The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Week 2: Chapter 1 — The Secret of the Easy Yoke
Read Chapter 1 of The Spirit of the Disciplines. Key Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30; Luke 4:1–13.
Previewing Week 2 of The Spirit of the Disciplines
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
In this opening chapter, Willard lays out the foundational problem and begins to sketch the solution — inviting us to see Jesus not just as Savior but as Master and model of a fully human, fully transformed life.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Willard argues that the 'gospel of sin management' — a Christianity focused primarily on getting sins forgiven and going to heaven — has produced a church full of people who are not actually becoming like Jesus. Do you think this is a fair critique? Where do you see this tendency in contemporary Christian culture?
2.He makes much of the fact that Jesus had a body, a human psychology, a set of relationships, a daily routine — and that his greatness was lived out through all of these. What difference does it make to think of Jesus as a model for embodied, everyday human life, not just as a theological object of faith?
3.The chapter introduces the idea that grace and disciplined effort work together rather than against each other. Willard's famous line is that 'grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.' In your own words, what is the difference between effort and earning in the spiritual life?