#STRask

Would the Disciples Die for a Lie If They Believed It Was for the Greater Good?

Questions about whether the disciples would die for a lie if they believed it was for the greater good, how to start a conversation with an Uber customer who’s on his way to a Hindu temple, and what to say to someone who thinks there’s no way to know if God exists.

 

• Would the disciples die for what they knew to be a lie if they believed the lie was essential for persuading the world to morally reform itself for the greater good?
• What would have been a good way to start a conversation with an Uber customer who told me he was on his way to the local Hindu temple?
• What would you say to someone who thinks God is a personal belief in your head and that there’s no way to know if there is a God or not?

Are All Sins Equal to God?

Questions about whether God looks at all sins as being equally severe, how to reconcile Jesus’ statements that judgment will be degreed with the idea that everyone who rejects Christ will spend eternity in Hell, and an objection to Christians warning people about Hell.

 

• Are all sins equal to God—one isn’t more severe than another?
• How can I reconcile Jesus’ statements that judgment will be degreed with the idea that everyone who rejects Christ—from defiant murderer to “moral” secular humanist—will spend eternity in Hell? Wouldn’t that make all judgments equally severe?
• I love a good eternal threat if I don’t agree with how you choose to live your life.

Does the Bible Talk About Not Doing Anything That’s out of God’s Timing?

Questions about what the Bible says about not doing anything that’s out of God’s timing and whether Amos 4:13 and Isaiah 30:21 point to our hearing special messages from God.

 

• Does the Bible talk about not doing anything that’s out of God’s timing?
• Do Amos 4:13 and Isaiah 30:21 point to our hearing special messages from God?

How Should I Pray About Big Decisions If I Can’t Expect a Confirmation from God?

Questions about how we should pray about big decisions if we can’t expect to hear a “yes“ or “no” from God, what Greg means by “listening prayer,” and why he thinks the call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 isn’t an example of it.

 

• In light of Greg’s teaching on decision making and the will of God, when I’m making a big decision and I’m told to “pray about it,” what does that mean if I shouldn’t expect to hear a “yes” or “no” from God?
• What do you mean by “listening prayer,” and why do you think the call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 isn’t an example of it?

If Immaterial Things Exist, What Are the Laws of the Immaterial?

Questions about what the laws of the immaterial are if immaterial things exist and how to use the third Columbo question in the Tactics material.

 

• If immaterial things exist, what are the laws of the immaterial, and where are they?
• How do you use the third Columbo question in the Tactics material?

Do Jesus’ Words Take Precedence over Everything Else in Scripture?

Questions about how to respond to friends who say that Jesus’ words take precedence over everything else in Scripture and anything he didn’t speak on isn’t worth discussion, what to do with the Old Testament, and how to tell which of its promises are for us.

 

• How should I respond to friends who say that Scripture is all true but Jesus’ words take precedence over the rest, and that anything he didn’t speak on isn’t worth discussion?
• If the Old Testament isn’t written to us, what do we do with it? Why use it? Are any of the promises of the Old Testament for us, and if so, how can you tell the difference?

What Words of Encouragement Would You Give to Men in Prison Who Love the Lord?

Question about what words of encouragement Greg and Amy would give to men in prison who love the Lord.

 

• I go into prison as an outreach of my church. What words of encouragement would you give “my men” in prison who love the Lord?

How Can So Many Professing Christians Support Things That Are Anti-Christian?

Questions about how so many professing Christians can support things that are anti-Christian, such as LGBTQ issues and abortion on demand, and how to work with Christians who have views that seem to contradict things stated in the Bible.

 

• How can so many professing Christians support things that are clearly anti-Christian, such as LGBTQ issues and abortion on demand? Are they really believers?
• How do you work with Christians who have views that oppose the Christian faith and seem to contradict things stated in the Bible, especially if they are close friends?

How Would You Respond to Someone Referring to God as “She” in Church?

Questions about how to respond to someone referring to God as “she” during a church service, how to handle the tension between respecting the authority of church leaders and keeping them accountable, and how to distinguish between wolves and misled lambs.

 

• How would you respond to someone referring to God as “she” in a prayer during a church service and a leader telling people to use whichever pronoun they’re comfortable with?
• How do we handle the tension between respecting the authority of church leaders and keeping them accountable, and how do we tell the difference between misled lambs and wolves in disguise?

Did Jesus Ever Experience Fear?

Questions about whether Jesus ever experienced fear, why Jesus would pray three times for something he already knew he would be denied, and a song that seems to state that Jesus paid the price for all in the garden of Gethsemane rather than on the cross.

 

• Jesus came to earth and experienced the same things we go through—hunger, thirst, weariness, anger, sorrow, etc.—but did he ever experience fear?
• Why did Jesus pray three times, “Let this cup pass from me,” when he already knew he would die?
• I recently heard the song “Gethsemane,” which seems to state that Jesus paid the price for all in Gethsemane and doesn’t mention the cross. This feels off, but how can I explain why it matters?