Finding God in the Questions

Chapter 7:  Who Was Jesus?

1.  What about the jargon/lingo of Christianity seems confusing or odd to you?

2.  Does the idea of Jesus performing miracles in the Gospels enhance or hinder your faith in him as the Son of God?  How?

3.  How do you respond intellectually or emotionally when hearing the story of Jesus' crucifixion?

4.  Why is it so important to a Christian's faith that Jesus was resurrected from death?  In what ways might the resurrection change your life?

5.  How would you respond to the perspective cited, "If you don't believe in the resurrection, you are not a true believer and certainly not a Christian in any traditional sense?"

6.  Which piece of evidence for Jesus' resurrection, if any, do you find most convincing?

7.  In your mind, what about the church discredits the Jesus of the Gospels and his teachings?

8.  What experiences with the church have led you to or away from following Jesus?

9.  Are you comfortable with Johnson's decision to describe himself as a "follower of Jesus" rather than as a "Christian?"  Which label feels right for you?

10.  How might followers of Jesus mend the negative reputation Christianity has gained?

11.  Jesus told Nicodemus, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."  What does it mean to be born again?  Why did Jesus insist, "You must be born again?"

12.  How do you feel about the N.T. Wright quote in answer to the question, "Is Jesus God?"  Is it as helpful to you as it is to Johnson?

Chapter 6:  What Did Jesus Teach?

1.  Imagine that you are sitting on the side of a hill and listening to Jesus in person.  What questions or responses might you have about Jesus?

2.  What is your impression of Jesus?  What experiences or people shaped this impression in your mind?  How might this be different from the Jesus portrayed in the Gospels?

3.  What prejudices about Jesus, the Gospels or religion keep people from exploring Christianity?

4.  What is most surprising to you about Jesus' teachings mentioned in the chapter?  What about this teaching seems startling?

5.  Why do you think teaching on certain subjects (like abortion or homosexuality) is not found in the Gospels?

6.  Think of a time when you viewed yourself as impure or unacceptable.  What made you feel that way?  How might Jesus respond?

7.  Jesus warned his followers about the foolishness and futility of acquiring wealth for its own sake.  Do you agree with Jesus' teaching on money and possessions?  Is it realistic?  Why or why not?  What makes his teachings so hard to follow?

8.  Johnson states, "Jesus had a startling way of zeroing in on the sore spot, the hidden problem that was keeping a person from truly seeking God."  If you were to encounter Jesus on the side of the road, what would be the "sore spot" he might focus on in your life?

9.  Considering the story of Zacchaeus, what might Jesus expect you to do in order to receive "salvation" and remedy that troubled area in your life?

10.  Which character do you identify with in the story of the prodigal son?  Why do you picture yourself in that role?  What does the parable say about God's love for this particular character?

Finding God in the Questions

Chapter 5:  Why Bother with Religion and the Bible?

1.  Do you think that it's worthwhile to think about and discuss religion?  Do you think that religion could change your life?  In your view, what are the best reasons for paying attention to religion?

2.  What kind of impact, both positive and negative, has religion had on the world?  What effects has religion had on your life so far?

3.  As Johnson notes, the Bible is central to the Christian faith.  What role has the Bible played in your life up to this point?  In what way is the New Testament relevant to your life now?

4.  When speaking about the Bible, Johnson advises us "not to take particular passages out of context."  Why is this so important?

5.  What is special about Jesus' life and teachings that help us understand the whole Bible?

6.  What are signs that the New Testament is a dependable source for what Jesus actually spoke and did?

7.  What similarities and differences do you see from Johnson's short summaries of each of the four Gospels, especially regarding who Jesus is?

8.  In his discussion of the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus, Johnson says, "His parables and life experiences often speak to universal questions and longings that transcend the particular concerns of his own time."  How might Jesus' words and life apply to your own "big questions" of today?

Finding God in the Questions

Chapter 4:  Who Are We?

1.  Johnson says that even if we think that moral principles came about because of a kind of social selection, the existence of God could still be the ultimate source of morality.  How is this possible?

2.  Do you think it is reasonable to claim that all moral principles came about because they are useful and advance the comfort of the human race?  Why or why not?

3.  Describe a time that you experienced the "inner light" that Johnson describes on page 64...a time when you specifically referenced a higher moral principle.

4.  Which do you think is more likely, that our universal moral principles come from the existence of God, or as a result of social evolution?

5.  Are you convinced by Johnson's arguments that there is a God of creation, and how does this idea of the creator God affect your idea of the God of religion?

6.  What does our deep need for morality, relationships and contact with something (or someone) transcendent tell us about our place in the universe?

7.  Have you ever had an experience in which you seemed to be in contact with a transcendent entity?  How did this experience influence your spiritual journey?

Finding God in the Questions

Chapter 3:  How Did We Get Here?

1.  Have you ever had experiences in which God seemed to be speaking to you through nature, mathematics, science, music or art?  How did these experiences affect your belief in God?

2.  Johnson describes various "cosmic coincidences" that are particular conditions required for the existence of life.  Do you think that all of these special circumstances could be the result of chance?  Why or why not?

3.  Johnson points out the complex interactions in our environment that support life, and how water, light, carbon and oxygen all have structures that specifically allow for human existence.  In addition, DNA is unique in its ability to replicate human life.  What might this tell us about the existence of God and humans' place in the universe?

4.  Johnson postulates that perhaps the fact that you are thinking right now about the origin of the universe suggests the existence of a divine Mind behind it all.  The ability to reason and wonder about grand matters like this goes beyond our need to physically survive.  Do you think the similarity between the order in your mind and the order in the universe suggests the existence of God?

5.  Do you think that nature alone gives enough evidence for the existence of a creator God, or are more signs needed?

6.  What things in nature do you personally observe that suggest they came from one source?

7.  Do signs of intelligent design in the universe affect how you live your life?  How so?

Finding God in the Questions

Chapter 2: Is the Universe an Accident?

1.  Have you ever had an experience that made you marvel in wonder and awe at the beauty and vastness of the universe?

2.  The first section of the book deals with the question of whether the universe was more likely made by a "creator God" or the result of alone.  Why do you think Johnson chose to tackle this question first?  Have questions concerning the beginning of the world ever been an obstacle to belief in your own life?  How so?

3.  In this chapter, Johnson discusses why he thinks the universe was made by an "intelligent" creator.  What are your own thoughts in response to this claim?

4.  Which, if any, of the scientific discoveries Johnson discusses do you consider to be a persuasive pointer to the existence of a creator God?

5.  What do you think about Johnson's arguments against the position that the world came to exist entirely by chance?

6.  Do you agree that the issue of how life came from dead chemicals and materials is "the most unfathomable phenomenon of all?"  Can Darwinian science (and science in general) adequately account for this reality?

7.  The concept of natural selection might seem to many people like a roadblock to belief in an intelligent designer behind the universe; however, Johnson does not view natural selection as an obstacle.  How might natural selection be a part of a universe designed by God rather than one run entirely by chance?

8.  How can science support and enrich a person's belief in a creator God?  What role has scientific knowledge played in your own spiritual journey?

Finding God in the Questions

Chapter 1:  Why do the Questions Keep Coming?

1.  No matter what our age, Johnson attests that we all have "big questions," and they keep coming back.  What comes to mind when you hear the term "big questions," and what are the "big questions" in your life that would like answered?

2.  During times of transition, our questioning often intensifies.  Think about a time of change in your life.  How did it help you to focus on big questions?

3.  What answers appeared during this intense time of questioning?  How have those answers and questions affected where you are today spiritually?

4.  Johnson thinks that intellectual and spiritual doubts aren't enemies; instead, these kinds of doubts are important companions on the journey to truth.  Do you agree with this view on doubt?  Has doubt ever helped you in your spiritual quest?

5.  Johnson discusses how his upbringing in a strong Christian family influenced his beliefs.  What part has your family played in your belief system?

6.  What events or people have you encountered in your life that have changed your beliefs? In your opinion, were these changes positive positive or negative?

7.  Johnson claims that the following two beliefs are foundational to his spiritual journey: everyone is capable of knowing God, and God is the creator of all types of truth, not just religious truth at one particular time or place.  What is his rationale for holding these beliefs?  Do you agree with them?  Why or why not?