Victory Church Podcast with Paul Daugherty

Episode: HOW DOES THIS END | PAUL DAUGHERTY
Date: October 12, 2025

Overview of the Episode

Pastor Paul Daugherty opens a new sermon series exploring the end times, rooted in Jesus’s teachings in Matthew 24, the prophecies throughout Scripture, and current world events. The episode, titled "How Does This End?", aims to dispel fear, encourage preparedness, and provoke listeners to live with faith and purpose by understanding the biblical perspective on the end of days. Pastor Paul shares personal anecdotes, biblical exposition, and practical applications to set the stage for the coming weeks of in-depth study.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Urgency and Relevance of End Times

• Pastor Paul stresses the importance of living as if Jesus could return at any time:

  "Jesus is coming back. Jesus is coming back soon. I can feel it in my bones." (00:00)

• He recalls growing up with end times teaching, referencing media like “Left Behind,” and the effect of these stories on his perception.

2. Rooted in Scripture: Matthew 24 and Prophecy

• The foundational text is Matthew 24, where Jesus warns about the destruction of the temple and details signs of the end times.
• Paul recounts how Jesus’s prophecy about the temple was fulfilled in 70 AD and underlines the futility of putting trust in man-made things:

  "Everything made by man is going to eventually come to nothing... Don't put your trust in what man has built. Put your trust in what God has said." (03:30)

3. The Disciples' Questions

• The disciples’ curiosity about the timing and signs of the end times echoes our own questions:

  "How does this end? And when I was younger, that was the question I asked every time I was watching a movie, is, how does this end?" (04:22)

4. Three Possible Approaches to End Times

A. Fear Approach

• Growing up, Paul admits to living in fear of missing the rapture, even recounting humorous and honest moments of childhood paranoia:

  “Fear paralyzes you. Fear can own you, control you...” (12:10) “I remember coming home and I saw clothes on the floor. And I go, it happened. Mom went on the Rapture. Dad went on the Rapture. I was really surprised my brother John went on the Rapture. I'm just kidding. I love you, John.” (13:40)

• The danger of fear: cyclically doubting salvation and developing an unhealthy, works-based relationship with God.
• John 1 and 1 John 4:15-18 are referenced to reassure believers that perfect love casts out fear:

  "If I confess Jesus is the Son of God and I acknowledge he is my Savior... If he lives in me, then the devil doesn’t have me, the devil can’t take me. God’s got me and he’s not leaving me.” (17:32)

• Fear-based faith is contrasted with the confidence and assurance that God’s love brings.

B. Careless Approach

• Paul warns against apathy and busyness crowding out eternal focus:

  "There’s enough self-success seminars you can go to... You don’t come to church just to become the best successful self version of yourself. You come to church to become more like Jesus and let his word change you." (28:45)

• He uses Noah as an example of preaching righteousness while people ignored the warning, only to regret it when judgment came.

C. Faith Approach

• The faith approach leads to a “faithful life”, prioritizing readiness, character, and courage over trying to predict the timeline:

  “The question is not when will it happen or how will it happen. The question is, will you be ready when he does? Will you live a life in light of eternity?” (32:58)

• Maranatha (“Jesus is coming back soon”) becomes a call to purposeful living.

5. Ten Signs of the End Times (Matthew 24)

Pastor Paul enumerates ten biblical signs, contextualizing world news and modern developments:

| Sign | Description | Timestamp | |---|---|---| | 1 | Deception and false messiahs (“AI is everywhere... rise of deception”) | 42:47 | | 2 | Wars and rumors of wars (“Nation will rise against nation”) | 44:15 | | 3 | Famines and hunger (“90% of babies that will be born in the next 20 years will be born in countries that don’t have the food supply...”) | 45:00 | | 4 | Earthquakes (“These are just the birth pains...”) | 46:06 | | 5 | Sickness and pestilence (“There’s going to be an increase of sickness and disease...”) | 46:40 | | 6 | Persecution of Christians (“Increase of persecution... 125,000 Christians killed in Nigeria...”) | 47:00 | | 7 | Increase of wickedness (“Surge of wickedness... people will call evil good and good evil”) | 47:42 | | 8 | Love of believers grows cold (“There is going to be a rise of divisiveness, coldness”) | 48:17 | | 9 | World revival and global evangelism (“There is going to be a world revival... this gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony...”) | 49:15 | | 10 | Israel as the centerpiece of end times events | 51:15 |

6. Revival in the Modern Era

• Paul shares real-world examples: gatherings on the National Mall, campus revivals, global prayer movements to highlight the ongoing fulfillment of the prophecy about world evangelization.
• Notable audio quote from revival video:

  “We witness hundreds get baptized tonight and win this thousand exchange for the name of Jesus. There’s a new thing coming for this generation.” (49:35)

7. The Importance of Israel

• Throughout Scripture, Israel remains central to God’s plan, culminating in end times events.

  “If you delete Israel out of the Bible, you’re pretty much deleting the whole story of God because it started in Israel and it continues in Israel and... finishes in Israel.” (51:42)

8. Applications and Call to Action

• Paul invites the congregation to cast out fear, reject carelessness, and be bold in faith.
• He leads two prayers: one to settle fear and receive Christ, the other to ignite a revived, ready heart.

Memorable Quotes

• On fear and assurance:

  "It’s not my love for God that saves me, it’s God’s love for me. My faith in him will. We are saved by grace. That’s a free gift." (19:16)

• On the futility of life without eternity:

  "You can have a full schedule and get to the end of your life and ask yourself, what did I do for eternity?" (30:38)

• On reading the signs:

  "Jesus is coming back... I would rather live with the anticipation Jesus is coming back, then live as if he’s not coming back." (08:04)

• On living purposefully:

  “What are you going to do with your dash? What are you going to do between the year you were born, the year you die?” (34:40)

• On truth and offense:

  "Truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth. I don’t hate you. I’m just preaching truth." (47:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Opening assurance: Jesus is coming back
• 03:30 — Jesus’s prophecy on the destruction of the temple
• 12:10 — The fear approach: childhood stories and its pitfalls
• 17:32 — The power of knowing God’s love
• 28:45 — Warning against a careless approach
• 32:58 — The faith approach and "Maranatha"
• 42:47 — Signs of the end times (detailed list begins)
• 49:15 — Revival and global evangelism as positive signs
• 51:42 — Israel’s role in prophecy
• 57:54 — Final prayers and altar call
• 63:01 — Anticipation of heaven and closing encouragement

Conclusion and Next Steps

Pastor Paul concludes with a heartfelt call to throw off fear and carelessness in light of Christ’s return, stirring the church to revival, prayer, and readiness for eternity. The episode culminates in an invitation to respond both inwardly (with assurance) and outwardly (with ready faith and revived purpose).

“Live for something that’s bigger than you. I want to live for something bigger than my selfish desires. I want to live for God’s kingdom in my lifetime, for my generation.” (54:05)

Listeners are encouraged to participate in the series ahead, ready to explore practical applications for living faithfully in uncertain times.

For more information and resources, visit victory.com.