Luke 16 Part 2Luke 16 Part 2
Lance Johnson Ministries
God cares about your life in the here and now. He provides for you. But, as Bishop Lance will challenge us in today’s message, we don’t really have a problem thinking about the here and now – it comes naturally. We need to be a lot more concerned wi
29:30•31 Aug 2025
Living for Eternity: Bishop Lance Johnson on Heaven, Hell and True Freedom
Episode Overview
- Focusing only on the here and now can distract from the urgent need to consider eternity and salvation.
- Being genuinely born again goes beyond religious ceremony and changes a person’s desires and vision.
- Hell and heaven are presented as literal realities, making the message of salvation pressing for everyone.
- Lance’s shift from alcohol, drugs and suicidal despair to the "living water" of Christ illustrates freedom from old destructive wells.
- Persistent prayer and concern from family members can play a crucial role in the salvation of someone trapped in addiction.
“I drank of the well that had the living water. I became a partaker of everything that Jesus Christ did. And when I drank of that well, I never went back to the old well, because he who the son sets free is free indeed.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This fiery message from Bishop Lance Johnson blends raw personal experience with urgent teaching about eternity, making it especially gripping for anyone wrestling with addiction, faith, or both.
Speaking from Luke 16, Lance contrasts the fate of the rich man in hell with Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, insisting that, "hell is just as real as heaven" and that many people are far more focused on prosperity and comfort than on their eternal destination.
He pushes hard on the idea that being “born again” is more than repeating a prayer or sitting in a pew – it’s a radical change of desire where "you desire the things of God" and can no longer walk past broken, hurting people as though their pain is none of your business.
For those in alcohol or drug recovery, one of the most powerful moments comes when Lance recounts his own past: drinking from "the waters of Jack Daniels" and other substances, chasing pleasure and status, even attempting suicide in a plush country club home. He contrasts those deep, destructive wells with what happened on 2 September 1990: "I drank of the well that had the living water...
and when I drank of that well, I never went back to the old well, because he who the son sets free is free indeed." He also shares how his brother and sister-in-law prayed and wept over his salvation, showing the impact that persistent, loving family can have on someone trapped in addiction. Along the way, Lance challenges the church for being "vision chasers" and prosperity-focused, rather than broken-hearted over lost souls and their own children’s spiritual state.
If you’re wrestling with whether your faith is real, or you’re wondering what place eternity has in your recovery journey, this message might prompt some uncomfortable but life-shaping questions. So where are you placing your hope today – in the here and now, or in the life that comes after your final breath?
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