Are you READY to DIE?

There is a question that keeps running around in my mind:

Are you ready to die?

With the recent deaths of Hayden Panettiere and Presley Gerber, I feel like people are beginning to ask some of the same questions I had to ask years ago.

A lot of us look at death as an unfortunate circumstance that happens to someone else. We know it exists, but we live as though we may never have to face it ourselves.

The reality is that all of us will face a final day. Some people meet it much sooner than expected, and others live well into old age, but no one remains here forever.

I am not saying this to frighten anyone, and I certainly do not want to use someone else’s death to make a point. Real people are grieving these losses.

I also do not know what happened between Hayden, Presley, and God in their final moments. None of us knows. God alone knows a person’s heart.

But their deaths have caused me to think seriously about the people who are still here.

You and I still have a decision to make.

We make it in the way we live now. We make it in what we believe, what we surrender to, and where we place our trust.

Are we living only for this life, or are we living with eternity in mind?

THE DEATH THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

Many of you have not heard what first caused me to come to Christ.

It all started from a crisis in my life.

A dear friend of mine named Craig passed away from a heart attack. He was young, in the prime of his life, and appeared to be at the peak of his health.

The day Craig died, something changed inside me.

I began asking myself, “Where would I go if I died?”

That question stayed in the back of my mind. I could not get away from it, and I could not sleep.

Then I felt something in my spirit tell me, “Go open your Bible.”

It was not an audible voice, but I knew what I was being told to do.

At that point, I had not read the Bible in more than a decade. I was living my life and justifying where I was. I was angry with God, separated from my family, and not in a good place spiritually, mentally, or emotionally.

But none of that changed the question I had to face.

Was I ready to meet God?

The honest answer was no.

I was living for today. I was not living for eternity. I was living to survive.

I took my bitterness, anger, and frustration with God and acted them out through the choices I made. I justified what I what felt comfortable and under my control because I felt wounded and abandoned.

But when everything became quiet, I knew I was not ready to die.

Craig’s death began a journey for me. I started questioning what I truly believed.

Why did I believe what I believed?

How did I know it was true?

Was Jesus really who He said He was?

And if He was, what did that mean for my life?

I did not come to Christ because someone pressured me into becoming religious. I came to Christ because I reached a point where I needed to know the truth.

WHEN I CRIED OUT TO JESUS

There were times in my life when I experienced severe mental and spiritual crises.

I had been in a mental institution because I opened spiritual doors and through choices and my decisions, I suffered severe mental instability. responsibility for them.

But when I got on my knees and began calling out to God in the name of Jesus, my heart cried out in desperation.  I took responsibility for where I had taken my life and through that one shift—everything changed.

Jesus came into the situation.

He began ministering to my heart and showing me where trauma had corrupted my thinking. He helped me understand why I kept going down certain paths and making decisions that were hurting me.

He also showed me the effect my environment had on me.

I was surrounded by friends who did not deal with their issues, lived in denial, and had no fear of God. Because everyone around me lived that way, I believed my life was normal.

People were telling me I was fine, but deep down, I could feel I was not okay.

I needed someone to tell me the truth.

Jesus did not reveal the truth to condemn me. He showed me the truth because He wanted to free me.

He began showing me why I thought the way I did, why I lived in survival mode, and why I kept trying to control everything around me.

THE APPEARANCE OF HAVING EVERYTHING

When we hear about people who are beautiful, financially secure, successful, or connected to a well-known family, it can be hard to understand how they could still be suffering so deeply.

From the outside, it looks like they have everything. From the inside, they could be dying.

God does not measure a person’s value the way the world does. He sees past money, beauty, popularity, talent, and family connections.

He looks directly into the heart.

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mark 8:36

God pursues all of us—rich, poor, famous, unknown, successful, or struggling.

Sometimes the people who appear to have everything are in a difficult spiritual position because they do not believe they need God.

Whenever something goes wrong, money may be able to fix it. Their family may step in, or their connections may open another door.

I am not saying that helping someone is wrong. Loving support from family, friends, doctors, counselors, pastors, and recovery professionals can be a gift from God.

We should help people when they need help.

But there is a difference between receiving help and making another human being our savior.

No person can take the place of God.

At some point, all of us must face what is happening in our own hearts. We must admit when our way of living is not working.

BONDAGE DOES NOT LOOK THE SAME FOR EVERYONE

I did not struggle with substance addiction, but I had my own forms of bondage.

I was addicted to the praise and approval of people.

I was also addicted to working, earning, and saving money because I was terrified of how I would survive.

I lived in survival mode around the clock. I could not enjoy my life because I was always thinking about how to care for myself because I couldn’t count on anyone else.

I depended on my own ability to work and plan because I did not know how to trust God with my future.

The enemy uses different things against different people, but his goal remains the same.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10

He wants to steal our joy, confuse our identity, and drain our desire for life.

The enemy does not care what keeps us bound as long as it keeps us from surrendering to Jesus.

WE HAVE TO DECIDE

I believe life is more black and white than we sometimes want to admit.

As human beings, we like gray areas and nuance because they can give us loopholes. They allow us to delay doing what we already know God is asking us to do.

But Jesus made this very clear:

“Whoever is not with me is against me.” Matthew 12:30

At some point, we have to decide whose side we are on.

I am not talking about whether you grew up in church, whether your parents were Christians, or whether you believe in God intellectually.

I am asking whether your life belongs to Jesus.

Are you trusting in Him, or are you still trying to figure everything out through your own strength, wisdom, and provision?

None of us is guaranteed another year, another month, or even another day.

Hayden and Presley could not have known with certainty which day would be their last. Neither can we.

I cannot tell you where another person is in eternity. That is not my place.

What I can tell you is that you are still here, and you still have a decision in front of you.

“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

YOU CAN TURN TO HIM NOW

You can stop pretending you are fine when you know you are not.

You can stop trying to save yourself through your own strength.

You can ask the Lord to come into every part of your life and begin showing you the truth.

That is what happened to me.

I am alive today because I cried out to a God I could not see. At the time, I was not even sure He wanted me.

But He showed up.

He did not require me to fix myself before I came to Him. I had to come honestly, repent, and surrender my life to Him.

That same invitation is open to you.

Jesus said:

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” John 11:25

Being ready to die does not mean living in fear or becoming obsessed with death.

It means knowing where you stand with God.

It means you have stopped running from Him and placed your life in the hands of Jesus.

If this message is stirring something in you, do not ignore it.

Turn off the noise for a little while. Open your Bible. Sit quietly before the Lord and tell Him the truth about where you are.

If you are struggling with your mental health or substance use, please reach out to someone you trust and seek qualified professional help. Asking for help does not mean you lack faith. God can care for us through the people and resources He places around us.

I am not asking you to live afraid of dying.

I am asking you to consider whether you are truly ready to meet God.

You are still here.

What will you do with Jesus?

“Father, thank You for the person listening right now. Thank You that they are still here and that Your mercy has given them this moment.

Lord, we acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves. Forgive us for living as though this life were all there is. Forgive us for depending on our own strength and turning to people, money, distractions or any other substitute.

Jesus, I believe You died for my sin and rose again. I turn away from the empty and fruitless way I’ve been living  and I surrender myself to You. Be my Lord and Savior.

Come into every place in me that has been ruled by fear, shame, anger, addiction, confusion, or pain.

Holy Spirit, show me where trauma, sin, fear, or the voices around me have distorted my thinking. Lead me into truth and give me the courage to receive your help, direction and protection.

Give me a clean heart, a sound mind, and a deep desire to know You. Teach me to live with eternity in my heart.

Thank You for Your mercy and for receiving all who sincerely come to You.

In the name of Jesus, amen.”

CREATOR NOTES — DO NOT READ ALOUD

Teaching title: Are You Ready to Die?

Optional gentler title: Are You Ready for Eternity?

Suggested thumbnail text: ARE YOU READY?

Keep the delivery sober, personal, and compassionate. Avoid graphic details, speculation about anyone’s death, or statements about another person’s eternal destination.

Optional description note: