Discussion Questions

Thomas à Kempis describes a humble Christian as being “so contented and comforted by God” that he would just as willingly be the least as others desire to be the greatest; what does that claim suggest about what God offers the humble person that public honor cannot provide? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If a humble person is so satisfied in God that they don’t need to be “the greatest,” what does God give them that public praise can’t?

The chapter argues that kingdom-life humility is not indifference to evaluation, but a transfer of concern from “what others think” to “what God thinks”; where do you see your own peace most practically rising and falling with other people’s judgments, and what would have to change for God’s assessment to weigh more? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where does your peace go up or down based on what people think of you? What would need to change for what God thinks to matter more to you?

In the “Peggy Prodigy” illustration, parents’ opinions don’t move her because only Dr. Du Bois’ evaluation determines her grade, and because the parents’ standards often contradict the professor’s; what does this imply about the reliability of popular Christian admiration or criticism as a measure of spiritual health? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the “Peggy Prodigy” story suggest about how much we should trust Christian praise or criticism as a sign of spiritual health?

Francis of Assisi is quoted: “for what a man is before God, that he is and nothing more”; how does that statement confront the way modern Christians build identity through reputation, platform, ministry success, family achievement, or theological correctness? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If “what a person is before God” is all they really are, how does that challenge building your identity on reputation, platform, ministry success, family success, or being theologically correct?

The chapter describes pride-training beginning in toddlerhood through competition, honor-stickers, elections for popularity, and “collective pride” in school/state/country; which of those forms of pride feel most “normal” or even “good” to you, and why might that normality be a sign of how deeply the world has discipled us? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Which kinds of pride taught in childhood (competition, rewards, popularity, group pride) feel normal or even good to you? Why might that show how much the world has shaped us?

William Law calls pride “as dangerous a passion as that of lust” and says we are “gluted with pride” by adulthood; what reactions does that comparison stir in you, and what does it reveal about how seriously God views pride compared to how modern evangelical culture tends to treat it? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How do you feel hearing pride compared to lust as something dangerous? What does that say about how seriously God takes pride compared to how many evangelicals treat it?

The chapter claims many Christians mistake humility for having once said a sinner’s prayer—“they’ve embraced a theological position” while their hearts remain full of pride; what are concrete signs that someone has adopted correct beliefs without undergoing the deep “unlearning” the chapter says is necessary? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What are clear signs someone believes the right things but is still controlled by pride? What might it look like to miss the deep “unlearning” the chapter talks about?

The author holds up Jesus as the only perfect example of humility—becoming part of creation, washing feet, enduring mockery and crucifixion, and repeatedly redirecting glory to the Father; what does Jesus’ pattern suggest about God’s values regarding status, rights, and self-assertion, and how would early Christians have expected disciples to imitate that? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does Jesus’ humble life (becoming human, washing feet, suffering, giving glory to the Father) show about what God values about status and rights? How would early Christians expect disciples to copy this pattern?

The chapter contrasts Jesus’ sincerity with “false skin-deep modesty” that increases admiration (like “Greg Glorius”); what are subtle ways humility can become a strategy for being noticed in Christian communities, and how can a group discern the difference between true humility and performative humility? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can “humility” become a way to get attention in a church? How can a group tell the difference between real humility and fake, attention-seeking humility?

Jesus’ response to the rich young ruler—“Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God”—is presented as Jesus refusing praise to protect the Father’s glory; what does this reveal about Jesus’ inner motives, and how might it challenge modern assumptions about promoting oneself, defending one’s “authority,” or needing recognition for doing good works? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When Jesus turns praise away from himself and toward God, what does that show about his motives? How does it challenge our habits of self-promotion, protecting our “authority,” or needing credit for good works?