Four questions to make your evangelism more practical

‘They found [Jesus] in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions’ (Luke 2:46).

When heaven’s Answer met earth, he came with questions. The very first Gospel account of His words describes Him ‘asking them questions’. This isn’t simply to do with His young age. This is His ancient way. Right from the beginning – right from ‘Adam, where are you?’ – God’s Wisdom has engaged in dialogue, not simply download. And so in the Gospels, Jesus puts 290 different questions to his hearers. That’s over three per chapter – which is a lot!

Be interested, not interesting

This challenges my pride. I kid myself that I’m interesting. But Jesus calls me to be interested. Truth be told, that’s a relief because, a) I’m not very interesting, and b) there is little more boring than a person trying to be interesting. On the other hand, there are few things more nourishing than an interested conversation partner.

In future columns I’ll say more about the questions we can ask, but here let me share some general lines of inquiry – four ways to go a bit deeper than the regular chit-chat.

1. What gets you thinking?

This is about meaning. What makes you consider whether there’s more to life than the daily grind? You might ask people: ‘Have you ever had a religious experience?’ It’s OK if you might not use such language ordinarily – there’s a breed of evangelical that is suspicious of both ‘religion’ and ‘experience’! – but your friend will know what you mean. Whether it’s the beauty of nature, the shock of tragedy, the example of a changed life, the birth of a child, the death of a parent, many life events make us think. When your friend has opened up, feel free to share your own answer to that question. But it will come home so much more profoundly if your witness is in the context of shared experiences.

2. What gets you up in the morning?

This is about purpose. What do you live for? We’ve all got a common need for significance and joy. My own answer to that question (which I can volunteer once I’ve delved into their own thinking), is my bone-deep conviction that all of life is about knowing the God of love and passing it on. Nothing could give greater purpose. Asking, further, where such purposes come from and why such joys resonate with us will get you into some very fruitful areas.

3. What gets you down?

This is about frustrations, and not just everyday peeves. What is getting you down about life right now? Getting into your friend’s real answer may take a bit of probing (especially if they are male. It usually takes about 17 ‘How are you… really?’s to get an honest answer from a bloke). But as you explore struggles, be ready to share about your frailty and fallenness. On frailty I can point to such things as a pandemic, intensifying the natural course of life. One in a thousand Brits died with Covid in 2020. But one in a hundred die of all causes every year. And one in one will die. That’s a confronting reality. But it’s not just my frailty that gets me down, it’s my fallenness. Here’s a chance to name my selfishness and stupidity. I find that the best way to provoke repentance in others is to begin with confession about myself!

4. What gets you through?

This is about comfort and hope. Given our struggles in life, what are our coping mechanisms? Here, if the opportunity presents, I’ll finish this sentence: ‘I couldn’t have gotten through this last year without…’ This is a chance to offer a testimony of Christ’s sustaining grace, but it comes in the context of a deeper conversation.

Of course, none of these questions guarantee that you’ll have a ‘God conversation’. But they do make for a good conversation. And in that context we pray for God’s Answer to shine through.