Grapple Unit: What Next?

Grapple Unit: What Next? Grapple Question 4: What’s So Bad About Hell?

Key Faith Foundation: Being Separated From God Key Scriptures: Luke 16:19-31; Romans 2:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

Bible basis for teachers

Luke 16:19-31; Romans 2:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 Grapple Question: What’s So Bad About Hell? Key Faith Foundation: Being Separated From God Popular culture describes hell as one big party while making heaven look pretty dull. The reality is that there’s a huge difference between heaven and hell but not in that way. Heaven and hell are as opposite as day and night. Heaven is spending eternity with God, and hell is being separated from God in darkness and suffering. Use this lesson to talk with kids about where they believe they’ll spend eternity. If kids don’t have a relationship with God, encourage them to trust in Jesus as their Savior.

Romans 2:5-9 says that one day God will judge all people according to what they’ve done. Some people will receive eternal life while others will receive anger and wrath. People who choose to live for themselves will endure a terrible punishment. Use these verses to talk about the different futures in store for people who choose to live for God and people who refuse to acknowledge God.

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells a parable about the love of money that also provides a picture of the realities of hell. The rich man had everything life could offer while Lazarus had nothing. When they died, Lazarus was carried to heaven to be comforted, and the rich man went to hell and was in anguish in the flames. When the rich man asked for help, he was told there’s no crossing between the two places. When he asked that Lazarus go back and warn his family about hell, the rich man was told that his brothers had all the warnings they needed in Scripture. Once we die, there is no changing our circumstances. If we live for God, we’ll be eternally with God. If we live for ourselves, we’ll be eternally separated from God.

Second Thessalonians 1:7-9 gives us a picture of the second coming of Jesus. These verses describe Jesus’ triumphant return and the destruction and punishment of people who refuse to obey God. Use these verses to discuss what it means to be eternally separated from God’s love and goodness. Encourage kids to examine their own lives and talk to God about their relationship with him.

understanding preteens

Junior high kids may have a glamorized image of hell in mind, envisioning it as a place of rebellion and lawlessness. Explain that rebellion against God has serious, eternal consequences. There’s nothing glamorous about being separated from God and his love.

Grapple Vol. 4, Summer. Base content ©Group Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy granted for local church use only. the lesson at a glance

LESSON SEQUENCE WHAT KIDS WILL DO SUPPLIES

1 grapple community Build relationships.  DVD player (5 minutes)  Christian music  music player  snacks

2 grapple games Choose two games to play.  clothespins (10-15 minutes)  blindfold  set of keys  a 32-gallon trash bag  packing tape  a quarter  classroom items to create an obstacle course  2 rolls of crepe-paper streamers

3 grapple time Brainstorm opposites, and then  2 pieces of poster board (10 minutes) create sculptures to represent them.  tape  markers

4 grapple team time Discover what the Bible says about  Bibles (15 minutes) hell and being separated from God.  pencils  copy of the Grapple Team Guide for each person  paper

5 grapple team reports Report what they learned from the (10 minutes) Bible passage they studied.

6 grapple prayer Choose a prayer option.  paper (5 minutes)  pencils

7 grapple dare Hear the Grapple dare.

Grapple Vol. 4, Summer. Base content ©Group Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy granted for local church use only. 1 grapple community

Play Christian music as kids enjoy snacks and friendship. Give kids this discussion starter as they eat. Say: Find out who in our group has been to the hottest place. Play one of the three-minute countdowns (included on your Grapple DVD) to let kids know how much time remains.

2 grapple games

Say: We’re going to play a game, but you’ll get to choose. Would you rather play Clothes Pinning (see Games Guide), where you try to hang clothes pins on one another? Or would you like to play Mission Impossible! (see Games Guide), where you try to catch a thief? Have kids vote on the game they’d like to play. Then lead kids in playing the game.

Say: Now we’ll play another game. Would you rather play Upkeep (see Games Guide), which involves batting around a giant trash bag? Or would you like to play Chain-Gang Relay (see Games Guide), where you go through an obstacle course while connected to another person? Have kids vote on the game they’d like to play. Then lead kids in playing the game.

3 grapple time

Lead the entire group in the following:

Divide the group into two groups.

Let’s list words that are complete opposites—for example, hot and cold. Within your groups, you’ll each have to think of two words that are opposites, and then you’ll race to write them on the pieces of poster board, one at a time. Write one word on one poster board and one word on the other poster board.

Show kids which side of the line on the poster board their teams will write answers on. Then give kids a few minutes to write as many opposites as possible, making sure each person writes at least one pair of words.

Great job! Now find a partner and pick a pair of words from our lists. Figure out a way to create opposite sculptures with your bodies to represent this pair of words.

Allow time.

On the count of three, everyone pose and look around to see if you can guess what the other poses represent. Pause. Now I’m going to give you an even tougher assignment. Work with your partner to figure out how to sculpt these opposites: heaven and hell.

Allow time.

Tell All: What are some things you’ve heard at church, in the movies, or from friends about hell? When you hear people talking about hell, what do they generally think it’ll be like? It seems to make sense that God would create heaven, but how could God—who is love—create a

Grapple Vol. 4, Summer. Base content ©Group Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy granted for local church use only. place like hell?

How bad could hell really be if God created it? Would a loving God really send people to a horrible place? What’s so bad about hell, anyway? Let’s grapple with that!

4 grapple team time

Break into Grapple Teams. Encourage Grapple Team leaders to check in with kids about their week. Grapple Team leaders will facilitate discussion, using the Grapple Team Guide on pages at the end of this lesson.

5 grapple team reports

At the end of Grapple Team Time, have kids work with their team to choose one of the options below to report what they discovered.

Option 1: Mime Time Use mime to communicate what you’ve learned today about what’s so bad about hell.

Option 2: Sing It Make up a short song to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me” that describes something you learned today.

Match Grapple Teams that chose Option 1 with Grapple Teams that chose Option 2. Have teams present their reports. (Do this one team at a time if you have only two Grapple Teams.)

6 grapple prayer

Read the Grapple Prayer options. Have the group choose one prayer option that everyone will do. Allow kids time to pray about what they discovered. Then close in prayer.

Option 1: Light Prayers Draw a picture of a candle flickering in a dark room. Thank God for saving us from spending eternity in darkness.

Option 2: Time Alone Prayers Spend time alone with God, thanking him for providing you a way to heaven so you don’t have to spend eternity separated from God.

7 grapple dare

Say: The difference between heaven and hell is as opposite as hot and cold or night and day. Heaven is spending eternity with God, and hell is being separated from God in darkness and suffering. The Grapple Dare this week is very serious, because it means the difference between spending eternity with Jesus and spending eternity being separated from him. I dare you to trust Jesus as your Savior and allow him to forgive your sins.

Grapple Vol. 4, Summer. Base content ©Group Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy granted for local church use only. (Find the Parent Page for this lesson on the enhanced DVD. Have each child give a copy to his or her parents. Alternatively, send the file to parents via email.)

Grapple Vol. 4, Summer. Base content ©Group Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy granted for local church use only. grapple team guide

4. What’s So Bad About Hell?

In your Grapple Team, use this guide to grapple with today’s question.

Can hell really be that bad? Let’s check out what the Bible has to say.

Read Romans 2:5-9.

List the opposites in these verses: In one column, describe what you discovered will happen to those who please God. In the other column, list what will happen to those who refuse to turn from their sin.

As a team, choose one verse and then draw a picture of what that’ll look like in heaven (or glue beads onto the poster board to create a heavenly mosaic). As you work, talk about the following question: According to these verses, what kinds of things will you not have to worry about in heaven?

Read Luke 16:19-31.

In Pairs: What does Jesus’ parable tell us about hell? Does it sound bad to you? Why or why not? What does Jesus want us to learn from this parable?

Think of things about your relationship with Jesus that you couldn’t possibly live without. On a separate piece of paper, draw pictures of at least three of these things. Maybe it’s knowing that you’re loved all the time or having forgiveness for your sins. When you’ve finished, crumple up your drawing or rip it to pieces and throw it as far away from you as possible.

Read 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.

In Pairs: Why might it be tough to be separated forever from the things you listed? What words could you use to describe being separated from Jesus forever?

Grapple Vol. 4, Summer. Base content ©Group Publishing, Inc. Permission to copy granted for local church use only. Write what you could tell a friend if asked “What’s so bad about hell?”

grapple team reports

With your team, choose one of the options below to report what you discovered.

Option 1: Mime Time Use mime to communicate what you’ve learned today about what’s so bad about hell.

Option 2: Sing It Make up a short song to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me” that describes something you learned today.