Questions

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In our day and age, we have all kinds of questions about things. Most of us will keep the questions to ourselves, pondering them intently, and some of us will be brave enough to ask our questions to those who seem to know about them. Some of us will ask our questions well, others will ask in a very strange way, not sure how to communicate what our question is. However we deal with our questions, they remain...questions.

What if we had the right questions? I know, what kind of question is that, right? Let's say you were reading a passage in the Bible, and you wanted to really understand what it meant. You wanted to explore it so you could learn to use it in your daily life (some people actually do want to do this). What if there were a few questions that could be applied to just about any passage, and would help us understand what is meant (supposing we get the answers to our questions), and would even help us to take that passage and allow it to influence our lives in some way? Would this be helpful?

So I have a few questions that I think would be helpful to anyone. Maybe they aren't sophisticated enough for you, maybe they are to vague, or maybe they are too difficult to answer. Whatever the case, if we attempt to answer these questions, they will help us to live more Christ-like lives.

1. What do you observe about God (or Jesus) in this passage? What can you say about God's character from what you just read? What can you say about His desires, about the way He works, about His purpose for this world?

2. What is God (or Jesus) teaching His people (disciples) in this passage? Think about it, maybe the message is clear for the people, maybe the message is encoded in the language. Perhaps this will take more research, or maybe it will take some reflection. Maybe there's more than one possible answer. Wrestle with this question pretty hard because it is huge!

3. What might God (or Jesus) be teaching you, personally, through this passage? Again, don't flyover this one. Wrestle with it. Let the Scripture explore your heart, your actions, even the way you think about certain things. What is the thing you feel like God really wants you to get right here?

4. What are some specific ways you can use this passage to help other people become more like Jesus or more godly? You know people. Those people probably know you. Do they know what you just learned from this passage? Can you help them explore who God is and how they can relate to Him? What action can you take? Maybe the passage is teaching you how to take action. Maybe you just learned about how the world works. Maybe you learned God's heart for the world. Whatever you just learned, how can you convey that message to others, whether they are believers or not.

Approach the Bible with your questions. These are the general questions, and there are much deeper more difficult questions to ask. Dig, explore, reach, pray, and when you have done all this do it again. It will change you. Perhaps your theology will change from day to day. Maybe you will believe certain things for a long time, and then it will slowly morph. As it changes you, allow it to change others through you. That's what the fourth question is all about.

But always remember, discipleship doesn't begin when someone is a believer, it doesn't begin when someone is baptized, it doesn't even begin when someone hears the gospel. It begins when you, a believer, form a relationship with someone. Maybe it's your kids, maybe it's your family members, maybe your neighbors, maybe a co-worker, maybe someone at church, maybe even a teacher or boss. It begins when they learn who you are. It begins when they encounter the Holy Spirit through you. It is at that point when you can begin to influence them to become more like Christ, whether they have decided to follow him in faith yet or not. Discipleship begins wherever they are.