Discussion question your group will work through:
1.When have you caught yourself thinking, 'There has to be more than this'? Was it during a moment of pain, of boredom, of loss — or even in the middle of something good? What does the persistence of that feeling tell you about how you were made?
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About This Study Guide
Heaven is not a vague, cloud-filled dream — it is a real place, promised by a faithful God, described in the pages of Scripture, and intended to transform the way you live today. In The Promise of Heaven, Dr. David Jeremiah draws on decades of pastoral ministry and deep biblical study to walk readers through what the Bible actually says about eternity. Across 31 short, hope-filled chapters, he answers the questions people carry quietly in their hearts — questions about reunions, children who die too soon, the nature of our resurrection bodies, and what "forever" will feel like — and he does so not with speculation but with the steady confidence of God's own Word. The book's central thesis is simple and powerful: when your heart is genuinely set on heaven, everything about your life here changes. Worry loosens its grip. Grief softens. Joy returns. And you begin to live with the kind of quiet, unshakeable confidence that only comes from knowing something far better is ahead.
This study guide is designed for either a small group or personal use across multiple weeks. Each week, read the assigned chapter(s) of The Promise of Heaven before your group meets or before you sit down with this guide. As you read, keep a journal nearby — jot down a sentence or phrase that stops you, a question that rises in your mind, or a personal memory the chapter surfaces. Then work through the discussion questions, taking time to sit with each one rather than rushing to the next. If you are using this guide in a group, resist the temptation to simply answer every question; let the best two or three questions fuel a real conversation. End each session with the closing prayer, or use it as a launching point for your own words to God.
By the time you finish this guide, you can expect more than theological information — you can expect a changed orientation. Dr. Jeremiah's goal is not merely to educate you about heaven but to make you homesick for it in the best possible way. Readers consistently report that spending time with this material loosens anxiety's hold, brings fresh perspective to suffering, and rekindles a sense of joyful anticipation for what God has prepared. Come ready to think carefully, feel honestly, and leave each session a little more at home in the hope that is yours in Christ.
12-Week Schedule
- Week 1Introduction — There Has to Be More Than This8 questions
- Week 2Chapters 1–4 — The Reality and Certainty of Heaven8 questions
- Week 3Chapters 5–8 — What Heaven Will Be Like8 questions
- Week 4Chapters 9–12 — Our Resurrection Bodies and Identity in Heaven8 questions
- Week 5Chapters 13–16 — Relationships in Heaven: Will We Know Each Other?8 questions
- Week 6Chapters 17–19 — Hard Questions: Children, Suicide, and Those Who Never Heard8 questions
- Week 7Chapters 20–22 — Rewards, Judgment, and the Bema Seat8 questions
- Week 8Chapters 23–25 — Angels, the Cloud of Witnesses, and Our Loved Ones in Heaven Now8 questions
- Week 9Chapters 26–28 — Heaven and the Way We Live Now8 questions
- Week 10Chapters 29–31 — The New Jerusalem, the Final Word, and the Invitation8 questions
- Week 11Review & Reflection — What Heaven Has Changed8 questions
Week 1: Introduction — There Has to Be More Than This
Free sampleRead the Introduction of The Promise of Heaven by Dr. David Jeremiah. Key passages: John 14:1-3; Colossians 3:1-2.
1.When have you caught yourself thinking, 'There has to be more than this'? Was it during a moment of pain, of boredom, of loss — or even in the middle of something good? What does the persistence of that feeling tell you about how you were made?
2.Dr. Jeremiah argues that our longing for something more is not a sign of ingratitude but a God-given instinct pointing us toward eternity. How does that reframe the restlessness you may have been taught to suppress or ignore?
3.Colossians 3:1-2 commands believers to 'set your minds on things above.' What is the difference between setting your mind on heaven and simply escaping the responsibilities of life here? Why does Dr. Jeremiah insist this is a practical, not merely spiritual, instruction?
4.In John 14:1-3, Jesus says, 'I go to prepare a place for you.' What does it mean to you personally that Jesus himself is the one preparing your eternal home? How does knowing the character of the builder affect how you think about the dwelling?
5.Dr. Jeremiah writes from decades of pastoral experience, having sat with people in their greatest moments of grief and fear. How does the pastoral tone of this introduction shape your expectations for the rest of the book?
6.The introduction promises that a heavenly perspective changes daily life — worry loses its grip, pain doesn't feel so final, joy begins to return. Which of those three changes do you most need right now, and why?
a.What specific worry, pain, or lack of joy would you most like God to address through this study?
b.What would it look like, practically, for that area of your life to be touched by a firmer hope in heaven?
7.How has your picture of heaven been shaped more by culture (clouds, harps, endless leisure) than by Scripture? What are you hoping to unlearn or relearn through this study?
8.Dr. Jeremiah assures readers that 'God hasn't left you guessing — He's already spoken.' How does the fact that heaven is a matter of biblical revelation rather than human speculation change the weight we can give our hope?
Week 2: Chapters 1–4 — The Reality and Certainty of Heaven
Read Chapters 1–4 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: John 14:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; Revelation 21:1-5; Hebrews 11:13-16.
1.Dr. Jeremiah grounds the reality of heaven in the character and trustworthiness of God rather than in near-death experiences or personal feelings. Why is that starting point important? What happens to our hope if it rests on experience rather than promise?
Week 3: Chapters 5–8 — What Heaven Will Be Like
Read Chapters 5–8 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: Revelation 21:10-27; Revelation 22:1-5; Isaiah 65:17-25.
1.Dr. Jeremiah walks through John's description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22 — its dimensions, its gates of pearl, its streets of gold, its river of life. How do you interpret these descriptions: as literal architectural features, as symbolic language pointing to something beyond words, or some combination? Why does it matter how we answer that question?
Week 4: Chapters 9–12 — Our Resurrection Bodies and Identity in Heaven
Read Chapters 9–12 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2.
1.Paul uses the metaphor of a seed and a plant to explain resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. A seed bears no resemblance to the flower it becomes — yet there is real continuity between them. How does that image help you think about the relationship between your current body and your resurrection body?
Week 5: Chapters 13–16 — Relationships in Heaven: Will We Know Each Other?
Read Chapters 13–16 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 16:19-31.
1.Dr. Jeremiah points to the Transfiguration (Matthew 17) as evidence that we will recognize each other in heaven — the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah, men they had never met, without being introduced. What does that detail suggest about the nature of heavenly knowledge and recognition?
Week 6: Chapters 17–19 — Hard Questions: Children, Suicide, and Those Who Never Heard
Read Chapters 17–19 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: 2 Samuel 12:19-23; Romans 1:18-20; Matthew 18:1-5.
1.Dr. Jeremiah draws on David's words after the death of his infant son — 'I will go to him, but he will not return to me' (2 Samuel 12:23) — as a window into biblical hope for children who die. What does this passage suggest David believed about his child's eternal state? How does that bring you comfort or raise further questions?
Week 7: Chapters 20–22 — Rewards, Judgment, and the Bema Seat
Read Chapters 20–22 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12.
1.Dr. Jeremiah explains that every believer will stand before the 'bema seat' of Christ — the judgment seat described in 2 Corinthians 5:10. He is careful to distinguish this from the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20. What is the difference between these two judgments, and why does the distinction matter for how Christians understand their future?
Week 8: Chapters 23–25 — Angels, the Cloud of Witnesses, and Our Loved Ones in Heaven Now
Read Chapters 23–25 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: Hebrews 12:1-2; Luke 15:7; Revelation 6:9-11.
1.Hebrews 12:1 speaks of a 'great cloud of witnesses' surrounding us. Dr. Jeremiah explores whether this means our deceased loved ones are aware of our struggles on earth. What does he conclude, and what passages does he use to support that conclusion?
Week 9: Chapters 26–28 — Heaven and the Way We Live Now
Read Chapters 26–28 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: 1 John 3:2-3; Titus 2:11-13; Romans 8:18-25.
1.1 John 3:3 says that 'everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.' Dr. Jeremiah argues that genuine heavenly hope produces present holiness. How does that connection work? Why would thinking often about heaven make you more — not less — serious about living well now?
Week 10: Chapters 29–31 — The New Jerusalem, the Final Word, and the Invitation
Read Chapters 29–31 of The Promise of Heaven. Key passages: Revelation 21:1-7; Revelation 22:17-21; John 3:16.
1.Revelation 21:3 contains one of the most extraordinary statements in all of Scripture: 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.' God will not just prepare a place for us — He will come to dwell among us. What does that reversal of the direction of movement (God coming down rather than us going up) mean for how we understand the goal of all creation?
Week 11: Review & Reflection — What Heaven Has Changed
No new reading this week. Review your notes, journal entries, and any passages or chapters you marked throughout The Promise of Heaven.
1.If you had to choose one chapter or one idea from The Promise of Heaven that you will still remember five years from now, what would it be? What made it so memorable or significant?
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The complete guide includes 88 discussion questions across 12 weeks — an average of 8 questions per week, designed for group conversation.
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