Related Message

Conversation Starters Conversation Starters
We need to talk.

It has been said that, "Thoughts disentangle themselves through the lips and the fingertips." That's the spirit of this weekly post, to provide the kinds of questions—the conversation starters—that can help us delve more deeply into the ideas and implications of our Sunday conversations. Use these questions to stimulate your own personal reflections, or use them to start a conversation with your family, friends and especially your Life Group, to walk with each other into becoming more fully devoted followers of Jesus, individually and as a community. You've experienced the service, now it's time to Talk.

1. What makes it so hard to have spiritual conversation with your friends who do not know Jesus? Why are we so nervous to talk to people about our faith?

  • What kind of conversation do you imagine that we're "supposed" to have with people who don't know Jesus? Why? How does that make you feel?
  • What is it that you fear the most? In your mind, what is the worst that can happen if you were to initiate spiritual conversations with your friends who don't know Jesus?
  • What, personally, is the biggest barrier to starting spiritual conversations with our friends? Why is this such a barrier?

 

2. If you want to start spiritual conversations with those around us who don't know Jesus (or want to want to start them), what motivates you?

  • Read Luke 6:45. If you are honest with yourself, is your heart one that is judgmental, argumentative, agenda-driven, and/or guilt-ridden? Why are these attitudes prevalent in your heart towards those who don't know Jesus?
  • Read Philippians 2:3-4. What does it look like to be humble, respectful and genuinely other-oriented in our approach to having conversations with people who don't know Jesus (especially spiritual ones)?
  • What would happen if we just surrendered our spiritual agenda and simply cared for other people? What kinds of things would we talk about if that were our priority?
  • When have you experienced a time when simple, caring conversation about the other person naturally opened the door to a deeply spiritual conversation? Share the story.

 

3. What makes it so hard to admit that we don't have all the answers to people's spiritual questions? Why is that so embarassing and intimidating for us? Why do we feel like we have to be "experts" on faith?

  • Does this fear inhibit you from talking to people about Jesus? Why?
  • Read John 9:1-25. What could you share with people from your own experience with Jesus? What from your own life with Jesus do you think could be powerfully persuasive in the lives of your friends?
  • What did Jeff mean when he said that that "why" of our faith is actually more important to people than the "what"? How does this shape the kinds of conversations we could have with people?
  • What changes do you need to make to the way you live your life of faith to give yourself spiritual experiences that would be interesting and compelling to your friends?

 

4. In your experience, how does the door of deeper, spiritual conversation open? When you've had these kinds of conversations, how have they started?

  • Read 1 Thessalonians 2:8. Is it easy or hard to be authentic and vulnerable about your own struggles with your friends who don't know Jesus? Why?
  • Do you believe that our own authenticity and vulnerability most naturally opens the door to spiritual conversation with people who don't know Jesus? Why or why not?
  • Would you feel comfortable inviting your friends to "come and see" why you choose a life of faith: offering to pray for them? Asking their advice about personal matters? Inviting them to experience church, life group, or serving the poor? To join you at Easter or at a conference? Why or why not?
  • What is one way that you could open up your life to one friend who doesn't know Jesus? What could you do to invite them more deeply into your life than they have been?

 

5. As a group, spend some time in Colossians 4-type prayer (Colossians 4:2-6).

  • Pray that your intentionality about forging genuine friendships with people who don't know Jesus would lead to spiritual conversations. Name the people you'd like God to open the door for conversation with.
  • Pray for the loving concern that prioritizes just caring about the other person and the humility to open your life to them.
  • Pray for the words to say in those conversations. Pray that the Holy Spirit would make you always "prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have," and to do so "with gentleness and respect".
  • Pray for the courage to ask our friends who don't know Jesus what kinds of spiritual conversations they would be interested in hearing us talk about at church. (Make sure to email those ideas to us.)

For this week's spiritual exercises, check out READ.
For this week's spiritual exercises, check out REFLECT.