Goal
Identify objections and research possible responses
Introduction
Timothy Keller describes three types of barriers preventing someone from placing their faith in Christ (The Reason for God, the Penguin Group, pages xii-xiii):
- Intellectual (tough questions about Christianity),
- Interior, personal (painful memories or disappointing experiences of religion), or
- Social (frustrating or confusing experiences with Christians or churches).
As we review past conversations, we can identify the most significant type of barrier in our friend’s heart. Use these observations and insights to pray more specifically for your friends.
Bible Passage & Questions
Philippians 2:3-4
Put this passage in your own words.
How do we discern and look out for the interests of our non-Christian friends?
Consider & Discuss
Consider the non-Christians that you are spending time with. As you think about the Top 5 friends you have been praying for, do they have intellectual, personal, or social barriers?
What can you do together to address those barriers?
Next Steps (Individually & Collectively)
Review one or two of the additional resources. Then, consider how to use that resource in your ongoing evangelistic conversations.
Additional Resources
Cru, Everystudent.com
Filled with articles viewed by millions of people, this website provides a safe place to explore questions about life and God.
Willian Lane Craig, Reasonablefaith.com
Based on the writings of William Lane Craig, this website seeks to provide an intelligent, articulate, and gracious perspective on key issues concerning the truth of Christianity.
Jane Fox, ConversationArtCards.com (See “Does God Exist?” and Other Hard Questions).
This resource engages the viewer with art to discuss topics like beauty, consciousness, design, suffering and evil.
Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Viking, 2008)
Keller addresses topics such as: Is there one true religion? How can a loving God send people to hell? Has science disproved Christianity?
Timothy Keller, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical (Viking, 2016)
Keller considers questions such as: Isn’t religion going away? Isn’t religion based on faith and secularism on evidence? Is it reasonable to believe in God? He also explores the topics of meaning, satisfaction, freedom, hope, morality, and justice.
Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Crossway, 2019)
McLaughlin addresses key questions such as: Doesn’t Christianity crush diversity? Doesn’t religion cause violence? How can you take the Bible literally? Doesn’t Christianity denigrate women? Isn’t Christianity homophobic?
