Discussion Questions

Jesus commands, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,” and grounds it in “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”; what does this suggest about how God views the heart’s loyalty, and what kinds of “treasure” today most reliably pull a Christian’s heart away from God? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Jesus says our heart follows our treasure. What does that show about what God wants our loyalty to be, and what “treasures” today most often pull Christians away from God?

David Bercot compares earthly wartime conscription to the Kingdom being “always at war”; what do you think he means by “always at war,” and how should that reshape the way Christians evaluate career ambition, promotions, and financial planning? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What do you think Bercot means when he says the Kingdom is “always at war”? How should that change the way Christians think about career goals, promotions, and saving money?

Jesus’ promise in the chapter is not prosperity but basic provision (“food, clothing, and some type of shelter”); what picture of God’s intentions for His people does that create, and where does that collide with the way modern Christians talk about “God’s blessing”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Jesus promises basic needs, not a rich life. What does that say about what God wants for His people, and how does that clash with how Christians today talk about “God’s blessing”?

The chapter treats “Blessed are you poor” and “Woe to you who are rich” as meant to shock us; what specific assumptions in your own thinking get exposed when Bercot asks whether we would look at a poor Christian family and say, “What a blessing”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Bercot says “Blessed are you poor” and “Woe to you who are rich” are meant to shock us. What beliefs in your own thinking get challenged by the question, “Would you call a poor Christian family a blessing”?

Bercot says prosperity is a snare and even jokes that abundant possessions might be a “curse”; what would have to be true about God’s wisdom and love for that to make sense, and what parts of American Christian culture make that interpretation feel almost impossible to accept? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If prosperity can be a trap or even a “curse,” what would that say about God’s wisdom and love? What parts of American Christian culture make that idea hard to accept?

The chapter contrasts “poor” with “poor in spirit,” using Clement of Alexandria’s idea of being “poor in their souls”; what would it look like in concrete behavior for someone to be materially comfortable but genuinely “detached” from Mammon? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What would it look like in real life for someone to have plenty of money but still be truly “detached” from Mammon?

Bercot distinguishes “worldly poverty” (often covetous, dishonest, debt-driven, irresponsible, or burdensome) from “Kingdom poverty” (chosen, content, hardworking, not covetous, honoring obligations); which parts of that description feel unfair or too blunt, and what in the chapter pushes him to speak that way? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Which parts of Bercot’s contrast between “worldly poverty” and “Kingdom poverty” feel too harsh or unfair to you? What in the chapter seems to lead him to talk that bluntly?

The chapter insists the “Kingdom poor” don’t buy consumer goods on credit and don’t leave creditors “holding the bag” because “your yes means yes”; how does this connect obedience, financial integrity, and discipleship, and what common modern Christian excuses does it challenge? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Why does the chapter say the “Kingdom poor” don’t buy things on credit and don’t leave debts unpaid? How does this connect following Jesus with honesty about money, and what common excuses does it challenge?

Using American income comparisons (U.S. vs. Romania, Honduras, Uganda, Somalia), Bercot argues “we Americans are rich” and therefore face Jesus’ “camel through the eye of a needle” warning; what do you think is the most honest way to define “rich” in light of this chapter, and how should that definition affect your lifestyle choices? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Americans count as “rich” compared to many countries, how should we honestly define “rich” based on this chapter? How should that definition change your lifestyle choices?

Jesus ties inheriting the Kingdom to feeding, clothing, sheltering, welcoming, and visiting “the least of these,” and Bercot says serving the poor is treated as “second-class ministry” among Bible-believers; what would have to change in your church’s priorities—and in your weekly schedule and budget—for this ministry to become “central,” not optional? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If serving “the least of these” is central to inheriting the Kingdom, what would need to change in your church’s priorities? What would need to change in your weekly time and spending to make serving the poor a main focus instead of an extra?