2025.03.09 | Are You Living with Eternity in Mind?
This blog is based on the sermon from March 9, 2025.
I remember the first time I really stopped to think about what Jesus meant when He described the Kingdom of Heaven. As a lifelong believer, I had heard the parables countless times... stories of mustard seeds, hidden treasures, and fishing nets. But sometimes, familiarity dulls the urgency of what Jesus is actually saying.
This past Sunday at Hope Community, our pastor walked us through one of those parables... Jesus’ story about a fishing net that gathers all kinds of fish, only for the good to be kept and the bad to be thrown away (Matthew 13:47-50). As I listened, I saw myself in the parable for the first time.
Where do I stand?...
Am I in the net just because I’m near the church?...
or am I truly part of the Kingdom of Heaven?...
Jesus isn’t vague about what happens at the end of the age. There will be a separation. Those who belong to Him will be gathered into His eternal Kingdom. Those who don’t? The passage is sobering. And it made me realize how much I take for granted the fact that I know about Jesus... but do I know Him?
What struck me most was the reminder that the Kingdom of Heaven isn’t just something we wait for... it’s something we live in now.
It should shape how I walk, talk, love, and lead my family.
If I truly believe Jesus’ words, my life should look different.
My priorities should shift.
My heart should long for others to know Him, too.
That’s why I’m so grateful for this church, this series, and this moment of reflection. Hope Community has been a place where I’ve been challenged to grow deeper in my faith, ask the hard questions, and be reminded that Jesus’ words are just as powerful today as they were 2,000 years ago.
So, I want to invite you into this conversation...
Have you thought about where you stand in the story Jesus is telling?
Are you living with eternity in mind?
This past Sunday at Hope Community, our pastor walked us through one of those parables... Jesus’ story about a fishing net that gathers all kinds of fish, only for the good to be kept and the bad to be thrown away (Matthew 13:47-50). As I listened, I saw myself in the parable for the first time.
Where do I stand?...
Am I in the net just because I’m near the church?...
or am I truly part of the Kingdom of Heaven?...
Jesus isn’t vague about what happens at the end of the age. There will be a separation. Those who belong to Him will be gathered into His eternal Kingdom. Those who don’t? The passage is sobering. And it made me realize how much I take for granted the fact that I know about Jesus... but do I know Him?
What struck me most was the reminder that the Kingdom of Heaven isn’t just something we wait for... it’s something we live in now.
It should shape how I walk, talk, love, and lead my family.
If I truly believe Jesus’ words, my life should look different.
My priorities should shift.
My heart should long for others to know Him, too.
That’s why I’m so grateful for this church, this series, and this moment of reflection. Hope Community has been a place where I’ve been challenged to grow deeper in my faith, ask the hard questions, and be reminded that Jesus’ words are just as powerful today as they were 2,000 years ago.
So, I want to invite you into this conversation...
Have you thought about where you stand in the story Jesus is telling?
Are you living with eternity in mind?
If you’ve never considered what it means to truly follow Jesus, or if you’re ready to take a step closer, I encourage you to check out the full sermon series on our YouTube channel. Let’s wrestle with these truths together and grow in faith as a community.
Watch the full message here:
Watch the full message here:
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Archive
2026
January
February
March
2026.03.01 | I’ve Been Around Jesus My Whole Life, But My Picture of Him Was Too Small 2026.03.08 | I Didn’t Realize How Distracted I’d Become at Church2026.03.15 | When the Leaves Look Good but the Fruit Is Missing2026.03.22 | Watching My Kids Helped Me Understand the Two Sons2026.03.29 | The Stewardship of the "Vineyard"
April
May
2026.05.03 | I Told Myself I’d Serve When Life Slowed Down2026.05.10 | I Finally Understood What Wholehearted Love Looks Like. I Was Holding It.2026.05.17 | I Keep Running Into This Question, and I'm Running Out of Reasons to Ignore It.2026.05.24 | I’ve Been Trying to Impress God for Years. I’m Tired.
June
2026.05.31 | I've Always Assumed Global Mission Was for a Certain Kind of Person.2026.06.07 | I Know the Gospel. I Just Don't Talk About It Much Anymore.2026.06.14 | I've Been Searching for Something. I Think Sunday Told Me What It Is.2026.06.21 | I've Been Running on Empty for a While. Sunday Gave Me Something to Hold Onto.2026.06.28 | I Keep Praying for Stability. Maybe I Should Be Praying for Something Else.
2025
August
2025.01.26 | The Sower, the Seed, and the Soil2025.02.02 | Growing in God’s Kingdom2025.02.09 | When Small Things Become Something Big2025.02.16 | A Call to Faith and Hope2025.02.23 | Finding the Ultimate Treasure2025.03.02 | Finding My Worth in Christ2025.03.09 | Are You Living with Eternity in Mind?2025.03.16 | Are We Missing What’s Right in Front of Us?2025.03.23 | What If Following Jesus Cost You Everything?2025.03.30 | When What You Have Feels Like Not Enough2025.04.06 | When the Storm Feels Bigger Than Your Savior
September
2025.05.04 | When Jesus Wants More Than Just Our Sundays2025.05.11 | When Jesus Shows You Your Heart2025.05.18 | Faith That Won’t Let Go: At Home and Around the World2025.04.27 | When Following Rules Isn't Enough2025.04.20 | Alive. Free. Loved. With Jesus.2025.04.13 | When the Wind Hit My Face2025.05.25 | Loaves, Fish, and a Full Calendar: Why I’m Still Saying Yes to Jesus2025.08.17 | What Must I Do to Be Saved?2025.08.03 | Faithfulness When It Hurts2025.06.08 | When Obedience Makes Things Awkward... Not Easier2025.07.27 | When God Redirects You, Trust Him2025.08.10 | Finding Freedom in the Midnight Hour: A Journey Through Fear and Faith2025.08.24 | Hope in Hard Seasons2025.08.31 | Grace That Gathers Us2025.09.07 | The Sign That’s Already Enough2025.08.24 | Childlike Faith, Public Love: Ryder and Brady’s Baptism at Hope2025.09.14 | When the Headlines Overwhelm, Remember God’s Track Record2025.09.21 | Who Do You Say Jesus Is?2025.07.20 | You Were Made for This2025.07.13 | I Thought I Wasn’t Ready… Until I Realized Jesus Already Called Me2025.07.06 | Not Flashy, But Faithful: A Tribute to the Barnabases at Hope2025.06.29 | Learning to Just Point to Jesus2025.06.22 | The Church Is Full of People Who Don’t Belong — And That’s the Point2025.06.15 | Living Faith That Puts Others First2025.06.01 | When Bold Faith Feels Costly
October
December
2025.11.16 | Kingdom Greatness: Learning Humility and Dependence from a Child2025.11.09 | The Sons Are Free — Yet Jesus Paid It All2025.11.02 | He Died for Me2025.12.07 | The Hard Gift of Correction: Why Humility Is the Key to Freedom2025.11.30 | Found & Forever Loved: Why God's Pursuit Changes Everything2025.11.23 | Freedom Found in Facing the Truth2025.12.14 | The Heirlooms of Hurt2025.12.28 | The Table of Enough: Learning to Trust the Daily Allowance2025.12.21 | I’m No Angel, But I Have a Message
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