Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
What The Hell?
Scripture
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Main Idea
Hell can be a difficult topic for many people to talk about, but it's a Biblical truth referenced many times by Jesus, disciples, apostles, and others in Scripture. There are five critical attributes of Hell we need to know. It's a real place that wasn't created by God for punishment, but rather intentionally became a place where people are punished. God prepared Heaven for People but God will let us choose. The pain and anguish of Hell is beyond anything we experience on earth and unfathomable to us all. Those who have chosen to not accept the gift of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins and the Holy Spirit will spend eternity without the presence of God. Most importantly, Hell not a given destiny. It is avoidable for everyone because of that sacrifice Jesus was willing to make. By being reborn in the Spirit we join the family of God and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven instead of the agony and eternal torment of Hell.
You can't earn an inheritance. It's a gift.
Discussion Questions
1. What misconceptions did you have about hell before?
2. How have your views changed?
3. How does this affect the way you act and view the world?
Summary
Not everyone believes in hell. But it is a reality we all need to know about. Hell is a real place that became a place of anguish, affliction, and suffering because God has given us free will. He presents us with a gift of eternal life with Him in Heaven. Those who do not believe Jesus sacrificed His life for our own sins, have chosen to live eternity after death without God. This place without Him is hell. It’s a place full of fire, agony, despair, and fear. This is what it means to be without God. Our choice is to accept the relationship God offers us with Himself to draw us near to Him. We will spend an eternity at His feet in glory and splendor with nothing but joy and love.
Take Action
- Read Matthew 25: 42-45 again. Seek and pray about ways you can care for “the least of these” in your path and our community. This is the way we are treating Jesus.
- Start a Bible reading plan in the YouVersion app. Suggestion: “Erasing Hell byFrancis Chan” It’s a 7-day plan and something you can do as a Group as well!
Announcements
- Serve Day is Saturday, July 20. View and register our Serve Day 2024 projects atvel.city/serveday. There’s no better way to build bonds and relationships than serving together. Your group can join a project together!
- Prayer Night is Sunday, July 14 7-8pm at Velocity in the auditorium. Join us to pray for our community, families and friends, the next generation, Velocity, and whatever God has placed on your heart.
- Popcorn & Movies is our most popular sermon series and it starts on Sunday, July 21! Movies can only be seen in-person so we hope to see you there. Start inviting your friends. This is a great time to bring people who may not otherwise step in a church. Popcorn, candy, and soda provided!
