Book Club Questions for The Promise of Heaven

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?

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?

2.In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Paul describes our earthly bodies as 'tents' and our resurrection bodies as 'buildings from God, a house not made with hands.' What does that image communicate about the relative permanence of this life versus the life to come?

3.Hebrews 11 describes the great heroes of faith as people who 'confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.' How does thinking of yourself as a pilgrim — rather than a permanent resident — change the way you relate to your possessions, your plans, and your disappointments?

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?

2.One of Dr. Jeremiah's consistent emphases is that heaven will be a place of activity and purpose, not passive rest. What kinds of work, creativity, or exploration do you imagine you might engage in there? How does that possibility stir — or challenge — your current understanding of eternity?

3.The river of the water of life and the tree of life in Revelation 22 echo the Garden of Eden in Genesis. What does it mean that God's plan for history ends with a return to — and surpassing of — what was lost in the Fall? How does that shape your understanding of redemption?

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?

2.Dr. Jeremiah describes resurrection bodies as glorified, imperishable, powerful, and spiritual — yet still genuinely physical, as Jesus' own resurrection body demonstrates. Which of those four qualities means the most to you personally, and why?

3.Many people who live with chronic pain, disability, or the slow deterioration of aging carry a deep, quiet grief about their bodies. How does the promise of Philippians 3:20-21 — that Christ 'will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body' — speak specifically to that grief?

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?

2.In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul comforts grieving believers not by telling them their loved ones are gone, but by assuring them they will be caught up together with them. The key word is 'together.' How does the communal nature of resurrection hope reshape the way you grieve?

3.Dr. Jeremiah addresses the question of marriage in heaven, drawing on Jesus' words in Matthew 22 that people will 'neither marry nor be given in marriage' but will be 'like angels.' How does he explain this in a way that doesn't diminish the beauty of earthly marriage, but points to something even greater?

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?

2.Dr. Jeremiah discusses the concept of an 'age of accountability' — the idea that children who die before they are capable of understanding and responding to the gospel are covered by Christ's atoning work. What biblical and theological threads does he weave together to support this conclusion? Are you convinced? Why or why not?

3.Jesus' words in Matthew 18 — 'their angels always see the face of my Father in heaven' — suggest a special guardianship over children. How does the image of children as those who belong especially to God's kingdom shape the way you think about child death and child faith?

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?

2.Paul's image in 1 Corinthians 3 of building with gold, silver, and precious stones versus wood, hay, and straw is striking. What kinds of activities, attitudes, and motivations does Dr. Jeremiah suggest correspond to each category? How does that sorting challenge the way you currently invest your time and energy?

3.The bema judgment is described as a review of deeds done 'in the body' — a kind of accounting for how we lived. Dr. Jeremiah says this should motivate us without producing fear, because our standing before God is secure in Christ. How do you hold those two truths together — security in grace and accountability for faithfulness?

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?

2.Luke 15:7 says 'there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.' What does it mean to you that heaven celebrates — loudly and specifically — when someone comes to faith? How does that change the way you think about evangelism or the conversion of a loved one?

3.In Revelation 6:9-11, the martyrs under the altar cry out to God asking how long before justice comes, and they are told to 'rest a little longer.' What does this scene reveal about the intermediate state — the experience of believers who have died and are now with God but before the final resurrection?

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?

2.Titus 2 describes the grace of God as training us to 'renounce ungodliness' and to live 'self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope.' What is the relationship between waiting for Jesus and living differently now? How is the return of Christ a motivation for the way you spend today?

3.Romans 8:18-25 speaks of the whole creation groaning for its redemption. Dr. Jeremiah uses this passage to show that hope in heaven is not escapism — it is solidarity with a suffering world that longs for the same restoration. How does that change the way you engage with brokenness around you — in your community, in creation, in current events?

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?

2.Dr. Jeremiah describes the New Jerusalem with a sense of breathless wonder. After everything you have read in this book, what aspect of the new creation are you most looking forward to — and why?

3.Revelation 21:4 promises that God 'will wipe away every tear from their eyes.' Dr. Jeremiah lingers on the tenderness of that gesture — God himself, wiping tears from your face. What does that image do to your picture of who God is, and how He feels about your suffering?

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?

2.At the beginning of this study, you may have identified a specific worry, pain, or lack of joy that you hoped a firmer hope in heaven might address. Has anything shifted in that area? Be honest — even if the change is small.

3.Dr. Jeremiah answered several 'rarely addressed' questions in this book — about children who die, suicide, cremation, marriage in heaven, and more. Which of those answers gave you the most peace, and which questions do you still hold with some uncertainty? How has he helped you sit with uncertainty in a healthy way?