Miles McPherson

In December I had the honor of officiating at a memorial service for Lew Bush, a former linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. He died way too young of an apparent heart attack at 42.

As a pastor I do a lot of funerals, and it always hits me that, even at such a sobering event, a lot of people refuse to get serious about life after death.

Maybe they think they’re going to be the exception to the rule. You know, as if out of the bazillion people who have every lived, they’ll be the one who doesn’t die.

It doesn’t work that way, of course. Sorry to be the one to tell you, but you ARE going to die. You. Are going to die. As in dead. You.

Wouldn’t it be better to know ahead of time where you’re going to spend eternity?

Really, you don’t want to be guessing!

The next question, of course, is how can you know?

People often make up their beliefs about God instead of relying on Scripture. Maybe they follow along with what our culture says — that as long as they don’t murder, they are really not so bad and therefore deserve heaven. Or something like that. These beliefs may sometimes sound true or have some truth in them, but remember, the best lies often do.

No matter what your belief system is or isn’t, you are guaranteed to cry out to God at some time in your life, even if that point is on your death bed. Isn’t eternity worth taking a second look and examining what the truth is? It is important to understand who God is and what He is really like — not just how you have created Him to be in your mind.

Here’s a place to start: Know God?

How many ZIP Codes does your county have?

I live in San Diego County and it’s a big one — roughly the size of Connecticut. We’ve got more than 180 ZIP Codes here!

I’ve been talking to my congregation, the Rock Church in San Diego, about being “all in” when it comes to serving God. In November I suggested that we all choose a ZIP Code and commit to praying regularly for it. Hundreds of hands went up. The next day, we posted the idea on our church’s Facebook wall, and within 24 hours, a whole lot of people responded and named which ZIP they will be praying for. We will continue to encourage this until every square inch of San Diego County is covered in prayer.

This is a simple tool, and one you can use, no matter where you are and what role you fill. The point isn’t the Zip Codes, of course. It’s that God calls us to be ALL IN, wherever we live. Praying for and serving our local community. Now. Wherever you are, start there!

How about you? Are you ALL IN? I challenge you to see what God does.

The new www.DoSomethingWorld.org is designed to encourage people to do something to help their community. People, groups and churches can sign up, log their volunteer hours, and share their stories and successful activities. The site features videos of people who have gone out and started their own outreaches or ministries, and offers tips and advice for doing something yourself, no matter where you are in the world.

VISIT DO SOMETHING WORLD

Miles McPherson says now is the time to help others, and in his new book, DO Something – available from Baker January 1, 2010 – he tells how. A campaign kit for church is launching November 1.

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