Discussion Questions

David Bercot says that “many, if not most, Christians are basically Andy Dimwits”; what parts of the “Monopoly money” illustration feel uncomfortably close to your own life, and what parts do you instinctively want to argue with or qualify? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says many Christians are like “Andy Dimwits.” Which parts of the “Monopoly money” story hit close to home for you, and which parts do you want to push back on or add limits to?

If “the instant we die, all of the money we’ve accumulated on earth turns into Monopoly money,” what does that claim suggest about God’s view of value, success, and wisdom—and how does it reframe what God is doing with our limited time on earth? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If all our money becomes “Monopoly money” the moment we die, what does that say about what God thinks is valuable and wise? How does that change how you see what God wants you to do with your short life?

In Luke 19:12–13 (“Do business till I come”), Bercot treats Jesus’ words as an expectation of ongoing kingdom labor; what do you think “doing business for our King” actually looks like in daily life, and how would an early Christian have recognized whether someone was truly “doing business”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In Luke 19:12–13, what does “doing business for our King” look like in normal daily life? How would an early Christian tell if someone was really doing it?

Bercot connects Matthew 6:31–33 (“seek first the kingdom”) to not worrying about food, drink, and clothing; where does your own “worry budget” reveal what you believe God knows, cares about, and will provide—and where does it reveal what you believe is ultimately on you? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Matthew 6:31–33 connects seeking the kingdom with not worrying about basic needs. What do the things you worry about most show about what you think God will handle, and what you think is on you?

When Bercot lists twenty forms of “kingdom work” (feeding, sheltering, prison visits, peacemaking, church planting, intercession, gifts of the Spirit, etc.), which items do you tend to treat as optional “extra credit,” and what in the New Testament pushes against that instinct? JumpstartAnother way to ask: From Bercot’s list of “kingdom work” (feeding, sheltering, prison visits, peacemaking, church planting, prayer, gifts of the Spirit, etc.), which ones do you treat like optional “extra credit”? What in the New Testament challenges that way of thinking?

He says that to live the kingdom life, these ministries “have to come first,” clarifying that kingdom service must be our “vocation” even if we spend more hours at a job or homemaking; what would have to change in your schedule, spending, and decision-making for kingdom service to function as vocation rather than hobby? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says kingdom service should be your main calling, not a side hobby. What would need to change in your time, spending, and choices for that to be true?

Bercot quotes John 6:27 (“Do not labor for the food which perishes…”); how do you personally discern whether your labor is mainly aimed at “food that perishes” versus “food that endures,” especially when your work and family responsibilities are legitimate? JumpstartAnother way to ask: John 6:27 warns about working for “food that perishes” instead of “food that endures.” How do you tell which kind of “food” your work is mainly aiming at, even with real family and job needs?

Clement of Alexandria says the spiritual person who must spend time on sustenance “thinks himself defrauded, being diverted by business”; what assumptions about Christian identity and purpose are embedded in that early Christian statement, and why does it sound unrealistic—or compelling—to modern Christians? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Clement says a spiritual person feels “cheated” when business pulls them away from spiritual purpose. What does that say about what Christians are for, and why might it sound unrealistic—or inspiring—today?

In discussing 2 Thessalonians 3:7–12 and Ephesians 4:28, Bercot argues that working to provide for yourself and your family is part of serving God, and also a means to give to those in need; how do you draw the line between faithful provision and “whittling away our time” accumulating “green plastic houses”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says work can serve God by providing for your family and helping people in need. How do you know when you’re providing faithfully versus wasting your life chasing “green plastic houses”?

The chapter ends by raising Jesus’ command to the rich young ruler to “give to the poor,” asking, “Surely it’s not a salvation issue. Or is it?” What would it do to your theology of grace, faith, assurance, and obedience if giving to the poor really is tied to salvation in a serious way? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Jesus told the rich young ruler to give to the poor, and the chapter asks if that could be a salvation issue. If giving to the poor really is strongly tied to salvation, how would that change how you think about grace, faith, assurance, and obedience?