In Pursuit of Paradise

How would you define paradise?

How can you find the paradise your heart truly longs for?

What do you do when life doesn’t turn out how you hoped?

IN PURSUIT OF PARADISE

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah?
Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39-43

The _______________ of the _______________ is for paradise.

- Now is not _______________ that there IS.

We are _______________ for _______________.

What do you believe happens when you die?

- This _______________ is all we are _______________.

Life is far more _______________ than we care to _______________.

- Left to ourselves, we are _______________ to get what we _______________.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

“Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to rescue, God giving Himself generously in and through Jesus Christ.”

- John Stott

- The _______________ our hearts long for is found in _______________ alone.

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:42-43

Paradise: Heaven, a walled garden of the king, pleasure ground, the Garden of Eden, a transcendent place of blessedness.

Jesus gives us far _______________ than we could ever _______________.

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

- C.S. Lewis