Discussion Questions

The speaker describes sobbing over the 18‑month‑old boy killed in an accident and crying out to God to “turn back time”; how does this raw moment shape (or challenge) the way you think about God’s goodness, God’s sovereignty, and what faithful prayer looks like when the worst has already happened? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does his cry to God to “turn back time” after the child’s death affect how you see God’s goodness and control? What does faithful prayer look like when the worst has already happened?

The speaker says a question gripped him: “If there was a church that resembled the Acts chapter 2 church, would you not sell everything you have and go live there and be a part of it?” What does that question expose about what we treat as non‑negotiable comfort, stability, or “wisdom,” and how might early Christians have heard that question differently than modern believers? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the question about selling everything to join an Acts 2-style church reveal about the comforts and security we refuse to give up? How might early Christians have heard that question differently than we do today?

He claims, “If we continue to seek first His kingdom… it will become that way,” but “If we seek first to try to be the Acts chapter 2 church, I don’t think we will”; what’s the difference between those two pursuits in real life, and how could the desire to “be like Acts 2” subtly become a fleshly project rather than kingdom-seeking? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What’s the difference between seeking God’s kingdom first and trying to copy the Acts 2 church? How can “being like Acts 2” turn into a human project instead of real kingdom-seeking?

Using Bill’s paraphrase (“it’s not about the don’ts, it’s about the do’s”), the speaker applies Philippians 4: instead of obsessing over worry, “pray about everything… thank Him”; where do you see yourself trapped in “worrying about worrying,” and what concrete “do” beside the command are you currently refusing because it feels too simple? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you get stuck worrying about your worry? What simple action (praying, asking, thanking God) are you avoiding because it feels too easy?

After reading Matthew 6, he presses the question, “Do we worry about our life?” and ties worry to “You cannot serve God and mammon”; what forms of mammon-service look respectable in church culture (career security, insurance, lifestyle planning, children’s futures), and how does Jesus’ wording confront those as spiritual allegiance issues rather than mere emotions? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kinds of money- and security-chasing can look “wise” in church (career plans, insurance, lifestyle, kids’ futures)? How does Jesus’ “God or mammon” wording show this is about who you serve, not just feelings?

The speaker tells repeated stories of receiving exactly $1,000 at the needed moment (adoption overpayment, random church gifts, a check slipped under his hand after being admonished, two $500 checks at the door); how should a Christian community interpret testimonies like this without turning God into a formula, and what would early Christians assume “daily bread” faithfulness requires when the money doesn’t show up? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How should we hear stories of God providing money at the exact right time without treating God like a guaranteed formula? And if the money doesn’t show up, what does “daily bread” faithfulness look like then?

In Luke 12 the speaker highlights Jesus’ sequence: “Fear not… it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the needy… Stay dressed for action”; how do these commands reframe God’s heart toward His people (not stingy, but pleased to give), and what would have to change in your spending, saving, and readiness if you treated these as normal discipleship rather than “radical”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How do Jesus’ words in Luke 12 show what God is like toward His people (happy to give, not stingy)? If you treated “sell, give, and be ready” as normal discipleship, what would change in how you spend, save, and live?

He argues “selfishness… is the cause of most of our sin,” even linking small feelings of being hurt to self-focus; where does this land uncomfortably for you, and how do you distinguish between legitimate wounds needing reconciliation and the “little hurts” that reveal a demand to be treated a certain way? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When he says selfishness causes most sin—even small feelings of being hurt—what bothers you or hits close to home? How can you tell the difference between real wounds that need to be dealt with and small hurts that come from pride?

The speaker quotes the murdered daughter‑in‑law’s father publicly forgiving the killers and longing for their repentance, then applies it to church life: “quickly and fully… forgive and forget… not see each other as enemies”; what specific conflicts or “miscommunications” in church life do we quietly justify holding onto, and what would it cost to practice Jesus’ commands (turn the other cheek, give more, walk two miles) inside the body? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What church conflicts or “miscommunications” do we quietly feel okay holding onto? What would it cost you to forgive quickly and fully and to treat others like family, not enemies?

The early Christian quotes (Origen on living “in plainness,” Clement on luxury/gluttony as what “the nations seek,” Cyprian saying nothing is lacking to the one who “possesses God”) connect “seek first the kingdom” to resisting luxury and redefining wealth; what parts of your diet, clothing, home, entertainment, or “treat yourself” habits would early Christians likely call “rich cooking, dainty feeding, and gluttony,” and how does that critique collide with modern evangelical ideas of freedom, blessing, and assurance? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What parts of your lifestyle (food, clothes, home, entertainment, “treat yourself” habits) might early Christians call luxury or overindulgence? How does that clash with today’s ideas about Christian freedom, blessing, and assurance?