CHECKING IN
- Throughout this study, you’ve been praying for people who do not yet know Jesus. Have you been able to share the good news with any of them during this study? If so, how did it go?
- Brainstorm together for a few minutes about how great heaven will be by giving one-line completions to the following statements. Have fun with this!
- The greatest thing about heaven will be that I won’t have to . . .
- The greatest thing about heaven will be that I will be able to . . .
- A picture that helps me to think of the greatness of heaven is . . .
- In heaven there will be an abundant supply of . . .
- In heaven there will be no . . .
- Someone I’m looking forward to meeting in heaven is . . .
- Something I’m looking forward to doing in heaven is . . .
- KEY VERSE
- Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
- COLOSSIANS 3:2 (NIV)
Listen to the lesson now and take notes in your outline. (available as a free download at https://lumivoz.com/afterlife/)
How to Use This Curriculum
Follow these simple steps for a successful small group meeting:
- Open your group meeting by using the CHECKING IN sections of your study.
- Have someone read the KEY VERSE aloud and spend a few quiet moments meditating on it.
- Listen to the audio lesson together while following the material and filling in the blanks in the AUDIO LESSON section
- Spend some time answering the DISCUSSION QUESTIONS. Be sure to review the LIVING ON PURPOSE section to help you implement the lessons into your daily life. Commit to fulfilling any assignments before your next lesson.
- Close your time together by following the PRAYER DIRECTION suggestions.
- A TIP FOR THE HOST
- The study guide material is meant to be your servant, not your master. The point
is not to race through the sessions, but to take time to let God work in your lives. It is not necessary to “go around the circle” before you move on to the next question. Give people the freedom to speak, but don’t insist on it or make it mandatory. Your group will enjoy deeper, more open sharing and discussion if people don’t feel pressured to speak up.
Understanding Your Study Guide
CHECKING IN
You will open each meeting with an opportunity for everyone to check in with each other about how you are doing with the weekly assignments. Accountability is a key to success in this study!
KEY VERSE
Each week you will find a key verse or Scripture passage for your group to read together. If someone in the group has a different translation, ask them to read it aloud so the group can get a bigger picture of the meaning of the passage.
AUDIO LESSON
There is a audio lesson for the group to listen together each week. Take notes in the lesson outlines as you listen to the audio, and be sure to refer back to these notes during your discussion time.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Each audio lesson is complemented by questions for group discussion. Please don’t feel pressured to discuss every single question. The material in this study is meant to be your servant, not your master, so there is no reason to rush through the answers. Give everyone ample opportunity to share their thoughts. If you don’t get through all of the discovery questions, that’s okay. Each discussion question section ends with a Did You Get It? and Share with Someone prompt that will help you focus back on the big picture of the lesson.
LIVING ON PURPOSE
James 1:22 (NCV) says,
Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDY GUIDE
In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren identifies God’s five purposes
for our lives. They are worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. We will focus on one or two of these five purposes in each lesson and discuss how it relates to the subject of the study. This section is very important, so please be sure to leave time for it.
PRAYER DIRECTION
At the end of each session, you will find suggestions for your group prayer time. Praying together is one of the greatest privileges of small group life. Please don’t take it for granted.
Get ready for God to do incredible things in your life as you begin the adventure of learning more deeply about the most exciting message in the world: the truth about God!
— Tom Holladay and Kay Warren