4-29-2026
One of the most influential leaders of the Christian church in the last century was a quiet and unassuming theologian named John Stott. He spent much of his life serving one church, All Souls Langham Place in London. But he also served the global church, preaching all over the world.
He challenged evangelicals everywhere not just to preach the gospel boldly, but to live boldly and Biblically. He challenged us not only to tell the world about Jesus, but also to demonstrate the love of Jesus in caring for the poor and the disenfranchised.
Throughout his 70 year ministry he wrote several books. One of them, Basic Christianity, is a book that I would encourage you to read.
John Stott was a man with a life well lived. He lived well and he finished strong. In the final days of his life, confined to bed, knowing the end was near, he asked for two things.
First, to hear Handel’s Messiah again and again.
Second, for a friend to read again and again from one book of the Bible: 2 Timothy. Like the Apostle Paul, John Stott was prepared to say…
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
I am fairly certain that we all want to end this journey of life with a life well-lived, and we all want to echo these words from the Apostle Paul. The good new is that you can. All of us can go out on top. I’m not talking about going out rich or going out famous. I’m talking about going out content. Satisfied. Full of joy, hope, and expectation, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb with our eternal destination secure.
The best time to consider this, of course, is sooner, not later. If you haven’t taken the step of placing your life in Christ, it’s not too late. It’s not too late to start fighting the good fight, and it’s not too late to become all that God created you to be. Here’s to finishing well. And to making today count toward that end.