Discussion Questions
The speaker says he doesn’t understand much about technology but “knows it’s part of our destruction,” and doesn’t understand much about eschatology but “knows Jesus is coming back and he’s going to repair everything”; what picture of God’s wisdom and purposes is implied in the way he calls families to live “while we’re waiting for Jesus to return”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says technology is harming us, and Jesus will return to fix everything. What does this show about how he thinks God’s wisdom should shape how families live while we wait for Jesus?
When the speaker describes “impossible situations” (the wagon train with no food and enemies surrounding) where “either decision is a bad decision,” how does that challenge common evangelical expectations that God’s guidance will always feel clear, safe, and individually manageable? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He describes times when every choice feels bad. How does that challenge the idea that God’s guidance will always feel clear, safe, and easy to handle on your own?
The speaker warns that “you noticing it or not is not what determines whether it’s shaping your child,” and that “rules and regulations don’t cut it”; where do you see your own family or church leaning on blind spots (not noticing) or on tight rules (trying to control) rather than dealing honestly with shaping influences? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says kids are being shaped even if we don’t notice, and rules alone won’t fix it. Where do you see your family or church either missing what’s shaping kids or trying to control everything with strict rules instead of dealing with the real influences?
He says, “Otherwise, we’re playing Anabaptist roulette,” and later claims “our margin of error is so slim we need to stop taking chances”; what modern habits or church practices does that statement indict, and what would it look like to actually live as if the margin of error is “so slim”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says we’re taking risky chances and the “margin of error” is tiny. What everyday habits or church routines is he calling out, and what would change if you truly lived like mistakes have serious costs?
The speaker argues that fathers have become “independent… claiming belief in brotherhood, but we only believe in it if it goes our way,” and he contrasts support with “authoritative church government”; how would early Christians—who practiced mutual submission and communal discipline—evaluate the way many modern families make isolated choices and call it “freedom” or “headship”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says many fathers act independent and only want brotherhood when it benefits them. How would early Christians, who practiced mutual submission and church discipline, judge the way many families make private choices and call it “freedom” or “headship”?
He uses the rodeo example to argue that even a “mature” child’s activity can spiritually endanger a “vulnerable youth” who tags along; what decisions are you currently making as a family that you justify as “fine for us,” and how would you re-evaluate them if you truly believed “my decisions affect your home”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says something “fine for your kid” can still harm another kid who watches. What choices are you making that you excuse as “fine for us,” and how might you change them if you really believed your choices affect other homes too?
The “wheel” diagram puts “mom and dad’s belief about Jesus” at the core (not “who Jesus really is”), and he says, “I live what I believe… but I don’t believe it perfectly”; what does this suggest God is like—regarding His patience, His use of imperfect parents, and His insistence on integrity—and how should it reshape the way you think about passing on faith? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says the center is what parents believe about Jesus, and parents don’t believe perfectly. What does that say about God’s patience and His desire for integrity, and how should it change the way you think about passing faith to your kids?
The speaker says he unapologetically put “life principles” before “spiritual principles,” claiming that if a child doesn’t learn “cheerful obedience,” he “likely will not accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ”; what parts of this claim offend modern Christian instincts about grace, and what parts line up with how early Christians formed disciples (including children) through embodied obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He puts “life principles” before “spiritual principles” and says cheerful obedience helps a child accept Jesus as Lord. What part of that clashes with how many Christians think about grace today, and what part fits with how early Christians trained disciples through real-life obedience?
He insists, “Respect a child based on biological age, guide based on emotional age,” and rejects “age-out” milestones like phones and driver’s licenses; what concrete changes would your family need to make this week if emotional maturity and respect—not age or peer norms—became the gatekeeper for independence and technology? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says respect kids for their age but give freedom based on emotional maturity, not milestones like phones or licenses. If your family did that, what would you change this week about independence and technology?
The speaker calls out “double life” family culture (vacation/social media/modesty, “don’t talk about this with your friends”), says “filters aren’t the answer,” and tells stories of fathers who didn’t check on children during church conversations; what specific patterns of secrecy, unmanaged access, or unsupervised spaces exist in your home/church life right now, and what would “transparency” and “staying in touch” actually require you to stop doing and start doing? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He warns about families that look good in public but hide things, and says filters aren’t enough. What secrecy, unchecked access, or unsupervised spaces exist in your home or church right now, and what would real transparency and staying connected require you to stop and start doing?