How can you help another person in their spiritual journey? Just like giving directions for any journey, first you need to know where they are. Jesus told us to make disciples. However discipleship resources often assume the person already has a relationship with Jesus Christ. In Europe that leaves out 98% of the population. Even evangelistic resources start with “God loves you”. But most people today don’t believe in a personal God. Remember that Jesus spoke “for God so loved the world” (John 3:16) to Nicodemus, a Bible teacher and seeker, not a secular humanist. Where is your neighbor in their journey?
We often think of evangelism only in terms of people being converted. Understood that way, most of our evangelism seems like pure failure. Few of us can live with that level of failure, so we don’t survive as effective witnesses for long. This modified Engel Scale completely changes that perspective. If we understand the journey a person must take to become a mature multiplying follower of Christ, then success is helping them take any steps in that journey. Spiritual growth and transformation is God’s work, and each one of us can be a part of making that happen. That is what it means to “make disciples”.
To help people in their spiritual journey (to make disciples), we need to know where they are in the process. Like a doctor we can diagnose their heart and mind with questions. Jesus, the great physician, used questions to explore. “Who do you say I am?” “Why are you so afraid?” “Why do you call me good?” Questions Jesus Asked Like Paul, we then adapt our message (Acts 17:16-34) and adapt our God Story to fit our audience (compare Acts 22 with 26). Diagnostic questions help you determine where they are in their journey.
Diagnostic Questions for Beginning a Spiritual Conversation
- What do you see as the biggest problems today?
- What are your biggest problems at this stage of life? (Where does it hurt?)
- What gives your life meaning?
- What is our purpose as humans?
- How did you form your basic beliefs about life?
- Where do you get your ethics, your views about right and wrong?
- What are your favorite books?
- Are you a church attender?…Why?
- What comes after this life?…How do you know?
- How important is God to you?
- How does God feel about you?
- What made Jesus unique?
Pick two or three questions that you feel will serve you best and memorize them. Use them in your daily conversations. When you have some idea of where someone is in the journey, then click on a step below to see other possible questions to ask and relevant articles on LifeFound.me to share with that person.
Find Questions & Helpful Reading for Each Position of the Spiritual Journey
Just remember that these are not always sequential steps but rather descriptions of various stages in the journey to faith. At which point does someone share personal experience with others? At every step! A learner has the need and opportunity to share their discoveries with others. It is natural. Look at the woman at the well! “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:29) As she moved from skeptic to spectator, she shared her discovery and invited her whole city to investigate Jesus.
What if the person is from a Muslim background? They may have a vague belief in Allah or be highly committed to Islam. Many of the same questions and articles will be helpful, but here are some more that could help.
Questions in a Conversation with a Muslim
- What awaits you after this life?…How do you know?
- Can we as humans know God?
- What made Isa Masih unique?
- Have you ever read the Injil?
- Did you know the Koran tells us to read the Taurat and Injil?
- Are you familiar with the prophecy about Isa Masih?
- What do you know about Isa Masih?
- Have you ever had a dream about Isa or heaven?
- Have you ever researched Christianity?
- Do you know what Christians believe?
- Can God really do anything? Why wouldn’t God be able to become a man?
- How are you saved from hell in Islam? How can you be sure you are safe?
Helpful Reading for the Muslim Journey
- Beautiful Answers to 5 Questions Muslims Ask
- What is a Christian? How to become one
- How to download the Bible (3026 versions)
- How to watch the historic JESUS film (Now over 2068 languages)
- How does the Quran compare with the Bible?
Depending on where your Muslim friend is in his/her journey some of these articles or questions may cause them to try and defend Islam rather than re-examine their faith. Remember that God is the one who opens blind eyes, not us. As you rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you, there may come a point where you need to not just defend your faith but expose lies your friend has believed. For the Muslim you could ask: “Has the Koran ever been changed? Who wrote it? Who has a copy of the original?”
The history of the Quran is much less reliable than the Bible, but Muslims are taught that the Bible was corrupted and the Quran is verbatim what was recorded by those who heard Mohammed who was himself illiterate (supposedly). For more on this see: Questions to ask your Muslim friends, Quran compilation, Islam’s Origins, and 30 different Qurans. Please realize that Muslims could find this material offensive, unless they are eagerly seeking truth.