This is lesson 3 in a 6-week Five Thresholds of Faith InterVarsity series. 

There are five thresholds people go through on their way to faith in Jesus. The second threshold is where someone moves from indifference to curiosity. But it can often be the most difficult threshold to cross. How can we generate curiosity and questions from our non-believing family and friends?

[Related: Do I Really Have to Talk to People About God?]

Video Highlights:

  • The first threshold is where we built trust with others who we are seeking to mentor in Christ. The second threshold is where many friendships get stuck. Friends can trust us very much and even see the fruit of a life that’s been transformed by Jesus, but this will not necessarily make friends curious about our faith.
  • Jesus is the master of instigating curiosity within the complacent people around Him. He is asked close to two-hundred questions in the Gospels, yet He seldom responds with an answer. He answered questions with questions. Questions create uneasiness in complacent people who have unexamined assumptions about life. Jesus is more interested in awakening minds than He is in providing the satisfaction of a quick answer.

[Related: Endorsing Shoes and the Good News]

[Related: How to Share Your Faith with Your Friends]

Discussion Questions:

  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. Share a good or difficult story about an interaction about faith you had with a non-believer.
  4. Have you ever struggled at the threshold of curiosity? Do you have trouble generating questions about your faith? Explain.
  5. Why do you think Jesus often answered questions with questions? Explain.
  6. Doug instructs us to ask questions that we like and that fit our personalities. So what sort of questions would you ask to help start a good conversation about faith with a person who isn’t yet following Jesus?
  7. What is a place or time this week when you could drop one good question into one good conversation? Will you commit to actually asking someone this one question?
  8. Jesus asked many good questions to a lot of people, but there were still many who refused to believe in Him. How should this truth affect you as you try to help others trust Jesus for the first time? Explain.
  9. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
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