Discussion Questions
The speaker opens with Isaiah 40:30–31 and then says his “waiting” in Guatemala exposed anxiety he had previously been able to “sweep…under the rug”; what does that suggest about God’s kindness (or severity) in slowing our lives down so what’s hidden finally surfaces? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When God slowed the speaker down, it brought hidden anxiety to the surface. What does that say about how God may be kind (or tough) by slowing our lives so we face what we’ve been avoiding?
The speaker contrasts a title-driven culture with calling himself “a waiter” (waiting at airports, in traffic, on shopping trips); how does this story challenge modern Christian instincts to prove usefulness, platform, or importance, and what might early Christians have assumed about status and “titles” in light of Jesus’ teaching? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker calls himself “a waiter” instead of chasing a title. How does that push back on the Christian need to seem important, and what do you think early Christians believed about status and titles based on Jesus’ teaching?
He argues the hard, uncomfortable items never get done because we keep adding to our to-do list and stay distracted—not because we quit working; where have you seen busyness function as avoidance in your own spiritual life, and what “difficult thing” might God be putting at the top of your list? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says we stay busy so we don’t have to face hard things. Where has busyness helped you avoid something in your spiritual life, and what hard thing might God be asking you to do first?
The speaker claims, “Time and slowing down is essential to spiritual formation…Taking the time to pray…read the Word and fast…is how Christians have always grown”; what early-Christian practices or assumptions does he seem to be appealing to, and how does that critique the way many modern believers pursue growth? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says slowing down to pray, read the Bible, and fast is how Christians have always grown. What early church habits is he pointing to, and how does that challenge how many believers try to grow today?
In Matthew 11:28–30, the speaker says Jesus’ yoke is his teachings/commandments and that following Jesus “should bring us rest and peace”; how do you reconcile that claim with experiences where obedience feels heavy—what might that reveal about how you’re interpreting “yoke,” “rest,” and “burden”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says Jesus’ yoke (his teachings) should bring rest and peace. How do you make sense of that when obeying Jesus feels heavy, and what might that show about how you understand “yoke,” “rest,” and “burden”?
He presses the uncomfortable diagnostic: “If we constantly are burdened and do not feel at rest…are we following the way of Jesus?”—how should a serious Christian answer that without denying real suffering, and what categories (sin, unbelief, trauma, poor habits, spiritual warfare, unrealistic expectations) do you think the speaker is most targeting? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He asks: if we never feel rested, are we really following Jesus? How can you answer that honestly without ignoring real suffering, and which causes do you think he mainly means (sin, unbelief, trauma, bad habits, spiritual attack, or unrealistic expectations)?
The speaker insists discipleship is “walking after him…not running,” and links burnout to big goals and impatience with “the timing of the kingdom”; where does modern evangelical culture encourage “running” (spiritual sprints, quick fixes, instant breakthroughs), and what would it look like to rebuild your life around “slow and consistent” obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says discipleship is walking, not running, and links burnout to impatience with God’s timing. Where does church culture push “quick results,” and what would “slow and steady” obedience look like in your daily life?
Right after “Come to me…rest,” Matthew 12 centers on Sabbath conflict and Jesus saying, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice…The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath”; how does the speaker use these scenes to define God’s purpose for Sabbath, and where might your own religious instincts resemble the Pharisees’ suspicion more than Jesus’ mercy? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In Matthew 12, Jesus clashes with leaders about the Sabbath and says he wants mercy, not sacrifice. How does the speaker say God meant the Sabbath to work, and where might you act more suspicious like the Pharisees than merciful like Jesus?
The speaker emphasizes Jesus’ intentionality—healed multitudes but “warned them not to make him known,” because “his time was not yet” and he was “working on God’s time”; what does this reveal about God’s strategy for the kingdom (pace, timing, hiddenness), and how does it confront our assumption that “more visibility now” is always obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Jesus healed many people but told them not to spread it because the timing wasn’t right. What does that show about God’s pace and timing, and how does it challenge the idea that being more visible right now is always the right choice?
He defines “symptoms of hurry” (distraction, complaining, discontent, frustration at setbacks) and says, “when people become the obstacles, we have crossed the line into hurry”; looking at his Aldi efficiency story and your own routines, where have systems, productivity, or even ministry goals trained you to treat people as interruptions, and what specific practice would re-humanize your pace this week? JumpstartAnother way to ask: He says hurry shows up when we get distracted, complain, and treat people like obstacles. Where have your routines or goals trained you to see people as interruptions, and what is one specific thing you can do this week to slow down and treat people better?