The Vineyard- February 8, 2015

The Vineyard

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

 

Can a loving God really send someone to hell?

Pray that God will speak to you through the reading of His word.

-          Can a God of judgment be a God of love?

o   Why is judgment a necessary component of love?

o   How does belief in a non-judgmental God open the door to vengeance?

o   How does the belief in God’s judgment open the door to living at peace with others, even our enemies?

-          Can a loving God allow hell to exist?

o   How do we define hell?  Is it a place, the absence of God, or both?

o   Would God be loving if he forced us to live with him for eternity against our will?

-          Believing in a God of judgment…and love.

o   How many religions explicitly state that God is love?

o   When we think of God’s judgment, do we focus on punishment, or the lengths that God has gone to so that we might be forgiven? 

Praise God for the promise that one day all evil will be abolished through divine judgment. 

Thank God for the freedom to choose an eternal relationship with Him. 

Pray that we will see not only the reality of hell, but also the lengths that God went to so that we would be spared judgment.