Meet Your Maker Challenge Overview

"You know not the day nor the hour." ~Jesus.

The purpose of this challenge is to hear the Lord loud and clear, calling to us the words He spoke so strongly and DIED to impart:  "Seek first the Kingdom!" (See Luke 12: 31).

Together, with other brothers and sisters who have joined this challenge (over 40 people now!), we'll spend intensive time for one week (November 8-15th) focusing in on the Word of God and Church teaching about what happens when we die and how we are called to live.  

Each day you'll get an email with new resources and be encouraged to:

• Start the morning on your knees, offering your day to God, and asking for an assignment.
• Spend 30 minutes-1 hour in prayer time specifically with the new Scriptures of the day
• Watch and/or listen to the new educational and inspirational resource of the day
• Take 4-6 minutes listening to, soaking in, and  letting your soul be lifted the song of the day 
• Take 10 -15 minutes at the end of the day to have a "Meet Your Maker Moment" --  to imagine what it would be like if today was my last day on earth.

All resources, Scriptures, songs, prayer meditation suggestions will be geared toward making us become acutely aware of and motivated to live the truth Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth:

"Therefore, we aspire to please Him, whether we are at home or away.  For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Cor 5: 9-10)

Don't forget to pray for one another as we all seek to better run the race set before us to attain the goal of our faith!  (See Hebrews 12: 1-4 and Phil 3: 12-14).  Not yet subscribed to the current challenge for daily emails (November 8-15th)? Click here to join!!

Spend some prayer time with the Scriptures of the day.  Chew on them. Read multiple times. Ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to notice.  Write those verses and insights in a journal.  

Ask: "Jesus, what is one instruction you want to give me for how I live each day from this Scripture?"

Converse with Him about it and write down what you feel the Lord is saying.  

**Some of the verses are rather short--this can be helpful to focus, but you may also be drawn to read the fuller context of what Jesus or the letter is saying--you are encouraged to do this if you feel so led**

Before you go to bed, imagine that you die overnight and go to God for your particular judgement.  Some nights take this on a day of basis, but on at least one night this week, imagine this as if it is truly your particular judgment and you are standing before the Lord, as if He called you Home at a day you did not know the hour of....but it's today.  What would that judgement be like.  How would you feel? What do you want Jesus to say to you? What would you say to Him?  Would you have any regret?  

Here are some questions to consider Jesus asking you:

• What did you do with the people I gave you?
• Did you learn to love?
• What did you do with the voice I gave you?
• What did you do with the money I gave you?
• What did you do with the body I gave you?
• What did you do with the time I gave you?
• What did you do with the talents I gave you?
• What did you do with the sufferings that came your way?
• What did you do with the suffering ones you crossed paths with?
• Did you love Me with ALL your HEART?
• Did you love Me with ALL your MIND?
• Did you love Me with ALL your SOUL?
• Did you love ME with ALL your STRENGTH?
• Did you LOVE (choose to will the good of the other) your neighbor as yourself?
• Did you LOVE your family and friends as I have loved you?
• Did you LOVE yourself as I have loved you?

After you've imagined this moment do the following:

1. Thank Jesus for 10 specific things that happened that day.
2. Ask Jesus for 5 things that made Him proud of you today (in how you acted, spoke, thought, prayed, etc.)
3. Ask Jesus for 5 things that He wants to draw your attention to to repent of (change your mind/orientation about).  These could be sins of omission as well as commission. Actively repent of them and ask for grace to do better next time.
4. Ask Jesus for one specific mission for the next day (a person to reach out to, an opportunity to bless a stranger, etc.)

After we have spent time orienting our life toward God, in love, surrender, denying ourself, taking up our cross to follow Him better, we'll spend the next 7 days meditating on our eternal reward and hoped for destination! 

It's easy to say "I want to go to Heaven," but do you really? If you are anything like me, the idea of Heaven and the artistic depictions we have in church can be a bit ethereal, and honestly make Heaven seem kind of scary.  We know that's not true--it's actually so amazing that the Bible says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9).  So, let's commit to 7 days seeking to get a glimpse of what Heaven is really like from Scripture, Church teaching, and those little tastes of Heaven on earth.