Discussion Questions

Sahir described being told to “burn my finger to chastise myself” after sinning because Jesus was crucified for his sin—what picture of God and forgiveness does that practice create, and how does it shape a person’s willingness to come near to God? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Being told to burn your finger after sinning suggests a certain view of God and forgiveness. What kind of God does that make people imagine, and how might it affect whether they feel safe coming close to God?

In Sahir’s childhood church experience, much felt like “a literature… a language which I didn’t understand… lighting the candles… crazy things,” with only a small portion being teaching—how does God seem to intend faith to be formed, and what gets distorted when Christianity is mostly ritual without understanding? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir felt church was mostly rituals he didn’t understand, with little teaching. How does God mean faith to grow, and what goes wrong when people do Christian rituals without understanding them?

Sahir said that in Iraq you are seen as “Muslim or Catholic… you are born in this group,” while he insists, “I became a Christian. I have chosen to be a Christian”—how would the early Christians have understood the difference between being born into a religious identity and choosing discipleship? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir said in Iraq you’re “born” Muslim or Catholic, but he “chose” to be Christian. How would early Christians explain the difference between being born into a religion and choosing to follow Jesus as a disciple?

Sahir’s fear in confession was, “If I don’t confess, then maybe God will not forgive me,” and he said he didn’t even know the concept of being “justified”—what does this reveal about what we believe God is like: a judge needing perfect disclosure, or a Father seeking repentance and truth? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir feared God wouldn’t forgive him if he forgot to confess something, and he didn’t know about being “justified.” What does this show about whether we see God mainly as a strict judge or as a Father who wants honest repentance?

Sahir said he loved Jesus’ teaching (partly from a Luke video) but felt uncomfortable with church leaders’ “hierarchy” and their demeanor—what does this tension expose about how spiritual authority can either reflect or obscure the character of Jesus? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir loved Jesus’ teaching but felt uneasy with church leaders’ hierarchy and attitude. How can spiritual authority either show what Jesus is like or hide what Jesus is like?

After the first Dutch conference, Sahir prayed, “I want to go to the world, but don’t let me go too far”—what does that prayer reveal about God’s mercy and human double-mindedness, and how should a church respond to someone who is attracted to the truth but afraid to surrender? JumpstartAnother way to ask: After the conference, Sahir prayed, “I want to go to the world, but don’t let me go too far.” What does that show about God’s mercy and our mixed hearts, and how should a church help someone who wants truth but fears fully giving in?

Sahir described nine years of running that included addiction, yet also “almost daily prayers,” even praying in the casino, “Please, Lord, don’t be with me”—what does this say about the reality of conviction, and how does it challenge modern assumptions about assurance, conversion timing, and who counts as “seeking”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir ran from God for years with addiction, yet prayed almost every day—even in a casino. What does this say about guilt and conviction, and how does it challenge our ideas about when someone is “really” converted or “really” seeking God?

Sahir’s turning point was an inner ultimatum: “Do you want my way or that way?” followed by a short cry, “Please, Lord, help me,” and then a decisive break from gambling—how do you see God’s initiative and human responsibility interacting in that moment, and how does it compare with the way the New Testament describes repentance and new birth? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir felt a clear choice—God’s way or his own—cried, “Help me,” and then stopped gambling. In that moment, how do you see God acting and Sahir choosing, and how does it match the New Testament picture of repentance and new birth?

Sahir said God “seeks honest people, not almost perfect people,” and he described yelling at God with raw honesty—what would it look like in your community to make space for that kind of honesty before God without excusing sin or minimizing obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir said God wants honest people, not almost perfect people, and he was brutally honest with God. How can your church make room for that kind of honesty without excusing sin or lowering the call to obey God?

Sahir critiqued attempts to “Christianize people whatever it costs,” quoting William Booth: “first, you give them food before you preach the gospel,” and he said resistance grew when he “saw preaching, not the fruit”—where do you see this separation (“they don’t need bread, they need Jesus”) in modern Christianity, and what concrete, costly changes would show the “all picture… Kingdom of God” gospel in how you treat addicted, wounded, or distrustful people? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sahir warned against trying to “Christianize” people without caring for their real needs first, like feeding them before preaching. Where do you see Christians separating “bread” from “Jesus” today, and what costly changes would show God’s Kingdom in how you treat addicted, hurt, or distrustful people?