Introduction: Companion Guide

Introduction

Chapter Summary

In this chapter, we begin where the book begins — with the restlessness you already feel and cannot quite name. He tells us why he wrote it, and what he is asking of us.

There is more. But it is His more, and His way — more of the real Jesus, not the tame version we have been handed.

Every guide in this series walks the same path: a Chapter Summary, Main Points, Reflection, Discussion, Response, Hard Questions, and Scripture References. Work through it on your own, with a discipleship partner, or with your small group. Wherever you are standing right now, you are in exactly the right place to begin.

Main Points

  • Something inside you already knows — and that restlessness is the reason you are here.
  • There is more. But it is His more, and His way. Not more of what you want, more of Him.
  • Jesus is not a portion of God revealed. He is the whole thing, the fullness of God in human form, and the door to everything God has and is.
  • Following Jesus will cost you something, but whatever it costs you to follow Him doesn't come close to what it costs you not to.
  • It is one thing to know about Jesus. It is an entirely different thing to know Him.

Reflection

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions.

  • What truths have I learned in this chapter?
  • In what ways have my present beliefs been challenged or strengthened?

If you are walking through this section with a person or group, take time to share your responses.

Discussion

Get ready to talk.

If you are walking through this section with a person or group, get some dialogue going with the following questions and corresponding points.

1. Something inside you already knows — and that restlessness is the reason you are here.

  • The chapter names it several ways: a pulling that won't let up, an emptiness achievement cannot fill, a whisper that something is missing. Which one sounds most like you?
  • What have you already tried in order to quiet that restlessness? Be specific, and be honest about whether it worked.
  • What made you pick up this book now? Say it out loud, in one sentence.

2. There is more. But it is His more, and His way. Not more of what you want, more of Him.

  • What is the difference between wanting more from God and wanting more of God?
  • If you are honest, what have you actually been asking Him for lately — a better version of the life you have already built, or Him?
  • The chapter says this is not a three-step formula and not a softer faith that asks less and promises more. What were you hoping this book would be? What would it take to lay that down?

3. Jesus is not a portion of God revealed. He is the whole thing, the fullness of God in human form, and the door to everything God has and is.

  • Read John 10:9 carefully. Jesus says those who enter by Him are saved and go in and out and find pasture. What work is the second half of that sentence doing?
  • The chapter describes the actual Jesus — the One who healed the sick, drove out darkness, made a whip, wept at a friend's grave, and dined with sinners. Which part of that portrait is missing from the Jesus you carry around in your head?
  • Where did your picture of Jesus come from? Who or what shaped it, and does it match the Jesus of the Scriptures?

4. Following Jesus will cost you something, but whatever it costs you to follow Him doesn't come close to what it costs you not to.

  • Jesus said those who follow Him must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. Why does the chapter insist that was not a suggestion?
  • Name one preference He is asking you to hand over. Not a general area — one thing.
  • The chapter calls it an exchange: lose all that you have, to gain all that He is. What has it already cost you not to follow Him fully?

5. It is one thing to know about Jesus. It is an entirely different thing to know Him.

  • In the prophet's vision, the water went from ankle-deep to over his head as he kept moving forward. How deep in the river are you standing right now, and how do you know?
  • Would the people closest to you say you know about Jesus, or that you know Him? What in your life would they point to?
  • There is always more of Him ahead of you than behind you. What is your next step forward, and when will you take it?

Response

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions, and how you will respond to the truths you have learned.

  • How will I apply the truths I've learned?
  • Is there a way that I can use what I have learned to impact someone in my life?

If you are walking through this section with a person or group, take time to share your responses.

Hard Questions, Real Answers

*Coming Soon*

Scripture References

Jesus Is the Door

  • John 10:9