Today we wrap up this powerful two‑part message exploring one of the most tender, hope‑filled moments in all of Scripture — Jesus’ encounter with the thief on the cross.

In this episode, Pastor Rob leads us deeper into the eternal promise Jesus made to a desperate man in his final moments: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Together we explore:

• What Jesus meant by “today”
• Why this moment crushes false beliefs like soul sleep and purgatory
• The difference between the two thieves
• What real repentance looks like
• Why salvation depends entirely on Jesus — not our effort
• Why waiting until the end of life is a dangerous gamble
• How the thief’s story mirrors our own
• The hope of abundant life right now in Christ
  And so much more.

We also hear the powerful backstory of the hymn “There Is a Fountain” by William Cowper — and why the line “The dying thief rejoiced to see…” still speaks to us today.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and recap of Thursday’s episode 00:22 – The thief’s humble request: “Remember me” 01:04 – Confession, divinity, and Jesus’ authority 01:54 – What the thief understood about Jesus’ kingdom 02:13 – Jesus’ immediate promise: “Today you will be with Me” 02:43 – Soul sleep, purgatory, and what Jesus refutes 03:55 – Paradise, Sheol, Hades, and the place of the dead 04:49 – The Apostles’ Creed and Jesus descending to the dead 05:19 – Why one thief was saved and the other wasn’t 06:15 – Living for this life vs. the next 06:55 – Equal access, different decisions 07:44 – Can last‑second repentance “work”? The good news 08:26 – The bad news: Why waiting is dangerous 09:02 – Abundant life and the cost of sin 09:37 – Why most still reject Christ at the end 10:24 – What if the thief’s first opportunity was his last one? 11:03 – Jesus as our ONLY hope 11:55 – Why works can’t save us 12:17 – Jesus counted with sinners so we could be saved 12:42 – Are you trusting Christ alone? 13:22 – The story behind “There Is a Fountain” 14:18 – The dying thief and the blood of Jesus 14:41 – How the thief represents all of us 15:12 – Salvation by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8–9) 15:53 – Closing, resources, and invitationa { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb;}tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;}tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5;}If this message encouraged you, comment, like, and subscribe — and email us anytime at podcast@shepnaz.org.
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