Discussion question your group will work through:
1.Bridges opens by observing that Christians often tolerate in themselves sins they would be appalled to see in others. Does that ring true in your own experience? What sins do you tend to minimize or excuse in yourself?
$24.99 for the full 12-week guide·7-day refund·One purchase, whole group
About This Study Guide
Jerry Bridges' The Pursuit of Holiness is a clarion call to take personal holiness as seriously as God does. Written in 1978 and still transforming lives decades later, the book builds its case around a deceptively simple conviction: holiness is not optional for the Christian. Drawing on the repeated biblical command — "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16) — Bridges argues that most believers have accepted a dangerously low standard for their own moral and spiritual lives, drifting along with the current of culture rather than swimming upstream toward Christlikeness. The book's great contribution is holding two truths in careful tension: holiness is entirely God's work in us, and it requires the deliberate, disciplined effort of the believer. Neither passive mysticism nor white-knuckled willpower, but a cooperative pursuit.
This study guide is designed for use over twelve weeks, whether in a small group or as a personal devotional companion. Each week, read the assigned chapter (or chapters) before your group meets or before you sit down with the guide. After reading, take time to journal your honest responses to a few questions before discussing them with others — you will get far more from the material if you think on paper before you speak out loud. The questions move from comprehension (what did Bridges actually say?) to application (where does this show up in my life?) to reflection (how does this connect to the gospel and to God's character?). Don't rush through the questions; it is better to linger over three questions well than to skim ten quickly.
By the end of this guide, you should have a clearer picture of what holiness is and is not, a more honest assessment of where you are genuinely pursuing it and where you have been making excuses, and a renewed sense that the pursuit is both your responsibility and, by God's grace, genuinely possible. Bridges is not trying to heap condemnation on the reader — he is trying to awaken a holy ambition that God himself has placed within every believer. Come to each week ready to be challenged, comforted, and ultimately sent back into daily life with fresh resolve to "make every effort to be holy" (Hebrews 12:14).
12-Week Schedule
- Week 1Introduction — The Call to Holiness7 questions
- Week 2Chapter 2 — The Holiness of God8 questions
- Week 3Chapter 3 — Holiness Is for You7 questions
- Week 4Chapter 4 — The Requirement of Holiness7 questions
- Week 5Chapter 5 — Obedience: The Path of Holiness7 questions
- Week 6Chapter 6 — Putting Sin to Death7 questions
- Week 7Chapter 7 — The Place of Personal Discipline7 questions
- Week 8Chapter 8 — Holiness in Body and Spirit7 questions
- Week 9Chapter 9 — Holiness and Our Wills7 questions
- Week 10Chapter 10 — Holiness in an Unholy World7 questions
- Week 11Chapter 11 — Holiness and Faith7 questions
- Week 12Review & Reflection8 questions
Week 1: Introduction — The Call to Holiness
Free sampleRead the Preface and Chapter 1 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: 1 Peter 1:14–16; Hebrews 12:14.
1.Bridges opens by observing that Christians often tolerate in themselves sins they would be appalled to see in others. Does that ring true in your own experience? What sins do you tend to minimize or excuse in yourself?
2.The book's central command — 'Be holy, because I am holy' — appears repeatedly in both Testaments. What strikes you about the fact that God grounds the command in his own character rather than in our benefit or moral obligation?
3.Bridges distinguishes between holiness as a positional reality (what God declares us to be in Christ) and holiness as a practical pursuit (how we actually live). How would you explain that distinction in your own words, and why does it matter?
4.Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness 'no one will see the Lord.' Bridges takes this seriously rather than softening it. How does that verse land on you — as motivation, as warning, as both, or as something you're not sure what to do with?
5.Bridges suggests that we have accepted a 'culture of low expectations' when it comes to personal holiness in the church. Where do you see evidence of that in church culture today? Where do you see it in yourself?
a.What messages — spoken or unspoken — have you received from your church culture about how holy Christians are expected to be?
b.How have those messages shaped your own expectations for yourself?
6.The title uses the word 'pursuit,' implying movement, effort, and direction. As you begin this study, how would you honestly describe your current posture toward holiness — are you pursuing it, drifting, or somewhere in between?
7.How does the gospel — the good news that Christ has already secured our righteousness — make the pursuit of holiness more motivating rather than less? How might a misunderstanding of grace actually undermine holiness?
Week 2: Chapter 2 — The Holiness of God
Read Chapter 2 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: Isaiah 6:1–8; Revelation 4:8.
1.Bridges grounds the call to human holiness in the holiness of God himself. Why is it essential to start there rather than starting with rules, disciplines, or human effort?
Week 3: Chapter 3 — Holiness Is for You
Read Chapter 3 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7; 2 Corinthians 7:1.
1.Bridges titles this chapter 'Holiness Is for You' — emphasizing the personal, ordinary nature of the call. Who did you grow up thinking holiness was really for? How has that assumption shaped your own pursuit of it?
Week 4: Chapter 4 — The Requirement of Holiness
Read Chapter 4 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: Romans 8:12–13; Galatians 5:16–17.
1.Bridges argues that the Christian life involves a genuine moral requirement — that we are obligated to live holy lives. How does that sit with you? Does 'obligation' feel like a threat to grace, or is it something else?
Week 5: Chapter 5 — Obedience: The Path of Holiness
Read Chapter 5 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: John 14:15, 21; 1 John 2:3–6.
1.Bridges makes the straightforward claim that obedience is the path to holiness — not feelings, not experiences, not intensity of devotion, but actual compliance with what God commands. Does that feel reductive to you, or clarifying? Why?
Week 6: Chapter 6 — Putting Sin to Death
Read Chapter 6 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5.
1.The chapter title comes from Romans 8:13 — 'put to death the deeds of the body.' That is violent language. Why do you think Paul (and Bridges) insist on that kind of language rather than softer alternatives like 'manage' or 'resist' or 'reduce'?
Week 7: Chapter 7 — The Place of Personal Discipline
Read Chapter 7 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; 1 Timothy 4:7–8.
1.Paul uses the athletic metaphors of running a race and boxing — disciplines requiring rigorous training and self-denial. How seriously do you take spiritual training compared to other forms of training or self-improvement in your life?
Week 8: Chapter 8 — Holiness in Body and Spirit
Read Chapter 8 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; Romans 12:1–2.
1.Bridges pushes back against any tendency to separate 'spiritual' holiness from bodily behavior. Why is it important that holiness encompasses what we do with our bodies, not just our minds or hearts?
Week 9: Chapter 9 — Holiness and Our Wills
Read Chapter 9 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: Philippians 2:12–13; Romans 6:12–14.
1.Bridges cites Philippians 2:12–13 as the key passage: 'Work out your salvation... for it is God who works in you.' How do you hold together the 'work out' of verse 12 and the 'God who works' of verse 13? Where does your thinking tend to overemphasize one at the expense of the other?
Week 10: Chapter 10 — Holiness in an Unholy World
Read Chapter 10 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: John 17:15–17; Romans 12:2.
1.Jesus prayed not that the Father would take his disciples out of the world, but that he would protect them from the evil one and sanctify them through the truth. How does that prayer shape the way you think about your engagement with the surrounding culture?
Week 11: Chapter 11 — Holiness and Faith
Read Chapter 11 of The Pursuit of Holiness. Primary Scripture: Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 11:6.
1.Bridges argues that faith is not just the entry point of the Christian life but its ongoing engine — we pursue holiness by faith, just as we were justified by faith. How does that connect to your actual daily experience of pursuing holiness?
Week 12: Review & Reflection
Review your notes and journal entries from the entire study. Suggested Scripture for final reflection: Hebrews 12:1–14; 1 Peter 1:13–16.
1.Looking back over the whole book, which chapter or concept had the single greatest impact on you? Why did that particular idea land so hard? Had you encountered it before, or was it genuinely new?
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 Pursuit of Holiness is above. Get the full 12-week guide for $24.99 when you're ready.
Get the The Pursuit of Holiness GuideSkip Saturday-night question writing
12 weeks of discussion questions, reading schedule, closing prayers, and a downloadable PDF — built specifically for The Pursuit of Holiness, ready in 5 minutes.
- All 86 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 Pursuit of Holiness, these studies pair well with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many weeks is the The Pursuit of Holiness study guide?
This study guide covers The Pursuit of Holiness in 12 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 86 discussion questions across 12 weeks — an average of 7 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