
Following are the some of the questions I am asked the most about Decision Making and the Will
of God. You may click on the questions to read my answers.
1. In the first edition of Decision Making, you did not
discuss Acts 22:14-15 in which Ananias told Paul that he would know
God's will for him. Doesn't that indicate that God had an individual will for Paul? And if God
intended for Paul to know His will, shouldn't we expect the same for all believers? [Chapter 3]

2. In this chapter (8) you state that the moral will of God is fully
revealed in the Bible. But wouldn't special revelation expand the content of God's moral will
beyond what is contained in the Bible? [Chapter 8]

3. Are you saying that God doesn't care about decisions that aren't
specified in the Bible? For instance, does He really not care whom I might choose as a marriage
partner? [Chapter 9]

4. Are you saying that two options are really equal or that they only
seem equal? Wouldn't God know how each would turn out and know that one was really better?
[Chapter 9]

5. How can you speak of the believer's freedom when God is sovereign over
every detail of life including our decision making? [Chapter 9]

6. In the first edition of Decision Making, you spoke of decisions within
the area of freedom as "nonmoral" decisions. You also described the believer's freedom as "moral"
freedom. In this edition you have not used this terminology. Why? [Chapter 9]

7. Isn't your desire for freedom just an irresponsible world view that
does not want to be restricted? [Chapter 9]

8. In the chapter that explains the believer's freedom in non-commanded
decisions, I couldn't help but notice that you occasionally inserted the words
"and responsibility" (usually in parentheses) when describing this freedom. The point would be
that if we are free to choose in such instances, we're also responsible to choose. But if we're
not trying to find the individual will of God, on what basis are we to make our choices? How is
our responsibility exercised and evaluated?

9. This all sounds like a matter of semantics to me. Isn't
wisdom just another way of talking about God's individual will? (Chapter 11)

10. If I conclude that one choice is wiser than another,
am I free to choose either option? (Chapter 11)

11. A person could prolong the quest for wisdom indefinitely.
How can you ever have enough wisdom? (Chapter 11)

12. What if I make a decision that I believe to be wise, but
then feel no peace afterwards? (Chapter 11)

13. What if two choices seem equally wise? (Chapter 11)

14. Doesn't the traditional view also commend wisdom just
like the wisdom view? What's the difference? (Chapter 11)

15. You argued against the concept of a dot, but isn't there
a sovereign dot? Wouldn't you agree that God's sovereign will applies to individuals as well as
every individual thing that happens? How can you say there is no individual will of God?
(Chapter 12)

16. If God has a sovereign will that is perfect, doesn't it
follow that God has a perfect plan for each believer? (Chapter 12)

17. God's sovereign will seems so cold and impersonal to me.
(Chapter 12)

18. 1 Corinthians 7:17 and 20 speak of God's "calling" and
"assigning." How does this fit with the thesis of your book? (Chapter 12)

19. Our pastor recently presented his ministry plans. He has
resigned to accept a position in another church. His explanation to the congregation sounded
spiritual, but vague: "God is leading me to another ministry." I wonder what his real reasons
were. (Chapter 14)

20. In your principles of decision making according to the
way of wisdom, you describe how the believer should respond to God's moral guidance, wisdom
guidance, and sovereign guidance. Why is there no similar principle for God's special guidance?
(Chapter 15)

21. God gave special guidance through prophets in both the
Old and New Testaments. So when men and women claim to issue prophetic pronouncements today,
what are we to make of that? (Chapter 15)

22. So how do you respond in a private conversation when a
friend says, "God told me to do thus and such," or "I felt led by the Spirit to do thus and
such"? (Chapter 15)

23. Is it ever appropriate to "cast lots" to make a
decision? (Chapter 15)

24. Isn't it true that some recent writers have elevated the
role of personal desires in decision making based on Psalm 37:4? (Chapter 17)

25. The wisdom view maintains that pastors are not required
to have a mystical call to be qualified. How does this square with Acts 20:28, which says that
the elders of the Ephesian church were "appointed" (NLT) by the Holy Spirit? (Chapter 21)

26. This chapter focuses on the decision each believer must
make about his or her involvement in missions. But who should send missionaries? It seems as if
mission agencies have taken over this function from local churches. Is there any way to restore
the role of the local church as the sending agency? (Chapter 22)

27. The funding of the missionary enterprise is always
challenging. How might wisdom be applied to raising financial support for missions? (Chapter 22)

|