Week 1: Introduction — Can We Trust God?

1.Bridges begins by acknowledging a gap that most Christians experience — we believe in God's sovereignty in theory, but trusting Him in the midst of real suffering is another matter entirely. Where have you personally felt that gap most acutely?

2.The book's central premise is that trusting God is not simply an emotional reflex but something that must be grounded in what we know to be true about God. Why do you think knowledge of God matters so much for trust? Can you trust someone you don't truly know?

3.Bridges identifies three pillars that undergird genuine trust in God: His sovereignty, His wisdom, and His goodness. Before reading further, which of these three do you find easiest to believe? Which feels most difficult to hold onto when life falls apart?

4.Think about a time when you found it genuinely hard to trust God. What was the situation, and what made trust feel so difficult in that moment?

5.Romans 8:28 — that God works all things together for good — is one of the most quoted and most doubted verses in Scripture. How have you used or heard this verse used? Has it ever felt hollow or even hurtful in a moment of grief?

6.Bridges writes with pastoral honesty about the fact that some of God's actions — or apparent inactions — are deeply painful and confusing. How does his willingness to acknowledge that tension shape your expectations for this book and this study?

7.What do you hope to gain — personally, not just intellectually — from working through this book? Write down one specific area of your life where you want your trust in God to deepen.