2. As Christians, we are called to be discerning, but we are also called to be loving and caring toward the people around us. How do we balance the two?
3. We tend to think of fasting as going without food for an extended period. How does the prophet Isaiah describe the kind of fast that God desires (see Isaiah 58)?
4. In what ways can you “move toward the rubble” in your neighborhood, community, or town? How does that align with your understanding of evangelism?
Chapter 9
Missing Pieces: Finding the meaning of Jesus in the crucible of suffering
1. What do you think of the quotes at the beginning of this chapter? Do you agree with them? When have you seen them as true or untrue in your life?
2. What explanations do people give for why there is evil and suffering in our world? What answer would you give?
3. How does God use pain and suffering in our lives to further his redemptive purpose for the world? How has your own suffering uniquely equipped you to offer “empathy amid the thorns” to someone else?
Chapter 10
Looking for the Rainbow: Does God really hate gays?
1. Describe your own experience with the issue of homosexuality and the church. How has the church typically responded to this issue?
2. Describe the “chameleon” and “musk ox” responses people or churches often have in regard to difficult social and cultural issues. Which response do you tend toward? What is the third way?
3. What do you think causes the church to respond to issues of sexuality differently than it does to other sensitive issues? What does loving the sinner and hating the sin really look like in our world today? How can we be accepting of people without being accepting of their sin, especially when it comes to a sinful lifestyle?
4. What would it mean for you to go “all in” to the briarpatches in your life? What would need to change, and what would stay the same?
Chapter 11
Open Borders: Living outside the walls
1. In what ways are you already in the midst of the briarpatch? How can you model the hope and healing of the gospel of Jesus Christ right where you are?
2. How does faith in Jesus differ from adherence to other religions?
3. In what ways do you need to “get out of Tennessee”? How can you and your church become more intentional about doing this? What are the benefits of living with “open borders”?