How Can We Talk with People who have become Skeptical about Church?

11/25/13             Mark                 about 30

I stopped at McDonald’s on my way home after work to initiate a witnessing opportunity. It was crowded mostly with parents busy with their children, but a man named Mark, about 30, looked like he might have time to talk. I asked if he’d be willing to answer an interesting question.

He was suspicious – “What’s it about?”

“I’m wondering what you think l happens after this life”.

He looked even more skeptical. “Why do you ask?”

“Well I know it’s kind of a deep subject to talk about, especially to a stranger.”

He agreed.

“But I’m a Christian and I go to a church nearby. I know we all have our day to day problems to deal with, but eternity is something important to consider, and I don’t think we church people get out to ask these questions often enough.”

He continued to look skeptical, but I think he appreciated my candor and could see that I was very willing to hear him out on his responses to my questions, so we settled into a long conversation.

Mark had rejected the Baptist faith he grew up in, and had only skepticism to replace it. He kept referring to a documentary he had seen that purports to disprove the Bible and various central tenants of Christianity, so I asked “Do you know who made the documentary? Is it possible that they might have had any biases against Christianity?”

At first he looked like he hadn’t even considered that, and he guessed - “Well, they’re scholars and scientists I believe. They are trained to find the truth”

I responded “Well, the reason I’m asking is because a lot of people are biased against even considering the possibility that God exists because they don’t like the idea of being accountable to Him. They figure the best way to get rid of the law is to get rid of the lawgiver.”

This led to an eye-opening conversation for Mark about his guilt before God, his need for forgiveness, and the grace found only in Jesus.

He wasn’t looking skeptical at all toward the end of our dialogue. I think he wanted to believe he could be forgiven for breaking the law, instead of just looking for a way to avoid the lawgiver.