Discussion Questions

Vince says, “Education’s the enemy… I don’t know that it is… A bad heart is the enemy.” What specific “ways in which we express that heart” have you seen most commonly in academic settings—and what parallel expressions of the same heart show up in non-academic church life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Vince says the real enemy is a “bad heart,” not education. What are some common ways that bad heart shows up in schools, and how do you see the same heart show up in everyday church life?

The speaker challenges the narrative “person plus academia equals less faith.” What alternative narratives did you inherit about why people lose faith, and which of those narratives does this conversation most directly call into question? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker questions the idea that going to college makes people lose faith. What other reasons were you taught for why people lose faith, and which of those does this talk most challenge?

Vince argues that “a bigger reason for secularism is wealth than education,” noting that “Jesus talked a lot about money, and he didn’t talk much about education.” How does that claim reshape the way you interpret God’s priorities and warnings in the Gospels, especially compared to the issues Christians tend to fear today? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Vince says wealth leads to secularism more than education, and Jesus warned a lot about money. How does that change what you think God cares most about in the Gospels, compared to what Christians often worry about today?

When Vince says, “Let the enemy be the enemy and not put something else in its place,” what “something else” do you think conservative Christians (including Anabaptists) often substitute for the true enemy—and why is that substitution so appealing? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Vince says not to replace the real enemy with a fake one. What “enemy” do conservative Christians (including Anabaptists) often blame instead, and why do you think that feels so convincing?

Roseanne compares Scripture understanding to reading *Pilgrim’s Progress*: understood basically as a child, but “richer and deeper with maturity.” What do you think God is revealing about Himself by giving a Bible that can be truly grasped by the simple and yet still require a lifetime to plumb? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Roseanne says the Bible is simple enough for a child but deeper as you grow up. What do you think God is showing about Himself by making the Bible both easy to understand and deep enough for a lifetime?

Vince critiques how we “flatten the biblical narrative into something… tweetable.” What teachings of Jesus (or parts of the biblical story) have you personally seen flattened into slogans—and what gets lost morally or spiritually when that happens? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Vince says we turn the Bible into short, catchy lines. What parts of Jesus’ teaching have you seen turned into slogans, and what important moral or spiritual meaning gets lost?

Vince calls “cocky complacency” the real danger: “If you think you’ve got it covered, that’s a different sort of problem.” Where do you see this “I’ve got it covered” posture in your own discipleship (or your church culture), and how does it block repentance and growth? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Vince says the big danger is thinking, “I’ve got it covered.” Where do you see that attitude in yourself or your church, and how does it get in the way of repentance and growing?

Roseanne says Anabaptists often give young believers a foundation (instruction connected to baptism), but may fail to model “how to take a new idea, analyze it… and decide what to do with it.” What would it look like in a church setting to visibly practice that process without either swallowing ideas whole or running away from them? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Roseanne says churches may teach basics well but not show how to think through new ideas wisely. What would it look like for a church to practice that kind of careful thinking—without just accepting every idea or avoiding hard ones?

Matthew’s comment describes evangelical churches as “group therapy… six ways to defeat the giants in your life,” leaving youth unprepared for difficult topics. In what ways does your church’s teaching resemble that therapeutic pattern—and what difficult questions or topics would you prioritize so “Junior” isn’t meeting them for the first time in a hostile setting? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Matthew says some churches feel like self-help talks that don’t prepare young people for hard topics. How does your church’s teaching sometimes sound like that, and what hard questions should it talk about so kids aren’t shocked later?

Roseanne talks about choosing “non-negotiables,” while Vince warns against assuming your worldview is “automatically correct” because that’s “the standard of everyone in the world.” How do you discern true non-negotiables without baptizing your culture, personality, or tradition as “truth”—and what practices might early Christians have used to keep conviction and humility together? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Roseanne talks about “non-negotiables,” but Vince warns we might confuse our culture or tradition with truth. How can you tell what really matters most without just protecting your own background, and what habits could help you stay both strong in beliefs and humble?