Book Club Questions for Forgotten God

1.Chan admits that he is nervous about writing this book — afraid it could lead readers toward either cold intellectualism about the Spirit or wild emotionalism. Why do you think the topic of the Holy Spirit is so prone to those two extremes? Which extreme is more tempting for you personally?

2.Chan asks whether the church would look any different if the Holy Spirit were taken away. What is your honest answer for your own church — and for your own life?

3.He describes a growing sense that something is desperately 'off' in the Western church, not just stylistically but spiritually. What evidence, if any, have you observed in your own church experience that points to this kind of deficit?

1.Chan points to Jesus' stunning claim in John 16:7 — that it was 'for your good' that He was going away so the Spirit could come. Why is this so hard for us to believe? If Jesus said this, why do we live as though we'd rather have Jesus physically present and the Spirit absent?

2.Walk through the logic Chan presents: the disciples had Jesus physically present for three years, yet they abandoned him, denied him, and doubted him — until the Spirit came. What does that progression tell us about what the Spirit provides that mere proximity to Jesus does not?

3.Chan distinguishes between knowing about someone and knowing them. How does that distinction apply to your relationship with the Holy Spirit right now — is it more informational or relational?

1.Chan walks through some of the key biblical descriptions of the Holy Spirit — breath, wind, fire, a dove, a deposit. Which of these images resonates most with you and why? Which feels most foreign or uncomfortable?

2.One of Chan's key points is that the Spirit is a person — with intellect, will, and emotion — not a force or an 'it.' How does the grammar of the New Testament (the Spirit 'grieves,' the Spirit 'intercedes') reinforce this? What changes practically when you treat the Spirit as a 'who' rather than a 'what'?

3.Romans 8:11 says the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in every believer. Sit with that claim for a moment. Does it feel true to your experience? If there's a gap between that statement and how you feel day-to-day, what do you think accounts for it?

1.Chan uses the story of Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8 as a sobering warning. Simon saw the Spirit's power and wanted it — but for entirely wrong reasons. What were his motives? And how are they uncomfortably similar to some of the ways Christians today pursue spiritual gifts or experiences?

2.Chan asks a searching question: Do you want the Holy Spirit because of what He can do for you — comfort, power, gifts, excitement — or because He is God and you love Him? How would you honestly answer that right now?

3.Chan warns against pursuing the Spirit primarily for the emotional experience He sometimes produces. Why is emotion-seeking a shaky foundation for a relationship with the Spirit? What's the difference between experiencing the Spirit and chasing the feeling of experiencing Him?

1.Chan identifies several fears that keep Christians at a safe distance from the Holy Spirit — fear of emotion, fear of losing control, fear of being weird, fear of what He might ask us to do. Which of these fears is most alive in you? Be specific.

2.Jesus uses the image of a good father who gives good gifts to his children (Luke 11:11–13), promising that our heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. How does Jesus' argument here directly address the fear that opening ourselves to the Spirit is somehow dangerous or unpredictable?

3.Chan distinguishes between legitimate discernment (testing the spirits, as 1 John 4 commands) and a fear-based avoidance that dresses up as discernment. How can you tell the difference in your own heart between wise caution and spiritual cowardice?

1.Chan describes the Spirit as someone we can grieve (Ephesians 4:30) and quench (1 Thessalonians 5:19). What do these two warnings tell us about the nature of our relationship with the Spirit — and about His personhood? What kinds of behaviors most grieve or quench Him in your life?

2.Chan talks about learning to recognize the Spirit's voice and promptings — distinguishing them from our own thoughts, desires, and fears. Have you ever had what you believed was a clear prompting from the Spirit? What did you do with it? What happened?

3.He uses the analogy of a human relationship to illuminate what it looks like to know the Spirit: spending time together, listening, responding, obeying. What aspect of your existing relationship habits (with friends, family, God) would most need to change for this kind of relationship with the Spirit to deepen?

1.Chan's chapter title is intentionally jarring — 'Forget About His Will for Your Life!' What does he actually mean by this? How is his real argument different from saying God's will doesn't matter?

2.He argues that many Christians treat 'finding God's will' as if God were a cosmic planner issuing personalized career plans, and that this misses the point. The Spirit's primary work is not to give us a road map but to transform us into people who embody God's character. How does that reframing change your approach to decision-making and life planning?

3.Chan points out the irony: we spend enormous energy searching for God's specific will for our lives while largely ignoring His clearly revealed will — to love God, love people, pursue holiness, and make disciples. Where do you most neglect the obvious in favor of searching for the mysterious?

1.Chan describes what he calls a 'supernatural church' — a community that cannot be explained apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, where unity, love, giftedness, and bold witness go beyond what human effort or organizational skill can produce. Have you ever experienced a community like that, even briefly? What made it different?

2.1 Corinthians 12 describes the church as a body where the Spirit distributes gifts as He sees fit — not for personal prestige but for the common good. How does your church community actually function in terms of shared giftedness? Are most people functioning as active, Spirit-gifted members or as passive consumers?

3.Chan argues that the 'attractional' model of church — where the goal is to attract outsiders with excellence, entertainment, and programs — can actually replace rather than display the Spirit's work. Do you agree? What would a church look like that relied more on the Spirit's power than on production quality?

1.At the beginning of the study, you were asked to write down your single biggest question or hesitation about the Holy Spirit. Return to what you wrote. Has it been answered, changed, or deepened? What would you write if asked the same question today?

2.Which chapter or idea from Forgotten God had the most impact on you — not just intellectually, but in your gut? What made it land so hard?

3.Chan's central diagnosis is that the Western church has largely forgotten the Holy Spirit, treating Him as optional rather than essential. Do you now agree with that diagnosis — for the church broadly, and for yourself specifically? Has your assessment changed from where you started?