Episode 7: The Truth About Eternity

Summary

The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast

Episode 7: The Truth About Eternity
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Candace Cameron Bure
Guest: Madison Pruitt Trout

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the Christian perspective on eternity—what it means, why it matters, and how it changes the way we live. Candace and Madison explore the hope anchored in eternity, challenge popular misconceptions about heaven and hell, and encourage listeners to center their lives on truth. Their frank, heartfelt conversation addresses listener questions about waiting on God's timing, living with purpose whether single or married, addressing fears around death, and breaking down practical ways to grow in biblical understanding despite life’s challenges.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Question: Waiting on God’s Timing in Singleness

Timestamps: [04:49] – [10:19]

• Madison shares empathy for a listener, Alison, who’s struggling with being single while her friends move into new life stages.
  • “That is so real, and I'm so sorry that that's just felt so hard. And, like, God, where are you? ... Why have I not gotten this desire? And it feels like everyone else has.” – Madison [05:13]
• Scriptural encouragement from Psalm 84: God doesn't withhold good from those whose walk is blameless.
  • “God is not withholding good from me, that this, where he has me right now is intentional and beautiful if I allow it…” – Madison [06:02]
• Candace adds perspective from her friends who waited for marriage or are still waiting, emphasizing that scriptures don’t guarantee a spouse, and encourages a posture of hopeful obedience and prayer.
  • “Life doesn’t start at marriage. Life doesn’t start at having children. There's so much for you to do and who to be...” – Candace [09:23]

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2. Introducing the Topic of Eternity

Timestamps: [10:19] – [11:05]

• Candace frames the conversation: “Okay, so let’s talk about eternity. Where are you taking us today in the conversation?” [10:19]

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3. The Airplane Analogy: Why Truth Matters About Eternity

Timestamps: [10:38] – [14:58]

• Madison explains how “truth is loving” using a missed flight as an analogy—just as not every plane leads to your destination, not every belief leads to eternal life.
  • “There was only one plane that could have gotten me to my destination… In the same way, we live in a time where… we’re so afraid to speak the truth about eternity…” – Madison [11:50]
• Candid commentary on the discomfort Christians feel about exclusivity, and why Jesus’s claim (“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”) is unique.
  • “Jesus is the true ticket to heaven. He is the only way to eternal life. And it feels like a very exclusive claim. … but it's really the most beautiful, freeing, and inclusive of any religion.” – Madison [14:12]

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4. Why Sharing the Gospel Matters: The Fire Analogy

Timestamps: [15:27] – [17:51]

• Candace uses the analogy of saving someone from a burning house to emphasize urgency in sharing the gospel, addressing common fears of being “judgmental” or rejected.
  • “If you saw that your neighbor's house was on fire, you'd … run … bang on the door and say, get out. … If people really understood what was at stake, we would have the urgency…” – Candace [15:40]

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5. What Does Scripture Say About Eternal Life?

Timestamps: [17:51] – [21:56]

• Madison and Candace break down foundational Christian beliefs: salvation by grace, not works (“You can’t do enough good to get us into heaven. … It's only the finished work of Jesus Christ that gets us into heaven.” – Madison [19:27]).
• Referencing Ephesians 2: All humans are born into sin, are “deserving of wrath,” and need the saving work of Jesus.
• Discuss Jonathan Pokluda’s conversational evangelism method—“Are you 100% sure you’ll go to heaven?” Most people aren’t, but only believing in Jesus makes one certain.
  • “Only that 100 [percent] actually gets you into heaven. None of us can reach the 100 on our own.” – Candace [21:56]

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6. Conversations About Eternity: Friendship, Tension & Compassion

Timestamps: [25:55] – [30:58]

• Madison and Candace swap stories about hard conversations, addressing how beliefs about eternity challenge relationships.
  • “You can do a lot of good things and you can do a lot of God things but still miss God completely…” – Madison [26:33]
• Candace’s take on discomfort sharing hard truths with loved ones: “To look at a dear friend and say, reality is you’re on a road to hell... feels—it’s hard.” [29:00]
• Both agree: loving people means being honest without condemnation.

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7. Why Should Christians Look Forward to Eternity?

Timestamps: [30:58] – [35:07]

• Madison tackles why heaven is worth longing for, countering cultural clichés that hell is “a party” and heaven is “boring.” Emphasizes biblical descriptions: no more pain, sorrow, or injustice; the “fullness of joy.”
  • “Heaven is the true paradise and party, where there is only joy in his presence...” – Madison [33:55]
• Both wrestle with not being “too comfortable here,” practicing a mindset that this life is temporary and eternity is home.
  • “We’re not taking any of it with us. … Eternity is my home. I’m going to be there forever. … I love the reminder. And then it makes all the decisions easier.” – Candace [35:07]

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8. The Restlessness of the Soul & Ecclesiastes 3:11

Timestamps: [36:51] – [37:55]

• Madison reflects on meeting “the most famous people in the world,” observing that without Jesus, there’s “still something on the inside … that is dying, that is empty. … God has put eternity on every man’s heart.” [37:39]

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9. Practical Advice: How to Read the Bible and Come Back to God After Trauma

Timestamps: [38:00] – [41:29]

• Listener Mallory asks:
  • How to read through the Bible without feeling overwhelmed.
  • Advice on finding the way back to God after trauma.
• Candace and Madison strongly recommend The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble as a tool for understanding and context.
  • “The Bible Recap has been so helpful. … She explains the context, what’s going on, she’s funny, and she gives you this God shot…” – Candace [39:25]
• Madison highlights the importance of context, community, and regular study—reading the Bible is “like a muscle.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Christ as the only way to heaven:
  “Jesus is the true ticket to heaven. He is the only way to eternal life. And it feels like a very exclusive claim … but it’s really the most beautiful, freeing, and inclusive of any religion.” – Madison [14:12]
• The urgency of sharing faith:
  “If people really understood what was at stake, we would have the urgency to grab someone and pull them out and say, you're … headed on a road that leads to destruction. We're actually all headed on the road … but there's another road that's provided … open to all of us.” – Candace [16:10]
• On assurance of salvation:
  “Only that 100 actually gets you into heaven. And … none of us can reach the 100 on our own.” – Candace [21:56]
• On heaven’s reality:
  “Heaven is the true paradise and party, where there is only joy in his presence is the fullness of joy.” – Madison [34:06]
• On the ache for eternity:
  “God has put eternity on every man’s heart. And all of us, we are asking the question, is there something more?” – Madison [37:39]

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Important Timestamps

• [04:49] – Listener question about waiting for marriage
• [10:38] – Launch into the main theme of eternity
• [11:50] – Airplane analogy for eternal truth
• [15:27] – The burning house/fire analogy for sharing the gospel
• [19:27] – Salvation by grace, not works
• [25:55] – Honest talk: friendships and evangelism
• [30:58] – Why desire eternity over this life?
• [33:55] – What is heaven really like?
• [38:00] – How to read the Bible (practical tools)

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Tone & Language

Friendly, honest, compassionate, faith-filled, and approachable—Candace and Madison freely admit their own struggles and doubts, express empathy, and encourage deep personal reflection alongside practical action.

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For Listeners

• Be encouraged: Your longing for something more has meaning and purpose.
• God’s promises about eternity aren’t meant to scare, but to invite us into true hope and joyful living now.
• If you’re struggling to read the Bible or feel daunted, check out The Bible Recap (Tara-Leigh Cobble) and seek out community or reading partners.
• No matter where you are—single, married, struggling, or searching—there is beauty and purpose available as you seek God.

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Transcript

[A]

I didn't bring my Bible for this episode, so it's my emotional support.

[B]

It's like it secures my Bible. Grand Canyon University, an affordable private Christian university based in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona is one of the largest universities in the country. Praised for its culture of community and impact, GCU integrates the free market system, a welcoming Christian worldview and free and open discourse in into 369 academic programs with over 300 online. Join a nationwide community of learners redefining what online education looks like through academically rigorous, industry driven programs that can spark bold ideas and prepare you for a future that matters. In addition to federal grants and aid, GCU's online students received nearly $161 million in institutional scholarships in 2024. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University Private Christian affordable. Visit gcu.edu myoffer to see the scholarships you may qualify for. There's a lot going on in the world right now and sometimes it feels overwhelming. But the Bible reminds us there's a steady foundation beneath it all. A source of hope that can't be shaken. The promises of scripture were first made to the people of Israel. Right now there are thousands of people who share these foundations of our faith who need our help. Many in Israel and Eastern Europe face everyday challenges like getting food, medicine and having their basic needs met. That's why I'm sharing with you about the international fellowship of Christians and Jews. They've been providing real help and Hope for over 40 years. If you want to learn more or get involved, visit ifcj.org that's ifcj.org. Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together. Welcome back to the Candace Cameron Bury Podcast. We have honest, faith filled conversations about life's challenges, celebrations and everything in between. This season, Madison Pruitt Trout is sharing honest stories and and her convictions about what is Most important on YouTube. Click below to subscribe, then tap the bell so you'll never miss an episode. Come join us. Hi. Welcome back. Hello. You look so cute today. You look cute every week.

[A]

No, you're very kind. I did forget that the last episodes I forgot to glue on my press on nails.

[B]

So.

[A]

So we did that on the way this morning.

[B]

Those are press ons.

[A]

Listen, there's some good press on nails out there. I was the queen of always getting my nails done and then I had a child and I was like, so we're gonna order some from Amazon and just glue them right on.

[B]

Wait a minute.

[A]

They have some good ones.

[B]

Out there. I've never seen ones that good.

[A]

I know.

[B]

And the color. If you guys aren't watching this on YouTube, you need to go click over right now so you can see, because they're, like mint green with gold, and there's a cool little shape and design to them, but they look really good.

[A]

They got some good ones out there. I was like, grant, do we go French tip or do we go fun? And he's like, let's go fun. And so we went fun.

[B]

I love that. How long do they stay on for?

[A]

Oh, not long. Not long with a baby. Maybe other people who don't have a baby can go a little bit longer.

[B]

But, like a couple days. Or is it one day?

[A]

It can go a couple days.

[B]

Okay. Okay.

[A]

Usually I just do it for the occasion.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

Yeah. But then we. But we did it for today, so we're feeling good.

[B]

Amazon. That's even better.

[A]

Amazon. Ulta.

[B]

I'll be. I'll be looking. Cause I am the queen of getting my nails done. And I know that there were new reports that said how bad gel nails are. I get a Russian manicure. It lasts like, five weeks.

[A]

Russian manicures are the best. That's what I did before I had Hosanna. They're literally the best. And I didn't bring my Bible for this episode, so I'm. We were talking about yesterday. It's my emotional support.

[B]

It's like, it secures my Bible, but.

[A]

It'S in my heart. It's written on our hearts.

[B]

It is written on our hearts. Where is your Bible? Is it.

[A]

It's in the back with Hosanna, and she's asleep, so we're just.

[B]

We're.

[A]

Right now. It's. It's written on my heart.

[B]

When she wakes up, we will get the Bible.

[A]

Get the Bible. That's good.

[B]

Well, we've had so many great conversations. We've talked about living an honest life. We talked about lies. We talked about truth. We talked about sin and shame, all kinds of things. And today we're going to talk about eternity, which I'm excited to talk about. Yeah, I feel like we don't talk about it enough, but of course, we're going to start with a listener question.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

This one is from Alison. She says she's 31 years old, she's single, and she's been wanting to be a wife and a mom since she was a little girl. She says, I've watched my closest friends all get to be pregnant together and get married around the same time. And I often Ask God, when will it be my turn? Any advice?

[A]

First of all, that is so real, and I'm so sorry that that's just felt so hard. And, like, God, where are you? Why have you not answered my prayers? And why have I not gotten this desire? And it feels like everyone else has. And I remember for me, when I graduated college, I mean, I lived in Alabama. I know it's a little bit different in California, but you also got married really young, but everyone got married at, like, 21, 22. And so I graduated college, and I remember I was actually going through a breakup, and all of my friends were getting married. I was in, like, 10 weddings, and I was single. And I was just asking the same question. And I just wrestled with the Lord, like, why isn't this happening for me? Is there something wrong with me? Why are you not blessing me in this way? Why does it feel like everybody else is getting the gift that I'm not getting? And I just remember coming across. I believe it's Psalm 84, and it says, no good thing does God withhold from those whose walk is blameless. And just reminding myself that God is not withholding good from me, that this, where he has me right now is intentional and beautiful if I allow it. And also reminding myself that this desire is not bad, that the desire for marriage and having kids is not a bad desire, but reminding myself that Jesus is the ultimate gift and making sure that he stays the greatest desire and my hope continues to stay in Him. And that's just what I would encourage you with, Allison, is just put your hope in Jesus and not in just what he can give you. And that desire is. Is a God desire. God created marriage, and especially for females, that was, you know, something that I believe is kind of innate in us, but just making sure that, you know, Matthew 6:33, that we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to us. And so making him the greatest desire and the biggest priority, I would say. I mean, what would you say?

[B]

Yeah. You know, I feel like it's a difficult question because my heart comes with compassion and understanding, even though, listen, I was married at 20 years old and had three kids by 25. So I feel a little bit like. I don't want to sound like I'm just giving advice, but I've never had that struggle before. But I. My heart comes with compassion for you. But I think I've watched some of my friends that are my age or a decade younger than. Than me that have been praying for their husband and praying for family. And some of them got that a lot later in life than they were hoping, but some of them got that. Like my best friend, she got married at 4, 40 years old and had her one and only child at 41 years old, you know, and that happened way later than she wanted, but. But she got that. And then I have other friends that are still in their 40s, still praying, still waiting, still desiring, still wanting. And the thing is, the Bible doesn't promise any of us that we will have a spouse. He calls some people to singleness. And like you said, our greatest desire should be with the Lord. But I understand that sometimes that actually feels like the disappointment. And you're trying to reconcile how do I want to desire God so much so that it outweighs me having a husband and children and that kind of stuff. So my heart goes out. But you have to remember what God says. Look to truth and know that he has good things planned for you. It just might not be what you have desired or hoped for, but he's not gonna withhold good from you. And so I also would say to Allison or anyone struggling with this is that keep. Keep moving through life, keeps doing what you're doing. Like your life shouldn't be on hold because you're waiting for a spouse, because you're. You haven't had a child yet. Life doesn't start at marriage. Life doesn't start at having children. There's so much for you to do and. And who to be, and. And so keep. But keep praying. I mean, I still keep. I continue to pray faithfully for those friends that I know still want a husband and children and. And believe it. You know, believe it. But the reality is he doesn't always promise that to everyone.

[A]

Absolutely. 1 Corinthians 7 is one of my favorite passages to go to. And it's just a reminder. Paul's like, hey, I'm single. Jesus is like, I lived a single life. And they lived their life on mission and on purpose. And if that's what God has for you and that's God's will for your life, like it's going to happen as you're running your race and your eyes are fixed on Jesus. But if we're waiting on, you know, the sidelines and living our life on standstill, that's just a. That's a sad way of living when God has so much us, whether married or single, and there's a race to. To run.

[B]

Yeah, but we'll be praying for you, Allison. Honestly, I'm gonna. I'm gonna add your name when I pray with my other friends, and I pray that for them. I'll pray that for you. Okay, so let's talk about eternity. Where are you taking us today? In the conversation.

[A]

Where are we going with eternity? Yeah. So I. I open up my book chapter on eternity with this story of a time that I was leaving a bachelorette party and headed to a wedding. And I was the only one who had to leave this bachelorette party early and had to catch a flight. And it was a hard. Like, this sounds like it was a crazy bachelorette party. It literally was like, all we did was hang out and eat food and lay out, but it was on an island, and so it was really hard.

[B]

It's great.

[A]

I know, it was great. It was like some island in California, but you had to, like, get from a boat to the land. It was like an hour. You know, what is it called? The boats on the water thing?

[B]

Like a taxi, right? Or. Sure. Like a. I don't know.

[A]

I'm not familiar with that.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I'm not really sure. But yes, they took us from the island to the land, and then we.

[B]

I had a little dinghy or something, but, like a. Whatever.

[A]

It's not a fairy. Is it a fairy? No, it's not a fairy. Why does it feel so magical?

[B]

People listening are like, girls, they're like.

[A]

You guys, come on. You didn't. You clearly didn't get enough sleep last night. Which is true. I did not get enough sleep last night. But, yeah, and then I had to Uber to the airport. I get there. Long story short, I had a connecting flight. I get to my connecting place, and my flight before had gotten delayed so much that I missed my connecting flight. And when I pulled up to the gate and came to my gate, the, you know, person at the counter was like, I'm sorry, you know, the gate is closed. You missed your flight. And I was devastated because I. I had this wedding to get to. And I'm like, no, you don't understand. Like, I gotta be at this wedding. I can't be late. She's like, ma', am, I'm sorry. You know, you can go back to the front and see there's another flight. It's the last flight of the day leaving in 15 minutes. And maybe, you know, you can get on that flight. I go to the front, and she's like, there's no way. Like, by the time you check in, go through security, like, you're not gonna make It. Your best bet is to get a hotel room, stay overnight, come back in the morning. And I'm like, but it's the day of the wedding. Like, I'm missing the rehearsal dinner. I'm. You know, Anyways, I was really stressed, but in that moment, I walked away a little frustrated, but it reminded me. I'm like, but she. She was honest with me. She told me the truth. She could have lied to me and said, hey, any flight you get on will take you to the destination you want to get to. You know, she could have said, any plane will take you to where you're trying to go. Oh, you want to go to Colorado? Okay, yeah. Like, any of these planes will. Will take you there. Like, any plane will take you to the destination you want. That would have been unloving, because that was untrue. There was only one plane that could have gotten me to my destination. And unfortunately, the gate was closed and I missed my chance to get on that. And in the same way, we live in a time where I think we're so afraid to speak the truth about eternity and the truth about heaven and the truth about hell, because we want to sound loving. We want to make everyone feel comfortable. We want everyone to feel like, yeah, whatever you believe, whatever you think, any ticket will get you there. Any plane will get you there. Any gate will take you there. You can be a good person. You can just go to church on Easter. You can believe any religion, like, as long as you. And we believe these things and we speak those things, and we don't speak the truth a lot of times because we're afraid of that kind of uncomfortable feeling or that uncomfortable conversation. But the truth is what is loving. Because if we're not speaking the truth and it's ultimately leading them to a bad destination, say, I would have gotten on one of those planes and it took me to, you know, a country overseas that was in the middle of war, you know, and I got on that plane and I landed right in the middle of that. And I'm like, wait, you told me that this was gonna take me to my destination in Aspen, Colorado. Like, and now I'm in the middle of a war torn country that wouldn't have been loving. And so, you know, Jesus is really clear in John 14:6 that I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. There is one way. Jesus is the true ticket to heaven. He is the only way to eternal life. And it feels like a very exclusive claim. It's a Very controversial claim that Jesus made, but it's really the most beautiful, freeing, and inclusive of. Of any religion. Because Jesus is like, hey, you don't have to be a really good person and work your way up to me. Like, I came to you. I made a way to you.

[B]

And that's the invitation to every. Everybody, everyone.

[A]

And so, yeah, I just. I think that it's. It's a world where people are really hungry for truth and for what's real. And Jesus said, I'm the way.

[B]

Yeah, I like Tara Leigh Cobble says it this way. She's the host of the Bible Recap, and she says it isn't exclusive. It's very inclusive. It's just specific.

[A]

Yeah, it's clear.

[B]

It's just specific.

[A]

It's clear. There's no confusion.

[B]

Everyone's invited to the party. Literally the party in heaven. Everyone's invited. There is a specific one way to go. I like this analogy that I've heard over the years about being afraid to talk about heaven and hell and eternity with people. And again, it comes from the fear of man. You don't want people to look at you like you're crazy. You don't want people to just blow you off and say, like, I don't want to talk about that.

[A]

You.

[B]

You fear the rejection. But. But this analogy is like, if you saw that your neighbor's house was on fire, you'd go over and run, and you would bang on the door and say, get out. Get out. Your house is on fire. You would. You'd probably bust the door open, try to grab their cats and dogs and kids, and you help them get out. It's an emergency. You don't. You wouldn't go over and politely knock on the door and go, I'm just gonna wait out here. Oh, let me press. Actually, it's midnight. I don't wanna ring the doorbell because I don't wanna disturb them. So I'll just politely knock and hope that they hear it so I can say, excuse me, your house is on fire. Yeah, like, we wouldn't do that. We would come with gusto. We would bang. We would. We would grab them and pull them out. And so in the same way, it can feel scary to talk about eternity with people in heaven and hell because it's judgmental and those kinds of things. But if people really understood what was at stake, we would have the urgency to grab someone and pull them out and say, you're. You're headed on a road that leads to destruction. We're actually all headed on the road leaded to let le. We're actually all on the road that leads to destruction, but there's another road that's provided that is open to all of us. And so it's not that only you are headed to hell. I'm headed to hell too. But by the grace of God, because I believe and trust in the Savior that Jesus paid the penalty for my sin and lives. Do I get to be in his presence when I die? And everyone has that available to them.

[A]

Yeah, so true. We talked about this in a previous episode, but Ephesians 2 talks about it like we were all deserving of wrath, every single one of us. We were all born into sin. And that was the price. That was the price of sin, which was death, which was hell. And because of Jesus, he stepped in and he said, I'm gonna take your sin and I'm gonna give you my righteousness. I'm gonna give you a right standing in relationship with God, and I'm also going to give you life. And not just life here, but life eternal. And we just live in a time where there's so many lies and deception. The enemy has done such a good job of deceiving our minds to get so comfortable here and to live like this is the only life. And this YOLO mindset of you only live once, and it's such, it's such a lie. Because the, the new phrase that we're going to make popular, Candace, is yolt, you live twice. You only live twice. And how you live here is going to determin how and where you live forever. And that's why this life matters so much. And it is so freeing and it is good news. Because when you place your hope and your belief and faith in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection and you choose to follow him, you don't have to work your way up to him. You just receive his grace. And so when you were asked the question, hey, if you die today and go to heaven and you're face to face with God, and he says, why should I let you in? You don't have to wonder, well, I think I did enough good things today. Like, I think I honored, you know, my, my spouse today. I, I, I think I like, you know, said thank you to that person that, you know, did that for me. Like, you don't have to wonder if you did enough good things. You get to say, actually it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jesus because we can't do enough good to get us into heaven. And we can't do enough bad to get us out of heaven. It's only the finished work of Jesus Christ that gets us into heaven. And that's the true ticket. And it's the most freeing thing ever. Like, we've talked a lot about on these episodes we've done that. You and I both had this belief system for a little while of, like, I can do enough good. Like, I'm a really good person. And I think that that's. Whether we recognize it or not, that's probably the reality of even people listening right now.

[B]

Most people. And I think, you know, I know you're very close with Jonathan Pakluda, Pastor Jonathan, and he was on this show. We talked about spiritual warfare for a whole season. Great convers. And, you know, he witnesses to everybody that comes in contact with everybody. And I. I really appreciate his approach, too. And. And I've heard him on stage many times. And the conversation and how he very easily brings it up is like, hey, man, do you think you're gonna go to heaven? Most people say, yeah, like. But, like, how much do you believe that? Do you think, like, out of 10, are you. Like, what would your number. Are you a hundred per. Or let's say out of a hundred. Are you 100% sure? Are you, like, 90% sure? Are you 60% sure? And a lot of people come up with 60, 70, 80, 90. Not that many people, unless you're a true believer, say a hundred percent. And it's like, well, what's the difference between your 75% and your 90%? Like, are you getting in or are you not? What's. What's the line there if it's not 100%? And the 100% is, yeah, I don't deserve to be in heaven, but Jesus gives me the way to be in heaven. I love. I just. I always. I just appreciate that he's.

[A]

He speaks the gospel so clearly. And I've. I've used that so many times because it's so clear. I would have answered that if you would have asked me probably in high school, middle school. Like, I probably would have said, yeah, seven out of 10, eight out of 10. Like, I'm a good person.

[B]

Yeah, I would say seven out of 10. Like, being humble about it, right?

[A]

Yeah, I'm, like, actually, like, I'm pretty good.

[B]

I'm probably nine. But I'll just say, like, eight and a half, because whatever.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But, like, only that 100 actually gets you into heaven. And you. None of us can reach the 100 on our own. If you or anyone you know has ocd, you know how overwhelming it can be. That's why I want to tell you about NOCD right away. OCD is a serious and highly misunderstood condition that traps people in a cycle of intrusive thoughts and convulsions that can take over your peace of mind and your daily life. If you know me, you know I care deeply about helping you feel your best, understanding your thoughts, taking them captive, and improving your overall health, whether that's your brain health, thought patterns or daily routines. And that's exactly what NOCD specializes in. NOCD is the world's leading OCD treatment provider with therapists who are specially trained to understand the many ways OCD can show up through live virtual ERP therapy sessions. They'll help you manage your symptoms and get back to living the life you want. They accept most major insurance plans and you'll have the support between sessions through the NOCD app tools, messaging, community and live groups. If you're ready to get help from a therapist who truly understands OCD, visit nocd.com to book a free call. That's n o c d dot com. You don't have to overhaul your whole life in 2026 to feel better. Sometimes it starts with something as simple as your snacks. That's why I love Masa chips, you guys. They are so good. They become one of my favorite pantry snacks because they're made real. Intentional ingredients, just three of them. Organic nix de mollized corn, sea salt and 100% grass fed beef tallow. That's it. No seed oils, no mystery chemicals. Just real food. And they don't just sound good, they taste incredible. Snacking on Masa feels completely different than regular chips. I feel satisfied, light and energized. No crash, no bloating, no sluggish feeling afterward because they're made with real food and they're more filling and so I'm not mindlessly reaching for another bag. Personally, my favorite is original. If you want to give Masa a try, go to masachips.com forward/burre and use the code burre. That's B u r e for 25% off your first order or scan the QR code and if you don't feel like ordering online, Masa is now available nationwide at Sprouts, so be sure to grab a couple of bags. I've shared about 316 financial before, but I wanted to come back to it because they're offering something right now that I think you'll really appreciate when you open a 316 financial savings account and maintain an average balance of $5,000 for 90 days. They'll add $250 to your account. I love that this is a thoughtful way to grow your savings while also being intentional about stewardship and generosity. And the account itself is impressive, earning 4.05% annual percentage yield with no minimum balance to earn it and no monthly fees. So if you're looking for a strong savings option with purpose behind it, this is worth checking out. You can learn [e-mail] Candice and be sure to use the promo code Candice when you open your account. Banking services are provided by 316 Financial, a division of Premise bank member FDIC deposit accounts can be open with as little as $1. Check out full offer details at bank316.com forward/candace have you ever lost any friendships or had any conversations go sour when you've talked about eternity with people?

[A]

Yes, there's definitely been some pretty I'm very outspoken about my beliefs on a lot of different things pertaining to what Scripture says and has to say about our identity, our sexuality, our relationships, our everything, our calling, our purpose, our wiring. And there's been lots of hard conversations. But you know, Jesus was really clear when he talked about it in Matthew 7. And this passage has been really, really heavy on my heart in a way that it like, keeps me up at night. When Jesus looks in the face of many people and he says, hey, one day many are gonna come before me and say, lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not heal the sick? Did we not do all of these miracles and things for you? And he's gonna look at many people and say, but I never knew you. And that is such a scary reality because I think that we're gonna be shocked by a lot of people that make it into heaven and a lot of people that don't. And that word many is really scary because you can do a lot of good things and you can do a lot of God things but still miss God completely and miss the whole heart of it. And so I've had to have some conversations with people and with friends and you know what? And I've had friends that have had to have hard conversations with me of even just like, what's your intention? Like, what's the purity of your heart, Maddie? Like, are you actually making this all about Jesus or is this a little bit about yourself right now? And I think having those people in your Life is, Is. Is needed. But yeah, those conversations can be really hard. I, I can't think of an exact moment of a time where it's caused, like, a relationship to completely end. But even in, like, sharing the gospel with people that I don't know, and there's been some hard. There's been some hard moments of people who very much do not want to hear the gospel or just like, reject it, and that's okay too. But what about you? Like, especially in your space of acting and kind of being in the secular world, like, has there been relationships or even encounters with strangers where you've shared the gospel or the truth about eternity? That's caused kind of a, like, not good reaction. And then maybe the opposite too, where you've seen like, wow, this conversation really led to, like, revelation.

[B]

Yeah, listen, it's. It can. It can be a really uncomfortable conversation, especially if you're trying to evangelize to someone. And it is a quick conversation. And I've kind of backed off of evangelizing. I used to do a lot more of it. It's something I think about all the time. Just when I'm sitting on an airplane or in an Uber and I listen to people like you or, or. Or Jonathan and, And like, man evangelizing with every person. And I'm. I'm kind of like, that used to be. That used to be me. And then there's a. A place that I get a little uncomfortable and I wanna. I wanna know someone a little bit better, you know? Anyway, that's probably a whole other conversation. But I. In, in honesty, I would say that when I've had those conversations, they have been more with friends. And it's. It's sensitive to me because the thought of. I have a lot of friends that aren't believers a lot. And I'm not afraid to speak the reality of it. But there is certainly a sensitivity that I have because to look at a dear friend and say, reality is you're on a road to hell. Yeah, it feels. It's hard. It's hard to say it. It's hard to accept it. And when the other person just doesn't believe that that is true because they don't believe in a heaven or hell, or they believe in another God. They believe, or they don't believe in a God at all, that we just go to dust after we die, it, you know, it hurts. It hurts my heart. Um, and so I've never. I've never lost friendships over conversations about eternity, but have definitely lost friendships over. Over differences of faith and politics and. Yeah, totally, totally stuff.

[A]

It's.

[B]

It's inevitable. But here's what I. Here's what I want to ask you. If you could tell people, like, what's exciting about eternity. Why should I desire eternity? Why should I look forward to my. My future life, my eternal life more than what's here, what I can feel, what I can touch, what I can see? Like I'm living my life. But. But eternity in heaven kind of feels like this mystery.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

First, I want to touch on something that you were talking about because I think it's so important that so many people have this thought and question of, like, why would a good God send people to hell? If he's really that good, then why would he let people go to hell? Well, because he's so good. He created all of us to have free will and give us free will to make our own choices and decisions, but because he loves us so much, he's like, hey, I'm not gonna ask you to have to pay this price of your sin and consequences. I'm gonna come down and. And I'm going to take on this so that you don't have to. But because I love you and I didn't make a bunch of robots, I'm going to give you the choice to choose life or death, to choose eternal life with me, or to choose the way you want to live, which leads from full separation from me forever. And, you know, the reality is, is that God's not sending people to hell. It's just we're making the choice to not choose God, and he's giving us what we're choosing. He's just letting us choose what, what we want. And, and it is really hard to have those conversations. And at the same time, I love that Jesus's approach was always meet people where they're at, meet them in grace, meet them in love, see them where they are, sit with them in that moment. Don't come with judgment. Don't come with, you know, here's what the Bible has to say. You know, it's like, just, let's just sit down and let's talk. Like, tell me about you. Tell me about your life. Tell me about your story and what do you believe? Like, who is Jesus to you? And just having those conversations. But Jesus always spoke the truth. He's like, okay, now leave this life of sin. Don't continue to walk in sin. Choose life. Choose me. My choosing me is the way to life and life eternal. And just knowing that that's the Most loving thing we can do for somebody. But speaking the truth in love is so important. But I love what I love about, right. What I wrote on this chapter on eternity, talking about heaven, I found so much joy in researching on it because just the scriptures, the way it describes heaven, you know, there's this, like. I think we get scared when we think about eternity. It's like, oh, we should be, like, floating around with wings and, like, just singing every day, holy, holy, holy. And we have, like, no purpose and we have. We don't know anybody there, and we just. We don't have a concept. And I think even the music industry has kind of made it this thing where, like, hell's a party and a good time. Like, come on, grab a beer and let's go to hell. It's like, right, let's joke about hell. Let's joke about Satan, you know, and heaven's weird and boring. And that's how the Enemy has kind of twisted this view to where we have a. We're scared about thinking about eternity, we're scared about thinking about death. But Paul's like, no, no, to live is Christ, to die is gain. Like, when this life ends, I blink and I. I'm. I'm with Jesus forever. And. And it talks about in scripture that there will be a day in heaven where there is no more tears, no more sadness, no more brokenness. I mean, can you imagine a world where there's no anxiety, there's no. There's no divorce, there's no injustice, there's no abortion, there's no rape, there's no sin against your brothers, there's no hatred and evil. I mean, just. Can we actually imagine a world like all we know is the brokenness of this world, but heaven is the true paradise and party, where there is only joy in his presence is the fullness of joy. And we will live in that joy forever and ever for those of us who choose to trust and follow Jesus. And so heaven is the real party. And that's what I want everyone to experience and even as believers, to not get too comfortable here, that we forget that heaven is our hope and that heaven is our home. And that as believers, we're supposed to be living this life as foreigners, you know, knowing that this isn't home, but we live on mission to. To hopefully encourage other people. Hey, let's. Let's go, you know, to heaven together and bring those people, you know, with us. But it's hard. It's hard to not get comfortable here. Like, how do you fight that Temptation. I mean, this is something I have to think about often and like, remind myself, maddie, this isn't your home. This isn't your home. Like, how do you fight that temptation to not get too comfortable here and.

[B]

To remind yourself that's just it. It's just reminding yourself. Honestly, I'm, we are, we are literally renovating a new home. It's an old home, but new to us. And my husband and I are, are renovating. And as you can get so caught up in the, oh, I, I need this fixture, this light fixture and this wall color and, oh, this couch and, well, this one, I really like it better. It's more expensive. But you get, you have to budget all of these things. And at the end of the day, we're always sitting back in. My Val and I are just looking at each other going, it's all temporary, babe. Like, it's all temporary. Yes, it's nice to, to, to have a home that's comfortable and it looks pretty and it's the colors you want and whatever, but it's, it's all just gonna go to waste, you know, at the. We're not taking any of it with us. And there is, as I think, just because of maturity and getting older and realizing that the days just get shorter, I have less and less to live. The more days I live, I have less to live. And I just look at it and as much as I would love this beautiful home, I'm going, but it doesn't matter. What matters are the memories that we're going to make inside the walls. What matters are the people, the love, the joy that is filled inside for now and reminding myself this is all temporal. It's not eternity. Eternity is my home. I'm going to be there forever. And it's just the constant reminder. But I love the reminder. And then it makes all the decisions easier. It just, I don't stress out about them. I'm like, what does it matter if I have this doorknob or that doorknob?

[A]

Right, right. Which is such a message to so many of us because it's so easy to get so caught up in the day to day anxieties that weigh our hearts down. And if you just remember that heaven is my home, home, it puts everything else into perspective. And yeah, it just, it's such, it's such a good reminder that this life is so short. Our life is a mist, but eternity is forever. And we get to store up for ourselves treasures that are everlasting. You know, I think about, I've met Some of the most famous people in the whole entire world. And here's what I can say. If they don't have Jesus, they don't know hope. They don't know true peace. They don't know true joy. You can have all the money in the world. You can gain the whole world. You can have everything this world has to offer. You can have the nicest house, the nicest cars, the most money, the biggest following. And if you don't have Jesus, there is still something on the inside of you that is dying, that is empty. And that's because Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, God has put eternity on every man's heart. And all of us, we are asking the question, is there something more?

[B]

And the truth is, yes, there's something more.

[A]

There's something more. And his name's Jesus, and it's heaven.

[B]

Yep, Totally. Oh, this was a great conversation. We're gonna finish it with a listener question. This one's from Mallory. Any advice or recommendations on how to get through the Bible without feeling like it's a daunting task? And how does one find their way back to God after trauma? Okay, well, let's take the first part of that question. Mallory, any advice on how to get through the Bible without feeling like it's a daunting task? Well, if you followed me for a while, I know a bunch of you already know what I'm gonna say. The Bible read. I was gonna say with Tara Lee Cobble.

[A]

With Tara Leigh Cobble.

[B]

It has. It just changed everything for me, reading the Bible, because the Bible years ago, really did feel like a daunting task. And when I would open it, I wasn't sure what. Where to start. What book do I start reading? How do I read the Bible? How do I study it? I had done lots of Bible studies over the years, but still never had a true understanding of the Bible as a whole. And it. It often times felt like a foreign language on the pages, even though I'm reading a Bible in English and I didn't get it. Yeah, the Bible recap has been so helpful. So you read through the Bible chronologically, and then you. You listen to a podcast, or you can watch it on YouTube or you can buy the book and read it, whichever. She, like, covers everything.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's basically seven to nine minutes of a recap that you just read. She explains the context, she explains what's going on. She's funny, and she gives you this God shot. At the end of the day, she encourage you, encourages you to always look for God in the Bible and not yourself in the Bible. And reading the Bible chronologically really helped me to understand God and his character so much better. And really understanding the Old Testament put into perspective how amazing the New Testament is. And so I would. I recommend the Bible Recap. There's also lots of Read the Bible in a year plans that are on the YouVersion Bible app or Dwell Bible app, Blue Letter Bible app. There's like all kinds of things. Just do a little Google and search. But my out of the gate recommendation is the Bible Recap.

[A]

That's beautiful. And I. I agree and would say the same thing. My husband went through it and loves the Bible Recap. I used to be a very emotional Bible reader. Like, I would just open up the Bible and be like, what do you want to speak today?

[B]

God.

[A]

And it's like, whatever page you know, it fell on, it's like, that's what he speak. But, you know, sometimes it lands on some really interesting things that I'm like, I don't quite know what you're trying to speak here. And for me, I just was like, man, I. This is. This isn't sustainable. Like, I can't. I don't really know. Like, context matters. I've learned that the more I've followed Jesus, context really matters. Understanding the background, like, who is the audience here? Who was the writer and author of this book? You know, the Bible is made up of 66 books and there's a lot of different authors represented. All scripture is God breathed. So he is the ultimate author. But he uses people. He uses all of us. And as we read through scripture, asking those questions, looking for context, looking, you know, what's the main theme? And really studying it, like, it can feel very intimidating, but it's like a muscle. It's like the more you do it, the more comfortable you feel with it. And finding a resource is huge. Something to go along your time with the Bible.

[B]

I agree. And I'll also. Community is always great. So if you can find some other people that or even one other person that you would like to study and read the Bible with, I think it's always really helpful. Okay, that's it. That's all we have time for. But we're gonna come back next week and we hope that you come back with us too. If you are reading Maddie's Dare to Be True book, there's a free companion [e-mail] where you can also ask questions for future episodes. And we'll answer them just like we did today. And at candice.com forward/together find out how you can join the Together community where there's a private podcast, chat group and daily encouragement. Until next time. Be grateful all day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment all rights reserved.