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Death Is No Longer a Prison

March 24, 2026
00:00

Because Christ died and rose again, we who are united to Him by faith will also rise from the grave to be in the presence of God.

Guest (Male): Open the Bible with Colin Smith.

Colin Smith: When I was in grade school, our class had a pet mouse. And on weekends, we got to take the mouse home. One day, the mouse became intrigued by my red plastic double-decker London bus and it decided to climb inside.

Well, then we had a problem, because the mouse got stuck. I remember my father saying, "There's only one thing to do, son. We'll have to destroy the bus." He cut the roof open, and then the mouse was free.

Before, the mouse had a way in, but no way out. Now it could go through the door and come out through the roof. And you know when Jesus died and rose, he cut a hole in death.

And for Christ's people, death is not a prison. It's a passage that leads right into the presence of God. To be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord.

Guest (Male): Are you open to discovering what the Bible says about God? Well, then come to openthebible.org.

This transcript is provided as a written companion to the original message and may contain inaccuracies or transcription errors. For complete context and clarity, please refer to the original audio recording. Time-sensitive references or promotional details may be outdated. This material is intended for personal use and informational purposes only.

Featured Offer

3 copies of the new Graphic Novel, Heaven, How I Got Here and 1 copy of the book

For your gift of any amount this month, receive 3 copies of our first graphic novel, inspired by Pastor Colin's book, Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross, and 1 copy of the original book. This brilliantly illustrated 48-page story with clear and compelling dialogue is designed to reach a younger audience, and anyone who is a visual learner, with the wonderful news of God's grace.

Past Episodes

About Open the Bible Minute

Open the Bible is the teaching ministry of Pastor Colin Smith. Our mission is to use a broad array of modern media to help people around the world meet Jesus. We do this by opening the Bible for them, helping them open the Bible themselves, and equipping them to open the Bible with others.

About Colin Smith

Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of Open the Bible.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.

He is the author of several books including Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes; Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross; Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life; The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional; 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible; The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life; as well as others. His preaching ministry is shared around the world through Open the Bible.

Colin and his wife Karen reside in Arlington Heights, Ill., and have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Contact Open the Bible Minute with Colin Smith

Mailing Address
Open the Bible
P.O. Box 3454
Barrington, IL 60011
Telephone
1-877-OPEN-365