On The Calendar: The Appointment You Cannot Cancel

Devotional

Day 1: The Button That Steals Your Bullseye

A marksman’s loose button cost him everything. Distractions don’t always roar—sometimes they’re small, persistent nudges that shift our focus from eternal targets to temporary fixes. Like Siri Kulish’s misplaced shot, many live disciplined lives aimed at goals that won’t survive the fire of God’s judgment. Clarity comes when we ask: Does this matter beyond the countdown clock of my life? Eternal focus silences the noise of urgency. [34:50]

“So whether we are at home in the body or away from it, we make it our goal to please Him.”
(2 Corinthians 5:9, ESV)

Reflection: What “loose button” distracts you most from eternal priorities? How might rearranging your daily rhythm recenter your aim?

Day 2: The Calendar With No Reschedule Button

Death isn’t a suggestion—it’s an appointment. No amount of success, health routines, or busyness can delay the moment every knee bows. Hebrews 9:27 strips away the illusion of control, reminding us our bodies bear expiration dates. Yet this truth isn’t morbid—it’s liberating, forcing us to weigh today’s choices against eternity’s scales. The judge knows every hidden entry on your ledger. [37:55]

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
(Hebrews 9:27, ESV)

Reflection: If today’s agenda were your final one, what would you cancel? What would you prioritize?

Day 3: Gold, Hay, and the Smell of Smoke

Works built for applause crumble; quiet obedience endures. Paul’s metaphor of fire testing materials isn’t about earning salvation—it’s about discovering what survives when pretense burns away. That rushed prayer with a coworker? Gold. That secret kindness? Silver. That obsession with earthly metrics? Straw. Eternal investments often feel small, like seeds hidden in soil. [50:07]

“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
(1 Corinthians 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: What daily task feels mundane but might shine eternal? What “impressive” effort might leave only ash?

Day 4: The Backstage That Doesn’t Exist

Integrity isn’t what you do when people watch—it’s what you do when heaven’s cameras roll. God’s omniscience isn’t a threat but an invitation to live unhaunted by hidden compromises. Every private thought, every deleted browser history, every muttered complaint is rehearsal for the final audit. Judgment’s certainty frees us from performative faith. [55:46]

“On the day when God judges people’s secrets according to my gospel, through Christ Jesus.”
(Romans 2:16, ESV)

Reflection: What habit would you change if you visualized Christ physically observing it? Where do you crave the “backstage” He denies?

Day 5: The Lashes That Set You Free

The King took your sentence. Like the princess shielded by her father’s body, believers face judgment cloaked in Christ’s righteousness. Repentance isn’t groveling—it’s running into the arms of the One who chose your lashes. Today’s surrender isn’t defeat; it’s the only path to walk unshackled into that unavoidable appointment. [01:03:45]

“God commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man He has appointed.”
(Acts 17:30-31, ESV)

Reflection: What shameful “lash” have you avoided handing to Christ? How does His finished punishment free you to face tomorrow’s appointment?

Sermon Summary

The appointment with judgment stands on God’s calendar and cannot be canceled, rescheduled, or avoided. Hebrews 9:27 fixes the certainty of death and the reality of judgment, and Philippians 2 promises that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. The confession will be universal, but the heart posture will not be the same. One heart will say it in joy and gratitude, another in terror without remedy. The date is set by the Father, unknown to all else, and the Judge is perfectly holy, just, and omniscient.

The crossfiring marksman becomes the warning image. Distraction knocks a life off by a button, not a boulder. Focus is not the problem; focus on the right target is. Coming judgment does not paralyze a believer; it clarifies. It hands the right target and tells what to stop wasting shots on. Paul lives aimed at one bullseye: whether here or away, his goal is to please Christ. The sharpshooter does not aim at everything; neither does a life lived in the light of that day. The wise question rises over every decision about time, money, work, ambition, and relationships: does this matter eternally?

First Corinthians 3 names what will last. Works built on Christ’s foundation will be tested by fire. Gold, silver, and precious stones endure and are refined; wood, hay, and stubble vanish in ash. Salvation is by Christ alone and secure, yet reward or loss is real for the believer’s works. Clarity produces integrity. Romans 2:16 says Christ will judge the secrets of all. There is no backstage. God already knows the history no one else sees.

Because the confession is coming, the posture must be chosen now. One does not choose whether to bow, only when. Acts 17 says God commands everyone everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day and identified the Judge by raising Him from the dead. Repentance is not weakness, it is wisdom. The name above every name is also the name of the Savior who washed feet. The illustration of the king who covered his guilty daughter and took her lashes preaches the gospel simply: the Lord of judgment is the Lamb who bore judgment for sinners. John 3:16–17 stands as the open door. Jesus does not come to condemn, but dying without Him condemns a person already. So the Spirit’s call is urgent. Steward the gifts, influence, and time God has placed in hand. Knowing the fear of the Lord, believers persuade others. Today is the day to adjust the sights and aim at what will matter when every knee bows.

Key Takeaways

1. The appointment with Jesus is fixed This judgment is not a threat but a fact. Death will not be delayed by denial, and judgment will not be softened by comparison to a neighbor. The standard is Christ Himself, before whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. The only variable is the heart’s posture on that day. [37:55]
2. Eternity sharpens aim and focus Clarity comes when the right target is in view, and everything else fades into noise. Like a sharpshooter, a disciple learns not to aim at everything, but to please Christ in everything. The wise question governs daily choices: does this matter eternally. [47:00]
3. Fire tests work, rewards remain Salvation rests on Christ alone, yet the believer’s works face fire at the judgment seat of Christ. Gold, silver, and jewels endure; wood, hay, and stubble vanish. Living for what lasts means aligning opportunities, resources, and callings with His glory now. [50:07]
4. Repentance is wisdom, not weakness God commands repentance because the day is set and the Judge has been named by resurrection. Bending the knee today means mercy, freedom, and joy; bending the knee then without Christ means defeat without remedy. The Lord of judgment is also the Lamb who bore it. [60:09]
5. Integrity matters when no one sees Christ will judge the secrets of every life. Clearing a browser history cannot erase a heart history that God already knows. There is no backstage at the final judgment, so holiness in hidden places is the real preparation for that public day. [55:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:57] - Calendars and the unmovable appointment
[27:27] - Prayer for open hearts
[30:40] - Crossfiring: aiming at the wrong target
[35:48] - Judgment that clarifies focus
[37:55] - The date is fixed by God
[41:17] - A holy Judge and personal account
[47:00] - One goal: to please Christ
[49:01] - Works tested by fire
[53:00] - Does this matter eternally
[55:17] - Secrets revealed, integrity required
[57:50] - You only choose when you bow
[60:27] - Lord of judgment, lamb for sinners
[62:56] - The King who took the lashes
[74:43] - Altar open and response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Hebrews 9:27 (ESV): "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."
- Philippians 2:10–11 (ESV): "So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
- 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 (ESV): "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."

Observation questions

What two realities does Hebrews 9:27 emphasize about human destiny?
According to 1 Corinthians 3:12–15, what happens to works built with “wood, hay, or straw” compared to those built with “gold, silver, or precious stones”?
In the sermon illustration, how did a loose button on the marksman’s jacket lead to his failure? [32:15]
What does Philippians 2:10–11 say every person will ultimately do, regardless of their current beliefs?

Interpretation questions

Why might Paul use the metaphor of building materials (gold, hay, etc.) to describe how believers’ works will be tested? How does this relate to eternal priorities?
The sermon states, “The confession [that Jesus is Lord] is universal, but the heart posture will not be the same.” What might cause one person to confess joyfully and another in terror?
How does the reality of a “perfectly holy, just, and omniscient Judge” (Hebrews 9:27) shape the urgency of repentance and daily choices?
Romans 2:16 says Christ will judge “the secrets of all.” Why is hidden integrity critical for believers even when no human sees their actions?

Application questions

The marksman’s distraction was a small button, not a boulder. What “small distractions” in your life (habits, priorities, worries) might be knocking your focus off eternal aims? How could you adjust your “sights” this week? [34:50]
“Does this matter eternally?” was posed as a filter for decisions. What is one upcoming choice about time, money, or relationships where you need to apply this question?
The sermon stressed holiness in “hidden places” (e.g., browser history, private thoughts). What is one area of your life that only God sees where you need to grow in integrity?
If repentance is “wisdom, not weakness,” what step of repentance (turning from sin, seeking forgiveness, changing a pattern) do you need to take today?
The king in the sermon’s illustration took his daughter’s punishment. How does Jesus bearing your judgment change how you approach both your failures and your calling to share the gospel? [01:02:56]
What specific gift, resource, or relationship has God placed in your life that you could intentionally redirect toward eternal impact in the next month?

Sermon Clips

47s

#ChooseWhenYouBow

“``The believer will confess it in faith today in freedom, in joy. The unbeliever will confess it then in defeat without remedy and in fear. You don't get to choose whether you bow. You only get to choose when you bow. You don't get to choose whether you bow. You only get to choose when you bow. God commands repentance precisely because judgment is fixed. Acts 17 verse 30, it tells us,”

34s

#LordAndLamb

“The name above every name is also the name of your savior. The one before whom every knee bows is the same one who bent his knee to wash your feet. He is Lord of the judgment and He is the lamb who bore it for you. That changes everything about how you walk into that appointment.”

60s

#FocusNotFear

“Folks, if judgment is real, the lostness of people around you is real. The believer who truly holds to this doctrine of there is judgment cannot remain indifferent to a neighbor headed towards an appointment unprepared. So as we move on, I'm gonna jump down to the conclusion, Penny. The sharpshooter locks on to one target and everything else fades away. That's what this doctrine does to a life. It doesn't crush you with fear, it frees you with focus.”

49s

#AimForEternity

“Wood, hay and stubble pile of ashes folks. It's all we're going to have. But if we do what he wants us to do it's going to stand. I can't stress that enough. What we need to be asking ourselves when we go throughout our day, does this matter eternally? Am I aimed at the right target? Any decision you decide to do personally with your family with career anything does this matter eternally?”

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On The Calendar: The Appointment You Cannot Cancel

Devotional

Day 1: The Button That Steals Your Bullseye

Day 2: The Calendar With No Reschedule Button

Day 3: Gold, Hay, and the Smell of Smoke

Day 4: The Backstage That Doesn’t Exist

Day 5: The Lashes That Set You Free

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

On The Calendar: The Appointment You Cannot Cancel

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