The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken
Week 6: Part Five — Voices from China
Read Part Five of The Insanity of God (stories from the underground church in China). Key passage: John 12:24; Revelation 2:10.
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In China, Nik encounters a church that was driven underground and emerged — against all odds — as one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in history.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Nik discovers that the Chinese house church, which was brutally suppressed for decades, grew to tens of millions of believers during the very years of its persecution. How does this reality reshape the typical Western narrative about what the church needs in order to grow?
2.Chinese believers Nik interviews often describe persecution not as an obstacle to their faith but as the *context* in which their faith became real and deep. How does pressure — spiritual, relational, or physical — function in your own faith formation?
3.John 12:24 uses the image of a grain of wheat that must fall into the ground and 'die' before it bears much fruit. How do the stories of Chinese martyrs and imprisoned believers embody this principle — and what does it mean for you personally?
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