I’m preaching a weekend retreat for high schoolers as I write this. On the second night I talk about sin, God’s wrath and hell. The next night I talk about the cross, resurrection and heaven. I love telling them about heaven. They always come up with all kinds of questions for me.

  • Will we know each other?

  • What will we look like?

  • Will we be able to skate?

  • Will we be able to drive any car we want?

  • Is it going to be like camp?

  • I know there are a bunch of high schoolers who read this blog. I just want to encourage you to keep asking questions.

For the record I don’t know the exact details of what we will do but I do know it will be better than anything you can imagine. It will especially be better than what we deserve for our sin, the wrath of God in hell.

One verse that get’s me really excited about heaven (specifically the New Heaven or the New Jerusalem) is Revelation 21:4.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

What this verse does for me is it causes me to ponder all the things that WON’T be in heaven (of course the point of heaven is that Jesus will be there and sin will be no more). I have actually made a list of the things I’m excited about leaving behind. I’d love for you to add to it in the comments section!

  1. police

  2. war

  3. weapons

  4. band aids

  5. first aid kits

  6. fasle prophets

  7. false doctrines

  8. political debates

  9. social anxiety

  10. depression

  11. worry

  12. fear

  13. pride

  14. tissues (no crying!)

  15. hospitals

  16. medicine

  17. cavities

  18. divorce

  19. car wrecks

  20. jealousy

  21. temptation

  22. prostitution

  23. suicide

  24. eating disorders

  25. school shootings

  26. bullying

  27. hunger

  28. thirst

  29. bills

  30. credit cards

  31. debt collectors

  32. demons

  33. satan

  34. theological debates

  35. denominations

  36. guilt

  37. funerals

  38. regret

  39. apologies

  40. sad songs

  41. fights

  42. drugs

  43. drunkenness

  44. sin

  45. idolatry

  46. boredom

  47. discontentment

  48. scars

  49. shame

  50. loneliness