Discussion Guide

Teaching Point: Every human being – even those who claim not to believe in God – thinks about the possibility of the afterlife. With the recent passing of the artist Prince, many of his fans have asked the question, "Will we see him again?" How does Jesus answer such questions in the Bible?

Opening Questions: On a scale of 1-10 (ten being highest), how often do you think about Heaven or the afterlife? How has your experience with your family, friends or church influenced how you think about eternity? If the Bible is accurate in what it teaches concerning eternal life, how important is it that every human being knows the truth? Why?

Discussion:
In Let's Go Crazy by Prince and The Revolution, the artist communicates a deep sense of acknowledging that there has to be more than "just this." At one point the song says, "...I'm here to tell you / There's something else / The afterworld / A world of never ending happiness..." Later in the song Prince sings, "We're all excited / But we don't know why / Maybe its 'cause / We're all gonna die."

The Bible claims that God has "put eternity in the heart of every person." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The Bible also teaches that humans intuitively know of God's existence. (Romans 1:20-23) The famous philosopher Blaise Pascal said that there is an "infinite abyss" inside every person that "can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself."

Throughout the Bible, God makes the claim that the most fulfilling life on this earth is one which is lived in light of eternity. Why do you think God says this is the case? Can you think of any specific, modern-day examples in which earthly pursuits left a person feeling unfulfilled or abandoned?

In Let's Go Crazy, Prince concludes the song with these words: "Dr. everything'll be alright / Will make everything go wrong / Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill / Hang tough children / He's coming / He's coming / Coming / Take me away!"

In this song, Prince (who may or may not have used drugs) seems to be affirming that "pills and thrills" won't bring ultimate peace to one's heart. If we interpret the words "He's coming" as a reference to Jesus, what does this suggest about living our lives in light of eternity as we look forward to Jesus' return one day?

Conclusion: In your own life, do you ever try to mask pain using various ways of "escape?" Besides drugs, what are some other ways people try to "self-medicate" in their quest to avoid or numb the pain they experience? Why are these attempts ultimately powerless to bring true fulfillment? What if you lived each day with total confidence that Jesus is your unconditional best friend and that He will be with you through everything in life? How would that change your daily outlook? How would it impact your thoughts about Heaven and earth?