Discussion Questions

The speaker says he came with “many aspirations and ideals” and a sense of having “so much to offer” coming from America; what does that reveal about the subtle ways pride can hide inside “helping,” and what do you think God is trying to dismantle in a disciple through that loss of confidence? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does his “I had so much to offer” attitude show about how pride can hide inside “helping”? What might God be trying to break down in a disciple when that confidence gets taken away?

The speaker admits, “sooner or later you come to the reality that you don't have the answers in many ways”; how does that confront modern assumptions that effectiveness in ministry mainly comes from strategies, expertise, and solutions? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does realizing “I don’t have the answers” challenge the idea that ministry mainly works because of good plans, skills, and fixes?

He frames the “biggest thing” as “allow God to work in my own life,” leading to “restoration” that makes us “more loving” and able to “stand on truth”; what does this imply about God’s priorities in mission—what He is after in the worker before He is after in the work? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If the “biggest thing” is letting God change the worker’s own life first, what does that say about what God cares about most in mission—who we become or what we accomplish?

The speaker claims that “at the end of the day, it's relationships” where “true love” is shown; how would early Christians—often operating through household networks, hospitality, and personal care—have recognized or challenged that emphasis? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If “true love” shows up most in relationships, how might early Christians—who relied on hospitality and close personal care—agree with that or push back on it?

He describes a “savior mindset” where you feel you’re there to “fix these people's problems,” and then you become cynical when you can’t; where does that savior instinct show up in the way churches talk about “making a difference,” and what repentance might look like in practice? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do churches today show a “savior mindset” when we talk about “making a difference”? What would real repentance look like in everyday church actions?

The speaker mentions convincing yourself you’re showing love, but realizing “it wasn't from my heart,” and “eventually you run out of this strength”; what might be the difference between “love in our mind” and love that comes from a transformed heart, and how can a group discern the difference without excusing passivity? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What’s the difference between loving people in your head and loving from a changed heart? How can a group tell the difference without using it as an excuse to do nothing?

He describes the opposite ditch: compassion that becomes overwhelming, leading to being “crushed,” “burnout,” and “disillusionment”; what does that suggest about the limits God has built into human beings, and how do those limits challenge the modern Christian impulse to prove devotion by overextending? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does burnout and being “crushed” teach us about human limits God built into us? How do those limits challenge the idea that devotion means always doing more?

To survive, he says we can “build walls” and become “calloused”; in your experience, what forms do those walls take (language, policies, jokes, avoidance, “professional distance”), and what does it cost refugees—and our souls—when self-protection becomes normal? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kinds of “walls” do people build to protect themselves (rules, jokes, distancing, avoiding)? What does it cost refugees—and our own hearts—when that becomes normal?

The speaker calls it a “daily, weekly, monthly tension” to keep balance, and says the “only way” he restores balance is “spending time at the well” in God’s Word; what would early Christians have assumed about rhythms of prayer, Scripture, and dependence, and how does that critique activism-driven Christianity? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What can we learn from early Christians about regular rhythms of prayer and Scripture to stay dependent on God? How does that challenge a “always busy” kind of Christianity?

He points to Jesus: fully present and invested, then “suddenly disappear” to be with the Father; what concrete choices would it require for your group to imitate that pattern in refugee/migrant ministry (availability, boundaries, withdrawal), and what fears might resist those choices? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What specific choices would it take for your group to be fully present with refugees/migrants but also step away to be with God? What fears might make those choices hard?