Will you ever see your pet again after they die? It’s a question almost every child who has loved an animal eventually asks — and, if we’re honest, plenty of adults wonder about it too. In Episode 4 of Hope Unfiltered, Jason Potter asks: Do our pets go to heaven? The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us that our individual pets will be waiting for us. But it does present animals as an important part of God’s creation — and paints a picture of a restored creation where suffering, evil and death are no more. Jason shares the story of his children losing their beloved guinea pigs, Dora and Boots, and explores why the grief we experience when an animal dies shouldn't simply be dismissed as *“it was only a pet.”*We may not have certainty about seeing our pets again — but perhaps the character and generosity of God gives us permission to hope. Then the episode turns to another very human question:Why do I keep doing the things I don't want to do? Whether it’s sugar, addiction, staying up too late, unhealthy reactions or habits we've carried from childhood, changing our behaviour can be incredibly difficult. Jason explores habits, neuroplasticity and the biblical idea of “renewing your mind” to explain why simply trying to stop an unwanted behaviour often doesn't work. Instead of obsessing over eliminating the old pattern, what if lasting change comes from repeatedly building a new pattern that eventually becomes stronger than the old one? In this episode:• Do pets go to heaven?• Will we see our animals again?• What does the Bible say about animals in the new creation?• Why does losing a pet hurt so much?• Why do we keep repeating behaviours we want to change?• How are habits formed in the brain?• What does neuroplasticity tell us about changing behaviour?• What does the Bible mean by “renewing your mind”?• Why slipping back into an old habit doesn't mean starting again• How do we actually build lasting change?**Hope Unfiltered** explores your questions about life, faith, identity and purpose through conversations about the Bible, psychology, science and the experiences of everyday life. Got a question you want Jason to tackle? Send it to Hope Unfiltered and it could become part of a future episode. Subscribe or follow Hope Unfiltered and keep asking the difficult questions.#HopeUnfiltered #JasonPotter #DoPetsGoToHeaven #Heaven #Pets #Christianity #Faith #Habits #Psychology #ChristianPodcast
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