Answering Questions People Are Asking
The teaching role of a pastor is ever so critical in a healthy church. Healthy churches foster environments where people can ask their doubts and get biblical insight. It’s true that directly engaging with the questions people are asking and giving answers from the Bible is one of the pillars of a prevailing church.
Preaching a message series on questions people are asking is one of the most effective ways to connect the Bible to real life. And for pastors who preach verse by verse or preach through a book of the Bible, you will have ample opportunity to insert questions into your message.
Answering questions people are asking turns sermons into conversations, not just lectures.
1. Connect faith to real life.
People walk into church carrying questions about suffering, purpose, relationships, science, justice, etc. Answers to life’s questions show the Bible isn’t just an ancient text, but God’s Word that speaks to today’s concerns and bridges the gap between Sunday sermons and Monday life.
2. Build credibility with seekers and skeptics.
Non-Christians may be tempted to think churches avoid “hard questions.” A series like this signals that you welcome honest doubts and tough issues, and that makes the church a safer, more trustworthy place for people exploring faith.
3. Equip believers to share their faith.
Christians are often asked questions by friends, coworkers, or family and feel unprepared. A message series gives them biblical, practical language to use in those conversations.
4. Invites engagement and curiosity.
Series titles like “Good Question!” or “What People are Asking About God” or “I Have A Friend Who Wants To Know…” catch attention. People are more likely to invite guests, and guests are more likely to invite their friends, when the topic is practical and widely relevant.
Sources of Questions
The use of surveys not only surfaces questions but builds engagement.
A. Survey your congregation. Take time in a Sunday service to cast a vision for your upcoming series and ask people to submit questions they are hearing from non-Christians.
B. Survey your students. Ask students in high school for questions their friends are asking. Choose at least one of those questions for your series and let students know when you will address their questions.
C. Survey your community. Take an afternoon, put on a name tag lanyard identifying your church, a clipboard, and go to a Tim Hortons to ask people, “If you could have any question answered in a talk from the Bible, what would it be?”
To get you started thinking, here are the Top 10 Questions Canadian Non-Christians Ask:
Why is there suffering and injustice in the world if God is all-powerful, good, and loving?
Is Christianity still relevant in today’s modern, diverse, and multi-cultural society?
Is Christianity rational or compatible with science?
What evidence is there that Jesus was a real historical figure?
Why does Christianity claim to be the “only way” when Canada is so religiously diverse?
Can the Bible be trusted?
What does Christianity have to say about social issues (LGBTQ+, gender equality, Indigenous reconciliation, etc.)?
How do Christians reconcile parts of the Bible that seem immoral or problematic (e.g. Old Testament laws, passages on gender, violence, etc.)?
Can you be a good person without believing in God or being religious?
What does Christianity say about inclusivity, social justice, and diversity?
Resources For Answering Questions
Prepare your answers in an objective, well-researched way. It’s easy to lean into a subjective perspective. Study the Word and use reliable resources to offer objective answers.
1. On Suffering and Evil
Timothy Keller – Walking with God through Pain and Suffering
N. T. Wright – Evil and the Justice of God
2. Christianity and Modern Relevance (science, pluralism, culture)
Alister McGrath – Mere Apologetics
John Lennox – Can Science Explain Everything?
3. Exclusivity of Christ
C. S. Lewis – Mere Christianity
Lesslie Newbigin – The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
4. Bible Reliability
Craig Blomberg – The Historical Reliability of the Gospels
N. T. Wright – The New Testament and the People of God
Josh McDowell – Evidence That Demands a Verdict
5. Christianity and Social Issues in Canada
John Stackhouse – Humble Apologetics and Canadian Evangelicalism in the Twentieth Century
Biblical Shalom and Canadian Society (resources from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada often address Indigenous reconciliation, social justice, and public policy in the Canadian context).
Publicize Your Message Series
Make time in a Sunday service to pray for the series and encourage people to invite others.
Create social media invitations that your congregation can share on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, etc.
Post invites on digital community bulletin boards.
Record a 60-second iPhone video sharing some of the questions you’ll answer in your series and post to social media.
Print invite cards for your congregation to use to invite others.
Start with the question you may find the hardest to answer and share how you feel stretched in your message, but you are answering tough questions because it’s a way to show respect and love.
Prepare for a larger number of people on the Sunday you start your message. Make extra coffee or print extra copies of resources.
My question for you is: What are you waiting for?
Believe God will turn enquiry into an opportunity for the gospel.
We’re only a phone call or an email away from offering support.
coach@abnwt.com
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.