Punching My Ticket
Heaven: Who Gets There?
No one is good enough to earn heaven; we have all sinned. Heaven is God's free gift, received by grace through faith in Jesus, who paid our debt in full.
Sermon series · Fall 2026 · 8 messages
See You on the Other Side
Heaven, hell and the life to come, built on one question: What will matter most to you five minutes after you die? Whatever the answer is, that's what should matter most now.
Why read it?
Ever wondered about your end story? Heaven is real, it's God's free gift, and you can know for sure you'll be there.
📖 Scripture: Matthew 24–25, Luke 16, John 14, 1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 20–22
Why I wrote this
Most of us are drawn to our origin story. Few of us think much about the final chapter. In more than three decades of ministry, I had never taught a full series on how the story ends: Jesus' return, heaven, hell and the life to come. Since it is such an important part of our Christian worldview, I prayerfully created one for our church, so every age could walk through it together, from Sunday worship to home.
Download free
Read is the book. Study adds group questions, a weekly challenge and room for notes. Not sure? See which one is right for you, or start with the one-page About the Book guide.
Easiest way to read: online. No download needed. A bar across the top always shows which chapter you are in, with a Contents menu and Back/Next buttons, and it remembers where you left off.
How to save and read: tap a button to download the file. iPhone or iPad: open it, tap Share, then choose Books. Android phone or tablet: open it in Google Play Books or your PDF reader. Reading apps keep your place, and the Contents and chapter links work with one tap. Computer: it saves to your Downloads folder. Open it from there.
The Book
All eight messages as chapters, linked to every video.
PhoneRead on PhoneSized for your phone, with big type and a Contents button on every page.Download PDF ↓TabletRead on TabletSized for any tablet.Download PDF ↓ComputerRead on ComputerFull pages with every illustration. Best on a computer.Download PDF ↓E-readerKindle & Apple BooksFor Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play Books and other e-readers.Download EPUB ↓
The Study Book
The book plus a Study Guide, group questions and a notes column.
PhoneStudy on PhoneSized for your phone, with big type and a Contents button on every page.Download PDF ↓TabletStudy on TabletFor tablets, with room for notes. Write in it with a stylus or Apple Pencil in GoodNotes, Notability or any note-taking app.Download PDF ↓ComputerStudy on ComputerFull pages with every illustration. Best on a computer.Download PDF ↓
For young adults: Five Minutes After I DiedWeek 4 as a graphic story. Free to read, download or send. Read it ›The eight messages and the conclusion
Prepare for Landing
Paradise: What Happens When I Die?
We die once and leave this “tent” of a body behind. Believers are immediately at home with the Lord, and because of the cross, we can face Jesus' judgment without fear.
Meeting in the Middle
The Tribulation: Before or After?
A seven-year tribulation is coming, and faithful Christians differ on its timing. Either way, Jesus tells us how to wait: don't be deceived, don't panic, don't quit, don't waste the wait.
Eternity Reveals What Life Conceals
Hades: What If I Say No?
In the rich man and Lazarus, death reveals what life hid. After death there is no second chance, so now is the time to respond to God and to nudge those we love toward Jesus.
One Way or the Other
The Second Coming: When Will He Return?
No one knows the day, but Jesus will return as King and Judge, and there are two destinations: “Come” or “Depart.” Today He invites all who are weary to come to Him.
Highway to Heaven: 1000 Mile Marker
The Millennial Kingdom: What Are the Thousand Years?
Satan is bound while Christ reigns on earth a thousand years with His people; then the devil is defeated forever. He is dangerous, but never in charge.
Leaving the Light On
The New Earth: What Is It Like?
God will make a new heaven and earth with no more death, tears or pain. The best part isn't the gold streets but God living with His people, and Jesus is the only Way there.
Now That I'm Here
Our New Bodies: Who Will I Be?
Like a seed, our bodies will be raised imperishable. We'll still be us, made like Jesus, to see His face, serve Him and reign with Him. So our labor now is never in vain.
Jesus on Earth: Why?
Final word
Every stop on the road map points back to John 3:16. Jesus came to rescue us from sin, so we could be with him forever, and he invites us to join his mission while we’re still here.
The series resource kit
One message, carried through the entire week: the book, the Study Book and the kids' pages all share the same look, so it's easy to move from one to the next.
ReadThe BookAll eight messages as chapters, linked to every video.
StudyThe Study BookThe book plus a Study Guide, questions and a notes column.
KidsKids' EditionThe entire series for ages 8–11, with Baxter as tour guide.
KidsThe ComicEight issues with Baxter, one for each week. Read online or download.
KidsKids' Sermon Listening Guide RecapEight truths, puzzles and a coloring page.
KidsKids listening guideThe same message at their level. Week 6.
Go deeperTribulation & Millennium study guideCompanion to weeks 3 and 6. 55 pages.
OverviewSeries summaryAll eight messages on one page.Everything for kids: which one is right for your child?
There's a kids' book, a comic book, a listening guide for church, a listening guide recap, digital games and a small group curriculum. Every one teaches the same eight truths as Sunday's message. They differ by age, and by where you use them: in church, in kids' ministry, or at home.
Pastor Rick wrote all of these from his own sermons, so kids hear the same stories, verses and big ideas the grown-ups hear on Sunday. Baxter, the tour guide, is Pastor Rick and Joy's real dog, and the stories (the gym, the goats, the truck ride) really happened.
💬 ComicThe Comic BookAges 8–11
Eight short comic issues, one per week. Baxter, Pastor Rick and Joy take four kids on a tour tram through each message.
Best first pick. Great for younger kids, reluctant readers and reading aloud together. About 10 minutes per issue.
Read Issue 1 →
📖 Chapter BookThe Kids' Edition bookAges 8–11 · Grades 3–5
The full series as a kids' chapter book: real stories, Bible verses, tap-to-answer checkpoints and a memory verse each chapter.
Best for kids who can read on their own and want to go deeper. About 20 minutes per chapter.
Get the book →
Kids Listening GuideAges 6–11 · In church
A one-page sheet kids fill in during the Sunday message, on a clipboard. One guide for each week.
Best for following along in the service. Print one for each child.
See a guide →
Kids' Sermon Listening Guide RecapAges 6–11 · With a grown‑up
One page that sums up all eight weeks: the big truths, the memory verses and questions to talk about.
Best for the fridge, the car or reviewing after the series ends.
Print the recap →
GamesAll ages
Seven games that play on a phone or tablet: memory match, quiz, crossword, jigsaw, coloring and more.
Best for fun review. Each game uses the comic and the week's truth.
Play →
In Class Each WeekGrades 3–5
See what your kids do in their small group each week: the game, the Bible story and the truth.
Best for grown-ups who want to know what happens in class.
See each week →Not sure? Start with the comic book. Kids who love it can move on to the Kids' Edition, which covers the same eight weeks in more depth.
Kids' Edition
The entire series for kids ages 8–11, at a 3rd–5th grade reading level. Baxter, Pastor Rick and Joy's dog, is the tour guide. Every chapter has stories, checkpoints, activities that work right on the screen, and a “Remember It!” truth that builds week by week.
PhonePhone editionSized for your phone, with big type and a Contents button on every page.Download PDF ↓TabletTablet editionSized for any tablet. Activities work right on the screen.Download PDF ↓ComputerComputer editionFull pages with every illustration. Best on a computer.Download PDF ↓E-readerKindle & Apple BooksFor Kindle, Apple Books and other e-readers. The text resizes to fit.Download EPUB ↓
Also for kids: the kids' sermon listening guide recap, the Week 6 kids listening guide and the comic book, A Tour of Heaven.
From Pastor Rick
Questions people ask
Short answers from Pastor Rick, with a link to where the book says more.
Will I recognize my family in heaven?
Yes. After the resurrection, people knew Jesus. He kept his identity, and there are other examples in Scripture of people being recognized on the other side. You’ll know the people you love, and they’ll know you. But the best part of heaven isn’t the reunion. It’s that we’ll be with Jesus.
Read more: Chapter 8, Now That I’m Here ›
Will I still be married in heaven?
Jesus said no (Matthew 22:30). That bothers a lot of people at first. When my wife and I talked about it, we started listing everything we love about being together, and we realized none of it is lost. Marriage is a picture of something bigger: Jesus and his people. In heaven we get the real thing, and nothing good about our love goes away.
Read more: Chapter 7, Leaving the Light On ›
What about purgatory, or “soul sleep”?
Neither one is in Scripture. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Today. Not after a long sleep, and not after working it off somewhere. If you die in Christ, you’re with him right away.
Read more: Chapter 2, Prepare for Landing ›
Do I have to agree with you about the rapture and the thousand years?
No. I tell you in the book where I land and why, but good, Bible-believing Christians see the timing differently, and churches have split over it when they shouldn’t have. Here’s what isn’t up for debate: Jesus is coming back, and you’ll be with him the whole way through.
Read more: Chapter 3, Meeting in the Middle ›
Isn’t being a good person enough?
That’s what most people believe, and it’s the most dangerous answer there is. The deciding factor between heaven and hell isn’t whether you were good. It’s what you decided about Jesus: whether you confessed your sin and trusted him as Lord and Savior. The good news is that it’s a gift, not a grade.
Read more: Chapter 1, Punching My Ticket ›
Have a question of your own?✉ Email Pastor Rick
Sticking Around
Come and See
God Speaks: Jesus
Rented House
Kids' Corner