Why Good Questions are Sticky

Good Questions are sticky for one simple reason.

People learn more from what they say than from what they hear.

This is very easy to test for yourself. Next time you are in a group ask yourself a simple question when you are finished with class. What do I remember from today's discussion? If you participated in the discussion at all you probably remember far more of what you said than from what you heard.

If we can lead people through a series of Good Questions to say the truth, they will remember the truth. I heard of a Barna study recently that revealed most people can't remember the main idea of a sermon 2 hours after they hear it. Barna didn't say this but I will bet there is one exception.

The preacher. The preacher will remember what he said because we all remember far more of what we say than what we hear.

Jesus employed questions a number of times. One example is when he asked the disciples, "Who do the people say that I am?" It is not like he didn't know. He asked because he knew that when he led Peter to declare, "You are the Christ the son of the living God," Peter was going to believe and remember and be changed by the truth that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.

People remember and are changed by what they say more than what they hear. Jesus taught that what comes out of a man's mouth makes him clean or unclean. (Mark 7.18)

Let's say you want to teach people the first of the four spiritual laws: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. You want them to get it so you tell them: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. You tell them and 80 percent will forget in two hours. In 24 hours all will have forgotten.

What if, instead of telling them, you lead them through a series of questions so that the final they blurt out the answer: "Because God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life, that's why!"

Whatever questions you asked to get him to that point was a Good Question. That is a sticky lesson. That is the kind of question I try to ask every week in Good Questions Have Groups talking.

And people remember. The lessons sticks. People remember more from what they say than from what they hear.