Not Yet Home - Look Up

Devotional

Day 1: A Daily Decision to Fix Our Eyes on Jesus

Our spiritual journey is not sustained by a single moment of decision, but by a daily, intentional choice. We are called to continually fix our gaze upon Christ, especially when the winds and waves of life feel overwhelming. This is a conscious act of faith, a determined focus that enables us to run the race set before us without looking to the left or right. It is the pathway to hearing those cherished words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." [02:10]

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2a NIV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can intentionally "fix your eyes on Jesus" today amidst the distractions and pressures you are facing?

Day 2: This World is Not Our Final Home

There is a profound sense within the human spirit that things are not as they should be. Experiences of grief, pain, and loss feel foreign and wrong because, in truth, they are. This feeling is a divine reminder that we were created for more than a broken world; we were made for eternal life with God. We are like fish out of water here, designed for a different, heavenly realm where death, sorrow, and crying are no more. [09:11]

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV)

Reflection: When have you recently felt that "this is not how it's supposed to be," and how did that feeling point your heart toward your true home in heaven?

Day 3: Living on Earth with Heaven in Mind

While we are not yet home, we are called to live with our eternal destination firmly in view. This means setting our sights on the realities of heaven, not the temporary troubles of earth. By faith, we acknowledge we are foreigners and nomads here, looking forward to a better country—a heavenly homeland. This eternal perspective reorders our priorities and provides strength and comfort for our present challenges. [17:29]

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)

Reflection: What is one earthly concern that feels overwhelming to you right now, and how might focusing on the eternal reality of heaven change your perspective on it?

Day 4: Using What God Has Entrusted to You

Our time on earth is a gift to be used for God's glory and the advancement of His kingdom. We are to be faithful with whatever we have been given, whether great or small. There are no valid excuses for inaction; God can use our unique gifts, talents, and circumstances to make an eternal difference. Our calling is to be faithful stewards, storing up treasures in heaven by investing in what truly lasts: people. [23:05]

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21 NIV)

Reflection: What is one specific resource, talent, or circumstance God has entrusted to you that you could use this week to point someone toward their heavenly home?

Day 5: The Living Hope of the Resurrection

Our faith is anchored in the historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. This event is the guarantee of our own future resurrection and the verification of all God's promises. Because He lives, we have a living hope—an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This hope empowers us to grieve with joy, to endure with patience, and to long for the day when everything will be made new. [36:11]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

Reflection: How does the certainty of Christ's resurrection provide you with concrete hope and comfort, particularly in the face of life's most difficult trials?

Sermon Summary

The text calls believers to live as people who are not yet home, urging a daily decision to fix eyes on Jesus amid grief, hardship, and the ordinary distractions of life. It frames the present world as broken and temporary, describing sorrow, anxiety, and death as reminders that creation does not match God’s original design. Scripture anchors the hope that earthly suffering is brief compared with the eternal glory to come; believers live by faith in what they cannot yet see and hold a confident expectation that God will one day present them whole and transformed.

A personal narrative about a family member who lived with disability and served others illustrates how a faithful life presses into kingdom purposes even amid limitation. That life models endurance, creativity, and a refusal to be defined by weakness. The call extends to practical living: set the mind on heavenly realities, use what God has entrusted to build eternal treasure, and take initiative in acts of reconciliation. Influence, time, talents, and even small daily tasks become means to store up lasting reward by investing in people rather than possessions.

Evangelistic urgency follows: humanity’s deepest need cannot be solved by politics or ideology but only by the gospel and the presence of God. The church is portrayed as an embassy of heaven, called to incarnate God’s presence and to invite others into reconciliation through Christ. The worst reality is not physical torment but absence of God’s presence; therefore, ministering glimpses of heaven—peace, healing, joy—matters now.

Perseverance forms a central ethic. Believers should strip off impediments, keep eyes on Jesus, and run the race with endurance because the resurrection secures victory and validates every promise. The resurrection turns death into a doorway: it guarantees an inheritance that cannot perish and grounds hope in the certainty of life beyond the grave. Revelation’s final vision of a renewed heaven and earth supplies a vivid horizon for faith, calling for readiness, holy living, and persistent witness until the homecoming when God will dwell among his people and wipe away every tear.

Key Takeaways

1. Live with home in mind Living with heaven as the primary address reorients daily choices away from short-lived comforts toward eternal realities. This perspective narrows the appetite for petty anxieties and expands courage to endure present loss, because the long view reframes pain as temporary and meaningful. It invites deliberate faith: act as a resident of heaven while petitioning, serving, and loving on earth. [16:15]
2. Live to make a difference Life finds purpose when talents and circumstances serve others and advance God’s kingdom rather than personal comfort. Even limited resources become potent when surrendered to the gospel; stewardship of time and influence invests in people who outlast material gain. This approach rejects excuses and cultivates resilience: faithfulness in small tasks compounds into eternal impact. [23:05]
3. Tell other people about heaven The deepest human longing reveals a hunger for God’s presence, not political fixes or philosophies. Framing the church as an embassy of heaven emphasizes incarnational witness—bringing tangible glimpses of God’s presence through prayer, mercy, and reconciliation. Proclaiming the gospel invites others into an alternative citizenship where healing, joy, and purpose originate. [24:31]
4. Put hope in the resurrection The resurrection proves that death does not have the final word and validates every promise Christ made. Hope anchored in resurrection transforms mourning into expectancy and fuels endurance amid trials, because future bodily renewal changes present suffering into a temporary corridor. Living in that assurance shapes choices, ethics, and courage to press on. [35:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:33] - Not Yet Home: Look Up
[09:44] - A Life Lived: Uncle Ron
[16:15] - Live with Home in Mind
[23:05] - Live to Make a Difference
[24:31] - Tell Others About Heaven
[33:57] - Run Your Race with Endurance
[35:52] - Hope in the Resurrection
[40:52] - Vision of New Heaven and Earth
[48:44] - Closing Prayer & Video

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
2 Corinthians 4:13–18 (ESV)
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

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Observation questions

According to 2 Corinthians 4:17, how does the passage describe our present troubles in comparison to what is to come?
What does it mean in verse 18 to "look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen"?
In the sermon, what practical example was given of someone who lived with eternity in mind despite severe physical limitations? [09:44]
How does the resurrection of Jesus provide a foundation for the hope described in this passage? [35:52]

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Interpretation questions

Why do you think the author contrasts "outer self wasting away" with "inner self being renewed" in verse 16? How does this relate to living as though we are not yet home?
The passage says affliction is "preparing for us an eternal weight of glory." What might be the purpose of suffering in God’s eternal plan?
How does the image of the church as "an embassy of heaven" help explain our role in representing God’s kingdom to others? [28:26]
In what ways does the resurrection guarantee the fulfillment of God’s promises about our future? [36:11]

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Application questions

What is one practical way you can "set your sights on the realities of heaven" this week instead of being consumed by daily anxieties? [17:09]
How can you use your specific gifts, time, or resources—no matter how limited—to make an eternal difference in someone’s life this month? [23:05]
Who in your life needs to hear about the hope of heaven? What’s one step you can take to lovingly share that with them? [24:31]
When you face hardship or grief, how can you actively choose to put your hope in the resurrection rather than in temporary solutions? [35:52]
What does it look like for you to "run with endurance" in this season of life? Are there weights or sins you need to strip off to keep moving forward? [33:57]
How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of God’s presence in your daily routine, especially when you feel discouraged or alone? [26:32]
In what area of your life do you need to stop making excuses and start being faithful with what God has entrusted to you? [30:55]

Sermon Clips

And that feeling that something is wrong, I don't know about you, but many times in my life I've thought, man, it's not supposed to be this way. It's not supposed to be this way when I lost when we lost our daughter from a miscarriage. It's not supposed to be this way when my Papa Don died of cancer. It's not supposed to be this way and it's because we're not. And that feeling of this is not right. It's not supposed to be this way is true. And it's telling you and I, it's a reminder of this one truth is that we are not yet home. We're we're not yet home. We're like a fish out of water. This place, this earth is not our home. [00:08:41] (39 seconds) #NotYetHome

There are some people that just simply don't know that there's another home for you. And so as a church, you and I, what we are here to be is the embassy of heaven. And so we as as the people, not the four walls, but as the people, the children of God, we are an embassy of heaven. That God's presence is in you and through you and on you, that you are existing for the presence of God. We're an embassy. So while we're living our lives, hey, let's use it to tell other people about a home that they may or may not know of yet. Second Corinthians five twenty says, we are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us. [00:27:48] (59 seconds) #EmbassyOfHeaven

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Not Yet Home - Look Up | Zach Heagy