Discussion Questions

In the story of Telemachus being stoned for trying to stop gladiatorial violence, what does the speaker want you to learn about how God confronts a culture’s “violent entertainment,” and what might that imply about what God expects from Christians who live in a violence-saturated society? JumpstartAnother way to ask: From Telemachus being killed for stopping the games, what is the speaker saying about how God pushes back against a culture that treats violence as entertainment? What does that suggest God expects from Christians in a society full of violent media and events?

The speaker contrasts “Blessed are the peacemakers” with modern examples like Jimmy Carter brokering a treaty; what is the difference between “negotiating peace” and “making/creating peace” in the speaker’s argument, and how would each one shape a Christian’s choices when the “other party” refuses to uphold peace? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In the speaker’s view, how is “negotiating peace” different from “making peace”? If the other side won’t keep peace, how would each approach change what a Christian chooses to do?

The speaker quotes Origen: “The believers are salt. The rest of mankind is considered earth,” and argues salt is mainly preservative; how does that claim reshape the way you view Christian obedience to the Beatitudes as something that “keeps this earth from flying apart,” and what does it reveal about God’s intention for the church’s role in the world? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Christians are “salt” that helps preserve the world, how does that change how you see obeying the Beatitudes? What does it say about what God wants the church to do in the world?

The speaker lists Jesus’ commands—“Don’t resist… turn the other cheek… bless those that curse you… go the extra mile”—and calls this “counterintuitive” yet “the simple example that Christ lived and died by”; what does this suggest about God’s wisdom versus “rational thought,” and where do you feel internal resistance to treating these commands as normal Christianity rather than extreme Christianity? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What do Jesus’ commands (turn the other cheek, bless those who curse you, go the extra mile) show about God’s wisdom compared to what seems “reasonable” to us? Where do you feel resistance to treating these as normal Christian living instead of extreme?

In the Middle East book story, the speaker is disappointed that the “pinnacle” of peacemaking became peaceful protest and pressuring government; what assumptions about the source of justice and peace is the speaker challenging, and how does that confront common evangelical instincts to “fix society” primarily through politics and law? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Why is the speaker disappointed that peacemaking became mainly protest and government pressure? What is he saying about where justice and peace really come from, and how does that challenge the idea that politics and laws are the main way to fix society?

When the speaker watched the man in Guatemala get kicked in the face, he was “frozen with fear” and later wondered if Christians are supposed to “watch violence happen and then clean up the mess”; what does this story expose about the gap between a nonresistant theology and nonresistant instincts, and what might faithful “boots on the ground” presence look like when you feel fear and uncertainty? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the Guatemala story show about the difference between believing in nonviolence and actually reacting that way in the moment? When you feel afraid and unsure, what could faithful “on the ground” action look like?

The speaker says he discovered “the name of Jesus evokes power,” then later admits the Telemachus quote may be legend; how should Christians discern the difference between genuine spiritual authority and romanticized stories, and what practical place (if any) should speaking “in the name of Jesus” have when attempting to stop real-world violence? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can Christians tell the difference between real spiritual authority and stories that sound inspiring but may not be true? When trying to stop real violence, what role should saying “in the name of Jesus” have, if any?

After helping “Pastor Jack” on the Riverwalk, the speaker says obedience is not merely “rules” but becoming “the hands and feet of Christ” so God can “count on me”; how does this frame of obedience challenge the way you currently think about grace, duty, and daily decision-making, and what would have to change for you to see commands as assigned missions rather than moral guidelines? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does the idea that obedience means being “the hands and feet of Christ” challenge how you think about grace, duty, and everyday choices? What would need to change for you to see Jesus’ commands as missions to carry out, not just rules to follow?

In the gas-station fight, the speaker physically intervenes, makes the antagonists angry, and connects it to “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”; how does his redefinition of peacemaking as “keeping people from doing bad things to others” challenge a conflict-avoidant version of peace, and what risks—spiritual, physical, and social—does it require Christians to accept? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does the speaker’s idea of peacemaking—stopping people from hurting others—challenge a version of peace that just avoids conflict? What kinds of risks would Christians need to accept (spiritual, physical, and social) to do that?

The speaker warns that early Christians believed “to seek martyrdom is sin,” yet he also promotes “self-sacrificial peacemaking,” quoting “wise as serpents and harmless as doves,” “join… in suffering like a good soldier,” and “more than conquerors”; how do you hold together (a) refusing violence, (b) not chasing martyrdom, and (c) willingly absorbing harm “like sheep to be slaughtered,” and what concrete boundaries or practices would help you discern when to intervene, when to flee, and when to endure? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can you put these together: refusing violence, not trying to become a martyr, and still being willing to suffer to protect others? What clear boundaries or habits could help you know when to step in, when to run away, and when to stay and endure?