Search for Significance

Robert S. McGee

This book has helped millions of readers learn how to be free to enjoy Christ’s love while no longer basing their self-worth on their accomplishments or the opinions of others. Billy Graham recommended this book saying, “The Search for Significance should be read by every Christian.” Search addresses four critical areas of self-worth and self-confidence. What makes this book so uniquely powerful is understanding that the journey begins in a very private place—your thoughts. “When I fail at something, I feel lousy about myself. When others do not approve of me, I can’t seem to get over it. Sometimes it feels like I’ll never measure up.” One by one, McGee confronts the lies, dismantles them, and points believers to a higher truth. Search is a necessary read to reinforce proper beliefs or to help those with self-worth challenges. McGee’s pinnacle work will help every disciple become properly self-aware and understand how significant they are to God!

This book's Disciple Making Purpose

Understanding who we are in Christ and what He has done for us (what happened at the moment of our conversion) is critical to having faith in our future and hope for growth. The vast majority of Christians do not know how completely forgiven they are or how broken the world has made them when it comes to what they believe about themselves in relation to their Father. This book combines practical Christian psychology on how we can fix relational things and solid theology about God’s view of us as his children. It is an older, enduring text but the style challenge is well worth the truths. We have found no other book that gets this level of transformation in regards to who we are. If they figure out who they BE, they will have an easier time adjusting their DOs.

Key Topics or Truths

Self-Worth
Type A Believers
Shame and Guilt
Understanding Your Salvation

This Book is Good For...

We think this book is great for everyone even if they have a solid understanding of God’s love, work, and a solid self-worth! For those who do not struggle with self-worth issues, the material is incredibly valuable for their future when they lead others (most of whom will have those issues). As well, McGee does an excellent job of sharing the foundational doctrines of salvation as he addresses each self-worth challenge.

How We Use this Book to Make Disciples

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Search for Significance is published in book and book+workbook formats. We do not do the workbook as a part of Companion Reading but some disciples will do it on their own. We break the reading of the book portion into six sections. The disciples read the assignment before the discipleship meeting. Weeks two to five include a self-evaluation that you will cover. Here is our six week plan (chapter numbers based on the 2003 version).

  1. Week 1: Cover and discuss the introductory chapters (Chapters 1-2).
  2. Week 2: Cover and discuss the Performance Trap and the solution, justification (Chapters 3-4).
  3. Week 3: Cover and discuss the Approval Addict and the solution, reconciliation (Chapters 5-6).
  4. Week 4: Cover and discuss the Blame Game and the solution, propitiation (Chapters 7-8).
  5. Week 5: Cover and discuss Shame and the solution, regeneration (Chapters 9-10).
  6. Week 6: Cover and discuss the concluding chapters (Chapters 11-13).

Our method for discussion is:

  1. Ask, “What is [insert the week topic or theological truth] about?” letting the disciples give their answers. Consistent with the Sustainable Discipleship Model, we treat each answer as an individual discussion between ourself and the disciple, not allowing crosstalk between disciples.
  2. During weeks 2-5, we ask the disciples their score on the week’s test. We ask them whether they believe their score is a correct indication of their self-worth.
  3. We ask the disciples to share what “stuck out” in the chapters.  Looking for what “hit them”, truths they may have missed, and misunderstandings.
  4. We guide them to find the key theological points and truths if they did not.
  5. We ask them to determine two action steps that they will take in relation to what they have learned. If what they learned is not an area of struggle for them, we ask them how they can use this truth as they live and reach others for Christ.

We do not assign any other outside reading in these weeks because we want them to sit on the wisdom and have time for introspection and processing. Here are a few discussion tips we have learned:

  • Never assume that the disciple has an issue.
  • Ask questions like, “How did you like this chapter?” and “Did any of this apply to you?” allowing the Holy Spirit to work.
  • Leverage the group sharing of test scores to support the work of disciples getting comfortable with transparency and trusting one another.
  • If you know a disciple well, you may push against “This does not apply to me.” comments seeking to make sure that the disciple is self-aware.
  • Prime the discussion each week with a personal story of when you struggled in one of these areas.
  • Never act as a therapist.

Real Life Story

I know countless stories of how Search has set disciples free. I faced my own performance issues trying to please God with my behavior. I realized that when I blame someone else I am really trying to lift myself up. The truths in this book have helped me avoid these self-worth pitfalls as I live for Christ. Search has been incredibly valuable in helping to identify and correct self-worth issues. Even better, I have seen this book transform how disciples view other people, leading them to offer God’s unconditional love and acceptance as they view every person as a significant creation of a loving God.

Know Issues or Controversies

There are no known controversies or problems with this text.

The greatest challenge is that some disciples do not like the four self-tests in the book. We stress that the tests are meant to provoke thought, challenge, and be disruptive rather than provide absolute, conclusive results.

MULTIPLE VERSIONS: Later printings reorganized chapters which can make it difficult to assign consistent reading. Try to have everyone use the same version.

I love this book because it teaches the foundational truths of justification, reconciliation, propitiation, and regeneration in a relevant way by relating them to four key challenges that most face in life: being too performance-oriented, being an approval addict, blaming others, and wrestling with shame. I have seen hundreds of people find freedom in one or more of these areas through the text and workbook. I also love this book because when a disciple says, “This does not apply to me,” I know more than ever that McGee’s writing and the Holy Spirit have a great work to do.

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Robert S. McGee
Book Details
Pathway Steps: 3, 4
  • Phase: Year 1
  • Book Type: Non-Fiction
  • Flair: Eye Opening, Self-Help
  • Tags: Self Help
Reading Time
Six Weeks
Start Reading After Week 26
4 Pages per Day
6 Minutes per Day
Related Reads

This is the 4th book that I assign for outside reading. I do not pair it with any other reading. I have disciples read it in Discipleship One beginning in week twenty seven after Fully You.