Welcome to the final episode of Eternal Life; the free, short podcast series exploring the life of Jesus for anyone from devout Christian to curious skeptic. If you have ever struggled with believing in the miracles of the Bible without having evidence, then this series is for you! Today, we are delving into part four of question seven: What do we know about Heaven – our inheritance? 

Previously, we discussed Heaven versus Hell, what Heaven may look and feel like, and the true nature of Heaven. Today, we continue exploring misconceptions about Heaven; namely, the belief that our entrance to Heaven is based on our deeds. It is important to understand that our salvation and entrance into the New Earth are merely a matter of Jesus, our inheritance, however, is disproportionate when we are there. Your life's choices shape your existence, and experience, in Eternity. Join us for this incredible discussion and the opportunity to come to know, accept, and be secure in a confident, eternal life. 

• Debunking the common misconception that your entrance to Heaven is based on your deeds. 
• Why our inheritance is disproportionate in the New Earth. 
• What grants you entrance into Heaven and eternal life. 
• Why being a Christian means recognizing your imperfections and need for Jesus in your life. 
• The importance of making decisions about your beliefs while you have the chance. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home

How to Multiply Your Time | Rory Vaden Ted Talk

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Eternal Life Podcast 

Welcome to another episode of the Eternal Life podcast, crafted for those earnestly exploring the path to truth even if they occasionally grapple with embracing the extraordinary and mystical facets of the Christian faith. Today, we continue our exploration with part three of question seven: What do we know about Heaven? What is it like?

In part one of question seven, we compared Heaven and Hell. In part two, we discovered that Heaven is far from the stereotypical image of clouds and harps and instead, it resembles the Garden of Eden, capturing the essence of the best parts of life on Earth. Today, we dive deeper and explore the scriptures to inquire about the true nature of the New Earth. Will it include animals, food, books, and clothes? Or, perhaps even more excitingly, redeemed bodies, intimacy with God, joy, justice, peace, provision, and purpose? Join me as we delve into the Bible and paint a vibrant picture of what eternal life truly looks like, in the presence of God.

• What the Bible says about the New Earth: what will we experience?
• We look at pragmatic characteristics of what eternal life will look like.
• We delve into the intriguing and supernatural aspects of eternal life.
• An eternal decision: being 100% convinced of what you believe, no matter what that is.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

The Eternal Life Podcast is a safe place where you can belong without having to believe as we aim to explore the logical and historical facts and circumstances that surround the life of Jesus, whom many call Christ. Today, we’re taking an objective look at what we actually know about Heaven.

In part one of question seven, we defined and compared Heaven and hell according to the Bible. Today, in part two, we get a little more specific and ask: where the heck is Heaven anyway? Is Heaven where we will spend eternity? Is it really fluffy clouds and angels playing harps forever? To answer these questions, we take a look at the evidence that shows us it’s actually a lot closer (and more familiar) than we think!

• Proof that Heaven is not where we will spend eternity.
• What the Bible says about the New Earth, which will be inherited by the righteous.
• How eternal life is more like the best parts of life on Earth than it is angels and harps.
• The important choices we have to make if we want to go to Heaven.
• Why the New Earth is not just a vision or a dream, it’s a promise.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Left Behind

Heaven

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

In this free podcast series, we take an objective approach to examining the life of Jesus of Nazareth with logical and academic evidence. We are glad to welcome you back to Eternal Life as we dive into question seven: what do we know about Heaven? Today’s episode is all about defining and comparing Heaven and hell. 

Many people aren’t excited about life after earth because they do not have a clear picture of Heaven; they don’t actually know what eternal life entails! Even if you don’t believe in God, understanding both Heaven and hell should change the way you think about what happens after death. So, let’s take a closer look at what the Bible says about Heaven and hell. 

• Why so many of us don’t know that much about Heaven. 
• How having a clear vision of Heaven makes it easier to live a sacrificial life on earth. 
• What the Bible says about Heaven and hell.
• How Heaven and hell are final destinations without any redos, crossovers, or take-backs. 
• The greatest choice.   

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jeff Henderson  

Heaven

Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success 

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the free podcast series where everyone belongs, even if you don’t believe. We are exploring the life of Jesus Christ by objectively examining historical, logical, and academic evidence that documents the existence of the greatest man to have ever lived. Today, we are continuing with part three of question six: How do you get into heaven? 

So, you’ve prayed the salvation prayer and you now know that your eternity is secured, now what? Well, it’s time for you to live your life as a Christian, and The Bible proposes seven ways to live a life that is aligned with Christ (there are definitely way more than seven, but these are the core ones that I’ll be focusing on). As we get into these God-given suggestions, just remember that you are already saved. Your place in heaven is already secured. We are now moving from salvation to sanctification: the gradual purification of your heart, and learning to live as Christ did. 

• An introduction to sanctification.  
• Baptism: the next step.  
• The seven behaviors of sanctification. 
• Why your life should look different after sanctification. 
• How sanctification improves the quality of your life.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Confident Eternal Life

Eternal Life Podcast Resource  

‘How To Multiply Your Time | Rory Vaden | TEDxDouglasville’ 

Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success 

Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

This exclusive podcast series is designed to cater to those who are genuinely in pursuit of truth, even if they occasionally find it challenging to embrace the extraordinary and mystical aspects of the Christian belief system. Today, we continue with part two of our dissection of question six: How do you get into Heaven? What do you literally need to do?

Thus far in the series, we’ve explored the story of Jesus and looked at his life, crucifixion, and resurrection. But what does this all mean for your life? How does it apply to you? And how do you fit in? There are several things you should understand about gaining entry to Heaven and that’s the main focus for today’s lesson. Our instruction manual, John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, the pondering point I present to you again is: what is your strategy against the 100% success rate of death? 

Let's journey together to discover what you need to know to enter into Heaven, grasp why it’s essential to make a decision right now, explore the insights provided by the Bible regarding the events and prophecies surrounding the end times, and discover the simple action steps you can take to access eternal life.

• Coming to grips with the reason Jesus had to sacrifice himself and the significance of His story, His life, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, to each and every one of us. 
• Why the Bible serves as our instruction manual for navigating this earthly life and understanding the path to eternal life.
• Reasons that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus.
• What the Bible says about the events and prophecies surrounding the end times.
• Time to make a choice: simple action steps you can take to access Eternal Life!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the special podcast series open to everyone, where you can belong without needing to believe. Join us in this safe space where we delve into the logical, historical, and scholarly facets encompassing Jesus's life and answer the Seven Questions every Intelligent Skeptic should ask about Jesus of Nazareth. In today’s episode we explore the first part of question number six: How do you get into Heaven? And why do you need a sacrifice?

For us to fully grasp how to get into Heaven, we must first gain a deeper understanding of God’s relationship with us, his people. While God loves us and wants to be with us, there is one key thing that separates us from Him, and that is our sin. Because God is perfect He cannot be in the presence of sin. But as a perfect God, He is also just and fair, which means that even though sin leads to separation, we can be reconciled with God through sacrifice. Today, we learn about our inherent sin as human beings, why we need a sacrifice for access to Heaven, and the miracle at the heart of all this!

• A high-level overview of God’s relationship with us, His people, and what this teaches us about getting into Heaven.
• How sin leads to separation and why there must be sacrifice to bring about reconciliation.
• A breakdown of the Ten Commandments and why none of us are without sin.
• Why being a good person is not enough to be in the presence of God, who is perfect.
• Our role in Jesus’s crucifixion and why His sacrifice is truly the only way to get into Heaven.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden Blog

Rory Vaden on X

In the Eternal Life Podcast, we fearlessly explore the most profound questions surrounding the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s episode, we continue our journey into Question 5, Part 4, as we delve into Reason 8: an exploration of the Bible as a historical and non-fictional record of Jesus' resurrection. 

The Bible is a rich tapestry of stories, teachings, and parables. We dive into the complexities and enduring debates surrounding its interpretation, offering insights into the diverse lenses through which it has been viewed throughout history. What does it truly mean to be Christian, and how does the Bible serve as the foundation of faith? Tune in to reflect on the profound connection between Christianity, God’s word, and how it guides believers on their spiritual journeys and shapes the world around us.

• Basics of what the Bible is and the differences between the Old and New Testaments.
• Insights into the complexities and debates surrounding the interpretation of the Bible.
• What it means to be Christian and how to use the Bible as your source of truth.
• How the Christian faith has shaped and molded the modern world.
• The story of the Bible, the rise of the Christian faith, and what it all means.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Andy Stanley

Your Move With Andy Stanley

Your Move With Andy Stanley App

The Bible for Grown-Ups

Procrastinate on Purpose

Take the Stairs

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to the Eternal Life Podcast, a safe space for you to ask reasonable questions about the existence of Jesus, without judgment. Today we are continuing with part three of question five: What evidence is there that Jesus rose from the dead? Previously, we discussed the first four pieces of evidence of the resurrection and in this episode, we delve into reasons five through seven proving that Jesus rose from the dead. 

Not only were Jesus’ disciples tortured and murdered for their beliefs, but many Jewish people broke away from traditions in favor of Jesus after this event. The Christian church also became massively popular after the resurrection. These are just a few of the pieces of evidence of the resurrection. So let’s dive into these three reasons to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. 

• The people who were closest to Jesus, His disciples, were willing to die gruesome deaths for their belief that He rose from the dead. 
• How we know that the disciples didn’t make the resurrection up after the fact. 
• Some Jewish people made radical changes to their traditions in favor of Jesus, putting them at risk of eternal damnation and being ousted by society. 
• Following the resurrection, there was massive growth and spread of the Christian church suggesting that people wholeheartedly believed that He rose. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource 

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the for-everyone and free podcast series that objectively explores the historical, logical, and academic evidence of the life of Jesus Christ. Today, we are continuing with part two of question five: What evidence is there that Jesus rose from the dead? Our previous episode explored the first three reasons why we cannot deny Jesus’ resurrection, and today we thoroughly unpack reason number four.   

There are four astonishing conversions that prove to me that Jesus rose from the dead. These are men who denied Jesus as divine and even launched crusades against Christians, before witnessing a miraculous resurrection that forced them to believe. So, let’s take a closer look at why Thomas, Paul (Saul), James, and the Roman officer chose to denounce their beliefs and assume the Christian faith instead. 

• What the conversion of four skeptics tells us about Jesus rising from the dead. 
• How God doesn’t need us to believe in him for us to start our relationship with Him. 
• Why you should put your faith in God and not in Christians. 
• The true definition of repentance. 
• How adequate Biblical research is the only thing separating believers from nonbelievers.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource 

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X