Living with Heaven in Mind

Devotional

Day 1: Rope Across Continents

The pastor stretched a rope across the sanctuary floor, showing how earthly life barely fills one hand’s width compared to eternity’s endless coil. Jesus described heaven as a prepared place (John 14:2), while Paul urged believers to “set your minds on things above.” The rope’s first inches held jobs, relationships, and struggles – but the bulk stretched beyond walls, parking lots, and oceans. [29:23]

Heaven’s vastness makes today’s trials temporary. Jesus didn’t dismiss earthly pain but framed it through eternity’s lens. When He said “rejoice” amid persecution (Matthew 5:12), He anchored joy in heaven’s coming reward.

What worry shrinks when held against eternal glory? Write one fear that dominates your thoughts. Now imagine holding it at arm’s length while facing Christ’s endless rope. How might this perspective shift your prayers today?

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
(Colossians 3:1-2, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to make your daily struggles feel small against eternity’s expanse.

Challenge: Write “ETERNITY” on your wrist. Each time you see it, whisper “This is temporary.”

Day 2: Reaching Through the Veil

Maggie reached toward heaven during anesthesia, arms uplifted like Stephen seeing glory before martyrdom (Acts 7:55-56). The pastor described heaven’s veil as “razor thin” – closer than breath, yet unseen. Jesus tore the temple veil to give access to God (Matthew 27:51); now He prepares believers to cross the final divide. [52:00]

Heaven isn’t distant geography but imminent reality. When Paul said “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), he treated death as a doorway, not an end. Maggie’s outstretched arms modeled anticipatory joy – aching for Home while still earthbound.

What earthly attachment makes you hesitate to reach for heaven? Identify one comfort you’d struggle to release if Jesus called today. How might focusing on His face ease that grip?

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one earthly attachment. Ask for heaven’s joy to outweigh it.

Challenge: Text someone: “I’m praying you experience heaven’s nearness today.”

Day 3: Dreaming in Narnia’s Dawn

Maggie described dreaming of Jesus saying “We love you” – the Trinity welcoming a child. C.S. Lewis pictured heaven as Narnia’s “real beginning,” where every chapter surpasses the last. Paul ached to “depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23), yet stayed to serve. [38:53]

Heaven’s hope sustains endurance. The pastor’s father endured underwater struggles to rise on skis; believers press through pain knowing glory awaits. Anticipatory joy isn’t denial – it’s seeing current trials through resurrection’s lens.

What “underwater struggle” exhausts you? Picture Jesus standing on eternity’s shore, rope in hand. How might His grip change your stamina today?

“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”
(Philippians 1:23-24, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for specific heaven-promises that strengthen you.

Challenge: Read Revelation 21:1-4 aloud. Circle phrases that spark hope.

Day 4: Billion-Dollar Perspective

The pastor asked: Would you fret over a $200 bill if receiving $1 billion tomorrow? Jesus called disciples to “store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), investing in eternal over temporary. Paul called death’s sting a defeated foe (1 Corinthians 15:55) – its terror shriveled by resurrection. [40:26]

Eternal perspective disarms fear. When radiation made Maggie’s hair fall, heaven’s nearness comforted more than wigs. The woman with the alabaster jar (Mark 14:3) ignored practical critics to worship – her eyes on eternity’s value.

What practical worry dominates your prayers? Write it beside “Matthew 6:33.” How does Jesus’ “seek first the Kingdom” redirect your focus?

“‘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.”
(Revelation 21:4, NIV)

Prayer: Name one pain. Ask Jesus to help you feel His hand wiping future tears.

Challenge: Donate something valuable today as an “eternity investment.”

Day 5: Shells Toward Home

Like Dory following seashells home, believers trace God’s clues through creation, Scripture, and longing. The pastor called these “appetizers” of heaven – sunsets hinting at unbroken glory, laughter foreshadowing joy without sorrow. [27:01]

Heaven’s previews fuel urgency. Jesus sent disciples to “go and make” (Matthew 28:19), not wait passively. When the prodigal son remembered home’s abundance (Luke 15:17), he turned from pig slop to feast.

Where do you see “shells” pointing heavenward? List three today – a Scripture, a creation glimpse, a holy longing. How do they stir you to share the hope you carry?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19-21, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to make you a “shell-layer” – leaving heaven-clues for others.

Challenge: Share a hope-filled Bible verse on social media with #HomesickForHeaven.

Sermon Summary

Heaven refuses to be an afterthought. Heaven is home. The homesickness runs deep because God has planted eternity in human hearts and keeps lining up “shells” in Scripture and in everyday joys to point hearts back to him. Paul lifts the gaze: since believers have been raised with Christ, the text commands minds to be set on the realities of heaven, where Christ rules in honor, so that real life, now hidden with Christ, sets the agenda for present living. How eternity is thought about will determine how today is lived. Not retirement. Not the funeral. The rope tells the truth. A tiny colored tip stands for life on earth, while the rest runs on and on. Choices in the little tip shape the forever that follows. James calls earthly life a mist. The call is simple and practical: intentional rumination. Deliberately dwell on, remember, and long for heaven. Paul names this longing a preference to depart and be with Christ, better by far, and a desire to be at home with the Lord rather than in the body. That longing is homesickness.

Anticipatory grief can become anticipatory joy. The loss of a child cracked open that longing and made heaven feel near, not far. The veil is thin. The torn temple curtain signals open access in Christ, and the thinness shows up in holy moments and surprising dreams that steady the heart. Jesus meets his own and says, “We love you,” preparing them for the crossing. Stephen once saw heaven opened. Sometimes a child reaches toward it before stepping through.

Heaven then goes to work on today. The hope of heaven decreases fear. Death loses its sting when eternity looms larger than the pain of now. Even a trillion earthly anxieties shrink when compared to the promised forever, which makes suffering bearable, not by denial, but by perspective. The hope of heaven increases urgency. If the gospel promises an unending inheritance, the church is compelled to tell. The risen Christ validates the promise, and C. S. Lewis is right: those who think most of the next world do the most good in this one. The hope of heaven produces endurance. This life is a grind; the Christian race is not a sprint. But fixing eyes on the unseen keeps hands on the rope. Once the skier planes out, the struggle is forgotten for the joy ahead. So faith holds fast. The church lives with the end in mind, because every chapter with Christ will be better than the one before. Come further up. Come further in.

Key Takeaways

1. Set minds on heaven daily Intentional rumination changes the atmosphere of thought. When the mind tracks the realities of heaven, earthly concerns lose their tyranny and identity is anchored where Christ is seated. The text pushes focus, not drift, so hope becomes a habit rather than a mood. The church is called to practice this focus until longing becomes instinct. [28:27]
2. Eternity shrinks fear and pain Perspective does not erase suffering, but it sizes it. When death is declawed and reward is near, anxiety loosens its grip and joy can coexist with tears. The promise of forever makes today’s sting temporary and survivable. Hope becomes courage in motion. [42:27]
3. Hope fuels urgency to witness If an unending treasure is real, silence becomes unthinkable. The resurrection validates the promise and turns the gospel from advice into news that must be shared. Thought of heaven makes love practical by moving mouths and feet toward neighbors. Urgency is what joy looks like when it loves another soul. [44:42]
4. Future joy strengthens endurance Faith does not pretend the grind isn’t real; it keeps a grip because the horizon is real. The Christian holds the rope through the deep-water start, knowing the plane-out is coming. Glory outweighs trouble, and that weight pulls the heart forward when strength is thin. Endurance is hope with calluses. [46:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:06] - Family update and vision night
[25:00] - Homesick: Heaven is our home
[27:01] - God’s “shells” and foretastes
[28:27] - Set minds on heaven
[30:01] - Rope illustration: time and eternity
[34:57] - Life is a mist
[35:57] - Intentional rumination on heaven
[38:12] - From anticipatory grief to joy
[39:53] - Why heaven shrinks fear
[42:48] - Urgency to share good news
[46:14] - Hope that produces endurance
[48:30] - The torpedo and holding on
[51:13] - The veil between worlds is thin
[59:03] - The Last Battle: come further in

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV)
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

James 4:14 (ESV)
"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."

Observation Questions

What does Paul command believers to focus on in Colossians 3:1-2, and how does he contrast this with earthly concerns?
How does James 4:14 describe the brevity of human life, and what analogy does the sermon use to illustrate this truth? [34:57]
According to the sermon, what practical habit does "intentional rumination" involve, and how does it shape daily priorities? [35:57]
What example from the sermon shows how heaven’s nearness can transform grief into anticipation? [38:12]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize setting our minds on heavenly realities rather than merely acknowledging them? How does this focus combat fear or complacency?
The sermon compares earthly life to a "tiny colored tip" of a rope. What does this metaphor reveal about the relationship between our choices now and their eternal impact? [30:01]
How does viewing life as a "mist" (James 4:14) challenge common cultural attitudes about success, security, or legacy?
The pastor describes "anticipatory joy" emerging from loss. How does this align with Paul’s statement that "to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21)? [38:35]

Application Questions

What practical step could you take this week to "set your mind on things above" (Colossians 3:2)? Examples: Journaling about heaven, memorizing a promise of eternity, or pausing to reframe a worry in light of God’s eternal plan.
When has a moment of suffering or disappointment made heaven feel nearer? How might reflecting on that experience strengthen your endurance today? [42:27]
The sermon urges urgency in sharing the gospel because "silence becomes unthinkable" if eternity is real. Who in your life needs to hear this hope, and what is one way you could intentionally engage them this month? [44:42]
The pastor shared how his daughter reached toward heaven even before her death. What "holy moments" or "surprising dreams" have reminded you of God’s nearness? How can you cultivate awareness of the "thin veil" between heaven and earth? [51:13]
C.S. Lewis wrote that focusing on heaven empowers action here. What earthly task or relationship feels draining? How might eternal perspective renew your purpose in it? [45:09]
The rope illustration shows our choices in this life shape eternity. What habit, relationship, or mindset needs reorienting to align with heaven’s priorities? [30:01]
The sermon says endurance is "hope with calluses." Where are you tempted to "drop the rope," and how could fixing your eyes on Christ’s promise help you hold on? [46:43]

Sermon Clips

41s

“``Attach it to a rocket ship, Shoot it up to the moon. Turn it back again. Come back to earth. Wrap it up until all you see is your rope, and you just started. And here's the craziest thing. What happens in this little time light right here? The choices that you make, the things that you do determine all of that. All of that. It's huge. So why are we thinking only about our retirement right here? Right? The little life when we should be living for all of this. All of that.”

29s

“He rose again on the third day. There's so much significance there. Without the resurrection, the crucifixion doesn't have any power. But because he rose from the grave, he proved that he's God, and because he's God, it means that this promise of eternity that will it's true. It's real. And if it's real, it should change how we live today and increase our urgency to tell, that we would be compelled to tell.”

56s

“If you were worried about how you're gonna pay off college and the struggle that you have there, or you're worried about your mortgage and the and and you're gonna make ends meet, how small or nonexistent would that worry become if you knew that a billion dollars was coming? In comparison, a billion dollars is nothing in comparison to the promise of eternity and what heaven will be like. And it would change our way of thinking today if we knew that we were getting a billion dollars. It should be the same because we know we're gonna be okay. Please hear me. Just knowing our suffering will be relieved will be relieved does not make it go away, but it does make it bearable. Does it not? Anticipating heaven doesn't eliminate pain or fear, but it does put them in perspective, which in some way lessens them just a little bit.”

55s

“It absolutely produces endurance in us. It helps us to keep going. This Christian life, it is not a sprint. Honestly, it's a grind, is it not? It can be a grind, and there are days when we want to quit. Quit praying, quit trying, quit believing, quit serving, quit giving, quit hoping. We just wanna throw in the towel. Why? Because this earthly life is hard, but heaven reminds us that this is not the end of the story. It is not. Look at what Paul wrote here. Again, Paul said this, that is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are renewed every day. So our spirits inside of us, even though these bodies are getting tired, for our present troubles are small and won't last very long, yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.”

Ask a question about this sermon

HCC253 This sermon · AI assistant

How does thinking about heaven change living today?

How should Christians intentionally ruminate about heaven daily?

How does hope of heaven produce endurance in suffering?