Share
What will be written on your epitaph?
by Marnie Vasquez
Josh D. McDowell summarized his life mission in 14 short words in the following foreword in the book “What if God wrote your bucket list”
“Get to heaven.
Take as many people with me as possible.
Enjoy every moment.”
I absolutely love this. It’s focused on God. It’s succinct. And it helps orient every part of your life around it. And then of course, this book is followed by 52 bucket list items to orient yourself towards God. These bucket list items are really ACTIONS and activities to live your life and impact those around you, or as DJ Toelle talked about on Sunday when he said, “Actions are what put adjectives in your legacy.”
When I first read what Josh D. McDowell wrote, I loved it so much that I wrote my own life strategic plan with goals and activities around specific relationships (husband, children, parents, sibling, friends), finances, career aspirations, personal goals like running and health. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time thinking through and writing all this down, even though it was daunting and extremely reflective and thought-provoking. It highlighted for me many things that needed serious fixing, things that were right on track and mainly the very big realization that more of how I spend my life needed reprioritization to truly put Jesus first in all that I do, especially if I wanted my life to be a vessel for Jesus.
I go back and I revisit this from strategic plan from time to time. And interestingly, the goals haven’t changed or shifted. And I guess they probably shouldn’t. I take stock of my progress and areas that are still thorns in my side that still need work.
But as I revisit these, I’m taking to heart some of DJ’s other points, especially the one from Exodus. This was a big eye-opener for me, as I’d never considered it from this perspective.
Exodus 20:5-6 NLT
I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
So, how I love and live can impact my family, friends, coworkers, and others today and my future family that I will never meet. It’s a new viewpoint. It makes me want to ensure, as DJ’s Mrs. Rubies taught him, that my head is pointed in the right direction so I’m swimming in the direction that leads my life (and my ancestor’s lives) in the direction of Jesus. And I hope my tombstone will include something about my love for Jesus and the impact I’ve had.
What do you want your tombstone to read?
The Book of Acts Reading Plan:
This Fall-Winter we will be diving into the Book of Acts. For context, check out these brief videos on the major themes in Acts from our friends at The Bible Project.
[Monday, September 2]
Acts 8:1-13
Focus on Philip in this passage. Think of the controversy that surrounded him during this time where Saul was persecuting believers, going house to house, yanking believers from their homes and throwing them in jail. And a man named Simon was wooing people with his magic claiming to be someone great. Meanwhile, Philip kept his head faced towards God. What legacy do we see him creating? How has Philip’s legacy continued on?
[Tuesday, September 3]
Acts 8:14-25
Simon, a previous sorcerer-now believer, was still battling his old ways. He saw the power the Holy Spirit made on their lives when the disciples laid their hands on believers. Thus, Simon wanted to buy that same ability the disciples had so he could have that power. The disciples took him aside and boldly confronted him about his wrong thinking and his need to repent. Simon asked for help in this matter, beggin for prayer. We don’t see the detail of what happened, but can take heed of the warning. What lesson do you see in this passage about the power of the Holy Spirit, and a believers ability to access it? What questions arise for you? What comfort?
[Wednesday, September 4]
Acts 8:26-40
This is a moment in the Bible where I wonder, what happened to Philip when he was “snatched” as the eunuch came up out of the water? Did he disappear at that moment and reappear further north? Or did the writer mean something else? What do you think? How might you have opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with someone who doesn’t understand it yet?
[Thursday, September 5]
Acts 9:1-20
This passage is about the amazing transformation of a man fully committed to persecuting and waging war against The Way into a man fully committed to bringing the Gentiles to Jesus’s salvation. There are so many remarkable things happening in this passage that you don’t want to miss! Which one stands out the most to you? How might you take this teaching with you today?
[Friday, September 6]
Acts 9:21-43
As you read this passage, imagine that you lived during this time and witnessed all these activities. What kind of transformation and impact might this have on your life today?
If you’re interested in learning more about baptism at Heartland, contact us HERE.
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
Please visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share what you are learning, questioning or experiencing. We love conversations!