Is it Good? | Week 1

John 14, Revelation 21

Inductive Bible Study

Universal Group Guide

We're conducting a short survey and want to hear from you. Would you take three minutes and fill out the survey here?

Running short on time?

Feel free to use these questions.

Thinking about Heaven can bring up different thoughts, experiences, and emotions. Consider spending some time as a group talking about how everyone is coming into your gathering and perhaps begin with praying for each other.
Read John 14 and/or Revelation 21. Discuss as a group what stands out to you after hearing today's message.
When you consider your view of Heaven impacting your day-to-day life, what comes to mind?

Group Reconnect

Over the years, Hollywood and television have tried to capture the world's imagination when it comes to Heaven. What are some of the most memorable shows or movies you've seen about the topic? (Some examples: Bruce Almighty, Highway to Heaven, Defending Your Life, The Good Place, and Miracles from Heaven.)

Open in Prayer

Looking for an example of an Opening Prayer? Click here.

Message Recap

Today, we kicked off our new series, Heaven. Teaching Pastor Megan Marshman led us through the Bible and challenged our understanding of what Heaven actually is. Why is our view of Heaven important right now? Because it affects how we choose to live our daily lives. Pastor Megan had one main point with three dimensions.

1. Heaven is God's Eternal Dwelling Place.

Heaven is better than we can even imagine. It is not only the location of God's throne but it is also described by both Jesus and Paul as paradise (Revelation 4:1-6, Psalm 11:4, 2 Corinthians 12:1-4). God knows what we desire and has designed Heaven, Paradise, to be the very place we long for. Why? Because He designed us, too. In fact, in John 14:1-4, Jesus tells us He is preparing a place for us.

2. Heaven is God's Eternal Dwelling Place.

Heaven lasts forever—it never ends. Jesus talks about Heaven as a present reality with a future fulfillment. What does this mean?

Present Heaven: Paul says that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
Future Heaven: The new Heaven will be with all of redeemed humankind on the new Heaven and new Earth (Rev 21:1-2).
The present Heaven is here and now, but we also know there is a future Heaven; the new Earth will be Heaven incarnate. The climax of history is when Jesus returns, and there is a resurrected universe. Resurrected people living with a resurrected Jesus.

3. Heaven is God's Eternal Dwelling Place.

Heaven is where God dwells. The point of Heaven is we get to be with God. One day, we will stand before Him, fully exposed before God Himself, and it will be a moment we have never experienced, one in which we are fully exposed and fully loved because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. And while we will have never felt quite that way this side of Heaven, this is exactly how God feels about us now as followers of Jesus. It is an eternal, everlasting, pure love that He has for us. We can be fully known and fully loved by Him today.

Discussion Questions

Thinking about Heaven can bring up different thoughts, experiences, and emotions. Consider spending some time as a group talking about how everyone is coming into your gathering and perhaps begin with praying for each other.
Read John 14 and/or Revelation 21. Discuss as a group what stands out to you after hearing today's message.
When you consider your view of Heaven impacting your day-to-day life, what comes to mind?
Megan challenged us to imagine Heaven. When you imagine Heaven, what do you think of?
Using an illustration of a rope, Megan showed us our time on earth in comparison with our time in eternity. It was an extremely long rope—we couldn't see the end of it—with a bit of tape at the start of the rope to show just how short our life is in relation to eternity. What is your response to such an illustration?
How has your view of Heaven been affected by today's message?
Is there anything else from the message you hoped we would discuss today?

Live It Out

What might you consider taking on or doing this week in light of the challenge that our view of Heaven impacts our day-to-day?

Close in Prayer

Looking for an example of a Closing Prayer? Click here.

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