The Narrow and Wide Gates Youth Bible Study

Discussion Starter: Present students with two options of paths they can take, one wide and one extremely narrow. You can do this by lining up cones or drawing the paths in chalk in your yard or parking lot, or you can simply draw two entrances on a whiteboard. Label the entrances as Path 1 and Path 2, and without giving them any other information, ask them which path they would rather take and why.

Bible Study: Read Matthew 7:13-14.

With Jesus’ words in mind, I want you to imagine two roads going through our city. One is a wide road. There’s a lot of room on this road. You can do anything you want, go anywhere you want. And it’s fun. There are a ton of other people on this road. They get in pretty bad wrecks sometimes, but that’s just part of being on the road.

The second road going through this town is very skinny. It’s only one lane and only one way. You kind of have to walk a fine line to stay on this road and it can get a little lonely because not many people go down this road.

So the first road sounds like it’s the better choice…until you find out where these two roads lead in the end.

The first road, the wide road, the road where you can do anything you want, is nothing but a straight shot to Hell.

The second road, the narrow road, is a little bit tougher, but it takes you to the best place of all, Heaven.

The question is, Where would you rather go? What would you rather do? To me, it’s a pretty obvious choice. It would be stupid to go down the wide road and have fun while I’m alive only to have to spend all eternity suffering in Hell.

I would much rather walk the fine line now, follow the rules now, do the right thing now, so that I can spend forever in Heaven with God.

Do you know what Hell is like? Everything good comes from God and since God is not in Hell, there is nothing good in Hell. People can’t feel love in Hell, they can only feel hate. They can’t feel safe in Hell, they can only be afraid. People can’t feel pleasure in Hell, only pain.

But Heaven is the place where God is. It’s the place where nothing bad can happen. The Bible tells us that there is no pain, there are no tears, there is no death or sickness in Heaven. It is just pure joy.

But the choice is yours. There are two roads going through this town. Which one do you want to go down?