Discuss Together
- If you were to (or if you did) submit a question for this series, what would you have asked (or what did you ask) about heaven and the afterlife?
- What are some different images or ideas about heaven in our culture today? What do you think is accurate and what do you think isn’t?
- Read Luke 23:39-43, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, and Philippians 1:21-25. What can we learn about what happens one minute after a Christ-follower dies? Explain why it would be “better by far.”
- In his message, Jeff talked about Heaven 1.0. What do you think of the idea of an intermediate heaven, a place Christ-followers go prior to the resurrection? Is this a new thought to you?
- What stood out to you about how Jeff talked about Heaven 1.0 and Heaven 2.0? What questions were answered? What questions do you still have?
- Jeff talked about a Psalm 39 moment in his life. Read Psalm 39:4. Have you had a time in your life that reminded you that life is short, that we only get one shot at it, and we are here to make the most of it? Share with the group.
Next Steps
In his bestseller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey explains what he calls the funeral exercise. He encourages people to picture their funeral—who would be there and what we would want to be said of us. Thinking about the end helps us today; to either persevere in the middle of difficulty or make necessary changes when we’ve fallen off track. Take a few moments to think about the end. What would you want said of you and by whom? And how does that help you think about making life count today?