“I have too.”
“Remember: I’m for you. Mattie is too. She just hasn’t learned to show it very well yet. Give her time. Love her.”
“I will.”
“Kiss Sara for me.”
“I will.”
I reached out my right hand to him. He took it and shook it firmly. I couldn’t help glancing at the scar on his wrist once more. Reluctantly I pulled my hand back and put the Explorer in reverse.
“Good-bye,” I said.
“Until next time,” he replied.
I backed out, then started across the parking lot. Looking through the rearview mirror, I waved. But he was gone.
The drive home from Milano’s takes about twenty minutes. It seemed to take two. My mind traveled a thousand times faster than the wheels did. I pulled into the driveway, cutting my lights early so as not to wake anyone. I killed the engine and, as I reached for my coat, remembered my business card that Jesus had written on. I slid it out of my pocket and turned it over. “Revelation 3:20” was all it said. Revelation 3:20. A Bible verse? The book of Revelation? I got out of the car and quietly shut the door.
The house was silent as I locked everything up. Mattie had left a single lamp on for me in the living room. Gretel raised her head as I passed by the kitchen. I stopped and gave her a pat. “Sorry you didn’t get your walk tonight, girl,” I whispered. She put her head back down, resuming her sleep. I hope Mattie remembered to feed her.
I tiptoed up the stairs and peeked into Sara’s room. Sound asleep. I crept to the crib and gave her a good-night kiss. Her breathing altered slightly, then returned to its normal rhythm. I turned around and walked down the hall to our bedroom. I’m not sure what I’m getting myself into here. Reaching across the bed, I closed a novel Mattie had fallen asleep reading.
“Hi,” I whispered. “I’m home.”
Mattie roused slightly, groaned a little, then cracked her eyes. “Hello, honey,” she mumbled.
“I’m really sorry about tonight, Mattie—”
“I know. It’s okay. Let’s talk about it in the morning.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her and pulled the covers up to her head.
“I’ll be here shortly.”
“Okay,” she said in a slight daze as she rolled over to sleep.
I went to the study, where I could undress without disturbing her. I found a hanger for my suit pants in the closet. Then I decided to look for something else. I crossed the room, closed the door, and returned to the closet, quietly pulling out boxes of books that we didn’t have space to put on our bookshelves. I emptied three boxes, but no luck. It’s got to be here somewhere. Piles of books littered the floor as I started my fourth box. I am making a total mess. Then, pay dirt. My old Bible. I hadn’t opened it since college. I’m surprised I even kept this thing. I turned to the back where Revelation was, then glanced again at my business card. “3:20.”
I turned to chapter 3. Verse 20 was on the next page. It was a quote from Jesus:
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock;
if anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and will dine with him,
and he with me.
Here are three group readers guides to help you delve further into the content and meaning of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger.
The first guide is for a single evening event and features questions that are geared toward those without much background in Christian faith, Jesus, God, and the church. One fun thing to do is to create an actual dinner party event and have a group discussion of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger.
The second guide is designed for a four-week overview of the book. Ideal for reading groups and small groups, with this guide you can cover the content of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger in just one month.
The third guide is intended for a more intensive study of the book. Covering eight weeks, this study becomes a great tool for longer discussion and more in-depth explorations of faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.
ONE-EVENING READERS GUIDE
1. What was your initial reaction to the premise of the book? If you received an invitation like Nick received, what would be your reaction and response?
2. Do you ever wish you could have some sit-down-and-talk time with God? Why? If you could sit down one-on-one with Jesus, what are two questions you would like to ask him?
3. From the characterization in the book, how would you describe Jesus? What kind of person is he? What qualities of his stand out to you the most?
4. Is there such a thing as actual reality? Why is it important for our belief system to correspond to reality? What difference does it make if it does not? What’s wrong with saying about someone’s belief system that “It’s true for them”?
5. How is belief in God not a blind leap of faith? How is belief in Jesus as God in the flesh not a blind leap of faith?
6. How do the gospel accounts make it clear that Jesus was not simply a good religious teacher?
7. What is unique about Jesus compared to the founders of other world religions?
8. On this page, Jesus makes the statement, “You don’t want what you’re ultimately trusting to be wrong.” What are you ultimately trusting concerning your eternal destiny?
9. Why in the book does Jesus say there is no path to God? What is the distinction he draws between “path” and “way”? What is the way?
10. Why isn’t God interested in having people try to perform for him? What is the implication of this for your own life? Why do people so easily believe that their efforts at being good will gain acceptance for them with God?
11. Where would you place yourself on the Mother Teresa-to-Hitler scale? Where does that put you in relation to God’s perfect standard? Why?
12. How would you answer the question that Jesus poses on this page: “On what basis are you going to stand before a perfectly holy God and say that you’ve been good enough?”
13. Which of the following aspects of the good news of Jesus Christ appeals to you the most:
• getting your sins forgiven
• being with God in eternity
• having a real relationship with God now
• receiving a changed heart with new desires from God
• God living in you now and forever
14. What is the personal application for you of Revelation 3:20, the Bible verse that the book closes with?
15. If you have not received the free gift of eternal life from God that Jesus explains on this page, what is keeping you from doing so now?
FOUR-WEEK READERS GUIDE
Week One: Chapters 1–4
1. What was your initial reaction to the premise of the book?
2. Do you ever wish you could have some sit-down-and-talk time with God? Why? If you could sit down one-on-one with Jesus, what are two questions you would like to ask him?
3. Is there such a thing as actual reality? Why is it important for our belief system to correspond to reality? What difference does it make if it does not?
4. What’s wrong with saying about someone’s belief system that “It’s true for them”?
5. How is Christianity distinct from the other primary world views, such as Islam, Hinduism, and atheistic naturalism (the material world is all there is)?
6. How does the Christian concept of God differ from the Islamic concept of God? Why does this matter in regard to humanity’s deepest longings? How does your experience relate to this?
7. On this page, Jesus makes the statement, “You don’t want what you’re ultimately trusting to be wrong.” What are you ultimately trusting concerning your eternal destiny? How do you know whether you will be with God for all eternity?
8. What are you trusting in the day-to-day aspects of your life, to live life to the fullest?
Week Two: Chapters 5–6
1. Why isn’t God interested in having people try to perform for him? What is the implication of this for your own life?
&n
bsp; 2. If God’s business is restoring relationships, what does he want your response to be toward him? toward others?
3. What do you think are the primary indicators that humanity is in rebellion against God?
4. Are there rips in the fabric of your life that only God is big enough to fix? Do you go to him with these things? How do you think he wants to use those rips for good in your life (Romans 8:28–29)? How can you cooperate with God in his fixing process?
5. How does Islam water down God’s perfect holiness and justice? What is the way God can be both perfectly just and forgiving at the same time (see Romans 3:23–26)?
6. How would you answer the question Jesus poses to Nick on this page: “Don’t you think God loves you at least as much as you love Sara?”
7. Discuss the parable Jesus tells of the two schoolboys. How would you describe the character of the friend with the better grades? How is God like this friend, only more so? Why?
8. What should be the impact on your life of knowing that God longs to have you with him, both in eternity and in your daily life now?
9. If you have not received the free gift from God that Jesus explains on this page, what is keeping you from doing so now?
Week Three: Chapters 7–8
1. How is belief in God not a blind leap of faith? How is belief in Jesus as God in the flesh not a blind leap of faith?
2. What happens to people on the inside when they place their trust in Jesus Christ?
3. If Jesus came to restore us to our original design, is God living in us part of how we were designed to live? What are the implications of this for your own life?
4. What aspects of your life would you like to change, but you don’t seem to have the strength to do so? How does God want to be the one to do them through you?
5. In what sense is marriage “not about rules”? Why can God’s relationship with us be described the same way?
6. What does it mean to you personally that God became human?
7. Jesus said that he came to reveal the Father. Based on what you know about Jesus, how would you describe God the Father?
8. Most of the New Testament teaching on hell comes from Jesus himself. How does knowing this affect your view of hell?
9. How would you explain God’s purpose for the present time? In what sense will one day everything be made right?
10. What are the implications of the fact that God chose to suffer more than his creation suffered?
11. Are there hurts in your life that it seems God doesn’t care about? If you are willing to share, what is one of them? What does this chapter have to say about whether God actually cares or not?
12. How does God use personal pain in his plan of restoring his relationship with people? Have there been wounds in your heart that have driven you to God? What were/are they? How did they drive you to him?
Week Four: Chapters 9–10
1. Are you stuck on a performance basis with God, trying to please him through your own efforts? How does he want you to depend on him living through you instead?
2. In what way is “God living in you” the best part of the message of Jesus? What difference should it make if God lives in us?
3. If God lives in you, is it possible to love those whom you don’t have a positive emotional response to, at least at times? How does this happen in a practical sense?
4. Read the gospel of Luke, chapter 15. If you have placed your trust in Jesus as your Savior, is God “doing back-flips” over you? What is the implication of that for you?
5. From the characterization in the book, how would you describe Jesus? What kind of person is he? What qualities of his stand out to you the most?
6. Which of the following aspects of the good news of Jesus Christ is most important to you:
• getting your sins forgiven
• being with God in eternity
• having a real relationship with God now
• receiving a changed heart with new desires from God
• God living in you now and forever
7. Overall, what was the most important aspect of the book to you personally?
8. What questions remain in your mind concerning any of the issues the book raised? Is getting an answer to these questions important to you? How are you going to go about getting your answers?
9. What is the personal application for you of Revelation 3:20, the Bible verse that the book closes with? How can we dine with Jesus daily?
10. What action step(s) would you like to take concerning yourself as a result of reading this book?
11. What action step(s) would you like to take concerning someone else as a result of reading this book?
EIGHT-WEEK GROUP READERS GUIDE
Week One: Chapters 1–3
1. What was your initial reaction to the premise of the book? Does this say anything about where you are at this time in your life?
2. What about Nick’s character can you relate to?
3. Do you ever wish you could have some sit-down-and-talk time with God? Why?
4. If you received an invitation like Nick received, what would be your reaction and response?
5. If you could sit down one-on-one with Jesus, what are two questions you would like to ask him?
6. Why do you think Jesus refused to turn the wine into water at the end of chapter 2? What does this say about having a faith relationship with God?
7. What is your reaction to Nick’s statement ending chapter 3? Why?
Week Two: Chapter 4
1. Is there such a thing as actual reality? Why is it important for our belief system to correspond to reality? What difference does it make if it does not?
2. What’s wrong with saying about someone’s belief system that “It’s true for them”?
3. How is Christianity distinct from the other primary world views, such as Islam, Hinduism, and atheistic naturalism (the material world is all there is)?
4. What would you say is the most convincing evidence that there is a Creator? Why?
5. How does the Christian concept of God differ from the Islamic concept of God? Why does this matter in regard to humanity’s deepest longings? How does your experience relate to this?
6. What is unique about Jesus compared to the founders of other world religions?
7. On this page, Jesus makes the statement, “You don’t want what you’re ultimately trusting to be wrong.” What are you ultimately trusting concerning your eternal destiny?
8. What are you trusting in the day-to-day aspects of your life, to live life to the fullest?
Week Three: Chapter 5
1. What aspect of the good news of Jesus Christ is emphasized in this chapter?
2. Why in the book does Jesus say there is no path to God? What is the distinction he draws between “path” and “way”? What is the way?
3. Why isn’t God interested in having people try to perform for him? What is the implication of this for your own life?
4. Why do people so easily believe that their efforts at being good will gain acceptance for them with God?
5. How can there be benefit in obeying God if it won’t get you into heaven?
6. If God’s business is restoring relationships, what does he want your response to be toward him? toward others?
7. What do you think are the primary indicators that humanity is in rebellion against God?
8. Are there rips in the fabric of your life that only God is big enough to fix? Do you go to him with these things? How do you think he wants to use those rips for good purpose in your life (Romans 8:28–29)? How can you cooperate with God in his fixing process?
Week Four: Chapter 6
1. Why is it important that God be perfectly holy and perfectly just?
2. Where would you place yourself on the Mother Teresa-to-Hitler scale? Where does that put you in relation to God’s perfect standard? Why?
3. To what degree have you participated in the “daily sins of the heart” that is the cancer of God’s un
iverse?
4. How would you answer the question that Jesus poses on this page: “On what basis are you going to stand before a perfectly holy God and say that you’ve been good enough?”
5. How does Islam water down God’s perfect holiness and justice?
6. How can God be both perfectly just and forgiving at the same time (see Romans 3:23–26)?
7. How would you answer the question Jesus poses to Nick on this page: “Don’t you think God loves you at least as much as you love Sara?”
8. Discuss the parable Jesus tells of the two schoolboys (this page). How would you describe the character of the friend with the better grades? How is God like this friend, only more so? Why?
9. What should be the impact on your life of knowing that God longs to have you with him, both in eternity and in your daily life now?
10. If you have not received the free gift from God that Jesus explains on this page, what is keeping you from doing so now?
Week Five: Chapter 7
1. How is belief in God not a blind leap of faith? How is belief in Jesus as God in the flesh not a blind leap of faith?
2. Did any of the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah on this page surprise you? Which ones? Which of the prophecies is most important to you personally? Why?
3. How do the gospel accounts make it clear that Jesus was not simply a good religious teacher?
4. In what way does all of Christianity rest upon Jesus’s rising from the dead? What good news did Jesus have to offer if he did not rise from the dead?
5. In what ways does the disciples’ behavior in the weeks, months, and years after Jesus’s crucifixion support the claim that Jesus rose from the dead? If Jesus did not rise from the dead, how would you account for the disciples’ lives and teaching as indicated on this page?
6. What happens to people on the inside when they place their trust in Jesus Christ?
7. In what sense is New Age religion a counterfeit of what God truly offers? Why do people find the counterfeit appealing?
8. If Jesus came to restore us to our original design, is God living in us part of how we were designed to live? What are the implications of this for your own life?
Dinner with a Perfect Stranger Page 7