9 Feb, 2007
Auditioning for Heaven
The past three weeks, American Idol has been auditioning future stars coast to coast. It has been a circus parade of sweet voices and dreadful crooning. Everyone tries to get into that audition room for one reason — to get a golden ticket to Hollywood.
The Idol rules are simple. You get 60 seconds to impress Randy, Paula and Simon. If two or three of them agree, you are either going home in tears or jumping for joy in the hallway with friends and family.
What would it be like if God made us audition to get into Heaven? Would the judges be Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
What would you do to impress God so that he would give you a golden ticket to Heaven? How could you convince God you belong in heaven?
Would God be easier on you than Simon or would he be telling you how pathetic you really are?
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV)
What does God's Story teach us?
You don’t audition with God to get a spot in Heaven. Your talent won’t get you in. Neither will your good works. You can be the best person you know and still not get in.Nobody gets in for being good. None of us are good enough.
There’s only one way to get the golden ticket to Heaven. The Bible says we have all sinned and broken God’s law. Our way to Heaven has been paid for by God Himself. When Jesus died on the cross our sins were forgiven. Jesus tells us that everyone who believes in him and asks him to be their Savior will be forgiven so we can spend eternity with God in heaven.
How can you connect Today’s God’s Story to your life?
Your Story connects to God’s Story when you believe in him to forgive your sins and to follow him. Your connection to God is totally based on what Jesus did for you. It has nothing to do with what you did for God. You have nothing to brag about. God paid the penalty for your sin and gave you the only golden ticket to heaven — only through his grace.
You have the greatest gift in the universe. Nothing is more important or more valuable.
Live your life every day connected to God. When you know Jesus, you have nothing to fear on the day when you stand before God. That’s your story. Stick to it.
How can you connect God’s Story and Your Story to others?
- Study and know the difference between Christianity and all the other world religions. Christianity is all about salvation by grace. In other religions salvation is by living a good life (which raises the question---how good is good enough?).
- Prepare to tell Your Story to friends. Be sure to focus Your Story on how Jesus is rescuing you from your old life and forgiving your sins to make you right with God.
- Talk your friends about what God has done for you and them. Educate them about salvation by grace vs. salvation by works. Try your best to explain it and support what you say from the Bible.
- May 2008 [8]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [21]
- December 2007 [20]
- November 2007 [19]
- October 2007 [20]
- September 2007 [19]
- August 2007 [20]
- July 2007 [18]
- June 2007 [19]
- May 2007 [18]
- April 2007 [13]
- March 2007 [17]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [9]
- December 2006 [6]
- November 2006 [15]
- October 2006 [18]
- September 2006 [12]
- August 2006 [17]
- July 2006 [14]
- June 2006 [4]
