More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Week 10: Chapter 10 — Jesus Changes Lives
Read Chapter 10 of More Than a Carpenter.
Previewing Week 10 of More Than a Carpenter
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
After chapters of historical and philosophical argument, McDowell turns to what he considers the most intimate and undeniable evidence of all: the transforming power of a personal encounter with the living Jesus.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.McDowell closes the book's argument not with more historical data but with the evidence of changed lives — including his own. Why does he consider this a legitimate and important category of evidence, rather than mere anecdote?
2.McDowell describes his own transformation — from hostile skeptic to convinced believer and campus speaker — as the result of encountering the risen Christ. What specific changes did he describe in his life? What was different about him after his conversion?
3.A critic might say that many religions and ideologies produce changed lives — that transformation is not unique to Christianity. How does McDowell address that objection? What is distinctive about the kind of change associated with a personal relationship with Jesus?
a.Is the change merely behavioral, or does McDowell describe something deeper?
b.What is the source of the change — self-improvement, community, or something else?