Hi Friends, a couple of good reviews were posted this week here, and I have added questions for small group discussion below. I also formally added these questions to the books for purchase; they should be live within the next few days. Please let me know if you have any others that you think would be good to include. Thanks in advance for your continued help with reviews and spreading the word. May God bless the work of our hands!
Chapter 1: Defining Christian Nationalism
- What was your interest in or knowledge of Christian nationalism before picking up this booklet?
- Do you have any close friends or family members who think differently than you do politically? If so, what does that look like? Are you more likely to talk about your differences or avoid them?
- What have you learned (even if it’s been the hard way!) that has helped you avoid “partisan triggers”?
- What are you most looking forward to about this discussion? What are your concerns?
Chapter 2: Danger #1: The Blurring or Blending Problem
- What’s your morning breakfast routine look like, and do you like smoothies?
- Did the church(es) you grew up in have both a Christian and an American flag in the front worship space? What are your thoughts on that?
- How have you seen humor used in a healing way in politics? How about in a mocking or slanderous way?
- How can we live with a healthy separateness from politics, avoiding the blending problem, and keeping a smile on our face?
Chapter 3: Danger #2: The “Central Actor” Problem
- What do your kids or grandkids have a hard time waiting for? What about you right now?
- How have you heard 2 Chron. 7:14 used and applied? Has it been helpful or not?
- What “special things” are you grateful for about America? How has it been a force for good in your view? How has it not?
- What have you learned from other ethnicities and cultures– maybe even your own if it is different from America’s?
- Do you have any culturally or ethnically diverse friends? What have you learned from and/or what do you appreciate about them?
Chapter 4: Danger #3: The Domination Problem
- What resonated with you most in this chapter?
- What challenged you?
- What do you think of the concept of “liberal democracy”?
- In reflecting on the last paragraph, how might we be more deeply involved in our communities? How might you be in your neighborhood?
Chapter 5: Danger #4: The Distortion Problem
- Do you have friends or family that have gone more politically “left” in the last decade? Any that have left the faith altogether? What about you? Why—that is, what happened from your perspective?
- How might 2 Timothy 2:24-26 inform your interactions with those who came to mind in the previous question?
- How might our churches grow more in prayer, meekness, and compassion?
- Which of these three do you struggle with the most and why?
Chapter 6: Final Words
- How has this booklet/discussion challenged or encouraged you?
- What has stretched you the most? Or is there anything you want to push back on?
- What do you struggle with the most about America’s moral or secular drift?
- Close by having folks open their Bibles or Bible apps and read all of Psalm 112. Then ask, “What’s the most meaningful part of this passage in light of our study?”
Bonus Track #1: Gospel Transformation vs. Politics
- Are you more prone to cancel someone who thinks differently than you do politically, or to be curious, asking them to share their story? (e.g. “How did you come to your position or view on this issue/person?”)
- What have you learned that has helped you navigate the world of politics in a way that prioritizes gospel transformation and heart-change? How does the chart help with this?
- Thinking about James 1:19-20, how is anger natural, healthy, and important? And yet how can it be toxic? How do we navigate this confusing human emotion when it comes to politics?
Bonus Track #2: The Trust Chart: Are We Solving for Political Power or Heart Change?
- What stood out to you the most about this chapter?
- Anything you didn’t know or disagreed with?
- “Ministry flows at the speed of trust.” How have you seen this play out in your life?
Bonus Track #3: The Problems with Single-Issue Voting
- When was the first time you voted? Who were the candidates then and what were the issues you cared about most?
- This chapter lists several issues that Christians care deeply about. Which are the most important to you? Are there any that you think should be added to the list?
- How is our world profoundly broken, stunningly beautiful, and complex? Try to give concrete examples of each.