Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
Week 5: Chapter 4 — Ye Old Wives' Tale and Other Dubious Guidance Methods
Read Chapter 4 of Just Do Something. Key passages to consider: Deuteronomy 18:10–12; Isaiah 8:19–20; 2 Timothy 3:16–17.
Previewing Week 5 of Just Do Something
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 10-week guide when you’re ready.
DeYoung takes a careful and sometimes pointed look at the popular methods Christians use to discern God's guidance — and asks whether they are rooted in Scripture or in something else entirely.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.DeYoung reviews several common guidance methods: open and closed doors, fleeces, inner voices, dreams, signs, and circumstantial confirmation. Which of these have you personally relied on, and what was the result?
2.He argues that 'putting out a fleece' — borrowing the practice from Gideon in Judges 6 — is actually a misreading of the biblical text. What is the context of Gideon's fleece, and why does DeYoung say it should not be treated as a model for Christian decision-making?
3.DeYoung does not say that God never speaks through circumstances or that He never uses unusual means. What does he say? Where does he draw the line?
a.What is the danger of treating any open door as God's confirmation that you should walk through it?
b.What is the danger of treating any closed door as God telling you to stop?