Heaven: God's Eternal Goodness to You - Part 4

August 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the final message of his series on Psalm 23, "Living in the Goodness of God," Pastor Rick Warren turns to the destination that gives the entire psalm its closing line: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." The episode's central argument is that heaven is not a vague, distant consolation but a concrete, active reality that should fundamentally reshape how a person lives today. The strongest evidence for this claim comes not from theological abstraction but from a raw, personal testimony that occupies the heart of the message.

A Father’s Testimony and a Five-Year-Old’s Questions

The episode pivots on a guest appearance by Dave, a longtime friend of Pastor Rick and a Saddleback pastor. Dave’s five-year-old daughter, Jackie, was diagnosed with a fast-growing brainstem tumor and died 42 days later. He describes the experience as "one of the most excruciating, agonizing experiences you can ever experience here on this earth." But his purpose is not to dwell on the grief; it is to explain how the hope of heaven made that grief survivable. "Without the love of Jesus, without the hope of heaven, without the promises of the Word of God," he says, "we would have never made it as we passed through the valley of the shadow of death."

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What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **Opening & Series Conclusion** - Rick Warren introduces the final message in the "Living in the Goodness of God" series from Psalm 23, titled "Heaven: God's Eternal Goodness to You."
2 (01:57) **Personal Testimony from Dave** - Rick introduces his friend Dave, a long-time pastor and church planter, who shares a powerful story about his daughter Jackie and the hope of heaven.
3 (05:03) **Jackie's Questions About Heaven** - Dave recounts a poignant conversation with Jackie after buying her a pet hamster, revealing her deep curiosity about heaven.
4 (07:44) **A Tangible Reminder of Heaven** - Dave describes how Jackie's favorite movie, *The Wizard of Oz*, became a symbol of their hope.
5 (09:59) **The Certainty of Reunion** - Dave clarifies that Jackie is not "lost" and expresses confidence in their future reunion, drawing a parallel to King David.
6 (10:56) **A Final Leap of Faith** - Dave shares a moving memory of Jackie's last playful act, which he now sees as a picture of her entering heaven.
7 (12:43) **A Poem from a Sister** - Rick Warren reads a poem written by Dave's 12-year-old daughter, Jessica, after Jackie's death, which captures Jackie's perspective.

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Show Notes

We may not know exactly what heaven will look like, but we do know that God will be there. That means we will get to experience God's glory and his goodness forever—and that will be enough. Don't miss Pastor Rick's continued teaching on how wonderful heaven will be for those who follow Jesus.