Move Toward the Mess

Discussion Questions 1. Have you ever thought about quitting your job and going into church or nonprofit work? What did you decide? Why did you make that decision? 2. Why do people often think full-time ministry is a more godly vocation than most other jobs? Are they right? Why or why not? 3. What sorts of messes exist where you work? Is it easy or

For years I was completely upside down about guilt. The crazy thing is that while this was going on I could give you a detailed, theologically accurate account of Christ’s atoning work on the cross. I sang songs about the love of God. I wrote songs about the love of God. I even went to seminary and wrote papers on salvation by grace. But when all w

I know what you might be thinking: What about that reference to the cross? How is that taking good care of myself? I don’t believe the point of the metaphor has to do with physical suffering; it has to do with the fact that consistently letting God be in control of our lives is hard and often painful. We will be religious. We will go to church. We

Discussion Questions 1. What role has guilt played in your life? 2. Have you encountered legalistic teaching before? What effect did it have on you? 3. Do you agree with the author’s comparison between guilt and physical pain? Why or why not? 4. Have you ever “inoculated” yourself by allowing a diluted experience to discourage you from the real thi

One last thing about being a change agent: We are only the agents of change. It is God who does the changing. We are just the people through whom he moves. Apparently, he’s not picky about whom he chooses. One time he used a prostitute named Rahab. Another time he used a murderer and adulterer named David. One time he actually used a donkey (see Nu

Discussion Questions 1. Are you surprised at where and when Young Life started? Why or why not? 2. How do you think the members of the church received the news that Jim Rayburn’s boss suggested he focus on the local high school instead of the “church kids”? 3. What do you think the kids at the local high school thought when Jim Rayburn started hang

In fact, I’m starting to think that if our only motives for moving toward the mess are that we feel we should go or ought to go, maybe it would be better if we didn’t go at all. I believe Jesus alluded to this when he said it is better to be cold than lukewarm.

Discussion Questions 1. What do you think of the quote at the beginning of the chapter? Is it a new thought, a confirmation of what you believe, or something with which you disagree? 2. Referring to the diagram with the big red circle representing the mess, where do you think most church people would put their “You are here” sticker? What about mos

Discussion Questions 1. Do you sense that boredom is prevalent in your church? Why or why not? 2. Has spiritual boredom been a struggle for you? If not, how have you avoided it? If so, why do you think that’s the case? 3. Why do you think boredom was not a problem for the Christians we read about in the New Testament? 4. The author suggests that bo