Questions for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection
To get the most out of your group discussion or personal reflection on each chapter, begin your time with prayer, asking God to guide you. Then answer this general question: What was the one thing you want to remember the most from this chapter?
After using these questions below, end your time by answering this question: What’s the one thing you want to do differently based on what you’ve learned? Then close with prayer, asking for God’s help.
Chapter 1: Obsessive and Complacent Christianity
1. Describe obsessive and complacent Christianity in your own words.
2. Do you struggle more with being obsessive or complacent?
3. Why did Josh say that he’d prefer that you were complacent rather than obsessive? Do you agree or disagree?
4. Have you ever hoped that Christianity wasn’t true? Why?
5. Do you struggle to view God as a loving Father (Abba)? How might your view of God affect your ability to enjoy this life?
6. What do you hope to gain from this study?
Chapter 2: Grasping Grace
1. Did this chapter change your understanding of grace? If so, how?
2. Josh said that your biggest responsibility in your Christian walk is to let Jesus carry you. Do you agree or disagree? How can this idea be taken too far?
3. Describe the two cliffs in your own words.
4. Which cliff presents the biggest danger to you? Has it always been that way?
Chapter 3: It’s Okay to Be Normal
1. Have you known a Radical Randy? If so, how has this person affected your desire to follow God?
2. What does reading the Bible contextually mean? Why is it important?
3. Do you think being radical is overemphasized in the church today? In what ways is being radical good? In what ways is it bad?
4. Have you ever found your identity in being a better Christian than other people? How does that affect your relationship with God? With other Christians?
5. Have you ever felt like a minor-league Christian? Have you ever used that to excuse halfhearted obedience?
Chapter 4: Honorable Work
1. Describe a time you struggled to find significance in your job.
2. Have you ever used not being in vocational ministry as an excuse for not serving God?
3. If you are or have been in vocational ministry, have you been guilty of elevating your calling above others?
4. In your own words, explain the relationship Josh sees between the Old and New Testaments. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
5. Does this view of the Old Testament make you more interested in reading it? If so, what are some steps you could take to do so?
6. What are the two Great Commissions Josh described? Does the first Great Commission affect how you feel about work? If so, how?
Chapter 5: Greatness for Average Joes
1. Whom have you compared yourself to as a Christian?
2. What are the two types of low ambitions Josh talked about? Which one is a greater temptation for you?
3. What are you good at? If you can’t answer that, what do other people say you’re good at? How can you discover your strengths and build on them?
4. If you could do anything for God and knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?
5. What books and stories inspire you to greatness?
Chapter 6: Why Are Christians So Weird?
1. Did you grow up in a Christian subculture? If so, do you remember it with fondness, embarrassment, or bitterness?
2. Has fear of appearing odd ever held you back from following God?
3. What are the benefits of not being a part of the popular culture? What are the disadvantages?
4. Many people believe that America is becoming a post-Christian nation. In what ways is that a bad thing? In what ways is it good?
5. Do you believe Halloween can be redeemed for good? Why or why not? If yes, what are some ways to do so?
6. In what ways should and shouldn’t we look strange to non-Christians?
Chapter 7: Witnessing Without Weirdness
1. Share about an experience you had witnessing. Was it a positive or negative experience?
2. Read Titus 2:10. What does Paul mean when he says, “They will make the teachings about God our Savior attractive”? How can you do that?
3. Do you struggle more with speaking about God when you should be quiet or keeping quiet when you should speak?
4. Read 1 Peter 3:15-16. What elements of evangelism are imbedded in this passage?
Chapter 8: In Defense of Earthly Joys
1. Do you think the average non-Christian thinks of Christians as joy filled or joyless? Why?
2. Have you divided your life into earthly and spiritual compartments? If so, describe them.
3. What are some biblical passages that praise earthly joy?
4. What are some ways you can balance seeking God with enjoying his gifts?
5. Josh challenged you to invite Jesus to the football game. What does that mean for you? How can you do that?
Chapter 9: When God Throws a Party
1. Are your celebrations more inclined to be complacently sinful or obsessively religious?
2. What are some ways that sin makes parties less fun?
3. What did Josh mean when he suggested you infuse joy and meaning into events? What are some practical ways you can do that?
4. Describe a celebration that would help you look forward to heaven.
Chapter 10: In Defense of Spiritual Joys
1. Does enjoying God and his presence come naturally for you, or is it a struggle?
2. How can earthly enjoyment help you enjoy God more?
3. What are the five spiritual disciplines that Josh discussed? What would you add to that list? Which ones are easiest for you? Which are hardest?
4. Read through the list of sacred pathways. Which ones resonate with you the most?
5. How did Josh describe balancing earthly and spiritual joys? Which one do you need to emphasize more right now?
Chapter 11: Happy Holiness
1. Josh described sin as short-lived pleasure at the expense of long-term happiness. How would you illustrate that using a personal experience?
2. What was Satan’s lie about God? What are some ways you’ve bought into that lie?
3. Josh said that obeying God is the best path to joy. Can you think of any apparent exceptions to that?
4. What was the Consequence Inverter? How can you create one of your own?
5. Why did Josh say that all sins are, at their core, sins of unbelief? Do you agree or disagree?
Chapter 12: What About Money?
1. Describe a time when you felt guilty for spending money on yourself.
2. What is consumerism? What are some of the ways you’ve bought into it?
3. What are some of the good things the Bible says about money? What are some of the warnings it gives?
4. What are the three safe practices Josh gave for handling money? Which one is most important for you to start using?
5. Why did Josh say that generosity is not optional for Christians? Do you agree or disagree?
6. How did Josh say you can know whether you’re being generous enough?
Chapter 13: Between Legalism and Worldliness, Part 1
1. What did Josh mean by the word fences? What are some fences in your life?
2. Why did Josh say fences provide only an illusion of safety? Do you agree or disagree?
3. What are some ways you’ve tried to put fences along other peoples’ paths?
4. Describe a time you felt patronized because of your fences or judged for your lack of them.
Chapter 14: Between Legalism and Worldliness, Part 2
1. What are some of the biblical meanings of the phrase the world? Describe a time that you hated the wrong world.
2. How would you describe worldliness?
3. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22. How can you apply this verse to avoiding worldliness?
4. How can you decide which movies, shows, books, or games are so harmful that you must avoid them entirely? How does this standard change for different people?
5. How much time do you spend on entertainment? Is that amount of time appropriate?
Chapter 15: Don’t Waste Pain
1. What does Ecclesiastes mean by “Sorrow is better than laughter” (7:3)?
2. What are some lessons you’ve learned in pain?
3. What did Josh mean by using suffering to find joy?
4. Read Romans 8:28-30. What does it teach you about your suffering?
5. Do you find God’s answer to Job comforting? Why or why not?
6. What did Josh mean by saying we tend to numb our pain? What are some destructive ways you’ve tried to numb your pain?
1. Have earthly joys distracted you from eternity or made you long for Jesus more?
2. What are eternal hunger pains? Describe a time when you felt them.
3. What did Josh mean when he said it’s okay to be hungry?
4. How have you tried to numb your eternal hunger pains?
5. What are some ways you can cultivate hunger? What are some ways you can cultivate joy?
Chapter 17: This Life Matters
1. Do you view this life more like a rough draft or a first chapter? How do you think that affects how you live?
2. What are the eternal consequences of how you treat your earthly body?
3. Would you give the $1000 to the Christian organization that saved five souls or the secular organization that saved fifty girls from the sex trade? Why?
4. Do you think it’s okay for churches to spend a lot of money on their buildings? Why or why not?
5. What are some God-honoring ways you can better care for this earth?
Chapter 18: Onward
1. Begin by using the six questions in chapter 18.
2. How has this book changed you?
3. What do you wish the book would have covered that it did not?
4. What are the top three ways you want to be more radically normal a year from now? (Consider using www.FutureMe.org to send yourself an email one year from now.)