Jesus gives us hope of eternal life.
Key Verse:
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies’ ” (John 11:25).
To get started, think about:
• When does time fly for you? When does it drag?
• Suppose that you knew that either something completely delightful or devastatingly dreadful
would happen in the next year. Do you think time would go slowly or quickly?
Bible Exploration: Read John 11:2-45
• Would Jesus have brought Lazarus back to life if Martha had not believed? Why or why not? Why is believing in God—who he is, what he can do—so important to us and to God?
• How did the hope of eternal life change for the people in this story before and after Lazarus was brought back to life?
• How do you think the way these people lived their lives and thought about their lives was different after Lazarus was raised from the dead?
To Discuss and apply to life:
- Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? Why do you think you lean that way? How has hopefulness—or hopelessness—affected your life? Does the hope or fear of heaven affect your optimistism or pessimism?
Family Challenge:
- Gather together as a family. Make a list of people you know who would be willing to answer the question, What do you think will happen to you after you die? Later, spend time
sharing and discussing the answers you heard. Spend some time together creating a poster titled “What Heaven Will Be Like.” Have family members add illustrations, simple pictures, or words to describe what life might be like in heaven—or what they wish it will be
like.
5 comments:
Time flies when I am talking with friends.
It drags when I am cleaning the house.
I think I'm generally an optimist, but that doesn't mean that I am optimistic about this world. I usually try to be realistic about things that happen to me or my family, and I save the real optimism for heaven. I may never be rich or famous or amazingly successful on earth, but I believe I'll have everything in heaven! That's how I stay happy and satisfied with my life.
Q - Do you think Martha was an pessimist and Mary was an optimist?
Time flies on the weekends. Although lately, I always feel like time is going by too quickly. It never seems to drag anymore unless I'm just having a bad day at work.
I like to call myself a realist instead of what others may call pessimism. I lean this way because of events that have happened in my life. Expect the worst, hope for the best.
I am an optimist and I think that is because I am hopeful. I can't imagine life without hope and I think that is why I see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. However, when something bad does happen I often have a hard time dealing with it because I was so sure that everything would be fine.
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