What's the Deal With.... Heaven?

We rethink common ideas about heaven and explore a biblical vision of a renewed creation, embodied life, and purpose that lasts. We share why eternity is not boring, how the church previews heaven today, and what hope does to our fears.

• key announcements for trivia night with childcare and potluck
• Easter sunrise, breakfast, and regular services plan
• camps and student events signposting and sign-ups
• popular images of heaven contrasted with Scripture
• new heaven and new earth as city and garden
• resurrection bodies recognizable yet glorified
• worship as whole-life purpose, not only songs
• eternity and fear, trust in God’s character
• relationships transformed beyond marriage yet known
• the ache for justice and the end of tears
• the church as a present glimpse of future hope

www.rushchurch.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome everyone to another episode of Rush Hour, a Rush Church podcast. I'm here with my friends once again. I got Ashley and I got Brittany, and we are in Ashley's office hanging out.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Yes, I have a new edition this week.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

I see the big old. What is

Hellos, Office Banter, Kids’ Jam Glow

SPEAKER_00 0:16

that?

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Let's glow. It's for kids' jam.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

You know they can't see it. That's true.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Is it what is it?

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Yeah. It's a banner. It's a big banner that will glow in the dark because we're going to put up a bunch of.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

She just pointed over there like, let's glow. It could be anything.

SPEAKER_03 0:33

Could have been a could have been a glow stick. Glow stick, but it's a big there's black lights next to me. Yeah, there are.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

This is definitely a children's minister office. So we're glad that you joined us once again for that episode. So we have some announcements, and then we're gonna talk a little bit about uh this is be the start of a new series I think we're gonna do called What's the Deal with? And then we'll fill in the blank with things that people have questions about sometimes or just interesting things that we want to talk about. Um but we're excited

Announcements: Trivia Night And Childcare

SPEAKER_00 1:02

about that. So first announcement is trivia night.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Yep, trivia night tomorrow night, 6:30 here at the church. I sure hope that's the right time. You can look on our website. But yeah, I'm pretty sure it's 6.30.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Should be 6.30 around there.

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Yeah. 10 rounds of trivia. We also do have childcare available. So if you need to drop your little ones off, I got two babysitters lined up. They'll be in the backyard. It's also a potluck, so bring something yummy to eat and share. Yeah, it's gonna be a great night. Lots of fun. Darren Phillips, my husband, is emceeing it. And yeah, lots of lots of fun answers. Actually, I haven't even seen the questions yet, so I can't like you know give any type of pointers, but Yeah, don't cheat. I won't.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Don't give anybody the categories.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

I'm not playing, no, I'm gonna be able to do that. No, but you could like boring.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Tell everybody what the categories will be. Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Brittany's table's gonna be right in front of me and she's gonna be like, We get to play. She does play this year. Ooh. Yeah. Hannah's home from college, so I wrangled her in to help me. I'm like, let's let the church actually participate and you come help me. You know, do that. I'm probably gonna win.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Probably.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

Probably.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

It'll be fun. What else do we have going on?

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Uh we have Easter coming up.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Easter is approaching fast.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

April 5th.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

April 5th. Less than a month. Easter's always a good time. We have sunrise service that morning. We have breakfast that the deacons put on for everybody.

Easter Plans And Camps Overview

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Usually pancakes, sausage, right?

SPEAKER_03 2:39

Yep. They're doing breakfast.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

And then our normal services that morning. So Easter's a good time. There's always a lot of people back for Easter services. What else do we have? Any other announcements to coming up?

SPEAKER_02 2:57

You have OFTC.

SPEAKER_00 2:59

High Teams for Christ is coming up.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

OTFC.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

OTFC. Just letters. They stand for stuff. But if you got a student that wants to go to OTFC, that's in Columbus. Good worship band is going to be there and lots of good teaching. And then we have a lot of good times uh hanging out at the hotel. So make sure you sign up for that. Any questions? See me. Then we got our camps the summer at House Mill, Paintball Camp and Girls Camp, all that kind of good stuff. So we have posters around that you can see. Go to housemill.org, sign up, give more information, or just talk to me about it. So that'd be good. I think that's about it for announcements-wise. You can always go to our website, rushchurch.com, check out the calendar and all the good stuff. Brittany, that's up to date, right?

SPEAKER_03 3:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Okay. Brittany does a good job with the website.

SPEAKER_03 3:48

I really hope it is. She's just gonna I'll check it before this airs.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah. Make sure by the time you hear this, website's gonna be perfect. All the good stuff.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

The calendar at least. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

Brittany, you're doing a really good job around here, by the way. Got everything under control.

SPEAKER_03 4:05

It's a lot of work.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Are you enjoying yourself hanging out here at the church more often?

SPEAKER_03 4:10

I mean, I feel like I'm here the same amount.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Maybe a little more. Maybe a more of a purpose now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Much more of a purpose than you didn't before.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Before you got before I was allowed to just choose whatever you want to do. Whatever I wanted. Now I have to actually do things.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

I'm glad that we finally gave Brittany a purpose.

Concert Recap And Worship Reflections

SPEAKER_00 4:30

All right. That was pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 4:32

It has been really fun. It is a lot of work. It's a lot of things to remember. But it took it's I think I'm doing a pretty good job. Yes, you're doing great. You are. I think you're doing great. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said it. Exactly. Maybe it was just a pep talk. No.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

How was your all this weekend?

SPEAKER_03 4:56

Mine was boring, I think. Boring? I mean, I think I was just outside.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Outside is nice. It's been the weather's been nice.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Yeah. Well, I went to the elevation concert in Columbus with five other thousand people. Five other five thousand other people. A lot of people. Yes. Haley wanted to go for her birthday. And so it was Haley, myself, Allie, and Brock. And we had, I mean, they picked the seats. Like, I didn't have anything to do with it. All I had to do was give her my card. Right. And uh they picked the seats, great seats. I think we were like 10th or 11th row back from the stage. Saw everything really good. And I just yeah, I thought it was awesome. Steven Furtick, he spoke. I know he's the pastor of elevation in North Carolina.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Somewhere over there.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Yeah. And he's all right.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

That's good.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

I went for the worship part. Yeah. I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Good worship.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

Amazing worship. Absolutely amazing. I mean, I mean, it wasn't just a like, it wasn't a concert. They they wanted you immersed in the presence of God. And that's what happened. And, you know, I get chills when we sing the blessing here at the church. He, him and his wife brought their daughter on stage and was talking about it's not just a song that we sing. Like we are literally praying a blessing over you and your family and your children and their children and their futures to come. And that's how I feel every time I sing this song at the church, too. It's not something just for me, it's for the congregation, it's for their children and their grandchildren and those who are going to continue on through this church. Like I'm praying protection and blessing and guidance over their families. But then to actually be on the receiving side of that with 5,000 other people, like I was just a balling mess.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Yeah, I would have been the same.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

But I just, yeah, I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

Sounds like it was a good time. I've been to I don't know if I've ever been to a worship concert like that before. I don't know. I mean, I've been to worship places, but not a giant 5,000 people concert that was about worship, so try it sometime.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

We'll go with you next time. We know heaven will be like that.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Heaven's gonna be just like that, right? So today we're gonna talk about what's the deal with heaven, and kind of just talk about some I don't know, maybe some misconception misconceptions, misconceptions that people have about heaven, or maybe just talk about the

What’s The Deal With Heaven

SPEAKER_00 7:42

topic of what's heaven, what's it gonna be like? And so if I ask you the question, what do most people just in general, not even have to be Christian people, just people in general, what are they what do you think their thoughts are about heaven? When they hear heaven, what do they picture? What do they think about right off the bat?

SPEAKER_03 8:02

Clouds.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

Clouds.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

That was good.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Anything else?

SPEAKER_02 8:09

Like everything crystal, clear, yeah, bright probably. I always I always think of the golden streets.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

We got clouds, like angels flying around, little wings singing, the harps. What do they call it? Cherubs? Cherubs.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Wow. Those are all like how they think that. Okay. So people just think about just like golden, shiny, white, pure clouds up in the sky.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Up in the sky.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Usually usually pictured up in the sky.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

Like beyond our sky.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

A different kind of sky.

unknown 8:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Somewhere where you can't get to.

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

But so I kind of think people have the idea of heaven is this far away place where there's clouds. And maybe you get sorry. Yeah. Go ahead and say it now.

SPEAKER_03 9:16

A staircase.

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Okay. There's a stairway to heaven.

SPEAKER_03 9:19

Yes. With like a giant gate.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

Pearly.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Pearly gate. And all of your loved ones are just standing there waiting on you.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Yeah, just waiting. I'm here.

SPEAKER_03 9:31

I'm here. Oh, thank goodness.

Pop Images Of Heaven Vs Scripture

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Waiting a while. Waiting.

SPEAKER_03 9:35

Right? Your lovely game. Sorry, I'm so sorry. Go back to what you were saying.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

That's another one that people think about gates and pearliness and peep loved ones, you know. Yeah. All the things that come with the idea of heaven and what it's like and what it's gonna be, and even like where is it, all these different questions that we have about it. And so I just want to kind of do a few things of you know, things I think about when I think of heaven. So the the idea of sitting on a cloud playing a harp dressed in a white robe. Does that sound exciting to you?

SPEAKER_02 10:18

No.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

No? It doesn't?

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Sitting on a cloud playing a harp?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Forever?

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Forever.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

No, that does not sound exciting to me.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

You're gonna be really disappointed then because that's what happened.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

My whole fault was like, what?

SPEAKER_03 10:36

I refuse to answer after he just scolded you. I was like, I'm not saying anything, not saying a word.

SPEAKER_00 10:43

I'm just messing with you. But that's kind of the with the people like for a long time in my head. I was like, oh, it's gonna be like I don't want to say like it seems a little boring. Like, can I say that about heaven? Like in my like growing up. If you think about it that way, then yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Yeah, sitting there. Like I used to think the whole time we'd be worshiping. Like that's what heaven was for, was to worship God, which I do believe that it is. But in my mind, it was like the what we do on Sunday mornings, the praise part, the worship part, just standing up singing songs, hand raised for eternity. And I'm like, next song, right? I'm like, I don't even think they created this many songs.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

No water breaks, no nothing. Just sing forever.

SPEAKER_03 11:31

No snacks, no goldfish and animal crackers, no, or biscuits.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

No biscuits. Oh no. So the myth about one of the first one of the myths about heaven is that you know we just we become ghosts floating on clouds, playing harps forever in the sky. And that is far from what heaven is gonna be like. Heaven is often described as often described as a city and a kingdom. It's it's when you think about cities and you think about kingdoms, it's it's active. There's stuff happening, there's things going on, and it's active, it's organized, and it's full of life. It's and when when we think of heaven, we should think of it as like earth 2.0, a better restored creation. Uh, and that's how the Bible kind of describes heaven. Revelation 21, 1 through 2. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. And so, if heaven's like a city, what are some of the cool things that you think it'll have there that we can see? What do you

City, Kingdom, And Renewed Creation

SPEAKER_00 12:38

think?

SPEAKER_03 12:39

Wait, like what's my imagination? Yeah, what's your imagination?

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Because let's be honest, the Bible gives us glimpses of heaven, it talks about it as a renewed creation, as a restored back to paradise, which means garden. So we're going back all the way to where it's us and God together in a place. And so, what are you most excited for about heaven? I guess you could say.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

I think that it's gonna be really cool to get the answers to all the questions that I have.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

Okay. And do you think like show up and it's instantly downloaded into your head? Like just know everything all of a sudden?

SPEAKER_03 13:16

I think I think some things.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:19

So that way everyone is on the same page.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

The essentials.

SPEAKER_03 13:24

Yes. Like there's like an initial download that's like to make sure that we all are one. But then there will be where we can learn more.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:37

There'll be like a school. Not a school, like a lecture.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

I mean, maybe. I guess I haven't worked that out yet.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Okay. I like that though. I like the idea of I don't think it'll be instantly, we get to continue to learn, we continue to grow. I don't know if they'd be schools or not. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Maybe.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

That's an interesting thought. Ashley, anything come to mind?

SPEAKER_02 14:03

I mean on top of, I'm really excited to meet these characters who that we study about, like that's gonna be awesome. But I think I don't know, I always get excited thinking about the pureness of the garden. Like actually what the garden provides and just being able to walk in it with the animals, with all the different colors. I'm hoping I can eat, you know, fresh fruit right

What We Hope For In Heaven

SPEAKER_02 14:35

there in the garden.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

Oh, we've talked about fruit on here before, haven't we? You know, obviously kiwis.

SPEAKER_02 14:41

Like, I just think that that's gonna be really cool, especially looking outside right now in the gloominess. I don't know. I just I'm excited about the restored garden.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

There you go. Restored back to what it should be. I like that's what to think of creation as it was intended in the beginning, without people messing it up, without people rebelling, without brokenness, without all the bad stuff. So some like I think about life, I think of like all the good parts of life that we have, and how much better this life would be if it didn't have the brokenness of the world that we live in, like all the good things, and then amplify it by like a hundred. And I can't wait to he can just enjoy living together without trauma, without suffering, without all these things that make the world broken. And so when you have that and you have that hope to look forward to, it should make us excited. It should be like, I can't wait to be in God's presence all the time. And so it's good to talk about these things, good to kind of brainstorm or even use our imagination a little bit and think about what it could be, because we the Bible doesn't give us that many details about specifics, so it's fun to think about. The next thing I wanted to talk about was yeah, sometimes we think of heaven and we think, oh, well, we'll leave this body and we'll be spirits in the sky and we'll be like ghosts or disembodied spirits for eternity. But the Bible actually promises the opposite. The Bible promises a physical resurrection, just like Jesus could eat and be touched after he rose from the grave. We get bodies that are gonna be recognizable, but no longer break down, no longer feel pain, no longer get tired. It'll be a new resurrected, glorified

Resurrection Bodies And Recognition

SPEAKER_00 16:35

body. You guys excited about that?

SPEAKER_03 16:37

Oh, yes. So it's my body. Like I'm gonna be me, or I get a completely different body.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Jesus was him. When Jesus came back from the grave, it was sometimes people didn't recognize him. That's a good question.

SPEAKER_03 16:51

That's a good so it's like, is it because his body was like it was still his body, but you gotta think when he showed it to the disciples.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

Right. Like I know it didn't, it didn't have, but I mean they still saw the scar in his hand.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

Yeah, he still had his scars. He saw Thomas and he was like, he would touch this, and they knew it's recognizable. It was as him. I've I think so.

SPEAKER_03 17:17

I think I don't know. I guess when I read that, sometimes I'm like, wait, am I gonna like I think you're still gonna be Britney?

SPEAKER_02 17:23

I think I'm still gonna be Ashley. I think I'm gonna be like just a better version of us, yeah, like the best version of me possible, right? The one that God intended us to be that I'm never gonna live up to.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

And you guys probably won't recognize me. Whoa, there's a sanctified Britney.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

I like that. All right, very nice. So you're not gonna be. I mean, there's a mystery to this idea of what our new bodies are gonna be like, and it's just it's we we're told we're gonna get new bodies, glorified bodies, perfect. What that looks like, how that plays out, is it's kind of a mystery. Jesus, when he came back, he ate fish, he was hanging out with the disciples, but he could also just appear and disappear at will, it seems like, because he's in the locked room and then all of a sudden he's gone. And so I don't know, maybe we get to teleport wherever we want to go.

unknown 18:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

How about that?

SPEAKER_03 18:19

That would be so cool. That'd be sweet.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Now, like, like for real though, if you could pick right now today, like one superpower to have, what would it be?

SPEAKER_03 18:27

A superpower?

SPEAKER_00 18:28

Yeah, like if you had ability or a superpower, I think superheroes.

SPEAKER_03 18:33

Like some people like want to fly or either. I could snap my fingers and all the meals for my family was provided instantly. That doesn't count.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

That's not a superhero ability. Okay, so the dad you're not a magician.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

The dad. As a mother, that would be a great superpower. Anyway, what kind of superpowers are there?

SPEAKER_00 18:53

I mean, some people like pick flying or super strength. Like me, I would be like, I want to teleport places and be somewhere instantly. I don't have to like wait for I can be places whenever I want to be there.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

Be by yourself.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

I could my superpower, like hold hands with somebody and they come with me.

SPEAKER_03 19:09

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Oh, we get to change it.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

We can make a whole chain of people and just you know.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

Anyway, I was just a I teleported two weeks ago.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

I thought maybe you guys would have good answers, but Brittany's

Will Heaven Be Boring

SPEAKER_00 19:20

just magical chef, and you're over there like, I don't even know what superpowers are.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

My answer was a good answer. Okay, it was for a woman. Yes, that's I guess if I would be like, everything's clean all the time.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Oh, yeah. Snap your fingers and everything's clean. That's a superpower.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Oh my gosh. All right.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

Well, laundry and dishes are done and put away. Oh my word. That's a major superpower. He's like, what can we focus on?

SPEAKER_00 19:47

I hate doing dishes too, but like if I had a like if you get one superpower, I'd be like, I'm dishes guy. They're all done instantly.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

I didn't say just dishes. I said cleaning dishes, the whole house. Can you imagine your entire house? I mean, there are some women out there who have their entire house clean at all times. I am not one of those women.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Women, yeah. I don't know how they do it.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

I I don't. You are highly favored.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

Perfect. Anyway, I got off sidetracked. I was I was talking about new bodies, resurrected Jesus, how he could. I thought it would be anyway. I shouldn't have brought that.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Oh, you're the one who asked us.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

I know. I made a mistake. So all right. But then we got to learn about your old superpower wishes.

unknown 20:37

All right.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Think of something better. A lot of the no, I have a couple more that I want to talk about real quick. Misconceptions about heaven. The myth is we just sit around doing nothing but singing 24-7. We kind of brought that up a minute ago, but I wanted to go back to that of some people think heaven will be boring, or we just sit around and sing, or we're just, you know, it's still that idea of it's heaven's far away, it's up in the up in a cloudy place, and it's like a spiritual place. When you get the idea that heaven is a new earth, a new creation, a renewed, restored world where we can go explore mountains, we can go find new places, we can go and enjoy the creation that we have now without the hindrances of sin and brokenness. It really makes heaven a lot more exciting to think about. And you're not going to get bored. In the Garden of Eden, when we had Adam and Eve, they were given jobs, they were given things to do. They were told go and work even in the garden. Like this is before the fall. They were given commands to go and rule over the creation, go and work in the garden and do things. And so then the new heaven, new the new kingdom, will likely have assignments or you know, cool things that we get to do. We get to be creative, we get to build, we get to do all the things we were designed and made to do now. Just without the the negative things. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_03 22:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

Are you guys excited about that?

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Or I am, yeah. I mean, yeah, I'm excited about it. It's hard. Okay, so I used to get scared of these kind of talks, but my husband reminded me it's because I have a human brain. You know, human cannot, we there's been a realm that has not been, you know, they all hasn't been torn to us yet in that kind

Eternity, Fear, And Trust In God

SPEAKER_02 22:32

of way that we can't exactly understand it yet.

SPEAKER_00 22:37

I see it as that way too, a little bit. There's a veil of, and then one day the veil's gonna be pulled back, and it's gonna be this world in life that we had, you know, we we know something's there, we know something's waiting for us, but then it's gonna be pulled back and we're gonna see, and it's gonna just be something that we could never fathom.

unknown 22:54

Right.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

It's gonna be like we won't be scared of it.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

It's not scary. No, I don't know. It nothing to be scared of. That's why we have hope in Christ, and he promises us these good things that you know it's gonna be a place with him. And if we're with him, then we shouldn't be afraid, we shouldn't be worried about anything.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Right. I think the part that I was afraid of was the fact that it was eternal, that there's no ending point. Because as humans, there's an end to something at all times, but in heaven, there is no end.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Everything that we have that we can kind of observe and see has a beginning and an end. It's just how everything is designed, how it was made by the one who has no beginning and has no end. And so if we could explain that, then we wouldn't then God wouldn't be God because some things are not meant to be explained. We just have to trust and have faith. And that's one of the things that you don't want to think about. Hurts your brain to be like eternity with no beginning, no end. What does it even we don't have a way to put that into words or even think about, I don't think.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

Do you think in heaven we will know each other?

SPEAKER_00 24:08

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

I hope so. Like so you don't think we're gonna be married to our spouses anymore, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:19

No.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

Because we are the bride of Christ.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Yeah, we don't marriage is for

Relationships, Marriage, And Knowing Each Other

SPEAKER_00 24:24

now. For now. Jesus says that you know, in the resurrection there will be uh we won't be given and taken in marriage.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

So But I'll know Darren, right? And I'll know my children. Do you think I'll know that they were my children?

SPEAKER_00 24:38

Yeah.

unknown 24:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:38

I think we'll have the capability to recognize and remember who these people are and how uh the life that continues now. Because when when we lose this body, life doesn't end, we just continue on life in a new way. And so, you know, we'll be able to recognize people and we'll be able we won't have the same relationship titles that we have now, I don't think. Yeah, we'll all be one, it'll be and and I don't think we can explain it. I don't think we can even know what it's gonna be like, but it's gonna be good. It's gonna be perfect, it's gonna be how it's supposed to be, right? Does that make sense? Yeah, so yeah. This is something that my uh I talked to my dad, my dad a lot about, and he's kind of like, so I'm not gonna be married to your mom forever in heaven. I was like, Well, no, you're gonna and he's like, but I want to. I was like, Well, I don't, I'm not in charge. I don't really I don't I don't make the rules, I'm just telling you what we have to go by right now. And I said, you know, sometimes we want these things, and sometimes, you know, we just have to trust that God knows there's something so much better than what we have now. So if we love our spouses and we we like the the idea of marriage and it's this thing that we really like in this life, everything that's good, everything that's you know, something we enjoy, it's amplified so much more when we're in his presence. And it's gonna be different, it's gonna be not the same, but it's gonna be better, and I trust that. So it can be a little scary, be a little nervous, I think, still. But then I go back and be like, Well, he's the creator, he's he knows what it needs to be like, and so I can't wait to see what it is.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Right. I can't wait to it's not like we're gonna miss it, it's not like we're gonna get there and be like, oh man, like disappointed, not at all.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

Yeah, that's I mean, it's not gonna be disappointment, it's not gonna be looking back and wishing we were still here in this life. That's not gonna happen, you know. And so uh one last thing is one of my favorite verses, and this is a good a go-to for when you're feeling when you look around at the world and you're like, man, what it was happening? And and so as Christians, we we follow Christ and we we have hope in Jesus, and that hope is this that Revelation 21:4. Whenever the day comes that it is renewed forever, and the new heavens and the new earth are ready,

Justice, Sin, And Becoming Like Christ

SPEAKER_00 27:09

um, whatever that is, it says he will wipe away every tear from their eye. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. And that's that's simply put, it's gonna be great. It's gonna be so much better than what we have now. And so we have like right now, you ever look around and you you have like a feeling that says this isn't how it's supposed to be, like an aching of I it should be better than this. There shouldn't be wars, there shouldn't be people without food, there shouldn't be people going through abuse or all these different things that we see in the world that's that that are happening, and we have that ache for things to be right in the world. At least if you're a Christian and you have Jesus and you're following, you should you should have this ache in your soul that when you look at things and be like, I wish that this wasn't so. I wish it was better than this. Then this is this isn't right when you see sin and you see brokenness, everything. And so this is the promise of it's not gonna be like this forever, and it's gonna be better, it's gonna be so much better. So we can all think about like what's the one broken thing about the earth, this world that we have now, that we want to see fixed. Like, there's so many things.

SPEAKER_03 28:30

Anything there's a lot of things, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

There's just I think me.

SPEAKER_03 28:39

Wow. I mean, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact of like when you see people in the world and you see people doing wrong, some of those people are gonna be in heaven, and I think of myself like what am I gonna be like without any sin? Because I think I

The Church As A Glimpse Of Heaven Now

SPEAKER_03 29:08

sin a lot. And I'm trying hard not to, like I'm actively trying to not. So what am what am I gonna be like in heaven? What's my personality gonna be like? I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

It's just kind of hard to I like that thought of to be able to live for Jesus without the temptations, without the struggle of flesh getting in the way, as the Bible would put it.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

Without constantly thinking that you're failing him.

SPEAKER_03 29:45

Right. And then thinking of I mean, I don't know how many people are gonna be in heaven. Millions, billions, right, two hundred, I don't know. I mean, I don't know. I really don't know what I mean but all of those people exactly the same and all the wrong that they've done. I don't know. It's just hard for me to most of the brain.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

Most of the things that are wrong with the world would be wouldn't be wrong with the world if we were all like Christ perfectly. If human if humanity was all fully like Jesus all the time, then a lot of the things that we get uh upset about when we see would be taken care of.

SPEAKER_02 30:32

So yeah, yeah. Like I I've I hate so badly human trafficking, like I want it stopped so bad.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

Any type of you know, abuse against another person, or like when you see anything like that, and somebody people being used for whatever the thing may be, right? Putting other people lower than who you are, or like and and I don't know, I get upset about all that stuff of like why would you choose you you can choose not to do that? Why why can't we all just basically love each other, love God, and love each other? Yeah, and so eventually it will be like that. That's why I'm saying when we started this talking about heaven, I think that we get the opportunity to show heaven to the world now. I think the church is supposed to be a glimpse of what heaven's supposed to be, and God with people coming to be with us, and sometimes we think that oh, we followed Jesus, we got baptized, and now we just wait to get to heaven. When really, no, we get baptized and we're following Christ, and now we have things to do, right? We need to go gather others, we need to go take the kingdom of heaven to the dark parts of the world and make it better, right? And so that I think that's what the Bible shows us in lots of different ways and lots of different scriptures and things, but to get that idea of you can have the kingdom now, not to the fullest, not what it's gonna be fully, but I think we're supposed to be starting it now through the church, the global church of believers. I just want people to the challenge is if you call yourself a Christian and you're following him, don't just

Final Encouragement And Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_00 32:30

sit and wait until eternity and be like, oh, I just gotta wait till heaven now, and this world's crazy, and I'm just gonna know we have a responsibility now that we know who he is to go out and expand the kingdom. So I think that kind of fits in well with does that make sense what I'm trying to say of like a little bit of heaven right now?

SPEAKER_01 32:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

So hope that helps a little bit. What else do we gonna say, Brittany?

SPEAKER_03 32:58

About what?

SPEAKER_00 32:59

I don't know. You just look like you were gonna talk.

SPEAKER_03 33:02

Well, I have a lot of thoughts about heaven going through my head.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Okay. Anything you want to share? A specific question?

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Do you think that we will be naked? No, I did not think we'll be naked. I'm gonna be in so much trouble.

SPEAKER_02 33:20

Naked people in the garden or something?

SPEAKER_03 33:21

Naked vegetarians, naked vegetarians, naked vegetarian. Because we weren't eating meat right off the bat, right? So I was just curious on your thoughts of being naked vegetarians. I hope so. Clothed in righteousness. I'm sure that's what he meant, right? Fully clothed. I'll go with that.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

I'm gonna get in trouble after that. Well, when Jesus comes on his white horse, you know, in Revelation, he's dressed in robes and stuff. So he's dressed. So if Jesus is dressed, then I think maybe the rest of us should put on some clothes.

SPEAKER_03 33:59

Well, maybe he's like, I'm going down to earth. Let me let me get my robe pot.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

These people can't handle it.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

So if you get nothing else from this, you can have a different way to think about heaven. Hopefully, and if you are curious about more, I would suggest asking some questions or reading some. You know, you could do a topic study on heaven and what it's like. And so hopefully this gives you a good start to kind of think about things in a different way, maybe. So thanks for having this discussion with me, even the superhero discussion that went terribly wrong for whatever reason.

SPEAKER_02 34:35

So hey, I think ours are the best.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

Yeah, you guys are the best.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

So are every other woman listener.

SPEAKER_00 34:40

All right, Brittany's late for her appointment, so she's gotta go.

SPEAKER_03 34:43

Oh, yeah, I'm in trouble.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

She's in trouble.

SPEAKER_03 34:45

Okay, are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 34:47

Lord, thank you for this day. Thanks for Ashley and Brittany and having these cool conversations that we can talk about on this platform. And I I I ask that you uh are with all those listening. I know there's a lot of things going on in the world, a lot of brokenness, a lot of things that we look at and we're like, why does it have to be this way? And I just ask that you remind us of your presence, remind us of who you are, and we thank you that you gave us glimpses of what's to come after this, that we have a hope in you. And it's gonna be it's gonna be amazing, even if we don't have the words, even if we don't have the the capacity to even fathom what it's gonna be like to be with you all the time in this place that we think of as heaven and paradise. And so we're just thankful for who you are. Be with us this week. Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

unknown 35:36

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 35:37

All right, good job, everybody. And we'll see you next time, and we'll pick out another topic to think about. What's the deal with blank? This time it was heaven, next time it'll be something else. But tune in and you'll find out what it is. Bye. Have a good week.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

Bye.