Remember to Ask, Admire, Admit.
Ask great questions. Follow Jesus’s lead, and learn how to ask great questions that can easily be turned to spiritual subjects (think: Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4).
Admire what you can about their faith. As Paul did in Acts 17 with the pagan philosophers of Athens, find something you can admire about what they believe. This doesn’t mean you agree with their belief system, but establish common ground by appreciating what they have right.
Admit that you need Jesus too. This is when you share your story—the story of how Jesus redeemed you from a wasted life and continues to do so!
Engage Them Using 4 Questions.
In the words of my good friend Bill Jack of Worldview Academy, good questions are like a “crowbar” not a “sledgehammer,” which is what Gospel-sharing can feel like to the recipient if you don’t take time to find out where they’re coming from.
Bill also talks about four key questions you can ask to help you dig deeper and find out not just what people believe but also why they believe it.
- What do you mean by that?
- How do you know that to be true?
- What difference has it made in your life?
- What if you’re wrong?
I’ve found these questions especially helpful. Master them, and have your teenagers master them. It will enable them to manage the conversation well and get the other person thinking through their own belief system.
You may be thinking: “What if they ask a question and my teenagers don’t know the answer?“ Simple. Have students say: “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Then they can set up another meeting to continue the conversation.
Explain the Gospel No Matter What.
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes… (Romans 1:16)
The Gospel is like a grenade. It doesn’t matter who throws it—it’s gonna blow up. Why? Because it has intrinsic power! Because “it is the power God that brings salvation to everyone who believes….”
It doesn’t matter if the messenger is the apologist Lee Strobel or a 12-year-old girl. The power is in the message.
So, no matter where the conversation goes, share the Gospel.
