Discussion Questions

Dean Taylor warned that confessions and theology summaries can be “not so much what’s said, but what’s not said,” especially when the words of Jesus are missing; where have you seen a church culture subtly treat “Jesus-following things” (separation, restrictions, Sermon-on-the-Mount obedience) as optional or secondary, and what did that do to the next generation? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where have you seen a church act like actually following Jesus (being set apart, limits, obeying the Sermon on the Mount) is optional? How did that shape the faith of the next generation?

He suggested a yearly practice of reading the Sermon on the Mount together and saying, “Okay, we’re doing that?”; what specific commands from the Sermon on the Mount would most disrupt your current rhythms, and what would have to change in your family or congregation for that reading to produce obedience instead of debate? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Which commands in the Sermon on the Mount would most upset your normal routines? What would need to change at home or in your church so reading it leads to obedience instead of arguing?

Taylor said reciting creeds can subtly train people to think, “If I agree with these things, then I’m a Christian”; where do you see that mindset operating today (including in evangelical “assurance” language), and how does it reshape what people expect grace to produce? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you see people thinking, “If I agree with the right beliefs, I’m a Christian”? How does that change what they expect God’s grace to actually do in their lives?

The lesson described the kingdom as “now and not yet,” with the church as a “seed” meant to show the world what it will look like when all bow to the King; what would it look like for your church to function as a public preview of the future kingdom rather than a religious subculture or a political voting bloc? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What would it look like for your church to show the public what God’s future kingdom will be like? How would that be different from being just a religious bubble or a political group?

In answering Romans 13, Taylor emphasized that “God governs this earth regardless someone is in His will or not,” and pointed out that Paul called Nero “a minister of God”; how does that challenge modern instincts to either demonize government or baptize a preferred party, and what does honoring rulers without idolatry actually require in practice? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If God can use even rulers like Nero, how does that challenge the way people either hate the government or treat their party like God’s side? What does it look like to respect leaders without making them idols?

Taylor said the “beast” in Revelation is not just government but an entire world system of buying, selling, and attitudes—and asked, “How much are we participating in this beast already?”; where do you see your own participation most clearly (consumer habits, anxieties, identity, outrage), and what would two-kingdom repentance look like there? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you see yourself most caught up in the “beast” system—shopping, fear, identity, or constant outrage? What would repentance look like if you really live under God’s kingdom instead?

He argued that when Anabaptists got drawn into voting movements (Prohibition, a Brethren governor calling out militia, loyalty oaths), it compromised their nonresistant testimony and worsened suffering during WWI; what parts of that historical warning feel uncomfortably relevant now, and how might “good causes” become a doorway to losing a distinct kingdom witness? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What parts of the Anabaptists getting pulled into political causes feel similar to what’s happening today? How can “good causes” slowly make a church lose its clear kingdom witness?

Taylor used examples of conservative Christians—including Mennonites—praising Hitler as a “godly man” because he promoted family values and opposed communism; what does this expose about the spiritual danger of “values-based” political enthusiasm, and what safeguards would keep a church from mistaking partisan rhetoric for the “cure for humanity”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it show about our hearts when Christians praise a leader mainly because he supports their “values”? What guardrails would help a church not confuse party talk with God’s real answer for the world?

In discussing daily life, Taylor used the paintball/video game example to argue that even if an activity isn’t inherently sinful, “it’s the sin of neglect” when a world needs the gospel; what kinds of “harmless” time uses in your life might actually reveal neglect of kingdom mission, and how do you discern that without sliding into mere rule-keeping? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What “not sinful” ways you spend time might actually show you are neglecting God’s mission? How can you tell the difference without turning it into a bunch of rules?

On nonresistance in speech, Taylor cited Jesus’ warning about calling someone “fool/raha,” and the line that Anabaptists may have “laid down our arms, but we haven’t laid down our harmful tones”; where do you see word-fighting normalized among serious Christians (home, church, online), and what would it cost you to pursue the kind of tongue-control that makes sense only if “Jesus really meant every word He said”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you see harsh, attacking words treated as normal among committed Christians (at home, in church, or online)? What would it cost you to speak with self-control like Jesus really meant what He said?