TOUGH QUESTIONS Week 2: Is Hell Real? 1. LEADER PREPARATION

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1 TOUGH QUESTIONS Week 2: Is Hell Real? This includes: 1. Leader Preparation 2. Lesson Guide 1. LEADER PREPARATION LESSON OVERVIEW Heaven and hell have always been prominent images in art and culture, provoking questions of all kinds. However, many people wonder whether or not these two places exist. This week s lesson will answer that question and challenge students to live in a way that reflects God s priorities and God s love to others. LESSON OBJECTIVES 1. WHAT: The Bible clearly tells us that hell is a real place. 2. WHY: The Bible reveals what Jesus says about God s priorities and the reality of a heaven and a hell. 3. HOW: Encourage students to live in a way that reflects God s love and an expectation of eternal life and to experience compassion and share God s good news with people who aren t following Jesus yet. PRIMARY SCRIPTURE Matthew 25:31-46 SECONDARY SCRIPTURES Matthew 24:1-4 and John 3:16 TEACHING PREP The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson. While you may not want to convey this information word-for-word with your teenagers, you ll definitely want to refer to it as you lead your small group lesson. The topic in today s lesson is one that might offend or cause lots of questions for teenagers. Consider sharing this background with your students. You may not want to read it verbatim to your group, but after examining it yourself, you ll be prepared to use the questions in this study to help students grapple with these challenging passages from the Bible. The idea that hell exists is offensive and unrealistic to many people in our culture today. However, the Bible is clear that Jesus Christ is a judge and that hell, in some way or another, is real. The Bible is not extremely detailed in how it presents this concept, so we are left with questions. The important message in today s study is to guide teenagers to understand the significance of living heaven-bound leading a life that expects our time on earth to be temporary and for the eternal to be our focus. Read Matthew 25: This passage comes at the end of an extended discourse in which Jesus is answering a question about the end of the age. He talks about signs of the end, the fact that the day and hour will be unknown, how we must be ready, and how we are supposed to use our talents. After saying all of this, Jesus finishes by telling how the Son of Man will sit on his

2 throne and judge the people. The metaphor of the sheep and the goats may seem confusing to people today. However, when Jesus was sharing these stories, it was a relevant example with powerful imagery. Sheep and goats lived life together. They ate together and traveled together. Shepherds sometimes took care of both in the same herd. Jesus talks about how the sheep and the goats would be separated one living a life with God eternally and one living a life without God eternally. But until that point, their lives are intertwined. That is what makes this picture so relevant. Sheep and goats lives are woven together like the lives of people who have a relationship with Jesus and those who do not have a relationship with Jesus. Only when the shepherd takes time to divide the group is there a distinct difference, just as God will make the distinction among people. This piercing picture of life together and then abrupt separation is what brings this passage to life. There is no expectation of exactly when this will happen, and the shepherd has complete control. One thing is clear. The sheep will spend eternity with God in heaven, and the goats will be cast into the eternal fire, a life completely apart from God. Jesus loves us and does not want to see us spend eternity separated from him, but that end result depends on our relationship with God. Jesus is the one who came to bridge the gap and provide a way for us to be saved. THE BEFORE & AFTER [optional] Text Message Questions We ve provided a couple of different text message questions to send out to your students prior to your meeting. Feel free to use one or both of the questions below. As with the rest of the curriculum, edit these questions to fit the needs of your ministry. Heaven. Hell. What do you think? Come to small group and share your thoughts. What does the reality of hell have to do with personal compassion? Let s talk about it at small group tonight. Parent We ve provided you with an below that you can send to your parents following the lesson. Our hope is to encourage parents to continue the conversation at home. Feel free to edit and customize the to fit your ministry needs. Dear parents, This is week two of our challenging series on tough questions. There are so many questions that students have about God and faith and the Bible and how it all goes together with living life as a teenager today. This week we looked at the reality of hell. Heaven and hell are topics we regularly think about, although it s not comfortable to think about hell. This week s Bible study was on Matthew 25: We discussed the reality of heaven and hell they aren t myth or metaphor. These realities ought to have a significant impact on how we live.

3 As Christians, we can live in the secure hope anchored in eternity in heaven. This is a great hope! But we also cannot forget that hell is a real place, and it s the eternal destination for people who don t have a relationship with Jesus. Compassion and readiness to share the good news of Jesus ought to be a regular part of our lives. Conversation with your child on this topic may bring up more questions than answers. That s OK! If I can help in any way please let me know. I may not know the answers either, but I ll look into them. Here are a couple of discussion starters that may be helpful: Think of a movie, book, or television show that has shown an example of heaven. It might be a picture of the light at the end of the tunnel or an image of angels and clouds. What was it like, where did you see this, and what do you think they were trying to communicate? In light of the realities about eternity, how should we treat others? I m committed to partner with you in this journey as your teenager wrestles with tough issues of faith. Thank you so much for being so supportive of our ministry!

4 TOUGH QUESTIONS Week 2: Is Hell Real? LESSON GUIDE GETTING THINGS STARTED [optional] Heaven and hell. Light and dark. Good and evil. Our world is saturated with images that create conflict and portray conflict in a way that implies heaven or hell. Movies, television shows, literature, video games, and music all have their own take on what heaven and hell will be. Hollywood has done a thorough job of magnifying these ideas and concepts as a basis for box office hits. Your students will have varying ideas and opinions, as well. As you begin your small group, welcome your students and invite them into your meeting area. Open in prayer, and then do a quick review of your previous lesson on the existence of pain in our world. Ask your students if they have any questions or thoughts to share on the subject. It was a tough topic that might require some follow-up conversations. You know your group best; take time to talk about any lingering concerns from the lesson about pain before moving into this week s lesson. After your review and follow-up on the previous lesson, Think of a movie, book, or television show that has shown an example of heaven. It might be a picture of the light at the end of the tunnel or an image of angels and clouds. What was it like, where did you see this, and what do you think they were trying to communicate? What about that example might be true? What about that example is probably just Hollywood s exaggeration on the idea? Now think of a movie, book, or television show that has shown an example of hell. It might be the classic red devil with a pitchfork, or perhaps it was a dark, cloudy picture. What was it like, where did you see this, and what do you think they were trying to communicate? What about that example might be true? What about that example is probably just Hollywood s exaggeration on the idea? What have you heard about heaven and hell at church? What do you think that the Bible says about these two places? Do you believe heaven and hell are real? Why or why not? It s important to find out first what your students think of these two places before beginning the conversation. Most of their ideas and images will probably come from media. That s the source that bombards us the most. If your students have a fairly biblical expectation and understanding, go through the first part of this study rather quickly and focus more on what it means to live life today with the inevitable expectation that heaven is coming. On the other hand, if your students are still learning about heaven and hell, you may want to focus more time on the first point, which will guide them to discover these truths. Make sure that the application is also addressed without application, our head knowledge has little significance but don t move on before your students have had the opportunity to thoroughly process the first part of this study. SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Today we re looking at the question Is Hell Real? We ll see what Jesus says about heaven and hell and how he calls Christians to live because of these expectations.

5 If you came up with an opening activity, movie clip, or game that worked well with your group, and you d like to share it with other youth workers, please us at ideas@simplyyouthministry.com. TEACHING POINTS The goal of the Teaching Points is to help students capture the essence of each lesson with more discussion and less lecture-style teaching. The main points we have chosen here are (1) Heaven and hell are real, (2) Set your hope on heaven, and (3) Have compassion for people who don t know Jesus. Remember: All throughout these lessons, it s up to you to choose (1) how many questions you use, and (2) the wording of the main points keep ours, or change the wording to make it clearer for your audience. Read Matthew 25:31-46 together as a group. Consider allowing one or more of the teenagers to read the text. SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Let s dig deeper to learn what Jesus had to say about heaven and hell, and how all of this relates to our lives today. 1. Heaven and hell are real As you begin to look at the passage in Matthew for this lesson, remember that your discussion is meant to answer the question of whether or not hell is real, and if so, how does God call us to live in response. It may provoke a feeling of fear in your students, so encourage them to think more about living an abundant life for God and the joy found in that. Before you dive into this week s Bible passage, go to Matthew 24:1-4. Ask one student to read this section aloud. Who are the main players in this conversation? What questions do some ask and why do they ask them? What answers do others give? What can you learn about these people based on the questions and answers? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: It s important to understand that the passage we re studying today is a response to a question. This helps it make more sense. Jesus has been doing a great deal of teaching in the area and his disciples want to know more. They didn t quite get it, so they ask a question about what the end times would look like. [NOTE: Clarify end times for your group if necessary it s the period of time right before Jesus returns.] Reread Matthew 25: It s part of Jesus response to the disciples question about end times. Make sure each person can see the text (with his or her own Bibles, a printout, or a shared Bible). It s a long passage, and being able to read the text will help them better follow along. Also, consider having two or three people read it aloud especially if students have different Bible translations. Repetition helps everyone understand. Next, go back to the start of the text. This is a passage with some terms that may be unfamiliar to your students. Ask your group to define or discuss the following: Son of Man (25:31) Sheep (25:32) Goats (25:32)

6 King (25:34) One way of making this text more accessible, especially for younger groups, is having them rephrase it in modern times or summarizing it. Have students work in pairs to rewrite this story in a way that makes more sense to them. Challenge your teenagers to come up with a creative situation that communicates the same message or explain how they d put it in an to a friend without using churchy or sheep language. Give them about 5-10 minutes to work on this and then ask for pairs to share their responses. Rephrasing the text will help them better understand it, and when they better understand it, they can more realistically apply it to their lives. After making sure that everyone understands what Jesus is saying here, This lesson tackles the question of whether hell is real. How has what we ve read so far confirmed or changed your answer to that question? What does this passage say is important to God? Why? What is an example of that? Why? 2. Set your hope on heaven What do you look forward to most about spending eternity in heaven, and why? How can thinking about heaven create hope in your life today? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: When we talk about the hope of heaven, it s different from hoping that you ll get a good score on your math test. It s the kind of hope we can experience that provides us with strength and encouragement to know that God is real, God loves us, and God wants to spend eternity with us and everyone else we know. 3. Have compassion for people who don t know Jesus Ask for a volunteer to read John 3:16. Have two other people read it aloud, as well. If you can, use different translations. What does this passage say is important to God? Why? Considering this priority, what does this show us about God s heart and desire for people? If you know that both heaven and hell are real places, how and why might that affect your attitude toward people who don t follow Jesus? SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Our motivation for telling other people about Jesus is to help them discover the joy of following Jesus now plus the hope of eternity with God. Praying for our friends and telling them about why we re following Jesus can create greater compassion in our lives for those who aren t Christians yet. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION [optional] How does the reality of heaven and hell affect your perspective on God? How much had you thought about heaven and hell before this lesson?

7 APPLICATION Considering the reality of hell may not faze your students at all. This might be a concept with which they are familiar and comfortable. However, it may provoke fear in their minds about their own destiny and the lives of those they love especially elder relatives or friends they have lost. Make sure to talk about why Jesus died for our sins and the incredible love and grace that he has for us. Focus on where your students are and continue with conversation that will encourage and challenge everyone to apply this text by responding with reflections of God s love toward others. I d like someone to rephrase or summarize what we ve learned is important to God. What matters most to God? Pair up with another person in the group for these questions. In light of the realities about eternity, how should we treat others? What friends or family members do you see daily or weekly who don t have a personal relationship with Jesus? What are some ways you can minister to them this week to help them know what it means to follow Jesus and spend eternity with God? How can you lovingly care for them? What are some ways you can have an impact of the people you regularly see but don t know personally? How can you lovingly care for them? Bring your students back together after their discussion. It s clear that caring for people is important. God desires needs to be met, and he uses people to meet others needs. Take some time and encourage students to creatively think of ways to love others. Poll your students at the end of this study to ask their thoughts on whether or not hell is real. If they say it is, talk about the implications for the way they might live in response to God s love (John 3:16). If they aren t sure about the reality of hell, remind them that it s OK to have questions and wonder about issues surrounding faith! Ask them what makes them uncomfortable with that concept. Take time as a group to pray together. Have one person open and allow time for others to chime in, asking for God to help them have eyes to see the needs of others and to live in a way that reflects God s love and their desire for eternal life. SUMMARY End your small group lesson here. Provide your teenagers with a quick summary or takehome challenge based on (1) the content of this lesson, (2) the dialogue that took place during the lesson, (3) your understanding of the issues and struggles your teenagers are facing, and (4) the big picture of your youth ministry and what your leadership team wants accomplished with the teaching and discussion time.

8 FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE] Encourage and/or challenge your teenagers to memorize the verse below. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).