Discussion Questions

Elizabeth says social work “standards and ethics…are all wrapped up in Matthew 5:6 and 7,” summarizing it as integrity, love, “looking at yourself first,” and then “pouring out to others”; what does that claim suggest about God’s priorities for righteousness, and where might it challenge how Christians separate “professional ethics” from obedience to Jesus? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it say about what God cares about when Elizabeth links social work ethics to Matthew 5–7? How might this challenge Christians who treat “work ethics” as separate from obeying Jesus?

When Elizabeth frames walking into “messy situations” by saying Jesus “walked into a messy, sin-ruined situation” and “for an hour, hour and a half, I can sit here,” what picture of God’s posture toward broken people is she drawing on—and what excuses does that remove from our own discipleship? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does Elizabeth’s “Jesus walked into messy situations” idea show about how God looks at broken people? What excuses does that take away from us as Jesus’ followers?

Elizabeth repeatedly asks, “Is the Lord putting me here? Or have I put myself here?”; what practical ways can a Christian test motives in helping work (including church ministry) so it’s truly an “outpouring of faith” and not identity-building or savior-complex compassion? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can a Christian check whether they are helping because God led them, or because they want to feel important? What are practical ways to test your motives in ministry or service work?

She describes her Bible as her “measuring stick” in secular settings and gives an example of answering blunt questions (“What’s in your head?”) with “a Bible verse I really like”; what does that reveal about how she thinks God wants Christians to bear witness in ordinary workplace interactions without turning every moment into an argument? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it show about her view of sharing faith when she answers normal work questions with a Bible verse? How can Christians speak about God at work without turning every talk into a fight?

Elizabeth connects “ethical dilemmas” in social work to the Sermon on the Mount: “Look in at yourself…before you be pouring out on other people,” and she applies it to “racial blind spots” and tempering anger; how would early Christians have heard “consider the beam in your own eye” as a community practice, and what would it require of churches navigating today’s polarized issues? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How would early Christians have taken “look at the beam in your own eye” as something the whole church should practice? What would that mean for churches dealing with today’s angry, divided issues?

In her LGBTQ example, Elizabeth insists, “Sin is sin is sin,” and then immediately pivots to “common ground” and “I understand you’re a human”; what tensions do you feel between moral clarity and relational empathy in her approach, and how does her framing confront common evangelical instincts either to soften sin-language or to make sexuality the defining sin? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In her LGBTQ example, where do you feel the pull between being clear about sin and being kind and understanding to people? How does her approach push back on the habit to either avoid sin-talk or to treat sexuality as the main sin?

When asked about hard cases, she describes an abortion request: “I can’t do that…So I can refer her to somebody…that shows you all your options”; what do you think faithfulness looks like in that exact scenario, and where is the line between maintaining conviction and indirectly participating in what you believe is wrong? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In the abortion-request situation, what would faithfulness look like for her in that moment? Where is the line between staying true to your beliefs and helping someone do what you think is wrong?

She applies the same referral logic to same-sex “marriage counseling,” saying she can assess generally but may direct them to someone who “understands your community and your context”; what does this reveal about her understanding of love for neighbor, and what might early Christians have done differently (or similarly) when asked to support practices they couldn’t bless? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does her referral choice in same-sex marriage counseling say about what it means to love your neighbor? What might early Christians have done when asked to support something they couldn’t approve?

Elizabeth describes her church’s “community meal” where members “sit down and eat with them” (not a tray line), and she notes many church attendees first came to “check these people out”; what does that model suggest about God’s intent for table fellowship, and how does it critique modern church outreach that helps from a distance but avoids shared life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the “sit and eat together” community meal teach about what God wants meals to be like in the church? How does it challenge outreach that helps people but avoids real friendship and shared life?

She warns that as society declines, plain people may lose “wide margins” and privileges, and she urges churches to “open up that lens” from neighborhood to “eternity,” adding, “let’s give them Christ…not shoe fly pie”; where do you see your church tempted to substitute cultural goods for Christ, and what concrete changes would it take to offer both real help and unmistakable discipleship? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where might your church be offering “good things” instead of truly giving people Christ? What real changes would help your church give practical help while also calling people to follow Jesus?