Pastor J.D. talks about why it’s time we kick our bucket lists and do the one thing now that we can’t do in eternity—share the gospel.

A glimpse inside this episode:

I often hear people today talk about “bucket lists.” You know, all those things you want to do before you kick the bucket because you assume you’ll never have a chance to do them again.

The handful of experiences that have lived up to expectations: 

Others I’d like to do:

But does that make sense for the Christian?

The book of Revelation tells us that at the resurrection, Jesus ushers us into the “new heavens and new earth.”

Scholars say new means “renewed.” That means that heaven is not some ethereal existence in the clouds where we sit around in diapers with Nerf bow and arrows playing the harp. Heaven is a new, renewed version of this earth, without the curse of sin.

That means that up there I’ll get to experience a perfected version of all the things I missed out on down here. All the mountains, stars, rivers, oceans, planets, animals, culture, arts, music, architecture, and extreme sports that I never got to experience here are waiting for me there.

Revelation 21:26 even says that God will bring into heaven “the glory and honor of the nations” (CSB), which means he brings in the best of culture. The best Italian food. The best of Arabian architecture. The best art. Mardi Gras without the debauchery. Disney World without the lines. The Jersey Shore without the Jersey.

The point?

It’s time to kick the bucket list. You don’t have to worry about anything you miss out on here. Instead, you can focus on leveraging your few remaining moments for eternity.

You see, there is one thing we can’t do there that we can do here: tell people about Jesus.

If you want to put something on a bucket list, make it sharing the gospel with as many people as possible. The people alive in the world during this generation have one shot to hear the gospel, and it’s us.

So before you kick the bucket, kick your bucket list. For eternity, you’ll be glad you did.

Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order.