From the Classroom – Summer Session: The 4Bq’s Worked!

One Sunday morning as I walked through the foyer of church I was approached by an older woman in her fifties. With a serious look on her face she asked me, "Hey! Why do you believe what you believe?” It caught me off guard! I chuckled, thinking I was going to get a short sermon from this precious lady. For a second there was silence, and she asked again, "Why do you believe, what you believe?" I finally realized that this was no joke or a short sermon; she was very sincere in her question. Feeling fearful of saying the wrong thing, I needed to know what she believed, so I asked, "Miss, what do you believe?". She then replied, "A friend invited me to church this morning, so I came. I do not agree with what is going on here; I've never seen people worship God like this, and I do not understand. I am a Jehovah's Witness." I was taken back. What do I say? My heart started beating fast. My mind went blank! Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the Four Basic Questions (4Bq’s) that I had previously taught my students just three weeks earlier. Right there in the foyer, for forty-five minutes we talked through the Four Basic Questions. Yes, we disagreed at times, yet there was no shouting, no finger pointing, just an open dialogue. No, there was no altar call. There was no salvation card passed out that day, but there was a seed that was planted. Who would have thought that on a Sunday morning, in church, I would have a divine appointment with an older lady who happened to be a Jehovah Witness. Before we departed I prayed with her. I was blown away by what had just happened, but yet, my faith and confidence was strengthened!

There were three things I learned that day.

First, it is important to be prepared to share your faith. Paul gave these words of wisdom to Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction” (2Tim. 4:2). I believe that when we are prepared God will open the door of opportunity using us like we have never been used before. Wherever we may be or whatever we do, God is waiting for you to be used by him in the markertplace! I’ve always had Jehovah Witness’s come to my door at home, but never in church!

Second, the 4Bq’s worked! Since relativism, is the idea that there are no rights or wrongs, people will look at Christianity as narrow minded or out of touch. That’s nothing new. Yet, many Christians will try to defend or share their faith with never planting a seed. For the first time I had a foundation to stand on and an answer to the “why?”. I did what God wanted me to do in my encounter with this precious lady, plant a seed. These four simple questions opened the door to communicate my faith in a way that challenged and made this precious lady think about her claims. A former student of mine was in her freshmen year at a Christian college. She was taking a Bible class and one of the projects included, evangelism. Her group went out and each student struggled to share their faith with a complete stranger. Feeling bold and having practiced in my class, she told her group, “Watch this.” She went up to a total stranger and proceeded to ask the 4Bq’s. After the dialogue was over her group wanted to learn the 4Bq’s! She was full of confidence! She knew her answers and was able to hold a conversation with a total stranger.

Third, I learned that confidence is the key in sharing our faith. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competence comes from God” (2Cor. 3:4,5). There are two types of confidence. One is cocky confidence which never gets you anywhere. You know the type. Everything is "I did this" and "I did that". The problem with confidence that is based on "I', "I" will fail. "I" is not perfect. Solomon spoke about this type of cockiness, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs. 27:1). “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give” (Proverbs. 25:14). Then there is the confidence that comes from God, who is perfect and will not fail. It was confidence in a true living God that Moses lead the people out of Egypt. It was confidence in God that led Joshua into the Promise land. It was confidence in God that took David out to meet Goliath. It was confidence in God that gave Paul the ability to stand before the philosophers of his time. Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics impacted a world with her philosophy of God first, family second, and job third. It was the confidence in God and her God given gift she possessed that propelled her to greatness. Henry Ford believed that God had given him the ability to create the first marketable automobile. The confidence in God gave Henry Ford his mission and purpose, to make an automobile that would be affordable for everyone, the rest is history. Through confidence in God, Mark Buntan, a great missionary to Calcutta, India, was able to reach thousands with the hope of Christ in a Hindu nation. To this day even after his death, ministry goes forth changing the lives of the Indian people through a hospital and school he built.

It is that type of confidence a generation must embrace. It is that type of confidence the marketplace longs to hear! A confidence in knowing that our God will see us through with power, and an anointing to impact our culture. Confidence in God, knowing what He says, He will do! Where does your confidence lie? Here are the 4Bq’s that I believe will equip and give you the needed tool to have answers for your generation.

How do you see the world created?

How do you see human beings?

How do you see life after death?

How do you determine right from wrong?



His call. His gift to you. Your purpose. Irrevocable.