At a glance: this is a 12-week study and discussion guide for Tactics by Gregory Koukl, with 84 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.
Gregory Koukl's Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions is a practical apologetics handbook built on a simple but liberating premise: your job in a conversation is not to win an argument or convert anyone on the spot — it is simply to "put a stone in someone's shoe," leaving them with a thought they can't quite shake. Koukl teaches readers to engage skeptics, seekers, and critics graciously and intelligently by asking good questions rather than delivering monologues. The book's central strategies — the Columbo tactic, the Suicide tactic, the Rhodes Scholar tactic, and others — are drawn from everyday conversational moves that anyone can learn, regardless of their theological training. By the end, readers are equipped not just with techniques but with a confident, humble posture toward faith conversations.
This study guide is designed for individual reflection or small-group discussion over twelve weeks, with one week devoted to the introduction and one week per chapter, plus a final review week. Each week, you should read the assigned chapter before your group meets (or before you sit down to journal). Then work through the discussion questions honestly — some will ask you to recall what Koukl argued, others will press you to apply his tactics to your own relationships, and others will invite theological reflection on why gracious engagement matters for the gospel. If you are studying alone, consider writing your answers in a journal before praying through the closing prayer. If you are in a group, don't rush — the best discussions often grow from the application questions, where people share real conversations they've had or avoided.
By the end of this guide, you should be able to do at least three things: (1) describe and use the Columbo tactic in a real conversation without feeling scripted or manipulative; (2) identify when an argument commits "suicide" by refuting itself, and respond calmly; and (3) approach any faith conversation with the settled confidence that you are an "ambassador" — someone who represents the King faithfully, not someone who has to defend the King's reputation all by themselves. The goal is not debating mastery but Christlike courage and grace in ordinary conversations.