Discussion question your group will work through:
1.Willard opens with the provocative image of two bumper stickers — one that says "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" and another that represents a moralistic, rule-keeping religion — and suggests both represent a failure of the gospel. What does he mean, and which of the two tendencies do you think is more common in your own experience of church life?
$24.99 for the full 8-week guide·7-day refund·One purchase, whole group
About This Study Guide
Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy is one of the most important and challenging books on Christian discipleship written in the twentieth century. Its central thesis is both simple and revolutionary: the gospel is not merely a message about how to get into heaven after death, but an invitation to live now, in the present, as an apprentice of Jesus Christ — participating in the life and rule of God that Jesus called "the kingdom of the heavens." Willard argues that the church has largely exchanged genuine discipleship for what he calls "bar code Christianity" — the idea that salvation is a transaction that gains us entry to eternal life while leaving our actual lives essentially unchanged. Against this thin version of the faith, Willard calls readers back to Jesus's own vision: a life so thoroughly transformed by love, character, and the presence of God that it overflows into every corner of our existence.
This study guide is designed for six weeks of small-group or individual reflection, corresponding to the six sessions of Willard's study. Each week, you are encouraged to read the assigned material slowly and prayerfully before your group meets. Keep a journal nearby — Willard's ideas are dense and rewarding, and writing down what strikes you, what confuses you, and what convicts you will make your discussions richer. Come ready not just to exchange information but to be changed. Some of Willard's arguments will feel unfamiliar, even unsettling; that is part of the point. Let the questions lead you past the surface of the text into honest self-examination and genuine conversation.
By the end of this guide, you should expect to have a clearer and more demanding picture of what it means to follow Jesus — not as a religious identity but as a way of life. You will be invited to examine the Beatitudes with fresh eyes, to reconsider what the Sermon on the Mount actually demands, to think carefully about spiritual disciplines as the means of soul-transformation, and to ask honestly whether the life you are living looks like the life Jesus described. The goal is not guilt but freedom: the freedom of a life genuinely hidden with Christ in God, receiving his kingdom as a present reality rather than a future reward.
8-Week Schedule
- Week 1Introduction — The Ruined and Restored Gospel8 questions
- Week 2The Beatitudes — A Different Kind of Blessed8 questions
- Week 3The Sermon on the Mount — Beyond the Letter of the Law8 questions
- Week 4The Cost of Discipleship — What It Means to Follow Jesus8 questions
- Week 5Spiritual Disciplines and Soul Transformation8 questions
- Week 6The Kingdom Come — Living as Agents of God's Reign8 questions
- Week 7Review & Reflection — The Whole Argument8 questions
Week 1: Introduction — The Ruined and Restored Gospel
Free sampleRead the Introduction and Chapter 1 of The Divine Conspiracy. Key passages: Matthew 4:17; Matthew 5:3; Luke 17:20–21.
1.Willard opens with the provocative image of two bumper stickers — one that says "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" and another that represents a moralistic, rule-keeping religion — and suggests both represent a failure of the gospel. What does he mean, and which of the two tendencies do you think is more common in your own experience of church life?
2.Willard describes what he calls "bar code Christianity" — the idea that what matters about a Christian is simply that they have been "scanned" by God as saved, regardless of how they actually live. Have you encountered this view? How does it differ from what you believe discipleship should look like?
3.The book's title, *The Divine Conspiracy*, refers to God's hidden, persistent, and joyful plan to reclaim all of reality through the redemption of human beings. In what ways does this framing — conspiracy rather than, say, "plan" or "program" — change how you picture God's work in the world?
4.Willard argues that the church has largely abandoned the task of producing disciples — people who are actually learning to live as Jesus lived — in favor of simply producing converts. Do you think this is a fair critique? What evidence, for or against, do you see in your own community of faith?
5.Jesus's announcement, "The kingdom of the heavens is at hand" (Matthew 4:17), is at the center of Willard's argument. What does Willard mean when he says the kingdom is not merely a future destination but a present reality we can live in now?
a.How does this differ from the way you were taught to think about "the kingdom of God" growing up, if at all?
b.What would it look like practically if you began each day oriented toward the kingdom as a present reality rather than a future hope?
6.Willard is deeply concerned with the interior life — the heart, the will, the soul — as the seat of genuine transformation. Why does he insist that behavior modification without inner change is not what Jesus was after? Do you agree?
7.If Jesus appeared in your city today and began teaching what he taught in Galilee, Willard suggests he would seem strange and out of place to most churchgoers. What does that say about the gap between the Christianity we have inherited and the life Jesus actually proclaimed?
8.How does Willard's opening challenge connect to the gospel itself — the good news that Jesus brought? Is the good news primarily about life after death, or does Willard argue for something larger? What do you think?
Week 2: The Beatitudes — A Different Kind of Blessed
Read Chapter 2 (or Session 2) of The Divine Conspiracy. Key passages: Matthew 5:3–12; Luke 6:20–26.
1.Willard argues that the Beatitudes are not a list of requirements for entry into God's kingdom, nor a list of virtues to aspire to, but rather a series of announcements that the kingdom is available even to those we would least expect. How does this reading differ from how you have traditionally heard the Beatitudes taught?
Week 3: The Sermon on the Mount — Beyond the Letter of the Law
Read Chapter 3 (or Session 3) of The Divine Conspiracy. Key passages: Matthew 5:17–48; Matthew 6:1–18.
1.Willard argues that Jesus's "but I say to you" statements (Matthew 5:21–48) are not making the law harder — they are going deeper, to the level of the heart and character where the law was always aimed. How does this reframe what Jesus means when he says he came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it?
Week 4: The Cost of Discipleship — What It Means to Follow Jesus
Read Chapter 4 (or Session 4) of The Divine Conspiracy. Key passages: Matthew 7:13–27; Luke 9:23–26; John 15:1–17.
1.Willard defines a disciple as someone who is with Jesus, learning from Jesus, and becoming like Jesus — in the specific rhythms of ordinary life. How does this definition compare to how your church or tradition has used the word "disciple"?
Week 5: Spiritual Disciplines and Soul Transformation
Read Chapter 5 (or Session 5) of The Divine Conspiracy. Key passages: Romans 12:1–2; Colossians 3:1–17; 1 Timothy 4:7–8.
1.Willard draws a sharp distinction between "trying" and "training." A person who tries to run a marathon without training will fail; a person who trains will find that what seemed impossible becomes natural. How does this analogy reshape your understanding of the role of spiritual disciplines in the Christian life?
Week 6: The Kingdom Come — Living as Agents of God's Reign
Read Chapter 6 (or Session 6) of The Divine Conspiracy. Key passages: Matthew 28:18–20; John 17:15–18; Revelation 21:1–5.
1.Willard argues that the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) is not primarily a command to get people to make a decision for Christ, but to "make disciples" — people who are actually learning to live as Jesus lived. How does this reframing change your sense of what evangelism or mission should look like?
Week 7: Review & Reflection — The Whole Argument
Review your notes, journals, and underlined passages from all six sessions of The Divine Conspiracy.
1.Which session or chapter had the most significant impact on you? Was it a new idea, a challenging claim, or something that confirmed what you already believed but gave you better words for it?
Why You Can Trust This
What You Get, and Our Promise
Here's exactly what's in every guide — and what happens if it falls short.
What's in every guide
- 9 sections per guide: overview, chapter summaries, discussion questions, key themes, important quotes, thematic analysis, character profiles, timeline, and practice review
- Multi-week format with a closing prayer for each session
- PDF download + permanent web link — keep it forever, share with your entire group
- Delivered to your inbox in about 5 minutes
- One purchase covers the whole group — no per-seat fees, no subscription
7-day money-back guarantee
If the guide doesn't meet your expectations, email support@bookstudyguide.com within 7 days and we'll refund you in full. No forms, no questions. Keep the guide either way.
A note from the founder: I'm Josh, and I built this because most Christian books don't come with study materials — leaving volunteer leaders to build discussion questions from scratch on a Saturday night. That shouldn't be the default. If anything about your guide isn't right, reply to your order email and it comes straight to me.
The free Week 1 sample for The Divine Conspiracy is above. Get the full 8-week guide for $24.99 when you're ready.
Get the The Divine Conspiracy GuideSkip Saturday-night question writing
8 weeks of discussion questions, reading schedule, closing prayers, and a downloadable PDF — built specifically for The Divine Conspiracy, ready in 5 minutes.
- All 56 discussion questions organized by week
- Weekly reading schedule and orientation
- Closing prayers for each session
- Final review and reflection week
- Downloadable PDF to print and share
What you're trading
4+ hours writing your own
Plus the weekly anxiety of “what should we discuss this week?”
$24.99, once
Less than two coffees. Covers your whole group, the whole study.
Continues to secure Stripe checkout. $24.99 one-time, no subscription, 7-day refund.
Related Study Guides
If your group enjoys The Divine Conspiracy, these studies pair well with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many weeks is the The Divine Conspiracy study guide?
This study guide covers The Divine Conspiracy in 8 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 56 discussion questions across 8 weeks — an average of 8 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.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Any published book — not just bestsellers that have existing curriculum. Whether your group is reading a classic like Mere Christianity or a newer title without a published study guide, we can create a complete discussion guide for it.
Most guides are ready within 5 minutes. We'll email you the link as soon as your guide is complete, and you'll have permanent access from that point forward.
Every guide includes 9 sections: a book overview, chapter-by-chapter summaries, key themes and concepts, important quotes with context and analysis, discussion questions for group conversation, thematic analysis, character and figure profiles, a chronological timeline, and a practice review with model answers.
Yes. One purchase gives you a permanent web link and a downloadable PDF. Share either with your entire group — there's no per-person fee or seat limit.
No. Enter the book title, author, and your email address, complete the $24.99 payment, and your guide arrives in your inbox. No account, no login, no subscription.
We offer a 7-day money-back guarantee. If the guide doesn't meet your expectations, email support@bookstudyguide.com for a full refund.
Free discussion questions online tend to be surface-level — "What did you think of chapter 3?" Our guides include questions designed to spark real conversation: questions that connect the book's ideas to personal experience, draw out different perspectives, and help group members open up and share honestly.
Still have questions? Email support@bookstudyguide.com
Get Your Guide