Vertical Life Church Podcast

What does the Bible really tell us about eternity? As we wrap up our Heaven & Earth series, Pastor Brad and Pastor Cameron are answering some of the questions we all have about life after death, judgment, and what God's renewed creation will look like. While Scripture doesn't give us every detail, it does give us a hope we can hold onto — through Jesus, God is making a way for heaven and earth to be reunited and for us to dwell with Him forever.

// Our hope isn't just about where we'll go when we die, but about what God is doing here and now. As we wait for Jesus to return and restore all things, we're called to live in His Kingdom today, share the good news, and bring His love to the world around us.

What does it look like when heaven and earth are finally reunited? In Revelation 21-22, we get a picture of God's ultimate plan for creation — a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people forever. No more death, no more pain, no more suffering. Just life with God as He always intended.

// While we wait for that day, we're called to remain faithful to Jesus, share the good news with those around us, and live with the hope that He's coming again. God's Kingdom is already at work among us, but the best is still to come.

The story of the Bible doesn't end with us leaving earth for heaven, but with Jesus returning to restore all things. We get to look at what Scripture tells us about Christ's return, the resurrection of our bodies, God's judgment of evil, and the promise of a renewed creation where Heaven and Earth are reunited forever.

// The story of the Bible is not about people escaping Earth to go to Heaven, but about those two spaces being reunited as they were intended, with God dwelling among His people on a renewed, physical earth.

What if Heaven isn't just a place we go to someday, but a reality we're called to bring to Earth today? Scripture shows us God's plan to reunite Heaven and Earth, how Jesus brought the Kingdom of Heaven near, and how the Holy Spirit empowers us to continue His work. As the Church, we're called to reflect God's presence, share the good news of Jesus, and be part of His work of restoration as we await His return.

// The story of the Bible is not about people escaping Earth to go to Heaven, but about those two spaces being reunited as they were intended, with God dwelling among His people on a renewed, physical earth.

In Eden, Heaven and Earth were ONE until the humans rebelled against God. But God is not content to leave us in the effects of our rebellion, outside His presence. In the Old Testament, we find that Heaven & Earth overlap in specific places where people are invited to come experience, in part, what was lost in Eden.

// God wants to dwell with humanity in a physical world, but sin & death have ruined that reality. The story of the Bible is not about people escaping Earth to go to Heaven, but about those two spaces being reunited as they were made to be, with God dwelling among embodied humans on a renewed, physical Earth.

On Mount Sinai, Yahweh arrives in glory and power, and invites Moses up into the fiery cloud at the top of the mountain. This same glory was revealed to us in Jesus, and dwells inside us by the Holy Spirit. Are we aware of the presence around us and within us every day?

IN THE FIRE // The Scriptures are full of stories in which Yahweh meets his people in fire. At times, it's a place of trial and testing. Other times, it's a sign of His presence. When we feel the heat rise and the pressure build in our lives, we can trust that the power and presence of Jesus is with us, even there.

After freeing them from their slavery in Egypt, God leads the people of Israel through the sea in a pillar of fire, a physical manifestation of His presence. Today, we follow the flame of God by His Spirit living within us. We watch for and follow His every move as He leads us on.

IN THE FIRE // The Scriptures are full of stories in which Yahweh meets his people in fire. At times, it's a place of trial and testing. Other times, it's a sign of His presence. When we feel the heat rise and the pressure build in our lives, we can trust that the power and presence of Jesus is with us, even there.

In the wilderness outside of Egypt, running from his past, Moses finds himself called into something greater than he could have imagined. Right now today, in your world, God is up to something, and He is sending YOU. What does it look like to encounter Jesus face-to-face and join him in what he's doing?

IN THE FIRE : THE PLACE OF POWER // The Scriptures are full of stories in which Yahweh meets his people in fire. At times, it's a place of trial and testing. Other times, it's a sign of His presence. When we feel the heat rise and the pressure build in our lives, we can trust that the power and presence of Jesus is with us, even there.

Through a sign of F I R E, God speaks a promise to a man named Abram, a vow to bless him and his descendants. This promise is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who has proposed to us through his shed blood and his resurrection from the grave. Right now, He promises abundant life to anyone who puts their faith in him.

IN THE FIRE : THE PLACE OF POWER // The Scriptures are full of stories in which Yahweh meets his people in fire. At times, it's a place of trial and testing. Other times, it's a sign of His presence. When we feel the heat rise and the pressure build in our lives, we can trust that the power and presence of Jesus is with us, even there. The final series in the "Along the Road" trilogy...

Every part of the body has a role to play, and the Holy Spirit gives each person special gifts to encourage, help, sharpen, and equip each other for ministry. Our job is to lean into using these gifts, fan them into flame, and ask God for more!

BELONG // Inside all of us is the deep desire to belong in a group of people. As children of God, we find true belonging in being fully known and fully loved by Jesus, and then bringing our real selves to the people God has placed in our lives.