The Method of Evangelism: The Art of Asking a Good Question

November 15, 2022
by Pastor Scott Boerckel

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you will likely have been introduced to one or more methods of sharing your faith with others.

“The Story,” the Bridge Illustration, Evangelism Explosion, Sharing Jesus Without Fear, and the Four Spiritual Laws are among countless methods of evangelism.

Often, we find ourselves having been trained in several “methods” of evangelism, but we still find ourselves not really sharing our faith. What can we do about that?

First, warm your heart toward the Lord and what He has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24 says, “Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” Then, it will be from a sense of joy, not from foreboding obligation, that we share about how wonderful Jesus is.

Second, pray. Ask the Lord to guide you each day into encounters where there will be freedom to share the hope that you have. There are a couple of wonderful articles in this OakLeaf designed to help you know the importance of prayer and how to pray in evangelism.

Third, craft good questions. The Bible is filled with evangelists who know how to ask good questions. Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30) Jesus, when he was calling his first disciples, asked the question, “What are you seeking?” (John 1:38). In fact, the most common response of our Lord to those who questioned Him was to pose another question back to them!

I wonder how it would develop our relationships with lost people if we asked more questions and listened really intently to their answers. It might just be that we will gain more passport into their lives to a closer relationship where we can present Jesus in more fullness.

Below are some questions that I have found helpful toward initiating a deepening relationship with someone. Don’t feel like you have to ask ALL the questions! In fact, just one might open a door to further relationship.

• What burdens are you carrying today?
• What joys are you experiencing?
• Tell me about your family.
• That’s a fascinating tattoo. Can you tell me a bit about what it means to you?
• We are going to ask God’s blessing on our meal in a minute. Is there anything that we can pray for you? (asked to a server in a restaurant)
• What is the biggest thing on your plate in the coming week?

I believe that there has never been a more critical time for all believers to grow in evangelism. Romans 10:13-14 says, “Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But how shall they ask him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (TLB). So, let’s warm our hearts toward what God has done for us in Christ. Let’s pray earnestly that the Lord will open doors of opportunity to share our faith. And let’s ask well crafted questions, listening intently to the responses, so that we can grow in loving relationship with those who need to know the Savior. We long for the result to be that we can fully and clearly share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and see many turn to the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith in Him.

Senior Pastor Scott Boerckel loves being a pastor and teaching God’s Word. He is married to Carol, a watercolor artist who knows how to think Christianly about the arts. In his free time, he enjoys cycling with friends, enjoying his ever growing family, and learning from the community of God’s people at East White Oak.