than romance. I saw life itself, delicate and precious, resting in the hands of God. As I get into James chapter 4 verses 13 through 15, here warn us about some things. And so as we get into it and realize that how precious life is, every one of us, when we look and realize life is like a thousand fragile tomorrows, each one is a gift from God and each one an opportunity to live in his will, to love well, and to walk in his grace and so this story it reminds us about redemption about love and hope and they're not about how long you we live this message as how fully that we live each day, surrender to Christ is what it's all about. Because it reminds us to cherish the people God has placed in our lives to forgive, to love, and to seek his purpose before the vapor of today vanishes into the mist of yesterday. Let us open our hearts and minds as we explore this powerful truth that we have but a thousand tomorrows, and each one is a gift from the Lord. And if we truly understand that, we'll live differently, we'll love differently, and we'll trust Christ with every step of our journey. Let's get started as we get into a thousand tomorrows, here with the wonderful word of God. The word says in verse 13 of James chapter four, verses 13, 14, and 15, Go to now ye that say today or tomorrow, we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get again. You know, what will we do with the time that we've been given? Each and every one of us. James, the half brother of Jesus, writes his letter as practical wisdom for Christian living. Here in chapter four, he reminds us that life is brief. unpredictable and completely in God's hands. He pulls back the curtain on time and eternity to show us that you don't have a thousand tomorrows. You only have today. And so, James pulls no punches here. He's exposing the arrogance of men who plan their lives without ever once consulting the Lord. He says, go to now. This phrase is almost sarcastic. James is saying, listen up. You who think you've got it all figured out. The Greek word here is age none. It is called to an attention to stop and to consider our foolishness. He goes on, he says, ye that say today or tomorrow, we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. Well, this man's plan, apart from God's, it's business as usual and so the when we look and realize that there's nothing wrong with planning there's nothing wrong with buying or selling the sin is in the perception of living as if God doesn't exist or if he's irrelevant to your tomorrows we look and we see in verse 14, whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanished away. How many funerals I've done and I've read this. And so when we look at it, we're reminded, each and every one of us, this is man's ignorance. Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. Well, You don't even know if you'll live to see the sunrise. You think that you have a thousand tomorrows, but all you really have is this moment right now, this breath. He goes on and he says, and he tells us right here, he says, for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanished away. And so the word vapor that we look at, in the Greek is Adamus and it means steam. It means mist or smoke. It's here and then it's gone. In other words, James is talking about. And so you don't need to plan for a thousand tomorrows. You need to prepare for eternity today. That's what you need to do. All your possessions and all your plans, they're going to vanish like smoke in the wind that we're being told. He goes on. And he says, for each and every one of us, that as we look and realize that in the coming days, he tells us in verse 15, for that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. Well, many of us. The problem is not planning, but presumption. The believer's life must be anchored in God's will. And I'm glad that the true Christian prays, Lord, what would you have me to do? Because if Christ is not in the center of your tomorrow, then tomorrow doesn't matter at all. Well, listen, church, the Holy Spirit's telling us something right here. You're not promised a thousand tomorrows. You're not even promised tonight. Your life is like a mist that fades when the sun comes up. And you can gain the whole world. You can plant a hundred years. You can pile up barns of grain and banks of money. But if Jesus is at Lord of your tomorrow, then you've lost everything. Oh, but thank God. If you'll just place your life in his hands, if you'll say, Lord willing, if you'll surrender your today, then your eternity is secure in him. And so. I'm glad, a thousand tomorrow. You know, as we look, as we look at what the quotes of Karen Kingsbury, she says, redemption isn't redemption without the broken path that took a person there. Well, you know, when we look at that, it implies about a rescue, I think, because the word redeem, the Hebrew is go all. To buy back, the Greek, the letro, it's to set free by paying a price. It assumes that someone was lost, somebody was enslaved or broken, and if there's no fall, there's no need for a savior. You see, the broken path gives redemption its power. Karen, as I read this, is saying that redemption is the most beautiful when it's seen against the backdrop of pain, failure, are seen. A diamond sparkles brightest when laid on the black velvet, and in the same way God's grace shines brightest in the mess of human brokenness, your scars tell the story of His healing. Redemption isn't just about being delivered. It's about looking back and saying, that pit that I was in, that failure I walked through, That's what makes the cross so precious. Without that broken path, I wouldn't even know the Redeemer the way that I do. And so, Paul said in Romans chapter 3, verses 23 and verse 24, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. You see, our broken path is universal. Redemption is God's universal gift. I'm glad that Dr. Luke in the book of Luke chapter 15 verses 11 through 32 where he talked about the prodigal son. The son's redemption was powerful because of the pigpen. The story wouldn't mean as much if he never wandered away. But Paul said in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 7, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. You see, the riches of grace mean nothing unless we first understand the bankruptcy of sin. And so, you see, church, Karen Kingsbury is right. Redemption doesn't float in the clouds somewhere. Redemption comes crawling out of the mud, the addictions, the divorces, the bitterness, the shame. You see, redemption doesn't pretend the broken path didn't happen. It says that's exactly where Jesus met me. Hallelujah. It's not redemption unless he's pulled you out of something. You couldn't pull yourself out of it, no matter what you do. Paul Harvey said one time he told of a farmer who set out to save some geese caught in a snowstorm, and he opened his barn, but they wouldn't come in. Finally, he realized, if only I could become like them, I could lead them to safety. That's redemption. Jesus entered our broken path, walked in our skin so that he could lead us all home. Praise God. And so I'm glad as we start out after telling of the rodeo bull ride in eight seconds, I'm glad that we look here and we see of a story of a thousand tomorrows because eight seconds can change everything. A bull rider's career hangs on eight seconds and in those moments life can shift. I do, I quit, Jesus saved me. And so when we look back and we begin to realize that a lot of things can happen in that time. Every one of us can go through life and you know as we look at the story of Cody Gunder, a bull rider, and Allie Daniels, the barrel racer, with citrine fibrosis, which became the inspiration for the sermon title, A Thousand Tomorrows. It's actually, as we look at this Christian romance novel written by Karen Kingsley, we look and we see that it was written back in 2005, Cody Gunder, the bull rider, Allie Daniels, the barrel racer with a cystic fibrosis, love worth living and dying for. And I'm glad that each and every one of us, as this was put on television recently, I'm glad that it makes it even richer for your sermon because here we look and realize that eight seconds can change everything. You can say, I do. You can whisper, I'm sorry, or you can cry out, Jesus, save me. Because in a thousand tomorrows, Cody and Allie discovered that love was worth living for, even when time was short. You know, each and every one of us, as we look, I was reading in a reader's digest some years ago, a story was told of a man who survived being trampled by a bull at a rodeo. doctor said that he had eight seconds that changed his life that phrase stuck with me because in rodeo when i lived out in colorado i used to go to all the rodeos that were there watching the bull riders watching the barrel races it was intriguing out west this is one of the most popular things and you know Because in rodeo, a bull rider's career and reputation rest is on just 8 seconds. 8 seconds of courage. 8 seconds of focus. 8 seconds that can mean victory or defeat. But you know, as we look and realize that as that bull rider was thrown and nearly killed, when asked later what he remembered, he said, 8 seconds felt like forever. Eight seconds, that's all a cowboy has to prove his worth in the rodeo. Eight seconds of hanging on with everything that he has while 2,000 pounds of raw muscle tries to destroy him. Now think about it. In eight seconds, you could say I love you to someone that you haven't told it to in years. In eight seconds, you could forgive a person who's wronged you. In eight seconds, you could whisper a prayer that changed your eternity, hallelujah. And so in this movie, A Thousand Tomorrow, tales of Cody the bull rider, Allie the barrel racer, with cystic fibrosis, they knew time was short. They fell in love with each other, but love gave them the courage to live like every moment mattered. Here in James chapter four, it reminds us that life itself is no different. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appear for a little time and then vanish away in James chapter four, verse 14. Hey, let's be honest. Eight seconds can also change our lives. In eight seconds, you can say, I do at a wedding. You can say, I quit at a job. You can type a text that breaks a relationship, or you can whisper a prayer that secures your eternity. How about it tonight? This story gripped me about living fully even when time is short because the older we get, we begin to realize that more and more as this old broken down fleshly body begins to deteriorate and dies a little bit each and every day. But there is a truth and that truth when we do with the time that you've been given, I'm glad that when we look and realize that Karen Kingsbury, in 2007, her father suffered a heart attack. Her nephew, Andrew, 11 years old, administered CPR for about 11 minutes. By the time the paramedics arrived, her dad was unresponsive and blue. Her nephew was distraught. Suddenly, a police officer asked Karen's mom, Ma'am, hey, do you believe in Jesus? This question framed an angel encounter story that Karen believes her family experienced. And so the angel encounter of how fragile life is and how in moments of a crisis like James 4 that says, you know not what tomorrow will hold. God's still at work because each and every one of us, you know not what shall be on the morrow because God is still at work. And so what will you do with the time that you've been given? You see, life is fragile. Eternity is forever. But the truth is, every one of us is terminal. And the only difference is the diagnosis. And so another quote by Kieran Kingsbury is battles are won and lost through prayer. And the real battlefield is spiritual. Ephesians 6.12 reminds us, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual weakness in high places. In Karen's point, every visible battle in life has an invisible root. Victory doesn't begin in the boardroom. It doesn't begin in the courtroom or living room. It begins in the prayer room. Prayer aligns us with God's power. And I'm glad that prayer in James chapter 5 verse 16 is diesis, meaning petition, a plea from the heart. And when we pray, we begin to plug in to the power source of heaven's resources. And without prayer, We're fighting in our own strength. Without prayer, we're fighting in God's. But I'm glad neglected prayer leads to defeat. And Jesus told his disciples in Gethsemane, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. In Matthew chapter 26, verse 41, you see the battle wasn't lost. No, it wasn't at Calvary. It was already lost for the disciples in the garden when they slept instead of praying. Moses at Rephidim in Exodus chapter 17 verses 8 through 13, Israel's victory over Amalek depended on Moses' hands being lifted up in prayer. When his hands began to drop, the enemy prevailed. That's Karen's quote that's in action here. Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 12, surrounded by enemies, Jehoshaphat He cried out, we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. You see, the battle was won before the first sword was drawn, because the king prayed Daniel in Babylon, Daniel chapter 6 verse 10. Daniel's strength against the lions came not from bravery, but from a lifelong habit of prayer. You know what? Karen Kingsbury hit the nail on the head. Battles are won and lost through prayer. You don't win your marriage back by nagging, you win it By praying, you don't conquer addiction by sheer willpower. You conquer it by falling on your knees, and you don't overcome fear by positive thinking. You overcome it by intercession. When God's people pray, heaven moves. Angels march. The devils tremble. Praise hallelujah. D.L. Moody, the old shoe salesman from Chicago, once said, every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure. Think of the Welsh revival of 1904. Even Roberts prayed for God to bend him and through prayer revival spread like a wildfire, hallelujah. The battle for a nation was won because one young man prayed, praise God. Are you fighting battles with your fist instead of your faith? Are you planning more than you are praying? Do you believe your victory depends on your effort or on God's? Battles are won and lost through prayer. And so we see, first of all, that life is short and eternity is long. Every one of us, I tell you, when we go through life today, here we see the wonderful Word of God. James 4.14, life is a vapor. And so I'm glad that every one of us, that vapor, that mist, life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. And so we see, first of all, the brevity of time itself and the uncertainty of tomorrow and the certainty of death. James used the word vapor, like breath on a cold morning that's visible for a moment and then it's gone. I remember when I'd go up on Pikes Peak with my landlord at San Miguel Apartments off of Academy in Colorado Springs. Man, we'd take time to go up to Pikes Peak and begin to cry out to God, God, change us, do something through us, Lord, in the coming days. Well, the brevity of time, we see that of Psalms 90 verse 12, teach us to number our days. And I'm glad that we need to carefully calculate. Moses said, teach us to number our days. And so I'm glad the movie Bible Institute once calculated that if you live to 70, you have 25, you have 25,550 days and you subtract the years that are already gone. And suddenly the clock looks a lot shorter. Warren Wiersbe said one time, life is not measured by its duration, but by its donation. You know, life is like a, like we said, it's like a roll of toilet paper. The closer that it gets to the end, the faster it goes. And so we see the brevity of time. But oh, so we look and we see Proverbs 27, verse 1, boasts not of tomorrow, not only the brevity of time and the uncertainty, but we see the uncertainty of tomorrow as well. because boast not thyself of tomorrow." In other words, don't brag, don't bank on it. Paul Harvey told of a man in Texas who had won a $50,000 lottery ticket. It was in his pocket. He said, I'll cash it tomorrow. He died of a heart attack that night. He had a fortune, but he never saw tomorrow. Adrian Rogers said one time, the devil's favorite word is tomorrow, tomorrow. But God's favorite word is today, today. Hallelujah. And so we look and we realize that all that God's doing. Hebrews 9, 27, appointed unto men once to die. Well, not only do we see the brevity of time, the uncertainty of tomorrow, but we see the certainty of death itself. Because, you know what? Death is not an accident. It's an appointment. Appointed unto man wants to die, the Hebrew writer says of 927. You know, in our daily bread, a missionary wrote, we live like we have forever. But every cemetery preaches the sermon. Life is brief. Death is sure. Eternity is long. You see, death is not the end. It's the beginning of either eternal life or eternal death where the worm dieth not. Are you ready for that? Hmm. You see, you don't have a thousand tomorrows. You only have today. What will you do with the time that you've been given? Well, when we look and realize growing up, Karen, had religion in her family, but not a relationship with Christ. Karen Kingsbury, she didn't even open a Bible, but later as a young adult, later meeting her husband, Don, she had a dramatic moment where she smashed a Bible in frustration over what she believed, accepted, and then realized that she needed to hold to God's word instead. It was a turning point in Karen Kingsbury's faith. And so the Bible throwing, turning to it and it illustrated how life can start in misunderstanding or religious formality, but it can shift to a relationship of truth. And that's what happened to Karen Kingsbury. Life is fragile. Eternity is forever. And the truth is every one of us is terminal. The only difference is the diagnosis. Secondly, when we look and realize that life is short but eternity is long, out of James chapter 4 verse 14 and Psalms 39 verse 5. Secondly, we see that love gives life meaning. When we look at the scriptures of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 13 and John chapter 15 verse 13. Without love, life is just a countdown clock. With love, even suffering has a purpose. Love strengthens us in suffering, love sacrifices for others, and love stays when others leave. Well, we're talking about agape love because I'm glad that when we look and realize here that in 1 Corinthians 13, 13, the greatest of these is love. It's that agape love. Cody and Allie's story showed love making suffering worthwhile because without love, life is just a countdown clock. And so, First of all, we see love strengthens us in suffering. And so Corrie ten Boone in that Nazi camp many years ago said, there's no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still, unquote. Tony Evans said, when the love of God floods your heart, even tears can taste like triumph. And so I'm glad that we look And we realize that John 15, 13, greater love hath no man. Well, not only do we see a love that strengthens us in suffering, but love sacrifices for others. And I'm glad that greater love hath no man. Jesus on the cross, a soldier that was in Iraq, dove on a grenade saving his unit. And his commander said he gave us our tomorrows at the cost of his today. Well, you know what? Marriage is like a deck of cards sometimes. In the beginning, all you need is two hearts and a diamond. By the end, you're looking for a club and a spade. Well, I tell you, love gives life meaning. And when we look, love strengthens us in suffering. Love sacrifices for others. But Paul said in Romans 5, 5, God's love poured into our hearts. And so, when we look and realize that love stays when others leaves. And so, you know what? A woman with cancer in Guideposts said, when my friends stopped visiting, I thought I was alone. And then I felt the Lord whisper, I'll never leave you. She said that was enough. Charles Spurgeon said one time, God's love is not wearied by our sins, nor cooled by our indifference, nor turned away by our failures. And so I'm glad that love gives life a meaning. Praise God. And so each and every one of us, as we go through life, when Karen Kingsbury says, keep Christ at the center, she's emphasizing in this quote that Christ should be the foundation. Christ should be the focus. Christ should be the guide of every relationship, decision, and life plan. You know, I'm glad that the word sinner in the Greek are the foundation in our scripture because Arctos is the word for sinner that is metaphoric and the cornerstone. Because every one of us, just as a cornerstone holds up a building, Christ holds up our marriages. Christ holds up our marriages, our families, our lives, and without him, everything else shifts. Everything else weakens or collapses under pressure. But in marriage, this means decision making flows from his principles. Couples who pray together, read the Bible together, seek Christ's wisdom, make decisions that honor God, not just conveniences or emotion. You see, love is Christ-like, not self-centered. And so the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verses 4 through 7, as I paraphrase it, love is patient and kind. And by keeping Christ at the center, couples model his sacrificial love and forgiveness and grace, not selfishness or pride. And so I'm glad as we go through, every one of us, I'm glad that we begin and end the day together with Christ. We invite him into our conversations and decisions. And I'm glad that we can dictate our priorities, not our cultural pressures, Christ-centered activities when we worship together, when we serve others and intentionally build spiritual intimacy alongside emotional and physical intimacy. Imagine leaning into this, that if you try to build your marriage on feelings, if you try to build your marriage on money, on convenience, it's like building on sand. But when you put Jesus at the center, the corners, one of your home, your love will endure storms. Your children will see God's glory and your marriage will be a living testimony. Glory, hallelujah, praise God. And so as we go forward, what will you do with the time that you've been given? Well, Karen Kingsbury, she and her husband have six children, three biological and three adopted from Haiti, which involve risk processed and faith. And so her youngest biological child, Austin, when born had a severe heart defect, needing early surgery. That experience deeply affected her and her family. The adoption, as we think of it, these living when time seems shorter, when there is a risk that's very relatable, because as she began to write this book, A Thousand Tomorrows, and she thought about all of these real stories that happened in her life. And so she knows what she's writing about. Life is fragile. Eternity is forever. And the truth is, Every one of us is terminal, but the only difference is the diagnosis. As we close out, we've talked about how life is short, but eternity is long in James 4, verse 14, and Psalms 39, verse 5. Secondly, we talked about how love gives life meaning in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 13, and John 15, verse 13. But lastly, As I close out, I want to talk to you about how Christ is our only Redeemer. John chapter 14 verse 6 and Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25. You know, as we look and realize that in the movie A Thousand Tomorrows, love gave Cody and Allie courage. In life, Christ gives all of us eternity. We're going to talk about how Christ paid the price. Christ promises eternity. And Christ pleads for each and every one of you right now, because John 14, 6, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. And I'm glad that James says life is short. Jesus says eternity is secure in him. And there's only one Redeemer. Well, first of all, Christ is our only Redeemer, but Christ paid the price. In 1 Peter 1, verses 18 and 19, we look and realize that the Greek word lutro to ramps them to buy back from slavery. Christ has paid the price for all of our lives. Amen. But I'm glad in ancient Rome, when a slave was purchased for freedom, a certificate was stamped out and it said to telestai paid in full to telestai. That's what Jesus declared at Calvary. Tetelestai. Tetelestai. Every sin, every past, every present, every future was paid at the cross. Tetelestai. Hallelujah. Christ is our only Redeemer. Praise His mighty name. And so we see, as we said in 1 Peter 1, verses 18 and 19, redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. Praise that mighty name of Jesus. And so Christ paid the price, stayed man. But also Christ promises eternity, because I'm glad in John chapter 11, verse 25, he says, I'm the resurrection and the life. Well, you know what it means to rise and to stand again. Again, D.L. Moody said, someday you'll read in the paper that Moody is dead. Don't believe a word of it. At that moment, I shall be more alive than ever before, unquote. I thank God I will too. They're going to put in the obituary Daryl Bailey's already passed on. But that soul of mine that the Lord's in keeping with will live with him forever and ever. And I'm glad that he says I am the resurrection and the life. Boy, I thank God each and every one of us. Every grave is a doorway. And for the believer, the door swings open into glory. And so I'm glad that Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25, he ever liveth to intercede. We see that Christ paid the price. Christ is our only Redeemer. Christ promises eternity. But I'm glad also in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25, Christ pleads for you right now, tonight. Because a mother once said to a preacher, I've prayed for my son for 40 years. The son got saved the very night the mother died. Even when her prayers stopped, Jesus kept on interceding. You know, the intercession of Christ guarantees the eternal security of the saint of God and the hope of salvation for the sinner. And so, as we look and we realize that life is short, but eternity is long. Love gives life meaning. Amen. And Christ is our only Redeemer. What will you do with the time that you've been given? After Karen's father died from complications of diabetes, she made lifestyle changes, gave up sugar, adjusted eating, lost 70 pounds in the year of 2007. That was a personal health motivated story rooted in both grief and determination. She always now speaks out about family life and balancing motherhood and parenting and faith risks. And so the story of living in a small garage apartment with little money when she and Don were starting out and then later choosing to adopt children. Her health journey and losing her father all paid contributed to her stories of writing her novels, about the loss and the change and the choices that we all make. What will you do with the time that you've been given? Because life is fragile. Eternity is forever. And the truth is, every one of us is terminal. And the only difference is the diagnosis. As I close out, James tells us that life is a vapor. Love gives it meaning. Christ secures eternity. Listen, Don't waste today waiting for a thousand tomorrows that may never come. Because James says and tells us you don't have a thousand tomorrows. You only have today. What will you do with the time that you've been given? Here the movie A Thousand Tomorrows reminds us, at least it does me and Lita, it reminds us that love makes it meaningful. And scripture says Christ makes it eternal. Don't waste today waiting for a thousand tomorrows. Will you? Ask the Lord to come into your heart in life. You know, as this quote from Karen Kingsbury said, because everyone has a past, everyone comes from some background and the place where God found them and picked them up and dusted them off the day they first understood how loved they were. Well, God's grace and redemption, everyone comes from a past, a broken home, mistakes, regrets, failures, sins. But God, he specializes in intervening in our stories at the moment that we're most in need. Karen is pointing to the transformative power of God's love. And I'm glad that when we look, everyone has a background, but it doesn't define your future. And so redemption, mean to release by paying a rampson. God's redemption doesn't ignore. He pays the price for you and me and transforms us. God finds us where we are, not where we should be. Like the prodigal son of Luke chapter 15, verse 11 through 32, God meets us in our mess and he doesn't wait for perfection. He comes to pick us up, dust us off and restore our dignity. And the first moment of understanding God's love is so pivotal. That day, a soul awakens to the truth of 1 John chapter 4 verse 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the perpetuation for our sins. That's the moment of a spiritual birth, of realignment with Christ. where the heart begins to move from shame to hope. Praise God. You know what? Everyone you meet has a story. Never judge by the cover. God's work is often hidden in the shadows of a person's past. And so share your testimony of God, meeting people in their brokenness. Encourage others to look for the day God first made them feel loved. Live as a reflection of grace, because if God can pick you up, and dust you off and love you despite your past, you can extend that same grace to your spouse, to your children, to your friends, and to your communion. Imagine somebody preaching this, oh beloved, let me tell you something. God does not despise the dirt of your past. He doesn't turn his back on the mistakes you've made. No, he comes right where you are and he lifts you. He dusts you off. He shows you a love so real, so deep, so powerful that you will never be able to be the same again. That's what redemption is. That's grace. That's my Jesus. Praise God. And so when we look at the questions, every one of us, listen, Are we living as if life is a vapor? Number your days, use your time for Jesus Christ. Am I showing love that sacrifices, not just speaks? Well, that is not only, that's John 15, 13, because I'm glad that each and every one of us, as we go through life, I'm glad that we can live out our love in actions and not words. Am I trusting Christ as my Redeemer of the words? And so I'm glad, yes, to Jesus today. Tomorrow's not guaranteed, but I'm glad. Am I showing that love, that sacrifices and not just speaks? Live out your love in actions and not words. And lastly, as we get ready to go, am I trusting Christ as my Redeemer? Say yes to Jesus right now, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Please, friend, you can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips. But if your life ends without Christ, eternity will be in hell. That's not my opinion. That's the word of God. That comes from the teaching of the word of God. Choose Jesus tonight. Don't gamble eternity on a thousand tomorrows. when all you may have is today. Friend, you can preach that sermon with your life, and I'm glad you can do it by coming to the altar. Would you do it now? Because choose Jesus tonight. Don't gamble eternity away. I hope and pray that this can be that time, that day, and the hour that you can ask the Lord to come into your life as a sinner and step out on faith and take him at his word. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Will you pray with me? Lord, you've reminded us now is the accepted time that Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Help us to live with an urgency to love, with sacrifice, to trust Jesus as our Redeemer. May sinners repent, saints renew their walk with you, and Lord, I'm glad that as we get ready to leave, I know that we're not promised tomorrow. I pray God that someone tonight would ask Jesus to be the keeper of their souls and step out on faith, take you at your word, and Lord, let their life be changed completely forever and ever. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much. As we close out tonight, and knowing that James remind us that even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away, we cannot control tomorrow, but we can live today fully surrendered to Christ. And as you leave, remember every moment. Every relationship, every decision is an opportunity to honor God, to love deeply, and to live with eternity in mind. Don't wait for tomorrow to say I love you, to forgive, to serve, or to follow Christ more closely. Let your life reflect the truth of the gospel, that redemption is possible, that love is eternal, and that every day is a gift from the Lord. Live your tomorrows with intention, walk in faith, and above all, keep Christ at the center of your life, your marriage, your home, your heart. because there's no guarantees for tomorrow. But the Lord is with you today, and that is more than enough. Glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Don't you weep for me, I'm in a better place. With angels all around and glory on my face. The grave can't hold what Jesus bought and raised. Walking streets of gold forever in praise When the trumpet sounds my name I'll be gone in Jesus' name No more sorrow, no more pain I'll be free from earthly chains I'll rise up like the morning sun In the glory I will run Heaven's waiting, I'm not ashamed From the tropics of my name.