Speaker 1: Hell is described as a place that is completely opposite
Speaker 1: to the presence of God's goodness and love. Hell is
Speaker 1: often presented as a warning meant to teach us the
Speaker 1: importance of choosing a life aligned with God's ways. Jesus
Speaker 1: himself spoke about Hell more than anyone else. He described
Speaker 1: it as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth,
Speaker 1: where the fire never goes out. It's a place meant
Speaker 1: for the devil and his angels, but also for those
Speaker 1: who turn away from God and choose not to follow
Speaker 1: his path of love and righteousness. One of the names
Speaker 1: for Hell that Jesus used is Gehenna. This was actually
Speaker 1: the name of a real place outside of Jerusalem where
Speaker 1: trash was burned. The continuous fire and decay made it
Speaker 1: a powerful symbol of a place of punishment and separation
Speaker 1: from God. Jesus used stories to teach about the choices
Speaker 1: we make in life and their eternal consequences. He talked
Speaker 1: about a rich man who live only for himself and
Speaker 1: ended up in Hell, a place of torment, after he died,
Speaker 1: unable to cross over to the comforting side, where a
Speaker 1: poor man named Lazarus rested in heaven. This story tells
Speaker 1: us the reality of hell and the importance of living
Speaker 1: a life of compassion for others. The apostle Paul also
Speaker 1: warned about the consequences of rejecting God's love and choosing
Speaker 1: a path away from God's teachings, describing it as never
Speaker 1: ending destruction away from the presence of the Lord. In
Speaker 1: John's vision of the Final Judgment, the Beast and Satan
Speaker 1: are thrown into Hell, described as a lake of fire
Speaker 1: that represents the second death. This is not just physical death,
Speaker 1: but eternal separation from God, who is the source of
Speaker 1: all life, love, and happiness. God doesn't want anyone to
Speaker 1: choose a path that leads to Hell. He wants to
Speaker 1: come to repentance, which opens the doors to Heaven, a
Speaker 1: place of eternal joy, peace, and the presence of God.
Speaker 1: In the Bible, angels are special messengers from God. They
Speaker 1: show up at important times to deliver messages, provide guidance,
Speaker 1: or offer protection, like when the angel Gabriel visited Mary
Speaker 1: to tell her she would have a special son named Jesus.
Speaker 1: There are many different angels and not all look the same.
Speaker 1: Some angels almost look like ordinary people, like when angels
Speaker 1: visited Abraham to tell him about his future son Isaac.
Speaker 1: Or when two angels went to help Lot in the
Speaker 1: city of Sodom. They looked like regular men. People could
Speaker 1: talk to them without realizing right away that they were
Speaker 1: talking to angels. But there are other angels who look extraordinary,
Speaker 1: far from normal human beings, Like in Daniel's vision where
Speaker 1: he sees an angel who looks like a man dressed
Speaker 1: in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist.
Speaker 1: His body was like a precious gem, his face like lightning,
Speaker 1: his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like
Speaker 1: polished bronze. Or when John had a vision on the
Speaker 1: island of Patmos, where he saw an angel coming down
Speaker 1: from heaven, wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over
Speaker 1: his head. His face was like the sun, and his
Speaker 1: legs were like fiery pillars. This angel was so bright
Speaker 1: and powerful that John could barely look into its dazzling light.
Speaker 1: Some angels even have several wings, like the Seraphim seen
Speaker 1: by the prophet Isaiah. It stood above the throne of
Speaker 1: God with six wings, two that covered their faces, two
Speaker 1: that covered their feet, and two with which they flew.
Speaker 1: And the Cherubim seen by the prophet Ezekiel had four
Speaker 1: wings and many faces, a human face, a lion on
Speaker 1: the right side, an ox on the left side, and
Speaker 1: an eagle, making them look unlike anything on earth. Even
Speaker 1: though these angels might sound a bit scary, they often
Speaker 1: start their messages with do not be afraid. They are
Speaker 1: not here to frighten people. They're here to bring good news,
Speaker 1: offer help or protection. Moses was called by God to
Speaker 1: lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. He confronted Pharaoh
Speaker 1: with God's command, let my people go, and God worked
Speaker 1: through Moses to bring about ten plagues on Egypt, including
Speaker 1: turning the Nile River to blood, sending swarms of locusts,
Speaker 1: and the death of the first born in every Egyptian household.
Speaker 1: Moses parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's army, and later received the Ten Commandments from God
Speaker 1: on Mount Sinai. Long after Moses, the Israelites forgot about
Speaker 1: God and started worshiping statues, so God sent Elijah to
Speaker 1: remind every one of God's power. Elijah challenged the prophets
Speaker 1: of a false God named Bath. They sacrificed bulls on
Speaker 1: Mount Carmel, and Elijah called down fire from heaven to
Speaker 1: consume his sacrifice, proving God's power over the bow prophets.
Speaker 1: During this time, it had not rained for three years,
Speaker 1: and everything was scorched and dry. But after Elijah's victory
Speaker 1: on Mount Carmel, he prayed and rain fell from the sky,
Speaker 1: ending the drought. Elijah never died. He was taken up
Speaker 1: to heaven in a chariot of fire, showing his special
Speaker 1: place in God's kingdom. Elijah had a student named Elisha.
Speaker 1: Elishah performed more recorded miracles than any other prophet. He
Speaker 1: purified a poisoned well, multiplied a widow's oil to save
Speaker 1: her from debt, and even raised a boy from the dead.
Speaker 1: Elishah also healed Namen, the commander of the Syrian army,
Speaker 1: from leprosy, showcasing God's power to heal and save. After
Speaker 1: Elisha was gone, during a dangerous time in Israel's history,
Speaker 1: a new prophet named Isaiah emerged. He had visions of
Speaker 1: the coming Messiah and spoke of a virgin birth. In
Speaker 1: one of Isaiah's prophecies, he sees the suffering servant who
Speaker 1: would be pierced for our mistakes, for telling Jesus life
Speaker 1: and sacrifice. Long after Isaiah's ministry, a new prophet named
Speaker 1: Daniel served under several Babylonian and Persian kings, interpreting dreams
Speaker 1: that none could explain. Daniel prayed to God every day,
Speaker 1: and he refused to stop praying. Because of this, Daniel
Speaker 1: was thrown into a den filled with hungry lions, but
Speaker 1: God sent an angel and saved him. Daniel also had
Speaker 1: visions of future events, including the coming of the Messiah
Speaker 1: and the end of time. These prophets were powerful not
Speaker 1: because of their own strength, but because of their deep
Speaker 1: faith and obedience to God. In the beginning, God created
Speaker 1: the world in just six days. He made the sun,
Speaker 1: the moon, the stars, the land and oceans, plants, animals,
Speaker 1: and finally humans. He called everything good, but humans were
Speaker 1: special because they could talk with God, love, and make choices.
Speaker 1: God made a beautiful garden for the first humans, Adam
Speaker 1: and Eve. They could eat from any tree except one,
Speaker 1: the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God warned
Speaker 1: them that eating from this tree would cause bad things
Speaker 1: to happen. But a sneaky snake, the cleverest of all
Speaker 1: the creatures God had made, tricked them into eating the fruit.
Speaker 1: When they ate it, everything changed. They realized they were
Speaker 1: naked and felt ashamed because they didn't listen. Pain, sadness,
Speaker 1: and death came into the world and God sent them
Speaker 1: out of the garden. But God didn't leave them without hope.
Speaker 1: He made a promise one day someone special would come
Speaker 1: to fix everything and bring them back to him. For many,
Speaker 1: many years, God's people waited for this promise. This promise
Speaker 1: was passed down from generations by heroes of faith like Noah,
Speaker 1: who built a huge boat to save his family and
Speaker 1: animals from the Great flood, Abraham, who left his home
Speaker 1: because he trusted God's promise, Moses, who led God's people
Speaker 1: out of being slaves in Egypt, and David, a young
Speaker 1: boy who defeated a giant and became a king. All
Speaker 1: these stories had something in common. They showed that God
Speaker 1: always keeps his promises and that he was planning something amazing.
Speaker 1: All the prophets who could speak God's messages told about
Speaker 1: a coming messiah, a king who would save everyone and
Speaker 1: his kingdom would last forever. Many years later, a baby
Speaker 1: was born in a humble place, a stable where animals slept.
Speaker 1: This baby was Jesus the one everyone had been waiting for,
Speaker 1: the hero that was promised long ago. From his first breath,
Speaker 1: it was clear he was special. Angels sang, shepherds visited,
Speaker 1: and wise men from far away brought gifts. Jesus grew
Speaker 1: up to be a man who did amazing things. He
Speaker 1: healed sick people just by touching them or speaking a word.
Speaker 1: He made blind people see and even calmed storms. He
Speaker 1: told stories that made people think and feel differently about life.
Speaker 1: He showed love to everyone, even those who were usually
Speaker 1: ignored or disliked. But not everyone was happy with Jesus.
Speaker 1: Some were scared of the change he represented. They didn't
Speaker 1: understand he was the king God had promised and plotted
Speaker 1: against him. Jesus was betrayed by a friend, and even
Speaker 1: though he had done nothing wrong, he was punished like
Speaker 1: a criminal. Jesus died on a cross, a terrible way
Speaker 1: to die. It seemed like Hope died with him. But
Speaker 1: three days later, something incredible happened. Jesus came back to life.
Speaker 1: This showed that not even death is more powerful than
Speaker 1: God's love. It was the proof that Jesus really was
Speaker 1: the one God sent to save us and open the
Speaker 1: way to heaven. After Jesus came back to life, he
Speaker 1: visited his friends to teach them more about God's kingdom.
Speaker 1: Then he went back to heaven, promising to send help.
Speaker 1: That help came as the Holy Spirit, guiding us to
Speaker 1: believe in Jesus so that we can be close to
Speaker 1: God again. In the ancient lands of Mesopotamia, there was
Speaker 1: a man named Jacob. Jacob had to leave his home
Speaker 1: because his brother Esau was very angry and wanted to
Speaker 1: kill him for stealing his blessings. He ran away to
Speaker 1: a land where his mother's family lived, and there he
Speaker 1: met Rachel, Laban's daughter by a well. Jacob fell in
Speaker 1: love with Rachel the moment he saw her and cry
Speaker 1: because he was so happy. He wanted to marry her
Speaker 1: so much that he promised Rachel's dad, Laban, he would
Speaker 1: work for him for seven years, but Laban was a
Speaker 1: sneaky man and had other plans. Time passed quickly for
Speaker 1: Jacob because he loved Rachel so much, But on the
Speaker 1: wedding day seven years later, Laban tricked Jacob by giving
Speaker 1: him Leah, Rachel's older sister, as his wife instead. Jacob
Speaker 1: didn't realize until the next morning and was very sad
Speaker 1: and still in love with Rachel. Laban said to Jacob
Speaker 1: that he did this because of a rule that the
Speaker 1: older sister should get married first. He then told Jacob
Speaker 1: he could also marry Rachel if he worked another seven years. Jacob,
Speaker 1: still very much in love with Rachel, agreed to work longer.
Speaker 1: Even though Jacob fell tricked, he did not give up.
Speaker 1: He worked another seven years to marry Rachel. This time,
Speaker 1: Laban tried to make things even harder for Jacob. He
Speaker 1: kept changing how much he would pay him, doing it
Speaker 1: ten times. Even so, Jacob kept working hard. God saw
Speaker 1: how hard Jacob worked and how Laban was not being fair,
Speaker 1: so God blessed Jacob with a big family and lots
Speaker 1: of animals, making Jacob very rich. This made Laban and
Speaker 1: his sons jealous and angry. Jacob realized it was time
Speaker 1: to leave because he was not safe near Laban and
Speaker 1: his sons anymore. He took his family and animals and left.
Speaker 1: Laban chased after him because he felt Jacob had taken
Speaker 1: advantage of him, but God told Laban in a dream
Speaker 1: not to hurt Jacob. When Laban finally caught up, instead
Speaker 1: of fighting, they decided to make a promise to each
Speaker 1: other not to cause harm. They set up a pile
Speaker 1: of stones to remember their promise and called it Mizpah,
Speaker 1: and agreed to stay on their own sides of it.
Speaker 1: Laban said goodbye to his daughter's grandchildren. Then Jacob and
Speaker 1: his family went on their way. They never saw each
Speaker 1: other again. In the very beginning, when the world was new,
Speaker 1: God made a beautiful garden called Eden. Here. God put
Speaker 1: Adam and Eve the first two people to take care
Speaker 1: of it. The garden was a perfect home, full of
Speaker 1: wonderful plants and animals, and Adam and Eve could eat
Speaker 1: the fruit from all the trees except one. God told
Speaker 1: them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of
Speaker 1: good and evil. One day, while Eve was walking in
Speaker 1: the garden, a clever and sneaky serpent spoke to her.
Speaker 1: This wasn't an ordinary serpent, because it could talk, and
Speaker 1: it was more cunning than any other animal God had made.
Speaker 1: The serpent asked Eve, did God really say you must
Speaker 1: not eat from any tree in the garden. Eve replied,
Speaker 1: we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
Speaker 1: but God said you must not eat fruit from the
Speaker 1: tree that is in the middle of the garden, and
Speaker 1: you must not touch it, or you will die. The serpent,
Speaker 1: wanting to trick Eve, said, you will not certainly die,
Speaker 1: for God knows that when you eat from it, your
Speaker 1: eyes will be opened and you will be like God,
Speaker 1: knowing good and evil. Eve looked at the fruit. It
Speaker 1: was beautiful and looked delicious, and she liked the idea
Speaker 1: of being wise like God, so she took some of
Speaker 1: the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to Adam,
Speaker 1: who also ate. As soon as they ate the fruit,
Speaker 1: something changed. They suddenly felt afraid and hid when they
Speaker 1: heard God walking in the garden. But God knew what
Speaker 1: had happened. He asked Adam and Eve about it, and
Speaker 1: they admitted eating the fruit, but blame the serpent and
Speaker 1: each other. Because of what they did. God said things
Speaker 1: would be harder for them outside the garden. They would
Speaker 1: have to leave Eden and life wouldn't be perfect anymore.
Speaker 1: But God also made them clothes from animal skins, showing
Speaker 1: he still cared for them. The serpent was punished too.
Speaker 1: He was thrown out of the garden and curse to
Speaker 1: crawl on its belly and be an enemy to humans
Speaker 1: from then on,