Not for Sunday Mornings
When the Sunday sermon isn't enough. Join us as we unpack what was spoken about on Sunday with all the extra stuff that didn't make it.
Not for Sunday Mornings
What is Heaven like?
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What is heaven actually like?
This week on Not For Sunday Mornings, Steve and Chris talk about restoration, the meaning of “new heaven and new earth,” whether we will work in heaven, and why our picture of eternity may be shaped more by culture than Scripture.
Along the way, they discuss dogs in heaven, bad movie theology, Belinda Carlisle, and whether Mountain Dew is already a glimpse of glory.
Keep asking good questions.
All right, ready?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm waiting on you.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, uh, welcome back to our next episode of Not for Sunday mornings. Even though it is Sunday morning. It that's true. It is Sunday morning. We're doing uh early recording because Steve's busy this week uh with a trip uh for the with the church and the church students. It'll be a lot of fun. Um but anyways, my name's Chris and this is Steve, and um we are working through our sermon series of uh questions kids ask.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yep.
SPEAKER_00And so this week the question was What is heaven like? What is heaven like?
SPEAKER_01I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Maybe when you point it out, I I noticed you were changing it.
SPEAKER_01So and the toys we got. We got a lot of stuff on the show.
SPEAKER_00We were trying to put some more stuff, make it look like a professional uh podcast, our new our new studio slash new studio look, maybe. Yeah. So all right. Well, um, so yeah, so let's start. Like um, what are some things? Did you anyone talk to you after church about your message and everything?
SPEAKER_01Honestly, yeah, I had a couple people, one in particular who came up and said, um, their whole life, they're they're probably in their sixties, grew up in the church, and heaven was always out there and never a restoring of the earth, and and what that means and the implications of that. And um and she she hadn't just heard it here, she'd heard it at other churches as well. And so it was neat to hear her wrestle with that and kind of the implications of that, and and it was very cool. And so I grew up similar, like it was heaven was always out there, something you you go to versus it being, you know, potentially here now and in the middle of now, and different, you know, and so some fun stuff. So that was fun. That was a fun conversation.
SPEAKER_00So what I just curiosity, like, why do you think that that's the case?
SPEAKER_01Like, why do you think what what's made the shift in the viewpoint on the I think uh further study of the word, I think more um I think further study of the word. I think is when you look at the Bible doesn't talk about heaven in the way we know it to be about heaven. Um and we'll get into it a little bit about Plato and and third century and how that all kind of got uh hijacked from that. Um but So I think I think it's I think it pr probably a little more knowledge, I'm guessing. I don't know. It's not I don't think it's new revelation. I think it's always been especially I think so I think personally I think it's uh we've begin to s understand um and T Wright has a huge influence on this, but it begin to understand the um the Jewish thinking of things. So back then when they're writing, and so the Jewish thought process would not have been the way we think of heaven now. It w that just wasn't on their thought process. So as they study that and and begin to add that, you know, I think that's where kind of some of that goes from.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, because I always feel like um I you and I grew up in in the same a era and and church life was always I felt more difficult. People were more rigid about things growing up.
SPEAKER_01And so I don't know if more difficult. I think church is hard now. Everything's like it's so hard.
SPEAKER_00I mean everything's well no, I I I don't know. Maybe you're right. Maybe difficult was the wrong term. I I think ri rigid in in the world. Yeah, I would think more uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Plus I don't know what it I don't know what it was like to be a pastor then. So I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think we were more insular. I think churches were more insular, and I think that kind of like when when you're focused in on that and and I grew up in a church that uh didn't have a trained pastor per se.
SPEAKER_01I mean he was a great man and everything, very kind, but as far as like schooling and education, that wasn't really a thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And so I don't know how much that played into what I learned growing up. Um so uh you know, the more I think school is a good thing.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's I mean, that's possible.
SPEAKER_01I mean I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't know. I it's it's just interesting. You know, I I think our focus maybe it I I liked what you said, like where I think the focus now in terms of looking at the writers and what their culture was and how they were writing to the best of our ability. Yeah, to the best of our ability, and trying to understand it through that lens a little bit more. I think instead of being a more literal interpretation of what you're reading um as you're reading it, I think I I agree with you. I think that's a big change in there. Um is it is it pronounced uh because I didn't look it up. Kinos? Kinos? Yeah, Kinos.
SPEAKER_01I pronounced it keynoses, but yeah, Kinos, Kenos, yeah, Kinos. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So talk a little bit about that, because that's interesting. Because I don't think we've ever really used that. Have we used that word before?
SPEAKER_01Uh we did when we did Revelation.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so years ago, okay.
SPEAKER_01A few years ago when we did the series on Revelation. In fact, a portion of this was taken from that sermon on Revelation. So if you go back and listen to the Revelation series, you'll hear some segments taken from that. Um, specifically on the new heaven, new earth part, um, and that word keynos. And so, yeah, that's just uh what that word means. Again, we hear new and and so all it means new, but what does new mean? And new does not mean brand new. Because again, I think well, what does Paul say? I'm a new creation. Right. So am I new? I'm I'm not newly born. I'm not a I am who I am, but I'm restored.
SPEAKER_00I'm I like that that the word restored for it. It's really good. And I think I think that's important to people don't know this, but and you probably don't even realize this.
SPEAKER_01But when we were coming up with the vision statement for the church, we exist to uh make disciples of Christ by loving kids and strengthening families in order to redeem the Lincoln Way community. Yes, I wanted the word restore there, and I got voted down.
SPEAKER_00I don't remember that. I do I was part of that, I don't even remember that conversation.
SPEAKER_01I'm holding it, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. It's okay. Too bad we have like a really expensive sign that we have. Yeah, it'll stay in that. It's gonna stay now.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that was kind of a funny thing, though. Uh yeah, so it's a cool word. I mean, yeah, it means I think when we again when we study those words and it kind of opens up a a new way of looking at things because you could easily think of like it's all gonna burn down and we're gonna start over, and versus like, well, let's let's look at this a little bit differently, a little bit different.
SPEAKER_00So Yeah, no, it does. I think I think it does.
SPEAKER_01Um uh argument, I think, like did he lose the garden? Is that I think it's a major argument. Like, could do you think what happened in the garden is it's forever, Satan won? Like, I think with our heart, so why would he do it the garden?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think that's a good point. And that it or at least a good way of presenting it is that you know, uh it why would God abandon something that he called as good, you know, and and and turn it turn it over to Satan like turn over, yeah. It it it I mean uh the idea of redemption is way better than and restoration is way better. Um and makes more sense. It makes it makes sense in light of who God is, and um because he doesn't give up, like he he he's he's there, and so yeah, I I mean I think that's really good. So um, so what what's kind of what stuff did you leave out? Or what do you got?
SPEAKER_01Um, I didn't spend a lot of time talking about the period after death before heaven, that like intermediate, intermediate uh period. Um I just didn't think it was going to add. I think it could get really confusing and super nerdy in that. Yeah. The problem of Sunday morning sermon is there's this part of like evangelistic and discipleship. So you want to help people grow more like Christ, obviously, but you also are trying to introduce people to Christ, and and so there's this balance of like, I'm not also not giving a lecture.
SPEAKER_00I'm trying to like and that's hard what this series is because you're answering a question, and so it's hard not to give that lecture.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I want to like create a moment of inspiration, like, okay, because of this, this is what happens. And so I didn't want to spend because also the Bible writers don't spend a ton of time on that. I I was like, well, we're just gonna kind of gloss over that. Um, I hope that didn't jam people up too much. It it could have. Um, I also didn't talk about the time. I think in in alongside of that, um, that period, whatever that period is, I think we don't talk about God's time in our time.
SPEAKER_00And so for us, it's like, how long is that time?
SPEAKER_01Well, I I I honestly think in our minds it's gonna be half a second. Like, we're not even gonna know. It's gonna we're gonna be there and it's gonna be because it's our time is not God's time. So this whole thing where we're trying to like, well, I'm gonna sit in the ground for 40 years and yeah, okay, maybe, but maybe not, because in our mind, like you know how that all works? I don't know. It's a whole different dimension.
SPEAKER_00So is it do you have an uh uh elevator pitch of of what that that intermediary stage looks like, or is it not?
SPEAKER_01It's to be in Christ. Well, I don't know what that means. With Christ in Christ, I don't know. I don't know what that is. I don't I don't know, I have any idea. I and I don't I don't think it really matters. I don't I don't think it's a lot of things. Oh, I agree.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just I know people still are curious and wonder and those things.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I don't know. I don't that really doesn't bother me too much. And then the other thing that was uh I didn't spend a lot of time talking about Jesus when he says the king he talks about the kingdom has come and and uh the kingdom of heaven is here and John the Baptist, how he began that way, and then and I didn't I probably could have drilled down a little bit more on that, and I didn't um talk about that. I think I think I think my weakest point of the sermon was again we're filming this right afterwards, so yeah.
SPEAKER_00So you you hear fresh, fresh off the stage, like literally like a couple things.
SPEAKER_01I think real weak was like that that connection at the end where it was like the now what part. Like I don't know if I made a good enough case to be like, okay, now go and live like kingdom-minded people. I think I kind of shuck and shucked and jived there a little bit, and I so I wasn't very proud of that. Um and then on honestly, like this was a tough sermon today because I have not been in a good headspace all day today. I don't know why. I woke up not feeling super well, and then mentally was not you know, I beg God to help me to but mentally it was hard to be there, and so it was a challenge communicating. I always want to bring myself a hundred percent to whatever I do, and when I can't when I feel like I'm not, I feel like a phony and and I know I'm not, and I know my heart's and I know all and God uses God uses this stuff, which is insane. But what's going on in my head the whole time was like, man, it just wasn't it wasn't clicking. I mean the message was clicking, I don't I didn't get that, but just my presence, it just wasn't clicking. So it was a rough I think at one point I even talked about it like being feeling out of your body. Like I did feel out of your body.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you did. Yeah, I don't remember if it was first or second service you did that.
SPEAKER_01I know I did second level too, but both I felt out of my body, like felt like not present, you know, and so that was a little bit weird.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, I mean insider baseball, like it and for you more so than than me, um, because you you do almost every Sunday that you it's almost impossible to be on every Sunday. Like you tr do your best, and like you said, you want to give your whole. Yeah, yeah. But but we're humans and there's a reality behind that.
SPEAKER_01And so I mean I'm pretty much betting a thousand, but people don't know. Well people don't know inside, not so much, but outside, though. No, I'm kidding.
SPEAKER_00No, but but I mean we do. We we we there is because I know there's times like for me, I've think I've written the worst sermon ever written, and I don't feel it, and I don't feel like I and but I go up there and I try to give it my all because I know what the the meaning behind it is, and it's hard, it's hard to do that sometimes. Like when you're not feeling it, it's it's it's there. And and you have that way more of a responsibility than I do, um, you know, thankfully on my part, but um, but yeah. So what anything else that you know?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's pretty much it. Okay.
SPEAKER_00How about can I push back? Well, yeah, you can do whatever you want. All right, so this is our other our new segment is Can I Push Back? Um so I've got uh we should have like a theme like can I push back? Like a graphic. Like a little um so um pushback. The first one I've got is uh does this mean heaven isn't heaven? So what I mean by that is um are we are we really just spending eternity on earth? And and I and and because I don't think people look out the window and say um this is heaven. I mean sometimes they do, depending on if you're on a beach in Tahiti or not, but but do you know what I'm saying? Like what's what's the actual reward in the end? I think some people if if yeah, if it's just a restoration, you get where I'm coming?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I I would say yes, like this, yes, I would think yes, that this is heaven. Like I think we don't have any idea what a restored Eden looks like. What we don't have any idea what a broken what creation that gives us life and we give creation, we don't know what that looks like because it's always been broken. And so I think we think what we see out here is like, well, this is earth and this is not heaven, and it's not, this is broken. Um but imagine but we get glimpses of it. And so there's moments where you will um I know, I know there's been moments where you you're out in in nature and something grabs your heart or a sunset or a mountaintop, or there's something and you just get a half a second. Now imagine that all the time. I mean like I think I think that's that's crazy. No, I also think we're gonna I think we're gonna have jobs and work and I I think uh it's gonna be fulfilling and live life-giving. And I think it's it's I again I think I maybe I'm wrong on some of this, and I'm gonna push it a little bit on some of that, but I I I think our view is so well, we look out here and see, and this isn't restored restored, this is broken, and um I can't imagine what restored looks like. I mean, I just I can't wait, but that's yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I agree. Um I agree. Uh okay, here's one, because I know sometimes like when you and I preach and we use a Bible verse, people are like, oh, well, what about this Bible verse, right? So um if God's restoring creation, why does Second Peter say that the earth is burned up?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, burned up. That's a great, um, a great, great, uh uh, great verse. And I wish you would have let me know you were gonna go there before I would have been much more prepared for that.
SPEAKER_00We I thought we made a promise not to talk about it. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so let me I'm trying to remember this process here. So uh the words that is used there is I can refining process. Um keep yeah, keep going.
SPEAKER_00You're on the right track. You want to pull it up? Yeah, I'll see if I can find it.
SPEAKER_01If you can be ready for it, then be ready for it.
SPEAKER_00I I didn't know I had to be this ready for it.
SPEAKER_01You asked a question.
SPEAKER_00I did. You're right. I did. That was my fault for asking the question. Keep keep going, keep rambling, let's see what you got.
SPEAKER_01Um No, I'm trying to find the I'm trying to look up the verse here. It's 2 Peter uh three, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think so. It is burned up.
SPEAKER_01This this makes great radio too. It does.
SPEAKER_00This is compelling that we're on our phones looking this up. Um Peter 3.13.
SPEAKER_01313.
SPEAKER_00I think is that right. So three three thirteen is part of it. Yeah, the heavens will be on fire. So the starting at uh uh we'll just start 310. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day, the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth will and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it it's a clear, it's clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness. As you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, the heavens will be on fire and will be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. But based on this promise, we wait for new heaven and new earth where righteousness will dwell.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I I I again I go back to the restoration process and like the testing of uh fire, and yeah, what was that in First Corinthians where he talks about uh putting your works before there and it be gold or silver and the testing of fire? So I think that's part of that process there. There's also a high um eschatological callback to Isaiah here. Um so he's pulling back from the Old Testament. So I think um I can get on the surface how they can look like that's all gonna burn up and we're gonna start over. I don't see it that way.
SPEAKER_00Um, I I I think a little more property for proof of purification. No, I I think I think it's a metaphor for purification, like you said. Like and and that's what renewal is, right? There's a there's a or restoration is it's it's making it pure, bringing it back to where it should be. Yeah, kind of so I I I think I did it it was something that crossed my brain. Yeah. Did you have something like that like when you were actually doing your notes or anything? Or okay.
SPEAKER_01I briefly looked at it and then skipped over it.
SPEAKER_00I I think you uh because you gave me an early copy so I could work on this uh because we knew we were recording early and you changed a few things, right? So in your original copy, you you had an uh statement about the environment. Environmental issues.
SPEAKER_01I didn't know you were bringing that up.
SPEAKER_00The environmental issues are theological issues.
unknownYeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Isn't that fun?
SPEAKER_00It was. I I like it because I totally agree with it, but I know people will push back. I know.
SPEAKER_01So so twofold. I almost I almost had a second service. So um environmental issues are theological issues, and I think so twofold for that. First of all, I think both ways. Like, um one thing is like who cares? God restoring it all, burn it to the ground, right? Who cares? And then the other is like, well, we need to partner with him, so we need to save everything, and we have an influence in some of this, and so that balance of where is our role with that. Um I do think though, caring for an environment and that's a good thing, not a bad thing. Um so that's kind of where I'm at. But I also think it's could be it has unfortunately become a political issue where it becomes this money generating mess and whole thing. And so um yeah, I mean, if this is our future home, uh then why aren't we caring for it?
SPEAKER_00And again, I know that God's gonna restore it to what we can't even imagine, but well, yeah, I mean, uh for me, uh and my viewpoint is we gotta walk that line because it can become very hippy-dippy. We're now we're not gonna Well, right, we don't want to become attached, right? And that's the thing. Like even I think that's the important thing is like even though this place will be restored, that it it's difficult because we don't want to be attached to this place, because we want to yearn for that restoration. We want to yearn for that new place. Um I think from from my perspective is you know, we're gett we're it's a stewards stewardship issue.
SPEAKER_01I think so. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think um, you know, when when as Christians we're given we're given the responsibility of being good stewards of the gifts that God gives us. And and the the earth is a gift, it really is. And so like to be a good steward of it, I think I don't know. I I can't I can't connect it to, well, we want to do it because it's it's gonna be because I I I can say, yeah, God's just gonna restore everything, it'll be perfect, and who cares if this is a big black lump of coal right before that time happens. But but at the same time, like I think from a Christian standpoint, uh we we have a call to be good stewards of of everything that Gives gives us. Yeah, yeah. Um, so yeah, so no that yeah, that did pop out, and I it was interesting. I was a little disappointed you left it out of there.
SPEAKER_01People make fun of me looks like I'm the world's worst recycler.
SPEAKER_00You are actually, yeah, like there's everything can be recycled for for for those of you don't know in the office there's a like a bin that says recycling on it. And whenever I come in, it's actually the garbage can. Like there's all sorts of stuff in there. Uh um, how about this one? This one's just a general question I'll push back. But uh does heaven mean work disappears?
SPEAKER_01No, no, no.
SPEAKER_00Because I you focused on relationships, but we didn't really talk about it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think work is always meant to be life-giving. I think where we get in trouble is work has become draining here in this world, and so um there's this weird like uh thing where it's like I'm gonna work for 40 years and then retire and do nothing for 20 years or 40 years or whatever. I'm like, so like I I don't understand that personally. Again, I'm not at that age, so maybe I'll get it better, but I think that work I think work is is a holy calling and and can be so life-giving. Um again, when it's in the restor rest restorative restorative. As it was, you know. I mean, Adam worked the garden before then, and it was life-giving. It wasn't, you know. And then all of a sudden now it became hard. It became what it's not, because now the ground fights us and everything's a battle and everything's a struggle, and that's that's not the way it was meant, you know. And so I I would say, yes. I I hope. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think I think it'll be different. I mean, what's Adam's first job is to name every animal, right? I mean, so um, I mean, obviously there's a purpose behind that too, but um, but yeah, it's I think I think it work will be work, it'll just be different.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, I think so.
SPEAKER_00It'll be different. So um I forget what our next part was. Digging deeper.
SPEAKER_01So a couple of things I wanted to pull out. Okay. So I heard I heard this great uh from a dear friend after service, a great um another pastor had said this. He said that um out of love, God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden because they would live forever there, and that would have been a punishment because they would be forever apart from God. And so by kicking them out, it's actually an act of mercy that they would die and then begin this process of God returning. So that was kind of a neat thought. And then the whole Plato thought of like um Plato taught that the physical world is inferior, the prison for the soul, and that true reality exists in the spiritual, non-physical realm. And according to this research I did, according around the third century, Christian theologians began bleeding the gospel with these ideas. Um, and so because of this, many Christians mistakenly view salvation as escaping the physical body to live in this disembodied, timeless entity. And it's it's more Platonic than it is scriptural. Um that the biblical view worldview of heaven and earth are not two completely separate realms. Heaven is simply God's space, and earth is humanity space. And God's design is for the two to overlap and intersect. And so you see that like in the temple, and then even in the whole thing I didn't talk a lot about was the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and like so God's spirit, God is with us and in us, and that that whole thing. Um that's those are kind of the things that I didn't get to spend I kind of want to draw a little bit down on, but not a whole whole lot, honestly. It was actually kind of a short sermon.
SPEAKER_00So Yeah, um I you know, going back to your Plato thing, the uh the early Gnostics were were heavily into Platonic ideas, and like they're called I I don't know if Paul I know they're called out in Hebrews. I don't know if Paul calls them out um in in um any of his letters, like the idea of Gnosticism. Um I think I'm not sure. But but but the idea like the Even like change their diet because they're like pleasure on earth is like a sin, essentially, and and um and go from there. I did um uh enjoy, and I I think we probably talked about this when we talked Revelation, um, but the the way Genesis and Revelation literally bookends of the Bible and and like that connection.
SPEAKER_01Which again, I think for me confirms the belief that he's gonna restore this. We we start in a garden, we end in a garden. Like it's I mean, so but maybe I'm wrong. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, yeah, no, I I yeah, it was good. I I I thought everything on there was great. Good. And the sea. Like I always appreciate like the sea, like when you bring that up and people need all the sea, yeah. Yeah, yeah, sorry. The ocean, the the yeah, the ocean, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh uh, what it really represents typically throughout throughout the Bible, right? Like, yeah, it is a physical component of of life on earth, but but to most writers, it's chaos. It's it's it's a way of representing.
SPEAKER_01Speaking of the sea, did you see that new movie coming out?
SPEAKER_00Which one?
SPEAKER_01On October 16th, my birthday. Oh, it's like this guy gets swallowed by a fish. I mean, it's not honestly, it's not like a Jonah take, but it is.
SPEAKER_00I had I have no clue what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_01It's remarkable. I sent it to my family and then uh Zoe texts me back and she said, Jonah meets Scuba Steve. Dude, I I'm going on my birthday. I don't care. It just looks unbelievable. I have not heard of this. Oh, it's unbelievable. He gets like this fish eats him. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00I'm trying to get through the summer movies first. Sorry, I mean No, no, no, no, it's fine. Um, all right.
SPEAKER_01All right, quick choir questions. This is our business. Quick choir questions. We have questions back and forth. Yeah. You want to go? I got some. You want to go first? How you want to go? Um, it it doesn't matter. You you want to go first? Sure. What's one word that describes heaven?
SPEAKER_00Beautiful.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_00Well, I don't know. What do you what do you mean?
SPEAKER_01Your answer. Can we keep going? Or you want to go? You want to go back and forth? What do you want to do?
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, uh okay. I've got one. I got four. You got four. I've got a whole bunch. Oh my lord. Well, but I just pick and choose. Okay. All right. Um, so there was a great theologian who once said, uh, Ooh Baby, you know what it's worth. Uh Heaven is a place on earth. So what's one glimpse of heaven that you've experienced on earth?
SPEAKER_01Wait, so uh say what say that again?
SPEAKER_00Ooh, baby. Ooh, baby, you know what it's worth. Heaven is a place on earth. And what was that theologian's name? Uh I think it was uh Carlisle was the last name.
SPEAKER_01Uh what was the question?
SPEAKER_00What's one glimpse of heaven you've experienced on Earth?
SPEAKER_01Oh, um I think anytime I'm in nature, I don't know, that does something to my insides. I heard the story uh Brian told me yesterday about hiking and the storm rolled in and he was just happening to be underneath a tarp, and he saw this just the way he described it was like, oh, I took my breath away. Just remarkable. I think there's moments um Oh, today. Today I was given uh a young kid at church made me this Mario puppet out of paper. And it's this huge thing, and he spent like time on it. Yeah, yeah. And he gave it the fact that he would think of me and make this for me and give it to me and not even just to do it. That's like, whoa, who does that? Like those are moments of like kindness and generosity that just take my breath away. Um moments like that are I think, I think.
SPEAKER_00That's fair.
SPEAKER_01Um what's one thing in creation you're excited to see restored?
SPEAKER_00See, that's tough because as a biologist, like I love nature and I love like I don't I would love to see it more perfect. I guess I guess the more perfectness of what it could be, like what's out there versus what it could be. I think. Um, you know, if just like you know, we've got windows out of our studio here, and so just to see the church cafe, it's not a studio.
SPEAKER_01Oh my lord.
SPEAKER_00We're professionals, right?
SPEAKER_01We're not professionals.
SPEAKER_00No, but I mean just like the greenery of a tree is is absolutely beautiful. And like, and I'm not even a plant guy, and just to like be able to see the beauty of flowers and how much better that could be, and how much better that could look, I think that's kind of like a big bush with your green shirt on. I do. I tried, yeah. Um uh let's see. Okay, how about this? Uh what I had, I had a really good question. Um oh, favorite uh bad heaven uh depiction in a movie or favorite movie about heaven that oh man, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01Um I don't know. I think any of the Left Behind stuff, I don't know if they do heaven stuff.
SPEAKER_00I don't know that they do heaven stuff in the club. But they do, there's a hint of that.
SPEAKER_01So some of that stuff's kind of silly, I think. Um I don't know. I don't know if I've seen heaven in a movie. Have I really?
SPEAKER_00I don't know. I was asking. I would say I could think of several. Like what? Um I think a bad representation is uh it's an Albert Brooks movie with Meryl Streep called Defending Your Life, has Rip Torn in it. It's supposed to be a comedy. It's really I mean it's not a horrible movie, but it's like a really bad rendition of uh what Heaven is like. Um I I was trying to think, does um Heaven Almighty or something like that show Heaven at some point? Maybe I don't know. I don't know. Heaven Almighty. Um I don't know. I don't know. All right, here's my last question.
SPEAKER_01If you had 30 seconds with someone who's terrified of death after hearing Sunday sermon, what would you tell them?
SPEAKER_00Um fear not. Like, I mean, you have so much it's so much better. It's so much better. Like whatever, like, you know, we're in our 40s, like all the aches and pains that we're starting to get and all that, like, and that to be gone. Yeah. Yeah, like that would just be amazing um to not have to worry about growing old. And um I I think it's tough. I think we do have attachments here that make death tough for us, but but I think knowing having the hope in Jesus, like really you know, brings us g gives you something to look forward to.
SPEAKER_01Like it's just yeah, and the restoring of relationships. I think part of the the stress I feel a lot is relational stress, like with humanity versus humanity. So I'll say something and it'll hurt somebody's feelings, or I'll m or somebody it'll just be this and to be at a spot where that's not the case, you know what I mean? Where that's just the where it's whole. I think that's gonna be so wild. And that part of that is working towards that now and doing me doing the best that I can to seek forgiveness and you know try to walk that way to try to bring heaven to earth where I can. But yeah. That's all the questions I have for you.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I guess let me let me give a couple more. Will there be dogs in heaven? Since you put that as a question in there. What are your thoughts? Uh yeah I don't know there's not a right or wrong answer to this.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. Um, I I hope so. I hope so.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think Will Rogers once said if uh if dogs don't go to heaven, then I want to be wherever they're at. Okay, well, that'll disagree with Will Rogers. The same. Uh Coffee in Heaven. Coffee? Yeah. I hope not. Coffee's terrible. Oh, come on. It's trash. What do you want? Mountain Dews or Mountain Dew in Heaven? Mountain Dews in Heaven.
SPEAKER_01Oh, Mountain Dew is heaven.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's right. There you go. All right. Uh clouds or mountains. Last question. What? Clouds or mountains. What does that mean? Pick. Wait, pick what? Pick one. Clouds? Or mountains? Whatever. Uh mountains, I guess. Is that like a joke? No, it's just a question. I don't think it's a dumb question. Quick question. We ended on the fastest question possible. You just made it the longest question ever, though. Uh blue.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Okay. It's just whatever. All right. We always finish our time together with a question of the week for our wonderful people that watch. And this week's question is if your co-workers spent one week around you, what glimpses of heaven would they get? Grace, hope, forgiveness, joy, compassion, generosity, or would they assume heaven is just another angry place? Ooh, okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's a good one. Okay. Well, um, we made it another week here. Um, have a good trip with your kids. Uh next week you're speaking. I am speaking next week. Yeah. We're we're doing um Why did Jesus have to die? Why did Jesus have to die and be resurrected? Was the question.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's gonna be a good one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um I had a question today after service from a friend who said, Why is it taking him so long to come back?
SPEAKER_00I think you answered that. I tried the podcast.
SPEAKER_01I tried, but but it was a good question.
SPEAKER_00It is a good question to ask. I agree.
SPEAKER_01But also, people that are watching online, or if you want to keep engaged, the daily devo using the app, um, that's kind of one way to stay engaged.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, enjoy your trip and we'll uh talk uh next week. Keep asking good questions. Yeah. All right. Thanks for watching. Bye.
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