When someone gives an off-the-wall opinion, the best follow-up is often simply to ask what others think. There’s usually no need to contradict the person directly —poor ideas usually die on their own. But if the whole group seems to be going off in a nonsensical direction, “What does the passage say about that?” can bring them back to the text. Besides using variations on “Why?” you can also probe deeper with questions based on “How?” such as • How has that affected your relationship with God/your