Heaven Is for Real

1.Colton's appendix had been ruptured for at least five days before surgery. The Burpos had taken him to doctors who initially misdiagnosed him. Have you ever felt that God seemed absent or slow during a crisis? How do you reconcile that feeling with belief in a caring God?

1.Colton's first disclosure — telling his parents that angels had sung to him while he sat in Jesus' lap — came months after surgery, casually, during a family car ride. Why do you think significant spiritual experiences often surface in ordinary, unguarded moments rather than in formal settings?

1.Colton tells his parents he met 'Pop' — Todd's grandfather — in heaven, describing him as a young man with no glasses, though Colton had only ever seen photos of an elderly Pop. Todd's father visibly weeps when shown an old photo and Colton identifies him. What emotional weight does this detail carry, and why do you think the detail of *age* (Pop being young) particularly struck Todd?

1.Colton describes heaven as having gates made of gold and pearl, streets of gold, and colors more vivid than anything on earth. These images echo Revelation 21. How do you personally interpret those images — literally, symbolically, or somewhere in between? Does Colton's account push you more in one direction?

1.Colton describes God the Father as 'really big' — so big He can hold the earth in His hands, in contrast to Jesus who is 'bigger than us but not as big as Dad.' This echoes the kind of vivid, concrete language children use for things they cannot fully articulate. How do you hold together the transcendence of God (incomprehensibly vast) with the intimacy of God (a Father who knows us by name)?

1.Colton describes angels as having swords to keep Satan out of heaven, and he mentions with surprising confidence that there is going to be a war and Jesus wins. How does this picture of a combative, militant heaven sit with you? Does it fit with the Jesus you know from the Gospels?

1.Todd admits that even as Colton's father — even having heard detail after detail he cannot explain — he still has moments of wondering, 'Did this really happen?' What does his continued honesty about doubt tell you about the nature of faith? Is doubt a sign of weak faith, or can it coexist with genuine belief?

1.Colton describes Jesus as still having 'markers' — nail holes in his hands and feet — in heaven. Revelation 5:6 describes the Lamb appearing 'as if it had been slain' at the center of heaven's throne room. Why does it matter that the glorified, risen Jesus still bears the marks of crucifixion? What does that tell us about the cross's permanent significance?

1.Todd writes that Colton's experience did not just give him a story to tell — it gave him a confidence that reshaped his whole ministry, especially how he comforts grieving families. Has this book changed the way you would approach comforting someone who is dying or grieving? If so, how?

1.Which week or chapter of this study had the greatest impact on you — and what specifically did it stir up? Was it a moment of comfort, conviction, challenge, or wonder?