Discussion Ideas
- The Lord wants to give us all the happiness of heaven. He created each one of us with the potential to become an angel.
- The Lord leaves us in freedom to choose. Do we want the peace and joy of life in heaven? Or will we reject heaven and instead choose life in hell?
- While we are immersed in the details of our natural lives, we may not often think about life after death. Yet each of us is continually making choices to either follow the Lord’s leading or not.
- Do you think it is hard to enter heaven?
- The Lord reassures us it is not so difficult to live the life of heaven as some believe (Heaven and Hell 533). He tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…. My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).
- Every person is in freedom either to look upward to God or downward to hell. (see True Christian Religion 69:3).
- The Lord invites each of us to live in heaven. But we must choose whether or not to accept His offer and allow the Lord to lead us to heaven.
Readings
- “Out of the Forest” by Peter M. Buss, Sr. (ages 7-14)
A story showing how the Lord leads us back to safety after we have wandered away from Him. - “God Is Holding Your Hand” by Donald Rose (ages 15 and up)
An article describing how the hand of God leads us and holds us. - “My Burden Is Light” by Patrick A. Rose (ages 18 and up)
The path which leads to heaven is far easier than most people imagine. If we want to walk along the path to heaven, we can. The only thing which would prevent a person from walking toward heaven with ease is a desire to remain in evil. - “Three Steps to Salvation” by Scott Frazier (ages 18 and up)
People are saved by the quiet, subtle, life-changing work of coming to love what the Lord loves. None of this can happen without the Lord’s cooperation. He is always ready to help in an instant—all He asks is that we try, and He will rush to our side.
Projects and activities for all ages
- Ways of Walking (ages 5-10)
Think of different ways that we walk through life: happy, angry, sad, proud, etc. Dramatize each way of walking, then walk as if you are “walking with the Lord.” Given that religion is “walking with God” (see Coronis 40), discuss what we must do to walk with the Lord. - Play Follow the Leader (ages 3-7)
The way to heaven is following the Lord. Play follow the leader to practice being led by someone else. Then talk about the Lord as the One we should all follow. - Following the Lord’s Path to Heaven (ages 7-10)
Cut out this paper spiral, then attach the color picture of the Lord at the top, and make a picture of yourself to put at the beginning of the pathway - looking upward to the Lord! - Follow the Footprints (ages 7-10)
Here is a fun way to illustrate the important concept of following the Lord by looking to the commandments and other teachings in His Word. Make 5 pairs of footprints and write one of the Ten Commandments on each one, then mount on the wall as if someone is walking upward by obeying the Lord. - Dramatize Angelic Qualities (ages 3-17)
Act out various angelic qualities and try to guess which quality is being illustrated. - Pair Angelic Qualities with Their Opposites (ages 8-12)
Match angelic qualities (or activities) with qualities (and activities) that seem to be their opposites. - Not So Difficult to Go to Heaven Poster (ages 15-17)
Make a poster that illustrates or "advertises" this idea. You might picture someone rejecting what he knows to be unjust or someone "living the life of heaven" by finding ways to make the world a better place. - The Path to Heaven Teen Prayers
Prayers about walking with the Lord. - Focus on Angelic Qualities (ages 15 and up)
Reflect on the qualities that you would associate with the “angelic character” and look for ways to embrace these qualities in your life. - Challenge Yourself! (ages 15 and up)
Think of something you’ve really wanted to do and challenge yourself to do it every day for a week. You might choose to get up every day and read the Word. Or make a point of helping a sibling each day. Whatever challenge you select, don’t give yourself any outs—any backdoor to slip out of your commitment. At the end of a week, reflect on whether it was easy or hard to meet this challenge and whether it became easier or harder as the week went on.
Conclusion
The Lord wants us all to live with Him in Heaven. But He leaves us in freedom to choose. While we are immersed in the details of our natural lives, we may not often think about life after death. Yet each of us is continually making choices about whether to follow the Lord’s leading.
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