Is hell real—and if so, what does that say about a loving God?

In this message from our Gospel of Matthew series, we walk through Matthew 3:1–12 and the bold, unsettling ministry of John the Baptist. Set in the wilderness, John calls people to repentance, confronts spiritual complacency, and prepares the way for the coming Messiah. His message forces us to wrestle with eternal realities that many would rather avoid.

From there, we address one of the most challenging and emotionally charged topics in Christianity: hell. Rather than relying on caricatures or fear-based rhetoric, this teaching asks honest questions and offers thoughtful, biblically grounded answers:

Why should we trust what Jesus says about life after death?

What did Jesus actually teach about hell?

Is eternal punishment unjust or overkill?

Why doesn’t God simply forgive everyone and take us all to heaven?

Ultimately, this message reframes hell not as a contradiction of God’s love, but as a sobering consequence of human freedom—and the cross as God’s definitive act to rescue us from it.

If you have ever struggled with the idea of hell, questioned God’s justice, or wondered how love and judgment can coexist, this message is for you.