The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith
Week 3: Chapter 2 — God Is Trustworthy
Read Chapter 2 of The Good and Beautiful God. Key Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:28.
Previewing Week 3 of The Good and Beautiful God
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Trusting God and believing God is trustworthy are not the same thing — this chapter asks which one you actually practice, and why the gap between them so often feels so wide.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Smith distinguishes between believing that God is trustworthy as a doctrine and actually living as though God can be trusted. Where do you see the gap between these two things most clearly in your own daily life?
2.In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about food, clothing, or the future — pointing to birds and wildflowers as evidence of God's faithful provision. What makes this teaching feel easy to affirm and hard to practice? What does worry reveal about our operating narrative?
3.Smith identifies anxiety as one of the primary symptoms of a broken narrative about God's trustworthiness. What are the recurring anxieties in your life right now? If you held them up against Jesus's teaching in Matthew 6, what would Jesus say to each one?