Spiritual Opportunity Questions So, do you have any kind of spiritual belief? What’s been your personal spiritual journey? What conclusions have you come to about who Jesus Christ is and your relationship to Him?

Matthew 16 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

1.) What kind of a person do you think most people believe Jesus Christ was? LIAR? LUNATIC? LORD?

Mark 10 35“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.”

If you could ask God to do one thing Matthew 16 (Blind Bartimaeus) 51  “What do you want me to do for you?” If you could ask God to do one thing for you, what would it be?

Statements People Make 1. I’m not religious. Questions to ask: Why is that? What do you mean by religious? Would you still consider yourself a spiritual person?

Statements People Make I think religion is a crutch. Questions to ask: Doesn’t everyone have a limp? So you’d say you’ve never needed or will need God?

Statements People Make #3.) “I have a hard time believing in a God I can’t see, hear, feel, touch or measure.” QUESTIONS: But don’t you believe in things you can’t measure scientifically like love, joy, beauty and kindness, good and evil?

Statements People Make 3.) “I have a hard time believing in a God I can’t see, hear, feel, touch or measure.” COMMENTS: Your own personal experiences with God—Him speaking, guiding, convicting, forgiving you, etc.

Statements People Make 3.) “I have a hard time believing in a God I can’t see, hear, feel, touch or measure.” COMMENTS: Things I can see lead me to believe in a God I can’t see. Evidence #1: Everything in science tells us that our universe had a beginning.

Questions People Ask “So who made God?” COMMENTS: Only things that have a beginning need a cause. God is the uncaused, immaterial, eternal cause of everything in the universe.

Statements People Make “I have a hard time believing in a God I can’t see, hear, feel, touch or measure.” Evidence #2: Our universe is fine-tuned with astounding precision in ways that make it a place that can support life. The odds of this happening on its own, by sheer chance, are vanishingly small and thus point powerfully to an intelligent designer…precisely the kind of God the Bible presents.

Statements People Make “I have a hard time believing in a God I can’t see, hear, feel, touch or measure.” Evidence #3: Objective Moral Standards in Human Nature

#4. Can you prove that God exists? Questions People Ask #4. Can you prove that God exists? Can you prove to me God doesn’t exist? Are you saying that you KNOW there is NOT a God (atheist)?

#4. Can you prove that God exists? Are you saying that you KNOW there is NOT a God (atheist)? How much do you think you know? All possible knowledge in the universe

Statements People Make #4. Can you prove that God exists? What do you mean by “prove”? Are you asking if belief in God is reasonable OR if I can prove by the scientific method that God exists?

Statements People Make #4. Can you prove that God exists? If you could know that God in fact exists, would you want to know that? Would you want to know God? Why or why not?

#5. “Doesn’t evolution do away with the need for God?” Questions People Ask #5. “Doesn’t evolution do away with the need for God?” Responses: Evolution fails to answer the question about the existence of matter.

#5. “Doesn’t evolution do away with the need for God?” Questions People Ask #5. “Doesn’t evolution do away with the need for God?” Responses: Evolution doesn’t answer HOW life began.

#5. “Doesn’t evolution do away with the need for God?” Questions People Ask #5. “Doesn’t evolution do away with the need for God?” Responses: Where did all this information come from in living cells?

Statements People Make #6. “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.” Questions to ask: Do you think someone can be sincerely wrong? Does sincerity guarantee you a good outcome every time?

Statements People Make #6. “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.” Questions to ask: Isn’t it possible that someone’s beliefs can inadvertently harm themselves and/or others, even though they are sincere?

Statements People Make #6. “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.” Questions to ask: Since right and wrong do matter more than sincerity, how do you determine who is right and who is wrong in life?

#7. “Don’t all religions basically teach the same things?” Questions People Ask #7. “Don’t all religions basically teach the same things?” Questions to ask: If they do, why are Christians persecuted by Muslims & Hindus around the world?

#7. “Don’t all religions basically teach the same things?” Questions People Ask #7. “Don’t all religions basically teach the same things?” Questions to ask: Are you aware that all religions do NOT teach the same things? [DO vs. DONE]

#7. “Don’t all religions basically teach the same things?” Questions People Ask #7. “Don’t all religions basically teach the same things?” Questions to ask: “Are you aware that of all the major religions, Jesus Christ is the only religious leader who claimed to be God?”

Questions People Ask #8. Isn’t it judgmental of you to claim that everyone needs Jesus? Truth is relative. Your religious “truth” doesn’t apply to everyone. Questions we can ask: Do you believe the assertion you just made about truth applies to everyone?

Questions People Ask #8. Isn’t it judgmental of you to claim that everyone needs Jesus? Truth is relative. Questions we can ask: How can we actually live that out (if, for example, love for one person is cruelty for another)? The real question is, how do you decide what is truth?

Statements People Make #9. Christians are a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. Questions to ask: Who comes to mind for you when you think of hypocritical and judgmental Christians? What makes hypocritical Christians particularly repulsive to you? How have you personally suffered under Christian hypocrites?

Statements People Make #9. Christians are a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. Questions to ask: Do you think every religion has hypocrites or just Christianity? Do you think you have ever been hypocritical in life…ever said one thing and done another, claimed to hold to one value and lived out a different value?

Statements People Make #9. Christians are a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. Questions to ask: If you were ever harmed by a hypocritical doctor, do you think would you stop going to all doctors no matter how ill you got? Do you think there is a difference between hypocritical Christians and genuine Christians?

Statements People Make #9. Christians are a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. Statements to make: Hypocritical/judgmental self-proclaimed Christians really bother me too. Most Christians I know don’t claim to be perfect. What’s been your experience? I’m afraid I’ve probably not been the perfect Christian either.

Questions People Ask #10. “If God is good and all-powerful as you say he is, why is there so much evil, suffering and pain in life?” Questions we can ask: Why do YOU think there is so much evil and suffering in the world?

Questions People Ask #10. “If God is good and all-powerful as you say he is, why is there so much evil, suffering and pain in life?” Questions we can ask: What do you mean by evil? How do we even know what evil is if there is no standard for good?

Questions People Ask #10. “If God is good and all-powerful as you say he is, why is there so much evil, suffering and pain in life?” Questions we can ask: Would you agree that there is a difference between CAUSING evil and ALLOWING it?

Questions People Ask #10. “If God is good and all-powerful as you say he is, why is there so much evil, suffering and pain in life?” Questions we can ask: What alternative would you prefer? Really???

Questions People Ask #10. “If God is good and all-powerful as you say he is, why is there so much evil, suffering and pain in life?” Questions we can ask: Is pain and suffering always evil?

Questions People Ask #11. “How can you believe in a God that would send people to an eternal hell? ” Questions we can ask: Would it not be hell for God to force someone to love and worship Him forever?

Questions People Ask #11. “How can you believe in a God that would send people to an eternal hell? ” Statements we can make: Your question assumes God is forcing people into hell against their will rather than letting them choose what they want.

Questions People Ask #11. “How can you believe in a God that would send people to an eternal hell? ” Statements we can make: Heaven will be hell for those not fitted for it.

Questions People Ask #11. “How can you believe in a God that would send people to an eternal hell? ” Statements we can make: God is both just and loving. His justice demands that he punish sin. His love moved him to sacrifice himself and make provision for us sinners. What’s your response to this gift?

Review the printed summary of “Questions” on a weekly basis and add to it as you go.

Keep praying every week for divine encounters with people.

Write the names of 3-5 people you know who need Jesus on your post-it-note… and start praying.

Decide to take one of the 8-week Ed-Hour classes being offered starting April 23rd at 9:00 a.m. Sundays.