Engaging Conversations: Sharing Jesus with Authenticity

Summary

It’s a joy to be back in Toronto and to share together about how we can talk about Jesus in our everyday lives without feeling foolish or overwhelmed. Many of us, myself included, have struggled with the fear of standing out, of being asked tough questions, or of making God look bad by saying the wrong thing. These fears are common, but they don’t have to paralyze us. Instead, we can learn from Jesus himself, who so often engaged people not with lectures or arguments, but with powerful, thoughtful questions that opened hearts and minds.

When we look at Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler, we see that he didn’t simply give a direct answer, but instead asked a question that exposed the heart of the issue. This approach is not only wise but deeply relational. It invites people to reflect, to clarify, and to engage in genuine conversation rather than debate. We can follow Jesus’ example by learning to ask good questions in our own conversations.

Three questions can be especially helpful: “What do you mean by that?”, “Why do you think that?”, and “Have you ever wondered…?” These questions are not tricks or tactics, but ways to listen well, to understand where others are coming from, and to gently invite them to consider deeper truths. Whether we’re facing hostility, indifference, or genuine curiosity, these questions can turn awkward moments into meaningful dialogue.

It’s also important to remember that evangelism is not about seeing people as projects or trying to force change. It’s about loving people as Jesus does, walking with them at the pace the Holy Spirit is working, and trusting God with the results. Prayer is foundational—praying for opportunities, for courage, and for a heart that truly loves those around us. We’re not called to do this alone; God has placed us in community, and we can support one another as we step out in faith.

Ultimately, sharing Jesus is about being authentic, asking good questions, and letting the love and truth of Christ shine through our words and actions. We may not have all the answers, but we can be faithful, consistent, and loving, trusting that God will use our small steps of obedience to draw people to himself.

Key Takeaways

- Fear is a universal barrier to sharing faith, but it’s not from God. Recognizing that fear often comes from within or from the enemy helps us to bring it honestly before the Lord. Prayer is the first step in overcoming fear, inviting God’s perfect love to cast it out and give us courage to speak with authenticity and grace. [01:57:58]

- Jesus modeled the power of asking questions, not just giving answers. When we ask thoughtful questions like “What do you mean by that?” or “Why do you think that?”, we invite others into a genuine conversation rather than a debate. This approach respects the other person’s perspective and often reveals deeper issues beneath the surface. [01:03:59]

- Evangelism is most fruitful when it starts from where people already are. Using “Have you ever wondered…?” questions allows us to connect the gospel to the passions, concerns, and longings already present in our friends’ lives. This method, rooted in biblical examples like Paul in Athens, helps us build bridges from everyday experiences to the hope found in Christ. [01:21:31]

- Authenticity and love must be at the heart of our witness. People are not projects; they are individuals deeply loved by God. When we pray for God’s heart for others and remain consistent in our relationships, even when there is no immediate response, we reflect the patient, pursuing love of Christ. [01:40:25]

- We are not called to do this alone, nor do we all have to evangelize in the same way. God has gifted each of us differently—some with hospitality, others with prayer, others with boldness. Finding our own style, seeking support from Christian community, and being faithful in small steps can make evangelism a natural and joyful part of our lives. [02:01:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Returning to Toronto: What’s Changed and What Hasn’t
[03:10] - Introducing SOLAS and the Heart for Public Christianity
[06:00] - The “Undercover Christian” and the Power of Fear
[13:00] - Group Discussion: Naming Our Fears
[18:53] - Learning from Jesus: The Rich Young Ruler
[23:59] - The Power of Questions in Spiritual Conversations
[27:48] - “What Do You Mean by That?”: Defusing Hostility
[31:07] - “Why Do You Think That?”: Engaging with Skepticism
[35:46] - Handling Questions You Can’t Answer
[39:06] - “Have You Ever Wondered?”: Starting from Indifference
[45:31] - Building Bridges: Paul in Athens and the Wondering Approach
[51:16] - Practical Steps: Prayer, Faith Flags, and Consistency
[55:48] - Q&A: Loving People, Not Projects
[01:01:10] - Evangelism Styles and Overcoming Fear
[01:07:17] - Facing the Toughest Questions and Trusting God
[01:13:07] - Closing and Prayer Requests

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Talking About Jesus in Everyday Life

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### Bible Reading

- Mark 10:17-22 (Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler)
- Acts 17:16-34 (Paul in Athens)
- 1 John 4:18 (“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”)

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### Observation Questions

1. In the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22), what question does Jesus ask, and how does it shift the conversation?
2. According to the sermon, what are some common fears that keep Christians from talking about their faith? [[00:13:00]]
3. In Acts 17, how does Paul start his conversation with the people of Athens? What does he notice about their city?
4. What are the three key questions suggested in the sermon for starting spiritual conversations? [[01:03:59]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why might Jesus have chosen to ask a question instead of giving a direct answer to the rich young ruler? What does this teach us about engaging with others? [[01:01:38]]
2. The sermon says that fear is not from God, but often from ourselves or the enemy. How does understanding the source of our fear help us respond differently? [[01:57:58]]
3. How does asking “What do you mean by that?” or “Why do you think that?” change the tone of a conversation about faith? [[01:03:59]]
4. In Acts 17, Paul starts with what the Athenians already care about. How can this approach help us connect the gospel to people’s real lives? [[01:21:31]]

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon mentions that many Christians are “undercover” at work or school because of fear. Can you think of a time when you hid your faith? What was the fear behind it? What would it look like to take a small step out of hiding this week? [[00:13:00]]
2. Which of the three questions—“What do you mean by that?”, “Why do you think that?”, or “Have you ever wondered…?”—do you find easiest or hardest to use? Why? Can you think of a real conversation where you could try one of these this week? [[01:03:59]]
3. The sermon says people are not projects, but individuals loved by God. Is there someone in your life you’ve been treating more like a project than a person? How can you show them genuine care this week? [[01:40:25]]
4. Prayer is described as the first step in overcoming fear and loving others. What is one specific way you can pray for courage or for someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus? [[01:57:58]]
5. The speaker talks about “flying a faith flag”—naturally mentioning your faith in everyday conversations. What is one way you could do this at work, school, or with friends this week? [[01:35:48]]
6. Evangelism is most fruitful when it starts from where people already are. What is something your friends or family care deeply about? How could you use a “have you ever wondered…” question to connect their interest to the gospel? [[01:21:31]]
7. The sermon encourages finding your own style of sharing faith, whether it’s hospitality, prayer, or conversation. What do you think your style might be? How can you take a small step in that direction this month? [[02:01:10]]

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Close in prayer, asking God for courage, wisdom, and love as you seek to talk about Jesus in your everyday life.

Devotional

Day 1: Overcoming Fear in Sharing Faith
Many Christians struggle with fear when it comes to sharing their faith—fear of looking foolish, fear of making God look bad, fear of standing out, or fear of being asked a question they can't answer. These fears can keep believers silent, hiding their faith from those around them. Yet, Scripture reminds us that "perfect love casts out fear," and that fear is not from God but often from ourselves or the enemy. Bringing our fears honestly to God in prayer, seeking support from fellow believers, and recognizing that God has uniquely gifted each of us for different styles of evangelism can help us move forward. You are not alone in your fears, and God delights to help you overcome them as you step out in faith. [01:57:58]

1 John 4:18 (ESV)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Reflection: What specific fear most often holds you back from sharing your faith, and how can you bring that fear honestly to God in prayer today?


Day 2: The Power of Asking Good Questions Like Jesus
Jesus often responded to questions with questions, using them to reveal deeper truths and to gently challenge assumptions. When the rich young ruler asked about eternal life, Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good," prompting the man to reflect on the true standard of goodness and who Jesus really is. By following Jesus' example and asking thoughtful questions—such as "What do you mean by that?" or "Why do you think that?"—we can open up meaningful conversations about faith, disarm hostility, and invite others to think more deeply. Asking questions is not about winning arguments but about creating space for genuine dialogue and discovery. [01:03:59]

Mark 10:17-22 (ESV)
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Reflection: Who in your life could you engage with a thoughtful, open-ended question about faith this week, and what might that question be?


Day 3: Meeting People Where They Are—The Wondering Approach
Rather than starting spiritual conversations with a list of Christian truths, we can begin by discovering what matters most to our friends, family, or colleagues. The "Have you ever wondered?" approach starts with their passions—love, justice, beauty, meaning—and gently explores why these things matter so deeply. This method, modeled by Paul in Athens, builds bridges from where people are to the hope found in Christ. By listening well and asking wondering questions, we invite others to consider how their deepest longings point to something greater, and how the gospel makes sense of their story. [01:21:31]

Acts 17:22-27 (ESV)
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”

Reflection: What is one passion or value of a friend or colleague that you could ask a "Have you ever wondered?" question about this week?


Day 4: Evangelism Flows from Genuine Love, Not Treating People as Projects
True evangelism is rooted in genuine love and care for others, not in seeing people as projects or targets for conversion. When we pray for God to give us His heart for our friends, neighbors, and colleagues, our desire to share Christ flows naturally from authentic relationship and concern for their well-being. Even if someone disagrees or does not respond, consistency, patience, and ongoing love are vital. Transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit, and our role is to walk alongside others, loving them as Christ does, and trusting God with the results. [01:40:25]

John 13:34-35 (ESV)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Reflection: How can you show genuine, selfless love to a non-Christian friend or neighbor this week, regardless of how they respond to your faith?


Day 5: Start with Prayer and Small Steps—Trusting God with the Journey
Evangelism is not about moving someone from unbelief to faith in one conversation, but about faithfully taking small steps as God leads. Begin by praying regularly for a few people in your life who do not know Christ, and look for natural opportunities to "fly a faith flag"—to mention your faith in everyday conversation. Trust that God is at work, and that your role may simply be to help someone move one step closer to Jesus. Be patient, consistent, and open to the Spirit’s leading, knowing that God uses many people and moments in someone’s journey to faith. [01:56:16]

Colossians 4:2-6 (ESV)
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Reflection: Who are the four or five people you see regularly who don’t know Jesus, and how can you begin praying for them and looking for small, natural ways to share your faith?

Quotes

Paul, in other words, preaches a wandering sermon. He says to his audience, have you ever wondered what this altar is all about? Who is this God that you've built an altar to? And then he gently shows, persuasively shows, using, by the way, the Athenians' own poets as he speaks to them. He shows, starting from there, he builds a bridge to Jesus and preaches the gospel. And look, with practice, we can do the same thing. [01:23:04] (00:00:28 seconds)  #BuildingBridgesWithFaith Edit Clip

Flying a faith flag is just look for opportunities as often as you can in your workplace, in your school groups, among your friends, to be signaling that you are in fact a Christian. Don't go the undercover Christian route. And by far the easiest way to do that, by the way, is the what did you do on the weekend conversation. Many of you will have that tomorrow morning. Somebody will ask you, how was your weekend? And it's very easy to talk about the fun you had on Saturday, that you played some sport, you went to the movies Sunday morning, and then Sunday afternoon you saw some friends. You skip over church. Talk about church normally. Just talk about the fact you came to church on Sunday, it was part of your weekend, the worship was great, the pastor preached a sermon, you thought about. What that does is you've just signaled into the conversation that you're a Christian. [01:38:45] (00:00:45 seconds)  #LoveDrivesEvangelism Edit Clip

The very fact that you ask the question is interesting, the very fact that you think sex matters, that you think justice matters, that is something interesting because as Christians I would agree with you. We might have some differences in how we interpret that, but the starting point is interesting, have you wondered about that? And then I would look for an opportunity as soon as I can to get Jesus into the picture and say as Christians for us it's all about him. It's not about trying to score political points or re make society in our image, it's about we think Jesus is the best news ever. [01:47:54] (00:00:30 seconds)  #TransformationThroughGrace Edit Clip

Most people's spiritual journey is not like that. It's a series of hops along the scale. And God has different plans and purposes for us in that. Probably most of you in this room, more than one person was involved in sharing Christ with you. And whether it was your family member or your friend, rather than be praying about how do I drag them up there, be thinking about, God, how can I, when I next see my in -law, my family member, my mother, my sister, my cousin, Lord, could I just have an interaction that even moves them one letter up the scale? And then trust that God will bring somebody else into their life who might bring them the rest of the way. But be faithful, be consistent, and do that surrounded by love. [01:56:40] (00:00:39 seconds)  #PerfectLoveCastsOutFear Edit Clip

Any time that you feel fear, remember the Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear. So if you're feeling fear, it's not from the Lord. It's from one or two places. It's either from ourselves. Or it's from the enemy. Because the enemy would love to tie you up in knots and go, you're useless, you're rubbish, you can't do it, it'll all go wrong. So fear is not where you want to end up. [02:00:18] (00:00:24 seconds)  #UniqueEvangelismStyles Edit Clip

God has gifted us all differently with personalities and different styles. Some of you, some of us, are not designed to be very bold, loudmouth evangelists in our workplaces. Some of you maybe have the gift of hospitality. And your style of evangelism is supposed to be you're inviting friends and neighbors into your home, getting to know them, and quietly sharing faith over a coffee. Some of you may have the gift of prayer ministry that you're gonna come alongside those who are struggling and pray for them and share Christ as you do that. And sometimes we can feel fear because you're trying to evangelize in a way you're not wired to do. [02:02:07] (00:00:31 seconds)  #FamilyFaithRhythms Edit Clip

What I think I would have said is to talk about the fact that God does not promise us when we follow him that life is gonna be easy. We live in a messed up, broken, hurting world where things go wrong and that will sometimes include the community of Christians. And I think I said you need to say to your friend, I don't know why your two friends did what they did. What I do know is that they're with Jesus. I know that Jesus knows what went on. I know that Jesus loves you dearly despite the trauma that you're going through. And I said, I also know that one of the most amazing promises in the New Testament or verses for me in the New Testament is in Thessalonians where Paul says we do not grieve as people without hope. We grieve. It is right when stuff like that happens to grieve. But we do not grieve as people without hope because we know that death is not the end of the story. [02:09:04] (00:00:50 seconds) Edit Clip