There are times we need to go deeper in order to kindly clarify what the other person is saying, or to reveal a misunderstanding on their part, or to open them up to a reality they already believe in, such as Beauty, Justice, Morality, etc.  Too often someone will make a comment and we find ourselves surprised and stuck, and the conversation hits a dead-end.  But it doesn’t ever have to, and these 3 questions are your way to advance the dialogue. 

These are the questions that help me progress in a conversation with someone

(I believe these can be found in Greg Koukl’s book, TACTICS))

Learn to ask…

“What do you mean by that?”

On bus, reading big Bible. Old schoolmate gets on and says, “You’re not still into that God stuff?!  There’s no evidence that it’s true”  Respond w: “What do you mean by that?” (God, or stuff, or evidence - What mean by ‘evidence’?  What would count as ‘evidence’ to you? What need to see in order to think dif ab God?  Opens up conversation. 

”Why do you think that?”

You say you don’t believe x, y, z. Why do you think, believe that?  What (evidence) led you to think that?  They oft make it up as go along.  Others listening may begin to wonder. 

*”Have you ever wondered…?”

National Geographic ab ‘Beauty’ vs a purely naturalistic worldview?  

Wondered ab why Justice matters to us? 

…but don’t really work if atheism is true? 

Where Morality comes from?  That you can’t have morality w/o a moral lawgiver. 

Why it’s wrong to discriminate based on their ethnicity, gender, color, creed?

The gospel is primarily a response to a question. 

The gospel is not a set or moral commandments that we keep, or a set of ideas we think ab, or some religious experience we try to have, but primarily a response to a question. 

Story in Mark 8.26-29 - Jesus asks disciples a question: How do crowds say I am? They give answers. Then Jesus asks, ok, but who do YOU say that I am?” = Who is Jesus?  Who’s is Jesus, really?  The whole of Marks gospel turn on that 1/2 way through.  The answer to that question to Peter is the gospel; gospel hinges on our answer to that question.