Your Life and What Comes After

Your Life And What Comes After (21): Jesus, The Golden Spike

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The plan to connect the United States by rail began in 1862, but it took years of hard work and danger to build tracks across mountains and deserts. For a long time, it wasn’t clear when everything would finally come together and the Transcontinental Railroad would be completed.

Then, in 1869, the last rail was connected at Promontory Summit, Utah, with the driving of the Golden Spike. In that moment, the long plan was complete, and the country was finally linked from coast to coast.

Jesus is the Golden Spike in God’s Plan

After Adam and Eve messed up, God promised to rescue humanity, and Jesus came as the fulfillment of that plan. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus completed God’s long-promised work and rescue plan, opening the way for everyone in all ages to be restored to God and receive everlasting life with Him.

God’s plan started with a promise (Genesis 3:15), was carried through history by people like Abraham and David, and was fully revealed in Jesus, who came to save the world.

Jesus Announces His Mission

Luke 4:16-21
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Jesus wasn’t just teaching good ideas—He was the fulfillment of God’s long-promised plan, set in motion all the way back in the Old Testament.

John 19:28 & 30
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst…

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

God’s plan was accomplished, the Old Testament scripture was fulfilled, and Jesus said, “It is finished”.

How Did Jesus Do It?

How did Jesus carry out God’s plan?

  • By perfect obedience in His life, cancelling the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
  • By carrying out that obedience all the way to His death by crucifixion.
  • By His being raised by God from the dead to eternal life.

Did Jesus show us by example any of the four ways to plug into God’s grand plan that we looked at earlier? We’ll talk about that next.

Your Life And What Comes After (20): The Old Testament Road Leads To Jesus

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Before moving on to the Gospels, the Good News of Jesus Christ and His kingdom, there are some other men and women in the Old Testament who plugged into God’s plan, that you can read about and see how they put themselves into the flow of God’s purposes.

Moses

Moses is an important leader in the Bible whom God chose to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and guide them toward the Promised Land. Moses’ story is found mainly in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Deborah

Deborah was a prophetess, judge, and leader of Israel. You can read her story in the Book of Judges, chapters 4 and 5.

King David

King David plays a big role in God’s grand plan because God chose him to lead Israel and promised that his family line would last forever. David’s story is found mainly in 1 Samuel (chapters 16–31) and 2 Samuel. Also, many of the Psalms were written by David.

Ruth

Ruth was a woman plugged into God’s purposes and in the family line of King David—and ultimately Jesus. Her story is found in The Book of Ruth (Ruth 1–4).

Here Comes Jesus

Next we’re going to look at the one who is the main player in God’s grand plan, the Promised One, Jesus of Nazareth.

Your Life And What Comes After (19): 4 Ways To Plug Into God’s Grand Plan

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God’s plan worked through Israel and through key people in the Old Testament, like Abraham, Moses, and King David. But what did these people do that put them right in the middle of God’s plan? And how can we do the same in our own lives?

Here are four ways we can plug into God’s grand plan.

Seek God first.
Learn what He wants through prayer and study. Pay attention to how He speaks—through Scripture, wise people, and everyday moments. Then follow where He leads.

Add value to the world around you.
Grow your knowledge, skills, and talents, and use them for the right purposes and to do good in God’s creation.

Do hard things without fear.
Don’t always choose what’s easy or comfortable. Be willing to challenge bad habits and wrong thinking, starting with yourself.

Fight darkness with light.
Don’t just ignore what’s wrong. Stand against it by helping people in your family, faith, and community find hope, care, encouragement, and challenge.

Abraham

Abraham is known as the father of the Jewish people. God chose Abraham and promised to give him many descendants, land for his people, and that through his family all nations of the world would be blessed.

Read this passage from Genesis 12:1-5 (he was called Abram before God named him Abraham) and see if you can find the ways Abraham plugged into God’s plan and if they line up with the four ways we just looked at:

Genesis 12:1-5
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Here’s some of what I see in these verses:

Seek God first
God spoke directly to Abram and told him to go to a new land. Abram was listening for God and he responded in faith. Genesis 12:1

Add value to the world
Notice in verse 5, “all their substance that they had gathered…”. Abram was a successful livestock owner who moved with his flocks and herds and used his “substance” to feed, clothe, and add value to the world around him, and to have the means to go where God led him. Genesis 12:5

Do hard things without fear
Abram left his country, relatives, and father’s household—everything familiar—to follow God into the unknown. Genesis 12:1, 4

Fight darkness with light
By obeying God, Abram became part of God’s plan to bring blessing, hope, and goodness to the world along with his wife, nephew, and community of, “souls that they had gotten in Haran”, knowing that we are to shine light first among those closest to us. Genesis 12:3-5

More of Abraham’s (Abram’s) life and story are found in the book of Genesis, chapters 12–25.

Your Life And What Comes After (18): How God Carries Out His Plan

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How does God carry out His big plan?
He does it through people.

Which people?

First, His chosen people—Israel—as we see in the Old Testament.

Then, the promised Seed from Genesis 3:15—Jesus Christ—revealed in the New Testament Gospels.

And now, in our time, it’s you and me—the Church—as we read in the rest of the New Testament.

Israel

From the Old Testament up until the birth of Jesus, Israel played a special role in God’s plan. But God’s plan was never just about one nation—it was always about rescuing the whole world (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 49:6).

Genesis 12:1-5
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Israel was like a delivery vehicle God drove through history to bring the Messiah, Jesus, into the world as Savior.

Along the way, Abraham got on board by trusting God’s promise, even when it didn’t make sense.

Moses rode along by leading Israel out of slavery, showing God’s power and faithfulness.

King David became a passenger too, pointing ahead to the true King who would come from his family line. All of them played their part as God moved His plan forward.

But what we really want to get to is how those guys and gals in the Old Testament discovered their own purpose and best lives by plugging into God’s bigger plan, so that we can learn how to do the same in our own lives.

Stay tuned.

Your Life And What Comes After (17): The Grand Plan

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Two boys showed up for the soapbox derby with the same goal: win the race. Tim slapped his car together the night before. Boards didn’t quite line up, the wheels wobbled, and the steering was more hope than design. He figured speed would take care of itself once he got rolling.

When Wells showed up he was ready. He had a plan. He measured twice, tightened every bolt, tested the wheels, and adjusted the steering until it tracked straight. When the race started, Tim flew fast—for about five seconds—before drifting off course. Wells rolled steady, straight, and true all the way to the finish.

The Plan Begins

A goal is where you want to go. A plan is how you actually get there.

After Adam and Eve messed up, God didn’t just give up on His original plan to have a family to share His awesome creation with forever.

Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of God’s rescue plan.

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Right after Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, everything seemed broken—the relationship between people and God was damaged.

In Genesis 3:15, God promised that one day a descendant of the woman would defeat the one that hates God and deceived Adam and Eve, even though that serpent would strike back. This verse shows the starting point of God’s plan to overcome evil and restore what was lost. Long before Jesus was born, God was pointing forward to His plan to save and heal the world through a promised Savior.

The Bible is the story of how that grand plan is unfolding in history, how different people plugged into it, and what your part in it is.

Your Life And What Comes After (16): Looking Back, Moving On

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As we walk together down this road called “Your Life And What Comes After” we’ve seen a lot of interesting scenery. Now we’re moving on to the next part of the journey with some new sights to see.

Where We’ve Been

So far we’ve talked about some pretty questions, right?

Why did God create the universe and people?

Why is there something instead of nothing?

How do you find your own purpose within God’s grand plan and purpose?

Here’s a brief recap of some of the main things we’ve talked about so far:

We are God’s family, and we are the reason He created this beautiful blue gem called Earth and the universe that surrounds it. His love and attention are centered on us, and our eternal destiny with Him is His grand plan—and our purpose.

If you believe your life is the result of chance alone, with no purpose, and that you are only slightly luckier and a little smarter than a chimpanzee, then you will begin to see others that way too. Don’t sell yourself or others short.

But if you come to know and believe that you are the magnificent handiwork of God—fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), created intentionally and for a purpose—then you will live differently. You will love boldly. You will stand firmly. And you will shine like the stars forever, just as Scripture promises.

Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Where We’re Going

So how does God actually carry out His plan and purpose for creation? That’s where we’re headed next. Heads up—we’re going to have to open the Bible to get there.

Because Scripture is where God reveals His plan—and shows us how He’s been carrying it out all along. And once you see it, you won’t look at your life the same way again.

Stay tuned.

Your Life And What Comes After (15): The You Miracle, Part Two

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Callum had grown up with the huge Christmas tree, tall enough to brush the ceiling and packed with ornaments he knew by heart. On Christmas Eve, he scanned the branches—and felt it instantly. Something was wrong. Between the silver bells and red ribbon, a space sat empty. The old brass lantern was missing.

He searched everywhere—under the couch, behind the curtains, in coat pockets. Finally, in the kitchen, he spotted a dull glint in the corner. The lantern lay there, dusty but safe. Callum carried it back and hung it where it belonged. The tree felt whole again.

Did the brass lantern ornament not matter much just because there were lot’s of other ornaments on the tree? No. To Callum they all mattered and each one was special.

You Are a Miracle

So if Callum knew each ornament and was aware of the place each one held on the tree, how much more does God know you personally and the place you hold in His creation and in His plan?

In this verse, Jesus points to sparrows—cheap, common birds, barely worth a coin—and says not one of them falls to the ground without the Father’s notice. Then He looks even closer: ‘the very hairs of your head are numbered.’

Matthew 10:29-30
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Your life is not a loose thread in the universe or a meaningless life among billions of others. You are seen, valued, and cared for by God Himself.

God knows about and pays attention to falling sparrows, and He numbers the hairs on our heads—easy to count in my case, since there are very few left.

You matter—more than you can see, and more than you can measure. You have a purpose and a life that only you can live, one whose full impact may reach farther than you ever see.

…We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
Marianne Williamson

Life is a miracle. You are a miracle. Tell yourself those two things every day and your life will become a brilliant light that can’t be dimmed.

Your Life And What Comes After (14): The You Miracle, Part One

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Prince Philip’s character in Netflix’s The Crown (Season 3, Episode 7, “Moondust”) said this about his disappointment in what they found when American astronauts landed on the moon in 1968:

“The loneliness and emptiness and anticlimax of going all that way to the moon and finding nothing but haunting desolation, ghostly silence, gloom. That is what faithlessness is. As opposed to finding wonder, ecstasy, the miracle of divine creation, God’s design and purpose.”

Are We Alone?

The universe contains trillions of galaxies, each with billions of stars—more than we could count in a thousand lifetimes. Worlds beyond worlds are scattered across an ocean of space so vast it makes Earth seem like a speck of dust.

You’d think someone else would be out there by now. But so far, the cosmos has been… quiet.

No alien signals. No visitors. No confirmed microbes on Mars or the moons of Jupiter. Just an overwhelming stillness.

So no, I don’t believe in little green men or flying saucers zipping around our skies. I believe we are the only beings God created in His image—and that He made the Earth and the universe for us to share eternal life with Him.

God’s Focus Is On Us. On You.

What if life on this planet is incredibly special and rare—not because the universe is empty, but because we are the characters in God’s story?

What if Earth is not one of many planets where living, thinking beings exist, but the only place in His vast creation where God chose to create His family?

A vast universe does not make us insignificant. It makes God’s focus on us even more astonishing.

And that makes you a very, very special and important person in the universe. More on that coming up.

Your Life And What Comes After (13): The Body Miracle

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In the early 1950s, biologist Rosalind Franklin was studying DNA at King’s College in London. In 1952, she captured an image—later known as Photo 51—that revealed a striking X-shaped pattern. Franklin carefully analyzed the data, and saw that it that showed DNA was made of two strands wound together, with the genetic codes protected inside.

Her data later led to the correct model of DNA in 1953. The discovery showed how the human body stores, copies, and passes on life’s instructions with amazing detail. What had been invisible inside every cell suddenly became understandable—uncovering the molecular language that is the basis of the immune system, inheritance, and life itself.

Three Ways Your Body Declares You Were Designed on Purpose

Modern culture tells us we’re just globs of cells waiting to die and decay in a universe that doesn’t care. But your body tells a different story. It doesn’t whisper, “You’re just an accident”—it shouts, “What an awesome miracle you are!”

Here are three miracles in your physical body that quietly—but powerfully—rebel against the idea that you don’t matter.

Your Immune System Remembers What Tried to Kill You

Your immune system doesn’t just fight—it remembers. Once it meets a threat, it records the encounter and sets up a faster, stronger response the next time. Sometimes that memory lasts a lifetime.

Your body was built not just to survive the present, but to prepare for the future. That’s wisdom at the cellular level, not an accident.

“The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil.”
—Psalm 121:7

You Are Constantly Changing—Yet You Remain You

Your body replaces billions of cells every day. Skin renews. Blood refreshes. Bones rebuild. And still, you remain. Your memories, identity, and sense of self don’t dissolve with each cellular swap.

If you were just a glob of skin and bones walking around, you’d be a different person every few years. Instead, you remain you. Scripture calls this being “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Biology agrees: something holds you together beyond chemistry.

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
—Psalm 139:14

Your Heart Beats Without Asking Permission

Your heart doesn’t wait for instructions from your brain. It has its own built-in electrical system, firing over 100,000 times a day without you thinking once about it. Even removed from the body and supplied with oxygen, a heart can continue beating.

That’s not an accident. That’s by design.

The Bible says God “gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). Your heartbeat is a daily reminder of that.

“In him we live, and move, and have our being.”
—Acts 17:28

So What?

Your body is not an accident trying to survive in a meaningless universe. It is a living system fine-tuned by God’s own hand for a glorious purpose.

Believing you’re just a clump of cells makes life cheap.
Believing you were designed on purpose—and for a purpose—is rebellion against darkness.

Well done, fellow rebel.

Your Life And What Comes After (12): The Existence Miracle, Part Two

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So What?

What difference does it make in daily life that something exists instead of nothing? Isn’t that just a mind-bending, philosophical question without real meaning?

No.

Here’s why: If everything exists because God willed it, then your life is not an accident drifting through a meaningless universe. You are not just background noise in a cold, accidental existence. You exist because our Creator wanted a creation where relationship, meaning, and purpose were real.

Believing nothing matters is easy and leads to a “who cares?” take on life. Not good.

Believing God created you on purpose and for a purpose—that’s rebellion against darkness and a defiant shout that says, “I matter!”

The Source Matters

When Scripture says,

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.”
—Romans 11:36 (KJV)

it’s making a claim about reality itself. Everything starts with God, is held by God, and always points back to God—including you.

So when the question comes up—Why is there something instead of nothing?—the Bible’s answer is simple:

There is something because God chose creation over emptiness.

God is the reason everything exists, and when you look closely, you see Him everywhere. And that’s not nothing.