Discussion question your group will work through:
1.Keller opens by noting the original audience for this parable: tax collectors and sinners on one side, Pharisees and scribes on the other. Why does that original audience matter for how we interpret the story? Who in your own life or context maps onto those two groups?
$24.99 for the full 8-week guide·7-day refund·One purchase, whole group
About This Study Guide
Timothy Keller's The Prodigal God is built on a startling claim: that we have been reading one of Jesus' most familiar parables with one eye closed. Most of us know the story of the prodigal son — the younger brother who demands his inheritance, squanders it in reckless living, and crawls home to a father who runs to meet him. But Keller argues that this parable has two lost sons, and that Jesus told the whole story primarily to confront the older brother — the respectable, religious, rule-keeping son who never left home and yet was every bit as far from the father's heart. The book's title is itself a clue: "prodigal" means recklessly extravagant, and it belongs not only to the younger son but supremely to God, whose grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic is scandalously lavish. By recovering the older brother's story, Keller argues, we recover the very heart of the gospel.
This study guide is designed for use over seven weeks — one week per chapter, plus a final week of review and reflection. Each week, read the assigned chapter before your group meets (or before your personal study time). Take notes as you read, and if possible journal your responses to the questions before discussing them with others. The questions move from comprehension (making sure you understood what Keller actually argued) to application (where does this land in your own life?) to theological reflection (how does this connect to the gospel?). Don't rush. The parable is short; the implications are deep.
By the end of this guide, you can expect to see yourself more clearly in both brothers, to understand the difference between religion and the gospel at a level that goes beyond slogans, and to be genuinely moved by the extravagance of a God who runs toward prodigals of every kind. Whether you come to this book as a skeptic, a lifelong churchgoer, or someone who has quietly suspected that Christianity is mostly about being good, Keller's reading of Luke 15 has something to say directly to you.
8-Week Schedule
- Week 1Introduction — The Parable7 questions
- Week 2Chapter 1 — The Two Lost Sons8 questions
- Week 3Chapter 2 — The Elder Brother8 questions
- Week 4Chapter 3 — Redefining Sin8 questions
- Week 5Chapter 4 — Redefining Lostness8 questions
- Week 6Chapter 5 — The True Elder Brother8 questions
- Week 7Chapter 6 — Redefining Hope8 questions
- Week 8Review & Reflection8 questions
Week 1: Introduction — The Parable
Free sampleRead the Introduction of The Prodigal God. Primary Scripture: Luke 15:1–32.
1.Keller opens by noting the original audience for this parable: tax collectors and sinners on one side, Pharisees and scribes on the other. Why does that original audience matter for how we interpret the story? Who in your own life or context maps onto those two groups?
2.Read Luke 15:1–32 aloud before your group discussion. What details stand out to you that you may have glossed over in previous readings of this parable?
3.Keller argues that the conventional title — 'the parable of the prodigal son' — has caused readers to focus almost entirely on the younger brother. Do you think that is fair? How have you personally tended to hear or apply this parable in the past?
4.The word 'prodigal' means recklessly extravagant or lavish. Keller applies it primarily not to the younger son's sin but to the father's grace. Does that reframing surprise you? What does it suggest about the kind of God Jesus is describing?
5.Keller says Jesus is addressing two groups simultaneously and that the parable has something to say to each. Which brother do you instinctively identify with more — the younger or the older — and why?
a.What does your instinctive identification reveal about your own spiritual background or tendencies?
b.Is it possible you identify with elements of both brothers? Which elements?
6.Keller frames the parable as Jesus' most comprehensive statement of the gospel. What would it mean for a single parable to contain the 'essential message' of Jesus? Does that claim seem overstated to you, or does the parable seem to carry that weight?
7.What do you hope to gain — personally, spiritually, or intellectually — from studying this book? Share one honest expectation or one honest fear about what you might find.
Week 2: Chapter 1 — The Two Lost Sons
Read Chapter 1 of The Prodigal God.
1.Keller points out that in Jesus' culture, a son asking for his inheritance before his father's death was essentially saying, 'I wish you were dead.' How does understanding that cultural context change the emotional weight of the opening scene?
Week 3: Chapter 2 — The Elder Brother
Read Chapter 2 of The Prodigal God.
1.Keller draws a sharp distinction between 'moralism' and 'gospel.' In his framing, a moralist obeys God in order to earn something — safety, blessing, a sense of superiority. How is that different from the obedience of someone who has been transformed by grace?
Week 4: Chapter 3 — Redefining Sin
Read Chapter 3 of The Prodigal God.
1.Keller redefines sin not primarily as breaking rules but as making something other than God the center of your life — your source of identity, meaning, and security. How does that definition expand your understanding of what sin is?
Week 5: Chapter 4 — Redefining Lostness
Read Chapter 4 of The Prodigal God.
1.Keller argues that there are two ways to be lost: you can be lost by running away from home (the younger brother) or you can be lost while appearing to be home (the elder brother). Which form of lostness do you think is harder to recognize and why?
Week 6: Chapter 5 — The True Elder Brother
Read Chapter 5 of The Prodigal God. Primary Scripture: Luke 15:25–32; Romans 8:3–4; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
1.Keller argues that Jesus is telling this parable as someone who knows he is going to become its solution. He is the true elder brother — the one who leaves the father's house not in anger but in love, to bring home the lost. How does that reading transform the parable for you?
Week 7: Chapter 6 — Redefining Hope
Read Chapter 6 of The Prodigal God. Primary Scripture: Luke 15:22–24; Revelation 21:1–5.
1.Keller argues that the parable ends not with a courtroom verdict but with a party — a feast, music, dancing, and celebration. What does it say about the nature of salvation that Jesus pictures it this way rather than as mere forgiveness of a legal debt?
Week 8: Review & Reflection
Review your notes and journal entries from the entire book. No new reading required.
1.Before you started this book, how did you understand the parable of the prodigal son? How has Keller's reading changed or deepened that understanding?
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 Prodigal God is above. Get the full 8-week guide for $24.99 when you're ready.
Get the The Prodigal God GuideSkip Saturday-night question writing
8 weeks of discussion questions, reading schedule, closing prayers, and a downloadable PDF — built specifically for The Prodigal God, ready in 5 minutes.
- All 63 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 Prodigal God, these studies pair well with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many weeks is the The Prodigal God study guide?
This study guide covers The Prodigal God 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 63 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