Discussion Questions
Sarah describes God’s “mercy” as giving her “opportunities…to learn about the Bible, to grow in Him, and to be refined”; how does that definition of mercy confront the way Christians often talk about mercy as mainly comfort, ease, or relief? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sarah says God’s mercy gave her chances to learn the Bible, grow, and be changed. How does that challenge the idea that mercy mainly means comfort or quick relief?
Sarah’s upbringing emphasized asking, “Is this a good use of your time?”—what picture of God’s priorities and ownership over our hours is assumed in that question, and where do you feel resistance to living as though time is something God will evaluate? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When Sarah’s family asked, “Is this a good use of your time?”, what does that say about God owning our time and caring how we spend it? Where do you push back against the idea that God will judge how you used your hours?
Acts 17:11 (the Bereans) was presented in Sarah’s home as a reason to “examine the scriptures…even if it meant believing and doing very differently than people around us”; where do you see modern church culture discouraging that kind of daily scrutiny, and what “cost” would your life actually pay if you practiced it as aggressively as Sarah’s family did? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The Bereans searched Scripture daily even if it made them different from others. Where does church culture today discourage that kind of careful Bible checking, and what would it cost you to do it as strongly as Sarah’s family did?
Sarah says she delayed baptism until 19 after studying Acts and concluding she didn’t see “children” becoming Christians; how would early Christians—who saw baptism as a lifelong allegiance—likely hear her reasoning, and what does her story expose about how your tradition treats baptism (timing, motives, assurance, social pressure)? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sarah waited until 19 to be baptized because she didn’t see children becoming Christians in Acts. How do you think early Christians, who saw baptism as lifelong loyalty, would respond—and what does her story reveal about how your tradition handles baptism (when, why, and pressures around it)?
When Sarah watched church divisions and “unloving” truth-defense, she swung toward being “too tolerant of sin” and “significant doctrinal differences”; what does her pendulum swing reveal about the false choice many believers feel forced into (harshness vs. holiness), and how do you see that same swing operating in your own instincts? JumpstartAnother way to ask: After seeing harsh “truth defense,” Sarah swung toward being too okay with sin and big doctrine differences. What does that show about the false choice between being harsh and being holy, and where do you see that swing in yourself?
Sarah describes COVID revealing “we were starving…spiritually for fellowship” and that the church had “very little interest” in added studies, prayer groups, and singings; what does that expose about what God designed Christian fellowship to supply, and what does it uncover about what your own church actually hungers for? JumpstartAnother way to ask: COVID made Sarah realize they were spiritually hungry for fellowship, but the church didn’t want more study, prayer, or singing. What does that say about what Christian fellowship is meant to give, and what does it show your church really wants most?
Sarah says listening to Followers of the Way sermons exposed ways they were “lax,” “not as holy,” and not “using our time” well; what view of God’s patience and God’s seriousness about holiness is assumed here, and which parts of her language sound “too extreme” to you—and why? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sarah says the sermons showed they were too relaxed about holiness and wasted time. What does that assume about God being patient but also serious, and what sounds “too extreme” to you—why?
Sarah lists concrete changes (head covering, no jewelry, daily family Bible studies, stricter standards for books/music, close communion, skirts only, no voting, nonresistance, no guns, removing pepper spray); which of these changes feels most obviously connected to Scripture in her story, which feels most debatable, and how should a group discern the difference without defaulting to “freedom” as the trump card? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sarah changed many practices (like head covering, no jewelry, stricter media choices, close communion, skirts only, no voting, nonresistance, no guns). Which changes seem clearly tied to Scripture, which seem more questionable, and how should a group tell the difference without just saying “we’re free” and ending the talk?
Sarah argues that “true love” in a church is helping each other “come out of sin,” not “justify each other to stay in sin,” and she connects this to 1 Corinthians 5 and being “unequally yoked”; how would the early church’s assumptions about church discipline, holiness, and separation challenge the way your church defines “love,” “unity,” and “not judging”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sarah says real love helps people leave sin, not feel okay staying in it, and she links this to 1 Corinthians 5 and being unequally yoked. How would the early church’s views on discipline, holiness, and separation challenge how your church defines love, unity, and “don’t judge”?
Sarah contrasts “cliquey” church life and social-event priorities with a community that lives in close proximity, practices intentional sharing before weekly communion, and expects a “high level of commitment”; what would have to change in your relationships, schedule, privacy, and conflict-avoidance habits to live like that—and what are you afraid you’d lose if you actually did? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Sarah compares a cliquey, event-focused church with a close community that shares openly before weekly communion and expects big commitment. What would you need to change in your relationships, schedule, privacy, and conflict habits to live like that, and what are you afraid you would lose?