Scripture teaches that it is right to grieve the loss of fellow Christians, yet not as those without hope, because death ushers believers into the presence of the risen Christ. Today, we are reminded again from God’s Word that for those who belong to Christ, death is not the end of the journey but the doorway into everlasting joy in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

While the Bible calls death an enemy because it separates the soul from the body, it also declares that Jesus Christ has conquered that enemy through His own life, death, burial and resurrection. Today, Pastor Tom continues to explore Scripture to help us discover what it means that Christ now holds “the keys of death,” why believers no longer need to fear death's sting, and how the certainty of Christ's victory gives us true and lasting hope.

Scripture teaches that death is not the end of existence but the separation of the soul from the body. This is illustrated in various ways in the Bible: as sleep, the taking down of a tent, or a ship setting sail for home.

At its heart, death is rest, a good night's sleep; it is the breaking down of a temporary tent in exchange for an eternal home built by God. We can have this assurance because our Lord conquered both sin and death, as Paul explains so clearly in 1 Corinthians 15. But because Christ has defeated death, Christians are freed from the slavery of their fear and can face death with full confidence that God will raise those who know Christ on the last day.

Pastor Tom examines the final, ultimate tragedy of false religion, as humanity trades the fountain of living water for broken cisterns that cannot satisfy. Tom’s message challenges us to turn from every false object of worship and find life, forgiveness, and restoration through Jesus Christ.

Today, Pastor Tom shows that because every single person was built to worship, the rejection of the Creator inevitably forces humanity to manufacture substitutes. We discover the biblical truth that all worship apart from God Himself is idolatry.

Today, we look at the devastating, internal judgment that occurs when truth is suppressed. Paul explains that this rejection results in futile thinking, darkened hearts, and a self-confident yet empty claim to wisdom. What about you, friend: When you see the intellectual madness of our modern culture, do you recognize it as the sobering reality of a mind that has rejected its Creator?

We need the Gospel because we are born with this hard-hearted rebellion—a condition that requires us to not only turn from individual sins but also to completely reject the world’s empty philosophies. Friend, do you realize that the primary reason we need a Savior is not just because of external misdeeds but because our hearts have naturally refused to bow before our holy Creator?

Though God has made Himself unmistakably known, the fallen human heart responds with defiance rather than gratitude. When you audit your daily thoughts and speech, is your life characterized by genuine, overflowing gratitude to your Creator, or do you take His abundant mercies for granted?

Rather than respond to that knowledge with worship and gratitude, man hardens his heart and refuses to give God what He is due—that is man’s shocking response to God. And in this series, we’ll discover how we should respond to God: to acknowledge Him as the one true God, to own Him as our God, and to fear, love, and worship Him as He deserves.