Jumpstarter 6 of 10

Ideas to help restart your discussion

Question 6

Bercot says God “tests us” and identifies three principal tests—faith, commitment, obedience—rooted in Jesus’ phrases “continued with me in my trials” and “to him who overcomes”; what parts of your Christian life have you interpreted as inconvenience or bad luck that might actually be “testing,” and how would that reinterpretation change the way you respond?

Another way to ask: Bercot says God tests us in faith, commitment, and obedience. What hard parts of your life have you seen as bad luck that might be a test, and how would that change how you respond?

Direct Answer Bercot’s framework would reinterpret many hardships as God’s purposeful testing—especially tests that expose whether you trust God’s unseen Kingdom, whether you will pay the cost of loyalty to Christ, and whether you will keep obeying when it’s hard. Seeing trials this way would shift your response from resentment or despair to perseverance and “overcoming.”

Support from Transcript:

He says God determines who fits the Kingdom by testing: “He tests us.”
He highlights Jesus’ phrases: “continued with me in my trials” and “To him who overcomes.”
He quotes Paul: “we must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.”
Test #1 is “Faith”: the Kingdom is “invisible” unless born again, and blessings are largely future, requiring trust in promises fulfilled after death.
Test #2 is “Commitment”: Jesus requires laying down “everything,” with allegiance surpassing family, country, and life.
Test #3 is “Obedience”: some become disobedient; those who “practice lawlessness” are gathered out and judged.

Discussion Follow-ups The transcript can’t name your personal inconveniences, but it gives categories. Which test—faith, commitment, or obedience—do your current pressures most directly touch?

Jumpstarter 6 of 10

Add your phone number?

Thank you!

Jumpstarter 6 of 10