23-Week Study & Discussion Guide

Love Does

by Bob Goff·156 discussion questions

Week 1 — FreeRead the Introduction of Love Does by Bob Goff.

Discussion question your group will work through:

1.Bob opens by describing his sense that God is not a distant observer but someone who is genuinely "with" us. What is your gut reaction to that idea — does it feel obvious, surprising, or a little uncomfortable? Why?

Read all of Week 1 — Free

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About This Study Guide

Bob Goff's Love Does is not a theology textbook or a self-help manual — it's a collection of wild, funny, and deeply moving stories from a life lived with reckless, action-oriented love. Bob's central thesis is deceptively simple: love is not merely a feeling or a set of beliefs; love is something you do. Through tales of sailing the Pacific on a crate of canned meat, sitting on a bench outside a law school dean's office for seven days, eating ice cream with world leaders, and fighting for justice in Uganda, Bob argues that faith becomes real the moment it gets off the couch and into the world. Each chapter is a story, and each story is an invitation to stop merely admiring Jesus from a safe distance and start following Him into adventure.

This study guide is designed to be used one chapter per week, either individually or in a small group. Before each session, read the assigned chapter slowly — maybe twice — and jot down any moment that made you laugh, surprised you, or quietly convicted you. Use the discussion questions to go deeper, and let the closing prayer move what you've discussed from your head into your heart. There is no pressure to have the "right" answers; the goal is honest conversation and genuine reflection. Some questions are straightforward (what did Bob do or say?), some are personal (where do you see this in your own life?), and some are bigger (how does this connect to who Jesus is and what He calls us to?).

By the end of this guide, you will have spent time with one of the most contagiously joyful books in recent Christian writing. More importantly, you may find yourself a little less satisfied with a cautious, theoretical faith — and a little more willing to say yes to the next unexpected, inconvenient, delightful thing Love puts in front of you. That is exactly what Bob Goff is hoping for.

Week 1: Introduction — "I'm With You"

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Read Week 1

Read the Introduction of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.Bob opens by describing his sense that God is not a distant observer but someone who is genuinely "with" us. What is your gut reaction to that idea — does it feel obvious, surprising, or a little uncomfortable? Why?

2.He frames the book as a collection of stories rather than a list of principles. Why do you think he chose stories as his primary vehicle? What can a story do that a bullet-point list cannot?

3.The publisher description calls Bob "the world's best-kept secret." What do you think that means, and what does it suggest about the kind of faith Bob is modeling — is it loud or quiet? Public or personal?

4.Bob's life is described as "hilarious, whimsical, and meaningful." Do those three words feel like they belong together in a description of following Jesus? Which of those three words feels least natural to you in a faith context, and why?

5.The introduction sets up the book's central claim: love is not passive — it does something. Where in your own life have you experienced love that was genuinely active and not just emotional?

6.Bob seems to believe that ordinary life — sailboats, canned meat, park benches, ice cream — is the arena where faith happens. How does that compare to the way faith is typically presented in church, books, or sermons you've encountered?

7.If you had to describe your faith right now as either "active" or "resting" — which would it be, and what is one concrete thing that describes why you chose that word?

8.How does the picture of a God who "does" — who acts, moves, and shows up — shape how you understand the gospel, the life of Jesus, or what it means to follow Him?

Week 2: Chapter 1 — "Skipping Christmas"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 1 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.Bob describes making a decision to pursue something even when it seemed unreasonable or ill-timed. What was the decision, and what made it feel risky or unconventional?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 3: Chapter 2 — "The Raddest Guy"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 2 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.Who is the "raddest guy" in this chapter, and what specific qualities or actions made Bob describe him that way?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 4: Chapter 3 — "The Mortified Guy"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 3 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What happened in this chapter that caused the feeling of mortification, and how did Bob respond to it?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 5: Chapter 4 — "The Interviews"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 4 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What was Bob's goal in arranging meetings with world leaders for his children, and how did he actually manage to make it happen? What does the method itself reveal about his character?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 6: Chapter 5 — "The Ben Franklin"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 5 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What was "the Ben Franklin" move Bob describes in this chapter, and what made it feel significant rather than merely transactional?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 7: Chapter 6 — "The Last Will and Testament of a Raccoon"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 6 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What is the story of the raccoon, and what unexpected truth does Bob draw from it? Did the conclusion surprise you or feel earned?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 8: Chapter 7 — "The Chance"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 7 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What "chance" is Bob describing in this chapter, and what did it cost him to take it? What did it produce?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 9: Chapter 8 — "The Goalpost"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 8 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What was Bob's "goalpost" in this chapter — what was he aiming for, and what happened when he got there or didn't?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 10: Chapter 9 — "The Ceiling Fan"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 9 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What is the ceiling fan metaphor, and what spiritual or relational truth does Bob use it to illustrate? Did the image land for you — why or why not?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 11: Chapter 10 — "The Cabin"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 10 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.Describe the cabin as Bob presents it. What makes it special — and is it the physical place itself, or what Bob does with it, that matters most?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 12: Chapter 11 — "Uganda"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 11 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.How did Bob's relationship with Uganda begin, and what did it grow into? What does the arc of that story say about the nature of love when it is given consistently over time?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 13: Chapter 12 — "Tom Sawyer and the Real Pirates"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 12 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What is the Tom Sawyer analogy Bob is drawing on, and how does he use it to describe a way of living? Did it resonate with you — do you feel like someone in a story, or more like an observer?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 14: Chapter 13 — "The New Landlord"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 13 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What is the landlord story, and what spiritual truth does Bob draw from the change-of-ownership experience? Was the comparison effective for you?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 15: Chapter 14 — "Crashing the Boards"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 14 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What does "crashing the boards" mean in basketball, and how does Bob use the image? What is the spiritual or relational equivalent he is pointing toward?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 16: Chapter 15 — "Wiggle Room"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 15 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What is the "wiggle room" Bob is talking about, and why does he think it matters? How does he distinguish between the kind of freedom that leads to love and the kind that leads to self-indulgence?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 17: Chapter 16 — "Being There"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 16 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What story does Bob tell in this chapter that illustrates the power of presence? What made the act of "being there" significant — what did it communicate that words or gifts could not?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 18: Chapter 17 — "The Drive-Through"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 17 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What happened at the drive-through, and what made it a meaningful story rather than just a quirky anecdote? What did Bob do, and what did it produce?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 19: Chapter 18 — "Fighting for the Opportunity"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 18 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What specific justice work does Bob describe in this chapter, and what was the situation he was fighting against? What made it a fight — what was the resistance he encountered?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 20: Chapter 19 — "Waving"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 19 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What is the waving story, and what does Bob say about what a wave communicates? Did it strike you as profound or overly simple — or both at the same time?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 21: Chapter 20 — "The Release"

All 7 questions

Read Chapter 20 of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.What does Bob mean by "the release," and what specific story or image does he use to illustrate it? What made the moment of release significant?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 22: Review & Reflection

All 8 questions

Review your notes, journal entries, and underlined passages from all of Love Does by Bob Goff.

1.Which chapter or story from Love Does had the greatest impact on you, and why? What was it about that particular story that reached you in a way the others didn't?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many weeks is the Love Does study guide?

This study guide covers Love Does in 23 weeks, with chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.

How many discussion questions are included?

The complete guide includes 156 discussion questions across 23 weeks — an average of 7 questions per week, designed for group conversation.

Can I use this guide for a book club?

Yes — the questions are written for group discussion and work well for small groups, book clubs, church studies, and couples reading together.

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