The final assessment is not a trap. It is an opportunity to review, consolidate, and testify to what you have learned. The goal is not to pass a test but to make sure that the course has done its work in your mind, heart, and will. A course on hell should leave you more sober, more grateful, more compassionate, and more urgent.

The assessment should cover the major themes of the course: the biblical vocabulary of judgment, the teaching of Jesus, the four views, the character of God, the human condition, the accounts in hell, discernment, deliverance, evangelism, and living in light of eternity.

A strong final assessment includes both written and oral components. The written portion might include a personal theology of hell, a biblical defense of eternal conscious punishment, and a 30-day mission plan. The oral portion might include sharing the gospel in three minutes and answering a common objection about hell. Both components test whether the student can communicate truth in love.

Before the final assessment, each student should examine his or her own heart. Do I believe what I have learned? Am I in the faith? Do I love the lost? Am I willing to speak? Am I living in light of eternity? These questions are more important than any exam score.

If the course has not moved the heart, it has failed. Information about hell is not enough. We need transformation. We need a broken heart for the lost and a burning heart for Christ.

The course ends with commissioning. The student is sent out as a witness. Not everyone is called to full-time ministry, but every Christian is called to be a witness. We go with the Word, the Spirit, the church, and the promise that Christ is with us to the end of the age.

The final word is not a grade. It is a sending. Go to the lost. Weep while you warn. Speak the truth in love. Trust the Spirit. And look forward to the day when every tear will be wiped away and God will be all in all.

Common student mistake: Treating the final assessment as the end of the journey rather than as the beginning of a life of witness.

Practice assignment: Complete the final assessment with both written and oral components. Then pray with two believers to be commissioned for ongoing evangelism.

Worksheet idea: "Final Review" — a checklist of every major theme in the course, with space for the student to summarize what he or she believes.

Completion requirement: Student can demonstrate understanding of the course content and articulate a commitment to ongoing evangelism in light of eternity.

• What is the purpose of the final assessment?

ANSWER: To review, consolidate, and testify to what the student has learned, and to ensure the course has transformed mind, heart, and will.

• What two components should a final assessment include?

ANSWER: Written and oral components, such as a personal theology paper and a three-minute gospel presentation.

• How does the course end?

ANSWER: With commissioning — sending the student out as a witness to share the gospel and live in light of eternity.