Discussion Questions

The chapter opens by claiming, “To know God is to become like Him,” and then lists traits like self-control, endurance, righteousness, and ruling emotions—what does this suggest about God’s character, and what does it imply about whether “knowing God” can be separated from observable moral transformation? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What do traits like self-control, endurance, and righteousness show about what God is like? Does this mean you can’t really “know God” without your behavior clearly changing?

The speaker says, “The one who is intimate with God imitates God in every way possible… he misses none of the things that contribute to his being like God”; where do you feel internal resistance to that “every way possible” language, and what modern Christian assumptions about grace or freedom does that resistance reveal? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What part of “imitates God in every way possible” makes you push back inside? What does that pushback show about how you think grace and freedom work?

Matthew 5:19 is quoted: “He is the greatest in the kingdom, who is both a doer and a teacher”; how does tying “greatness” to doing (not only teaching or believing) challenge how status and leadership are commonly assigned in churches today? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Jesus says the “greatest” are both doers and teachers, how does that challenge how churches choose leaders today? Do we reward teaching and beliefs more than obedience?

The chapter says God’s gifts are “for the common good,” and that the intimate person “to the extent possible… gives what he has to others” and “does good in both word and deed”; what would have to change in your use of time, money, abilities, and hospitality if you took “common good” as a governing purpose rather than personal fulfillment? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If your main goal was the “common good,” what would need to change about how you use your time, money, gifts, and hospitality? What would you stop doing and start doing?

Numbers 15:30 is quoted: “Whoever attempts to do anything with presumption provokes God,” followed by “Haughtiness is a defect of the soul… repent of it the same as… other sins”; what forms of presumption does the chapter seem to be targeting (in ministry, theology, decision-making, “calling”), and what would repentance from haughtiness look like in concrete behaviors? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kinds of pride or “presumption” does this chapter warn about (like in ministry, theology, big decisions, or a sense of calling)? What would repenting of that pride look like in your real actions and words?

The chapter identifies “three parts… to adjust in order to grow spiritually: the mouth/speech, the heart/power to will, and the hands/action”; which of these three does the chapter treat as most decisive for spiritual growth, and how might early Christians have practiced “adjusting” them in daily life compared to how we approach spiritual formation now? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Out of speech, the heart/will, and actions, which one does the chapter treat as most important for spiritual growth? How might early Christians have worked on these daily, and how is that different from what we do now?

Deuteronomy 26:17–18 is used to describe repentance: “This day you have chosen God… God has chosen you”; how does this two-sided choosing reshape the way you think about conversion, assurance, and ongoing obedience—especially if repentance is treated as an event with continuing implications? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does it change your view of repentance to hear both “you chose God” and “God chose you”? What does that mean for conversion, assurance, and ongoing obedience?

The chapter says God “adopts the person who pleases Him and who is quick to serve Him,” and that even if such a person is “only one in number, he’s honored equally with the rest of the church”; how does linking adoption language with “pleasing” and “quick to serve” confront common evangelical ways of talking about adoption, acceptance, and equality in the body? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does saying God “adopts” those who please Him and are quick to serve challenge common evangelical talk about adoption and acceptance? How does it also fit with the idea that every believer is equal in the church?

“True nobility” is defined as “choosing and practicing that which is best,” and Adam is used as proof that noble origin is worthless without righteous choice; what does this reveal about how God evaluates people, and how does it challenge the instinct to ground identity in background, education, gifting, or family legacy? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does this say about what God cares about when He judges a person—choices or background? How does that challenge building your identity on family, education, talents, or reputation?

The chapter argues that preventing an “unrighteous man” from being “his own master” can be “the greatest blessing,” and it frames biblical inheritance stories (Isaac’s twins, Abraham’s heirs) as symbolic and prophetic; how does this view of blessing disrupt modern ideals of autonomy, and what might it mean for how a church should disciple, correct, or limit someone who is spiritually immature or unruly? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How does the idea that limiting an unrighteous person can be a “blessing” challenge today’s focus on personal freedom? What could that mean for how a church corrects, guides, or sets limits for someone who is immature or out of control?