Starting a conversation about Jesus can be tricky or awkward at times. Sometimes, the setting is not right to just abruptly ask people if they know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. There are many ways to start a conversation that can eventually lead to a Gospel presentation. If you want to read more about ways to present the Gospel, click here. If you want some inspirational conversation starters, continue reading.
This is a great way to get on the topic of Heaven, Hell, a higher power, the afterlife, etc. Once you know what is on people's minds – what they may or may not believe in – you can ask follow-up questions and even tell them a little bit about the spiritual things you think about.
Most people think about life after death. However, the theories people hold can sometimes be way different than what the Bible demonstrates as true. Some may even answer you with, ‘No, I think once we die, everything stops.’ No matter what people answer, this will give you an idea as to what they believe and how to approach the topic of eternal life. You can easily tell them the biblical truth about Heaven and Hell. Then, you can tell them how you get to either Heaven or Hell after death.
This question may require some lead-up or prior knowledge of the person’s openness to the thought of an afterlife. However, especially in the world we are living in today, sudden death is not out of the question. With many people grieving and mourning the loss of loved ones, it is only natural that they may be thinking about their own eventual deaths. Tell them that if they don’t know where they are going, there is a way to know. From there, you can introduce the Gospel to them.
The answer to this question can tell you a lot about people. They may have a family history of going to church, a temple, or a mosque. They may think that mysticism is religious. Maybe they used to go to church but aren’t interested in "that religion thing" anymore. The great news that you know is that Christianity is not so much about religion as it is about relationship. Honestly, your answer to that last response could be, "Yeah, I am not too good at being religious either. That’s why I am so thankful that Jesus wanted to have a relationship with me more than He wants me to be religious and do all the right things. I know I can come to Him even when I mess up." There are many ways to continue this conversation, but you can usually get to where you want to go if you know what they believe first.
If the person answers, "No," this may be harder to continue with. But if the person tells you about a life-changing moment, engage and ask questions. Watch how excited or emotional the person gets. Listen for the things that have made a big impact. Then say, "even if I wanted to, I could not tell you that your story is untrue or that you didn't experience the things that made such an impact on you." Now you have common ground to introduce your own personal story about how Jesus changed your life. A person doesn’t have to believe it, but your story can not be argued. Your personal testimony is one of the most powerful tools you have for presenting the Gospel. Click here to learn more.
Everyone experiences loss, suffering, or hardship–Christians included! Listen carefully as people answer your question about coping with suffering. Tell them that you are a Christian and you experience the same losses and hardships. The difference between Christians and non-Christians in regard to suffering is that believers a connected to Someone who sees our every need and wants to comfort us through every loss. The Bible says in Psalm 34:18 that God is “near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” God also tells us in the Bible to cast all of our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Tell people, "You don’t have to believe in God, but I know Him to be a Comforter. He put those verses in the Bible so we would know that He wants to comfort us, heal us, and carry our burdens. I cannot imagine going through loss, suffering, and hardship without God there to walk through things with me. When troubles come, I am confident that God knows what is going on and He has a plan to work out all things for His glory and ultimately for my good. I can trust Him through hard times. Do you have anyone to trust through hard times? God wants to walk through hardships with you too."
This is a great question to use to start a spiritual conversation. Some people believe in creation, some in evolution. Some people believe in creation but are just not sure the world was created by God Himself. For those who believe in evolution, ask them about a watch they are wearing or an item they are using. Ask them if they believe that watch created itself. The answer is pretty obvious. In order to have a watch, you must have a watchmaker. In order to read a book, that book had to be written by an author. The genetic code of our DNA is so complex and intricate that it would take even more faith to believe it evolved perfectly than to believe that someone wrote it. The existence of code in a website shows proof of a code-writer. Our genetic code is no different. The code of DNA needs an author to write it. That author is God. We believe God created the world because it makes the most sense and because He said so in the Bible. In the first sentence of the Bible, God says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
There are many other conversation starters you can use, but we hope these encourage you to go start a spiritual conversation with someone today. If you want some tips on how to shift your spiritual conversation into a Gospel presentation, click here.
